(( *slowly walks into the spotlight* Hi... um, if you could please lower your torches and pitchforks, I have an announcement. *ahem* I am still continuing this story. I did not give up. It's just... lack of internet, my laptop went crackers on me and has now forgotten how to latch onto the WIFI at McDonalds, and we've had a lot of financial difficulties which include a low-life rentee at home who was too much of a child to actually function in the real world. Seriously, the only reason I'm not homeless is because of my early tax refund. *God bless tax season*. My roomie/brother (not biological) was about to sell his Wii when I checked my account and saw my refund. I texted him 'Don't sell your Wii, I have the rent money!' I swear, $200 a month is not a lot! And when I asked for it early, she didn't have it. The day before it was due, she didn't have it. After almost two weeks and an eviction threat, she didn't have it! And what does she do when I'm almost desperate enough to sell her body (street or science, didn't matter), what does she do? She shrugs it off like a child being scolded and says, "Sorry but I don't have it." *enter string of particularly nasty curses and violent actions*
Anyway, sorry for the LOOOOOOOONG wait. It's been well over a year and I know that all of my loyal fans have either deemed me dead and buried or have to reread the last 6 chapters. I know I did. But without further ado...))
Chapter 7: Kaya's Revenge
Temari was so happy to be sleeping in her bed, her dreams nothing but clouds and gentle rain. Unfortunately, a storm of thunderous screaming interrupted her and she jolted out of bed with a kunai in each hand. Really? What was that raving lunatic ranting about now? She knew it wasn't Mishka and Kankuro only sounds that feminine when his balls were grabbed in a vice. So it was one of the four other girls making such a racket. Clambering out of bed, she tossed the weapons aside and went to deal with the problem.
There stood Megumi in front of Mishka's door, screaming about a whore. A whore? She didn't know the white-haired beauty swung that way. "What are you whining about, Megumi?" she questioned, voice husky from her previous slumber. Not that it wasn't always husky.
"That slut lured Gaara-sama into her bed last night! I saw it! He's nowhere around and I know he's still in there!" The blond's blue eyes were almost black with rage and she turned back to the door. "Get out here, you harlot! Take your medicine like the disease-ridden rat you are!"
Temari felt her fists ball up and she was about to lay a serious smack-down on their 'guest' when lo-and-behold... Gaara walked out of Mishka's room, fully dressed and fully pissed. He took hold of her and lifted her over his shoulder, walking away with her screaming indignantly about how he dared to put his lust before her feelings. The eldest sand siblings looked in the room to see a bright red Mishka sitting in bed, trying to subtly blend into the comforter. And she was wearing Gaara's old shirt. With a smirk, she entered the room. Time for a little girl-talk with her favorite soon-to-be sister-in-law.
Gaara was beyond pissed. He tossed the blond on the bed and glared down at her. Megumi's face was red but her eyes weren't angry about his ill-treatment. In fact... she looked ready to jump his bones. And disgust shot through him. Even if he just pointed at her without really choosing her, he had lousy taste in scapegoats.
"G-Gaara-sama..." she moaned in a voice that would be considered sexy by any other standards.
He had enough. "Get out."
She blinked, the lust slowly dissipating. "W-what...?" she asked slowly as if she didn't quite hear him.
"Get out. Leave and don't come back... ever."
"B-b-but the contest-"
"- is over for you. You won't be chosen anyway. I hate shopping and refuse to put up with your bullshit any longer. Leave Suna and keep walking."
Megumi snorted. "No way. I can't lose, Gaara-sama. I am the perfect woman, I am your equal in every way. Those other girls are just here as fillers. You want me... and I guarantee that I'm way more experienced than some second-rate virgin girl."
She found herself within a wave of copper-scented sand, the grainy tendrils that burned into her flesh pressed into her and made it hard to breath. But the look on Gaara's face would have made anybody stop breathing.
He was now beyond pissed. His sea foam eyes were narrowed to slits and his red hair was almost standing up in his rage. His hand was shaking from the effort of not completing his Sand Coffin technique. "Get out of my village. The only reason you're not dead now is because we'd never get you out of the furniture and carpet..." He dropped her like a sack of bricks and exited the room before he did something to prove that he truly hadn't changed.
Kankuro was waiting for him outside the door and when the sand slammed it shut, he chuckled at the scream of vengeance from within the enclosed room. As he'd also been awaken due to that screaming, he hadn't put his face paint on and was only dressed in black sweatpants. "About time... Why'd you pick her anyway? I have better taste than that."
The redhead rolled his eyes. "Of course you do. That's why you have flocks of girls threatening to break our front door down just to see you- oh wait... you don't."
The brown-haired male placed a hand on his heart. "You wound me with your wit... At least you picked Mishka. But the others seem like such a waste of space. Just dump the contest and go with her."
"He says he can't do that."
Both young men looked up to see Kaya dressed in a white baby-doll top, blue jeans that complimented the length of her legs with black high heels to complete the look. Her brown eyes sparkled almost mischievously as they gleamed from behind the black curls that framed her delicate tan face. She sauntered up to them and they noticed that even with heels, she only came up to Kankuro's chest. She gave the older sibling a cheeky grin. "Lookin' good... you're very handsome without your paint..."
Kankuro couldn't believe his ears. "Um... aren't you supposed to be trying to appeal to Gaara?" Why was the small girl flirting with him?
Kaya rolled her eyes and sighed dejectedly. "He's already picked Mishka. What was it you said you were doing, Gaara? Oh yeah, you're just going through the motions." Her slightly nasal voice practically spat out the words with poison dripping from them. "You played me for a fool... time to pay up."
Gaara rolled his eyes. Women were terrifying creatures though he would never admit it. He was the demon of Sand, not some pathetic male trying to appease all women. He'd leave that to guys like Lee. "Fine. You want a date, you got it."
"Good boy..." Kaya purred evilly before looking at Kankuro. "Would you like to go out with me today?"
Both Sabaku siblings stopped, their brains slowly turning the words over. And they shared a special moment that all men share at one time or another. "Huh?"
The pixie-like young woman smiled softly. "It's not what you think. Yeah, I'm really made at you, Gaara. But Kankuro, you're not the rebound guy. I think you look really cute without your face paint on and you have a really good heart. Besides, I've always had a thing for tall guys- they can reach the top shelf without needing a stool to stand on."
They gazed at her like a gaping fish before the brown-haired man started laughing. Both 18 year olds looked at him with shock. Gaara didn't get what was going on. He knew that she was mad at him but... why go on a date with his brother? Slowly Kankuro stopped laughing and he said, "Yeah, no problem. You're pretty cute yourself, short-stuff. But how is that going to make Gaara pay?"
Kaya ran a hand through her beautiful long hair and smiled. "Because he's going to foot the bill wherever we decide to hang out. Every... last... place. No matter what. Got it, Kazekage-san...?" Her voice was like sugar-coated poison, her smile a trap. If he refused, he would feel the bite of her wrath.
The redhead nodded, thinking that if he just gave them his bankcard, he'd be able to hang out with Mishka while they did... couple things. But oh, was he wrong. Kaya had one more condition. "Since you're supposed to be putting on that charade of following the contest's rules, you'll be escorting us around and watching us flirt. I suggest you take notes because I can only imagine what Anali and Zia will have planned for you. And Friday's a long time from now."
Friday was the day Gaara and Mishka were supposed to go on their date. Three more days of this Hell? How was he going to survive? And with Lee on the pursuit for his white-haired maiden's hand, how was he supposed to protect her and deal with this bitch at the same time? He sighed as he watched Kankuro waltz off to change, Kaya asking him to skip the face paint for today. Something about how she preferred the "natural look". And he realized that he'd just have to deal with it. After all, Mishka was scared of Lee. She wouldn't betray him for Bushy Brows, right?