Writing Z's in place of S's is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Especially since the S, and Z keys are right next to each other.
Hinata's P.O.V.
"She hates me."
"She doesn't h-hate you N-Naruto."
"Yes she does! And now I'm going to die alone!" Naruto whined. Well, if you are then I probably will too…
"I-it can't be that b-bad. I think y-you're j-just over reacting." Wow, is that the best I could do? I wouldn't even feel reassured.
"I'm going to die alone and twenty years from now at our reunion I;m gonna be 'that guy that lives by himself' who nobody remembers!" He continued without listening.
"Oh now you're j-just being silly."
"-and not even Akamaru will recognize me!"
"What?"
"Agh!" Naruto groaned, then flung himself at me, embracing me in a hug and burying his face into my collar.
"Wahdo I do?" He moaned into my jacket, but I could barely understand him through the muffling fabric. Oh my god he's hugging me. What do I do? His face is so close to my neck. No! No don't think like that Hinata! Thinking like that leads to dark places-and oh my god his face is even closer to my bust. I remained frozen for a few moments while that set in, my face rapidly turned darker shades of red. Then very calmly I-frantically loosened his grip, shoved him off, and bolted to the nearest set of bleachers.
Before my dignified retreat, the two of us had been walking the track during gym. It was one of those rare days when we were permitted to relax and pick what we wanted to do instead of overdosing on steroids so we can attempt to keep up with Gai and Lee as they hurled pianos full of molten lead into trees...They didn't really do that, but you get the point. It was like they were on speed. Anywho, some kids were playing basketball, some vollyball, some ditched and were killing time in the bathroom, *coughcough* Sakura *cough*, some were sitting on the bleachers doing nothing, about half of my friends that didn't feel like walking the track, and some girls were stalking the popular boys *coughcouch* Sasuke *coughcough*
I on the other hand was now hiding behind the bleachers, hands covering my face which now looked like a blushing cherry. I can't believe I just bolted like that! Poor Naruto! I whined internally. Braving the unknown, I took a chance and peeked around the bleachers back to the track. Naruto was sitting on the ground very confused and oblivious to what had just happened, and was looking around to hopefully figure out where his friend had just disappeared too. I ducked behind the bleachers again and let myself sink down and sit on my but. I knocked him over! I shoved the guy I have a crush on to the ground! That's how you get a man Hinata! When they embrace you for comfort, shove them to the ground, then pull a batman and disappear before he knows what happened!
"Dude, that waz painful…"
"Eep!" I shrieked. The voice had come from behind me, underneath the bleachers. I looked to my right expectantly, and sure enough a loose panel was moved to the side, and out stepped Cinema, without Wachah, from under the bleachers with a playful crooked smirk plastered on her face.
"W-what were you doing under t-there?!" I asked a little flabbergasted. Years ago the sides of the bleachers were walled off with paneling. Apparently too many kids were caught screwing underneath it, so that was the schools solution. Cinema shrugged to the question.
"Juzt chillin'." She replied "Come check thiz out."
Cinema said, and motioned for me to go under the bleachers as she held the panel open. It had been roughly a month since school had started. Sakura had continued to give Naruto the cold shoulder, he whined about it alot, and Cinema and I had become...Acquainted with one another. She wasn't exactly sure if what they had was friendship. Sure Cinema was friendly in that laidback way she had, the two rarely spoke to one another. I started hanging out with her in the mornings to avoid being alone before class, but I quickly noticed that Cinema pretty much avoided being around me whenever I was with my friends. It was a little weird, but I haven't questioned it yet. I also didn't question when Cinema lead me under the bleachers. One thing about Cinema that stuck out like a sore thumb, was that she was an odd one. But, I thought her weirdness was entertaining.
"How did you even figure out how to get under here?" I asked. Cinema chuckled.
"I zorta tripped into it the zide of the bleachez two weekz ago. Ended up in here. I think thiz waz zuppozed to be for the janitorz to get in here and clean." She said reffering to the panel that acted like a door. I took a quick glance around. The place was filthy, aside from a small trail. Everywhere else was covered in dust, cobwebs, garbage and lost items that fell under the bleachers.
"Obviouzly they never uzed it, but I did a little cleanin'." She said and gestured to the cleaned trail. Shaking my head a little I followed the trail with Cinema tailing me. We walked over and under beams, passed under a few clusters of kids sitting on the bleaches, I giggled when we passed under Shikamaru. I knew it was him because he was snoring.
"Geez I wonder how long it's been like this under here?" I asked.
"Heheh, right? I found two rat zkeletonz while cleanin'." She said with some amusement. I giggled.
"I'm surprised you didn't find any undies down here." I joked.
"Oh, no I did. And a few uzed condomz too." My smile faltered.
"What? But the bleachers have been blocked off for years, are you sure?"
"Yeah. I kicked em' a little, their real." She said.
"They've gotta' be ancient!" I said, almost falling over a beam "Ohh!"
"Careful! Heheh, yeah. The oldest wrapper I founds expiration date said '84." At that I did fall over the beam.
"Hinata, I you explizitly to be careful." Cinema deadpanned as I got to my feet. As waited for her to pass over the beam, a look of disgust passed over my face.
"D-di...Did you throw them out?" Now it was her turn to fall over the beam.
"Whoa-Oof! Are you nutz?" She said getting off the floor. "Why do you think thiz trail haz zo many turnz? It goez around everything I wazn't gonna touch. Besidez, they didn't even move when I kicked 'em. They're like...molded into the floor now." She finished with a just as disgusted curled lip.
"Ew." I concluded. But I had noticed the curly trail. A few more beams and Cinema pointed ahead.
"Check it out!" She said. I almost facepalmed when I saw. Up ahead, where the beachers met the wall, Cinema had set up her own chill zone. A bunch of large throw pillows, Wachah was sitting on one, and rugs were thrown around the floor, a hammock was haphazardly strung through the beams and sitting on the floor next to a medium small cooler was…
"...Is that a lava lamp." I'm not even surprised. I don't know her that well, and I'm not even surprised. Sitting there plugged into an outlet under an equally old fire alarm, both of which were probably there before they even put the bleachers in, illuminating the graffiti I'm sure she did on the wall that read chill zone in artistic letters, was a small red and purple lava lamp. It looked pretty awesome. Dare I say, it even looked badass.
"Haha-yeah! There'z even a trap door under the rugz I laid down." Cinema laughed with both amusement and pride at her chill zone, as she pulled one of the many small overlapping rugs back to reveal a square metal door. "Not zure where it goez yet, but if I get it open I'll let you know."
"Is this where you've been disappearing off to everyday?"
"M-hm. Pull up a pillow." She said as she sat down cross legged on one.
"Why?" I asked as if I didn't already know the answer. I was more so asking why extend the effort to make this, though the pay off was pretty cool I guess. Cinema shrugged.
"Zo long az I zhow up on fridayz, Gai doesn't even notice I'm gone with him and Lee off in their own youthful world." Every friday was when we had to perform, and document our physique, so the school has proof of our growth. We run through the basics, running, rope climbing, strength building, target practice. Then every other week sparring. It doesn't surprise me that she wouldn't get noticed. She was like Shino, if she wasn't actively drawing attention to herself, she was pretty easy to miss. I gave an affirmative nod and sat on one of the pillows with by her and basked in the glow of the chill zone a bit more.
"Wow, I bet my friends would lose it if they found this down-."
"-Uh, letz not do that." I looked over at her. She looked serious.
"Uh, okay...I don't have to tell anyone."
"Thankz." She said.
"No problem."
"Alright, now what happened out there with blondie?" Cinema asked with an amused smirk. I covered my face with my hands as it started turning red again.
"Oh no…"
Naruto's P.O.V.
"You're so dense." Kiba laughed. What he thought was so funny, I had no idea.
"What? Will someone please explain to me what exactly I did wrong?" I asked. I had just retold what had just happened a little while ago between me and Hinata to Kiba, Gaara, and Choji, as Shikamaru slept near us.
"You can't think of anything that would've scared her off? Perhaps coming one sneeze away from motor boating her?" My face got a little red.
"I did not! I was hugging her for comfort! Friends do that!"
"Not like you do they don't." Choji added.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Uh...you're a very...intimate hugger."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are." Kiba said with a smirk.
"Damn, you make it sound like I'ma sexual hugger." I pouted.
"That's what we're trying to say."
"I'm not a sexual hugger!"
"I beg to differ…" Gaara grumbled.
"I AM NOT A SEXUAL HUGGER!"
"Hey Naruto, you know we can all hear you right?" Kankuro called from across the gym, followed by an eruption of laughing from various people in the room.
"Your brothers a dick." I said to Gaara. He didn't seem to care.
"And yet, he's still asleep." Choji marveled at Shika's sleeping form. Hm...not many call remain asleep during my yelling. That takes skill. I nodded in Shika's direction with respect and approval.
"Wait, what were we talking about?" I asked after a moment.
"Umm...huh." Choji said, having not been able to remember.
"We've uh...we got side tracked…" Kiba said, and a long moment of silence passes as we try to remember, until Gaara decided he couldn't take it any longer.
"We were talking about Naruto's hugging issues." He supplied.
"Ah, yes. Naruto...you hug to sexually." Okay, I'm not gonna win this.
"Alright whatever. It's not like it meant anything. I've hugged Hinata before no prob, and I've made jokes about being her late night booty call since the seventh grade. So what?" I asked, still wanting an answer.
'S-so? So you just probably almost motorboated her!" Kiba laughed.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did!"
"-n't!"
"Did!"
"-n't!"
"Boys! Quiet down or no recess! And Choji! Wait for snack time!" Shikamaru shouted, then rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Kiba, Choji, and I hung our heads and in unison said,
"Yes …" As Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose. Then
"But, seriously dude. You can't seriously not see what's going on here, right?"
"See whaaat!" I groaned. Jesus just tell me what I don't know! Choji merely shook his head.
"You're hopeless."
"Well that's helpful." I pouted.
"Oh great." Gaara rolled his eyes. "Can't we just tell him? Because I sure as hell don't feel like dealing with him pouting all week."
"Fine!" Kiba groaned and leaned in real close. "Look, Hinata's got a-"
"Zon of a whore! Frick!" Someone suddenly cursed interrupting him. The four of us, excluding the once again sleeping Shikamaru, looked at each other and looked around for said voice. There wasn't a person sitting around us, yet the voice was so gruff and low it had to be close. And did they say 'frick'? Then Kiba flipped his hand around to get out attention and pointed to the empty end of the bleachers against the wall. Nothing was there but...was something glowing under the bleachers? A dim light was coming from the small cracks in the bleachers.
"...Is someone under there?" I asked with disbelief. At the same time two voices answered,
"No…" Instantly all of us recognized one of the voices and shifted closer to where they were.
"Hinata?" Kiba asked.
"...No?" She answered followed by what sounded like a face palm. Yep, that was definitely a face palm. I could see two shadowy figures through the cracks between the bleachers, and the persons hand was still on their face. Haha, you wouldn't even notice the light if you weren't looking for it.
"Haha, we were just talking about you~!" I called and Kiba sent me a glare.
"Why'd you run off earlier?" I could barely make out which one of the figures was Hinata, but still didn't know who the other person was. Hinata shifted on her feet and looked down while twittling her fingers. Wait a minute...Hinata? Did she…? My eyes widened.
"W-well...um-um… I…"
"Never mind that. How'd you get under there?" Gaara asked. Hinata looked to mystery person. Mystery person shook their head.
"Um...I, uh…" This time she didn't sound nervous so much as she was trying to think up an answer. Apparently mystery person thought one up, because in a second they walked back toward the wall and out of sight. Hinata watched them go then frantically called, "N-no! What'er you? -Wait!"
Then the fire alarm went off, and the whole place went fucking insane. Kids panicked because they thought there was a fire, kids panicked because they were getting wet, and kids just panicked. Gui sprang into action trying to herd kids out the front of the gym, even throwing a few over his back to carry them out...there goes their reputations...Shikamaru woke with a start and fell down a few levels of the bleachers before he realized what was happening. But nothing could compare to the shrieks that came from the girl who were in the bathroom. The girls that now had wet hair, running make-up and were soaking. Before any of us could worry about Hinata under the bleachers, Gui got to us, and we too were herded out the door. But I wasn't thinking about any of that, or what was going on around me...Did Hinata...like me?
Cinema's P.O.V.
"Why did you do that!" Hinata called lightly shoving me. It didn't make me mad though, I had just impulsively pulled a decades old fire alarm.
"They were azking queztionz! I had to retaliate!"
"By pulling the fire alarm?!"
"Okay, yeah. Bad idea, I admit that." I said as I unplugged my lava lamp and gathered up my stuff.
"What were you thinking?" She asked in exasperation.
"I just did the firzt thing I thought up." I said as I put my stuff in the cooler, along the sodas already in there, so it didn't get wet from the sprinklers. "I thought we covered thiz already? I never zaid thiz waz a good idea. Bezidez your back waz againzt the wall too. What were you going to say? I ran cuz I want your nutz?"
"Ugh...Whatever, what now?" Hinata gave up. Maybe it was because I was a bit too calm about this, was what was making her calm down, or because she didn't have something planned out to say to that question when it came. Who knows. Perhaps I should've thought this out better. But, in the words of Hinata, 'whatever'. It's already been done.
"That'z eazy." I said as I peaked out the cracks of the bleachers. "We make a bolt for the door once everyone'z gone."
"Or...we could wait until no one's watching, and get out from under here, then-,"
"-Blend in with the crowed. I like it." I said as we began our journey back to the other end of the bleachers, with Wachah on my back.
"Hows your arm?" Hinata asked. A little while ago it brushed up against the lava lamp and got a little burnt, causing me yell something out. I don't even know what I said.
"It'z fine."
"What do we say if someone questions us about this?"
"Umm...Oh!" I said, getting an idea, I tore the sleeve of my P.E. shirt. "We zay, we were in the bathroom, I leaned up againzt the alarm in there, an' my zhirt got znagged."
"B-but, the other girls in there won't back that up."
"Eh, we don't need'em too. One kid admitz to the act, and being where they zhouldn't be in clazz, an' no one'll ask any more queztionz." I chuckled. Hinata was silent for a moment, before letting out an amused yet nervous chuckle.
"...You're crazy." She finally said.
"...Iz that a bad thing?" I asked half expecting her to never hang out with me again after this.
"...I-I don't k-know." She said sheepishly. As we got out from under the bleachers and hid my chill zone away for another day. After we exit the gym, Hinata would be head back to be with her group of friends, and I would pull a batman, and duck away unnoticed.
"Hey…You're not going to tell them about the chill zone right?" I asked.
"U-um, no?...But, why don't you want them to know?"
"...Juzt cuz…"
"Cinema, why don't you come hang out with my frien-,"
"Can we just drop it." I cut off. It wasn't a question, I didn't feel like discussing it. It wasn't that I had a problem being around a lot of people, I just wasn't that social with people I didn't know. End of story. Not really, but I didn't feel like getting into it. Not right now. Not when our relationship was so raw and unsculpted. Speaking of which…
"Hey Hinata…"
"Hm?"
"Do, you maybe wanna hang out...at my houze zome time?" Hinata looked surprised by the question. Here comes the rejection.
"U-um sure. How about this friday?" My eyes snapped up to look at her.
"Really?"
"Why not right?"
"Right." Awesome. I actually have someone coming over to my house...I gotta clean up my house, before then. Meh, I'll get around to it eventually.