A/N: lmao I got a bunch of anonymous hate but they're really funny so I don't really mind. I love reviews, I sort of prefer constructive criticism (or just any positive note) to trash but I'll take what I can get. It's one in the morning and I have a busy day tomorrow and I should go to sleep but there is a BIRD who is making a RACKET outside I want to shoot it (no I don't). Also, Sakura is my fav, so it pains me to make her an antagonist sort of. I hate this chapter so much.

Temari POV

Back in Suna, I used to think that the only thing worse than the first day of school was the second day. Usually the teachers take it easy on you the first day, we don't have much to do except for introduce ourselves and talk about our summers. Second day of school, the reality of the burdensome routine comes to play. But in Konoha, nothing was worse than that first day of school. That one day was more eventful than every single day of my summer combined. That was an overstatement, but still. I mean, come on. The second day of school at Konoha was actually a relief. I got to be quiet and studious. We started doing physical training and I got to impress people with my tessen and my wind release. But besides blowing everyone away, literally, it was mostly quiet. I'd go to school, pay attention in class, hide somewhere during lunch, go back to being studious, go to work, and then Shikamaru would take me back to the dorms.

A few weeks in, Ino found my favorite hiding spot, on the roof of the library, and insisted that I sit with her and her friends. It was a bit overwhelming. They seemed like nice girls, but we didn't really get off to a good start. Ino and Hinata were always nice to me, but Tenten was still bitter about me beating her in the Chunin exams. Oh yeah, I took the preliminaries and passed last week. It's not a big deal though, I knew I'd get in. I'm not a Chunin yet, there's still the finals. And Sakura has always disliked me and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. Usually girls are intimidated by me, so maybe she was jealous that I surpassed her in class rank. But it seemed to go deeper than that, she was constantly glaring at me.

Three weeks later, during October, Ino dragged me to a coffee shop. We were ditching work, and I really didn't want to, but she forced me to get a pumpkin spice latte. It was alright, I guess. For some reason, Shikamaru found it really funny when I went in to get one the next day. He said I was becoming a hipster. I don't get it. The day after that, I went in to get yet another one of those tasty fuckers, and I think I walked in on something I wasn't supposed to.

Sakura and Shikamaru were there, drinking coffee and looking over some notes from class. My logical self said that they were just studying together, but she was angled towards him, their knees touched, and she kept playing with her hair, it seemed like way more. Shikamaru maintained his bored look. He glanced in my direction, and I bolted out of the shop. Romance and dating aren't really my thing so I didn't want to be caught in the middle of something. I don't know why, but for some reason, just the thought of it was making my chest ache. Strange.

I was determined to keep what I saw a secret. Ino, however, figured out something was wrong with me thirty seconds into work. I denied I saw anything, but she used her stupid jutsu and saw everything. She looked horrified, and did the strangest thing. She hugged me. I haven't been hugged in 15 years. Not since my mom died. She apologized and tried to console me. I patted her back awkwardly, not knowing how to return a hug. This was really strange, not only because I wasn't used to people being nice, but because I don't know why she thought I'd be upset.

"Ino, get off of me. Why are you apologizing?"

"Because that idiot doesn't know what he's missing!"

"What are you talking about? Sakura is lovely. She's really smart." Not as smart as me, though. "really, I don't know why you think I'm upset."

She stuttered over her words, "well I just thought- you know- how you two—never mind." I dropped the conversation and went back to carving pumpkins and making cempasúchil arrangements. I was fine, so I didn't know why I felt a lump in my throat. This was getting ridiculous.

Autumn was cold. In Suna, Autumn was horrible, it was just as, if not hotter, as it was in the summer, and on top of that, there are many natural fires, which makes being outside unbearable. Konoha was like a different planet. It was fucking freezing. It rained a lot, too. I ended up stealing Shikamaru's turtleneck the first night, but that was my first and last barrier of defense against the cold. Eventually Yoshino found out about my predicament. I thought she'd get a little peeved that I stole her son's shirt. I found that I liked the smell of it, and the glares that Sakura gave me whenever I wore it. I shouldn't have felt like that, but her death stare was too funny, her fucking eyes were twitching. Anyways, like I was saying, Yoshino wasn't mad at me, she was mad at Shikamaru, like always. She went on and on about being a bad host because I had a cold and suddenly the weather was his fault, too. She threw some money at him and forced him to take me shopping. Shopping was probably my least favorite thing, and I could tell that Shikamaru wasn't that into it either. But he was such a mama's boy that he sucked it up and took me to a department store.

Suna had one, but I didn't get to go. I usually had someone do my shopping for me because I hated it so much. I haven't been shopping in years, it was quite a culture shock. People kept shoving samples in my hands, down my throat, around me, wherever they could. They sprayed me with perfume, too, which made me light headed. I kept on getting distracted by things and Shikamaru would pull my arm, muttering about how troublesome my lack of direction was. We arrived at the winter section and it was quite romantic. The clerk offered me all kinds of things, but I interrupted her spiel on the deals she could offer.

"I need whatever articles of clothing will have an equal ratio of price to warmth." Both Shikamaru and the lady gave me an incredulous look. "what are you staring at? Is there something wrong with my request?"

"you are such a troublesome woman." The lady was intimidated, and scurried off to grab me an array of clothing. She started up a dressing room for me, and offered Shikamaru a glass of water, and sat him down in a comfortable chair. I didn't look, but I could assume that he fell asleep.

I walked in the dressing room and was promptly overwhelmed about everything. The mirror made me look horrible, the clothing made me feel suffocated, it was so freaking hot in the room. Before I burst into tears, I grabbed one of the uglier wool sweaters and stepped out of the room. I stepped up on the pedestal and looked at the three mirrors. Terrible.

"That looks nice." Idiot.

"I hate it."

"troublesome."

I went back into the room and stepped out to look at a few of the jackets I was unsure of. Shikamaru put his input on everything, which was infuriating.

"It makes you look like a pastry."

"it's warm."

"so is the other coat."

"go back to sleep."

I didn't get that coat.

When we went to the cashier to pay, I was happily holding the bags, sucking on a lollypop that the lady gave me. I felt like a child, but my taste buds were stubborn and I accepted the gift. Shikamaru was looking at the display next to the cashier. Next thing I knew, he was wrapping a cashmere scarf around me. I was stunned, so I didn't stop him. Once he was done wrapping me like a present, I gave him a scowl and growled slightly. He only laughed and told me he couldn't take me seriously when my lips were blue from a lollypop.

I returned to the department store just a week later. Ino and her posy wanted to go find some lingerie to wear as a Halloween costume. I sat down in the same chair that Shikamaru had and commented on all their costumes. They were all nice and slutty. Tenten came out wearing a leopard body suit and I almost lost it, she looked so ridiculous. But then I got jealous because she was so confident in how she looked. Ino was a bunny, Sakura a cat, and Hinata was a pumpkin. Not a sexy pumpkin, by the way. She was probably trying to match Naruto. I was tired just watching all the others change and go through so much for their costumes. I was honestly about to go to sleep, but then Ino woke me up, alerting me that it was my turn.

"What? I'm not even going anywhere, I don't need a costume."

I didn't convince her. I didn't even try because I didn't want to be that one bitch who acted like she hated Halloween and then showed up to a party being the dirtiest hoe of them all. Like in the movies. I didn't mind Halloween, other people seemed to enjoy it a lot, but it's not like I ever was invited to parties back in Suna. I never got to go trick-or-treating, my father gave me some money to go buy some candy at the store, instead.

Ino showed me a Harley Quinn costume that looked really accurate on me, probably because of the hair. I had a lot of fun in it, and I was just in the dressing room.

"You look good, Temari." I never thought Tenten would ever talk to me again, and I was kind of happy, plus excited for Halloween, for the first time.

Now, I'll tell you the most awkward experience of my life. It was the weekend before Halloween, and I was working at Chez Ichiraku. I hid a study guide on my tray, pretending like it was a receipt. I hardly looked up to take orders.

"Hi my name is Temari, I'll be your server tonight, can I start you off with something to...to." I almost dropped my tray, but at the last second, I caught the tray, bringing it to my body, my study guide going all over. "right, umm." Shikamaru and Sakura were having dinner. Sakura was staring bullets into me, and I have never felt so out of place before.

"I'll just have a water." Shikamaru said, clearly bored.

"I'll have a pink lemonade, not too much ice."

"I'll be right back with your drinks."

This was horrible. I may have spit in their drinks, heavens know. I wanted to ask someone to take over my shift, but Ayame wouldn't hear of it.

"you know, it's kind of funny. Just do it, they'll probably give you a good tip." I rolled my eyes. "you know if you keep doing that, one day you'll do it right when the wind blows, and your eyes will be stuck like that." I stopped myself from rolling them again, but it was close. She's a very superstitious girl.

I got their orders and had nothing to do but wait. I waited on other tables, and I waited and waited for their food. It took for fucking ever. I didn't have anything to do but wait behind the bar and watch as Sakura played footsie with him. I don't get why he was out with her. They were compatible, I mean, they were both very smart. They were both the favorites of Tsunade. I hated it. Did he forget I work here? Why was he here distracting me? Why was he here with her?