Standard Disclaimer
Chance Meetings
#7: Mall
Everyone knows that during the holidays, the malls are a buzzing, busy place of activity. During Christmas, it's even worse. Quiet, docile housewives become evil Dragon Ladies, completely blinded by the luminous sign stating that 80 percent is marked off everything. They rip apart everything, and leave nothing left but scarred, teenage cashiers, vowing to never ever work in a department store again.
It's only natural. It's the holidays after all.
However, after Christmas, for some reason, everything settles down. And the malls become completely deserted. One particular mall is the Golden Leaf Mall. The old perverted gray haired man who owned this mall had a problem grasping the idea that no one would come around after Christmas.
The Golden Leaf Mall wasn't exactly glamorous, but it served its purpose. And being the only mall in Konoha, it was much appreciated. It was busy on weekdays and completely buzzing on weekends. But every year, right after Christmas, before New Year's, it was completely empty.
No kidding.
So, the mall's owner did what was the "not at all cliché and overdone" thing to do.
He planned a countdown. With a disco ball and everything. Right smack in the middle of the mall, in a large area where sofas and tables would stand. Now, a large stage and the ubiquitous disco ball hanging high above, ready to be lowered replaced the sofas and tables.
His plan worked. Apparently, hormonal teenagers cannot resist countdowns. Who knows why?
Hinata didn't plan to be at a countdown. She didn't plan it at all. And she certainly didn't plan to go shoplifting.
Two girls sat before her, one with shockingly bright neon pink hair and one with platinum blond hair. Both were attracting all kinds of attention. One was slurping a slushie, looking a bit bored and the other hyper, barely staying in her seat.
Now Hinata knew how it felt to be held hostage.
"B-but, what's wrong with b-being nice?" Hinata mumbled, her fingers fidgeting. Sakura grinned.
"The problem about being nice is that you miss out on all the fun. Now, the New Year is coming, and you are gonna make a change for the better! We don't mean go all out, but we will have some fun. Tequila slushie?" Ino asked. Hinata quickly shook her head.
"Do I have to?" Hinata cried out. She knew going out with the girls was a bad idea…on New Year's Eve too…
"Yes! You do! Now, after you go into the shop and steal something, anything, we'll get you someone to kiss during the countdown!" Sakura exclaimed, gaining only more looks.
"B-but--," Hinata protested. Ino raised her hand.
"No buts! You will go! At least for today Hinata! Then, later on, you can say, 'I did something exciting once in my life'!" Ino replied.
Hinata sniffed and rubbed her nose.
She couldn't understand why "exciting" had to be "illegal".
Sakura and Ino's ideas were one of the worst types.
Suddenly, Hinata was tugged out of her seat (the pretzel she was eating slipped out of her hand) and pair of hands were thrown in front of her eyes. The three girls squeezed through the sea of people.
"Which shop?"
"I don't know. Just pick one. And hurry up, I'm getting claustrophobic…"
"Oh, we need to start her off easy. How about that?"
"Ooh. Cute. Let's go and buy something after she's done."
Can't I buy something?
The hands were removed and then Hinata was thrown into a souvenir shop. She gulped.
"We're watching so don't buy anything."
Hinata blinked and walked slowly through the shop. The soft red carpeting muffled her steps and she peeked at the shelves. A souvenir shop? Hinata thought it was a little impractical. Konoha was a small town. Why would anyone buy a souvenir from here?
Ah, she had worse thing on her hands.
The store was cozy and small, but that scary, dark haired man was ruining the atmosphere…
In truth, the shop held a lot of things that Hinata would have loved to buy any other day. Cute little trinkets, stuff animals and plushies surrounded her. She passed a little ballerina music box that tinkled out classical music. Despite all this, the fact that the pair of eyes drilling to the back of her head wanted her to shoplift killed everything.
Hinata sighed.
Something small.
Something small.
Very small.
So small it's non existent.
Yeah…that would be nice…
…Where's Hanabi when I need her?
These thoughts trailed through her mind before she stopped in front of a display. Tiny little anime figures stared up at her, each one attached to a small little rope. Cell phone figurines, she figured.
They were small.
Very small.
Hinata gulped and searched for the ugliest one. Perhaps it would lessen her guilt in knowing that she didn't steal anything worthwhile.
She searched and searched and almost gave up when she saw a small frog dangling from a piece of falling apart string. It had small sowed on button eyes, and would have looked cute had it not been so shabby. And dirty. It was falling apart, and didn't have an arm…
Hinata took a deep breath and reached for the frog.
She took it in her hands, feeling the yarn that the head was made of. The yarn seemed to soak up the sweat engulfing her hands.
Taking another deep breath, she slowly went for her sweater's pocket.
A couple more inches…
A hand grabbed her wrist and she found herself captured in a vice like grip.
"Were you going to steal this?"
Hinata blinked up at the sharp, dark eyes, almost seemingly black.
He scared her.
"I-I-I-I wasn't g-going t-too!" Hinata stuttered out. She pulled at her wrist, the frog dangling between the both of them.
The man studied her.
Tearing up…blushing out of embarrassment…
"You were."
"I-I wasn't! My f-friends were forcing me to d-do this be-because they s-said I was too n-nice!" Hinata blurted out, tears almost falling from her face.
Silence engulfed both of them. The little television behind the counter featured the countdown taking place right outside their door.
10…
"They don't seem like very good friends then." He let go of her wrist, but taking the charm along with him. She blinked and sniffed.
"They're my friends…they only want the best…"
5…
"Right. Shoplifting, that's the best…" he mumbled sarcastically. He rubbed his eyelids. It was a long day.
3…
"It is...I'm too nice…" Hinata mumbled, rubbing at her eyes. He smirked.
"No one can ever be too nice."
2…
"Sasuke! I got the shipment of frog wallets from—WHOA!" The blond man from nowhere tripped over a Internet cord connected to Sasuke's laptop.
He successfully pushed Sasuke onto the girl.
Sasuke tripped…
1…
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
…And kissed the girl?!
…
The blond stared.
And the two stayed in that position for a couple more seconds.
Hinata looked very tomato like now…
She pushed him away and turned around, running from the shop, tears of newfound embarrassment in her eyes.
The man blinked.
The blond blinked and dropped the box he was holding.
The music from the ballerina softly played in the background.
"Uh…Sasuke…what the hell was that?"
Sasuke touched his lips. Not his first one…
But it sure felt like it.
Sasuke coughed and pushed pass Naruto, the frog trinket dangling at his fingers.
"Yo, Sasuke, you gonna put that back?"
"Nah."
"Huh? Why?"
"A little memory for 2007."
Meeting #7: End.
A/N: Ugh, I kind of feel bad for falling into the "Sasuke and Hinata kissing for New Year's" thing. Ah, hoped you enjoyed this.
Thank you for reading!