Title: Not All as It Seems
Warnings: Comedy, fluff and occasional sap
Pairings: Gaara/Young (heart), Tayuya/Shikamaru/Temari (how troublesome…), Naruto/Sakura/Lee (I wish I had guys like Naru-chan and Lee fighting over me! jealous), Naruto/Hinata and Mist/Ino
Oh, dear… Another super-slow update… My only excuse is massive writer's block. I can't stress just how awful it is; this is especially bad since I'm not able to write my book that I wish to have published - for those who wish to know, it is called 'Bluebell'.
I do have another reason, and that's because I'm taking a Childcare course in Malta, and the trip alone twice a week is a killer. On toppa that, I have been given a ton of assignments to work on out of nowhere! (the director of the institute is a SADIST!) I just don't have the time that I used to… Sorry, all!
Disclaimer: I really wish that I owned Naruto, but since a certain red-haired character isn't the star of the manga/anime (heh heh, sorry, Naru-chan!) and still isn't getting the appearances he deserves, be it the manga, anime, or a lot of the games (grr!), that can only mean my wish has yet to come true… choke sob
Claimer: Granny Nadia, Dawn Tribal, Mist Shidou and Young Valentine are mine! If you wanna use them, please ask me first, thank you! (all of them sans Nadia are characters taken from the book I'm trying to publish)
My Thank You Corner, Still Alive and Well… (only just)
SatsurikuSajira – for being such a loyal reviewer, not to mention really nice and stuff. Your reviews and PMs really make me happy. smiles (and my apologies again for the bad impressions I gave you of Young. I hope you'll still like the story)
Aoi Kazuya – first of all, I gotta say I like your username a lot. (and Kazuya is one of my favorite characters in the Tekken series!) Hm, even though you're not the first reviewer saying they want Claire to be with Gaara, I am sticking to my original plot. But, worry not! There'll be a nice surprise in the future, which I won't spoil. Shh! And of course, thank you very much for your super nice review; I am so glad you're liking the humor. I love Zack too, but my favoritest FF characters will always be Blank and Faris. Why they still have not made any cameos whatsoever makes about as much as sense as to why Yzma and Gaston have never appeared in the Kingdom Hearts games! But I digress, so thanks again for your review! happy smile
One more thing! For some reason, Temari reminds me A LOT of the character Marvel from the Bloody Roar games. Am I alone in this? :/ Wouldn't it be cool to see a fight scene between these two cool ladies?
I shall say this for the last time, because this is not going to change; the chapters are very long. It's advisable to read them a bit at a time, rather than all at once. It's pretty much like reading a book, and this is all practice for me. I hope you guys understand.
Chapter 7
Getting to Know Them Better - Enter TenTen!
10th December, 2002 (Tuesday)
It's just no good. No matter how hard I tried to, I could not fall back to sleep. Don't get me wrong; I was sleepy beyond all reason, and my eyelids were practically begging me to close them and keep them that way till next week. However, each and every time my eyes shut for just a few seconds, I'd get images from that dream swirling in my head, after which I'd find myself pacing back and forth around the room. I must have repeated this process a thousand times by now…
Another thing that was really working against me was the fact that now the storm from earlier was much closer and louder. The rain and wind seemed to be in a competition on which one of them could break the bedroom windows first, and don't get me started on how loud and frightening the thunder crashes were.
I wanted to wake Gaara up with every ounce of my being because I really needed the company. That wasn't going to happen however, as he hadn't been asleep for more than fifteen minutes now, and I just didn't have the heart to wake him considering how terrible his insomnia could prove to be.
Glancing at my watch, which I had left lying on the futon, for the umpteenth time, I heaved a big sigh when I saw it was still 4 in the morning.
'To think that only a few hours ago, there I was in his arms…' I thought with a dreamy sigh. Almost immediately afterwards, I gave myself a few scolding slaps on both cheeks for daring to venture back into Giddy Land.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps pass the door, and I quickly opened it to find out who else could possibly be up at this hour.
'Wait… What if it's that creepy old geezer? I sure don't want him calling me stupid again! He really is a yutz!'
Ignoring my fears, I exited the room and followed after the shadowy figure. A few minutes later found me walking alongside that Temari girl. I brushed a hand over my brow in relief - nothing like a little girl-talk to make things flow a little better for the rest of the day.
"Mm? What are you doing up at this hour?" she asked, still sounding quite tired herself.
'Cuz your brother won't stay outta my dreams! What a pesterer!' I answered in my head. How to answer her untruthfully, I did not know. I decided to say nothing and just shrugged my shoulders as I hugged the borrowed pajamas closer to my body.
"Oh, yes. Gaara said something about you being terrified of storms," she said with this really teasing tone of voice.
"Argh! Why that good-for-nothing bocciagalupe! I didn't tell him that so that he'd go and blab it to everybody!" I shouted angrily.
"Oh, relax. Something like that isn't supposed to be a secret." As she said this, she gave me a scolding look that clearly meant I had been too loud.
I rubbed my hand sheepishly behind my head to indicate that I was sorry and asked, "Where's the TV?"
"Are you being serious?" she demanded with her hands resting on her hips. She'd stopped in her tracks, so I did the same.
"Aw, come on. The Golden Girls is on as we speak." Surely that answer spoke for itself? I certainly thought so.
Temari just sighed, muttered, "kids…" under her breath, and proceeded on her merry way to I-dunno-where.
"Hey! Hey, wait for me!" I called to her.
By the time I'd caught up with her, the blonde was sitting at the dining table, nursing a cup of -what looked to be- green tea in both hands. She had her right ankle resting on her left knee as she drummed her fingers around the fine piece of china.
Since she said absolutely nothing once I'd entered the room, I noisily pulled out the chair across from her and plopped down onto its soft cushion.
As I opened my mouth to say something, she asked ever so calmly, "So, what's the story about you and my little brother's clothes, mm?" Even though her eyes were closed as she said the words, I could just about picture how devious and cunning they must have looked.
"Easily explained, sister. That first time I got bored. This second time, that nightie whatever was too ugly to touch my delicate skin. So there!"
With that, she opened her eyes, gave me a really long look, and began laughing rather softly.
"The things you say can be really outrageous," she finally remarked, taking a really delicate sip of her tea.
"Well, anyhow, what are you doing up so early?"
"I have a lot of work to catch up on," she said matter-of-factly, sounding like she was berating herself. "I bet that lazy bum is still dreaming about clouds…"
"You mean Shi-dude?" (Hey, his name is too long! All I could remember of it was the 'Shi' part)
"Ugh! Don't call him that!"
"I'm sorry. How 'bout the Shi-man?" I offered, making funny hand gestures for… I really don't know why, actually.
Her fiery glare told me that she didn't find the nickname the least bit amusing.
"Okay, okay," I gave in. "The Shi-maester?"
"Cut it out!"
"Can't a guy get any sleep around here?" someone asked from behind me, causing me to jump in surprise and topple out of my chair.
"And serves you right, too," said Temari in satisfaction as I was rubbing my sore backside.
"It's not my fault the man's name is longer than a Foot-Long Subway Sandwich!" I muttered defensively while sitting back down.
"Longer than a…? Oh, man! This kid's good!" chortled Kankurou. Ah, so that's who startled me out of my chair (literally).
"Oh, yes. She is a bundle of laughs," Temari quipped darkly.
"Hey, Kanky! I think your sister is jealous of my wit!" I laughed.
"Yeah, she… What the!? Don't call me Kanky!"
"Jeez, are nicknames illegal in this part of the country or what?" I muttered to myself, stifling a tired yawn behind both of my hands.
It was then that I noticed that Kankurou was eyeing me up and down, and I gave him an unsure look as I said, "Stop staring at me. You're giving me the willies."
"Aren't those Gaara's pajamas you're wearing?"
Shucks! There are so many things we can talk about: The not-so-nice weather, how stressful school can be, and… and… well, other stuff. Yet, put on your friend's clothes, and they can't ever shut up about it.
"I refuse to explain myself for the bajillionth time, and that's that," I said as I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin up defiantly.
"Whatever," he threw back nonchalantly, although, on closer inspection, I could see that the curiosity was killing him.
"You're not that dense, are you, Kankurou?" came Temari's voice, a strange smile plastered over her face.
"Elaborate," the brunette demanded, still looking pretty clueless.
"Even though she's done nothing but deny it to everyone with working eyes in their heads, she's clearly smitten with our baby brother."
"Oh, yeah. I've already figured that out," he said with a nod.
My face had gotten so flushed and warm at the siblings' terrible choice of words that I felt sure I looked like a pumpkin. Still, it isn't too late to save myself.
"Please! We Gozitans don't get "smitten" with anything or anyone. It's not in our blood." Okay, that wasn't my best effort at all, but you try and come up with something clever at 4 in the morning and with next to no sleep!
"Then you're obviously the exception to that rule," Kankurou teased wickedly.
"I don't have to sit here and take this abuse!" I cried as I threw my arms above my head in pure frustration. "Direct me to your nearest TV, please, thank you."
"Are you crazy, woman?"
"Good grief! I'm not asking you to rob a bank," I mumbled.
'Man! Sleeping over at Naruto's place was so much more fun than this nonsense…' I found myself thinking in surprise. I had been so sure that sleeping in a huge mansion would be so cool and everything, but things were far too strict around here for that to hold true. The word 'fun' just didn't seem to belong in this household at all.
"Well, well… Speak of the devil," chuckled Temari softly, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand.
'Hmph, that's hardly my favorite expression.'
"What's everyone doing up?" came an even softer -unmistakable- sleepy-sounding voice.
"I don't know about them. I just want to watch TV." Now let's see if three times is a charm, shall we?
"Oh, for Pete's sake! We don't have a TV, okay?! Can't you think of anything else?!" exclaimed Kankurou, his face burning red. Oh dear, I hope he's not going to explode into bits right here and now. That would be tragic, considering he's actually really easy on the eyes.
"Sure I can. I also think about orange soda and chocolate," I pointed out. Now that I say it, I should totally be given credit for suppressing my utter shock that in a house as huge as this, one would never find something as simple and common as a television set. It's not like they couldn't afford one. Still, can't hurt to ask as to why.
"So, like, how come y'all don't have one? House rules or something?"
Kankurou just sighed whilst giving me a, "you're being so annoying" look, and went into the kitchen, whereas Temari shook her head rather impatiently, gave her youngest brother a fond pat on the head, and then she was gone as well.
"Sheesh! What's their problem? Ask a simple question…" I grumbled as I tucked my hands behind my head.
Then, totally out of nowhere…
'Aw, I wish I had my Simba cuddle buddy! I'd have slept like a baby if I had it with me! On toppa that, why are they all being such meanies?'
Lost as I was feeling sorry for myself, I hadn't noticed that Kankurou had returned to the table. I was brought out from my mental whining when I heard the sound of china being placed on the table. As I looked up, I saw that each of the boys had a nice cup of steaming hot coffee, but…
'Hey, wait a darned second!'
"Where's mine?" I demanded, feeling rather insulted.
"You never asked," was the brunette's best retort.
"Well, you could have offered, you… you… you rude host!" As an afterthought, I threw in, "Boys are so mean and insensitive. You ask 'em a simple question, and they treat you worse than a comic book villain."
With that, I crossed my arms on the table and lay my head in them, pretending that I'd started to cry, my shoulders shaking for good effect.
"Aw, jeez… Come on, don't cry! If it means that much to you, I'll get you some, so stop crying, okay?" Then he was gone again, muttering things about over-sensitive kids and, if I heard correctly, unpredictable hormones.
Shortly after, I felt a soft tap to my shoulder, but I decided to keep up the charade for a little longer, so I said with a mock sad sigh, "Don't try to sweet-talk me, mister. It won't work."
"It's your pathetic act that isn't working," came the voice that clearly did NOT belong to Kankurou.
Hm, was my show really that bad? Oh well, it fooled Gaara's clown of a brother, so it couldn't have been all that terrible. Still…
"Y-You're such a j-jerk!" I accused, making my lips tremble slightly as I wiped away an imaginary tear.
"Wha? You managed to make her cry as well? Oh, boy…"
Once the coffee cup (ooh, pretty blue!) was placed before me, I decided now was as good a time as any to cheer right back up.
"That's okay, Kanky! I'm over it now," I said (obstinately sticking to the unapproved nickname), mustering the teeniest of grins. After that, I picked up the fancy cup and took a tentative sip. Suddenly, everything began to dance in front of my eyes as I felt my face practically turn green.
'Wow, that teaspoon makes one heck of a ballerina…'
Heaving a few deep breaths, one hand covering my mouth, I lowered the fragile item back onto the table and shoved it as far away from me as I could.
'Ugh, at least the inanimate objects have stopped dancin'. That was just creepy!'
"What? After all that stupid fuss, you don't even want it now?!" came Kankurou's angry voice.
"Really…" Gaara this time.
"I'm sorry, really I am, but that coffee's strong enough to wake up a bear that hadn't hibernated in ever…" (Dear me, even my comebacks are getting lame. Stupid coffee!)
'Shoulda at least kept my iPod in my pocket. But, no! I just had to go and leave everything in my bag!' After all, nothing, and I mean nothing, makes time fly by faster than really good music.
"So, like, which one of you dudes has a spare cuddle buddy I can borrow?" I dared to ask.
"A what?!"
The redhead's response on the other hand simply came in the form of him looking at me like I'm an idiot. Or, hopefully, someone who'd been up too long. Yes, I certainly hope it's the latter.
"Uh, never mind. That's a girl-thing, anyway."
"Oooookay, then. I'm just… Well, I'm gonna go now."
That's how, yet again, I ended up alone with my red-haired friend. To be honest, I can't even count anymore the times that this has happened.
'Hm, who knew I could be so random when half asleep?' I certainly didn't know this, for, you see, whenever I had trouble sleeping back then, I'd been all by my lonesome.
"Were you being serious just now?" my friend asked in that deep, yet soft voice of his.
"As embarrassed as I am to admit it, yes. Nothin' like a cute cuddle buddy to get me to sleep. It even works on thunderstorms," I answered, feeling my cheeks getting warmer by the second. Going on fifteen in a couple of weeks, it sure wasn't easy for me to say that I still needed stuffed toys when I'd have trouble sleeping during a storm.
'Ah, but at least he doesn't know that I still play with my action-figures when I'm nervous about… Wait… Yes, he does…' I began rambling in my head; boy, but he must think me the world's most eccentric teenager! Maybe he didn't before, but now? No way at all! Nope, none that he didn't think so!
Suddenly, I heard someone grumbling softly as they approached the room. It went something like this, "That man may be intelligent, but it seems he still has difficulty telling time…" I was left feeling rather surprised upon seeing that the person complaining was the lady of the house herself; hah, I didn't know the woman possessed the ability to talk badly about anyone, considering how kindly she always was.
She was wrapped up in a delicately tailored silk bathrobe, her feet bundled up in fluffy pink slippers - her lovely hair was now massively sleep-tousled as she tried to comb it with her fingers. Raising her right arm to her face, she gave the cordless phone she was holding a most evil look, as though she would have liked the person that had been on the other end to see just how annoyed she was, then let it fall -noisily- on the table.
"Is something wrong, Mother?" Gaara asked with a concerned look on his face.
"As much as I love your uncle, I have just about had it with him calling here at such terrible hours; I don't care if it is his lunch break," replied Karura. As soon as she said that, she added that she needed a nice cup of tea, to which I was quick to request for one, too. I would have offered to make it for her myself, seeing as how tired she looked, but I'm sure she wanted it sometime this week, blessed as I was with the worst sense of direction known to humans.
Then, hitting me slower than it should have, I got curious about what she'd just said. Turning to face my companion, who was actually looking at the (evil) device with a tiny smile, I asked, "Um, did I hear that correctly? Lunch break?"
"Yes, he lives in Italy." Now he sounded rather sad. Must be his favorite uncle - certainly looked like he really missed the man, judging from the way he'd sighed just now.
I was about to ask what this uncle person did for a living, and where exactly in Italy he lived, but before I could, the lady was back with the tea and…
"Ooh! Biscuits!"
"Dear, these aren't biscuits," Karura said gently, her bad mood having dissipated somewhat.
"Oh, fine. European biscuits, then. I can't use American words all the time, you know?"
For the second time since I was invited over, my friend delivered a painfully sharp kick to my ankle. What's with him, anyway?! It's not like I was being rude or anything!
"You bocciagalupe! Stop kicking me!" I growled, tossing one of the biscuits (or cookies, whatever) at him.
"Young lady, I don't want any of that behavior in my house," the woman scolded, daintily lifting her cup to her mouth.
Hmph, of course she'd take his side! What else is new? However, "As for you, Gaara, I thought I'd taught you better than that. Really, dear."
The both of us responded by staring at each other for a couple of seconds, aiming menacing glares as we did, then turning our heads in the opposite direction. If he wasn't going to apologize, I certainly wasn't going to, either!
"Big baby," I muttered under my breath, but hopefully the words were loud enough for him to hear. I was quite satisfied when he shot me one of his dark looks, indicating that he'd heard me all right. Let him sulk at me all he wants, I wasn't scared of him in the slightest.
Going back a few hours, though, I almost felt like crying. Looking at us now, who would believe for even a second that my good chum had earlier comforted me when I was so down in the dumps and had been ready to cry a monsoon? Even though he has his bad moments - go on, who doesn't? - he truly is a sweetheart.
'He's too overprotective is what it is,' I realized. Even if I hadn't intended to be rude to Kankurou and their mother, Gaara had obviously seen my words as such.
"Oh, aren't you two just adorable?" chuckled Karura, spinning the cordless round and round with her fingers.
"We are?" Funny, I don't really feel all that adorable. Grown-ups, they never know what they're talking about, I swear.
Before anything else could be said, the phone began ringing again, causing me to jump a bit in surprise. Surely it couldn't be that uncle fellow again, could it?
The woman sighed in sheer aggravation as she hit the 'answer' button, pressed the communication device to her ear and said, "Yashamaru Barone! If I get another phone call from you this early in the morning, I assure you that you'll feel really glad that you live all the way in Milan!" Click
Goodness, the woman was grumpier in the morning than I could ever be. Who would've thought, huh?
"That's telling him, Mrs. Sabaku! Brothers are so weak upstairs, if you know what I mean." (Well, they are!)
"I wouldn't really say that, dear, but I know my brother is really lacking when it comes to a little common sense. For being the top vet in the country, you'd think he'd have at least a little…"
'Wow… Top vet…? Really?' Now that's impressive.
I just have to ask…
"Hey, does that mean he treats your pets for free? Think about that; the best care Italy can offer… FREE!" I began to babble in a most excitable tone.
"Dear, please keep your voice down," the brown-haired woman frowned at me, hiding the small smile that was beginning to form on her lips behind one fair hand.
"Sorry," I muttered sheepishly, but, "Go on, does he?"
The poor woman nearly choked on her tea as her darling son answered my question, rather rudely, I should warn. Here's what he said, "Don't you ever think before you talk? He lives two oceans away from us, and here you are, asking such nonsense…"
At his last words, she actually did choke, letting out one spluttering cough after another.
"Whoa! I'll save you, Mrs. Sabaku!" I cried, and quickly made my way to her, patting her on the back once I was at her side.
She gave me a kind look as she brushed away my hand, breathing properly now. Her face didn't look so kind when she moved her gaze to her son.
"Apologize to her at once! Honestly, what has gotten into you, child?!"
"No, really. That's okay. We have these moments all the time. Don't we, Gaara? We're worse than those old married couples," I threw in with a little giggle. I was suddenly thinking of my maternal grandparents, who would bicker like this pretty much every single day. (And they love each other very much, just so you know!)
"Oh? When did you last have such a moment?"
"A few minutes ago. Ya know, when he kicked me and I threw that cookie at him?"
"Oh, things were so much nicer back when I was a young girl…" Karura whispered softly.
I could not believe my ears when the phone rang yet again. If ever an inanimate object sounded insistent, that would be this very phone at this very moment.
Seeing as Gaara's mother looked more than willing to pick up the ringing "pest" and throw it against the wall (that wouldn't be pretty! No, sir!), I made a grab for it myself and answered it. That's something I never do; answer somebody else's phone? I sometimes have trouble answering the one at home, for Heaven's sake!
"Hey, uncle chappie. Do you speak English?" I asked, having forgotten that his sister had been speaking to him in English only a few moments ago.
"Why, yes. Who is this?" answered this amazingly soft voice. He certainly had the voice of a kindly, caring man who loved animals.
"This is Claire, and I'm speaking on behalf of your sister, who's really cheesed off at you right now. Can I take a message?"
"I would much rather tell her myself, but she keeps hanging up on me," he grumbled - I am going to take a wild guess here that he's the younger sibling of the two.
"That's normal behavior when you're calling in the wee hours of the mornin'!" I offered, thinking what a delightful conversation this was. 'I bet he's such a nice man.'
"But this is the only time I have to call, and I just can't figure out how a computer works for the life of me."
"Um, just a sec. Don't go anywhere," I gave in as I covered the mouthpiece with one hand.
"He insists on talking to y…" At her super-stormy look, I nearly wet myself. I didn't even think twice about taking a rain check.
"I'm going to have to repeat this: Can I take a message?"
"I will tell you if you give me your word that you'll only breathe word about it to my sister. Are you willing to do that?"
"Ma, certo." Hee, hee! That's me talking in Italian! (I was telling him yes, by the way)
"Well…"
I listened carefully and nodded at his words, until he got to the really big part of his news, at which point I nearly let out this humongous squeal. Ooh, Karura is going to feel so guilty for not listening to her brother. Very guilty, indeed.
"Now, remember. Not a word, except to…"
"Your sister, I gotcha!" I assured, unable to stop this fit of the giggles that suddenly struck me.
"Grazie mille. Ciao."
"Prego, ciao!"
With that, I moved the phone aside and said, "He won't be calling again anytime soon. You're welcome."
"What are you giggling about?" my friend asked, looking only slightly curious.
"Nothin'… Hee, nothing at all… He's just such a funny man! Isn't he a funny man? He's such a funny man!"
Oh, dear. Maybe entrusting me with such a secret was the dumbest mistake Karura's brother could have done. It's not that I'm lousy at keeping secrets, far from it. But to keep a secret of this calibre seemed harder than a Math test. (Hey, they are hard!)
"Since you did finally stop him from calling again, go on. What did he want?" came the lady's soft question.
"Maybe later," I mumbled, chancing a look at Gaara. "Much, much later."
"Whatever you wish, dear. Ah, I heard you speak in Italian just now, did I not?" she asked in fascination.
"I'm pretty much fluent, actually." I didn't mean to sound boastful if I did, but it's one of those things that I'm proud of.
"It's good to be so dedicated to your studies," said Karura, impressed.
"I never studied Italian. I picked up the language when I was like four years old. Call it lack of cable but good quality TV programming in Italian."
"My, my…" was the woman's approval.
Sadly, before I could gloat a little more about my Italian-speaking skills, she asked something that I never would have figured she'd remember, let alone bring back up.
"So, how's that cute little play of yours coming along?"
"Um, play? W-What is this play that you speak of?" I decided to play dumb as I nibbled nervously on a cookie.
"The one where you, unfortunately, have to play a man," she answered, no doubt thinking that she was being most helpful. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to tell a fib!
'Okay, I really need to lay off The Golden Girls!'
I chanced a look at Gaara, daring to (naively) believe that he'd actually help me out. At that very moment, he gave me such a nasty frown, that I felt thankful that looks could NOT kill…
"Oh, oh… Er, yeah… Bad news on that. Due to lack of interest, the play's been cancelled." Egh, not really my best effort, but it'll have to suffice.
"What a shame," she said, sounding quite disappointed.
"Aw, please! Who wants to play a man, anyways? He didn't even have any funny lines!" Now that's more like it!
Running a hand through her hair, she turned her head to the antique grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Hey, 5:30 already? Not much point in trying to get some sleep now, is there?
"I strongly suggest you two go back to bed. We can't have you falling asleep in school, can we?" She almost sounded like she was teasing us, but I wasn't sure.
"Actually, I don't…" I began, but was quickly interrupted by my redheaded friend, who gripped my wrist -painfully- as he spoke…
"Let's go," he growled.
He didn't even say a word to his ma. Jeez, I was feigning it before, but now I truly felt that he was behaving like a complete jerk.
Pull, pull. Owie, owie!
"Unhand me, you oaf!" I let out a growl of my own, trying to pull my hand free from his. Unfortunately, he seemed to have been gifted with the strongest hold anybody could have on a person. "That's it, I'm giving you to the count of three to let go!"
He just kept on leading the way to his room, at least I think that's where we're going, not letting a single word fall from his mouth.
I just couldn't help myself when I asked, voice getting all quivery and nervous-like, "You're being super mean, do you know that?" I also couldn't resist adding, "My nanna would smack you senseless and beyond if she ever found out that you're being so rough with me."
At last, Gaara let go, indicating that he was now listening to me. His look of anger had dissipated a little, but he looked utterly baffled at what I'd just said.
"Who?"
"Ah, I did it again. I meant my grandma. Bad habits die hard, sorry." Well, this is just topsy-turvy! Why am I the one apologizing? He's the one who should be sorry; he ought to be on his knees, grovelling and begging me for my forgiveness.
'Maybe they're right. Maybe I do watch too much television… O' course, I ain't telling them that!'
"Let's go," he repeated. I let out a miserable sigh and followed.
'Never again…'
v-v
So there we were again, in Gaara's room… with some seriously awkward silence to boot. He was sitting on his bed, knees drawn to his chest. I was sitting cross-legged on the futon, pretending to be reading that Sam & Max manual; I realized about ten minutes later that I was holding the book upside down and that my temporary roomie was staring at me, leaving me feeling like a complete imbecile.
'Oh, whatever! Who did I think I was fooling, anyhow?' I thought to myself, carelessly tossing the thin paperback across the room.
"'Kay, old buddy. You got exactly three minutes to explain your freaky behavior earlier. And… go!"
He responded by lowering his head so that his forehead rested against his knees. Man, why am I always alone with him when stuff like this happens? I'm not used to this sort of thing, so I really had no clue on how I could help.
"Okay, okay, fine. If you're so mad at me, even though I don't believe I was being rude to your ma, I'm sorry. Happy now?"
That was a rhetorical question, but, "No."
What can I say, except: D'oh!
"Then will you please tell me what I did wrong? Cuz believe me when I say this, I'm upset, too."
"You lied to her again," was all he said in his soft voice.
"Well, what did you expect me to tell her? Do you remember who jumped on whom? Would you rather I told her that side of the story?" Hm, maybe I'm being too harsh, but I'm sure he saw my point. That's not the kind of truth his mom would have wanted to hear, even though the real culprit in my eyes would never ever be Gaara.
"No, I guess not," he whispered.
Uh, man… What can I possibly do or say to get him out of this slump he'd suddenly fallen into? Let's see…
"Hey, wanna call Naruto and Lee and pretend that we're ghosts and have haunted their phone?" I tried feebly.
My friend raised his head, looking rather appalled. He certainly looked to be at a loss for words. With a shake of his head, he lay his head on the pillow and kept his back to me.
There, it's official. I suck at being a good friend and cheer-upper, if that's even a word.
Feeling like my well of humor had dried up completely and wouldn't fill up again for at least the rest of the day, I decided to kill the time by browsing through his collection of books, which was a rather impressive one if I must say so. A lot of his stuff consisted of classic literature, but as I reached the third shelf, I let out a most delighted gasp.
'H-He must have every single book Dean Koontz ever wrote! Oh, wow! I must borrow one!'
Having chosen a title (Sole Survivor), I walked over to my friend, and sat myself down next to him. He either didn't notice or was trying to ignore me, but I didn't want to have any of that, because I'd had it up to here.
"Hey, look, look! We love the same author, look!"
To make doubly sure that, if he was doing so, he could no longer ignore me, I placed the book in front of his face (aha! His eyes are open! He certainly was not sleeping!) and began poking him in a most annoying manner on his shoulder.
His actions in response to my pestering came in the following order: he gently took the novel from my hand, got back up to a sitting position -which allowed me to sit more comfortably near him- and read the title out loud.
'Gosh… Forget borrowing it… With a voice like his, I'd beg him to read it to me…' This thought caused me to giggle so much, that I had to cover my mouth and pretend that I just had a bad case of the hiccups. Not that there were any bouts of hiccups to my knowledge that went like this - hee hee hic ha, hee hee hic ha…
After having made sure that I no longer had any more 'hiccups' plaguing my body, I placed my left pinky under my favorite author's name and said, "His work is what inspired me to start my own writing."
I didn't really expect him to say anything, and he certainly didn't disappoint there, but I did think he'd have been a tad impressed with what I'd just confided in him that I wouldn't in anyone else. Alas, if he was even remotely so, he didn't show it.
Feeling generous, I decided to speak for him, "Why, Claire, you're such a clever girl. How careless of me to not have noticed earlier just how smart you are."
"Aw, aren't you sweet?"
At this, he gave me a look so blank that I truly felt tempted to grab a pen and draw his lost features back onto his face. I mean, is this guy ever going to learn how to lighten up or what?
When the storm had hit earlier, I had so many thoughts swirling and tumbling in my mind that I hadn't paid much attention to it, but now that I had calmed down somewhat and no longer felt distracted, my fears came back to me with a vengeance as this extra-loud thunder crash caused me to squeal in surprise and latch onto Gaara, face buried in his chest.
"T-The floor m-moved! Did you feel it? I-It honest to goodness m-m-moved!" I whimpered in fright.
Apparently, my scaredy cat attitude was what had been needed all along for my companion to regain his voice.
"There's nothing to be scared of. Nothing moved." He didn't even sound patronizing or anything; on one hand, I felt rather comforted, but…
"It did too…! I-I felt it…"
To be honest, and as shameful as it was for me to admit it, I was truly frightened that he'd let go, as though his arms were actually protecting me from the wrath of the storm. How childish I must seem, to be acting like a clingy five-year-old who's still afraid of the dark and monsters in the closet. As luck would have it, I didn't have much longer to ponder these embarrassed thoughts, because a knock had suddenly sounded on my friend's door, and I, in record-breaking speed, jumped as far away from him as I could, hopping agitatedly from one foot to the other.
I wasn't sure if permission had been given to enter, but I saw the door opening, and in came a most excited Kankurou, of all people.
"What's with that dopey look on your face?"
"Why are you hopping like a deranged bunny rabbit?"
"Touché!" was all that was left in me, and I threw myself on the futon and contented myself with the company of Mr. Pillow.
Even though the storm was still raging outside and I was scared out of my mind, I was also curious and quite intrigued by the brunette's sudden change in mood. I didn't have to ask him what was going on, though, because he more than readily provided his reason.
"Gaara, you are never going to believe who's drinking coffee in our kitchen!"
"Ooh, is it Will Smith?" I tried hopefully. Then again, it could very well be, "Whoopi Goldberg?!" or, "You don't personally know Mr. Don Henley, do you?!"
"Honestly, you're such a kid…! No, man, it's Dawn! Dawn Tribal! I knew today was to be my lucky day!"
Wait, hold it. Did I hear the guy correctly? Dawn Tribal, the loud waitress at that coffeehouse? Here? But, what on Earth would she be doing here, and at this time of the morning?
Again, Kankurou gave the answer before either of us could ask him. "She was on her way to work, but the storm got the best of her. Next thing you know, she's in our house, asking if she can use our phone. Isn't this great?!"
'Yeah, great. As long as she doesn't come within a mile of Gaara, then it'll be peachy keen!' I inwardly grumbled, feeling quite awkward at this strange turn of events.
That, of course, wasn't to be; just as the thought had entered my brain, the girl in question had found her way to my redheaded friend's room, holding a mug in one hand and the cordless firmly pressed to her ear.
"I'm telling you, boss! That storm's a killer! Now, I don't know about you, but I don't want to go back out there and risk getting struck by lightning. Why, think of the many, many men I'd leave devastated!" She paused for breath, then, "I'll be there as soon as it lets up, and not a minute sooner. Besides, my Terrence would have some choice things to say to you if you'd let anything happen to me. I know it, you know it, all our patrons know it…"
"I didn't know it," I threw in, hand raised slightly.
The strange girl was still chattering animatedly with her boss, when she suddenly noticed Gaara was in the same room as she was.
'Oh, boy…'
"Well," she said, dropping the phone casually onto my lap, the boss man still shouting from the other end, "didn't think I'd run into you here, you handsome devil, you!" I almost wanted to throw up as she gave him this really flirtatious wink. Don't ask me how a wink can be flirty, but hers certainly was. With that, she handed the mug back to a most astonished Kankurou, and plopped herself next to an equally uncomfortable Gaara.
'Hey, wait a second…'
"Just a minute, there! What about this Terrence bloke you just mentioned?" I demanded, not really caring about the moral ethics of the situation. I was merely hoping to make her feel guilty enough so that she'd back off.
"Aw, there's certainly nothing wrong with a little flirtin'! If I didn't do that at least every day, well, it's just not healthy. Besides, Terrence lives on the other side of the globe, and if he thinks that I can't talk to another man besides him, especially now, he's got another thing coming."
'Gee, how is it that this girl can say so much in one go? Then again, I sure hope Kankurou isn't too disappointed.'
"When you say flirting, does that include the occasional lunch or dinner?" came said boy's eager question, that dopey look still plastered all over his face.
"Naw, but I won't stop you from trying. Just know that I wouldn't cheat on my Terrence for anything in the universe."
"Oh, well, shoot! That means you will still have to leave 'many, many men' just devastated," I teased, feeling relieved that she already had a boyfriend, and was loyal to no one but him.
"Yeah, it's a pity, but life must go on. Isn't that right, cutie?" Now she was rubbing circles on my friend's cheek with her index finger.
Wow… Where ever did she get all that confidence and charisma? She sets her eyes on someone, and off she goes. I sincerely felt doubtful that she even knew what the word 'intimidation' meant. How lucky to be like that, instead of always cowering from a distance…
"Excuse me, but I believe I need to have a word with a certain backstabbing brother of mine," interrupted Kankurou, his voice icy cold.
Without any room for argument, the older sibling grabbed him by the sleeve of his clothes and dragged him from out of the room.
"You know, I don't think the guy ever listened to me the two dozen times I've told him that I'm not interested in him. Anyways, I'd better scram now that the rain's beginning to let up nicely," said Dawn quite cheerfully, tucking her hands behind her head as she walked confidently out of the room.
'…Eh, at least the floor stopped moving…'
v-v
After Dawn had left, and Gaara had reassured his lovestruck brother that he wasn't after his girl, things were pretty uneventful.
The weather was so calm now, you would never have believed that just a while ago, there had been a storm that looked like it could have been strong enough to tear the manor completely off its foundation. The sky was now a really nice light blue with a few wispy clouds rolling by; there was a most gentle breeze making the tree branches sway slowly, and I could hear a couple of birds chirping happily away.
It was still about 7 in the morning, but Gaara and I had already left the house, on our way to Naruto's place so that I could (finally!) get my stuff back. My friend also had kept his word, and his clothes were once again wrapped most comfortably around me. It's true, they were far too big for me, but nothing like a bit of rolling up of the sleeves and leggings wouldn't fix.
It was a most silent walk, but for once, I was enjoying it. Dawn wasn't really interested in Gaara, the scary earthquake-like storm was over, I got me a new game to play, I was wearing Gaara's clothes, and did I mention that Dawn isn't really interested in Gaara?
Before long, we were standing in front of Naruto and Lee's apartment door, which was opened by the latter.
"Good morn… What are you wearing?"
"You have eyes, Lee. You know what I'm wearing," I answered as I made my way inside and practically pounced on my backpack, pouring all the contents out onto the coffee table.
I had completely forgotten about the photograph Naruto had taken the other day, the photo that contained Gaara and myself in a most, um, friendly position. My eyes widened in utter horror as it now lay on the floor for all to see, cruelly reminding me of its existence.
'Argh, Naruto!'
"What is that?"
Gaara…
"S-Shopping list!" I managed, grabbing it quickly before he could get a clear view of it and tossing it back at the very bottom of the bag, hopefully to never see the light of day again.
After I had packed everything back up, I realized that two things were missing from my stuff. My phone, and also my precious iPod.
"Where's Naruto?" I asked, my voice sounding a bit sharper than intended.
"He is still getting ready. Let me get you some tea," Lee offered in his 'gracious host' manner.
"I don't want tea! I want Naruto!" I yelled out, surprising both of my friends. Hey, I've told them time and again I'm not a morning person. I can't help it.
"Aw, I missed you, too!" As a familiar voice hit my ears, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist.
"Let go, you doofus! And give me my stuff back!"
"Yes, your Highness!"
Within a few minutes, the hyperactive blonde returned, placing the coveted items into my hands.
As I was checking my phone to see that it was still okay, he asked, "What's with the goofy getup?"
"Goofy? These are sophisticated, regal, fancy, fine pieces of clothing!" I challenged back.
"On Gaara it's fancy stuff, on you it's just goofy."
"You're just jealous."
"Why the heck would I be jealous?"
"Because I'm wearing expensive clothes and slept in a giant mansion, and you never have!"
"Like I care. We're fine right here, aren't we, Lee?"
"Do not drag me into your arguments, Naruto," was the boy's calm response.
"Let me ask you this, why is there a picture of your foot on my phone?" I asked, deleting the stupid image.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head meekly as he answered, "I got bored. Power went out again, and I couldn't get your fancy game thingy to work, so…"
"You mean my iPod?"
"What kind of dumb name is that for a game?"
"It's a music player, not a game," I said, my face going rather blank.
"Oh, okay! Who wants breakfast?"
"I've said it once, I've said it twice even, and I'll say it again. You have the attention-span of a pencil-sharpener."
v-v
It turns out that I had nothing left in my wallet but loose change, so I was going to have to pay Gaara back later. It did make me feel quite guilty, but it was simply out of my control for the time being. He of course assured me that it was perfectly fine, but it really did nothing to ease my guilt. It's just how I am.
Anyway, we were now sitting by the main gates of the school, and were in fact the first ones there. The next person to arrive was the upbeat Sari, followed by her friend, Matsuri. The taller of the girls was laden with shopping bags, as well as her companion, who looked rather embarrassed.
"Ah, don't you just love early Christmas shopping? How relaxing," smiled Sari.
"I don't really care for early morning Christmas shopping, though," muttered Matsuri, "How ever did you manage to buy all of this in half an hour, anyway?" At her question, she raised the bags above her head.
'Sari's a shopaholic? Go figure.'
"That, my friend, is a tip-top family secret," she snickered, tapping her cheek with her index finger.
"They're never going to let us take this stuff inside the school."
"Have I ever steered you wrong, Matsuri?"
"Yes, last night."
"What in tarnation are you wearing!?" Sari was suddenly shouting in my face, not really bothering to mask her surprise; or was that envy? I wasn't sure.
"I'm wearing clothes. What are YOU wearing?" I threw back at her.
"We gotta have a girl to girl talk, right now," she demanded, dragging me over to her friend, who had been left guarding about seven shopping bags.
'That's funny. Naruto was saying something like that to Gaara this morning, but he said there was no time for that. Is this for the same thing?'
Once we'd stopped moving, she said, "Okay, spill! Who made the first move?"
First move on what? Was she asking me about chess?
"Were there flowers involved?"
Huh, flowers?
"Was there any holding of hands?"
What the heck are they talking about?!
"What about poetry? Oh, I just love a man who's poetic…!"
"I don't-"
"Must have been so romantic! Oh, man, I hate you! Able to net a guy as sweet, charming and handsome as Gaara the moment you meet him!" After those words had left her mouth, Sari shoved a fist into the palm of her right hand.
"Stop it! There was none of that stuff! What kind of romantic drivel have you been reading?!"
'Hm, I do like to read romantic drivel, but they don't have to know that.'
"So it was just a quiet evening of cuddling with the occasional stolen kiss?"
I swear if my face got any redder and hotter, I could pass off as a tomato. Or maybe a kettle, because I felt absolutely sure that steam was shooting out of my ears…
"Aw, you are blushing! Isn't that so cute, Matsuri?" The girl now had both palms pressed to her cheeks, looking really giddy.
"Not for the reasons you're thinking, I swear! This was on a… a… dare! Yes, that's it! It was just a dare!"
"What? Really?" asked both girls.
I only had enough energy left to give them a small nod.
"Shi… How boring… That's what you get when you have guys for friends…"
"Huh? Don't you two have any guy friends?" was my curious question. I suddenly began to ponder if it was normal after all for a girl to have boy friends but no girl friends.
"Jeepers, no!" Matsuri said, blushing herself.
"Not me. Can't handle 'em like that," Sari continued, retying her bandana.
'Is it me, or does she sound proud about it?' I wondered with a finger pressed to my chin.
"What will you be doing after school, then?"
"Hang around at home, probably. I've done some major neglect on unpacking my belongings, so…"
"Great! Count me in to help out!" the longhaired girl bounced energetically, both hands held up high.
"Er, yay…"
"Heavens, I am so excited! Just excited! Words can't even begin to describe just how… excited I am!" came the sound of a most cheerful voice.
"Mist, admit it. You're excited, aren't you?" followed another, female this time. At first, I mistook it for his sister's voice, but upon looking up, there stood Mist sure enough; the girl walking with him was average in height, with brown hair held in two buns and chocolate brown eyes.
'Wow, she looks cool! Kind of like an Oriental princess!'
"Come now, this is the greatest thing to ever happen in the history of this school! Deep down, you're as excited as I am!"
"Yep, you got me," she replied most sarcastically.
Eventually, they stopped to stand by me and the Romance Twins. Beginning to regret my silly bargain with my friend, I prayed with all my might that they wouldn't ask the same thing everyone else had asked if they chose to speak to me. Making them jealous was one thing, but being treated like I'm a dipstick is another matter altogether.
"Hey, cool threads. Must be a European thing to always look so nice," Mist greeted, quite sounding like he meant what he was saying, much to my surprise. His garnet red eyes were twinkling in a way that made him seem less goofy than he initially appeared.
"Um, you were saying something about excitement?" I attempted, just wanting the conversation to steer away from clothes and boys and lovey-dovey stuff.
"Ah, yes. The music teacher told me yesterday that the school has bought a brand new piano! It's to be delivered next week!" he announced, flailing his arms like there was no tomorrow. "And I'm gonna make sure that it'll be me who gets to tune it and play it first!"
"Yeah… Don't expect that the line will be long or anything," his companion giggled, giving him a light smack on the back.
"Must you always be so sarcastic and clever? Being sick for a week did nothing to cool you there, did it?" grumbled the boy, playing with his loose ponytail.
"Oh, that reminds me. Your hair come down at all while I was away?"
"What kinda weird question is that?" I whispered to Matsuri, who was the one closest to me.
"He wears his hair a certain way, depending on his mood. And he only wears it loose if he's really angry or upset," she whispered back.
"Nope. I've been as cheery as you please," he chuckled.
"Please, you act more cheery than this, and you could apply for a job as Mary Poppins' sidekick!"
This girl is really good. I hoped there and then we could become friends. I could really learn a lot from her. As friendly and bubbly as Sari was, I'd rather hang out with the girl in buns. At least I didn't feel as shy and awkward now that she was around, joking away.
"By the way, I didn't catch your name there," she turned to me.
"Claire, pleased to meet you."
"TenTen, Mist's unfortunate childhood friend."
"I'm the one who's always facing the wrath of that sharp tongue of yours; I'm the unfortunate one!" her friend interrupted.
"You can tell me all about your 'lovely' clothes during recess," she winked, ignoring the tall teenager completely.
'Shoot!'
v-v
"Oh, where is that baby sister of mine? If she doesn't hurry up, she'll be late… again."
Argh! We've been sitting in homeroom for about five minutes, and in that time, Mist has said that sentence exactly thirty times. (I got bored, and had nothing better to do than listen to the boy's whining about his precious sister being late) I would've liked to point out to him how irritating it was that we students were given such a tough time whenever we were late for class, even if it couldn't be helped, yet the teachers acted like nothing had happened if they were late.
In today's case, this particular teacher was rather tardy, but, frustratingly, I would never have the guts to tell them so.
Anyway, as much as I wanted to say this to him, I couldn't stop staring at my fingers thumping on the desk as I firmly held my tongue. I could feel all of the girls' eyes on me, and hardly in the ways I had wanted last night, no, sir. I didn't want them to look at me as though I'd gone crazy, or like they wanted to pummel me with their books, and I most certainly did not care for how a lot of them were so obviously tempted to laugh their heads off at me.
'What in the name of all that is sacred was I thinking? Oh, I'm doomed!'
Deciding I couldn't take their nasty stares any longer, I grabbed my iPod and headphones from my bag, and hit the play button, not really caring on what song it landed, as long as it took my mind completely off my fellow (and way mean) students.
'Yay! White Reflection! Awesome!'
Unconsciously, I began bobbing my head up and down whilst drumming on the desk's surface to the pulsating music.
The song had barely played for a minute, after which I felt several taps on my shoulder and head. Impatiently, I removed the headphones and lay them on my lap, looking at the pestering youths uncertainly.
"I demand to know what you're listening to that's so catchy, and I wanna know now," said the peach-haired girl in a bossy voice.
"Me too, me too!" That was Sari.
"Don't forget me," butted in Ino.
"Don't shove me, Ino-pig!" And there's Sakura. (Hey, I seem to be getting quite good with names after all)
"I did no such thing, large-forehead!"
"Jeez, relax already. I'm listening to TWO-MIX. Satisfied?" I attempted, rubbing my temples.
"I wanna listen!" exclaimed Tayuya, making a grab for the player.
"Oh no, you don't! I saw it first!" Ino proclaimed, snatching it up.
"As if!" Tayuya argued back, pulling it from the other side.
"Um, excuse me?" I tried in rather a meek voice, which only resulted in the two girls pulling on the device even harder.
Don't you just hate it when people ignore you? Fess up; you hate it, don't you? You always have.
'I sure do.'
Then say something for once! Don't be such a fraidy cat all the time!
'Okay, I'll do it!'
"HEY!" I screamed out so loudly that everyone looked at me in shock. It was quite effective in causing Ino and Tayuya to loosen their grips, so I quickly took it away from them and pocketed it.
Clearing my throat, I explained, "No one touches my things without my permission first, capisch?"
"Ha! I never need people's permission for anything, and you'd better get used to it," Tayuya said in that lazy drawl of hers.
"Say, is this teacher bloke usually this late? Sure hope he's okay," I said suddenly. After all, fifteen minutes is quite a long time. Maybe the guy had gotten hurt or something.
"He'll show up when he shows up. You never know when, but you can be sure it's never on time," Ino replied, her blue eyes never leaving the pocket in which I'd stored my player.
'Darn, why is it that the only girls I've made jealous wanna beat me up? It just isn't fair…'
As I was chiding myself for the umpteenth time, the door slowly opened, and everyone made a beeline to their seats. They all sighed in relief when they saw it was only Young, fashionably late but with luck definitely on her side, since our teacher was yet to show up.
Her eyes widened a touch when she noticed me, making her look rather funny. Those eyes of hers, a lovely forest green, were already impossibly large, and, I realized, quite expressive. Her clothes were rather simple compared to what she had worn yesterday, and, if I was seeing correctly, it was all covered in multi-colored hairs. How odd.
"'Sis, there you are! You should certainly count your blessings that old-man Kakashi is always so late," Mist shouted out, waving to her.
"I got caught up and lost track of the time. Good thing Mr. Kakashi never lets us down, huh?"
"Why, thank you, Miss Young. Your sweet words always make my job worthwhile," a man at the door said, seemingly appearing from out of nowhere.
"Zoinks!" she yelped, and rushed to her seat, her hand resting on her chest as she breathed deeply.
Did the girl just say 'zoinks'? Isn't she supposed to be this high-class, sophisticated, violin-playing diva? Since when do people like that say 'zoinks'? What a strange, unpredictable young lady.
As her desk happened to be right next to mine (joy), I was able to hear her mutter under her breath, "I'll get him to talk to me today, even if it's the last thing I do."
'Oh, dear. She'd better not be talking about Gaara. I simply have no chance against someone like her,' I worried, resting the palm of my hand under my chin.
"Now, then. Let's begin."
"Begin?! Class is almost over!" Naruto burst out.
"Shut it, Naruto! Don't talk to Mr. Kakashi like that," rang out all the girls together, including the feisty Tayuya.
Wow, if they reacted like that to what my friend had justifiably said, imagine what they might have done to me if I had had the courage to berate our teacher for being as late as he was. Admittedly, the man was ridiculously handsome and had really beautiful, mysterious dark eyes, but go on! That doesn't excuse tardiness!
"Ahem, anyway," Kakashi started over, for some reason turning his head to me, "I've decided to make today's history lesson quite special."
"You're giving us free period! I knew it, I knew you were the kindest teacher in the world!" Mist said jovially.
"Hm, sorry, Mist. Not today." At this, he closed his eyes and smiled, causing the ladies to swoon in a most lovesick fashion.
"Come on, don't beat around the bush! What do you have for us, you old coot?" demanded Naruto, which earned him a well-aimed pencil case to the side of his head.
Not missing a beat, Kakashi announced, "We're going to do a little history lesson on the country of Malta. It, after all, has a most interesting story to it." Ohhh… That's why he was looking at me like that…
"Don't you have anything to say to Mr. Kakashi?" asked one of the girls, giving me a rather fiery glint.
'I have, indeed: Boring!'
"Erm, can't think of anything more special than that…"
v-v
Whoa, I tell you what, whoa! I never was much of a history person, but to have a history lesson about my country as some kind of treat was just whack. On top of that, everyone, including my ever reliable Naruto, acted like I ought to feel honored or something, but I actually felt really embarrassed. If the teacher wanted to do some European history lessons, that was fine by me, but I didn't want them to happen just because I started to attend the school. I wanted to be treated the same as everybody else period.
'And it would be about time, too…'
After the morning lessons were done, I went off to one of the water fountains to get a much needed drink. No sooner had my fingers touched the cool metal of the tap, then I felt someone give me a push.
Turning round, I felt the blood drain from my face when I saw Meno had managed to find me.
'She's going to make a killer spy one of these days.'
"Nice clothes. New store for losers opened up?" she greeted, hands resting on her hips.
"Sure, sure. It's right next to the mall for bad comebacks," I managed to say, doing my best to keep my short fuse of a temper in check.
Unbeknownst to the both of us, someone else happened to be in the corridor, and she decided to make her appearance just as Meno opened her mouth to say something, most likely to give me her first order of the day.
"What's this thing here?" asked the newcomer, taking hold of the piece of paper in the blonde's hand.
"Hey, that's mine!" she shouted in outrage.
"I don't think so. I'd recognize your terrible, childish handwriting in a jiffy, and this most definitely isn't yours," my savior said most calmly, giving me a wink.
'Wow! Mist's friend is righteous!'
"It most certainly is mine. Now hand it over!"
"Then if it's yours, you've been pretending all along to hate Gaara's guts, no? Who knew, you rascal!" TenTen snickered at the sickened look on Meno's face.
"Give me a break! Who'd ever like that stupid freak show? The very idea…"
What that 'very idea' was I may never know, because I never let her finish. I could just barely keep myself in control with her bullying me, but when she dared to insult my friend yet again in front of me, I completely lost it.
'Oh, that does it! Those are fighting words!'
Unable to stop myself, I raised my hand and backhanded her with all my strength across the face. This action shocked me senseless, but it was hardly enough to calm my fury, even if…
'D-Did I just hit her?! I'm supposed to abhor violence!'
And yet, you'd do it again if you had to. Of course, you'd only do it for…
'N-No way! You be quiet!'
Meno lifted her palm up to rest against her skin where I'd hit her, giving me a ferocious glare.
Not backing down, I growled, "I gave you a good and proper warning before never to insult Gaara again, did I not? You had it coming. Plus, you can report me to the principal all you want. Sticking up for my friend was worth it."
"You little brat. I'll make you pay for this. You wait and see if I don't," she said through gritted teeth as she walked away.
"Ooh, so scary," TenTen and I said in unison. At that, we shared a sideways glance, smiling slightly. We both raised one arm and high-fived each other. "Yeah!"
v-v
"Tee hee, that look on her face when you let her have it…! I thought I was going to pass out, it was so funny!"
"I suppose," I humored her, not really feeling as enthusiastic as she was.
"Hey, now. You should be more upbeat than that. How you stuck up for Gaara like that; that's what I call friendship," TenTen said, nodding her head up and down.
'My blackmailing problem being solved like that seemed too easy. I know it's not over.'
Speaking of which…
"That paper. You still have it?" I asked eagerly. Eager to tear it into tiny, little, microscopic shreds, that is.
"Yup, here," she said, handing it over to me. Then she tossed in, "You really have high standards, eh?"
"Say what?"
"Let's see - tall, handsome, regal, sophisticated, strong voice. Ah, not to mention, insanely rich," she counted on her fingers.
"Tch, you left out the best features," I mumbled, trusting the brunette not to be a big blabbermouth.
"Oh, what did I miss?" she questioned, raising her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She propped her head atop her kneecaps, appearing to enjoy the conversation.
"He's charming, intelligent, sensitive, and he's just so kind," I said in a whispery voice, thinking about last night.
And gentle, don't forget gentle.
There's that annoying voice in my head again…
Not to mention comforting!
'Okay, I get the point…'
And how could you forget that he's…
'No, he's not! Shut up!'
Fess up! You've fallen for him, head over heels!
'Quiet!'
"Gee, if that doesn't say you're smitten with the guy, nothing will," whispered TenTen, putting a stop (thank goodness) to the psycho argument I was having with myself.
I had done nothing but deny it to everyone that noted what seemed to be the obvious, but this didn't seem to be needed with TenTen. How lucky I was to have met this girl. But I wasn't going to have this conversation be strictly about me, so…
"What about you? Anybody you're interested in?"
"Nope. What's the hurry, anyways? We're still young."
She sure made a good point. At fourteen, one shouldn't really be thinking too much about dating and stuff, and I certainly had never thought of these things at all. Not until I met my new friends, at least.
'Not until I met Gaara…'
"Oh, look. There's still just enough time for you to tell me about those nice clothes you're wearing," the brown-haired girl piped up.
Aw, shucks. And here I thought she'd forgotten all about these stupid robes!
"You know, I have no idea. It seemed like it would be fun at the time, but you lot have made it very hard for me to actually feel that way. Of all the times that Gaara decides not to be firm," I rambled.
"If you ask me, he sure was a good sport about it."
"Yeah, he was a good sport, and I'm Tina Turner's long-lost little sister."
"Hey, that's clever. I'm going to have to remember that one."
"Nah, you're good," I said with a small wave. I was about to add more to it, when suddenly I heard a loud squeal, which was then followed by another, and another.
"WOW! IT'S HIM!"
"HE'S SO DREAMY!"
"LET'S GRAB HIM, GIRLS!"
TenTen jumped up, clearly not having expected the loud banshee screams.
"Good grief? Who could they be fawning over this time?" she muttered, now sounding most annoyed. Okay, maybe she expected the screams after all, or something of the sort.
"Hey, let's find out," I suggested, already following in the direction from where I heard the shouting.
Getting to this 'so dreamy' person didn't take long at all, and I found myself standing shocked in front of the group of girls I had seen when I first went out to lunch with the guys. I had completely forgotten about them, come to think of it. With that said, it certainly was less of a surprise when I noticed who was at the center of these bundles of bubbly energy.
"Mah, I should have known," my brunette friend mumbled, putting a hand to her brow and closing her eyes.
"Does this happen a lot?" I was about to ask, but then I changed my mind, and decided that getting my chum away from these scavengers would be the more logical thing to do. I can always ask later.
Nodding once, I raised my voice as high as it could go, "LOOK! IT'S LEONARDO DICAPRIO!"
One of them, who had been clinging to Gaara's arm for dear life, quickly looked up. She seemed to recognize me from earlier, but I couldn't be entirely sure, because before long she demanded, "Where?! Where?!"
"That way!" I generously offered, pointing behind me.
"Wait! Marry me, Leo!"
"No, me!"
"I saw him first!"
Like a herd of sheep, they ran fast towards where they hoped they were going to find their dream man.
TenTen had her arms crossed over her chest now, shaking her head. "Vultures…"
"None too bright, either. I can't believe they fell for that."
"I hope you're satisfied with yourself."
Now THAT I did not expect. A minor thank you; perhaps. A pat on the shoulder; why not? A gruff, even scornful accusation; certainly not!
"And just what the heck is that supposed to mean? I just saved your neck back there," I growled.
"Gotta admit, I'm lost myself," joined in TenTen.
"I have not had a moment's peace since we entered the school," he growled back.
Oh, sure. It's now cool to blame it on your friends when you're having a bad day. That's really becoming! Oh, if only I had the courage to say it out loud, if only!
"And it's her fault because…?" TenTen sounded quite defensive. I guess we girls really do stick together, no matter what the cause.
The redhead said nothing, merely fingered the clothes I was wearing for a few seconds. Well, now, that's hardly fair. He's as much to blame as I was for this mess! After all, he gave in too easily.
"I have to say that you got it all wrong. If anything, this whole thing is your fault," I tossed, quite coldly I hate to admit.
Now he looked really enraged. He was literally shaking, he looked so angry.
"Are you brave enough to repeat what you just said?"
"Wait! Wait! Making threats is not cool!" My friend had both hands clasped to her face; she looked absolutely torn on what she should do. I, on the other hand, wasn't going to fall flat on my face now.
"Think about it for a second. None of this would have happened if you had said no, and stuck with it."
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" TenTen shouted out, pressing a hand each to our chests. Gosh, brave girl, she is. "How can you two talk to each other like that? You're supposed to be friends!"
Poor TenTen, she didn't know the half of it, did she?
"And after she stuck up for you with that wench, Meno!"
"What?" Never had I heard anyone sound so genuinely touched with the utterance of just one word. Never.
"TenTen…" I warned.
"She hit her and everything," she continued, ignoring me on purpose.
"I did not!" I protested with a gulp, keeping my head down all the while. Other things friends aren't supposed to do include intentionally embarrassing each other, which is what she was doing at this very moment.
"You hit Meno?"
Why does he sound so shocked? Does he not think me strong enough? Or brave enough? He should know by now I'd do anything for my friends, even if what I had done then had gone against everything I stand for.
"I just said that I didn't! TenTen obviously was daydreaming or something."
"Not your best effort, my dear," said girl teased, now feeling better.
She's right.
'Shuttie!'
"But, why?"
"Well, this is what happened…"
"TenTen, stop 'helping'… Please!" Ooh, I hate it when I'm reduced to this. Me, begging… How awful…
"I'm sorry. Would you rather tell him the story?" she asked with a sunny smile.
"There's no story to tell. I did not hit her. Gaara, who are you going to believe? This dreamer, or your friend?"
Were my ears broken, or was the guy laughing? Pulling on my earlobes a little, I realized that he indeed was. A soft, almost indiscernible laugh, but it was still there. It certainly didn't stop him from providing me with an answer.
"You have lied to me quite a few times since we met."
"They were minor white lies. They don't count!"
Yes, they do. I thought you learned that when you were two.
'Hey! Don't make me come in there!'
"Answer me," came his command. At least he was gentle about it.
Nervously clearing my throat, I obeyed, "S-She called you a… a freak show, and I got angry." I couldn't say any more than that. I'd have liked to, but I simply could not.
"Ugh, anyone can make it sound so boring," grumbled the brown-haired girl.
"Don't you have a childhood friend you should be bothering?"
"Even I know not to bother Mist when he's at the piano. You never want to interrupt him when he's playing that thing." If I must be honest, I wasn't entirely sure if she was being truthful or if she was just saying it to try and scare me.
'I had better not risk it.'
I didn't have long to contemplate it anyway, for the bell rang just then. Words cannot describe just how relieved I felt at that time. I could finally get away from this awkward situation, and back under the teachers' scrutinizing stares. Teachers don't tease their students. Not that I knew of, anyway.
"'Kay! I'm gone!" I shouted to them, then made a dash towards the incoming crowds. I'd sooner face them, as claustrophobic as they made me, than my two friends as things stood.
'I'm such a coward…'
End Chapter 7
Finally, huh? FINALLY! This chapter gave me a lot of grief, and I'm far from being satisfied with it. I hope to really deliver next time round.
Heh, I had so much fun writing Karura as this cranky not morning person. Still, who would sound happy being woken up by the phone at four in the morning, right? I may be wrong about the age, but here, Yashamaru is a bit younger than Karura. For some reason, I see him as that. Plus, I knew when I'd put him in, it'd be as someone in the medical profession, but I didn't want him to be a doctor. I felt that would be a bit predictable, so I made him a vet instead. Our animal friends need care, too!
Fact; that there in the story regarding my fluency in Italian is all true. Back when I was a little girl, cable TV was something that did not exist (and somehow, we had more variety than we have today), and the only thing my brother and I could watch in English was the news. However, our Italian channels were abundant in anime goodness, and we watched every title we could without fail. Sweet, sweet childhood… I do admit, my spelling in that language is way rusty now, but I still understand it no problem and can read it okay. Sadly, Italian TV has dwindled disastrously now, as it mostly dubs the corny stuff on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon… sigh
Ah! We finally see a new face; I hope it's one you like, because you're going to see plenty of her. I love TenTen, and that's no lie. I certainly noticed she's really witty when she wants to be, and I truly believe she wouldn't like it when she saw friends fighting, hence her reaction to the argument in the story. Plus, she is SO adorable in the spin-off show. She's my main reason for watching. Her and Gaara are my favorites, as well as Sai, but he rarely appears or speaks.
And can't forget tardy-pants Kakashi-sensei, hee! I wonder what he could have been doing, ne? Still, we love him, anyways, because he is the epitome of cool and all that. nods
So, the blackmailing problem is fixed, but if you think that's the last we're going to see of Meno, think again. She has plenty of evil plans in her spell book of wickedness!
Believe it or not, amongst my zillions of hidden references in this story, there was one also with the Leonardo DiCaprio thing. Let me explain. We all know he stars in the movie Titanic, right? Well, get this. In the Japanese dub, Jack's role was given to none other than Akira Ishida-sempai! Gaara's seiyuu! Isn't that a kick? (I really want the Japanese DVD now, so that I may hear this for myself!)
Here are some notes regarding the wish list.
For those who are wondering, the Micro Genius console is just the Taiwanese bootleg of the original Nintendo console. Back in my innocent days, I had no idea that other things besides videotapes could be pirated. (I was 4! Give me a break!) I do admit, however, that as a bootleg console, it looked really cool and didn't feel cheap at all. I had this cartridge that had hundreds of titles in 1, and it was a million times better than Action 52 (that's a separate rant for another time); it even came complete with the classic Super Mario Bros. and the best version of Tetris ever. Ah, my childhood…
Oh, my Sailorjupiter doll… How I miss it…! My mom bought it for me when I was a little girl (the Italian version, very much identical to the Japanese ones) at such a good price. At eBay now… shudder
I'm also on the hunt for a Starmaker doll that doesn't carry an obscenely high price tag. I saw the pocketsize Dream Doll, and it's so gorgeous! I want it very badly…
Now, I shall TRY and work on the next chapter while I have the time, and hope to get a review soon. I will understand if I get none. I do admit I took an insanely long time to update this, for which I can't apologize enough.