Tenten stared at herself in the mirror. It was a skimpy outfit, yes, but, it looked great for Halloween. If it was Halloween. Taking a deep breath, Tenten turned her attention to Hinata. Hinata seemed very sweet, not shallow or judgemental like Ino or Sakura. So why was she a Bee?
Ino smirked and winked into the mirror once she had finished, blowing a kiss at Tenten's reflection. "And like, voila Tenten!" she giggled. "Do you like?"
Ino started to lightly fluff the back of Tenten's hair, which the girls had taken out the buns, leaving her hair wavy and down to her waist.
Tenten did like it. Not the fact she really did have to wear it. But she did like it. It was a green version of Wonder Woman's costume. "Do I have to go swimming?" Tenten asked, pulling the super hero designed bustier up a bit more.
"Nope, when we get to Sasuke's house, we'll give you the first task." Sakura said, handing Tenten a pair of matching green knee high boots.
"Can I ask why Konoha kids drink on a school night?" Tenten asked, taking the boots from Sakura.
Hinata smiled and shook her head. "It's not that kind of party Tenten."
Tenten tilted her head to the left. "Well, what kind of party is it then?" she asked as she started putting on a boot.
"I know it sounds mean, but it always happens on the night of the first day of school. Where, the sophomores, and the juniors welcome the freshman to the school. Only certain freshman..." Sakura said, leaning against the bathroom counter.
"Hazing, right? Why doesn't it start in the summer?"
"Because there's always new people who move in. Like you, Tenten. Anyway, I think we should get going. Everyone starts at the Uchiha's house and go their own way from there." Sakura said as Tenten had finished getting on her other boot.
- - - -
Once the four arrived, there were some younger looking guys clustered in packs in the living room, talking amongst themselves, casting a sideways glance to the girls as they walked through the house, straight into the kitchen.
"So, exactly what happens to me?" Tenten asked once Sakura had started digging through the kitchen fridge.
"Distracting, those fine young gentlemen." Sakura stated, taking a drink of her Coke. "Now, Tenten, you're job is distract those boys during the workout effectively,"
Taking her hand, Sakura lead her outside, onto a large square of pavement, with basketball hoops on two sides. There were currently five guys there, all sitting by one hoop, just talking it seemed.
"Using, this pole." Sakura stopped Tenten right beside the large pole of the basketball hoop.
Tenten felt her face go red. "What!?" she demanded, eyeing the thing as if it could kill her if she toke her eyes off it.
"I know it looks intimidating, but after the first minute, it's totally bearable. You get used to it." Ino said, wrapping her arm and leg around the pole. "Just pretend you're a striper and you'll do quite nicely."
Tenten stared down at her feet, "I suck at walking in heels. How can you expect me to like, dance?"
The guys around them laughed, and Tenten immediately recognized one as Neji.
"Come on Tenten! You can do this. I know you can!" Ino said, bringing Tenten's attention back to the pole.
It was much thicker than most stripper poles, indeed, and Tenten glared at as she said, "Okay. Fine. There could have been, worse things, right?"
As Tenten looked at the group of guys, she not only recognized Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto, but she also recognized the eldest looking one, with his long black hair tied back into a low ponytail. He had been with Neji earlier that day.
"I'm Itachi." The guy she'd accidently been staring at. "That's Shikamaru, Naruto, Neji and my little brother Sasuke." He gestured at the guys with him as Tenten followed suit, nodding her head at each one.
Tenten could definitely see the family resemblance in Itachi and Sasuke. They were both extremely hot and they seemed to know it.
- - - -
Tenten stood, frozen. Staring at the twenty something guys each running on the spot, watching her with curiosity. Tenten was leaning against the basketball pole, wanting to simply disappear.
"It helps if you act like an actual striper." Sakura whispered.
"What!?" Tenten practically screamed, looking at Sakura as though she had just killed a cat.
"I don't mean taking off your clothes. I meant, if you actually get in there. Like up the guys and stuff."
"Oh..."
Ino hit the play button on the stereo brought outside, bringing the opening song of Just Dance by Lady Gaga to everyone's ears, once the guys had finished running on the spot, and had started doing push ups.
"Come on Tenten! Move your body!" Ino whispered loudly, poking Tenten in the side.
And Tenten did. Hating the trio of girls directing her the entire time, hating that she had degraded herself into a slut in one day, but she danced, and she was stealing random guys to dance with her. By the end of the song, Tenten had begun to actually really like the dancing. Not because she was being watched, but because it was fun.
Until of course, she had turned around quickly and run straight into Neji, promptly falling onto the rough cement, scrapping her elbow. "Okay, that hurt." Tenten stated as she held her wounded elbow with the unwounded arm.
"Okay, uh, Sakura, take over." Ino ordered as she rushed to Tenten's side.
"Now what?" Neji asked, gently holding up Tenten's elbow to look at it.
Looking up at Tenten, his white eyes met her deep brown ones. "Can I carry you into the house?" he asked.
"Uh, sure, I guess." Tenten muttered, now feeling like a complete idiot.
Neji smirked then, hooking one arm under Tenten's knees and the other around her waist.
As they were walking, Ino beside the two, she noticed Tenten had even scrapped her thigh. "Hey, Tenten? Does your leg hurt?"
Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Not really. Should it? Aww crap! Even my leg is scraped too huh?" she asked, slapping her hand against her forehead.
Neji chuckled. "Why aren't you crying? No offence Ino, but I know you would be." He asked as he set Tenten down on the edge of the bathtub.
"I used to play a lot of sports and it's inevitable that you'll get hurt. I'm just used to it now." Tenten explained as Ino got some water running, holding a washcloth underneath.
Ino rubbed some soap into the wash cloth, and toke a deep breath as she looked at Tenten's elbow. Ino had always been blood queasy.
"I can do it Ino. You don't look too good." Tenten said, holding her hand out for the cloth.
Neji instead, snatched the cloth first, smirking at the look Tenten gave him. "I can handle it. Without sounding like a hormonal teenage boy."
Ino smiled, waved a goodbye to Tenten and left.
"I can seriously do it myself. I don't need your help." Tenten defended herself.
"So what sports did you play?" Neji asked.
"Volleyball, tennis and soccer. I love soccer. Accept I don't play anymore." Tenten said, staring at the soapy cloth. "Are you going to clean my elbow or what?" she snapped.
Neji chuckled. "Why don't you play anymore?" he asked as he pressed the cloth into Tenten's scrape.
Tenten hissed at the sting but forced herself to not cry. 'You will not let yourself look like a cry baby in front of this guy!' she yelled at herself.
"I'm sorry." He whispered lightly.
Tenten looked at him with a smile. "Why are you sorry? It's not your fault."
"You ran into me."
"Well lucky for you, I'm not blaming it on you. I blame my fall on the heels. These things could kill! This is why I don't normally wear them."
"Why do you want to be one of the Bee's? That's all they wear. And every day they dress in the smallest clothes possible. Is it to be cool?"
"Why are you hazing those boys outside? They're looking for the exact same thing I am." Tenten countered.
Neji sighed, and then, Tenten realized he had finished cleaning both her elbow and her thigh, and was currently sticking rather large band-aids over them.
"And what are you looking for? Popularity?" he asked once done, looking back up into her brown eyes.
"Feeling accepted. Finding a friend, in Konoha High."
"Why not be you? I like that you say you used to play sports but you're not going to anymore because the Queen Bee's don't do that sort of thing?" Neji asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't make an ass of yourself. You don't know anything about me except my name, and I'm just like you. A wannabe." Tenten glared at him, she stood and walked right out the door, on her way back out to talk to Ino.
- - - -
"What's next?" Tenten asked, gesturing at the buys still working themselves to death.
Ino looked at her, about to ask about Neji, only to see the pure irritation in her eyes. "Well, Sakura and Hinata and I were talking, we think you deserve the spot anyway. Regardless of the last thing you were originally supposed to do."
Sakura and Hinata nodded, smiling widely.
Tenten tilted her head. "What?"
"You're one of us now Tenten! Your already a great friend, and you already fit in."
Tenten smiled. "Does this mean I can go home and change into something else?" she asked hopefully.
Sakura laughed and linked arms with Tenten's good arm. "Let's go and get you changed and then we can go get some dinner." She suggested.
"Sounds good to me, how about you Hinata?" Ino asked, absently waving at the boys as they left.
Getting into the silver convertible the girls laughed as they started talking about how horrible the super hero outfit was.
"It looks great, but it's uncomfortable to move in, right?" Sakura giggled as they left the Uchiha residence.
"I want to know about Tenten and Neji, and what went on in the bathroom." Ino sang cheerily.
"What happened between Tenten and Neji?" Hinata asked.
"Absolutely nothing." Tenten stated, looking out at the other cars on the busy street. She didn't want to share that conversation with the girls at all yet. Tenten had to make sense of the whole on her own before she shared it.
"Aww come on Tenten! Don't be shy. You can tell us." Sakura said, quickly glancing over at Tenten before turning back to the road.
"I'm serious. Nothing happened." Tenten said again.
"They make a great couple." Ino said from the back to Hinata.
Hinata giggled. "Yes, they really do! If you like Neji, Tenten, you don't have to worry about me being unhappy. I'd be really happy for the both of you!"
Tenten forced a smile and nodded. 'He's being a jerk. I don't want a jerk for my boyfriend' she silently said. Satisfied they couldn't hear her thoughts.
"I still really like your house Tenten." Sakura said as she parked on the side, inside the half ring of pavement with a black Mercedes in front of her car.
"Uh, thanks. I think my Mom is here." Tenten said as she got out. "Follow quickly so I can bolt into my room." She stated as she opened her door after taking off her heels.
Darting up the large stairs to the third floor, the girls laughed as Tenten swung open her bedroom door and walked into her closet, still laughing.
"Wow, I love your room Tenten. It's not as big as mine, but it's got that homey feeling. Y'know?" Ino said as she plopped down on Tenten's bed.
"Totally! It's colourful, but not too loud." Sakura said as she sat in a bean bag chair beside a low table.
The room was a good size, with a bed against the wall by the window, with a green and blue geometric patterned comforter and matching blue and green pillows. The plush carpet was a grey with posters of singers and actors like any other girl. In one corner were a computer desk and a laptop with speakers on either side, and beside that was a low white painted wood table with two bean bag chairs on the sides.
Tenten was currently in her walk-in closet, changing into a baby doll dress with white around the bust, and pink skirt that ended about mid-thigh. Tenten also picked out some cute pink flats to go with the dress.
"How's this? Do I dress myself right?" Tenten laughed as she opened the double doors back into her room.
Ino gave a thumbs up while Sakura and Hinata smiled and clapped.
"So, why are you on the third floor?" Sakura asked.
"Oh, because first floor is like, just guest rooms and my parents' offices and two seating rooms. This is literally, my parents' floor. Second floor has the kitchen, dining room and my Dad's wreck room for his friends. It can double as my Mom's place for friends too. And that leaves the third floor completely for me. Unless there's a lot of guests because there's two guest rooms up here. My parent's only come up here if they need to talk to me." Tenten explained as she sat in the other bean bag chair.
Ino nodded, "That's cool. I wish I had a whole floor to myself."
"Yeah, me too. You're so lucky." Sakura agreed.
"Tenten?" a woman who looked very similar to Tenten, only with a bit more weight and her hair was pulled onto just her left shoulder. "Oh, hello." She said, a bit surprised to see people with her only daughter. "Friends?" she looked at Tenten expectantly.
"Hey Mom, yeah, these are my friends. Sakura," Tenten gestured toward Sakura, who smiled. "Ino, and Hinata." Ino and Hinata waved.
"That's nice. But Tenten, your father is heading out to New York tomorrow morning, before you leave for school, right now he's in his office, but I'm going out tonight. There is some dinner on the stove for you, if you girls like, there should be enough for all of you. Goodbye dear, goodbye girls'."
After her mother had left the four girls looked at each other.
"Your Mom seems real nice. I like her." Hinata said, smiling.
Sakura and Ino nodded.
"Well, it's 8 o'clock. Did you want the food on the stove or go out?" Tenten asked, standing up and fixing her dress.
"Let's eat here. It smells really really good." Ino said, sniffing the air to prove her point.
- - - -
After the girls had left, leaving their numbers in her phone and collecting her email, Tenten went back up into her room, feeling completely exhausted and ready to go to bed.
Changing into a new pair of blue short-shorts and her favourite black hoodie that was kind of loose, but still extremely comfortable, Tenten lay in bed thinking about her leg and elbow, as they still kind of stung, and then thought about Neji.
"I should have been nicer to him." She said quietly before drifting off to sleep.
- - - -
a/n: Hmm... I actually had a hard time writing that.
I have a few versions of the chapter, and well,
this one ended the nicest lol
Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
More Nejiten in next chap