A/N: I was having a very difficult time coming up with how to go about the next few chapters before stuff got really rated "M" ness, so I used a real life experience from me to kick it into high gear (as best as i possibly can...). Sadly, this brings me a few steps away from where I intended the story to go... so bear with me. Treasure the mini fluff. I'm not entirely sure when another round of fluff will come around.
Sakura smirked as she sat down at the lunch table the Bee's practically owned. Opening her bottle of orange juice, Sakura grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Girls, I think we should each get matching tattoos."
Tenten coughed on her poutine at Sakura's statement. "You're not serious?" Tenten said after she had finished coughing.
"I'm extremely serious." Sakura said, looking a bit peeved that Tenten didn't think she was at all serious. "I think it'd be truly fabulous if we got matching tats, and not to mention hot."
"Well, where would we get it? It'd have to be somewhere we can hide from our parents, but not so we disgrace ourselves in public trying to show it off." Ino said after taking a drink of her slurpee.
Tenten sighed and played with her fork in her food. She was 100% against getting a tattoo just for her friends. What if she wasn't friends with them forever? Or, what if she refused and they kicked out of the Bee's? Tenten didn't like the sounds of a tattoo at all.
"What about the hips? Find the right type and it looks pretty hot." Sakura said, sipping on her juice as she leaned back, looking at the other three.
"What about stars? Stars are always pretty." Hinata said before taking a bite of her blueberry muffin.
"What about two? One star on the left, while the other star is on the right!" Ino suggested.
Tenten stuck to focussing completely on her food while the other three told each other their ideas of forever leaving an imprint of the sort on their bodies. Rolling her eyes, Tenten began to wonder how she would feel when she was ready to be a mom, and having two stars on her hips while remember her stupidity of being a sixteen, going on seventeen year old teenager.
"Then let's do it right now! I can drive us to the tattoo place like, a few blocks away from the mall." Sakura said, leaning forward in her own anticipation.
Tenten stared at her friend for a moment. Anxieties making her feel like she was going to throw up. 'Just tell them you don't want to do it goddamnit! They won't care! They will remain your friends!'
Tenten sighed and stared down at her food. She did not want to do it.
"So it's settled right? Let's go right now!" Sakura declared, standing up.
"Yeah, totally!" Ino agreed, gathering her trash.
Tenten sighed. This was going to end very well. No, this was not going to end well at all.
As the girls all jumped into Sakura's silver convertible, while Sakura and Ino talked animatedly about how amazing it was going to be, Tenten and Hinata sat in the back, sharing empathetic glances, both know exactly what they were getting themselves into. Tenten sighed as they stopped in front of the medium sized building. 'Oh, just great...'
- - - -
"This is so perfect!" Sakura announced once the four girls had all got into her silver convertible.
"We did it Bee's, Inked and sexy." Ino smirked, holding her hand out to Tenten for a high five.
Hinata and Tenten both shared a look of sadness at the realness that they had gotten the tattoos as well.
- - - -
Sighing heavily, Tenten stared at herself in her full length mirror with her shirt lifted enough so she could look at the two, five pointed stars tattooed onto her hips. Twisting her body from side to side, trying to grasp that she had actually done it. Finally, still completely unsatisfied with the idea of what she'd done to her body with her friends earlier that day, she realized she hadn't eaten all day, except for a strawberry smoothie, and lowered her shirt again, walking away and downstairs for something to eat.
Upon entrance, she could hear loud, echoing laughs coming from her father's wreck room, while that laugh was followed by the thunderous laughing of many other people.
Tenten sweetie,
I made you some spaghetti around 6:30.
I'll be home around midnight.
Love Mom.
Tenten sighed; she was getting tired of her mother always being gone these days. While her father was only ever home when he had company with him. Why had she even begun to worry about them finding out about her inked skin? As hard as she didn't try, she couldn't come up with an answer.
As she sat down to eat, there was an echo of knocking from downstairs. A house this big and she could still hear it. Tenten sighed, not at all wanting to open the stupid door for anyone.
"Hey Tenten, I was wondering if... Hey, are you okay?" Ino asked when Tenten had opened the door.
Tenten forced away her fatigue and smiled at her blonde friend. "Yeah, but, what were you wondering? Come on in, my Mom made spaghetti about a half hour ago."
Tenten started walking back up the winding staircase, until she was back in the kitchen.
"Well, tomorrow being Friday, we were thinking that maybe, we should start our weekend early by skipping Friday and partying at the Hyuga's tonight!" Ino replied, instinctively raising her hands in the air and swinging her head and hips to a song Tenten couldn't hear at the word of party.
Tomorrow is the first Friday of the new school year and I've already skipped enough classes for at least until next Tuesday. Tenten told herself. And though she could never explain to herself why, the word "friendship" had come into her mind and was refusing to leave.
"Yeah, okay. Let's do it." Tenten smiled brightly at Ino before taking a bite of spaghetti.
Ino clapped, jumping up and down a bit. "Yay! Come on! We have to find you the perfect thing to wear!"
- - - -
Tenten stood in Hinata's living room. The people surrounding her, all had the undeniable, almost fruity scent of alcohol on their breath. Tenten didn't like the way she felt. She felt too exposed in her deep purple dress with the too low neckline and the too short skirt. The dainty "T" necklace around her neck was still too cold against her skin.
"Here, drink this. It's pretty good." Sakura said, coming up behind Tenten, holding a clear bottle with a cloudy pink liquid inside out to her. "Also, Neji's in the kitchen."
Tenten nodded, taking a large gulp of the drink Sakura had given her. She could smell the alcohol, but couldn't even taste it. She grimaced anyway, knowing what she had just decided to ingest.
Sakura watched her brunette friend as she didn't even budge at the sound of Neji being in the kitchen. In fact, the more she thought about it, Tenten looked a bit upset. Sakura rubbed Tenten's shoulder in a reassuring way, making Tenten look at her from her bottle, which she had previously been spinning the liquid into its own whirlpool.
The girls had sat down on a couch, talking about how amazing the tattoos were, well, Sakura was, Tenten was simply downing more of her drink as fast as she possibly could. After a bit, Tenten had finished a couple drinks and was starting to really feel the effects of the alcohol.
"Hey Sakura, where did you say Neji was?" Tenten asked from her spot on the couch.
Sakura had finished her own drink too, and randomly handed Tenten another. "I forget. I think we should get our belly buttons pierced!" Sakura declared, lifting her shirt to show Tenten.
"Sakura!" Tenten laughed, trying to force back down her shirt.
Tenten stood up after her laughing fit, deciding she was going to go and explore the house, look for a familiar face.
After stumbling awkwardly in on a few couples, and tripping up and down stairs, Tenten felt warm arms wrap around her shoulders.
"Are you drunk?" his deep voice beside her ear.
"This is like, my third. I think. Actually, I think I have no idea. How are you?" Tenten asked, trying to turn around.
Neji chuckled. "I'm not sure I like your dress." He said as she finally turned around in his arms.
"Why? Too purple, right? I'm not a big fan of purple either." Tenten said, taking another drink.
"I mean, it's pretty short."
"What, you don't like looking at my legs? I think they're pretty fuckin' amazing."
"C'mon, I'll take you to the kitchen. Get something other than alcohol in your system."
"Oh, but I already do! I had spaghetti at home. It was good." Tenten explained as Neji pulled her into the kitchen anyway.
"Hi Tenten!" Hinata greeted her once the brunette found herself inside a very nice kitchen. Not at all like hers, but very classy.
"Hello Hinata. Why do you hang out in the kitchen?" Tenten said, grabbing a random unopened bottle that looked like her other drink. Taking a drink, Tenten looked around, to see a few guys from Tuesday night. Tenten quickly toke a large gulp and ran her fingers over her elbow, trying not to remember her embarrassment.
"Ah, the music isn't as loud in here. Are you having fun?" Hinata asked, setting her drink on the counter beside the stainless steel fridge, before opening the huge door.
Tenten looked around the kitchen. "What was the point of coming in here again?" she asked, looking for Neji.
Hinata gave her a puzzled look when she closed the door to the fridge.
Deciding it was probably much better if she didn't say anymore; Tenten waved and left back out into the living room. Promptly running directly into a Ino, with a murderous glare plastered onto her face. Tenten blinked as she realized the glare was directed at something behind her.
"Uh... Ino? You okay?"
"She's such a whore! A slut! Oh my god I hate her." Ino growled.
Tenten looked around the room. Eyes landing on Shikamaru, with a blonde, whose interesting hairstyle was completely her own. Not particularly feeling all that well all of a sudden, Tenten sat down on the spot. Not caring that she was seated right in front of the entrance to the kitchen. There was probably more than just that one anyway...
"How many drinks have you had?" Ino asked, looking down at Tenten, "What color were they?"
Tenten gave the blonde a quizzical look but looked at the bottle anyway. It was empty. When on earth did that happen? Didn't she just get a new one?
"Pink... I have no idea how many... They're really good!"
Tenten was smiling brightly, and leaned back against the swinging door to the kitchen, falling onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling as people stared at her. She started laughing. Somehow, it was funny in that moment, until Ino picked her up, pulling her to her feet.
"You're not allowed any more drinks young lady. Thank god you're not already wasted." Ino said, sitting Tenten on a bar stool by a counter, where she was happily met with another unopened bottle of the fabulous pink liquid.
Tenten sighed, and rather have everything taken away from her; she went back into the living room, running into Sakura.
"Hiya, Tenten, you wanna get high?" Sakura asked, grabbing both of Tenten's hands in hers. "Sasuke is doing it out back, and I wanna hang around with him too."
Tenten stared at her for a moment. No. "Yeah, okay."
Sakura squealed and started to weave through the crowd, stumbling and running into things, but Tenten followed anyway.
"Hey what's goin' on out here?" Sakura laughed as she and Tenten both stumbled out the back door. "Mmm it smells pretty great out here."
The guy Tenten recognized as Sasuke smirked at the girls, beckoning Sakura over with his hand. "Hey, I was wondering when you'd come back here. I didn't think you'd bring the new girl with you though."
"Yeah well, Ino and Hinata were hard to find, and Tenten just like stumbled onto me. Right Tenten? Hey boys, don't you think her dress is like super hot?" Sakura smiled as she flashed Tenten a big smile and winked with the eye the small group of guys wouldn't see.
Tenten smiled a bit and sat down beside Sakura in one of the lawn chairs, taking the joint Sakura offered her.
"You ever get in the clouds before?" a boy named Kiba that Tenten vaguely recognized asked as he sat down beside her.
Tenten nodded.
"Nice. Ever done any X?" he asked, leaning toward her and lowering his voice.
"No thanks." Tenten said, blowing the smoke into his face.
Kiba rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else after that response.
"Oh shit! I like love that song! Tenten baby come dance with me inside!" Sakura shouted as Britney Spears' Womanizer started to play inside the house.
Tenten laughed at Sakura's eagerness but quickly followed her friend inside and into the living room, laughing loudly as she and Sakura started to dance, swinging their hips and holding each other's hands as they sang along.
Even though Tenten had been so against coming to the party and drinking, Tenten had to admit that she was having a blast at everything she had started to do that night.
Sakura had started laughing far too much to continue singing or dancing, falling down onto her butt as she sat on the floor. Tenten laughed, dropping down to the floor too.
"Tenten! I lost you and was looking for you everywhere." Neji said, kneeling down beside Tenten, resting his hand on her shoulder.
Looking up from laughing with Sakura, Tenten smiled. "Hello again."
"Wow, how wasted are you?" he asked, pulling her up so she was standing.
"Not wasted." Tenten confirmed, failing to stand without swaying.
Neji laughed, holding her better, as to be sure she wasn't going to fall. "Right, come on then."
Holding her tightly against him, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as he walked into the kitchen, staring ahead at Hinata. "Please tell me she hasn't been outside with the guys." He said, staring down at her.
Hinata tilted her head but stared at Tenten. "Was she with Sakura before you found her?"
Neji gave a simple nod of his head.
Tenten suddenly felt very nauseated, trying to swallow down the urge to get sick.
"I don't feel that good anymore." Tenten said, her words slurring a bit, resting her head against Neji's shoulder as she clasped her hand against her mouth.
"Neji, take her to a bathroom! C'mon!" Hinata said quickly, taking Tenten's arm as they both rushed her into the closest bathroom.
"How much did she drink?" Neji asked Hinata as Tenten started getting sick.
"I don't know, I wasn't with her for most of the night." Hinata said, rubbing the back of Tenten's neck.
Neji glared at his cousin, and then looked at Tenten as she sat back.
"Where are they sleeping? It'd be smart to make her go to sleep now." Neji said, looking back at Hinata.
"Uh... I have no idea?" Hinata said, playing with the hem of her skirt.
Neji chuckled. "Alright, how are you feeling Tenten?"
"Tired, starved, dead tired." Tenten said, tilting her head onto her shoulder.
"Where should I put her?" Neji asked, looking over at Hinata.
Hinata shrugged. "It's pretty late; I think a lot of people are already going home. I'm going to go clean up the living room a bit."
Neji sighed and looked down at Tenten as Hinata left.
Picking her up in his arms, Neji carried her up the stairs and into Hinata's room where he lay her down on one of the sleeping bags.
"I'm sorry." Tenten said softly as Neji put her down.
"What for?" Neji asked, holding her hand in his.
"I just am." She looked up at him, half smiling.
"Tenten, can I kiss you?" he asked, leaning toward her bit, waiting for her answer.
"I just threw up in your bathroom. And you want to kiss me?" Tenten asked sceptically, raising her eyebrow at him.
"Good night. Sweet dreams, and pray you don't wake up with the headache I'm sure you'll have." Neji laughed as he leaned forward, kissing her forehead.
"Why do I have to go to bed? What time is it any way?"
"It is currently 2:36 AM." Neji said, looking over at the alarm clock on Hinata's nightstand.
"Do I have to stay in here? It'll be too lonely to sleep."
Neji chuckled.
"What?" Tenten asked, twisting head around to take in her surroundings.
From downstairs, the couple could hear a few people scream, followed right after by multiple deeper voices shouting, but too muffled for Neji or Tenten to make into words. Tenten sat up quickly, almost hitting her head against Neji's. "That sounded like Sakura!"
Hurriedly, Tenten jogged down the stairs as quickly as she could without tripping. "Sakura?"
"He tried to take things way to far" Ino said, coming out of the kitchen.
"Sasuke did? Is she okay?" Tenten asked quietly as Neji showed up behind her.
Ino looked over at Neji and then back to Tenten, shrugging sadly. "Some of the guys are getting upset with him outside." Ino explained as she stared at the door.
Hinata and Sakura then walked out the swinging door to the kitchen. Hinata was half hugging Sakura as she nodded her head into the direction of the stairs to Tenten and Ino, who immediately followed closely behind.
In Hinata's room, the four girls sat on the four corners of Hinata's bed. It seemed as though the entire party had completely finished after the incident, leaving the entire downstairs with an eerie feeling of loneliness.
"I'm sorry to have spoiled your guys' fun." Sakura said, lifting her head a bit from her knees.
"Don't be." Tenten and Ino said in unison.
Sakura sighed and stared down at her toes, wondering whether or not she should say anything at all to her friends.
A/n: Play safe with drugs and alcohol. Yes? Good.