A/N: Hey, guys. I'm so sorry I haven't been updating lately! I've just had so much going on with school starting and all. Too much homework and piano and clubs and stuff. But I promise I will update faster! Really!
Chapter Nine
"Please, Anko." I begged," I don't care if I don't get to meet Tsunade or whatever. I am not working with Lee."
She looked at me, clearly puzzled, but nevertheless, placed her finger in her chin and thought for a minute.
"Fine." She finally said, "I'll switch you with that pink-haired chick."
I breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much."
She nodded, but put a finger up in warning, "As long as you get me another dango stick after your lesson."
I almost laughed at her childish request, but stopped myself when I saw her dangerous glare.
Damn, this woman is crazy.
She led me down another hallway to a smaller door, which opened when we reached it, letting Sakura slip out. She glared at me as she passed, and I sneered right back.
"Bitch." She snarled.
"Whore." I hissed right back.
Anko stared.
I continued glaring at her retreating back until she was out of sight, and finally met Anko's stunned gaze.
"Sorry." I said, cheeks growing red: I had forgotten about her presence in my anger.
She stared for another minute before bursting out into rambunctious laughter.
"Remind me not to cross you!" She snorted, doubling over and clutching her stomach. It took her a full minute to recover, and by the time she had, she was already rolling on the ground. I restate my point: This woman was crazy. When she finally stood up, I pushed the small door open upon her command and found myself staring into a few familiar faces.
"Well, maggots?" She yelled, her drill sergeant-mode coning out, "Introduce yourselves!"
A few of them sat, stunned, as they had never met Anko before, but the ones that knew her, or knew of her, sprung to attention, shouting out their names and instruments before she could throw her signature dango stick at them. The others quickly followed the suit.
"Kankuro. Drums." I remembered this guy from the first day. He was an odd one, telling us about his younger days, when he painted his face and wore cat ears. I nodded at him in greeting and he grinned back at me.
"Hinata. Violin." little Hinata squeaked, and I felt so terrible for shutting her out. She gave me a timid look and I looked away, refusing to meet her gaze.
"Gaara." A red haired boy said. He looked a little like Sasori, but had what looked like a tattoo on his forehead, hidden by his hair. "Voice."
"Yo, piano chick!" I turned to see Kiba and rolled my eyes at his obnoxious voice.
I gave a small smile and waved at the group, all who looked at me expectantly, and introduced myself.
"Hi, I'm Tenten. I guess I'm your pianist now. "
There was a chorus of "hi's" and "hello's" from around the room. I saw Hinata standing up and making her way towards me to start a conversation. Luckily, Anko grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room before she had the chance to even get near me. I watched her sad and confused eyes as I was pulled out of the room.
"Lesson time!" Anko joyfully shouted with her hand gripping my wrist. I struggled to keep up with her as she literally dragged me to the lesson room. Halfway there, I gave up and sat down, letting the seemingly limitless Anko pull me along. When we arrived, she practically threw me onto the piano bench.
"Alright, let's get this party started!" She yelled energetically, jumping into her spinny chair and rolling it towards me. She commanded me to pull out my books and begin my chamber music. When I finished the piece, she actually patted me on the head, a genuine smile on her face.
"Not bad, maggot." She said, making my heart swell with pride, "But, still room for improvement."
After the lesson was finished, I walked out of the room, feeling surprisingly refreshed. I sped through the lunch line and grabbed a plate of limp lettuce that they tried to pass off as salad. Walking to the tree that had become mine and Neji's spot, I tilted my chin in greeting at the silent pianist, who was uncharacteristically staring at his rubber-looking sandwich. Over the past week, we had gradually grown closer, becoming better and better friends. The day after my first lesson, he came to sit with me again. The next day, again. On the fourth day, I didn't bring my book. On the next day, he didn't bring his. He left his iPod as well. The sixth day, I left mine. By the seventh day, we were exploring the nooks and crannies of the school together. I even invited him to see mine and Shikamaru's concert, but he denied, saying he did not want to miss out on any practice.
Speaking of the concert, it went very well, and we even provoked an encore performance from the crowd. Afterwards, when mingling with the crowd, I even saw Ino there, cuddling with Chouji, the chubby flutist.
I stabbed my lettuce, thinking back at the past week and all the adventures it held. The exciting practices with Shikamaru, the making up with Hinata, on Neji's advice, and through that, making up with Lee. Sakura and I still hated each other, though. I didn't know why she bothered me so much; maybe it was because she always had what I wanted. I knew, however, that she and Sasuke had started dating, much to the dismay of Lee, who cried about it into my lap for two days. This made me even more angry at her: how dare she break Lee's heart? However, even though I was friends again with them, I still spent all of my free time with Neji. I even invited him to watch me play at the modern music competition, in which my "band" had decided to play the piece, "Monster", by Skillet, but, again, he declined, on the grounds that he wanted to practice.
Speaking of the competition, I quickly realized how difficult it was to work with Tsunade, especially on the first day she came in to work with my group. That day, I was extremely excited, taking extra time to dress nicely and make sure my buns were in place. It was a wasted effort, however, as she did not take any special notice in me at all, the only comment she had directed towards me being a comparison to her treasured student, Sakura. That night, I went to bed with my teeth gnashing, not even bothering to say "goodnight" to Temari, whose pajamas seemed to hang off of her body, not. The next day, Tsunade did not even show up, deciding that she'd rather coach her precious Sakura. Luckily, Anko stepped in and pushed us through a terrible practice. For the rest of the week, we were on our own, as Anko had to practice for her own concert and Tsunade could not ear to leave Sakura. Every time I thought about it, my fingers trembled in fury. Despite this, we did pretty well, Gaara's demonic voice matching the dark theme of the music. He was even to manage the low, "Monster" growl near the end of the song. By the day of the competition, we were sounding like a real band, the talent of each musician shining through.
Of course, on the actual day of the competition, my band had to carpool with Anko, the five of us squeezing into the back of her mid-sized Sudan, while Sakura's band got to ride with Tsunade in her large, luxurious van. The stage was in a larger recital hall than I was used to, but smaller than the largest I had ever played in. The five of us sat nervously backstage, in our dressing room, as we overheard the variety of songs leaking into our room, mostly pop. Hinata had left ages ago, with shifty eyes and a claim that she needed to use the restroom. Unable to listen to any more competitors, I sprang from my seat, muttering something about finding Hinata. I wandered a little, wondering about life and love, pondering the fluttery feeling in my stomach that I got every time I saw Neji, and worrying about Temari, who seemed to keep getting thinner and thinner. I walked around backstage, occasionally peering into different rooms, mostly empty, until I heard some strange moaning from one. A little curious and a lot innocent, I took a look, screeching at what I saw. Hinata and Naruto were entangled in a complex kiss, her arms locked around his neck and his hands under her shirt. I backed away slowly as they turned towards me and jumped away from each other when they saw who I was. I sprinted away, hearing the lingering cry of "Don't tell Neji!" which echoed through the air. I arrived back in our dressing room, collapsing onto the couch.
"Find her?" the deep voice of Gaara asked from under me.
I looked up into his deep, green eyes, to find that I had fallen onto his lap, his legs propped up against the coffee table. Patting his stomach and rolling over so that I was laying down on the couch, with Gaara's lap as my pillow, I shook my head. Seeing that I was not going to get up anytime soon, he snorted and went back to cleaning his nails. Kiba snickered at me and Hinata walked in, face bright red. I gave her a knowing smirk and she nearly fainted.
"Let's go, maggots! You're up, next." Anko burst into our dressing room, making me jump off of Gaara and promptly trip over my own feet doing it. The red-head smirked as he steadied me and I flicked his forehead, telling him to shut up.
We followed our coach to the backstage area where we were met by Tsunade. She nodded at us and motioned us onto the stage, obviously eager to get back to prepping Sakura and her band. My hands clenched into fists. We'll show her. We'll give the best performance out there. I made eye contact with the rest of the band and saw that they were thinking the exact same thing.
"Next up, from the Tsunade School of Music, please welcome Group Number 511, playing the Skillet song, Monster!"
Before I knew what was happening, Kiba gave me a light shove, and I stumbled onto the stage, jogging to the electric keyboard that was set up near the edge. The five of us made eye contact again and I saw Gaara give a nod to Kankuro, signaling him to start us off. The brown haired boy nodded, and tapped his drumsticks, counting us off.
"One, two, one two three four!"
And we started. The entire thing passed in a blur. All I remembered was my fingers flying over the keyboard, watching Hinata sway in time with her electric violin, Kiba playing his viola in place of the bass in the original song, Kankuro's arms in a blur over the drum set and Gaara's low and demonic voice.
I, I feel like a monster!
By the end of the song, the crowd erupted in applause, and I could even hear screaming and whistling. Grinning, I took a bow along with the rest of the band and we walked off of the stage together. A few bands later, Sakura's went up, playing a song a little similar to ours, one called "Riot" by Three Days Grace.
After a couple more bands, it was judgment time, and the five of us went up there nervously. I gripped Hinata's hand tightly in mine, and grabbed Gaara's in my other.
"And, in third place, we have the stunning performance of "Riot!" Band number 520!"
Sakura and Lee skipped up to accept the medals.
"Second place, we have "Monster," Number 511!"
It didn't register in my brain until Gaara pulled on my hand to drag me up to the announcer to accept the trophy and medals.
I couldn't believe it, we had beat Sakura's band! Take that, Tsunade!
The entire was home, we cheered in the back of Anko's car, stopping at Ben and Jerry's for Anko to treat us to some ice cream.
oO0Oo
"Hey, did you hear about the concert tonight?"
I was startled out of my flashback by Neji's quiet voice. Seeing his white eyes on me, I quickly answered that I did not.
"They're having the best violinist in the state, Jiraiya, the best cellist, Orochimaru, and Tsunade playing tonight."
I nodded, "Cool."
"Would you like to meet beforehand? It's a formal event, so they're actually serving edible food for dinner. We could eat together and watch the concert together if you'd like. You know, as friends."
Was that a hint of pink I detected on his face?
"Sure." I said, fighting to keep my voice calm, the butterflies in my stomach intensifying in numbers.
He nodded and tilted his head back against the tree, staring off into the distance. I followed his gaze and frowned. Sakura stood, talking to Sasuke, her head tilted back in a laugh. As if feeling my gaze on her, she turned to meet my glare. Slowly, she held up her right hand and extended the middle finger, flipping me off. I snarled as Sasuke slid his arm gently around her waist and led her away. Neji turned at the feral sound from my lips, but I waved him off.
"You know, you really outta make up with her. All this drama is bad for you." He said, still staring at me.
I shrugged and turned away.
The rest of the day passed quickly, and before I knew it, I was in my room, picking out a pair of dress pants. I felt Temari punch my shoulder, much softer than before, and looked to her sunken face. Something was defiantly up with her. She smiled and clucked her tongue.
"No pants." She said, pulling the fabric from my fingers.
"But I don't have a dress." I said, pouting, "And even if I did, I hate dresses, so I wouldn't wear it."
"No problem. I can find you one." She said, ignoring the second half of my complaint.
"Why?" I asked her, as she rummaged through her trunk. She turned to me and grinned.
"This is your night to impress Neji!" She exclaimed.
"Wha-" I yelled, backing up and somehow into Deidara's arms.
"Hinata told us you were meeting him tonight."
I saw Hinata emerge from the bathroom, twiddling her fingers and looking nervous.
"Neji told me that you two were meeting."
"Wait, I don't like him like that!" I screamed, thrashing in Deidara's hold. "Hinata! Help me! I'll tell Neji about what I saw at the competition!"
The timid girl squeaked, but did not come to my assistance.
Temari looked curious, but, nevertheless, continued rummaging through her trunk.
"Please. We've seen how you look at him. You are so in love."
Oh, god. No way. But it made perfect sense. The butterflies, the uncontrollable blushing, the quick friendship. Oh, god.
"I'm in love with him." I said, my eyes wide.
Deidara rolled her eyes and let me go.
"Yes. God, you're slow."
I opened my mouth to protest, but the blonde cut me off.
"I'm gonna change and do Hinata's makeup. We have the bathroom to ourselves since Ino's gone to Sakura's place to get ready. Call me when you and Tenten find dresses."
And with that, she grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged the girl through the bathroom and to her dorm.
Seeing that Temari would be a while, I went to the bed and hopped on, opening my book. Soon after, I was startled out of the dramatic world by Temari's yell.
"Found it!" she shouted, holding up a black cloth. I sighed, At least it wasn't pink.
She tossed it at me and stepped into the bathroom. I slipped out of my oh-so-comfortable jeans and t-shirt and pulled the dress over my head. It fit quite well, considering Temari was at least three inches taller than me. The top was sleeveless, and a little too snug around my breasts for my comfort. It clenched in at the waist and blossomed out into a full skirt, going down to my knees. A delicate red design was stitched into the dress, starting at the hem and working its way up the skirt. I slipped on the single, black, fingerless, lace glove that had tossed me, folded inside the dress, and stepped into my only pair of high heels. The straps wrapped around my ankles and I snapped my cell phone onto the right one. Looking in the mirror, I decided that I looked incredibly stupid with my buns and grungy face on top of the beautiful dress.
Almost immediately, Temari threw open the bathroom door and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me into Deidara's room.
"The dress looks good on you." She said, sitting me down on what I assumed to be Deidara's bed.
Said blonde looked amazing, with her normal ponytails traded in for a more elegant bun. She had left her bangs down, which framed her face nicely, if not making it seem too thin. She was wearing a black, knee-length dress with a design on the side that matched her eyes. The elegant stitching resembled fans and moons, matching the small charms she had on her shoes. A thin chain hung around her neck, a green circle hanging from it. She had fishnet stockings on under the dress, which were cut off at mid thigh. She also wore fishnet gloves and, at the moment, was busy shoving her cell phone into her bra.
"I think we need to work on makeup first." Deidara said, advancing on me with eyeliner in her hand. She was all ready, hair and makeup already done. She had lost her half-ponytail and settled for an elegant twist instead. Her dress ended an inch above the knee and had a small split up to the middle of her thigh. The red color of it contrasted beautifully against her hair and skin.
I twisted away from her, but she grabbed my face and stared me down.
"Tenten. You're already in the dress. Just accept the makeup."
I sighed and told her to do her worst.
After Deidara finished, Hinata started on my hair, first taking out my buns. I let it go without a fight, as I knew I couldn't win. She was very gentle with my hair, careful not to burn me with the straightener as she pulled my long hair out of its natural waves. I sat and observed her white dress swishing around her knees and the simple flower in her hair as she tilted my head up to see the finished product.
The two blondes squealed at my appearance, and Hinata took my by the hand and gently led me to the mirror. I was shocked by what I saw: a tall, brunette, and beautiful girl. Deidara had taken my grungy look and somehow made it into a masterpiece. Hinata changed my limp buns into sleek and shiny hair.
"Wait." I heard Temari say as I admired my transformation. "There's something missing."
I heard her rummage through her trunk again for a few minutes, and she quickly came up behind me, wrapping a ribbon around my neck.
When she finished, I looked again, and saw that she had fastened a black choker, with a single, silver charm in the shape of an ancient ninja weapon around my neck. I looked beautiful.
Tearing up a little, I threw my arms around the three girls' necks and thanked them all. Deidara laughed and pushed me towards the door, teasing that my "Prince Charming" was waiting for me.
We walked to the cafeteria together, and when we got there, I gasped. The normally messy place was filled with small, two-person tables covered with spotless, white tablecloths, and menus on top. A few students were already there, waiting for their friends. Hinata left us quickly when she spotted Naruto, prompting a nudge and snicker from me. Temari walked off to argue with Shikamaru minutes later. Deidara and I talked for a while until Sasori slipped his arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear. Blushing, she told me that she had to go and left. Feeling awkward, I sat down at a table and stared off into the distance.
"You-you look good."
I looked up and saw Gaara tugging on his red shirt uncomfortably. I smiled and gave him an awkward half-hug.
"You do too."
I heard a snicker and saw Kankuro thwacking Gaara on the head.
"You hitting on my little brother, Tenten?"
I glared at him and punched him in the shoulder. He laughed and pulled me into a bear hug.
We talked for a little while, until I heard a light clearing of a throat behind me.
I turned to see Neji, his long hair left down and wearing a white dress shirt. I smiled and gave him a hug, blushing as I did so.
Kankuro wolf-whistled and I shooed him away, throwing a dinner roll at him.
Neji and I sat down awkwardly and immediately, a waiter came running towards us. I ordered a salad and Neji, a pasta. We ate in silence and, after an hour, Neji offered his arm to me and led me to the auditorium, where the concert was to be held. We weren't to wait for long, as the legendary trio walked up onto the stage within minutes. Tsunade walked with a prideful stride, with Anko hurrying after her, fumbling over her books. Jiraiya sauntered on with a calm walk, eyes clearly fixated on Tsunade's ass. Orochimaru arrived last, with an angry slouch.
The three of them immediately began playing, before the applause even stopped. The beautiful music immediately made silence fall over the crowd and an awed expression on everyone's face.
I placed my hand at the edge of my seat, leaning forward to better hear the music. Glancing down, I saw that Neji had placed his hand near the edge of his seat as well. I moved my hand a little closer, testing the waters, and Neji moved his as well. Soon, the backs of our hands were brushing up against each others, all thoughts of music forgotten.
Make the move. Do it. Grab my hand!
I felt his hand twitch to hold mine, and as I was about to give up on him making the first move, his large hand engulfed my own. Stunned, I looked up at him. He stared forward, face bright red and determined to not look at me. I smiled a little and turned back to the concert. He didn't let go until the end.
After the concert was over, he hurried out of the room, quickly dipping his head to kiss me on the cheek before running off.
I squealed as I entered my room, "Neji kissed me!"
"Yeah, bitch! You get some fuckin' ass!"
I turned to see Hidan, along with the rest of the Akatsuki in my dorm, with Temari and Hinata sitting on the beds.
"What the actual fuck?"
A blue haired girl in the arms of a orange-haired guy with a lot of piercings laughed at me.
"Deidara invited us. I hope you're okay with that. I'm Konan, and this is Pein, by the way." She motioned to the boy with his arms around her and he nodded at me.
"Yeah, it's fine." I said, waving at the two.
"So… Neji kissed you, huh?" Deidara snickered.
"Oh, shit."