Disclaimer: Characters are borrowed :)

Chapter fourteen

Suspense time

When Temari arrived to her house the next day after school, she was surprised to find her father waiting for her.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Temari asked the man sitting on the living room's couch as the door closed behind her.

"Why didn't you come home last night?" her father asked, clearly angry, ignoring her question. "Where have you been, Temari?"

"I left a message to your secretary," Temari replied, annoyed. "I told her to tell you that I was sleeping at TenTen's house and that I was coming back today right after school. It's not my fault that you have such a stupid secretary, father."

"Watch you language, young lady," he warned her, standing up from his seat. "It's good that you decided to at least let me know, but it angers me that you didn't ask for my permission. Who do you think you are, girl? I'm your father and you're my daughter. You must listen to my opinion before you make decisions."

"I'm sorry, father, but I think I'm not a little girl anymore. I'll be eighteen in a few months and I'm gonna leave to college. I'm going to be an independent person and I independent people don't need their parents to advise them."

"Yes, you're right." He started to walk towards and stopped when he stood right in front of his daughter. Temari felt so tiny and defenseless in front of to him, but she tried to hide it. "You'll be independent soon. But it hasn't happened yet, has it? Besides, how can you be independent if I am the one who's going to pay for your college?"

"I've told you before," she replied, "I'm going to get a job."

"Whatever you say, daughter." Temari's father started walking back to the couch. "Just make sure your actions speak louder than your words."

Temari tried to stop frowning. Don't get angry, she told herself, just calm down. She turned around and ran upstairs. She bit her lips when an image of her mother appeared in her mind, and she felt like crying. Mom, if you were here, things would be so different, she thought, but then remembered that if her mother would've been alive right now, Gaara wouldn't.

When her bedroom's door closed behind her, Temari let out a sob and threw herself on the bed. She hugged a pillow tightly against her face as she started to cry.

Her life was an utter shit, or so she believed. Two days ago, her father gave her the worst bad news ever: they were going to move back to Suna, their home town, and Temari was going to go to the Suna University.

The worst part of it was that she didn't know how to tell her friends and her boyfriend that she was leaving Konoha as soon as she finished her last high school year. They had their own problems, and giving them another problem to worry about didn't sound fair. But not letting them know what was going to happen didn't sound fair, either. Temari supposed she just needed to wait for the right moment to tell them.

There was a knock on her door. She jumped up from the bed and wiped her wet cheeks, even though she knew it was useless; people would see her eyes and instantly know she had been crying. But still, Temari hated to look weak in front of other people, especially if those people were her brothers.

"Come in," she said loudly as she sat on the edge of the bed.

The door opened and Gaara stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and sat beside his sister. "I guess that asking if you're okay is stupid, because I know you're not okay," he started. "But I'll do it anyways, because I think it sounds nice. So… are you okay?"

Temari couldn't help but smile. "Gaara, you're so weird."

"May I take that answer as a: No, little brother, but I'll be fine soon, so don't worry and thanks for asking?"

Temari laughed. "Yes, you may."

The corners of his mouth moved slightly upwards, and Temari knew was smiling – in his own, weird way, but he was – and that something that didn't happen every day. He put an arm around her and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's going to be alright, Temari," he assured her. "I know it's hard for you to leave your friends behind, but life is all about moving on.

"How did you know I'm sad about that?" she asked. The truth was that she was actually sad because she missed the happy, careless man her father used to be before her mother died and Gaara was born. But she couldn't admit that to Gaara; he already had a lot of problems with their father. Besides, she was sad about leaving Konoha, too, so that wasn't exactly a lie.

"I know my older sister," Gaara replied. "But anyways, let me continue. You'll miss people here, yes, but there are new experiences and new people waiting for you in the future and you just have to be brave if you want to succeed."

"That's so… corny," she mumbled, smirking.

"Yeah, thank you. I worked really hard."

Temari laughed and wrapped her arms around her brother. "Thanks, little brother," she told him.

As Gaara hugged her back, Temari thought that maybe her mother wasn't alive, but she had Gaara with her, and she was glad that was enough.

The next day at school, Ino walked into the classroom with a huge smile on her face. When Sakura saw her, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The last time she had seen her best friend smile like that was when Sai asked her to be his girlfriend. Besides, it hadn't been so long since Ino broke up with him; just like four days or so. Wasn't she supposed to be still depressed? It wasn't as if Sakura liked to see her best friend depressed, but it was just impossible that Ino had forgotten about that boy so easily. As much as Sakura knew, Ino had been really in love.

Maybe she bought some really cool pair of shoes yesterday, Sakura suddenly thought. Yeah, it definitely had to be that. Why else would a girl look so happy only four days after she broke up with the love of her life?

"Hello!" Ino greeted happily as she took a seat beside her pink-haired friend.

"Hi," Sakura replied. "Um, why are you so happy today, Ino?"

Ino frowned. "What's wrong with it? Can't I be happy for no reason?"

"Yeah, you can, but it's weird, dude."

Ino rolled her eyes and played with her ponytail. "Alright, you win. The truth is that there is a reason why I'm so happy this beautiful Tuesday, my friend." She stuffed her hand into the pocket of her sweater and took out two rectangle-shaped papers that looked like a pair of…

"Tickets?"

Ino nodded. "Yep, tickets." She handed one of them to Sakura. "Go ahead, read it."

Sakura took the ticket and did as Ino said. It was a ticket for a marionettes-themed art exposition at the museum. "An art exposition," Sakura said at loud, "today at seven o' clock." She looked up at her friend with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell…?"

Ino looked utterly offended. "Excuse me, I think you mean: Thanks, my beautiful friend, for spending your money in a ticket for me; I'm so grateful that I will forever love you."

Sakura rolled her green eyes. "This is the most random thing you've ever done, Ino. Why do you invite me to a lame marionettes-themed art exposition? What made you think I like marionettes, anyways? And how the hell did you find out about this? You don't even like art."

"I do like art!" the blonde girl exclaimed. "It's cool. But anyways, if you really want to know, I bought the tickets because someone invited me. I didn't want to go alone, so I decided to invite you. But I can invite TenTen or Temari if you don't wanna go, you know?"

"Who invited you?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

A smirk appeared on Ino's face as she looked away. "Someone," was all she said.

Sakura didn't feel like insisting. "Whatever." She looked down at the ticket she was holding in her hand. I don't think it's going to be that bad, a voice in her head suddenly told her. Maybe marionettes are cooler than you imagine.

"So, you want to go or not?" Ino asked her.

Sakura looked up at her friend and then glanced down at the ticket. She smiled. "I guess it can be fun," she admitted.

Ino clapped her hands and smiled brightly. "Great! It's going to be so awesome, Sakura."

Sakura smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. I have a feeling that it will be really cool, too."

TenTen was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. She was bored; and really worried; but more worried than bored.

She turned her head and glanced at the red alarm clock on the night table. It was past seven pm. She turned her head and stared back at the white clean ceiling, wondering just when the hell Kim was going to arrive home.

Five minutes later, TenTen's impatience grew and she jumped off the bed. She took the cell phone lying carelessly on the floor and her fingers pressed the buttons as fast as she could.

Temari, Kim said she'd be back when the sky got dark but it's already dark and she's not here. I'm starting to worry. Could you please pick me up and search for her with me? I'm begging you!

When she sent the text, she sat on the edge of the bed, holding the cell phone tightly. She scratched her head uncontrollably until, three minutes later, Temari replied.

Of course I can, don't worry, TenTen. I'll be there in five minutes.

TenTen sighed with relief and texted a short "Thanks!" back. She stood up and walked towards her closet. She took out a hoodie and put it on as she wondered how it was possible that she could move and hold things and be heard but she couldn't be seen. It was just as if she was a ghost, and it was creepy, but also kind of cool.

Soundlessly, she opened her door and stepped out of her bedroom. Her footsteps weren't heard on the carpeted floor, but when she stepped on the wood floor of the stairs and her foot thumped loudly the surface, she froze. Her parents were downstairs, watching the TV in the living room, and they believed their daughter was at a friend's house to do homework and the house was empty except for them. If they heard footsteps on the stairs but didn't see anyone there, they'd freak out and call a priest or a medium or something. TenTen had to be unnoticed.

So she walked slowly, trying to lay her feet on the steps as softly and soundlessly as she could. It took her five minutes to finish the stairs, but her parents heard nothing.

TenTen glanced at the door and cursed under her breath. How was she supposed to open the door without making a noise now?

But then, she heard a knock on the door, and she jumped with surprise. Her mother stood up from the living room's couch and walked towards the door to open it. When she did it, both TenTen and her mother smiled.

"Hi, Temari!" TenTen's mother greeted cheerfully. She was a very nice woman and always treated her daughter's friends like her other daughters. "What a nice surprise to see you here!"

"Thank you. Good to see you too." Temari glanced at the stairs. "Is TenTen home?"

"No, she's at a friend's house, doing homework," TenTen's mother replied. "She'll be here in an hour or so."

"Really? Oh. Well, thanks. Good night," Temari said.

"Yeah, good night to you too, honey."

Temari smiled, turned around and started walking away. TenTen's mother started to close the door, and just then TenTen had an idea. I should get out now that the door's open, she thought, but then she cursed at loud when she realized her mother was closing the door and she couldn't get out now.

Her mother's eyes widened slightly and she opened the door again. "Did you say something, darling?" she asked Temari.

Temari stopped, turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Um, no, I didn't say anything."

The door was open again, and TenTen hurried though it. When she was finally out, she smiled with satisfaction.

"Oh, okay," TenTen's mother said to Temari. "Sorry, I thought I heard you speaking."

"It's alright. Good night," Temari replied, smiling politely.

"Good night, Temari," the woman said, and closed the door.

Temari stood there for a minute, still facing the door, and then she asked lowly, "Are you here, TenTen?"

"Yeah," TenTen said. "I'm right beside you."

"Oh God, this is weird. I'm talking to someone invisible."

TenTen giggled. "You'll get used to it. Thanks for coming, Temari."

"You're welcome." Temari turned around and started walking towards the car parked by the sidewalk, taking her keys out of her hoodie's pocket. "I'm worried too, anyways. Kim could be in danger, and if she's hurt, then your body is hurt."

"And if she dies, my body dies too," TenTen added, getting even more worried.

"Yeah, I guess so." Temari opened the pilot's door and got in the car. Once she was sitting on her seat, she stretched her arm and unlocked the co-pilot door to let TenTen in. When TenTen did so, they both closed the doors, and Temari continued, "But that's kind of pessimistic. I don't think you'd have such a bad luck."

"Well, lately, I've been having really good luck," TenTen replied as Temari turned the engine on. "I mean, my boyfriend's parents like me and the dinner with them was good. But I've heard that after a really good day, the next day will be very crappy. It's like karma or something. You can't have good or bad luck forever. You'll have really good days, and then you'll have really bad days. I already had a really good day, so it's the really bad day's turn now."

"Or maybe you'll keep having good luck today, but tomorrow will be the crappy day. Who knows?" Temari said and she pulled the car into the street. "Just don't be pessimistic and focus on finding that damn fairy."

TenTen sighed, hoping Temari would be right. Then, she turned to the window and started watching the people on the sidewalks, searching for a girl who looked just like her.

Ino and Sakura arrived to the museum seven minutes after 7 o' clock. They noticed that the museum was full that night. Sakura was surprised, but she supposed that maybe there was another cooler art exposition going on besides the marionettes-themed one, and that people were there to see the cooler one.

But when they arrived to the room where the exposition was, she couldn't believe people liked marionettes so much. She was very surprised, but even more curious, and that good feeling she had had before grew.

"Saks, darling," Ino told her, grabbing her shoulders and looking into her eyes with a serious expression. "Listen to me. I need you to do me a favor. You stay here, watch the marionettes, enjoy the exposition, have fun, and let me disappear from your side for only five minutes, because I have to-"

"Oh no," Sakura interrupted her, shaking her head and widening her eyes. "No, no, no Ino! You're so not going to leave me alone here. What if someone kidnaps me? What if I get lost? What if the marionettes come to life and attack me?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "C'mon, don't be dramatic. Only five minutes, Sakura. Please!"

"But why?"

"Remember the guy that invited me here?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "It was a guy?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point! I have to find him and thank him for inviting me and say hi and stuff."

"You don't have to."

"I'm a polite person, Sakura. I do have to."

"Are you sure? Because, in my opinion, it seems like you actually want to."

Ino rolled her eyes again and smiled. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, are you going to give me permission, mom?"

Sakura shrugged. "Do whatever you want, Ino. But just tell me something: are you going to introduce me to him?"

Ino smirked. "Of course I will… eventually. I just met him, dude. I need to get to know him before introduce him to my best friend. Besides, what if you like him and seduce him and take him away from me?"

Sakura laughed. "Do you really think I'm that much of a slut?"

"Of course not, darling." She blew her a kiss. "Gotta go. I'll search for you when I finish."

Ino turned around and walked away. Sakura stared at her until she got lost in the crowd, wondering how it was possible that Ino had met another guy not even a week after she lost the boy she loved. It made her look like a heartless bitch. But Sakura knew Ino wasn't a heartless bitch. She just had the chance to forget about Sai, why wouldn't she take it? No one wanted to suffer forever, and of course Ino wanted another boyfriend to make her happy.

Besides, in her place, Sakura would have done the same thing.

Sighing, she turned around and walked towards the marionettes-themed paints hanging on the wall behind her. She watched like five paints until she found one that she liked. It was an old man making a marionette couple dance tango. Somehow, it seemed funny to her, and she smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," a voice said behind her.

Sakura turned around and her eyes widened at the person there...

Notes: DUN DUN DUUUN! What will happen next? :D