A/N; HOLAS!

Since there's really not all that much to say:

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Chapter 10

"Meetings and phone calls"

"Oh my… GAWD!" Ino came from the bathroom waving her manicured nails around in panic. Hinata wasn't in the room so Temari and I decided to ignore her. Being in the same house as Ino thought you some things; her excitement over small matters, being one of them.

"Guys?" Her voice came out timid and scared, but we continued to pointedly ignore her. Temari even went as far as to start humming to tune her out.

"For real, you guys I'm serious!" She pleaded and at the urgency in her words I started to feel bad and turned to her. "What is it?"

"There's a roach in the bathtub the size of a rat!"

I mentally rolled my eyes at her childishness. Was she serious? Despite what I was thinking I tried to look concern. "What's a roach doing in Hinata's bathroom?"

Ino hugged the towel closer to her and frowned worriedly. "That's what I was thinking. Hinata doesn't even have ants in her house, let alone roaches! How do you think it got there?"

Temari cleared her throat nervously and Ino's attention snapped over to her automatically. "What did you do?" She asked suspiciously, her eyes glancing between the bathroom and Temari. I raised an eyebrow at Temari, was I missing something?

"Well..."She began hesitantly. " I was kind of eating a dango in there last night…and since it was dark I didn't want to go all the way to the kitchen alone. So-I-sort of…threw it in the bin?" She rubbed the back of her neck while grinning nervously. "Te-he, my bad."

Ino and I looked at her as if she was stupid and I said. "Why would you, first of all, eat in the bathroom? And then, throw it in the bathroom bin like its nothing, to create all kind of rodents! Are you crazy? ...Wait don't answer that Temari."

She pouted at me. "You're so mean Ten! I only did that because I'm on this diet shit to loose like twenty pounds for shikamaru. I got a heavy craving yesterday and I couldn't help myself, and to make everything worse Shika bought me like eight crates of sweets yesterday."

I sweat dropped animatedly. Temari was on a diet. Temari? Wasn't she eating like four turkey legs and two steaks this morning?

Ino spoke up next and bought me out of my reverie. "Well thanks a lot you fat ass! Now I can't take my shower!" She started to go on a whining rampage and I put my hands over my ears defensively. Ugh, I hated it when Ino whined, it makes you want to choke her.

I saw Temari stand to zip up her suitcase before tying her robe and placing her hands on her hips. "Relax; I'll come take it out for you."

I removed my hands just as I saw her run back into the bathroom shrieking like a six year old girl receiving flue shots. "Don't try anything funny Temari, like putting it to my face or anything." She begged repeatedly.

Temari winked at me as she walked backwards to the bathroom. "Sure, sure." She assured half heartedly while simultaneously thinking 'No one calls me a fat ass and gets away with it!'. I laughed silently at her action and turned back to my duffle to finish packing.

Just as I reached to place my pajamas away, my eye caught sight of the baby panda cushioned at the edge of the bag, and my eyes softened. Tuning out the screams coming from the bathroom, I lifted the stuffed animal to my chest taking in the scent of the smell there.

Neji…

I haven't once stopped thinking about the time we spent at the carnival together, his nice attitude towards me, the safe feeling I got when we were together, and although we didn't participate much in the activities, the nice time we had with just being there. Last night after coming home with everyone and going to bed, I still couldn't stop thinking about him; and as much as I hated to admit it, I was slowly starting to like him more and more.

"What's the matter with you?" Temari asked me.

I jumped slightly at her questioning form, forgetting for a second that I wasn't alone, and looked away, embarrassed. Slowly, I returned the panda to its original place and cleared my throat, hoping desperately that Temari would just drop it.

"Eh?'

I ignored the lingering stare she was giving me and continued to pack. 'Please just forget it.' I begged to myself.

Almost like she heard my plea, I heard Temari say, "Alright then". I looked up threw the bangs that had fallen over my eyes to find her walking over to the few unpacked items scattered on the carpeted floor. She turned to look at me seriously. "I understand when I shouldn't interfere."

Relief flooded through me, glad that I wouldn't be pestered to confess to feelings I wasn't even sure I had yet. I didn't do or say anything besides nodding my head, to let her know I understood.

'Thank you.'

Neji POV

I reversed my car from the condo's parking lot, seething with anger. That damn Uchiha kept me in there longer than I thought. I checked my watch at a stop sign, just to make sure. Gripping the steering wheel so hard my pale hands turned even paler, I muttered a line of profanities.

'Now I'm not going to make it in time to see her leave!'

I didn't know the reason for my wanting to see her for a final time. I only knew that my mind had been filled with thoughts of her since the moment I woke up this morning and that it was really starting to get on my bad side. My thoughts of her were only going to increase if I didn't somehow manage to see her for a final time, because chances were we would never see each other again.

I slammed the steering wheel with the palm of my hands, pressing on the gas pedal even harder than before.

"Kuso!"

11:56

Apartment complex

I unlocked the door to our apartment with my spare key, ready to call out Sasuke's name. The S remained on my tongue when the door slid open to reveal the Uchiha making out with a pink-haired woman like there was no tomorrow. Whether they heard me come in and just chose to ignore my presence, or they hadn't heard my arrival at all, did not matter.

Watching them suck on each other's face was nothing in my interest's anyway. I cleared my throat loudly, hoping to catch there attention. They broke away at the action, the woman seemingly out of breath with a blush covering her cheeks, while the Uchiha held an impassive face at my intrusion.

"Hyuga, you're here early."

I shrugged hooking my keys on the hook and turned back to look at him. "I have someplace to be so I arrived before time in hopes that I could leave earlier. You asked for my assistance am I right? So what is it?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't say anything. He whispered something to the young woman sitting next to him on the couch, her face even redder than before. Sasuke stood to motion me to his room and I silently followed behind him.

Impatient to even let the door close behind us, I crossed my arms over my chest and questioned him. "What do you want Uchiha?"

"Tch, what's your problem?" He asked sounding irritated in the way I spoke to him; he and I were similar in that way; we both hated being spoken down to.

Tenten's name barely past my lips before I composed myself and replied with a monotone response.

"Hn."

He rolled his eyes at me and sat on the desk situated in the back of the room with his silver laptop. He flipped the chair around so that its back faced his front and sat on it. He motioned me to his bed to sit, but I declined.

"I prefer to stand."

Sasuke smirked at me. "Alright if that's what you want. Listen Hyuga, you know I don't ask for your help unless I really need it correct?"

I nodded hesitantly. Where was the Uchiha taking this?

"Then i'll get straight to the point." He said warily, caressing the frown lines on his forehead. "My father wants my company's yearly reports by tomorrow morning at eight, and I won't be able to write it. He called not too long ago; and I'm starting to run out of options."

My mind was slowly, and carefully putting the pieces together and even before Sasuke could finish what he was saying, I knew were this conversation was headed.

"I started a good portion of it, but I'm afraid that won't be enough to satisfy my father. Could you, help me out...?"

I frowned from agitation. Why should I be the one to do the Uchiha's dirty work?

"Why can't you complete this report on your own, again? Why don't you enlighten me with your horrible excuses."

"Date." He said patiently. "I promised Sakura I would take her to a park today, completely forgetting, until today, that this report was due."

I frowned at him, slightly more upset than I thought I'd be. "Did you take my plans into consideration? What if I have something that I need to be doing?"

He smirked at me. "I know you don't, unless…..there's something you're not telling me?" I scowled at him; the last person on earth I would tell about my plans tonight was him.

"Hn."

It was silent for a moment as I contemplated what I should do. Should I help him so he could owe me in return? Or should I just refuse and have the Uchiha clean up his messes on his own?

Tenten wouldn't be leaving for a while, so I guess it would be okay.

I sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll do it. However, by doing this for you I deserve something in return."

Sasuke stood up from his chair to connect his fist with mine. "That's fine. Thanks Hyuga." I smirked at him.

"Aa."

"Arigato, Hisochi-san."

I jogged up the big staircase that led to the front entrance after tossing my keys in the butlers hands, barely making sure that it landed correctly. The front door shut behind me with an audible click and I raced my way to my cousin's room.

Composing myself in a way that did not appear too anxious, or out of normality, I quietly knocked on her door. After waiting for a while, with no response, I tried knocking again.

"Hinata-ni-san, isn't home right now.."

I didn't have to turn around to know whose voice it was. "Do you know of her location Hanabi-sama?" I asked her.

"As if I pay attention to my sisters business," She crossed her hands over chest, and looked at me suspiciously. "Why do you care?"

"I needed to speak to her about something." I lied easily. She shrugged at me. "Whatever, I don't care either way." At her quickly retreating back I called after her.

"Did her guests go home?"

She turned to me, a triumph grin on her face. "YES! I was so happy to see those loud annoying, idiots Hinata-ni-san calls her friends go back to the zoo that they came from! Do you have any idea how much louder this house became when they we here?" With ought waiting for my answer she continued.

"The one with the buns was first to leave but then twiddle dumb and twiddle dumber left together at the same time and the house became like, instantly quiet. Finally we get some peace and quiet around here!"

I nodded politely even though I wasn't really listening. "I see."

She waved at me before continuing down the hall, "Yeah, yeah."

I retreated back to my room, a defeated feeling sinking in my chest.

'So much for showering her the Panda's and asking her out.'

Tenten POV

I sighed heavily through my nose, exhausted beyond belief. I dragged my aching feet to my couch, sagging into the comfy comfort it provided the minute my butt came in contact with it.

After leaving Hinata's house, Sakura just had to call me for an emergency gossip session. (Again! What else is knew?) She was so happy that she and Sasuke went to that new popular amusement park together, and in a sense I was happy for her too. We spent the rest of the day hanging out, ordering pizza (I was so tired of that food, but I didn't tell her that. Why do people have to order pizza every time there was a get together?) Watching movies; talking about stupid things that didn't make any sense; just like the old times.

I was happy to spend some time with Sakura today, even if it didn't feel the same now since she had a boyfriend and everything, but I was content nonetheless. Plus it helped keep my mind from wandering to Neji.

I had felt so disappointed when I was getting ready to leave that morning, with ought him in sight. I wanted to at least say goodbye to the guy. Just because our best friends (well in my case) were dating didn't mean we would see each other ever again.

The experience we shared together at the carnival brought me and him so much closer than before. At first I didn't like the guy because of how he appeared to me the first time we met; Cocky, stuck up, a player, who looked below everyone else. I can admit that some of those descriptions do fit Neji in all ways possible, now after having somewhat decent conversation with him, it just wasn't all bad.

We talked about almost everything that day. (I did most of the talking but still…he tried.) It felt weird to suddenly start looking at this guy in an entire different light then before, in fact, it still did. There were still something's I didn't like about him but now at least I knew that he's not all that bad. Neji's just as normal (as normal can be) as all of the other guys I know, just...different.

I smiled in the quite apartment to myself as I thought over our time at the carnival. It really had been fun. My eyes slowly started to close from the fatigue of the day, and I willingly welcomed it, satisfied to finally fall asleep.

An hour later, the noise of a cars engine from across the street startled me awake, and I blinked in surprise. Reminding myself that it was just a car and that I was fine, I leisurely brought my hands together over my head and stretched.

The light warm up felt great on my bones and as I stood to walk over to my room to take a shower and properly fall asleep on the comfy bed waiting in my room, someone knocked on my door.

Surprised to have a visitor at this time of night, I carefully checked the peeping whole for any suspicious thugs. My eye only met with the person's chest and I scowled in annoyance.

Whoever it was was tall. "Who is it?" I asked distrustfully, normal people don't just stop by at night just to bring you presents.

"Open the door Tenten."

My eyes widened at the familiar voice and confusion masked my words as I said "Neji?"

Impatient and wanting to find out for myself, I unhooked the lock and twisted the handle.

A/N: DO you hate me? (Laughs evilly) Don't you just love the cliff hanger at the end?

I have a feeling many people wont like me…..

(Gives puppy dog eyes) I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset anyone, can you please forgive me? (Gets down on knees) Please, please forgive Animehostess. She's a good person. (Shakes head in agreement)

Arigato: Thank you

Kuso: Damn, or damn it

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