Day 58 cont.

I hate this… Ino sighed as she walked to Chemistry that morning. She'd completely lost Shikamaru in the crowd, so therefore failed to join him on his way to class. I hate not being able to trust him completely right now. She shook her head and stared viciously ahead, clenching a fist before her, No! I know he'll stay mine through this, Shikamaru would never fall for suck a cheap fake!

But as she turned the corner into the science hallway, she froze instantaneously. Someone behind her ran into, shouted a few curse words and walked around, but she didn't comprehend. She could only gape at the scene before her: Shikamaru and Tayuya standing casually in the hall. Tayuya leaned her back against the lockers, legs clad in tight jeans and glued together. Her white sweater hung loosely from her shoulders, and she clutched her books tightly to her chest. The perfect shy cover for a bitchy teen. Shikamaru stood next to her, supporting himself with one arm against the lockers, almost as if he were guarding her from potential suitors around them.

He was laughing.

Or maybe not.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ino grumbled. She attempted to bury her head further into her arms. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as he scribbled notes onto his lab data page.

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

"Well it is."

"Well if its nothing, you should be helping with the lab, shouldn't you?"

"No."

"You know, I'm sure Temari would be more than happy to take your place as my lab partner. You can go work with Shino."

Ino instantly sat up and grabbed the lab instructions, then proceeded to fill a test tube with water. A few minutes of classroom silence passed; only the scribbling of pencils, chatter of other kids, and breaking of glass heard around them. "…I saw you with her."

"Excuse me?" He paused, a lit match in hand.

"Talking and laughing with Tayuya before class."

"Ino, I think you got the wrong idea-"

"What other idea is there to get, Shikamaru?" She slammed her fists against the lab table, causing Shikamaru to jump on his stool. A tear escaped her eye, "You were so casual with her. I told you she was up to something, you can't just get all cozy with people who like you like, that, Shikamaru! You have a girlfriend! Me!"

"There's nothing to worry about Ino! Please, calm down." He looked around the classroom. Everyone was staring. Temari laughed silently in the corner.

She shook her head violently and looked away, not saying another word. There was nothing she could say: she knew he would deny anything she threw at him, because she was overreacting. But how can you not overreact when you can't seem to even trust your boyfriend?"

"Ino…" He reached his free hand over to her and lightly touched her shoulder. She shook her body and slapped his hand away.

The next few moments all happened too fast. Shikamaru was thrown off balance, and nearly fell off his stool. In the process he dropped the match, its flickering orange flame grazing over his fingers before spiraling to the ground before. Before Ino knew it, he was suppressing screams of agony and white tile was being turned black as the orange flames licked at it and burned away all of its shine.

"Shit! Shit!" Shikamaru grinded his teeth together and shut his eyes tight, clenching his right hand to his stomach in pain. Iruka bolted for the fire extinguisher, shoved all the students aside and immediately engulfed the lit tiles in a cloud of white chemicals.

"Shikamaru! Are you okay?" Iruka asked abruptly once he prevented the fire from spreading.

Shikamaru opened one eye and looked at his fingers, now blackened from the contact with the fire, "Yeah, I think-" He grinded his teeth together in pain again, unable to finish his sentence.

"Ino, hurry and take him to the nurse."

Ino looked from Iruka to Shikamaru, biting her nails. Had she really injured him just now? Hadn't this all been her fault? Then why wasn't anyone scolding her?

"Now!"

Shikamaru was up and out the door before she was, and she had to jump from her seat, run, and catch up.

"There you are," Nurse Shizune finished wrapping the bandages around Shikamaru's two fingers that had been burnt in the previous accident. She had applied some burn medication, which caused the injury to hurt even more, and as soon as she removed her hands Shikamaru began shaking his hand rapidly to ease the pain.

"Are you all right?" Ino asked quietly from the cot across from him. Shikamaru continued shaking his hand and tried squeezing his fingers with his uninjured hand.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Nothing that can't be healed." He said almost nonchalantly.

Ino watched him continue to shake hand squeeze his hand for a few minutes, until his pain finally seemed to cease and the rapid motions became less frequent, now only an occasional squeeze and a nervous twitch.

"We should probably be heading back to class now," he said. "We still have to finish the lab, and we only got about forty-five minutes." He stood up, still shaking his hand a little, mumbling under his breath about how he would be able to take notes now that his writing hand was injured. A single tear slid from Ino's eye, enough to cause a shine on her face that caught Shikamaru's glance, "What's wrong?"

Another tear slid and she squeaked softly, "I'm… a terrible girlfriend."

"What? Ino, no, you didn't do-"

She sobbed, a flood of tears now swimming down her face, "I'm a terrible girlfriend! I made you drop that match and burn yourself!"

"No, Ino, I shouldn't have-"

But Ino didn't listen. She was sobbing uncontrollably now, and she ran out of the nurse's office, down the main hallway, and out of sight. Shikamaru ran into the hall after her, but couldn't catch her in time before she bolted out the exit.

"Wait…" he paused, and looked behind him, "Class is this way…"

Ino didn't know why she was running out of the school. She didn't know why Iruka-sensei didn't give her Wednesday Night Detention for burning Shikamaru. She didn't know why Shikamaru hadn't broken up with her yet, because obviously she was unacceptable and he had a back up girlfriend anyway. She could only see the tears welling up in her eyes and the field house appearing through them.

She ran past the field house, through the gate and onto the track surrounding the football field. The drum line was practicing their drill sets on the field, while the front ensemble was buzzing away at their show music with them. The track team ran their morning laps around them, being sure to avoid the sound equipment set up on the home side of field so as to prevent the burning fury of the percussion director. Coach Gai stood by the goal post closest to the field house, a stop watch in hand.

As if on cue, seconds after Ino arrived on the track, a green streak of light flashed by her, down the track and towards Gai. She blinked, and saw Lee slowing to a stop at the goal post before hunching over and breathing hard.

"Great time again, Lee! The rest of the team probably won't be here for another ten minutes. Go ahead and hit the showers."

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee saluted quite proudly and grabbed his drawstring bag off the ground, which most likely held his change of clothes. As he turned toward the field house however, he noticed Ino, and waved strongly.

"Why hello! What brings you to the track at this hour?"

"What brings you?" She asked back, avoiding his question. Lee laughed.

"I'm on the cross country team, of course!"

Sakura's words from months earlier rang in her ear. 'He's the fastest in the country, they say.' She nodded and accepted his answer. A moment's silence passed between them before he spoke again.

"Your eyes are red and your cheeks are wet. Why have you been crying, Ino?" Ino looked off to the side and cringed slightly. Lee looked on to her sympathetically, then placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her towards the football benches a few feet away, "Here, come sit down with me for a moment."

Ino nodded and obliged; despite the fact she held no respect for Rock Lee, she knew he was a kindhearted person who always knew how to cheer someone up. Sakura had told her of numerous times when he had said merely a few words that lifted her spirits back when she still chased after Sasuke, and the cold Uchiha repetitively ignored her.

"Now tell me," he said with a small grunt as he sat down next to her on the bench. He set his clothes bag beside him and gave her his full attention, "What is wrong?"

Ino wiped away a tear and sniffed, "I don't think I can trust..." she hesitated on Shikamaru's name. It was too hard to mention him, as she was only filled with uncomfortable thoughts about the day so far, "him anymore."

"You mean Sh-"

"Don't say his name."

"…right. Your boyfriend."

"Yes." The title placed on Shikamaru did not ease it anymore, but she decided it was best not to argue, "And I got so mad today I accidentally burned him with his match. I feel terrible, and I'm such a bad girlfriend! I'm sure he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore?"

"Why can't you trust him?"

She snarled and spat the name out as a child would spit out her cold medicine, "Tayuya."

"Ah, I've seen her before. She's part of the Sound Five you and the others are after, right?"

"Right."

"I've been watching over Kimimaro for Naruto as of late, for he decided to chase after Sasuke now. He's trying his best to persuade him not to leave."

"I'm not surprised."

"Tayuya's the only girl in this group. I suppose being around boys so much has affected her in a negative way."

"Uh huh." Ino grunted.

"Ino, do you remember the advice I gave you that one day in volleyball, the day before your birthday?" Ino lifted her head to look at him, and ran her mind back about forty-eight days.

"You must never take your eyes off that ball, even for an instant, or everything could end for you. Protect your side of the net like a soldier would protect his country."

"Never take your eyes off of him, or you'll be ripped apart. Protect your relationship with him, for it is more valuable than anything. You can't so easily assume that he has lost interest in you, you must keep holding on to him and never let go. Believe me, Ino, you two make a beautiful couple. I'm positive that Shikamaru still loves you."

Ino let out a small laugh, couple with another tear, "I'm so stupid. Of course I would jump to conclusions like this."

"And also, you've already driven Temari away, and you weren't even dating Shikamaru then. I'm sure Tayuya's an easy target."

She smiled, "Thanks, Lee. I should probably run back now, I'm kind of supposed to be in class right now."

"Ha! Probably!" Lee let out a hearty laugh and patted Ino's back before he grabbed his bag and rose from the bench, ready to head to the locker rooms in the field house, "You'll be fine, Ino. I'll see you later today!"

She stood up and smiled, "Thanks again!"

Ino looked both ways before carefully stepping foot back through the school entrance and making her way back to class. She didn't have a pass on her, Iruka, in a hurry, had only written one nurse pass, and Shikamaru was the one with it. She had to be careful not to run into any teachers. Though, really, the teachers here never even checked for passes, but it was always best to be safe.

As she passed the fine arts wing, she saw Tayuya stepping out the large, green metal door, shifting her backpack on her shoulders. Ino stopped and gave her a menacing look.

Tayuya looked up and raised an eyebrow, "What?" She spat.

"Tell me," Ino crossed her arms, "Why is it you fake nice around Shikamaru all the time?"

Tayuya blinked and looked off to the side, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't kid me, I heard you talking to Kidoumaru this morning before school in that practice room. You're a bitch!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want, and act however I damn well please." Tayuya scowled, "I don't need your permission."

"I know you like him, Tayuya, and you may as well give up! I'm his girlfriend, all right? Lay off him!"

"All's fair in love and war." She said simply.

"He'll never like you. You're just a nuisance to him, always taking up his time with your fake ignorance."

"Whatever I need in order to spend time with him." Tayuya smirked, "You never know what could happen."

"I know."

"Ino!"

Ino whipped her head around to spot Shikamaru running up behind her. He waved his injured hand and caught up.

"Jeez, I've been looking all over for you! I can't return to class without you there with me, Iruka-sensei would get pissed!"

"Sorry," Ino laughed, "Let's go now."

"Wait, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru turned his head towards the pink-haired flutist, "What?"

"I… need you to tutor me in History. Please?"

"Just go to tutorials in the morning."

"I don't have the time." Tayuya twiddled her thumbs and looked at her feet.

Bullshit! Ino yelled in her head, and immediately latched on to Shikamaru's arm, she was just practicing at 7AM this morning!

"Go after school."

"My teacher isn't here after school."

"Don't you have Kurenai for that? She's here after everyday."

"Not today."

Shikamaru was growing irritated, "Then go tomorrow!"

"I have a test tomorrow."

Shikamaru groaned, "Fine, I'll tutor you during web mastering. See you then."

Shikamaru looked away and began walking, pulling Ino along with him. Ino looked back and scowled at Tayuya, who laughed silently in triumph.

What a bitch.

Yay for updates!

Not much to say here, now.

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