Day 58 cont.

After Web Mastering that day, Ino grabbed Shikamaru and walked with him out of class before Tayuya could snatch him up in another one of her 'tutoring' schemes. They walked straight past his locker, which he didn't even bother to grab his pillow from anymore since Tayuya easily kept him busy all through class. Shikamaru stopped her before they reached the main hallway, and they stood there in the corner of the Technology Hall, one of the most secluded and least crowded areas of the entire school.

"Hey…" he scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Bad news, I can't exactly give you a ride home today."

"What?" Ino's jaw dropped, "Why not?"

"I have to tutor Tayuya today after school."

"You were supposed to do that during fourth period!"

"She kept me too busy all period helping her with just Web Mastering, that what we did look at with her history homework was apparently not suitable enough information to help with her test tomorrow…" he groaned, "So troublesome, really annoying."

Ino slapped her face and groaned with him, "It's like I told you, Shikamaru, she's just trying to steal you from me. She likes you, Shika!"

Shikamaru bit his lip, not wanting to believe it, and sighed again, "Look, I already told her I refuse to let her in my house or to go into her house. We're going to Starbucks instead."

Ino pursed her lips, "I'm coming with you."

"Do you really want to? I mean-"

"Yes. I'm coming with you."

Shikamaru shrugged and laughed, "Your call. I certainly don't mind you there, not in the least." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the crowd that was migrating towards the stairway and out the main doors of the school. "Can't speak for Tayuya, though."

Tayuya was not pleased in the least. The second she walked into Starbucks, bag slung over her shoulder and looking fairly light and empty, and saw the happiest-couple-in-the-world snuggled up on the couch in the corner, her jaw immediately dropped. Ino just smirked and hung on to Shikamaru's arm tighter, who simply just sipped his Mocha Espresso as if nothing was happening. What girl glare fight?

"Erm… hello Shikamaru."

"Oh, hi Tayuya." He waved his injured hand absently from where it was resting on Ino's shoulder, and used his other to set down his cup of coffee on the table beside him. He pointed to the chair beside he and Ino, "Go ahead and sit, get out your books. I want to go home."

Tayuya sat down, disappointment obvious on her face as she shot a glance at Ino, who only continued to smile smugly. Ino could get in her face all she wanted right now, because she knew Tayuya wouldn't dare break her cover in front of Shikamaru. It just wouldn't happen.

"You know Shikamaru," Ino began as Tayuya pulled out her history notes and textbook, "I think it's going to be very interesting watching you tutor her in a class that you haven't even taken yet."

"Yeah," he nodded and shifted in his seat, "I planned for this. I'm not the one doing most of the tutoring today."

Tayuya froze in seat momentarily and slowly looked up at Shikamaru, questioning. He looked at her, disinterested, and migrated his eyes to the door before nodding, "There he is."

Ino had to slap a hand to her face to stop the laughter when she saw who Shikamaru had assigned to Tayuya to take care of this task. It's not that she didn't like the boy, no not at all. He may be a little weird, but it was Tayuya who she was laughing at. Watching her get a tutoring lesson from Aburame Shino of all people would be hilarious; the only time she had ever heard him talk was about bugs!

"Shino, over here." Shikamaru called across the room, and the Aburame instantly caught his eye and nodded, slowly making his way across the room before sitting in the chair on the other side of Tayuya from Shikamaru and Ino. It sent shivers up Ino's spine, seeing him outside the context of gym, the only class they had together. In gym, he wore the gym uniform, and looked like a perfectly normal kid. But in his normal suit, he wore baggy pants and a high-collared shirt that sent a Dracula-vibe through her nerves. Today he was even wearing his hoodie (with the hood up, of course). If she didn't know how big a nerd he was, she'd have thought he originated from some gang.

Which was probably exactly what was going through Tayuya's mind, because the instant he sat down she scooted into the corner of her seat, forgetting that they sat in two completely different chairs, with two high armrests between them.

"Shino's not a history buff. In fact, if you ever take environmental science, be sure to contact him for help. But he is in AP US history right now, and probably weeks ahead of your regular course. Perfect tutor for you."

Shino nodded again, and so did Tayuya. She gave Shino another fearful glance before looking back to Shikamaru, "But you said you'd help me."

"Not much I can do if I don't know the material."

"What about during web mastering?"

"Pssh, I knew you wouldn't give me time to work on that then. Besides, if you had I would have just told you to talk to someone in there who had taken the class."

"But-"

"Ino, you didn't get anything to drink earlier. Want anything before we leave?"

"Actually, a White Chocolate Mocha Espresso sounds great right now. Get me a grande?"

"You got it." Shikamaru stood and walked to the counter to buy her drink. Ino turned to Tayuya and gave her the brightest, cheapest, fakest smile she could muster.

"I hope Shino is big help to you."

Tayuya scowled at her as Shino cleared his throat loudly and pointed at her notes. "What's the test over?"

"Er… World War II."

Shino instantly pulled out his own History notebook, twice the size of Tayuya's and overflowing with papers, and pulled out a half-inch thick stack over notes that he handed to her, "All my notes over World War II. Listen and follow closely because it's a lot of information and we don't have a lot of time."

As Shino began his lecture, Tayuya sent one more pleading glance to Shikamaru, who stood at the counter waiting for his drink. He shrugged at her, "Nothing I can do pal."

"Sir, your White Chocolate Mocha is ready."

"Thanks," he took the cup and walked back to the couch, extending and arm to help Ino up. She accepted, and he gracefully pulled her to her feet and handed her the drink. "Let's go, Ino." He nodded to Shino and Tayuya, "See you two tomorrow."

Shino ignored him and continued with his lecture, while Tayuya scrambled through the notes to keep up. Shikamaru and Ino left Starbucks together, laughing hard.

"Honestly, I never expected that! I thought you would pull some kind of knowledge I never knew you had to help her."

"I definitely don't study that much. Honestly, that girl annoys that crap out of me, keeping me busy all that time with tutoring, but she's so shy I'd feel bad if I didn't."

Ino laughed hard, "She's not even that shy! It's all an illusion, she only acts that way in front of you to win you over!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously!"

"Damn." He laughed. After completely humiliating Tayuya back at Starbucks, Shikamaru and Ino had climbed into his car so he could take her home. They were laughing about the incident the whole way.

"I ran into her today during first period, and she was a total bitch to me. Heard her yelling at one of those Sound Five kids too."

"Hey, why'd you run off today, anyway? And where'd you go?"

Ino sighed. "I went to the field house. I was really upset I burnt you, and also since I saw you talking to smugly with Tayuya in the hall before class. I talked to Lee though, and he cheered me up."

"I told you, it wasn't your fault." The car came to a halt as he entered the parking lot for Ino's apartment complex and arrived at her own home. He reached an arm over to her and rubbed her shoulder, "It's my fault for dropping the match. I was too worried about you that I completely forgot I was holding it."

"But it's might fault for worrying you!"

"No, you were upset about something I had done, therefore it was my fault for upsetting you. Really, Ino, you did nothing wrong."

"Then what were you talking to Tayuya about today? Why were you laughing?"

"Huh?" He thought back, "Oooh. That. Well, for one, she was bugging me about something in web mastering. Two, I was laughing at her for being so stupid. I told you Ino, I don't like her."

"I believe you." Ino smiled and gave him a hug before leaving the car.

He kissed her forehead before she stepped out, "And I believe you about her being a bitch. I never did quite think that she was being too honest."

"Thanks for amusing me so much at Starbucks." She laughed and grabbed her bag, "Same bad show tomorrow?"

"Same bad channel. Pick you up at the usual time, bye."

Ino couldn't help but feel a strong sense of relief and satisfaction as he drove away.

Day 60

The day after the Starbucks incident, Tayuya completely avoided Shikamaru out of sheer embarrassment, which made Ino chuckle every few minutes during web mastering whenever she looked over to see Shikamaru, finally snoozing peacefully like he was meant to during fourth period. It filled her with a sense of pride that she had proven to Tayuya the strength of the bond between she and Shikamaru.

The next day she walked into school, hand in hand with Shikamaru like she had every day since he had asked her to be his girlfriend. Ino eyed the cafeteria, "I didn't have breakfast, we ran out of food. I'm going to go in and get something, all right?"

Shikamaru shrugged and nodded, "You know where to find me."

She kissed his cheek before she ran off to the lunch line. No matter what time you got there, whether it was for breakfast or lunch, the line was always long, and took at least a ten minute wait before you could get your food. Honestly, Ino didn't understand how the cafeteria thought it could run efficiently enough on such few lunch lines, but it was something she had to deal with regardless.

After the grueling ten minute wait, Ino finally got her breakfast: a sausage biscuit and hash browns with some orange juice. She smiled smugly, deciding to imitate Choji for the day and sneak of the cafeteria with her food so she could eat with Shikamaru. She made her way toward the lunch exit, making sure no teachers were around when she disappeared into the crowd with her food. However, while watching, she ran into someone unexpectedly.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going with that?"

"Ah!" Ino whipped her head around, startled. Iruka crossed his arms and looked down at her, annoyed.

"You know you can't leave the cafeteria with food! Eat it first before you go back out!"

Ino grumbled as she trekked back to an empty table. Instead of pouting entirely about her foiled plan, and how Choji got away with these things all the time (Must be experience, she thought), she ate her food quickly so she'd still have at least five minutes to sit with Shikamaru before the bell. She threw her trash away and ran out to meet him.

When she got out into the crowd and made her way to the usual area, she looked around fervently for Shikamaru. Seconds later, her bag fell off her shoulders and her jaw dropped.

She finally found him, lip-locked in the corner with Tayuya of Oto Academy.

Gasp gasp! Oh noes! Cliffhanger!

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Fun stuff.

EVERY TIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING, A MONKEY RUNS OUT OF BANANAS AND STARVES BECAUSE HE HAS NO OTHER FOOD SO HE DIES.

Save the monkeys kids!