Day 64 cont.

Ino clenched her fists together tightly that day as Iruka explained today's lesson in Chemistry. Her sharp, freshly manicured nails dug into her palms like knives and her knuckles were an icy white. It probably hurt like hell, but she barely noticed.

Please don't do a lab today. Anything but a lab today!

"Today class," he passed out the handout packets for the day, "We'll be doing a lab on limited reactors."

Damn you Iruka!

Shikamaru instantly turned in his desk and smiled weakly, but Ino looked away. She had to find another lab partner, and had to do it now!

"Gaara!" She slapped a hand on the back of the silent boy in front of her. He did not flinch, but turned slowly in his seat and gave an annoyed glare. One did not just simply go and startle Gaara, after all. But Ino did her best not to be fazed. "Please switch partners with me today!"

"Why?"

Ino's eyes slowly drifted to their side where her ex-boyfriend sat, who had slumped into his chair and decided to ignore them, admitting defeat and reading the handout. Gaara's eyes followed her and he blinked, then proceeded to shrug, "Sure, whatever."

"Thank you so much!"

"Hey, I don't care. I'm the one who gets the easy grade. You, however, get to work with my sister."

"….what!?"

It was a rather odd lab, but no one was complaining. Who would when you got to make cookies for a grade? Ino grumbled as she meaninglessly scribbled onto her lab handout. Temari, who was mixing the ingredients together as it had instructed, looked down on her and raised an eyebrow, "You sure that drawing scribbles all over your paper is going to get you a good grade?"

"Mrrf."

"Or lord," she sighed, "How did I get stuck with you today? Why couldn't you ask Gaara if he'd be your lab partner, not me?"

Ino didn't answer that question, because the answer should have been obvious enough. Gaara scared her witless, even if he was a thousand times nicer than he ever had been before, thanks to some run-in he had recently had with Naruto. She just looked away.

"Why did you even want to switch partners anyway? Aren't you and Shikamaru like, inseparable or something?"

"What, did you not hear?" Ino raised her head off the lab table and looked at her with annoyed eyes, describing her as the idiot she was.

Temari blinked, "Hear what?"

"Shikamaru and I broke up! Tayuya stole him from me!"

"What, you mean that creepy pink-haired flutist from Oto?" She looked at Ino disbelievingly, "How is that possible? She's a total bitch! Not to mention ugly to boot."

"You've met her?"

"Well, we don't have any classes together or anything, but I've seen her around. Especially before school, and before Shikamaru arrives. She's always bothering Sasuke, though he doesn't really seem to mind."

Bothering Sasuke? So the others were right, she is meeting with him after all. Ino pursed her lips, "Yeah, well, I never liked her."

Temari laughed, "Well duh."

"She's like you, but worse."

"Really? I'll have to give her props for that one," she laughed again, "But I'm over Shikamaru, have been for a long time, and you know that."

"Yeah, yeah. Point?"

"I'm saying, I'm not too fond of her either. I don't like girls who try to steal taken men."

"Didn't stop you!"

"Ah! But it did." She pointed the plastic spoon she had been using to stir at Ino's nose, "If memory serves, I gave up on him just before he officially asked you out. And then I never bothered you again!"

"…true. You win."

"Here's the deal, Ino." She turned off the hot plate and let the batter cool before pouring it onto a cooking sheet, "We both hate Tayuya, and you obviously still love Shikamaru. I'm offering to help you kick that flute girl's ass and get your man back."

"You'd really do that?"

Temari blew at the lumps of cookie batter to cool, then unstuck one of them from the cookie sheet and handed it to Ino to eat, "Of course. Like I said, I hate a girl who steals another's man."

Ino took the cookie happily and smiled, "Thanks."

"All right, step one to win is to listen."

Ino pursed her lips and shot an annoyed glance at Temari, who stood between her and Shikamaru, her left hand resting on Ino's shoulder and her right on his. Shikamaru's eyes drooped lazily, and he blinked quite a few times, obviously incredibly tired (they could tell by the bags under his eyes, he was incredibly sleep deprived). They were in the midst of third-period gym, and the entire class was spread out around the gymnasium playing basketball at different hoops; ergo, no major game and the perfect time to straighten things out. Temari narrowed her eyes.

"Oh please, Ino, stop being a brat and give him a chance to explain himself."

"But Sai said-"

"Sai's a no-good bastard who only wants you for himself," Temari glared, "Even I know that. He's only been lying to you. Anyway," she tightened her grip on their shoulders, "Ground rules. Ino, if you run away before he finishes, or keep him from finishing, I will slap you. Shikamaru, if you lie, I will slap you. And I can tell."

He nodded lazily and blinked slowly again. Ino nodded and tugged at the bottom of her shirt. Neither spoke.

Temari blinked, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

"Oh, right." Shikamaru yawned widely. "I've been trying to tell you Ino, there's nothing between me and Tayuya. That day you saw her kissing me, she had forced herself onto me only seconds before you showed up. I barely had time to react."

"So Sai was right about one thing."

"No talking!"

"No, Temari, it's just he told me that she had forced herself on you, but in a completely different way."

Shikamaru blinked, but Temari just slapped the back of her head, "No talking!"

"Owww! Fine! Go on." Ino rubbed the back of her head and glared at Temari.

"Then, when I saw you at the mall, Tayuya just popped out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting her, nothing. I don't even know how she knew I was there. It was purely coincidental."

Ino crossed her arms and tapped two fingers against one. Shikamaru yawned again and rubbed his eyes roughly, and Temari glared at Ino expectantly. "I believe you."

Shikamaru lowered his hand from his eyes and smiled, even grinned, for what was probably the first time in days. Temari grinned as well. "So you'll take me back."

"Well…"

"Ino." Temari tightened her grip on Ino's shoulder even more, and she flinched. "For the last time, Sai is only fooling you. He doesn't care what happens to Shikamaru here as long as he gets you to himself. You can't believe a word uttered from his lips." Temari's glare intensified when Ino remained silent, "I mean it. Besides, look at how much sleep Shikamaru, of all people, has lost thanks to this whole ordeal!"

Ino shook her head, "No."

"No what?"

Shikamaru's back stiffened, expecting Ino to denounce his faith to her, and once again run back to Sai. He bit his lip and rubbed his eyes again.

"I mean no, I'm never going to believe Sai again." She held out her arms, "I've missed you so much, Shika."

A split-second later he swooped her up in a tight embrace and the wind was nearly knocked out of her. He didn't say a word, however, just held her in his arms. They stood that way for quite a while, with Temari snickering in the background, before Ino finally tapped on his shoulder.

"Shika, dear? I'm flattered, but could you please let go now?"

"Ino… I think he fell asleep."

"What!?"

"Yup, he's asleep all right."

"Shikamaru!"

Day 65

Ino, Shikamaru, and Temari walked into school together that morning at the usual time: just before the crowd appeared, when the parking lot was only full of cars that belonged to the sports kids who arrived and hour at least beforehand, therefore leaving the best spots open that allowed the fastest way out of the lot. They arrived at the entryway to the cafeteria, and the two females instantly shot looks at Shikamaru.

"Go!"

"What? What about you two?"

"We can't go in there, stupid!" Temari said harshly beneath her breath. "She'll know something's up!"

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes and took a step forward, leaving the two of them in the entryway. Ino and Temari looked at each other, considering their placement, and instantly ran into the cafeteria and ducked behind the partition that separated the level they were on to the one below. Across the room, Shikamaru approached Tayuya at the table she sat at, alone.

"Morning, Tayuya."

The flutist twisted in her seat to look at her visitor, "Shikamaru! This is… a surprise. You've never approached me before."

Shikamaru grunted and shrugged, but didn't reply. Tayuya blinked and drifted her eyes off to one side, and a long, pregnant silenced passed. Ino and Temari were both watching impatiently in the background.

"Well… why don't you sit down, Shika?" She tugged his arm, "Help me with my homework?"

"No." He pulled his arm back, "You don't need help."

She stared up at him, confused, "Shikamaru?"

"Quite a nasty trick you played, Tayuya. Clever, though. Pretending you like me and trying to break me up with my girlfriend to keep our minds off you real purpose for being here."

"I don't-"

"No. You wouldn't understand, would you? You don't understand anything, do you? Because you always need my help. Always getting between Ino and I."

Tayuya stood up hastily from the bench and glared deeply into Shikamaru's eyes, "So what if I ruined one relationship for you? This is high school. Things don't last forever." Her voice dripped with a sickeningly sour tone, "Thanks to my clever plan I got closer to Sasuke than any of the others ever dreamed of, because I had no obstacles in my way."

Her face was only inches from his, but this time there was no hidden agenda behind her actions. A devilish smile was painted across the flutist's face, and her eyes were full of malice. It was almost as if she were a completely different person now.

"I regret noth-" Her sentence was cut off when she had to make a sudden gasp for air, as something constricted and tightened around her neck, crushing her windpipe. Tayuya reached her hands up to investigate; Shikamaru had raised his own to choke her.

Her body shook, as if she were laughing without using air. Then, surprisingly, she began to whisper to him. "You can't get me like that, Shikamaru. I'm a damn band member. We train our lungs so much to hold our breath for ages," she shook more, "In fact, I can still breath now."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, "I don't give a damn! I lost hours of sleep because of you! I haven't been with my girlfriend in what seems like years! And worst of all, you made her spend time with that bastard Sai and worry herself near to death!" He shook her violently to and fro, "I fucking HATE YOU!"

Twenty or so feet away, Ino bit her lip and clenched her fingers tighter to the partition, "I'm flatter of what he's saying on my behalf, but the actions…" she turned her head to speak directly to Temari, but found her completely disappeared, "…Temari?" She blinked, confused, "Where'd you go!?"

Ino flipped her head back in anguish, trying to locate her now-comrade, but found no one. Just the same, unchanging events… until she saw a flash of gray in the corner of her eye.

In a second, Temari had ran out of the entryway, towards Shikamaru and Tayuya, with a fist extended. She punched Tayuya right out of Shikamaru's hands and into the next partition. The flutist was out like a light, Shikamaru was staring on in utter disbelief, and Temari was rubbing her knuckles in satisfaction. Ino was speechless.

It was over.

ACK I'M SOOOOO SORRY I uploaded the wrong chapter...

YEAH I THINK THAT CHAPTER'S LONG ENOUGH. COOL BEANS.

Speaking of beans…

EVERYTIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING, JACK'S MAGIC BEANS EXPLODE AFTER HE PLANTS THEM AND THE BEANSTALK NEVER GROWS AND INSTEAD THEY DESTROY ALL THE SOIL AND NOTHING CAN EVER GROW AGAIN SO EVERYONE DIES!

Save the world, kids.