Chapter 9

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I thought helping decorate and finding the theme for the school would be a fun thing to do, but I was wrong. Tenten was the bossiest person ever. I know she's my friend, but sometimes she gets on my nerves.

Since she made herself the leader of the group and there was some unwritten law that she shouldn't do anything when her subjects were around, I had to do all the work since Sakura and Ino had just done their nails, just bought a new dress that couldn't even be touched and just did their hair for the dance.

"I don't like it, change the colour," Tenten said with a critical eye.

"B-but, you said…"

"I know, purple should be the theme colour," Tenten said, completing my sentence, "but I've changed my mind."

"T-then that means I'll have to go back to make a new banner. It will slow us down," I tried to reason with her.

"I know," she said flatly, picking up her ringing phone.

I got up the ladder to remove the banner, but was unsuccessful. The ladder started to shake and I fell flat on my face to the ground. I was just grateful I was barely a foot from the ground.

The people from the other group snickered like it was the funniest thing that had ever happened in the world, while Tenten was talking to someone on her phone. I guessed it was Neji, her phone had been ringing nonstop since she got here.

So far we were the worst group. All the other groups had almost or already finished their projects.

"C-can you help me get up Ino?" I asked, hoping she would at least hear me over the pop conversation they were having. And she did.

"Gosh, no," she said, her eyes not leaving her nails. "I wouldn't want to get my nails wet."

"Y-yeah. Me, too. I wouldn't want you to get your nails wet before the school dance," I said, getting up. "If we have a dance," I concluded under my breath.

"By the way, did you give that box I sent you to Sasuke?" Ino asked. I was surprised she was talking to me.

"Y-y-yes."

I didn't. What if he thinks it's from me? I didn't want Sasuke to think I was mushy, giving him chocolates when he said he didn't like sweet things. Even if I told him it was Ino, he'd think I was a pushover. Which I am.

"You asked her to give something to Sasuke?" Sakura looked infuriated at Ino.

I gulped.

"Well, yeah," Ino snorted. "Did you expect me to give it to him myself, and look desperate, like you?"

"Hey!" Sakura suddenly realized the insult in Ino's comment, and then she shot me an evil glare. A glare that I will later have nightmares about.

"What?" Ino said innocently.

I got the banner down and walked out of the hall.

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I had gone back to the opposite side of the school, to the lady that decorates the banners.

I sighed at how many times I had to go back there, just to come back to find that Tenten had changed her mind about her idea. Plus the place smelled of chemicals and I had to cover my nose because of the dust that covered the floors.

But I had to do it, anyway. Kurenia believed in me, the school magazine counted on me, and the school would have my head if they didn't have any school dance this year.

I walked into the printing office and told the lady to change the colour to blue, hoping Tenten would like the idea.

"Seriously, when will you guys make up your mind?" the girl in front of me asked. She looked about the same age as me, and I guessed she was working a part-time job here.

I smiled. I really didn't know the answer to that question.

"You'll have to come back in a few minutes, you know the drill," she said with a bored expression on her face.

"O-okay," I said, walking out of the office. I really didn't want to sit inside like I had before, and probably die of too much chemicals in my lungs. It can happen!

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School started the next day, and no matter how tired I was, I was so happy there was no group gathering today. Miraculously, Tenten liked the colour I chose, and everything was going smoothly.

I had no doubt the dance would be great, and I no longer doubted my ability to please Kurenia. So far, Sakura hadn't made any signs that she was going to get rid of me in any way. I guess I had luck on my side.

I dropped my bag on my desk and sat down next to Kiba.

"You look so tired," Kiba said to me.

"I know," I answered.

"Tenten?"

"She said I had to hold the banner to the sky until kami agrees it's the right colour."

"And what did kami say?" Kiba asked to ridicule me, but it wasn't funny to me.

"K-kami said I should go to sleep," I whispered with a stutter, just enough for Kiba to hear.

He laughed hysterically.

"Kiba, would you like to share something with us?" Iruka-sensei asked, not at all pleased with the fact that Kiba disturbed his lesson.

"N-no," Kiba stuttered.

Maybe I have an influence on him, after all.

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Sasuke and I sat outside in the schoolyard at lunch. I felt much more comfortable being with him now that he knew my secret, despite Sakura and all.

"So, this dance you're talking about is next week, right?" Sasuke asked nervously.

"Yeah, why?" I responded.

He took out a bead bracelet from his pocket and put it on my wrist. I was awestruck.

"T-thanks," I was pretty sure I was as red as a tomato.

"I thought I could somehow balance it out with the necklace you gave me," he said.

"W-what necklace?" I asked. When did I give him a necklace?

"The one you were talking about on Tuesday. You know, the day Sakura…"

"Oh," I now realized, Sasuke thought I was talking about a necklace instead of the school magazine. I was in trouble. "I l-like the bracelet," I said, changing the subject.

"Thanks, I made it myself," Sasuke said proudly.

I was happy Sasuke was giving it to me, and the fact that he made it made it even more special. Then I turned the back of the bracelet and saw the inscription on it. It read: Hinata.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" he asked out of the blue.

"…"

My mouth was open, but no words came out. Did Sasuke Uchiha just ask me out to the dance?

"Hinata?" he looked rather impatient.

"Yes!"

I think I said it more than one time. It wasn't like he was proposing to me or anything big. According to me, the school dance was for people who had the time to waste their lives away, but going to the dance with Sasuke wasn't a waste of time.

Ring!

I answered my phone; it was a text from Tenten:

Come to the assembly hall. We have work to do.

I frowned.

I thought today was a free day, and I have classes. I replied back.

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked.

"T-Tenten."

"Neji's girlfriend?" he asked. Well, it was nice that Neji and Tenten's dating was confirmed.

The bell went off.

Sasuke picked himself up and then held a hand down to me. "Are you coming?"

"I…"

I didn't know whether to answer the text or just go with Sasuke, but I decided avoiding Tenten's wrath would probably be better.

"I'll meet you in class," Sasuke said, as if knowing what my answer was.

"O-okay."

I guess I had to answer Tenten's call now.

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"Hinata, can you get me a bottle of lemonade?" Sakura asked cheerfully.

I turned back, holding the pile of goods in my hands and hoping they wouldn't fall. "Sakura, we don't have lemonade in school."

"I know," she smiled wickedly.

"I d-don't think I can go to the next street just to get you lemonade."

"Oh, don't worry. I could just send someone else, after I've told Sasuke's fan club about what you did," she threatened. She said it like it was a crime to kiss Sasuke.

"I…I'll do it."

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The last week went far too slow for me. Not only did I have to do the whole dance theme myself, but I also had to run private errands for Sakura, and I hadn't seen Sasuke that much anymore.

But this week was the week of the dance, Sasuke asked me out and maybe I could tell him how I felt. Forget the fact that he didn't know I was the anonymous writer in the school magazine.

"Hinata!" Megumi disrupted my thoughts. She was running up to me, out of breath.

"H-hi, Megumi," I replied. "What's up?"

"No time to talk, we have to get those magazines," she pulled me along with her.

"W-what? Why?"

"Okay, you remember that time I told you about the printing of your name that Tsunade would be using for this week's issue?"

"Y-yeah. We changed the name, didn't we?"

"Yes, but somehow your name is on the cover of the magazine!" she said, out of breath.

I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Everyone could be reading it right now. Sasuke could be reading it right now.

"I-it's okay. We could just get the magazines from the stand," I said hopefully.

"That's another problem," she pointed to the empty stand.

I couldn't believe it. Everyone had already gotten their copies.

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End

I really enjoyed writing this story. I wanted to make the whole story short so the next chapter will be the last chapter. Sorry for you guys that wanted it to be longer, and thank you all for you reviews and putting my story in your favourite list.