A/N - My homie Des gave me a lot of great ideas.
So I figured why not post another chapter for the hell of it.
Slowly trying to get where we need to be, but I feel like once we reach that point, it's going to be like hauling towards destruction itself.
But hey, you guys read my stories for that very reason. Right?
DISCLAIMER - I do not own Naruto
Song used for this chapter - ARMNHMR - Fallen (feat. Desirée Dawson)
My eyes popped open.
And I swear, as the memories of last night slammed into me, I just about had a heart attack.
I sat up slowly, my head pounding with a hang over but the regrets were stronger. Rubbing my eyes, I groaned, "What the fuck are you doing, man?"
No reply.
Because, fuck. I was a fucking idiot.
Shifting, I looked around the room. I knew I was alone the moment eyes opened, but I took in what was around me anyway. The sun was out and bright, stabbing my eyes constantly. Scowling, I slowly got out of bed and headed towards Ino's bathroom, hoping to at least rinse the sour taste in my mouth.
To my surprise, there was a cup of water, some crackers, and two pills waiting for me at the sink. Despite my slowly plummeting mood, I smiled. Shit man, if she wasn't my best friend I didn't know who was.
Before bothering with my therapy, I washed out my mouth with her mouth wash. It made the glass of water taste like shit, but I was so thirsty I didn't care. Popping the pills in my mouth and downing the rest of the glass, I took my small plate of crackers and nibbled on the as I wandered downstairs.
Music was playing on low as I heard clattering in the kitchen. Steeling myself for what was next, I took a breath before wandering in. She wasn't paying any attention, her focus was on the pan in front of her as she pouted with concentration. It was cute when she went to grab something from the cabinet, but even as she reached by the tip of her toes couldn't grab the seasoning at the top shelf.
"What the fuck," she groaned in frustration as she firmly planted herself back on the ground. Before she could move to climb onto the counter itself, I wandered over and made a guess of what she was reaching for. I gave a pretty empty smile as she squeaked in surprise. "Jeez, I thought you were still sleep."
"Think I slept long enough," I replied as I handed her the seasoning, glancing at the clock, "If that's the right time, then I definitely need to be on my feet by now."
"It is," she said with a smile of thanks, "How are you feeling? Like shit?"
"Kinda," I mumbled, dropping my plate of crackers on the counter as I huffed out a sigh thinking about last night. My hand wandered to my forehead, which was still throbbing.
"The meds should kick in soon," she assured, capping the seasoning after using it. Glancing at me, she asked, "Do you remember anything from last night?"
My chest constricted at the question, but what was worse was her tone when she asked. Almost like she was hoping I did.
I frowned slightly before looking away, muttering, "No. But I'm sure I made a complete ass of myself."
"Oh no, you were an angel as per usual," she teased lightly, but I caught the way she quickly looked away herself. The look of a relief on her features punched me in the gut.
Setting my jaw, I moved to leave the kitchen, "Gonna go lay down on the couch."
"Okay, you're hangover breakfast slash lunch should be ready soon. My parents are at work, but after that I should be able to borrow the car to take you home."
I grunted in reply, but made no other comment as I left.
Plopping on the couch, I stared ahead at nothing.
Whatever hope I thought I felt last night was shriveling to nothing.
I dozed off in the few minutes it took for me to force away all the thoughts in my head. I knew myself too well, the only way to escape the attacking in my own mind was either by drinking or sleeping. My dreams weren't much better though, it was fitful sleep. I felt restless as I opened my eyes to the poking of my shoulder.
Ino smiled, "Here, I guarantee you'll feel better after this."
Sitting up, I took the plate and looked down at it with mild interest. She decided to cook me up homefries, eggs with what looked like spinach in it, one single blueberry pancake with bananas slices on top, and a cup of orange juice that sat on the coffee table in front of me. I couldn't help the snort that slipped past, a smile lifting my lips as well even though it was practically empty.
"You made all this?"
"You were sleep for a long time," she sighed as she sat next to me, leaning back against the couch. Then with a bite of her lip, she confessed, "I didn't know what to make though, so I looked up the best foods to eat after a hangover. All those are supposed to make you feel better."
I sighed, taking my fork and taking a scoop of eggs, "Jeez Ino, you didn't have to. I would have been fine."
"Crackers wouldn't have done a good enough job," she argued, glancing at me as I took a bite. "Is it good?"
"Amazing," I muttered, trying hard to give her a smile worthy of her hard work, but I felt like absolute shit and food wouldn't help me feel better. Knowing I had to pretend, from here on out, that we hadn't kissed sucked all sorts of emotions out of me. At this point, I was numb, attempting to make it through until her parents returned and she drove me home.
When I felt her eyes on me, I glanced at her with a lazy drag of my eyes. She looked away just before I could catch her gaze and asked cheerfully, "Do you want to watch a movie with me?"
"Sure," I nodded, forcing myself to eat more food. I wasn't in the mood to eat, but I wasn't going to skip out on her cooking. It didn't happen often, plus I felt like an ass enough, I didn't want her to think I didn't like any of it. Especially when she took the time to put so much thought into it.
Which I hated that she did.
It made the punched feeling in my gut crawl to my chest, where it constricted more in pain. She was too nice. She always had been. But to pretend nothing happened last night was ruthless. How I was surviving, even now, I didn't know.
She flipped through the channels of the TV, humming a song as she did so.
Sighing, I stared back at my plate and choked down every bit of food she cooked for me.
X
I felt like I could finally breathe when I got into my room after Ino dropped me off. She smiled the entire time, chattering away to fill the silence I carelessly let settle whenever there was a pause. I wasn't stupid, I knew she was trying hard to make it seem like everything was normal. But the reason why was what was getting to me.
Drunk or not, I had been beyond fucking stupid.
Shaking my head, I dropped into my bed and shut my eyes, wondering if the feeling in my chest would ever go away. But after seconds of lying there, I balled my fist tight and clenched my teeth. For a best friend, who was supposed to be someone I loved to be around, she was sucking the life out of me with emotions I simply wished I didn't have in the first place.
"It's you're fault. You were stupid enough in the first place to start having feelings," I muttered to myself as I rolled over, staring at the wall.
Even though I knew that, why the fuck couldn't I stop?
She obviously didn't want anything to happen between us, yet there I was brushing across the memory of last night again.
God, I had a fucking problem.
Maybe... if I went to college that was a couple of hours away I'd get over her quicker...
My phone buzzed from behind me, and despite myself I felt my heart jump at the possibility that it was Ino. Instead, it was the girl from the party the night before last, asking if she had gotten the right number. Which was fucking comical.
I ditch the girl at a keg when I told her I was going to the bathroom real quick, and here she was still texting me two days later.
I had girls who were more than willing to give me their attention, yet here I was staring after something I couldn't have.
On my back, with the phone hovering over me, I answered that it was in fact me and she replied the second the message sent.
She was wondering if I wanted to meet up somewhere to hang out.
I stared at the message for a moment before sitting up and asking where she had in mind.
Keep moving or come to a stand still.
That was the only way I was going to make it.
A Week Later
"Dude, why do you hate me?" Temari demanded as I held the phone against my face.
I snorted, mumbling, "Listen, I just need you to pass the message."
"Like it's that simple? Coach is going to have a fucking hernia once I tell him you're missing the next game. Can't you tell him yourself? He's going to blast me first like it's my fault," she complained, though she wasn't wrong. Coach would be furious, but that's why I needed her to tell him for me. As of right now, I was completely burned out and I couldn't imagine being able to handle his constant questions and demands to attempt to make the game anyway.
But my excuse was valid, my folks were going to see family this weekend and they wanted me to come. Only thing was that I told them about the game this weekend and asked if I could stay. They agreed of course, Pops was always very supportive of my athletic life, but I figured it was a perfect excuse to simply mope by myself with no one around.
Man, I was reaching an all time low.
"Listen, just do me this favor. I'll owe you big," I said, attempting to press her to agree.
"You've been falling through for a lot of shit, man. I can't take your promises as proper currency anymore," Temari shamelessly called out.
"I'll pull through for whatever you ask me next time around, I promise," I assured.
Huffing a sigh, she snapped, "Fine. But let you fall through again, man. That's your ass I'm coming for."
I laughed, "Thanks Temi, I appreciate it."
"Yeah, whatever dick hole."
With that she hung up.
I laughed again, but it died down quickly as I pulled the phone away from my face. Strangely enough, knowing I was spending the weekend alone didn't help me feel any better. If anything it dejected my mood further.
Fuck I needed to stop this dumb shit.
Sighing, I was just about to toss my phone away from but the buzzing of an incoming phone call stopped me. Frowning, I realized it was from Ino. Shit. I had been doing a good job keeping in touch but keeping a distance at the same time. She hadn't bothered to call until now.
Huffing, I answered the phone, "What's up?"
"Temari just blew up my phone! She's pissed! Why do I have to deal with a pissed Temari? I didn't do anything, so what the fuck did you do to her," she demanded just as I answered.
I blinked, "Christ, I just got off the phone with her. She couldn't have possibly texted you that fast."
"You underestimate her and her fury, because you don't have to get screamed at through messages!" Ino snapped back, sounding beyond annoyed, "What is she so upset about?"
I narrowed my eyes, annoyed that Temari forced Ino to get involve. I should have known better than to think she'd cave into telling coach without more of a fight. Of course she was just trying to get back at me, knowing Ino would cause me more hell than she ever could.
"I told her I wasn't going to the game this weekend, and asked if she could tell coach for me. That's all." I explained, walking through my empty house to sit on the couch.
"What does this have to do with me?" She demanded.
I snorted, "She just wanted you pissy so you can chew my head off. Just ignore her."
"No, because now I want to know what the hell is so important that you can't make the game?"
Rolling my eyes, I sighed, "My parents are visiting my aunt and uncle this weekend. I was supposed to come with."
"Supposed to?"
Of course. She never missed a beat.
"Supposed to," I repeated, rubbing the back of my neck, "But I told them I was going to stay here for the game. But I don't feel up to playing this weekend so I'm just going to relax while I have the small amount of time off."
The silence was deafening.
Cringing, I begged, "Don't tell Temari."
"So I have to deal with her spamming in all the creative ways she can about how 'I need to get my rouge best friend who is out to destroy an already strained friendship', but I can't tell her that you're just being lazy!" She shouted on the other end.
Whew, she was pissed.
I was going to get Temari back for this.
"Please?"
"God, I swear I want to murder you both."
I only rolled my eyes again, "What, it isn't like you were doing anything."
"Actually my phone was continuously going off while I was in a movie, so yeah. I was busy. Imagine that." She snapped.
My face twisted, "A movie?"
"Yes, I'm on a date with Kiba."
Oh. Figured.
"Welp don't let me hold you up," I instantly replied. "I'll tell her to stop being a punk."
"Well wait, no." She rushed out.
I raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"
"The movie was kinda boring, that's why I came out here in the first place," she admitted before pausing. "What are you doing?'
My eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Nothing. Just relaxing, like I planned to."
"Your parents already left?"
If it was possible to lie to her I would. At this point, I just wanted to hang up the phone before she got any ideas, but I couldn't do either. She scarred me for life for both crimes in the past and I never dared to do it again.
"Uh... yeah... Why?"
"Can I come over then, after this? Maybe we can spend the night."
Abort. Abort. Abort.
I rushed out the first excuse that came to mind, "Um, I'm actually going to a party soon."
"Oh, well that sounds like fun. Can I come with?"
Fuck.
Couldn't I get a fucking break here.
"I don't know Ino," I began slowly.
"Come on, why not? I won't bug you." I stayed silent, still unsure even as she pleaded. After a moment, she added, "Kiba won't be there. I mean- not that that means anything. It's just. I know how you feel when he's around all the time. So..."
Her rushed reply struck home.
Because my idiot self couldn't deny the fact that it did seem appealing for him to be ditched for the night. The only problem was that I needed to find a party to go to. I cornered myself pretty good.
But a party was always happening during the summer on the weekend, I had faith I could somehow find out.
Running my hand through my hair, I huffed out, "Fine."
She squeed in excitement, "Okay, I'll tell you when I'm home and ready to go. See you soon!"
With that she hung up.
Feeling myself go into panic mode, I quickly shot out a text to the two people that I knew could pull through for me in such a clutch time in my life.
Naruto and Sasuke.
-Sos. I need a party to get to tonight.-
A sigh of relief fell from my lips as Naruto instantly replied
-Oh bro, you texted me just at the right time. Senior party at Doss' place. Let's fucking go #ChocolateWasted-
That didn't sound the least bit fun, especially since my last drinking adventure had me wanting to swear off of alcohol for another year. But, fuck it.
Like I said before.
Some how some way, I asked for this shit.
(1) Fun fact, I actually did look up the best foods for a hangover *Pan out* The more you know!
Alright, there you go. More of a setting up chapter than anything. I have visions. Visions take time to make happen.
And, to remind you. For the ones who are some die hard fans. Are you catching these hints I'm tossing out? Eyes. Peeled. All I'm saying.
Ah, by the end of it, for a few of you, I'm sure it'll hit you like a ton of bricks.
Oh, and official birthday count down for the bestieee!
Ten more days until she thinks shes grown!
She's not. But she thinks.
Until then, enjoy being hit in the chest as you continue to read this story.
Shycadet has no mercy. Loves.
Out.