AN: Wow! I was not expecting this to get so many followers and favorites! I still have no idea where I'm heading with this story, but please give me your honest feedback. Thank you!

Chapter Two: The entertainer has a name.

The mascara rolled towards the edge of the bathroom counter until half of it dangled over. Hideous. That was the only thing Hinata could think of when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Foundations, eyeliner pencils, brow dips, lip gloss, and even one of Ino's favorite lipstick were scattered all over the bathroom counter. It was six in the morning when a sporadic idea popped into her mind. Wear some makeup so you can properly introduce yourself to the hot neighbor next door. Well, it should have been an attempt to wear some makeup because that's what it surely was. An attempt! Ino had brought a bunch of makeup for her as a Christmas present, and they stayed in the makeup bag for a year until now. Right now, her face was almost laughable. The black mascara was smudged around her eyes, and some of the pink lip gloss had even managed to get on her chin. How was that even possible? Shaking her head, she quickly gathered the makeup and shoved it into the purple makeup bag. She should have known better than to do something like that. Not once had she even worn makeup, watched any videos, or thought about it. Makeup wouldn't have helped her anyway.

Once her face was washed, she shoved the makeup bag in the far back of the linen closet and was about to leave the bathroom when she stopped. Her eyes lingered in the linen closet and then her reflection in the mirror. It wouldn't hurt to keep on trying, right?

The smell of chocolate cookies lingered around the house causing Hinata to snap from her thoughts. After spending five hours washing her face and reapplying the makeup, she was NOT close to making herself "attractive". It was almost as if she was worse than before.

Her face was noticeably red because she washed her face countless times. So, here she was baking cookies in an attempt to properly introduce herself to the entertainer. If Sakura and Ino were here, they would have no doubt gotten his name and him into their beds. He was attractive. They were attractive. She could imagine the entire storyline now.

Now that the cookies were done and cooled, all that was left was to give them to him and introduce herself. How hard could it be?

Night had made its way in, and Hinata was sitting in her usual spot. On the floor, her back was pressed against her bed, a plate of cookies was on her left side and Ko was on her right. She had baked a total of twelve cookies; there were three left.

The entertainer didn't masturbate today. Instead, he was playing on his PC. Hinata couldn't make out what game he was playing since his back blocked the PC screen. Seems he was getting irritated because he would jump from the computer chair, throw his hands up in the air then sit back down and scoot closer to the screen. She knew she had made the right choice calling him the entertainer.

Half a cookie remained that night.

Six days of him living there, three days of her attempting to give him these cookies.

Hinata tightened the strings on her hoodie jacket when an old woman looked at her with a funny look. It was probably because she was wearing all black. A black hoodie that was half her size, black sweatpants that were loose on her, and black tennis shoes. If you ever needed something black and big, she was the go-to person. The majority of her wardrobe was either black or gray clothes that were twice her size. It was hard to believe purple was her favorite color.

Ever since she could remember, she always went for darker clothes. The darker clothes hid her from the world. Or so she thought. Her mother was against it. She hated anything dark, including Hinata's hair. When she was ten, her mother had her hair bleached against the stylist's warning so she could achieve that brown hair her father and sister, Hanabi had. Well, her hair started falling out a day later resulting in her hair being shaved. This caused her to get bullied worse than before.

She grabbed two bags of flour from the shelf and pushed the trolley down the aisle. Occasionally, she would wheel her way to the aisle that had cinnamon rolls and then roll away. Sakura mentioned she was gaining some weight in her stomach area. Perhaps it was because all she did was go to classes, come home, eat, and snack throughout the day. Unlike most kids her age, when she was eleven, she had developed faster than most of her peers. It was another reason why she was constantly picked on. She had started puberty early, gotten her period, acne, and breast.

Hinata stared at the items in the trolley, then sighed. It felt pointless doing all of this. Once Sakura and Ino came home, whenever that was, he'd entertain them instead. Guys like him were only attracted to girls like Sakura and Ino. Not creepy weird girls. Fugly girls. She contemplated putting the stuff back, but there was a little nudge in the back of her head encouraging her to make the cookies.

She ended up spending sixty dollars at the grocery store.

And she still forgot to buy some curtains.

Ko stared at Hinata who was back in the same spot. With her knees pressed against her chest, she hugged her legs and watched the blonde boy move back and forth in the room. He was wearing orange pajamas with ramen bowls printed all over it. Hinata found them to be cute. Despite her gloomy demeanor, she enjoyed cute things like that. Just as much as she enjoyed stuffed animals, plushies, and gardening.

The entertainer looked like he was cleaning up. She wondered if this was his gaming room since he only showed up around this time. Out of the blue, she felt this sudden boost of wanting to give him the cookies, wear makeup, and properly introduce herself! She squeezed her legs tighter. She was determined…

So, that little boost quickly shimmered down when she attempted to put on some makeup that next day. Around her eyes were black because of the mascara she had accidentally wiped when something went in her eyes.

The only thing good about today was the cookies smelt way better than yesterday. She was tempted to eat one, but to be honest she didn't want to see another batch of cookies after today.

The house was quiet. Kiba and Sasuke hadn't stopped by ever since that night which was good for her because it gave her time to do other things… like stalk the next-door neighbor. The only noise came from the clock ticking.

Here she was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching the hand on the clock turn and turn. There were no sudden attempts to go to the next-door neighbor's house. She felt like a failure.

She slowly got off the sofa, making her way to the kitchen. She would most likely know his name and everything about him when Sakura and Ino returned.

Just when she stepped into the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Sighing, she went into the laundry room to grab the black hooded jacket and quickly pulled it over her head. The doorbell rang once more causing her to put a little pep into her step.

Without glancing to see who it was, a bad habit of hers, the warm air from outside embraced her along with a rich scent she had never smelled before. She was sure her heart was about to fall out of her ass any second.

Tall, lean, and fucking gorgeous was him.

She was sure she was dreaming. She had to be!

She closed her eyes and then opened them slowly. Nope. She wasn't.

"Hi there!" The entertainer greeted her with familiarity. "I just moved in a few days ago and just got settled in," He grinned. "I wanted to introduce myself to my neighbors. My name is Naruto. It's a pleasure to meet you."

So, the entertainer had a name. Naruto. How uncommon…

"Please accept this gift," He held out a small bonsai tree.

Hinata felt… stuck. It was as if someone had glued her lips shut because she couldn't say a word; not like that was new. But still! Her mind was racing now. Tell him your name stupid. Welcome him to the community! Say something you idiot! He's staring at you! You're going to scare him away!

The smile he wore was slowly fading until his face showed concern.

"H-h-h-hi," Hinata's face turned completely red. She wanted to drop dead. Her stuttering only worsened when she was nervous.

The concerned look was gone, and the smile was back. "I moved in right next door," Naruto pointed to the three-bedroom house.

Of course, she already knew that. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "I guess that's obvious, huh?"

Hinata was still shocked. She was sure she'd look like a big idiot in front of him. She looked at the bonsai tree in his hand and then at him.

"Oh, this is for you," he said, pushing it towards her.

"T-t-thank y-you," With shaking hands, she took the bonsai tree. "Um… my n-name is H-H-Hinata," She muttered.

"Nice to meet you Hinata!" His voice was loud. She could picture him and Kiba getting along.

She nodded. "U-um… please hold," She slammed the door in his face and ran to the kitchen.

The house was at seventy, so why was she sweating profusely?

Hinata gently placed the bonsai tree on the counter and grabbed the cookies off the stove. Taking a deep breath, she opened the front door, and to her surprise, he was still there.

"I w-was g-going t-t-to bring this o-over to y-you," She said, looking down at the cookies.

If she had seen the look on his face, she would have fainted. "I smelled them coming up here," He laughed. "I was kind of hoping you would have offered me some."

Hearing him say that made Hinata look up at him in a daze. His blue orbs reminded her of a twinkling star. There was a gleam in them, and she got lost within them. She was so wrapped up looking at him, that she failed to realize she was leaning closer to him until she had stepped outside and stood a few meters from him.

His blonde hair fell over when he tilted his head to the side.

When he did that, Hinata realized she was completely outside and close to him. "I-I a-am so sorry!" Her voice came out in a squeak.

Naruto grinned. "It's fine. Thought you took back giving me those cookies," He pointed at the plate in her hands.

"No!" She held the plate of cookies in front of him, her eyes darted to her feet. Right now, she was shaking. Shaking like some scared cat. Her hands felt lighter.

"Thank you, Hinata. I'll make sure to bring your plate back."

She dropped her hands to her side and slowly shook her head. "Y-you can have it. G-good day!" And without so much as looking at him, she rushed into the house closing the door behind her.

That took a lot out of her and although she did what she wanted to do she couldn't help but feel like shit.

Her vision became blurred and the tears ran down her cheeks, along with the mascara she thought she had washed.

For once in her life, she wanted to do something without sounding like a stuttering fool. She wanted to have a decent conversation that didn't result in her shaking, stuttering, or looking like an idiot!

If her mother or sister had witnessed that, they would have criticized her in front of him!

Ever since she could remember, she had always been this shy creature, too afraid to speak in front of others. She was the laughingstock not only in school, but the Hyuga clan. Her father didn't come right out and say she was disowned, but his lack of presence told her all she needed to know. Hell, he didn't even care when Sakura and Ino asked her to move in with them. In fact, he had shown more emotion than he did his entire life with her. He hired a real estate agent to look for a place for them far away from their house, gave her a monthly allowance, and continued to pay for her schooling. Some people even forgot she existed and assumed Hanabi was the only child. When her father, cousins, aunts, and uncles had their get-togethers she was never invited. The only way she knew about the events was through stalking her sister and cousins' social media.

Sniffling, she got up off the floor and made her way into the kitchen. She needed to tidy up before bedtime.

Tonight, she didn't feel like watching him, but she was there. In the same spot, watching… the entertainer, Naruto. Looks like he was horny again. She chewed down on her lips while watching him intensely as he went at it. She pictured herself there, in front of him, while he jacked off before releasing himself all over her face.

Ino always cringed at the idea of someone releasing themselves all over her face, but when Sakura spoke about it, it made Hinata picture herself in that position and it looked good.

Her toes curled when she saw his face. Someone hot like that had to have had a lot of girlfriends, fuckbuddies, or whatever.

"I wonder how it feels," She asked herself.

The lights next door turned off and Hinata sighed. She felt that ache between her legs. She climbed on the bed and grabbed a pillow, placing it between her legs. How fun.

Since Kami didn't give her beauty, he gave her a brain. Hinata was smart, but even that wasn't enough to get her father to pay attention to her. What good was being smart if she was shy and incapable of speaking? He always considered that to be her greatest downfall.

But although she was smart, she didn't like school. Despite being a constant target for bullying, there wasn't anything that appealed to her. The only reason she went to school was because she thought it would make her father proud. He couldn't give two fucks. The business he had would go to his nephew, Neji Hyuga. He was a male and a prodigy. After his wife had Hanabi, any babies after that she couldn't get them to full term. Of course, he had other bastard children, males, with other women but he would be damned if he gave them his company and he sure as hell wasn't going to give it to his daughters. Hanabi was capable, and he wished she was a boy but alas she was a girl, and being stuck in his old ways he felt women were not capable beings to run a company or anything for that matter.

Hinata contemplated quitting school, but she continued to go. She didn't know what point she was trying to prove now.

The car shifted slightly when she braked in the driveway of their house.

"Hinata!"

She hadn't fully stepped out of the car when she heard him.

"Hey there neighbor!" He grinned. "Those cookies you made me were delicious."

They were like night and day. He shined while she darkened the place. They couldn't be further apart, so why was he standing there, wearing a grin on his face. She was pretty sure she scared him off yesterday.

"I ate all of them in one hour." He crossed over to her side until he was some meters away from her. "Do you go to school?" He asked, noticing the backpack slung over her shoulder.

There was a slight nod from her. "Y-yes,"

"High school? College? Let me guess, college?"

This all felt so familiar. Sakura and Ino approached her, talking to her as if they had been friends this entire time, but they treated her like a maid. Kiba was the same way too, but it was clear he only wanted to get into her pants. So, what did Naruto want? She thought. She wasn't friendly, wasn't pretty so what gave?

That should have angered her, but looking at his face she couldn't get that anger to come out as much as she wanted to. His motives were suspicious, but did she have any room to complain? She was the one watching him every night, touching herself to him, getting off to him.

"Y-yes."

"I was thinking about enrolling when I turn thirty or something like that. Right now, I'm just working some jobs, but I don't think school is for me."

"W-why not?" She was surprised she had asked him a question that a shocked expression washed over her face which Naruto didn't pay too much mind to.

"Can't imagine sitting there all day. Sounds boring." He shrugged. "What are you majoring in?"

"B-business," She whispered.

"Really? Plan on opening your own shop?"

The tree brushing back and forth caught her attention, so she quickly looked at it. "I don't know."

Her short words didn't seem to upset the blonde as he shrugged. "You're young so you have a lot of time to think about it."

"H-how old are you?"

"Nineteen. You?"

"M-me too."

"Yeah?" Naruto smiled. "Hope I'm not distracting you."

Her lavender orbs fell on him then back to the tree. Just looking at him was making her heart beat like crazy. This was the most she had ever spoken to someone within a week or probably her entire life. Not to mention, he was gorgeous.

"No."

"Got any more cookies?"

"I-I have s-some batter left."

Hearing that made him pout. "Oh okay,"

She could hear the disappointment in his voice so she briefly glanced at him. Her heart almost stopped. He'd look so cute pouting. "I- I c-c-can make you s-some."

"Nah, it's fine. I have to get ready for work." Naruto stepped over the bush and back to his side of the house. "I'll see ya later!"

Hinata watched as his silhouette disappeared into the house.

The ceiling felt like it was going to collapse on her at any moment. It was judging her just like all her stuffed animals and plants. Her face was hot. As soon as she saw his black car leave his driveway, she rushed upstairs and fondled herself at the thought of him. It wasn't one of her proudest moments, but she had to release this ache.

Naruto was good-looking and seemed friendly. He didn't scrunch his face when she stuttered or left midsentence when she wasn't responding. But there had to be another reason, right? He was just so damn friendly causing her mind to overthink.

"Whatever," She muttered to herself. "Sakura and Ino are going to be home any day now and soon he'll forget about me."

Thinking about that did kind of hurt, but that's how life was.

She stared at her hand then back at the ceiling.

The ache had returned.

The purple curtains lay on the top of her bed. They were still in the packet; three days now. She kept telling herself she needed to hang them up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Watching Naruto had become a routine for her. So, to get rid of that was depressing.

The bed squeaked when she climbed off it. Right on her computer station was the miniature bonsai tree Naruto had given her, well them. It was cute, so she found herself watching it every so often.

"Hinata?"

A loud yelp escaped her when she heard her name being called. She looked left and right in her room until she heard him laugh.

"Right here, silly."

The breeze brushed against her when she opened the patio door and stepped onto the balcony. With each step, her heart skipped a beat. It was only three in the afternoon. It wasn't his time to be in his room.

"Wow~" He whistled. "I can see all in your room,"

Hinata froze.

Naruto leaned against his windowpane; his flashy grin was noticeable. "So, that's your room? Wait, can you see in my room too?"

Her mind was in overdrive.

Did he know?

"U-uh, I-I was going to hang up s-some c-c-curtains."

"You speak so softly, Hinata. What did you say?"

"I-I…" She was beginning to shake.

Should she apologize for stalking him? He had to know what she had been doing, right?

"I'll come over!"

She didn't even get a chance to object. Before she could blink, he was already gone.

The doorbell rang.

All she wanted to do was to blend in with the walls, something or anything! She wanted to ignore his presence downstairs, but it was too late for that.

The walk downstairs should have been shorter, but she stretched it out by a minute or so.

Shakenly, the doorknob trembled against her grasp. Slowly, she opened it and there he stood wearing a white T-shirt, and orange gym shorts that hugged around his thighs. She didn't have to guess orange was his favorite color.

"Now what were you saying?" His eyes had a playful glint to them.

"I-I was g-going t-to p-p-put up some c-curtains!" She quickly lowered her head.

"Why? I think your room looks better without curtains."

Her head snapped up in his direction. "I-I just don't w-want y-you to think I'm s-staring," She took a deep breath as she could feel the stuttering worsen. "Into your room." She managed to finish.

"I don't mind, Hi-na-ta," he grinned. "Got any cookies?"

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