Tenten ran the brush through her wet curls. She had spent the week actively ignoring the Hyuga that was indeed, in a lot of her advanced placement classes. She didn't get it; he could've just kept his mouth shut and left her to her own thoughts, but no he just had to make a comment… a rude-ass comment and it turned into an argument.

"Sounds like he deserved it though."

Tenten grunted at her phone. She had both Ino and Shikamaru on a video call. It was early Friday morning, and they were all getting ready for class. The brunette didn't have a chance to update her friends on her weekly adventures (well, to be honest, not much happened that was worth mentioning besides for her interaction with that Hyuga guy) and she just had to get it off her chest. Shikamaru hummed as he pulled a tank top over his torso. He walked her to class almost everyday and even met up with her and Sasuke at lunch. Ino had a different lunch period since she was able to get into that damn psychology class.

"Did you even tell Sasuke what happened?" Ino asked. "You know he would've said something to that Hyuga guy."

Tenten sucked her teeth. No, she didn't tell Sasuke. She didn't feel the need to tell him since there was not much he could've done anyway. Sasuke barely had time to breathe since he started helping his brother with his work.

"You spent the whole time making out didn't you?" Shikamaru mused amusingly.

"Hey," Tenten pointed her brush at her phone. "If you don't make out with your friends, are you really friends?"

Ino let out a hearty laugh. Shikamaru shook his head and chuckled. Their friend dynamic was rather chaotic; free loving, exclusive, and a mess. But they loved it that way. Their friends were quite the cast of characters and they loved the madness that came with it. Tenten was pretty sure she had locked lips with almost everyone in their group. Everyone but Naruto. She saw him and Lee as siblings…well, she did kiss Lee once. But that was only because she felt bad that he was a sophomore and hadn't had his first kiss yet. She hasn't kissed him since nor has the will to. Naruto was a whole other story, he strictly gave annoying little brother energy, and she could never see herself planting one on him. Shikamaru cracked a yawn.

"Oh, dear fashion guru," he drawled. "What is on the runway on this dreadful Friday morning?"

Tenten glanced at her window. Dreadful was the right adjective to use…it was pouring outside. It didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. Wearing long pants may be the way to go, but if she got wet she'd have to change into her emergency leggings she kept in her locker.

"It's windy today too…" Ino hummed now rummaging through her own clothes.

"Fuck it, I'll wear my knit pink flares with the matching short sleeved crop." Tenten groaned. "I can dig out my white puffer to match my white FILA's too."

"Oh, we can match! I have that set in purple!" Ino exclaimed. "Hair?"

"Usual buns," Tenten replied, wrapping her hair in that said signature style. "Maybe some cute clips."

"Going softie today?" Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you were saving that for a nice day?"

Tenten shrugged. She didn't feel like thinking too hard about her outfit and matching sets were easy enough and always on trend as long as the colors matched the season.

"I promised Sasuke a blue lace unit for his hard work recently." The brunette murmured. "Hopefully, he has a free period today."

"Even if he didn't, he'd make time for you. He always does." Ino said.

This was true, she had become very close to Sasuke after he did her a solid at an underground function last year. She didn't notice she was being followed around by some college guy. They were all either stoned, rolling, or drunk to some capacity. Before she could even understand what was going on, Sasuke had pummeled him to the ground and snapped his wrist for trying to grab at her. Tenten had been forever grateful to him since. Even before then, they were friendly with each other. He would hang around Naruto and that girl Sakura who was also good childhood friends with Ino. Sasuke was a prick at times, and Tenten had to put him in his place; beneath her (literally and figuratively). They made it a game of trying to annoy each other. However, after that party, their dynamic had shifted. Sasuke was more protective and less cynical towards her. In a way, she wondered if that party had forced him to grow up a bit.

"I'll add some red beads." Tenten thought to herself as she held up the blue lace thong. "He'll like those."

"I find it cute that you add those details," Ino said. "It gives a personal touch."

"Yeah, it's the details that matter. And every detail is very intentional." Tenten recited.

The trio finished getting themselves ready for the day. Tenten applied some pink shadow and brown liner before heading downstairs for breakfast. She poured herself some coffee and sat at the table where a plate of toast and eggs was waiting for her. It was light today since she didn't have track practice. Propping her phone against her mug, she listened as Ino and Shikamaru spoke to each other about their plans for the day and that evening. They wanted to check out a rooftop event, but because of the rain they would have to find other things to do. Ino suggested that they hit up a lounge or see if her cousin Deidara was hosting any events at his gallery. Tenten shrugged, she would see what mood she was in once the day was over. If anything they could just come back to her place and have some drinks or whatever…

"Too bad the first class you have is Health," Ino sighed. "You have to deal with that Hyuga guy first thing in the morning."

"She doesn't have to talk to him." Shikamaru pointed out, his hair still not done yet as he pulled out a cigarette from his dresser. "She could just ignore him as she always does."

The girls hummed. This is true, Tenten thought. She's never really acknowledged his presence before; she didn't have a reason to. But that jerk decided to piss her off and she hadn't stopped thinking about it since.

"I'm telling you, Tenten…you should tell Sasuke." Ino sipped at her smoothie. "Maybe he can give you some piece of mind."

"Or a piece of his dick."

"Shikamaru!"

"What?" He took a huff of his cigarette and smirked. "It's an option."

Tenten let out a laugh. Ino and Shikamaru were like an old married couple who would sit on a porch all day and complain. Their spats were over such trivial things that kept the rest of them entertained. She knew they were trying to ease her mind and she appreciated it. Finishing her breakfast, Tenten hung up the call and gathered her belongings. She wished her parents and brother goodbye before being escorted out to the black car waiting outside of their house.

Shikamaru had met Tenten at her locker this morning. He had a coffee in his hands and an unlit cigarette in his mouth. The fashion heirass had inquired about the quantity of those cancer sticks he had smoked in the morning. He gave an honest reply of two; when they were on the phone and on the corner of the school before entering the building. Tenten leaned over and sniffed him. He smelled of tobacco and musty cologne. It was sexy, she admitted. Shikamaru smelled like bad ideas. Looking up, her brown eyes met his deep onyx ones. He looked at her calmly, understanding that she had many thoughts running through her mind and was taking a moment to decide if she was going to scold him, or leave him with a cheeky comment.

"As much as I like the smell of the night after partying, you've been smoking a bit too much." Tenten said after a moment.

Shikamaru smirked and gave a breathy huff. He promised to keep track of his bad habit and gently laid a hand on her waist.

"You sound like Ino. She gave me an earful when she saw me on the corner." he said.

"Because she wants to keep you breathing." Tenten shook her head. "God forbid we want your sexy ass to stay alive a little longer."

"Troublesome-" he stuck his tongue out at her. "-the both of you."

Tenten offered a bright grin, her cheeks puffing up and her dimples were decorated with two diamond studs. Shikamaru actually went with her to get those piercings. He was a freshman and she was a sophomore. He thought they were a bad idea at first; a lot could've gone wrong. But when he saw the finished product, he had to admit, they suited her. Shikamaru watched as Tenten rearranged her books and dug around for her makeup bag. More students began to shuffle to their lockers as they dragged themselves from the wet outside. Shikamaru allowed his mind to wander, his coffee in his hand and his eyes to the ceiling. He hadn't noticed the figure that had just appeared besides Tenten's locker.

"It's rare to see you in pink. Your color is usually red."

The pair whirled around to the voice that had just approached them. Her face lit up in delight as a raven haired junior leaned against her locker door a small smirk on his face; onyx eyes became soft voids as he looked at her. Tenten took a step back and displayed a select few poses before slowly rocking her hips as she twirled for him. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee.

"Simple, cute, and yes; I've been wearing more pink! It's this spring's color! Baby pink to be exact." She beamed. "What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke Uchiha hummed in amusement as she eagerly awaited his response. He knew that Tenten wasn't one to people please, but she did value the opinions of her friends to some degree. Fashion and design was the life she was born into, she learned how to grow a very strong back bone. Sasuke admired her for her spunk, and her headstrong personality. He also appreciated how she was straight forward and didn't tolerate bullshit. At the same time, everyone in the group knew they could be honest with her, even if it was something that they didn't agree with.

"Personally," Sasuke shoved and ran a hand through his raven hair. "I prefer red on you."

Tenten hummed and looked back down at her outfit. The pink was very cute and she was trying to expand her color palette a bit. Sasuke shrugged, stating that she could wear whatever made her happy; his opinion didn't really matter. This made Tenten squeal with delight and she threw her arms around the Uchiha's neck. She began to plant sloppy kisses on his mouth in glee. The junior laid his hands on her hips and sighed. Shikamaru gave a sudden grunt, which caused Sasuke to eye him curiously. The Nara lifted his chin in the direction of the lockers across the hallway. Onyx met Opal and there was a tenseness that filled the air. Whether it was one sided or not, Sasuke knew exactly who was staring at them from across the way. Judging by the grunt that Shikamaru gave, the Uchiha had a feeling that he didn't take too kindly to the Hyuga that was now eyeing them. The silence didn't go unnoticed by Tenten, who followed Sasuke's gaze. Her face fell into a frown and she sucked her teeth loudly.

"Can we help you with something?" She snarled from across the hall.

Neji cocked an eyebrow at them. "So, you just drag all of the men you know around with you and play with them as you please?"

Sasuke's eyes went wide at the Hyuga's audacity. He glanced over at Shikamaru, who rolled his eyes in silent confirmation; yes, they did hear that correctly. His reaction was not immediate. Sasuke just watched as Tenten stomped over to him raising her voice with insults of he was a wanna be pretentious-boot licker who wouldn't amount to anything with the way he was behaving. The Hyuga had shot back some cold responses of how once he took over his uncle's position, he'd be sure to find a different company to work with since he'd never want to be associated with someone so tacky.

"What the fuck did you just call me?!" Tenten's shriek caused the hallways to grow silent.

There was a loud crash as Neji found himself-once again-being shoved against his lockers again by this girl. He had to admit, she was a lot stronger than she looked and she was a good five inches shorter than he was. In a way, he found it rather amusing how her cheeks would puff up when she was angry; her face would also turn a shade of red that made it look as though smoke would start coming out of her ears. Tenten pulled and pushed on his collar, causing his body to collide with the metal structure on his back.

"The only thing tacky here is your fucking know-it-all attitude!" she spat.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?" he growled. "If I even dare to lift a finger, I will surely get in trouble. However, you simply can't help yourself but to act as if you run this school as if you are untouchable. Your reputation is already in the trash like your fashion sense."

Tenten huffed, her nose scrunched in irritation. "Damn straight you'd get in trouble! Your whole reputation will be finished if you dare mess with me!"

"And yet…" a smirk grew on his face.

Neji grabbed her wrists and pulled her closer to him. His nose was practically touching hers and she could feel his warm breath on her lips. He looked directly into her eyes; they were cold and full of disdain towards her. Tenten had never seen eyes so dead before in her life. They stood still for what felt like hours; she couldn't bring herself to blink as she looked into his eyes. She was still annoyed that he was rude as hell to her, but there was something there that she saw…she saw something similar in Sasuke's eyes a long time ago. A sliver of sadness in the shadow of his eyes. Her body jerked backwards suddenly, her back colliding into something warm and solid.

"This is rather bold of you,"

Neji gave a smirk and lifted his chin. "Interesting…you're actually friends with this pain in the ass."

Tenten heard Sasuke's voice draw out a sound she had never heard before. She felt his chest vibrate aggressively on her back and his nostrils flared as he exhaled. He had to be careful with how he interacted with this one. The Uchiha's and Hyugas are related at some point in their family trees. Sasuke and Neji were basically some kind of distant cousins; and they both came from money. The raven haired junior pushed Tenten to the side by her hips, stepping forward.

"Don't put your hands on her."

"Don't interfere with something that doesn't concern you, Uchiha." Neji smirked.

The Hyuga gave what looked to be a light shove on Sasuke's chest. However, the others were surprised when the Uchiha did stumble back more than a few steps. The bunhead eyed Neji suspiciously; he was stronger than he had appeared. Both he and Sasuke had lean figures, however, Neji barely applied any force. The hallway began to buzz. The scene before them was rather tense for many reasons; it wasn't common knowledge that Sasuke and Neji knew each other a little too well. Sasuke also had a reputation in the school for being a womanizing bastard who flaunted his rich kid status without hesitation. Tenten hummed as she watched Sasuke suck his teeth and make his way back into the Hyuga's face. She couldn't hear their exchange in words, but whatever was said left Sasuke with a deep frown while Neji held a tight glare. The Hyuga closed his locker before walking into class, not another word was said between them.

"Sasuke," Tenten placed a soft hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

The raven haired Junior heaved a hearty breath before looking at her and nodding. He was fine; He just gave the Hyuga a warning. Where he expected Tenten to believe him or not, he patted her hand before shrugging from her grip and made his way down the hall.

"So much ruckus in the morning…" Shikamaru rolled his neck before patting Tenten's hip. "Go to class. Try not to kill him in front of Coach Gai."

The bunhead puffed up her cheeks and pivoted. She walked into her class with her chin high, not addressing anyone who looked her way. The chair screeched as she pulled it back and sat herself down.

Color of the day is blue, with red beads. Neji leaned back in his chair as his eyes traveled along her lower back where her blue lace whale tail was clearly visible. Her pink matching set didn't go with the thong, he wondered why she even bothered. Coach Gai stood before them holding a clipboard, a grin on his face.

"I have your pairs for your project." He announced. "I'd like to remind you seniors that instead of a final exam, I will be having you write a reflection paper. Yes, it is worth the majority of the project grade."

A ripple of groans was heard throughout the class. Coach Gai continued to explain the rubric for the reflection. The reflection paper will consist of a summative response to the experience as well as any commentary of short response prompts given throughout the course of the three months. It sounded easy, Tenten thought. Journal entries were easy enough, and they got to keep the journals at the end. Coach Gai further explained that he will not pay any mind to the contents of the journal passages; he will just peak for completion. The summative reflection is what he will be grading overall for the final grade. The project would indeed last the rest of the three months they would be in school. The assignment was due two weeks before graduation to ensure that all their grades would be put in on time.

"Now for the project details," The bushy browed teacher announced.

This better not be a damn fake baby project like last year…Tenten grumbled in her mind as she leaned back in her chair. That project was a waste of time; carrying around a baby doll and acting as a parent. She had to pair up with someone as well, luckily Lee was in that period with her so they did the project together.

"This project will look at the social and mental capacity of you all." He started. "You are all going off to college soon. It is important to be open to different perspectives and to learn about yourselves and others as you enter young adulthood. For this project, you will be paired with someone who is both your opposite and your most similar in personality and interests."

The seniors awed in excitement. It was a very different project that forced them to make connections with others they may not have thought about connecting to before. Whispers began to start as people glanced towards the Hyuga sitting in the back of the room. Neji couldn't tell if they were welcoming or not, but as long as he could control the situation he was in, this project would be quite easy to fake if he needed to.

"For the prompts, you will be given tasks that may be deemed easy at first glance," Coach Gai continued. "However, even the simplest of tasks can be the most challenging when you have to agree on everything."

"So, we're basically married to this person for three months?" Tenten asked without raising her hand.

Gai grinned. "Something like that."

"The criteria for success includes a few things; completing each task, stating if you were successful in compromise, and reflection in written form." Their teacher continued. "I will give you time in class to write your reflections on Mondays. This will give you a week to complete those tasks. And yes, I will know if you are faking them or not."

Groans were heard. Tenten found this to be such a pain. She pursed her lips together at the thought of dealing with someone else for three months. Depending on the tasks, she may have to drag them around her friends and to her parties. Or worse, have them around the house…the bunhead sucked her teeth.

"On to the pairings…"

Names were announced. The seniors gasped and hummed in curiosity or indifference with who they were paired with. It was interesting to witness people who have never acknowledged others to finally do so. Maybe this project had some sense to it after all. It was forcing them out of their bubbles, like how they would have to think bigger when they leave high school.

"Hua Tenten,"

The room got quiet. Tenten noticed some whispering a plea to be paired with her…as well as the opposite wish. She rolled her eyes.

"Hyuga Neji."

Both teens slapped their hands on their desks and screeched in shock. Tenten twisted her body around and glared at Neji. She noticed the look of pure shock on his face, not disgust. The bunhead scrunched her nose and whipped her hand across her neck mouthing "you're dead to me" before turning back to Coach Gai with her arms crossed over her chest. The class went back to whispering; Neji was able to catch some words of either how lucky he or she were, or how entertaining they would be as a match up. Once everyone was finished being paired, Gai handed out the journals. Tenten's was a beautiful blood red leather bound book. She guessed that the coach tried to find something that suited their personal tastes. Her fingers grazed along the cover and she sighed; this was her best friend for the next three months. There are going to be a lot of failed tasks in this journal. Neji's journal was a dark cerulean blue. His car was actually his color and he was surprised that Coach Gai knew that. Well, now that he thought about it…everyone knew which car was his. It stood out with the custom color he wrapped it with.

"Your first task," Gai announced. "Is to look through each other's lockers. Take note of anything that is deemed interesting…or not."

How convenient this asshole is right across the hallway from me…Tenten chewed on her bottom lip. It was an easy task, and they had all week to complete it. Lockers were a big deal for seniors; they had customized them over the years and even had personal items stashed in them. Pictures, clothes, books, notes, whatever…it was their little piece of privacy. Coach Gai explained that the first prompt question will be posted on the class forum at the end of the day. They had to copy the question and respond to it once the task was completed. The bell rang and they were dismissed. Tenten didn't look back at Neji as she made her way to the door.