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STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED.
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__little
____miss
_______unforgettable
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((prologue))
—i wear a disguise
—i'm just your average Jane
the super doesn't stand for model
but that doesn't mean i'm plain
if all you see is how i look
you miss the super chick within…
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"Hi, I'm Tenten!"
Pale, lilac eyes gaze curiously up at the girl, scanning her small body expertly; he notices a slight scrape on her knee, a thin scab already crusting over the wound, and mud streaked up and down the inside of her thigh. She grins down at him, her bright brown eyes crinkled in amusement, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. Her oak-brown hair falls down over her shoulders, shimmering copper and bronze, as well as its usual deep, earthy tone, in the sunlight.
"I like playing and football and running!"
She swings easily from the branch she's hanging on, making it all seem so wonderfully exciting, and he feels the start of a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. Her shirt is big and baggy, hanging over the edge of her denim skirt as though it was made for someone far older than her; he realises, fleetingly, that he can see straight up her skirt. She's wearing pale pink panties, but she doesn't seem to care at all; she kicks her legs upwards, swinging backwards and forwards until her muddy trainers slip straight off her feet; they fly through the air, spinning, until they land by a spiky green bush.
"I like climbing trees! I'm the best at it!"
She nods once, still swinging, as though to prove her point. Then, alarmingly, she lets go. His eyes widen, disbelief etched across his face, as his heartbeat quickens; and then he rolls his eyes. No doubt she's simply showing off— she'd land, giggling, beside him. Instead, she only lets go for a second, propelling herself upwards— she doesn't land as he expects her to. She lands heavily on the thick branch, the breath knocked out of her.
After a while, she dissolves into a fit of giggles.
"Phew! That was close! But I am the best at climbing trees!"
He blinks.
She giggles.
And he blinks again.
Instead of giggling, she decides to perform another circus trick for him; she slips off the branch, hooking her legs around it and then swings backwards and forwards. She gathers speed, her brow furrowed in deadly concentration, and then she smiles at him.
"Take my hands!"
He wanders over, unsure of what to do. She is far too high up for him to reach, unless he jumps; but then she'd be supporting both his weight and hers. They would fall, that was for sure! No, she was being silly and being such a show-off. She wasn't any different from the other girls after all, with her silly ideas and overwhelming confidence. He was not going to be stupid, like her.
But he really wanted to please her.
He looks up at her, uncertain, and she simply grins.
"Trust me."
He doesn't know why he's doing it; it's strange and unusual for him to even talk to another child, let alone trust them so easily— yet he still nods and crouches; elegantly, he pushes his body into the air and snatches at her hands. Her body shudders and he can already feel the tremendous strain her legs had to be taking. Even so, he found himself urging her on, cheering for her— in his mind, of course. Why on earth would he say anything out loud? She knows that he's supporting her, even though he weighs far more than her and she's a girl, but he knows she can do it.
Of course, he has no idea what she's attempting to do.
Alarmingly, she begins to swing again. He blinks, startled for just a fraction of a second, before relaxing. After all, she was the best at tree climbing. He's the best at reading and writing and adding up Big Numbers, but she's best at tree climbing. He dismisses the idea that she might be (GASP!) stronger than him and lets her do whatever she was planning. He swings backwards and forwards, gently at first and then, with a huge heave, she throws him upwards. His hands scramble at the branch, scratching at the bark and, for one terrible moment, it's as though he's not going to make it.
He tugs himself onto the branch and gazes at her, panting slightly.
She beams at him.
"Well done! I knew you could do it!"
He just shrugs and helps her onto the branch. They sit together, side by side, absolutely silent. Her hand brushes against his and he glances at her. She's staring at him, with such a fierce look of determination that he almost falls off the branch.
"You've got pretty eyes."
He nearly dies of embarrassment. You don't call boys 'pretty'! It was unheard of. But she smiles anyway and looks away, kicking her legs. The sunlight shines down on her chubby cheeks, casting a magical glow over her features, and she looks so pretty. Unlike all the other girls. They were icky and wrong; she was super-amazing and right. She was what girls were supposed to be.
She was special.
He waits for her to speak again.
After a moment, she does.
"I like your eyes, Neji."
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Shopping Day
(hour of the unwanted discoveries)
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I hate shopping.
It ranks just above Alarm Clocks and just below Early Mornings in my list of 'Top Ten Things I Hate.'
I hate wandering around for hours on end, picking out a bright pink shirt only to decide, just as you get to the check-out, that it would never fit you and it looks fugly anyway. I hate sitting in cramped changing rooms, hanging your clothes on the door, and then trying to squeeze into a size-whatever t-shirt as the woman outside taps her foot oh-so-patiently, waiting for you to finish. I hate the spotty teenage guys who leer at you like you're the next best thing since Britney Spears (before she went cuckoo and decided it was wacky and unique to shave all the hair off her head— one trend I'll never follow, thank you very much!) as you try on the smallest pair of shoes ever.
I hate the snotty-nosed brats who race up and down the isles, hiding in the clothes racks and then think it's cool to jump out and yell 'boo!' at some poor unsuspecting teenager like myself. I hate the old women who tut briskly whenever they see someone showing more flesh than just their faces, before launching into the rant of the century about "when I was a girl…" and nonsense like that.
I loathe shopping with friends though.
Oh, the milkshake you drink afterwards I can handle. The greasy McDonald's fries you twirl between your fingers afterwards, I love. Even going home, giggly and chirpy, and trying on all of the clothes that you definitely didn't need, I can enjoy. So long as its fun and I find it entertaining, I am absolutely fine with it.
(…though I'd still rather be climbing trees and playing football and practicing my awesome karate kicks, but hey!)
And shopping on a Sunday is much worse.
I'd rather spend my Sundays relaxing, chilling out in the flat I shared with my friend, Lee, or joking about with Sakura and Hinata. Hell, I'd rather work on a Sunday, than spend my precious days off shuffling around a busy, stuffy shopping centre and trying my hardest not to sulk as my friend, Ino, plucks out a turquoise dress (complete with tacky lime-green flowers) and squeals "oh, isn't that just the cutest?"
Said friend grinned at me, waving said item of clothing in my face. I shifted backwards, already carrying at least one hundred different bags filled with an assortment of shoes, purses, bras, jeans, skirts and tops, with a few stray pairs of socks chucked in their too, and therefore stumbling slightly. She easily caught up with me, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder, and I found myself wondering just how long it had taken her to perfect that look.
"…won't hurt at all!"
Crap, she was still talking? What if she pulled a Sakura on me, stuck her hands on her hips and pulled that why-don't-you-ever-pay-attention face?
"Uh, sure, yeah—."
"Great!" She grinned, shoving the dress into my already crammed-full hands and then propelled me in the direction of the changing rooms. I swear people were yelling, "is it a bird? Is it a plane?" as I passed. Leaving my bags outside the door, in the trusty, capable hands of 'Hi, My Name Is Konohamaru!', I stepped inside the changing rooms. The smell of disinfectant still lingered in the air and I sighed.
"What have I done to deserve this? I'm a Pisces for crying out loud! Gentle, likeable, dreamy- whatever!"
((pisces are also usually gullible and selfish. and you were born in the year of the rat))
"Meaning...?"
((you suck?))
"Ugh. I hate having arguments with myself. I always win."
(Outside, Konohamaru gazed worriedly at the door, before shrugging. Girls, right? They were just born weird.)
I tugged off my checked pink shirt, smoothing out the creases and then lying it down on the bench. I straightened, gazing at myself in the smudged mirror positioned awkwardly to my right; my oak-brown hair was tied up into two buns, neatly tucked out of my eyes, and Ino had persuaded me to get a baby-ish fringe, too. My eyes were outlined in the newest Charcoal Black Eyeliner (For All Occasions), bought especially from Boots, and I blinked. I pulled off my big baggy jeans and then tugged the dress over my head; I winced as I gazed at my reflection.
Bad.
Idea.
The dress hung down over my knees and showed far too much of my almost non-existent cleavage; it made me look short and frumpy. The turquoise colour was absoluteEVIL, with a capital E-V-I-L. The flower pattern looked stupid as well, like someone had decided to vomit pretty lime-green flowers all over me. And, seriously...
I felt like I could glow in the dark.
"Are you done?" I heard Ino call from outside the changing room. I contemplated answering.
Snappy comeback or no snappy comeback? That is the question.
"By done, you mean 'have you put on that sucky green dress which sucks to the power of sucky-suck-suckage, with a great wallop of sucky sauce to go with it? And, oh, would you like McSucky's fries to go with that?'" I opened the door anyway and glared at Ino.
She grinned.
"But you have such nice legs!" She turned to Konohamaru. "Doesn't she have nice legs?"
The spotty teen shrugged and turned away, muttering something which sounded like, "I just carry the bags around here."
I rolled my eyes, shut the door, and changed back into my earlier outfit. I let out a sigh of relief before stepping out of the changing rooms. Konohamaru handed me the bags with an apologetic grin, before resuming whatever it was he'd been doing before. I turned to Ino and stuck up a hand before she could say anything.
"No."
One word. One syllable. Easy enough to understand too. Right?
"But—"
"Ino..."
"Come on—"
"Ino. I will never not ever wear that dress."
The blonde blinked, before laughing.
"I can't believe you just quoted Charlie and Lola on me."
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That's me.
Tenten.
Hell, I'm not much compared to Ino. She's all bubbly and loud, with the popularity factor, and she's got a body too. She's got curves in all the right places (big girls, you are beautiful!), she's blonde, she's got big blue eyes and every girl wants to be her. She's easy to get along with, too.
+40 points.
However, she does get annoying after a while. She can be too loud. And she's pushy and devious and knows just how to get exactly what she wants. She dates a lot, can barely keep a boyfriend, and still has half the male population queuing up to get in her pants.
-10 points.
I'm not much compared to Sakura either. She's got the brains, she's witty and she's read all of the beloved Vampire Knight chapters. She has a passion for the colour green, hates the colour pink (though, how that works out with the colour of her hair, I do not know) and she's just too sweet. And she helps me with my homework.
+50 points.
Sadly, she has some terrible mood-swings and she doesn't even have to be PMS'ing for them to happen. One second she'll be cuddly and happy; the next she'll be beating the life out of you for attempting to touch her. She rarely dates and yet all the boys love her.
-20 points.
Or Hinata. Sweet, kind, cute little Hinata— you can't hate her, can't argue with her, and she probably cares more about peace than Sakura does. She's almost like an angel who's slipped straight from heaven, down onto the earth.
+60 points.
She's absolutely perfect. Almost flawless apart from her terrible (but cute!) stutter. She blushes whenever she hears his name and faints whenever he touches her. Even if it's an accident. And she has almost as many boys chasing after her as Sakura and Ino.
-30 points.
Then again, they all get +100,000,000 points for hanging around with me. For being such awesome friends.
I'm feeling sentimental.
Sniff.
And me?
Name: Tenten. Seriously, who calls their child 'Tenten'? I think my parents wanted me to get bullied— luckily, it never happened, because I am the next Karate Kid.
Age: Seventeen.
Extra Info: I'm a Pisces! Caring, loving, kind... And born in the Year of the Rat too. Selfish too, apparently.
Likes: Karate, friends, Lee, climbing trees, teasing Lee, my flat and Kim Possible. She owns Braceface. And Sabrina. So nyeh.
Dislikes: Shopping, dressed and Science.
Status: This is my current single status, my declaration of independence. There's no way I'm changing places, right now a star's in the ascendant.
(AHEM. Besides, no one's right for me except him. And I'm not talking about Alex Evans, even though his is one hell of a cutie.)
-100 million, billion points.
So yeah.
That's me.
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I yawned, stretching, as I placed my coffee mug on the table we were sat at. Ino had convinced me, somehow, to buy that awful dress, even if it was only to wear once and never again. To make up for it, though, she'd bought me a coffee and a Super Deluxe Muffin, which I'd already finished. She was sat opposite me, babbling on about her newest boyfriend, Nara Shikamaru, and how he was different to the others.
"…I mean, he has an IQ of over 200! That's good news, right?"
"You can copy homework off him; deffo the perfecto boyfriend," I grinned, before taking another sip of coffee. The bitter liquid scorched my tongue but hey; the burning sensation in my mouth was way better than listening to Ino ramble on. She sounded like she really liked him though, so I couldn't help but feel happy for her. And slightly protective, too. Jeez, she's had boyfriend after boyfriend and she either ends up getting her heart broken or breaks their heart. Sometimes both.
"Hey, should I dye my hair? What about a purple streak? That would be cool." Ino murmured, tugging her blonde bangs playfully.
I blinked.
"Dye it all black."
She looked at me.
I gazed back.
We both burst out laughing, trying to picture an Ino with dark hair, one midnight-black bang covering one eye. In my mind, she wore all black, her eyes ringed with the newest Smoky Black range of eye shadow, her lips painted black.
"We could name you Emo Queen and bow down to you," I suggested, snickering.
"No, no! I like Princess of the Darkness better."
"Angst Goddess."
"Vampire of the Night!"
We looked at each other.
"Sasuke-lina." I finished, making Ino burst out into hysterics and I took a sip of my coffee in triumph. Oh yeah; I rock.
My phone began to ring, a muffled noise in the midst of one of the bags, and I cursed. Immediately, I dipped my hand into one of the bags, searching through the clothes and shoes, until the ringtone grew louder and clearer.
((—everybody was kung-fu fighting! Those kids were fast as lightening… in fact it was a little bit fright'ning; they fought with expert timing—))
I glanced at the caller ID; it was Lee. What did he want? Wasn't he supposed to be training? I waited a second, before answering. "Hello—"
"Tenten!" Lee shouted down the phone, his voice cheerful and loud."How are you on this youthful day?"
"Did you call me for any reason, Lee, or just to ask me how youthful I'm feeling?" I asked, grinning at Ino. The blonde was still sniggering from the rather bad Sasuke-lina joke but if she was enjoying herself, so was I.
"Hinata asked me to call you! She said she couldn't get hold of you and that she had a message for you!"
"What was it?"
"I do not know! She missed that bit out, actually, and asked if it was okay to meet you at the flat in about five minutes. I said yes!" Lee was definitely enjoying himself— that was for sure. He had barely given me any time to finish my coffee.
"Thanks, Lee. I'll head over now. Anything else?"
"We need milk…?" Lee suggested and I chuckled. "No, there's nothing else. Say a youthful hello to Sakura for me! Have fun, Tenten!"
"Bye Lee. Keep training and you might be able to win Sakura's heart." I joked, before hanging up. I flipped my phone shut, stuck it in my pocket, and then stood up. Ino, having finally regained her composure, sipped the rest of her Sugar-Free Latte before also standing up.
We grabbed all the bags, having already paid for the drinks, and then left.
"What did Lee want?" Ino asked, the moment we were outside and waiting for a taxi.
There was no way I was carrying all of those bags all the way to my flat.
"He passed on a message from Hinata. Apparently, it's important." I tilted my head, gazing at Ino. "You couldn't possibly know what she wants, could you?"
Ino shook her head.
"No clue, dearest."
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Hinata and Sakura were already at the flat by the time we got there.
The little Hyuuga was shivering slightly, her pale blue polo-neck jumper obviously not keeping her warm enough, her hands tucked underneath her armpits. Her cheeks were flushed a pale pink and she seemed to be hopping from one foot to another, fidgeting madly. Sakura sat on the wall, swinging her legs backwards and forwards. She seemed warm enough, considering the fact that she was wearing a black pencil skirt complete with opaque tights, her blouse hanging over the top of her skirt, her pink hair tied up into a neat bun.
They waved at us as the taxi pulled up beside them; with much eyelash fluttering, Ino managed to narrow the cost down to half the price. I piled the bags on the pavement, rolling my eyes as I quickly paid the driver.
Yeah, I caught him checking out Ino's ass.
He pulled away quickly after I glared at him.
You know what I'm talking about, right?
I used the Let Me Rearrange Your Face Glare (© Sabaku no Gaara)— not to be confused with the Glare of Angst (© Uchiha Sasuke) or the I'll Kick Your Ass! Glare(© Uzumaki Naruto— and it's a very rare glare indeed— saved especially for Uchiha Sasuke.).
Ah; another victory for the amazing Tenten.
I staggered up the steps, tugging the bags after me, passing Sakura with a quick nod of my head; I needn't have bothered— she was already arguing with Ino and barely noticed me. Hinata smiled gratefully as I pushed open the door, stepping to the side to let her pass. (I've no idea why she didn't just go up on her own; Hinata was just too kind and had decided to wait for me. Sweet, right?)
I nodded once to the receptionist, Anko, who waved as we passed, her dark eyes sparkling. There's something really creepy about her. Really. It might be the bite marks on her neck.
I swear she's a vampire.
Except, she doesn't sparkle so she must be evil. I shall have to start wearing a cross whenever I pass her.
We stood patiently outside the elevator; yes, the very same elevator which breaks down at least three times a week and could plummet towards the ground, when at a high level, at a very deadly speed. But, hey, we love it really. You only feel the thrill of life when you're close to death.
That's what it says in the new Young Bond book, anyway.
(Not that James wasn't hot as an adult, but a kid? I'd take him over any Uchiha, any day of the week— though Sakura might disagree.)
The elevator doors slid open and we stepped inside, chatting away. Rather, Ino and Sakura were arguing, while I watched on with a smug smile on my face, and Hinata tried in vain to split the two up. Hinata pressed the button for the top floor, the elevator lurched upwards, and the elevator music began to play. Yes, the very music which makes you want to sleep standing up and slash or develop Hulk-like powers, force open the metal doors, and throw yourself out into the bottomless pit beneath you.
Personally, I like it.
The elevator slowly began to stop, the doors shuddered open, and we stepped outside. I tugged my keys from my pocket, unlocked the door, and then stepped into my humble flat. Well, it wasn't really my flat; Lee and I both worked to pay the rent— we both worked in a little cafe, called 'Kaleidoscope'; I was a waitress and Lee worked behind the counter. Hey, it didn't pay much but it was fun.
I placed Ino's bags next to the door, switched on all the lights, and then followed my friends into the living room. Ino had made a sort of nest for herself in Lee's green bean-bag, while Hinata and Sakura sat down on the sofa. I leaned against the wall, preferring to stand.
"What's so important, Hinata?" I asked and Ino nodded enthusiastically.
The shy girl blinked, remembering why she'd phoned Lee (who'd phoned me) in the first place.
"Tenten, I c—called you a—as quickly as I c—could, but y—you weren't p—picking up your ph—phone," Hinata stuttered, smiling at me apologetically.
I grinned. "Sorry; I was having so much fun shopping with Yamanaka."
"—hey—!"
"Continue, Hinata. Just ignore Ino-pig," Sakura murmured, urging the other girl on. Hinata nodded, before looking me right in the eye. Pale, lilac eyes, just like his, gazed at me, captivating me.
"N—Neji's back."
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WhatwhatWHATWHAT?
I never asked him why he left anyway.
I don't care.
Idon'tcareIdon'tcareIdon'tcare.
He can die for all I care.
((—you don't mean that—))
He shouldn't have left anyway.
I loved him.
((—you still do—))
I really did.
He probably has a girlfriend now.
I'm not bitter.
NotnotnotnotNOT.
I never will be.
I don't care.
I wonder if he remembers me anyway.
I don't care!
I really, really loved him.
He had such pretty eyes.
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Breakdown.
...
"Oh God, I think she fainted!"
Pfft.
I do not faint.
I just fell over my feet.
"No, she just fell over her feet."
He's back, though.
Back.
For.
Good.
—got a fist of pure emotion;
got a head of shattered dreams.
Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now.
Damn Take That.
I feel like I might cry.
"T—Tenten... Are y—you okay?"
I'm fine.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
My future's so bright, I've gotta wear shades.
I really, really, truly, absolutely, no-fingers-crossed, loved him.
I'm over him.
Seriously.
"I'm fine, Hinata. Perfect, in fact."
...
Why did he come back?
Author's Note;
Tch, here's the slightly rewritten version. I've decided to go through it all and tie up any loose ends. Hopefully it won't ramble as much, and it'll make more sense.
x