Ship Or Skip

chapter 13

Neji's POV
As soon as the girls left with Ino, Naruto offered to give me a ride home since our houses were a little bit close to each other. While Shikamaru asked his family driver to pick him up, Sasuke drove home.

While Naruto was driving, I couldn't stop thinking about Tenten and what she said.

"It was Sakura's idea for you to ask me on this date right?" Tenten asked.

"Yes." I responded honestly.

"So that means that nothing that happened today was real then." She asked which sounded more like a statement.

"Did anything that happened today mean something to you?" She asked.

I didn't respond. I couldn't. I mean what would I respond? "I just had the best day if my entire life and it was on a date with you."

She laughed bitterly. "Just when I thought you weren't so bad."

"Listen-" I tried explaining myself.

"Forget it. And don't you ever talk to me again." She said.

She seemed disappointed almost heartbroken. She couldn't have possibly caught feelings for me already right?

I mean yeah I'm really charming I know, but I will admit even I am not that good to make Tenten fall for me in like a day.

Not that it matters anyway. She probably hates me now more than she did before. I'm definitely losing the bet.

Unless, I ask Hinata to give me some tips. Yep that's gonna work.

But then her question came across my mind again.

"Did anything that happened today mean something to me?" I thought.

Today was fun, no doubt about that but it didn't mean anything. It couldn't. I'm Neji frickin Huyuga for crying out loud. I don't catch feelings for anyone. And certainly not for the likes of her.

"Well this has been one hell of a day." Naruto said pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yep. It certainly has." I responded.

Shikamaru's POV
I screwed up. I shouldn't have asked Ino to prom tonight. I should have waited till she forgave me before asking her.

But I honestly don't get it. Any girl would love that gesture and agree to go to prom with me.

All I did was call her a whore which was disrespectful I'll admit that but she can't still be angry because of that.

The punishment I am being given is way more than the crime I committed. But why is that.

If being called a whore was the problem, then she would have punched me or something when I called her a whore.

But instead she just ran away crying which is out of character for her. Does the word mean something else to her?

Did it perhaps have some kind of memory attached to it? Is that why she is being super emotional and dramatic about it?

Was she bullied for it? No that can't be right. She had never been bullied not even in kindergarten.

I guess I would do more research when I get home.

"We have arrived master Shikamaru." My driver said.

I had been so lost in thought that I didn't even know when we entered the estate.

"Thank you. And if you could keep this a secret from my parents........" I started saying.

"Its alright master. My lips are sealed." He said.

"Thanks again" I said as I fled upstairs to my room to make more research.

I googled many things but I wasn't getting the results I wanted.

Just then a thought crossed my mind. Why exactly was I doing this? Putting in plenty of effort was not exactly my style.

"I'm doing this to win." I told myself.

I searched on google again. "Causes of anger in girls."

There were a list of them but one caught my attention.

"Memories of a traumatic or enraging events."

That was the most suited for this situation.

"Hmm traumatic. PTSD." I said to myself as I searched on google causes of PTSD.

There are only two on the list that was a possibility for Ino.

Had she been domestically abused? No they can't be right. Her father seemed nice. And the rest of the girls seem to be fond of him.

If he actually abused Ino, they wouldn't be so comfortable with him. So it had to be the other.

I stopped breathing for a second.

All the pieces were coming together.

She must have been sexually harassed and being called a whore must have triggered the memory.

Kami, I feel beyond terrible. I may be a player and a user but I hated when guys disrespected girls. I hate it when boys did anything to girls without their permission.

I am now realizing the punishment isn't even befitting of the crime.

"I need to find Ino and apologize properly. And if I ever come across the jerk face who had harassed her I—"

"Why do you care?" A tiny voice asked from the back of my head.

"I'm only doing this to win." I said trying to convince myself.

I yawned. Today was stressful and I really needed to sleep. I hope to see a certain blonde in my dreams.

With that I drifted to sleep.

Sorry, sorry, gomen for my inactivity.