The Lying Game

21. Café

@CherrieBlossoms
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The girls' hair falls in front of her face as she laughs. It's her birthday and she and a few close friends are celebrating it at a café. Her father isn't with them.

The girl notices the pained look on one of her friends' expression.

"What's wrong?" she asks the blonde.

"Huh?" she replies, "oh. Nothing."

"Aw, c'mon," the girl presses, "I know something's wrong, Ino."

Ino looks down at her lap, "Sakura, it's nothing. Now let's just enjoy your party."

"But I can't enjoy it if one of my best friends is feeling down," she answers, "now start talking."

"Alright. Alright," Ino surrenders, "I'll tell. I'm just thinking about Sai and Shikamaru. I miss them so much," she sighs.

Everyone at the table stop talking when the name of the two boys are mentioned. They were all close with each other.

Sakura sighs and wishes that she could just hear Shikamaru talking about things being such a drag and oh, what she would give just to hear Sai call her ugly again.

They stay quiet for a few moments longer before Sakura sees a familiar face walk into the café.

"Izuna..." she whispers.

"Did you say something, Sakura?" Hinata asks. Hinata's eyes follow to where Sakura is staring. "Do you know him?"

"Sorta."

"Why don't you talk to him," Hinata suggests.

"What!" she whispers, "no!"

"Why not?"

"B-Because," she stutters trying to figure out something to say. She didn't know why she didn't want to see Izuna.

"Because...?"

"Just because."

"Why are you so scared?" Hinata asks.

"Look he helped me out a couple of days ago and I haven't seen him since. It'd be weird talking to him. Plus he probably doesn't even remember me," she explains.

"Sakura—" Hinata starts, but is cut off by Tenten.

"Why are you guys staring at him?" she points to Izuna.

"It's nothing," they answer at the same time.

"I don't believe you," Tenten crosses her arms.

"Well...it's true," Sakura says.

"Then prove it," Tenten challenges.

"How?" Sakura asks.

"Izuna!" Tenten yells, luckily for them the café is mostly empty.

Izuna turns toward the direction of the voice his dark eyes skim the table, "Tenten? What're you doing here?"

He makes his way toward their table, a cuz if coffee in his hands.

"It's my friends' birthday," she answers. "do you know any of them?" she points to Hinata and Sakura.

"I know Sakura," he eyes the pink haired girl, "not the other one."

His phone rings and he glances at it. "I gotta go, see ya later."

Tenten waves goodbye to him. "So something was up."

"No," Sakura says. "He just helped me a couple of days ago."

"Then why'd you look like you were about to pee your pants," Tenten teases.

Sakura avoids the question and asks, "how do you know him?"

"He's a family friend. We see each other pretty often."

"Who was that?" Karin and Ino ask simultaneously.

Sakura sighs, not wanting to repeat her previous conversation.