New Girl- A Konoha High School Story

Chapter 29- Tenten's Story

Neji's POV

Tenten seemed kind of flustered when she quickly left the living room. Deciding that she probably wanted space, I decided to leave her be for the time being, no matter how much I wished to go after her. I was concerned that my gift had actually frightened her, or made her upset. I mean, it is pretty strange for a boy to give the girl he likes a knife of all things, but she seemed pretty enthusiastic about the gift, so that probably wasn't it. I continued to rack my brain thinking about why she'd be upset, which really isn't something I would do for anyone besides Tenten if I'm being honest. After a while I decided to go upstairs and sleep as well. It was almost 1:00 am by then, and she would surely be asleep.

When I got to the room, Tenten was luckily already asleep. Trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake her up, I changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, and curled up in the tiny bed as comfortably as possible, since my body didn't exactly fit in the bed meant for an eight year old. I felt like I had only closed my eyes for about ten minutes when I felt a slight shake in the bed frame, accompanied by small sobs that would sneak out every once in a while.

"Tenten?" I whispered from below her. "Are you okay?"

She sniffed. "I'm-m sorry, did I w-wake you up?" The slight sobs that interrupted what would normally be a cheery, impossibly happy, voice broke my heart to pieces.

"You're shaking the bed Tenten."

"Oh..." Her voice was so small, so sad, that I felt I couldn't leave her alone.

"Are you cold?" Of course she wasn't cold.

"...Ya."

"Would you be warmer if I came up there?" Maybe she would be, but I knew that wasn't the problem.

She sniffed. "....Yes actually."

I climbed up the ladder, and joined her on the top bunk. She was on her side, facing the rail, and I snuck behind her and held her body in mine. I felt my heart racing at a thousand beats per minute, simply from her touch. If anyone else were to see us they would most likely assume the worst, but that wasn't my concern at the moment. I just wanted her to feel better, and I think it worked, at least to a certain extent. She stopped shaking immediately.

"That help?"

She nodded slowly.

I laid my face into her hair, which was spread across her pillow. It was the first time I had ever seen her hair out of her trademark buns. Her brown locks swirled in perfect, long, waves, across her face and across mine. It smelled of lavender and something else I couldn't place. I felt the urge to run my fingers through it, but I decided now wasn't the time. I only held her close as she slowed her breathing into a more normal pace. It eventually synced up with mine.

Her petite form just about covered my torso. My head was perfectly positioned on top of hers, and our legs intertwined gracefully and comfortably. It felt like she deserved to be in my arms, like it was always meant for her body to fit into mine like two pieces of a beautiful, warm, puzzle. I had to remove myself from such thoughts.

We're only friends, remember?

But you don't have to be...

Her words brought me out of the turmoil that erupted in my head.

"Neji?" She asked softly. "Have I ever told you the reason I came to Konoha?" She positioned herself so that she was facing me. Our eyes were no only centimetres apart, and I could feel her warm breath on my face as she talked.

"No." I answered, looking into the eyes that were so close. Those warm brown eyes were enough to heat up my entire skin and turn my face into the color of roses, which, I realized, was the second scent in Tenten's hair that I had not been able to name earlier.

She looked solemn, and I could tell her eyes were threatening to let tears escape them. "W-when I was little, my mom would take me all over the place. Every month we spent in a different country. She was a photographer. We spent time in China a lot, and that's where my mom got me that necklace you were talking about earlier. I-it's really special to me..." She sniffled for a few seconds, and then continued. "Anyway, my dad died when I was very little; I barely remember him, so it was just ma and my mom, but we didn't mind so much. A few years ago, my mom got really sick, and we were forced to stay with my aunt. I went to normal school for the first time. I hated it. I didn't have any friends there, and I just wanted to travel with my mom again. B-But I couldn't do that anymore." She began crying again, and stuck her head into my chest. I held one of my hands around her back, and the other on her head, cradling her.

She continued again. "S-she died a few months ago. My time at school suffered, everything in that stupid small town just reminded me of my mom. I wanted nothing more than to join her. I-I.... I hurt myself trying." The sobbs became bigger and heavier. Although I almost never cry, I did my best to hold back tears as I thought of the happy, lovable, carefree Tenten in so much pain. I never knew; she hid it so well. "My aunt wanted to put me in a new environment, to forget about it I guess. Damn that woman. I guess it worked." She smiled at the end of her story. I looked down at her in amazement. All of that, and she still smiled.

"You're smiling." I so-charismatically pointed out.

"Yes. That's because I'm happy I moved. I met friends here, and I met.... You." She finished, looking up at me with those giant brown eyes of hers. Whatever parts of my face were not yet steaming with heat were clearly now bright red. For possibly the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words. I eventually settled with these.

"I'm happy I met you too Tenten."

She snuggled in close, where we remained still for the rest of the night.