Prude

Chapter three

A/N: Blah, Blah Blah. I don't really have anything important to say. x) Except just sorry this update took so long. It's just that every time I thought about writing this chapter, it was just like, "Awwww. Do I have to?"

But here it is. In all its shining glory. -.-

"Yeah, sure. Seven would be great for us! Perfect time, actually. Yeah! Fantastic. See you then, 'tachi."

I could hear Hanabi make her little smooch sound at the end of the conversation. Neji and I never really knew why she did it. We figured it was either she was trying to be cute, or it was just a 'Hanabi' thing. Possibly, both. Anyway I had woken up enough to make out the last bit of that conversation. The first words that popped into my mind were, "Hanabi, what are you doing?" And I suppose that I had thought I had thought them because Hanabi was suddenly towering over me, a dimpled grin on her face.

"I'm hooking us up with two of the hottest guys in Tokyo. That's what I'm doing! And you really need to get up and get a shower. You look horrible." Turning around in the shortest skirt I had ever seen, Hanabi skipped over towards the curtains. Dramatically she threw them open, opening up the sun and everything else to me.

"I decided that you can't have both of them. So I'm going to make sure I get at least one."

Squinting and still confused from what was going on that moment and the night before, I sat up, scratching my head. Hanabi was right. I did need a shower. But that was the least thing on my mind. Just what was going on with Hanabi and her surprisingly good mood? Wasn't just the night before she was yelling at me in rage? And didn't she already have something with Sasuke?

The night before.

"Ohhhhh." I groaned.

Yeah. The night before. Our apartment. Me sneaking around for nothing. Hanabi and Sasuke. Blue silk forgotten watch. An annoyingly still attractive Sasuke Uchiha at my doorstep, looking annoyingly attractive. Oh, and his brother. Who was supposed to call...Who was supposed to call!

Sharply turning my head towards Hanabi, who was gazing out the window. "Was that Itachi Uchiha you just got off the phone with?" I practically yelled out. Hanabi turned around, a waxed eyebrow up.

She started to laugh, annoyingly so.

"Duh, Hinata!You do remember that I said the hottest guys in Tokyo, right? You can't have hottest and guy in the same sentence without thinking Itachi Uchiha. FYI, Sasuke wasn't lying. Itachi really did call to take you out for dinner. Of course, since you just so happen to be sleeping, I answered for you. We had a very lovely chat, Itachi and I. I convinced him that it would be better socially if Sasuke and I joined you guys. And he liked the idea. So tonight at seven, we're going out! You know that new, hot restaurant..."

I had stopped listening at "Sasuke and I joined you guys.". I'm pretty sure I looked like an idiot sitting there, my hair all over my head, matters in my eyes, and mouth gapping open like a fish. Hanabi knew very well that I didn't do dates! I didn't really have any experience with going out with...with men. Going out at all, actually. I was socially retarded.

The only thing I heard coming out of my mouth was, "Isn't that skirt a bit short?"

At this, Hanabi laughing again and hiked it up up her thighs even more, just to spite me. "Hinata, relax! I mean you're twenty-two. Stop being such a prude! This isn't even short. Your friend Ino wears them much shorter then this. And she's gotten around much more then I have. Trust me."

"Gotten around...?" I asked, honestly puzzled by the phrase.

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know what I mean." She paused, remembering who she was talking to. "Okay, so maybe not. All it means is that she's gone through more guys then I have. More boyfriends. More screwing."

I closed my eyes. This girl was really my sister. She really was a Hyuga. Oh, only if father could hear her!

Forgetting for a moment what was going on, I frowned and pressed the issue. "Hanabi, how would you know? She is older then you. And I have never seen Ino in anything that short!" Ino worked on the same floor I managed. She was the secretary and I had never seen her in anything that inappropriate!

Hanabi sighed. " She does get out and have a life you know? She doesn't stay buried under paper work all day, unlike yourself. Anyway Maya and I were at The Chopstick a few weeks ago and we saw her in this black little get up dancing on some guy. Like what the hell! I knew it all along, though. That girl can party. Hard."

Giving a sigh of my own, I stood up and let it go. "Whatever Ino does is her own business. That skirt is short. That's all I'm saying." Stretching, I yawned. While Hanabi mumbled under breath about her skirt was so not short, I walked into the kitchen and started to make some tea. Jasmine. It would sooth my mind and help me think.

"Anyway." Hanabi began in a sing-song tone. I saw her grab her purse. " Maya and I are going out shopping for my new outfit for tonight. I would help you, but everything I pick is "immodest" to you. How about giving Sakura or Ino a call? They might be able to help you."

Sakura was a temp, who wasn't very temporary. She was always requested for by the male partners on our floor, so Sakura always managed to stick around. It was probably her eyes, I had thought. When I mentioned it to Neji, he gave me an incredulous look. "Yeah, it's her eyes." He said dryly.

As Hanabi closed the door, she turned and smiled at me, making that smooch noise. "See you tonight! Make sure you look hot. We know they will." And then the door shut closed. With a sigh of relief, I padded out of the kitchen, honestly glad for some silence and time to think.

Sitting down on the couch, I laid my head back and closed my eyes. She forgot to say sorry. A bitter chuckled escaped. Sorry, Hinata, for having sex with father's important business associates son, while not thinking about the consequences. Sorry, for doing it on your new sheets, imprinting them with the memory. h, and sorry for yelling at in rage and then running out the room. Sorry. Hanabi was still young. I really shouldn't be expecting that. But so are you. A small voice in the back of my head pointed out.

But I feel so old. I thought back. I did! Honestly there were times when I felt as if I had missed out on a fun teenage/college life. I never did the normal thing. I was always above the normal expectancy of a teenager. Hanabi, although quite wild, was so full of life! She took life by the horns and had a good time. Yeah, she got in trouble sometimes. But wasn't that what life was about? Making mistakes and learning from them? I didn't really have any mistakes to learn from. I had lived my childhood from the book. The book my father wrote. And now, I was starting to regret that.

All work and no play. My life story. Hanabi was right. I was twenty-two. Wasn't it about time I let...go? Did I even know how?

No.

Was that even me? Hinata Hyuga? Perhaps letting go was kind of a stretch. What had Hanabi said previously? Relax! Yes, relax. I could do that, right? Be casual. Relax. Forget about life for a moment and just kind of go with the flow. Surely even I could do that. Right? Right?

Still in the midst of convincing myself, I heard the little beep that signified the water was hot. Opening my eyes, I stood and walked back into the kitchen. Clutching the tea packet, I poured the hot water into a mug and let the teabag settle into the hot, steaming water. As the steam swirled up into the air and disappeared, I stared at it, wide-eyed.

What time was it? Glancing toward the stove, I saw that it was half past twelve in the afternoon. God, I slept late. Shaking my head, I went back to staring at the disappearing steam, in stupid amazement. The tea was hot, but it smelled lovely. I could already feel myself relaxing.

I had made a decision. A decision that I would doubt as I went through my closet, finding nothing even slightly attractive. Even my most favorite black blazer and pencil skirt, I found to be hideous. Sitting in a heap of skirts, shirts, and pants, I felt ugly and defeated. Groaning in frustration, I fell backward. Since I had decided to go on this little outing with...them, for some strange reason, I wanted to look...nice. Nice, not hot. How a person could ever look hot and not be on fire eluded me. But it seemed like every single item of clothing I owned, I had worn too many times over that it made me want to throw up. When was the last time I had went shopping?

This was one reason I didn't bother going out! It stressed you out too much to look perfect. Hanabi's voice suddenly came back to my mind, "How about giving Sakura or Ino a call? They might be able to help you."

Hanabi did have a point. Whenever you saw Sakura or Ino, they did always look very...nice. They could actually incorporate color into their wardrobe. Something I realized I was lacking. Did I feel as dead as I probably looked everyday?

Biting my lip, I stood up and exited my closet. Eying my lone cellphone on my dresser, I contemplated whether I should actually call or not. What would they think? I never called them. For anything! Except if they left files around...Oh, this might be embarrassing.

Taking a big breath, I grabbed my cellphone and looked through my long list of contacts. Ino first. I knew her better. Pressing my back up against the wall, I dialed. Dialed and waited. She answered after the third ring. I could hear laughing in the background.

"Hey, Ino. It's...it's Hinata." I said, more meekly then I had intended to.

Sounding slightly confused, I knew Ino assumed. "Hey, doll. I already forwarded all those calls to your pops." For some reason, Ino always referred to me as "doll". She had her own little names for the people she saw daily, so I suppose that was the one I got stuck with.

I bit my lip a little harder. "Yeah, um...I'm not calling about that. It's...it's about something else. I need...some help."

"Sakura, shut up!" I heard Ino shush her obvious companion Sakura in the background. In a concerned tone, Ino said. "Yeah, what's wrong? You sound kinda scared."

Scared was exactly how I felt. "Well, um, you see...I'm going out tonight and...I need some help getting ready. I don't know what to do." I felt like a younger sister, asking her older sister for help with her first date. And the situation was similar, except I shouldn't really have to ask. I should already know.

"Can you please help me?" I squeaked. Feeling my cheeks warm up, I closed my eyes. It was just embarrassing to even ask! Asking for that type of thing was new to me. I wasn't used to it.

It got quiet on the other line for a few seconds. I was about to apologize for bothering her, when it felt like a tiny explosion had exploded by my ear. It was Ino, talking excitedly about how she would love to help me, Sakura too, and about other things I didn't catch because she was talking too fast.

Letting out a breath of relief, I suddenly heard Sakura come on the phone. "Yeah, Hinata. We would love to help! We'll be over in...say an hour?"

"Okay. That...would be perfect." How did they know where I live? It then occurred to me that Hanabi probably had them over more then once.

Sakura was smiling, I could tell. "Great! Before I hang up, mind telling me who's the lucky guy? Is it Kiba? He's been literally drooling over you the past month. Funny how you never noticed, I swear it's so hilarious."

I blinked dumbly. "Kiba?"

Before I could answer, the phone line suddenly clicked.

Why did things always end with me being the one with the short stick? I never knew anything. I was always the one confused. Standing up and throwing my phone on my bed, I wondered just what else I didn't know about.

Something told me the list was probably very long.

Long indeed.

Hinata is so clueless. x) For being twenty-one, she really is. Haha! Anyway, thanks for reading. Who knows when I'll update again. Go Summer 2010! Woot woot! Oh and hoped you enjoyed this chapter. If you're confused, it's okay. I am too. ._. There are a few loose ends that need tying, I know. Eventually I'll get to them.

Reviews would be nice. ;) Even though I don't review every story I read, I'm going to be a hypocrite and ask for them anyway. Hey, who doesn't like reviews? They make you feel all gooey inside. Especially the long ones. Those are the best. x)

Love you readers!