A/N: Hehe, my baaadd. I got...lazy, and combined with a crippling, 4 month long case of writer's block, I present to you this pathetically short chapter. I love you, readers, please don't shoot me.

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! They convinced me to get off my lazy ass (well, actually, considering I type sitting down...) and write this for you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ^^

Disclaimer: HELL NAW.

The sun was setting by the time Hinata calmed down from her nervous rant and decided to conveniently pass out on Tenten's new Persian rug.

Tenten carefully picked her way over spilt magazines and empty chip bags, clearing away the inanely large pile of beer bottles, tipping precariously over the edge of her table.

"Kami…" she muttered to herself, staring at the bottles. "What now…" she thought, having no place to properly dispose of them.

Outside, a car horn honked. Tenten stared blankly at the open window, then the beer bottles, then the open window again. And stalked over and promptly dropped every single bottle over the edge, flinching at the sound of outraged car alarms and broken glass below.

Hinata was startled awake by the sudden noise. Glossy locks remained plastered to her cheeks and her eyes cracked with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Geez Tenten, what time is it…" The Hyuuga girl stretched and reached over to check an alarm clock.

Tenten brushed her sticky hands on her sweats and briskly replied. "Close to 4."

"WHAT!" Hinata fell over the edge of the couch. "W-why didn't you wake me?"

Tenten scratched her head, then shrugged non-chalantly. "Didn't feel like it. Sides, this place is too lonely without someone to hang around, y'know? Dad's off probably sleeping with his new secretary and Mom's…in…Peru? Cuba? No, don't care, don't remember. You remember how I told you she had that art show? Yeah well she told me she was gonna bring back some Gogh piece on sale, not that I give a shit about art anyway. Who wants to look at some paint-eating depressed dude draw pictures no one gets? Anyways-wait, Hinata?"

The door slammed as Hinata quickly excused herself without a goodbye.

Tenten stood there, a slight frown on her face. "Dammit." She shut her eyes in a brief pout. "She always does that."

Suddenly, the phone rang. She whirled around. "Stop calling, Neji!"

The ringing stopped, and a small smile spread itself across Tenten's dimpled cheeks at how in tandem their psyches seemed to be.

Hinata arranged her attire and hair to look semi-presentable in the bathroom in the foyer of Tenten's building. Stepping out and using sunglasses to cover her dark-rimmed eyes, she waited for an empty taxi to appear as she recounted yesterday.

"Kami, what'll Kiba say at school…" She thought nervously, chewing at a nail. She idly contemplated at how awkward it would be at school, coupled with the fact that even a full day of drinking and eating at Tenten's couldn't help.

When suddenly, a black Lamboghini sped up the road, and a large pair of hands grabbed Hinata and pulled her in before she could think twice.

By the time Hinata had realized she wasn't being kidnapped, Neji had already fully explained that Hiashi had just about torn the city apart in his search for her and that she was really in for it when she got home.

"I'm telling you, Neji, I was at Tenten's! Sakura and Ino just ditched me while shopping, I got bored and went to her place, and from that point I just lost track of time. Not a big deal, see?"

Neji suddenly ground to a screeching halt, as the car stopped just in time at a stoplight. Neji whipped around, hooking his elbow over the edge of the pristine leather seat, and stared at Hinata intently.

"It is a big deal, Hinata. Your father alerted every student who goes to our school, and their parents, about what happened. He asked them to start a search for you. He called Tenten as well."

Hinata lost track of the air in her throat. As she tried to formulate a response, all she could do was squeak.

"I know you're lying to me. You weren't at Tenten's place. But wherever you were, Hiashi will find out. Tenten has probably already told him where you were by now."

If Hiashi asked everyone where she was, that included Kiba. That meant Tsume must've spilt where Hinata had spent the night. She had no reason not to. Two confirmations that she had spent the night at a boy's place.

"You and I both know, it's only a matter of time before it becomes common knowledge where you were staying." Neji stated seriously, before turning around and beginning to drive again.

"Hiashi called everyone, and by that, I mean everyone. All the parents. And many of the students are the sons and daughters of these officials. Some of them already know where you ended up staying. Which means the students know as well."

Hinata only ducked her head as she waited for the impending storm to follow. She had only a few more hours before school.

A few more hours before they would all know.

Hinata couldn't exactly say she was surprised when the doors to her school opened and she had suddenly become more popular than before.

People stared at her. Everywhere. Every single nook and cranny of the school was filled with the juicy gossip.

As she hid her head beneath the hood of her jacket and scurried quickly to her locker, she heard two upperclassmen talking about her.

"You know that rich freshman girl? I heard she sold her virginity to the Uzumaki kid."

The Hyuuga girl bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming at them, and simply fiddled with the combination to her locker.

The other sophomore girl simply laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She clutched her binder closer to her chest as she leaned in, whispering just loud enough for Hinata to eavesdrop in on.

"I heard she sold her virginity to two guys."

The other girl backed up and stared at her in bewilderment. "That's not even possible, stupid."

The other girl laughed and waved her closer again. "I know. She sold her real virginity to Uzumaki, and just pretended to sell it again to the fat kid."

The other girl's eyes widened. "Fat kid…you can't mean Akimichi? My dad's friends with his dad."

Her friend smirked and nodded. "Totally true. Aiko was talking about it earlier. Besides, it's not like he can tell when a girl is a virgin or not. He's probably never been laid before."

"Or will be again."

They both burst into small giggles and walked away, moving onto other topics, while Hinata dejectedly slammed the door of her locker, feeling hot streams of salt steadily trickle down her cheeks.

Kiba stepped cautiously into the school, wondering if word had truly spread around about what happened. He hadn't told anyone, and it seemed Tsume had only gently informed Hiashi that Hinata needed a place to stay, and she welcomed her in.

He didn't have much time to ponder this, however, as his friends dragged him into an empty, dim classroom to interrogate him personally.

Kankuro threw him against the wall, hard, as Lee shut the door as quietly as possible. Kiba rubbed his head and was ready to curse at them, before they cut him off.

"Is it true?" they all asked solemnly, careful expressions on their faces.

"Is what true?" Kiba responded, indignant, holding his hands up to indicate his confusion.

"You slept with her, didn't you?" Naruto angrily accused. "Dammit Kiba, I know it's just Hinata, but I kinda wanted her first." He pouted slightly. "I thought she was sorta hot." He added as a quiet afterthought."

"What the hell, Naruto, I didn't sleep with her!" Kiba defended, before raising his voice. "And since when did you want Hin-"

"Then how come everyone knows she was at your house?" Lee shot back.

Kiba blinked. "What? She wasn't at my house." He lied expertly.

"Cut the shit, Kiba, we know." Kankuro leaned against a desk, folding his arms. "Her dad's really pissed off. He's almost ready to arrest you for rape."

Kiba did a double take and choked. "I-I-what? I didn't-the hell, I didn't rape her, you guys know me! I would never do that!"

They all shrugged, uncertain.

Chouji spoke up first. "…We know it's not in your character, but you are kind of a bad boy at the school."

He ran a hand through his messy hair. "How am I supposed to prove I didn't, then?" His voice was desperate.

The four other teenagers looked at each other, before turning and saying in sync,

"You don't."

"He doesn't care Kiba, he's not gonna take your word for it." Naruto reasoned.

Kiba's eyes were wide, before he turned around and slammed his forehead into the wall repeatedly.

"I'm screwed, aren't I." he mumbled, dead.

None of them said anything.

Hinata had hoped by the time class started, the teachers would prevent anything from happening. That people would stop whispering about her so she could gather her thoughts.

Utterly wrong.

People still shot her dirty glances, and during chemistry, at least three pieces of crumpled sheet paper were thrown her way, all with the word 'WHORE' written on them in huge letters.

Shino, her lab partner, barely fazed, would merely take each piece of paper from her hands and tear it up, tossing the shreds into a wastebin. She silently thanked him each time he did.

Since lab partners were assigned, Tenten wasn't able to do anything other than shoot her friend sympathetic glances from across the room.

Ino and Sakura, who had been 'coincidentally' assigned as each other's lab partners, worked at the bench in front of her. Thankfully, Shino didn't grill her about anything, instead quietly and obediently fulfilling his half of the experiment.

Everyone once in a while, Ino would hurriedly lean over and whisper something to Sakura. Both girls would turn around and shoot Hinata either worried or extremely fake smiles and turn back to their gossiping.

The minute the lunch bell rang, Hinata was considering going home, before Sakura and Ino each linked arms on either side of Hinata and dragged her off to the back of the schoolyard.

"Where are you guys taking me?" Hinata asked, a slight edge of fear in her voice.

Ino peered over her shoulder, checking for signs on anyone listening in, and swiftly ducked her head in to whisper.

"I cannot believe it, Hinata! You are the last person I'd think who'd sleep with that Inuzuka kid!"

"Actually, the last person who'd ever lose their virginity, come to think of it." Sakura added, before realizing what she said. "No offense or anything."

Hinata ignored the sting of Sakura's unconscious insult, and addressed Ino in a hushed chatter. "I didn't sleep with him! Why is everyone saying I did?" Hinata roughly tugged her arm of her friends' grasps. "And moreover, why are you guys believing it?"

"Well…" Sakura searched for words and leaned against the outer wall of the school pavilion. "We heard that somehow you ended up at his house."

"Apparently he found you wandering around." Ino added in, checking Hinata's face for any signs of admittance.

"After you guys ditched me!" Hinata defended vehemently, voice edging on desperation. "Besides, it takes two for that kind of thing to happen!"

"Word is, he half-convinced, half raped you." Sakura shrugged, folding her arms and picking at a loose thread on her cardigan. "I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. I can completely believe him raping a girl. I mean, he's a complete ass, from what I know-"

Which isn't very much. Hinata drily thought.

"And I'm sure if he could convince a rich girl like you to, well…maybe he was in it for the money. Hoping he could get with you or something. Maybe reputation-wise, it would've helped, I don't know."

Hinata abruptly flushed. "S-Sakura! I didn't pay him! And no way Kiba would do something like that! He might be shady sometimes, but I know he's honourable!"

"Apparently, that's not enough for your dad." Ino interjected. Her cerulean eyes had the slightest twinge of sympathy. "I don't know if your dad told you this, but he's planning on pressing charges."

The blood drained from Hinata's face. "Press charges?" she whispered, barely audible.

Not plausible. Even with the fact Kiba hadn't raped her, it wouldn't be enough. There was no way Kiba and his close family could stand up to the empiric powerhouse that was her father. He had money, he had lawyers, he had the ability to bribe. And Kiba only had what he knew.

Hinata's whole body went limp. If Kiba were arrested, his whole future would be lost. He'd miss out on school, and might never come back. Hana was already on the brink of losing herself, and Hinata simply could not imagine a life for Tsume with both of her children gone. How could she do that to the woman who had so kindly, without question, without hesitation, protected a girl she didn't know?

She fell to the floor. Her friends' eyes went wide as they leaned down to help her up.

"What do I do?" Hinata whispered.

The pink-haired girl and the blonde exchanged a glance. Both turned back to her at the same time, and shot her small smiles.

"You need to date him." Ino said simply.

Hinata choked on her own saliva. "P-pardon!"

"Date him." Sakura repeated slowly. When Hinata opened her mouth to ask why, Sakura silenced her again.

"If you date him, and you both can clearly say you didn't sleep with each other, then it seems normal. You were just visiting your boyfriend's house over the weekend, and then went to Tenten's."

Hinata, still not fully understanding, cocked her head to the side. "Why can't I just say I visited Kiba's house, period? Why the need to date?"

Ino sighed, exasperated. "What other reason would you have to go to his house?"

Hinata thought this over. She'd have to talk to Kiba, obviously. They'd have to play the part for a while, but in a week or so, she could break it off, and everyone would completely forget about this. If they dated, and both firmly agreed nothing had happened, then the rumours were likely to disperse.

And as a bonus, it wouldn't be that bad to date Kiba. He was a nice, well-meaning guy, although a little hard to understand sometimes. Plus, he wasn't hard on the eyes.

Hinata allowed a small grin to creep onto her features. "Sure. Why not?"

By the time Hinata had already decided it was a good idea, Sakura and Ino were smiling smugly at each other.

A/N: I'll probably edit this later...it's too short. Well, I'm too busy. Off to see HP7 right now!

Reviews please, no flames, plx.

-silver