• Hey, guys! Okay, to make it clear…Temari is the one speaking here. Not Shikamaru or anyone else! Just Temari. The bold sentences/phrases are Temari’s thoughts. Thanks!

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    I stared hard at Ino’s note. It said:

    Temari, guess what? Shikamaru and I are officially boyfriend-girlfriend! Isn’t that great. We’re having a date next week in the greatest sushi bar ever, . Wanna tag along? But then you’d have to bring a date. Anyway, call me! I’m just the luckiest girl on earth! Uh-oh…running out of ink!! See ya. XOXO .. Ino

    I crumpled the piece of blue paper. Am I…mad? I can’t understand this feeling. Ino and I have been best friends for six years. Then why do I feel like I want to crush her. I feel hatred.

    Snap out of it, Temari!! Ino’s your friend. Stop feeling this feeling!!

    I can’t snap out of it. I can’t possibly…love Shikamaru, can’t I? I see him as a friend. I really do. But maybe I’m falling for him. Just at the wrong time.

    I guess I should cancel. How can I stand four hours of Ino and Shikamaru flirting with each other? Even if I love California Maki or Spicy Salmon Rolls, seeing them together is too painful. I need to cancel. I got the phone in the kitchen and dialed Ino’s home phone number. It rang three times. Then three more times. Then, Ino finally picked it up.

    “I will crush you to death, whoever you are! You disturbed me! Who are you, freak?!” Ino was screaming.

    “Ino, it’s me…Temari. Look, if this isn’t a good time…” I trailed off.

    “No! No! This is the best time in the world!” she exclaimed, “What’s up, girl?”

    “Well, I gotta cancel next week. You know, on your big date,”

    “Why?!”

    “Well,” I said, trying to think of a good excuse, “I…I…I have a doctor’s appointment that day.”

    “Good!”

    “Huh?”

    “I also have a spa treatment that came late so I’m having it that day. Shika moved it to tomorrow,” she said quickly, “Now, you can come!”

    “Uh…but I don’t have a date..."

    “That’s fine. Just go. Or I will cry,” she said in her small you-gotta-go-or-I’ll-kill-you voice.

    Well…I don’t wanna get on Ino’s bad side. I guess I’ll find someone else one day...who would love me. And not Ino.

    “Ino, okay, I’ll go,” I finally said, “Bye…”

    “Buh-bye, girl!”

    I hung up and sat on the couch and grabbed the picture of me, Ino, Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru. I looked at Shikamaru’s face for a long time. That’s it. I’m officially in love with Shikamaru. No doubt about it.