Love's Recipe ~Choji~

Chapter 8

That night I made my new, and finally perfected, dish for dinner. Mom and dad went absolutely nuts over it, saying it had to be my best dish yet. Big confidence boost right there. But there was something bothering me all through the meal. Ikuto was being very... shifty. He wouldn't sit still and his eyes kept shifting to the stairs. I know he's hiding something. But the question is... what is it? He's never kept anything from me like this, I don't really know what to do to go about dealing with this.

And I highly doubt he would just tell me if I confronted him about it...

Sometimes being an older sister is just a pain in the butt. When dinner was over, Ikuto practically ran up the stairs and into his room. Just what are you hiding? Drying my hands on my apron, I stealthily crept up the stairs and followed closely to the wall until I could crouch down to peak through the gap of his door. He's laying on the ground, smiling and messing with something. But I couldn't see what he was playing with. But... I've never seen such a happy expression on my brothers face.

Why does that hurt? Why does it hurt so much that he's keeping something that makes him this happy from me? I stepped away from his door and entered my own room. Why Ikuto? Why have I never seen that smile before? Why have you never shared that level of joy with me? I thought... I thought we were closer than that...

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The next morning, I absently cut up a few vegggies for breakfast and to make my brother a lunch for school, feeling lower than last night. My mid was everywhere except for the food. Does Ikuto not trust me? Is it something he thinks I would get mad at him for? Because lets face it, I'm the one raising that kid. I sighed.

Choji is supposed to come over this morning with Shikamaru and Ino. He promised to give me more tips from his mom. Tomorrow is the day he told me he would introduce me to her. Another sigh escaped me. What the heck am I doing? I thought for sure the thought of my Choji filled few days would lift this mood. But that alone is bugging he crap out of me now.

"Alsono!" My thoughts snapped into focus so fast it was almost blinding and my knife, which I hadn't been paying attention to, bit into the side of my hand. I dropped it and cradled my hurt and bleeding hand as Ikuto and Choji, who I guess had arrived early and that's why Ikuto called out, came around me. "What the hell?! Are you trying to lose a finger, spacing out like that?!"

Ino reached out and took my hand, pressing a small, white tissue to the cut. "It isn't deep. But he's right, you should really pay more attention when you're handling a knife."

I know that. But I just... The tears rolled down my cheeks and I clamped a hand over my mouth, trying to hold it back. But I couldn't. I pushed away from all of them, ignoring their yells, and out the back door into the depths of my brothers garden. There's a lot of hiding places back here. But I don't use them. No. Where I go involves a quick vault over the back fence.

Parents will always tell their children not to wonder into the woods, because it's very easy to get lost. Mine encouraged me to venture into it's depths and learn my way around. I did. And I found that when you want absolutely want no one in the world to find you, you come out here. You don't even have to go that far in. But once I finally got out there, my back pressed to a tree, I looked up and questioned myself hard.

What was I thinking? Just running off like that? But... This Ikuto thing has me so messed up it's kind of embarrassing. My hand started to hurt and my foot felt cold. Hehe... I lost my shoe in the mud... if that doesn't just layer on the shit... Why am I crying? This is just dumb. But I guess it's not just my brother. He's a big part of it, considering he's the one who has me confused and hurt. But why did I think thinking about Choji would make me feel better? Dang.

"Al-whoa-Alsono. Found you!" I whipped around at the voice. How? How did he find me so fast? I've been out here less than ten minutes. Choji was taking big breaths, a hand on the tree I decided to sit against. "You know, you run REALLY fast!" His goofy smile... it make's my chest warm. He held my shoe up and smiled ever grander. "Your shoe milady." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. And I think the sound that made it's way out of me was a mixture of both.

"Dang it Choji, I'm trying to be upset." I said, smile on my lips and hand wiping a tear from my eye.

He kneeled in front of me and smoothly slipped my shoe back on my foot. "You can do that after I've made you laugh some more." Oh you sweet, sweet man. What would I do without you? "I like it better when you smile. You're prettier like that." My heart stopped.