Talking to strangers

Chapter: 15 Guilt

Shikamaru scratched his head, he was guilty I could tell.

" Not me Temari, but that's not the point."

I was angry now. " So the other day you invited her to help out on purpose!"

I stormed out of the room, but Shikamaru was hot on my tail.

" Look I wanted to help! you both are my friends and I know how you feel about her!"

" You don't know a damn thing Shika!" I yelled stomping down the stairs.

He caught me by my shoulder and I turned to glare at him.

" Fine you can be as angry as you want with me I don't give a shit, but I know you've been working your head off because your trying to distract your self from what your feeling" he said.

I didn't respond I could only shoot daggers at him, because he was right. I couldn't bring myself to admit it though.

" And as your friend I'm here to tell you your going about this wrong. Your going to wear yourself out. I've been exactly where you are with Temari, that's why this pisses me off so much" he said.

I relaxed slightly and lightly brushed his hand off my shoulder. " You don't know the half of it. My situation is nothing like you and Temari."

" Well why don't you tell me about it then? Instead of working yourself into a grave. God you keep everything to yourself don't you?"

Hinata smiling face flashed through my head in a painful burst.

" Come on let's go back upstairs. Talk to me. Please? I don't say that very often you know" Shikamaru said.

Was this even okay?

Would Shikamaru be able to explain to me why I'm so screwed up?

He thought it was Sakura that had me working my way in to a mental asylum, but to be one hundred percent honest I hadn't thought about her in weeks.

It was Hinata who was on my mind.

I was so consumed with guilt and uneasiness, that I was literally doing everything and anything to distract myself.

Venting was the last thing i wanted to do. I didn't like feeling exposed or trusting people with my vulnerability, it had always bitten me in my ass in the past.

It was only until I met Hinata did I feel like I could start to open up again.

Too bad she was the one who I was having an issue with right now.

Shika looked at me impatiently.

" Naruto-kun, your going to make yourself sick bottling everything up. Not everyone's the enemy, there are people who genuinely care and want what's best for you. I happen to be one of those people."

I could still hear Hinata's words loud and clear in my mine.

I looked briefly at Shikamaru, then at the food at our feet.

Shikamaru was one of those people too.

I finally decided to take a leap of fate and tell him what was going on, every thought in my head was leaking out like a broken faucet.

It was all a shock to Shikamaru and even more of a shock to me as I wasn't use to revealing my thoughts to anyone.

I felt exposed, my safety blanket completely ripped from over me. Yet, there was no judgement from Shikamaru, he nodded his head and listened.

It meant more to me than he knew.

" Well I knew you were bottling up things, but this man..this is..."