Chapitre 40: Chapter 40
I will put a full song list of Prestige's 2nd album at the bottom of this chapter! It was posted in a previous chapter as well, but just in case you missed it: here it is.
Thank you, as always, for reading!
Enjoy!
-Hinata's POV-
The next few days passed in one big blur with the only thing sticking out to me being the incredibly demanding dance practices and worrying about Sakura. Ever since Monday, our first day back from Christmas break, she's been gradually getting more quiet and withdrawn.
On Tuesday morning, the day after our late night hospital visit, I gathered the courage to ask her if she truly is okay, but she insisted that she's completely fine and is just feeling a bit off because of the pain medication the doctor prescribed her. I want to believe her, I really do, but something in the back of my mind keeps warning me not to let her out of sight.
Not only do I have Sakura to worry about, but ever since Sasuke and I cuddled not once, but twice, and he also came home the way he did for my birthday, things have been a bit awkward now that we're not the only two home. Rather, I should say that I'm a bit awkward. He's been completely normal as though nothing happened at all.
I can't help it. Every time we're within a few feet of one another or make eye contact, memories of how it felt for him to hug me so tightly after giving me such a heartfelt gift flood my brain and I start to have a mini-panic attack trying to remember how I used to act.
My fingers unconsciously lifted to fiddle with the pretty locket around my neck, the previously mentioned gift. It just might be the best gift I've ever received and if Sasuke ever realizes just how much I cherish it, he might never let me hear the end of his teasing.
Ever since the day he gave it to me, I can't bring myself not to wear it. In an attempt to keep him from feeling weird about it, I typically keep it on the inside of my shirt. That being said, he's worn the watch I gave him everyday, too, and that makes me surprisingly happy.
Currently, the four of us are in the back of one of the agency's SUVs. We're on our way to the same building we recorded our first album's music videos to begin working on the ones for our second. This will be the first time we're recording without our mentor, Tenten, there to cheer us on and offer advice, so I'm a little nervous, but not so much that I can't manage.
After that first video where I almost passed out because of the unfamiliar makeup and revealing clothing, things got much easier. True to what I've mentioned before, if I'm left with no choice but to woman up and deal with it, I'm eventually able to overcome my shyness.
Tenten sent us all a lengthy text message wishing us luck this morning, apologizing that she's too busy to be here. She has a fundraising charity event to be present at all day today to raise money for Konoha's animal shelters.
I glanced over to see Sakura's eyes were dull and glazed over as she stared at the floorboard with a frown. Then I noticed that both Gaara and Sasuke were looking at her with expressions on their faces that likely matched my own to varying degrees. I knew it! I'm not the only one who thinks something is going on with her!
Before I could decide if I wanted to act on that discovery, our driver informed us we'd arrived. With one more glance at my pink-haired friend, I sighed softly and stepped out of the vehicle.
As my usual makeup artist, who I now know is named Maki, began preparing me for the shoot, I did my best not to anxiously fidget as my mind raced between my multiple worries. Luckily, Sakura seems to at least be feeling more comfortable with dancing than she was on Monday, when she yelled at Sasuke. She apologized to all of us again on Tuesday for the mishap even though none of us were holding it against her. It was obvious she wasn't feeling well and that probably had something to do with it.
The video we're working on today is for "Fallin" and for that I'm grateful because Gaara's my partner. That means I don't have to stress about Sasuke being too close and potentially embarrassing myself by making mistakes.
Both the choreography and outfit concept for this song is military-themed. Since the music's so drum-heavy, it fits the vibe very well. All four of us were dressed in very well-tailored outfits that fit the theme before being directed to get into place on set.
Kakashi arrived after a short wait and stood before us in one of his oh-so-flattering business suits, looking just as stunning as the first day we met, "Let's do our best today, everyone! Sai will be in charge so listen to his direction." His speech was short and sweet, yet still somehow encouraging, before he moved behind one of the cameras to watch as our choreographer stepped forward to start instructing us on what he wants us to do.
Once we were in position and Sai was happy with the set up, the long and tedious process of filming a music video began.
Since Gaara and Sakura are usually paired up, I've only really gotten comfortable dancing with Sasuke, but the redheaded boy surprised me yet again by making things go very smoothly and eliminating even the slightest bit of awkwardness. Over the past week while we learned and practiced our new choreography, which is much harder than that of our first album's, anytime I'd stumble or mess up, Gaara would be there to make sure I didn't fall and would offer helpful advice on how to correct the issue.
I'm honestly beginning to get jealous that he's such a natural at everything our group does, but more than that I'm proud of him for trying so hard and earning positive results.
Nearly eight hours later, we were released. We were each exhausted, sweaty, and ready to call it a night. By the time we arrived home, the sun had just set.
After showering, I couldn't stop myself from trying one more time to get through to Sakura. When I got to her room, the door was already cracked and I knocked lightly, making it open further. She was sitting at her pretty white desk with her laptop open in front of her.
The moment she heard me, she spun around in her chair and smiled tensely while shutting the computer swiftly, "H-Hey, Hina."
I returned her grin, nodding at her laptop with a red face as I flopped down on her bed, "What're you working on?" The color of her cheeks quickly matched mine, making me feel like I interrupted something, "I-Is this a bad time?"
The pink in her cheeks quickly turned bright red and she waved her hand dismissively, "No, it's nothing like that! I was just-" For a moment, she hesitated before a look of defeat came across her features.
It seems like I accidently stumbled onto a serious topic without intending to, at least so quickly after arriving. Feeling a bit guilty, I sat up on the foot of her bed with a fluffy purple pillow in my lap and averted my gaze down for both of our comfort while lowering my voice, "You know you can talk to me about anything, no matter what it is, right?"
Sakura followed my lead and moved her green eyes down to her lap. When I snuck a glance, it was clear she was trying very hard not to cry. The aching worry that's been fizzing up in my mind flared up even more, but I fought the urge to physically try and comfort her because I know it's not what she wants or needs right now.
"I-I, um, I want to break up with Sasori, but I don't know how to do it. That's what I was searching…"
I sat up a little straighter. That's not what I expected her to say, but at least it's something. She noticed and the face she made told me she instantly regretted saying anything at all. I put up both hands to soothe her visible anxiety, "I-Is it because of-"
"Yes."
Her tone told me she doesn't want to even hear it said aloud, so I paused before skipping over the rest of my question with my fingers absently moving up to fiddle with my locket again, "Was it really that painful?"
Sakura hung her head with a look of shame, making my heart ache, "That and some other reasons, but I don't want to talk about it."
I lay back on her bed with the fluffy pillow on my stomach as I ran my fingers through it to quell my own nerves, "I'm so sorry, Sakura. I want to help, but I don't know how."
For a long few moments, silence enveloped the room before she suddenly came over to lay down beside me on the bed. When she spoke again, there was a more decided tone to her voice, "Will you go to a party with me tomorrow night? I want to do it there, but I'm scared to go alone."
I turned my head to look at her and my throat tightened when I did. She's so incredibly pretty, but the heartbroken look on her face as she kept her eyes trained on the ceiling wasn't easy to look at. Though I'm probably the worst person Sakura's friends with to take as backup to a party, I agreed without a moment of hesitation, "Of course I will!"
She turned to meet my eye with a grateful smile, "Can this be a secret between us? I don't want the boys or Ino to know about it, at least for now."
I knew immediately that she specifically means she doesn't want Gaara to know not only about this party, but all the stuff about her losing her virginity and how much she disliked the experience. I nodded, turning to look up at the ceiling again with a sigh.
On top of Sakura wanting to feel in control of a situation that's causing her an incredible amount of stress, we've also unintentionally put both of the boys through a lot since Prestige formed. It's time for the two of us to handle something on our own for once.
With both of us having the party to look forward to, the next day, Friday, went by quickly and smoothly. Prestige called it a day from filming music videos a bit early, which allowed Sakura and I to squeeze in a quick visit to Lee's salon. Afterwards, we came home and separately began getting ready for the party.
My mind reeled in deep thought about what could possibly go wrong tonight as I straightened my newly-trimmed hair in the bathroom. Out of everyone I know, I have the absolute worst luck, so the closer the time to leave came, the more my stomach began to churn and my heart rose up into my throat. I don't even know where this party is going to be, but Sakura said it's across town and that's enough to freak me out.
For her sake, I've been putting on a brave face because that's what she needs. It's her turn to rely on me and it's my turn to be a rock for her. Despite my thoughts being strengthened, my fingers began trembling and I shakily sat the hot tool down before placing my hands on the counter and lowering my head to take some deep breaths and try to calm down.
"The bangs make a comeback."
A small scream of fear past my lips as I whipped around to see Sasuke leaning against the bathroom closet door with his arms crossed and a frown. His words were teasing, but his tone and appearance were anything but.
"S-Sasuke, don't do that!"
The corner of his lips tugged as though he wanted to smirk, but held it back, "What're you getting all dolled up for? Late night church service?" Again, his tone didn't match his playful jab and it made me feel weird.
I turned my back to him and unplugged the hair straightener before unzipping my makeup bag to touch up what the makeup artists had done before we left the studio. Rather than feed into his odd aura, I ignored his question and focused on not visibly showing how nervous he was making me.
Sasuke didn't seem to mind and simply watched me in silence for a few moments before surprising me once again by lowering his voice as he dropped his arms down to his sides, "What's Sakura's deal?"
I met his eye for a brief moment in the mirror before swiftly averting my gaze down to the counter. Part of me wants to tell him what we're doing tonight, but I couldn't do it for both Sakura and my's sake. He already thinks I'm a coward. Asking him for support yet again will only make that negative opinion grow stronger.
"You two are doing something tonight, aren't you?" The Uchiha man's question was asked in a way that told me he already knew the answer.
I grit my teeth before turning to face him, screwing the lip gloss in my hands closed with as firm a glare as possible, "Everything's fine."
He scoffed and narrowed his eyes, straightening his posture in a way that both scared me and made me feel a certain type of way that I shouldn't about someone who's so close a friend, "You're a terrible liar."
My strong facade threatened to break, but I forced it to stay up, "Sasuke, just this once, can you please back off?"
The look on his face immediately made me regret my words because he went from being openly surprised to angry, "Where are you guys going, Hinata?" I shook my head as I turned to place my makeup back in its bag before returning to my room and shutting my door behind me, locking it so he wouldn't be able to come in if he chose to keep trying to pry.
It didn't feel good, blatantly shooting Sasuke down when he's being so open about the fact that he's worried about us, but right now I have to focus on helping Sakura. I can apologize to him later.
After dressing in a cute long sleeved dress with tights and some ankle boots, I went downstairs. Sakura left her room as I descended the steps, looking stunning in a dark green dress and thigh-high boots, her hair in romantic, loose curls. We met gazes and shared a look before crossing the room to the door so we could put on our winter coats.
Gaara, who was reading a book on the sofa, looked up as we passed, "Where are you guys headed?"
Sakura gave him a smile that had absolutely no chance of fooling someone as attentive as our redheaded friend, "Out. We'll be back late so don't wait up."
His eyes narrowed and turned onto me with a silent question and I panicked. Eyes wide and face red, I covertly gestured for my pink-haired friend to hurry up, "S-See you later!"
He frowned, "Should I come with you?"
Sakura answered just a little too quickly, "No! We're having a girls' night! Bye!" I gave him a small wave before following her outside.
We shared another look as we got into her car. Keeping the boys out of the loop is much harder than both of us thought it'd be.
One of the only things that brought me some solace with this entire plan is the fact that we're taking her car. That way, if things don't go well we won't be stuck there with no way home. She's driving us there and I'll drive us back because she asked me if I could so she can have a drink or two to help give her some courage.
Her GPS took us to an upper-end residential area over an hour away. The further we got from our home, the more nervous I became. I knew it'd be far away, but didn't think it'd be quite this much.
When Sakura finally parked the car, she did so behind one of more than a dozen vehicles on the block before turning to give me an anxious frown, "This is it, I guess."
I nodded, trying to give her strength, "Y-You can do this!"
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened the door and climbed out. I followed, accepting her arm when she offered it to me, and then we walked up the sidewalk toward the massive house where bass could be heard thumping even from this far down the block. The distance between the houses here is much greater than those in the inner city, so the neighbors probably aren't all that bothered by parties like this one.
Sakura's green eyes met mine and we both nodded as she reached for the doorknob.
Here goes nothing.
Prestige Second Album Song List:
Slow Dance-Ava Max/AJ Mitchell
Thunderclouds-LSD/Labrinth/Sia
Control-Zoe Wees
Losing Me-Gabrielle Aplin/JP Cooper
Man On The Moon-Benjamin Ingrosso/Alan Walker
Give A little-Ash/Naila
Why-Shawn Mendes/Leon Bridges
Losing Temper-Linda Antonia/B-YAN/XavTheArtist
Fallin' (Adrenaline)-Why Don't We
Like I'm Gonna Lose You-Meghan Trainor/John Legend
Almost Is Never Enough-Nathan Sykes/Ariana Grande
Don't Deserve This-Nea/Sandro Cavassa/Animal Elektric
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone