So Deidara picked me up from class after school and took me to the hair salon. When it was my turn, I sat on the little spiny chair and smiled at the stylist.

“Hello, how would you like your hair done?” she asked me in monotone. I thought about it for a second before smiling.

“Very layered in the back- shorter than the front, and just trim an angle to match up with the back.” I said and she nodded. While she was cutting my hair, I couldn’t help but to think that I really didn’t need to be here and that I could just cut it myself.

The lady finished cutting my hair so Deidara and I went home. I went straight to where mom was, which was the office, and crossed my arms.

“What are we going to do about Maualei?” I asked and she looked up with a blank face.

“She is no harm, so nothing.” She said and looked back down at her paper. I peeked over her shoulder and sighed. All it said was that mom owes the Hokage 10,000 yen at the end of the week (I think that’s 1,000$). I sighed again and walked back out into the living room and found dad watching, you guessed it; Chuck Norris goes Shinobi. I chuckled and his head snapped up to look at me, and of course, he was crying.

“Go away! I don’t want you making fun of me!” he yelled pathetically. I rolled my eyes and went outside. I had no idea what to do and just groaned loudly.

“You sound troubled.” A familiar voice chided and I looked over to see Shikamaru standing a few meters away. I grinned and football tackled him into a hug. When he hit the ground, he moaned in pain softly. I sat on his chest and poked his angry-looking yet amused face.

“Your back, finally!” I giggled and he smiled.

“I am back, finally. Miss me?” I grinned.

“Well duh, we wouldn’t be on the ground if I didn’t.” he did a min-sweat drop and chuckled, which made his chest vibrate… the chest I was sitting on. I giggled again and rolled off of him to lie next to him. I might have been seeing things, or did I see a look of disappointment when I got off of him?

“What did you do this weekend?” he asked and I smiled widely.

“I entered the academy!” I said cheerfully and he looked at me with a genuine smile.

“That’s great Taintie!” he applauded and I nodded.

“Yep, yep. And I met your cousin, he’s like you in a way.” It was his turn to nod his head.

“Simiko? Yeah, he like copies everything I do, it’s a drag.” We both laughed and I stood up.

“Want to go buy some candy? I’m starting to get hungry.” I said and he smirked.

“Why do you always eat candy? Won’t you get fat and die?” I felt a pang in my heart. He didn’t know my secret. I frowned sadly and looked down for a moment, but then looked back up at Shikamaru.

“Can we go on a walk and get some candy- please?” I asked and he must’ve seen something in my eyes because he nodded without saying anything. We walked to the candy store in silence and when we got there, Tetsushi wasn’t there but a girl that looked in her fifties. I went to the chocolate isle and pointed to the candy. “You can get whatever.” I offered softly and he nodded, taking a Pay Day. I took a few bags of M&M’s and took out a wad of money while leaving, tossing it on the desk.

We walked out of the gates and I didn’t turn down the trail that went to my house, gaining a confused stare from Shikamaru, but he followed beside me. When we got far enough, I turned and face him with an emotionless face.

“Shikamaru… I have something to tell you.” His eyes seem to light up.

“That you like me too?!” he asked and I anime fell. When I recovered from the fall, I smiled at him.

“Of course I like you, but I’m afraid that’s not what I was talking about.” He sighed and I rolled my eyes. “This is important, so listen up.” I ordered and he looked up at me, now serious.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Promise you won’t hate me? Or be afraid?” his eyebrows rose up.

“Of course I won’t hate you, and I think I can handle whatever you’re about to tell me.” He put his hands in his pockets but immediately pulled them out with a loud “Owch!” I stiffened when I saw that he had cut his finger and blood was starting to ooze out. “I must’ve left my kunai in there from earlier.” He muttered and I stopped breathing. ‘Think, think. What would mom do? Oh! My spit heals.’ I avoided looking at the cut on Shikamaru’s finger and looked straight in his eyes.

“I can show you what I’m about to tell you. I can heal that for you.” He looked at me confused.

“You’re learning medical stuff?” he asked and I shook my head no. I was starting to feel lightheaded so I let out the breath I was holding.

“Can I, uh, see your finger?” I asked and he held up his finger for me. I shuddered at the sight of the blood.

“What’s wrong? You’re paler than normal.” He asked concerned and I shrugged.

“Do you trust me?” I whispered and he nodded slowly. I came closer and closer to his finger I held his finger in my hands and looked up at Shikamaru for a moment to see his reaction; curiosity. I looked back down with a confident attitude and got closer. I angled myself correctly from his cut and stopped breathing. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I knew how to do it and what to expect.

When my mouth was a centimeter from his cut, I let my fangs extract a little bit just so my saliva would change into healing saliva. I gently put my mouth on his cut and felt him shiver under my touch. I licked down his cut and immediately pulled back to spit. Then I tasted it; the amazing taste of blood. So I didn’t spit it out, instead I let the blood taste fill my whole mouth. I let my fangs sink back into my gums as I looked up at Shikamaru.

“Taintie..?” he asked unsure. I felt myself start to lose control when he said my name and I jumped back a good ten feet, into a tree.

“Kuso, kuso, kuso!” I repeated and pounded my fist into the bark of the tree. I felt Shikamaru get closer, I had to stop him, but I couldn’t will myself to. I wanted more, more of his blood. But now wasn’t the time to be thinking of blood, I had to explain how I healed his cut with my saliva, explain me being a hybrid.

That seemed to calm me down some and I managed to look at Shikamaru without an animalistic lust for him.

“What’s wrong with you?” he demanded and I flinched.

“Do you hate me now? Or are you afraid?” I asked in a quiet voice. His gaze seemed to soften some.

“I already told you, I could never hate you. I’m just worried about you.”

“I have a secret to tell you, that you can tell nobody, except for the people that live with me.” I said and he nodded for me to continue. “I… am not completely human.” I waited for his reaction but he seemed to just sweat drop, which made me freak-out. Did he already know about me?!

“I figured that. You are technically only, what? Two months old?” I sighed.

“One month and twenty-eight days. Soon to resemble a fifteen year-old when I hit the two month mark.” I corrected quietly. Of course Shikamaru would be suspicious of me already! I age 121 times faster than a normal human! This may be easier to tell him than I thought if he already figured something was different about me.

“Well, there must be more to it, tell me? I’m curious.” I smiled at him.

“I am a hybrid.” I looked at him and he nodded understanding.

“Hybrid of what?” he asked.

“I am half human, from my dad’s side, and half, uh, well…” I trailed off and he flicked my forehead.

“Tell me already.” He ordered and I blurted out, “vampire! Half vampire from my mom’s side.” He took a step back surprised with his eyes wide.

“Are you afraid?” I whispered and he didn’t say anything, signaling that my theory was correct. My best friend, afraid of me? I sighed, but was shocked at what Shikamaru had to say next.

“You drank my blood! How are you still standing there and not going crazy?!” he asked puzzled. I grinned then.

“Because you’re my best friend, Shikamaru. I couldn’t stand the fact if I hurt you in anyway.” His lips twitched upward and he seemed to think for a moment.

“What did my blood taste like to you?” he asked and he pondered that. How could I explain it for him to understand? Then I cracked a smile at him.

“Like an amazing piece of chocolate.”