Your eyes scan the sheet in your hand. Catching the instructions for the short story you're supposed to create for the competition. Which finally, Kakashi gave you all the details you needed about the date, time and place. You have three weeks to write and perfect the short story, which doesn't even feel nearly enough.

     Busy days, busy days.

     You think as you begin to scratch through your creative mind for an idea. Children's short story? Romance? Tragedy? Fiction? Horror? Science Fiction?

     Alright, how about we start with authors and examples.

     You stand from your desk's chair and step towards your high book shelf, reaching out for the short stories Kakashi had given you. Tapping your fingers onto your lips, you begin to snicker at the five books in hand. You're beginning to regret telling Kakashi that he shouldn't come over, all with the rumors at the school you didn't want to risk anything. But no one in your school lives in these apartments so you're beginning to feel stupid.

Your gloomy mood ends once you hear a knock at your door. Your eyes perk up excitedly before you run over to the entrance. The door knob quickly turns as you prepare your eyes for Kakashi. Happy that he would ignore your words. Except that he didn't.

The person standing in the doorway makes your eyes widen in surprise. "Neji," you stutter as the white eyed male brings high into his face some brown paper bags, which you assume are full of food by the stench.

"I thought maybe we could eat together. I hope you don't mind, Hinata told me where you live and I wanted to surprise you." He says as his eyes drift down onto your apartment's floor. You bite down your tongue before you awkwardly pull open the door, letting him enter.

"Thanks. That's really sweet of you." You say before shutting the door as your stomach begins to churn. Making a loud sound.

Neji turns his head towards you, laughing at the sound. "Ah, I came perfectly on time for your stomach."

Not exactly.

You think as your stomach flips at your mood. Regardless, you smile at his thoughtfulness. "My savior." Slips out of your lips as you scratch your head with a chuckle.

Neji sits down at the counter, where Kakashi usually sits. You bite down at your thought and brush it off before standing onto his opposite side behind the table. Neji sets the bags of food onto the table snd brings out small white boxes that had Chinese letters onto them. "Ah I love Chinese food," you whisper as you grab one of the boxes and open it, revealing it's contents and steam.

Golden noodles full of steamed vegetables were in your line of sight, giving off a sweet smell to your nose. A small smile appears on your face as you try your best to appreciate the food. Even if it wasn't brought by Kakashi. "I'm glad you do," Neji says as he opens a box full of white rice with a chuckle. "So, how's the writing coming along?" He asks.

You shift uncomfortably in your chair as you feel the thought struggling in your brain. "Not great to be honest. I have no idea what to make it about... There are just so many genres that it makes it really hard for me to pick one. And I don't want to go with romance. I want to think out of the box this time. Do something...different I guess." You say before you begin to dig in your food with a pair of chop sticks.

"Ah well, do you like to base your main characters off of your personality?" Neji asks, causing you to snicker at the question.

     Do I?

     You ask yourself curiously as you think about it well. And now it's that you realize that you do base them off of yourself. Whenever they're in situations, they make decisions that you would make. Always. "Yeah," you say with a bit of shame.

     A good writer can create anyone in their stories. So you're feeling somehow lame for always thinking of yourself. "There's nothing wrong with that." Neji says as he gives you an encouraging look.

     Your eyes widen as you realized how quickly Neji noticed the change in your tone. As you scratch the back of your head, you shrug at him. "I'm not so sure about that..."

    "Well, I don't know much about writing but I think that's something a bit too difficult to work on right now. With the time left for your competition, you should use the skills you have right now and make a great story," Neji says. "Maybe you could base a story off of an experience that happened or you could imagine happening to you. But you have to be careful with the age you'll pick."

You bite down your tongue after listening intently to Neji's advice. "That's perfect..." you say lowly as your eyes squint at Neji. His bright eyes glance at you curiously. Surprised at how satisfied you are with his advice. "I'll just put myself in a New Years situation since the competition is the 29th! I've totally got this!" You smile bright before standing and giving Neji a tight hug abruptly. Your anxiety calmed down as story ideas pop up in your mind, but it quickly washes away as you realize how close you are to Neji.

     Your eyes widen before you let go quickly. Not giving Neji the chance to actually hug you back. "I-I... I have to write before I forget all of this!" And you run off towards your room, barely having eaten just a couple of noodles.

     Neji's hand lands on his hair as he pulls it down softly, letting a gentle smile appear on his face. "Alright then..." he says lowly.

As soon as you enter your room, you grab a piece of paper, a pencil and your laptop. Once you gather them together, your fingers begin to write aggressively the notes of your story.

My characters will be a group of three boys and two girls. All within the age of 11 and 12. This story will take back in the 1980's. It's December 31st, 1982 and a monster comes every new years to a small town in North Carolina called Mystelog. He's a legend that goes by the name Mantalüi that seeks out one old man every year to consume his memories of all of the years he's lived. Even those that he does not recall. Unluckily, the elderly man chosen this year is Todd's old pa' Martin. Todd, Felix and Harry are out on this mission, that they imagine is in a video game, to save the happy old man from Mantalüi. But the geeky boys can't do it alone with just their arcade skills. They'll also need the "popular" 8th grade girls' help from Middleton Middle School. This group of middle schoolers are determined to save old pa' with their baseball bats, golf sticks, and purses so Mantalüi won't ever take their own grandfathers. And this short story will be named: The M.

Another abrupt knock is at your front door as soon as you finish your notes of the short story that you are very excited for. You begin to blink many times as your thoughts are fuzzy and hazy in your head. But it quickly is washed away once you hear the front door open.

Neji!

You run out of your room instantly towards the door and your eyes widen at the sight. There Neji was, who answered the door, facing your beloved english professor. Kakashi. Not being able to see Neji's face, your chest became heavy as you were beginning to cower at the thought of Neji's possibly angry expression.

Kakashi on the other hand, glanced towards you and smiled with the bouquet of flowers in his hands.

Could this be even more suspicious?

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I am soooooo sorry for this late update!!!!! I had writer's block on what you were gonna write for the competition *ironic haha*. But gosh I love this idea of the short story! I'm debating whether I should actually create the short story or not. But yeah, update on how I am at home. Still have no electricity since the hurricanes but it's not as bad as it sounds. My school still has no electricity either but oh well haha. Don't abandon this story guys! I promise it will be finished. Happy late new year!!

- (AnimeFanficPlus)