Room 504, Friday Early Afternoon

[intraspective]

There was nothing quite like training all morning, taking a long hot shower, then collapsing onto your bed and flipping through gardening magazines and making notes.

And, you know, not thinking about what she had to do. That worked. Maybe if she just stayed in her room it’d all be okay for another day.

Luck ran in her family. Surely that meant this tactic would work. She'd keep her promise to A.J., but really, did it have to be today?

[Door is shut, post is for a certain alien-boy, but open if you come before him in the timeline.]

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[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Ino", he said, opening the door and stepping just inside. "You busy?"

[intraspective]

She glanced at her magazines spread on her bed, then back at him. "Hey. Just planning for my garden," Ino said, tucking a bit of hair away from her face, "I'll have to start planting soon."

Look, neutral topic. Good thing. Except not.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael nodded. "Spring and all. Should get warm soon."

[intraspective]

"It's already warm enough during the day," she said, "has been for a while. It's the night though that it gets cold enough to kill the seedlings."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Put sheets over them?" he suggested. "Keep the frost off."

[intraspective]

"That might work," Ino admitted, "but it's generally best to just go with the way nature does things. It's not like the plants I've picked will need a hothouse or anything so I'll just wait a bit."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Fair enough", he agreed.

[intraspective]

Ino looked down at her hands. Not sure what to do, or how to say it, or... or...

How did you break up with someone when you'd never formally said you were together, anyway?

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

She'd gone silent. And he didn't want to ask, but...

"Is everything OK?"

[intraspective]

That would've made her roll her eyes--wasn't it obvious?--but Ino didn't.

She shrugged, hands clenching, and straightening her back and meeting his eyes. "I asked you for more time," she said, "on Sunday."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"You did", he remembered, looking back at her and not moving from his spot.

[intraspective]

"I made up my mind," she said simply, eyes clear and determined.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

And just like that, any relaxation in his posture vanished.

"Okay."

[intraspective]

"Close the door," she said quietly. This is deserved an explanation if he could handle it. Ino took a deep breath, sorrowfully, and said quietly, "I chose, and I... I didn't choose you."

There. She'd said it. Now to watch it blow up in her face.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He didn't blow up. He just stood, looking at her.

Finally, quietly, "I figured."

[intraspective]

"I didn't," she admitted.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Oh, come on, Ino. Like you were ever going to choose me in the end."

[intraspective]

"You don't know what I think," she said, keeping a lid on her temper even though a fight right now... would be good. Make her feel less guilty. "It was a good possibility."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He shook his head, turning towards the door.

"It never was. Why would it be?"

[intraspective]

"It was," Ino said, watching him, "it was. You're smart, and funny, I find you ridiculously attractive, and I really like spending time with you."

All true.

"But we're not," a deep breath, wavering slightly, "I don't... it wouldn't work. We're too different."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He stopped, looking down at his feet.

"Comes to the same thing, in the end."

[intraspective]

"I'm still your friend," she said, trying to keep the wobble out of her voice, "I still want to be your friend. It's just... I couldn't..."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"I don't know if I can deal with that, Ino, if you're gonna be with him."

[intraspective]

Well.

She... that, that hurt, but Ino couldn't blame him.

"It won't change my feelings," she said quietly, "because even if you don't want me to be a friend, I'll still care."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"You know what I wanted from you", he said just as quietly.