The Pain of Being Ignored

Gina still couldn't believe that she had been forgotten so completely. She hadn't even gotten a 'oh, see you later'! She shook her dyed blue hair from her eyes.
No, she had just been able to walk away. Just walk away! She hadn't had to use any particular talent. She scoffed. They probably wouldn't of even noticed her if she had thrown a Kunai at them!
She stuffed her hands into the small gap between her belt and her trousers, not allowing her annoyance or pain show on her face.
People dealt with abandonment in different ways. Some drank. Some put all there frustration into training. Others liked to talk it out. Gina? She liked to buy herself something, the shinier the better. Shopping allowed her to put her life to one side, she was no longer just a ninja, she could pretend that she was just any other girl of 18.
A fixed smile on her face Gina walked up to the nearest stall, it was selling cloth to make clothes. She ran a hand over the smooth silk. Her younger sister did need some new clothes ...

Shiku saw a girl coming to the store he was shopping at. "Hello." he said waving to her. The girl had hair like his best-friend.

Gina looked up from the silk that she still held in her hands. "Oh, hello." She nodded to the owner of the stall and told him how much of the silk she would like. While she waiting for the measurement to be cut she returned her attention to the boy who had spoken to her. "Do you always talk to strangers?" She asked, softly scolding the boy.

"I'm 16, I can talk all the strangers i can." he Yakashiku said, holding up a green cashmir that would look good on his friend.

"Ah, of course you can." She smiled and handed over the coins to pay for the silk. "Doesn't mean that you shouldn't be careful." It didn't matter how old the boy said he was, he was younger than her and therefore a child. She gestured with a flick of her hand at the cashmere in his hand. "That for anyone special?"

Shiku eyed her up. "Yeah, my friend. She loves cashmir." he gave it to the clerk, who started to cut,and picked up teal silk, and did the same,"And silk."

"Wow, you must really like them! Cashmere and silk! Very nice." She resisted the urge to tell him to look after his money. "Your friend has very expensive taste." She was unable to keep the warning from her tone, or her eyebrow from raising. Oh well.

"yeah, well. I felt bad when she gave me 1,000,000 yen for my birthday (about $1,000), so i decided to use it to buy her a gift.

Gina's eyes widened in surprise. "I've got to find a friend like that ..." Not for the first time she thought about the fact that money was a little bit close at home. She looked down at the silk in her arms. Oh well. It could be an early birthday present.

"I think you know her. I've seen you in the same class as her when i come to walk her home. Kikisu's her name." he said smiling.

Gina's eyes widened once more, this time with recollection. "You must be-" she held out the hand that wasn't holding the silk she had just brought.
"Nice to meet you Yakashiku. My name is Ando Gina."

"Oh, so now i'm not a stranger?" he said shaking her hand. "So YOU'RE Gina." he said, remembering what kikisu had told him about her.

Gina smiled. "I hope Kikisu-chan has only said good things." With a pang she remembered that it had been Kikisu who had so completely ignored her earlier. "Tell her to learn better manners!" She blurted out. Shocked and embarrassed she put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry." She muttered, the word muffled by her hand.

"No, she does. She has bad memory, so she can often forget she was talking to some. And yes, she speaks SO highly of you. She always says how wonerful you are." he said, thinking kikisu might have forgotten she was talking to gina.

Gina only just barley pushed back the blush that threatened to break out on her cheeks. She wasn't use to flattery and the thought that Kikisu had been saying such nice things about her ... Gina felt as another pang of guilt absorbed her previous anger at the girl. Her eyes fell to the ground. "I don't know what to say ..."

"Let e guess. Kikisu forgot that she was talking to you? She's done that to me so any times, i can't count. " he said, thinking he knew what was happening.

"Y-yeah." Gina didn't often feel embarrassed and the emotion quickly passed. She raised her gaze so she was looking straight ahead.

"Well I guess it's good to know that it wasn't personal."

"Yeah, she has bad problems with paying attention, so she can't remember easily." he siad, trying to make ehr feel better.

Gina could sense what he was trying to do and flashed him a smile as a thanks. "Ah, maybe it will come to her with age." Noticing the owner of the stall looking at her in a frustrated manner she looked over her shoulder. "Um, I think we better carry on this conversation somewhere else. That is if you want to. You're probably a lot busier then I am ..."

Shiku handed the shopkeeper the money to pay for his and Gina's cloths. "Why don't we get some lunch." he sad, smiling.

Gina frowned. "You shouldn't of done that." She muttered, refering to him paying for the silk. Her eyes flashed an an idea came to mind. "Fine, but I'm paying for it- and you're picking the most expensive thing of offer. No arguements."

"REally, it was nothing." he said, flashing a friendly smile. She seemed to be nice, just like kikisu had told him.

"Is that an argument?" Gina asked returning his smile. Her voice was joyful and held none of her previous anger. She started to walk away, moving slowly as she waited for Shiku to catch up with her.

Shiku turned and walked after her. "Ug, i'm hungry. Do you want to get some ramen?" he asked, his stomach growling. "And you can pay if you want. Pay me back for the silk." he said, smiling.

Gina was thinking that it would take take more than a bowl of ramen for her to pay him back but decided to say nothing. "Sure, got any place in mind?" Gina didn't eat out very often as she usually made sure that she was back so she could cook for her younger sister and maybe her father if he was home from a mission. She wished she had inherited some of her father's determination. Sure she would complete a mission if it came her way but she was far too slacking when it came to training ...