I am updating from my friends house, so you all should give a big thank you to her for letting me borrow her laptop to finish this chapter! :D Okay, well, sorry to say, but this is the LAST chapter to She's just a Girl, and He's just a Boy!!! I hope you all liked this story!

Chapter 7, The Big Day!

"Well, this is the day. You all better be ready," Sakura said, then she walked off, leaving Hinata and the two boys to stand their speechless.

– –

"What's this all about, Sakura?" Ino sighed, brushing her bangs back from her blue eyes. "Why do you want the whole team just sitting here, when we should be going over things we need to practice?"

"Because I have more help, and the whole team needs to see what they can do before they will be accepted." Sakura replied, pulling back her hair and tying it with a ribbon. "If they don't, they will never accept these guys as part of the team. Ino," Sakura looked her best friend directly in the eye. "we need these guys, and they will do what ever I say. We have a contract."

Ino looked at her skeptically for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. "I just hope you know what you are doing..."

"I do." Sakura smiled and jogged off, leaving Ino to deal with getting the team seated and calmed down.

"Are we ready?" Hinata asked, her big pale eyes filled with excitement and worry.

Sakura smiled at her. "Almost. Where's the guys?"

"Oi, Sakura-Chan! We're right here!" Naruto called as he and Gaara walked around the corner towards them. "Sorry, I couldn't find my other shoe." He grinned stupidly and scratched the back of his unruly blond hair.

Sakura laughed and just rolled her eyes. "Alright, then. Lets go. Remember, if you pass this test, then its only one more week until you are record and cheer free."

"Amen to that!" Naruto laughed.

"L-let's go." Hinata smiled.

"Right!" Sakura smiled widely and turned around walking towards where the others waited for them. Hinata fell instep with her, the guys following behind.

The rest of the cheer squad was talking and laughing on the field, all sitting close in a group. Ino and Tenten were standing in front of them, both holding clip boards. Sakura took a deep breath and raised her chin as everyone turned to look at them, immediately whispers started. Sakura could tell that Kiba was glaring at Gaara, he said something in Sai's ear, and they both nodded, sending the two boys behind her nasty looks.

"Get into position." Sakura said to them and Hinata. Then she turned and looked back at the group. "Okay, before you- Kiba, Sai, stop talking- make any judgments on my sanity, let us show you what Hinata and myself have been working on for the past few weeks. Gaara Sabaku and Naruto Uzumaki have been my little, well, I guess you could call them test subjects." Sakura waved off that small comment. "We have been working with them, showing them the different routines and the different moves and stuff like that. We needed two more guys on the squad for our big show, and I have found them. So, before you judge them, just watch and see what they have learned in the small amount of time that I had to teach them." Sakura walked over and stood between Gaara and Naruto, with Hinata crouched down in front of her. "Hey sis, can you play the music?"

Tenten walked over to the music player and pushed play, then sat back down next to Ino.

The second the music started, Hinata jumped up and did a back flip, over Sakura who had ducked down. As soon as Hinata was behind her, the two guys lifted Sakura up on their shoulders, Hinata doing a summer salt under her, so that she was back in front of them. Gaara lifted Sakura up off Naruto's hand and into the air, while Naruto grabbed Hinata around the waist and flipped her over his head, then doing a cartwheel with three spins. Sakura punched the air then dropped to the ground with Gaara's help. Gaara and Naruto did hand stands and put their feet together, Sakura and Hinata doing a back hand spring under and over their pointed feet. Gaara and Naruto pushed off each other and landed softly, just in time for the two girls to jump up, and be grabbed and held up by the two boys.

They had practiced and practiced for this day. The whole time Sakura prayed nothing would be messed up. It is going to take everything they have to be able to get into the competition, and they need Gaara and Naruto, whether the others like it or not. But its a team decision, she can't say they are on without their vote. She truly hoped the others would see them for their potential, and not for their reputation. It would make her sick to think that will be what makes up their minds. These two boys deserve a second chance, that is why she is doing this. It may not be the reason she started this for, but it was definitely the reason now.

After spending all the time with them that she has, she is no longer blind to who they really are. Sure, they have problems, but most people do. They wouldn't kick her off the squad because her grandmother was dying, would they? No. So they shouldn't be blind to how good these two are. They want to learn, they have proven that much. They can be so much more then what everyone says.

They need to find the time to look and see what is on the other side of the walls these two boys have put around themselves.

When Sakura first asked Gaara to help her, it was for selfish reasons. She did it because she knew she could bend him and mold him into what she wanted him to be. She used him. And he let her. His life was, literally, in her hands, and she took advantage of it. She molded him into a cheerer. She didn't even stop to think, not once, about how he felt about all of this. He had no choice. It was this, or be thrown out on the streets. But as time went by, she started to see him for who he was, and not for what he could do for her. She saw how gentle and fun he could be. Yes, there was always that part of him that pissed her off to beyond reason. But there was more then that.

Sakura found a person within a monster.

Sakura pushed her fist into the air as she sat on Gaara's hand, while he held her up. Tenten stopped the music. Hinata was talking softly to Naruto and Gaara, telling them how good they did, and that it was the best she had ever seen them do. Gaara set Sakura down and turned towards Naruto to talk. Sakura stood there staring at nothing as she thought.

"Oh my God..." She whispered, covering her mouth with a gasp at what she had just realized. But Ino snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Wow, Sakura, that was... um... really good!" Ino seemed to be shocked. Sakura looked around at the others, all had the same shocked look. Only Tenten was smiling at them. The others had their mouths open and their eyes as wide as they could go.

"I told you they were something," Sakura whispered. She slowly turned to look at the two boys standing next to Hinata. Naruto was grinning with his hands behind his head. Gaara was standing there... just watching her. Not smiling, not frowning. Just a blank stare. She smiled at him and quickly turned back to the group. "These two deserve to be on this squad. They know everything, if not more, then you do. They had tried their hardest to become what they are now. But, this is up to you. There will be a vote tomorrow afternoon. But for now, I think everyone should sleep on it and think about it. Meet here after school tomorrow. Dismissed."

Sakura went over to her bag and pulled a towel out of it, wiping off her face. Her realization made her muscles quiver, and her stomach erupt with butterflies. Her scoffed at herself and took a long drink of water. She pulled out her sweatpants and pulled them over her cheer skirt. She took the ribbon out of her hand and put her hair back up in a bun with a regular elastic.

"Sakura," Gaara walked over and stood beside her.

"Yeah?"

He didn't say anything. When Sakura looked up from packing her stuff she saw him looking back towards the group. Sakura glanced over at them. Kiba was the only one left, besides them. He was standing there watching them. Kiba was glaring at them. Sakura rolled her eyes and lifted her bag up.

"Ignore him. Lets go."

Gaara followed Sakura off of the school grounds and down the road. "Are you not going for a run today?" He asked.

"No, not today," She yawned.

Gaara "Hn"d.

They walked in silence together, just enjoying the afternoon warmth. Or, Sakura was at least. She couldn't tell what Gaara was thinking. He just stared straight ahead with his hands in his pockets. Sakura stopped and turned towards him, her mouth open. He looked towards her. She shut her mouth with a sigh and started walking again.

"What?" He asked.

"Its nothing," She sighed.

They walked on in silence for a few blocks.

"Sakura, when we finished, you seemed distracted. What were you thinking about?"

The question surprised her. She stopped walking and turned to look at him. He had that blank stare again. "I just realized something, thats all," She whispered.

"What did you realize?" He asked, stepping closer. Sakura bag slipped off her shoulder and thudded when it hit the ground. Gaara cocked his head to the side as he took another step closer.

"Its... nothing." Sakura turned her head away, praying he didn't see the blush.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." He was so close she could feel his breath on the side of her face. She swallowed hard and lifted her hand to his chest to push him away. But he was suddenly gone.

"Kiba!" She screamed. Kiba had thrown Gaara to the ground and was getting ready to punch him. "No! Stop!" Before Gaara could block, Kiba nailed him in the jaw. Blood spurted from Gaara's mouth. "Kiba!" Tears raced down Sakura's cheeks. She grabbed Kiba under the arms and tried to lift him off of Gaara.

"Stop!" Kiba growled, lashing his arm out at her. He hit her across the face and sent her backwards to the ground.

Sakura gasped and placed her hand over the spot on her cheek where he had smacked her. She watched in horror as Kiba got ready to hit Gaara again. But Kiba didn't get the chance. Gaara threw him off of him and slammed him into the wall. She couldn't hear what Gaara said, but Kiba's face turned white. When Gaara let go of him, Kiba scrambled away like a scared puppy.

The next thing Sakura knew she was being lifted to her feet by Gaara. He moved her hand away and examined her stinging cheek.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Sakura could have sworn she saw worry swimming in his jade eyes. All she could do was nod. He was looking in her eyes for something, but he backed off a little. "Good." He picked up her bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Gaara..." She stopped him and turned his face to her. His eyes watched as she lifted her hand and gently ran her finger over his lower lip, wiping away the blood. "you should see a doctor," She whispered.

"I don't need a doctor," He grumbled.

Sakura smiled softly. "Do you want to know what I realized?" She asked in a whisper. Sakura didn't wait for him to answer, she told him anyway. "I realized for the first time... that I'm in love with you, Gaara Sabaku. I love everything about you. The way you act, the way you look, the way you speak. Even the way your hair falls over your forehead." Sakura reached up and brushed some of his red locks to the side. "That, Gaara, is what I realized today." When she met his eyes she was surprised to see them smiling at her.

"Took you long enough, Women," He gave her a real smile and pulled her to him as he kissed her.

There you have it, the end of the story!!! Don't forget to give a big thanks to my friend for letting me use her laptop!!! :D Please review and let me know what you thought!