Hey everyone i finally finished my story. I'm so proud. I hope you all enjoyed it because it sure took it out of me to write it. Warning the characters in this chapter may be a LITTLE BIT out of character. But then again anytime you have a romance story for them they are out of character so yeah. Hope yall enjoy. I didn't do a great job on proof reading this because its so much longer then the other chapters. Forgive me.
Homecoming Dance
The girls ran up to the school, they were very early for the dance and there were only a few people around. They entered the gym from the outside entrance; it was decorated with balloons and streamers. A place for music to be played had been set up at one end next to the door that entered into the main building.
"Hinata please tell me what your idea is or I'm going home." Tenten kept fiddling with the safety pins as they made their way across the gym.
"We just have to get to the Life Skills room. From there we have two options." They were in the building now and the life skills room was right down the hall from the gym.
"And the two options are?" Ino asked. They got to the door and Sakura turned the knob.
"It's locked." She said as she turned to them.
"That's it I'm not about to be here in a torn dress when the rest of the school shows up. I'm leaving." Tenten made to leave but Hinata grabbed her arm.
"Sakura can you get the master key from Tsunade's office?" Sakura nodded and rushed off down the hall. "Tenten you got me to the dance so I am not about to let you miss it. I can try to sew up your dress."
"And if you can't?" Ino asked. "What's option number two?"
"You've been wondering what I've been sewing in class, it's a dress. If I can't fix the one then she can wear that one."
"You made a dress." Ino and Tenten said together both sounding very impressed.
"I think I did." Hinata said quietly, her voice losing all the confidence it had held before. "I tried really hard."
"What did you try really hard on?" Sakura had returned, key in hand.
"Tenten is going to wear the dress Hinata made in class." Ino said.
"Only if I can't fix her dress." Hinata said quickly.
"You made a dress?" Sakura asked and closed the door behind them. Hinata nodded. "Well Tenten has to wear it then." She said it as if it was final.
"Don't I get a say in this?" They ignored Tenten's question. Hinata opened the closet where all the sewing supplies were kept. She took out a sewing machine and her usual mass of peach fabric.
"Change into this and give me your red dress." Tenten changed in the closet while the others set up the sewing machine. She was careful not to mess up her hair and make up as she did so.
"Hurry up Tenten. We've got eighteen minutes till the dance starts." Ino said after checking the clock.
"Okay here I come." She opened the door and the Ino and Sakura applauded.
"Hinata this dress is fabulous." Ino said as she looked the dress over. The dress was a peach color. It had a v-neck cut, three quarter sleeves and went down to Tenten's knees. Around the waist was a belt made of the same material that tied to the side and hung down to the hem of the dress. "How come it fits so well?"
"When I started the dress I used Tenten's measurements."
"I remember that. You didn't tell me it was for a dress." Tenten said as she went to find a mirror.
"You didn't ask. In fact that's why I didn't use either of you two because you ask so many questions." Hinata told them. They looked insulted for about five seconds before focusing back on the dress.
"Well it does look great; you have to wear it even if Hinata does fix your other one." Sakura said.
"Yeah defiantly and this way you won't look like a Christmas card when you stand next to Lee." Ino said.
Tenten sighed and the smile dropped from her face. Sakura gave Ino a mean look before helping Hinata pack up the sewing machine.
"If you'll wear that one, I'll just fix this on Monday." Hinata said quickly to change the subject.
"Yeah okay, it does match my jewelry and makeup." Tenten said. Hinata put the red dress where the peach one had come from and together they heading back to the gym where more students had arrived. Over by the entrance stood a few of the guys so that's the direction they went in.
"Well don't you four look great tonight." Kiba said as the girls joined them.
"So we don't always look great is what you're saying?" Sakura asked faking an angry look.
"Do I have to answer that?" Kiba asked.
"So anyways where are the others?" It was just now that the girls realized that only four of the guys were standing there. Kiba, Lee, Shino and Chouji.
"I saw them just randomly around the gym when it was a little emptier but I haven't seen them since." Chouji told them. "I'll go check by the concessions table for you." And he was gone. Shino followed him probably to stay as far from the dance floor as possible.
"Come on Tenten let's go dance." Lee said and before Tenten actually gave an answer she was pulled straight to the middle of the gym. The other's followed behind the two.
A while later
Neji was sitting off to the side of the gym up on the bleachers. He wasn't even sure why he had come to the dance. He couldn't sit still for more then five minutes before having to move to shake off the fangirls spying on him.
"Hey Neji." Neji didn't want to respond but he knew Naruto just would not go away.
"What do you want Naruto?" he asked impatiently.
"Is Hinata upset with me?" Naruto asked him. Neji thought for a second. First about why Naruto would ask him of all people about his cousin's feelings and second the answer to the question.
"She might be." He said. "But then again Hinata doesn't usually get upset with people; she'll put the blame on herself first."
"I'd rather her just be upset with me then herself." Naruto admitted.
"I'd rather her not be upset at all." Neji told him. He didn't really like it when Hinata was upset. He figured it must be some kind of family connection that made him angry with whoever did upset her.
"Hinata, Ino, go find Shizune please." The two boys looked down at the bottom of the bleachers where Sakura and Tenten were supporting Lee who was limping on one foot. They got up and stepped down the bleachers to join them.
"What happened?" Neji asked them.
"Lee fell and hurt his ankle while he was dancing." Tenten explained.
"If you could even call that dancing." Sakura muttered as she removed Lee's shoe to look at his ankle. It didn't look bad it didn't even look like it was swelling.
"I was dancing very well." Lee protested.
"Well what ever it was I'm not sure you will do it anymore tonight."
"What happened?" Shizune asked. She took a closer look at Lee before sending Ino into the school to get some ice. "Alright make some room." Shizune said as she shooed some of them away. Hinata, Sakura and Naruto got up and left.
"Lee you're going to have to sit the rest of the night out. I'd send you home but you need to let this ankle rest."
"But Shizune I cannot leave Tenten without a dance partner. It would be so unfair of me."
"Lee its fine I'll just hang out with the others."
"But you already did not seem to be enjoying yourself." Tenten sighed at Lee's comment. "I must not let you my friend be unhappy." Lee was about to get up when Neji held him down.
"Lee sit down, if Tenten really needs a dance partner then I'll go with her."
"Really?" Tenten said her eyes moved quickly to his.
"Really? That is so youthful of you Neji." Lee exclaimed. "Go now and make sure Tenten has a wonderful time." He did his best to push the two away from his sitting position on the bleachers. They slowly disappeared into the crowd.
"What was that all about?" Shizune asked as they were now out of hearing distance. "Your ankle is just fine."
"Thank you for not telling Shizune. I knew Tenten was unhappy about Neji not asking her to the dance so I did this so he would have to be with her." Lee spouted off Thank yous.
"You know you're not as out off the loop as everyone thinks you are." Shizune told him. "But you are going to have to sit here all night are you okay with that."
"If my dearest friends are happy then I will be fine."
With Sakura, Hinata and Naruto
Sakura hadn't originally planned to follow Hinata and Naruto but with the current awkwardness between them she thought it would be best. They walked to the concessions table.
"Hey Sakura have you talked to Sasuke yet?" Naruto asked. Sakura looked confused.
"No. Why?" She asked.
"Oh he was looking for you is all." Naruto said.
"Where is he? Do you know?" Sakura asked suddenly a bit nervous sounding.
"I saw him step out side. I doubt he went home though."
"Okay thanks." She left quickly. Hinata wanted to protest her leaving but that just didn't seem fair to keep her from Sasuke. She picked up a plastic cup and went to pour herself some punch. The ladle was missing; then it appeared.
"Here." Naruto handed her a cup of punch.
"Thank you." Hinata said putting the empty cut down and taking the full one.
"You know Sasuke didn't want to talk to Sakura. Or at least if he did he didn't tell me he did." He told her.
"Then wh…"
"I wanted to talk to you. Although I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say." Naruto looked just as confused as Hinata. It was also weird to hear him speaking so calmly. It wasn't really very Naruto-like. "I think I'm supposed to say something that makes you not upset."
"That would be nice." Naruto tried to think of something. 'Okay Naruto think of something to cheer her up. Now what makes girls happy? Sakura laughs when I'm in pain. Ino and Tenten like to cause pain. Maybe if Hinata thinks she caused me pain she would be happy.'
"When Sakura turned me down to go to the dance it didn't really bother me. In fact it didn't bother me at all. When you said no it really…hurt I guess." Hinata continued to look at him. She looked more upset.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid. Hinata is not evil like those other girls she doesn't want to know she hurt someone. What else? I guess girls like it when you tell them they look nice.'
"You look really pretty tonight." She stared at him and mumbled thanks. "Not that you don't always look pretty because you do. Always look nice. Beautiful even." He babbled. She looked like she was going to cry.
"Oh no she's going to cry. Think stupid what do I do now? Maybe if I tell her everything that I'm thinking she can tell me what it means. She is really smart."
"I wasn't going to cry." Naruto looked away from the floor and into her eyes hoping he hadn't actually said that out loud. "But telling me exactly what you're thinking might." He had said all that out loud.
"All I know is that I didn't like it when you said no to me. And that I think I like you more then I thought I did." 'That sounded better I think.' "That sounded better right?"
"Umm…yeah much better." She said as her cheeks turned scarlet. 'What do I say now?' "What do I say now?" He asked. Hinata looked at the punch in her hands.
"You c-could ask me to d-dance." She stuttered out.
"Okay!" he exclaimed. "Ah I mean, would you like to dance Hinata?" He held out his hand.
"S-sure." She took his hand and was pulled to the dance floor so quickly she dropped her punch on the floor.
With Ino
She was so tired of this. 'The plan was not to spend the entire dance trying to find ice for Lee and his stupid ankle. The plan was to party till I dropped. That wasn't even the original plan. Plan A was to get Shikamaru to ask me to the dance but that plan didn't work.' Ino was pretty good at covering her emotions in public but in private the dam that held them in would just over flow. 'That's it Lee can stick his foot in the punch bowl. I'm going back to the gym.' It's too bad that gym was on the other side of the school. Ino made her way through the halls. The only sound was the clicking of her heels against the floor and snoring. Ino stopped. Her heels stopped clicking and the snoring could be heard more clearly. She turned off the main hall of the school and on to a side one. At the end of the hall were doors that lead outside and two benches sat just inside the doors. Laying on one of those benches fast asleep, snores echoing off the empty halls was Shikamaru.
"Hey!" Ino shouted. The shout echoed with the snores and jolted Shikamaru awake.
"Huh?" He sat up holding his head.
"You know if you were just going to come here and sleep you should have stayed at home." Ino said as she sat down next to him.
"Yeah, I know." He said.
"I'm surprised you came at all after that whole getting turned down thing." She said. He looked confused. She didn't notice. "Yeah, so you never did tell me who it was that you asked. I could just ask around to see I guess."
"Please don't." he told her. He knew perfectly well he never did ask anyone but he really didn't need her to know that.
"Why? If I knew who it was I could go tell her how stupid she was for turning you down." Shikamaru looked at her.
"Why would you tell her that?"
"Well because it's true. You may be the biggest pain but sometimes but, I figured you were only that way to me."
"I am." She laughed.
'Thanks. It's nice to know I'm special to you." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Still. I'm not special enough to know who you asked to the dance."
"Ino I just can't tell you who okay. Please stop asking."
"But why, why can't you tell me?" Ino asked "What if I promised I wouldn't talk to whoever it is. She'll never know I know"
"Trust me if I told you, then she would know I told you."
"You don't trust me." Ino looked offended.
"It's not that it's just that…" he looked at the ceiling. "I asked you." She was confused. She was sure he hadn't asked her to the dance. If he had she wouldn't have said no.
"What are you talking about? You never asked me to the dance."
"Well maybe I didn't but I knew what your answer would have been."
"Umm obviously you didn't because if you asked me I would have said yes." She said in a 'was that not obvious' tone. "And I thought you really liked the girl you 'asked.'"
"I do like you. But I know you don't like me and that's why you would have said no because when you were talking to that friend of yours you said you would only go with the person you actually liked."
"But I would have said yes. You are the person I like so why didn't you ask me." The two sat looking at each other trying to process all the questions they asked.
"Okay so wait. You like me and I like you?" Ino asked for reassurance. Shikamaru nodded slowly.
"I think that's the conclusion we have come to." He said "So yeah what now?" They continued to look directly at each other. Ino leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed her back until she pulled away and stood up.
"Come on now we dance." She grabbed his hand and they took their time walking back to the gymnasium.
With Sasuke and Sakura
Sakura had gone outside in search of Sasuke. She thought it was odd that he would want to talk to her but the optimistic side hoped maybe it was about something she would like to hear. She searched for him in the front of the school and finally found him sitting up against a large tree staring up at the stars.
"Hey Sasuke." He looked over to her and nodded.
"Naruto said you wanted to talk to me." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.
"Naruto must be loosing his mind."
"Huh?"
"I didn't tell Naruto I wanted to speak to you." He told her. Sakura thought for a moment.
"Then why would he tell me…" She stood there confused and looking like a complete idiot in front of Sasuke. He watched her struggle with her thoughts for a while.
"I did want to talk to you though." He said.
"Oh, okay." She sat down next to him. "So what did you want to talk about?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to talk to you." He said simply. She gave him a strange look before starting up a conversation.
"So what shall we talk about?" She asked him.
"You can pick."
"Okay, well how about this. Why did you come to the dance you hate social events?" He didn't answer. "You said I could pick the topic now answer the question."
"I don't know."
"I'm tired of that answer; try again." She said with the same simply voice he used.
"Fine. I came because," Long silent pause. "Because I felt like it."
"Sasuke! That answer was worse then the first." She shoved his arm. He allowed himself to be shoved and swayed in his spot. "Really I want to know why you came."
Sasuke sighed before answering. "I came to see you."
"You can see me everyday." She told him.
"Yeah well it's complicated."
"I've got time it's not like I have a date to get back to."
"Why?" He asked her. "From what heard half the boys at this school asked you." He knew why she turned all those boys down. He just wondered if he would get the same reason she had told her friend. He did.
"None of them were the right one is all."
"So who is the right one?"
"I figured that was obvious." She said. "The right one for me hasn't ever changed." She stared at her manicured hands to avoid looking at him.
"Sakura?" It took her a minute to fully turn her head to him but she didn't have to worry about looking him in the eyes for more then a second. She closed her eyes when she felt his lips press against hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they stayed like that for a while. As they were about to kiss again Sakura spotted two people approaching the school. She backed away from Sasuke and moved to get a closer look.
"Sakura what are you doing?" She didn't answer him. After getting a close enough look at the two entering the school Sakura jumped up.
"Sasuke, its Hinata's father." She sounded panicked.
"So."
"Sooo Hinata is not supposed to be here. We have to worn her come on." They ran quickly towards the gym.
With Neji and Tenten
"You didn't really have to dance with me. Lee is just over reacting, I'm really not that upset." Tenten told Neji as they danced.
"But you are upset." He said. She didn't answer. "You said you weren't that upset that means you are upset. Why?" She still didn't want to answer.
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not upset at all anymore." Maybe I shouldn't have said it that way. Now he is going to want to know why.
"So why aren't you upset anymore?" I hate being right.
"Since when are you so concerned with my silly girl emotions?" That time it was his turn not to respond.
"So why did you change your dress?" He asked. She just realized how strange it must look. When he saw her earlier she had on a red dress.
"When we were breaking Hinata out of the house through her window I kind of tore my dress. Hinata actually made this dress during our kunoichi class. The plan was to fix the other one but Ino and Sakura insisted that I wear this one. It's really nice for something she made in a classroom." Tenten explained. "Why are you suddenly asking so many questions? It's not like you."
"You look nice." He told her.
"That doesn't answer my-" She stopped to process what he'd just said. "Thank you."
"So why aren't you upset anymore?" He asked again.
"Well it's because-" She paused. "Did you just do all that to get an answer out of me?"
"It almost worked." He said "Now tell me."
"Fine." Am I really going to tell him why? She couldn't stop her mouth from moving. "It's because now I'm here with the person I wanted to come with." I guess I am. Why did I do that?
"You wanted to come with me?" Don't respond, don't respond.
"Yes." What is wrong with me? Now he's going to think I'm some crazy, stupid-
"Good." –messed up in the head fangirl- what did he say?
"What?"
"I said good, because I wanted to come with you too." Tenten looked him straight in the eyes.
"If you wanted to come with me then why didn't you ask me?"
"I tried to." He told her honestly. "Every time I tried something would interrupt us. And then Lee asked you and you said yes."
"Oh." So the whole reason I didn't come with the boy I wanted to is because I said yes to one I didn't want to come with.
"But since no one is interrupting us now…" She knew what to do from there. She made to stand on her tip toes and slowly leaned forward. Just as they were about to kiss Tenten was nearly tackled by Sakura.
"Sakura what is the matter with you!?" Tenten shouted.
"Hiashi is here. We saw him go in the front of the school. We have to get Hinata out of here." Tenten's eyes widened. She turned to Neji.
"I thought you came up with an excuse to keep him from looking for Hinata."
"I did." Ino and Shikamaru came rushing over to them.
"Hinata's dad is here." Ino nearly shouted. It was a good the music was louder then her.
"Neji please go try to distract him again." Tenten pleaded. "We have to sneak Hinata back to her house.
"Okay." Neji barely had the word out of his mouth before the girls sprinted off to find Hinata in the crowd of people.
"Who was the last to see her?" Tenten asked.
"I left her with Naruto a while ago." Sakura said.
"There they are." Ino pointed in the direction of a white and orange blur. "HINATA!'
"Ino shhhh. Hiashi can't know she was here." Sakura said. Ino looked apologetically at her before Tenten shoved them towards the dancing pair.
"Hinata." Sakura said grabbing hold of her arm.
"Sakura? What is it?" Hinata knew something must be wrong. Her friends would not interrupt her dancing with Naruto for no reason.
"Your dad is here. We need to get you home." Tenten told her. Hinata looked like she was going to faint.
"W-what am I going to do?"
"You're going to let us sneak you out of here is what your going to do." Ino told her. She was already pulling Hinata in the direction of the door.
"Okay uh, bye Naruto." She said as she watched a very confused Naruto watch them leave.
"Bye." He waved.
Once they were outside the school they took off their shoes and sprinted down the street. As they ran they talked.
"I think my father will be a little suspicious if I'm all of a sudden back in my room." Hinata said.
"Well maybe he'll just think he's loosing his mind. That's what my dad would think." Ino said.
"He better because he basically ruined my night." Tenten shouted.
"He ruined all of are nights from what I can tell." Sakura said.
"Really? I don't think anything could ruin my night." Hinata said in a somewhat trance.
"You didn't get tackled by your friend when you were about to get your first kiss." Tenten said as they reached the Hyuuga compound. Ino and Sakura stopped.
'Awwww Tenten!" Tenten and Hinata stopped and turned to them.
"Can we talk about this some other time?" Ino and Sakura were jolted back into reality and they continued to sneak around to Hinata's window. They pulled the window open and carefully climbed through. Sakura checked out in the hallway for others. The coast was clear. Hinata quickly changed into her pajamas and the girls hid her dress clothes in the closet. Hinata washed off her make up as quickly as she could and shook her head in an attempt to mess up her hair.
"Hinata I think someone is coming." Sakura had her ear pressed against Hinata's bedroom door. Hinata rushed out of the bathroom, climbed into her bed, through the covers over her and watched as her friends climbed out the window. Her eyes snapped to the door knob when in turned.
"Hiashi I assure you Hinata was not at the school tonight." Hiashi entered the room with Neji right behind him.
"Hinata?" Hinata slowly sat up making it look as if she had been sleeping.
"Yes father?" She asked. He looked confused. He had checked earlier and Hinata had most defiantly not been in her room but here she was looking as if she had been asleep for hours.
"You shouldn't be asleep so early it's not proper." He told her. Before leaving the room he looked out the open window. He shook his head and walked out of the room. Hinata let out a sigh or relief before falling back on her pillows.
"Thank you." She said. Neji nodded and walked over to the window.
"Was it really smart to stick around and listen to all that. You could have been seen." Neji said. Ino, Sakura and Tenten all popped up.
"Well we might have been seen running across the yard too. So yeah this just seemed safer." Ino said. "Bye Hinata."
"See ya Hinata." Sakura and Ino left. Tenten stood awkwardly on the outside of the window.
'Well umm…bye." She started to follow the others before she heard rustling behind her. Neji had climbed out the window as well and closed the window.
"Let me walk you home." He said.
"Okay." She smiled. It was still awkward seeing how the last time they were together they almost kissed. As they walked in silence Tenten wondered if she should try to kiss him again. 'Would he let me? Would he even want me to? She was so focused on her thoughts that she walked right past her street. Neji grabbed her hand to stop her from walking in the wrong direction.
"Sorry, I'm not really paying attention." She looked away embarrassed. She only grew more embarrassed as they continued to walk. Neji had not released her hand. They walked all the way to the door of her apartment. Tenten was about to say good bye but Neji spoke before her.
"What are the chances that we're interrupted again?"
"Huh?" He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She responded instantly by kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his neck. They stayed like that for a while. Probably assuming that after that they would always be interrupted by someone or another. Tenten finally pulled away from him.
"You should probably be getting home." She said with a smile on her face. "It's getting kind of late and well yeah." She looked down and pushed some hair out of her face.
"Bye."
"Yeah bye." Tenten unlocked her door. She didn't go in. "Hey Neji."
He stopped walking and looked back at her. "I love you."
"I love you too Tenten."
I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of "A Normal High School, Not Really"
I'm sorry to tell those of you who like my Naruto stories that my next one is not going to be one. I'm writing a story for General Hospital. (yes its that soap opera) I'm going to give a summary on my porfile so yeah. Maybe i'll write some oneshots while i write that story just to keep you all happy.
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