Hey guys, I am sorry for making you wait a while before updating again. I should really stop saying I'm going to update on a certain day it makes me feel bad if I don't do it then. I have been very busy the last few weeks like normal. I pulled a quad muscle at softball 2 weeks ago and went to pitcher-catcher training the day after. I have been busy taking care of my son, training and playing extra softball games. Also I went to a wedding last week which is in a different state, 15 hours away from where I live, and we drove the whole way with my baby in the car, how great is that. (Sarcasm!) So I tried to write this before I left but I didn't get it done and I had no time while is at of state. Plus I just had my 20th birthday :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Also I would like to know, does anybody who reads this fic live in Australia?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: whenthesheepsaysbaa, scarlet700, Shadow Wolf, BlueSakuraAC and NativeBeauty420.

Thanks to everyone who favourited, story alert and author alert: darkdemonish, eddragonbreath, BelieverInMusic, latinadecorazon, LilRed0713, YueLing-GoddessOfMoonand Water and Brisingr'Eldunari.

All so this chapter is dedicated to the first reviewer from the last chapter which is : whenthesheepsaysbaa.

Chapter 7 of: The Girl Next Door.

Sakura P.O.V

The last two days have been very stressful and painful. My mother should never have said such things to me, I spent Tuesday and most of today in bed. I decided that it was time that to stop moping around and do something. So I chose to get out of the house to take some flowers to the place were my dad died.

I got out of bed and got changed into a spaghetti strap floral knee length dress with a pair of sandals. I walked down the stairs and out the front door, locking it as I went outside. I got into my mustang and drove away. I pulled over into a small car park near a strip of shops on the side of the road. I got out of my car and walked into the flower shop which happened to be the Yamanaka flower store.

I opened the door and the bell rang as I walked in. "Welcome to our flower shop. Oh, hello Sakura, how are you today? Ino's mother asked me. "I'm fine thanks Mrs Yamanaka." I replied as I picked up a colourful assortment of flowers. "Isn't it a bit early for school to be finished?" She inquired. "School hasn't finished yet, I just didn't go to school today." I answered as I handed the flowers over to her. "Oh ok, and sorry for prying but if u don't mind, who are the flowers for?" She questioned me. "There for my dad." I said as I gave her a fake half smile. "Oh I'm sorry, how long as it been now, almost a year right?" She said as she handed me the flowers. "Yeah it will be a year tomorrow, how much do I owe you?" I ask as I pulled my purse out of my pocket. "It's on the house." She replied waving her hand in front of my wallet gesturing to put it away. "No, I can't accept these for free, please let me pay for them." She shook her head. "Please just take them, you have been through so much the last year, it's the least I can do." I sighed. "Thank you, Mrs Yamanaka you are very kind." I thanked her, opened the door while the bell rang I walked out.

I got into my car and pulled onto the road. I waited for the red turn light to go green and when it did I made a U-turn. I pulled over on the opposite side of the road across from the flower shop. I grabbed the flowers and got out of the car. I walked over to where my father's plaque was, the spot where he died. I placed the flowers down near the plaque and kneeled down and said a prayer for him. I stood up and looked at the plaque:

Dedicated to Kiseki Haruno

Loved husband of Arisa, father of Sakura and friend of many

15/09/1974-23/01/2011

"I hope you are alright up there dad. I miss you, I really wish you were still here." I said to the plaque in the ground.

Ring Ring Ring! I looked at my phone and saw who it was.

"Hey Anko, what up?"

"Hey Sakura, I was wondering if you could do me a massive favour!"

"What is it?"

"Three girls called in and said the cant make it for their shift tonight, and since your my best waitress I was wondering if you could come in and help me out, I understand that It's school tomorrow and if you can't that's alright."

"No that's alright, I can come and help out. I haven't been to school all week."

"Thank you so much Sakura you are a life saver! Can you start in 1 hour."

"That's ok, Yep, See you in an hour."

"Well, I guess I will come and actually see you tomorrow dad. I have to go to work now."

I walked over to my car an as I went to get in I looked across the road and saw Ino walking into her families flower shop. I hopped into my car and drove back to my house. I drove around the corner and arrived at my house. I got out and went into my house. I climbed up the stairs, I grabbed my white singlet with hooters written on the front and orange short shorts and put them on. I also decided to take a jacket because it would be cold when I finished work later tonight.

I decided that I should write Sasuke a note telling him I'm alright because I haven't seen him in 2 days. "Gone to work… Be back later!" I sticky taped the note to my window so Sasuke could see it, and left.

I walked into Hooters and straight into the staff area. I put my jacket in my locker as I did this Anko came up to me. "Hey Sakura, Thanks again for coming in, I don't know what I would do without you." She said as she gave me a hug. "It's ok; I want to do something to keep my mind occupied." I shut the locker door. "Good, now get out there and make me money. " Anko said and poked her tongue out and winked. I walked out of the staff area and straight away I got slapped on the bum by some guy. I turned around to see who it was; it was the same guy that Sasuke saved me from the other day, the guy with blonde hair that look a lot like a male Ino. I looked at him, turned around and walked away; I'm definitely not in the mood to deal with him again.

Work was the same as usual, getting hit on and groped. I usually would just play it off but I'm still mad at what my mother said, so if any one ticks me off they are straight out the door. At the end of my shift which was almost midnight, I had Asuma one of our security guards escort me out to my car just in case. You never know when some pervs are going to come and attack.

"Thanks Asuma, never know who is out here at this time of night." I said as I shook his hand. "That's alright; I wouldn't want anything to happen to a nice girl like you." I got in my car, drove out of the car park and pulled onto the road. It was a relatively short ride home; I couldn't wait to go to bed. I got out of my car and walked up the two steps on the veranda and opened the door. I flicked the light switch on that was next to the door. I went and made myself a cup of tea, while I was waiting for the water to boil; I changed into my pj's which was a pair of long pink and white stripped cotton pants, and a black singlet. I made my cup of tea, and went upstairs to my room. I sat on my bed and looked at my alarm clock it said 12:00am 23-01-2012. It was officially a year since my dad had died. I sat there drinking my tea, I looked at my window and remembered about the note I put up for Sasuke, I wonder if he saw it. I opened my blind and pulled the piece of paper off and saw that on Sasuke window was a piece of paper stuck to it as well.

The note read: "Hope you're ok, I haven't seen you in a while." Sasuke was worried about me? Why would he be worried about me?

I shut the blind and sat back on my bed. I finished my cup of tea and just left the empty cup sitting on the bed side table next to me. I flipped the blankets over so I could get in, I lied down and put the blankets back over me. I laid my head on the pillow slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Sakura, Sakura wake up honey, you will be late for school."

"Whatever dad, I'm awake." I said as I sat up I'm bed.

I put on a pair of black jeans and a white shirt with my red vans. I walked down stairs after I got dressed. "Hey dad, I was wondering my friends are having a party tonight, can I go out with them?"

"I'm sorry honey but it is a school night tonight, maybe some other night. " He said as he ate his toast and read the newspaper. "But dad, everyone is going to be there and if I don't go, I'll be made fun of." I said as I argued. "Well, I'm sorry honey if they pick on you because you weren't allowed to go to a party, they aren't very good friends now are they?" He said as he put his paper down and looked at me. "Not just my friends dad, all the snobby girls at school that don't like me, I need to show them up, I need to go to the party tonight and show them that I am cool." I said as I slammed my hands on the table. "The answer is no Sakura plain and simple!" He raised his voice a bit. " I hate you! You never let me do anything; I'm never speaking to you again!" I grabbed my bag as I ran out the door.

The next thing I knew it was night time and I was looking at the wreckage of my father's car, the ambulance was there with the sirens blaring and lights flashing. They were wheeling his body away from the scene into the back of the ambulance. I looked over to my mother she was near the ambulance, they lifted up the sheet so she could see, she nodded and started bawling. I watched as the wheeled his body up into the back of the ambulance, they went over a bump and his hand fell off the stretcher and out from under the blanket.

I shot up from my bed, tears streaming down my face. It felt like my dad had died all over again, it felt like I was reliving the day he died and then it finally hit me, I miss my dad, I can't believe I ever told him I hated him, it was a spur of the moment comment, I wish I could take it back but I will never get to, because I will never ever see him again. I looked over at my clock through the tears that were still pouring out of my eyes; it was only 1:04am.

I pulled my legs up to my chest and grabbed them. I don't think I could handle being alone right now. I looked over at my phone that was sitting on the bed side table and picked it up. I flipped through my contacts searching for the one person I could always count on. I pressed call, and put the phone up to my ear while I waited for the person who was always there for me to answer.

"Sakura, what's the matter? Do you know what time it is?" I'm so glad he picked up. I let the tears run down my face freely.

"Sasuke, I'm not ok!" I sob into the phone.

"What's wrong Sakura?" I see through the window him turn his light on.

"I'm the worst daughter ever. My dad is dead and is never coming back! And my mom has basically forgotten about him, and is moving on with some guy! Can you come over? I don't want to be alone tonight." I burst out in tears; they weren't running down any more they were pouring like a river.

"Give me a minute; I'll be over in one second." He hangs up and all I hear is the dial tone so I drop the phone next to me and I stay in the position I am in, clutching my knees to my chest.

Sasuke comes bursting into my room with no shirt on and only wearing his boxers that are black with flames. He comes straight over to me, sits next to me on the bed and envelopes me into a hug. He just sits there hugging me, while I cry onto his bare chest. The tears stop after a couple of minutes, I look up at him and he is just staring back down at me.

"What's the matter Sakura?" He says his eyes boring into my soul. "I'm the worst daughter ever Sasuke, I told him I hated him!" I stated. "Told who you hated him?" He was still staring at me, his eyes changing into a questioning stare. "My dad… Now I will never get to tell him I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." I told him, I could feel the tears starting to brim in the corners of my eyes. "Sakura, you didn't know he was going to die, there is no way you could have known and I am sure that he knew you didn't mean what you said to him." I wrapped my arms around him now and I put my head on his shoulder. "Thanks Sasuke, you always know what to say to make me feel better. But I still can't get over it. The last thing I ever said to him was 'I hate you and I'm never speaking to you again' I have always regretted saying that, if I could go back in time and do anything differently I definitely would want to never say that, maybe if I didn't say that he would still be alive." I felt him pull away from me; he was staring at me again. He was holding my arms next to my body. "Do you really believe that Sakura? He was killed by a drunk driver; there is no way you could have saved him!" His words shot through me. "Don't you think I know that?" I yelled at him.

"I'm sorry Sasuke it's just that today is one year after my dad has died, and the other day my mom told me I should just forget about him, and that she has moved on and that I should to. He was my dad I loved him more than anything, I don't want to forget him." I could feel one tear fall down my cheek, he let go of my left arm and wiped the stray tear away. "So that's why you were crying on Monday? Well I do understand what your mom is saying." My head shot up, is he agreeing that I should forget about my dad. "You should move on with your life, I'm not saying what she said was right or that you should forget about your dad, but she should be allowed to find someone else if she feels that it is right." I understand now, he makes everything sound so simple to me. I know what mom was trying to say when she told me that now. "Thanks Sasuke, that actually makes a lot of sense." I sniffle. I lean in and put my head on his shoulder again, he pulls me close in a tight embrace.

"I told you I was always here for you. If you ever need me just call." He pulled away from our embrace. "I don't know what I would have done without you Sasuke. I had a bad dream and it was like my dad had died all over again, I relived the whole day but I had no control over it." He laid down on my bed and pulls me down with him. So now we are lying with him pressed up against my back, with his arms around my waist. "I'll stay with you tonight, if that's alright." He said as he put his head in my hair. "I don't want to be alone at least not right now, so please stay."

I lay peacefully listening to Sasuke's breathing, and all that has just happen has drifted far from my mind. I have almost forgotten what today was. There was something about him that could make all my troubles go away. "Thank you." I whisper to him. "For what?" He whispers back. "For always being there for me." I'm lucky to have a guy like him around. "It's what I'm here for, now go to sleep." With his arms around me I feel safe, so I do what he says and I let the blackness of the night over take my thoughts and I drift off to sleep.

I know that it was a bit boring at the beginning and took a while but there is finally starting to be a little more SasuSaku.

So I would really appreciate if you could review just to tell me the story is going, if you like it or not. Every review I get makes me smile even if it's just one word.

P.S I don't bite, so if you ever just want to chat I'm always up for it.

P.P.S did I say I was sorry for taking aes to update. Well I'm sorry.

Ciao Vicki