In the Eye of the Beholder
By toybox

Chapter One

It was a hot summer day, a lunch period fortunately for Sakura to breakaway from the books.

She went passed many gossiping crowds of teenagers, dishing away on the latest gossip, and pushing open the heavy doors to find her favorite munching spot.

Unhurriedly she paced toward the ancient, still blossoming cherry blossom trees and settled down against its bark in her usual routine. She held her chopsticks daintily, fixing her eyes on another person coming from the double doors.

"Li-sempai," she whispered, a pink tinge emerging from both her cheeks.

He was just on time, as usual.

…Or maybe she timed him so it'd always be possible to never miss seeing him.

The boy's eyes, an amber shade shrouded in thick brown hair, were keen and alert. His physique was tall and tastefully lean and muscular for a youth of only seventeen. His lightly tanned skin complemented the school uniform consisting of red, white and black stripes.

He was so godly!

Even from the distance, Sakura could sense his charisma.

This was Li Syaoran, and he seemed focus on finding his destination, which was by the usual basketball court across from where Sakura was. He liked watching the boys play bball while he ate, and frequently participated in their games when he finished eating.

Godly and athletic!

Sakura cupped her cheeks, sighing dreamily as her eyes roved over Syaoran's lithe frame.

"What are you doing, Sakura? Staring at Li's ass?"

Sakura's cheeks brightened and she quickly turned green eyes to her friend Chiharu, glowering. "I was not!"

Chiharu sat herself next to Sakura. "Sure…"

"Well, it wasn't his… a-ahh-shh," she blushed, "—butt, if that's what you're thinking!"

"Mm-hmm," Chiharu grinned.

"Hey, leave Sakura-chan alone," Tomoyo warned. "So what if she's staring at Li-sempai's butt! It's a free country. Her eyes can gawp."

"Tomoyo," Sakura blinked hard. "You're not helping! At all!"

Tomoyo plopped to the ground, grinning in spite of herself. "Ohoho. Sorry Sakura-chan. You're so cute when you're flustered."

Sakura sighed, dropping her head in defeat. She took it like a good sport and resumed eating her lunch as if her friends had never cruelly teased her. She popped a sushi roll in her mouth, chewing slowly.

"Hey Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo motioned.

Sakura turned her head to spare a look. "Unn?" she asked mouth still full.

"If you like Li-sempai so much why don't you ask him out?" There was a glitter in Tomoyo's eyes which indicated something mischievous about to happen. Sakura's face heated up and she almost choked from swallowing her food too hard to get it down.

"Are you out of your mind, Tomoyo!" She coughed, snatching her water bottle to relieve the hoarseness to her tone. She gasped, dropping the water bottle and sending Tomoyo a dangerous glare. "Are you… out of your mind? Eeeyah!!"

Chiharu laughed. "I don't think she is. I think you are. You've been giving Li-sempai the eye for at least two years now. I think it's about time you confront him with this feeling of yours. Otherwise, it will make you severely sick. And I think eventually he'll notice your eyes stalking his form."

Sakura sweat dropped. "If you put it that way then fine. But if I die a horrible death after this, be sure to mark my grave, 'Chiharu and Tomoyo done it, jail them please'." She moped, "What kind of friends are you guys?!"

"Kinomoto… you are overdramatic," a voice piped.

A girl with dark raven hair in odangos and exotic red eyes joined the group of three, making four. She snarled at Sakura as Sakura returned an exasperated look. "Meilin, I like you and all. But, please, restrain yourself from lashing out at me. I am an extremely sensitive person, you know."

"Anyways, go ask him out. You really should, Sakura," Chiharu tried to persuade. "I mean, hey, all the girls that are infatuated with Syaoran are hideous. I think you have a chance against all of them. You're not half bad." Chiharu winked.

"Hey, hot girls like my cousin too!" Meilin yelled, pissy faced.

"You mean slutty, right?" Tomoyo questioned, tilting her head.

Meilin scowled. "N-No," her face contorted, "—y-yes! That's why he doesn't have a girlfriend yet. His expectations are too high!"

Sakura stiffened, a frown reaching her face. "Really?" she asked weakly.

"No! I don't know," Meilin said, remembering to cut out the lashing part and encourage her sometimes friend and foe. "Just give it a shot Kinomoto. You might actually win his heart. Who knows? Quit being a scare-dy cat and ask him out already. Can't you see the suspense is killing us? Jeez."

Sakura sighed. "Ok. Here goes."

In truth, it wasn't so easy. She gathered her wits and stood up, walking away from her friends. She could sense her friends silently cheering her on and Meilin sporting a cattish grin to her face. Her dignity plummeting to her feet, Sakura paced on.

She was nearing the basketball court where Li was leaning against the fence, biting away at his sandwich. He wasn't aware of Sakura approaching him. Neither was he aware of the rest of the female population, but that was expected.

He seemed at ease, talking to his friends Eriol and Takashi, unaware of her.

As expected, again!

She felt depleted. Not to be full of herself, she really thought she was pretty darn good looking. Throughout her years at Seijuu High, there were always guys asking her out on an average of two per week. Sadly, she never saw any of them as dating material or boyfriend potential.

Sakura could feel her heart racing as she neared the 'man' of her dreams. She could feel herself break into sweats, she could feel the goose bumps rising on her arms, and she could feel the hair on her neck standing. Now this was fear, no question about it.

There'd be no surprise if she was to have a heart attack right there and then—ten feet away from Li-sempai.

Now if only she was seven feet closer then she could fall against him and get a feel of those strong pecs and that wonderful cologne that she could barely smell every time he passed her in the halls.

'Almost there! Almost!' Sakura thought, self aware. 'One step at a time! One step at a time! Mouuu!'

Unexpectedly, a kid with a lunch tray appeared out of nowhere, blocking Sakura's path.

Despite taking careful steps, Sakura managed to collide with the boy and his lunch tray. The tray of food flipped, and judging by the splat and the 'aargghhh' followed right then, Sakura knew who its target became.

She looked at the owner of the tray, fear in her eyes. She saw fear in the freshman's eyes too.

The tray had obviously hit none other than Li Syaoran, and judging by the complete silence from outside and inside the cafeteria; this was not going to be good with all the spectators. No excuse could get her out of this one. Not to mention her damaged hopes and future with Li-sempai.

"You two," the voice grouched.

Sakura had never known Li-sempai to sound this mad before. She cringed faintly, feeling heavily watched.

"I-It's not me! It's that retarded girl," the poor boy bellowed. "She slammed into me like a cold turkey, I s-swear."

Sakura's left brow twitched in agitation. 'Oh thanks. Blame it on the ditzy girl. Yup, thanks. …Stupid freshman!'

Syaoran narrowed his eyes, staring at the girl bent into the grass on her knees, back turned to him, and motionless.

"Is this true, Kinomoto?"

His voice was soft and gentle, undermining what had just happened.

Sakura's breath caught her throat, and she finally allowed her gaze to meet his encroaching amber eyes. She was surprised to see softness to his face when moments before he had sounded positively enraged.

"Y-You know me?" She sounded breathless.

"I…" he looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I know a lot of people," he responded truthfully.

"Oh…"

"Kinomoto, Sakura… is it?"

"Right."

"Sakura," he smiled. "Can I call you that?"

Sakura nodded numbly. "Okay…"

This was too weird to be true.

Was it true?

Li-sempai, after having a tray of food land on him—spilled milk on his shirt, and other gooey things alike—be capable of a conversation with Sakura, the culprit to the disorder on his perfect, moments ago bleached and crisped uniform. Gods, this was too humiliating. For the both of them!

Not that whiny kid, mind you, just Sakura and Li. That whiny kid was just a simple, lost freshman, and everybody hates those kinds.

But back to Sakura's major crisis… she knocked food onto Li's shirt, and the whole luncheon had witnessed it. It was… unbelievably embarrassing. Sakura could not live it off. Before she dies, she'd have to include Meilin as a suspect to her untimely death.

Right now, her primary goal was to get up fast and run back into the cafeteria and right out of it, exiting into the hallway.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura, I bet you don't either. ;D