Wendigo-Hey it's me…the author here

Wendigo-Hey it's me…the author here. Just a warning, this is definitely an S+S fic and actually the first piece of fanfiction I've ever finished. (ducks as characters from other stories throw sharp projectiles at her) See what I mean? My third story and it's the only one I've finished. Sad, but true. Anyways, this is meant to be a short story but I know it won't be so again you have been warned! If you like it, review and maybe I'll write some more. (holds up a shield as characters from other stories try to impale her with spears) Or maybe I'll just finish the other stories…

NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

Chapter One-Broken Grounds

It was really warm out today, even though the sun was setting and there was a slight breeze, but Sakura was still warm. As her and Li walked down the street, admiring the sunset in front of them, she couldn't help but think that things were different now.

            Elementary school had passed just as fast as the first part of high school and now she was seventeen and had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Sakura had so many plans for her and Madison, for the summer before they would enter their senior year, but Madison's mother had begged to differ. Sakura's best friend had already been in Paris for over a week on vacation. But things had begun to change for Sakura a lot far back in time.

            The change really began when all the Clow Cards were finally caught and she had changed them into Sakura Cards. Li left to go back to Hong Kong, they're unspoken feelings remained just that-unspoken. Her and Madison entered Junior High and then finally High School and they both discovered how boys could be more than just friends. She hadn't even spoken to Li until he returned halfway through their freshman year, but ever since then, they couldn't be torn apart. They were the best of friends and Madison was more thrilled then ever, but still got frustrated over the fact that they weren't together yet. Sakura and Li were too dense to do anything about it.

            Finally during last year was when Meilin returned and everything was back the way it was during the fourth grade…well, minus the capturing of the Clow Cards. And surprisingly enough Meilin wasn't hanging all over Li anymore. She had a new fiancée and just like Madison was eager enough to just get those two together. Of course, to no avail, it didn't work.

            After a while of silence, Sakura snapped back to reality. She looked over to Li and decided to engage him in a question she was waiting all day to ask. "So, how was your date with uh…what's her name again?"

            "You mean Umi?" Li asked, looking into her eyes. He didn't sound to enthusiastic about it.

            "Yeah that's it," Sakura smiled and then nudged him with her elbow. "So, how was it? Any sparks fly?"

            He crossed his arms and then rolled his eyes, "It was terrible, Sakura. You don't even know how bad it was. All she did was talk about herself and her stupid education. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. That was just during dinner." Li was getting angrier with every sentence that he said. "Then during the movie she tried to pretend she was scared and then tried to cuddle with me or something. She didn't let go of her death-grip until I convinced her that ghosts really don't exist."

            "Did you say…ghosts?"

            Li looked at Sakura and tried to take back what he said, "No! Not ghosts…um…vampires…yeah…real mean vampires…that was it!" He smiled to try to make her to feel better, but she was just looking down at the ground. "Sakura, I'm sorry,"he said, putting his left arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "I should have known better. Ever since I've known you, you've always been afraid of ghosts. I'm sorry."

            "It's okay,"she said looking up. "Some things never change." She looked up at him and smiled and started to laugh which of course became contagious as the flu and he started to laugh too.

            "Sakura, what I don't get,"he started, dragging his arm back to his side from her shoulder. "is that you used to throw yourself into dangerous situations capturing cards but you're afraid of a transparent floating object?"

            "It's silly, I know…but we're all afraid of something. For me, it's those transparent floating objects."She laughed again but then became more serious at remembering Li's problem. "I'm sorry, Li. About your date."Sakura tried to offer a pat of sympathy to her best friend but…it didn't help. He looked away from her so that she couldn't see his bloodshot eyes. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately and when he did, it was only because she would talk to him until he fell asleep.

            "But that's not even the worst part of it, Sakura! I tried to be a gentlemen and shake hands at her doorstep, but when I said that she wasn't my type is when she pulled me in for a kiss. That was completely awful. She was such a bad kisser. I'll never date her again." He made a face that suggested he was eating something sour and then sighed. Sakura could only smile. He had been opening up to her more and more all the time. When he never talked in the fourth grade, he was always talking now. Well at least to Sakura. He trusted her more than anyone.

            "Well, I am sorry your date went the way it did. It's just too bad, Li."

            He shoved his hands into his pocket and then looked at her with a questioning glance. "How so?"

            "Well, I mean…you deserve someone really great,"Sakura explained, then paused to think of what to say next. "You've been dating girls at least once a week ever since you've gotten back from Hong Kong and not once has there been more than a second date…how come? No one was good enough?"

            "Yeah, something like that." Li blushed as he thought about for the hundredth time what it would be like if he found someone good enough. Love, he figured, was right next to him and he couldn't do anything about it. He loved Sakura too much to break their bond of friendship. It meant more to him than anything. They had been spending practically everyday together. She told him about her girly problems like why she thought bras were stupid and he didn't even mind. Sakura would take him shopping and she'd try on clothes and he would comment, always telling her the truth. Of course she would listen to him gripe about his family and even would help him train more. Li even gave her lessons ever Saturday about sword handling.

            They reached her house suddenly and Sakura grabbing his hand broke Li from his trance. He turned a little red and squeezed back. They would always do this. Hug and hold hands, and it just seemed natural but it was driving him crazy. His hormones were out of control and all he really wanted was to just confess his love to her and finally get the chance to kiss her. But that would never happen; he figured and then turned to her to say his farewell. "Well, goodbye," he said, giving her a quick hug and then walking away.

            "Wait!" She yelled to him. He turned to see her tapping her foot and her hands on her hips. "Where are you going?" Sakura smiled suddenly.

            "Um…I'm going home, Sakura."

            "Aren't you going to come inside? I told you I had to show you something. Did you forget, Li?"She made a sad face at the thought of him forgetting.

            How could he? All she could talk about all day was this dress that she had just bought. Li couldn't deny that he wanted to see how she looked in it. But he also couldn't deny her big brother.

            "Of course I didn't forget, Sakura." He loved to say her name and now that they were closer, he said it every chance he got. "But um…I uh…have something to do at home…right…uh…"

            "Don't worry, Li. Tori's gone. He left a few hours ago and won't be back until Saturday night."

            He stepped forwards while he sighed with relief. "Thank God! I'm sorry I lied about having to do something at my house. But I couldn't stand another confrontation with your brother again." His mind flashed back to when he last saw Tori. Li was just walking Sakura home like he was doing now and was saying their goodbyes when a piece of jewelry accidentally slipped from her finger. He kneeled to pick it up and offer Sakura her ring back and that is when Tori decided to make his unscheduled appearance. Imagine this: Li on one knee with a ring in hand looking at Sakura. Anyone can understand why Tori would be a tad upset at this image.

            "It's okay. I'm just happy you're still alive,"Sakura said smiling while she tried to open her door with the key, but it wasn't budging. "Why won't this door open?"

            He ignored her question, "Tori is just way too overprotect…"

            Suddenly the door flew open and Tori was standing in the frame of it. He had a suitcase in his hand that immediately was thrown to the ground when he saw… "The Gaki."

            Li and Tori went into death-stare mode, neither flinching until Julian appeared behind a very angry Tori. "Now Tori…let them be."

            "Oh, hey Julian!" Sakura cheerily said as she grabbed Li and snuck him inside while Julian took Tori's arm and led him to the car in the driveway.

            "Hi, Sakura! Don't worry about your brother, we were just leaving!" Julian tried to make a mad dash to the car, dragging Tori before he could say anything-too late.

            "We'll be back in a few days, Sakura and if I find out that he spent the night here like last time, then I swear to God that I won't be so merciful upon that Chinese Gaki!"

            Julian shoved Tori in the driver's seat and then came back to retrieve the luggage that Tori had thrown down in his rage. "Sorry about Tori, he's just been a little stressed out."

            "I wouldn't expect anything less." Sakura waved as Tori slowly drove out of the driveway, trying to look inside to what Li was doing. Sakura stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Bye, Tori! Have fun! Send dad my love!"

            "Bye, monster,"Tori called as he slowly rolled past his house, still trying to peer into the windows to see what that Chinese brat was up to.

            "I am not a monster!"Sakura yelled and then something popped into her mind. "Don't worry, Tori. I'll make sure to give Li a nice big kiss for you!" Sakura didn't even wait for his reaction as she slid into the house with a big smile on her face.

            "See?" Li said, sitting on her couch. "That is exactly the reason why I didn't want to come inside. Your brother hates me, even more so after the night I spent here last year."

            "He doesn't hate you, Li. Nothing happened last year! I was lonely and you were just trying to cheer me up." She remembered the night perfectly. Every detail still etched in her mind. She could still picture Li dressing up in drag to try to make her laugh. She even got to shave his legs. Then afterwards Li dressed Sakura in one of her father's suits and painted a mustache on her face. He did it all for her and neither of them could remember a time when they both laughed as much.

            "So where's your dad this time?" Li asked, changing the subject. The less they conversed about Tori the better.

            She took a seat across from him as she sadly explained. "He's on another dig in America. It's the fifth one this year and every time he gets farther and farther away. Tori and Julian are visiting him when Tori looks at some graduate colleges in America. He'll be coming home in a week but dad is staying until the end of July. I guess it's really important."

            "Must be," Li agreed. He could see the sadness in Sakura's eyes. She really loved her dad a lot. "He hasn't been gone for this long since…"

            "Four years ago. I remember staying with Madison. We had so much fun though so the time flew by and he was back before I knew it."

            "Well it'll be the same. We're going to hang out all the time and I'll bring you on a road trip or something. We'll have lots of fun, don't worry."

            "Thanks, Li. You always make me happy." They both blushed and then turned away from each other when they realized what they were doing. "I made some cake the other day!" Sakura said, changing the subject. "Would you…"

            "CAKE?!"

            Sakura was bombarded by the shouts of a little yellow Clow Guardian in front of her. "Oh, hi, Kero!"

            "Don't you 'oh, hi, Kero' me!" He yelled at her through the tears welling up in his little eyes. "You made cake and didn't even tell me…and you offered it to HIM before…before your guardian beast!" The tears flowed freely now as Kero cried as loud as he could.

            Sakura embraced her friend as she tried to figure out what could be bothering him so much that he would cry like this…Oh yeah… "Kero, you need to calm down. You know how emotional Final Fantasy VIII makes you."

            Through his sobs he tried to spit out his true feelings, "Squall! You idiot! You love her! Just tell her you big moron!!"

            Li didn't know what to make of this. He tried to look concerned on the outside but was laughing so hard on the inside. The great Keroberos is crying over a video game, he thought.

            "Kero, it's okay…it's just a video game…" Wrong move. Referring to a video game as JUST a video game is the first dumb move when trying to console an obsessive RPG freak.

            Kero inched away as he explained, "No…it's so much more! I need to take a stroll outside. Some fresh air will clear my mind for the fourth disk." Kero left as Sakura slumped back into the couch again.

            "So would you like some cake..?"

            Kero flew back in to the kitchen and when he emerged, he did so holding the entire chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, then slipped out the window, laughing.

            "Well, I would have offered you some cake but it seems to be all gone now," Sakura said sadly. It took her most of yesterday's afternoon to bake that cake perfectly. Now it would take most of one minute for Kero to consume it.

            "S'okay. Seeing that stuffed animal cry over a video game was definitely better than cake." He started to laugh until he cried.

            She smiled as well but dared not to laugh in case Kero was still in earshot. He would never forgive her then. "Yeah, I should never have bought him that game. Next week, which he claims to be his birthday, he demands a Playstation 2 or he says he'll disown me as my guardian. Oh, well."

            "So Sakura, why don't you finally show me that dress you've been talking about all day," he looked at his watch. "I mean, it's already 7:30…"

            "Oh no, Li! I lost track of time! I'm going to be late!" Sakura ran up the stairs and into the room, not even shutting the door behind her.

            He followed, bewildered at what was going on. "What? What are you talking about," Li said, rounding the corner into her room to see Sakura's back towards him. Of course she only had on her underwear and the rest was bare to see. Li was frozen in place as he watched her slowly turn around, her long hair and hands covering her chest.

            "LI!!!" She yelled as she quickly shut the door in his face with one hand while she covered herself with the other.

            "Sorry! I'm so sorry, Sakura! I didn't see anything…really! I'm really really sorry!" He yelled to her through the door. His back was to the wall directly across from her room as he slumped down to sit on the floor.

            "It's okay, Li. I believe you. Besides, you've seen me in my bathing suit before. It's kind of like the same thing," she tried to convince him, not wanting him to feel bad. Actually, she didn't even feel embarrassed anymore.

            "Yeah, I guess," is what he said but he really was thinking, no, Sakura, it's not the same at all. He blushed as he thought about her long brown hair and her perfect body. He was older now and while her inner strength and her mind had captivated him when he was younger and it still did now, her body was now at it's fullest and he couldn't help but notice. Of course what she looked like didn't always matter, although it was nice to see a beautiful girl along with her wonderful personality. "So uh…what's so urgent? Got a hot date?" He was kidding around, but when he didn't hear a response right away, he got a little tense.

"Well, actually Li, I do."

"Not with that English guy again?" He groaned.

"Yes, and his name is Jason."

What is it with English transfer students? Li thought. "Hey, Sakura?"

"What, Li?" she said, zipping up her dress.

"I don't like that guy."

Sakura sighed as she sat on her bed to strap on her shoes. "And why is that? He's nice."

"No, he's not! He's always telling you what to do and how to act. You're fine the way you are!" He paused, and then remembered, "He's overprotective too."

"No, he's not!"

            "You're right," Li agreed. "Tori's overprotective. Jason is a prick."

            "No, Li! He is not a prick!" Li just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, thinking: whatever. The door opened and as soon as he saw Sakura he stood up. She was dressed in a long, black Chinese styled dress with a slit up to her thigh. She looked very elegant and his chin dropped as he looked at her. "What? You don't like it?"

            "No! No! I love it…you look beautiful, Sakura." She smiled at his response and hugged him for it. It made him happy to see her dressed in a Chinese dress, though. Something from his culture on her, it made his heart flutter and his stomach turned and a weird feeling consumed him completely. Eventually she released her grasp and made her way to the bathroom to do her hair. He followed her, trying to tell her. "Look, I really didn't want to say anything before but…you shouldn't go out with him."

            Sakura just looked at him in the mirror as she styled her hair, "Li, it's okay. He's just bringing me out to dinner and then to Madame Butterfly. You know how much I love that opera, don't ruin it before it's even begun."

            "I know how it's going to turn out already. He's going to make you pay for half of the dinner and…"

            "And what's wrong with that?" She asked, turning to him.

            "He asked you, he should pay."

            "That doesn't mean he's not a nice guy!" She swept past him and went to her room to grab her purse and then to the living room.

            Like the past events of that night, he was in pursuit the whole time. "Sakura, he flirts with other girls all the time. Even when you're around. You pretend not to notice but I know you do. Listen to your own advice, Sakura. You deserve someone better."

            "Li, I know you're concerned about the way he acts but…he's different when we're alone."

            I highly doubt that, Li thought. I don't like this guy whatsoever. Sakura's been with this guy for two weeks now and he's four years older than she is and he's in college. I know where this is heading for him. "Has he tried anything?"

            "What?"

            "Sakura, he's twenty-one years old, in college and I know what's running through his mind. I mean…look at you! You're absolutely gorgeous and…" He blushed, trying not to go where his heart was headed. "Has he forced himself on you in any way?" She just stared at him and when he didn't hear a response he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Oh, c'mon Sakura. Don't be so naive."

            "Li! Don't call me naive." Sakura yelled, outraged. "And no, he hasn't!"

            "Good," he said in an angry tone. He didn't mean it to come out like that but he was worried and when he got like this he tended to not be so sympathetic.

            "And if we did…have…well…ya know…then that would be just fine!"

            Li smacked his hand on the table next to him, then instantly regretted what he just did when he saw the slight glimpse of fear on her face. He approached her, slowly, talking to her as softly as he could. "Sakura, what do you mean, it would be 'fine'? It's only been two weeks since you started seeing him. You don't even love him."

            "I'm seventeen years old! I'm practically a woman and who can decide who she loves and what she does with it!"

            "I'm just trying to look out for you. I wouldn't be saying any of this if I didn't care so much for you!"

            "Well you don't have to protect me!" She paused as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "We're not kids anymore and running around capturing cards!" The tears ran down her cheeks like he never had seen them before. Sakura didn't even make a noise.

            "Sakura, I…"

            "I think you should go," she said averting her gaze from his eyes. "Jason will be here soon and I…I don't want you to be here when he comes."

            He stood there, letting this sink in, the fact that she was throwing him out. Li approached her slowly and cleared away the hair blocking her forehead and kissed it gently saying, "You look great and uh…I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Li didn't wait for an answer as he left her house.

            As soon as she heard the door shut she started to release all the tears she had kept in. She was crying all the way to the bathroom upstairs as she looked in the mirror. No use, she thought. They're all red.

            "Why am I still crying?" She asked herself. "Jason is a nice guy. But…maybe Li's right. I definitely don't love Jason. I don't even think I'm really attracted to him. The only reason I started dating him was because Li…because Li was thinking about asking Kaora for a third date," she thought about what that meant and as she realized it, she smiled. "I'll break it off tonight." She continued to smile happily as the doorbell rang.