A Walk To Remember
An Eriol and Tomoyo fanfic
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura and I most certainly do not own "A Walk To Remember." Both belong to their respectful owners.
Note: My first attempt at a fanfic so we'll see how it goes... Anyone who stumbles across this doesn't have to review...but it would be nice to have some input or any helpful comments/criticism.
It was the summer before my senior year at Seijyuu High School. I had returned from England three years before, and was preparing for my senior year. I would become the big, bad, bully of a senior who would shove lesser students into the doorways and sneer at their pain. No, I'm just joking. There was really only one thing significant that occurred that special year. That year I had spent with her, the girl that showed me who I could be and what it meant to unconditionally love. I remember everything so clearly, all those starry nights and sunny days. When it would rain she would smile, and when it would pour her smile grew even wider. She was without a doubt the most beautiful person I had ever met. The thought of her perfection was incomprehensible, absolutely untouchable, placed on the highest pedestal of humanity. There were times when I had felt so distant from her, when I had wondered just what exactly went on in that mind of hers. She would grin mysteriously and sweetly all at once, and she could easily send my thoughts into an array of utter confusion. She could make me feel guilty with the simplest comment, and she could make my heart burst with eternal love. She was no ordinary girl. She was, after all, Tomoyo Daidouji.
"Hey Eriol-kun!" a voice called through the crowd. Its owner was sifting her way through the bustling students who congregated at the school entrance. Her brunette hair framed her face, and her emerald eyes glittered as they met her friend whom she had barely seen over the summer. Trailing behind her was a taller figure, his amber eyes narrowed in the same annoyed manner, and he wore his trademark "Ugh-you're-still-here" frown.
"Morning Sakura-san," Eriol greeted.
"Did you have a good summer?" Sakura giggled cheerfully, "We all missed you so much!"
"Why yes, I did have a smashing summer, thank you for asking. And you? Did you enjoy your summer as well?" as he spoke, his eyes drifted to his descendent returning the frown with a "You-are-chained-to-your-girlfriend-you-poor-soul" smirk.
"Oh yes! Syao-kun and I spent many afternoons together by the beach! And we even went back to visit his family in Hong Kong," her voice squeaked blissfully.
"That does sound wonderful. Did my cute descendent enjoy his summer as well?" Eriol shifted his attention to Sakura's boyfriend.
"Yes," came the stiff reply.
"Not very conversational this morning, are we?" Eriol sighed in mock sadness.
"Shut up," Syaoran gruffly responded, glaring.
"Guess who!" another voice laughed, placing cold fingers over Eriol's glasses, shielding his vision.
"It's nice to see you too, Chiharu-san," he grinned. "And Yamazaki. I presume he's here with you?"
"Yep," Chiharu nodded vigorously, pulling her boyfriend around so that Eriol could see the both of them.
"Ah, we've been reunited at last," Yamazaki extended his hand, eyes glinting and the wheels in his mind turning.
"Indeed," Eriol returned the knowing glance.
"Sakura-chan! How are you?" Chiharu had stepped over to her close friend and the two hugged.
Pretty soon, more members of their group had gathered, each exchanging stories and anecdotes of summer, laughing and reminiscing. Only one figure remained missing. In fact, that one figure had been missing from their clique for several years. Eriol hadn't noticed, but then again, he hadn't noticed three years before either.
The tardy bell rang and Eriol was already primly sitting in his seat, hands folded innocently. His classmates knew, however, that those same hands could wreak havoc in the classroom. His sharp eyes outlined the pallid and dreary walls, pausing at the ceiling a moment, then continued out the window. All the while, his face was turned to the front, awaiting the arrival of his homeroom teacher. Eriol's mind wandered for several minutes before it resumed functioning properly. He swigged deeply from a water bottle he had packed, and then nearly choked as he spotted someone he hadn't seen for ages. More specifically, someone he hadn't bothered to notice for three years.
Daidouji Tomoyo sat straight, humbly crossing her legs beneath the desk, hiding them with a long skirt. She wore a cardigan, wrapped securely around her thin body. Her feet donned a pair of black Mary-Jane's and her back pack rested in the aisle, though out of the way. She smiled expectantly, occasionally brushing a loose strand of obsidian hair behind her ear. Tomoyo sat front and center. Eriol sat way back behind her in the same row. He blinked in surprise, then gaped, then blinked some more. His astonishment soon faded as the teacher briskly strode into the classroom.
"Good morning class. You may refer to me as Shiawase-sensei," her tone had suggested no one call her otherwise. She was fashionably late and apparently didn't care. She quickly jotted down her name in kanji on the chalkboard. Dusting off her fingers, she ran through the rules of the classroom. Students were not expected to talk while she was talking, they were to remain quiet unless told otherwise, they most certainly could not pass notes, and were to remain respectful at all times.
Eriol knew the drill inside and out, but that didn't change the fact that he would back down and lay off the pranks. No, if anything, Shiawase-sensei had given him an incentive to try harder. Eriol loved challenges. The end of homeroom was signaled with another bell, and the students were able to breathe again. Eriol heard portions and snippets of conversations milling around.
"...Yes, I went to this really fun Bible Camp over the summer. I spent plenty of afternoons with the children at the shelter too. We all had a wonderful time," the voice spoke pleasantly with much sincerity.
"Daidouji-san, you're just too kind," another student shook her head.
"Well, that's awfully kind of you to say," she smiled. "There's a verse in the Bible that refers to kindness, you know."
Eriol felt sick. Did that girl always have to be so darn cheerful? Well sure, Sakura was often perky and happy, but at least she wasn't preaching the Bible every minute of every hour. He rubbed his temples, then was instantly bombarded with greetings from his classmates. It was painful being loved by all.