Rebound

00. Prologue

The best point to start this story is twelve years ago, on my first day of elementary school. If I recall correctly, it was a beautiful autumn morning, with a cool breeze that was gradually becoming colder. At the entrance to the Tomoeda Elementary School (the public school of the city where I was born) I was wearing a simple but pretty grey raincoat, long enough to cover my legs just above my knees.

Since I can remember, I've had pretty dark hair, as dark as the night, quite thick, very straight and considerably long. Long enough to reach just above my waist, which is a considerable length for a six-year-old girl. The colour of my hair plays a curious contrast with my pale skin, white with rosy cheeks, and reddish lips. Making it all blend together, my parents (thanks to the genes) had given me light grey eyes, almost the same colour as my coat, which showed underneath it, the black plated skirt, part of the school uniform. I also wore short white socks and black school shoe. A little nervous, I readjusted the white sailor cap that I was wearing on my head that day.

"Ready for your first day?" my mother asked. She's a tall, thin woman with short, reddish hair. This is the only difference that can be noticed between her and me, since we have the same skin tone, the same eye colour. Sometimes I wish that her fire red hair colour was the product of a bottle, so that people could get the false idea that she was my older sister, but unfortunately it is natural.

That morning, as I couldn't help but smile 'cause of the happiness that was flooding me on the inside, my mother had a determined expression on her face. From the day my parents divorced (two years ago) my mother's professional world had revolved around her company, and her personal life around me. She looks proud, as if her only daughter had just graduated from Harvard with all honours...

"Definitely," I said cheerfully, though I never admitted that what excited me the most about that day was that she was there with me. After becoming the sole owner of the family company (my mom is the CEO of a computer company) it was harder for her to be with me. But I don't blame her, after all, it is thanks to her we have a place to live, something to eat. I could feel her absence, but I could also feel her effort to remain present in the day to day of her only daughter.

So the fact that she was with me on that first day of elementary school, made my six-year-old self feel like the happiest girl in the whole universe.

That morning, my mother and I talked for a couple of minutes, sitting side by side in the car, as we watched the other children enter the school. Then, with an elegant wrist movement, my mother checked the time on her watch, and finally announced:

"It's time. Will I see you at night for dinner? I'll send a chauffeur to pick you up."

"Have a nice day at the office, Mom," I said as a good-bye. I gave her a deep hug, and hurried out of the car. The cool breeze hit my face and I could feel my cheeks getting all pinky.

I heard the car engine, and how it got away, while I walked inside the school, crossing the gate and walking towards the main courtyard, where several boards announced the first year groups. I went to look at the lists, looking for my name.

Daidouji Tomoyo.

Daidouji Tomoyo.

Daidouji Tomoyo.

It didn't took long for me to find it. My name was one of the first on the list in 1st Grade, Class 2. So after looking at the school's plan (placed on the last board), I located my classroom and headed there, with a calm step.

But why does this story begins here, and why am I telling you all this?

Well, because it was on that day, when I met the one that would be my best friend, during these last twelve years.

That first day of elementary school, the classes had been boring. Trying my best to be a good girl and committed student, I still struggled to pay attention to what the teachers were explaining. And so, it was easy for me to get distracted during math lesson, when I saw how a little eraser got accidentally pushed from the classmate's desk, sitting at my left. I saw the rubber bounce a couple of times (it was shaped like a little white bunny) and stop at my feet. I bent down and took it, hurrying to look at the person who had thrown it by mistake, so to give it back.

The eraser belonged to a girl with pink skin, short light brown hair (she had two pigtails secured with red bows), and huge, beautiful green eyes. I could not help smiling at her, and she smiled back at me. So I placed the eraser in the palm of her hand, and she replied with a cheerful and sweet:

"Thank you."

That day we shared our first lunch together, while we talked about trivial things. Her name turned out to be Kinomoto Sakura, and like me, she had the absence of one of her parents at home. While I was growing up with a non-existent father due to the divorce, she lived without the presence of her mother, who had died just two years ago.

Since then, every afternoon when we were done with school, we would walk home together, until it was time for us to walk different directions in the local park, where we would said good-bye, and promised to see each other again, the next day.

A week after our first meeting, Sakura invited me to eat at her house, to finally meet her family, of which she had spoken so much to me. The first to appear was the clan head: Kinomoto Fujitaka, professor of archeology at the Tomoeda University. He was a tall, athletic man, with the same light brown hair as Sakura, though his eyes were hazel. The second to appear, tangling itself in between my best friend's feet, was her pet, Kero, a huge orange tabby cat with honey-coloured eyes, way too spoiled by all who lived in the Kinomoto residency. Except by the third member of the family...

Kinomoto Touya.

If I must be honest, the first time I saw him, I felt butterflies flutter in my stomach, and for a moment I was speechless. Now that I think about it, I think I even blushed.

"Good evening, my name is Daidouji Tomoyo," was all I could say, as I looked at the floor with an exaggerated bow and tried to focus on the cat.

Touya was a boy five years older than Sakura and me. He was at that moment in his final year of elementary school, a high star impossible to reach for a rookie like me. He was quite tall for his age, and like his father, he had a muscular build. I soon discovered that this was due to his constant training at football, basketball, volleyball and practically any sport played at school.

Like the rest of the family, his hair was brown, though his was a little darker. Like his father, his eyes were hazel, and his skin a little dark. And unlike the rest of the family, there was a constant expression of seriousness on his face that gave him a mature and attractive aura.

I was in love with Touya Kinomoto for almost five years, although it was only the first one that turned out to be a real torture for me, since when I ran into him at school, I was simply unable to greet him. Just seeing him, suddenly made me lose my speech. There were times when I had even had to walk my steps back, to get away from an area where he was.

However, as me and Sakura made it to second grade, Touya went to mid school and so I was able to relax a little more during my stay in school. I still used to see him from time to time, on occasions when events occurred in elementary school, and Sakura's family came to see her, or when I visited my best friend's home on the weekends. But that didn't affect me so much anymore. After all, Sakura and I used to spend most of the time chitchatting in her room, and Touya was rarely at home, since he had started to do various part-time jobs, all around town.

In fourth grade, things took an even bigger twist. Two new foreign students had joined our class: Li Syaoran and Li Mei Lin, a pair of cousins that came all the way from China. Mei Lin was a very energetic girl, with long black hair and big dark eyes, with a beautifully tanned skin, that shinned like gold. She was always in a good mood and loved to protect her cousin, who was ashamed that a girl had to take care of him. Syaoran, on the other hand, was a shy little boy, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes, also of brown skin, who seemed didn't like to talk that much. He was good at sports, and he was also good at academics, so he soon became a sensation in any kind of competition, at school.

Sensation that was hopelessly trapped by Sakura. After almost two years of friendship, Syaoran finally noticed his feelings for my best friend, and with a little help and support from Mei Lin and me, the boy was finally able to confess his feelings. A confession with little lack of tact, but very special, after all.

Since ever, Sakura had been a little slow for matters of the heart. During all the years I had already known her, she had never realized that she was gradually arousing feelings off the boys. With Syaoran it was no exception, and so it took her some time to realize that she also had feelings for him. However, by the time our fifth grade was about to end, Sakura and Syaoran were already dating.

That summer, I could not help but think about that feeling I had for Touya Kinomoto. It was a little forgotten and deep buried, but in one way or another, it had always been there. I thought (maybe a little too much) in that 0% probability that a girl in sixth grade could one day have a high school junior boyfriend. Those five years of difference each day seemed to be more. So after overthinking about it for a whole month, I decided to bury that impossible feeling, and look for someone of my age, to make me as happy as Syaoran did with Sakura.

It was as if the universe had waited for my brain and heart to agree on that matter, and for me to make that request, for at the beginning of the sixth year another new student had entered our class:

Hiragizawa Eriol.

Half Japanese by his father, half English by his mother, he, his older sister and his black cat, came from England to get in touch with the culture of that side of his family. Eriol was a very interesting boy. His hair was bluish black, just like his eyes, and like me, his skin was very pale. He had an enigmatic look, a sweet voice and impeccable manners. He definitely had everything it needed to be considered a very good match. Extremely intelligent, good at sports, he seemed to be always attentive to the smallest details.

Was it also love at first sight? My honest answer is no. It was rather a feeling of intrigue, which after almost a year of friendship became teenage interest. It was not until we started seventh year, when I decided to give it a try with Hiragizawa. His confession had been very simple and straight to the point, giving him a mature and determined air, so I agreed that it would be interesting to invest time in a person as cultivated, educated and instructed as he.

Eriol was still a gentleman, a kind and respectful boy. His care for the details had now evolved into something a bit overprotective, though I must admit that I simply loved it. It can make wonders for a person's self-esteem, to have someone notice when you are sad, and do everything possible to change that blue mood, for a happier one. Hiragizawa was always there for me, within reach of a phone call, or a message. He never allowed anything bad to happen to me. If there was a problem, or if I needed support and comfort from someone, he was the person to call.

As the years passed, and we became teenagers, the low instincts began to appear. It is interesting to see how hormones and adrenaline can change an educated boy, and little by little those basic instincts struggle to emerge. From a simple relationship of kids who hold hands, and blush after a simple kiss, so began the most personal and intimate intercourses. Deep and moist kisses, with tongue work included. Not so innocent fumble, hidden in the park. To touch, kiss, and suck, trying not to make any noise, while we are alone in my room. Until finally, in our senior year of high school, after almost six years of relationship, we could not continue to postpone it for long, and so, we both lost our virginity. It was an easy step at the time, especially when I was already madly in love with him, and believed what we had would last forever.

And so, that brings us to this day.

Hello, my name is Daidouji Tomoyo. I'm a typical nineteen-year-old girl who just entered college… And whose boyfriend of all life, has dumped her.

Hello everbody!

This is Ribonette, and I'll be your tour guide during this fic (?). As this might not be the first time I post a story, this is a special one since it will be the first non-oneshot I'll be posting in english. You see, this is not my mother tongue but still wanted to give it a try. So, I will need all of your support and guidance to tell me what am I doing wrong (gramatically speaking and all that), 'cause I really want to practice my english, and I really want to share my stories with you :)

That said, let's talk now about this story, and this chapter. As stated in the original version (which you can find it in my profile -spanish written-), this will be a short story that will revolve around Tomoyo... and Touya. It will also have some lemon so if you are not 18 or older, please don't read (?).

I'll be trying to post every saturday, but since it's Christmas season, it might take me a little longer to post, so to take care of my family and celebrations. Anyway, I hope that even if this chapter doesn't explain that much, you'll keep on reading me on future ones, leaving a review, giving a like or a follow. It would mean a lot to me.

So, after all that's been said, for clicking the link, reading the chapter, and reaching this commentary, I thank you a lot. Hope to see you guys around.

XOXO, Ribonette.