The Rules, Revised
It was a sunny, glorious day. Sakura observed the weather from her bed. She glanced down at her arms and smiled sadly, the old bruises had finally disappeared, just in time to adopt new ones. She stared at the one blank pages of her diary, now almost full with tear stains and words that explained her life after her dearly beloved mother's death. Her brother had long gone off to University, when he calls she fakes innocence so he doesn't ruin his own future trying to save her. She sighed again and continued her entry.
- I don't know what to do She wrote life seems to be trying to destroy me one bruise at a time, what happens when he breaks my arm again? What excuse will I have to use this time? What am I going to do when Touya calls. I can't continue to lie to him, he'll be done University soon. Is he going to come back? Will he save me if he does? Do I want him to? What if he gets hurt? I'd never forgive myself. I love him, the only man I have and will ever love. My brother. My poor brother.
"Sakura!" Her father called from downstairs. "Come here please!" She knew something was up, his voice was much to sweet, much to innocent, much to… fatherly. She immediately pushed her diary under her pillow and made her way towards the door, before she could reach it, it swung open and an angry man stood in the door way. His hair was a light brown, his body naturally built, the veins in his arms stuck out as he stared down at his daughter in anger. His brown eyes glared into her soul.
"When I call you, you come." He said venomously, he looked her up and down and then glared into her eyes again. "We have company. Get changed and come down stairs. Quickly now, and don't embarrass me." With that last note he left her room, closing it gently. She listened to his foot steps descend the stairs before running into her closet pulling out a yellow sun dress, as soon as she was dressed and had brushed her long, auburn hair out, pulling half of it up. She rushed to the top of the stairs and then descended them.
"Ah, there she is, this is my beautiful daughter, Sakura." Fujitaka introduced her to the small party. Sakura was used to the façade that he often put on when there was company and resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and instead made them as well as her mouth smile politely while she curtsied.
"Oh she's absolutely charming," a woman with medium lengthed blonde hair and soft blue-green eyes blurted out.
"Yes, yes she is." the man agreed with the woman, his wife Sakura assumed by the way his arm was wrapped around her shoulders and his hand placed on her very pregnant stomach.
"My son would like her very much," the last woman spoke. Sakura forced herself to keep the smile on her face and not grimace. Men in her mind, her spineless, power obsessed creatures that walked the earth only to intimidate other men and force women to be their slaves and bare their children.
"Sakura, this is Hayama Musumi," Fujitaka motioning with his hand towards the first woman who had spoken, the blonde one. "This is her husband Hayama Brang" he motioned to the man sitting next to Mrs. Hayama, his hair was a dark oak like colour and his eyes were a transparent like blue. Sakura curtsied to them and smiled.
"And this, my dear, is Li Yelan." He looked towards the last woman with admiration and lust, a lust that wasn't for her in general but her post. Sakura curtsied deeply and rose with a sweet, polite smile. The woman had long black hair and eyes like a pool of blackness that dared to suck you in if you stared to much into them. Her physic was nothing that proved her to be a mother, you would never guess if you saw her in the streets that she was over 29.
"Very nice to meet you," Sakura said politely, curtseying once again, her aching legs were beginning to feel as if they were on fire, but she hid the fact from the party.
"Child, please walk towards me so that I may appraise you." Yelan commanded softly. Sakura obeyed, she walked towards Yelan head held high, back straight, just like her father had taught her.
"Sakura is it?" Yelan asked.
"Yes ma'am." Sakura answered.
"Yes, I dare say my son would love you." The woman pointed out again, Sakura's smiled pulled into a frown for less than half a second before a fake smile took it's place. Sakura didn't say anything, for fear of her own voice. Yelan leaned in closer and whispered into her ear. "You don't like men do you Sakura?" Sakura gulped, she didn't know what to say, she could lie, but that would be hard Yelan seemed like the kind of person to stop a lie dead in its tracks. She could tell the truth and risk her father finding out.
"Don't worry darling, my son, is nothing like the men who appear to have tormented your life." Yelan said gently. Sakura forced herself not to roll her eyes, how could she know? She didn't know anything!
"She's perfect. Mr. Kinomoto may I request that Sakura stay with me for a few months." Yelan said suddenly. It was difficult to hide the surprise on her face, when Sakura heard these words. It was also very difficult not to be angry at her. How could she do that? did she not as good as admit that she didn't like men?! This was outrageous.
"Well of course she can, she would love to. Right Sakura?" Her father looked at her, his eyes showing an evil that shook Sakura's insides.
"Yea, that would be wonderful, thank you for this honour Mrs. Li." Sakura said as enthusiastically as she could manage, she was sure that with the look Yelan was giving her that the woman could tell that a lot of it was hidden sarcasm.
"Well, then it's all settled. I'll bring Sakura by tomorrow morning." Fujitaka announced happily. Sakura smiled and curtsied as the party left the house. She waited by the window until she had seen them drive off in their expensive cars.
"What did Mrs. Li say to you?" Her father asked suddenly. Sakura looked at him defiantly.
"She was praising my figure and speech. Saying that I was brought up well, and was well mannered." Sakura lied swiftly. How was she supposed to tell her father she they were really talking about her dislike for men, surely if she said that she'd get a beating and be called a lesbian. When the truth was she just didn't like men, not that she wasn't attracted to them, she just didn't like them.
"You deserve a beating after today's disgraceful appearance, but you'll just have to suffer it when you return. I can't have you going to Mrs. Li's with bruises and broken limbs" Her father seems to stare into the future with a sick smile, she shuddered and mentally thanked Li Yelan for letting her escape.
"You know, your bones make the most pleasant sound as they break. I never tire of it." Her father said suddenly. Sakura's hands became clammy and sweat began to gather on her forehead.
"We'll have to deal with that when you come back though, until then. Stay out of my sights until the morning. Start packing, and nothing boyish." He ordered. Sakura ran up the stairs the moment he finished and started packing. She packed every dress she owned, all her high heels. Her night gowns and for her own comfort, despite the pain it would cause her pain later, she packed herself a pair of white capries, pink boxers and a pink sports bra. She placed them at the very bottom of her bag covered from view with her many dresses, underwear, bra's and night gowns obscuring their view. She grabbed a pair of Pajama pants and a tank top and rushed into the bathroom, it would be better to get ready for bed not and pack all of her toiletries immediately.
She brushed her teeth, and washed her face after she was done her shower and placed all of her items into a smallish bag. It wasn't long until she was done packing and placed her things by her bedroom door. She placed her hair into a ponytail and laid on her bed taking her diary to finish her entry.
- seems things are taking a new turn. She wrote, I'm going to the Li's tomorrow morning, I'm sure their design (my father and Mrs. Li) is for me to marry the heir to the Li throne and unite my family with hers. I will resist though, I do not like men, they are so … I don't even have a word to describe what I think of them. Stupid mongrels. It's getting late though, if I'm not up on time father will be angry. Goodnight, precious, only friend.
~ Sakura K.
After the entry was done, she placed the diary into her large purse and turned her radio on low. She laid on her bed listening to the music flow through her soul. As she was falling asleep words escaped her mouth.
"Young girl don't cry, I'll be right here when your world starts to fall." Soft breathing could be heard through her mouth after those words were left floating around in the air. The low sound of the radio man announced that the song that had just finished was Christina Aguilera's 'The Voice Within'.
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Alright, so I decided to revise this story because Im my own opinion it was terrible. I don't understand why it got so many hits last time. I mean I didn't explain anything. Seriously! So this is a revised addition of "The Rules", if you dare enough to see the difference between this one and the old one. I have them both on my account.
As for reviewing, everyone should be aware that I am like every writer in the fact that I enjoy reviews, but I do not believe in forcing people to review. People who review because they aren't forced, are the reviewers that give the best reviews, because they genuinely like the story enough to review. So don't worry about reviewing, I look at my hits more then my reviews anyways.
- Jiade 103