Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the characters personalities. I am not part of CLAMP and I will never be. This was written for my enjoyment and for any reader who wishes to read.

Creature of Habit

Humans are creatures of habit. In a classroom setting, when one sits in the second row, three seats in from the left-more than likely one will sit in that exact seat tomorrow and the next day. If someone else sits in that seat, the person will have a mental breakdown. Why? Because it is human nature.

I have had a lot to think about ever since I have come to college. Like, no matter how many speakers they bring in or how many rules they may stress upon freshmen, some will still drink, do drugs, and have sex. It is human nature to not follow the rules during times where you want to fit in more than anything. No matter how cramped the dorm room may be, the other person in the room may not always be likeable. Human nature is that one can always find something in their roommate that they cannot stand. And no matter how many people one can meet, it is impossible to remember their name. Human nature is that if we cannot remember the dates on a history test, one cannot remember the names of the fifty people one meets in one day.

I like to watch and observe people from my spot. I sit in this spot every day for lunch and after my last class. The bark of the tree pricks my back and the branches tickle my hair. However, not many people notice me-but I notice them. There is another person that comes to this area every day as well. He sits under the tree across from me until his cell phone rings in the middle of his lunch and he ends up dropping his sandwich in the process of searching for his cell phone. There is also a couple that whisper sweet things in each others ears on the side of the business and marketing building. There are groups of people that just quietly walk to their destination and then others that find it a contest to see who could be more obnoxious and annoying. I always find the bits of conversation you can catch most interesting. Some girls claim that they just got out of bed that morning and didn't spend much time on their looks, just to impress their boyfriend. Somehow, I highly doubt that all their makeup and their perfect hair resulted in 'just getting out of bed.' Or sometimes, well most times, guys brag on how smashed they got the previous night and they haven't been paying attention in classes all day. But don't worry, they tell their best buddy, he will get smashed again tonight. Personally, I don't get the idea of drinking to the point that you can't remember anything that happened. If this liquid was so great, wouldn't you want to remember things? Anyway, I am getting off topic. There are also the ever popular couples that either fight about who knows what, or those new couples that whisper sweet things in the others ear.

I have never had a girlfriend. Nor have I wanted one. Girls swoon over my 'charming' looks and my 'mysterious' personality. I look in the mirror every day and do not understand why they want me. My eyes are empty and cold with no feeling. My hair is always a mess and my clothes are always just thrown together in the morning. I am destined to be alone, I always tell myself. No girl would ever look past my looks or try to get to know me. After three more years, I am doomed to live in a life of solitude in a huge mansion.

I have a secret that not many here know. I am the future clan leader of my family in China. They sent me to here for the remainder of my education so my professors would not favor me or treat me too differently. Here , they don't gasp at my name. It is a different counry, of course they don't know my name. They don't know who I am; which is nice for a change. I can sit and watch people without them shouting my name and rushing over to me. It is peaceful. Peace is something that does not come easy in my hectic life.

Look at that. I got off topic again. I have also noticed that just like classroom seats, humans have difficulty sitting in a different area for lunch or dinner than what they are used to. If they eat in the cafeteria, they will sit in the same area usually at the same time. If they bring their lunch, they will sit in the same spot under the same tree or on the same bench. Like I said, humans are creatures of habit. I am guilty of this, I suppose. By habit, I sit in the back of the classroom so I cannot be seen. By habit, I wear things that make me look like just another guy and I grow my hair out to cover my eyes. By habit, I sit in the same spot watching people while munching on the same lunch in silent with the same girl beside me.

Wait. Girl beside me? I have never seen her before. Maybe she is hung over and confused. She looks at me as if we know each other and minimizes the distance between us. Our knees are almost touching as she holds out her hand for me to shake it. "Hi there," she tells me, "my name is Sakura. What is yours?" I stare at her, wondering who she is and why she is doing this. No one, not even my roommates, have attempted to get to know my name here. She got frustrated of holding her hand up, so she reached for my hand in the grass and grasped it firmly. This girl left me totally speechless because she confused me so much.

"I try to meet one new person every day," she claims as she takes a bite of her sandwich. "And unlike most people with that goal, I like to spend more than thirty seconds with them and know more about them than just their name." I feel my voice express interest but no coherent words escape my mouth. She giggled a little and continued to talk. "Yeah, I saw you, but just barely, under this tree and I thought you could use someone to talk to…or listen to. It doesn't matter." She took another bite of her sandwich. She is confusing me, maybe a little too much. I don't understand why she picked me of all people. I am not the easiest person to talk to; she must have caught that by now. But she continued to talk.

"I could have eaten lunch in my dorm room, but what fun is that? You are cut of from everyone else because of a building and a closed door. My roommate thinks I am insane, for doing this, but she spends most of her time in our room talking to her boyfriend back home on her cell phone. I think that she is the one that is insane. She is clinging onto something from the past too much and isn't living in the present. If I make a fool of myself…oh well. Everyone does that, don't they?" She took another bite of her sandwich. I should probably find my voice soon. She probably thinks I am incoherent.

"I have a cat! Do you have a pet?" I felt my head shake as I continued to stare at this girl. She was so…random. She brushed some of her short hair away from her face and blushed a bit. I noticed I was staring intently so I quickly switched my focus to my shoes. "That's too bad. His name is Kero. He is getting a bit old though. I have had him since I was about ten. That doesn't mean I love him less. In a way, I love him more. I know he has only a few years left and it makes me sad that I am here. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. I just want to be with him. It is silly, but he was my best friend growing up. If you were sad, he knew. He purred or meowed obnoxiously to lighten my mood. Pets never judge you or ask why you are sad; something that you rarely find in humans." She reminded me of a child; innocent, but wise at the same time. She took another bite of her sandwich. She giggled to herself for a moment while she was chewing. I suddenly felt my face rapidly heating up. Was I blushing? Hopefully she doesn't notice.

"I can see why you like it here. I have seen you day after day. Kind of. I really only see your shoes on the grass. It is really peaceful, but you can people watch at the same time." She giggled slightly and checked her watch. Out of the corner of my eye, she frowned. She took one last bite of her lunch and started to pack it up. She stood up and threw on her backpack. "Unfortunately, I have to get to my class or I will be late…again. Nice meeting you! I am sure I will see you around sometime." She gave me a huge smile and turned around to leave.

"Syaoran," I felt my mouth say as I finally found my voice. She turned around briefly and gave me a questioning look. "My name…is Syaoran." Her emerald eyes seemed to dance right before she turned away once and left. Why did I give her my actual name and not my family name? Something about her made me so confused but happy at the same time. The most confusing thing about it…is that I don't mind it. I hope to see you again, Sakura.

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After my long ff hibernation, I am back. I wrote half of this my first week of college in September and I just now finished it, while I was at work (campus job. I work at my res hall front desk and it is pretty dull at six in the morning). I apologize to those who enjoyed my chapter stories. I will attempt to work on them in the next few months. To be honest, I can't stand them. The only one worth continuing is Masquerade. Also, college is harder than it looks. I am at class or doing homework most of the time, and whenever I have free time-I try to have a social life by hanging out with my friends. But, I have found that I write the best (and more) during my job. Tell me if you like this and I will continue.