Sakura's auburn hair turned a dark caramel-brown color as it hit the water. Her emerald eyes squeezed shut as she dove. The small golden hairs on her arms spiked up from the gold water as the buzzer began to ring. She was finally in 1st place. Calls from her friend, Tomoyo, could be heard.
"Go Sakura, you're in first! Keep it up!" Tomoyo said.
All Sakura could do was blow bubbles under the freezing water. She touched the end of the large pool and did a flip turn. She swam free-style down the rest of the water and then touched the wall about 0.3 seconds before the person who had won second place.
When Sakura got out of the water, she was mobbed by her swim team, and lifted up in the air. Tomoyo had caught the whole thing on film, as she usually did, and was extremely proud because she had designed the swim team's swim suits.
The person who had one 2nd place scowled in defeat. He and his adopted brother, Eriol, walked away.
"I'm surprised Kinomoto-San beat you, Syaoran-Kun..." Eriol said to his brother.
"0.3 seconds, Eriol. 0.3!" Syaoran yelled in reply. It was his life dream to be an Olympic swimmer. Even though the top three swimmers in this race between his school, Tomoeda High, and Tokyo High, he wanted to be first, no matter what.
"Well, you still get to go to the universal tournament. You just will be competing for 2nd place other than 1st..." Eriol said, trying to keep him cool.
"It doesn't matter, Eriol! I wanted to win...you know I just hate to lose..." Syaoran growled.
"Why not ask Sakura for advice? I mean, you did like her in 5th grade..." Eriol teased.
"Ay, Shuddup!" Syaoran yelled.
...
Later that evening, Sakura and her friends, Tomoyo, Naoko, Rika, and Chiharu all went to a diner that they liked.
"Tomoyo, thanks for bringing me here!" Sakura hugged her friends.
"Hey, no problem, Sakura-Chan; By the way, Naoko-Chan, Rika-Chan and Chiharu-Chan and I have all been saving up some money and we decided to get you a winning-gift!" Chiharu, will you do the honors?
Chiharu took out a large box, almost 3-feet long. It had holes in it, and a light sound was coming out of it.
"No flipping way! A PUPPY!" Sakura unwrapped the gift and took out a puffy, cream-colored pomeranian.
"It's Kero-Chan!" Rika said, smiling.
After the gift and dinner, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko left. Tomoyo and Sakura now sat at the booth alone with Kero.
"I'm so happy I won! But I feel sorry for that kid..."
"You mean Li-Kun? Trust me, he'll be fine just going to the 2nd place competition. You guys should become friends." Tomoyo said giggling.
"Hmm, yeah! He could be my swim-team-buddy!" Sakura smiled.
All of a sudden, the doors to the diner opened, in leading two boys. One had messy, damp chocolate hair and a pair of caramel-colored eyes. The other had midnight blue hair and eyes the shade of steel.
"Tomoyo, it's your boyfriend." Sakura teased Tomoyo about her little crush.
"Well speak of the devil, Syaoran, Sakura and Tomoyo-Chan are here." Eriol said, giving Syaoran a little punch. Syaoran only growled in response. Tomoyo then left the booth and walked up to Eriol and Syaoran with a surprised, yet happy look in her violet eyes. Her black hair cascaded down her back, and seemed to quiver every time she looked at Eriol.
"H-Hello, Hiiragizawa-Kun, Li-San, would you like to join us at our table?"
"Only if we can pay for your dinners, Tomoyo-Chan. P.S, call me Eriol-Kun." Eriol winked at Tomoyo.
Syaoran just followed them. Tomoyo took her seat next to Eriol, and Sakura and Syaoran sat next to each other.
"Congratulations on winning nationals, are you ready for universals, Sakura-San?" Eriol asked politely, not acknowledging Syaoran, who was grouchy at the moment.
"Arigato, Hiiragizawa-Kun, yes, I'm very excited! I can't wait to race America, France, and Germany..." Sakura had emerald eyes full of stars and excitement.
"And, Li-San, good job today at the race, you were really fast! We should practice for universals together, considering that you're going as well!" Sakura held out a hand to Syaoran, and Syaoran hesitantly shook it.
"Yeah, sure..." Syaoran felt his face getting hot.
I love her emerald eyes...OH GOSH WHY AM I SAYING THAT! He tormented himself in his mind.
"Li-San, Hiiragizawa-San, what do you want for your dinner? We're already waiting on our desserts, so eat quickly!" Sakura chuckled.
...
The next day at school, Sakura's fan club of little freshmen who wanted to join the swim team (because most of the popular kids, like Sakura and Syaoran, were on it) mobbed Sakura, as well as Sakura's many admirers. The same happened with Syaoran, only a few really dumb people were trying to comfort him, which sent Syaoran in rage.
"Sakura-Sama, we love you! Please teach us how to swim!"
"Sorry, girls, I have to get to class..." Sakura smiled at them all when some took photos and headed off. The school uniform was an aquamarine coat over a white dress shirt, with a short aquamarine skirt as the base. There were also loose socks with green bows on them and brown, ordinary shoes. That was for girls, the boys got to where a green coat, with a red tie and a white 'business' shirt, as well as khaki pants and brown ordinary shoes.
Sakura's short brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, while her bangs rested on her natural-tanned forehead.
Sakura took her seat next to Tomoyo in her 1st class, Cultures. Syaoran sat behind her, and Eriol sat behind Tomoyo. Even though Sakura and Syaoran usually had the same seats every year (for who knows what reason), they still hadn't even talked very much, other than:
'Can I borrow a pencil?'
'My pencil fell by your foot, will you pick it up?'
Today, Sakura was going to make an effort to connect with Eriol and Syaoran!
"Hello, Li-Kun, Hiiragizawa-Kun!" She smiled brightly.
"Ohaio, gozaimasu!" Eriol said politely. Syaoran just stared out the window next to him. He saw pictures of Sakura, because she was the 'famous' swimmer at school, there were pictures of her in a swim suit, with pictures of the group in the background. For some people, they would take an advantage of it and look at it all of class. For him, he wish he was allowed to close the curtain in the window.
"Li-Kun, I've known another boy named Syaoran before! Isn't that cool?" Sakura smiled cheerfully.
"Yeah, and I've known another Sakura before..." Could she not remember 5th grade?
...
*Syaoran's P.O.V/Flashback*
I sat in the back corner of the room, behind a girl named Sakura Kinomoto.
Sakura Kinomoto had chin-length, honey-colored hair, rosy pink cheeks, and the most incredible emerald eyes.
I sat next to a window, which gave a great view of Tomoeda.
Sakura usually made conversation with her best friend, Tomoyo Daidouji, who sat next to her, or, diagonal from myself. My newly-adopted brother, Eriol Hiiragizawa, who has blue hair (weird!) and gray eyes, liked Tomoyo, and I, Sakura.
Sakura and I had never really spoken. It was fine...I liked to admire her a lot.
One day, I finally decided that I should make a conversation. She turned around when I was about to tap her shoulder, and our hands touched, which sent her flying back to her regular position in her seat. Just before she did, her face turned beet red.
Was she actually going to talk to me?
I tapped on her shoulder, and then she turned around, with her face in its usual, pale color.
"Sakura-San...uhh...hi."
"Hi, Syaoran-San, what's up!" She said delightfully. This was the first time I had been in a first-name basis with anyone outside of my family.
"Nothing much, I'm just reading a book."
"Oh, which book?"
Our conversation rambled on and we just kept talking about stuff.
"Terada-Sensei's lesson was so boring!"
"Syaoran-San, let's go play at King Penguin Park!" She was beautiful, for a 5th grader. I followed her along and we swung on the swings.
"Syaoran-San, let's play truth or dare!"
"What?" What's truth or dare?
"You don't know what it is? Well it's a game where I say, 'truth or dare!' and then you either have to tell me what I ask you for truth, or do the dare I say! Are you in?" Sakura held out her hand to me. How familiar.
"Sure. Sakura, truth or dare?"
"Dare for sure!" Sakura has, and always will be, a dare-devil.
"I dare you to...climb that tree!" I pointed to a 50 foot tree.
"Okay, that's a piece of cake!" She climbed up, and then when she was climbing down, she tripped. I ran over to her just in the nick of time and caught her.
"Let's continue the game, arigato, Syaoran-Kun!" Sakura said and we both sat on the swings.
"Syaoran-Kun, truth or dare?" She said.
"Truth." I said quietly.
"Uhh...Who's the prettiest girl in the class!"
"You." I answered without hesitation.
She blushed like mad, and then rubbed it off while shaking her head.
"Arigato, Syaoran-Kun!"
For days later, we kept playing truth-or-dare at the park.
"Syaoran-Kun, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"That's no fun! Me and Tomoyo made up a great dare for you today!"
"Okay, dare."
"Yay! Syaoran-Kun, I dare you to confess to the girl you like! Eriol says he'll pay you 6000 yen if you do!"
"Eh...S-Sakura..."
"Well, pull out your cell phone and call her!" Sakura giggled evilly. I went behind a tree in the park and called her number. This was my chance!
"Hello, who is this?" She said.
"Syaoran." I said.
"You're supposed to be calling the girl...you...l-like..." I heard a beep on the end of the line. When I came around the tree, she was running towards the school.
"Sakura-Chan!" I yelled, and it seemed to echo everywhere in Tomoeda.
...
*Sakura's P.O.V/Flashback*
Strangely, as I walked home, I thought about Li. Was he the same Li from before? I hated that Li. He messed around with me when I just asked him a simple question.
I can't believe Syaoran-Kun wouldn't tell me who he liked! And he wouldn't confess to the girl! She would be happy with him! I could've been the match-maker person!
I was young back then but...now that I'm older and smarter...why did Syaoran...c-call me?