Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and my OC.

Ikasashimi: Here is another story I made for a project. It went over the maximum length, but my teacher accepted it anyway :D This was meant for English class. Hope you guys like it :)

Meiling: Please remember that she did not use Sakura and Syaoran for her original project. She just changed the names.

Ikasashimi: Anyway, ON WITH THE STORY! :D

'Faster! Faster' I thought as I ran through the bustling crowd. I could feel the strain on my legs and the ache in my chest as my heart pounded erratically. I turned around the corner, running towards Hozakawa tower, searching for him amongst the crowd. I found him walking towards the building, his back faced towards me. Unknown to him his life was in danger. I ran closer, getting ready to shout, but I noticed something on the roof. I squinted my eyes at the glaring sunlight and gasped. On the roof, was a man with a gun. I fought the urge to scream as he pointed the gun towards him. Everything played in slow motion as I turned and opened my mouth to shout...

***

My name is Sakura Kinomoto. I'm a student from Tomoeda High School. My parents own one of Japan's largest oil companies and I'm an only child. Though I'm an only child, my parents never spend any time with me, unless they had another one of their money making schemes. I'm sure you're confused. So let me tell you everything from the beginning...

***

I once had a twin brother. He was older by 2 minutes, and he was the favourite of my parents.

We were 6 years old when it happened...

My parents were in a meeting and wanted to bring us along. I was afraid I would get lost and when I told my brother he smiled at me and held my hand.

"Don't worry I won't leave you alone. You'll never get lost."

In the middle of the meeting, the building shook. A bomb was placed inside the building and a fire had started. In all the panic and confusion I got separated from my family, I was scared and I could not move. The smoke was spreading everywhere and I couldn't see.

I jumped a little when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and almost cried in joy when I saw my brother. He took my hand and led me towards the exit. I was so happy, everyone was okay and we would all live. But fate had something else in store for him. When one of the firemen found us, a beam fell and trapped my brother. I tried to help, but the fireman gave me to one of his colleagues. I was brought to my parents, and we stood there waiting for my brother. I felt all my worries fly away as the fireman came out with my brother in his arms, but for some reason the man looked sad. I ran towards him as he put my brother down. He looked like he was asleep, so I shook him. "Onii-chan! Wake up!" I waited for him to open his eyes and smile like he always did, but he didn't. I tried again and again, but nothing happened. The fireman was looking at me, his eyes hidden behind his bangs.

"I'm sorry... Your brother is gone..." I stared at him with tears in my eyes. I looked at my brother and cried.

"Onii-chan! Don't leave...you promised you wouldn't leave me alone. I'll be lost without you..." From the corner of my eye I could see my parents crying and I couldn't help but let more tears flow from my eyes as they carried the body of my brother away.

I don't blame them for what they did after that incident, but I still feel bad about it. The death of my twin brother affected my parents in the worst way possible. I looked too much like him, to their utter dismay, and looking at me made them think about the son they once had. I was a source of their sorrow, and they blamed me for his death, but being as greedy as they were, they kept me so that they could make more money.

Sometimes I felt as if...it was my fault. That if it weren't for me my brother would still be here. I felt bad and sometimes the guilt would become so strong that I found myself crying in my sleep. I tried to make my parents happy to fill in the whole that the death of my brother left, but they would never even look my way. They only noticed me when I did something they thought was wrong. After getting slapped in the face and pulled by the hair so much I almost got used to the torture they put me through. This continued until the day I turned 17. That was when everything changed...

My birthdays were never acknowledged, except with a brief greeting from my parents. But this particular year, my parents acted strangely. They gave me a gift and even sang. I was utterly confused.

'Since when did they celebrate my birthday?'

I only discovered that evening what they had in store for me.

I was engaged to Sakurano Hanabe. His parents owned the only company larger than my parents' and were the only ones richer than them. To me, this marriage seemed like a way to get rid of me AND earn tons of money at the same time. I'm sure all the other girls in school would have loved this, but all they cared about was his looks. He was the most popular guy in school and was the captain of the soccer AND basketball team.

To be honest, I didn't care.

In 5th grade, he always bullied me and even now that we're in high school he never stopped. He was a jerk and treated others like dirt and to top it off he always I repeat ALWAYS failed (his parents bribed the school to let him stay). When they told me the news I stared at them and said, "No."

They were shocked at my answer. I never answered back before. I stood up and walked toward my room, leaving them with their mouths open, gapping at me like fish. I heard my mom shout.

"You have to do this!"

I looked at her, my face devoid of emotion.

"What if I don't want to?"

My father's face turned a light shade of red. I flinched, knowing what would come next. He stood up and slapped me hard on the face. I felt myself hit the ground and bit my lit to control my tears.

"You ungrateful girl! You will go through with the engagement whether you like it or not, or else we will disown you!"

I lifted my head, and knowing the consequences I spat on his shoe.

"I'd be better off that way!"

His face turned a darker shade of red, almost purple, and he punched me in the stomach. I closed my eyes, welcoming the darkness I hoped would release me from this torture, but it never came. I was awake the whole time as he hit me again and again. He did this a lot when he was drunk, but this time he was completely aware of his actions and made it 2 times worse.

When he was finished he left me on the floor and went with my mom to the other room. I clenched my jaw as I slowly stood up. Tears ran down my cheeks as I limped towards my bedroom. I wanted to die or kill myself to escape this hell, but I couldn't...

I almost tried once, but I stopped myself. I had a reason to live. This was when I met Syaoran Li. He was once one of the popular guys and was the captain of the swim team. Unlike Sakurano he was smart and kind. On my first day, during 5th grade, when Sakurano bullied me, everyone laughed and watched, except for him. Syaoran was the only one who ever stood up for me or defended me, and because of that people didn't like him. I was one of the most unpopular people (for reasons you don't need to know) and defending or befriending me was social suicide, but he didn't care. He was my first and only friend. If it wasn't for him, things would have been different. I would have been some sort of emotional wreck. So, as you can see, he was like my anchor to life, the only reason I wanted to live.

It was only last year when I started developing feelings for him, but I was scared. I have never experienced love, so I was afraid of the unknown and afraid of rejection.

'What if he doesn't feel the same way?' was a question I constantly asked myself. Then before the end of the year I told him how I felt.

Long story short I was wrong... he felt the same way. But now that I was getting engaged that would mean I would never see him again. I couldn't live with that, so I did everything I could to make sure my parents would change their mind.

At school I met up with Syaoran. The first thing he did was worry about my bruise, which covered almost half of my face. When I told him about the engagement, he became quiet. He suggested we run away, but I told him it would be impossible. He started chewing the top of his lip, something he did when he was deep in thought. In the end we came up with a very simple plan.

Make Sakurano hate me.

At a lunch date my parents set up I tried to make a bad first impression, but Sakurano didn't seem to be bothered. So I asked him,

"Why do you like me?"

He smiled and replied

"You're pretty." I blinked. I wasn't expecting that...

"and..." He thought for a moment.

"You have nice eyes?" I stared at him.

"That's it?" He looked confused.

"Why? Should there be more?"

I sighed. It was hopeless, so I stood up and left.

I got another beating for that.

Even after a month, my parents insisted on getting me married to him; nothing could stand in their way, except Syaoran.

It happened when I came home from school. My parents were sitting on the couch; both their lips were stretched into thin lines. I would have laughed if it wasn't for the serious atmosphere.

"Sakura...who's Syaoran?"

I thought I felt my heart stop.

'How did they know?'

This time my father stood up. I flinched as an instinctual reaction.

"You would not marry Sakurano and instead run around with this boy! I'm afraid we had to take matters into our own hands..."

A thousand possibilities flashed into my head

'How far are they willing to go?!'

My mother stood beside my dad

"In a few minutes this....Syaoran was it? Will be dead."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You... you wouldn't"

My dad smiled "Money can get you anywhere."

I felt like I was falling into a dark abyss.

"It's too late. He's already walking to his death."

I ran out of the room, not bothering to check if I was being followed. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and dialled his number.

There was no answer.

I started to panic 'Think Shiki! Think! Where could he be?' Then a conversation from this morning played in my mind.

"Hey Youichi! You wanna go to the new music store near the station today?"

"I'm sorry. I can't. I have to go to Hozakawa tower later..."

I stopped for a moment. Hozakawa tower wasn't far from where I was. 'I can still save him!' With a newfound hope I ran towards Hozakawa tower.

***

'Faster! Faster' I thought as I ran through the bustling crowd. I could feel the strain on my legs and the ache in my chest as my heart pounded erratically. I turned around the corner, running towards Hozakawa tower, searching for him amongst the crowd. I found him walking towards the building, his back faced towards me. Unknown to him, his life was in danger. I ran closer, getting ready to shout, but I noticed something on the roof. I squinted my eyes at the glaring sunlight and gasped. On the roof there was a man with a gun. I fought the urge to scream as he pointed the gun towards him. Everything played in slow motion as I turned and opened my mouth to shout.

"Syaoran!"

In a split second, he turned around to face me. That was just enough. The bullet, meant to hit him in the heart, hit him in the shoulder instead. He collapsed on the ground and people around him screamed and panicked, causing chaos. I ran towards him and hugged him closer to me. I needed him near me to assure myself that he was alive. I kept him close to me until the police and paramedics came.

After everything had calmed down, I told the police everything. They arrested my parents and the court decided that I would inherit everything my parents owned. I lived alone for a while, but Syaoran's parents invited me to live with them and I said yes.

***

Right now I live with Syaoran and his family. We're all content and I haven't been bothered by my parents for a while. I'm sure they're fine wherever they are now. Syaoran and I plan to get married in a year and his parents are starting to help us find a new place to stay in. Sometimes I feel like I'll wake up one day and find out that this is all a dream. It's hard to believe that things have finally changed for the better. Finally I have a real family who actually loves me, yet I still wonder.

Would Onii-chan be proud of my decision?

Then, when I remembered his smiling face I knew the answer. Yes, he would be proud, and I realized I was wrong. Onii-chan never left me alone, he was always there watching and guiding me all this time...

Ikasashimi: I hope you guys liked that. Again, I'm sorry if they seemed OOC :D

Reviews, comment, and suggestions are welcome :)

Until next time! Ja ne!

-Ikasashimi