Perspectives
Sakura: The Beginning
She wasn't just nervous, Sakura Kinomoto was terrified. Walking into a house she'd only been to once with her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji and their friend Heero, trying in vain to prepare herself to meeting 10 people she hadn't even heard of. At first, she managed to breathe, happy her sweater covered everything, and knowing she looked a good three years younger than she really was at 15. Sakura and Tomoyo entered the room chatting animatedly about nothing in particular, or at least nothing of any importance.
During the "party" as you could call it Heero kept pressing her to sit with him, to talk with him. Sakura knew he was interested, it was lucky she didn't know what everybody else thought about her, that she liked him back. She was persistent in telling him no, not to sit with her, and in getting up herself and moving away when he sat too close.
The boys were playing video games while the girls either watched, or talked to each other and the guys left without controllers. And then, Sakura noticed one. But now, looking back on that day, she can't remember how she'd started the conversation, or if he had. She remembered that his name was Syaoran Li, that he was interested in soccer and a grade above her. At first, there was nothing special about him. He had nice eyes though, and a nice smile. How could that help make a conversation? Well... it didn't.
The group started watching a movie and Tomoyo was sitting on a couch with her boyfriend Eriol Hirigizawa, who swore he saw sparks fly between the pair, even if only one sided, from his girlfriend's bestfriend's side that is. Tomoyo denied it, partly defending her friend, obviously this guy wasn't good enough for her Cherry Blossom, and partly not wanting to admit that she hadn't noticed it first. Hell no, there were no sparks whatsoever. Tomoyo kept denying it until Eriol started to tickle her mercilessly and there was no way to speak, let alone argue the point.
Meanwhile, during the gory, pathetic excuse for an old horror movie, Sakura could only hope Heero would stop bugging her now. Now of all times, when she was actually enjoying herself. All at the same time, she noticed the hands of the clock ticking by, seeing that she would have to be home soon. Sakura would probably never see Syaoran again. Not that she liked him or anything, he was just nice. That thought made her even more adamant to tell Heero to bugger off. Which she did very well.
Sitting in the kitchen after the movie with the icky exploding rats... Sakura ate a bowl of ice cream with a couple and joked around until Heero walked in, and things got a little chillier, and the comments more twin-edged than before. Until Syaoran came in, suddenly Sakura's mood warmed up a little. Her green eyes surprising a lilting laughter inside. Putting away her ice cream bowl Sakura just shook her head a little, and brushing past the brown-eyed boy. Later when he came into the other room she asked for his e-mail, happy to receive it they hardly talked again that night.
Sakura sat on the couch with Tomoyo and helped poke fun at Eriol. Tomoyo pulled her aside for a moment, telling her that she, Sakura would have to hurt one of her good friends, Heero. Yes, sometimes he could be a little arrogant, and sometimes he could get on both their nerves, but he meant the best he could, even if his ways were sometimes sadly miscalculated. But... Sakura didn't see why she had to tell Heero that she wasn't interested in pursuing anything with him, not after he had been so kind to her.
"Sakura, I'm saying this as your best friend, and you know I love you to death. Stop sacrificing yourself, and your feelings for others. You're too nice sometimes, and you'll only hurt yourself." Tomoyo Daidouji stated this simply, with only minimal hesitation, so much that Sakura was sure she had practiced it, at least in her head.