Playing with Hope
Chapter One
The alarm was probably what woke her up that morning, but with all the other noise around the place, she couldn't be sure. It was another bleak morning to get up to, and yet another day to watch slowly pass by. She was really not looking forward to any of this at all.
In the corner of her room the television was on, the morning news recounting last nights worst and most eye catching stories. She rolled her eyes at the morbid beginning to her day, and finished pulling up her pants. The shower would have to come later; she was already on her way to being late.
When she left her room and entered the small hallway, she could see the others in her flat were already in the kitchen with breakfast and she headed in that direction. She never learned how to properly cook, and it was always a blessing when one of the others was happy enough to make some breakfast.
"-So then he just hits the breaks and the car starts spinning, and everyone's whooping at his daring and screaming-"
"Weren't you scared?"
"Hell no. It was awesome."
"Hey Sakura, want some?" A mix of what seemed like a child's Halloween treats bag was in the bowl she was handed. Used to this type of food every now and then, she took it gratefully and with the big spoon placed a generous amount on her plate. The conversations around her continued with her ignoring what was said.
"What's wrong? Did you get sick at that party yesterday?" she was asked by a drowsy looking Kyoto after a while of silence. About to shake her head she was interrupted by the teasing voice of Mei from besides her.
"Come on, Kyoto. This is Sakura we're talking about. She never drinks."
Sakura smiled softly, but continued to eat from her bowl. Mei got swatted in the head by Urara, who looked at Sakura inquiringly, and avoided being swapped back.
"You sure you okay? You look a little down."
Shaking her head, she put the empty plate down. "No, I'm fine. I should get going. I have Teraku-sensei first, and I'm already late."
The sounds of their mingled voices saying goodbye was still heard once Sakura left the apartment and she couldn't help but smile. The flat they shared was only a few block away from the university buildings, and she thanked herself for wanting to move so close to the place yet again. She was perpetually running late, and although usually she tried to avoid it, today she was in a rather calm, nonchalant, mood.
She could tell it would be a cold winter, her hands were already becoming numb, and she berated herself for not taking her gloves with her as she had always done. As she walked to her next class, well aware she was bordering on fifteen minutes late, Sakura couldn't help but think she was about to be thrown into the 'real world'.
This was her second to last semester and she would be graduating come spring. She was actually supposed to graduate last spring, but after failing a very important class, she was forced to take it (and two more) now and graduate later. She didn't mind. It gave her more time to stay at the university flats and look for a better one, and delayed her pending job. Still, she would be forced to start the New Year with a new job, a new flat, basically a new life. Delving her hands deeper into her pockets, where she squeezed them into fists, she looked around from behind her bangs.
Sakura was often told to keep her bangs behind her ears, as they covered her emerald green eyes and everyone seemed to dote on them. But the less attention she received, the happier she was. Not that by letting her bangs free by any means made her receive any less attention, but it gave her a small sense of detachment.
The professor looked briefly at her when she entered the room, occupied already with writing something on the board, and she silently went to take a seat. Once the class was over, the professor, Teraku-sensei, signalled her to come to his desk. She walked normally, if a bit meekly and waited for the lecture that was sure to come. She was quite surprised, however, and did not miss to show it when he smiled.
"Ms. Kinomoto, I know you took this class last year and passed, and you already have a passing grade again, but try not to set such a bad example to the others who are trying to learn something they don't already know. If doesn't help to be interrupted by someone who didn't have the decency or the respect to them to be early, understand?"
She was about to apologize and say something, when he lifted his hand and halted her, "Here are some reference books you can read. I believe you need help in the SA department. You still have the note I gave you for the tutor, don't you?" He finished writing and gave her a stern look. "Ordinarily I wouldn't give this. I don't have to, but I know your father and if you're anything like him you wouldn't like to fail again. Do try and read them."
She looked at him blankly for a few seconds, as if not believing was had happened, then blurted out, if a bit clumsily, "Thank you, Teraku-sensei. And I'm planning on calling and meeting her tomorrow." He merely smiled as she left the room.
She really hadn't meant to space out these days, but it seemed all she did. Maybe the looming days ahead were starting to affect her concentration. After all, it was not like she was starting that hard of a branch in her life. She was only going to have to pay her bills (electric, water, cable, telephone.), taxes, food, furniture, and rent from now on. Not to mention keep a steady and nice job and have a healthy social life at the same time. Definitely not scary at all. Why should she, Kinomoto Sakura, be afraid of becoming a responsible adult? No reason at all.
As she walked out the building and into the sidewalk, she didn't notice the wet patch on the floor, and slipped.
~~~
She knew she was clumsy. Hell, most of her friends seemed to thrive in telling her that. But knowing she was clumsy and getting used to falling and hitting herself was something she would never get used to. And as graceful as some people told her she walked, she didn't feel an ounce of it as she fell, her papers stuck semi-wet on the floor.
How completely embarrassing. It was broad daylight and she had just tripped in some small patch of water many others had surely avoided.
"Need any help?"
She looked up from trying to get her papers from the floor to see the face of a boy about her age. Not really a boy, since she was already twenty, but a young man, handsome and offering to help her. She blushed at the words, since he had obviously seen her fall, but nodded in gratitude.
"I'm Uri Kuuoyi. You're in my Design IX class." He said handing her the rest of the papers. She couldn't quite place him, since she didn't know everyone in her Design IX class, but nodded politely and introduced herself. He helped her stand up and they stood awkwardly for a few seconds.
"If you want we could go to a small coffee shop around the corner." She was about to decline the offer and he must've seen it in her face for he quickly continued, "Not a date, I promise. Just to talk a bit, you seem very nice. And only if you're interested. My treat."
It was true, she could refuse, but coffee sounded so appealing since she didn't have any that morning and she didn't have to pay for it.
"And you know, coffee is hot." He added when he saw she was thinking too much about it. "Which is excellent since your bum practically freezes itself after you fall on that wet patch. Then your whole body starts to chill, so it's a good offer."
She couldn't help but smile at that, and agreed to go. It was only coffee after all.
"How would you know about the freezing thing anyway?" she asked curiously.
Smiling sheepishly, he looked at her from the corner of his eye, and confessed. "I think it wasn't even two minutes before you fell that the same thing happened to me."
She tried not to laugh at his expense, since it wasn't very polite, but he looked so composed and overall very smooth, that she couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him falling there as well.
"Hey." He berated good-naturedly. "I didn't laugh when you fell."
"I'm sorry; it's just that I can't imagine you falling there." She looked around and saw they were already inside the coffee shop, and took a seat near the centre.
"That's all right. At least I know you enjoy seeing me suffer so early in the friendship."
At first she was shocked at how quickly he assumed they were friends, but left it at something he said for the moment.
"Not really seeing you suffer, because I didn't."
"Imagine if you had!" he wailed dramatically.
"Stop it." She said swatting him playfully. She didn't have time to think about what she had done because a very loud looking guy came and stopped in their table.
She didn't know why those words came to her mind when she saw him, but it seemed everything about him, from his messy brown hair, to his pale green boots, screamed at you. He wasn't bad looking, and he didn't have that fake punk look some acquired for style, he just seemed extremely outspoken. True to what she thought, the first words out of his mouth were, "Uri, what the hell do you think you're doing with this fine lady on your table?"
Sakura blushed at the straight forward compliment, but waited to see what Uri would reply. Uri simply laughed and winked at her.
"She is quite attractive, isn't she?"
That statement only made her blush harder and the playfulness that had surrounded them earlier disappeared to be replaced by one she couldn't decipher, but did not feel very comfortable in. Too much attention did that to her.
"Sorry." The loud sounding boy - who had introduced himself as Takenoshi Iori - said to her once he had taken a seat in the table. He didn't sound sorry at all, but a mixture between amusement and curiosity. "I'm normally even more straight-forward, but I think that even toning it down a bit scared you. I'm not crazy. I promise."
He seemed nice enough, and soon she saw that he really was as nice as he seemed. And that he was truthful about what he had said earlier, he was completely straight forward about everything. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.
They talked about many things, mostly about what they were planning on doing that weekend and during the winter holidays. Soon their coffee was gone, and they had to part ways. Sakura said goodbye to them, and wished them luck, and left the place heading back to the flat with a faint smile on her face.
~~~
Only Mei was in the apartment when she returned, the others were down at the university having classes, and Sakura was thankful for that. Mei normally preferred to watch the telly undisturbed, and only bothered when she wanted someone else to watch something with her. That, or when she wanted to go either shopping or partying. Neither of which was in her agenda at the moment, thankfully.
Sakura only waved a hand in acknowledgement to the other girl and headed straight to her room. Once she was inside she picked up the sleeping yellow- orange cat from her bed and lay down placing him carefully over her stomach. He was very cuddly and drowsy and proceeded to purr when she started petting him.
She really didn't like being hit on. It made her feel uncomfortable most of the time. It was also probably why she'd never had many dates. Still, Kuuoyi seemed like a nice person and a great addition to her wonderful friends. She was sure Urara would love to meet him. Now that she thought about it Mei would probably explode once she met Iori. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts for the moment and focused on getting the folder with her Structural Analysis notes from her side desk without disturbing the sleeping Kero.
She finally managed, and opened it carefully. Clipped to the first page was a small note with the mobile number, name and address of her new tutor. She had failed the class the year before and wasn't doing much better. She was passing but barely. Math had never been her best subject, but she really wanted to be an architect. Unfortunately it involved quite a bit of mathematics, and her last tutor didn't have the patience.
She closed the folder and placed it before her before looking at the name. Daidouji Tomoyo. Hm, sounds nice enough. She would be meeting her tomorrow, and she hoped she could help her up her grade and learn something. Who knew, maybe she would make another friend. It seemed it was something she was incredibly good at. Closing a fist around the note, she placed her other hand over Kero and closed her eyes. Maybe she could sleep a bit before Kyoto arrived with the food, if she wasn't mistaken it was pasta today.
Chapter One
The alarm was probably what woke her up that morning, but with all the other noise around the place, she couldn't be sure. It was another bleak morning to get up to, and yet another day to watch slowly pass by. She was really not looking forward to any of this at all.
In the corner of her room the television was on, the morning news recounting last nights worst and most eye catching stories. She rolled her eyes at the morbid beginning to her day, and finished pulling up her pants. The shower would have to come later; she was already on her way to being late.
When she left her room and entered the small hallway, she could see the others in her flat were already in the kitchen with breakfast and she headed in that direction. She never learned how to properly cook, and it was always a blessing when one of the others was happy enough to make some breakfast.
"-So then he just hits the breaks and the car starts spinning, and everyone's whooping at his daring and screaming-"
"Weren't you scared?"
"Hell no. It was awesome."
"Hey Sakura, want some?" A mix of what seemed like a child's Halloween treats bag was in the bowl she was handed. Used to this type of food every now and then, she took it gratefully and with the big spoon placed a generous amount on her plate. The conversations around her continued with her ignoring what was said.
"What's wrong? Did you get sick at that party yesterday?" she was asked by a drowsy looking Kyoto after a while of silence. About to shake her head she was interrupted by the teasing voice of Mei from besides her.
"Come on, Kyoto. This is Sakura we're talking about. She never drinks."
Sakura smiled softly, but continued to eat from her bowl. Mei got swatted in the head by Urara, who looked at Sakura inquiringly, and avoided being swapped back.
"You sure you okay? You look a little down."
Shaking her head, she put the empty plate down. "No, I'm fine. I should get going. I have Teraku-sensei first, and I'm already late."
The sounds of their mingled voices saying goodbye was still heard once Sakura left the apartment and she couldn't help but smile. The flat they shared was only a few block away from the university buildings, and she thanked herself for wanting to move so close to the place yet again. She was perpetually running late, and although usually she tried to avoid it, today she was in a rather calm, nonchalant, mood.
She could tell it would be a cold winter, her hands were already becoming numb, and she berated herself for not taking her gloves with her as she had always done. As she walked to her next class, well aware she was bordering on fifteen minutes late, Sakura couldn't help but think she was about to be thrown into the 'real world'.
This was her second to last semester and she would be graduating come spring. She was actually supposed to graduate last spring, but after failing a very important class, she was forced to take it (and two more) now and graduate later. She didn't mind. It gave her more time to stay at the university flats and look for a better one, and delayed her pending job. Still, she would be forced to start the New Year with a new job, a new flat, basically a new life. Delving her hands deeper into her pockets, where she squeezed them into fists, she looked around from behind her bangs.
Sakura was often told to keep her bangs behind her ears, as they covered her emerald green eyes and everyone seemed to dote on them. But the less attention she received, the happier she was. Not that by letting her bangs free by any means made her receive any less attention, but it gave her a small sense of detachment.
The professor looked briefly at her when she entered the room, occupied already with writing something on the board, and she silently went to take a seat. Once the class was over, the professor, Teraku-sensei, signalled her to come to his desk. She walked normally, if a bit meekly and waited for the lecture that was sure to come. She was quite surprised, however, and did not miss to show it when he smiled.
"Ms. Kinomoto, I know you took this class last year and passed, and you already have a passing grade again, but try not to set such a bad example to the others who are trying to learn something they don't already know. If doesn't help to be interrupted by someone who didn't have the decency or the respect to them to be early, understand?"
She was about to apologize and say something, when he lifted his hand and halted her, "Here are some reference books you can read. I believe you need help in the SA department. You still have the note I gave you for the tutor, don't you?" He finished writing and gave her a stern look. "Ordinarily I wouldn't give this. I don't have to, but I know your father and if you're anything like him you wouldn't like to fail again. Do try and read them."
She looked at him blankly for a few seconds, as if not believing was had happened, then blurted out, if a bit clumsily, "Thank you, Teraku-sensei. And I'm planning on calling and meeting her tomorrow." He merely smiled as she left the room.
She really hadn't meant to space out these days, but it seemed all she did. Maybe the looming days ahead were starting to affect her concentration. After all, it was not like she was starting that hard of a branch in her life. She was only going to have to pay her bills (electric, water, cable, telephone.), taxes, food, furniture, and rent from now on. Not to mention keep a steady and nice job and have a healthy social life at the same time. Definitely not scary at all. Why should she, Kinomoto Sakura, be afraid of becoming a responsible adult? No reason at all.
As she walked out the building and into the sidewalk, she didn't notice the wet patch on the floor, and slipped.
~~~
She knew she was clumsy. Hell, most of her friends seemed to thrive in telling her that. But knowing she was clumsy and getting used to falling and hitting herself was something she would never get used to. And as graceful as some people told her she walked, she didn't feel an ounce of it as she fell, her papers stuck semi-wet on the floor.
How completely embarrassing. It was broad daylight and she had just tripped in some small patch of water many others had surely avoided.
"Need any help?"
She looked up from trying to get her papers from the floor to see the face of a boy about her age. Not really a boy, since she was already twenty, but a young man, handsome and offering to help her. She blushed at the words, since he had obviously seen her fall, but nodded in gratitude.
"I'm Uri Kuuoyi. You're in my Design IX class." He said handing her the rest of the papers. She couldn't quite place him, since she didn't know everyone in her Design IX class, but nodded politely and introduced herself. He helped her stand up and they stood awkwardly for a few seconds.
"If you want we could go to a small coffee shop around the corner." She was about to decline the offer and he must've seen it in her face for he quickly continued, "Not a date, I promise. Just to talk a bit, you seem very nice. And only if you're interested. My treat."
It was true, she could refuse, but coffee sounded so appealing since she didn't have any that morning and she didn't have to pay for it.
"And you know, coffee is hot." He added when he saw she was thinking too much about it. "Which is excellent since your bum practically freezes itself after you fall on that wet patch. Then your whole body starts to chill, so it's a good offer."
She couldn't help but smile at that, and agreed to go. It was only coffee after all.
"How would you know about the freezing thing anyway?" she asked curiously.
Smiling sheepishly, he looked at her from the corner of his eye, and confessed. "I think it wasn't even two minutes before you fell that the same thing happened to me."
She tried not to laugh at his expense, since it wasn't very polite, but he looked so composed and overall very smooth, that she couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him falling there as well.
"Hey." He berated good-naturedly. "I didn't laugh when you fell."
"I'm sorry; it's just that I can't imagine you falling there." She looked around and saw they were already inside the coffee shop, and took a seat near the centre.
"That's all right. At least I know you enjoy seeing me suffer so early in the friendship."
At first she was shocked at how quickly he assumed they were friends, but left it at something he said for the moment.
"Not really seeing you suffer, because I didn't."
"Imagine if you had!" he wailed dramatically.
"Stop it." She said swatting him playfully. She didn't have time to think about what she had done because a very loud looking guy came and stopped in their table.
She didn't know why those words came to her mind when she saw him, but it seemed everything about him, from his messy brown hair, to his pale green boots, screamed at you. He wasn't bad looking, and he didn't have that fake punk look some acquired for style, he just seemed extremely outspoken. True to what she thought, the first words out of his mouth were, "Uri, what the hell do you think you're doing with this fine lady on your table?"
Sakura blushed at the straight forward compliment, but waited to see what Uri would reply. Uri simply laughed and winked at her.
"She is quite attractive, isn't she?"
That statement only made her blush harder and the playfulness that had surrounded them earlier disappeared to be replaced by one she couldn't decipher, but did not feel very comfortable in. Too much attention did that to her.
"Sorry." The loud sounding boy - who had introduced himself as Takenoshi Iori - said to her once he had taken a seat in the table. He didn't sound sorry at all, but a mixture between amusement and curiosity. "I'm normally even more straight-forward, but I think that even toning it down a bit scared you. I'm not crazy. I promise."
He seemed nice enough, and soon she saw that he really was as nice as he seemed. And that he was truthful about what he had said earlier, he was completely straight forward about everything. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.
They talked about many things, mostly about what they were planning on doing that weekend and during the winter holidays. Soon their coffee was gone, and they had to part ways. Sakura said goodbye to them, and wished them luck, and left the place heading back to the flat with a faint smile on her face.
~~~
Only Mei was in the apartment when she returned, the others were down at the university having classes, and Sakura was thankful for that. Mei normally preferred to watch the telly undisturbed, and only bothered when she wanted someone else to watch something with her. That, or when she wanted to go either shopping or partying. Neither of which was in her agenda at the moment, thankfully.
Sakura only waved a hand in acknowledgement to the other girl and headed straight to her room. Once she was inside she picked up the sleeping yellow- orange cat from her bed and lay down placing him carefully over her stomach. He was very cuddly and drowsy and proceeded to purr when she started petting him.
She really didn't like being hit on. It made her feel uncomfortable most of the time. It was also probably why she'd never had many dates. Still, Kuuoyi seemed like a nice person and a great addition to her wonderful friends. She was sure Urara would love to meet him. Now that she thought about it Mei would probably explode once she met Iori. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts for the moment and focused on getting the folder with her Structural Analysis notes from her side desk without disturbing the sleeping Kero.
She finally managed, and opened it carefully. Clipped to the first page was a small note with the mobile number, name and address of her new tutor. She had failed the class the year before and wasn't doing much better. She was passing but barely. Math had never been her best subject, but she really wanted to be an architect. Unfortunately it involved quite a bit of mathematics, and her last tutor didn't have the patience.
She closed the folder and placed it before her before looking at the name. Daidouji Tomoyo. Hm, sounds nice enough. She would be meeting her tomorrow, and she hoped she could help her up her grade and learn something. Who knew, maybe she would make another friend. It seemed it was something she was incredibly good at. Closing a fist around the note, she placed her other hand over Kero and closed her eyes. Maybe she could sleep a bit before Kyoto arrived with the food, if she wasn't mistaken it was pasta today.