Chapter Two
My cell phone's shrill ring awoke me the next morning. With my eyes still shut, I reached blindly towards my nightstand attempting to locate the source of what had not allowed me to sleep longer. Finally, my hand hit it but instead of finding it safe in my grasp, it skidded across the table and landed on the pink fluffy floor.
"Fine, I'm up. I'm up," I muttered to no one in particular. I opened my eyes, blinking and having to squint from the change of the sleepy darkness behind my eyelids to the bright sunshine that gracefully streamed across my room from the window. I slid out from my warm covers and found my phone, hiding nicely under my bed.
1 missed call and a voicemail. I flicked the cover of my phone open, lazily punched in my password and listened to the voicemail, not even checking who called.
"Hey Sakura, it is Tomoyo. I am guessing you are still sleeping and I am sorry to have woken you up but I am calling to tell you that unfortunately I can't walk to school with you today since I have to meet with a teacher before school. I forgot to tell you yesterday." She giggled as though it was funny to wake me up. Staring at the clock with half closed eyes, it read that it was only 6:50am. Class started at 8. "Anyway, I told Syaoran that as well so he will probably walk with you today. I told him to meet you at your house at 7:30, you know, just so that you won't be late to school as you often are. See you in English!" And the sound of the phone clicking off was heard. I softly shut the phone and placed it in my backpack which was slumped in the far corner.
I was awake now and most likely wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I shrugged my shoulders at the inconvenience of losing sleep but quickly got dressed anyway and marched to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and pulling my auburn hair back into a loose ponytail I skipped down the stairs following the aroma of my father's cooking.
Soon it was 7:30 and I heard the doorbell ring from the table.
"Thanks for breakfast, Dad!" I said before grapping my backpack and swinging onto my back, and opening the front door. There stood Syaoran turned to the side staring at the ground. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his messy hair blew from side to side because of the delicate December morning breeze.
"Hey, Syaoran!" I smiled happily as my green eyes met his brown ones.
"Hey," he replied with another one of his crooked grins. I felt my cheeks, which were once cold from the air, warm up instantly. I closed the door to my house and took my place beside him as we jumped off the steps that led to my house and turned towards the sidewalk that led to our school.
"So, I was planning on going to the movie theater after school to see that new movie and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me." Syaoran's voice broke the calming silence that had engulfed us strangely this morning.
"As friends?" I asked.
"Whatever you want."
"You know I could never say no to you, Syaoran." I turned to look at him and I saw his eyes shift downwards and I swear I saw his cheeks turn pinker.
"Great, so I'll see you after school," he responded. I nodded and we continued the rest of our walk in silence, but for some reason it was no longer uncomfortable.
School passed quickly that day and before I knew it, I was standing outside of my school staring at the other students that passed me in a haste, trying to get home or wherever they needed to be, and away from the school's clutches that held us all day.
I had earlier spilled the news to Tomoyo about Syaoran and my 'date as friends' and her face had brightened so suddenly that I could still see it when I closed my eyes. Unfortunately that also meant that I had to turn down Makoto. I guess I didn't have to since Syaoran and I weren't going as a couple but as friends, but something just told me that I should do so. After I explained to him that I didn't want to go out with him, I could feel the angry stares from both him and his friends all day afterwards.
"Ready?" I turned around and Syaoran was there, a slanted smirk pasted on his face looking at me.
"Yup." We had arrived quickly to the movie theaters, and the movie ended just as fast. I couldn't have told you what the movie was about if you had asked me, because honestly, I hadn't been paying attention to the screen at all, but to the person who sat next to me. You want to know a secret? I think Syaoran wasn't paying attention to the movie either.
We had decided to head to Syaoran's house, or rather mansion, since it was only 5:30. I had been to his house plenty of times but something about this time felt different. I was more aware of everything. Every move I made. Every move he made.
He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket along with lighter and lit the cigarette and then inhaling the sweet nicotine. I hated it when he smoked. He somehow picked up the habit freshmen year and wasn't able to stop, but then again that is why they call it an addiction.
For some reason Tomoyo's words echoed throughout my skull, "Ask him anything, and he will do it." I took a deep breath but instead of fresh air I had accidently inhaled a large lungful of secondhand smoke. I coughed slightly and wrinkled my nose at the bad smell.
"You okay?" Syaoran's head was turned towards mine and I felt a blush appear again.
"No, I'm --." Tomoyo's words flew through my head again. If he really liked me…
"I just don't like the smell of cigarettes." I didn't know if he got the hint or not so I added, "I personally think it's kinda gross."
He step faltered slightly and he was now behind me. I heard the hiss of the still new cigarette being put out and for some reason I couldn't help but smile. He did like me. The question was, did I return the feeling.
We reached his house and opened the gate that led to his garden. I loved this place and he knew it. The winter sun had already disappeared behind the clouds and it was dark out but the whole garden was filled with the soft brightness of the garden lights. Syaoran turned around to face me and me being clumsy tripped over one of the garden slates and flew straight into chest causing him to lose balance and fall over backwards.
Now it was awkward. He was flat on his back lying on the dried grass and I was directly on top of him. We just stayed like that, mesmerized by the each other's eyes and high off the feeling of how close we were. Slowly he lifted his head so that his lips landed on mine giving but both taking my first kiss. I couldn't pull away even if I wanted to. My arms embraced his shoulders while his were around mine. We stayed like that as our kiss deepened until finally we broke apart panting loudly for air. I rolled over off of his chest and together we lay on the cold ground relying on each other to stay warm.
That was the beginning of our relationship. For months we did everything together. As spring came we lay under that tree that we had the first night and kissed until I was so light-headed with the feeling of being high that he had to stop. We held hands as we walked to class, and as we walked home. He was in love with me, but I… I wasn't sure how I felt.
It was April now and again we lay under the tree staring out across his garden. We were calmly sitting down and I was slowly trailing gentle kisses along his jaw line, my arm placed against the opposite cheek. He turned his head and met my lips as we again went into another deep kiss. Finally we broke apart.
"I hate those girls that think that you are theirs," I muttered bitterly. I had no clue where that thought had come from, yet I continued. "And you don't even seem to mind."
"I mind, and I've told them to go away, but they don't listen," he responded.
"The smirk on your face says otherwise," I continued.
"Aww , come on, you know I'll always be yours."
"I love you and I just don't want to lose you," I said quietly. I suddenly realized that that was the first time I had ever told him that. He noticed too.
"Say that again," he requested gently but firmly.
"I love you." I turned to face him and the realization swept over me that I did. I did really love him. I had never tried to identify those feelings and now that I had everything was falling into place.
"I love you too." He said and again pulled me into another kiss. This was one was short though and he pushed us apart and asked, "There is a party this weekend. A friend on Eriol's is hosting it. You want to go with me?"
My father was out of town this weekend so I didn't see why I couldn't.
If I had known then, what I know now, I would have quickly and persistently replied"no". He would listen, after all Syaoran always did. It was almost as if he couldn't say "no" to me. However, I was naïve then. I remember nodding and saying yes, and seeing the smile that he gave me. It was so sweet and almost innocent that now when I pull that image and play it in my mind it makes me sick to know what was awaiting us in the future.