Sakura rested her head on her palm, angling her head toward the window that exposed the field below. She sighed softly at the blooming flowers that spread throughout the field, the birds that flocked the ground in search of food, but most of all; the trees. For you see, envy shrouded her as she saw the them. Trees, care-free and majestic, covered the land; serving many purposes. It provided air, homes, and shade for the many organisms that so greedily took from it. But, the tree never seems to care. It towers above the ground, watching over the life that bustled below. The trees had what Sakura had always wanted, a purpose. She had been born to live a life of misery, watching the others grow a lifetime of happiness. It was unfair, why should she be the blemish on the Sohma house? She had done nothing to deserve this, but she knew that someone had to fill in the spot. For you see, she was the cat. The curse loomed above the Sohma's like a disease. When her mother had died, a father was unable to hold his child; for the curse prevented it. Over time, he had grown to disgust of her, sickened of not only her part of the curse, but her resemblance to his late wife. He had begun drinking, smoking, whatever would take the pain away. But it only brought more suffering to her. Seeing her father in such a state was torture, but there was nothing she could do. She had looked to her grandparents for comfort. Hatsaharu and Rin Sohma always welcomed her with opened arms. But Sakura had always felt like a burden to the elderly couple, watching sadly as Rin went into one of her coughing fits. Suddenly, a rasp voice snapped her back to reality.
"Miss Sohma, what's the answer to number 7?" had asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sakura looked down casually at her notebook, looking for the answer. " Um... blue shift?" she asked.
scowled. " Just pay more attention next time..." he grumbled, writing something on the chalkboard for the class to see.
Sakura let a light smirk play on her lips. Ever since she had transferred into his class he seemed intent on making her life difficult. The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. She brushed her ginger hair out of her eyes and stood up, collecting her materials that lay scattered across the desk. She looked back across the room and noticed Takeshi was the only one left in the classroom. Fear coursed through her, but she began to walk out of the room.
Takeshi stood up arubtly, walking over rather quickly to block her exit. He glared at her with devilish eyes. " How does it feel?" he sneered.
Sakura kept her head down. Ever since she was little, he had bullyed her with no mercy. While their cat and rat relationship differs from that of Yuki and Kyo's, it is still a most horrible one, the cat in a forever fear of the rat. "What are you talking about?" she murmured.
"How does it feel to be shunned from the family?" he asked, smirking.
"I'm not shunned..." she said quietly, tears threatening to spill over her eyes.
"Oh really? Tell me again how your father beats you every night because you are a worthless, little..." before Takeshi could finish, he was cut off by Yumi who had walked in to the room.
"You sick bastard! Why can't you leave her alone!?" Yumi yelled, protectively standing in front of Sakura.
Takeshi shrugged. "I can see I'm not wanted here," he said, giving a look at Sakura, " I'll be seeing you around."
Sakura trembled, Yumi turning around to comfort her friend. " He shouldn't be doing this to you!" Yumi said in anger.
Sakura shook her head. "I'm the cat...I have no worth. It's not like it wasn't going to happen." she said.
Yumi gaped at her. "He shouldn't be putting those thoughts in your head! You can always break the curse, like my dad." she said.
Sakura lifted her head, revealing a tear-stained face. "And what if i don't? I'll be stuck in that wretched house! I'll be the freak show everyone come to see!" Sakura cried.
Yumi put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You will break the curse. It's happened before and it will happen again, until the day the curse has truly died." Yumi said, a tear escaping her eyes.
"I should be going, I'm picking up groceries for Rin." Sakura said, gently picking up her stuff and leaving the school, leaving Yumi shaking her head. Sakura walked to the grocery, quietly listing off the items she needed to pick up in her head. Milk...eggs...flour...rice... that seemed about it. She had come upon the store and quickly picked up the required groceries, paying for them and heading over to Rin's house. As she walked, she passed by Kisa and Hiro's house, acknowledging Kisa who was on a porch swing with her young grandson, Akihisa. Sakura walked on, coming upon the familiar house on the street corner. She brought out her keys clumsily and opened the door, chirping a tiny "I'm here" while stepping in the door.
"Sakura? Is that you?" Rin called from the kitchen.
"Yes Grandma" Sakura said, bringing the groceries in the kitchen and setting them down on the table.
"How was your day today?" Rin asked in her sweet voice.
"It was alright." Sakura said, putting up the heavier of the groceries.
Hatsaharu was leaning against the doorway, standing up to greet his granddaughter.
"Forgot something?" he asked, holding up a bracelet of black and white beads.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry..." she said, snatching the beads from her grandfather's hand and putting in on.
"You know you need to wear it," Hatsaharu scolded.
"I know, i know; I've heard it all before." Sakura mumbled.
"Your father stopped by today, he says he needs you home." Hatsaharu said.
Sakura froze. " Right now?" she asked grimly.
Hatsaharu nodded. "Come back here if things get bad," he said, waving a goodbye to her before heading over to his room.
Rin looked at Sakura sadly. "He only wants whats best for you, even though he does go a little overboard sometimes." she said.
"How did you fall in love with him?" Sakura asked, she had always enjoyed the stories Rin had told her of the past.
"I've told you that one almost 1,000 times. How about you go on and I'll put up the rest of the groceries?" Rin chuckled.
"Alright..." Sakura said, walking out the door fearfully. The only person she feared more than Akihisa was her father. A light tremble went through her as she thought of him. No matter how hard she tried to love him, she had always thought of him as a cruel man. How could her sweet mother have fallen in love with someone like that? She sighed, their love story seemed complicated. She walked up to the house that was right down the street from her grandparent's , opening the door gingerly. "F...Father?" she asked. A glass bottle was thrown close to her head, smashing against the door and breaking into many pieces.
"Where have you been?!" he screamed, a heavy scent of alcohol drifting through the air.
"I was helping grandma put up groceries." Sakura said quietly.
He stepped up to her, holding his hand against her neck and pinning her to the wall. "You were out doing drugs weren't you!?" he accused.
Sakura struggled under his grasp. "I wasn't! Dad you do drugs!" she yelled.
Her dad gasped. "Are you spreading rumours about your father?! I have never done drugs!" he yelled, pressing his hand harder against her neck.
"I...I'm sorry!" she cried, fearful tears falling down her cheeks.
"You good for nothing..." he said, punching her face.
Sakura cried out, bringing a hand to her face. "Daddy! Stop!" she sobbed.
He brought his face up to her ear and whispered, " YOU killed her. YOU don't deserved to live. YOU ruined my life." he said menacintly.
Sakura sobbed. "STOP!" she yelled. Suddenly, she felt herself changing. Quickly looking to her wrist, she found that she had forgotten her beads at Rin's. She stood in front of her father in her true form.
"YOU MONSTER!" her father screamed, backing away from her. His eyes reflected that of fear.
Sakura growled lightly. Tears blinded her sight as she clumsily ran to her room. All she had ever wanted was to be accepted. She had wanted a loving father who would comfort her in these times, a father who would set good examples, a father who would love her unconditionally. But she could never get that, for she was the cat. The cat's curse loomed over her like a storm cloud, following her wherever she lurked. There was no escape from it. As she changed back into her human form, she looked to the tree she had drawn on her wall and sobbed quietly.
