Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is property of Clamp.

To Ease The Pain

Elven

I woke up that morning, but felt much more content to just lie there. I could just picture in my mind's eye all of the cheerleaders dancing around. Big smiles plastered on their faces... Probably happy that I wasn't there. I bet they were all swapping ideas on why I wasn't there. Maybe they thought I chickened out... Is that better or worse than the reality? I bet they would use this as an excuse to kick me of the team. I would rather be kicked than leave.

I reached back and used my arms to prop myself up. The room was so empty, so desolate. What little that had been in the room to make it home was stashed away in the old suitcase. The old, warped floorboards were now completely exposed.

As I looked at my face in the mirror, I saw that my eyes were red and puffy from all the crying I had done last night. That will never do. If I'm to be forced into moving I might as well make a good first impression.

Father drove me to the airport, he was going to Hong Kong, where my orphanage is, mainly for business, but he also said he would help me get settled in. Kero was safely stowed away is my pack. As we drove along, we passed so many places that I knew I would come to miss. Like the middle school. The school itself wasn't particularly beautiful, but the people inside were the only ones who cared, they gave me a home. The park... The trees swayed in a passing breeze. Petals fell and danced in the wind's waiting arms. So serene, but dead... Where were the children who ran and laughed on the jungle gym?

The airport was bustling with all different types of people. Tall, short, fat, thin, white... and the list just goes on and on. The first thing we did was wait in a long line. When we got to the front the lady took my bag, and I watched it slide down the conveyer belt. My hand instinctively reached into my pack, which I was allowed to keep. It was very simple and hung around my shoulder. Relief spread through my body when I found Kero resting peacefully in the pack.

I don't know how long we sat, waiting in the cold, plastic airport chairs. I stared into space hoping that maybe something would change. Maybe, just maybe, I could stay here. It isn't the best place in the world, but it's... familiar.

"Flight 596 to Hong Kong. Flight 596 to Hong Kong is now boarding." The lady's voice sounded over the intercom. She was speaking in that way to sweet voice; the one where you know she's only doing this to get a paycheck.

The flight to Hong Kong wasn't terrible. This wasn't my first time on a plane; I was used to the turbulence. This was, however, the first time I was deprived of the window seat. For the first time, I couldn't stare out the window and say good-bye to a place that for so long had been home. I also couldn't see the picturesque view of the Hong Kong sea line coming into view.

When the plane landed and father and I had step out, I saw a small group of girls with a strict looking older woman. All of the girls were in uniform. Their shirts were white blouses with puffy sleeves, a greenish brown tie and, a greenish brown pleated skirt. I think there was only five of them, but there wasn't much time to think.

I was hurried over to the old lady. "My name in Ms. Zen-ling. These are the other orphans in the school." She gave a lazy wave to the girls. "You stay here while I talk to your foster father." The two walked just out of hearing distance. That was the last time I ever saw him.

"I'm Sakura..." I was very nervous. I would not be the least bit surprised if I was visibly shaking.

One of the girls step forward and smiled warmly. As she held out her hand, she said, "Chiharu." I accepted her hand, but I was still rather stiff. "Ms. Zen-ling appointed me to tour you of some of the city. Rika and Naoko will be coming with us. First we'll have to get your uniform. We can get it from Daidouji's Shop. They are the best designers! Though it's really a toy store."

Ms. Zen-ling came back and my foster father was nowhere in sight. I guess he left while we were talking. "Your bag will be taken to the room you will be staying in. Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko will be your tour guides. Good-bye." She and the other two students walked swiftly in the direction of the food court.

The shop was simply amazing. The clothing section was near to the back, but the styles were breath-taking. Unfortunately all I could get was the school uniforms. Kind of dull. All the clothes were designed by someone in the Daidouji family. I wasn't quite sure who. Everything was imported from a place in Japan. That name why do I think I remember it. Something just clicks when I hear that name... Daidouji...

After I had changed, we began to walk around the area. There wer many houses and offices buildings and there was the most amazing park. The jungle gym was huge. It had a slide which connect at the side. Even though it was quite imposing, the most beautiful thing was the forest.

An elegant path streamed through a sea of old elm trees. The green leaves were lush and bright. I could've stayed forever in the shadow of the magnificent structures of nature but Chiharu insisted we keep going. "The place we live is just down the street from here. You can come when ever you want."

I beamed when she said that. I love parks, they're always magnificent and pure, gold.

We started to walk down the street, going in the opposite direction of the school. The silence was uncomfortable... The streets were bustling with people going every which way. A lot of them seemed to be coming in and out of a big, big building. I pointed at it and asked, "What's that?"

Rika answered because Chiharu was to busy blushing and stuttering about, well, I'm not quite sure. "That's the Li Mansion. We'll be going there next. They have tours through part of it."

As we came through the front gate I spotted an elaborate sign that read:

Next tour begins at 1700.

I peered around knowing that I had missed something, "What are we going to do for the next 30 minutes?"

Chiharu was looking around as if she had lost something, "Uh... We can look around the gardens!"

Rika whispered something to Naoko, but I could only pick up the words true love and Yamazaki.

The front garden was more beautiful than the purest pearl in the sea. Even a rainbow after a May shower had nothing. The peonies were scattered around the bed giving it a look of disarray. Pieces of stone wound their way through plants. It seemed as if the beauty went on for ever.

There was a rustling from the other side of the path and a boy about my age emerged. "Yamazaki!" Chiharu screeched and ran over and hugged the boy. He fell over from the force of the jump and land in some of the flowers, consequently squashing them.

"Yamazaki, those flowers are supposed to be well kept." A brown haired boy had just appeared behind the bend in the path. He had the most annoying frown on his face.

Both Chiharu and Yamazaki scrambled to stand up. Rika and Naoko bowed follow shortly by Chiharu. The boy's amber eyes turned to me expectantly. "Hoe?" I was absolutely clueless. Was I supposed to do something?

Chiharu leaned over and whispered, "That's Li Syaoran, and he's the future leader of the Li Clan." I looked at her, still not quite sure what was happening. "Bow!"

"Oh!" I bowed deeply and noticed that the boy was still looking rather annoyed. "Sorry, sir." Then he just brushed by me as if I didn't exist, rich people...

"Did you know that bowing was originally created so royalty could tell if you were hold a weapon behind your back to assassinate him..." Yamazaki stopped talking when Chiharu hit him over the head and dragged him away until he went to follow he rich guy.

The rest of the tour was nothing special. The house did seem to be just magical. Everything radiated with glory, and Rika agreed when I told her. They were ather gardens that we got to see, but I know we didn't see them all. I caught a glimpse of a cherry blossom tree over a high fence.

We were back at the boarding school, as I had just found out it was. Since it was currently spring break the only pupils left in the building were the orphans. It was dinnertime. The table we sat at was much too large for just the five of us; the teachers preferred to eat elsewhere.

One girl who sat at the end of the table snobbishly held out her hand and said, "I'm Jaclyn, and you may want to... stay out of my way." I opted to accept the hand, but she then backhanded me across my cheek. I winced but did not cry... I will never cry... I will never cry. I will never cry.

I went to sit at the opposing end of the table. Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, and the other girl followed me. I was too busy controlling myself to notice until I heard an unfamiliar voice say, "I'm very pleased to meet you. Don't worry about Jaclyn; it's just the way she is. I'm Bell. Strange name, I know."

I reached out to shake her hand, and felt my forlorn look fade to happiness. "Sakura." The meal continued from there on a happier note. Jaclyn sat, forgotten, on the other side of the infinite table. Discussion ranged from the weather to popular cute guys, where I felt very left out because I didn't know any of the Hong Kong stars.

The others saw I was a little distracted by Jaclyn because one, I think it was Naoko, said, "Don't worry about her. She's friends with the popular boarders and Ms. Zen-ling likes her because her parents were filthy rich before they died. Ms. Zen-ling is one for favorites. Among the orphans she has two." Naoko eyed Bell, she was saying something through her motions. I didn't understand.

"Yeah, unfortunately she likes me, but I hate that bi- hehehe..." Chiharu had just slapped Bell over the head. "I'm trying to cut down on the... uh.... inappropriate language." Bell was not as her name would have her. She had long blonde disorderly hair. Her reckless dark green eyes with brown spots seems always to be laughing, scheming some plan to get back at an enemy. "Do you know what room you'll be in?"

"Bell, we're bunked six to a room, of course she's with us." Rika, the one will the shoulder length flowing dark brown hair, answered.

"Is Jaclyn in our room?" I asked, uncertain on whether I would get any sleep.

Chiharu shifted awkwardly, "Yes, unfortunately, but she's normally to busy to notice us though."

We left the dining hall and wound our way though a labyrinth of hallways. The room wasn't all that small, though with all of the furniture it was quit cramped. Two triple bunks were placed at the back of the room. Nearer to the front were six desks. Each desk and bed had their own personality.

I noticed Bell check the growth of some type of fungi. "You know, I really ought to clean this up on occasion." Four of the desks had been grouped together, leaving one desk cluttered with posters of stars and another that was just stashed in the corner. Nothing special.

Chiharu pointed to the plain desk and said, "That one's yours. And the bottom left bed."

My bags had been brought up so I went into the bathroom and changed into my pajamas. As I laid down on my bed a single sickening thought came to mind... Kero. What would I do if I don't have a place for him to stay? I was too tired, I fell asleep with no solution.