Clique
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Chapter Three
Meiling yawned and put down her pencil. Glancing at the clock, she blinked rapidly.
It's 10:00? Already?
She sighed and stared at the chemical equations on the page. None of them made any sense to her. How the hell do you balance this equation? There aren't enough oxygen molecules to balance out the hydrogen ones…
Frustrated, Meiling slammed her book shut and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed her friends' phone numbers one by one, but she received either busy signals, or their phones were off. Finally, Yuni picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Yuni, what's up?"
"Not much. How was the game?"
Meiling grinned. "We won, due to Tomoyo's life-saving scoring ability."
"Wow, Tomoyo's awesome."
"Yeah, she really is."
"She's inhumanely perfect. She's on the school newspaper—"
"—She's the Vice-President of the Knitting Club—"
"—The Vice-President of Fashionistas United—"
"—She's on the Varsity Volleyball team—"
"—She's one of the most popular girls—"
"—All the guys dig her—"
"—And she has the highest GPA in the entire grade!! How the hell does she do all these things?"
Meiling shrugged. "Ask her. But anyway, did anything funny come up during the day?"
Yuni giggled. "You'll never guess. Did Momo, Liz, Syaoran or Kenneth tell you anything?"
Meiling shook her head. "Nope. Not really. Besides, Liz and I don't have any classes together. What happened?"
Yuni nearly went into hysterics. "Nothing eventful, really. It was just History class with Johnston. (Meiling cringed.) Syaoran was staring into space when Momo poked him in the ribs. He coughed, and Johnston noticed. You know how Johnston isn't really strict; it was over in a second." Here Yuni and Meiling paused to giggle, thinking of Syaoran's History teacher.
"Anyway," Yuni resumed her story, "so Syaoran catches that little red-headed shrimp, Amamiya Sakura staring at him—"
Meiling gasped. "Amamiya Sakura was ogling Syaoran?"
Yuni went into one of her famous giggling spasms. For a few moments, Meiling stewed in contemplative disgust/anger while Yuni continued to giggle soundlessly.
"So after Syaoran sees her staring at him," Yuni gasped, still giggling sporadically, "he starts to examine her clothing. You know what he thinks? He thinks she looks as if she was dressed by the Salvation Army!" She went into a giggling spasm again.
Meiling laughed. After a few moments, Yuni came back onto the line. "Isn't that just hilarious, Mei Mei?"
Meiling smirked. "Syaoran really has quite a wit, Yuni. I'm glad you told me that. But just imagine…Syaoran being stared at by Amamiya, of all people! God, just thinking about his being stared at by that…thing would turn off any girl who wanted to do him." The two girls giggled.
-----
Tomoyo sighed as Chiharu continued to rant.
"—'Moyo, she was wearing a shirt covered with bright pink flowers today! That's atrocious. No one else our age wears ANYTHING like that! Plus, she's so annoying. She's always laughing and giggling with her little friends. And, when anyone gets hurt, she's always trying to make him feel better. What a fake little—"
Tomoyo interrupted. "Don't say the word. You know I hate it," she said brusquely.
She heard a rush of static as Chiharu sighed. "But 'Moyo…Amamiya is an unseemly blot on our school."
Tomoyo laughed at these words. "Whom does she hang out with?"
Chiharu made a disgusted noise. "The middle people. You know, the ones who are loud and punk."
Tomoyo smiled. "Ah. You mean the group with Kaori, Rika, and Daine?"
"Yeah. The ones who think they're all respectable and morally upright."
Tomoyo grinned slightly. "It's too bad I don't have any classes with Amamiya. I really would like to get to know her, especially since I've heard so many of you speak of her."
Chiharu gasped. "Oh noooooooo, 'Moyo, you'd be scarred for life. I told you, her clothes are hideous! They're plain, cheap, and granny-like. They're also—"
"—Plain, cheap and poverty-like," Tomoyo finished for her. "Yeah, I heard the exact same comments from Liz earlier today, and Meiling was talking about her too. Do me a favor, darling, go do your Chemistry homework, okay?"
"Okay," Chiharu said immediately. "I'm so lucky to have a real friend like you, 'Moyo. Thanks for reminding me of Tubsy's Chemistry homework. It'll be a real pain though…" Her voice faded.
Tomoyo shook her head although she knew Chiharu couldn't see her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Haru." Translation: You can't copy my Chemistry homework this time.
"Okay, 'Moyo. Have a good night!" Translation: That's perfectly fine, dear. You're still my idol. I love you!!
Because they had been bosom buddies since the tender age of four, Tomoyo and Chiharu knew the underlying meanings of each other's sentences perfectly.
After she had hung up the phone, Tomoyo pushed her hair away from her face and sighed. Sometimes she thought all of her childhood friends (with the exception of Meiling, Syaoran and Eriol) were impossibly stupid, selfish, and nasty. But she supposed it was the price of growing up around so many luxuries and having their every whim granted. Besides, they had been her friends since she was four years old and knew every embarrassingly intimate detail about her. Although they could be quite a pain in her rear end, Tomoyo knew she loved them and could never part with them.
She flipped open her Chemistry book and began reading tomorrow's lesson, jotting down notes and answering all of the homework questions. Tomoyo was a girl who always prepared in advance. She blinked rapidly and yawned, closing her eyes.
Knock knock.
"Come in," Tomoyo said.
A large bouquet of flowers preceded the dark-haired boy who entered the room.
Tomoyo stared, stunned, as Touya Kinomoto grinned from behind the floral arrangement.
"Here's to the lovely lady who can slam a volley ball," he said. From behind his back he produced a vase and placed the flowers carefully into it. He then walked across the room and placed the vase and the flowers on her night table.
Tomoyo stared at him, dazed. "How did you get in? How did you know about volleyball?"
Touya smiled as he walked back towards her. He pulled on a lock of her hair. "First, ask one question at a time. Second, I got in because your maid let me in. She seemed to think we're going to do some hanky-panky, because she winked at me. Lastly, how could I not know about your volleyball triumph? Everyone was talking about it after you left."
Tomoyo got up, carefully pulling her hair away from Touya's grasping fingers. She pretended not to notice the slightly wounded look on his face and crossed the room to her night table. She stared at the flowers, transfixed. Touya had brought her twelve flowers, eight tiger lilies and four white lilies. She touched a bright orange red petal delicately.
Smiling, she turned to face him. He looked nervous, she noted, but brightened at her smile.
"Thank you," she said. "But it's a bit unconventional, isn't it, to give me lilies?"
"Well…" said Touya, his voice coy and flirty, "it's just that…you remind me of lilies."
Amused, Tomoyo played along with him. She had forgotten how good he looked, with his hair falling slightly into his eyes. "How so, Touya?"
Touya felt his heart leap slightly at the way she said his name. He began walking slowly towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Lilies…are beautiful, Tomoyo. The white lilies represent your angelic sweetness and purity…but the tiger lilies represent your fiery, bad girl streaks."
Tomoyo almost laughed at his mawkish and hackneyed language. She idly wondered how many other girls he had caught with his insidious words. He was getting ever closer to her, his eyes still locked on hers.
"Why, Touya…I never knew you were such a poet," she murmured to him. He was standing directly in front of her now. Tomoyo averted her gaze from his eyes, her heart dancing the conga. She didn't want to see the painfully obvious lust in his eyes.
Touya's hand found her chin and tilted her face up to his, eyes searching. She stared at his pants, heat rising to her cheeks.
Tomoyo felt his head bending down slowly. Suddenly, she felt as if she had been separated from her own body and was watching herself from above.
She saw Touya's mouth connect with her own. She saw herself respond slowly, fighting his seduction, but finally giving in to her own pent-up lust. She saw her hands snake up to his neck and pull him closer, deepening their kiss. Meanwhile he had buried his hands in her hair. She saw, rather than felt, herself emit a soft moan. A small part of her laughed, remembering other things Touya had done with her…
It felt wonderful. He still kissed impressively…Suddenly Tomoyo recalled watching him make out with a drunk, half-naked senior girl at a party last year…ignoring the rational part of her mind that was watching her from afar, Tomoyo pressed herself even closer to him. Mmm…his hair smelled good…its scent reminded her of the boys on the soccer team—
Eriol and Syaoran. What would they say if they found out she was kissing their captain and one of Seijou's most infamous playboys? Besides, Eriol was—
Tomoyo gasped and pulled away, bumping into her night table.
Touya's hands grasped empty air.
"Come on, 'Moyo," he whispered, his hands finding their way to her shoulders. They entangled themselves again in her hair.
Tomoyo shook his hands from his shoulders. She stepped around him and glared at him.
"What now, Touya? Why are you here? Can't you go find some blonde slut?" Tomoyo spat the words at him, feeling a guilty pleasure as his eyes shifted from lustful to hurt.
Touya would have grasped her again, but Tomoyo had back up against her desk and had her hand on her cell phone. "Listen carefully. I'm going to call my security guards if you don't leave right now. Oh, and just to let you know, Touya? I don't want you near me. Ever again. Do you understand? I'll get a restraining order if I have to."
Touya's mouth dropped open.
"We're over, Touya. Actually, we were over a long time ago after that one brief hook-up at Chiharu's party. Get out. NOW!!" she said when Touya continued to stand there, stone-like. He flinched. Then, with a last lingering look at Tomoyo, he turned and left her room.
After he left, Tomoyo stood there for a long time, her hand on her cell phone. Finally, she giggled.
She walked to her night table and opened the window. Smiling, she picked up the vase and held it out the window, looking at the sham for the last time.
She dropped it.
Tomoyo waited for the satisfying crash.
Glass shattered on the pavement and water poured onto the ground. Twelve flowers lay scattered on the concrete, rattled and shocked.
-----
Tomoyo's eyes snapped open.
Gasping, she rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. The luminescent numbers read 12:15.
Burying her face in her hands, she recalled the vivid dream. Everything had been so...real, especially the flowers.
Blushing, she tried not to relive the moment with...Kinomoto. Her cheeks flaming, she slapped her head to the textbook and nearly cried out in frustration.
Seems as if I'm STILL not over him…
-----
Sakura toyed with her food.
Nadeshiko was reading the newspaper. Suddenly, she calmly put a page down and threw it onto the floor.
Sakura jumped. She looked at the page, slightly crumpled and torn.
"Dr. Kinomoto Fujitaka explored the newly discovered temple yesterday…" The rest of the article went on to describe his findings and Fujitaka Kinomoto's accomplishments. Sakura narrowed her eyes. Kinomoto was apparently a highly respected professor at Tokyo University. He was also an archeologist.
Her eyes locked onto a particular paragraph. "Dr. Kinomoto's son, Kinomoto Touya, currently attends the Upper Division of the prestigious academy Seijou Preparatory School. When asked of his son's living arrangements, Dr. Kinomoto laughed and said, "My son is a very responsible young man. I let him live by himself in a modest apartment in downtown Tomoeda, where his school is located, since it would be impossible for him to commute every day from our home in Tokyo to Tomoeda. He is a straight-A student and is also captain of the Boys Varsity Soccer team."
Sakura's breath quickened. Touya lived in an apartment by himself, downtown? Modest apartment my ass, she thought grimly. Downtown is where all the rich bastards live…
"Finish your soup, Sakura," Nadeshiko looked at her daughter and smiled. She reached over and smoothed her daughter's bangs away from her eyes. "Is something bothering you? You're usually so hungry at this time…you're not sick, are you?"
Sakura bit her lip.
Nadeshiko gave her daughter a knowing look. "Sakura…I'm your mother. I know when something is bothering you…"
Sakura crimsoned. Her mother had always been amazingly perceptive…she thought of the conversation she had had with Kinomoto earlier this day…
"Okaa-san?"
"Yes, Sakura?"
Sakura took a deep breath.
"Okaa-san…do you know Dr. Kinomoto Fujitaka?"
At those words, Nadeshiko's demeanor took an abrupt change. Her eyes became darker and narrowed slightly.
"Why are you asking of him?" she asked, regarding Sakura warily.
Sakura swallowed. A part of her was not surprised at her mother's actions. She felt disappointed; her mother's expression was acknowledging a widening possibility…
"It's just that…" she hesitated, and then blurted out, "Some boy at school told me that he's my father!"
At those words, Nadeshiko's eyes seemed to shut down.
Sakura swallowed.
Nadeshiko was looking at Sakura, but not seeing her. Her eyes had gained that far-seeing, vacant expression most got when reliving the past. The life seemed to have drained from her face. Shakily, Nadeshiko placed her head into her hands, covering her face from Sakura's view.
Sakura could not help but stare, as difficult as it was to see her usually calm and reserved mother lose control. But she had to know. All those years, her mother had kept up a pretense that she had no father, that her father had left them long ago, and that therefore she should keep quiet about the subject. Sakura had always accepted her mother's denial of the existence of a father, but now, she wanted the farce to be discarded.
Nadeshiko pulled her hands away from her face and wiped her face with a napkin. Stricken, Sakura stared.
Nadeshiko stood up and gestured. "Sakura, I think it's time for us to have a talk."
-----
Sakura sat down on a moth-eaten cushion. Her mother sat next to her, blowing her nose.
Nadeshiko took Sakura's hand in her own.
"Sakura…I know I should have told you this a long time ago, but I…I was too…insecure and…and…afraid. I was afraid of what would have happened if I had told you that Kinomoto Fujitaka, an affluent and prominent member of the archeological community, was your biological father. I was afraid of losing you—"
At those words, Sakura shook her head vehemently. "I would never go live with that…that bastard! After what he did to you in having an affair with your own cousin? What kind of a man and a woman would do that? Only a vindictive bitch and a heartless bastard would do that!!!"
Nadeshiko grabbed both of Sakura's hands and looked her in the eye, saying, "Sakura! Never utter such language again. Do you understand? Never again in front of me, or anyone for that matter. But listen, Sakura. I have to admit that I have been selfish. This is the best I have been able to offer you…" She gestured at the dismal, faded carpet and the peeling wallpaper. "I know that if you go to live with your father, he will be able to supply you with a better home, materialistically at least—"
Sakura jumped up from the couch and snatched her hands from her mother's.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Then Sakura said, quietly, "Okaa-san…you have said some things tonight that have hurt me deeply. You've assumed that I would allow my father's lure of wealth and materialistic things draw me away from you. But I would never be able to live with him, knowing that he had betrayed you. You've worked so hard, and everything you've done has been for me. If I went to live with Kinomoto, I'd be betraying you as well."
When Sakura finished, Nadeshiko sighed. She did not say anything, but merely wrapped her daughter in her arms.
Sakura embraced her mother, enveloping Nadeshiko's frailness. She was determined to never leave her mother.
-----
Nadeshiko's apartment was located in a quiet and poor Tomoeda neighborhood. The buildings had the whiff of a damp and slightly dilapidated structure, complete with murky hallways and dirtied marble floors. The stairs were unevenly constructed, and some steps were missing. Most people took the elevator, which was old, creaky, and somewhat…shady. In recent weeks, however, someone had taken the liberty of installing a large and powerful light in the elevator: a lamp had been attached to the ceiling, by means of Super Glue. Tenant happiness had been increased by not a small fraction.
Nadeshiko worked in a grocery store for eight hours a day, pruning and trimming the lettuce and asparagus. She and the other inhabitants of the building wore the same jaded and glazed look, their eyes reflecting the light of passing time.
However, she had what most of the other tenants did not: a daughter. Because there was only one bedroom, mother and daughter shared it, hardly quarreling over space. Nadeshiko slept on the floor and Sakura on a rather knobby mattress.
Nadeshiko gave everything to her daughter. After her painful divorce with Fujitaka, she had become emotionally dead, leaving even her emotions and once-sunny disposition to Sakura. Her daughter was the only reason she worked so hard day and night, shearing off the dark, secret, rotten parts from lettuce leaves.
-----
The next day in school, Touya paid no attention in his classes, preferring to stare out the window at the blustery September day. He snickered now, watching the wind blow up the skirts of several girls. Oooohhh…his mind wandered to dirty and guttery subjects.
"Kinomoto! Pay attention!" His AP Physics teacher stood in front of him, slapping a well-aimed ruler onto the desk, right next to his hand.
Touya blinked and returned to the mundane workings of Physics teachers' minds.
"I suppose you know all of this, don't you, Kinomoto?" His large and beefy teacher scowled at him and rolled up his sleeves.
Touya grinned cockily. "Claro, Senor."
Dr. Tach scowled. "Fine, then." Hoping to embarrass his overly confident student, he quizzed Touya for five minutes flat.
Touya answered all the questions perfectly, raising an imperious eyebrow at his increasingly flustered teacher.
"Fine. Fine," Tach breathed once, deeply. "Come to my office D period. Due to your impudence and excellent knowledge of the material (here Tach glared at Touya ferociously, who grinned cheekily) you will take the Unit 1 test three days early, since you feel no need to review with the rest of us. Entiende, Senor Kinomoto?"
Everyone else in the room broke into startled whispers while Touya grinned, impervious to their useless chatter. "I'll be at your office at 11:05 sharp, not a second later."
Tach breathed through his long nose, fervently hoping to draw Touya's soul out of his body in the process. "Fine. Don't forget, Kinomoto."
Touya smiled lazily when his sensei resumed teaching. School had always been a breeze for him. Although his intelligence was quite formidable, Touya always spent his summers studying the next year's curriculum, gleaning as much information as possible. Then when it came time for school in September, everything was relatively easy. That was why he could afford to spend numerous weekends partying and doing other… (ahem)…activities.
He tapped his pencil impatiently against the desk, wondering what his dear little sister was doing now. They had agreed to meet after school and go for the genetic test. He frowned slightly. She had seemed distraught this morning…
Shrugging, Touya guessed he would find out after school.
-----
"Yo, Hiragizawa!" Touya called out over the heads of milling students.
Eriol turned. Noticing Touya, he grinned and waved. Then he tapped Chika and Yoji's shoulders, pointing in Touya's direction.
"Hey, Touya," said Eriol, fighting his way towards his soccer captain.
"Hiragizawa, listen," Touya said. "Oh, hey, Chika, Yoji," he said, nodding in their directions.
Yoji grinned. "What's up, Touya. Good game yesterday, I was watching."
"Thanks," Touya said. He had always liked Yoji, who was a decent, respectable kid.
Chika smiled seductively and slid a hand along the length of his arm. "Hey, Touya," she said.
Touya smiled back at her, polite friendliness in his eyes. He knew she was teasing him.
"Anyway, Hiragizawa, tell the gak—I mean, tell Li and anyone else you see from the team that I've cancelled practice for today."
Eriol's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Touya. You aren't drunk or high, are you? Because I told you those brownies Momo made were contaminated—"
Touya waved aside his words impatiently. "Listen, Hiragizawa, I don't want to deal with your foolishness. Just tell your fellow team members, okay?"
Eriol grinned, a wicked light glowing in his eyes. "Will do, Cap'n."
Touya breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Hiragizawa. All right, see you later."
-----
Syaoran felt a towel slapped at his rear end.
"Syaoran, man, we've got it bad," Eriol said, an acceptably regretful expression on his face.
"What?" Syaoran asked, frowning as he pulled on his uniform shorts.
Eriol sighed morosely. "I just heard from Touya that we have two extra hours of practice today. He won't be coming to practice though, because he has some kind of extremely important engagement after school. And you know what's worse? Coach says we have to do what Touya says. Those of us who don't are going to get benched for the next game."
Syaoran choked on his water. He coughed, then straightened and glared at Eriol. "Dude, are you serious?"
Eriol nodded. "I'm deadly serious." He hoped Syaoran would not object further…
Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "Bastard," he muttered.
"Hey!" Eriol cried.
"No, not you, them, Kinomoto and Coach," Syaoran muttered. Then he turned back to his locker, muttering choice words.
Eriol giggled into the palm of his hand and tiptoed off, relaying the message to every other member of the soccer team. Each time he received death threats and dealt with disbelieving teammates. But Eriol stuck to his story and actually managed to squeeze out a tear once (although the ploy was unconvincing).
Finally, after every member of the team had become disheartened at the prospect of a lengthened practice session, Eriol grinned satisfactorily as he opened his sports bag.
They just might kill me…IF they find out the truth. Oh well, he thought, at least this extended practice session will strengthen our abilities. We need to be able to come together as a team. We can't have only two all-star players and a bunch of weaklings.
-----
"Extend your arm, please," the nurse said coolly.
Touya did so, with no wincing or changing of his expression.
The nurse wetted his arm with gauze soaked with alcohol. She slid the needle into his arm.
Blood began coursing rapidly into the waiting glass vial. Touya watched stoically as it filled steadily. He knew Sakura's eyes were on him.
"All finished now," the nurse said. She pulled the needle from his flesh and wiped his skin with alcohol. A little droplet of blood appeared where the needle had been.
Sakura stared at it. It was a perfectly shaped pearl. An unexpected feeling welled in her stomach. She looked into Touya's cool and mocking eyes, then turned away.
"There you go. You're free to go now," the nurse said. "We'll have the results of the blood test and the cheek swabs in two weeks."
Touya stood, unfolding the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt. As he buttoned the sleeves, he noticed Sakura's shoulders were slightly stiff. Ignoring a pang of an unidentifiable emotion, Touya pushed her out into the hallway.
"We're free to go, kaijuu," he muttered. "I want to go see our Okaa-san."
Sakura scowled. How dare he? She stomped his foot. "I am NOT a kaijuu," she growled, glowering.
Touya grinned in spite of himself. "Sure you aren't," he said, dodging a slap.
-----
He hoped his distaste wasn't showing, because he wanted at least to give face to his sister and mother.
The hallway lights were feeble, a weak mockery of the brilliant lights in his own apartment building.
The elevator door opened, and they stepped into it.
Sakura caught him staring at the splintery wood in the elevator. Quickly, he caught her eyes, abashed. He stared at his shoes for the rest of the trip.
They stepped out of the elevator on the fifth floor. Their shoes echoed as Sakura stopped in front of apartment 5-F.
She rang the doorbell.
Touya heard the ruffling, quick steps of slippers and swallowed, locking his eyes on the door. 5-F.
Without knowing why, Sakura caught his hand and gave it a squeeze. He acknowledged it, squeezing her hand back weakly.
The door swung open.
"Sakura! You're late, I thought something had happened—" Nadeshiko stood before them, clad in a pink bathrobe.
She caught sight of Touya and stared.
Sakura cleared her throat. "Okaa-san…do you…recognize who this is?" Her own heart pounded. This would be the final seal on things. Their trip to the clinic had been one part of it; this was the second and more crucial part of it.
There was silence. Nadeshiko and Touya stared at each other, neither moving. Nadeshiko raised a trembling hand towards Touya.
It was she who spoke first.
She squinted her eyes, smiling through her tears. "You know…if I tilt my head like this, I can see Fujitaka. Without the glasses, of course."
While Touya's breath caught in his throat, and Sakura's eyes widened slightly, Nadeshiko's hand touched Touya's face.
"A good mother always recognizes her offspring, even if he's been separated from her for several years and has grown up. I might not have been a good mother, Touya…but I recognize you."
Touya's throat constricted. Eyes burning, he embraced his mother.