' Take My Hand '
...
"I love you, Sakura..."
The words whispered themselves in Sakura's head till she opened her eyes. She looked around and found herself enclosed by a blinding white. She turned around and found a dark figure sitting under a tree.
Cherry blossom petals surrounded her and she began to feel confused. Until she realized it was the tree in the local park. The same park she felt her lips against another person's. As she cautiously stepped slowly towards the tree, the dark figure began to feel more and more familiar...it was him.
"Hinode?"
She tried to quicken her pace but couldn't feel any movement till her constant running hit something hard, forcing her body to stumble forward tripping. The blinding whiteness gave her body a dizzy almost otherworldly feeling. All around her was a blank, vivid white, till her heart gave and within seconds she was before him. The blinding whiteness flickered giving her drowsy eyes a hard time to adjust, till her emerald eyes focused on his.
He smiled, his dirty blonde hair all ruffled and his light green eyes seemed to sparkle, but weren't nearly as deep a green as hers. He got up and kindly held out his hand and slowly brought her back up to face him. She rubbed her knees remembering her fall earlier, feeling as though they were bruised and realized her body wasn't clothed at all.
"My clothes...I'm-I'm..."
"Naked?" He answered smiling mischievously.
Her heart beat quickened feeling utterly exposed and disgusted. She panicked trying to cover herself, but the light around her eventually calmed her down. Her body reminded herself she was naked and within seconds could feel her skin crawl with a sudden chill.
She clutched her shivering body feeling colder and colder by the second until she could feel a warm breath slide down her back. She turned looking at Hinode. His eyes never leaving hers. His breath feeling like summer, she knew her heart could trust him.
"Thank you," Sakura whispered moving her shaking body closer to his.
Sakura stood still closing her eyes sighing as her body began to warm. Her eyes blinked open a moment later noticing his lips moving.
"Hmmmm? What did you say, Hinode?" she murmured gently.
"Of…m…" he said.
"What are you saying?" Sakura asked again.
"Get…off….ME!"
He shoved her body with a so much force the air in her lungs was knocked out. Her voice was gone. She flew into the air falling for what seemed like forever till she was back in the beginning of her dream. The tree and his dark figure becoming farther and farther away till the whiteness ceased and it became dark. As her body flew backwards she felt a tight hand grab her arm with such strength until other hands joined in. Hands continued to grab until she was forced into complete darkness.
"H-help me…" she whimpered.
Sakura forced herself to wake up and come back to reality as the grabbing hands started to pull her more and more until she was brought back into the normal world. All she could feel were the pajama's on her body and the stillness of her room.
Sakura felt frantic and confused. Her dream had felt so real.
"The way those hands grabbed me...it felt so real," Sakura shuddered at the thought and tried to block out the images from her nightmare.
She pulled off her pajamas which seemed to stick to her back and walked into her bathroom. She stared at her reflection for what seemed like an hour. Her naked body seemed pale, her stomach was its natural flat self and her emerald eyes didn't seem to shine and looked deprived of sleep. She sighed and turned on the shower and stepped in letting the cold water cool her burning cheeks.
She put her long pink robe on and sat on her bed. The fact that Hinode had yelled at her scared her the most. She had never seen him act like that. The hate in his voice made her eyes tear up, it broke her heart to hear him speak to her like that.
Sakura shook her head reminding herself, once again, it was a dream. But with most dreams, held some sort of significance. But what? What was the meaning of him appearing in her dreams? She had thought she'd made it clear that she was going to forget about him and move on...but how could she when even her dreams portrayed what she was feeling deep down inside. Her uncertainties would have to be forgotten or they would haunt her dreams forever.
The sound of her cell phone's ringtone startled her back to reality. She looked around briskly and quickly retrieved it from her night table. She took a long, deep breath, and answered it.
"Uh-hello?" she stated softly.
"Good morning, Sakura. This is Principal Nagawa speaking, confirming you attending Himawari Fields," he replied in a warm voice. He smiled to himself while looking out the window as all his students unwilling entered the school to start a new day.
"Good morning. Did you receive my application, Mr. Nagawa?" she asked sitting up.
"Yes we did. We've accepted your courses and made you a timetable. All the school information you will have to make arrangements to pick up. Today is actually the first day of school, but since you're a student coming from another country you can do a late start," he informed her kindly.
"Don't give me excuses, Mr. Nagawa. I've come here to learn. My education is my number one priority at the moment and shall always be. I feel so lucky to have been accepted by your private school, " Sakura gushed.
"Goodness! If only all my students were as willing and able as you. I see many good things happening to you while you attend. You shall go far in life with that kind of attitude!" he said hearing her laugh on the other end. He almost felt bad knowing she ate up her lies like candy.
"My father told me to have a positive attitude. I'm doing this for him," she said quietly. She nearly felt tears forming in her eyes, but forced a smile. She had to be strong.
"Excellent! Come by my office at your leisure to pick up your timetable," he instructed
"Certainly, I can't wait to see what I'll be learning," Sakura said with a smile.
As Nagawa hung up the phone looked out the window once more noticing Syaoran enter the building, late as usual. This pissed him off. Seeing deadbeats waltz into his school as if it were a public school. This was Himawari Fields. Not for rich, spoiled kids.
Nagawa picked up his coffee and took a long drink. At one point he would have done something about student's like Syaoran, but not any more. He could careless. That was the way things were now.
He took one last look at Sakura's application and walked out his office.
…
Syaoran walked out his first period class with a bored expression on his face. The first day of grade twelve and all ready he had lost complete interest. Takashi walked out shortly and yawned.
"Screw next class, I'm skipping. How about you, Syaoran?" he asked looking towards him, all ready predicting the answer was a yes. He nodded agreeing.
"Damn right, I'm right behind you" Syaoran said walking to his locker to stuff his useless text books in before he joined Takashi. He'd rather be anywhere than sitting in some crowded classroom where teachers preached to them about shit he'd love to shove right back at them.
He was tired of all the cute looks girls were giving him, Takashi once even joked that it was a distraction to his learning. But it couldn't be helped, especially since he wasn't learning anyway.
"They should teach us useful things...like not to tongue with a girl on the first date," Takashi joked knowing that was one thing he always forgot.
"Yeah, or not to place bets on women who can't get it through their heads that it's a one night stand, nothing more." Syaoran replied shaking his head at the thought.
They walked around the corner and came face to face with one of the hottest girls in school, Keiko. Both Syaoran and Takashi exchanged amused smiles and walked forward. She looked up noticing both boys full of smiles. She came to a halt feeling their eyes on her suddenly and turned around, twirling her skirt and her long reddish hair in the process. As if it wasn't intentionally.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk...you two are such bad boys. Skipping class again," she said aloud almost getting them caught by a teacher walking past.
"Jesus Christ, watch it! Are you trying to get us caught, Keiks?" Takashi said frantically placing his hand over her mouth. She kissed his hand back making him keep it there more firmly until she pulled it off while he pushed her further down the hall.
"Fuck sakes, Tak!" she dared putting her faces considerably close to his. His stern expression never lasted more than 3 seconds and a soon a smile found his lips. Syaoran laughed at how Takashi could never stay serious, especially around the opposite sex.
"Coming?" Syaoran asked hitting Takashi on the back to knock him out of his trance. His and Keiko's eyes locked for a moment as they exchanged glances. She smiled turning away, twisting her long red hair.
"I'm dowwwwnnnnnnnn," she answered linking arms with both of them.
Keiko tossed her hair over her shoulder and moved a strand from her face. No matter how many times Takashi had dated her; it had always seemed they were better off as friends. When the Descendants were around, nobody messed with them. As they passed another hall quietly a classroom door opened and another guy walked out nodding to both Takashi and Syaoran. They fucking ran things, and everyone knew it.
They walked out the back entrance and leaned against the tall brick wall. Takashi relaxed and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. Even if September meant back to school, it was always nice to enjoy the warm weather before it got really cold.
Keiko straightened her short skirt as she sat on the pavement, leaning against the brick wall. She let her purse fall down her slender arm and searched around till she removed her pink lighter and a single cigarette.
"I hate how we can't smoke on school property. I mean before the old principal didn't give two shits. Now this Nagawa fucker is setting boundaries," she complained as she lit her cigarette.
"Tell me about it…"Syaoran sighed.
He felt he was the most unlucky in the situation. Most students could happily go home to a Principal, rules, school-free zone. Syaoran, unfortunately, had to deal with Nagawa from morning to night.
"Shitty," Takashi commented sitting down beside Keiko and resting his head on her shoulder.
"Want?" Keiko asked offering her cigarette forward to Syaoran. He shook his head, but Keiko became persistent. "C'mon, it's not going to kill you. Maybe a couple brain cells, but seriously. I'm going to end up with the black lungs," she said knowing a compliment was coming on.
"Don't forget yellow teeth," Syaoran teased sitting beside her.
"At least I'll have an excuse for mine," she teased back.
Syaoran got down to her level and took the cigarette out of her fingers and inhaled the smoke. He let it into his mouth and blew it back in her face making her laugh. He could do anything with such ease.
"At least I won't die at 45," he said handing it back to her. She smiled inhaling the smoke and letting it out through her nose. She looked back at him feeling his hand slowly move down her shoulder. She turned in the other direction showing it didn't impress her. Syaoran smirked moving his hand down her shoulder to her slide getting her to flinch. Syaoran was about to tickle her when Takashi spoke.
"Who's she?" Takashi interrupted.
A car had parked itself close to where the three were sitting, and out came a girl. They all looked up and watched as Sakura got out.
Syaoran's attention was diverted to the unknown auburn haired girl, with eyes as green as emeralds. Her shoulder length honey brown hair swayed in the wind as she walked towards the front entrance. Instead of the usual school uniform, she had on skinny jeans and a black and white striped tank top, with a brown cardigan over it for decency. He quietly inspected her body and smiled. He nudged Takashi as he smirked.
"New flesh, Syao. New flesh," Takashi spoke smiling.
"I think I'd need to see more. In fact I'd need to have a thorough inspection of her," Syaoran remarked watching pull open the front door.
"Two words for her: nothing special," Keiko muttered, hating the fact she had taken Syaoran's attention off her.
He turned away after a while and then was knocked out of thought when the door behind them barged open with a push. They all turned to come face to face with the auburn beauty.
Syaoran smiled seeing her beautiful features up close. She smiled turning to them.
"Could one of you maybe-" Sakura stopped and noticed Syaoran. Her calm, practiced 'could you help me out' speech was soon forgotten once she laid eyes on him. Already she had chosen the wrong time to show up. There staring before her was the guy every girl wanted, the guy she didn't have a change in hell with.
"You know what? Never mind I-"
"I can show you." Syaoran spoke before he could take it back.
He looked back to see Takashi smiling and Keiko not even looking at him.
"I mean, Nagawa is probably expecting her and I don't want Keiks getting in shit for smoking on school property. Plus, it'd put that old bastard in a good mood if I did something 'nice' for him," Syaoran explained acting as if it wasn't a big deal.
Takashi nodded getting up and Keiko couldn't help but smirked, grinding her heel into the cement and she put out her cigarette.
"Mmmmkay, Syao. Let's go," Keiko said getting up slowly, staring directly at Sakura.
Sakura, looking at Keiko, made her feel nervous. She was so pretty, she had to be dating Syaoran.
"Yo, let's hurry back in or else we'll have to listen to-"
'Good morning class,' a voice echoed throughout the halls.
"Fuck, the announcements," Syaoran groaned.
'This is Principal Nagawa speaking and I'd like to welcome all of you back for another year of learning. Now, could you all please proceed to the gym for our annual assembly..."
Syaoran ignored him, silently wished Nagawa would die in hell. Takashi and Keiko said a quick good bye to him and walked off towards the gym. Sakura noticed Syaoran's mood had changed and wondered whether to leave him to cool off like the others had.
"Hey, are you-"
"Wanna get out of here?" Syaoran asked looking at her.
"What?" Sakura replied confused at the offer.
"Let's go," he said, taking her hand.
He grabbed her hand before she could object and they ran down the hall, turning a couple times when teachers came into view. They ran up two sets of stairs, finally coming to a door. Sakura stopped, her back to the wall gasping for breath.
"Where are we goin-" before she could finish he grabbed her hand once again. The door was unlocked and they climbed up more steps.
"I promise you'll love this," he said bring her beside him.
She smiled trusting him as they ran up the stairs, hand in hand, gasping as they became tired.
The door was thrust open and Sakura found them outside on top of the school. She looked around breathing heavily. The sun had come out and the skies had become a magnificent blue, clouds as far as the eye could see, and all the scenery around the grand school.
"Sorry it wasn't much of a tour, but, this is Himawari Fields," Syaoran said sitting down on the edge of the platform, dangling his legs. Sakura carefully tried to do the same almost losing her balance, but Syaoran had his hands ready to catch her.
"Here," he said taking off his jacket.
Instead of handing it to her he folded it up and placed it on the ground.
"Put your head on it," he instructed laying back.
Sakura lay back and sighed enjoying the quietness of the morning. She looked up at all the clouds.
"My brother and I used to look at the clouds together," Sakura offered, but didn't hear a response. She looked over to see his eyes were closed. She was about to speak again when she noticed he was asleep.
"Thank you," she whispered once more, hoping this moment wouldn't fade away.
"Your welcome," a deeper voice spoke behind her.
Syaoran's eyes snapped open and Sakura gasped looking around.
They both sat slumped in the main office's uncomfortable chairs. Syaoran couldn't help but feel bad for getting Sakura in trouble, her first day, but at the first time thought it was pretty cool of her not to rat him out. Sakura looked back at him smiling. Her first day hadn't been a complete disappointment. She got to spend time a really cute guy. What more could she ask for?
"How could you mislead this girl? Taking her up on the schools out of bounds area, I should have you suspended!" he growled.
Sakura sat clutching the armrest of the chair, when she felt Syaoran's hand touch hers.
"It was all me, okay? Suspend me if you want," he retorted looking away. He squeezed Sakura's hand back to show her it was alright.
"I should do just that! Suspend you fo-" Nagawa stopped himself, looking at Sakura's hand in Syaoran's.
Opportunity only knocks once.
"Just get out of my sight, Li." Nagawa hissed sending him out his office. Syaoran looked up at him wondering what changed his mind. He let go of her hand slowly getting up.
"Two words, Nagawa, f-"
"GET OUT!" Syaoran couldn't help but smile knowing something was up. At one point he would have Syaoran suspended for a week, or call his mother, detentions for months, but just a warning? Something was definitely up. He shrugged as if to say 'you're on your own' to Sakura and closed the door behind him.
Nagawa turned his back to Sakura for a moment and looked out the window.
"I hope that delinquent didn't trouble you, my dear," he said more softly. Sakura looked up feeling nervous. Nagawa's temper seemed to have disappeared for the time being, but still had her slightly nervous.
"No trouble at all really, Mr. Nagawa," Sakura forced a smile and waited for him to carry on.
"I apologize for his behaviour. Someone as young and beautiful as you shouldn't have to deal with a character like his." he said getting up from his desk. Sakura bit her lower lip shifting as far back in her chair as she could feeling uncomfortable.
"Let me just come out with this-"
"Oh God, please don't," Sakura cried ready to get up.
"Goodness, what on earth do you think I'm talking about?" he asked chuckling to himself. "Sit down, my dear," he spoke again.
"I was going to say...how would you like to earn some easy cash?" he started off.
Sakura sat silently wondering how he would react if she just ran for the door.
"Actually, a woman from your home. I believe her name was Yasumi...said that you might not stay a full year at Himawari Fields because you're having money problems, no?" he asked innocently turning his attention fully on her.
Sakura nodded honestly, staying silent.
"Well, I have a problem as well. You see, Syaoran, my fiancée's son, is supposed to get married. But knowing him he won't. He wants to sleep around, party, all that stuff. Both his mother and I know he won't take our wishes seriously." He explained.
"What does this have to do with me?" Sakura spoke up, not liking his tone.
"I'm getting there. Anyways, I'm giving him a full year to find a wife, or he'll have to marry, let's just say someone he doesn't like. Between you and me, I don't want him to find another wife. I want him to marry the girl he doesn't want to marry. Understand?" Sakura nodded wishing he would get to the point. Whatever he offered she'd instantly turn down and decline his little 'deal'.
"The person he doesn't want to marry happens to be my daughter. Now your probably thinking, how could Syaoran marry my daughter if I'm going to marry his mother? Easy, I'm not even going to marry his mother. I just want his money."
"When Syaoran is to be married he gets his deceased father's company. All of it. That's millions of dollars. And that's not even all his investments. Syaoran doesn't deserve it, not one penny. So, I'm going to take it from him. Here's where you come in," he said looking at Sakura.
"Keep Syaoran interested in you till the full year is up," Nagawa demanded staring directly into Sakura's eyes.
"What? I-"
"Do you know what that means? Seduce him, make him fall for you, have him, uh, coming back for more. But, this is only until a year is up, which I believe is August, so the summer. Before next September. When the time comes near you do what I order you to do, which is end it."
"End it?"
"Yes, then he will be forced to marry my daughter, thus giving me entry as his father-in-law to get access to the money. That's the only way I'll be near it. Got it?" he asked finally looking at Sakura squarely in the face.
"Let me get this straight. You're asking me to seduce…him?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
"Yes, my dear" he spoke waiting for her reply.
Sakura stayed silent, her mind feeling disgusted by his offer. But then a picture of her father appeared in her mind and him being stuck in a hospital bed. She needed this more than ever. It was life and death. In the end she would thank herself for getting her father out of the hospital and into their home again, so they could be a family.
"He already likes you, Sakura. This is a good start. I know it sounds difficult but I'm willing to pay a lot. Remember that," he said smiling kindly to Sakura.
It was obvious he was desperate. Sakura sat back down and sighed wondering what the right thing to do was.
"Well, Sakura?" he said after a moment of silence.
"Mr. Nagawa, I'm not to sure about this but..." she tried. Nagawa urged her to think it over again. She took a deep breath and knew what she had to do.
"I-I'll do it," Sakura said feeling extremely nervous about what she had just gotten herself into.
Mr. Nagawa beamed hearing the two words. He pushed forward a form all typed up with what he had just discussed, one of which was to keep all she had heard confidential. She finished signing it and dropped the pen on his desk feeling uncertain of what she had just gotten herself into.
"Excellent! Here's another, just sign here, and keep this between you and I," he said, his smile growing wider as Sakura signed in fine Japanese characters. Sakura sighed feeling guilty and proud at the same time. Her father was going to get the money he needed for his surgery.
"I can't thank you enough, my dear. So let's keep this between you and me, don't worry. Nothing bad can come of this. Not only are you going to be able to stay in Hong Kong, but your also going to attend this lovely school! So from now on..." he said looking for Sakura to finish the sentence. She sighed feeling reluctant then looked up taking a deep breath.
"I am in love with Syaoran,"
...
AUTHOR'snote:
Fack. This is pretty messed up. Talk about deal with the devil, much! But Sakura needs the money for her father. I mean, what she's gotta do is pretty simple. Put yourself in her shoes! She's desperate and wants only the best for her education and her family. But damn, hopefully her father can hang on.
much love!