Sorry for the long wait but I needed to wait for the right mood to be able to complete the chapter...Hopefully you will like it though
X3...X3...X3...X3
The Next Day
"Hey 'phat' girls!" Meiling surprised Tomoyo and Sakura who are walking to their classrooms slinging her hands on their shoulders in a cool guy way.
"Good morning Mei. Am I really gaining that much weight?" Tomoyo answered with a worried expression on her face. "No silly are you trying to tease me?" Meiling said raising her eyebrows while looking at her friend's petite figure and thinking about her figure in comparison. "But you just called us fat girls." Tomoyo said confused. "It's not fat girls. It's P-H-A-T as in phat girls." Tomoyo looked at Meiling for a second then inclined her head apparently not following her friends point. Meiling smiled smugly. "It's a shortcut for Pretty Hot and Tempting, as in PHAT girl just like me who's yummy." "Oh" Tomoyo answered understanding dawning in her expression. "Pretty nice huh? It's a new term I the ever popular Meiling will start to spread in school like wild fire which I know will be total hit right Sakura?" Meiling turned to her other friend who was silent the whole time.
"Eh Sakura are you sure that you're already okay?" Meiling asked worried about Sakura's appearance. Her hair was disheveled and there are dark circles under her eyes and she was very pale. "Huh? Yeah sure it's just that I did not get enough sleep and I woke up late this morning so I had to hurry and had no time to brush my hair." Sakura answered while trying to fix her hair.
Meiling and Tomoyo looked at her suspiciously, looked at each other, and decided not to say anything. The timing was not right and Sakura will surely not fess up at once. They have to bid their time to get the juicy details completely.
The girls was approaching their room when they were blocked by a group of what seems to be blushing, giggling, and over excited female population of their school. "What the…? Did I miss something important? Uwaaah…Don't tell me that there was a big scoop and I was one of the last ones to know!" Meiling cried while looking bewilderedly at the crowd. "Relax Mei no news gets past you." Tomoyo said trying to calm Meiling down.
"Good morning Tomoyo, Meiling, Sakura."
"Hello Rika." Sakura and Tomoyo greeted back. "Why are you still here the bell's about to ring?" Rika asked looking at their bags. "Um…well…" Tomoyo pointed at the crowd. "Oh that…" Rika looked at the excited crowd blocking the way and sigh. "What is happening anyway, Rika? Why are they all here?" "Oh we'll they started gathering minutes ago and before we knew it they are already blocking the way. It seems that the news about the transferee is already known by the whole school and it also seems that our new classmate is quite popular to the girls." "They are here for Li?" Sakura's head suddenly went up. "Uhmm…you're friends right?" Sakura blushed at Rika's question. "Ah…well…ki-kind of…" Sakura stuttered.
"Whatever fan girls! Outa my way!" Meiling exclaimed regaining her spirit back and trying to wave her way through the crush of fan girls to no avail.
*Cough*Cough somebody was trying to gain the attention of the fan girls. *COUGH*COUGH…the cough was getting louder but it seems that the fan girls are in their own world jostling each other trying to get a better look at the new student and giggling at the same time. The person realized that it will take more than a discrete cough to clear the place so he asked the nearest girl what the whole commotion was about. "Excuse me but what is happening here?" The girl ignored him. "Excuse me…" the girl still ignored him.
"EXCUSE ME…" "What? If you really want to see him then wait for your turn sheesh…" The girl replied irritated at the person behind her. She turned around planning to give the obnoxious person a glare for good measure when she realized that she was looking up at the face of a professor. "AAHHH!" The girl shrieked. The shriek caught the fan girls' attention and they all turned back and saw the professor. In a matter of seconds the area cleared.
Professor Terada was speechless. He can't understand what just happened. A moment ago there was a big commotion then suddenly there was no one in sight. "Ah… Rika, Sakura, Tomoyo, Meiling what was that all about?" "Ah…" Rika tried to answer but she suddenly blushed and lost her voice. "It was just some annoying fan girls ogling the new student sir." Meiling answered fuming because of the fan girls. Prof. Terada looked at them with a blank expression for a few seconds and then coughed to cover his slip and recompose himself. "We'll they are already gone so let's just forget about them and get inside the room. The bell just rang and I have some important announcements to make before the class starts."
"Oh great so I'm a fan girl too huh…At least they only want to look at him while I dream of him." Sakura mused to her herself. "Sakura…" Tomoyo called. "Uh yes…I'm coming." Sakura realized that she was spacing out again so she shook herself and hurried after the group.
In the classroom
"Good morning everyone."
"Good morning professor." The class answered in unison.
"Before we start our class I just want to remind you about the upcoming school festival. This afternoon in our homeroom we will talk about your ideas for the class project that we will have for the festival. This year is the school's 50th foundation day so a grand celebration will be held. I expect everyone to participate and do their best. Anyone who is brave enough to skip homeroom later should be prepared for some serious consequences." With the professor's announcement everyone became excited and everybody was talking.
During Lunch
"I'm really excited about the upcoming school festival." Tomoyo sighed already in the gates of the world of imagination. "Um I am too. By the way where is Meiling?" Chiharu said and looked around her. Meiling was nowhere in sight. "Probably trying to get the details on the festival, as usual." Sakura answered absent mindedly.
She was trying to muster up some appetite for lunch but nothing. She was just staring at her food the whole time. "Sakura are you okay?" Tomoyo asked Sakura while looking at her untouched food.
"What? Uh yeah. I just don't have any appetite. It usually happens when I lack sleep." Sakura forced a laugh trying to convince Tomoyo that she was just all right. "We'll if you say so…" Tomoyo looked at Sakura doubtfully but accepted her explanation. It seems that there is something troubling her friend but she does not want to share it.
"Uhmm…Tomoyo, guys would you mind if I leave you for a sec. I just need to go to the bathroom." "Oh…okay" Tomoyo nodded. She watched Sakura as she repacked her food and went to the bathroom. "Tomoyo is something wrong with Sakura?" Rika asked Tomoyo. "Yeah is she really okay? She seems down. Didn't she faint yesterday? Is she ill?" Chiharu added also noticing Sakura's downcast mood. "I also don't know." Tomoyo stared at the door thinking about Sakura.
Sakura sighed. She really can't understand what's happening to her body lately. Last night she hadn't had enough sleep and her heartbeat was in overdrive again.
Sakura stopped midway to the bathroom and decided to go the rooftop and get some fresh air, hoping that it will do her some good. When she reached the door to the rooftop, Sakura stopped and rubbed her face to lose some of the lethargic and sleepy feeling. "I just need a break and I'll be okay…" Sakura said to herself and taking a deep breath she turned the knob of the door.
As soon as she stepped outside her heart suddenly went crazy that she gasped involuntarily. "What the…what is happening to me?" Sakura asked while clutching her chest as her heart was still beating furiously.
Syaoran immediately sensed her presence when she was behind the door. Oddly he was more sensitive to her than most creatures. Curios of why she is in the rooftop, Syaoran stretched and positioned his self in a way that he can watch her discretely.
As the girl stepped out of the door Syaoran's senses sharpened and the hunger was back but less insistent compared to the first time. Syaoran closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deep. For some reason he was starting to enjoy this feeling, like having a hit, the sharpening of his senses, the hunger, and other unidentifiable sensations. "Seriously I must be a very masochistic being…" Syaoran chided himself.
Making sure that he has his hunger reigned in Syaoran opened his eyes and saw that Sakura was kneeling on the floor and clutching her chest like she was on pain. Without thinking twice Syaoran immediately jumped off his perch and smoothly landed in front of Sakura.
Sakura was clutching her chest to slow down the rapid beating of her heart, when she felt something land in front of her and at the same time her heart beat reduced a bit and became a steady rhythm. Wanting to see what landed in front of her, Sakura slowly raised her head and saw a hand reaching out to her. Realizing that she was kneeling on the floor, Sakura did not hesitate to take the outstretched hand. When she looked up Sakura realized to whom the hand belongs to, and her heart started to thud strongly again. However, this time it was not erratic but a steady strong rhythm.
For a moment Syaoran and Sakura just stared at each other without saying anything. A smile slowly formed in Syaoran's lips. "It seems that I'm your knight in shining armor…Kinimoto…" Syaoran said breaking the tension that crackled during the silence. Sakura blushed.
"Ah Li…I…I…what are you doing here?" Sakura blurted out having no time and ability to think of a comeback. "Having my lunch break what else?" Syaoran said taking a step towards Sakura inspecting her face. They are so close that their faces are just inches away from each other.
Sakura turning crimson turned her head away immediately. Sakura's heart beat became more insistent and stronger but still maintaining that rhythm. Taking a deep breath, Sakura faced Syaoran. "I'm okay just feeling a bit under the weather. I came here to get a bit of a breather." "Is that so? We'll it's been a bit hot lately…but Kinimoto you're not that heavy so I wouldn't really mind carrying you around…although if you ever faint again I'm might take you away and never return you…" Syaoran said nonchalantly while staring at Sakura's hand.
"Really?" Sakura is surprised at herself. She can't quite understand how she can be so calm in this situation when her heart is beating so hard and the weird things that Syaoran is saying. "Uhm…I think that you might just do that…" Sakura said staring at Syaoran. "You think…" "I think that doing something like that is not really out of your character." Sakura said without hesitation.
"You do?" Syaoran meant it to be a question but somehow it came out as a statement. "Well I don't know if I should be happy or disappointed with that but…" Syaoran then slowly let go of Sakura's hand and handed her something. It was a strawberry ice cream. Syaoran held out the ice cream to her.
Sakura did not realize that he was still holding her hand. It's like she was floating, like she was there but not. Sakura looked at the ice cream for a moment then accepted it. "Thanks…"
"See you around then Kinimoto Sakura." Syaoran said while walking to the door leaving Sakura behind.
Syaoran closed the door behind him. Loosening his tie Syaoran took a deep breathe. "I really am playing with fire with this one. It has been quite some time…" Syaoran was about to ruffle his hair when he saw his hand. It was very red almost like it was burned. "Hmmm…this is not very good. I wasn't able to realize this moments ago…" Syaoran sighed. "Things are starting to get interesting but I'm not sure for how long I can resist…Sakura. You still can run but I'm not very sure if you can get far enough…"
During Homeroom Period
The class was starting to discuss their presentation for the coming festival but Sakura was in another world. She was drifting in and out of consciousness. Last night was a rough night. She was restless and she wasn't able to sleep well. It was almost morning when she did finally fell asleep and it was during that time when the dreams started. They were dreams but they felt more like memories flashes of memories. Most of them were unclear except for one part the Syaoran Li part.
Sakura slapped herself a few times to clear her head and felt a blush creeping. Why, why of all people did she have to dream of him? Isn't being humiliated in front of him enough that it also has to happen in her dreams.
"Ugh…this is crazy. I'm going crazy." Sakura slumped into her desk totally ignoring the world around her.
Syaoran almost laughed as she watched her. She definitely has some problems. One moment she was staring into space, next minute her heartbeat was in overdrive again. He can even see her blush. She then proceeded to slap herself awake and now she is slumped in her desk tired from some inner battle apparently.
Syaoran sighed. He was becoming aware of her every action, too aware in fact. The incident during lunchtime, it was something to think about but he still has to hold back. It was not yet time and besides he still has some issues to take care of. They were a nuisance but issues needed to be addressed still.
Syaoran looked at the back of his hand. He wanted to skip the meeting but with everything that was happening he decided to wait for sunset. His hand was already healed almost like nothing happened but clearly something is going on and that something involves the girl. Syaoran looked at her. "Sakura Kinimoto you are making me burn…and it seems in more ways than one." Syaoran thought to himself and grinned.