THE DAIDOUJI ESTATE
DINNING ROOM
Tomoyo sat at the grand dinner table with her parents plus the Kinomoto family. She felt like she's suddenly included in the set of The Brady Bunch. She hates it like she despises a knockoff designer item that you could buy on the streets.
She glanced at Sakura and thought how much that girl is ruining her status as the ultimate queen of Seijuu High. It has been a long tradition in her family that an Amamiya girl would rule the school. She shifted her eyes at the woman next to her mother. It was none other than, Nadeshiko Kinomoto. During her mother's time, she was the one who ruled the school and Sonomi was a plain, pathetic beta. She thought about how Nadeshiko was a famous it model back then and how everybody loved her and not her mom. It's a shame really, to be associated with her mother who didn't have what it takes to be the alpha. Now, bringing her gaze back at Sakura Kinomoto, who was discreetly placing a large amount of wasabe on her brother's plate, she thought that if she could control this LBR, everything would be alright. She didn't forget the fact that Sakura is an Amamiya as well.
She's already a cheerleader, a sure pass to the in crowd. She's already dating the prince of Seijuu High and after her fantabulous performance, as their notorious matchmaking sensei puts it; she's already halfway into conquering the crowd. Her crowd.
"Hey Sakura…" Tomoyo smiled sweetly once she caught the attention of the girl. "My friends and I are having a sleepover tonight. Would you like to join us? I must say that this is an exclusive invite so you should really think about it." Tomoyo bobbed her head up and down to show how serious she is.
Sakura felt frozen. A spot in Tomoyo's Friday night sleepovers meant she's in. Well not really in, but it means that she is in subject for consideration. She felt ecstatic and electrocuted. All those times that they bullied her and made her feel like crap are finally over. She could finally be one of them!
"Sure." She said and excused herself for a while. She entered one of the bathrooms of the big house of the Daidouji's which was twice the size of her own bathroom. She bit a yellow towel that she shakily took from the table by the sink and sat on the covered toilet bowl. She didn't want to bite her tongue as the chattering of her teeth got worst and she felt like she was convulsing. It's over, she thought, it's finally over.
Touya glared at his cousin who was giving him an innocent look. He couldn't believe what just happened. After all the things that what this… this monster did to her sister, now she wants to be some kind of best friends with Sakura? What kind of game is she playing?
He talked to the kaijuu once when she came out of her gym class with messy hair, one shoe missing and her t-shirt plastered with paint that spelled EW. She just brushed him off saying that she could fight her own battles. He just watched her walk away like there wasn't something wrong. He was proud of her of course but watching his little sister being treated like that… it just pains him. He couldn't do anything about it because she's just going to be mad at him. Besides, he didn't want to enter the messy world of angry girls fighting over some dumb thing. So for the time being, he just stepped aside and watched as Sakura conquered her jealous fiends. He was actually surprised how she was coming out of it beautifully. The snobby school of Seijuu High and its populace is slowly beginning to appreciate that Sakura is really a genuine beauty inside out.
But, he thought and intensified his glare he was directing at his cousin, this girl would do anything to stay on top.
Tomoyo just gave her cousin a cocky smirk and stood up to prep her room for the sleepover. She didn't want to dwell on the matters of Touya Kinomoto and his suspicions about her motives. He isn't a threat of her dominating High School. He's just a mere soccer player who has yet to prove himself in the upcoming game, thought Tomoyo.
Kagura, their live in housekeeper entered her room and set up five sleeping bags as Tomoyo told her earlier and then went out the door again but came back with a trolley of assorted snacks and drinks that suited her friend's stomach cravings. She thanked Kagura and asked her to call Sakura up to her room. She needed to brief the girl about the rules of the sleepover and the things she'll get the privilege to have for being one of them.
After five minutes as Tomoyo made the finishing touches in her room, which her bffs nicknamed the iPad since everything is crisp white, the four girls entered the room together.
Chiharu immediately reached out for the trolley but Naoko held her back reminding her about the diet while Rika came to the player and inserted an R'nB CD in it. Sakura just stayed out of the way for a while before the girls took their positions in the circle of sleeping bags, not wanting to intrude anyone's territory. Tomoyo smiled at this, this girl learns fast, she thought. Finally, when they were all settled, Tomoyo explained everything.
"Sakura, we've all decided…" at this Naoko chuckled a little as they all know that Tomoyo was the only one who decided to let Sakura in the group. Her democratic rule is only a front for she likes to let her crowd think that she isn't a demanding, self-centered queen. Naoko turned to face Tomoyo and cleared her throat as she saw the impatience in her face.
"Do go on." She waved her hand and swatted Chiharu's fingers which were trying to get a chocolate bar on the bowl next to her sleeping bag. "You're on a diet re-member?"
"Pig." Rika said behind a cough that caused everyone to laugh when Chiharu just huffed and slouched on the floor.
"As I was saying, you are now officially part of our clique." The three other girls clapped their hands and congratulated Sakura.
"Thank you." Sakura said with a big smile on her face.
"But…" Rika said with a smile on her face that made Sakura's drop like a cement block. She didn't like where this was getting into. She's in now right? So what else can they do to her? She's one of them now, so there's no need to bully her! "… first you have to tell us if Meiling Li has the invitations yet for her sweet sixteen party and if…you know, we're invited." Rika finished with a sweet smile on her face.
Sakura relaxed. So that's it. That's all they want. She could do that.
"No." Sakura felt that her body just turned into a stone, like the ones you see in a museum. The ones sculpted by the great Michelangelo and preserved like a thousand years or something. But then, she didn't fell like that important at all, like the professionals are treating those sculptures. If she shatters in to a million pieces, nobody would care. No one.
"Why?" She whined and grabbed Meiling's arm as they walked down the halls of Seijuu High. "Why? Why? Why?"
Meiling halted and gave an exasperated sigh. "Because! Those girls are the vain of my existence! I loathe them! So why would I invite them to my party?" She started walking again with Sakura refusing to let go of her arm, and the subject of her migraine as well.
"But a lot of people would want to go to your party if they go! Don't you see the logic? They're popular! If they're in your party nobody would even dare to comment on it if it stinks as long as they are there!"
Meiling stopped abruptly and slowly brought her gaze to emerald orbs. "What?" She said or rather hissed. She felt like a snake today, a snake that wanted to bite someone's head off. "You think my party would stink?"
Sakura felt shocked. "I didn't mean it that way! I'm sorry! But Tomoyo said that since you and I are friends and that you're having a party and that I'm invited to it, and well, since she's my cousin…" Meiling lost it when she heard the cousin-part.
"Cousin? Are you insane Sakura? She has never treated you that way ever since you came here! She's been awful to you! Can't you see it? She's just playing you like a pawn in a chess set so she could get what she wants!"
Sakura knew that Meiling was right, but an opportunity to finally be free of all the bad things that Tomoyo has up on her sleeves made her want to think that everything would turn out okay if she'll cooperate.
"But… she said…" Sakura felt torn. She wanted to be in Tomoyo's group but she doesn't want to hurt Meiling. Her teeth chattered a little and she tried to get control again. She set her fierce eyes on Meiling's ruby ones. She's always been appreciative of what Meiling has done to her. But… "Look, Meiling, this is important to me. You have no idea what it felt like to be on Tomoyo's bad side. I tried my best to fight it off but I… please this is my chance to finally be…"
"One of them?" Meiling spat, feeling like something was clawing at her heart. She studied Sakura's face and though she couldn't take the emotion her friend was displaying so she looked away. She took out five maroon scented envelopes from her D&G bag and handed it to Sakura. "The envelope with gold trimmings is for you, it means you're a VIP. You'll find a silver minted, heart-shaped necklace in it, so you should wear it to get pass the guards stationed on the VIP room. The others are for your new friends." She said in a monotone voice. Sakura squealed and hugged her and she smiled at this.
Sakura let go of her and was a few steps ahead when she heard Meiling's sad voice.
"You're wrong. I know how it feels." Sakura stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Meiling's face gripping her bag and her face shadowed by her long hair in the dim-lighted, empty corridor. "Back in freshman year, Tomoyo used to taunt me because I had a shrill voice. She used to call me WMB." She gave a pained laugh. "Wailing-Meiling-from-Beijing." With that she left Sakura in the corridor.
