Here's chapter 8 as promised...


Chapter 8: Meeting you again for the second time around

Ding… Dong…

"Hi" A lady in her mid-forties cheerfully said to me, "Who are you looking for?"

"I umm… looking for Syaoran, is he there?"

"Oh! That's a first, come on in"

"Thank you" I said while following her, to their living room I guess.

Woah! They have a nice garden. Their gardener seems nice I guess, since he's talking with those roses.

"Mom, I'm going now" Someone from inside said I guess, I was so interested with what the gardener is doing than to mind what was happening elsewhere.

"And where do you think you're going young man? You promised me you'll do grocery shopping today"

"Mom, I'm going to a council meeting. Why don't you ask that sissy who's talking with the plants"

"Hey! I heard that!"

"And I'm just kidding. Bye mom!"

"I'll just take a shower, list down all the things you need then I'm on my way."

"Okay, b-but." She eyed me worriedly. I guessed they're just too busy to even notice they have guest.

"Sorry about that, why don't you sit down for a while and wait for Syaoran?"

"Huh? But I thought he was the one who left?"

"Oh that's Rui, he hates grocery shopping and usually avoids it like this"

"Then, Syaoran was the one attending to your roses?" I can't believe this. I always thought that Rui was the perfect son, and Syaoran was the black sheep, its how they looked like at school.

"Oh their not my roses, that's his garden. You may find this weird, but that boy has a soft heart."

I felt that my jaw dropped the moment she said he had a soft heart. And what's with his garden?

"I'm guessing you don't know much about Syaoran, am I right?"

"Yes ma'am, actually I'm here to apologize for what I did to him over a month ago. I was the one who accused him cheating" I never felt this ashamed in my entire life. Admitting my mistake to his mom was a bit embarrassing and threatening, especially now that I'm at their house, she can easily kick me out. I know it was a bold move, but it's a move I have to make, for this guilt to finally go away. And she was just there staring and smiling at me without saying anything more.

"I'm sorry, I'm really am, it was meant to be a prank b-but…"

"I know. You don't have to tell me anything, Syaoran tells me everything, he never keeps any secret from me. Admitting your mistake to me is a bold move, I admire you for that. What was your name again? Is it Kury or Saki?"

"It's Sakura, ma'am"

"Stop calling me ma'am, I'm not a teacher. Wait here for a while okay? I'll just get you a drink."

"T-Thank you, Mrs. Li"

She went away, and I was stuck there with nothing to do. I don't know if I have to be behaved or I can move around. Sitting here in their living room, I can glance to their garden, and it amazes me. If what she's telling me is true, then he's quite a green thumb. I won't be able to plant and create something this wonderful. Everything seems perfect, each flower and shrubs are in their desirable place. It was simply breath taking.

"Have a drink, if you want you can look around."

Ring… Ring…

"I'm sorry, I'll get that phone, feel at home." Then she left me there again, mesmerizing the beauty in front of me. If this is really his art, then surely he just didn't have a soft heart, but a heart of gold.

"What are you doing here?! Who let you in?" Asking me in his blazing voice

"I-I…" I was completely blank. Looking at him like this, fresh from shower, wearing a long sleeves white top that goes well with his faded jeans, and his frameless glasses that hides his brown eyes.

"What? You're just going to stare at me like that" Snapping his finger in front of me that bring me back to reality.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, it's just that it's the first time I see like that. I didn't know you had glasses, I never saw you with one."

"Ever heard of the invention called contact lens? Dummy!"

"Syaoran! It's not nice to call someone dummy. He's practically blind without them, he just didn't want to look like Rui so when Rui had his glasses, he stopped wearing one and switched to contact lenses"

"*Sigh* Mom, you shouldn't have told her that"

"I was merely saying the truth." They sound like their best friends, they can just say anything. I like that.

"Why'd you even let her in?"

"Because she looked nice, and she's the first visitor you have."

"She's not nice mom, she was the one I was telling you about, the one responsible for my suspension" He emphasize on the last part, which gave me the hint that it's time to go home.

"I'm sorry to barge in to you like this, I just want to give you this peace offering, I'm going now" Handing my peace offering, which I don't know if he'll accept.

"If that's not chocolate crinkles then it's a waste of your time, where's--"

"Really?" I started to smile brightly. "Its chocolate crinkles, it's also freshly baked. I baked it this morning before I got here."

"You baked it?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night, so I started looking for my old recipe book, and baked you my favorite cookie, hoping it'll do the trick."

"It's your favorite cookie? Then it's not my favorite anymore you can just bring than back home."

"Syaoran!" His mom eyed him for a while, and then he suddenly nodded.

"Thank you, I'll just leave it here for a while. So where's the list mom?"

"Here, and don't buy anything that's not on the list." She handed a small piece of paper, and warned him. If I were in his shoes I'll be scared like a baby. His mom could be scary. I wonder what he did last time he was asked to buy groceries.

"You!" He pointed at me "Come with me, you wouldn't mind right?"

"Yeah, of course I don't mind."

"Be careful, and Kury please make sure he buys only what is listed."

"Don't worry Mrs. Li; I'll make sure he'll only buy what is listed"

"Just come on, don't side with that woman"

"Syaoran, be careful with your glasses okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I know mom. No need to worry about me anymore."

I was surprised we didn't ride his bike. Maybe it's still broken, or maybe because he's worried about me? Nah! The latter thought wouldn't be true. Since we met earlier until now that we're walking to the grocery store, he's still not talking with me. He seems to just not care about my presence.

"We're here, take the list, we'll buy the things needed according to the order in which their written."

"Okay, our first stop is the dairy section." That's why we didn't take his bike, it'll be a waste on gas, its just a 15-minute walk away.

"Why are you so quiet, you usually have something to say?"

"Because I don't know what I should say to you"

"Why is that?"

"Well for one, you're still not accepting my apology, and second you seem to not care about my presence"

"That's not true; I've accepted your apologies earlier remember?"

"I'm not talking about the cookies; I'm talking about you forgiving me."

"I already forgave you even before you brought me those cookies."

"Then why are you still ignoring me?"

"Because it's the best thing to do to forget about you"

"Why would you want to forget about me?"

"Because you hate me, and I don't want to force myself to you."

"What? I'm getting lost. What are you talking about?"

"You still don't get it don't you? I like you, a lot actually"

Then my mind went blank. Did he just say what I think he said? Did he just say he like me, a lot? Then what are all those tortures and those… Then, Janna was right all along? Those treatments were simply a way to get close to me?

""What's next?"

"Huh? What, What's next?"

"What's next on the list?"

"Oh, in the frozen food section"

"What's going on in your mind right now, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Nothing. If you would to see a bubble thought of mine, all you'll see is lots and lots of dots."

He laughed, like I'm something very funny. Hearing his laugh again, made me remember the guy I bumped into more than a year ago. He looked exactly like him. It might be him, and I just messed it up when Rui came into the picture. All this time, I liked him and not Rui. I laughed at myself.

"What's so funny?"

"You and your garden" I just made something up

"And what's so funny about that?" He raised his brow

"Well seeing you as a tough guy, and finding out that you have a secret garden make me think twice about you." I smiled proudly at him.

"Well, it's my mother's frustration to have her own garden but she was not blessed with a green thumb, so I made her frustrations come true."

"That's sweet of you." I think I'm falling for him the second time around, knowing him in a different view

"Thanks, but it wasn't that much appreciated at home, my dad and brothers think less of me for doing that. My dad usually asks me if I was a sissy."

"So you made that tough guy approach so your dad wouldn't look at you like you're a sissy."

"Precisely the point, so how do I score?"

"Excuse me?"

"How do I score? In your scoring sheet, I mean"

"Scoring sheet?" Okay he's losing me. What scoring sheet is he talking about?

"Oh! You're not like those girls my brothers dated. Sorry. I just thought every girl has that"

"What is that anyway? You got me intrigue so explain it to me."

"My brother told me that all girls have this kind of scoring sheet, wherein they usually score guys they're dating. If you score 1 you're a loser and if you score 5 you're a so-so and higher that means you might have a chance on that girl you like."

"Ok-ay! That's seems so low. If I would to score you, I would like to compare with Gerry, Alex, and with Ivan. And maybe sometime soon I'll also add Jack on the list."

"Who are those? Your ex-boyfriends?"

"I never had a boyfriend before; those were the lead males in Cecelia Ahern's book."

"Oh! I thought… Never mind, so what's next on the list?"

"In the Hygiene section, you thought I dated a lot of guys before, don't you?"

"Well yeah, who wouldn't you're gorgeous, and adorably cute."

"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm not easy" Trying to make fun of our current situation right now.

"And that's another point why I like you"

"Syaoran, stop playing me okay, I might take it seriously." Then he stops dead on his tracks. I eyed him for a while trying to search to answer in him, then I saw that look again. My eyes widen a bit, and then it hit me, he was serious.

"Oh my gosh! Don't tell me you're serious"

"Well, I am. I really like you a lot, that sometimes I'm already thinking that I love you."

"B-But why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why me, of the entire beautiful girl at school why choose me?"

"Because you're different, I liked you the moment you bumped on me that day at the mall. I started liking you more that I even pretended to be Rui just to talk with you. I like you all the more when we had that bonding moment, even just for a while you talked with me, smiled at me, and it was me you're seeing not Rui. That's when I stopped using those glasses, that's identical with Rui."

"You! You were that nice Rui?"

"Well yeah! If you still haven't notice yet Rui is a bit rude, he's not what he looks like at school"

"You're not just saying these so I would hate Rui and start liking you, are you?"

"No, but if that's the case then maybe yes." He smiled proudly at me

"Well, it's not working."

"What's the next thing on the list?"

"The next is… I can't understand this, you read it."

"Buy something for her… So what do you like?"

"Like what?"

"The last thing on my mom's list is for you, she's telling me to buy you something, and so what do you want?"

"Nothing, I don't need anything from the grocery"

"Hmm… I'll just buy something, and then we're off"

"Hey! Your mom specifically told me to watch you and don't let you off the hook"

"Well you don't want something, so I'll just buy what I want"

"What was it that you did, that your mom wants me to watch you"

He smiled proudly and said "I buy seeds, using her money, to save mine"

"Oh! I know what I want. I want a carnation seed, plant me that flower will you?"

"If that'll give me your yes, then why not."

"Never mind, I'll just tell your mom you didn't follow what was written, then maybe she'll cut some bucks from your allowance."

"She can't do that"

"Sure, she can, she's in charge"

"She really can't do that, since I don't have an allowance."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a part time job, so I earn what I spend, that's why when I buy something together with her grocery she bites my head off, always reminding me I can ask for it, and I don't need to hide it from her. And I always protest, because I don't want to ask anything from them, since I can handle everything on m y own. I'm just not used to asking."

"Oh! Then buy what you want, I'll just say that it was my idea."

"Then I'll buy that carnation seed" He smiled like a cute little boy.

"Thank you"

"You're very much welcome, but there's a catch"

"And what would that be?"

"You have to let me walk you home"

"I'd like that."

Spending time with him like this make my heart jumps with joy. I never knew spending time with a guy would be this much fun. This is much more fun than those bickering moments we had at school. I hope this day never stops.

"You're spacing out again"

"Oh, sorry"

"Is that a hobby of yours or you're just thinking a lot about what I said?"

"I can't stop thinking about what you've said. I feel like I'm in cloud nine. I just don't know what to think anymore. A part of me tells me to stop and think, because all this maybe a joke, but a part of me also tells me to trust you and go on with the flow. I don't know what part to follow. If this is a joke to you, please I want it to stop. I don't want this. I don't want to get hurt."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, I promise to take it slow. I won't force you in anything that you don't want."

"Please Syaoran; if this is just a dream, I want to wake up"

"Please don't be like that; this is neither a dream nor a joke. I really like you and I'm willing to wait and to take this one step at a time."

"You honestly want me to believe that? You practically hate me--"

Oh my gosh! He's hugging me. This can't be a joke, probably not playing me also. He's not an actor to fake all this emotions. This might be true, Janna was right. Mom must also had this hint; this might be that secret message their passing around that night.

"Mi-Syaoran--"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to control myself, I just wanted to hug you to shut you up and make you believe that I really like you."

He really does like me a lot. In the movies it wouldn't be a hug, but based on those leading man in my favorite books this is exactly how it will go. I started to cry because of this overwhelming happiness.

"H-Hey, don't cry, I-I…"

"I'm just happy, because you're telling the truth. I felt it with your hug. Thank you."

"*Sigh* you made me worried."

"Well, this is home; I'm going in, you should be careful on your way home"

"I'll call the moment, I got home."

"I'd like that, thank you again"

"You're always welcome, rest well, you had a long day"

"Be careful, and don't let your glasses fall. You should really fix that you know"

"Next time, when I get my paycheck"

"Alright, just let it hang in there okay? Bye"

"Bye!" I think I have a boyfriend. So this is what Janna was feeling all the time. The hard goodbye, she said. *Laugh* But I want to take this slow; we'll take it slow together. I just hope that this is really true and not some laugh he'll be having later on.

"So what happened?"

"Nothing" I tried to avoid my mom's stare

"Dad, Kura's hiding something from me. Our little girl is finally becoming a woman"

"Mom, don't exaggerate it. He just told me he like me"

"Did you tell him you like him too?"

"No, because I'm still not sure, I want to take it slow, he promised me he'll wait and take this one step at a time."

"That's good to hear, you're still young, I don't want you to become a woman just yet, I'm not yet ready"

*Sigh* my mom's being melodramatic. It's just dating, not getting married, they're too much. I think I have to get a shut eye. They're becoming insane with the idea of me dating. *Laugh* I'm so proud of having parents like them, who'll be at my back all the time, and who understands me like we're best friends. I hope Syaoran will also get along with them, that'll be nice to see, the one I like being close with my family. I'll wait for that moment to come.

Dear Diary,

Today's a bizarre day, but a great day indeed. I wasn't expecting anything at all when I went there earlier, and then all this happened. Janna was right when she told me that goodbyes are hard especially if you like that person. Now I finally understood why they never said goodbye to each other. After a few minutes of shut eye, I was all energize again, that I even had the strength to chat with him on the phone for quite a while, that eventually made Janna angry, because it was supposed to be our phone night time, but I explained it to her, I just hope she's okay with it. Anyways tomorrow's a new day, and I can't wait. He promised me that he'll fetch me and bring me home safely everyday during practice, as long as the time does not have any conflict with his practice and work.


hope you enjoyed reading it. All kinds of reviews are very much welcome might be criticisms, suggestions or comments. thanks and God bless