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Chapter Twelve
Past Date
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Sakura closed her eyes sighing, she thought it had been just a second but she must have doze off cause she wasn't in her office anymore when she opened her eyes. " I must be in a dream", she thought watching the pretty dresses move and sparkle around her.
-"Mom?" She called but her voice sounded different. She was sobbing.
-"Hello, you. My God! You are even more precious when you cry. Isn't she Syao-chan?" Smiled a kind looking woman. She was very tall and graceful.
-"I'm missing school for this?" Complained the little boy next to her. "I'll cry please let me go back!"
-"Don't be silly, you haven't seen anything yet. You are gonna love this collection."
-"Last time you said that, I really puked and you ground me for two months."
-"Syaoran Lee, who am I?" Asked Yelan reprehensibly.
-"Crazy boss." Answered the boy winking at Sakura and the little girl giggle between sobs.
-"I'm your mother!" Corrected Yelan throwing a tantrum making Sakura tear up again.
-"Crazy boss mother." Smirked Syaoran. "Can I go play? You are gonna make her cry for real."
-"Fine but eat!" Yelled Yelan after him while Syaoran pulled Sakura out of the room.
-"We will!" Answered Syaoran. "Are you hungry? If we don't eat, she'll just hand you junk food."
-"I lost my mom..." Admitted Sakura tearing up.
-"So? I lost my dad. No need to cry for that." Laughed Syaoran.
-"I'm not suppose to get out of the building." Continued crying Sakura while being abducted by Syaoran.
-"Why not? How do you get food then?" Asked Syaoran confused.
-"My mom and dad cook for me?"
-"They have time to? But I thought you didn't have a mom..." Said Syaoran feeling more confused than before.
-"I dooo too! Wailed Sakura.
-"Ah, don't cry! Are you a baby? Your mom is a model then, right? You meant you got lost." Said Syaoran finally understanding Sakura's situation. Little Sakura nodded drying her tears. "Look, it's fine. We'll eat while they work on the collection, then we will go back. Your mom will still be there when we get back."
-"Promise?" Hip cupped Sakura extending her pinky finger.
-"I do." Sighed the boy closing the promise. "Really! If I had cried all the times I've lost the crazy boss... You know, moms don't disappear just because you can't see them so you are bound to bump into them eventually."
-"Mom says I'm not to get out of her sight." Argued Sakura.
-"Well, my mom has eyes everywhere so I can go anywhere."
-"Liar!"
-"It's true!" Protested Syaoran. "She can tell where I've been all the time."
-"So if we go to the outside skating rink? Will she know?"
-"Theres' a skating rink? But winter here is almost over" Asked Syaoran with curiosity and Sakura nodded.
-"I was gonna go with mom and dad and my big brother but he got sick so we didn't. Then mom had to work so she said we couldn't."
-"Well, she will probably know... but I can tell her not to tell." Said Syaoran."Is it really open?"
-"It is!" Celebrated Sakura.
-"Then we can go after we eat." Agreed Syaoran. "I'm Syaoran, what's your name?"
-"Sakura." Smiled the little girl.
-"Crazy boss is wrong, it's better when you smile." Smiled Syaoran taking the little girl's hand.
Syaoran bought food for the both of them. Although the people at the restaurant seemed worried for them, Syaoran had a credit card and a letter from his mom, so they let them eat at their ease. Sakura was amazed, she could never get by alone like Syaoran did. She couldn't even tell which way her mother's work was.
"Has he always been like this?" Thought Sakura while she saw the boy pay for their food and then help the kid Sakura put her coat on. "He's only two years older than me but he's so good at taking care of people." She followed the two kids to the outside skating rink. "Is this why he took me to this place for our first date? Did he remember this day? I didn't even remember..." Thought Sakura thinking back at their first date, Syaoran had said something about the place, it was a fleeting conversation.
-"I was here once when I was seven." Said a Syaoran in Sakura's memory. "I don't remember much about my childhood, but I remember coming here with someone."
-"A girl?" Joked Sakura putting on her skates.
-"I think you are right!" Laughed Syaoran forcing his memory. He smiled but it was different from his mischievous smiles, it was a sweet smile. "I remember having too much fun and breaking my curfew."
-"Now I'm jealous." Laughed Sakura.
-"Then, shall we have fun too?" Called Syaoran but it was the little boy again.
-"What?" Answered the little girl.
-"I said, let's go have fun." Insisted Syaoran pulling her by the hand for her to get up. "Hurry!" He said trying to skate but he fell on his butt. The little girl laughed and helped him up.
-"You don't know how to skate?" Asked Sakura, giggling.
-"I learn fast!" Protested the little boy blushing furiously and as he finished saying this, he fell again. Sakura laughed harder, pulling him on the ice by his hand.
-"Get up!"
-"I can't when you are pulling!" Complained Syaoran pulling her down and Sakura let herself fall, still laughing at her new friend. "Why are you still laughing?!" Asked Syaoran blushing again.
-"'Cause you are really silly!" Said Sakura while gasping for air. "Why you wanted to come when you don't know how to skate? We could have done something else."
-"You said you wanted to come and I would never learn how to skate if I don't try it!" Asserted the boy getting up and trying to stay in balance. Sakura kept on laughing but took both his hands and pulled him gently, teaching him how to skate.
"Why don't I remember this?" Thought Sakura amused by the two little kids playing.
-"Crap! We have to leave!" Called Syaoran suddenly, pulling Sakura out of the skating rink.
-"Noooo! We just got here!" Complained Sakura pulling the other way.
-"No we didn't, it's late. Your mom will be looking for you now." Insisted Syaoran.
-"But she will still be there, right?" Asked Sakura feeling anxious now. "You promised."
-"She'll still be there but our heads might not!" Laughed Syaoran pulling the little girl. "Come on! It's getting colder!"
-"It's not cold at all!" Lied Sakura making him fall on the ice and laughing.
-"If you lie, your nose will stay red forever."
-"My nose is not red at all!" Complained Sakura trying to take a look at her nose. Syaoran laughed at her and getting up, he started pulling her by the skates ignoring her complaints. Sakura gave up in the end and let him pull her out of the ice. They returned their skates and changed into their shoes. Syaoran lied to the guard telling him that his mother was waiting for them outside and they both ran hand in hand back to their mother's working place.
-"SAKURA!" Called Nadeshiko and Fujitaka running towards their daughter and pulling her into a choking hug.
-"Don't you ever do that again!" Scolded Fujitaka.
-"But I was with Syaoran." Sobbed Sakura. Both her parents turned to the little boy.
-"Aiya! I'm really sorry." Sighed Yelan who had been waiting with them. "This kid has always been like this. He's just like a cat, he takes off whenever he gets bored but like I told you, he always finds his way back."
Nadeshiko sighed and smiled at Syaoran.
-"Thank you for taking care of our Sakura." Said Sakura's mother and hugged him. "You are really reliable, aren't you?"
-"I'm sorry I made you scared. She said she'd lost you and was crying so I took her with me." Apologized Syaoran looking nervously at Sakura's parents.
-"Well, you brought her back safely so don't worry about it." Smiled at him Fujitaka.
-"He should worry." Said Yelan menacingly and Syaoran cringed avoiding his mother's eyes. "I might have resigned myself to him taking off whenever he pleases but I clearly recall giving you a curfew mister."
-"But I've never been to Japan before!" Argued Syaoran.
-"You were in Milan, no problem there." Scolded Yelan. "And don't talk back to your mother."
-"Yes boss." Answered Syaoran sheepishly.
-"I'm sorry for the worry that my silly son has caused you. I assure you he will be grounded for this."
-"No, please. We are just glad Sakura is fine." Said Nadeshiko trying to quiet down her daughter's sobs.
-"I-I want to go with Syaoran!" Wailed Sakura. "W-We were just having fun."
She called Syaoran but he kept his head down, avoiding his mother's eyes.
-"Come now, Saku-chan. You must be tired. Touya is waiting at home, so say bye bye for now."
-"No! Syaoran will be all alone if I go." Sobbed Sakura trying to get down from her mother's arms. Syaoran looked up at her in surprise.
-"Don't worry, Syaoran is with his mom. He won't get lonely." Tried to calm her down Fujitaka.
-"I'm fine." Reassured her Syaoran. "You were crying for your mom before, remember?"
-"B-but moms d-don't disappear just b-because you can't see them." Said Sakura between sobs.
-"Don't cry." Said Yelan sweetly at her. "This kid knows the way to Japan now, he can find his way back. The problem will be keeping him away." Laughed Yelan. "Good friends come and go, sweety-"
Her parents turned to each other and smiled remembering that awful night where they had thought, for what had felt like a lifetime, that they had lost their daughter forever. Her mom turn around and smiled.
-"But the bad ones stay forever." Nadeshiko managed to say before everything was bathed in darkness.
Sakura woke up in a sweat, she was back at her office but the light of the sun was gone, there was only the feeble light coming from her computer screen.
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-"You should just stay with us." Insisted Touya. "There's no point in living in that big house on your own."
-"I'll be fine. I'll sell and move somewhere cheaper." Said Sakura trying to get the annoyance out of her voice.
-"And when where you planning on letting me in on the plans?" Asked Touya sarcastically.
-"I just did." Replied Sakura rolling her eyes at him.
-"Don't roll your eyes at me." Censured Touya but gave up the fight. "Sakura, I'm not saying that what he did is ok-"
-"Don't! You are supposed to be on my side here." Said Sakura getting angry at him. "I don't want to hear this from you too. It's too late, OK? I'm over him, can you guys get over him too?"
-"Is that really OK?" Insisted Touya. "You say you are over it but we both know that you hang unto-"
-"Stop. Just because I don't pretend that everything is fine just as well as you do, doesn't mean I don't deal with things." Retorted Sakura. "Good for you, you can go on pretending it didn't happen but I was there! I saw them-"
-"I know that Sakura." He replied hugging her while she tried to stop the tears. "You think I don't know... I- They were gone but you were- I focused on what I could safe and I'm sorry I left you grief them on your own. I thought that if you saw me- you would think I wasn't glad you had survived and I was." He said and although Sakura could not see him, she could feel him shaking. It was the only time Touya had broke down in front of her. "You surviving was the only thing I was glad of about the whole accident." He admitted and they stayed quiet in each other's arms, for what felt like hours to both of them.
-"I'm still going back." Said Sakura finally breaking the ice and drying her tears. She finally looked up and giggled cleaning her brother's face.
-"Leave it to you to spoil a family moment, monster." Smirked Touya rolling his eyes. "He's leaving today, is that also fine with you?"
Sakura hesitated.
-"It's not fine." She admitted. "But it's what we agreed on."
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-"Just come home for a week." Insisted Yelan.
-"I wouldn't dream of going back for a second." Replied Syaoran with a dry smile.
-"Is it because it's no home anymore?" Asked Yelan half heartedly. Syaoran look up at her for the first time. "It is then?"
-"You are going soft, you know? It isn't." Denied Syaoran trying to go back to organizing his papers.
-"I know when I'm defeated, do you?" Yelan sighed, feeling at peace with herself.
-"Wouldn't know. I've never been defeated before." Said Syaoran mockingly.
-"Well, there's always a first time. I knew the day you were born that I would, someday, be defeated by you." Smiled Yelan. "You were so tiny. You had five sisters that made space for you yet it's just like you to refuse all help."
-"What are you getting at." Asked Syaoran annoyed once again by his mother.
-"I know the way I am made you feel lonely many times." Confessed Yelan.
-"Don't start. I had five older sisters fuzzing over me all of my life and two younger cousins clinging to me all the time, you did your job." Replied Syaoran trying hard not to roll his eyes at her.
-"Remember when you kidnapped a little girl because you thought she had no mom." Giggled Yelan.
-"I'm sure that didn't happen as you say it did." Complained Syaoran trying not to blush.
-"When it was time to say goodbye, she didn't want to leave you 'cause she said you would be lonely again." Went on Yelan with a sigh. "You never complained, you didn't even seem to care."
-"What makes you think I did?" Asked Syaoran sounding angrier than what he had intended.
-"That it seemed like you wanted to cry when she said that. It's the first and only time I've seen that look on your face, I tried to get it back but you just wouldn't cry infront of me." Admitted his mom. "Now that I think about it, She was called Sakura too. Is that like a common name here in Japan?"
-"You are just making things up now." Growled Syaoran pulling his hair with irritation.
-"Am not! She was so cute and I remember 'cause her mom was my choice cover of that summer collection. You were so cute together, she cried everytime you had to say goodbye." Remembered Yelan. "That must have been the only time that you stayed inside the studio where I could see you, like a normal seven year's old kid."
-"You are not serious." Sighed Syaoran going away.
-"What? What did I say?" Complained Yelan.
-"What did you say to him now?" Scolded Eriol seeing his cousin storm out of the hotel's room.
-"I didn't say anything. Can't a mother remember her child's childhood?" Pouted Yelan.
-"In your case, memories are scary." Joked Eriol. "Is he coming back? I already called his taxi."
-"I should just kidnap him..."
-"Please don't."
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Sakura sighed turning off the car, the house was completely dark. She wasn't sure that she was ready to come back but she couldn't stay with her brother forever.
"I hope Kero is still alive..." Thought Sakura with a twinge of guilt. She had been counting on Syaoran to feed the cat but if what Tomoyo had told her was true, then poor Kero had been starving all this time. "No, Kero is not the kind of cat to starve to dead. Is he? God, please let him be alive."
-"Miss Kinomoto." Called a voice and there was a knock on her car's window. Sakura jumped and look out, it was her neighbor, Mr. Peek.
-"Oh, hi!" She said rolling down her window. "It's been a while."
-"I thought you had move out." Said her neighbor, laughing nervously and maybe it was all of Syaoran's paranoia rubbing on her but seeing her neighbor being so close after such a long time made Sakura feel afraid.
-"No, I've- I was staying at my brother's for a while." Smiled Sakura trying to quiet the tiny voice of her fears that sounded awfully like Syaoran's voice.
-"Is your boyfriend traveling then?" Inquired her neighbor in an overly friendly way.
-"What? No, he- he's working." She lied. "Yeah, he had to stay late today."
They stayed in an awkward silence while Sakura thought hard of an excuse to make him leave, she felt trapped inside her car. Safe but trapped nonetheless...
-"Well, I'm glad that you are back." Smiled the middle aged man turning to leave and Sakura sighed with relief. She felt like a fool for letting Syaoran put ideas in her head, Mr Peek was obviously just being a friendly neighbor. "Oh, by the way, Kero came by my house a couple of times while you were gone. I fed him some milk, I hope you don't mind." Apologized Mr. Peek.
-"What? No, I mean, thank you for taking care of him."
-"Not a problem." Said Sakura's neighbor before crossing the street and disappearing into his own house.
Sakura sighed again as she finally got safely out of the car and into her house locking the front door behind her. Something about the conversation she had just had made her feel uneasy but she didn't know what it was, she tried to shake it off but couldn't quite forget about it so she kept repeating what had just been said in her head while she examined the sate of her home. The house was completely cold and deserted, all the lights were off and someone had turned off the heat. Sakura shivered while she turned on a dim light and started the heater in the living room. She called Kero but nothing came of it so she went to look for him in the kitchen keeping her coat on. In the kitchen she found that the light was still on, she found it odd that Syaoran had left it on but perhaps, making her pay a massive energy bill was his way of making sure she wouldn't forget him so soon, like dating her for housing wasn't good enough to last a lifetime. "Not only did he left the light on but the heat is on too" She thought annoyed but thankful all the same that she could take her coat off. Then, she noticed outraged that someone had erased her schedule and had written something instead, it didn't look like Syaoran's handwriting. "How do I even remember his handwriting?" She thought perplexed and got closer to the board, "This has to be Eriol's writing. Now it makes sense that this light is on, he has no consideration for the poor."
-"I turned everything off and left food for Kero. Who's your daddy now?" Read Sakura out loud frowning. She considered calling Eriol just for the sake of having a pointless fight but then she realized what had bothered her about her conversation with Mr. Peek. She couldn't remember having ever told him that she had a cat and even less the name of her cat. Just as soon as she realized this, there was a snapping noise behind her and Sakura turned around in surprise, something brushed past, between her legs making her jump and scream her lungs out.
Kero hissed at her, he seemed to find Sakura's reaction insulting. The cat had been lazing around in a tree outside from where he had seen her get out of the car but he had not followed her inside right away, he had grown wary of the house. Kero had watched the house from outside and hearing what he thought was his mistress' voice calling him, he had gotten closer to the kitchen door and finally having recognized Sakura, he got in by the pet door excited to see her again. Sakura's reaction, however, made him shudder and escape again into another part of the house determined to sulk.
-"Oh my-" Whispered Sakura catching her breath. "Come back here you stupid cat!" She yelled going after her cat but someone grabbed her from behind blocking her nose and mouth. She struggled trying to breathe and scream at the same time, not really knowing what was happening or who was attacking her. Sakura felt like she was gonna past out at any moment, she felt weak and was trying to get her assailant to let go of her when an idea took form in her head. -"He's just like a cat." Had said Syaoran's mother in her dream. She had been fighting with her dad the day before the accident, the cat she had adopted had destroyed the new curtains. "You'll struggle Sakura..." Was saying her mom in a blur and she dug her nails as deep as she could in the arm that was holding her. Her assailant was caught by surprise, Sakura heard him scream in pain and felt his grip loosen up a bit around her face, she sank her teeth in his hand and he let go of her, letting her fall in the kitchen's floor.
Sakura got up but her legs gave up and she fell once more to the floor, she felt like she had been running for hours, it hurt to breathe and her body ache. All she could think of was that she needed to get away somehow and get the phone. If she just got the phone, she could call for help, thought Sakura while crawling slowly out of her attacker's reach. She was almost out of the kitchen when she was pulled back by one of her legs. Sakura found herself underneath her attacker and could see his face for the first time. She gasped recognizing him with horror as her neighbor's hands closed around her neck.
Nothing that she did seemed to help, she scratched, kicked and tried screaming but her hands were feeling heavier as the minutes ticked by, she could barely move her legs and she could scarcely catch her breath, screaming was an impossibility. Give up, she thought but she didn't want to give up. "Sometimes giving up is the way to go-" Laughed her voice while everything went dark for a second.
-"Not for Syaoran Lee, it isn't" Came Syaoran's voice ringing clear as day in her head and she felt pulled like a rag doll. "Patience is all I need."
Sakura coughed uncontrollably regaining consciousness, she could still feel the weight of someone sitting on top of her.
-"I don't want to hurt you." Said Mr. Peek, he had let go of her throat but kept a tight grip on her arms.
-"W-What do you want?" Sakura heard herself asking, her voice was raspy.
-"I will take care of you. Don't worry, you are safe with me. I know you wanted me to come, your boyfriend is not home tonight, right?" He smiled at her, letting go of her arms and caressing her cheek. Sakura flinched at his touch and found that she could still move her arms; without thinking it through, without quite realizing what she was doing as if her body was moving on its own, she saw her hands grab at her neighbour's face and her fingers closed like hooks trying to hurt his eyes. Mr. Peek howled in pain and let go of her completely rolling around on the Kitchen's floor, covering his face with his hands. Sakura got out of the kitchen stumbling but just as she was about to escape the scene, she bumped hard into someone.
-"Sakura?!" Exclaimed the newcomer in shock at her disheveled appearance. Sakura felt the panic taking control of her body again and she wrestled as best as she could against this new danger. "Sakura, it's me! Stop! Stop, it's fine." Said Syaoran trying to sooth her down. Sakura stopped recognizing his voice.
-"Syaoran?"
-"What's wron-?" Syaoran stopped mid-sentence realizing the situation. He made to get into the kitchen, he wanted to hurt the man rolling on the floor but Sakura grab his arm in time.
-"No, don't! Don't g-" Begged Sakura, her voice cracking. Syaoran took out his coat and covered her with it. "Please." Insisted Sakura.
-"I'll call the police, wait in the car." Ordered Syaoran reassuringly but Sakura wouldn't move. "It's alright, I'll be there in a minute."
-"I can't move." Admitted Sakura, tears finally breaking through her eyes. Syaoran pulled her in a hug and Sakura grabbed on to him.
-"I'm sorry, I should have been here." He whispered soothingly. "But he can't hurt you now. You are stronger than him."
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Syaoran watched as two policemen walked Sakura's ex-neighbor into their car and out of the neighborhood. Sakura was sitting outside of an ambulance truck being treated by a paramedic and interrogated by another policeman, she had stopped crying and looked oddly calm. He wanted to get close but the police next to him just kept on asking question after question even though Syaoran had clearly told him that when he got there, Sakura had already escaped her attacker.
At last, they were free from all questions, Syaoran shivered giving the blanket around his shoulders back to one of the paramedics. Sakura did the same and soon the ambulance was gone, along with the two police cars. They both stayed standing quietly watching the lights of the cars disappear and giving their backs to the house, slightly shivering with the cold wind.
-"Thank you." Whispered Sakura handing back his coat to him.
-"You should keep it on." Replied Syaoran feeling another kind of cold, this time it seemed to be coming from within his heart. He sighed, unable to find the words that he wanted to say. Sakura put the coat on his shoulders.
-"I'll be fine." She said almost in a whisper. "So, I guess you have to leave now. This is it. One year." She said with a slight tone of sarcasm in her voice while going back to the now deserted and cold-looking house, leaving Syaoran behind.
"You said I made you change... and that you hated me for it." Managed to said Syaoran and turned around to see her. Sakura was on a stand-still. "But we- from the very beginning, neither of us were alone. You were not the only one who changed. We both decided this was crazy, we both went along with it anyways. Together."
-"But you were the only one who knew all the truth." Said Sakura coldly turning around to face him.
-"Wrong. I was the only one who knew the lie. That being, I gave myself excuses not to get attached to you 'cause it was gonna end and you were not gonna stop me. Just as you are not stopping me now 'cause that's not what you do. You would not get in my way even if I've been throwing myself at you for the past twelve months. I've been doing chores for you, babysitting kids, cats and jobs; dusting memories and closing doors and pulling curtains open and close, open and close. Do you think if you meant nothing to me, if I did not want to stay, would I have offered so much of myself to you? All you had to do was ask... but you wouldn't do that. That's something you would never do."
There was silence as they just stared at each other, Syaoran's phone rang, surely his mother trying to get a hold of him. She was probably moving heaven and hell in order to find out where he was at. Syaoran sighed, Sakura seemed determined to hate him so he had lost. He turned around to leave.
-"Stay." She almost whispered, Syaoran spun around surprised. "If I said that, would y-?"
Before she had even finish the question, he had already close the distance between them with a kiss.
-"I said I would, didn't I? I said that no matter what you asked of me, I would come to you... didn't I? But you still wanted to meet me there, didn't you? So here we are."
-"Then stay, not just now, forever. I'm being unreasonable and spoiled and really inconsiderate and your whole family is gonna hate me for it yet you say you're gonna stay so stay with me." She scolded.
-"Well, there's still someone in my family who will be very happy. Guess you'll have no choice but to add Eriol back on fb." Joked Syaoran.
-"That doesn't make me happy at all!" Complained Sakura fighting back tears again.
-"Well, You've never being unreasonable or spoiled or inconsiderate ever since I've met you so just once, let's be all of that together. I'll deal with my mother, at this point, she would rather I settle here than not settle at all. No matter what tantrum she throws at me, truth is that just as much as I can't let go of the company, the company cannot let go of me. I am very indispensable."
-"You are awfully full of yourself too." Joked Sakura finally smiling and they hugged for a long, long time.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
