Chapter 21: Petition
"He did what?" Eriol yelled so loud that he gained attention from bystanders close at hand. Natural eavesdroppers that they are, Tomoyo and Andy sneakily join the group while Miyu and Rika tried to put their two cents in it.
"Why the hell did he change the song?"
Rika struggled to justify Syaoran's last-minute decision of changing the song. "He's inconsolably pissed off from finding the truth."
"Truth?"
"Duh? About Sakura." Miyu blurted out in frustration as her cousin choose to be dense now of all times. Little did they know that mentioning Sakura's name drew two more curious guys whose just passing by into their group discussion.
"What the fu-"
Though before Eriol finish his cussing, Miyu interjected quickly. "Syao found out about Sakura and Ikki and confronted her just a few minutes ago."
"HE WHAT?"
"WHAT THE F#*$?!"
"HOW THE HELL?!"
"SHIT?!"
Eriol, Miyu and Rika just then notice the additional members in their group, the 4 members of Raging Wings itself. Miyu and Rika then try to relate in detail the confrontation that they witnessed between Syaoran and Sakura. After listening to their first-hand account, Tomoyo, Andy, Ikki and Ren hastily scampered to the direction they've pointed while the three started to look for help in Mei Lin.
A few yards from the outskirts of the forest, Tomoyo, Andy, Ren and Ikki stopped abruptly on their tracks as they heard in surprise a shout out and a loud racket from the audience in the concert grounds.
"Give it up for our guest performers, CONVICTED MINDS!"
Donning her usual signature cap, faded and torn up jeans, statement shirt and black hoodie, Sakura steps into the microphone and scan the crowd below.
You know that you are the center of my attention
And you leave me no choice
Tripping on to the floor
Looking at my reflection as I follow
The chord to your voice as it rings on through
Your voice clearly receptive like the day we met
I knew
After recovering from their initial shock of Sakura's band performing on stage, Eriol, Miyu and Rika parted the crowds looking around for their older cousin, Mei Lin. Finally, through the first verse of the song they found her near the side of the stage looking wearily at the guitarist.
"Mei" Rika attempted to get her attention from the stage.
Mei Lin spares them a glance then look back at the stage. "I still can't believe she picked this song."
Miyu naively asked, "Why? What's wrong with the song? I like this song, it rocks!" pumping her fist in the air in enthusiasm.
"Can't you see? It's as if she's pleading to him to give her a chance to explain." Mei Lin sighed dejectedly turning her gaze from the disheartening scene on stage. "She doesn't deserve this." Mei Lin forlornly whimpered, "What have I done?"
Speechless, the three who intended to seek out for her back up, pathetically stares at her weak countenance as she walks away from them and disappears into the rowdy crowd.
Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you
Don't tell me how to feel like you always do
I know you're right
I don't wanna fight
Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?
"Something's wrong?" Touya muttered to himself but was still heard by Yuki and Ken who just arrived by his side near the back stage area. Yuki elbowed Ken who almost spilled the beans, before Touya noticed them and asked his best friends, "Do you know?"
"How should I know?" Ken poorly feigned ignorance and received a dirty look from Yuki and a suspicious one from Touya. "She's you're sister not mine." Conceding from the mini-interrogation, Touya then shifted his attention to his other best friend and silently ask the same question.
Refusing to face Touya, Yuki shrugged. "Sorry dude, I'm as clueless as you are." As he opted to stare at the young guitarist that he also treats as his younger sister than her brother beside him.
Touya frowned at his best friends still positive that they're hiding something from him. He then diverted his gaze to his sister on stage as he plotted on how to get the information from his so-called best friends; knowing that it has something to do with his sister, call it a brother's intuition if you will. "Something's definitely wrong."
As the days roll by
Can't help myself
Just sit and wonder why
Was it something I said?
Something I did?
My girl
"Syao wait up."
Even recognizing the voice, he instead continues to trudge forward. Syaoran desperately needs to go further away from the concert grounds to block out the song. He do gets the message that Sakura wanted to convey through the song but persistently rejects the idea. In his mind, whatever explanation she has, is not enough for the dejection he's feeling at the moment.
"Li, Xiao Lang!" Mei screamed as she catches up with him and turns him around to face her and was shocked on the sullen disposition his emitting.
"WHAT?"
Mei Lin drags her brother to a semi-secluded place on the left side of the concert grounds, a mere alcove of trees hiding their presence. "What the hell do you want? I have no time for this Mei!" She inadvertently pushed him hard-pressed on the trunks, as he continuously thrashes from her clutches. "Will you stop for a second and listen to me! Sakura never meant to deceive you!"
"Why? You don't even know what that f# king bitch did?"
"Don't ever call her that foul name." After reprimanding her brother, she then suddenly changes her disposition to answer his pending question. "Actually, I do." Mei uttered meekly, head bow down while gripping her brother's shoulders. "We knew her situation and we actually planned everything so that you two could spend more time after we found out that you like her. But she never knew anything about it."
Flabbergasted, "We?" Syaoran glared at her sister who's still avoiding his gaze as she remained drooped.
Your wilted roses make me cry
A sentimental sign of rejection as I follow
The chord to your voice as it rings on through
Your voice clearly receptive like the day we met
I knew
"You knew all the time?" Syaoran glowered at his sister as she finally loosens her hold on him. "All this f# king time!" He muttered, dumbfounded with this new found information. Mei Lin shamefully nodded and backed off a few inches from him, confident that he won't go anywhere.
Silence ensued for a few more minutes, before Mei Lin decided to break it. "We never did anything until we were certain that you guys have feelings for each other."
"F# k that feeling? Do you have any idea what I've went to questioning my sexuality?" Mei Lin winced at the incident that flashed through her mind and sheepishly smiled. "Oh I bet you had a grand time laughing your asses off when you saw my hesitations, did you?" That question alone instantly wiped away the smile on her face and stare guiltily at the ground once more. "Unbelievable!"
Syaoran shrugged in annoyance, trying to draw in as much patience as he can to stand his ground and not waver from the sullenness his sister is projecting. "I was losing my mind thinking I'm going crazy when the bunch of you snickers and taunt me behind my back." Receiving no response but utter silence, he redirects his scowl on stage. "Did you arrange this too? Have her and her band sing that f# king song? How fitting?! You really know me too well!" He sarcastically threw at her face.
His scowl intensifies as he attempts to exhale all his frustrations, "Do you even know how it feels? Do you?" But before she could say her piece, he answered his own question. "That's right! You don't!" Syaoran paces in front of her like a mad man. "It's like eating one's heart out. They subjected me to that. And you, you're my sister and you're a part of it?"
Syaoran by then stopped his pacing and put a hold on his sister's shoulders who is now in tears. "How could you?" Syaoran looked at her sister in repulsion. "Who the hell gave you the right to manipulate my life? Who?!"
"Syao, I… I…" Mei brokenly stammers as she tries to take control of her emotions to defend herself and pacify her brother.
"Mom did? Dad? Who the fucking hell did?!" Syaoran this time is shaking her sister not too gently assuming that he might get out some answers from it.
"Hey!" Touya suddenly emerged and snatched his love interest from her brother, "Whatever your sister did, you have no right to talk back at her like that!" with Ken and Yuki trailing behind him.
Syaoran just glared at the intruders, hurled a last disgusted look at her sister and walked away.
Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you
Don't tell me how to feel like you always do
I know you're right
I don't wanna fight
Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?
"What the hell? How could this happen?" Ren frustratingly ask as they accidentally witnessed the Li siblings' dispute from a distance and how Touya, Ken and Yuki intervened. He and his band were on their way to break up the hostility between the siblings when Touya and his cronies showed up a few seconds ahead of them.
Ren scrunches up his shoulders and tousles his hair in agitation, "You guys told me, they love each other."
"Wait, what?!" Ikki confusingly look between his best friends in bewilderment. "You knew about this?"
"I only knew about Sakura and Syaoran's mutual feelings, that's the only reason why I purposely yielded from all this lovey-dovey stuff. Other than that nothing more, right?" Ren pointedly questioned the two girls and only received a winced from them. "Shit! I told you not to stick your noses in it."
Andy stammers while playing with the bottom of her shirt, "Tomo and I, we only created some opportunities to give them an itsy-bitsy push." Andy hold out two of her fingers in the air to describe how little it was.
"An itsy… what the hell?!" Ren furiously move his hands around in jest and mockery. "This is a little push to you?" Ren now violently wave his arms all over the place, trying to regain a semblance of truth in the situation. "Explain then, why the hell did he react that way?"
"I… we…" Andy stuttered, now at a loss for words. Tomoyo then took up her unfinished sentence and audaciously speaks up, "We thought we could get away with it without him finding all of these out."
"And now what?" Ren in exasperation sent daggers through his stare to the two girls in front of him. "Sakura's deeply hurt; the Li siblings' relationship in jeopardy and all for what?" With these, the two girls were left entirely speechless and temporarily defenseless.
Ikki, who remained quiet within the whole exchange and reeling still from the shock of seeing one of his best friends out of character, conspicuously drag them away from the crowd, "Alright spill it." He then glowered at his female band mates, "Tell us every f# king detail!"
Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you
Don't tell me how to feel like you always do
I know you're right
I don't wanna fight
Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?
After relaying everything to her band mates, Mei grabbed hold of the hands of a now seething Touya. He, on the other hand, instead of celebrating that his ten-years-love-interest finally made the initiative, roughly shove her hands away. "I didn't mean for this to go all out of hand. I really thought that they had the chance to find happiness in each other. I thought…"
"Damn it Mei!" Suppressing his growing hatred, "I can't believe you did that to my sister." Touya said in revulsion. "You of all people knew how protective I get with her."
"And he finally admits his sadistic-sister-complex." Ken whispered in jest which earned him another gut wrenching nudged from Yukito. "Now, is not the time for your newly-found sense of humor."
Touya shook his head in disbelief on the situation at hand and averted his eyes away from her, believing that anywhere else is better. "Never in my entire damn life did I consider you to stoop this low with those two brats." Touya look at his two sidekicks, "Where's that cousin of mine and sister of yours, Yuki? Ken?"
Yukito just shrugged while Ken backed away from the intensity of his glare and just wave his hands in a certain motion that he has no idea about their whereabouts. He then put both of his hands on his head attempting to contain his frustrations as he blurted out, "It's bad enough with the Ikki situation and now this? By the way, where the hell is that gaki? This is all his fault. If he didn't force kajuu to replace him she wouldn't even be here." He scanned the crowd trying to locate is idiotic cousin and give the bashing that he solely deserved when Mei Lin hugged him from behind. "Touya, I'm really sorry!"
Touya froze from the contact and closed his eyes in an attempt to contain himself. Torn between exhilaration and frustration, he gently pries her hands away from his abdomen and step forward to create the needed space.
Yukito then decided to interject his piece. "I know you mean well but that doesn't mean that what you did is right."
"I know, I know." Mei Lin begged Touya to listen to her, and tugged at his sleeve as he once again, move away from her. "Touya, please..." Miserably, Touya looked at his sister on stage and trudged forward to its direction, leaving Mei Lin behind who longingly gazed at him in melancholy.
Watching the impasse between his two best friends, Yukito nodded at Ken and followed Touya through the crowd. Ken then, put his arms on Mei Lin's shoulder to support her sinking countenance and sighed, "Just let him go, let his head cool off for a bit."
Don't hang up on me 'cause I'm hung up on you
Don't tell me how to feel like you always do
"You did what?" Ikki covered his eyes with his right hand as he tilt his head back and take a very deep breath to calm his nerves.
"Nothing… really…" Andy sheepishly looked at the ground while twirling one of her stray fringes with two fingers. "Just ask for some help with our plans."
"It's bad enough that you've recruited Mei and her cousins with your f #king schemes." Ikki shrugged in defeat and ridiculousness his two friends subjected their poor victims with. "But never did I expect you had it in you to enlist a group of fanatics to torture those two. And then, trap and force them to irreversible circumstances."
Tomoyo gaped at his words and try to stammer her reply, "When you say it that way, it seems really awful. We didn't think it would end up like this."
Ikki glared at her, "Yeah, you never used your brain." But before she could defend herself, he blurted his angry retort, "She's our f #king cousin, damn it!"
"It's…" Andy attempted to respond back for her best friend but got a loss for words.
Done with waiting for Andy's comeback, Ren sighed in exasperation "It's what? You guys anticipated what squirt's actions would be but you haven't thought through how Li would react. You guys don't know him enough to anticipate his reaction to whatever situation you put him through."
I know you're right
I don't wanna fight
"You can't put everything on us, we have his cousins there too, you know." Tomoyo said defiantly, still convinced that she and Andy did the right thing for Sakura's almost-budding and currently-dying love life.
"Yeah, yeah and you have Mei Lin's consent too." Andy and Tomoyo nodded. "But you've got to understand that for a guy to finally admit to himself that he's gay and then find out in the end that it's a girl he's attracted with, will feel betrayed by that person." Ren took a shot in explaining his point while struggling to control his annoyance with his two childhood friends.
"Bu-but…" Tomoyo stumbled with her words, clearly having no idea about the betrayal Syaoran must have felt.
"Won't you feel betrayed too?" Ikki put his two cents in it too. "I know this is my fault for forcing Sakura to do this pretending ruse to cover for me. But I never thought you two would do this to her." He, on the other hand, didn't hold back his rage with the two girls. "You, of all people, Tomo, her cousin even… I thought you would even be more protective than Touya would be. She even treated you both like her own family, big sisters that she looks up to."
Tomoyo tried again, "Ye-yeah but…"
"Just give it up Tomo," Andy interjected, relieving her friend from mumbling some alibis for their actions. "It's our fault for persistently pushing them together too them." Andy now utterly overwhelmed with the guilty gnawing in her insides. Looking at her best friend, Tomoyo gave up all sorts of excuses that she has in line.
Ikki finally satisfied with the remorse reflected in their faces, demanded, "Fixed this."
Is this how our story ends or a new chapter begins?
"You better f #king fix this." And with that Ikki and Ren walk out on their two band mates to go look for Sakura.
- to be continued -
A/N: I'm really sorry for the delayed update I've lost the first half of this chapter. Words that were bold and italicized are lyrics to the song, "Disconnect" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Aug 20, 2013 bangag_pa
Oct 3, 2013 updated