Chapter 20. Half Of My Heart
Eriol and Tomoyo awkwardly made their way on stage, 'Just be sooo horrible that Sensei throws up and boos you off stage himself!' Eriol thought grinning, "Don't even try to act stupid." Tomoyo ordered, clearly reading his mind, "I need this part." She whispered, staring into his eyes, "I need this." And for once, Eriol felt sympathetic.
"Okay, so this is all a test for the best partnershi--" Chiharu snorted, "Erm," Sensei narrowed his eyes at her, "As I was saying, Syaoran and Sakura graced us with Act 1, scene 5, so I would like you both to do the same." He sat down, "And you may use your scripts, since you have had a much shorter time."
Tomoyo smiled ever so sweetly, and tossed her script aside, "Thank you Sensei, but I have practiced quite a lot, no script needed."
"Suck up." Someone whispered, Tomoyo glared at them.
"Fantastic, you may begin then." Sensei said nodding his head.
Eriol nodded his head, and glanced at his script, looked up at the crowd,
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:" He paused, and closed his script.
"Eriol! You can't do this to me!" Tomoyo angrily whispered, 'he can't leave me like this... again!' she thought. Eriol nodded, glanced up at Sensei and placed his script on the floor,
"My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." he recited so lovely, that the class couldn't help but be magnetically pulled by his emotion.
Tomoyo gasped, and mouthed a small thank you, Eriol scanned her face and had felt true, honest, sincerity.
"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
She put her hand up, palm facing Eriol, awaiting for him to place his upon hers.
"For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."Eriol slowly placed his palm in hers, and then, then they felt it. The class felt it. Sensei felt it. The soft shock of chemistry once the tiny balls of their fingers touched, the tingly sensation of floating butterflies in the pits of their stomachs, the class was silent.
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Eriol whispered confidently.
"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." Tomoyo replied.
Silence hung in the air, the audience was hooked.
"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. " He said swiftly.
"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake." Tomoyo spoke nervously.'This line... and ...' she thought.
"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." Eriol slowly slid his palm away from her's, and slowly, cautiously leaned forward, staring deeply into her eyes.
"Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." He whispered, as he put his hand around her neck and slowly drew her in as he kissed her softly.
---"1..2..3...4 I declare a thumb war!" I said giggling as Syaoran and I sat on the floor, "Who do you think will be Romeo and Juliet?" I asked, avoiding his thumb.
He shrugged, "Who cares?" He said chasing my thumb.
I tried to slam down his thumb, "I don't know, just thought you know with all the practice we had to do and all that, it'd be you know, cool to be Romeo and Juliet."
He stopped moving his thumb, "Do you really want it that badly?"
I shrugged, "It'd be nice."
"Even if you had to kiss Eriol?" He grinned.
I snorted, "Not that nice." He laughed, "If it counts for anything," he paused and stared at me, "I always thought you'd be the perfect Juliet." And with that, he slammed his thumb onto mine, "I win again!"
---
Sensei stood up in shock, "Th-that was.. erm, thank you."
Tomoyo gawked at Eriol, it felt so real she thought hesitantly, "Yeah, if I didn't know any better I would have thought Eriol was really in love with Tomoyo." Ken blurted out.
Eriol took 3 steps away from Tomoyo and glared at him, Tomoyo quickly turned her face to hide her tinted pink cheeks, "Its called acting." Eriol said in monotone.
Ken threw a handful of popcorn into his mouth, "Then you're one hell of an actor! Brav-o!"
Sensei cleared his throat, "If you both could please wait in the hallway--- OPPOSITE of Sakura and Syaoran," he said pointing at the other set of doors, "So that Sensei Sai, the class and I could discuss this." He opened the door for them, "Thank you."
Sensei shut the door, "Well class?"
Mia snorted, "Sucks to be you Sensei, I wouldn't know who to pick."
The class nodded their heads in agreement, "Yeah."
Sensei massaged his temples, "Sensei Sai?"
She looked up, and shrugged her shoulders, "How about... a vote?" The class looked at her, "Those in favor of ..."
---Eriol sat on the floor and closed his eyes as they waited for Sensei to call them back in, "Th-thank you." Tomoyo stammered.
Eriol opened one eye, "For?"
"For um, you know, in there..." She stopped pacing, "you were a great actor." She sat down opposite of him.
Eriol cleared his throat, "Erm, yeah acting thanks..."
"You to." He quickly added.
She looked down at her folded palms, "I know you--- they all think I'm psycho." He opened him mouth to argue in order to save her feelings, "Don't sweat it, I already know they think I'm psycho." She smiled, fidgeting with her fingers, "But." She looked up at him with wide, teary eyes, "You don't know what it's like, being second best." She turned away, "Or to not have real friendships, or a real true love."
He didn't know how else to react, should I hug her? He thought, or .. or.. should I pat her back? "To-Tomoyo.."
She waved her hand at him, "Don't give me sympathy or any fake pity." She laughed, "That's why I need this. Because I need to reassure myself that I am worth it. That I'm worth something. Anything."
"You don't have to prove your anything to anyone." Eriol said.
Tomoyo laughed, "Oh but I do." She ran her fingers through her hair, "I need to know that I belong somewhere." She looked up at him, "Because so far I've learned I don't belong in sports." 'Sakura' Eriol thought, "I don't belong in that group I call friends." 'Chiharu and Naoko' Eriol reached to pat her on the back then withdrew, "And I don't belong in any boy's arms." She stood up, "Not Syaoran, and not yours." Eriol gawked at her, "Just tell me Eriol." She looked down at him, "Am I such a horrible person that I am doomed to be an angry, rejected, low self-esteem, nobody?"
Eriol slowly stood up, "I was... engaged."
Tomoyo's eyes widened, it wasn't the reply she was exactly looking for.
---
A/N
Aw Jasmine! Thanks again for another review! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well :) I'm in need of some critics though, am I getting to lovey dovey mushy mushy or is it allright? Feedback is much appreciated!
much love,
candee