Chapter 20

Eriol and I always used to talk near that large fir tree after riding our trikes back when we were five...and everytime Eriol always had the stupidest questions.

But not that day....

"Syaoran do you think angels are real?" he asked me.

"What? Angels? pshhhh!! You tell me" I rolled my eyes and licked my popsicle. We always bought the chocolate flavored twin popsicles and shared.

"Well, I think they're real. Mom says you get to meet a real angel once in your life. Though they don't exactly have wings and all, they just look like regular people but once you meet that person you'll know. And that person will change your life forever!" Eriol exclaimed and waved his hands in the air, making droplets of melted chocolate ice cream land on my face. I quickly rubbed them away.

'Oh hey look! Someone's moving right across the street!" Eriol pointed out.

Curiosity got the better of me. I peered through just in time to see a young girl around my age jump down from a car. She had the largest greenest eyes I've ever seen. Like the color of my special marbles. She wore her hair down without any clips or yucky accessories that most girls wore. Then she caught me looking. She didn't flinch, she just stared back. Then she stuck her tongue out at me. That made me flinch and turn away but not without smiling.

"Ei? Why are you smiling Syaoran? Do I have gum in my hair again?" Eriol asked running his hands 'round his hair.

"No" I patted his shoulder.

From that day on I started believing in angels

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"Alright, alright! Sheesh it's just a stupid stuffed toy" Syaoran grabbed the toy by its head and shook it in front of Sakura."It's lifeless, besides it's not even that cute" he gave it back to her. At that moment Syaoran could've sworn he saw the 'thing' glare at him with it's large black plastic eyes. "Err.."

"Really, you do have a knack for ruining moments don't cha? I was just about to think that you're not as much of a jerk as I thought but you just had to open your mouth and say something to deliberately ruin my train of thought" Sakura rolled her eyes and tucked kero-chan under her arm. She rubbed her hands at her sides to wipe off the smell of metal rings from it. Syaoran watched her discreetly from his peripheral vision, watching her smell her palms, scrunch up her nose and rubbing her palms against her kimono again. "Ooooohh!!! I'm never gonna get the metallic smell off my hands!" she said exasperatedly.

Syaoran kept watching her in wonderment. The something from behind her caught his eye.

"Hey, wanna get your mind off of your metal scented hands?" he asked, then he grabbed Sakura's wrist and tugged her.

"What?...hey!" she said as she was dragged against her will towards some shrubbery nearby. "Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Somewhere" was his stupid answer.

Normally Sakura wouldn't let some guy drag her into some shrubberies where it's dark, away from sight and where stuff can happen...you know stuff stuff, but this is Syaoran anyway, he quite obviously doesn't like her right? Right. So she's just gonna shut up, let Syaoran take her 'somewhere' and try not to be an ass....just try to be relaxed and chill for once...

"Oh no you don't" Sakura said and dug her heel into the the ground. So much for being relaxed and chill. "I'm not going 'somewhere' with you" she said quoting with her fingers. "Especially not there" she jabbed a finger directed where they were heading. "Not until I know what's going on" she then crossed her arms in front of her stubbornly.

"Cripes, it's sort of a surprise, idiot. Telling you would ruin the whole point of 'surprise'" Syaoran said, also quoting with his fingers. "Now, If you don't wanna come then fine I'll just go alone" he shrugged.

"What?No! What am I supposed to do here by myself then?" she uncrossed her arms. "Fine! I'll come, but try anything sneaky and you'll have a foot up your ass"

"Tsss, you wish" he scoffed. Oh yeah, I wish...

They started walking again. Sakura noticed that the deeper they went into the woods, the higher the shrubs went until it was a good foot taller than she was. They're path was well lit by the full moon. It cast gloomy shadows here and there and gave the place a silvery haze. The peculiar thing was, the shrubs looked as if they deliberately made a narrow path which occasionally took sharp turns either to the left or to the right. It kinda reminded Sakura of a maze, which left her to a suspicion...

"We're not in a garden maze are we?" sha asked.

"Well, we are actually" he answered.

"What?!" Panic filled Sakura's head. She's got this irrational fear of being in mazes that are too big too figure out. What if they get lost? "A-are you mad?! Do you know how hard it is to get out of these things?"

"Yeah, of course I do. It's especially hard if you don't know the maze in particular" he said casually as if they were discussing the weather. "And this maze might I add is an especially tricky one"

"Uuuuuurgghhh....Please tell me you know how to get out of here" Sakura mumbled, suddenly feeling the need to grip Syaoran's arm more tightly and tuck kero-chan harder.

"Hmmm, well I haven't been here for almost five years so it's a bit hazy"

"Oh god..." Sakura felt light-headed. "I should've let you go alone. Talking to myself out there would've been better than being lost here with you and with nothing to eat but leaves"

"You know that kinda hurts. But fortunately I don't give a damn. Now I want you to stay here" Syaoran placed Sakura near a moldy boulder and wagged his finger at her like a dad would if his toddler did something stupid. "Don't go wandering anywhere, I'll just be a minute"

"Where are you going? You CAN'T leave me here! It's...dark"

"Oh come on, you're not afraid of the dark"

"Well, yeah I'm not......you CAN'T leave me here!"

"It'll just be a minute, I just have to check on something" Syaoran said exasperatedly. He tried to suppress the smile that's tugging at the corners of him mouth. It was such a sight to see: Sakura, actually clinging to him...priceless.

"Okay" Sakura said sounding like a little girl.

Syaoran gave her a reassuring smile and strode off. He turned a corner and disappeared from Sakura's sight.

"Don't take too long" Sakura whispered and hugged kero-chan tightly. She considered sitting on the mossy boulder. On one hand she was but tired from walking, especially because of those stupid sandals she's wearing but on the other hand she risks ruining Tomoyo's kimono.

"Well, the hell with it it's her fault I'm in this mess anyway" she muttered and plopped down on the boulder.

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Author's corner:

=)

I'll continue this after I graduate which is on March 26 :) that's when i have more time ciao! :D