Chapter Sixteen

Better to be just friends

After dinner, Yelan helped Sakura open the sofa bed and gave her some sheets.

"I'm going to sleep now. Don't stay up all night studying" she said, going upstairs.

Syaoran entered his mother's study with his pyjamas on and the Literature book in his hand. Sakura went to the bathroom to change her clothes too. When she returned, Syaoran was lying on the sofa bed, his elbows resting on the mattress and the book between them.

"One last time and we'll go to sleep," she said, plopping down on the bed next to him.

They told each other all the most important features of the Victorian novel and he closed the book.

"I guess we'll pass the exam," he muttered, getting up to set it down on the desk.

Sakura rolled onto the bed and crawled under the covers, inhaling its freshly washed scent.

"I'm dying of sleep," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight," Syaoran said, walking towards the door.

She opened her eyes with a start and looked at him in surprise.

"Aren't you staying here?"

Syaoran turned around.

"Are you sure? Eriol may not like it."

"I told you he's not my boyfriend. Besides, he knows we've slept together many times," she replied, rolling her eyes and pulling up the sheets on the right side.

Syaoran smiled and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over himself and moving closer to her. Sakura rested her head on his chest and sighed.

"I always sleep so well when you're around," she whispered, closing her eyes again.

Syaoran slipped an arm under her neck and rubbed her back.

"Me too, you help me relax."

He closed his eyes too and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Sakura went out of school with Tomoyo at her side. She was stunned to see Eriol next to the door, sitting on his blue motorbike.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath.

Tomoyo saw where she was looking and sighed.

"Go talk to him," she said, nudging her a little.

Sakura growled a curse under her breath and walked towards him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she reached the motorbike.

Eriol frowned.

"I've been trying to see you for two weeks and it's been impossible, that's why I came."

"I haven't had time, I have many exams," Sakura replied, annoyed.

"Yeah, right... I'm sure you were at Syaoran's house yesterday."

"Yes, we were studying and I slept over there."

"And last week you were also with him almost every afternoon... but there's no time for me," Eriol answered, his voice angry.

"You know Syaoran's having a hard time, he needed me last week. Besides, I don't have to explain myself to you. You and I don't have a relationship."

Eriol snorted.

"Because you don't want to! I've tried many times to talk to you about it, but you always avoid it."

Sakura crossed her arms.

"I don't want a boyfriend, Eriol. I made it clear to you from the beginning."

He pursed his lips.

"Well, I've fallen in love with you, and I think you know that."

"No, I didn't know... though Syaoran had said something about it," Sakura said, looking away and feeling uncomfortable.

"Here we go with Syaoran again," Eriol growled angrily.

"What's wrong with him?" Sakura asked, frowning and pouting.

Eriol glanced at the bracelet she wore on her right wrist for a moment, looking up again with angry eyes.

"I'm jealous! I know there's nothing between you two, but you always want to be with him, talk to him... and not with me!"

"I'm sorry I can't give you what you want, Eriol. I think it's best if we stop seeing each other and go back to being just friends," Sakura said, sighing and looking down.

Eriol snorted, putting on his helmet.

"Yeah, it's for the best," he grunted as he started his bike and sped away.

Syaoran, who had been watching from afar, walked over to Sakura and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

She looked up, smiling sadly at him.

"I am, but I don't think he is," she said, referring to Eriol.

"He'll get over it, but a rejection doesn't feel good," Syaoran replied, shaking her a little.

"I hope he doesn't get mad at you too... Eriol told me he's jealous of you."

Syaoran shook his head.

"He's fine with me. Eriol's talked to me about envy too many times... and I always tell him that you and I are like family, he can't compare with me."

"No, he can't," she agreed, still a bit sad.

"Come on, Tomoyo is waiting for you. Don't worry about Eriol, I'll take care of him," Syaoran murmured, pointing to the end of the street where Tomoyo was talking to Chiharu.

Sakura said goodbye and ran towards her friends.

Some months passed. Sakura saw Eriol again in two of the parties that the students of her class organised. They continued going to Takashi's garden to drink and to laugh, but Sakura was careful and maintained the distance. Eriol didn't go near her either, he just glared at her from afar while chatting with Syaoran, Takashi and the others.

That Christmas, Syaoran also went to Russia. When he returned in January, everyone celebrated his seventeenth birthday at his house.

Yelan prepared food and drinks (non-alcoholic, of course), inviting her son's closest friends.

Sakura still wanted to avoid Eriol, though she found it more difficult that day because everyone was in the courtyard and it wasn't very big. At one point, when she went to the kitchen to get more ice, she passed him in the hallway. They both looked at each other uncomfortably, but before he left, Sakura grabbed his arm and Eriol turned around, very surprised.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I'm sorry for hurting you, I hope someday you can forgive me. I shouldn't have been with you knowing that you and I didn't feel the same way."

Eriol looked down.

"Forgive me too. I pushed you too much," he murmured softly.

"Do you think we can be friends again?" she asked in a shy voice.

He glanced at her, smiling.

"I think so, it's been three months now. Little by little."

Sakura nodded with a smile and returned to the courtyard with the rest of the guests. As she approached Takashi, she overheard her best friend talking about his latest conquest.

"Yeah, she wanted to, but I didn't really. I don't like it when it's so damn easy," Syaoran said with a chuckle.

"You're back to your cocky comments again?" Sakura asked with mockery, leaving the ice cubes on the table and pouring herself a soda.

"I'm not cocky, you admitted that this girl offered herself to me. A few kisses and she wanted me to fuck her in an alley."

"Shut up, Syaoran. Your mother is very close," Takashi warned him.

The three of them laughed.

"But she got nothing more from me," Syaoran added, standing up and walking over to see if his mother needed help with anything.

"Doesn't it bother you when he talks like that?" Takashi asked, looking at Sakura.

She shrugged.

"I'm used to it. Besides, he doesn't say things like that except when he's talking to you, Eriol or me."

"I want a best friend like you. I'd love to know the female point of view on things that happen to me," Takashi mumbled, smirking.

Sakura grinned back at him.

"A best friend for you, I don't know... but I know someone who wants to be something more," she whispered, raising an eyebrow.

Takashi blushed and glanced at Chiharu, who was talking to Tomoyo and Naoko across the courtyard.

"Go and get her, Takashi. The two of you have liked each other for a long time, but neither you nor her take the risk."

"Do you really think she likes me?" he asked, a bit embarrassed.

"For sure. Talk to her soon, or you'll regret it at the end," Sakura said, walking away in the direction of her three friends.

The summer was approaching. Sakura had already turned seventeen and, since January, she had a new obsession... Tomoyo's cousin, Haruko.

He was a year older than them, in the same high school, and she had met him one afternoon at Tomoyo's house. Ever since then, Sakura would gawk at him every time she passed him in the corridors, and tried to talk to him whenever she could.

Haruko was quite a bit taller than her, with piercing dark green eyes and, unfortunately, he was one of the most popular boys in the whole school along with Syaoran. That made things difficult for Sakura, but she wasn't about to give up. She had spent the past five months getting closer to him and getting to know him better, and she liked him more and more... She even thought she was falling in love.

In May, with only a month of school left, the teachers organised a field trip for her class. They would go to Kyoto and stay one night in a hotel, visiting the city, temples and museums during the day.