Chapter 2: Always the Good Ol' Buddy
"Eriol!" The boy turned, not missing the focus his eyes held on the girl going out of her house. "Good morning Tomoyo!" Tomoyo walked closer to him, showing him a huge smile. The smile that was reserved him and only him. Her best friend.
The two walked, with Eriol throwing Tomoyo the occasional "admiring" glances. Who wouldn't give her a second look anyway? He was one of the many guys who had jelly legs each time she passed by. But he was the only guy who was able to control it and was even luckier to have her as his best friend. Any guy would be content even with just that. But how long would he last? He caught sight of the sadness that flickered within. "Is it about the other day?" Tomoyo didn't stop walking. She knew Eriol had guessed and it was no problem to her. "Yes." "Want to talk about it?" "Not now."
+++FLASHBACK (three days ago)+++
"It's a letter from Sakura!" Tomoyo eagerly tore it open in front of Eriol who was at her house during that time. "Finally, after 2 years of disappearing," the boy commented. He knew that Tomoyo still missed her old best friend. And that she had been angry when Sakura hadn't told her that she was going follow Li Syaoran in Hong Kong. "What does it say?" But Tomoyo remained silent. And at once Eriol knew it was bad news. He gently pried the letter from the hands that were itching to rip it apart before he had the chance of knowing the news and guided her to a nearby seat. He read the contents.
Dear Tomoyo-chan,
Hi! How is everything in London? Is Eriol-kun there? Are you okay about studying college there? I asked about you when I found out you weren't staying in Tomoeda anymore. Your mother told me that you decided to go to England because Business Administration was specialized there. Anyway, right to the point. I'm very sorry that I left without word. Or sending a letter or making a call for the past 2 years. I didn't want you to worry about me. And I also wanted to be on my own. Please try to understand me.
Another thing is that, I've been engaged to Syaoran for a year and we're getting married this Saturday. I'm sorry to inform you this late.
Your best friend forever, Sakura Kinomoto
He looked at the girl who was burying her head in her hands. He slid beside her and enfolded her into his arms. He waited. "Why didn't she tell me? I'm her best friend! I have every right to know!" she protested as tears flooded down her cheeks. "It could've accepted if she didn't invite me to her wedding, but at least she should've kept in touch." Eriol listened as the girl poured out the rest of her woes.
+++END OF FLASHBACK+++
"It's okay if you won't talk now. I understand the fact that you wouldn't be able to video tape her wedding as much as to make her dress," he said very solemnly as they neared the gates. Tomoyo remained solemn as well. "And that's why I'm going to call Xiefa-san and ask her to give me a copy so that at least I have a souvenir." Eriol chuckled. Tomoyo smiled a bit. "Thanks, Eriol." "Anytime, Tomoyo." Though, Eriol knew Tomoyo was still bothered, so he said nothing, but he kept glancing at her.
"What?" she snapped flatly. She redirected her gaze back to her book. The guy was starting to feel awkward about asking her. "It's about our English project, I was wondering if we could talk it over the phone rather than meeting at a place," he stated calmly. He really didn't want to give the popular girl the impression that he was taking advantage of their academic partnership. "Sure. 7 o'clock," she kept her gaze at the book. "Okay."
Tomoyo was really crabby all day. Her stoic demeanor stuck to her when she tried to control her raging feelings that were yet to be tempered. The guys were given an early warning when Eriol covered up for her saying that it was her time of the month. A lot of males were spared from the notorious temper that flooded her veins. It wasn't a nice sight to see the Asian beauty in a fit when she gets pissed off. A lot of guys were a testimony to that.
"Thanks Eriol," she whispered as they walked home. She was referring to Eriol's cover-up. "I knew I could count on you." "You're welcome." She turned to him, moving ahead of him but walking backwards so that she till faced him. "But why did you come up with that kind of cover-up? It really made me look bad." Eriol sighed. Sometimes this girl was just to frank about her feelings. "It was the only way guys won't bother you. I was also concerned about their pride." She smirked. "Oh yeah. Guys just hate it whenever girls humiliate them. It's a very big blow to their egos." "And vice-versa," he added. Hey, he was a guy too. "At least WE look natural in it. Unlike you men, who couldn't deal with such things that deflect your chauvinistic pride," she said smugly. "Yeah, it makes you sound like crybabies." She just laughed. No matter how hard she challenged him to a verbal duel, she couldn't get away with it. He was a very good in wordplay. No wonder girls flip over him during the poetry readings that he does on Valentine's Day. No wonder he's always hounded by those sacks of letters and had to ask Tomoyo to help him carry all of those. No wonder he could heal her sadness with such warm whispered comfort. No wonder he could steal hearts and held them under his mercy. Then break those unintentionally. But why? She thought, did he never give them a chance? Or at least pay a little more attention to them, being the perfect gentleman. And why, a thought crept in, don't you give him a chance to see your whole self? Open up completely. She sighed as she didn't bother repeating the question and instead erased it quickly. Tomoyo just diverted her attention back to what she believed was real and what she wanted to matter. That she was so lucky he was her best friend. He can be so nice, so attentive and. "And such a smug of a jerk."
Eriol was watching her all this time. He exhaled in relief when he thought he was going through another argument after he realized what he just said. Tomoyo sometimes could be pretty defensive when it comes to defending the female race. And to think she uses her mom as a living example to drive home her point. He was surprised when her heard her whisper, "And such a smug of a jerk." "What's that supposed to mean?" She looked up in surprise. "Did I just say that aloud?" "Yeah. And I was wondering if you were referring to someone in particular?" "Someone in particular?" Tomoyo suddenly flushed in embarrassment. "No one! I was just thinking." She still kept walking with her back facing the direction she was walking to. "You seem to be thinking too often to realize that I'm still here to talk to. I don't want to see frown lines on my beautiful best friend's forehead," he chided. "What do you want to see then? Wrinkles?" "No. I want to see crease lines around your cheeks," he said, tracing her right cheek with his index finger. "I want to see that you're always smiling." "I always smile!" she frowned. Eriol sighed. So much for his advice. Tomoyo saw this and became sheepish. "Well, most of the time." "Whatever."
"Eriol!" The boy turned, not missing the focus his eyes held on the girl going out of her house. "Good morning Tomoyo!" Tomoyo walked closer to him, showing him a huge smile. The smile that was reserved him and only him. Her best friend.
The two walked, with Eriol throwing Tomoyo the occasional "admiring" glances. Who wouldn't give her a second look anyway? He was one of the many guys who had jelly legs each time she passed by. But he was the only guy who was able to control it and was even luckier to have her as his best friend. Any guy would be content even with just that. But how long would he last? He caught sight of the sadness that flickered within. "Is it about the other day?" Tomoyo didn't stop walking. She knew Eriol had guessed and it was no problem to her. "Yes." "Want to talk about it?" "Not now."
+++FLASHBACK (three days ago)+++
"It's a letter from Sakura!" Tomoyo eagerly tore it open in front of Eriol who was at her house during that time. "Finally, after 2 years of disappearing," the boy commented. He knew that Tomoyo still missed her old best friend. And that she had been angry when Sakura hadn't told her that she was going follow Li Syaoran in Hong Kong. "What does it say?" But Tomoyo remained silent. And at once Eriol knew it was bad news. He gently pried the letter from the hands that were itching to rip it apart before he had the chance of knowing the news and guided her to a nearby seat. He read the contents.
Dear Tomoyo-chan,
Hi! How is everything in London? Is Eriol-kun there? Are you okay about studying college there? I asked about you when I found out you weren't staying in Tomoeda anymore. Your mother told me that you decided to go to England because Business Administration was specialized there. Anyway, right to the point. I'm very sorry that I left without word. Or sending a letter or making a call for the past 2 years. I didn't want you to worry about me. And I also wanted to be on my own. Please try to understand me.
Another thing is that, I've been engaged to Syaoran for a year and we're getting married this Saturday. I'm sorry to inform you this late.
Your best friend forever, Sakura Kinomoto
He looked at the girl who was burying her head in her hands. He slid beside her and enfolded her into his arms. He waited. "Why didn't she tell me? I'm her best friend! I have every right to know!" she protested as tears flooded down her cheeks. "It could've accepted if she didn't invite me to her wedding, but at least she should've kept in touch." Eriol listened as the girl poured out the rest of her woes.
+++END OF FLASHBACK+++
"It's okay if you won't talk now. I understand the fact that you wouldn't be able to video tape her wedding as much as to make her dress," he said very solemnly as they neared the gates. Tomoyo remained solemn as well. "And that's why I'm going to call Xiefa-san and ask her to give me a copy so that at least I have a souvenir." Eriol chuckled. Tomoyo smiled a bit. "Thanks, Eriol." "Anytime, Tomoyo." Though, Eriol knew Tomoyo was still bothered, so he said nothing, but he kept glancing at her.
"What?" she snapped flatly. She redirected her gaze back to her book. The guy was starting to feel awkward about asking her. "It's about our English project, I was wondering if we could talk it over the phone rather than meeting at a place," he stated calmly. He really didn't want to give the popular girl the impression that he was taking advantage of their academic partnership. "Sure. 7 o'clock," she kept her gaze at the book. "Okay."
Tomoyo was really crabby all day. Her stoic demeanor stuck to her when she tried to control her raging feelings that were yet to be tempered. The guys were given an early warning when Eriol covered up for her saying that it was her time of the month. A lot of males were spared from the notorious temper that flooded her veins. It wasn't a nice sight to see the Asian beauty in a fit when she gets pissed off. A lot of guys were a testimony to that.
"Thanks Eriol," she whispered as they walked home. She was referring to Eriol's cover-up. "I knew I could count on you." "You're welcome." She turned to him, moving ahead of him but walking backwards so that she till faced him. "But why did you come up with that kind of cover-up? It really made me look bad." Eriol sighed. Sometimes this girl was just to frank about her feelings. "It was the only way guys won't bother you. I was also concerned about their pride." She smirked. "Oh yeah. Guys just hate it whenever girls humiliate them. It's a very big blow to their egos." "And vice-versa," he added. Hey, he was a guy too. "At least WE look natural in it. Unlike you men, who couldn't deal with such things that deflect your chauvinistic pride," she said smugly. "Yeah, it makes you sound like crybabies." She just laughed. No matter how hard she challenged him to a verbal duel, she couldn't get away with it. He was a very good in wordplay. No wonder girls flip over him during the poetry readings that he does on Valentine's Day. No wonder he's always hounded by those sacks of letters and had to ask Tomoyo to help him carry all of those. No wonder he could heal her sadness with such warm whispered comfort. No wonder he could steal hearts and held them under his mercy. Then break those unintentionally. But why? She thought, did he never give them a chance? Or at least pay a little more attention to them, being the perfect gentleman. And why, a thought crept in, don't you give him a chance to see your whole self? Open up completely. She sighed as she didn't bother repeating the question and instead erased it quickly. Tomoyo just diverted her attention back to what she believed was real and what she wanted to matter. That she was so lucky he was her best friend. He can be so nice, so attentive and. "And such a smug of a jerk."
Eriol was watching her all this time. He exhaled in relief when he thought he was going through another argument after he realized what he just said. Tomoyo sometimes could be pretty defensive when it comes to defending the female race. And to think she uses her mom as a living example to drive home her point. He was surprised when her heard her whisper, "And such a smug of a jerk." "What's that supposed to mean?" She looked up in surprise. "Did I just say that aloud?" "Yeah. And I was wondering if you were referring to someone in particular?" "Someone in particular?" Tomoyo suddenly flushed in embarrassment. "No one! I was just thinking." She still kept walking with her back facing the direction she was walking to. "You seem to be thinking too often to realize that I'm still here to talk to. I don't want to see frown lines on my beautiful best friend's forehead," he chided. "What do you want to see then? Wrinkles?" "No. I want to see crease lines around your cheeks," he said, tracing her right cheek with his index finger. "I want to see that you're always smiling." "I always smile!" she frowned. Eriol sighed. So much for his advice. Tomoyo saw this and became sheepish. "Well, most of the time." "Whatever."