Stars On Ice:
Part One
Sakura was at home, getting her ice skates into her backpack. She had her first lesson today and she could barely wait. She liked the lesson, but that's not why she was excited. Yesterday she had found out that Li was going to be in the same class!! Coincidence?
Sakura closed her backpack, swung it over her shoulder and left her house. "I'm going to my lesson!" She yelled and quickly left.
Li was getting his own stuff ready, but found his heart beating faster and faster as the clock drew closer to the time of the lesson. Why am I so nervous? It's not like I don't know how to skate.
But Li knew why he was nervous. It had to do with a girl with soft auburn hair, and beautiful green eyes. Sakura. She was going to be there.
Meilin came knocking at his room. "Li! We're going to be late! Come on!"
"Coming!" Li packed a few snacks along with his skate and opened the door. Meilin was standing right there.
"Ready?" She asked.
Li nodded and walked past her to the door. It was going to be a very interesting day.
When Sakura got to the rink, she didn't find whom she expected. Expect the unexpected. Kero's words echoed in her mind. When she looked at the teacher she found…
"Mrs. McKenzie! What are you doing here!?" She asked.
Mrs. McKenzie turned around and smiled. "Sakura, nice to see you. You're teacher is unable to teach the class, so they called me in. I'll be your teacher."
Li and Meilin came in and exclaimed the same thing. "Mrs. McKenzie!"
Li walked over to Sakura. "What are you doing here?" Li repeated Sakura's question but a little harsher than she had. Li never liked Mrs. McKenzie. There was something about her. She had a strange magical aura, very strong.
Mrs. McKenzie simply laughed. Sakura turned to Li. "She'll our substitute teacher, Li." Sakura explained.
The tall woman nodded. "But I know already that you guys already know the basics."
Sakura and Li looked at each other. Did she know? How they had learned during the Freeze?
Mrs. McKenzie looked at their weird looks. "Don't you remember? I helped Sakura at the field trip, and Li you skated fairly well afterwards too."
"Afterwards? After what?" Li asked. I think she just said something wrong.
Mrs. McKenzie showed no sign that she had done or seen anything. "After I showed Sakura how to skate you followed those same guidelines. Didn't you?"
Li blushed. It was true. He'd seen how good her teacher was to Sakura, so he tried the same one two count.
More kids started to arrive, so when Meilin was distracted, Li pulled Sakura to the side so he could talk to her. "Sakura. Listen. Are you sure you don't sense anything from Mrs. McKenzie. I've been thinking and I didn't see her get frozen by the Freeze like everyone else. Did you?"
Sakura thought for a moment. "You know. I didn't. Yet she was right there at the concession stand when it was over." A thought occurred to Sakura. "But if she didn't get frozen, that would mean…"
Li nodded. "She has magical power of some sort."
"But why aren't we sensing anything?" Sakura asked.
Before Li could answer, Mrs. McKenzie addressed the class. "Class. For the first lesson, I need to know where each of you is and what I need to do. So I'll begin with a free skate around the rink. I'll come up to each of you and see how you're doing."
The class nodded and went to the lockers to put on their skates. Li opened his locker and heard a couple of other boys talking. "Did you see that girl talking to the teacher?" One said.
"Yeah. Boy was she cute!" His friend replied.
"I bet I can have her in my arms in twenty minutes." One said.
"Twenty? She looks gullible. Make it fifteen."
"Your on."
Li growled deep in his throat. They were talking about Sakura. If he sees either one of them get near Sakura based on their little bet. They were going to see why he had a black belt, first hand.
They started to leave and Li caught a look at the boy who had agreed to do the bet. He had bold hair and blue eyes. "No one in Japan has blue eyes and blond hair." He's a transfer student from America!
That made things worse. He'd always heard how some American boys treated the girls. It was more of a game to them. I'm not going to let them hurt Sakura.
Li quickly put on his skates and made his way towards the rink.
Sakura skated around the rink a few times. This was too easy. Fighting the Freeze, she'd done things on the Ice that were way too advanced for this. True, she had done it under pressure, but she was confident she could do it again.
Sakura looked around. I wonder where Li is? As if he'd heard her thoughts, he came onto the ice and made his way towards her. "Hey Sakura."
Sakura smiled. "Hey Li. Does this class seem…"
"A bit too easy? Yeah. But if we do anything extraordinary, people might start to get suspicious." Li replied.
Sakura nodded. She looked over at Li and he was looking around, trying got find something. "Li? What are you looking for?" She asked.
Li gasped and looked at her. "I…uh… nothing." Everything.
Just then Meilin came up and grabbed Li's arm. "Come on Li!" She pulled him away from Sakura.
"Wait Meilin…" But it was no use. She pulled him away from Sakura and started skating ahead of her.
Off to the side of the ice, the boy who had made the bet was watching all this through narrowed eyes. "Good, the little wolf is gone. Now I can move in." He started on to the ice and made his way over to Sakura. "Hi! My name's Brian. What's yours?"
Sakura smiled. "Sakura. Do I know you?"
Brian smiled. "Oh, no, but I saw you skating and I thought you were really great."
Sakura blushed. "Thanks."
"Where'd you learn to skate like that?"
Sakura suddenly got nervous. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a fast learner."
Brian nodded. "Well, I've never found anyone so beautiful skate so well."
Sakura gasped and stared at the boy in a new light. Something's not right about him. He has a strange aura.
Brian smiled and didn't seem to notice her change in behavior.
Sakura started skating faster. "I gotta go. See ya!"
Brain didn't like getting brushed off like that at all. He skated faster and went to her side again. "Will you go out on a date with me?"
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Who does this guy think he is? Can't he catch a hint? "I don't think so. Nice to meet you." She tried to skate off, but Brian grabbed her hand and stopped her.
"Don't be so rash to say no, cherry blossom." He said in a dark tone.
She gasped. His aura seemed to be getting stronger. "Who are you, really?"
Brain smiled sinisterly. "Your worst nightmare."
"Let me go." She asked.
"No."
"Let me go!" Sakura asked louder.
Li heard her cry out as Brian tightened his grip. That was going to far. Li skated as fast as he could away from Meilin and rammed into Brian. Brian went flying and slammed into the side.
Sakura fell to her knees as he released his grip. Li growled at Brian as he got up. Li, too could feel his magical aura. "Who are you?"
Brian sneered. "So. The little wolf isn't as dumb as I first thought. He's come to save his precious cherry blossom." Brian whipped blood from his nose. "You're going to pay for that!" Brian lunged at Li sending him to the ground.
Li punched Brian in the face and threw him off him. "What gives you the right to treat her like that!?" Li demanded.
Brain smiled. "Simply because it amuses me."
Li was about to lunge at Brian again, when arms wrapped around Li holding him back. "Li! Stop!" Meilin said.
Other boys in the class held back Brian. The teacher came over to the scene of the fight. "I'm very disappointed in both of you. Brian. Go home. You are here by erased from the class attendance. Good bye." Mrs. McKenzie said sternly.
Brian wrenched free oft eh boys grip and glared at Li. "This isn't over little wolf." Then he skated off the rink and out of the door.
Meilin let go of Li, who skated to Sakura's side. She was shaking with fear on the ice. He came up ad she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Without warning she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his chest.
Li was surprised at first, but soon wrapped his arms around her too. "It's okay. Don't worry. He's gone." He stroked her hair.
"Okay everyone. Back to practice." Mrs. McKenzie said. Everyone took off; Meilin included and went to skate some more. Mrs. McKenzie came up to Li. "Li, take her home please?"
Li looked up in shock. "You're not going to punish me?"
Mrs. McKenzie shook her head. "I know it wasn't your fault. He was out of line."
Li nodded and she skated off.
Sakura continued to cry in Li's arms. "Thank you Li. I was so scared."
"It's okay. I'm here now. He can't hurt you anymore." He comforted.
Sakura looked up and Li brushed her tears away. She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. Li blushed a deep red. Sakura smiled. "Thank you."
"No.o...o…Problem…" Li managed.
Li helped Sakura up and together they got their stuff and left he rink.
Walking home, Sakura asked. "Li. Brian had a strange dark aura. Did you feel it?"
Li nodded. "Yeah it was very powerful." He admitted.
They got to Sakura's house and a few uneasy moments passed.
Sakura played with her hair. "Li?" He looked up. "Could you maybe walk with me to future lessons, just incase…"
"Sure. But don't worry. He can't hurt you." Li replied.
Sakura nodded and went back into her house. "Thanks."
Li turned away, but looked back once more. I won't let him.