Summary: It's another morning at the temple…or is it? Sakura wants to make sure that it isn't and all she's waiting for…is her father to show up. But will this all go as well as she thinks it will?


Matchmaker Sakura: Part 2


Scene: The Temple

Perspective: Sakura Avalon

So far, it seemed like just another day. Sakura was helping out Ms. Mackenzie as she usually did and the clock almost struck ten in the morning. She knew that it was almost time.

"Sakura?"

Sakura turned around to see Ms. Mackenzie looking more concerned than usual.

"Is something wrong?"

Sakura smiled. "Nothing's wrong, Ms. Mackenzie. I'm just…thinking."

~* Brilliant…isn't it? *~

"Thinking about what?"

Sakura sighed as she leaned on her broom. "Just thinking about things…they way they are…" Then she smiled. "…and the way they could be."

Ms. Mackenzie looked out into the distance. "Fate always has a reason for making things the way they are. And…not everything always turns out exactly the way you want it."

Sakura frowned and hung her head down. Her teacher was always right with those types of prophetic messages. That made this situation sound grim.

"But…" she continued, "I've also learned that fate can work in mysterious ways. Despite all that, I know that if you want something bad enough…you can get it."

Sakura beamed. It was that kind of hope that made her go through with this. It was that kind of hope that made her believe that this would all end for the best.

"Sakura!"

Sakura's face brightened at the sight of her father. It was time. She ran up to her dad and hugged him. "Hi, Dad!"

Unfortunately, Aiden Avalon felt more than nervous. "W-Well, look at the time. It's time to go."

He tried to lead Sakura out, but she wasn't leaving. She motioned towards Ms. Mackenzie and silently coaxed her father to go through with it.

Aiden grinned sheepishly. "I didn't see you there, Ms. Mackenzie."

Ms. Mackenzie walked up and smiled. "Please…call me Leila."

Sakura's father was blushing a bright pink at this point. "Ok…Leila. I guess I'll…" He looked towards Sakura, seemingly pleading to leave. He was nervous, but Sakura would have none of it. She only glared at him. Sakura knew that if her father really felt something for her teacher, then she wouldn't let him pass on any opportunity.

Finally, Aiden looked back at Ms. Mackenzie and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um…Leila…I was wondering…we really don't know each other all that well…and I was thinking…if maybe…we could…get to know each other better…maybe…over dinner?"

Sakura smiled. Her father finally mustered up the courage to ask Ms. Mackenzie out. Now all that was left was to get an answer.

~* Please say 'yes'! Please! *~

And it didn't take long, because Ms. Mackenzie was blushing. "I-I'd love to."

~* YES! *~

Sakura was ecstatic, even though she knew she couldn't show it. But there was no one more overjoyed at that moment than Aiden Avalon. It was like he was Sakura's age again.

Maybe that's why he was stuttering. "Y-Y-You will? Great! Um…then…you will? Uh…t-then we'll have dinner…Friday?"

Ms. Mackenzie blushed. "Friday sounds good. I guess I'll see you then, Mr. Avalon?"

Aiden smiled. "Please…call me Aiden."

Ms. Mackenzie giggled. "Ok, then…Aiden. I'll see you Friday."

The teacher put her shades back on and walked back to the temple. Both Aiden and Sakura felt like they were on cloud nine. The date was set for Friday night.

Sakura couldn't wait to tell Madison.


~--------------------~


Scene: Sakura's Room

Perspective: Sakura Avalon

Sakura had Madison's undivided attention for the better part of twenty minutes as she told her what happened earlier. Sakura could hardly contain her excitement. She couldn't believe it was actually going to happen.

"So she said yes?" Madison asked excitedly.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah! They're going out on Friday. Can you believe it, Madison? Ms. Mackenzie…and my dad…oh, I love it!"

"So you were right," Madison grinned. "See? It didn't sound so stupid after all. You found out that Ms. Mackenzie had a crush on your dad, you got your dad to ask her out and now they're actually going out on a date. Nice job, Matchmaker Sakura."

Sakura thought about that. She had always been Cardcaptor Sakura, but somehow she liked the ring of this. Matchmaker Sakura. After what she had Julian go through, she was wondering just how much that name fit her these last few days. It was certainly flattering.

"But I guess there's nothing left to do now, is there?" Madison sighed.

Sakura wasn't hanging her head down just yet. A grin on her face started to widen. She was getting another brainstorm.

Madison frowned. "I know that look."

Sakura feigned shock. "What look?"

"THAT look. That devious look…that…dare I say…Eriol-like look."

Sakura chuckled. "You know me well, Madison."


~--------------------~


Scene: Sakura's Living Room

Perspective: Tori Avalon

Tori Avalon walked through the door and just tossed his apron on the couch without a second thought. His new job at the supermarket wasn't going off to such a good start, as he already came within seconds of getting fired. In fact, he could picture himself job hunting again in a few weeks. That wasn't necessarily a good thing since he wanted to find an apartment before the fall.

"Another tough day?"

Tori turned around to see his best friend, Julian, walk in. "Yeah. I don't know what it is with me and these new part-time jobs. You'd think that after so many years, I'd find my niche somewhere."

"Well…that's why we're still going to school, right?" Julian pointed out. "As soon as we finish up a few years of graduate school, then we'll both be ready for the future. And trust me, you won't get fired the first day like so many of your jobs."

"Hope you're right," Tori sighed. He walked over to the coffee table to check the mail. "If I can't even hold down a decent job, then how are we supposed to afford an apartment?"

"We'll find a way," Julian said cheerfully. "Don't worry about that right now. Just relax. You're home now."

"Yeah," Tori muttered. "Home with…the squirt. That's SO much better."

Tori stumbled upon a letter for his sister, Sakura. She always told him to give her any mail that came in, so rather than risk her wrath, Tori just calmly walked up the stairs. Her door was closed which meant one of two things. Either she had Madison in there…or she had the brat, Li Shoran, in there.

~* If she's got the brat in her room alone again, then he's not getting out alive. *~

Tori went over to open the door…but stumbled on a very interesting conversation.

"What do you have planned, Sakura?"

"Well…I know they're already dating and everything, Madison. I should leave well enough alone…but I feel like I should just…you know…push this thing a little further."

Tori looked behind him to see Julian standing there. "Come here, Julian. Listen to this." Both of them leaned towards the door…

…as Sakura continued. "They'll both be just a little nervous. I think it'd be to everyone's benefit if I just…pushed things along a little bit."

"But they haven't even gone out yet," Madison pointed out. "Couldn't we wait until after your dad and Ms. Mackenzie come back from their first date?"

Tori was in shock. He wished he hadn't just heard those words come out of Madison's mouth. All he could do was grit his teeth and mutter. "What?"

Sakura went on, not having heard her brother. "I can't risk that. I mean…I know they both like each other, but what if my dad…slips and accidentally scares her off? He might not even know the first thing to say. He hasn't been out on a date…for a really long time. I should help out."

"I guess you know what you're doing, Sakura."

"Yeah, so we'd better be ready for Friday."

"Huh? We?"

"Of course. I can't do this without the help of my very best friend."

"Oh, Sakura…I don't know…"

"Come on, Madison. Just for one night. Besides…wouldn't you like to get some of this on tape?"

"Well…I would like that…it'd be like nothing in my collection."

"Then it's settled. We'll meet at your house Friday night and…well I don't want to give too much away."

"Why not?"

"Because…I still don't know what I'm doing yet."

"I'm sure it'll come to you, Sakura. You've come this far."

"Yeah…you're right."

Tori had heard enough. He just stoically walked towards his room, nearly leaving Julian behind. Tori walked into his room and just sat on his bed, thinking about all his little sister and her friend were plotting.

"Tori…what is it?"

Tori looked up to see the concerned Julian. "My dad…and Ms. Mackenzie…dating?"

"Yeah…" Julian said slowly. "I guess that's why Sakura wanted me to go down to the shrine yesterday. She said something about Ms. Mackenzie having a crush on your dad and she wanted someone to find out for sure."

Tori glared at Julian. "You KNEW about this?!"

Julian sweatdropped. "You mean…Sakura didn't tell you?"

"No! And maybe because she knew how I'd take it!"

"Is there something I should know, Tori?" Julian asked.

Tori sighed. He knew the truth and he knew it was time to tell Julian. "I never told you this. It's not exactly something I'd care to remember. But Ms. Mackenzie and I used to………date."

Julian wasn't expecting to hear that. "……………Oh."

"Yeah. Can you believe it? We dated back when I was in eighth grade, but then she dumped me to go overseas."

"So that's why you didn't want to see her back at Sakura's graduation," Julian thought.

"Exactly. But now…my ex…and my DAD? Julian, do you have any idea what that looks like? What would that make me look like?"

Julian didn't say anything. There was a word for that sort of thing, but Julian thought it was best if he didn't say anything. Tori, on the other hand, had only one thought on his mind.

"No. It's not going to happen. I won't let it happen!"

"So are you going to talk to your dad about it?" Julian suggested.

Tori shook his head…then he grinned. "I can't do that. Apparently, the squirt has him in the palm of her hand. She seems to be going out of her way to make sure this date happens. So I see I'm going to have to take some more…drastic measures."

Julian frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'll let them go out on their date," Tori clarified. "But I'm going to have to make sure it's their last."

"What do you have in mind?" Julian asked.

Tori grinned even wider. "Meet me here on Friday night. We'll…well I don't want to give too much away."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't exactly know what I'm going to do yet. But trust me, they won't forget Friday."

It was a shock. Tori's father and Ms. Mackenzie were dating. That just about turned Tori's life upside-down, but for more reasons than one. It wasn't just that Ms. Mackenzie was his ex. It was something else.

That's why Tori would see to it that Friday would be their first and LAST date.


~--------------------~


Scene: Madison's Front Yard (Friday night)

Perspective: Sakura Avalon

Sakura walked through the gate of Madison's enormous front yard. It's a good thing that Madison's punishment had FINALLY passed, otherwise this wouldn't work. So she patiently waited until Madison came out, but in the meantime.

"Sakura, I'm hungry!"

Sakura groaned. "Can't it wait, Kero? I'll get you something to eat at the restaurant."

"I don't know if I can wait that long," Kero complained. "You think maybe you can ask Madison to get me a cracker or something?"

"You should have told me over the phone."

Sakura was startled as she wasn't expecting that voice to be coming from behind her. "Madison! Don't scare me like that! You can be just like Li sometimes!"

Madison giggled. "Speaking of the love of your life, where is he?"

Sakura huffed angrily. "He wouldn't come. He still doesn't like Ms. Mackenzie so he doesn't want to help. It's just us."

Madison calmly shined her camera. "Who knew Li Shoran could hold a grudge for so long?"

"Maybe it's better that way," Sakura said dryly. "I know that if he was here, you'd have the camera on us most of the time."

Madison sweatdropped. "I guess you're right. So where are we going?"

"I convinced my dad to go all out," Sakura grinned. "He made reservations at a French restaurant. And they should be there…in about an hour. So we don't have much time."

"For what?" Madison asked curiously.

Sakura's emerald eyes sparkled. "I…went out of my way to make sure this night would be special for them. Of course…they don't know that yet."

Madison sighed. "Will we be needing my phone?"

Sakura nodded. "Just in case."

Sakura dragged Madison off by the hand. She was excited to get this night started. If everything went the way she wanted it to, then there would be a second date…and a third…and a fourth…and then there might even be engagement. Yes, this view might have been a little deluded, but it was Sakura's hope that it wasn't. She wanted her father and Ms. Mackenzie to hit it off…

…and maybe even fall in love.


Next Time: Does everything go the way Sakura wants it to? How does the first date go? And…what does big brother Tori have in mind? Come back tomorrow…for a big Part 3.


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below, because I want your feedback.