Blame it on Sakura

Kristy: Hey, everybody! I'm back with yet another story. I just had a great idea and I couldn't give it up. I'm basing this story on a book called Blame It On Chelsea by Emily Marshall. If you've read the book, great. Some things are going to be familiar if you read this, but I guarantee that some things will be different other than the characters. Ok. On with the story.



Disclaimer - This will be my one big disclaimer for the story so I won't bother everybody every time I put this up. CCS belongs to Clamp and the storyline and book belongs to Emily Marshall.



Chapter 1 - The Fall (oh wow. Interesting title. ^.^;)



"Isn't he gorgeous?"

A sixteen year old girl with light brown hair and deep emerald eyes sat with a dreamy look on her face.

"Who?" "Him! Haven't you noticed?"

Tomoyo looked up to see a young man on the rings. His good figure made him look extra strong, his forever messy dark brown hair gave him a cute look, and his amber eyes easily grasped the attention of the ladies currently in the gymnasium.

"He's okay, I guess."

Tomoyo turned her attention back to her singing book. Every now and then, she turned her eyes to catch a glance of a certain boy with ebony hair and dark eyes with a mischevious smile. Of course, her best friend Sakura happened to notice all the attention she had been giving him.

"Now look who's daydreaming."

Tomoyo istantly blushed at Sakura's remark.

"What are you two doing? We should be studying and preparing ourselves, not guy shopping."

"Aww, but Chiharu, you already have Yamakazi. We need someone too."

Chiharu sighed with a great sweatdrop on her forehead.

"It's not easy being the captain of a gymnastics team, I guess."

Sakura, Tomoyo, Chiharu, and Rika were part of the gymnastics team known as the Blue Stars. Originally, they were known as the Tomoeda Gym Club Girl's Gymnastics Team, but eversince Sakura and Tomoyo came up with the name, it just sorta stuck. The girls were at a very big competition and were currently at the exhibition. Eversince Naoko didn't make the cut out of the two hundred girls who auditioned, she became a manager and helped out with all the preparations and became a second coach.

"Sakura? Hello? Anybody in there?"

Sakura snapped out of her trance just as her dream crush's routined ended. After landing in perfect position, the captain went over to talk to his friends including Yamakazi and the mysterious boy that Tomoyo liked so much. Out of the five friends, Naoko was the brains of the outfit. She helped arrange study groups and organized schedules for practicing and getting all of the homework done. Rika was the shy one of them all. Her light-colored skin and red-brown hair with spacy eyes gave her a mysteriously set background when she actually was a very kind and gentle girl. Tomoyo, on the other hand, was very mysterious. Her deep set violet eyes and long black hair gave her a nice touch to her light skinned face. Although she may seem to be completely innocent, she could have something up her sleaves. As for Chiharu, she wasn't one for patience. She was very serious and dedicated to things and valued integrity very much. So much for Yamakazi's lies... Chiharu had brown hair tied up in pigtails and brown eyes that gave her face a more younger appearance. Last but definitely not the least was Sakura. Her light brown hair and deep emerald eyes made it impossible for anyone to resist her puppyfaces. She was a very silly girl who was very down-to-earth and sometimes a little nieve. Her innocence added to her beauty and gave her a polishing finish of her caring and brave characteristics.

"Sakura, look. Watch closely. Other than the Hiyaku girls, this team is our rival. If we can beat those two teams, we can make it into the city- wides."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Chiharu was just a little obsessed with her duties as captain.

"They're good."

"Really good."

Suddenly, Sakura seemed to notice somebody on the Hiyaku team. She seemed to be a smaller, more delicate version of herself.

"Her name's Silia. She's a new recruit for the team. She came from America not very long ago, but she's very skilled in her Japanese as well as her gymnastics."

Chiharu finished her explanation just as Silia got on the bars. Silia did a straddle kip glide to the upper bar and flung herself off the upper bar, doing a backward somersault, catching it again a moment later. Just after she finished her routine, the audience went wild, clapping with thunderous applause. Sakura looked around until her eyes went across the captain whom she liked so much. He smiled at bit and clapped. Sakura stared at his amber eyes when she suddenly realized that his eyes were fixed on Silia. Sakura tried to hide her jealousy as Tomoyo mouthed an "Jealous, aren't we?" to her. Sakura frowned and bit her lip as she began to realize that she really was jealous of all the attention Silia was getting from the captain.

"Sakura, will you be okay?"

"Don't worry, Tomoyo-chan. I don't know why I feel so competetive right now, but I'll get his attention before the exhibition is over."

"Well, you're in luck, 'cause were up next."

The Blue Stars completed their group floor exercise and began their solo floor routines. Sakura smiled as she came out with her favorite routine. Even though the floor routines were Chiharu's favorites and not Sakura's, she loved this routine because it contained the three d's that she liked best: difficult, daring, and dazzling. Sakura flung herself into a series of flic-flacs into an aerial somersault with a pike twist. After her perfect backward double somersault in tuck position, Sakura felt on top of the world. Just as her routine came to an end, the gymnasium filled with thunderous applause.

"Way to go!"

Sakura scanned the crowd as she realized that the voice belonged to none other than the captain of the boys' team for Tomoeda. Sakura smiled at him before walking off the floor as he seemed to have blushed.

"Looks like somebody enjoyed your routine."

Tomoyo nodded her head towards the captain's direction who seemed to be smiling back at Sakura at this time. Sakura started tinting red when one of the members of his team came over to them.

"Hey, ladies. Sorry to break your concentration right now, but I have a message for the brave lady."

"Hoe?"

Chiharu started to fume with anger while the other girls just looked in Sakura's direction. Sakura cringed at the thought of what Chiharu might do to poor Yamakazi. Surprisingly, Chiharu sighed and gave in.

"Fine. Just make it quick, and it better not be a lie."

"Arigato."

The Yamakazi turned his head towards Sakura and smiled while handing over a note.

"Read it after your performance."

Sakura smiled and put the note away before she quickly stepped up in line for vaulting. Sakura started off first in line of the Blue Stars. Sakura's favorite was vaulting because of it's challenging ways. Eversince Syaoran left her and went to Hong Kong, Sakura started to be a little more aggressive and she found her talent in gymnastics as soon as cheerleading became "out-dated." Sakura did her vaulting perfectly while landing with a twist. The crowd went wild and cheered louder than a thunderstorm. The captain was of course clapping enthusiastically as well. Sakura noticed Silia standing with her team... frowning.

'She actually noticed me. Well, I know what Tomoyo would say. "Fearless Kinomoto strikes again." I just hope I can keep this up.'

Sakura moved next to the horse to spot Tomoyo. After the vaulting events, they moved on to the rings. Sakura's performance was simple but perfect. However, she did not feel content.

'The applause is not as loud as it was when I was vaulting. There's only one thing to do. I have to make my beam act special. Something that would really wow the crowd.'

Sakura used to be really clutzy with the beam considering it was only four inches wide and four feet off the ground. However, after a while, Sakura began to enjoy working on it more. One thing she really liked about it was the daring leaps and saltos that really brought the crowd in, and if there was anything that Sakura could do, it was leaping. All her practice from catching the Clow cards and transforming them into Sakura cards gave her enough practice to make it on the team.

"Are you ready, Sakura?"

"Yep. Let's go."

Tomoyo moved in to spot Sakura for the beam. Sakura kept up her routine very gracefully, but it didn't seem to be as dramatic as Silia's and Chiharu's performances. She needed something that would grab everyone's attention. Sakura made her mind up then and there that she would use a new move she had been practicing. It was a backward somersault on the beam and landing with one foot on the beam and one foot raised in front of her. She landed it twice already, but her coach told her that she wasn't ready.

'Auntie Sonomi doesn't understand. If I'm not ready now, when will I be ready?'

Sakura knew that she would be in big trouble if she did it, but she just had to. Determined to do this move, Sakura pushed off from her flic-flacs and did her backwards somersault.

"Sakura!"

Sakura suddenly realized that she swerved off to the side as she did her somersault and there was no way that she was going to land on the beam. Tomoyo reached out to catch her, but her hands only brushed against her waist. They both knew that there was no way that Tomoyo could catch Sakura. With a sickening thud, Sakura hit the floor and looked down to realize that her foot was twisted in an awkward position. A sharp pain shot up her leg and made Sakura feel as though she broke her leg.

"Oh no!"

Dr. Kamiya and Sonomi quickly rushed to her side along with her team mates.

"Sakura!" "Are you okay?" "How much does it hurt?"

"Girls, please calm down."

Sonomi walked over to Sakura while Dr. Kamiya checked her ankle.

"Can you walk, Sakura?"

Sakura groaned and shook her head no. Then, she saw Tomoyo at her side crying.

"Sakura, I'm so sorry that I couldn't catch you. I'm so sorry. I tried to catch you, but-"

"It's okay. I'll be fine. Besides, it wasn't your fault."

"Let's get her to the locker room while the rest of you girls finish your performances."

"Do you need any help? I can carry Sakura while the doctor sets up the locker room and the coach watches the rest of the team."

Sakura lifted her face to see the captain of the boys' team and immediately dropped her head in shame. However, she did try to supress a blush from seeing his worried amber eyes. The captain of the team knelt down to carry her when the doctor stopped him.

"We appreciate your help, but I'm afraid you will need to supervise your team. You guys are up next, remember?"

"Yes sir."

The captain took one last look at Sakura before he left for his team. Meanwhile, Dr. Kamiya and Sonomi got a stretcher to take Sakura to the locker room for safety precautions. The rest of the team took a short time out to follow Sakura as the boys' Tomoeda team started their performances.

*~* In the locker room *~*

Dr. Kamiya felt her ankle as Sakura winced to keep back her tears.

'No. I won't cry. It doesn't matter if Syaoran left me or not. I promised him that I wouldn't cry no matter what.'

"How is it, Dr. Kamiya?"

Dr. Kamiya smiled.

"Sakura-san, you are a very lucky lady. From what I can see so far, it seems like a simple sprain, but we'd better go to the hospital for an x-ray exam just in case. I'll meet you at the hospital then. See you, Sakura. Believe me, be grateful that it wasn't as worse as I had expected it to be."

Sakura felt horrible for doing this to her team. She not only injured herself, but she injured them. She saw her aunt and coach Sonomi looking worried. Chiharu was espescially worried. Sakura hated watching her friends like this considering that Chiharu espescially really wanted to focus on winning. All of their worrying made Sakura feel even worse.

*~* In the Van *~*

"Sakura, I'm so sorry. I really wished I'd been there to catch you. I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough..."

"Tomoyo, it's okay. I'm the one who changed the routine at the last second."

"Thanks, but I still wish I caught you."

'So do I. Then again, it isn't her fault. Still, if only she'd been a little bit faster... no. I shouldn't be accusing her like that. Still, if only she caught me, the team wouldn't be down by now.'

Sakura replayed the fall in her mind and shuddered. She remembered how she felt dizzy and on top of the world one minute, then falling with a throwing up feeling in the pit of her stomach as she landed with a sickening thump on the floor with her legs twisted beneath her. She saw how the team captain offered to help her and how much she just wanted to disappear.

'How can I ever face my fears and get back on the beam again?'

Sakura gritted her teeth trying to be strong while holding back her tears.

'Look at me. I'm pathetic. I made a promise to some other boy I ended up like back in fourth grade and here I am keeping that stupid promise for not just his sake but my own. And on top of that, I'm starting to like someone else. What is wrong with me?'

*~* At the Hospital *~*

"Sakura! Are you alright?"

Sakura was greeted by her overprotective brother and her loving father at the entrance to the hospital.

"What happened to you?"

"Nobody better have been hitting on you and done this, cause if they did..."

"Touya, Dad, it's nothing but a sprain! Don't worry, I'll be fine!"

Sakura tried to laugh and joke all the way to the x-ray room, hoping that they all bought the act. Actually, they believed that she was taking it very well. Everyone... except her father who just happened to be able to read her thoughts with ease. Fujitaka frowned and tried to hide that he knew how she felt so that he wouldn't discourage her from trying to cheer up her friends.

"Yep, Sakura is still the 'Fearless Kinomoto' of us all."

Rika smiled and cheered Sakura on to be happy while Chiharu opened the door to the x-ray room. Sakura limped into the cold and empty room. After what seemed like forever, her x-rays were done, and Sakura was dismissed to wait for the results.

"It looks like I'll be missing out on the homework club."

Starting from the beginning of their gymnastics careers, the Blue Stars formed a homework club to help them with their homework and help them practice their routines at the same time.

"Actually, Tomoyo thought of that."

"Well, Chiharu suggested it, but we got permission from your dad to come over to your house to do the homework. Afterwards, if you think you can start again, we can all come over to my house instead of the gym to study and practice."

"You mean your mansion."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes at Chiharu for making that last comment. Soon, Dr. Kamiya and a nurse came to the waiting room.

"You're in luck, Sakura. I told you it's only a minor sprain. Also, you didn't damage your ligaments or cartilage."

"Hoe?"

"That means you didn't do any serious damage."

"Oh. Arigato, Naoko-chan."

The nurse wrapped up Sakura's leg in an ace bandage before she left with Fujitaka and Dr. Kamiya to fill out the prescription for the pain. After filling out the prescription and getting the medicine, Sakura went home to her room where she went to rest.

*~* In Sakura's Room *~*

It was well past bedtime when Sakura made it home. Sakura groaned as she hit the light switch and limped to her bed after closing the door. Just then, Kero's eyes immediately grew twice their usual size as he flew over to Sakura.

"Sakura, what happened?!"

"I just sprained my ankle at the exhibition, Kero."

"How did that happen, Sakura? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Kero, but I'm not in the mood for answering how it happened."

Sakura changed painfully into her pajamas and decided to get some sleep. Kero on the other hand was already fast asleep by the time she finished changing.

'Silly Kero. He must have played too many video games to be this sleepy.'

Just then, Sakura remembered something in her gym bag. It was the letter that Yamakazi handed her before her... performance. She slowly opened the letter and read it to herself. It said:

"Hi. I'm the captain of the boys' Tomoeda team. I know that you've heard about me and maybe some other rumors as well. If you can spare the time, I'd like to talk to you. You see, our coach has been telling us some strategic plans and I wanted to share them with the girl's team. I know that Chiharu would usually want to be in this, but I'd feel more comfortable talking to you. If you would meet me, please be at the Penguin Park at 7:30 next Saturday. Thanks."

Sakura read the note over one more time.

'Strategy. It looks like I've already blown it for both school teams!'

Sakura replayed the thought of the fall again as she shuddered. She remembered every detail of it to the fullest extent from the beginning of the move to the disgusting finale. She remembered how her friends immediately rushed to her side as the sharp pain shot up her ankle and made her feel paralyzed. She felt the guilt and the horror inside of her as she winced to hold back her tears.

'He wouldn't want to see me. Besides that was before I blew it. If Syaoran-kun was here or if he called or wrote, he'd cheer me up, but he doesn't do any of those because he doesn't even care about me! I can't take it anymore!'

Sakura lost her temper and threw the letter to the ground. She started pounding her pillow with all the fury, rage, guilt, and fear that she had within her. However, no matter how much she screamed out in her pillow, not a single tear drop could leave her face.

to be continued...