Author's note: Tomoyo-tachi are all in their second year of university,
which, in my beautiful country, makes them about 20. Sakura and Syaoran
went to a different university in Hong Kong. Eriol and Tomoyo both
stayed in Japan. They are friends, but not particularly close.
At least, not yet ::grins::
Sorry if the characters all really OOC...but if you make it to the end of the story, you'll understand why...I hope. (also, how can you say they're really OOC, they're ten years older than they were in the manga or anime, people can change in ten years!! ::sticks out tongue at anyone who disagrees::)
Please review!! I don't appreciate flames, but constructive criticism is good. None of us are perfect and I'd love any suggestions for improvement.
Understanding
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!! Sakura, what am I going to do with her?!" wailed Tomoyo into the phone at her best friend.
"I'm really sorry, Tomoyo, I just don't know what to tell you, you guys only have four months left together, try and make the best of it."
Tomoyo rolled her eyes in frustration, "I am trying, I've done everything I can think of, I don't even know why she hates me. I haven't done anything!! Even her own boyfriend's told me that there's nothing I can do."
Sakura sighed on her end. She really didn't know what to do. She wished that she could help more, but she was so far away, it really hurt her to know that her best friend was having such a horrible time with her roommate.
"She's even started separating all her stuff from mine. She won't eat with my forks or knives, she won't drink from my glasses, even though she only has one of her own. I bought a brand new box of rice and she went out and bought another cause she won't eat anything I've bought. She's treating me like I've got leprosy or something. She hasn't said more than 3 civil things to me in over a month, even if I ask her a direct question, she just ignores me as though I'm not even there. Do you know what that's like?" Tomoyo felt the tears welling up in her eyes.
"That's so petty," Sakura agreed in disgust, "just because something is yours, she won't go near it? Does she flip out if you touch something of hers?"
"I haven't even tried, I'm scared of what she might do."
"Why did you agree to live together then?"
"She wasn't like this before. I don't understand, she was a really good friend, that's why this hurts so much--"
"Tomoyo," Sakura interrupted, "Hang on, Syaoran's saying something."
Tomoyo could here some talking in the background, then she heard her friend giggle slightly.
"I think you'll appreciate this," she said, when she came back on the line, "You don't drink milk, right?"
"Right..."
"And she does, right?"
"Uh huh, by the gallon. What's your point?"
"Syaoran says that you should mix some Maalox into her milk," she snickered.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed in shock, first that her best friend could suggest such a thing, second because it was Syaoran of all people who thought of it in the first place. "That's evil!!"
"I know," she grinned, looking at Syaoran who was grinning back. Then in the background she heard a door slam, then Tomoyo sigh.
"She's back--" she was cut off by the sound of more doors slamming, the cupboards in the kitchen, then the bedroom door, then dresser drawers. "I should let you go," she sighed, despair tingeing her voice.
"Call me if you need anything," Sakura answered, worry evident in her voice.
"Sure, I'll talk to you later, okei?"
"Yeah sure. Let me know if you want that bottle of Maalox. Ja ne!"
Tomoyo grinned, "Ja ne!" then shook her head grinning, muttering evil under her breath.
******
After Tomoyo hung up the phone, she started to tidy up her room. Within minutes, the sound of rhythmic stomping was coming from the bathroom. She rolled her eyes, and put her music on.
Fifteen minutes later, the stomping was still going on, and Tomoyo was getting very, VERY annoyed. It was like this every time Valerie wanted her shower. You see, they lived together on the upper floor of a six bedroom house. While their part was a separate apartment, if one of the four boys living downstairs wanted a shower, or did laundry, than the apartment upstairs was left with no water. Tomoyo had just learned to either wait until they were done running water, or if she was in the shower already, she would put on her bathrobe, go downstairs and politely ask the boys to quit running water until she was finished. Val, on the other hand, would simply stomp. Considering the length of time she had been stomping, you can imagine how well it was NOT working. Unfortunately, there was not a whole lot Tomoyo could do, because anything she said to Val fell on deaf ears, or prompted the slamming of more doors, the playing of loud music or the spreading of vicious rumours. So Tomoyo seethed in silence and solitude, locked in her room.
Forty five minutes later, the stomping finally comes to a stop.
******
"Hello, Daidouji-san."
"Hiiragizawa-kun? What are you doing here?" Tomoyo stared in shock at the boy on the other side of the threshold.
"Sakura-san's told me that your having some room–"
Tomoyo slammed her hand over his mouth and glanced behind her, up the stairs. The sounds of a door slamming and a white board falling off the wall from the impact greeted her ears. She winced.
"I see," was all Eriol said.
"Why don't you come in," she sighed, leading him up the stairs and directly into her bedroom. She'd have sat with him in the living room, but Val just got angrier whenever she went in there. She had pointedly moved anything belonging to Tomoyo into Tomoyo's bedroom one day while she had been at school. Despite the size of her bedroom, it was inordinately crowded. Once they were in her room and the door was closed, she immediately turned on some music, not too loud, but enough to drown out their conversation.
"Please don't get involved in this, Hiiragizawa-kun," she pleaded with him.
"But she's making your life miserable. And for no good reason, either. It's not right."
She was surprised by the caring she heard in his voice. She hadn't expected him to care whether or not she was happy or not. She figured he was just here for the mischief he could cause.
"It doesn't matter if it's right or not. That's just how it is," she said, her eyes starting to brim with tears; tears of pain, tears of frustration, tears of anger, tears of despair. She shook her head, trying to stop them from falling. It was stupid to cry over this. She was quite sure that there were people out there with far worse problems than her. Then why does it feel like the end of the world to me?
Seeing the girls eyes brim with tears, Eriol felt something move inside of him, he hurt, because the girl in front of him was hurting. He opened his arms to her, and she fell into them. It was as though something inside of her had broken. She felt the sobs rise in her throat and rack her body. Eriol just held her tighter while she poured out all the pent up rage and frustration and helplessness. He manoeuvered them over to her bed in the corner of the room, where he sat down and she curled up in his lap.
After some time, her sobs quieted somewhat. Eriol noticed that she had fallen asleep. He felt exhausted too, as though the torrential downpour of emotions from Tomoyo had somehow drained him as well. He laid down on the bed, Tomoyo still wrapped in his arms, and pulled the wool blanket on the end of the bed over them. Soon, he too was asleep.
******
In his dream, Eriol was in a vast field. In the middle of it, there was a tree, and at the base of it, sat a girl with long black hair, and beautiful blue eyes; blue eyes that were filled with tears as she read something from a book.
"What is that, Tomoyo-chan?" he asked her, approaching the tree. She did not seem to notice that he called her be her first name.
"It's the book that I got signed by my friends from university in first year," she answered sadly.
"Why would that make you cry?" he asked, not understanding.
She simply handed him the book. He began to read the page she was on.
Tomoyo,
Well, we made it through 1st year. Dear God! Now I'm living with you! What was I thinking? ::grin:: It's going to be a blast together though, we're too crazy. This could be dangerous! Anyway, you've been a great friend, first helping me survive Latin, then that god awful Germanic history class! Have a great summer, we'll figure out this furniture stuff sometime soon and I'll see you next September.
xoxo
Luv Always
Val
Eriol understood now. He understood why she hurt so much when her roommate was mean to her. He understood why it hurt her that she was being shut out and ignored. Tomoyo felt betrayed by someone she had considered a good friend. Someone she had trusted with things she had never told anybody. And now, her roommate was taking all these confidences, and using them to systematically destroy everything that made Tomoyo who she was.
*******
When Tomoyo woke up the next morning, she felt better than she had in months. She was surprised to see Eriol still curled up next to her, his arms around her waist. She smiled, remembering her dream. He understood now. There wasn't anything he could do to help, but at least he understood. Sometimes, feeling that someone truly understands you is the best feeling in the world. For Tomoyo, it would be this mutual understanding and support which would get her through the next four months with her sanity still in tact. But the scars of betrayal would always be there, she knew. Trust would take time. Even for Eriol.
Finis?
I might be persuaded to write either a sequel or another chapter if the interest is there. I don't know if the story is really all that good. For me, it was just something that I needed to get off my chest. Replace Tomoyo with me, minus anything to do with Eriol and you have my current living situation.
By the way...just to clarify, Maalox is the stuff that...uh...helps you go to the bathroom...a lot. It kinda looks like milk. Blame my best friend for the idea!! She came up with it! ::grin::
cutegatomon@lycos.com
Sorry if the characters all really OOC...but if you make it to the end of the story, you'll understand why...I hope. (also, how can you say they're really OOC, they're ten years older than they were in the manga or anime, people can change in ten years!! ::sticks out tongue at anyone who disagrees::)
Please review!! I don't appreciate flames, but constructive criticism is good. None of us are perfect and I'd love any suggestions for improvement.
Understanding
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!! Sakura, what am I going to do with her?!" wailed Tomoyo into the phone at her best friend.
"I'm really sorry, Tomoyo, I just don't know what to tell you, you guys only have four months left together, try and make the best of it."
Tomoyo rolled her eyes in frustration, "I am trying, I've done everything I can think of, I don't even know why she hates me. I haven't done anything!! Even her own boyfriend's told me that there's nothing I can do."
Sakura sighed on her end. She really didn't know what to do. She wished that she could help more, but she was so far away, it really hurt her to know that her best friend was having such a horrible time with her roommate.
"She's even started separating all her stuff from mine. She won't eat with my forks or knives, she won't drink from my glasses, even though she only has one of her own. I bought a brand new box of rice and she went out and bought another cause she won't eat anything I've bought. She's treating me like I've got leprosy or something. She hasn't said more than 3 civil things to me in over a month, even if I ask her a direct question, she just ignores me as though I'm not even there. Do you know what that's like?" Tomoyo felt the tears welling up in her eyes.
"That's so petty," Sakura agreed in disgust, "just because something is yours, she won't go near it? Does she flip out if you touch something of hers?"
"I haven't even tried, I'm scared of what she might do."
"Why did you agree to live together then?"
"She wasn't like this before. I don't understand, she was a really good friend, that's why this hurts so much--"
"Tomoyo," Sakura interrupted, "Hang on, Syaoran's saying something."
Tomoyo could here some talking in the background, then she heard her friend giggle slightly.
"I think you'll appreciate this," she said, when she came back on the line, "You don't drink milk, right?"
"Right..."
"And she does, right?"
"Uh huh, by the gallon. What's your point?"
"Syaoran says that you should mix some Maalox into her milk," she snickered.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed in shock, first that her best friend could suggest such a thing, second because it was Syaoran of all people who thought of it in the first place. "That's evil!!"
"I know," she grinned, looking at Syaoran who was grinning back. Then in the background she heard a door slam, then Tomoyo sigh.
"She's back--" she was cut off by the sound of more doors slamming, the cupboards in the kitchen, then the bedroom door, then dresser drawers. "I should let you go," she sighed, despair tingeing her voice.
"Call me if you need anything," Sakura answered, worry evident in her voice.
"Sure, I'll talk to you later, okei?"
"Yeah sure. Let me know if you want that bottle of Maalox. Ja ne!"
Tomoyo grinned, "Ja ne!" then shook her head grinning, muttering evil under her breath.
******
After Tomoyo hung up the phone, she started to tidy up her room. Within minutes, the sound of rhythmic stomping was coming from the bathroom. She rolled her eyes, and put her music on.
Fifteen minutes later, the stomping was still going on, and Tomoyo was getting very, VERY annoyed. It was like this every time Valerie wanted her shower. You see, they lived together on the upper floor of a six bedroom house. While their part was a separate apartment, if one of the four boys living downstairs wanted a shower, or did laundry, than the apartment upstairs was left with no water. Tomoyo had just learned to either wait until they were done running water, or if she was in the shower already, she would put on her bathrobe, go downstairs and politely ask the boys to quit running water until she was finished. Val, on the other hand, would simply stomp. Considering the length of time she had been stomping, you can imagine how well it was NOT working. Unfortunately, there was not a whole lot Tomoyo could do, because anything she said to Val fell on deaf ears, or prompted the slamming of more doors, the playing of loud music or the spreading of vicious rumours. So Tomoyo seethed in silence and solitude, locked in her room.
Forty five minutes later, the stomping finally comes to a stop.
******
"Hello, Daidouji-san."
"Hiiragizawa-kun? What are you doing here?" Tomoyo stared in shock at the boy on the other side of the threshold.
"Sakura-san's told me that your having some room–"
Tomoyo slammed her hand over his mouth and glanced behind her, up the stairs. The sounds of a door slamming and a white board falling off the wall from the impact greeted her ears. She winced.
"I see," was all Eriol said.
"Why don't you come in," she sighed, leading him up the stairs and directly into her bedroom. She'd have sat with him in the living room, but Val just got angrier whenever she went in there. She had pointedly moved anything belonging to Tomoyo into Tomoyo's bedroom one day while she had been at school. Despite the size of her bedroom, it was inordinately crowded. Once they were in her room and the door was closed, she immediately turned on some music, not too loud, but enough to drown out their conversation.
"Please don't get involved in this, Hiiragizawa-kun," she pleaded with him.
"But she's making your life miserable. And for no good reason, either. It's not right."
She was surprised by the caring she heard in his voice. She hadn't expected him to care whether or not she was happy or not. She figured he was just here for the mischief he could cause.
"It doesn't matter if it's right or not. That's just how it is," she said, her eyes starting to brim with tears; tears of pain, tears of frustration, tears of anger, tears of despair. She shook her head, trying to stop them from falling. It was stupid to cry over this. She was quite sure that there were people out there with far worse problems than her. Then why does it feel like the end of the world to me?
Seeing the girls eyes brim with tears, Eriol felt something move inside of him, he hurt, because the girl in front of him was hurting. He opened his arms to her, and she fell into them. It was as though something inside of her had broken. She felt the sobs rise in her throat and rack her body. Eriol just held her tighter while she poured out all the pent up rage and frustration and helplessness. He manoeuvered them over to her bed in the corner of the room, where he sat down and she curled up in his lap.
After some time, her sobs quieted somewhat. Eriol noticed that she had fallen asleep. He felt exhausted too, as though the torrential downpour of emotions from Tomoyo had somehow drained him as well. He laid down on the bed, Tomoyo still wrapped in his arms, and pulled the wool blanket on the end of the bed over them. Soon, he too was asleep.
******
In his dream, Eriol was in a vast field. In the middle of it, there was a tree, and at the base of it, sat a girl with long black hair, and beautiful blue eyes; blue eyes that were filled with tears as she read something from a book.
"What is that, Tomoyo-chan?" he asked her, approaching the tree. She did not seem to notice that he called her be her first name.
"It's the book that I got signed by my friends from university in first year," she answered sadly.
"Why would that make you cry?" he asked, not understanding.
She simply handed him the book. He began to read the page she was on.
Tomoyo,
Well, we made it through 1st year. Dear God! Now I'm living with you! What was I thinking? ::grin:: It's going to be a blast together though, we're too crazy. This could be dangerous! Anyway, you've been a great friend, first helping me survive Latin, then that god awful Germanic history class! Have a great summer, we'll figure out this furniture stuff sometime soon and I'll see you next September.
xoxo
Luv Always
Val
Eriol understood now. He understood why she hurt so much when her roommate was mean to her. He understood why it hurt her that she was being shut out and ignored. Tomoyo felt betrayed by someone she had considered a good friend. Someone she had trusted with things she had never told anybody. And now, her roommate was taking all these confidences, and using them to systematically destroy everything that made Tomoyo who she was.
*******
When Tomoyo woke up the next morning, she felt better than she had in months. She was surprised to see Eriol still curled up next to her, his arms around her waist. She smiled, remembering her dream. He understood now. There wasn't anything he could do to help, but at least he understood. Sometimes, feeling that someone truly understands you is the best feeling in the world. For Tomoyo, it would be this mutual understanding and support which would get her through the next four months with her sanity still in tact. But the scars of betrayal would always be there, she knew. Trust would take time. Even for Eriol.
Finis?
I might be persuaded to write either a sequel or another chapter if the interest is there. I don't know if the story is really all that good. For me, it was just something that I needed to get off my chest. Replace Tomoyo with me, minus anything to do with Eriol and you have my current living situation.
By the way...just to clarify, Maalox is the stuff that...uh...helps you go to the bathroom...a lot. It kinda looks like milk. Blame my best friend for the idea!! She came up with it! ::grin::
cutegatomon@lycos.com