After I Let You Go
Chapter 4: So I Thought
By: DEVILZ CHIK

Author's Notes:
Hey you all! Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it! Anyways, here's chapter 4! Help yourself with it. And please review after reading!

Disclaimer:
I don't own CCS.

Summary:
Sakura is a 17-year-old girl who went to New York to stay with her father there unwillingly. She was forced to leave her friends behind and she was so determined that once she was in New York, her life would be all crap. But when she met Syaoran, she was wrong. But she realized it after letting him go.

XOXOXOXOX

The message said: hey gurl! wasup? hows new york? we miss u so! I wish ure here with me helping me wid my college application. wel evrythings fine hir xcept for one thing and I hope ur not gonna faint after reading dis. I hav to admit dat dis s rily s2pid but its tru and I cant beliv dis can happen! I dnt want u freaking out but I hav 2 tell u dis: joseph s a two timing asshole. wayl ur his gurlfrend, Audrey s his gurlfrend 2. I just knew bout it awayl ago and I really hate him! call me gurl please.

Sakura didn't know what to do after reading Rika's message. She was now crying and decided to get out of the house to the gardens. Syaoran followed her outside without the others noticing them. Sakura climbed up a tree quickly and cried there. She wasn't aware that Syaoran was with her. He climbed up after her and sat beside her on the sturdy branch.

Sakura was shocked to see Syaoran there. "What the heck are you doing here?" she asked angrily. "Get lost!"

"No I won't," Syaoran insisted. "I'm your ninja right? So I'm supposed to follow you wherever you go well except of course in the bathroom."

"Don't you feel uncomfortable to be with a girl in misery like me?" Sakura asked. She was still wet from the water war but she didn't care.

'I don't care as long as it's you,' he thought. 'Did I just say that? And why am I with her right now?' "Actually I don't mind it at all?" Syaoran answered, unsure of himself too. "Are you all right?" 'Why am I caring so much for this girl?' he asked himself again. 'Because she's your princess, moron!' answered the other side of his mind.

"What do you think?" Sakura said coldly. "Does it look like I'm ok? Try to imagine that you're… uuh, let's say your girlfriend had been cheating on you. And the boy she is with happened to be your friend! What would you feel huh?"

"Angry," Syaoran answered. "Why don't you call this Rika to know what really happened?"

"Why don't you call her?" Sakura said still coldly then dialed Rika's number. She waited for an answer then Rika's voice came. "Hey, Rika," she greeted with her angry voice. Even she it was her friend she was talking to, her voice still had some anger.

"Hey Sakura," said Rika softly. "Joseph is really a cheater."

"Rika," Sakura cut her off. "Someone wants to talk you," Sakura said simply then handed her phone to Syaoran.

"Who?" Rika asked on the other line.

"You're Rika, right?" Syaoran said. "I'm Li Syaoran. I happened to be Kinomoto's ninja. I've read your message to her, I just want to know if it's true?"

"Nice meeting you Li," Rika said with a scared tone. "Yeah it's true. Her boyfriend--Joseph had been cheating on her. He is a two-timing asshole you know. Audrey-- our other friend-- is his girlfriend too while Sakura is his too. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes," Syaoran answered sadly. "How long has he been… you know--?" He was sending side-glances to Sakura uncomfortably as he was talking to Rika. He hardly knew her!

"Six months ago," Rika answered. "Yeah, while Sakura is still his girlfriend."

"How did you know about it?"

"That bitchy Audrey told us right after Sakura set off," Rika said and her anger could be noticed in the way she talked. "She was so thick and she called Sakura a slut! Sakura ain't a slut! She is! Dammit! And she is acting like what they are doing is right which is not!" Rika was shouting so Syaoran had to move the phone away form his ear.

"Didn't she know that you're on Sakura's side?"

"She's so dumb to know that, I'm telling you," Rika said sharply. "Like she actually thinks that all of us are on her side! Well, that's why she told us about it."

"Did Joseph saying anything?"

"Nope, he didn't even breathe out a word while Audrey was telling it to us and she was so blind and stupid not to notice our death glares!"

"Oh ok," Syaoran said, looking at Sakura who was looking down. "Would you like to talk to Kinomoto?"

"Sure." Syaoran handed Sakura her phone back and she took it and muttered a soft 'hi'. "Hey girl! Don't worry; we'll take care of that asshole! Chi wants to talk to you."

"Sakura!" Chiharu greeted. "Remember that he's the stupid one-- not you ok? We'll be here for you no matter what! Keep in touch ok? Naoko is here too."

"Forget about him! He doesn't deserve a super girl like you," Naoko said. "Here's Takashi."

"Sakura!" came Takashi's voice. "Want me to beat that git up for you? I can do that."

"No thanks Takashi," Sakura said calmly. "I want to do that to him when I come back there. One thing, tell him that even he hides under that bitch's skirt, I still can find him to beat him up."

"Yep I will," Takashi said. "But well, when we finally burst our anger to both of them ok? We're still riding on with them. We want them to think that we're on their side that's why."

"Ok…" Sakura smirked. "Email me ok? Have to go now. Bye!"

"Bye!" her friends said together then she hung up.

Japan.

Joseph sat under the tree of their garden and watched the sunset. He had a date with Audrey that afternoon but he didn't show up. She called him so many times but he didn't answer it. He was thinking of Sakura right now.

Rika and the others surely had told her about it. He was positively sure about it. Now, he couldn't think of something to do. Sakura surely hated him now but he still loves her! Audrey was so nothing to him.

"I thought I was protecting her!" Joseph said throwing a rock to the spring near the tree. "But I was so wrong! If ever I could make a wish-- I wish I can have her back! Dammit! It's all because of you Audrey whore! You slut! You bitch!"

"Did you just call me bitch, whore and a slut!" came Audrey's voice from behind him.

Joseph looked up at her and snorted. "Well yeah!" he said. "Because it's true! You are a bitch, a slut and a whore!" Audrey was so red in anger now. "Are you pissed now? Not yet? Fine! I'm breaking up with you bitch!"

"WHAT!" Audrey shouted at him. "You can't break up with me!"

"Oh really? Well, I just did, you slut! Now get lost! You're not welcome here you whore!"

"Now you got the guts to break up with me since Sakura ain't around anymore, right?" she said wisely. "Well if you're thinking you can have her back; you are so wrong! She surely hates you now because those bossy friends of hers should have told her right after I told them." Audrey was smiling evilly. "I won either way! So you still wanna break up with me?"

"YES!" Joseph growled making the birds flew out of their nests. "Now GET LOST! Or do you want me to strangle you first?" He stood up and walked towards her with flaming eyes. Audrey looked at him and found out that he was serious so she ran outside his house.

Joseph sat down again, now crying. Audrey was right; she won and he couldn't have Sakura back now that she surely hated him. "All I want is her to be safe," he muttered. "That's why."

XOXOXOXOX

Bunch of Flashbacks

"May the best athlete win," Audrey said to Sakura then let out a hand.

"Yep and no hard feelings ok?" Sakura said, shaking her hand.

They were on a sports competition and it was between her and Audrey. Whoever wins that competition would receive seven tickets to watch the SUM 41 concert in Bangkok. The sponsors would take care of their tickets and whatsoever.

The championship would be a 10 kilometer-marathon but it would only be between the two of them since they were the only ones left. Audrey was so left behind on that marathon. She was 50 meters away from Sakura ever since the run started so she obviously lost. Sakura won and the people cheered for her, leaving poor Audrey in a corner with no one!

Audrey became more pissed of Sakura when she wasn't allowed to join them to Bangkok. "You want Audrey Connor-- your competitor-- to come with you to Bangkok?" the sponsor asked Sakura.

"Yes, she's my friend and I want her to come with me," Sakura said.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," the sponsor said with regret. "You see, for losing the competition, she already received 10000 yen so it would be unfair for you if she would be on the same pleasure as you are in Bangkok."

"But it's ok for me," Sakura said. "She's my friend and I want her to come with me," she repeated.

"You can't bring her to Bangkok, Ms. Kinomoto," the sponsor said sharply. "You can bring an adult you know."

Sakura frowned and looked at Audrey. "Look, I'll just buy you a ticket so you can come with us too," Sakura said to her.

"No Sakura," Audrey said, forcing herself to smile. "It's ok. I already have 10000 yen so don't worry about me. You're the winner so enjoy yourself there. Don't mind the loser."

"Demo…"

"I insist, cherry blossom!" Audrey almost shouted.

"Ok." Sakura said then signed her brother to come with them instead. So that week Rika, Naoko, Chiharu, Takashi, Joseph, Sakura and Touya left for Bangkok, leaving loser Audrey behind. Audrey cursed Sakura under her breath the whole week they had gone for embarrassing her so much in front of so many people by beating her.

Audrey thought she would be the winner but Kinomoto Sakura took all the victory. "You bitch!" Audrey cursed. "I'll get you next time."

XOXOXOXOX

During a volleyball championship, Sakura beat Audrey's team. It was Audrey's team's first time to lose the game. Sakura didn't belong actually to the volleyball club not until this year and she finally won over the unbeaten champions!

Audrey was so disgraced! The people almost threw something at her by letting the new member of the volleyball club won. Also being the captain of the team, their PE teacher cut her marks for losing the game as a punishment. That caused her almost to fail her high school. "You will soon pay Sakura!" Audrey cursed this time.

XOXOXOXOX

Sakura and Audrey were black belters and during a taekwondo championship, they had to fight, again. Audrey was completely humiliated in front of so many people! Many watched their fight and many witnessed how she was totally beaten up by Sakura. She lost, as usual. She was Sakura's friend but there would be a penalty if she minded that fact.

They were both aware of the penalty: it was worse than joining a cruel sorority. They didn't want themselves to suffer that's why they forgot about their friendship while fighting. But Sakura still was the winner and again, Audrey was the loser. She almost broke her bones because of Sakura's kicks and punches.

She didn't even hurt a single muscle of Sakura and that fact really pissed her off. After that humiliation, she decided to take revenge on Sakura. She noticed how sweet Joseph and Sakura had become after Touya let him date her. Audrey finally got an idea of how to hurt Sakura.

One afternoon while Joseph was waiting for Sakura after his basketball practice on the gym, Audrey came to him. She was flirting with him and that left Joseph in terrible shock. He regarded the flirts, as disgusting and he couldn't bear to think that one of his friends was like that.

"What do you want, Audrey?" he asked.

"You," Audrey said huskily.

"Shut up!" Joseph said, removing her hands around his neck.

"If you don't accept me as your girlfriend, I'll hurt Sakura," she threatened.

"How can you hurt Sakura if you can't beat her in a simple sparring?" Joseph laughed at her.

"I'm not as good as her in taekwondo aight?" she admitted. "But I'm so good in daggers, you know." She took out a small dagger from her pocket and threw it across him. It hit the wall and as Joseph looked closely, he noticed that the dagger hit a fly.

He gasped. "What the hell?" he said. "Are you serious? She's your friend! Why are you doing this to her?"

"How can you say that she is my friend?" she asked. "She always beats me! Is that what you called a friend? Friends are supposed to let the other win."

"You're so wrong," he snapped. "It's not that she always beats you. The thing is-- you're jealous! You're jealous because she's much better than you!"

"Fine, let's say I'm jealous that's why I wanna have you too," she said. "Or else she'll get what the fly got."

Joseph swallowed hard and nodded in agreement. That was the worst thing he had ever done. He loved Sakura and Audrey was so nothing. (Just like what I said before!) He just wanted Sakura to be safe or so he thought she would be when he agreed with Audrey.

Audrey happened to know that Joseph wouldn't learn to like her and whenever he would say that he loved Sakura, she would take out a dagger out of nowhere and threw it wherever she wants to but still aiming at something. Joseph was left no choice but to continue both his relationships with the two girls---- one with the one he loved and the one he despised.

XOXOXOXOX

Sakura's head was still looking down and she was crying. Syaoran stayed quiet beside her, not knowing what to say. She was still wet and the wind was cold out there. Luckily, Syaoran had a jacket and he put it around her.

Sakura almost jumped when he felt his jacket on her shoulders. She had totally forgotten that he was there. "Hey," she said, wiping off her tears. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Syaoran said.

"Sorry for being cold a while ago," Sakura said apologetically. "I'm just so not in the mood."

"You have your reasons you know," he pointed out. "So there's nothing to forgive." 'Why am I so gentle towards her?'

"Funny, you know what?" she said smiling over her tears. "He refused to break up with me." She snorted. "He told me we could still work out 'our' relationship while I'm here and that we could still keep in touch and blah, blah, blah. Well, I, being so damn stupid, foolishly agreed! I'm so dumb right?" She started to cry again.

"You're not dumb, Kinomoto," he said softly. "He is the dumb one for cheating on you."

"That's what my friends told me too," she said sobbing. "But I don't think I'll believe you. I'm the dumb one for not opening my eyes that he was actually meeting that Audrey. And how dare she do this to me? She's my friend or so I thought she is."

"Why don't we just say that you're both dumb?" he said. "I don't think you can answer back at me with that. C'mon! Forget about that git, he doesn't know what he's missing."

"OK." Sakura smirked. "As if you know?"

"You got a point there," Syaoran said, nodding his head making Sakura softly chuckle. "So why don't we go back inside and forget about him now?"

"How can I forget someone like him!" she asked.

"Uuh, like think of something else instead?" he suggested, feeling so stupid.

"Like what?"

"Uuh, like your pet back home or uuh, your ninja who's here?" he teased then touched her little nose. "Cheer up, girl!"

"As if that's easy to do," she said raising a brow to him.

"Yes that's easy if you go back there inside," he said but she ignored him. "Don't you think it's getting creepy in here? It's a full moon… Wait a sec..." He paused for a moment. "Do you hear that? That seemed to be dogs howling. As far as I know, when dogs howl, they probably are seeing ghosts or monsters or something like that."

Sakura still ignored him. It was dark so he couldn't see her face if she was scared or not. He shrugged. "Uuh, Kinomoto," he said. "I'm going back inside since I don't want to see a ghost or something." He waited for an answer but there was none. "Uuh, ok then. Bye!"

XOXOXOXOX

Sakura sat there and watched Syaoran went down from the tree. She stayed silent and a second later she heard dog howls. She glanced up the sky and saw that it was really a full moon just like Syaoran said. The darkness around her brought creeps to her and she shivered all over.

'How can my so-called ninja leave me?' she thought then decided to climbed down the tree. She was still wet from the water war and when she was about to go to the trunk to climb down, she slipped.

The tree was high and she screamed as she fell. Before she fell on the ground, someone caught her. She looked at the guy who caught her and smiled at him. "So you're always there for me eh?" she said then fainted on his arms. Syaoran looked at the unconscious angel on his arms and went inside the house.

From the window was Tomoyo recording the scene of the couple on the branch of the tree sitting together.

Japan.

"Why is Audrey angry while walking out of the house, son?" Joseph's father asked.

"She's crazy, don't mind her," Joseph replied simply then his mom entered the dining room with a huge smile on her face. "Why are you smiling too much mom?"

"I won trip-for-three to New York from a raffle in my office!" she exclaimed and his dad jumped with joy with her. Joseph choked of what he heard and smiled at himself. He would meet Sakura soon! But will she accept him again?

XOXOXOXOX

Author's Notes:
Done with Chapter 4! Please review! Chapter 5 will be up and running in no time!

DEVILZ CHIK