L-chan's notes: I really need to get the timeline on this story sped up. I spent 3 chapters on just 2 days. I need to get on with it, ne? Thanks and big hugs to all of you who reviewed.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 3.
Take My Advice
Chapter 4—Study Buddies
Sunday finally came, and Meiling just wanted to lie in bed all day reading Cutie Magazine and eating junk food. Her new assignment with the paper was turning out to be tougher than she thought. Not only did she have to get to school early yesterday to sort papers, but at the end of the day she'd found four more letters for Hope in her locker. Then there was Syaoran's soccer game, and the ice cream celebration that followed Saito's victory over their biggest rival. By the time they got home, she'd been too tired to study, so she took a long bath and then fell straight into bed.
I haven't even started my homework yet. Maybe I can put it off just a little while longer....
"Meiling!" Syaoran's voice accompanied his double-knock on her bedroom door. "Are you ready yet?"
So much for resting. "Almost," she replied, crawling out from under the blankets. "I'm still getting dressed." She looked down at her red pajamas. Well, technically I am dressed, she thought. "I'll be out in a minute."
"Hurry up," he called. "Sakura's on her way here."
She is? Oh, no, that's right. He'd told her last night that Sakura was coming over to study with them. She grabbed her cell phone and punched number three on the speed-dial. Please be home, please be home....
"This is Daidouji," Tomoyo's soft voice answered.
"Daidouji-san! Can you come over? Please?!"
"Meiling-chan?"
"Kinomoto-san is coming over to study for the biology exam with me and Syaoran, and I don't want to be the odd one out. Please, please say you can come." Meiling didn't know why it bothered her so much that Sakura would be there, or even more so, why it would bother her if Sakura and Syaoran started acting cute with each other. She just didn't think she could put up with it alone.
"Well," Tomoyo replied slowly, "Hiiragizawa-kun is coming here to study with me. Can he come along?"
Syaoran won't like that, Meiling thought, but too bad for him. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Just please get here as soon as you can!" She hung up and tossed the phone onto her bed.
She was scrambling in her closet for something to wear when she heard the doorbell ring. It's just as well, she thought. The longer I spend in here, the less time I have to spend out there with them. She buttoned up her green blouse and tucked it into her black jeans, then brushed her glossy raven hair and left it hanging loose down her back. When she was convinced that she looked presentable, and that she couldn't spend any more time in her room without appearing rude, she picked up her books and headed for the dining room.
Sakura and Syaoran were already sitting at the table, their heads close together as they shared some sort of secret. They didn't seem to notice her. "Ahem." Meiling cleared her throat loudly as she dropped her books on the table with a thud. Syaoran jumped and scowled at her, but she just gave him saccharine smile. "How's the studying going?" she asked.
"We didn't want to start without you, Meiling-chan," Sakura answered cheerfully, completely missing the sarcasm in Meiling's voice. Syaoran, however, didn't miss it, and he continued frowning at his cousin.
"That's nice of you," Meiling said as she pulled out the chair on the other side of Syaoran. "Oh, by the way, I invited Daidouji-san, too, so she and Hiiragizawa-kun will be here soon." She didn't like the way Syaoran was looking at her, but she didn't know if it was because she had interrupted his private time with his girlfriend, or because she had invited Eriol to study with them. I'd say it's a little bit of both.
Something is definitely wrong with her, Syaoran thought as Meiling and Sakura started talking about the test. Why is she acting like this? I know she likes Sakura, so she must be mad at me. What did I do?
Wei walked in with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. "I thought you might like some refreshment while you studied," he said. "There's more in the refrigerator. Unless you need anything else, I'll be off."
Syaoran shook his head. "We're fine, thanks. Go on ahead."
They heard voices when Wei opened the front door to leave. A few moments later, Tomoyo and Eriol appeared in the dining room. Tomoyo was holding a cake box, and Eriol had brought a large pizza. "Let the party begin!" Eriol joked.
"Pizza! You guys are my heroes! Let's eat!" Meiling opened the flat square box and reached for a cheesy slice.
"Meiling…" Syaoran began.
"You can't expect me to study on an empty stomach. Food first, then homework." She closed her ruby eyes and sighed in delight as she wrapped her tongue around the gooey cheese.
This wouldn't happen if she didn't sleep through breakfast. "I'll get some plates," Syaoran mumbled in defeat. When he came back from the kitchen, the pizza was almost gone. A lonely, slightly mangled slice remained. "Thanks for saving me some."
"You're welcome," Sakura answered, the sarcasm once again going straight over her pretty little head. She was sitting next to Eriol, or, rather, Eriol was sitting next to her, which normally would have made Syaoran glare at his ancestor. Oh, he tried, but he just couldn't put any enthusiasm behind it. Maybe I'll feel like it after I eat, he thought, grabbing the last slice of pizza before Meiling could claim it.
"Are we ready to start?" Tomoyo asked, getting down to business by pulling out her review sheet. "What should we go over first?"
Meiling looked at the list. "I have the most trouble with muscle groups. Can we start there?"
Eriol stood up and grinned. "I'm so glad to be done with frogs. Human anatomy is much more interesting. Now, I think it would be helpful if we had a visual aid. Sakura-san, will you be our model?"
"Hoe?" She had a confused expression on her face as Eriol pulled her out of her chair.
"Stand here, like this. That's good." He moved her arms and legs, posing her like a living doll.
Syaoran glared at him, really glared this time, as Eriol kept touching Sakura. "You never give up, do you?" Apparently not, because Syaoran said this to Eriol at least once a day.
Eriol turned to his descendant with that creepy, secret smile of his. "And you don't see it yet, do you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"All in due time, Li-kun. All in due time." Eriol's blue eyes held that glint of knowledge that always made Syaoran nervous.
What the hell is he talking about? Syaoran wondered as they began the review, with Eriol pointing to a muscle on Sakura's body and everyone else trying to name it. Is it something about Sakura? Is it about me? Is it about us? Or is he just tormenting me again? That's it. That has to be it. That little—
"Li-kun."
Syaoran was pulled from his thoughts by Eriol's amused voice. "What?"
"You're not paying attention. Do you know all this already?" Eriol was pointing to Sakura's upper arm.
Syaoran glanced at Meiling's notes. She tapped her pencil near the answer. "Biceps brachii," he said.
"And?"
"Triceps brachii."
"Very good. Now, turn around, please, Sakura-san."
The continued by identifying the muscles of the back, and it seemed like Tomoyo didn't even need to study. Both Syaoran and Meiling had to keep looking at their notes, but Tomoyo never got one wrong. Sakura had the hardest time, trying to name something she couldn't even see, having to rely on Eriol's prompts instead.
"You're not getting the full benefit of this, are you, Sakura-san? Maybe I should have you identify my muscles next," Eriol said to her with a little wink.
"Oh, please," Syaoran muttered as he rolled his eyes. "That's got to be the cheesiest line he's come up with yet."
Meiling giggled. "I swear, the size of his ego is only surpassed by… well, by the vastness of the universe. Maybe." The cousins shared a smile at the expense of their arrogant ancestor.
"Excellent, Daidouji-san," Eriol was saying, seemingly oblivious to the comments of his descendants. He gestured toward Sakura's behind. "Now, what's this called?"
"Hiiragizawa," Meiling whispered to Syaoran.
Tomoyo heard it, too, and she put a hand over her mouth in shock. "Oh, my."
Syaoran had a hand over his mouth as well, but for a different reason. "Oh, look, we're out of lemonade. I'll be right back." He ran into the kitchen and grabbed hold of the counter, his shoulders shaking from silent laughter. He couldn't hold it in for long. He laughed until tears started streaming from his brown eyes.
Sakura came in to check on him and saw him wiping his eyes on a towel. "Are you okay, Syaoran-kun?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"She called him an… an…" He started laughing again, but Sakura didn't get it. "Never mind. The lemonade's in the fridge. Can you… can you get it for me?" He was afraid he would drop the pitcher if he couldn't stop laughing. "Go ahead. I'll just be a minute."
She found the pitcher and added a little ice. "Are you sure you're all right?"
She still looked worried, so he nodded. When she left, he started snickering again. She doesn't understand. But Meiling does. Meiling gets it.
Sometimes he wished Sakura were a little more like Meiling. Sakura had a fine sense of humor, but it just wasn't wicked enough, so sarcasm and pointed jabs never made it through to her. But he and Meiling could match sarcastic quips all day long without either one of them missing a beat. They used to have some great insult contests when they were kids.
He and Sakura got along great, but she didn't understand him like Meiling did. More than anyone, Meiling understood what he had to go through. She knew the demands of his training, the expectations of his family. He was so grateful when her mother had let her stay in Japan with him. They were each other's link to home. He needed her.
Syaoran realized the direction that his thoughts were taking, and he wondered why he was comparing his girlfriend to his cousin like that. After all, Meiling could benefit from some of Sakura's qualities as well. She was so boisterous, and she seldom thought before she spoke. And, let's face it, she's got quite an ego herself.
"Syaoran?" He turned around and saw Meiling grinning at him. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself."
"Yeah, but it was worth it."
Meiling sidled up to him. "Want me to examine your muscles?" she asked, imitating Eriol's low drawl and giving him an exaggerated wink.
Syaoran lost it again. He crossed his arms over his stomach as he laughed. "Stop it! I can't breathe!"
"Sorry." She opened the cake box that Tomoyo had brought. "Mmm, strawberry." She pulled a knife out of the drawer and began cutting large slices. "Want some?"
"No, thanks. I'll probably choke on it." If Eriol didn't say something that made him gag, then Meiling would say something to make him laugh. Either way, it would be best if he stayed away from food for the rest of the afternoon.
"More for me, then!" She arranged the slices on a pretty cake plate, then grabbed some forks and carried the plate out of the kitchen.
When he thought he had finally composed himself, Syaoran returned to the dining room. He sat down between his two best friends, feeling a little guilty for comparing them. It was their differences that made them each so special to him. Then he smiled as Meiling and Sakura began fighting over the biggest piece of cake. Well, maybe they aren't so different after all.
~~-~~
I hope you don't think I was Sakura-bashing in this chapter. It just kinda came out that way. I know I said things were going to get more confusing for Meiling, and for Syaoran, too, and that's coming up. I have no idea how long this story is going to be. And for those of you who liked Tomori-kun, he's not out of the picture yet. Stick around—it's about to get interesting.