L-chan's notes: I promised things would start to get interesting. I hope this lives up to the hype. And, no, I haven't forgotten what my summary says. That will happen eventually. Maybe after this chapter you'll see where I'm going. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks, as always, for reviews, comments, and chocolate pudding snacks.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 4.
Take My Advice
Chapter 5—Crouching Wolf, Hidden Lotus
Once again, Meiling found herself staring at a blank computer screen. This happens every time, she thought, twirling her hair around her index finger. Why is it so hard to get started? It's all about that first word. If I just had one word to start from, the rest would write themselves.
Tomori had emailed her yesterday to remind her of her deadline. I need your column by Wednesday night, he'd written. I'll need time to edit it before it can be given to layout.
She'd procrastinated by writing him back. I have ten letters, she'd typed. What do you want me to do?
Answer them all, he'd replied. I'll choose the ones I think are the best. Now, get to work, Li-san.
"He thinks he's so smart," she muttered as she arranged the letters on her desk. But here it was, Wednesday afternoon, and she was just getting started. She didn't know what aggravated her more—that he assumed she was goofing off, or that he was right.
"Okay, here we go," she said, poising her fingers over the keys. And just like that, inspiration struck. She clicked and clacked away. In no time at all, she had typed in all of the letters. "There, now it looks like I've done something. Time for a break."
She went to the kitchen and poked around in the refrigerator, searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. When Wei went to the market, he never bought enough snacks. Either that, or she ate them too quickly. She really craved a piece of Tomoyo's strawberry cake, but that hadn't lasted past Sunday. "Broccoli, celery, carrots. Don't we have anything with sugar in it?"
There had to be something. She'd devoured her secret stash of chocolate while studying last night, and she hadn't replenished her supply yet. She went through the cabinets, hoping to find a forgotten box of cookies. Nothing.
She went out on the balcony and leaned over the railing. "I need sugar!" Some passersby stopped and looked up at the crazy girl on the third floor, but she just stuck her tongue out at them. That's when she saw it, like a beacon of light in a stormy sky—the ice cream cart across the street. "I'm saved!"
***
"Cheerleading club."
"Excuse me?"
Syaoran sighed. "You were going to ask me where Sakura is. She's with the cheerleading club." He made sure he had everything he needed from his locker before slamming the door shut.
Eriol grinned. "Oh, of course." He followed Syaoran out of the building. "So, you're going home alone?"
"God willing," the brown-haired boy muttered.
Eriol never was one to take a hint. He walked alongside his cute descendant as he started toward the apartment. "You played some great defense today. Very impressive."
"Thanks." He tried to remember what Eriol had done during practice. "Nice passing, by the way." Ignoring him doesn't make him go away. I may as well say something.
"Why, Li-kun, I'm touched. That you would notice… well, you just don't know how happy that makes me. It warms the very cockles of my heart."
"Are you making fun of me?"
Eriol feigned shock, turning his face down in a hurt expression. "Never! You've wounded me, descendant. In fact, I may never recover." He pretended to sulk, looking down at his shoes as he dejectedly dragged his feet along the sidewalk.
Why do I even bother? "Oh, shove it up your skinny British—"
"Yes, some very good defense," Eriol mused, recovering quickly enough to cut Syaoran off in mid insult. "And you're going to need it, I'm afraid."
Syaoran forgot his loathing for a minute. "Why? Who do we play next?" He tried to remember the next game on the schedule, but he couldn't remember who their opponent was going to be.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Eriol asked.
Syaoran stopped walking. "Okay, I'm lost."
His ancestor also stopped and looked at him with a rare serious expression. "There's someone else." Eriol used his low, ominous voice to make this pronouncement, which always made the hairs on the back of Syaoran's neck stand on end.
Eriol started walking again, and Syaoran ran to catch up. "'Someone else.' What does that mean?" Eriol's riddles always drove him crazy. No wonder he and Mizuki-sensei got along so well. Neither of them could ever just come right out and say something. It always had to be cryptic and mysterious.
"Just be careful." Eriol didn't say anything else as he turned right at the next intersection. "See you later."
"Wait!" But Eriol just continued on his way home, waving at his descendant over his shoulder.
Someone else. As Syaoran walked the last two blocks to the apartment, he tried to figure out what Eriol was telling him. Someone else. Be careful. It was vague, and could mean anything, so most likely, it meant nothing. It was just the latest in a long line of statements issued with the sole purpose of tormenting him. "He did it again!" Syaoran clenched his fists. "Just once, I'd like to clock him good."
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, you know."
Syaoran saw Meiling standing in front of their building, finishing a fudge bar. "You talk to yourself all the time," he said.
"Then it runs in the family, cousin. Maybe we're all crazy." She generously held out the last chocolaty bite of her popsicle to him. "Want some ice cream?"
He looked disdainfully at the meager offering. "Gee, I'd hate to spoil my dinner."
She shrugged and licked the remaining fudge from the stick. "What's wrong with you today?"
The same thing that was wrong with him every day. He was so fed up with Eriol's constant comments. For the past week, all he'd heard were ambiguous warnings that something might be wrong. But what? "I just really need to hit something," he answered. Preferably something reincarnated with glasses and a smug attitude.
Meiling nodded in understanding. She'd had days like that, too. "I see. Come with me." She took his hand and led him upstairs. Maybe a little physical activity is what I need to get energized. Then I'll be able to finish my column, not to mention my homework. They walked into the apartment, and she gave him a little push toward his room. "Get changed and meet me on the roof. It's been a while since we worked out together."
"But I just came from soccer practice," he complained, tiredly leaning against the doorframe. "You'll wipe the floor with me."
"So, you get to hit something, and I finally get to beat you. Sounds like a win-win situation to me." He didn't move. "You know, Syaoran, there's no shame in losing to a girl." He frowned a little. Then she pulled out her trump card. "Besides, you should be used to it by now."
She knew that would make him mad. "You're on. And don't think I'm going to go easy on you."
Meiling just gave him a confident smile as she closed her bedroom door. She quickly changed into her training robes and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. She looked at her desk, which was still covered with her letters and notes. Better put this stuff away, she thought. She tucked everything into a folder and stashed it in the top drawer.
She went up to the roof, where they usually trained with Wei, and saw that Syaoran had beaten her there. He was stretching, and when he saw her, he grinned. "Get warmed up, so at least you will have accomplished something by coming up here."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so the trash talking is starting already. Watch out, dear cousin. I may surprise you." Meiling went through her warm-up exercises, already feeling much better by getting out in the fresh air and moving about. I've really been slacking off lately. Wei had told her that she was old enough to discipline herself, and it was her responsibility to keep her training up. She still met with him most of the time, but not as often as she used to. I need to start doing better. If I'm old enough to discipline myself, then I need to do it.
Syaoran stood across from her and got in position. He planted his feet apart and raised his arms. "Ready?"
She matched his stance, determination shining in her ruby eyes. "Ready."
He came toward her, and she blocked his attack. Then she tried to strike, but he countered her movement. Someone else. Eriol's words popped into his head, breaking his concentration. Meiling was always a little slow to get started, so he was still able to fight her as his brain went off in a different direction. Is Sakura seeing someone else? Is that why I haven't seen much of her this week? "Ouch!"
Meiling raised her fist triumphantly. "You're not concentrating, Syaoran."
He'd trained most of his life, becoming more skilled and disciplined. Nothing ever interfered with his concentration. He wouldn't let it. "Just a momentary lapse. It won't happen again."
"Whatever." She got back into position. "Ready?"
"Go."
They circled each other and began sparring again. I haven't even really missed her. That's bad, isn't it? We have fun together, but it's always the same. But she's a great girl, and I'm... a jerk. I'm a jerk for thinking like this. "Dammit!" He winced and rubbed his shoulder as Meiling looked at him warily.
"Syaoran."
"That's the last free hit you get." He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, using every technique he knew of to get his concentration back. No more distractions. "Ready?"
"Ready."
He used everything he'd ever learned. He went by reflex, by instinct, knowing every move she was going to make before she did. They'd trained together for so long that when he was focused, he could sense exactly where she was going. He matched her strike for strike, blocking her with his arm, his leg, then moving toward her to attack, waiting for the exact moment when she would let her guard down. He let out all the aggression that he'd bottled up, and when she faltered, he let her have it.
She hit the ground hard.
"Oh, God. Meiling!" He knelt down beside her. She was biting her lower lip, and he could tell she was trying not to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
She nodded, but there were tears in her eyes. "I'm okay. Just give me a minute." She was putting up a brave front, but he could tell she was in pain.
He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you so hard."
"I asked for it."
"No, you didn't." He hugged her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I said I'm fine!" She hated when he babied her. It meant he thought she was weak. But it did hurt, so she didn't push him away. Maybe a little attention wasn't so bad.
"Sorry. You're fine." He pulled back and looked at her. A couple of tears had—without permission, of course—managed to slide down her cheeks, but he could see the strength in her eyes. He really admired her. She never let anything beat her, never admitted weakness.
He just sat there, looking at her quietly. An early evening breeze passed over them, gently rustling their hair. It was strange, sitting there in silence, looking at each other, like something important was happening. It started to unnerve him. He stood up quickly, breaking the spell. "I brought some water up. Want some?"
She nodded, and he went to retrieve the bottles. Did he feel it too? she wondered. It was almost like... like.... She didn't know how to describe it. Whatever it was, it was gone.
He came back and sat next to her again, but as he drank the water, he kept his eyes on the flower garden one of their neighbors had planted in a box on the other side of the roof. He'd never felt uncomfortable around Meiling before. They'd known each other forever. They knew secrets about each other that they'd never dare tell anyone else. But now something was different. When he'd looked at her, he saw something he never saw before.
He saw a girl.
Not his cousin, not his friend, but a girl.
And it was really, really weird.
~~-~~
Wai! You got an update sooner than last time since ff.net was down so long. (Don't expect that again!) Can you tell I know nothing about martial arts? Sorry the fighting description was so generic ^.^; but then that wasn't really the point of the chapter. I'd debated putting Eriol in the story back at the beginning, because I really didn't know what purpose he'd serve. Then I realized someone had to know what was going on, so why not him? So, is the story finally progressing? I certainly hope so. Thanks for reading!