Summary: Kinomoto Sakura has liked her best friend, Li Syaoran, since the fourth grade but she's never been able to tell him, since he's always been Mr. Popular, and her, not being as high of a status as him. But when Syaoran makes a bet to go out with Sakura for a month… will things change? And what happens when/if Sakura finds out?
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS or anything like it. Just this plot and the characters I make up.
Thank–you to: * F@ntasy K@t * Carmela-chan * Deception of an Angel * lil-cb * sweet-strawberry692003 * DaShyGurl * AnimeObsessionFantasy * oOoshortayoOo * li-75 * Anna * cherryberry-chan * cherrysakura5 * Kikakai * anjuliet * LiLfieRYwoLf * maixwolfblossom * Xinh * Ana * Cherry Jade * synchrogirl * miss_k * Kawaii Punkstar
By: SweetBabyGurl
From The Last Chapter:
"Congratulations. Part A complete," Tai said to him with a solemn look.
"Tai, I—" Syaoran began but was cut off.
"So it looks like you're a taken man huh buddy?" Takashi said to him, nudging him in the side. All of his other friends began to give him high fives as he returned them with a smile, the feeling of guilt still lingering at the back of his soul. From behind them to the left Tai watched sadly before he shook his head, looking at the assignment that was due today. Behind Syaoran to the right Eriol stood with a hard expression on his visage.
"This is not right," Eriol mumbled as he walked past Syaoran to his desk. Apparently, Syaoran heard him and watched Eriol walk to his desk with a frown on his face. Usually Syaoran didn't care what Eriol said or thought. Not unless he was right. And in this case… he was. He wished Eriol wasn't, but he was.
-- My Last Breath --
Chapter 7
[.Two Weeks Later.]
The first two weeks the two had officially started dating was what seemed perfect for Sakura. According to her, just about everyone was happy that she was happy, and so as long as she kept that smile on her face, everyone else would keep on smiling too. But Sakura didn't know how much longer she could keep up with that smile. Sure, this is what she always wanted. For her and Syaoran to be an official couple. But… there were things that kept on nagging her at the back of her mind. Like why did Syaoran chose now, and not any other times? Before when she went out with guys or liked them he helped her get them. He didn't have any problem at all, but only when Tai came along and asked her out did he start to get jealous. Or even whenever it was just the two of them they acted like they were best friends as they were before, but whenever they were at school, it was then he held her hand, hugged her, walked her to class and did all of the sweet things a boyfriend is to do for his girlfriend.
Something weird was going on with Tomoyo and Eriol too. She had known this people since… well since forever! She could most definitely tell when something was up. When Sakura talked about Syaoran to them, they would exchange a weird glance and then go on acting all happy as if everything was alright. But she knew it wasn't. She didn't know what the hell was going on! It's not like Eriol or Tomoyo could have had something against her and Syaoran being together. The two had been trying to hook up Sakura and Syaoran for years. You would think the lovely couple, Eriol and Tomoyo, would be overjoyed, which is what they seemed to be in the beginning. But now… everything was different. They seemed to want to say something about her and Syaoran going out, but bit their tongue and at the last moment always decided not to at all.
The only thing that seemed to be going alright lately was the friendship with her and Tai. The two seemed to be getting closer and closer everyday at a fast rate. She was glad that he wasn't upset she chose Syaoran over him, no matter how mean it sounded. The two were always partnered up whenever they had to do something in groups or partners for whichever classes they had together. They constantly talked on the phone and ate lunch together. He was always there for her when she needed him, and always with a smile on his face, never a frown. Sakura sought this to be a good thing. But she never once did miss the look in his eyes whenever he saw Syaoran and Sakura together, which hurt her, knowing she was hurting a close friend of hers by being with someone else. But there was nothing she could or would do about it. She wasn't willing to let Syaoran go just because one person wasn't happy that they were an item. She wanted to be selfish; to just be happy for once. But no such luck was hers.
Well today was the day Kinomoto Sakura would finally figure everything out once she was finished questioning the people she was suspicious of. Ironic how they seemed to be the people closest to her too huh? Well… Sakura would begin her questioning at lunch anyways.
"Ohayo class," said their physics teacher as she walked in and placed her bag that was filled with today's lesson on her desk.
"Ohayo sensei!" The class chorused back happily.
"Well we have a new student today," she said to them smiling. The class immediately broke out into quiet chatter before the teacher walked to the door shaking her head mumbling something about teenagers and predictable as she invited the new student in. Once the new student was ushered in the class became silent and all eyes were before the new student that stood before the class.
"Hello everyone. My name is Yoshiro Kevin, but all of you may call me Kevin if you wish. I've lived in Shanghai all of my life, but my mother had to come to Japan due to something for her business, so we decided to move to a small town here. I've been living in my new house for about two, three days now. And yes… ladies, I'm single," he said smiling and winking at the end, making everyone laugh while he simply smiled. He had jet black hair that seemed a complete and utter mess, but it was cute at the same time. He had piercing silver eyes that seemed to have a tint of green in them. He had the most handsome smile and just seemed to be like a really good guy overall. He wore the school uniform but made it look different by adding on a few pins and marking in some sayings with what everyone presumed to be permanent marker on his book bag that he carried in his hand by one strap. All in all, most of the girls in the class and soon to be school thought he was hot.
"So where shall we put you Kevin," sensei asked out loud as she scanned the classroom for an available spot.
"Sensei! Put him next to me!" One of the girls in the class cried as she shot up her hand.
"No! Me!" Cried another. Soon almost all of the girls in the class were arguing about where he should sit. That's when he got sight of Sakura who merely smiled laughing at her friends, and turned to look out the window past Tai. Coincidently, there was an available seat next to the other side of her.
"Hey, you mind if I sit next to you?" He asked her with a smile. Startled, Sakura looked up and smiled at him too. The girls were still arguing, not even noticing he had moved to ask to sit with Sakura.
"Be my guest," she said to him nicely as she moved her bag more under her seat so he could pass.
"Yoshiro Kevin, but call me Kevin," he said to her as he stuck out his hand to her, reintroducing himself, but more personally this time.
"Kinomoto Sakura. You can call me Sakura if you like," she said to him with the same smile as she shook his hand, sending a strange feeling up and down one another's arm. They quickly pulled away when the teacher came up to the two.
"Sakura, would you mind showing Kevin around?" The teacher asked her as she wrote up a note for excusal.
"No problem sensei," she said as she picked up her bag and got her thins together while Kevin stood up and waited. "I'll see you next period 'kay Tai?" She said to Tai, turning to him.
"Alright. Bye Sakura," he said waving to her.
"Mou!! Where is the cute new guy going?!" One of the girls exclaimed with all of the other girls pouted too, collapsing back in their seats. The sensei merely laughed whole heartedly, while the girls continued to pout, leaving many of the guys in the room scowling. Just another guy for them to compete with, how wonderful.
[.Sakura and Kevin.]
"Sorry about that. Lots of the girls in the class get really excited when they see a new guy here. Also known as fresh meat," she said to him. The moment he paled, she began to laugh melodically.
"Well I'm glad to see you're nothing like them," he said to her with a warm smile.
"Well," a blushing Sakura replied as she cleared her throat. "Let's find your locker," she said once more as she took a look at where his locker was located. She then began to peer at his schedule. "You're not a stalker or something are you?"
"No, why?" Kevin asked rather confused.
"You and I are sharing a locker and you have all the same classes as I do. Weird," Sakura said shaking her head as she led him down the hallway to where her — or rather their locker was. As she continued to skip down the hall, she completely missed the smirk on her new so-called friend's face.
[.At Lunch.]
"Hey guys! Kev's new here so he'll be sitting with us for now okay?" Sakura asked, making sure it was alright with everyone. Everyone nodded in response as Sakura sat, outside with her friends, leaning against a tree trunk, where Kevin decided to sit next to her. She then introduced Kevin to everybody else that was there; Meiling and her boyfriend Mark, Tomoyo, Eriol, Chiharu, Takashi, Naoko, and Rika.
"Did you guys hear about the party that Kishimoto is having this weekend? Her parents are out of town and she's inviting everyone!" Chiharu squealed happily.
"Sakura you have to go! I have the cutest outfit ever for you to wear!" Tomoyo exclaimed with stars in her eyes while everyone else sweat dropped.
"I don't know. Maybe," Sakura replied thoughtfully. 'I wonder if Syaoran will want to go. Oh yeah I still have to find out what's been going on with everyone lately!'
"Well I'll have to make an appearance there, so I'll need my girlfriend with me," Syaoran said to her with a smile as he walked up to the group of friends.
"Hey Syao," Sakura said quietly as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "This is a friend of mine Kevin," she then said to him suddenly, all bright and bubbly again.
"Hi," Syaoran to him, taking an immediate disliking into the guy sitting next to his girlfriend.
"Hoeee!! I'm late! I have to go to cheerleading practice. You guys know you can come and watch if you get bored, but I'll see you about ten minutes for the bell okay? Bye!" Sakura exclaimed looking at her light pink watch before running over to the field where she immediately began to apologize while the people on the team; whom she had just recently begun to warm up to laughed at her while she blushed a bright red.
"Typical Sakura. Some things just never change ne?" Tomoyo said to the group.
"Of course. But we wouldn't want her any other way," Eriol responded with a grin.
"I think I'll watch the rugby team since Takashi has to go to practice too," Chiharu said getting up with Takashi. The group agreed as they got up with the couple to watch and cheer for both Takashi and Sakura while they both got ready for the big game for Friday.
[.Cheerleaders.]
"And three, two, one!" Sakura called as their routine began. They started off with a few people doing some no handed cartwheels across the group of people in the middle while they danced to a beat from one of their favorite songs everyone had agreed on. Some more people added in some flips as the group in the middle continued with their dancing. When the song hit the chorus the group from the middle split up and got into groups of threes. Two girls would be throwing up someone in the air and would catch her when they were to fall back down. They were all to do it one immediately after another to create a wave effect. When it was finally Sakura's turn, for she was the last to be thrown in the air, the two girls threw Sakura in the air, but when they were supposed to catch her, a few jocks from the football came and attacked the rest of the cheerleading squad with water bottles making the girls scream in fear of screwing up their hair and make-up, not realizing they had left her hanging in the air, until she let out a scream, catching almost everyone's attention.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo cried as they saw Sakura was about to come crashing down. Syaoran who was watching the game was completely oblivious to what was happening with the cheerleaders unlike Kevin who shot=t out from his spot ran over and caught the distressed Sakura in his arms which Sakura was currently holding onto for dear life.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Sakura exclaimed as she hugged him tightly once he put her down.
"Are you okay Sakura?" All of her friends asked coming rushing up to her extremely worried, while the rest of the cheerleading squad apologizing repeatedly for their stupidity. Everyone was there except for the one person you would think would need to be there for Sakura the most; Syaoran.
"Yeah," Sakura replied still a little dazed as she looked around. "Where's Syao…" Sakura began to say but trailed off when she saw him with some girl rubbing her arm while she nodded, her face flushed and him just smirking
"That idiot! Hello! Buddy Syaoran! Your girlfriend is over here!" Chiharu called out to him making his snap his head to the side with a glare until it landed on Sakura who had the most angry and sad look on her face at the same time, with her mouth hanging slightly open. His face softened as he let go of the other girl's arm and began to get up to run to Sakura. But she shut her mouth tightly, her teeth gritting, as she shook her head and began to walk away, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Hey are you alright?" Tai said as he came running up to her, a worried and scared expression shown across his features. "I tried to run up to you as fast as I could, but I was too far," Tai explained hurriedly.
"Oh Tai, you don't owe me an explanation. It's that moron Li Syaoran, my so-called boyfriend that does. When I almost fall at least five feet from the air onto pavement he doesn't care because he's flirting with some other girl when he's supposed to be my boyfriend," a teary Sakura exclaimed as linked arms with Tai and continued to walk away from the rest of her friends and most importantly Syaoran.
"Sakura wait!" Syaoran called to her as he continued to run.
"Ignore him," Sakura said immediately continuing to drag Tai along with as she walked.
"Baby," Syaoran said to her as he gingerly touched her arm which she yanked away from him.
"Who the hell are you to call me that?" Sakura shot at him giving him a dirty look before pulling Tai along with her again as she continued to walk away form Syaoran.
"Sakura if you would just let me tell you w—" Syaoran began but Sakura cut him off.
"No let me tell you! You only act like my boyfriend when other people are around, but whenever it's just you and me, you act like we're best friends and nothing more than that. You're the one who wanted to go out with me, and yet when I'm almost badly hurt, thank God I wasn't thanks to Kevin, someone who isn't my boyfriend, you're off flirting with some other girl! Then you would think you'd at least you'd be the next person to come and talk to me, but wrong again! It was Tai! Someone who was on the other side of the fucking field who beat you here! Go to hell Li Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed as she pushed him back and continued to walk on her own, crying. Syaoran stood there stunned. He had never seen Sakura like that. And never had he felt so terrible. She didn't even know the truth.
[.Later At Sakura's House.]
Sakura looked at a picture of her and Syaoran that they had recently taken together. She was smiling while he smirked and held her from behind. She gave him a dirty look through the picture before she threw it underneath her bed.
"How could I have been so stupid?" Sakura asked herself as another tear fell. "I thought that he actually liked me Tomoyo. And I gave him the benefit of the doubt too! People told me that I should be careful because he's a player but not once did I think he would do it to me too just because I was his so-called best friend from such a long time," Sakura cried to her friend as the two sat in her on the floor and talked about the events of that day. After school, Sakura completely ignored Syaoran and did her best to stay away from him.
"Sakura, did you read the letter?" Tomoyo asked her friend with the same look she had on her face since the event at lunch.
"What's the point? All it's going to say is, 'I don't think this is going to work out' and all that other bull," Sakura answered bitterly. She had completely forgotten about it. After Tai had driven her home, he had given her a letter, from Syaoran.
"Just read it. It's better to know for sure isn't it?" Tomoyo asked her friend solemnly. 'It may look like I'm helping you, you bastard Syaoran. But in the end, I'll just screw you over. Just like what you're doing to Sakura.'
"I guess," Sakura sighed as she took out the green envelope from her bag. She tore it open and read aloud:
Sakura, since you won't give me the chance to explain to you in person I guess this is the next best thing. The girl that I was "flirting" with is a girl I've known for years, Sari. Maybe not as long as I've known you, but I have known her for a really long time. One of my friends from the soccer team, Ryu, likes her and so he asked me to set him up with her, that's why she was all red, just because I simply asked her if she liked Ryu. I swear Sakura. I didn't know what was happening around me because I was so deep in the conversation. I'm so sorry. But I was not flirting with Sari, I swear that to you, I would never betray you like that. I really care about you. Please understand my Cherry Blossom. I'll be waiting…
—Syaoran
Sakura read the letter softly as she let a single tear fall on it. "Oh God," Sakura mumbled into her hands miserably. "I'm such an idiot."
"Go to him Sakura," Tomoyo told her, rubbing her on the back softly. Sakura looked up at her best friend and hugged her.
"Thank-you," Sakura whispered to her before she ran to where she and Syaoran always used to meet; Penguin Park.
"Now that you realize how much you're going to miss her once she's gone and you've actually developed feelings for her, it's only a matter of time before one of us tell her the truth."
[.Syaoran.]
'God,' Syaoran thought to himself as he sat on a swing. 'Why does this hurt so much? I never used to care this much when Sakura got mad at me before. I mean this all started out for the bet. I've never lost a bet in my life, especially to Tai. That first week, it was so hard to set everything up. I'm scared… Li Syaoran scared. And of the stupidest things! To kiss her, to hug her, to touch her. What if I do something wrong? But I've kissed so many girls in my life, so this should be easy… right? I've never felt this way about anyone in my life before. But she's my best friend! But then why did it hurt so much when I saw her cry? God… I… I can't be developing feelings for her. She can never know that this was all a bet. I'll call it off tomorrow with Tai. I want to be with Sakura.' Syaoran thought to himself with many expressions until he finally smiled. "I want to be with her," Syaoran murmured with that same lingering smile. Finally being able to sort out his thoughts, he slowly walked back home, intent on ending this tomorrow.
To Be Continued…
SweetBabyGurl: Hello everyone :D I'm back from New York with lots of new clothes and a ton of new great ideas. I decided to make this chapter extra long for you guys, so I'll be expecting some extra reviews ;) I'll try and update my other fic soon and for those of you who want me to e-mail you when I update, please leave your e-mail address in your review and state that you want me to e-mail you. So… I wonder how Sakura will find out about the bet… hMmMmMm. I'm still deciding whether or not she's going to find out, but I guess we'll have to wait and see in the next chapter of My Last Breath. Don't worry. By the time it's the tenth/eleventh chapter, the title will make sense. I assure you. Well that's it and don't forget to review! Thanks a lot and ja ne!