C-Mage: Oh, I'm SO sorry that it took so long! Over a month, can you
imagine! .' T.A.-chan got it to me a week or so ago, but I've been so
lazy.... *sigh* Anyway, thanks a bunch to all of you reviewers! You guys
rock! And thanks to my siblings, who pelted me with prank ideas....
T.Anjel: .Yes.And I would like to thank every reviewer who said we wrote down twice that Syaoran had four sisters. .
Disclaimer: We don't own CCS. We're just borrowing the characters for our own weird purposes. Get over it. ^.^'
Summary: [insert]
Learn to Love Me - Chapter 7 - Sakura's First Prank
"Ne, Sakura-chan!"
I took my eyes off the dishes I was washing in the sink to face Tomoyo-san. She was sitting at the kitchen table, cutting fruit.
"We should go out today," Tomoyo-san suggested, setting her knife down. "You know, just go out to the mall or something. Have a girl's night out!"
I smiled genuinely at the idea. "Sounds good!" I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was exactly six. "Let me just finish washing the dishes, and I'll go change," I said, putting my attention back to the suds and dirty plates from lunch.
"All right," Tomoyo-san agreed. The chair scraped against the floor as she stood up to leave. "I'm just going to take a quick shower."
I nodded in acknowledgement as I tried to scrub a certain stain, which refused to remove itself from a white plate. I couldn't help but smile as I suddenly remembered washing dishes back at Li-san's apartment. My smile quickly transformed into a thin line as the memory was replaced with Li-san's empty cupboard. He must be lonely. I hated to do it, but I pushed the upsetting thought aside as I finished washing the last of the dishes. I dried my pruny fingers on a small towel and headed to my room.
I picked out a simple outfit of jeans and a short sweater over a pink tank top. I examined myself quickly in my full-length mirror. I was never really a very pretty woman, but I was satisfied enough with myself and my looks as far as that was concerned. I nodded at my reflection and grabbed my purse before thundering down the stairs, nearly tripping over my own feet at the last step.
"Don't be in such a rush, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo-san said with a soft laugh. She was waiting in the living room, reading a fashion magazine. Her hair was still wet from her shower, but dry enough as to where it didn't fling water every time she turned her head. "We have time. I was wondering if you wanted to go watch a movie? Matrix Reloaded sounds fun."
"Is it scary?" I asked, biting my lower lip. My tolerance for ghosts and the haunted were very limited. Tomoyo-san only laughed at my question. I didn't think it was that funny.
"From what I heard, it's not. Don't worry," she said. "It's supposed to be fun. Let's go." She took out her car keys and led the way out the door. I followed, making sure to turn off the lights and lock the door.
~*~*~
We arrived at a mall in twenty minutes flat. The movie theatre there was huge, and it was always fun to go there. Tomoyo-san bought the tickets, and I had the honor of buying the overpriced popcorn and Cokes. We entered the theatre and found the entire theatre was filled up. "Unbelievable!" Tomoyo-san said, amused by the situation. "I see two seats up in the front, Sakura-chan!" she told me, pointing the best she could with a large Coke in her hands to the very front row. There were two vacant seats in the corner. "It's the best we can get," she said with a simple shrug and headed straight for the seats.
I followed her and sat down. Just as a plopped a popcorn in my mouth, I heard a very familiar voice.
"Stop complaining, Syaoran!" it said, a high-pitched whine only one person would match. It was Meiling.
She was obviously on some kind of a date with Li-san, and I didn't want to intrude, so I kept my face hidden at an odd sort of angle. It was difficult with the woman sitting right next to me, but it was doable.
"Isn't that Li-san?" Tomoyo-san whispered into my ear, her eyes flickering over me and to the two seats beside me.
I nodded and was unable to ignore the strange glimpse in Tomoyo-san's eyes. "Well, shouldn't we say hi?" she asked with a warm smile. "Li-san! What a surprise to see you at a movie theatre and out of your home!"
I kept my eyes shut, strangely embarrassed by the sudden situation. I only heard a grumble that replied to Tomoyo-san's greeting.
"Sakura-chan is with me too," Tomoyo-san said, nudging me lightly with her elbow.
"Good evening, Li-san," I said weakly, turning my head to face Meiling and Li-san. I gave a small smile. "What a pleasure to see you again.today."
"It's you!" Meiling hissed between two perfect rows of teeth.
I was only able to smile again at her accusation.
"Shut up, Meiling," Li-san mumbled. "Watch the movie. You're the one that dragged me here."
"Syaoran!" Meiling said, whipping her head around to look at him.
"Just.please.Meiling." Li-san sounded exhausted, and I couldn't help worrying.
"Are you feeling okay, Li-san?" I asked automatically.
"Of course he's okay!" Meiling growled, loud enough to be heard over the booming sound effects. "Stop bothering him!"
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to feel offended by Meiling's accusation. "I wasn't trying to.."
"Well you were!" she snarled. She reminded me of my old neighbor's dog. His name was Fang, and you could only guess why.
"Meiling!" Li-san snapped, making sure to keep his voice low.
I felt as if Li-san was yelling at me, and I instinctively sat back into my seat. I glanced over at Tomoyo-san on my right, and she seemed to be smiling. I reverted my attention back to the movie, but was unable to keep my focus on it. I felt strangely jittery, and I couldn't keep still in my seat. "Tomoyo-san," I whispered, leaning closer to my cousin. "I'm going to go to the bathroom."
"Want me to go with you?" she offered.
I shook my head. "I'm okay," I replied, and, keeping my head low, I got out of my seat and scuttled up the aisle. Exiting the theater, I let out a loud sigh. I was planning on enjoying the night with Tomoyo-chan, but Meiling's words constantly nagged in my ears, making me feel uncomfortable. I leaned against the wall of the empty hallway, needing a second to myself without noise or distractions.
"What's wrong with me," I mumbled to myself, sliding down the wall until my butt touched the floor. I brought my knees up and rested my chin on them. After two minutes, the strange feeling in my chest didn't go away. It was beginning to bother me.
"Are you okay?"
I looked up to see a stranger peering cautiously down on me. I must've looked like I was distressed, with how I had placed myself on the floor. "I'm good, thanks," I replied, before burying my head in my arms again. I heard the stranger mumble something before shuffling off to wherever he was headed.
"Are you okay?"
"I said I was.," I said, looking back up at the repeated question. "Li-san!" I exclaimed at the figure crouching in front of me. "Aren't you watching the movie?"
"Meiling wanted to come. Movies these days aren't very interesting for me."
"So you two are on a date?" I asked, finding the coupling to be cute.
Li-san's cheeks were suddenly tinted a with a bright red before he stuttered out, "No."
"Would you like to join me?" I asked with a weak smile, patting the floor next to where I was sitting. Li-san silently took the offered seat.
"Daidouji-san told me to tell you she had to leave because of an emergency with Hiiragizawa-san," Li-san said. He looked as if he was about to continue, but he kept his mouth shut.
"I see," I mumbled. "I suppose I'll get going, too, then. It was supposed to be a girls' night out with her, anyway." I honestly didn't like it when my mood was low, and I always tried hard to not to lash it out on others. I had no right to do that, but that night was just so emotionally draining.
"You seem tired," Li-san said observantly.
"No, not really," I replied with a weak smile. "I'm sorry, I'm just not in too great of a mood right now."
Li-san smiled at that. I don't know why he did, but I realized that was the first time I saw him smile. "Meiling seems to have that effect on people," he said.
"You should smile more often, Li-san," I said, my mood lifting up already. "It suits you."
His cheeks flushed at the comment, and he turned his head away. I giggled at the childish gesture. Our small conversation was cut short when a loud thud demanded our attention. It was Meiling's sandaled foot that had made the noise, and she looked furious. I honestly had no idea why.
"It looks like you two are getting along well," she scowled. "I think Syaoran and I will like to share some time together now, Miss Whatever-the-hell-your-name-is."
I was taken aback at her outburst, but it was something I expected, as well. Especially after the encounter back at Li-san's home. In response to Meiling's words, I stood up and bowed very slightly. "I'm sorry for being such a bother today," I apologized. "I hope you two have a wonderful evening." I gave Meiling a small smile before heading out of the movie theatre. I didn't expect to have Meiling telling me to have a good night, but I wondered whether the surprised expression on her face was a good thing or a bad thing.
Out on the street, I rode a bus home, thinking about Li-san throughout the whole trip, almost forgetting to get off at my stop. Now that I think about it, I don't remember what was keeping me so engrossed in the thoughts of Li-san, but for some reason it was. I only remember his face constantly dancing around my head, refusing to fade even for a second. Was it a bad thing? I had no clue.
I arrived home and saw Tomoyo-san's car wasn't in the driveway or the garage. I unlocked the front door and went inside, suddenly feeling extremely tired and exhausted. I barely did anything that day, but I was drained, so I hustled into my room, changed into more comfortable clothes, brushed my teeth, and plopped into bed. I was immediately asleep.
The rest of the weekend went by pretty quickly from going out with Tomoyo-san again and visiting an old college friend. Monday came in a snap and before I knew it, I was back in school. I was back to sitting in the back of Li-san's class, watching him teach and watching the children attempt not to fall asleep. I found it cute when students tried to sleep in a certain position as to where they thought Li-san wouldn't suspect them of sleeping. One boy I remember even slept with his eyes opened.
Li-san's second period class included the two boys from McDonald's: Alex and Tony. When walking into the classroom, they laughed quietly amongst themselves, their eyes shooting to Li-san, then to me. It was rude of them, but it had to be forgiven, for they were only teenagers going through a long period of puberty.
"Good morning, Ms. Kinomoto!" Alex greeted with a loud, sarcastic voice of jovial delight. He pronounced my name with a horrible American accent, but I smiled and responded back with my own, "Good morning, Alex. Good morning, Tony," I said, turning my attention over to Alex's shy friend.
"Good morning," he mumbled, his face turning a shade pinker than what it usually was, and he turned away, taking his seat in front of me. Alex gave me a wide smile before plopping into the chair next to his friend's desk and prodding him jokingly, a wolfish grin plastered on his face.
Leaving the two boys be, I shifted my attention over to Li-san, who was writing fervently on a piece of paper. The second the late bell rang, Li-san set down his pen and scanned the classroom, noting to himself who was absent and who was late.
He repeated the same lesson from the previous class. The only difference with this class was that it had Tony and Alex in it. I have to say that even to this day, those two were the most mischievous and cunning boys I have ever met in that school. Tony may have been shy, but I always saw from the corner of my eye the ability he had to start up a riot. Of course, Alex would take the blame for everything, but he wouldn't have such fame without his trusty Tony beside him.
This particular day was one of their best (or worst, depending on the view) pranks to date. They had apparantly done some research on their new teacher and come up with very pleasing information.
No more than ten minutes into the lesson, Alex slowly pulled a clear box out from his bag. I continued to watch - Li-san left little to make notes on after the first period, as his lessons were virtually the same, aside from the few questions students deigned to ask. I could almost see what was in it, when Tony raised his hand to ask a question.
"Mr. Li, how did the Egyptians build their pyramids?" he asked innocently.
"Tony, we aren't covering Egyptians in this chapter. We're on Mesopotamia. Now, if you had asked this during the last chapter...." He trailed off, giving a pointed look.
"Yes, but, sir, I'm interested now," he explained, as if to a very small child. Li-san looked annoyed.
"No one actually knows how the Egyptians built the pyramids. There's great specu-"
He was stopped as a girl screeched, pointing at something on her shoe: a hairy wolf spider. Suddenly, I knew what had been in Alex's cage. Berating myself mentally, I stood up. "There's nothing to be afraid of," I said, as half the class ran behind Li-san's desk, and the other half crowded around.
"Get back," ordered Li-san, trying to push his way through the students. Finally he got through, but just in time for the small spider to launch itself onto his pant leg. "Ah! Get if off!" he cried, arms frantically trying to brush it off. The class burst out laughing at the comic image he made, but he seemed to truly be freaking out.
You see, Tony and Alex had come across some very interesting information. Li Syaoran, stoic, stiff teacher that he was, was scared of - you guessed it - spiders. Oh, he was fine around the small house spiders, but give him a large, hairy one, and he'd lose it. Which, of course, he did.
All of Li-san's antics, instead of throwing the spider off, only caused it to crawl up him, climbing over his belt and onto his shirt. It looked as if it was trying to go inside his shirt through the gaps between buttons. As soon as one hairy, exoskeletal leg touched his stomach, he gave a mighty shriek and batted it into the far corner.
Consequently, this corner just happened to be near Li-san's desk, and one of his drawers, erm, happened, to be open. Obviously looking for a safe place to hide, the spider skittered up into the drawer, back into a corner. Steeling himself, Li-san approached the desk, peering nervously into the desk. He started taking off a shoe, no doubt to squash it with, when I stopped him.
"Mr. Li," I said, hurrying over to the desk. He paused, one arm poised to smash, the other to yank open the drawer.
"Yes, Ms. Kinomoto?" he asked, voice almost normal, if a bit shaky.
"I don't really think it's such a good idea to -" I winced. "To kill the spider."
"Why not?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well, think about it," I started to explain. "If you were the spider, just looking for a nice, dark place to hide, would you want to get flattened by a shoe?" I raised my auburn brows at him, and he sighed.
"Fine. If you're so fine with it, deal with it yourself." Huffily, he walked away from the desk, pulling his chair along so he could sit in it to tie his shoe.
Shrugging, I walked over to the desk and pulled open the drawer. The wolf spider was crouched down in the corner, looking ready to bolt. Slowly, I stuck my hand in and picked him up by the abdomen, then pulled him out and showed him to the class. "See? That wasn't so hard." I smiled at Li-san, who glared back. My face fell for a second. Had I undermined his power? Shaking it out of my head, I turned back to the class. "Now, Alex, I do believe this is your spider."
"Actually...," he started, looking at Tony.
"Tony?" I prompted.
"Yeah...," said Tony weakly. He went to get the small cage and brought it back, top opened. I dropped the spider in and closed the top, then looked at the cage closely.
"That's an awfully small cage for him," I noted, peering at the cage. "I do hope you keep him in a larger one most of the time." He flushed and nodded. "Good."
Someone cleared their throat, and we all turned to look back at Li- san, who looked quite grumpy. "Would everyone please return to their seats." It was an order, not a question. "We might be able to salvage what's left of this hour...." A quick glance at the clock told me that there were five minutes left, and I winced. So much for teaching them something.
Sitting back down, Li-san yanked out two referral sheets. "You'll get detention for that, I'm certain," he growled, looking about for a pen. "Where's my pen?"
"Here, use mine," offered Alex insolently. Li-san glared daggers at him, but took the proffered pen anyway, then stomped back to his desk. He clicked the end of it, and, instead of the tip coming out as it should had, an enormous ink splotch appeared on Li-san and his referral slips.
This seemed to be the last straw. Li-san's face turned a furious shade of crimson, and he managed, "Alex - Tony - OFFICE," while pointing his finger menacingly. Luckily, Alex and Tony picked up their bags and left without too much snickering and headed for the office, passing two people in the doorway.
"Otou-san! 'Nii-chan!" I exclaimed, surprised at seeing them there. The class ogled at my Japanese, Li-san got even angrier, and Otou-san and 'Nii-chan smiled. "What -"
"Ms. Kinomoto," began Li-san, practically seething, "if you would please usher your relatives to the teachers' lounge, I'd like to teach during what's left of my class." Just then, the bell rang, and the students began to file out. Li-san collapsed in exasperation, and I rushed to the door.
"I'm so sorry!" I called to Li-san as I reached the door. Otou-san and 'Nii-chan were eyeing Li-san.
"Is that the teacher you're shadowing?" asked 'Nii-chan, obviously noticing the ink on Li-san's shirt.
"Hai, hai," I answered, pushing them out the door. I glanced back, noticed Li-san's angry gaze, and cringed. "Come on, we'd better go to the teachers' lounge. I've got the next two periods free...."
I led the way down the hallways as the bell rang, not even noticing that I'd left my stuff back in the room. Finally I reached the teachers' lounge, which was blessfully empty. I doubted any of the other teachers would be comfortable with a Japanese conversation going on in the same room.
I plopped down in a chair and motioned for them to do the same. "Why'd you come in during a class?" I asked, slightly annoyed. I didn't need things between me and Li-san to get any weirder. "Weren't you going to wait for me at the house?"
"You didn't give us a key, smart one," 'Nii-san snorted, nodding over to the two suitcases they dragged into the school.
"We asked for you in the office, and the principal came out and led us to your room," explained Otou-san. "It's lucky he speaks Japanese. Touya-kun may have studied English in school, but his grip isn't good enough for a full conversation."
"The principal - Hiiragizawa Eriol - is Tomoyo-san's girlfriend," I explained. "But surely Eriol-kun would know not to get me during a class.... Li-san is a bit strict."
"Wouldn't have guessed, by the ink stain on his shirt," muttered 'Nii- chan.
"Oh, that." I sighed. "Some students had just played a prank when you came in - I think you passed them on your way out...." I glanced at the clock. Still a good hour or so before I had to be back in class. "Why don't I take you home? It'll be boring staying here all day, but at home you could at least watch a DVD, or something."
"Hai," agreed Otou-san. 'Nii-chan nodded.
"Good. We'll just have to go back to the room to get my bag...."
When we reached Li-san's room, it was empty. Presumably Li-san had gone home to change his shirt. I grinned at that. How rowdy students in the United States were! I quickly rushed to the back to grab my backpack, threw it over my shoulder, and went back to Otou-san and 'Nii-chan.
"I'll just lock the room real quick...," I murmured, digging around in my bag before I came up with a key. I locked the door and dropped it back into my bag. "Li-san should be fine - he has a key, as well.... Now." I turned to the two men, smiling. "To my home!"
TBC.
C-Mage: So, that's it. Lovely, ne? Again, I'm so sorry it took forever. The next ones might, too. I'm leaving for vacation on June 22, and I'll be gone for seven weeks. Very little Internet/computer access, too. -.-' I'll try to get something done before I go, though....
T.Anjel: I don't think that was really the best of best chapters, ne? The next will be better.hopefully. Bah~ thanks for reading! Ciao.
T.Anjel: .Yes.And I would like to thank every reviewer who said we wrote down twice that Syaoran had four sisters. .
Disclaimer: We don't own CCS. We're just borrowing the characters for our own weird purposes. Get over it. ^.^'
Summary: [insert]
Learn to Love Me - Chapter 7 - Sakura's First Prank
"Ne, Sakura-chan!"
I took my eyes off the dishes I was washing in the sink to face Tomoyo-san. She was sitting at the kitchen table, cutting fruit.
"We should go out today," Tomoyo-san suggested, setting her knife down. "You know, just go out to the mall or something. Have a girl's night out!"
I smiled genuinely at the idea. "Sounds good!" I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was exactly six. "Let me just finish washing the dishes, and I'll go change," I said, putting my attention back to the suds and dirty plates from lunch.
"All right," Tomoyo-san agreed. The chair scraped against the floor as she stood up to leave. "I'm just going to take a quick shower."
I nodded in acknowledgement as I tried to scrub a certain stain, which refused to remove itself from a white plate. I couldn't help but smile as I suddenly remembered washing dishes back at Li-san's apartment. My smile quickly transformed into a thin line as the memory was replaced with Li-san's empty cupboard. He must be lonely. I hated to do it, but I pushed the upsetting thought aside as I finished washing the last of the dishes. I dried my pruny fingers on a small towel and headed to my room.
I picked out a simple outfit of jeans and a short sweater over a pink tank top. I examined myself quickly in my full-length mirror. I was never really a very pretty woman, but I was satisfied enough with myself and my looks as far as that was concerned. I nodded at my reflection and grabbed my purse before thundering down the stairs, nearly tripping over my own feet at the last step.
"Don't be in such a rush, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo-san said with a soft laugh. She was waiting in the living room, reading a fashion magazine. Her hair was still wet from her shower, but dry enough as to where it didn't fling water every time she turned her head. "We have time. I was wondering if you wanted to go watch a movie? Matrix Reloaded sounds fun."
"Is it scary?" I asked, biting my lower lip. My tolerance for ghosts and the haunted were very limited. Tomoyo-san only laughed at my question. I didn't think it was that funny.
"From what I heard, it's not. Don't worry," she said. "It's supposed to be fun. Let's go." She took out her car keys and led the way out the door. I followed, making sure to turn off the lights and lock the door.
~*~*~
We arrived at a mall in twenty minutes flat. The movie theatre there was huge, and it was always fun to go there. Tomoyo-san bought the tickets, and I had the honor of buying the overpriced popcorn and Cokes. We entered the theatre and found the entire theatre was filled up. "Unbelievable!" Tomoyo-san said, amused by the situation. "I see two seats up in the front, Sakura-chan!" she told me, pointing the best she could with a large Coke in her hands to the very front row. There were two vacant seats in the corner. "It's the best we can get," she said with a simple shrug and headed straight for the seats.
I followed her and sat down. Just as a plopped a popcorn in my mouth, I heard a very familiar voice.
"Stop complaining, Syaoran!" it said, a high-pitched whine only one person would match. It was Meiling.
She was obviously on some kind of a date with Li-san, and I didn't want to intrude, so I kept my face hidden at an odd sort of angle. It was difficult with the woman sitting right next to me, but it was doable.
"Isn't that Li-san?" Tomoyo-san whispered into my ear, her eyes flickering over me and to the two seats beside me.
I nodded and was unable to ignore the strange glimpse in Tomoyo-san's eyes. "Well, shouldn't we say hi?" she asked with a warm smile. "Li-san! What a surprise to see you at a movie theatre and out of your home!"
I kept my eyes shut, strangely embarrassed by the sudden situation. I only heard a grumble that replied to Tomoyo-san's greeting.
"Sakura-chan is with me too," Tomoyo-san said, nudging me lightly with her elbow.
"Good evening, Li-san," I said weakly, turning my head to face Meiling and Li-san. I gave a small smile. "What a pleasure to see you again.today."
"It's you!" Meiling hissed between two perfect rows of teeth.
I was only able to smile again at her accusation.
"Shut up, Meiling," Li-san mumbled. "Watch the movie. You're the one that dragged me here."
"Syaoran!" Meiling said, whipping her head around to look at him.
"Just.please.Meiling." Li-san sounded exhausted, and I couldn't help worrying.
"Are you feeling okay, Li-san?" I asked automatically.
"Of course he's okay!" Meiling growled, loud enough to be heard over the booming sound effects. "Stop bothering him!"
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to feel offended by Meiling's accusation. "I wasn't trying to.."
"Well you were!" she snarled. She reminded me of my old neighbor's dog. His name was Fang, and you could only guess why.
"Meiling!" Li-san snapped, making sure to keep his voice low.
I felt as if Li-san was yelling at me, and I instinctively sat back into my seat. I glanced over at Tomoyo-san on my right, and she seemed to be smiling. I reverted my attention back to the movie, but was unable to keep my focus on it. I felt strangely jittery, and I couldn't keep still in my seat. "Tomoyo-san," I whispered, leaning closer to my cousin. "I'm going to go to the bathroom."
"Want me to go with you?" she offered.
I shook my head. "I'm okay," I replied, and, keeping my head low, I got out of my seat and scuttled up the aisle. Exiting the theater, I let out a loud sigh. I was planning on enjoying the night with Tomoyo-chan, but Meiling's words constantly nagged in my ears, making me feel uncomfortable. I leaned against the wall of the empty hallway, needing a second to myself without noise or distractions.
"What's wrong with me," I mumbled to myself, sliding down the wall until my butt touched the floor. I brought my knees up and rested my chin on them. After two minutes, the strange feeling in my chest didn't go away. It was beginning to bother me.
"Are you okay?"
I looked up to see a stranger peering cautiously down on me. I must've looked like I was distressed, with how I had placed myself on the floor. "I'm good, thanks," I replied, before burying my head in my arms again. I heard the stranger mumble something before shuffling off to wherever he was headed.
"Are you okay?"
"I said I was.," I said, looking back up at the repeated question. "Li-san!" I exclaimed at the figure crouching in front of me. "Aren't you watching the movie?"
"Meiling wanted to come. Movies these days aren't very interesting for me."
"So you two are on a date?" I asked, finding the coupling to be cute.
Li-san's cheeks were suddenly tinted a with a bright red before he stuttered out, "No."
"Would you like to join me?" I asked with a weak smile, patting the floor next to where I was sitting. Li-san silently took the offered seat.
"Daidouji-san told me to tell you she had to leave because of an emergency with Hiiragizawa-san," Li-san said. He looked as if he was about to continue, but he kept his mouth shut.
"I see," I mumbled. "I suppose I'll get going, too, then. It was supposed to be a girls' night out with her, anyway." I honestly didn't like it when my mood was low, and I always tried hard to not to lash it out on others. I had no right to do that, but that night was just so emotionally draining.
"You seem tired," Li-san said observantly.
"No, not really," I replied with a weak smile. "I'm sorry, I'm just not in too great of a mood right now."
Li-san smiled at that. I don't know why he did, but I realized that was the first time I saw him smile. "Meiling seems to have that effect on people," he said.
"You should smile more often, Li-san," I said, my mood lifting up already. "It suits you."
His cheeks flushed at the comment, and he turned his head away. I giggled at the childish gesture. Our small conversation was cut short when a loud thud demanded our attention. It was Meiling's sandaled foot that had made the noise, and she looked furious. I honestly had no idea why.
"It looks like you two are getting along well," she scowled. "I think Syaoran and I will like to share some time together now, Miss Whatever-the-hell-your-name-is."
I was taken aback at her outburst, but it was something I expected, as well. Especially after the encounter back at Li-san's home. In response to Meiling's words, I stood up and bowed very slightly. "I'm sorry for being such a bother today," I apologized. "I hope you two have a wonderful evening." I gave Meiling a small smile before heading out of the movie theatre. I didn't expect to have Meiling telling me to have a good night, but I wondered whether the surprised expression on her face was a good thing or a bad thing.
Out on the street, I rode a bus home, thinking about Li-san throughout the whole trip, almost forgetting to get off at my stop. Now that I think about it, I don't remember what was keeping me so engrossed in the thoughts of Li-san, but for some reason it was. I only remember his face constantly dancing around my head, refusing to fade even for a second. Was it a bad thing? I had no clue.
I arrived home and saw Tomoyo-san's car wasn't in the driveway or the garage. I unlocked the front door and went inside, suddenly feeling extremely tired and exhausted. I barely did anything that day, but I was drained, so I hustled into my room, changed into more comfortable clothes, brushed my teeth, and plopped into bed. I was immediately asleep.
The rest of the weekend went by pretty quickly from going out with Tomoyo-san again and visiting an old college friend. Monday came in a snap and before I knew it, I was back in school. I was back to sitting in the back of Li-san's class, watching him teach and watching the children attempt not to fall asleep. I found it cute when students tried to sleep in a certain position as to where they thought Li-san wouldn't suspect them of sleeping. One boy I remember even slept with his eyes opened.
Li-san's second period class included the two boys from McDonald's: Alex and Tony. When walking into the classroom, they laughed quietly amongst themselves, their eyes shooting to Li-san, then to me. It was rude of them, but it had to be forgiven, for they were only teenagers going through a long period of puberty.
"Good morning, Ms. Kinomoto!" Alex greeted with a loud, sarcastic voice of jovial delight. He pronounced my name with a horrible American accent, but I smiled and responded back with my own, "Good morning, Alex. Good morning, Tony," I said, turning my attention over to Alex's shy friend.
"Good morning," he mumbled, his face turning a shade pinker than what it usually was, and he turned away, taking his seat in front of me. Alex gave me a wide smile before plopping into the chair next to his friend's desk and prodding him jokingly, a wolfish grin plastered on his face.
Leaving the two boys be, I shifted my attention over to Li-san, who was writing fervently on a piece of paper. The second the late bell rang, Li-san set down his pen and scanned the classroom, noting to himself who was absent and who was late.
He repeated the same lesson from the previous class. The only difference with this class was that it had Tony and Alex in it. I have to say that even to this day, those two were the most mischievous and cunning boys I have ever met in that school. Tony may have been shy, but I always saw from the corner of my eye the ability he had to start up a riot. Of course, Alex would take the blame for everything, but he wouldn't have such fame without his trusty Tony beside him.
This particular day was one of their best (or worst, depending on the view) pranks to date. They had apparantly done some research on their new teacher and come up with very pleasing information.
No more than ten minutes into the lesson, Alex slowly pulled a clear box out from his bag. I continued to watch - Li-san left little to make notes on after the first period, as his lessons were virtually the same, aside from the few questions students deigned to ask. I could almost see what was in it, when Tony raised his hand to ask a question.
"Mr. Li, how did the Egyptians build their pyramids?" he asked innocently.
"Tony, we aren't covering Egyptians in this chapter. We're on Mesopotamia. Now, if you had asked this during the last chapter...." He trailed off, giving a pointed look.
"Yes, but, sir, I'm interested now," he explained, as if to a very small child. Li-san looked annoyed.
"No one actually knows how the Egyptians built the pyramids. There's great specu-"
He was stopped as a girl screeched, pointing at something on her shoe: a hairy wolf spider. Suddenly, I knew what had been in Alex's cage. Berating myself mentally, I stood up. "There's nothing to be afraid of," I said, as half the class ran behind Li-san's desk, and the other half crowded around.
"Get back," ordered Li-san, trying to push his way through the students. Finally he got through, but just in time for the small spider to launch itself onto his pant leg. "Ah! Get if off!" he cried, arms frantically trying to brush it off. The class burst out laughing at the comic image he made, but he seemed to truly be freaking out.
You see, Tony and Alex had come across some very interesting information. Li Syaoran, stoic, stiff teacher that he was, was scared of - you guessed it - spiders. Oh, he was fine around the small house spiders, but give him a large, hairy one, and he'd lose it. Which, of course, he did.
All of Li-san's antics, instead of throwing the spider off, only caused it to crawl up him, climbing over his belt and onto his shirt. It looked as if it was trying to go inside his shirt through the gaps between buttons. As soon as one hairy, exoskeletal leg touched his stomach, he gave a mighty shriek and batted it into the far corner.
Consequently, this corner just happened to be near Li-san's desk, and one of his drawers, erm, happened, to be open. Obviously looking for a safe place to hide, the spider skittered up into the drawer, back into a corner. Steeling himself, Li-san approached the desk, peering nervously into the desk. He started taking off a shoe, no doubt to squash it with, when I stopped him.
"Mr. Li," I said, hurrying over to the desk. He paused, one arm poised to smash, the other to yank open the drawer.
"Yes, Ms. Kinomoto?" he asked, voice almost normal, if a bit shaky.
"I don't really think it's such a good idea to -" I winced. "To kill the spider."
"Why not?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well, think about it," I started to explain. "If you were the spider, just looking for a nice, dark place to hide, would you want to get flattened by a shoe?" I raised my auburn brows at him, and he sighed.
"Fine. If you're so fine with it, deal with it yourself." Huffily, he walked away from the desk, pulling his chair along so he could sit in it to tie his shoe.
Shrugging, I walked over to the desk and pulled open the drawer. The wolf spider was crouched down in the corner, looking ready to bolt. Slowly, I stuck my hand in and picked him up by the abdomen, then pulled him out and showed him to the class. "See? That wasn't so hard." I smiled at Li-san, who glared back. My face fell for a second. Had I undermined his power? Shaking it out of my head, I turned back to the class. "Now, Alex, I do believe this is your spider."
"Actually...," he started, looking at Tony.
"Tony?" I prompted.
"Yeah...," said Tony weakly. He went to get the small cage and brought it back, top opened. I dropped the spider in and closed the top, then looked at the cage closely.
"That's an awfully small cage for him," I noted, peering at the cage. "I do hope you keep him in a larger one most of the time." He flushed and nodded. "Good."
Someone cleared their throat, and we all turned to look back at Li- san, who looked quite grumpy. "Would everyone please return to their seats." It was an order, not a question. "We might be able to salvage what's left of this hour...." A quick glance at the clock told me that there were five minutes left, and I winced. So much for teaching them something.
Sitting back down, Li-san yanked out two referral sheets. "You'll get detention for that, I'm certain," he growled, looking about for a pen. "Where's my pen?"
"Here, use mine," offered Alex insolently. Li-san glared daggers at him, but took the proffered pen anyway, then stomped back to his desk. He clicked the end of it, and, instead of the tip coming out as it should had, an enormous ink splotch appeared on Li-san and his referral slips.
This seemed to be the last straw. Li-san's face turned a furious shade of crimson, and he managed, "Alex - Tony - OFFICE," while pointing his finger menacingly. Luckily, Alex and Tony picked up their bags and left without too much snickering and headed for the office, passing two people in the doorway.
"Otou-san! 'Nii-chan!" I exclaimed, surprised at seeing them there. The class ogled at my Japanese, Li-san got even angrier, and Otou-san and 'Nii-chan smiled. "What -"
"Ms. Kinomoto," began Li-san, practically seething, "if you would please usher your relatives to the teachers' lounge, I'd like to teach during what's left of my class." Just then, the bell rang, and the students began to file out. Li-san collapsed in exasperation, and I rushed to the door.
"I'm so sorry!" I called to Li-san as I reached the door. Otou-san and 'Nii-chan were eyeing Li-san.
"Is that the teacher you're shadowing?" asked 'Nii-chan, obviously noticing the ink on Li-san's shirt.
"Hai, hai," I answered, pushing them out the door. I glanced back, noticed Li-san's angry gaze, and cringed. "Come on, we'd better go to the teachers' lounge. I've got the next two periods free...."
I led the way down the hallways as the bell rang, not even noticing that I'd left my stuff back in the room. Finally I reached the teachers' lounge, which was blessfully empty. I doubted any of the other teachers would be comfortable with a Japanese conversation going on in the same room.
I plopped down in a chair and motioned for them to do the same. "Why'd you come in during a class?" I asked, slightly annoyed. I didn't need things between me and Li-san to get any weirder. "Weren't you going to wait for me at the house?"
"You didn't give us a key, smart one," 'Nii-san snorted, nodding over to the two suitcases they dragged into the school.
"We asked for you in the office, and the principal came out and led us to your room," explained Otou-san. "It's lucky he speaks Japanese. Touya-kun may have studied English in school, but his grip isn't good enough for a full conversation."
"The principal - Hiiragizawa Eriol - is Tomoyo-san's girlfriend," I explained. "But surely Eriol-kun would know not to get me during a class.... Li-san is a bit strict."
"Wouldn't have guessed, by the ink stain on his shirt," muttered 'Nii- chan.
"Oh, that." I sighed. "Some students had just played a prank when you came in - I think you passed them on your way out...." I glanced at the clock. Still a good hour or so before I had to be back in class. "Why don't I take you home? It'll be boring staying here all day, but at home you could at least watch a DVD, or something."
"Hai," agreed Otou-san. 'Nii-chan nodded.
"Good. We'll just have to go back to the room to get my bag...."
When we reached Li-san's room, it was empty. Presumably Li-san had gone home to change his shirt. I grinned at that. How rowdy students in the United States were! I quickly rushed to the back to grab my backpack, threw it over my shoulder, and went back to Otou-san and 'Nii-chan.
"I'll just lock the room real quick...," I murmured, digging around in my bag before I came up with a key. I locked the door and dropped it back into my bag. "Li-san should be fine - he has a key, as well.... Now." I turned to the two men, smiling. "To my home!"
TBC.
C-Mage: So, that's it. Lovely, ne? Again, I'm so sorry it took forever. The next ones might, too. I'm leaving for vacation on June 22, and I'll be gone for seven weeks. Very little Internet/computer access, too. -.-' I'll try to get something done before I go, though....
T.Anjel: I don't think that was really the best of best chapters, ne? The next will be better.hopefully. Bah~ thanks for reading! Ciao.