I don't own CCS.
Oh, and I just realized that I didn't change the rating. Whatever, I'm leaving it as PG-13. The situation didn't warrant an R. I had to reread the stupid thing several times to realize this. Yes, I am stupid. Why do you ask?
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Chapter Eighteen
Syaoran arrived at Sakura's house at 9:55 AM. Sakura and Tomoyo were already there, heads bent over a piece of paper that Syaoran assumed were their Math notes.
"Oh, hey Syaoran!" Sakura greeted cheerfully. "We were thinking," here Sakura gestured to herself, Tomoyo, and Eriol who Syaoran just noticed, "that we should start with Math first. After all, that's our first test, and I'm pretty sure we can cover everything in three hours…" everyone sweat dropped. Sakura expected them to cover over nine hundred pages of Math in three hours!
"Umm, Sakura, is that even mentally possible?"
"Of course it is Tomoyo!" Sakura grinned a bit insanely.
Syaoran sighed. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can finish and start History."
"That's the spirit Syaoran!" everyone sweat dropped again. This was definitely a first, Syaoran decided. He never thought anyone here would live to see the day Sakura was happy about Math. Slightly intimidated by Sakura's uncharacteristic enthusiasm, Syaoran left to pour himself a cup of Coca-Cola. Eriol, also slightly intimidated but by the sheer amount of pages Sakura would be cramming into her head, followed Syaoran, grabbed another cup and poured himself a beverage.
An hour later
"Sakura, I somehow don't think that we'll be able to review EVERYTHING in here," Eriol said, pointing at the textbook.
"But, but…"
"He's right you know," everyone turned around and stared at Syaoran in shock. "What?! Even I'll agree with Hiiragizawa on this one!"
"Hmm, how about we just study what we really need to work on" Tomoyo suggested.
"NO!!! You don't understand!!! If I don't pass this, my whole GPA will fall! And remember, we're in high school, so this is on our permanent record and…" Sakura started hyperventilating.
"Take deep calming breathes Sakura, that's right, count to twenty."
When Sakura finally re-mastered her breathing pattern, the four skipped to chapter seventeen which taught quadratic equations. It made Syaoran and Sakura want to rip their hair out.
"Wait, how do we know what represents a, and what represents b, and…" Sakura was tapping her pencil repeatedly against the table in frustration.
"This one is always going to be a, and this one b, and c comes at the end," Eriol said, pointing at the corresponding binomials.
"But, couldn't you use this axiom to…" Syaoran's hair was looking much like how it did on the night of the Gin-and-dust-bunny-fiasco-of-Hell.
'Nope, can't distribute that!"
"Damn."
"Don't worry, solving quadratic equations by completing the square can be rather difficult…hey! Where are you going?!" Tomoyo's question caused Eriol and Sakura to look up.
"Syaoran, where ARE you going?! We only have three more pages of Math to do, and then we're done reviewing!" Sakura asked.
"I have to use the bathroom."
"Oh, all right. I guess we can take a bit of a break then."
Syaoran walked to the bathroom, opened the door, closed the door,, and then promptly turned the water on. He just didn't understand. WHY did he have that dre…NIGHTMARE about ERIOL HIIRAGIZAWA of all people. He always believed that he would fall in love with Sakura, and get married, but…after Sakura announced to Eriol and him that she and Tomoyo were a couple…
Syaoran shook his head, and splashed some water onto his face. Suddenly, a thought that made sense struck him. He was using Eriol as a replacement for Sakura! That was it! Syaoran nodded his head. That explained the thoughts and the…nightmare, but what about those odd tingly feelings when…he shook his head again, Teenage hormones. Syaoran nodded sagely. Yes, that was it, that was it exactly!
Smiling about the logical explanations he had come up with in response to completely illogical feelings, Syaoran reached for the doorknob, feeling more confident than he ever had since the gym fiasco, when there was a knock. And Syaoran was struck by a sudden feeling of déjà vu.
"Syaoran, are you alright? You've been in there for a while, and we were getting worried. That, and the fact that Sakura was basically bursting with the eagerness to continue studying. I've never seen her so enthusiastic about studying before have you? Syaoran, are you sure you're alright? You haven't told me to go away yet."
Syaoran paled. 'This is exactly like my d…NIGHTMARE goddamn it, NIGHTMARE!' Syaoran thought. 'Well, at least I know what is coming…no! Not coming! Crap. Kero just HAD to rub off on me…'
The door opened, and Eriol walked in. "Are you sure you're alright? You look a bit flushed." Syaoran's eyes widened when he felt a hand on his forehead. "Hmm, you don't seem to have a fever."
"No, I won't let that happen again!"
"Won't let what happen again?" Eriol was looking at Syaoran like he had grown three extra heads.
"The dr…NIGHTMARE!!!" Syaoran immediately turned a brighter shade of red after he announced it.
"Why don't you tell me this nightmare then. If you don't, you risk ending up traumatized by it," Eriol suggested, conveniently overlooking the fact that Syaoran almost referred to it as a dream, and the fact that Syaoran wasn't a toddler.
"Well, we were studying for the Math midterm, just like before, and Sakura was also determined to study the whole Math textbook in one sitting, just like today. Anyway, I got up to use the bathroom…"
"Why?" Eriol asked curiously.
'Because I needed to use the bathroom, you idiot,' Syaoran attempted to say, what he said instead was, "Because I was getting weird…feelings from you," Syaoran clapped both hands over his mouth in horror.
"Oh, was I possessed?"
"Umm, no."
"What types of feelings were they?"
"They were of an odd tingling sort."
"Oh, alright, continue."
"Well, I went into the bathroom and deduced that the feelings I was getting from you were just because I was trying to fill an emotional void left over from Sakura, but then…" Syaoran trailed off. Why was he telling Hiiragizawa this?! It wasn't like it was any of his business, and why couldn't he stop his lips from moving, goddamn it?!?!?!
"Oh, so I kissed you and backed you into the toilet," Eriol nodded sagely. Completely disregarding Syaoran's look of horror.
'Oh crap, I didn't say that, but then how did he know?! Oh, I bet that this is all Sakura's and Tomoyo's doing, after all why…why the HELL is he looking at me like that?!'
"You know, I'm beginning to believe your subconscious has some Very good ideas, Syaoran," Eriol purred, advancing. Syaoran started to back up, paused, and then smirked. The potion had kicked in decided it was time to play.
In another dimension where time was still an ideal, not fully formed, and no mortal man was around to mold it to their proportions, two fickle beings, Lady Fate and Lady Destiny1, were watching events unfold.
The two sisters normally agreed on what to do for most subjects (aka victims), but they had had a small misunderstanding.
Lady Fate wished to see two mortals together, as lovers, or at least friends. Lady Destiny had wanted them to be arch-rivals. There was also, another pair from another dimension that Lady Fate wished to see together who were also arch-rivals2.
As sisters, there had been numerous arguments for a week or two (or rather the faintest hint of idea that it had been a week or two), until they had reached an agreement. One pair would be together. The next question was, obviously, how to choose. By drawing lots. Fate guides a mortal's hand, and out of the fork comes a destined path.
The sisters clustered around the picture frame along with cousin Luck, who simply "had to be present. Why? You have to have someone draw the lot!" They all smiled as everything fell into place.
Lady Destiny decided she had done the right thing when she had allowed her sister to convince her. They did make a rather cute couple.
A/N: Yes, the last part probably just seemed to be there to take up space, but it does have some purpose. And it's probably glaringly obvious. ::sighs:: Oh well, I didn't think it was that obvious at the time.
1. This idea was borrowed from a fic I read some time ago, and I give the author the credit right now. Hell, the major idea was borrowed from her…him. The name of the story is Ad Infinitum by Ancalyme. It's under the Harry Potter section, and is LV/HP. It's pretty good. Better than the majority, but not the best.
2. The arch-rivals implied here aren't the same from Ancalyme's story, but still from the HP books. I'm not going to tell you. You have to figure it out.