Episode Five: A Hurtful Touch

Sakura didn't have a lot of explaining to do because Li did the favor of making up a convincing story. Li explained that he begged Sakura to help him with a project in the library and took the blame for not reminding Sakura that she should call her father and tell him where she was. Aiden Avalon looked a little doubtful that this story was true but didn't ask any questions. Although he did start nagging Sakura when she was limping up the stairs.

"What's wrong with your leg?" He asked sweetly but Sakura knew that if she didn't give him a good answer he would tackle her with a million other tough questions.

"I.. uhh.. I twisted my ankle getting here. You know me, always a klutz!"

That wasn't a complete lie...

Since some unknown force destroyed the school all the students got relocated to an old school that hasn't been used for years.

I don't understand why they couldn't just post-pone school. Sakura thought. She wouldn't have felt this way if Ms. Parke was her teacher.

All Monday she kept picking on Sakura for questions that she didn't know the answer to and it didn't help that she forgot to do her homework over the weekend. At least one good thing happened, Sakura figured out the new boy's name.

Adam... seems innocent enough but Sakura felt something was strange about him so she promised herself she would keep a watchful eye on him.

When the last bell rang Sakura thought that she would never be any happier. She raced out of the classroom before anybody and ran outside. Once outside she sat under a tree on the school field and watched all the kids go home. Madison and Li offered to sit with her but she said she wanted to be alone. That made Li very disappointed because he could have told Sakura his feelings, it would have been the perfect time! But Sakura wanted to be alone and Li would respect her wishes.

As Sakura sat under the tree and watched the leaves fall and make small piles around her, she thought about her Star staff.

(Flashback)

Sakura's sitting in her room with duck tape in hand and was staring down at the halves of the Star staff. She looked stupidly at the duck and dropped it on the desk

Smart.. real smart. Fix a magical object with tape isn't there some card to fix this?

Sakura took out the Sakura book and took out the Star cards and looked at them one by one.

"Watery, Windy, Bubble... haha Bubble yeah right. Dash, Lock, Hope... Hope?!" Sakura smiled as she gazed with sparkling eyes at the card. She made this card when she found out Li was moving back to Hong Kong.

I'm glad he's back, he can help me figure everything out.

"I wonder what Hope was for... I never used it anyway. I guess now I'll never have the chance..." Sakura thought out loud looking at the broken star once again.

(End of flashback)

"Arg! I feel so useless! I wish there was something I could do!!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Can I help?"

Sakura jumped and turned to her right and saw that Adam was towering over her with a huge grin on his face.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" He asked politely. Sakura laughed but it came like a nervous chuckle.

"Do you mind if I sit with you? I've been having some problems of my own and I'd love to have someone to talk to," Adam explained. His soft voice made Sakura less nervous and more comfortable. Sakura nodded quickly and Adam sat down and leaned against the tree.

"Don't you ever feel, like you said, useless? Like something happened and you feel like it's all your fault although somehow it isn't but you still feel guilty?" Adam explained and then started laughing. "Is this making any sense?" Sakura laughed too and replied, "Yeah, surprisingly it makes a lot of sense." So they laughed together and Sakura felt like all her troubles washed away.

"Sakura I..." Adam started but then he looked away. Sakura leaned closer towards him and asked, "What is it?" Adam shook his head and his hair softly brushed her cheek and only then did Sakura realise how close they were sitting next to each other.

"It's okay, you can tell me," Sakura said, grinning at him. Adam smiled back but then stared at the grass when he spoke.

"I really like talking to you..." Adam said.

"I like talking to you too! It's nice to know I'm not the only one that's not having such a great week." Sakura told him. Adam laughed.

"Yeah, that is comforting. But uh... I don't just like talking to you... I um.. I really like you." Adam admitted. Sakura was at a loss for words.

"Oh.. I... you mean as friends?" Sakura asked, hoping she was right. Adam blushed and for once Sakura noticed.

"No... more than friends."

"But you just met me..." Sakura argued. Adam nodded.

"That's true but haven't you heard of love at first sight?" He asked, kindly.

"Love...?" Sakura choked out. Her face was getting hot and Adam leaned closer towards her until she could feel his breath on her skin. She got goosebumps and her lips started trembling.

"Love." Adam assured her. Sakura knew it... Sakura knew he was going to kiss her. Maybe she wanted him to, she wasn't sure. There was something intoxicating about him, like she wanted to be with him forever. But one image and one thought floated in her mind that made her reconsider.

Li...

Adam lips touched hers but Sakura pulled away as fast she could.

"I... can't..." She blurted out. She got up, picked up her backpack and started walking away. Adam got up as well and quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her close. She dropped her backpack and Adam took her arms and held him against his chest. Sakura looked into his eyes and didn't see the soft cheerful look. She saw hatred and hunger for something more than a kiss.

What does he want from me?

"Let go off me!" Sakura screamed, bitterly. She pounded him in the chest until Adam let go. Then she took her backpack and ran home. He leaned against the tree and sighed. Then he looked up and said, "You can come out now." A young blonde girl jumped off the tree branch and stood in front of Adam.

"You were so close! Couldn't you have done it any faster?"

"Hey... you changed bodies." The young blonde girl examined herself and grinned.

"Ms. Parke was getting gray hairs and wrinkles. I couldn't stand her anymore. So I took this beauty. But anyway, why didn't you just go for it?" Adam shook his head.

"I needed her to trust me and that took some time and she pulled away to quickly anyway," Adam explained.

"Arg! The plan would have been a complete success if this had worked!"

"Don't worry, Emily, I'll handle everything." Adam assured her.

"How?" Emily asked. Adam sighed.

"She was thinking of something, or should I say someone that made her pull away. I know she wanted to kiss me but something made her stop. I just need to know what that something is and then I'll get to her again," Adam assured her but Emily only glared at him.

"You better be right."