Episode Six: Trustful Bonds

"Would you like something to drink?" Madison asked. Sakura didn't answer and kept her head buried in the pillow.

Madison invited Sakura for a sleepover and wouldn't take no for an answer. Sakura had been so quiet lately and wasn't her cheerful self. Madison knew that even when times got tough Sakura always looked on the bright side but this time she acted as if everybody was against her.

Sakura explained all the bad things that's been happening lately, like the Star of her staff broken, and Madison understood why Sakura was so depressed. She really hoped that the sleepover would cheer her up and make all her troubles go away. Madison was doubtful that it would work because Sakura was always trapped in her own thoughts but she still decided to try. Madison hopped on her bed while Sakura had her sleeping bag on the floor next to Madison.

"Sakura, please take your head out of the pillow. You look silly." Madison explained. Sakura groaned but agreed. She turned on her back instead and stared at the ceiling.

"Sakura, stop thinking! You're driving me insane!" Madison exclaimed. Sakura looked at her stupidly.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. Madison thought about how she would explain how Sakura was acting.

"I mean... stop thinking about all the bad things that's been happening. Focus on the positive!" Madison replied. Sakura smirked.

"Like what?"

"Like... Li coming back into town!" Madison responded. Sakura shrugged.

"Yeah... it's been great having him here. I really missed him." Sakura said. Madison grinned.

"Oh really?" She asked, in a teasing voice. Sakura took her pillow and threw it at Madison.

"Shut up! I don't like him like that." Sakura said. Madison threw the pillow back and nodded.

"You're so defensive! I didn't say you did!" Madison exclaimed. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

Maybe I should commit sucide... Sakura thought. She was lying on her bed on beautiful Tuesday afternoon.

She felt so bad that she just wished she was dead. She didn't want to deal with all these problems and she wished that everything was just normal... for once.

Sakura ignored all her friends all day and sat under the same tree every recess and watched other kids have fun. Being by herself she had time to think. She thought about Adam and their almost kiss. She really did want to kiss him but then suddenly Li appeared in her mind, smiling at her with his sparkling auburn eyes.

Why did Li make me pull away? No matter what Madison thinks, he's only my friend... I think. But he keeps trying to tell me something and he's always intrupped. Sakura got up and reached for her pink phone on her desk and dialed Li's number.

"Hello." Li answered. Sakura took a deep breath and then poured out a hundred words in one breath.

"Li, this is Sakura. Um.. you keep trying to tell me something and do you want to meet me somewhere so we can talk about it? But if you don't want to it's okay. I mean we don't have to talk about it today.. maybe some other time. So.. what do you think?" Li laughed.

"I think... you should meet me at Peguin Park." Before Sakura could say anything Li hung up. So she raced out the door and ran to Peguin Park. She didn't know why she was in such a hurry but she just wanted to see Li.

When she reached Peguin Park Li wasn't there. Sakura expected that, she lived closer to the park than Li and he probably wasn't running at full speed like she was. She headed towards the swings but stopped when she heard a strange sound. She quietly walked around the park and figured out that the sound was coming from inside the hidout underneath the huge peguin slide. She crept underneath and saw Madison tied up and gagged, sitting in a corner with tears streaming down her face.

So she was the one making the noise...

Sakura struggled with the knots from the rope until she finally freed Madison. Madison fell in to Sakura's arms and continued sobbing. Sakura started shaking her.

"Madison?! What's wrong? What happened?" Sakura asked. Madison lifted her head and stared into Sakura's eyes.

"She said she was going to kill you. So I had to tell her... I had to! Please forgive me Sakura!" Madison pleaded. Sakura nodded.

"Okay, okay. But who is she? What did you say?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know who she was but she wanted to know who you liked and I told her it was Li because she was going to kill you... I had to! I'm so sorry!" Madison expalined. Sakura held her tightly.

"I don't like Li," Sakura assured her. "So it doesn't matter what you told her." Madison shook her head.

"You do, Sakura. You do like him more than a friend, why can't you see that?!" Madison cried out. Sakura stuttered, not knowing how to respond.

"Sakura?" A voice called from behind her. Sakura turned around to see it was Li.

"Li!" Sakura exclaimed, happy to see that he was alright. As she was about to get up, Madison grabbed her arm and pulled her down.

"No! Sakura don't trust him. That isn't really Li! He's being possesed!" Madison warned her. Sakura looked back and forth between them and Li started laughing.

"Madison, what are you talking about? I'm not possesed!" Li assured her.

"Yeah Madison, what's wrong? Why would you think that he's possesed?" Sakura asked. Madison tightened the grip on Sakura's arm until she felt extreme pain.

"Madison, you're hurting me! Let me go!" Sakura screamed. Madison's grip didn't loosen and she looked at Sakura with a look of concern.

Sakura please believe me!

Li kneeled down and pulled Sakura away from Madison. Then she looked at him with scorn and hatred. Madison got up and started screaming bitterly.

"Get away from him Sakura! Please trust me!" Madison pleaded. Sakura looked back and forth between Madison and Li and was completely confused.

I think... I know what to do.. Sakura thought but she wasn't sure if her idea would work. It's worth a shot..

She turned to Li and looked deeply into his eyes. He looked back at her blankly with absoulately no expression. But Sakura focused on the feeling in his eyes and saw the same thing that she saw in Adam. Hatred and hunger...

She pulled away from Li and held on to Madison.

"Sakura... what are you doing? Madison is crazy, believe me!" Li yelled.

"You're not really Li, are you?" Sakura asked softly, hardly believing it herself. Li stood still and didn't answer.

"Tell me the truth!" She screamed. Then she heard a laugh. An unfamiliar girl appeared at Li's side and rested her arm on his shoulder.

"Oh, please. You can't handle the truth!"