LOOK SMART
chapter two
The bell rang.
"Today wasn't so bad in class," Tomoyo said as we left the classroom. "At least
we're finally done with Romeo and Juliet! Talk about borringggg! The Crucible
sounds a lot better. A lot more sophisticated, granted I have no idea what the
story is about, but hey that's why we have literature class." I continued to walk
in this stuper. I was paying attention to what she was saying but I wasn't
actually hearing it. I could feel the bump on my forehead throb with pain from
yesterday.
How humiliating! I couldn't bare looking at HIM again. What was even worse was
when he was tutoring me. He took one glance at the textbook and began to
explain it to me AND it made sense. I understood what he was saying. I continued
to ask myself how. How does he know so much even though he never goes to
class. Even now he's not in school. I should know, we have all the same classes.
"Earth to Sakura!" I shook my head and saw her eyeing me with one brow raised.
"Oh, hey Tomoyo! Sorry about that, I guess I'm a little out of it."
"A little?" She said incredulously. We continued to walk to the cafeteria. "I'm
surprised your brain is able to function with that big bump on your forehead!"
"Is it that noticeable?" I lightly touched it feeling the huge band aid over it.
Great! I must look more like a idiot with this thing on!
"Hey, you never told me how you got it in the first place." My face grew hot.
What should I tell her? Maybe I could somehow leave out the part of my intense
crush with her enemy, Eriol. "Fine, don't tell me. I guess I could just leave it to
my imagination!"
"Thanks, Tomoyo!" We sat down at our usual spot and began to eat our lunches.
Everything was normal about today's lunch break. I mean it was the same as
every other day. Well, that's what I thought at least.
"Hey! Look." Tomoyo nudged me in the side of my stomach.
"Hey!" I growled. "You almost made me drop my lunch!"
"Shut up, and look over there." Tomoyo pointed to the corner of the room. That
was where all the delinquent kids hung out. They weren't really bad or anything.
Sure they pull a few pranks here and there but they're really just regular kids,
nothing special about them. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah, so what about them?"
"Syoaran Li is there!" I looked up again and squinted. Oh, wow it was really him!
He seems so different when he's with his friends. Yesterday he seemed so laid
back and mellow. Like you couldn't tell he was a rebel. But now, with his friends
surrounding him he seems almost, cool. "Isn't it weird?"
"Isn't what weird?" I was a little confused.
"It's been two months since school started and this is the first time he's been in
school!"
"He did skip all his morning classes though."
"Yeah but the point is he showed up!" I did find it a bit odd. I guess the seat
behind me won't be empty anymore. "I heard, even though he never shows up
he's the smartest kid in the whole school!"
"Eh? How is that possible?" As she spoke I began to stare at him more without
even realizing it.
"Well, he scored the highest on the entrance exams! He's even smarter than that
jerk!"
"Eh?! Smarter than Eriol? Didn't he almost get a perfect score?" Tomoyo cringed
at the sound of his name. She couldn't even bring herself to utter a single syllable
of his name. She truly hated him.
"That is true, even I must admit that. But Li over there scored a perfect score!"
"Wow, really?!" I began to feel a bit guilty. I completely misjudged him. I thought
because since he hung out with the wrong crowd he was an idiot. A low life. I
began to feel disgusted with myself. All this time I thought I was so much better
than the group of people in the corner of the room. I thought they would never
go anywhere in life. I thought in a way that made me superior to them. But now,
he's the one tutoring me. Right now, I couldn't stand myself. I kept watching,
watching him without realizing it myself. Until he stared right back at me.
"What was that all about?" Tomoyo asked me. But I simply turned the other way.
"Sakura! I'm beginning to think there's more to that bump on your head then your
letting on!" She pushed on my bandage like it was meant to be pushed on.
"Ahh!!" I screamed in pain. "What the hell is the matter with you?"
"Baka! That's what you get for keeping secrets from your best friend! And that
bump is going to keep growing until you tell me the truth!"
"Ha, fat chance of that happening!" I looked back to the corner, and he wasn't
there anymore. I sighed out of relief. I don't know how I would feel about him
staring at me. Probably uncomrfortable. I turned back around to Tomoyo.
"Boo!"
"Ahh!" I screamed again. It was Li, Li was sitting next to me. I could see Tomoyo
laughing at me behind him.
"My, you're the jumpy type." I glared back at him. He was grinning in a way like
he was mocking me. "Is she always this excited?" He asked Tomoyo.
"Only when she's around boys she likes!" I began to feel my face grow hot.
"Tomoyo!" I squeeled. "That isn't true! I don't like you! I wouldn't care if you even
got run over by a truck!"
"Tsk, tsk, Ms. Kinomoto. Is that how you talk to your teachers?"
"EH?!" Tomoyo looked at me in shock. "Li here is your tutor?"
"She didn't tell you?" I felt like they were both about to gang up on me.
"NO!" Tomoyo seemed a bit angry but wasn't really. "I guess that explains why
she was in such a hurry to get home!" She began to giggle. And I, well, my face
got so hot I thought it was about to melt away.
"Really?" Li said. "That explains why she hit herself in the head with the door! I
guess she couldn't wait to see me!"
"HA HA HA HA!" They began to laugh at the same time. Both of them mocking me.
"Hey," Tomoyo began, "I should bring in some pictures of Sakura wearing some
really cute clothes!"
"You have pictures of her?"
"Well, yeah! She kinda models them for my mom, she works in the fashion
industry."
"Well, she is cute. Yeah, you should bring them in tomorrow!" Then they both
began to laugh again. All the while I could feel my temperature rise. But this time
I wasn't nervous, it was because I was angry. How dare they mock me, AND I
have this stupid bandage on my head still!! I could feel my left eye twitch.
AFTER SCHOOL
"Today was an interesting day wasn't it?" Tomoyo grinned in amusement. Sure we
were best friends but that didn't stop her from torturing me. I didn't say anything
I just continued to walk. "Aww, c'mon Sakura! We were juss teasing you! And
besides I think he likes you!"
HE likes ME? Yeah right I thought. Why would Li, of all people like me? Besides he
has a reputation of being a playboy. I remember walking behind the gym building
one afternoon, and I saw him. He was with another girl. They weren't doing
anything scandelous but it looked like it was about to get serious, and he smokes.
A guy like that would never be interested in going out with me! Not that I wanted
him to. Even if it could never happen, I have my heart set on Eriol.
Except for the fact that he hates me...
"Yeah right!" I finally responded. "Even if it were true, he's not my type!"
"Whatever! Even you can't deny that he's hot!"
"What?!"
"C'mon say it!" Tomoyo continued to tease me. "Say you think Li is hot!"
"I mean... he's cute and everything..." I began to blush again. "Why are we
talking about this?" We finally reached the school gates and there he was.
Waiting for us. After all what happened today I could hardly believe I forgot
about today's tutoring session.
He stood there with his uniform jacket unbuttoned from the collar to the mid
region of his chest. His bag slinged over his shoulder as he stared at me with
those brown eyes of his.
"Hmm," Tomoyo looked at me in this devilish way. "I guess I won't be walking with
you home today again. See you tomorrow Sakura!" She quickly ran off before I
could even get a word in. And there I was, left alone with him once again.
I slowly approached him. I wasn't too eager to see him, what with all the teasing
I was getting.
"So," he started, "ready for today's lesson?"
"I can hardly wait." I replied sarcastically.
"You aren't mad are you? I was just teasing you!"
"Yeah well, you've been teasing me since lunch! I can't believe we have ALL the
same classes together. What bad luck I have. I must've been born with
misfortunes!"
"You can't blame me, you make such a cute face when you get all pouty!" He
chuckled a bit. What was he saying? I 'make a cute face'? For some reason I
began to blush again. I couldn't understand why. I know for a fact I don't have
feelings for him. It's Eriol I like, I'm sure of it. Minutes of silence passed until I
finally said something.
"Li?"
"Eh?" He looked over to me.
"May I ask you a personal question?" He thought about it for a moment. I guess
he was surprised I wanted to know something personal about him.
"Sure, I guess."
"How come you're never in school?"
"That's not a personal question!"
"Well, answer it anyway."
"Hmm, okay. Since you asked so politely! I guess there was never really a reason
for me to go school, you know?"
"What do you mean no reason? Isn't studying important enough? How will you
ever go anywhere in life?"
"Sure, you need a degree to get a job, but having a degree doesn't guarantee
you a job. Get what I'm saying?"
"I-I never looked at it that way before..."
"Well, I guess you live and learn. Hey, since you got to ask a personal question I
guess it's my turn to ask you a personal question!"
"What? No way! I never agreed to that!"
"Well, okay. I guess you owe me one then."
"Owe you?"
"Yeah, when you're more comfortable with me I get to ask you one personal
question. Deal?"
"I guess. But I can't promise you that'll ever happen."
"That's okay. I have a feeling we'll be good friends in the future."
How strange. He isn't at all like I would expect. He's almost, silly in a way like a
child. But his asnwer to my question was somewhat... enlightening. I guess, I
really do have poor judgement.
"Hey," Li began, "how about we study at my house today?"
"What? There's no way I'm going to your house!" He chuckled again. "Hey, what's
so funny?"
"Nothing, it's just that, you're really cute. You know that?" I could feel my face
burn once again. Why does he keep saying stuff like that? Maybe he really does
like me? What if he wants me to come over because he's a pervert? Oh no, what
have you've gotten yourself into Kinomoto?
I looked up at him from the corner of my eye. He stared straight ahead with his
bag still slung over his shoulder. Just now, he looks so cool. And I have to admit,
he is really cute.
THUD
"AHH!!" I screamed.
"Are you okay?" Li helped me up off the ground. "You know you should watch
where you're going. You might just walk into another tree!" I could hear him
chuckle! I can't believe I walked into a tree! It's not like I wasn't able to notice
it... first the door, now the tree. He has to think I'm a retard now. Damn him and
his dark chocolate eyes... EEK!! what am I saying?
"Sakura, you should really stop walking into things, it really isn't healthy!" I glared
at him. "Hey, my house is alot closer than yours. How about we just stop by and
get that bump checked out?"
"Li!"
"We're not going to stay there! It'll only be a second."
"No!"
"Why not? Do you think I'm going to force myself on you?"
"N-No!" I lied.
"Just because you're cute doesn't mean I'm going to attack you!"
That's right! How could I possibly think he was some pervert? He could get any
girl he wanted. Besides I trust myself! I would never let him charm his way into
getting what he wants... not that he wants to... or that I want him to... Sakura!
Get a hold of yourself!
"Sure, but only for a moment!"
"Great! Let's go!"
chapter two
The bell rang.
"Today wasn't so bad in class," Tomoyo said as we left the classroom. "At least
we're finally done with Romeo and Juliet! Talk about borringggg! The Crucible
sounds a lot better. A lot more sophisticated, granted I have no idea what the
story is about, but hey that's why we have literature class." I continued to walk
in this stuper. I was paying attention to what she was saying but I wasn't
actually hearing it. I could feel the bump on my forehead throb with pain from
yesterday.
How humiliating! I couldn't bare looking at HIM again. What was even worse was
when he was tutoring me. He took one glance at the textbook and began to
explain it to me AND it made sense. I understood what he was saying. I continued
to ask myself how. How does he know so much even though he never goes to
class. Even now he's not in school. I should know, we have all the same classes.
"Earth to Sakura!" I shook my head and saw her eyeing me with one brow raised.
"Oh, hey Tomoyo! Sorry about that, I guess I'm a little out of it."
"A little?" She said incredulously. We continued to walk to the cafeteria. "I'm
surprised your brain is able to function with that big bump on your forehead!"
"Is it that noticeable?" I lightly touched it feeling the huge band aid over it.
Great! I must look more like a idiot with this thing on!
"Hey, you never told me how you got it in the first place." My face grew hot.
What should I tell her? Maybe I could somehow leave out the part of my intense
crush with her enemy, Eriol. "Fine, don't tell me. I guess I could just leave it to
my imagination!"
"Thanks, Tomoyo!" We sat down at our usual spot and began to eat our lunches.
Everything was normal about today's lunch break. I mean it was the same as
every other day. Well, that's what I thought at least.
"Hey! Look." Tomoyo nudged me in the side of my stomach.
"Hey!" I growled. "You almost made me drop my lunch!"
"Shut up, and look over there." Tomoyo pointed to the corner of the room. That
was where all the delinquent kids hung out. They weren't really bad or anything.
Sure they pull a few pranks here and there but they're really just regular kids,
nothing special about them. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah, so what about them?"
"Syoaran Li is there!" I looked up again and squinted. Oh, wow it was really him!
He seems so different when he's with his friends. Yesterday he seemed so laid
back and mellow. Like you couldn't tell he was a rebel. But now, with his friends
surrounding him he seems almost, cool. "Isn't it weird?"
"Isn't what weird?" I was a little confused.
"It's been two months since school started and this is the first time he's been in
school!"
"He did skip all his morning classes though."
"Yeah but the point is he showed up!" I did find it a bit odd. I guess the seat
behind me won't be empty anymore. "I heard, even though he never shows up
he's the smartest kid in the whole school!"
"Eh? How is that possible?" As she spoke I began to stare at him more without
even realizing it.
"Well, he scored the highest on the entrance exams! He's even smarter than that
jerk!"
"Eh?! Smarter than Eriol? Didn't he almost get a perfect score?" Tomoyo cringed
at the sound of his name. She couldn't even bring herself to utter a single syllable
of his name. She truly hated him.
"That is true, even I must admit that. But Li over there scored a perfect score!"
"Wow, really?!" I began to feel a bit guilty. I completely misjudged him. I thought
because since he hung out with the wrong crowd he was an idiot. A low life. I
began to feel disgusted with myself. All this time I thought I was so much better
than the group of people in the corner of the room. I thought they would never
go anywhere in life. I thought in a way that made me superior to them. But now,
he's the one tutoring me. Right now, I couldn't stand myself. I kept watching,
watching him without realizing it myself. Until he stared right back at me.
"What was that all about?" Tomoyo asked me. But I simply turned the other way.
"Sakura! I'm beginning to think there's more to that bump on your head then your
letting on!" She pushed on my bandage like it was meant to be pushed on.
"Ahh!!" I screamed in pain. "What the hell is the matter with you?"
"Baka! That's what you get for keeping secrets from your best friend! And that
bump is going to keep growing until you tell me the truth!"
"Ha, fat chance of that happening!" I looked back to the corner, and he wasn't
there anymore. I sighed out of relief. I don't know how I would feel about him
staring at me. Probably uncomrfortable. I turned back around to Tomoyo.
"Boo!"
"Ahh!" I screamed again. It was Li, Li was sitting next to me. I could see Tomoyo
laughing at me behind him.
"My, you're the jumpy type." I glared back at him. He was grinning in a way like
he was mocking me. "Is she always this excited?" He asked Tomoyo.
"Only when she's around boys she likes!" I began to feel my face grow hot.
"Tomoyo!" I squeeled. "That isn't true! I don't like you! I wouldn't care if you even
got run over by a truck!"
"Tsk, tsk, Ms. Kinomoto. Is that how you talk to your teachers?"
"EH?!" Tomoyo looked at me in shock. "Li here is your tutor?"
"She didn't tell you?" I felt like they were both about to gang up on me.
"NO!" Tomoyo seemed a bit angry but wasn't really. "I guess that explains why
she was in such a hurry to get home!" She began to giggle. And I, well, my face
got so hot I thought it was about to melt away.
"Really?" Li said. "That explains why she hit herself in the head with the door! I
guess she couldn't wait to see me!"
"HA HA HA HA!" They began to laugh at the same time. Both of them mocking me.
"Hey," Tomoyo began, "I should bring in some pictures of Sakura wearing some
really cute clothes!"
"You have pictures of her?"
"Well, yeah! She kinda models them for my mom, she works in the fashion
industry."
"Well, she is cute. Yeah, you should bring them in tomorrow!" Then they both
began to laugh again. All the while I could feel my temperature rise. But this time
I wasn't nervous, it was because I was angry. How dare they mock me, AND I
have this stupid bandage on my head still!! I could feel my left eye twitch.
AFTER SCHOOL
"Today was an interesting day wasn't it?" Tomoyo grinned in amusement. Sure we
were best friends but that didn't stop her from torturing me. I didn't say anything
I just continued to walk. "Aww, c'mon Sakura! We were juss teasing you! And
besides I think he likes you!"
HE likes ME? Yeah right I thought. Why would Li, of all people like me? Besides he
has a reputation of being a playboy. I remember walking behind the gym building
one afternoon, and I saw him. He was with another girl. They weren't doing
anything scandelous but it looked like it was about to get serious, and he smokes.
A guy like that would never be interested in going out with me! Not that I wanted
him to. Even if it could never happen, I have my heart set on Eriol.
Except for the fact that he hates me...
"Yeah right!" I finally responded. "Even if it were true, he's not my type!"
"Whatever! Even you can't deny that he's hot!"
"What?!"
"C'mon say it!" Tomoyo continued to tease me. "Say you think Li is hot!"
"I mean... he's cute and everything..." I began to blush again. "Why are we
talking about this?" We finally reached the school gates and there he was.
Waiting for us. After all what happened today I could hardly believe I forgot
about today's tutoring session.
He stood there with his uniform jacket unbuttoned from the collar to the mid
region of his chest. His bag slinged over his shoulder as he stared at me with
those brown eyes of his.
"Hmm," Tomoyo looked at me in this devilish way. "I guess I won't be walking with
you home today again. See you tomorrow Sakura!" She quickly ran off before I
could even get a word in. And there I was, left alone with him once again.
I slowly approached him. I wasn't too eager to see him, what with all the teasing
I was getting.
"So," he started, "ready for today's lesson?"
"I can hardly wait." I replied sarcastically.
"You aren't mad are you? I was just teasing you!"
"Yeah well, you've been teasing me since lunch! I can't believe we have ALL the
same classes together. What bad luck I have. I must've been born with
misfortunes!"
"You can't blame me, you make such a cute face when you get all pouty!" He
chuckled a bit. What was he saying? I 'make a cute face'? For some reason I
began to blush again. I couldn't understand why. I know for a fact I don't have
feelings for him. It's Eriol I like, I'm sure of it. Minutes of silence passed until I
finally said something.
"Li?"
"Eh?" He looked over to me.
"May I ask you a personal question?" He thought about it for a moment. I guess
he was surprised I wanted to know something personal about him.
"Sure, I guess."
"How come you're never in school?"
"That's not a personal question!"
"Well, answer it anyway."
"Hmm, okay. Since you asked so politely! I guess there was never really a reason
for me to go school, you know?"
"What do you mean no reason? Isn't studying important enough? How will you
ever go anywhere in life?"
"Sure, you need a degree to get a job, but having a degree doesn't guarantee
you a job. Get what I'm saying?"
"I-I never looked at it that way before..."
"Well, I guess you live and learn. Hey, since you got to ask a personal question I
guess it's my turn to ask you a personal question!"
"What? No way! I never agreed to that!"
"Well, okay. I guess you owe me one then."
"Owe you?"
"Yeah, when you're more comfortable with me I get to ask you one personal
question. Deal?"
"I guess. But I can't promise you that'll ever happen."
"That's okay. I have a feeling we'll be good friends in the future."
How strange. He isn't at all like I would expect. He's almost, silly in a way like a
child. But his asnwer to my question was somewhat... enlightening. I guess, I
really do have poor judgement.
"Hey," Li began, "how about we study at my house today?"
"What? There's no way I'm going to your house!" He chuckled again. "Hey, what's
so funny?"
"Nothing, it's just that, you're really cute. You know that?" I could feel my face
burn once again. Why does he keep saying stuff like that? Maybe he really does
like me? What if he wants me to come over because he's a pervert? Oh no, what
have you've gotten yourself into Kinomoto?
I looked up at him from the corner of my eye. He stared straight ahead with his
bag still slung over his shoulder. Just now, he looks so cool. And I have to admit,
he is really cute.
THUD
"AHH!!" I screamed.
"Are you okay?" Li helped me up off the ground. "You know you should watch
where you're going. You might just walk into another tree!" I could hear him
chuckle! I can't believe I walked into a tree! It's not like I wasn't able to notice
it... first the door, now the tree. He has to think I'm a retard now. Damn him and
his dark chocolate eyes... EEK!! what am I saying?
"Sakura, you should really stop walking into things, it really isn't healthy!" I glared
at him. "Hey, my house is alot closer than yours. How about we just stop by and
get that bump checked out?"
"Li!"
"We're not going to stay there! It'll only be a second."
"No!"
"Why not? Do you think I'm going to force myself on you?"
"N-No!" I lied.
"Just because you're cute doesn't mean I'm going to attack you!"
That's right! How could I possibly think he was some pervert? He could get any
girl he wanted. Besides I trust myself! I would never let him charm his way into
getting what he wants... not that he wants to... or that I want him to... Sakura!
Get a hold of yourself!
"Sure, but only for a moment!"
"Great! Let's go!"