Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fiction but the plot is entirely mine as I based it from a story I'm making at the moment though I do want to own kawaii Eriol…
Chapter 3 – Schoolmate
"Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb whose skin's as white as snow,
It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day
It followed her to school one day… lalalalala
It was already Monday and Eriol is parking his Porsche in the school parking lot. Grabbing his satchel and sheath, his car keys in his pocket he walked his way to his class, 3- A. It was only 6:30 in the morning, still early for anything.
"Ohayou," a familiar voice called out.
"Ohayou," Eriol greeted back to the chestnut haired lad seated a couple of seats from the back settling himself to the seat next to it.
"You're earlier than usual today, Syaoran…" Eriol commented as he arranges a stack of papers at his desk.
"Betsuni…, I just feel like it…" Syaoran said rocking his chair slightly his amber eyes with a certain glitter. If it was of mischief or something that can make anyone roll their eyes in amazement or anything of that sort, Eriol could not tell, but somehow he has a bad feeling that mischief was on its way especially upon the sight of dark haired guy with gray eyes with specks of navy entering the room.
"Ohayou!" the lad greeted. "Eriol, you're early today!" he added as he seated to the chair next to Eriol's.
"What do you mean early? I always come to school early you're the one who's always late. Did you eat something that made you come this early, Yamazaki?" Eriol retorted jokingly.
"Jitsuwa, meshi janai ne (Actually, it's not a food)" Yamazaki said winking at Syaoran who quickly understood well.
"Really? What is it then? I better get you a dose of it everyday so that you won't be a regular customer in detention class…" Eriol smirked.
"You really want to know?" Yamazaki asked with a sly smile. Eriol raised his brows questioningly. He knew this is going to be something bad but does not know what. For years he, Syaoran and Yamazaki have been friends and he have to say that these two are always up to mischief together with three more of their friends who are studying at different schools. Not that he don't mind, really, he likes hanging out with them but through all the fuss he has been into from the last 24 hours of his life makes him want to have a break and think on how to get out from the mess he has gotten himself into.
"What?" Eriol asked.
"Well… I just actually heard word that one of my best chums already has a fiancée and hasn't even told us…" Yamazaki said in a teasing monotonous tone.
Eriol's jaw dropped. He was to say something but no words seem to come out. Yamazaki and Syaoran seem to have noticed but didn't mind but instead smirked and continued.
"They are enjoying this." Eriol thought to himself.
"I can't blame Eriol, I heard the girl was a chick… image model of Coralle…" Syaoran added standing up amused at the now unexplainable expression in Eriol's face.
"How did - W-what do you mean fiancée?" Eriol said straightening up, hiding his surprised expression underneath his famous smile.
"Come on, pal. There's no need hiding it to us. News fly fast you know." Yamazaki said placing a hand on Eriol's shoulder.
"No wonder you never court any of the hundreds of girls who are crazy over you…" Syaoran said trying to hold his laughter.
"Like that would last! Believe me, this is just one of my Mom's crazy ideas of ruining my life…" Eriol muttered not happy of the so-called joke. If there's any topic in the world that he wishes not to be opened up, this would be it. And to think that it is actually his friends, the world's worst troublemakers are the one's rubbing it in.
"My, Eriol, it's just an engagement, what's so wrong about that? And to think that Aunt Tamara got you such a pretty chick!" Yamazaki said cutting the joke half-heartedly.
"I think obnoxious brat sounds better on that one…" Eriol pitch in. Just how can he get out of this?
"Her name's Tomoyo, right? I've checked her profile on the internet and she has nice vital statistics…" Syaoran added adding extra emphasis on the word nice.
"…the girl's popular you know got lots of sites on her name and stuff." Syaoran said like as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"What makes you so sure?" Eriol asked.
"BAKA! We're in the party as well…" Yamazaki said hitting Eriol on the head.
"Iit-te na! Could we just please change the topic?" Eriol said a hand on his head.
"Why changed the topic? It isn't everyday a friend got engaged to one of the most sought after models… maybe you should let me date her one time…" Yamazaki said mischievously.
"Yeah right…" Eriol muttered under his breath and walking out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Syaoran asked his gaze following Eriol's phase.
"Any place from here… I'm so sick hearing about that… that…" Eriol said not having the guts to even mention the topic.
Upon losing sight of Eriol, Yamazaki and Syaoran exchanged high fives in delight and smirked.
"Seems like we'll be having fun for the next weeks…" Syaoran said.
"I agree on that…" Yamazaki said with a rather wicked smile.
---
"Darn… now those guys know as well… I wonder if things could get any worse…" Eriol said to himself, his arms on his neck as he walks along the corridor.
"If I hear or see anything that has to do with yesterday I'll surely be insane…" he said to himself when his vision was blurred by a pile of dark hair and he landed once again on his back. Ouch!
"What the…" he said running a hand on the spot where he landed.
"Odjosan… daIjobu?" he asked his back hurting a beat.
"Gomen- nasai I wasn't… Anta!" the dark haired girl squealed in surprise.
"Tomoyo! What are you doing here?" Eriol exclaimed once again in disbelief recognizing the girl. Didn't he just swear that one more of anything about yesterday will drive him insane?
"I… no time for that… let's go…" Tomoyo said at the sight of a huge mob coming from one end of the corridor, quickly grabbing Eriol by the hand as they ran of to a plight of stairs.
"Djoto! … just what on earth is going on?" Eriol asked as they ran another plight of stairs.
"No time to talk just run!" Tomoyo replied as she rushes to a vacant classroom and shut it close.
She then later takes a peek to see if they have lost sight of the mob and by the realization that they had she gave off a sigh of relief only to realize that she was still holding Eriol's hand which she quickly let go pretending to get her handkerchief.
"Just what was that?" Eriol asked still catching his breath.
"My fans… the moment I got here they have been chasing me like hell…" Tomoyo replied taking a seat on one of the chairs.
"Fans? … You're that popular?" Eriol asked in disbelief.
"Y-y-yeah?" Tomoyo said in surprised. What Eriol was saying was surely surprising, for she IS popular… so how come he doesn't know her?
"Anyway, what are you doing here? That uniform…" Eriol asked running a hand on his midnight hair an air of disbelief in his face as he glance at the plaid blue and black skirt, long sleeved white blouse and black jacket with a school logo Tomoyo is wearing… this surely, really, for certain and guaranteed not his day…
"This uniform? My Mom decided that I study here in Tokyo…" Tomoyo started.
"Decided to what?" Eriol asked in surprise.
Tomoyo repeated what she has said. Eriol blinked… he surely wasn't hearing things.
"Your mom decided this? Then… probably…" Eriol said creating a conclusion of his own. Things surely are heading to the worst direction, that he's very much sure of…
"I wish I could pause for a while and analyze things as well you know… but class is about to start and I don't know how to get back… would… you mind…" Tomoyo interrupted quite awkward in asking.
Eriol was about to flinch at the idea when he recalled the threat his mother gave him that morning…
"Be nice to her… if I heard word that you mistreated your fiancée, I assure you that you shall be dealing with me…" Tamara said earlier that morning when Nakuru brought up the topic.
"…No…Yeah… I guess I'll take you to your class… " he said trying his best not to make a face.
Tomoyo on the other hand was surprised at Eriol's reaction. She was actually expecting a short argument or something of the sort but, nope, no such thing.
And so they walked their way to Tomoyo's class without any talk, any laughter or any argument- the miracle of the century.
"…I know my way now from here… Thank you…" Tomoyo said upon the sight of the familiar corridor.
"Yeah…" Eriol said simply turning his back as he made his way back to his own department.
"Oh… would you go at the rooftop during lunch?" Tomoyo suddenly called out.
"Huh? O-ok. But why?" Eriol replied looking back.
"No time to tell… later!" Tomoyo said as she ran to her class.
---
"Say, Eriol, are you not coming with us at the cafeteria?" Syaoran asked as Eriol makes his way out of the room during lunch. Most of the students are already piling out of the class to go to the cafeteria in fear of having nothing to fill their tummies.
"No… I have something to work on… I'll just catch up with you guys…" Eriol said as he close the door and head to the rooftop.
By the time he got there, Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen. Just the wind and the metal railings were in sight…yup, no Tomoyo…
"Where on earth is she?" Eriol said in annoyance looking at his watch. It was 12:15, by that time all the food in the cafeteria is gone with the wind leaving nothing for Eriol who was not able to have breakfast that morning due to his mother's sermons.
"Great… just great" he thought to himself.
Deciding that Tomoyo will not come, Eriol was to go downstairs only to surprise Tomoyo who was on the way to the rooftop, a pile of carefully wrapped lunchboxes on her hand.
The stairway being narrow made Tomoyo loose her balance and she nearly slipped. Luckily, Eriol was quick to grab her by the hand and caught one of the two boxes.
"… Are you okay?" Eriol asked trying to balance the lunch box.
"… Yeah… oh no! … The lunch box!" Tomoyo exclaimed upon the realization that one of the lunchboxes actually landed with a "Thug" and broke scattering the intricately made assortment of sushi.
"You're late! By now, the cafeteria has sold out every meal possible!" Eriol exclaimed stepping backwards for Tomoyo to enter.
"Here…" Tomoyo simply said handing him the lunchbox.
"What is this?" Eriol asked looking at her, eyes full of question.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a lunchbox!" Tomoyo retorted.
"I know it's a lunchbox! What is this for?" Eriol asked.
"BAKA! … it's your lunch…" Tomoyo said.
"My lunch… nande? … ahhh… moshkashte …" Eriol said with a wicked smile.
"Don't get me wrong… my Mom forced me to make it…" Tomoyo said.
"Really… wow… this looks delicious… dakedo …" Eriol said at first with delight then in doubt.
"Shimpai nai I did not poison it…next time I will" Tomoyo assured taking a seat at the edge of the railings by the rooftop.
"… if that's the case then… Itadakimasu!" Eriol said eating the assorted Japanese delicacies in the lunchbox.
"Umai! (Delicious!)… You're not that bad…" he said in between his gulps.
"Huh?"
"Your cooking is quite better than the other girls here… very unlikely of you though, I have to say…"
"Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?" Tomoyo said with a short glare.
"It's a compliment… such a face, yet a sickening attitude…" Eriol grumbled as he hiccupped from the continuous bites he had.
"If I have such sickening attitude I wouldn't be kind enough to give you this…Hora" Tomoyo said tossing to Eriol a bottle of spring water.
"… a-a-arigato" Eriol said gulping down the spring water.
"You're such an obnoxious brat… to think that you can well…" Eriol muttered under his breath as he eats some more.
"If I'm an obnoxious brat, you're a perverted jerk…" Tomoyo retorted.
"Why are you so pissed of at me anyway?" Eriol asked.
"…. Because … Like you can do anything about it… tonikaku (Anyway) do you think our parents are serious about this … this… you know… "Tomoyo asked not looking at him in the eye.
"… I don't know… my mom always have these crazy ideas about my life … she can't be serious…" Eriol said still munching on the small feast.
"But what if she is?" Tomoyo asked quite shyly.
"So be it, I guess… At least I won't die of starvation when I get married…how did you learn to cook anyway?" Eriol said finishing the meal.
"I'm quite picky when it comes to my food and my dad is a health freak… since I go on trips every once in a while I decided to experiment on the kitchen…"
"… Aren't you eating?" he asked looking up.
Tomoyo somersaulted by the railing surprising Eriol and shook her head no.
"… I have a lunch meeting by one o'clock…" Tomoyo said running a hand on her hair.
"… I better get going now… I'll be late…" she said walking out of the rooftop.
"I'll go along the way with you… It's almost time for class…thanks for the lunch by the way…" Eriol said awkwardly following Tomoyo down the stairway.
Upon losing sight of Tomoyo Eriol was to head to his class when his way was blocked by a mob of tall lads each with a piercing glare at him.
"Excuse me… but I'm going to be late for class is there anything I can do for you?" Eriol said attempting to walk pass them… to no avail though.
"We hate to be rude to you Eriol-sempaii… but what were you doing with Ms. Daidouji at the rooftop?" one of them, Ishii Kanzaki asked.
"I beg your pardon… but what is this all about?" Eriol asked surprised. He recognized most of the guys at the moment.
Most of them were actually quite popular - Reiji Eli, president of the computer club, Aizawa Howard a junior soccer player, Mizuki Kenji photo editor of their school paper, Miyazawa Ryujin of the karate club and a bunch of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.
"We would like to know what you were doing with Ms. Daidouji at the rooftop…" Reiji Eli stated plainly.
The others nodded in unison giving Eriol a shiver down his spine.
"…Tomoyo? She just gave me lunch… that's all…" Eriol replied quickly.
"Lunch??? Tomoyo?" They all exclaimed in surprised.
"Masaka…(Don't tell me…) You and Ms. Daidouji…" Mizuki Kenji stuttered in disbelief.
"Hush now guys…. Tomoyo just…" Eriol started only to arouse more questions.
"You called Ms. Daidouji Tomoyo… what do…" Miyazawa Ryujin said unable to finish as the others asked in surprise as well.
"… I call her Tomoyo because that's her name…" Eriol said taking a step backward as the guys take a step forward him.
"… her mother… yeah… her mother is good friends with my mom as well… that's why she gave me lunch…" he added trying to make himself sound more convincing.
"Are you sure there's nothing else between you and Ms. Daidouji?" Ishii Kanzaki asked. Eriol's stomach flinched by the question remembering the so-called "engagement" their mothers had talked about…
"We're just friends… more of acquaintances actually…" Eriol stated looking at them in the eye trying to sound as convincing as possible.
"That's not a lie… I just… I just gave them incomplete information…" he thought to himself. He just couldn't believe the way things are turning out to be.
"That was close…" Ishii Kanzaki said in relief. The others followed suit totally relieved by the idea.
"If that's the case then… can we ask you to please give this to her…" Miyazawa Ryujin asked bowing down as he handed to Eriol a big paper bag.
"Kore wa?" Eriol asked as he took the bag looking at its contents. It was full of neatly sealed envelopes addressed to Tomoyo…
"Oh-o…" he thought at the realization.
"Onegai-shimas (We beg of you)" they all said in chorus much to Eriol's surprise.
"I… I'll see… excuse me for now…" Eriol said as he walks his way to class. He couldn't believe what those guys just asked him a while ago.
"So now I'm a mailman?" he said to himself looking at the paper bag in total confusion.
---
"Mr. Brown where are we?" Tomoyo asked as she steps out of the car after her lunch meeting. She need not have to return to school that day as she was excused by her mother and so was to be taken home to take a rest for the next wave of classes but she wasn't home or at least she thought. Instead of the three- story manor adorned with a beautiful garden of lavenders and lilies which they have purchased two days ago she was in another huge cream manor with an enchanting landscape.
"Mrs. Daidouji wishes me to take you here today… I better get going now Ms. Tomoyo, I still have some errands to attend to…" Mr. Brown said as he excused himself back onto the car and left.
"Djoto!" Tomoyo said in an attempt to question Mr. Brown but was unsuccessful as Mr. Brown was already miles away.
"I'll just have to enter the front door I guess…" Tomoyo shrugged as she knocked at the huge oak door with beautiful carvings in it. The door opened quite a couple of inches and Tomoyo stepped in only to be surprised once again.
"Okairinasai Tomoyo-ojosama! (Welcome home Ms. Tomoyo!)" a dozen maids greeted as she entered.
"What the…" Tomoyo said much to herself as she looked around.
"You're home already, Tomoyo-chan…" she heard a familiar voice greet her. She looks up at the stairway and saw her Aunt Tamara her blonde hair tied in a bun, a black trench coat covering her body.
"Aunt Tamara, where's Mom? What's the meaning of this?" Tomoyo asked in confusion.
"Oh… hasn't Sonomi told you?" Tamara asked placing a hand on Tomoyo's shoulder.
"Told me what?" Tomoyo asked.
"Why…" Tamara started only to be interrupted by the appearance of Eriol still in his school uniform.
"What is it Mom? Mrs. Drew told me to go here…" Eriol inquired as soon as he entered.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he exclaimed upon the sight of Tomoyo once again.
"Don't ask me… I myself don't know…" Tomoyo retorted.
"Sshhhh… that's not the way you talk to your fiancé, Eriol!" Tamara hushed. The two shut their mouths. Tamara smiled in victory.
"So, what do you think of this house?" Tamara asked changing the topic.
---
Tomoyo appears out of nowhere and pulls out a chair and takes a seat
Hi! Tomoyo here. I just can't believe my mom, she is so impossible-just like me. I guess that's how Amamiya women really are - stubborn to the last bone... but wait! What is this contract I'm hearing? I'm signing no contract!
Blackmail??... No way! I'm not going to give the engagement a shot...
Next Chapter on Project Engagement: Housemate: Signed and Sealed
Read and Review! Adieu!
Sai-chan: That's all for now… please review (",)