Chapter 6: Stay
It was around afternoon when I found myself sitting at the park looking at nowhere. I still didn't go home after I stormed out from Tomoyo's house. Oh, Tomoyo I hope you will forgive me.
The sky has the color of ashen gray that warns of the coming rain. The kids on the playground are starting to diminish in numbers as their mothers came to pick them up. It is not too soon that the playground in front of me is deserted save for me. The playground has a lot of memories for me. I looked at my left and started to visualized two girls, one shoulder length auburn hair that is styled in pigtails adorned with green ribbons while the other one has a waist length purple wavy hair that flows freely in the wind, laughing and chasing each other. Their image ran past me and they just vanish out of thin air.
The playground hasn't changed a bit since I was a kid. The same old penguin slide that has a circular sandbox connected to it at its right side. The swing that faces the sun when it set is still standing at the left of the slide. The monkey bar on the back of the sandbox is still painted with rainbow colors. On the right side of the playground is the park where adults leisurely walk and meet their acquaintances and have a chat.
I silently walked to the empty playground and sat on the swing. I laid my head on the handle and stared at the entrance.
"Tomoyo, let's go over there!" a mini Sakura shouted to mini Tomoyo at the entrance as Sakura ran to the slide with Tomoyo trying to catch up with Sakura.
"Sakura, would you slow down a minute..." the next minute Tomoyo tripped down and fell on her knees. Tomoyo sat down on the soil and looked at her knees. Her white knees had a scratch on it. Tomoyo's lips began to quiver then she cried. Sakura ran over and looked at Tomoyo's knees. She pulled out a strip of paper from her pocket.
"I should thank oni-chan for this. He said I am so clumsy I might trip and gave me this. I thought that was a joke but it is not." Sakura placed the purple-checkered band-aid at Tomoyo's knees. "All fixed!" Sakura said with a bright smile.
"Thank, sniff, you, Sakura." Then Tomoyo hugged Sakura tightly.
"Hey, that's what do best-friends do right?" Sakura said still smiling brightly.
"Really? The would you be my best-friend forever?" Tomoyo asked with hope in her eyes.
"That's a pinky promise." Sakura held up her pinky finger and Tomoyo latched hers. After they did that, both of them laughed and ran to the slides hand-in-hand.
A single drop fell on my face, and then another and another until it rained hard. I just stayed there never minding the rain. Until I noticed that there is something warm flowing in my face. I reached out to touch it and found out that I was crying. My tears had been mixed with the rain. This would be better so nobody would notice I'm crying. I just sat there looking like a lost person until I noticed that the rain has stopped falling over me. I looked up and there is a green umbrella hovering above me. What made me shocked even more was the person holding it. Syaoran Li.
He is standing in front of me holding out his umbrella over us. He is wearing a blue shirt topped with black denim jacket with black cargo pants. His looks took my breath away especially his eyes that kept on haunting me.
"What are you doing out here in the rain?" his deep voice held much concern as he spoke to me.
"None of your business." I snapped at him for intruding my thoughts.
"Oh so were back again at the beginning." He said sarcastically, "Come I will take you home," as he hold out his hand to me. I swatted his hand away.
"Why do you always care? Why don't you just leave me alone? I don't want to go home, okay. I want to be alone and never to care anymore. I want...I want to..." just then I couldn't take it anymore. I fell to my knees and cried hard. When I felt two strong pair of arms surround me enveloping me in warmth I seemed to be looking for, I clutched at him and cried at his wide strong chest. Somehow the idea of being alone scares me. We stayed like that for a long time. I don't know how long but I reluctantly leave the solace of his embrace. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."
"That's okay" then he gave me the sweetest smile I have ever seen and just because of that smile I feel something strange inside me. I felt like a thousand of butterflies are swimming inside my stomach and my heart has starting to beat faster like it been being chased with and I swear he could also hear it. I felt like I'm underwater and can't breathe normally. Lastly, I feel like my face is burning hot. What is this I'm feeling? It scares and...I don't know. I could feel his intense amber gaze on me so I avoided his gaze instead and looked at the ground.
"Oh Sakura, I never felt like this whenever I'm with Eriol. It's like a bomb that just exploded and woke me up from these wonderful feelings." Tomoyo's voice echoed through my head as her laughter fades into nothing.
"I'm a horrible person." I said softly not aware that I said it out loud. I feel so guilty for doing that to Tomoyo. Now I'm certain she hated me fro all of her life and never want to see my sorry face ever again.
"I don't think you are. I know deep down you are a lonely person who needs someone to guide her." Syaoran said to me in a soothing tone. I didn't notice the rain is starting to weaken, as the sky had turned orange.
"You will take back what you said after you have learned the truth." I said sadly.
"Well the park is big enough for a long story." He said comfortingly. I gave him a look that say's no-way but he just shrugged it and stood up and held his hand to help me. I take his hand and the moment I held his hand I felt something different. I tried to brush off that feeling but I found it hard to do so.
"I don't even know you that much. Why do you expect me to tell you everything?" I said in a confused tone. He got surprised at my answer but he just brushed it off and smiled at me.
"Have you ever had a feeling like meeting someone for the first time and you felt like you knew that person like you knew yourself?" what is he talking about? Has he gone mad but his eyes held seriousness and truthfulness against that mysterious amber eyes of his that made me want to believe everything he said. "Well that's what I felt right now. I know this might sound crazy but I am telling the truth and don't tell me I might not understand what you are going through because you're wrong. Now how about that walk through the park..." he stopped for a moment and looked at me. I looked at myself and noticed how did my dress hung to my body. He took his jacket and placed it on me. "...after you change into something dry." I was about to protest when a cold breeze suddenly passed by us and I felt myself went cold and not only that a traitorous sneeze came that clearly tells me to change.
"Can you wait that long?" I asked him challengingly.
"Even if took me Christmas."
"You are one stubborn person I ever knew."
"That's what they say about me." He said simply to me.
"I might ditch you." I keep on presenting new problems just to see how stubborn he is.
"I have a feeling you won't do that." He said mysteriously. This guy is really stubborn and determined but the weird thing is I don't mind spending time with him at the park. I should be pushing him away but something is stopping me from doing that. Is he a magician or what?
~@~
Ding-dong
Eriol Hirigasawa stood outside a large mahogany door waiting for the door to open up. He wore a worried face at the moment that matches the rain outside. He wore a purple shirt and a blue pants. He was fidgeting at the door as if a monster would come out and gobble him up. Just then the door slowly opened up and a maid with shoulder copper hair that also wore a worried look appeared at the doorway.
"Master Eriol! I'm glad you came." Relief flooded the maid's features. Eriol started to get more nervous at that time.
"Why Kazumi...what's wrong?"
"It's mistress...she has locked herself in her room for hours and she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. You've got to help her." Desperation filled the maids voice that confirmed the reason why Eriol came at the first place.
"Okay, don't worry. I will talk to her."
Before lunch, Eriol called Tomoyo just to invite her for lunch but nobody has answered his calls back. Eriol started to get worried so he called her cell phone but somebody just turned it off when the second ring came. At first Eriol thought her battery was just low and she would call back just like before. Hours had passed, Tomoyo still hasn't called so Eriol got on his car and rushed at Tomoyo's house.
Eriol trudge the familiar way that leads to his beloved's room. Once he got there, he softly knocked on her door and called her name out.
"Tomoyo, it's me Eriol. Would open the door and talk to me?" Eriol waited for a few silent minutes until he heard a click on her door. He turned the doorknob and went in quietly. He scanned the dark room and saw a figure huddle up in the queen-sized bed. He slowly went to her and touched her shoulders. The moment he did that Tomoyo suddenly hugged her and cried on his shoulders.
"Please stop crying...because...if you don't then you'll get wrinkles early." Eriol said jokingly. The truth is he couldn't stand it when Tomoyo cry. It breaks his heart into a million pieces. Tomoyo stopped crying and gave him a small smile.
"Really?" Tomoyo said jokingly. Her eyes are red from crying and her face is wet from tears. "Thank you for coming here."
"No problem...what's happened?" Eriol was glad that Tomoyo was okay even just for a moment. Tomoyo was silent for a moment and then told him everything that had happened.
"I can't believe Sakura said that to me. I thought we were friends but now I don't know what to think anymore." Tomoyo was starting to cry again.
"For years of being with you and Sakura around, I get to understand a little about the way you think." Eriol said still hugging Tomoyo while tucking her hair on her ears. Tomoyo leaned over and hugged him more seeking solace in his arms. "If I were Sakura, I don't want anybody I care for to be sad. I would do everything to take that sadness away even if I have to hurt myself just to prevent everyone from getting sad."
"What do you mean by that?" Tomoyo said in a confused tone as she looked into Eriol's eyes.
"Sakura thinks that she is the reason why everyone is suffering right now. She has lost all hope and faith and she saw that everyone is suffering because of her condition. So she decided that if we get into ourselves to forget her we wouldn't be saddened by her condition anymore." Eriol said as though he knew it from experience.
"I never thought of it." Tomoyo said as realization dawned on her. "Sakura still thinks of everyone even if she is suffering. I am such a bad friend for hating her." Tomoyo bowed her head in shame.
"No your not...from what I see, I see a great woman who cares for her friends." Eriol looked at Tomoyo with feelings he is scared to show. Unfortunately, Tomoyo misinterpreted it to something, "and if you hate Sakura...would you even think of worrying over her right now?" Eriol continued.
'Eriol has a point in that. He is really wise when it comes to this and that's why I love him...but he just love me as a sister.' Tomoyo thought sadly. Tomoyo hugged him tighter because she is afraid to let him go and this is the only farthest she could ever hold him.
Meanwhile, Eriol is cherishing the moment and hoped that it would stay like this forever. 'If you just only knew how great and wonderful you are to me, then you wouldn't be crying like this. But saying those words would be dangerous and scary. I know you just treat me as a friend. If by any chance you would fall I hope it would be me to catch you.' Eriol thought sadly.
"Eriol?" Tomoyo said sleepily.
"Yes?"
"Stay..." Eriol was caught off guard at her words.
"Forever." But Tomoyo was asleep when Eriol said that. Eriol laid her on her bed and was about to go and sit on her chair when Tomoyo's death-grip stopped him from doing that. He had no choice but to lie beside her and watch her sleep.
Author's note:
This chapter is dedicated to the person who has been my inspiration for this story. Thank you for the special moments you gave and I am just so sad that I haven't told you. I hope you can read this.
I am so sorry it took me sooo long to update this. I've been busy. I will make it up for updating next week.
AnimeObsessionFantasy – hmmm...your half true half false. Thanks for reviewing.
sweet-captor – yeah I would say the same but don't worry, as kero would say "everything would be alright."
Hikaru Ayumi – that's fine by me because ummm...wahhh I don't know why. Hehehehe just joking, I just treat it as a nightmare.
It was around afternoon when I found myself sitting at the park looking at nowhere. I still didn't go home after I stormed out from Tomoyo's house. Oh, Tomoyo I hope you will forgive me.
The sky has the color of ashen gray that warns of the coming rain. The kids on the playground are starting to diminish in numbers as their mothers came to pick them up. It is not too soon that the playground in front of me is deserted save for me. The playground has a lot of memories for me. I looked at my left and started to visualized two girls, one shoulder length auburn hair that is styled in pigtails adorned with green ribbons while the other one has a waist length purple wavy hair that flows freely in the wind, laughing and chasing each other. Their image ran past me and they just vanish out of thin air.
The playground hasn't changed a bit since I was a kid. The same old penguin slide that has a circular sandbox connected to it at its right side. The swing that faces the sun when it set is still standing at the left of the slide. The monkey bar on the back of the sandbox is still painted with rainbow colors. On the right side of the playground is the park where adults leisurely walk and meet their acquaintances and have a chat.
I silently walked to the empty playground and sat on the swing. I laid my head on the handle and stared at the entrance.
"Tomoyo, let's go over there!" a mini Sakura shouted to mini Tomoyo at the entrance as Sakura ran to the slide with Tomoyo trying to catch up with Sakura.
"Sakura, would you slow down a minute..." the next minute Tomoyo tripped down and fell on her knees. Tomoyo sat down on the soil and looked at her knees. Her white knees had a scratch on it. Tomoyo's lips began to quiver then she cried. Sakura ran over and looked at Tomoyo's knees. She pulled out a strip of paper from her pocket.
"I should thank oni-chan for this. He said I am so clumsy I might trip and gave me this. I thought that was a joke but it is not." Sakura placed the purple-checkered band-aid at Tomoyo's knees. "All fixed!" Sakura said with a bright smile.
"Thank, sniff, you, Sakura." Then Tomoyo hugged Sakura tightly.
"Hey, that's what do best-friends do right?" Sakura said still smiling brightly.
"Really? The would you be my best-friend forever?" Tomoyo asked with hope in her eyes.
"That's a pinky promise." Sakura held up her pinky finger and Tomoyo latched hers. After they did that, both of them laughed and ran to the slides hand-in-hand.
A single drop fell on my face, and then another and another until it rained hard. I just stayed there never minding the rain. Until I noticed that there is something warm flowing in my face. I reached out to touch it and found out that I was crying. My tears had been mixed with the rain. This would be better so nobody would notice I'm crying. I just sat there looking like a lost person until I noticed that the rain has stopped falling over me. I looked up and there is a green umbrella hovering above me. What made me shocked even more was the person holding it. Syaoran Li.
He is standing in front of me holding out his umbrella over us. He is wearing a blue shirt topped with black denim jacket with black cargo pants. His looks took my breath away especially his eyes that kept on haunting me.
"What are you doing out here in the rain?" his deep voice held much concern as he spoke to me.
"None of your business." I snapped at him for intruding my thoughts.
"Oh so were back again at the beginning." He said sarcastically, "Come I will take you home," as he hold out his hand to me. I swatted his hand away.
"Why do you always care? Why don't you just leave me alone? I don't want to go home, okay. I want to be alone and never to care anymore. I want...I want to..." just then I couldn't take it anymore. I fell to my knees and cried hard. When I felt two strong pair of arms surround me enveloping me in warmth I seemed to be looking for, I clutched at him and cried at his wide strong chest. Somehow the idea of being alone scares me. We stayed like that for a long time. I don't know how long but I reluctantly leave the solace of his embrace. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."
"That's okay" then he gave me the sweetest smile I have ever seen and just because of that smile I feel something strange inside me. I felt like a thousand of butterflies are swimming inside my stomach and my heart has starting to beat faster like it been being chased with and I swear he could also hear it. I felt like I'm underwater and can't breathe normally. Lastly, I feel like my face is burning hot. What is this I'm feeling? It scares and...I don't know. I could feel his intense amber gaze on me so I avoided his gaze instead and looked at the ground.
"Oh Sakura, I never felt like this whenever I'm with Eriol. It's like a bomb that just exploded and woke me up from these wonderful feelings." Tomoyo's voice echoed through my head as her laughter fades into nothing.
"I'm a horrible person." I said softly not aware that I said it out loud. I feel so guilty for doing that to Tomoyo. Now I'm certain she hated me fro all of her life and never want to see my sorry face ever again.
"I don't think you are. I know deep down you are a lonely person who needs someone to guide her." Syaoran said to me in a soothing tone. I didn't notice the rain is starting to weaken, as the sky had turned orange.
"You will take back what you said after you have learned the truth." I said sadly.
"Well the park is big enough for a long story." He said comfortingly. I gave him a look that say's no-way but he just shrugged it and stood up and held his hand to help me. I take his hand and the moment I held his hand I felt something different. I tried to brush off that feeling but I found it hard to do so.
"I don't even know you that much. Why do you expect me to tell you everything?" I said in a confused tone. He got surprised at my answer but he just brushed it off and smiled at me.
"Have you ever had a feeling like meeting someone for the first time and you felt like you knew that person like you knew yourself?" what is he talking about? Has he gone mad but his eyes held seriousness and truthfulness against that mysterious amber eyes of his that made me want to believe everything he said. "Well that's what I felt right now. I know this might sound crazy but I am telling the truth and don't tell me I might not understand what you are going through because you're wrong. Now how about that walk through the park..." he stopped for a moment and looked at me. I looked at myself and noticed how did my dress hung to my body. He took his jacket and placed it on me. "...after you change into something dry." I was about to protest when a cold breeze suddenly passed by us and I felt myself went cold and not only that a traitorous sneeze came that clearly tells me to change.
"Can you wait that long?" I asked him challengingly.
"Even if took me Christmas."
"You are one stubborn person I ever knew."
"That's what they say about me." He said simply to me.
"I might ditch you." I keep on presenting new problems just to see how stubborn he is.
"I have a feeling you won't do that." He said mysteriously. This guy is really stubborn and determined but the weird thing is I don't mind spending time with him at the park. I should be pushing him away but something is stopping me from doing that. Is he a magician or what?
~@~
Ding-dong
Eriol Hirigasawa stood outside a large mahogany door waiting for the door to open up. He wore a worried face at the moment that matches the rain outside. He wore a purple shirt and a blue pants. He was fidgeting at the door as if a monster would come out and gobble him up. Just then the door slowly opened up and a maid with shoulder copper hair that also wore a worried look appeared at the doorway.
"Master Eriol! I'm glad you came." Relief flooded the maid's features. Eriol started to get more nervous at that time.
"Why Kazumi...what's wrong?"
"It's mistress...she has locked herself in her room for hours and she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. You've got to help her." Desperation filled the maids voice that confirmed the reason why Eriol came at the first place.
"Okay, don't worry. I will talk to her."
Before lunch, Eriol called Tomoyo just to invite her for lunch but nobody has answered his calls back. Eriol started to get worried so he called her cell phone but somebody just turned it off when the second ring came. At first Eriol thought her battery was just low and she would call back just like before. Hours had passed, Tomoyo still hasn't called so Eriol got on his car and rushed at Tomoyo's house.
Eriol trudge the familiar way that leads to his beloved's room. Once he got there, he softly knocked on her door and called her name out.
"Tomoyo, it's me Eriol. Would open the door and talk to me?" Eriol waited for a few silent minutes until he heard a click on her door. He turned the doorknob and went in quietly. He scanned the dark room and saw a figure huddle up in the queen-sized bed. He slowly went to her and touched her shoulders. The moment he did that Tomoyo suddenly hugged her and cried on his shoulders.
"Please stop crying...because...if you don't then you'll get wrinkles early." Eriol said jokingly. The truth is he couldn't stand it when Tomoyo cry. It breaks his heart into a million pieces. Tomoyo stopped crying and gave him a small smile.
"Really?" Tomoyo said jokingly. Her eyes are red from crying and her face is wet from tears. "Thank you for coming here."
"No problem...what's happened?" Eriol was glad that Tomoyo was okay even just for a moment. Tomoyo was silent for a moment and then told him everything that had happened.
"I can't believe Sakura said that to me. I thought we were friends but now I don't know what to think anymore." Tomoyo was starting to cry again.
"For years of being with you and Sakura around, I get to understand a little about the way you think." Eriol said still hugging Tomoyo while tucking her hair on her ears. Tomoyo leaned over and hugged him more seeking solace in his arms. "If I were Sakura, I don't want anybody I care for to be sad. I would do everything to take that sadness away even if I have to hurt myself just to prevent everyone from getting sad."
"What do you mean by that?" Tomoyo said in a confused tone as she looked into Eriol's eyes.
"Sakura thinks that she is the reason why everyone is suffering right now. She has lost all hope and faith and she saw that everyone is suffering because of her condition. So she decided that if we get into ourselves to forget her we wouldn't be saddened by her condition anymore." Eriol said as though he knew it from experience.
"I never thought of it." Tomoyo said as realization dawned on her. "Sakura still thinks of everyone even if she is suffering. I am such a bad friend for hating her." Tomoyo bowed her head in shame.
"No your not...from what I see, I see a great woman who cares for her friends." Eriol looked at Tomoyo with feelings he is scared to show. Unfortunately, Tomoyo misinterpreted it to something, "and if you hate Sakura...would you even think of worrying over her right now?" Eriol continued.
'Eriol has a point in that. He is really wise when it comes to this and that's why I love him...but he just love me as a sister.' Tomoyo thought sadly. Tomoyo hugged him tighter because she is afraid to let him go and this is the only farthest she could ever hold him.
Meanwhile, Eriol is cherishing the moment and hoped that it would stay like this forever. 'If you just only knew how great and wonderful you are to me, then you wouldn't be crying like this. But saying those words would be dangerous and scary. I know you just treat me as a friend. If by any chance you would fall I hope it would be me to catch you.' Eriol thought sadly.
"Eriol?" Tomoyo said sleepily.
"Yes?"
"Stay..." Eriol was caught off guard at her words.
"Forever." But Tomoyo was asleep when Eriol said that. Eriol laid her on her bed and was about to go and sit on her chair when Tomoyo's death-grip stopped him from doing that. He had no choice but to lie beside her and watch her sleep.
Author's note:
This chapter is dedicated to the person who has been my inspiration for this story. Thank you for the special moments you gave and I am just so sad that I haven't told you. I hope you can read this.
I am so sorry it took me sooo long to update this. I've been busy. I will make it up for updating next week.
AnimeObsessionFantasy – hmmm...your half true half false. Thanks for reviewing.
sweet-captor – yeah I would say the same but don't worry, as kero would say "everything would be alright."
Hikaru Ayumi – that's fine by me because ummm...wahhh I don't know why. Hehehehe just joking, I just treat it as a nightmare.