Look! I'm posting something! Long time, ne? Anyway, just another short. Hopefully I'll be putting a couple more up soon. But who knows. Enjoy!
The Background Singer
She was always the quiet one. The subtle force that moved through everyone's life, making suggestions here and there and being open to have someone cry on her shoulder when the need called for it. As it so often did. She was the one who everyone sought when they just needed to sit and think, to hear someone else tell them what they already knew, but were too afraid to admit to seeing themselves. The calm voice of reason and porcelain smile.
It was a hard job.
Quietly, she leaned against the decaying slide that had once been the landmark of her youth. So much had happened in this small park. So much time had passed. There were rumours that they officials were planning to repair the ancient king penguin. Some wondered why bother, but she knew, just as they did, that the odd creation had seen too much to be torn down on principle. It was just as much a part of Tomoeda as the schools and roads were. If not more.
Silently watching and vaguely appreciated. It was an all too familiar ring. For years they had told her to come out of the shadows and stand in her own light. Her mother pushed for her to take up a modeling career like her dear Nadeshiko had. The same beautiful hair and striking good looks would be sure to take the world by storm. Her friends pushed her to take a singing career. She had been known since her very youngest days as being an excellent singer. But none of that really mattered to her.
She was happy, more or less, being the silent guide that everyone looked to for help, even if it was only in a calming unassuming way. She had adjusted to the fact that she would never be anything so spectacular in comparison to her dearest friends. She was just her. She didn't need the flashing lights and the attention. She didn't need to have everyone staring at her. It seemed silly. No, she was meant to be the helpful hand in the background. She knew that. She had always known that.
"Tomoyo-chan!" a cry came, grabbing her attention once more. "Gomen! I'm late again!"
"I would be rather shocked if you weren't," she replied as her dearest friend bent over to catch her breath. "Now what is so important that you wanted to meet with me here? Anything to worry about?"
"No! Never! Come on!" Sakura replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her without ceremony out of the park. Tomoyo followed behind with an amused look on her face as they went into the small wooded area where so many of their past adventures had taken their turn.
"Where are we going?" she asked, uselessly as she knew.
"Ah here he we go!" Sakura answered quickly, before shoving Tomoyo into a clearing.
She stumbled a bit before righting herself. Only to feel as if she had lost her footing again. In the small clearing, roughly twenty people had crowded with several balloons tied to some of the trees and in other people's hands. Strewn between two trees was a large banner that read "GANBATTE TOMOYO-CHAN!" Her mouth worked uselessly as she tried to speak.
Finally, Syaoran stepped forward and bowed. "It was Sakura's idea. She told us about your new job."
"Huh…?" Tomoyo replied, in her least articulate way. "What about my new job? It's nothing that spectacular…" she trailed off.
"No, perhaps not," Chiharu smiled. "But we think it's perfect for you."
"Nothing could be better," Meilin laughed.
"It's just being a guidance counselor," Tomoyo muttered, looking around at just how many people had shown up to this little party. "What's so special about that?"
A few people laughed before Sakura made her way to stand in front of Tomoyo and bowed low. She straightened and assumed the air of someone about to make a speech, which was always interesting around Sakura.
"Tomoyo-chan, everyone here has been helped by you at some time or another. Everyone here can remember a time when you shown light in the darkest times of their lives. And everyone here can remember that you never asked for thanks or anything in return but merely smiled and took it in stride. So, we are here to say, "Thank you, Tomoyo-chan, for being our guidance counselor when we needed you most."
"And," a voice from behind Tomoyo chimed in, causing her to turn and stare with wide eyes, "none of us could imagine anyone they think would be better for helping those who need it most, namely teenagers, other than you, who so perfectly helped all of us."
"We would be no where without you," Syaoran finished with a small smile.
Tomoyo couldn't help it anymore. She broke into tears and flung her arms around Sakura, hugging her tightly before being pulled into a hug by the man who had flown in especially to see her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to cry and laugh at the same time.
When she had finally settled her turmoiled emotions, she turned to face everyone and laugh. "Thank you, everyone, thank you. None of you could begin to guess how much this means to me."
"We had to say thank you somehow, Daidouji," Meilin scoffed. "You have always been there for us after all."
"No," Tomoyo smiled. "You have always been there for me."
(A/N: Not my best by any means. Perhaps I'll go back and edit it sometime soon. Hopefully, I'll post another few of these within coming weeks, too. Thank you to all the reviewers who commented on the two previous chapters. I'm glad that people like these little shorts. I'll try and keep them coming! Ja!)