A/N: New chapter, it's finally up. Enjoy!!!!
Chapter 8: Cruel intentions
Friday afternoon Tomoyo looked out her bed room window. She never thought that at the midst of it all she would feel so bad. The smile she usually had on her face grew week. She couldn't hold it any longer. She felt as though she was stuck in a bottle and she was responsible for getting there in the first place. She folded her fingers and rested them on her chest. Was it all really worth it, was Syaoran worth tricking Sakura. She sighed; her reflection stared back through the windowpane. Not for once did she like the image. Her eyes stared back at her and she couldn't stand it.
"What's going on in that head of yours, you're so quiet." Chiharu said clipping her finger nails on Tomoyo's bed.
Tomoyo turned around. Chiharu stopped clipping her nails and looked up at her "You're not feeling guilty already, are you."
Tomoyo nodded. "Don't you?"
"No, but I will if you keep acting like that." Chiharu stood up and grabbed Tomoyo's hands. "Look, Sakura is nobody, Friday is the dance." Chiharu let Tomoyo's hands go and spun around. She stopped and looked at Tomoyo "I'm going with Takashi, you're going with Syaoran. Things are perfect if you'd ask me and that Sakura, she won't have to worry about being all alone; she has Luca"
Tomoyo forced a smile just to get Chiharu off her case but Chiharu wasn't convinced. "Tomoyo." She squealed. "I know you are used to being a goody two shoes but one wrong won't harm you, besides you have a lot to be thankful. Syaoran asked you and you are just about the prettiest girl in school."
"He didn't ask me." Tomoyo sat on the bed.
"Didn't ask you? The dance is tonight." Chiharu was dazed.
"We've barely talked and I guess I've been trying to avoid him." She said wretchedly.
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing, some guys like it when you play hard to get."
Chiharu walked over to Tomoyo's wardrobe. With both arms she pulled the handle. The doors flew separate sides. Chiharu smiled at the sight of Tomoyo's clothes.
"Have I ever told you how much I love your clothes?"
"Only ten million times"
Chiharu picked out a silky, blue strapless dress. She looked at it when she noticed the tag was still on. She pulled it out "Wow, it's expensive. How come I've never seen you wear it?"
"My Mother got it for me; I just have too many clothes. I wish I had someone to wear my designs."
"You mean like a model." Chiharu said as she whirled toward Tomoyo, excitement filling her face.
"Yes a model: that would be awesome. I've got an idea. Chiharu, why don't you wear them?"
"Why don't you?" Chiharu said looking in the mirror. Her statement brought Tomoyo down. She pressed the dress on her chest. "Tomoyo! This is my size. Can I try in on?"
Tomoyo nodded. She didn't bother to glance at her friend.
"You're the best best-friend ever." She said quickly walking to the bathroom.
Tomoyo approached the window. She looked out; the warm expression on her face was filled with sadness. She strained her eyes until she realized what a beautiful day it was. The trees danced with the warm breeze and you could hear the birds singing from afar. Her eyes fell upon a leaf clinging to a branch as if it were afraid to fall, that was exactly how she felt. She looked around the neighborhood. Her eyes led her to the sidewalk in front of Sakura's house. To her amazement, Sakura and Syaoran stood still by the sidewalk. They made gestures with their hands and time after time their voices raised; Tomoyo immediately assumed they were arguing. That was all they did since Wednesday. Sakura walked away and he followed her. "They're arguing again, it must have something to do with Luca." She thought.
"How do I look?" Chiharu said cheerily. Tomoyo immediately turned around. She pulled the blinds down and smiled.
"You look awesome."
"Ya think?" Chiharu walked over to the mirror "I look gorgeous! All I need now are the perfect shoes. We should really go shopping tomorrow." She turned around and did a couple of poses. Tomoyo wasn't paying any attention to her.
"Chiharu, I want out." Tomoyo said apprehensively.
Chiharu stopped looking at herself. She turned to Tomoyo puzzled "Out of what?"
"The plot, you know, paying Luca to get Sakura to fall for him."
"Tomoyo, you're letting all this get to you." She said fixing the dress. "Sakura is a nobody; you know that, I know that and so does Syaoran, he just needs a little hit on the head."
"She has feelings Chiharu, it's not right. Once she finds out she's going to kill us and…she might get hurt."
Chiharu loosened her hair "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"But Chiharu…I don't want to do it anymore. We have to tell Luca to quit." Tomoyo insisted.
"Okay, fine. One day Syaoran is going to marry that thing, you will watch them and wonder, what if that were me. When she has his first baby you will tell yourself, that should have been me. When they are in their graves buried right next to each other you will say…" Her words were blocked when Tomoyo pulled her hand.
"Come on; let's go to Luca's house. We need to set things right."
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Meanwhile in front of Sakura's house Syaoran and Sakura were going about at each others throats. The argument was the same.
"Sakura are you out of you're mind!" Syaoran yelled.
"No I'm not, I know exactly what I'm doing. You do what you want. You don't see me stopping you." Sakura shot.
"Is this about Tomoyo? Just because you hate her doesn't mean I have to too."
"I never said you should stop dating Tomoyo. You two deserve each other; you can talk about your pathetic lives."
"Sakura…" Syaoran moaned "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"No one is going to hurt me." Sakura was calm and sure.
"Do you always have to be stubborn?"
"Beats being an egotist maniac!" she roared.
"Egotist maniac?"
"Yeah, you think you're all that! Truth is you are desperate for my friendship and that's just…sad."
"Why do you always have to get all weird on me? I knew we would be friends despite of what you thought and I know for sure that Luca is going to make you're life a living hell." Syaoran could feel himself running out of things to say. His palms started to sweat, he had always hated arguing with her but sometimes it felt like the only way through.
Sakura walked on the lawn in front of her house, Syaoran followed her. She stopped and looked at him "I knew it, you think I'm weird. You always have you just couldn't admit it."
Syaoran studied the look on her face, she seemed hurt. He approached her "I'm…I'm sorry, maybe I went too far."
"No it's alright after all theee monster doesn't have any feelings she doesn't care if you call her scary, or ugly or above all things weird."
"Come on, don't do this to yourself." He whispered.
"The monster isn't doing anything to herself."
Syaoran shrugged "Why are you sulking?"
"I'm not sulking; I wish you could just go away!" She yelled.
The minute she was done, an awful silence fell between them. He glared at her hoping to think of a way to resort the problem.
Suddenly the sprinkler came on. Water flew everywhere. "Ahhhhh" Sakura screamed in a high pitched voice. Syaoran stood still and watched her reaction. Though he was getting wet he didn't care. He chuckled as he watched Sakura jumped up and down.
"Who turned it on!" She said clenching her teeth. Her hair was wet and water dripped from her uniform. She wanted to run away but when she saw Syaoran laughing. She paused, looked at him then grinned "You're not as smart as you think you are." She commented.
Syaoran crossed his arms "Is that so?"
Sakura smiled as drops of water sprinkled her face. Slowly the water lessened and it was turned off. "Sakura, you're the most unique girl I have ever meet." He said trying to not make it sound like at insult.
"Save the compliments, I'm still mad at you and you just couldn't help but laugh at me." Sakura tried to stay mad but her calmness was exposed.
"I think you're funny when you're not acting tough, in fact I think you're cute." Syaoran laughed.
There was a small gap between Sakura's lips. Red streaks had crawled up to her face. She looked at the ground then back at him. "Ha ha very funny."
Syaoran slowly stopped laughing "I mean it."
"I wonder how the sprinkler came on." Sakura cleared her throat and tried to change the subject.
……………………………………………………………
Tomoyo and Chiharu opened the gate and made their way out. Chiharu looked over at Sakura's house. Standing on the lawn was Syaoran and Sakura, wet.
"Tomoyo…" she began "What are they doing?" she asked pointing at Syaoran and Sakura.
Tomoyo looked at them "They look wet."
"Your boyfriend is cheating on you again." Chiharu said jokingly. "Are you sure you want to call the deal with Luca off."
Tomoyo took a deep breathe "Yes, it's the only right thing to do. Besides if Syaoran knew he would hate me."
"Let's go say hi." Chiharu simply said pulling Tomoyo's hand.
They walked over to Sakura's house and snuck to the drive way. "Hi Syaoran..." Chiharu said happily. "What you up to?"
Sakura looked at Tomoyo and Chiharu, without a word she opened the front door and walked into the house.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Chiharu commented.
"Hi you two, where are you off to."
"No where." Tomoyo said quickly "Just around."
"Oh…Tomoyo, are you going with anyone to the dance on tonight?" Syaoran scratched the back of his head.
"No…why" She asked as though it wasn't obvious.
Syaoran looked down and played with his fingers "I know I've been stupid and I'd like to make it up to you. Would you be my date?"
Tomoyo smiled "Sure."
Syaoran's was completely wet, his shirt stuck on to his body and became transparent showing his well built abs, stomach and chest. Chiharu stared at him with eyes wide open.
"What happened to you, you're all wet?" Tomoyo asked.
"It's a long story."
"We'll be going now." Tomoyo said walking away but Chiharu stood still looking at Syaoran.
Tomoyo walked over to Chiharu and pulled her hand. Chiharu shook her head.
"Is there something wrong?" Syaoran asked.
Tomoyo smiled "Nothing, nothing is wrong, right Chiharu?"
"Aren't you going to take off your shirt?" Chiharu asked in a squeaky voice.
Syaoran looked at her not knowing what to say.
Tomoyo pulled her hand with more force "Bye Syaoran!"
"Oh my gosh he's so hot, I think I peed on myself." Chiharu whispered to Tomoyo. Tomoyo sniggered.
"What about Takashi."
"Who?"
Tomoyo laughed out loud.
…………………………………….
Chiharu knocked on the door and looked at Tomoyo "I hope he's in." she said.
The door opened. "Girls, I was expecting you." Luca said confident and slowly glaring at the girls from head to toe.
"Luca, we would like to make a proposal." Tomoyo demanded.
"Where are my manners?" Luca said "Come in girls."
Chiharu and Tomoyo looked at each other and walked in. They took off their shoes and waited for Luca to tell them what to do next.
"You can wait for me in the living room." He said pointing it to them. Chiharu and Tomoyo couldn't stop looking around. Most of the house was covered in maroon wall paper. Paintings and pictures hang on the walls. In the living room all of the furniture was white. Tomoyo and Chiharu sat next to each other on the couch.
"Who's their decorator? Santa Clause?" Chiharu mocked.
Tomoyo lightly hit Chiharu's shoulder "Shut up, he'll hear you." She whispered.
Luca walked in "You girls want anything to drink?"
"No, I'm fine." Tomoyo replied.
"What do you have?" Chiharu eyes twinkled.
"Water, soda…I hate to brag but there is a cold cane of beer."
Chiharu rolled her eyes. "I'm fine too."
Luca sat on the arm chair opposite to Tomoyo and Chiharu "You said you wanted to make a proposal…"
"Yes, you should stop with this Sakura thing." Tomoyo tried being as kind as possible.
"Why, it's getting fun."
"Fun…only a guy like you can find tricking other people fun."
"Hey, Hey… Mrs. Tomoyo, you're the one who said I should. You think you'll all innocent but you're no different from me."
Luca looked at Tomoyo and rubbed his cheek. He stared at her legs and grinned. Tomoyo looked at him coldly and pulled her skirt over her knees. "Pervert" Tomoyo muttered beneath her breath. Luca dropped his gaze and winked at Chiharu who gave him an icy look.
He shrugged his shoulders and rose his eyebrows "A guy can dream can't he."
Tomoyo sat up straight "The offer is off, we are not paying you."
"You're paying me alright. A deal is a deal." He grinned.
"I'm not going to be apart of this any more…"
"I thought you wanted Syaoran?"
"He's not worth it." She said in a low tone.
"Listen, I hate Sakura, I always have. Do you know how humiliated I was when she punched me in front of the whole school?"
Tomoyo shook her head "You brought that on yourself."
"I've never been so embarrassed; she made a fool out of me. I am going to make her pay." Luca grinned.
"Make her pay? That wasn't part of the deal." Tomoyo looked at Luca disappointed.
Luca sat back "I know. I've been planning on humiliating her for sometime now, you girls just made her an easy target, tonight she's going to know exactly how I felt. I'm going to tell her what you wrenches have been up to."
"You can't tell her..." Tomoyo said nervously.
"You paid me to pretend I wanted her, I'm going to tell her everything. She's a feisty one, aren't you afraid of what she might do to you?" Luca laughed to himself and added "Once she goes to the dance, she'll wish she hadn't been born."
Tomoyo skipped a heart beat "You can't do that!"
"Watch me plus I want my money, a deal is a deal."
Chiharu stood up "Luca! What do you think you are doing?"
"Getting what I want." He rubbed his hands against each other "Syaoran won't be able to protect his precious Sakura."
"Stop being such a jerk!" Chiharu blurted out.
"Come on Chiharu, let's go." Tomoyo said standing up.
"You're pure evil." Chiharu whispered.
……………outside Luca's house………………………………………
"What now!" Chiharu asked dragging her words.
Tomoyo looked at Chiharu and bit her nails "I don't know, once Syaoran knows he's going to hate me."
Tomoyo began to shake. Chiharu looked at her with concern.
"Tom, don't worry about it so much."
Tomoyo stopped shaking "I've got an idea." She began, her lip curled and she began to smile "If we tell Sakura the truth first it won't be so bad. We have to tell her before the dance."
"It's a great idea but what makes you thinks she's going to listen to a word we say."
Tomoyo crossed her arms "She will…we better hurry to her house."
……………………………………………………………………….
Tomoyo and Chiharu went to Sakura's house but nobody was home. They tried every place Sakura would usually be seen but there was no sight of her. It was as though she had disappeared in thin air. By the time it was 4:30 they were exhausted. They stopped on the road side. "Tomoyo, I think we should call it quits." Chiharu heaved a sigh.
"No! We can't stop, this is my entire fault; we have to set things right." Tomoyo tried not shouting. Her guilt got the best of her.
"The dance is tonight, I have to get ready. I'm sorry Tomoyo but you're on your own." Chiharu placed her fingers on her forehead. "Where in the world is she?"
Tomoyo positioned her hands on her waist "Chiharu, you can go home. I'll try asking more people if they have seen her."
Chiharu smiled "Good luck. I'll take the bus home."
As Chiharu left, Tomoyo tried to swallow the fact that she might not find Sakura. She bit her lip and asked herself "Where could Sakura be?" Suddenly it hit her, the one place she forgot to check, Syaoran's house. She took out her cell phone ready to call her chauffer. Before she could dial the numbers she saw Syaoran walking up to her.
"Tomoyo!" he yelled. Tomoyo smiled and brushed her hair back. She wanted to look just right.
"Good, you're here. I was just about to go to you're house."
Syaoran was 10 feet within her "Why?"
"Sakura, I'm looking for her, there is something important I really need to tell her."
"I haven't seen her. If you want I can call her. Just tell me what it is."
Tomoyo's expression grew miserable "It's okay, I want to tell her myself. I have to tell you something"
"I'm listening."
Tomoyo looked down ashamed "Well, I can't go with you to the dance tonight."
Syaoran was puzzled "Why not?"
Tomoyo looked up "I think we should break up."
Syaoran was quiet.
"I feel so stupid. I don't know what it is about you that kept me holding on for so long." She took a deep breath trying to maintain ease "I've done something bad and I'm beginning to think that holding unto you is not such a good idea. I kept on thinking that you and I could be something but it's not going to happen. I know you keep on denying it but…but you like Sakura. I've seen it in the way you look at her. You've always looked at her that way. I guess all I really wanted was for someone to look at me that way. I'm sorry for any trouble I might have caused." Tears filled her eyes. She covered her face with her hands as tears began to run down her cheeks.
Syaoran quickly hugged her. He was speechless. He released her and looked at her "Are you sure you want us to break up?"
Tomoyo nodded.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
(Sakura's POV)
I looked at my wrist watch and panicked. I never once thought I'd be running around the house looking for my shoes. I ran downstairs and checked under the couch when suddenly the door bell rang. I walked to it and opened it. On my doorstep was Tomoyo. She looked as though she had been crying. Her hair was in a bun and she wore a blue turtleneck with a denim skirt.
"What do you want?" I asked calmly.
She played with her fingers and took a deep breathe "I've been looking for you everywhere." She began. "I need to tell you something, it's about Luca." She said quickly. I could tell from the way she was shaking that she was afraid, probably afraid that I would slam the door in her face.
"What is it?"
"I liked Syaoran, I liked him a lot."
I looked at her befuddled, did she just use like as a past tense.
"I liked him so much that the girls and I plotted to break what you and Syaoran have. We paid Luca to pretend he liked you just so you would spend less time with hi and…and fall out of love with him. I realize what I did was wrong but the problem is…we tried to tell Luca to quit but he wouldn't. He is planning on doing something horrible to you tonight at the dance."
I didn't know what to feel, part of me was angry and another part felt stupid. I turned away and asked "So it was all just a set up?"
"Yes, the bicycle thing and him telling you that Syaoran teased you…it was all a set up. I'm sorry." She looked at me hoping for forgiveness. I began to remember why I found it so hard to trust anyone.
I forced a smile "Thanks for telling me, I think what you did was somewhat bitchy, but I'd expect something like that from you."
The expression on her face grew sad. She was no longer the perfect happy school girl "I slightly smiled "I'm only kidding, I forgive you."
She looked at me with a sense of relief.
"Do you know what he is planning on doing to me?"
She looked at the ground and shook her head "No, I wish I did. He just said that it will make you wish you hadn't been born."
I slowly closed the door, leaned against it and looked around. "So much for looking for my shoes."
………………………………………………………………………
(Normal POV)
An hour had passed since Tomoyo dropped by. Sakura sat on the couch trying to erase everything from her head. She felt hurt though she didn't want to admit it to herself. She tried to treat it like it was nothing, like it was something that happened everyday but she couldn't. She felt as though everyone one was against her. The doorbell rang. Sakura sat still. She didn't feel like answering.
"Sakura! Sakura!" Syaoran yelled on the other side. Sakura grabbed a cushion and hugged it. She dropped her head on the couch.
"Sakura! Are you in!?" Syaoran shouted.
"Come in." she yelled groggily.
Syaoran slowly opened the door and let himself in. "You should start locking up you never know who it could be." He approached her and looked at her concerned "Are you sick?" he asked.
"No." she moaned.
"Then why aren't you dressed?"
Her eyes narrowed his direction then back away from him. "So you're going?"
"Yes, I am; aren't you? Isn't Luca coming to pick you up?'
Sakura sat up "He is but I'm not going with him." She groaned.
"Why not?"
Sakura looked down at her feet "You were right. He was only using me. He wants to somehow humiliate me in front of the whole school at the dance. That's why he wants me to go."
Syaoran sat next to her "Really, who told you."
Sakura crossed her legs and swallowed "Tomoyo"
"That explains a lot. I wonder how she knew."
Sakura looked at Syaoran and slightly smiled "You're looking sharp."
Syaoran returned the smile "That's the nicest thing you've ever to me."
"Don't get too used to it, once tomorrow comes, you won't be hearing it anymore."
Syaoran's smile faded. "Sakura, I'm sorry about all the things I said this afternoon."
"I forgive you." She said simply. Syaoran could tell that her mind was somewhere else. As usual she was trying to cover her emotions with lies.
"I didn't mean a word I said you know. My mother says that people usually argue with each other when they are trying to hide certain feelings."
Sakura looked at him "What are you trying to hide?" she whispered.
"That…you're good for me just as I am good for you. Our friendship means a lot to me."
"You better get going, Tomoyo is waiting for you."
Syaoran turned his head away from Sakura "She dumped me a few hours ago; I'm officially dateless unless…" he looked at Sakura and Sakura at him. "Unless you would go with me, we can go as friends."
Sakura's cheeks flushed coyly "You can't be serious…you want me to go with you, what would people think?"
"Of course I do. I thought you don't care about what people think. All that matters is what we know is true." He paused long enough to smile at her "Say yes…"
Sakura shook her head "Yes… I want to go with you…but why are you asking me when you could take any other in school."
"Just because…I'll tell you later"
"Even if I wanted to I wouldn't be able to go. Luca is up to something."
Syaoran looked at her serious "I'll protect you, haven't I always."
Sakura smiled. Her captivating smile caught him. He couldn't stop looking at her. It wasn't like all those other smiles she plasters on her face. It was real and rare. She stood up "I'll go get dressed."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, didja ya'll like it. Plz review and thanks for reading. Anywho, I'm having problems picturing the next chapter. I have a tiny idea of what's going to happen but I can't figure out what Sakura should wear to the dance. If you have any idea's I'm open for suggestions. It has to be really good. Until next time; bye.