Chapter Seven
Discovered: Part I
"You're going where with who!" Tomoyo hissed. She grabbed Eriol's collar and almost choked him.
"I think it's just a friendly date with Joy, that's all. Don't get so mad, Tomoyo-"
"Shut up!" She smiled in a scary way, letting go of Eriol to walk toward the window. "Okay... A nice date with Joy... A date, Eriol! A date! And I thought you were engaged! Why didn't you tell me!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! We're engaged! But it's just Joy, someone from the company that we work with. And I already said I'd go-"
"He-lo! What if I decide to 'date' someone that you also knew! What would you do, Eriol?"
"Oh. So you're saying you're jealous?" He grinned.
Tomoyo growled. "No-good fiancée. Jerk. Asshole," she kept mumbling.
"Tomoyo. Tomoyo. Can you please don't get mad?"
"You know what? I want to go with you! Or I'll tell her we're engaged and that she shouldn't be thinking anything is going between you and her! But she might not believe me, thinking that I'm just saying that so you won't have to go with her-"
"Tomoyo, you're talking to yourself."
Tomoyo's cell phone suddenly rang. She turned it on and mumbled a few "yeah" and "okay." Then she said bye. "I have to return to work, Eriol. Lunch period is over. And I can't believe Joy told you to wear something like that just to see her."
He was wearing a suit. And, no, you would not want to know how he put it on.
She giggled. "I'm not mad. I just want to play with you. Have fun." She kissed him on the lips and left.
Eriol couldn't believe it. He shook his head, chuckling a little. Tomoyo, on the other hand, was worried for real. But she kept telling herself that Joy can be trusted and that she should give her a chance.
All she told me was she knew who raped her, Syaoran kept thinking, almost to the point of insanity.
Flashback
"I know who raped me," she said. Her cold face slowly turned soft as the seconds ticked by. Sakura caressed Syaoran's face. She inched closer to him and he did the same.
Their kiss wasn't deep, but it was enough for Sakura.
"You didn't do it, Syaoran," Sakura whispered. In her mind, he was someone familiar, but not the one who attacked her. Her rapist's face was like Syaoran's, but she knew for sure they weren't the same person.
End of Flashback
The more he thought about it, the more pieces of the puzzle Syaoran put together. Sakura said I wasn't the one who raped her, so the rapist must have features like me. Then he must have brown hair and amber eyes. Or instead of amber, it could be brown. His hair and eyes must be a shade of brown then.
The files said the last call to Sakura came from one of Legal Independence's phone. Then someone must be calling from inside the building and ran out to meet her. He must be holding a paper or Sakura must have retrieved it from him when she was attacked.
I have asked for the July 14's attendance and logged-out sheets. The ones who stayed after midnight included himself, a few workers who stayed to finish their reports and/or projects, and... Frank. -Chapter Five-
"Syaoran!" Yumi greeted in this snappy voice. Her aquamarine eyes showed anger and jealousy. She had her brown hair in a ponytail. "What's wrong with you? Why are you staring off into space like that? I demand to know what you're up to!"
He just looked at her. By comparing her with Sakura, he had just noticed had different they were. Yumi was impatient and rude when she wants to. She often demanded a lot from him and the other people around her. Sakura was soft and thoughtful, but she kept her emotions bottled.
"I don't want to talk about it," he replied, rubbing his forehead and looking down to avoid her gaze. "I'm really tired, Yumi. Can you just leave me alone for today?"
Her face softened. "I'm sorry, Syaoran," she whispered. "Are you okay? Do you need the rest of the day off?"
Syaoran instantly thought it would be a good time to visit Sakura. "Sure."
Yumi smiled. "Really? Then do you want to go somewhere with me?"
His plan failed. "What? No. Sorry, Yumi."
"Ohh, please, Syaoran!" she begged. "Just for tonight! It's September 11th!"
-September 11th! Oh, man! September 11, 2001, right? I'm so sorry for bringing that up! And, if I didn't already told you, Sakura was attacked around midnight.-
Just for tonight... Go! It's Yumi. I've known her for so long, he thought. If I don't go, she'll just follow me until I agree. "Fine. I'll go."
"Great!" she exclaimed. "Then let's go! I know a great restaurant that allows dancing." Yumi hooked hands with him, leading the way out. "I knew you'd agree, so I phoned Dad earlier."
-
Sakura sat down on the bed, looking out the window. She hadn't noticed that Syaoran didn't come to visit because her mind was with her family's. She realized she didn't give them a funeral yet and it sort of caused her heart to break.
There was a knock at the door. It was Tomoyo.
"Hi."
"Tomoyo," Sakura said. She instantly started crying.
Tomoyo closed the door and ran over to her. "What's wrong, Sakura?" she asked quietly.
"Tomoyo... I missed them so much. And they were gone before I could even apologize! I had a fight with them the day it happened."
"Ohh... Don't blame yourself. I'm sure they know you won't hold a grudge against them, that's why they came to find you instead of calling you on the telephone."
Sakura didn't say anything. She continued to cry on Tomoyo's shoulder. Finally, after a few minutes, she stopped and both of them looked at each other.
"I think you need to go somewhere fun. The doctors won't mind, I think, since they'd like you to get better," Tomoyo suddenly brought up, a smile on her face.
Sakura wiped away her tears. She looked at Tomoyo with a confused expression.
"Let's go have some fun, Sakura."
"Huh? What about Eriol? He's in his room all alone, Tomoyo."
"So? This is quality girl time! I'll explain to him. I think he'd rather see your spirits high anyway."
"But I have nothing to wear."
"Don't worry. I don't think they mind you checking out in your hospital clothes."
"What! Go out in this thin outfit!"
"Just live with it!" Tomoyo said. She dragged Sakura all the way to the front door and into her car. "You live with me and Eriol and we have a garage so you won't need to worry about people seeing you like that, Sakura," she pointed out.
They took almost the whole night. Well, it's being exaggerated. They took at least half an hour because Tomoyo said Sakura shouldn't be wasting her time. Finally, Tomoyo took Sakura to a restaurant which she was sure Eriol and Joy wouldn't be in. Somehow, she felt uncomfortable that Eriol was in a wheelchair with someone that's not her.
-
They were in a sort of bar. Joy, for some reason, tried to seduce him, but Eriol didn't take it. He soon said he wanted to return to the hospital. She let in after a while and went to get him a drink.
While they were leaving the bar, Eriol grew weary. His vision got a bit blurry even though he's wearing glasses. His body grew sort of limp.
Joy whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry, Eriol."
Flashback
Joy was laying on her bed. The memories of the company's party played before her eyes Chapter Five. She remembered Eriol putting her on her bed, but it was faint.
The doorbell rang. She thought whoever the late visitor was would leave if no one'll answer. But the person soon got impatient and kept on pressing the bell. She was probably drunk because she thought it was Eriol and went to open the door.
Someone with brown hair and eyes jumped right in, closing the door abruptly behind him. Too tired and drunk, Joy wasn't able to defend herself. He covered her mouth, a smirk on his face.
End of Flashback
Joy winced. She remembered it vividly. She was too depressed to realize what she's doing. She thought it was right. She kept telling herself that it was Eriol that night to the point that she actually believed it. But the more she thought, the less real it seemed. She finally stopped and went to this desperate plan.
-
Syaoran didn't notice Yumi leaning on his shoulder. He was thinking of all the possible rapist.
Frank? It couldn't be Frank! I mean, after all, he's one of Yumi's closest friends. And he has black hair and eyes.
"Syaoran, what are you thinking?" Yumi whispered into his ear. She tightened her arms around his neck.
Syaoran was too distracted to really care, so he replied with, "Yumi, Frank is your college friend, right?"
"Yeah."
"What do you know about him?"
"Well... He's really brown-haired and brown-eyed. He wears black contact and likes to dye his hair black. He likes to take a night stroll since it's cooler. Why?"
He's the culprit? But he doesn't seem that intelligent. I mean, his position had stayed the same while mine went up. Wait. Or is Yumi asking her father to bring me up?
Speaking of Yumi, he felt her lips inching down his neck.
"Yumi! What the hell!" he hissed, pushing her away.
She looked at him, surprise written all over her face. "What do you mean, 'What the hell!' Syaoran, what's with you lately?"
"What's with me lately? I've been myself lately!"
"Syaoran, we've been together for a really long time! I want for our relationship to go farther!"
"Farther! No! I'm sow... ry... Yumi," he said, looking directly at Sakura.
Sakura just stared. From her position, it looked like they were kissing.
-Yeah. Notice the irony... because there's none-
But why should she cared? Syaoran and she aren't really together.
-That's correct grammer. Minus "Syaoran and": She aren't really together. Yeah, it's weird. But try "Her aren't really together." That's why it's "whoever and I" instead of "whoever and me."-
Tomoyo gaped. She couldn't believe it. She turned to Sakura, who looked as though she might break any second.
"What? What are you looking at?" Yumi asked, following Syaoran's gaze. "Who are those people, Syaoran?" she demanded. "Have you been cheating on me with them!"
Syaoran didn't answer that since he'd hurt both of them whether he said "yes" or "no." He just gently pushed Yumi aside and walked to Sakura.
She looked up at him, a fake smile on. "So she's your girlfriend?" she asked shyly.
Tomoyo glared. She pushed Sakura to the side and slapped Syaoran. "You cheater! Let's go, Sakura."
"No. Wait!" Syaoran argued. He stood in front of them.
Yumi couldn't figure out what to say. She breathed in and out hard. There were a few spectators at the scene who are just confused.
"Tomoyo, you can go. He probably want a little privacy," Sakura told her, patting her shoulder assuringly.
"What?" she scoffed. "Sakura - How can you trust him!"
"I'll be okay. You might not trust him, but you can trust me."
Tomoyo looked at her. "Then take good care of yourself," she whispered into her ear.
Sakura nodded.
Tomoyo flashed Syaoran a glare and left.
Syaoran opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
"I understand if you want to spend your time with her," she said, looking down. Sakura took a step pass him.
"What? No. Sakura!" Syaoran grabbed her arm.
"Syaoran, who is she!" Yumi exclaimed, pointing rudely at Sakura.
"I'm nobody. Sorry for wasting your time." She said it in a small voice.
He knew she was crying, and Yumi's words didn't make things any better. "Sakura, you're not wasting anyone's time," he told her, not letting go.
"Please. I just want to leave." She gently brushed his hand away and walked out without another word.
"Syaoran, who the hell is she!"
"It's none of your concern, Yumi."
-
Tomoyo realized that she had just left Sakura at the restaurant. She regretted dragging Sakura out when she didn't want to go in the first place. She was about to turn around when a dark vehicle caught her eye. There seemed to be someone in it. The car wasn't on. Thinking the person might be in trouble, she parked her car a few feet in front of it and got out.
She took out the keys and put on the brakes since she was on a hilly road.
-Sorry, I forgot what an uneven road is called. You know, where it's like you're going downhill or uphill.-
Joy kissed Eriol on the lips, but he didn't respond. He wasn't drunk; she just put something in his drink that made it easier to handle him.
"Eriol! Please!" she whispered.
She loosened his tie and undid some of the top buttons on her dress. Eriol looked pass her and out the front window.
"Um... Excuse me, can I help you?" Tomoyo asked, knocking on the driver seat's window. She saw someone on the back. She thought the person was afraid to answer, so she went toward the closest window, which is on the right, and knocked.
Joy looked up. "Dammit! That little bitch," she hissed. Her next move was unzipping something. Eriol, of course, panicked.
-OMG! I can't believe I put that! My innocent mind is now filled with terror - Ahhh-
There was a few sounds from inside. Tomoyo looked up at the passenger seat and saw a wheelchair. She noticed the car wasn't locked, so she opened the car door.
"Joy! What the hell are you doing!" she demanded, pushing her off of Eriol and fixing him up. "Are you okay?"
Eriol was relieved. He nodded slowly.
"What did you do to him, Joy!" Tomoyo exclaimed.
Joy instantly shot back: "Me! Get off him! Who do you think you are!"
Tomoyo was too mad to say anything else. "I'm getting you back to the hospital." She held his hand with her left hand. Tomoyo exited the car, reaching for the wheelchair in the front.
"Hey!" Joy stretched her arm. She closed the car door on Tomoyo's elbow, hard.
She winced. "What the hell - Stop it, Joy!"
"Why should I? What did you ever do for me?" She closed the door a few more times.
Eriol let go of Tomoyo's hand and knocked Joy off of him. She hit the left door. Joy looked at him with wide eyes.
"Eriol!" she spat.
Tomoyo returned to Eriol's side, trying to act oblivious to the pain in her left elbow. "I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about," she whispered to Eriol.
Joy scoffed. "Yeah! Get some sympathy! You need it."
"Shut up, Joy," Eriol shot back. His vision was returning to him, and he could feel his arms now.
"Can't you see that we're engaged!" Tomoyo yelled. "Would you just leave us alone! I'm tired of seeing you stalking Eriol!"
"'Engaged'?" Joy said thoughtfully. She was being sarcastic. "Stop trying to get Eriol for yourself, you little bitch! Where's your ring? I only see Eriol's. Maybe you're dreaming, so shut up yourself!"
Tomoyo gasped. She had just realized that she wasn't wearing it for quite some time now. She looked at Eriol. "You left it on my desk! Don't leave it on my desk, Eriol!"
"What? I thought you'd... see it." Eriol suddenly remembered that Tomoyo was too worried about him to even see the ring case. "We are engaged!"
"Really?" Joy said. She was trying to be strong. What she wants isn't hers now and she had just hurt them. She felt regret, but hatred won over. "Then till death will you part!" Her actions quick, she went out and opened the driver door. Joy smirked at them. She pulled the brakes out.
"What-" Tomoyo started. She abruptly remembered that they were parked in a hilly region and the brakes is what keeps the car in place. Actually, she realized what Joy was doing.
Joy waved as they started going downhill.
Tomoyo ignored Eriol's suggestion that she should leave. She sat at the driver's seat and pressed the gas pedal. She tried all the other pedals and buttons to slow the car down. They were about to crash right into a four-way intersection at the bottom. She finally gave up and climbed back to Eriol, who opposed her from sitting next to him.
"Leave! Go! Forget about me! There's nothing you can do!" he told her comtemptuously.
Tomoyo's eyes were filled with water. She couldn't stop the bleeding in her elbow, but she ignored it. "I'm not going, Eriol. Last time, your accident was because I left." She was referring to the day Eriol was hit by the car Chapter Six.
Eriol looked at her. "It wasn't your fault! I keep telling you!" he said, gently shaking her by the shoulders.
She fell right into his arms, resting on his chest.
"But it's my fault for what happened just now," he whispered.
Tomoyo shook her head. "If it wasn't my fault, it wasn't yours."
At the bottom, a truck driver noticed the sliding car and turned just in time. Joy's car hit the side of the truck in a soft kind of car-crash way. They felt the impact a great deal, though. The driver dialed for an ambulance.
Eriol closed his eyes. He felt Tomoyo's breathing slowing down until it finally stopped.
Apparently, some people from up the hill were just watching television in their houses when they heard all the yelling from the outside. They all called the police. The police stations knew that so many calls means something big, so they all rushed to the scene just as Joy's car hit the side of the truck.
Someone in a white uniform entered the car. She felt Tomoyo's wrist, and then her neck.
"How long's she stopped breathing?" she said in this snappy tone.
"Just now," Eriol replied. "Why?"
"Hurry! We need to get her to the emergency room - quick!" the nurse ordered.
There was a great deal of rushing. Tomoyo was snatched right out of Eriol's hands. She was put in a different ambulance, oblivious to what was going on.
-
To Be Continued...
-Eriol isn't cheating on Tomoyo. -; He was being nice the last chapter. It was Chapter 6, right? The one where he got hit and had a leg injury...? Sorry. I'm being forgetful.-