Sakura's Pride

Life

That best portion of a good person's life are their little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.

William Wadsworth

o0o

When my mother met him she got run over by his "charm" like the rest of them. My poor mother! I could not save her in time. Now that he has gained a new follower, I am left alone in this world. Who would save me, then?

o0o

The smell of people's lunches wafted through the entire cafeteria. Sakura groaned. She could not stand the aroma of food without her lunch.

Yes, Sakura forgot her lunch again; therefore she was going to try getting away from the smell by leaving the clamor of the school cafeteria and finding peace in the sunny, grassy outdoors of her school. She lay back in the grass for a brief moment by herself before she was reawakened.

"Sakura."

Startled, Sakura sat up. "L-Li-sempai!"

Syaoran smiled down at her. "I was wondering if you wanted to share my lunch with me. I have more than enough for two people."

"No thanks, I already ate," Sakura lied.

"Right then." Syaoran set down beside her and opened his lunch box. Sakura watched, instinctively licking her lips. Syaoran noticed. "You sure you don't want any?"

"Actually…" Sakura knew she would regret this.

"Call me Syaoran first."

"Syaoran," she said mechanically. All the while, she thought, how could she go so low? Mind as well kill myself, she told herself wretchedly. If she didn't, she would have just died of shame. Why live out torture when one could just die immediately?

"Good. Now here's your reward."

With his only pair of chopsticks he picked up a dumpling and placed it against her closed mouth. Sakura opened her mouth to admonish him, but before she had the chance to speak, he quickly placed the dumpling between her lips. Her frown changed to a smile as she chewed. "It's delicious," she gurgled.

"Glad you like it. I made it."

"Really?" Sakura shouted in wonder. To save her self she added as an after thought in a bored tone, "Oh. I mean. I can make great dumplings, too."

Syaoran smiled. "Oh, really?"

Sakura stared across at him with a baffled look. She rarely saw him smile at anybody. Come to think of it, he usually only smiled at her.

"Sakura!" Someone suddenly called to her from the closed gates, breaking Sakura's eye contact with Syaoran. "You forgot your lunch today!"

Sakura got up and ran towards the petite woman with wavy ebony hair. She was extending a lunch bag out to Sakura. "Thanks, Okaasan."

"Who's this?" The woman was staring at the boy behind Sakura, who had followed her to the gates.

"This is Syaoran Li."

"It's so nice to meet you Syaoran." The woman took his hand and shook it. "My Sakura does not have many boyfriends."

"Okaa-san!" Sakura yelled.

Syaoran laughed. "I know."

"Are you her first?"

Sakura was as red as a cherry, furious that her mother would talk about this in front of the enemy.

Syaoran gave her a dazzling smile. "I can see where Sakura gets her fair looks from." Sakura made coughing noises at that comment. Jeez! Why did he have to kiss up to her mother?

"Such a wonderful, boy!" She had the starry eyed look similar to that of a school girl.

Sakura had to drag a smug Syaoran away from her mom before he flattered her anymore.

o0o

Never in my life, had a boy the nerve to say he liked me. I didn't want any of that, anyway. For that, everyone thought I didn't have much of a life. To me, boys weren't worth the time. Syaoran, most of all, did not deserve the time.

o0o

"Why did you say those things to Okaasan?" Sakura demanded an answer out of him.

They were standing face to face, one fuming and the other smiling.

"Because I want the mother of the person I like to like me."

"It wouldn't matter that the person you like doesn't like you back?"

Syaoran frowned, "I never thought about that, but I like you."

"Shut up," Sakura muttered, red tingling her cheeks.

Syaoran maneuvered around the subject quite expertly saying, "Sakura, are you really as smart as you think you are because I have a challenge?"

"I'll take up any challenge you can dish out!" She shouted, remembering how she had lost the last challenge. There was a time for failure and a time for redemption.

"Great. Since we are both free after school on Wednesdays, how about we meet at the library regularly? You can do my homework for me. See if you can handle twelfth grade work."

"You're on!"

"Let's start this week."