Almost a week had passed since my confrontation with Meiling. She hardly spoke to me nowadays. And even though it hurt me sometimes, (she is my sister after all) I actually preferred it that way.
Two days back, I had heard from one of those gossiping fellow cheerleaders of hers that she had officially broken up with Suzuki Riyu. "My, my," Tomoyo had said after hearing this piece of news. "She really is quite serious about what she said."
Syaoran kept to himself most of the time. He was one of the brightest students in the class, but remained a mystery to most of his classmates. Meiling had given up trying to seduce him with her 'conventional' methods after the disastrous results, and had now resorted to being a little less obvious with her flirting. She was pretending to be interested in him only as a 'friend', but going out of the way just to talk to him or be around him.
She had been delighted when he was selected during the tryouts for the new basketball team. It obviously meant that she would be able to spend more time with him, even outside school hours, she being a cheerleader. He however, was still apprehensive about her and tried his best to avoid her.
I, on my part, hardly talked to Syaoran, to Tomoyo's immense frustration. I just didn't know what to say to him, and I was still not clear about my feelings for him, or whether I even had any.
Tomoyo on the other hand, was over enthusiastic about the 'challenge' or 'war' or whatever you want to call it. She was trying her best to set me up with Syaoran.
Like the other day, when I was trying in vain to solve a Math problem, she went like- "Syaoran, Sakura's not able to do this sum. Could you help her out?"
And then he came over to my seat & patiently explained it to me. But I didn't understand a word of it as half the time I was blushing and thinking how close he was to me.
"Hopeless," Tomoyo had then said. "You are hopeless, Sakura."
But the problem was that ever since that incident, all the girls went only to Syaoran with their doubts, no matter how silly they were.
It was Friday afternoon, and Meiling was staying back for cheerleading practice. I waited for Tomoyo by the school gate, and smiled when I saw her coming towards me, waving.
She hummed as we walked back home and looked immensely pleased with herself for some reason. Immediately danger signals flashed all around my mind.
"You-umm-seem very happy, Tomoyo. What's up?" I asked nervously.
She looked at me and flashed me a big grin. "I called Eriol over for a homework session."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't very fond of Eriol coming over to our house. But I had been expecting something much worse after seeing that look on Tomoyo's face...
"And I told him to bring Syaoran along as well." She added, almost skipping as she walked.
"Can you believe her Kero? She's started with her matchmaking thing again. She has no right! Why does she think she has control over my love life?" I ranted on to my pet cat, who was the only one who would listen. I sat on the bed and sighed. "Yeah I know, I don't have a love life." I looked at him. He was now busy licking himself clean. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, why am I even telling you this?"
I collected my books and walked out of my room into Tomoyo's. I placed them on the study table, sitting next to Eriol. Syaoran, who was flipping through one of his books, looked up & gave me a small smile.
I jumped when something soft & furry tickled my toes. "Kero! Why do you always have to scare me like that?" I scolded my pet lurking under the table.
Eriol smirked. "Why Sakura? Still haven't got over your fright after watching that movie?"
I shuddered remembering the night when Eriol & Tomoyo had forced me to watch that horror movie with them two weeks back. "Don't remind me of it."
Eriol chuckled. "Are you scared the monster would be hiding under the table, waiting to grab you?" He leaned closer. "Or maybe under your bed? Emerging slowly when you are sleeping..."
I shut my eyes. "Please Eriol. Stop it."
"...and then you wake up to find the monster leaning towards you, with its jaws wide open, and teeth pointing out..."
"What would you know about the monster in that movie anyways?" I snapped, trying anything to make him shut up. "You spent half the time sucking Tomoyo's face off." Syaoran laughed, and I felt a sudden jolt in my stomach.
Eriol looked away, a light pink tinge to his cheeks. My attention on Syaoran was immediately distracted by shock at the other boy's reaction. He had blushed. I had actually made Eriol blush!
"Hmm...what's that in his mouth?" Eriol quickly said to change the subject. I saw that he was pointing to Kero, who I noticed had the stuffed bear in his mouth.
"He really seems to like that." Syaoran observed.
"He's obsessed with it." I muttered, snatching the bear from his mouth.
"Sakura, can I see that?" I turned to look at Eriol who had his hand outstretched. I gave it to him and saw him observing it carefully. He smiled. "This is mine." He said, looking up. "Where did you find it?"
"So, this isn't yours?" Syaoran asked.
I shook my head. "Kero picked it up from somewhere."
"My housekeeper had thrown this in the trash." Eriol said. "It's worthless. I had bought it at a fair two years back, from this gypsy woman. She said it helps you in finding your 'perfect match' or something. But it's supposed to work only once." He smiled. "All nonsense of course. I don't know what made me buy it. Guess it was because I was feeling lonely at that time." He handed the stuffed toy back to me. "Few months later I met Tomoyo. But I don't think this had anything to do with it."
Perfect match...I blushed remembering the day I had found it in Kero's mouth and ended up meeting Syaoran. I tried not to look at him, but I felt his gaze on me. I wondered what he was thinking...
"Here, cookies for everyone." Tomoyo announced as she emerged from the kitchen, and placed a jar on the table. I stole a glance towards Syaoran, hoping that he wasn't looking. But I found that he was and our eyes met for the briefest second before I looked away.
It wasn't long before Eriol & Tomoyo started with their flirting and eventual kissing. I rolled my eyes. This was becoming so cliché- their homework sessions turning into make-out sessions.
Syaoran looked up from his homework at the couple, distractedly. "Erm...maybe we should just leave these two alone."
I stood up. "Yeah. Good idea. How about we go to my room?"
I blinked, surprised at myself. Did I actually say that? I really seemed to be on a roll today.
"Ok." He agreed, getting up from the chair.
I was suddenly very conscious of the disorderliness of my room, right from my bed which wasn't made properly to the books & papers strewn around on my desk. I quickly tried to arrange them to make some place for us to it. But in my nervousness all I managed to do was spill the papers on to the floor.
"I'll help you with that." Syaoran said, bending beside me and picking them up.
To my horror, I saw that one of my very 'secret' photos had fallen right at his feet. Before I could react, he picked it up and flipped it around. He arched an eyebrow. "Boyfriend?" he asked lightly looking at me. I saw something in his eyes. Disappointment? Jealousy? I couldn't quite place it.
But when the meaning of his question registered in my mind, I felt my cheeks getting warm.
"Oh, sorry. I guess it was too personal-"
"No!" I interrupted, almost yelling. "I- It's ok. That's Yukito, and well- he's not my boyfriend." I said, trying not to look at him. "He-he was my first crush."
"So, what happened?"
I frowned. "He turned out to be gay."
For a moment he stared at me. Then he burst out laughing. I again felt that familiar jolt in my stomach. But I frowned and folded my arms, trying to look annoyed.
"Sorry. I just couldn't stop myself," he finally said apologetically. Then he looked at me and smiled, and whatever little anger I had felt towards him, went ebbing out of me. "That must have been very embarrassing for you."
"You have no idea." I mumbled, remembering that day when I had confessed my feelings to Yukito and he had politely explained that he was a gay. And I hadn't understood what he had meant, as the only meaning of gay I knew at that point was 'happy'. And I had said, confused- 'I know you're gay, Yukito. So am I.'
Ok. No. I shouldn't have remembered that. Now that's going to haunt me for the whole of next week.
"So you still like him?"
I saw his unreadable eyes boring into mine. "Yeah, kind of. He was the only guy who treated me like I existed. Apart from Eriol of course... and now- you."
I stood up and arranged my desk. We remained silent for a while.
"Do you hate that?" he suddenly asked getting up as well.
"Hate what?"
"You know, being sidelined and ignored-"
"I don't know. I guess I'm used to it."
He sighed. "I sometimes wish I were in your place. I hate all the unnecessary attention. I mean, why can't those girls just leave me alone?"
"You mean, like my sister?" I asked. He smiled sheepishly. "You don't like her much do you?"
He ran his hand through his hair and mumbled-"She, well, she kind of scares me."
"Scares you?" I asked incredulously.
"She reminds me of my sisters." he said. "You saw them, they just love to pick on me and tease me, especially in front of others. They even pull my cheeks sometimes! They are just so- imposing. It gives me a complex. And they scare me."
"So how does Meiling remind you of them?" I asked, trying not to laugh out when I imagined him having his cheeks pulled.
"Uh- you know she's just so air headed and flirty and boisterous. Very much like my sisters. Plus she even pulled my cheek after basketball practice, saying I was 'cute'. That seriously freaked me out."
I couldn't control my laughter after hearing that. Meiling was really trying extremely hard. "Well, Meiling scares me too."
He looked up at me. "I realised that much."
"And so does Tomoyo. She thinks she's the self appointed manager of my social life or something."
"Well I think she's just trying to help you come out of your shell. You know, you're always so aloof."
"Right, and you're such a socialising guy."
"My case is different. I like to be alone, coz otherwise I find myself attacked by a swarm of girls."
"And I like to be alone as I'm a plain Jane and people leave me alone themselves."
I saw his lips curving upwards and forming into a full smile. I felt my breath hitch- it was the first time I had seen him give anyone a full smile. "We have so much in common, even though we're so different." He said softly. "And I don't think you're a 'plain Jane'. You are different, very different from all the girls I've met so far." I dropped my gaze and blushed. That was the first time a guy had ever said anything nice to me. Well apart from Yukito and Eriol, of course. But you couldn't count them really.
I jumped when the door suddenly opened. "Sakura, do you have my-" But the rest of the words died on her lips. I turned to see an open mouthed Meiling standing in her cheerleading uniform.
"M-Meiling you're back from your practice." Was all I could say in my shock. I hadn't heard her coming into the house.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She said finally regaining her composure. "I think I ruined your moment" With that she went out of the room, but not before she gave me one of her death glares. If looks could kill...