Comments of Meso:
bladebreakers: Thanks for reviewing! If you think things were crazy there, wait till you read THIS chapter!
I'd like it if I got more reviews, on any chapter...Well, read on, anyway. (btw, the chapters are out so fast because they're pre-written. It's like this until chapter so far)
Chapter 4: The Picnic
After Rika's break down, she excused from her first period class by a bitter-faced Mr. Terada. Naoko had come back to class about ten minutes late, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears. She was also excused, but Mr. Terada could put two-and-two together, so he sent Naoko to a totally different area.
The rest of the morning seemed to go by as a quick blur, as Sakura couldn't think about anything other than Rika crying in the middle of the floor.
At lunchtime, Naoko sat at an empty table all alone. Rika did as well, but Sakura and Chiharu insisted that she should eat with them, so she came over.
Despite what had happened between Naoko and Rika, the girls (and Yamazaki and Syaoran) tried not to let it get them down. They discussed the picnic that would be an hour after school ended, but they didn't ask Rika about anything.
"Hey, Syaoran. I've noticed that you and Sakura have been practically inseparable!" Yamazaki commented. Syaoran and Sakura blushed, but Syaoran said yes.
"What about you and Chiharu? You guys have been inseparable since…forever!" Syaoran said, and the two of them started laughing. Sakura didn't get it.
"Speaking of inseparable, did you know that before they had normal glue, they had to use a gooey substance that came from the brains of a platypus-"
"Enough, Yamazaki!" Chiharu cried, but he still kept smiling even as Chiharu dragged him away by his ear. Everyone (except for Rika) started laughing.
The bell rang, and everyone got ready to go back to class. As Sakura was heading to social science, she noticed that Mr. Terada had called Rika over. A school hallway seemed to be an odd place to talk when students would be filling it shortly.
Sakura really didn't want to stick her nose in Rika's business, so he turned to leave when she saw Syaoran right behind her.
"Phwee! You scared me, Li!" Sakura said.
"What, did you forget that we have the next class together?" he asked.
"Oh yeah…" Syaoran could tell something was wrong.
"It's your friend Rika, isn't it? I heard that she was dating someone older," he said. Sakura nodded, but then she noticed that the hallway was empty and that everyone had passed through while they were talking.
"Rika, how could you!" Mr. Terada hissed loudly. Sakura and Syaoran turned their heads towards them. Rika said something inaudible, but her head was hanging, showing that she was sad.
"But you were doing so well! How could you let one little friend do this? Let it slip out!" Mr. Terada choked. Rika said something softly once again. The two were totally unaware that people were watching them. Mr. Terada said something back, but the look on his face was cold. Rika looked up at him, horror-struck.
He started to walk away, when Rika shouted, "I didn't tell her that it was you! I didn't!"
Sakura and Syaoran gasped. It felt like a cold wind had rippled through the school as Sakura finally realized it. The man Rika was dating…It was Mr. Terada.
"We should go, Sakura," Syaoran said softly. Sakura stepped back slowly, then quickly turned around and headed to her class. She couldn't bear to watch anymore.
-----------
"Cheer up, Sakura! We're at the picnic!" Yamazaki cried.
"Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for," Chiharu sighed. Sakura, Syaoran, Yamazaki, and Chiharu were all sitting on a pink blanket under a willow tree. It was finally the couples' picnic! And it was also Sakura and Syaoran's second anniversary of dating.
"You're right. Let's have fun!" Sakura cried, and she opened up the picnic basket.
"Doesn't look like there's drinks in there," Syaoran commented.
"I'll go grab some," Yamazaki offered.
"You shouldn't go alone. I'll come, too." Sakura said. Both of them stood up and walked away to the beverages table. Syaoran knew that Sakura was being polite after Yamazaki had cheered her up a little. However, an awkward silence had settled over Syaoran and Chiharu.
Over by the drinks table, Yamazaki and Sakura were having a little conversation about the origin of bottling drinks. They got all the drinks they wanted, then walked back over their picnic area where they had left Chiharu and Syaoran five minutes before.
As soon as they got there, though, they were shocked. Glass bottles cracked as they hit floor, the juice carelessly seeping out of them. Sakura and Yamazaki stood there watching Chiharu and Syaoran, eyes wide open and mouths hanging. For there on their picnic blanket was the two of them in an embrace.
"I love you, Chiharu," Syaoran said, clear as day.
"I love you too, Li," Chiharu replied.
Yamazaki found his voice first. "Chi…Chiharu…do you…do you mean that? Y-you…love Syaoran?"
Chiharu's head snapped up, and then she completely flushed as she saw what she was doing.
"What's going on?" Syaoran asked, beet red. "Why are you hugging me?" Syaoran asked Chiharu.
"I-I don't know," Chiharu said as she let go.
"Why, Chiharu? Have you always felt this way with Syaoran? Kept it a secret then finally when I walk away…When I walk away…" Yamazaki choked.
"If you want to be with Chiharu, then we'll "walk away" again!" Sakura shouted. The tears were going to come any second. She turned her back on Chiharu and Syaoran.
"Sakura, no! It's not what it looks like, I swear! I don't even know…" Syaoran objected. But it was no use, and Sakura, along with Yamazaki ran away, off of the school premises. And they were gone.
-----------
"He loves Chiharu, Tomoyo!" Sakura wailed. Tomoyo gave Sakura a quick hug.
"I'm pretty sure it's not true," she consoled Sakura. Sakura sniffled and wiped the tears from her face.
"He-he said it, I was right there. And they were hugging." Tomoyo had nothing to say to this.
"What did he say after you found him?"
"He said he had no idea what was going on…"
"What did he say as you were leaving?"
"Nothing. He didn't try to stop me." Tomoyo paused.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. Do you still want to be with Syaoran though? That's the real question here," Tomoyo stated.
Sakura looked into Tomoyo's warm brown eyes with her own teary emerald ones. Then she looked away.
"I don't know…I don't know whether I can trust him again…"
"I hope you decide soon, Sakura. I can't stand to see you this way," Sakura gave Tomoyo a small smile. Even though everyone was changing, getting meaner or impatient, Tomoyo could still be the same as ever.
---------
A dream…? A vision…? A nightmare…?
Surrounded by darkness, except for faint outlines of trees…
"Go get Yukito! I need him!" Sakura shouted.
"Fine, Miss bossy boots," Tomoyo grumbled. She ran off into the darkness.
"Sakura, do you need help?" Syaoran shouted to her.
"No! Just watch over Kero…" Sakura said worriedly.
"Pay attention!" came a harsh voice. SLAM! Sakura was knocked backwards before she even knew what happened.
"SAKURA!" Syaoran shouted. "That's it, you can't ask me to stay back any further!" He left an unconscious Kero by a tree and ran out to Sakura, his sword unsheathed.
"No…" she said weakly, and she muttered something under her breath. Syaoran came towards her, but he instantly bounced back off of some invisible shield.
"I'm sick of you two already." Came the voice again. The voice came from the shadow of man…He had a lion's paw at the end of one arm. He lifted this paw, and a golden beam of energy shot down from the sky. It hit Syaoran squarely in the chest, and he fell back, a dazed yet blank expression on his face.
"SYAORAN!" Sakura screeched.
"Your turn!" the man shouted, and another golden beam shot down from the sky.
"SHADOW, RELEASE!" Sakura cried frantically. A creature draped in a black, ragged cloak emerged from the pink staff Sakura had clutched in her hands. The creature waved its hand in a smooth motion, making a shield of black. The golden beam was absorbed by it.
"Oh, too slow," said the man.
"What do you mean!" Sakura yelled, but she realized what he meant when she saw him charge at her. His hand flowing with black energy. He had tricked her, and he was getting closer…closer…Sakura had no time to think. It was obviously the end.