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With Or Without You
Chapter Two: Words

Back to school. Back to uniforms.

Damn.

The only good thing about going back to school? Yeah, Syaoran would be there.

So there I was, fixing my hair, which was now down to my shoulders, in front of the mirror, frowning at the white blouse and oh-so short blue pleated skirt I was being forced to wear.

Whatever though.

I jumped at the sound of my cell ringing, as did my cat, Kero, who hissed and hid under the bed.

"Chill out Kero," I smirked, picking up the phone from my dresser. "Hello?"

"Hey Sakura!" Meilin's voice said, all happy and cheerful, from the other line. "What's up?"

"Just getting ready to go to school, you?" I asked.

"Just getting ready?" Meilin snickered. "Sakura, you have ten minuets before the bell goes. Where have you been?"

I shrieked, probably hurting Meilin's eardrums pretty badly, and gaped at my clock.

Oh my freaking God, I was so late!

"Got to go Meilin!" I gasped. "Talk to you at school!"

"Wait, there's something you have to know-" Meilin said.

Too late, I'd hung up.

I stared at my phone for a second. What did I need to know?

Whatever, I was in no position to worry about that now.

"Dad?" I shouted, running down the stairs. "Where's Touya?"

"He already left Sakura." my dad said, not bothering to look up from the morning paper. "He had work, remember?"

I groaned. "What a time for that loser to get a job!"

"Don't call your brother a loser, Sakura." my dad warned.

Meh, whatever, I was so out of there, grabbing my roller blades and headphones on the way out.

When in doubt, or late, skate.

I smiled, slapping on my roller blades, bolting out the front door, cranking up the music. "4ever" by The Veronicas.

Here we are so what you gonna do?
Do I gotta spell it out for you?
I can see that you've got other plans for tonight
But I don't' really care
Size me up you know I beat the best
Tick tock no time to rest
Let them say what they gonna say about tonight
I just don't really care

I smiled, the sun beaming down on me as I darted down the streets, past piles of snow.

Yeah, I was roller blading, while there was still snow on the ground.

I was so just asking to wipe out.

Come on baby we aint gonna live forever
Let me show you all the things that we could do
You know you wanna be together
And I wanna spend the night with you
(Yeah yeah)
With you
(Yeah yeah)
Come with me tonight we can make the night last forever

I loved this song, it was so perfect to run or skate or whatever to. It was just perfect.

Soon, the school loomed into view, along with the horrible sound of the bell.

Damn it!

I picked up my speed, turning into the schoolyard, which was, by then, completely deserted.

I was screwed. My homeroom teacher, Mrs. McKenzie, was not gonna be happy.

She'd be all "Come on Sakura, this is your last year here, only a few months left to go, can't you at least be on time?".

To which I'd reply, "No."

I sighed, not bother to take off my skates as I flew into the school, my locker coming up just around the corner…

Bingo!

I grinned, spinning the lock and swinging open the door, quickly taking off my skates and shoving them inside, grabbing my shoes from inside.

That's when I noticed the figure standing beside me, talking.

Not that, you know, I could hear the person. I still had my headphones on.

I turned to Syaoran and smiled, nodding every time I saw his lips move.

He was so gonna kill me.

Finally, he stopped talking and just looked at me.

I pulled off my headphones. "Sorry, what? I didn't hear you."

He gaped at me. "Sakura! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was gonna see if you noticed." I smirked. "Now, what were you saying?"

"He was saying," an all-to familiar voice said from behind me. "To get to class."

I turned to Mrs. McKenzie, then back to Syaoran. "Did you really?"

"No, not even close." Syaoran smirked.

"But it's a good idea." Mrs. McKenzie smiled. "Come on Sakura, Syaoran. You'd better be getting to your first periods."

"But homeroom isn't over yet, is it?" I asked feeling my cheeks flush.

"No, it's not." she answered. "But I think you should get to your first periods, just so you aren't late for those."

I grinned. "Thanks Mrs. McKenzie."

"And you two can see me after school." she winked, turning and walking away.

Never mind…

I sighed and turned back to my locker, pulling my books from the top shelf. "So, what were you saying? Sorry about that."

"Oh, whatever." Syaoran shrugged. "I said I needed to talk to you."

"Oh really?" I smiled. "Meilin said the same thing."

I couldn't help but notice how Syaoran's face went about ten shades whiter when I said that.

"W-What did she tell you?" he asked.

I looked at him oddly. "Nothing, I had to get here. Why? Is there something I should know?"

Like, why your face is the color of paper?

"No…not really…yes." Syaoran said, shoving his hands in his pockets, staring down at the floor.

What was going on?

"What's wrong Syaoran?" I asked, resting my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me then, and I was shocked to see that his eyes were filled with worry…and distress.

"Syaoran?" I asked, feeling as if my heart was going to stop beating at any moment. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Just then, the bell rang, and a bunch of doors opened and students walked into the hall.

Syaoran sighed, leaning forward and kissing me lightly on the cheek. "I'll tell you later."

Then he walked past me and disappeared into the crowd.

What…the hell.

I stood there, staring after him, my fingers on the place where he'd kissed me.

What is going on?

XxXxX

So there I was, sitting in Mrs. McKenzie's room after school, alone.

Where the hell was Syaoran? He had to stay after too!

I frowned, folding my arms across my chest, slumping lower in my desk. Did Mrs. McKenzie have to stare at me like that?

Seriously, she was just at the front of the class, sitting in her desk, staring at me with that stupid smile.

And yet she still remains my favorite teacher.

"So, how was your Christmas break Sakura?" she asked.

"Not bad." I shrugged. I wasn't about to tell her how miserable I was because Syaoran wasn't there. She didn't need to know that. "Yours?"

"Teachers don't get much of a break I'm afraid," she smiled. "But what time I did get, it was good."

I smiled. "That's nice."

Syaoran had been here for a day now, and had there been any make-out time, at all?

No.

Sure, there'd been time…but he didn't take it. He actually didn't even kiss me, except at the airport at that morning on the cheek.

What was going on with him?

Not to mention Meilin! What had that been all about over the phone that morning? What did I need to know? Both she and Syaoran seemed so…on the edge.

Why?

God, I wanted to know!

I sighed, picking at the edge of the desk I was sitting in, getting rather uncomfortable under Mrs. McKenzie's stare…

Then, finally, Syaoran walked in.

"Sorry I'm late." he said, breathing as if he'd been running. Which, since I'd heard him coming, he had. "I had to take a call."

Whoa, since when did he "take calls"?

Whatever.

"That's fine Syaoran," Mrs. McKenzie smiled, finally taking her gaze off me. "Now that you're both here..."

"Sorry about this morning." I said, getting up from the desk. "I was running late…I lost track of time."

"Same here." Syaoran smiled sheepishly. "We just got back last night. Jet lag, you know."

"I understand." Mrs. McKenzie smiled. "I'll let it go this time, okay? But one more late to my class and you'll both have double cleaning duty."

"Thanks Mrs. McKenzie!" I grinned, grabbing my things from the desk.

"You two have a nice night." she smiled. "See you tomorrow. On time, I hope."

"Sure thing." Syaoran said as he and I walked out of the class, into the hall.

"Thank God," Syaoran sighed once we were out of earshot. "I did not want extra cleaning duty."

I, however, didn't answer him. All I did was stop, put my hands on my hips, and glare at him.

"Whoa!" he gaped at me, noticing my death glare. "What's wrong Sakura?"

"I've been meaning to ask you the same thing." I said. I didn't have a chance to ask him that day because the only class of mine he was in was my homeroom, and we'd skipped that, and at lunch he and Meilin had disappeared somewhere. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean…what's wrong?" Syaoran asked, looking generally confused.

I rolled my eyes. "This morning? You said you needed to talk to me. I've never seen you look that upset!"

Well, I had, once, when I'd broken up with him in Hong Kong…

Syaoran frowned, lowering his head. "Oh…that."

"What's wrong?" I demanded. "Meilin's been acting strange, too! Ever since you guys got off that plane. What happened in Hong Kong that I should know about?"

Syaoran sighed and grabbed my arm, pulling me down the hallway.

Okay…

The next thing I knew, we'd turned the corner to a more deserted part of the school and he'd spun around, catching me rather off guard, and kissed me.

Whoa. Nice.

Odd, but nice.

He finally broke the kiss, but instead of looking happy or whatever, he looked downright upset.

"Syaoran?" I breathed, still a little breathless from his kiss. His kisses did that to me. "What's wrong? Tell me."

"You know I love you, right?" Syaoran asked.

Oh God…this sounded bad.

"Yeah…" I said hesitantly. "But Syaoran…what's going on? Why are you acting so strange?"

He sighed and lowered his head again, his chocolate bangs falling into his eyes, shading them from me.

I loved his hair, it was so sexy.

Anyway…

"Syaoran?" I breathed, resting my hand on his shoulder, shaking it slightly. "Syaoran what's wrong? What happened?"

He looked up at me then, just…looked, his eyes filled with distress.

"S-Syaoran?"

He wrapped his arms around me then, so tightly that I thought he'd never let go. His breathing was heavy, almost as if he was trying to keep himself from crying, or screaming.

"Sakura I love you." he breathed into my hair, his grip on me tightening to something almost possessive. "But..."

But? What but? How can there even be a but?

I felt my heart sink lower and lower in my chest as he pulled away from me, his eyes boring into mine.

"Something happened in Hong Kong." he said softly. "And I don't have any choice but to follow through in it."

Oh my God…did he get some chick pregnant or something? Because if he did, he was so, so dead.

"W-What?" I asked softly, my voice coming out in a tiny squeak.

He took a deep breath, his hands falling from around me, down to his sides.

"Sakura…" he said softly, almost as if he were ashamed. "I'm…engaged."

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