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With Or Without You
Chapter Nineteen: Count On Me

"Hey Sakura!" Tomoyo grinned, sitting in the front seat of Eriol's SUV.

God, this reminded me of the good old days of when I snuck out my bedroom window to go out with Tomoyo and Eriol.

Though this time I hadn't been able to climb out of my window, due to my side, and had to go out the front door very quietly.

"Thanks for picking me up." I smiled.

"No problem." Meilin grinned, sitting in the back seat beside me. "It's good that you came."

I nodded, turning to the far backseat, where Syaoran was, as usual, spread out on the backseat, his hands behind his head, looking rather relaxed.

But I noticed something different about the way he lay there.

His foot was tapping.

Yes, tapping.

Nervously.

"What's up Syaoran?" I asked.

His amber eyes opened and turned to me. "Nothing, why?"

"You're foot looks like it's having a seizure." I said wittily.

Syaoran's cheeks flared and he sat up straight, placing both his feet on the car floor. "So, how are you feeling?"

Way to change the subject, dude.

"I'm fine. I wish everyone would stop asking me that." I groaned.

Meilin smirked. "Get used to it girlie."

I rolled my eyes as Eriol sped down the dark street.

I was so glad this dance wasn't a formal, because I was not in the mood to dress up. Oh no, that night I had gone rather casual, light jeans and a pale pink zip-up sweater with a white tank-top underneath.

Thank God everyone else had gone casual, too.

We pulled into the school parking lot in no time flat, and everyone hopped out of the car.

"Sakura, hold up." Syaoran said as he got out of the SUV.

I stopped, Meilin and the others walking ahead of me, into the school, and waited for him. "Yeah?"

Syaoran smiled faintly, standing in front of me, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Are you sure you're all right?"

I frowned at him. "Yes, I'm sure Syaoran. You don't have to worry about me."

He nodded slightly, lowering his head. "But-"

"Shut it." I snapped. "It's not your fault. I'm tired of people blaming themselves! It's Kent's fault, all his fault! None of it has anything to do with you!"

"Doesn't it?" Syaoran asked, looking up at me.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist, giving him and tight hug. Hell, he needed it. From talking to Meilin, I'd found out that Syaoran hadn't slept since I'd gone to Hong Kong.

"Don't worry about me Syaoran." I breathed into his shoulder. "I'm more worried about you."

"Me?" Syaoran said, sounding rather surprised. "Why me?"

"You haven't slept." I said softly. "And don't tell me you have, Meilin told me you haven't. I don't want you to worry about me Syaoran."

He smiled faintly down at me. "It's my job to worry about you."

Then he leaned forward and kissed me gently, lovingly, on the lips.

I had to admit that when he kissed me, a sick feeling kind of rose in my stomach. I still couldn't get that night out of my head…

When would I be able to forget, and move on with my life?

Syaoran must have realized what I was thinking, because his grip on my waist only tightened as he pulled away. "I'm always here for you Sakura. You know that, right?"

I nodded faintly. "I do."

"Are you two coming?" Meilin shouted from the school entrance.

"Yeah." Syaoran smiled, turning back to me. "Listen, I have some things to take care of. I'll see you in a few minuets, okay?"

A few minuets? What things?

"Uh, sure." I said with a nod, watching as he turned and ran towards the back of the school, Eriol following after him.

What…the hell?

I was about to walk into the school after Meilin and Tomoyo, when a familiar blonde figure caught my attention.

I wonder if Yelan had talked to Ciria yet…

From the look on the girl's face as she stormed up to me, I was guessing so.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo shouted, her voice wracked with worry, from the school entrance.

"Be right there." I smirked, folding my arms across my chest as Ciria approached me, getting right up in my face.

"What did you do you little bitch?" she hissed, her eyes bloodshot with dark bags underneath them.

"Nothing much." I smirked. "Why?"

"You know very well why!" Ciria shrieked. "Yelan called me, she called Syaoran, the wedding is off! I want to know what you did!"

"I just had a little chat with Yelan." I shrugged. "Nothing more. It was Yelan's choice. Maybe she just doesn't like you."

"Who cares?" Ciria snarled. "You ruined my future you little whore!"

"I'm sure you can find another guy to suck off of." I smirked. "But not Syaoran, he's mine."

"Oh, so you're with him now?" Ciria snapped. "You really did deserve what you got."

I gaped at her. "What I got?"

"You know what I mean, Kinomoto." Ciria hissed. "You know all to-"

She was cut off, however, when I slapped her, hard, across the face.

"You-You bitch!" Ciria gasped, clutching her hand to her now pink cheek. "How dare you!"

"How dare I?" I growled, anger pulsing through me. Why hadn't I seen this before? Why hadn't I made the connection? "How dare you Ciria!"

"Me? What did I do?"

"You told him!" I shrieked at her, a lump swelling in my throat. "You told Kent I was alone!"

Ciria smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "Now that's not true Sakura, you know that. How was I supposed to know you were alone?"

"Because Syaoran told you." I snarled. "He told me he went home a few times when I was gone. Either that, or you were eavesdropping. Whatever the case, you knew that I was alone!"

Ciria laughed, really, she just laughed. "Of course I knew. God, it's not that hard, I was surprised Syaoran didn't figure it out sooner."

Oh, I hit the target. She was so going to get it…as soon as she stopped monologing.

"Syaoran did come home." Ciria growled. "Right after I got the call that the wedding was off. He was upset, but not over me, over you. I heard him talking on his cell with one of your little friends, wondering where you were. So then I knew, you had been the one to stop the wedding…but how? You could only do that by going to Hong Kong yourself, since it's impossible to get Yelan on the phone."

"So you told Kent?" I said acidly. "You told him to come and-"

"I remembered him from the club." Ciria said, cutting me off. "And I wanted revenge on you, and I figured he wanted revenge on Syaoran, so why not get two birds with one stone? I told Kent that you would, most likely, return home within a day or so. Its not my fault he got horny."

I glared at her, just glared. What a bitch! Now I knew, Ciria was not one to be messed with.

But then again, neither was I.

So I did the only thing I could, at the moment.

I lashed out and punched her, hard, in the nose.

I will gladly admit that I was very, very happy when I heard the snapping as her nose broke.

"Go to hell Ciria." I snarled, standing over her as she lay on the pavement, clutching at her bloody and broken nose. "But before that, I'll see you in court, along with Kent."

Then I turned, and walked over to Meilin and Tomoyo, who were gaping, mouths wide, at the damage I'd done.

"Nice Sakura, nice." Meilin giggled, walking with me into the school, not even looking over her shoulder at her step-sister shrieking on the ground.

I couldn't help but laugh as we walked down the hallways and into the gym, which was beautifully decorated with pink and white balloons and streamers, the lights dimmed to make the place glow.

"I've never seen you hit a person before Sakura." Tomoyo sighed. "But it was cool."

"Glad you liked it." I grinned. "I know I did."

"Feel better now?" Meilin asked.

"Oh no, but it'll do for now." I smirked.

I swear, someone must have let out the word that I was either missing, or raped, because the second I stepped into the gym, there was about seven people rushing up to me asking all these totally annoying questions.

"Where were you Sakura?" Zachary demanded, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, rather harshly, to sink in how pissed he was.

"In Hong Kong." I said, refusing to answer anything other than that.

Like I wanted everyone to know…

"Want something to drink Sakura?" Tomoyo asked from my side.

"No thanks, I'm good." I smiled, my gaze falling on the stage, which was set up for a band…but there was no band. Come to think of it, there was no music even playing. "Hey, where's all the music?"

"You'll see." Meilin grinned.

I'll see? Why did everyone intend on saying that to me? That was so freaking annoying!

"Okay you guys, what's going on?" I growled, resting my hands on my hips. "You're all acting weird!"

"No we're not!" Tomoyo smiled. "Just wait Sakura, just wait."

It turns out that I didn't have to wait long, for a few seconds later, and after a few words of how stoked Meilin was that I'd punched her step-sister, the lights went out…and then came back on, all aiming at the stage.

And guess who was on stage?

Yeah, Syaoran. With a microphone in his hands.

"What's he doing?" I breathed, my eyes glued on the hot Chinese boy standing on stage, which had caught the attention of every female, and even some males, in the gym. I snatched up Tomoyo's arm. "What's he doing? Tomoyo!"

"This is your surprise." Tomoyo grinned, she and Meilin grabbing my arms, pulling me towards the stage.

Oh God…don't tell me…Syaoran was going to sing?

Could he even sing?

"Everyone having fun tonight?" Syaoran smiled into the microphone, getting a loud bunch of cheers from the crowd.

I turned and glared at a grade nine who dared to scream "I love you Syaoran!" she had better watch out, or she'd end up like Ciria.

"I'm going to sing, obviously." Syaoran smirked. "For a very special someone in the crowd."

"Is it me?" that god damn grade nine shrieked.

She was so going to die!

"Sakura," Syaoran said, his tone totally sexy. "This one's for you."

"Oh shit…" I gasped.

He was going to make a fool of himself…for me?

Awe how sweet!

Eriol, who was on the lead guitar, suddenly began to strum somewhat of a more rock type song.

Oh God.

"What's he doing? Can he sing? Tomoyo! Meilin what's going on here?" I shrieked.

Too late, he'd started singing.

"I know that life ain't always good to you," he sang. Surprisingly enough his voice was good, really good. Like, as good as the actual singer of the song by Default. "I've seen exactly what it's put you through. Thrown you around and turned you upside down and so you, you got to thinking there was no way out, you started sinking and it pulled you down."

I was in shock. Mortal, total, shock.

I spun to my side, grabbing Meilin's arm. "Why didn't you tell me he could sing? Why!"

"I thought you knew!" Meilin giggled. "He was in a band with some friends when he was younger, they did really well with themselves, actually..."

Holy shit. He was so going to die! Why had I not heard of this so-called band of his?

"It may be tough, you've got to get back up because you know that life ain't over yet," he continued to sing, the crowd literally screaming. "I'm here for you so don't forget, you can, count on me cause I will carry you till you carry on."

I was melting. Holy crap!

"Anytime you need someone, somebody strong to lean on, well you can count on me to hold you till the healing is done," he sang, totally into the song. "And every time you fall apart, well you can hide here in my arms, and you can count on me to hold you till that feeling is gone."

I was crying. Literally. Just standing there among all these dancing teenagers, hugging onto Meilin's arm, crying my eyes out.

Syaoran's song, though it really belonged to Default, was beautiful. And he was singing it for me.

"I wonder why nobody's waiting on you, I'd like to be the one to pull you through your darkest times, I'd love to be the light that finds you. I see a silver lining on your cloud, I'll pick you up whenever you fall down, just take my hand and I will help you stand because you know that life ain't over yet, I'm here for you so don't forget; you can, count on me cause I will carry you till you carry on."

I was going to bloody kill him once he got off stage. Then I would bring him back to life, and kiss him until he died again!

"Anytime you need someone, somebody strong to lean on, well you can count on me to hold you till the healing is done. And every time you fall apart, you can hide here in my arms, cause you can count on me to hold you till that feeling is, gone so you can live today, seems so long to yesterday, keep on counting on me," he sang, his voice rising and rising with the music, until he let out the last few powerful words. "to carry you till you carry on…carry on."

Of course, during this part, that annoying little grade nine girl was shrieking her head off screaming these rather inappropriate things at my guy.

Yes, my guy bitch, my.

"You know that life ain't over yet, I'm here for you so don't forget, you can count on me cause I will carry you till you carry on. Anytime you need someone, somebody strong to lean on, well you can count on me to hold you till the healing is done. And anytime you fall apart, you can hide here in my arms, and you can count on me to hold you till that feeling is gone. Remember life ain't over yet, I'm here for you so don't forget that you can, count on me, to hold you till that feeling is gone. Remember life ain't over yet, I'm here for you so don't forget that you can, count on me, cause I will hold you till that feeling is gone."

And the crowds go wild!

"Thank you." Syaoran smiled into the microphone. Though he wasn't looking at the crowds, he was looking at me…me and my tear-stained cheeks. "Sakura."

I let go of Meilin's arm then and ran, literally, on stage, literally jumping on Syaoran and wrapping my arms around his neck.

Hey, you would have done it too. That song was beautiful, and it made me cry, so he deserved a hug.

Among other things…

"Thank you Syaoran." I cried into his shoulder as the crowds still continued to cheer. "Thank you!"

He smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. "I love you Sakura. I'm sorry, so sorry, that I haven't been there."

I didn't answer, I couldn't, I was crying too hard.

Even though the past few days had been a total hell for everyone, Syaoran had found a way to take it all away, even for a few moments.

And I would be forever grateful.

"I love you too." I smiled, bringing my lips to his.

And you know what? This time, when our lips met, I didn't get a sick feeling in my stomach as I had before.

Oh no, I felt that furthest thing from sick.

It's hard to describe, really.

So we stood there, on stage, making out, the crowds still cheering, and the teachers screaming at us to stop it.

But we didn't care, for as far as we knew, we were the only people in the room.

Hope you liked it! I LOVE that song, "Count On Me" by Default! It's amazing!
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