Jagged Amber

Card Captor Sakura

Chapter Seven

*starjade*

Setback

" Hey, you!!"

Sakura turned around and it was a bad thing that she did, for she was slammed into the nearest locker with harsh force.

" What were you doing yesterday?" A sneer came from a brunette she recognised instantly.

" What is it to you?" Sakura bit back and wrenched away from her hold. " Don't touch me!"

The brunette placed her hands on her hips and twisted her face in a scowl. Two of her friends were standing beside her, glaring at her as well. " The Japanese girl tells me not to touch her!" The brunette laughs. " Look, bitch, you are just shit to Syaoran! So act like the shit you are and get away from my boyfriend!"

Sakura groaned. Of course. It was about Syaoran. Why was Syaoran such an idolized person around these crazy people?

" Look-" Sakura started, but the brunette didn't listen to her and shoved her into the locker again.

" This should teach you to stay away from him!" The brunette laughed and poured fruit juice over Sakura's head.

Sakura sputtered and screamed, as the brunette laughed, revelling in the glory she was receiving from the laughing crowd around her.

The three walked away, leaving Sakura fuming and covered in fruit juice.

" Great..." Sakura muttered as she stormed to the washroom. Tomoyo was nowhere in sight and she couldn't go ask her for a new uniform. The bell had already rung and the hallways were cleared and Sakura was busy dunking her head under the faucet and washing away the sticky juice.

" This is what I have to live with," Sakura muttered. " This is just too much!!"

And it's all because of Syaoran, Sakura thought bitterly.

More than once in that short time she was in Hong Kong, Sakura thought about calling Touya and asking him to send a ticket to go home. She could go inconspicuously, and wouldn't have to see Yelan's reaction or Syaoran's gloating expression.

At the thought of Syaoran gloating, Sakura straightened. She wasn't going anywhere, fruit juice or no!

Her blazer was covered in juice and she took it off, wincing. There was a fruit juice over her collar, but there was nothing she could do about it. Sighing, she grabbed her bag and raced to her first class.

Once again, she was late. Haggled, she entered the classroom, breathing hard.

Snickers floated around the room as the teacher rose an eyebrow at her fruit punch stained, ragged appearance. Her wet hair was clumped and plastered against her forehead and she was flushed.

" Ms. Kinomoto. What kind of appearance is this? How about your blazer? What are these stains? Your hair!"

" Sorry, sempai. I got into some...trouble in the hallway. My blazer is soaking with fruit juice. I'm sorry I'm late." Sakura bowed.

The teacher looked quite sympathetic. Maybe she had already heard about what had happened. " Alright, Kinomoto, sit down. Don't let this ever happen again, you hear me?"

" I hear you, sempai." Sakura said heavily, as she walked to the back and flopped into her chair beside Syaoran.

Syaoran was staring blankly ahead, but his forehead was crinkled in thought. As the teacher started the lesson, Syaoran surprisingly asked, " Did Yin really pour fruit juice all over you in the hallways this morning?"

Sakura bristled. " Yes! Because of you, jackass."

Syaoran's expression hardened. " You deserved it."

Sakura sneered, " Look, I've been ambushed by crazy fanatics for no good reason. Just tell them I don't have the slightest interest in you and get them off my back!"

" No can do!" Syaoran said, a faint hint of amusement in his cold voice.

Sakura rolled her eyes. " Fine. Go off with your Yin girlfriend loser."

" She's not my girlfriend!" Syaoran hissed angrily. " No one is."

" Do you have something to share with the class, Mr. Li?" The teacher asked, frowning.

Syaoran flushed. " No."

" Then get back to work and stop chatting with Ms. Kinomoto."

More glares were fired at Sakura and Sakura slumped down in her seat. This was she had to expect every single day of this horrible life.

**********************

" Wait up!" Sakura cried, waving her hand as she raced to catch up with Syaoran. Syaoran was walking fast to his usual spot where he waited for Wei to pick them up.

" What." Syaoran said, his voice icy.

" We're not going home today!" Sakura said, her voice breathless. " We're going horse back riding! I've got our clothes right here!"

Sakura wanted to laugh at Syaoran's expression. " WHAT?" He cried. " IN CASE you haven't noticed, dumbass, I'm dammit BLIND! I can't ride a freaking horse!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. " Quit being such a baby. We're going riding and that's final. You can't say no either, or I'll call the..." Sakura lowered her voice. " The elders. Dun dun duuun."

Syaoran glared at her hard. " You are such a bitch."

Sakura's face registered a hurt expression and she was glad Syaoran couldn't see it. " You-" Sakura started to say, but Wei had pulled up. Syaoran, sensing the limo, walked towards it and Wei hurried to open the door for him and Sakura.

As they were riding, Sakura pulled out Syaoran's clothes from the bag. " I've got you breeches and a shirt and even a little cowboy hat!!" Sakura said, grinning. " That was Tomoyo's touch!"

Syaoran crossed his arms, staring off into blank space. " I'm not getting on a horse. Elders or no elders, you are not getting me on a horse! What kind of dumb ideas do you come up with? Should've known you don' have any sense in that minuscule brain of yours."

Sakura took out her pink phone and punched in some numbers before hanging up and pretended to talk into the phone. " Hello? Oh yes, Yelan. Your son is acting quite testy with me. You'll speak with the elders-"

" Give me that!" Syaoran yelled and grabbed it, and said, " Hello? Mother don't listen to her, I was going to get on that horse-"

Syaoran blinked as he heard the dial tone and then his expression grew dark as Sakura giggled. " I didn't call anyone!" Sakura said, overcome by laughter. " And you just said you were going to go horse back riding with me!! You can't get out of it now!!"

Syaoran crossed his arm sullenly. " You're a nightmare."

" Right back at you!" Sakura answered, grinning. Sometimes, teasing him was quite fun!

************

" The horse is at your side, Syaoran!" Sakura said, slowly.

" I can tell by all the grunting and the smell!" Syaoran said, keeping his hand straight at his side. " That animal is nasty. I'm leaving-"

" Syaoran!" Sakura said warningly.

Syaoran rolled his eyes.

Sakura leaned down and said, " Lift your foot."

Syaoran didn't move an inch.

" Lift. Your. Foot." Sakura said, her temper on the edge.

Syaoran groaned and lifted his foot. Sakura quickly put in in the stirrup and then put his hands on the saddle. " Now hoist yourself up, Wei, grab him and help him, " Sakura said as Syaoran hoisted himself up and Wei settled him onto the saddle. The expression on Syaoran's face was quite comical and Sakura tried to hold in her giggles.

" Your laughing at me!" Syaoran growled. " I'm leaving!"

Sakura this time didn't say anything and Syaoran wrenched around in the saddle and almost fell off, if Wei hadn't been there to catch him and settle him on the saddle once more.

" Where were you going again?" Sakura asked, amused.

" Your loving this aren't you?" Syaoran hissed. " Isn't it funny to see the blind boy trying to ride a horse. You should've gave me a blind horse, now that would have been funny!"

Sakura stopped giggling and said solemnly, " That wouldn't have been funny, Syaoran. I'm just teaching you that there's more than martial arts in this world. Even if your missing a sense, you can still see the world, just in other ways."

Syaoran shifted, uneasily. " Save the sentimental crap, and get me off this stinky thing!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. He was such a pampered loser.

" Alright, I'm getting on my own horse. I'm going to be riding right beside you, so don't worry-"

" Stop treating me like a kid," Syaoran cut in. " Just shut up, ride and get back soon. I don't want to spend another minute in your presence."

Sakura took a deep breath. Calm yourself, Sakura. Don't let him get to you.

" Alright then!" Sakura said with fake cheerfulness. She was dreading the ride with him just as much as he was, but knew this was the only way to see some progress.

As the horses started to walk, Sakura glanced over at Syaoran. His eyes were screwed shut, his hands tight on the reins as the horse clopped along. Syaoran was scared! Sakura stared at him incredulously. He was scared of riding the horse. Or maybe it was making a fool out of himself.

" So, Yin isn't your girlfriend?" Sakura said conversationally. " She seemed to think you were."

Syaoran was glaring. " No one is."

" I heard she was only after your money and your status."

" Isn't everybody?" Syaoran sneered pointedly.

Sakura grimaced. " I'm not after your money, Syaoran. I hardly care. Even if I had all your money, I'd be rather lonely. Who knows who I could trust?"

Syaoran's grip on his reins tightened. " Look, I'm not doing this for some prepped up conversation that would somehow lead to me spilling my 'feelings' out to you. I'm doing this cause I'm going to be the next leader of the Li Clan. Your just an obstacle that is in my way."

" Obstacle?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran smirked. " That's all you are."

Sakura sighed. " And I thought I'd be the love of your life."

Syaoran let out a guffaw, and then shut up quickly. Sakura grinned. Score one. Got a...well, if you called that a laugh out of him.

Sakura moved the horse closer to Syaoran. " You want to go faster?"

" No. Way." Syaoran said, gripping the reins even tighter.

" Oh come on. Don't be scared!" Sakura said, grinning.

Wrong thing to say.

Syaoran's eyes flew open and his jaw clenched tight, his expression wild. " WHAT? I AM NOT SCARED!" Syaoran yelled.

With that, he dug his heel into the horse's flank and the horse burst out into a canter.

" Oh shit," Sakura muttered as Syaoran began to slip on the saddle, not even knowing where he was going. He was going fast and Sakura knew from the way the he was tilting, that he would fall soon.

" Don't pull on the reins!" Sakura yelled, but Syaoran was too far to hear her. She broke out into a gallop and soon was catching up to the horse and Syaoran.

Syaoran was trying hard to get the horse to stop, but it wouldn't. Sakura galloped her horse alongside his and tried to grab his reins but Syaoran wouldn't let go. His hands were tightened hard on the reins as if he would never let go. From the expression on his face, Sakura regretted ever going horseback riding.

" Syaoran!! Just calm down! Pull the reins gently!" Sakura tried to say. Syaoran pulled the reins hard and the horse bucked, rising on his back feet and neighing. Syaoran, with a yell, fell off the horse and down to the ground. Sakura screamed as all grew silent.

The horse grew still and Sakura pulled on her reins as well, as her horse stopped. She slipped off quickly and ran to Syaoran, who was lying there, a cut on his forehead, his hands scraped and bloodied, his arm twisted at a strange angle. Sakura felt tears burning her eyes as she felt his throat. He was unconscious.

Sakura ran her horse and slapped his flank. " Go back to the stable!" She cried after him. She tied the other horse's lead a tree and dragged Syaoran up to the trunk of another tree. She grabbed her jacket and pressed it against his cut.

He was pale, too pale.

God, she was so stupid! Dragging a blind boy on a horseback ride!! Who did that? No wonder all the stable guys were giving her weird looks. They knew she was doing something stupid. Hell, Syaoran knew it too! But noo, she was too pig-headed to see! She had though she was always going to be right, that Syoarna was ready...

She had rushed into things too fast. Tomoyo was right. Sakura just wasn't a patient girl.

She gently patted his cheek, trying to will colour into his cheek. Tears were slipping down her cheeks fast and she brushed his hair softly with her fingers.

" God, I'm so sorry!" She whispered. " Yelan will probably fire me now. God knows, I deserve it."

Her hands stroked his cheeks and she wished that this had never happened. But it did. So what could she do now?

She had to revive him. But how?? All there was were trees and dirt and a river. Maybe water...Sakura ran to the other side of the pathway and climbed through the brushes and knelt down taking a scoop of water. She hurried back to Syaoran, and flicked the water at his face.

At first he didn't react. Then his eyelids began to flutter. Sakura's heart rose as she saw this and leaped him and hugged him hard.

" Oh god, I thought you were dead! Then I saw you were unconscious and I can't believe I was so stupid, god I'm sorry, I know you won't forgive me, hell, I don't forgive myself, you were right, I am stupid and an idiot and-"

She was sobbing into his shoulder by this time and Syaoran was looking around himself dazedly.

" Wh-where am I?" He said, his voice soft. Then as if all his memories were rushing back to him, he jerked away from Sakura.

" Don't touch me!" He cried, then grabbed his head as an expression of pain flashed through his face. Sakura reached out to him, but he was moving away from her. " Don't you dare touch me."

Sakura faltered. " I'm sorry."

Syaoran gripped his head hard, and wouldn't speak. Sakura wanted to tell him, she had done this to help him, to help him get over his dark past-

" Are you alright??" A shout came from up above the hills. Sakura shouted as a car came rolling towards them. One of the stable boys carried Syaoran into the car and Sakura climbed into the passenger seat. As they made their way back to the stable, Sakura made a solemn vow to herself.


She was going to help Syaoran. Not for the marks, or for the reputation, or for school. Just for him.

*****************

" You forgive me??" Sakura squeaked, incredulously.

" Yelan auntie??" Meiling cried. " You forgive her?? She nearly got Syaoran killed! She deserved to get kicked out of the house, she-"

" Meiling!" Yelan said warningly. " Don't say a word. Sakura didn't do anything drastically wrong that we must kick her out of the house!! It may have been a bit foolish to have Syaoran undertake in such an activity so early, but she tried. We must give her credit."

Meiling rolled her eyes. " Foolish? She's a dumb ass, that's what!! She has nothing in that head of hers, she's not worthy of Syaoran!!"

" Meiling!" Yelan cried, but Sakura just looked down.

" IT's alright, Yelan. I understand." Sakura said heavily. She looked up into Yelan's concerned eyes and said, " I'll be right by Syaoran's side while he's getting better. I'll take him food, I'll help him get around."

Syaoran had suffered a fractured arm and a concussion. All her (non-existent) progress was unravelled in just one stupid decision. It was a rash one too, influenced by that stupid brunette in the morning, Syaoran's cold manner and insults and the pressure-

Yelan nodded slowly, light returning to her eyes. " Of course, Sakura. You'll be assigned his helper. Here's a tray, take his food up to him, alright?"

Sakura nodded, eagerly, grabbing the tray from her and rushing up the stairs. As she neared his room, she slowed down. Heart pounding, she opened the door open a crack and crept in.

Syaoran was lying on his bed, his eyes closed.

" H-Hey, Syaoran," Sakura said, haltingly. " I'm bringing up y-your food."

He was silent. There was a sling around his neck for his arm, and a bandage wrapped around his forehead. She breathed hard. " Syoaran?"

" Get. Out."

The two words made her almost relax with relief. He was talking. That's a start.

" You do need to eat, you know," Sakura said, calming down. " I've brought your food up."

He stared blankly out into space, for once looking as blind as he was. Not a word escaped from his lips and Sakura sighed, sitting in the chair beside his bed. His room was neat and sharp, every piece of clothing folded, all of his books organized alphabetically. It was rather unnerving.

Sakura took the bowl of soup in her hands and said in a cheerful voice, " Your mother made a rather delicious soup. How about it, Syaoran?"

Not a word.

" Come on," Sakura said. " Just one spoonful-"

She broke off as his arm shot out and knocked the bowl of soup from her hands onto the floor. His face expression didn't even change.

" Get. Out."

Those two words, so clipped, so cold.

Sakura sighed tiredly. Syaoran was right. All she did was ruin his life. But she wouldn't give up. She would never give up.

I won't leave until you do, Syaoran, she thought in her head, watching him stare blankly at the wall. I won't leave until you do.

a/n: Uh huh. Yah. That sucks. lol! All their 'non-existent' progress is gooone! lol! Maybe this shall make them closer?? Hmm. Who knows??

Review, aight? Tell me suggestions, comments, predictions even! lol!

See ya latez,

*starjade*