Chapter Eleven

Jagged Amber

Card Captor Sakura

*starjade*

Falling

Sakura sighed, walking down the stairs with her backpack. It was another day of torture...another day at school. Yesterday, she had talked to one of the students on the tutoring program from Japan. They loved it here and some of them didn't even want to go back.

She felt really alone.

It was mostly because of Yen and her crew. And the way that Syaoran always made her feel worthless and unwelcome. She always had to keep her temper in check and revise her words before she spoke them. Sometimes, it was just too tiring to even try to get along with him, but she had to.

Sighing, Sakura jumped the last step and walked towards the kitchen, dropping her bag in the corridor. Just as she was about to enter the kitchen, Meiling came walking out and Sakura moved past her.

" Get away from me!" Meiling screamed, as Sakura moved past her.

Sakura blinked, halting and turning back to stare at Meiling. " Meiling, are you okay? I didn't even touch you!"

Meiling hissed, " That doesn't matter! What does is your evil witch spells! What are you doing to my Syaoran?"

" What am I doing to him?" Sakura repeated, confused. " What are you talking about?"

" YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING TO HIM!" Meiling exploded. " I don't know what, but Syaoran-he's different!!"

Sakura took that in and then her eyebrows scrunched. " But that's what....that's what everyone wants!"

" Well, I don't!" Meiling huffed. " Now, he's all talking to you and he's never talking to me! He never spends any time with me anymore!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. " Did he talk to you before I came?"

Meiling halted and then said furiously, " Don't try to get smart with me! This is all your fault! By the time your gone, he won't want to marry me anymore!"

At these words, Sakura whipped around and stared at Meiling, her eyes wide with surprise. " What? Aren't you his cousin?"

Meiling crossed her arms. " I am his fiancée, thank you very much!"

Sakura gawked at her and Meiling grinned, proudly. " That should teach you to come near my husband to be!" Meiling hissed. " From now on, I'LL do the 'activities.' You've already changed him enough. Now you can leave us alone!"

With that, she stormed off and Sakura was left, staring at her back. Meiling and Syaoran? They were getting married? Now THAT she didn't know.

And she also didn't know why that little fact bothered her so much.

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

Syaoran walked down the hallway, trailed by Sakura. She thought he didn't know, but of course he did. He noticed her cherry blossom scent, floating to his sensitive nose and noticed the way she stared at him, watching him, her little gasp if he stumbled into someone.

Why didn't he tell her to go bug someone else and stop stalking him?

He seriously didn't know.

They had another lesson tonight, more based on Japanese this time ( ' We're going to take a break from interacting with people,' Sakura had explained.) and Syaoran was more than glad. He really did not need those stupid, weak feelings again.

He felt helpless being blind around so many people who could see....and felt blinder when he was around Sakura. Well, not really. He felt as if he was drowning.

He couldn't breathe.

And that scared him. Badly.

Suddenly, as he was turning the corner, he heard a familiar voice go, " Hello, Miss Kinomoto. How are you today?"

Syaoran growled. Oh no he wasn't!

" Well...I'm doing fine, Eriol. How are you?"

" Absolutely perfect.....now that you're here. The date is still on?"

" Date.....oh, for the dance?? Of course!"

Syaoran clenched his fists. She was still going with that jerk? What did she see in him? Was Eriol good looking? Well, Sakura was just a really shallow person! Going for looks....Syaoran huffed but didn't stop listening to their conversation.

" So how's it going with your tutoring job?" Eriol was asking.

Syaoran's ears picked up as Sakura coughed. " Not....that well. It's kind of hard getting through to Syaoran....but we're getting somewhere."

Syaoran felt as if his stomach was suddenly punched really hard. He had almost forgotten that she was his tutor....that she was supposed to 'change' him, supposed to make him more 'human' and more 'social.'


For a while there, he had thought she was his- Well, that didn't matter.


" Well, it looks like you've been progressing. Syaoran's talking a lot more...he used to just grunt."

Sakura giggled and Syaoran's eyes flashed dangerously. " He talks a lot...more like insult me. It kind of hurts sometime though. I try not to let it show, but...."

She stopped and Eriol said gently, " Syaoran probably doesn't realize what's he's saying."

" Oh he knows alright," Sakura said bitterly. " He knows what kind of crap I'm going through right now and he doesn't give a shit."

Eriol sighed and then Syaoran heard the distinct sound of him wrapping his arms around Sakura. Syaoran's fist were clenched tight, his knuckles white, his fingernails digging into his palms. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he clenched it, trying to control the rage building up in him.

" Well, at least you'll have a day off with me..." Eriol said comfortingly.

Sakura let out her breath. " I guess so."

Syaoran couldn't listen to them. Any minute they'd start swapping spit and he really did not need to hear that. His rage so angry, he punched a locker so hard that he could feel a dent in the locker. He let out and angry yell and stomped away to his class, not hearing the gasps of students in the hallway, or of Sakura and Eriol racing to see what had happened.

No matter how angry Syaoran was feeling right now, there was a slight feeling of betrayal....and sadness. And he didn't know why.

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

Sakura sat in the limo quietly, as Syaoran stared angrily out into space, his fists in tight fists, his jaw clenched. She watched him quietly, watching those unseeing eyes storm with inner turmoil.

What was wrong with him?

She saw the dent in the locker and had seen Syaoran's retreating back. Eriol had commented on some anger management classes for Syaoran, but there was something more. Why did Syaoran care who she went out with and who she didn't go out with?

Sakura sighed and finally decided to break the cold silence. " Syaoran? What's wrong?"

Of course, silence to her reply.

" Syaoran? Syaoran, answer me! Why did you get so angry today? What happened?" Sakura asked, her concern clear in her questions.

" Why don't you just shut up?" Syaoran spit out.

Sakura was silenced. Why was he acting like this? Seriously! " Do you have something against Eriol? Because if you do, then I'm sorry, but I'm still going out with him-"

" Just shut up!" Syaoran growled. " Look at me. Does it look like I care?"

Sakura blinked. " Then what happen-"

" That's my own damned business, not yours. So keep your nosey ass of out my business! Got that?" Syaoran growled.

Sakura said quietly, " Fine, fine."

They sat in silence but Sakura couldn't stay quiet for too long. " So, are you going with anyone to the dance?"

A muscle jumped in Syaoran's jaw. " Driver. Pull over."

The driver pulled over and Syaoran stumbled out of the limo. Sakura gawked after him as he stalked down the sidewalk, stumbling at first as he caught his bearings.

Where was he going?

The driver was about to keep on driving, when Sakura squealed, " STOP! I'm leaving too!" She got out of the limo and chased after Syaoran.

" Syaoran? Syaoran!" Sakura yelled.

Syaoran continued to walk, hands shoved into his pockets.

" God, can you look at me? Seriously, I don't know why I'm apologizing, but I'm sorry, alright? You are the most moody guy I've ever met-" Sakura quickly grabbed his sleeve, when he was about to walk into someone and pulled him to her. " Can you just tell me what's so wrong with Eriol?"

Syaoran shoved her away from him. " Just get away from me!"

Sakura halted and he walked away from her again and she sucked in her breath. Man, she needed one hell of a lot of patience for this job! " Syaoran! Wait for me!" She ran up to him again and started to talk. " If I'm supposed to 'get away; from you all the time then you tell me, how am I supposed to do my job?"

" How is that my problem?" Syaoran muttered.

" SYAORAN!" Sakura yelled. " Stop acting like an immature brat! Alright?? Look, I'm sorry your father died, but it wasn't your fault! So stop the self-pity and grow up!"

There was dead silence after her words. Sakura was breathing hard and Syaoran had froze. He turned to her and the expression on his face frightened Sakura. " You don't know ANYTHING about my father!" Syaoran hissed, his face dark.

Sakura stood there silent as he turned and walked away, down the street and away from her. After a few moments, she walked after him, guilt in her heart. She hadn't meant to say that...even if it was true. She wanted to heal him but instead, she had made it even worse.

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

He whirled the staff in his hands, bringing it around his body and swirling it high above his head. Then, quickly, he brought it down to an imaginary enemy, hitting and jutting the staff over and over, fast and hard, so the enemy would be weary from blocking. He then spun around in a kick and dropped the staff, using now his fists and his feet to practice.

Sweating hard, he tried to block his mind from that......horrid tutor. She was leaving in almost two weeks and he couldn't wait for her to go. His eyes darkened as he remembered her words.

" I'm sorry your father died, but it wasn't your fault! So stop the self-pity and grow up!!"

She didn't know shit, Syaoran thought bitterly. Everyone thought they knew exactly what had happened, exactly what made him turn out like this...

He angrily jumped into the air and kicked out in a series of whirling kicks, before landing on the ground and sweeping down the floor, ducking an imaginary enemy.

Suddenly, he heard a crunch behind him. Someone was behind him....Without thinking, he whipped around and grabbed the person, flipping them over his arm. He heard a feminine cry and the smell of cherry blossoms flooded his senses and he reached out, desperately catching her before she fell to the ground. The momentum was too much for him and he ended up falling with her.

" Owww..." Sakura groaned as she slammed against the ground and had to bear the weight of Syaoran who fell on top of her.

Syaoran tried to struggle up, but he had lost all his concentration and was fumbling around blindly. " You...foolish....girl..." He choked out as he tried to pick himself up without touching her, but failing miserably. Something was rushing through his body as he felt himself being pressed against her, even though they were both struggling to get up. " What...the hell are you...doing here?"

" I always come," Sakura snapped back, her voice breathy. " Just stop struggling Syaoran, I'll just get out from under you. You're squishing me!"

Syaoran shot back. " I wouldn't be squishing you if you hadn't come out here!"

Sakura stopped struggling. " I always come out! You know I do! So why would today be any different?"

" Don't you know its dangerous to come up to a warrior when he's training?" Syaoran growled.

" No, I don't Syaoran, it's not everyday I come across a warrior when he's training," Sakura said sarcastically.

Syaoran bit back, " Shut up, bitch, what would you know?" He struggled to get back up, but his whole body was burning and he couldn't concentrate.

He heard and felt her sigh as she said, " Syaoran, I-I'm sorry about what I said, there was no cruel meaning to it. I'm just asking you to move on. No matter how vehemently you deny it, you are still remembering your father's death as your fault and you can't concentrate on your own life-"

" First of all," Syaoran said heatedly. " Who told you to get in my business? What I do and act like is my problem, not yours. Like I told you so many times before, stay out of my way. Stay out of my head. I don't need another psychologist!"

" Syaoran..." Sakura trailed off. " I'm not-I don't mean-"

" Just shut up and get away from me!" He said a bit forcedly, as he tried to keep his face from burning. His annoying tutor was on the ground and he was on top of her and his body was reacting quite differently then he had expected. His heart was pounding and his body was on fire and he gathered his senses so he could pick himself up off Sakura without more embarrassing moments or little 'chats' like the one she was trying to engage him in.

As he was contemplating this, fingers fluttered over his cheek. He froze completely as three fingers stroked his cheek. His heart beat stopped and he didn't move.

" Xiao-Lang?? Xiao-Lang, where are you?" Meiling's screech could be heard through out the mansion and the fingers were jerked off his cheek and he felt Sakura push him up and off her and he gathered his senses, picking himself off the ground as well.

" So-sorry, Syaoran," Sakura whispered, before he heard her footsteps recede towards the house. His head was swirling and he could hardly think. He stared out into space and his amber eyes narrowed before letting out a growl and kicking the ground savagely.

None of this was supposed to be happening. He had promised himself he would commit himself to being the best possible Li Clan leader...and it did not mean being weak and powerless as he was just a few minutes ago, not even being able to pick himself off the ground.

He would make sure that this never happened again.

********

Sakura walked inside the house, her heart pounding. Why had she done that? He was on top of her, his whole body pressed against her and she couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. All of a sudden, she just wanted to touch his face, get those beautiful amber eyes to see her, to accept her-

So she had done a stupid thing and had reached up and stroked his cheek. He had frozen up and when Meiling's call broke the trance she was in, she finally was able to take hold of her situation. She just kept on doing bad things, one after another. What sort of tutor was she?

Sighing, she went through the kitchen where Yelan was working at the kitchen table.

" Why, hello Sakura dear!" Yelan said warmly. " How was your school day?"

" Okay, I guess," Sakura said, shortly. " Yen didn't bother me today..."

" Really? That's good. If only you'd let me speak with her parents..." Yelan trailed off and Sakura shook her head, violently.

" No way! That just makes things worse. I seem to be good at doing that," Sakura said sadly, turning away.

" What do you mean?" Yelan called after her.

Sakura halted and then turned around, her tone curious. " Are...Meiling and Syaoran really engaged?"

Yelan rose an eyebrow. " Well... I can't tell you the answer to that. Syaoran should be the one to tell you."

Sakura rolled her eyes, her cheeks burning slightly. " I don't think he'll tell me, Yelan."

Yelan laughed, her eyes twinkling. " You'd be surprised."

Sakura's eyebrows bunched up as she walked away, deep in thought. What did Yelan mean? And why did she want to know so badly? Its not like she cared.....

Right?

a/n: Woot woot, look who finished another chapter? Ha HA! lol, this story is taking a definite romantic twist now, so be happy! I said...be happy...*shakes fist threateningly*

Aight, ppl, see ya latez,

'nuff luv,

~starjade~