CCSxSt Tail. Two rival gangs at Tomoeda High; Sakura's and Syaoran's. Both hate each other equally, but what happens when they have to stand side by side against another school? DM ET but especially SS
Hey lovely beautiful fantastical reviewers! I'm nearly on term break…and I have work placement thingy at the moment! And I have a ski trip on the holz…cant wait for that ! I don't know why but this story is getting harder to write…maybe coz the mini emotional 'climax' of the masquerade is over…but hey! Here's chappie 13!
Lotsa questions concerning Sakura's decision to cut her hair – hopefully its all cleared up in this chapter. I really, really, suck explaining things. Well anyways, I hope you all get it, and no, Tinaptran, Sakura is not going to turn into a man, and Illusion Dragon, I did give Syaoran back his Smarties…(after withstanding many hours of his begging and pleading..but come on, who can resist him:P)
And thanks you every reviewer, I truly appreciate every single one of your reviews, and of course, tell me if you don't get any part of my story, or there are some loose ends that I've simply forgotten…
Because it happens; I am getting old -.-
Disclaimer: 'tis not mine. No characters r mine, juz the storyline...
The Ice-cream Parlour: Say My Name
Sakura woke up to a knock on her bedroom door.
"Eh?" she sat up, eyes half open.
"Sakura, there's a phone call for you," Fujitaka opened to door and handed her the phone.
"Oh…" she put her ear against the wrong end, and her father flipped it the right way up and she smiled her thanks as he shut the door.
"Who is it?" she asked groggily.
"SAKURA!"
Sakura jolted awake immediately. Tomoyo's voice should be used for her alarm clock.
"Yes, Tomoyo?" she said weakly.
"GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE IN TEN MINUTES OR ELSE I'M COMING UP AND DRAGGING YOU DOWN."
'Down?' thought Sakura. She looked out of the window and found Tomoyo and Meimi on their bikes in front of her house. Meimi waved up at her cheerily.
"HOEEEEE…"
She got out of the shower and dressed at world record speed and was about the reach for her hairbrush when she stopped and stared at the mirror.
A girl with short auburn hair blinked back. Sakura realized it was very much like her hairstyle when she was in elementary school: short and choppy at the back, then more lengthy layers at the front that reached her chin. She patted her hair to test if it was really there. 'Tomoyo did a good job…' she thought, relieved and a bit sad at the same time.
"Sad? I shouldn't be sad…" she murmured, touching the mirror lightly and tracing her reflection with the tip of her finger. After all, she cut her hair…because she wanted put the past behind her. The past with Li, anyway. It was hard to explain, and she found it hard to believe herself, but she was willing to give Li a chance.
o
"Sakura, are you absolutely, totally, positively sure about this?" Tomoyo stood behind Sakura, scissors in her right hand. Sakura sat in front of Tomoyo's vanity, her eyes now completely dry of tears.
"Yes," she replied, her voice firm.
"Can you at least give me a reason why?" Tomoyo asked softly, hands placed on Sakura's shoulders.
"I said it before…I want to…" pausing for a few seconds, "…change."
Tomoyo frowned slightly. "Change?"
Sakura pondered for a while on how she was going to break the news.
"I don't hate Li…" she blurted out at last, those words sounding foreign even to her own ears, "…anymore," she added.
Tomoyo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After all, Sakura had once claimed she had hated him all her life, and would continue doing so until the day she died.
Looking at Tomoyo's half-smile, Sakura finally grinned sheepishly too. "I don't know how to put it into words…but I know now, at least, he is not that bad a person if he knows how to apologize."
Tomoyo nodded briefly, encouraging her to go on.
Sakura looked down at her folded hands on her lap. "I know…I know…he was dancing with me yesterday…because he liked the way I looked," she said quietly, "so I also want to change my appearance too, because if I am to settle things with him, I want to start afresh. I don't want him being friends with me because of my appearance…it's not what I'm after."
"So…you want to cut your hair because…you want to change your appearance as you change your feelings towards Li. And also because you don't want him to like you based on what's on the outside?" Tomoyo said slowly, processing, "did I get it right?"
"Yeah," Sakura confirmed, "If I start anew, I can put the past with him behind me and start over."
"Sakura…Li is a jerk," Tomoyo said bluntly, "look what he has done to you over all these years!"
"Yup. And look at what I've done to him all these years!" Sakura smirked mischievously (fondly remembering the many times she had set his hair on fire).
Tomoyo was persistent. "What about what he did to you yesterday, huh?"
Sakura smiled. "It was the first time he apologized. Any human capable of laying down his pride and apologizing is worth a chance. Come on, Tomo, I can't believe I'm the one persuading you on this."
Tomoyo threw her hands up into the air. "Fine. It's your life," she said, defeated, "but don't come complaining to me."
Sakura shrugged, "Complaining about what? I haven't even decided if I'm gonna be friends with him yet…"
"Whatever you say, girl, whatever you say…"
"So…how are you going to cut-" Sakura started, gripping the edge of her seat.
"Don't you even WORRY." Tomoyo raised the scissors and made wild snip-snip movements. "I have the perfect hairstyle stored in my head," she cackled hungrily, "Meimi is going to be sooo surprised tomorrow!"
Sakura sweatdropped. There weren't many things she was scared of in her life; but the enthusiastic Tomoyo with scissors in her hand was one of them.
"You ready?"
Sakura's voice, unwavering:
"Yes."
Sakura zoomed around the kitchen, grabbing toast, juice, keys, bag, money. "Dad, it's great that you're back. But I'm going out today. ("That's alright, honey. Just make sure you be careful out there.") I'm going to the beach. Don't worry about lunch. I'll be home for dinner. Thanks. Bye!" she whizzed through the house, heading out.
"Wait a sec-" someone grabbed her the collar of her shirt and she was jerked roughly back. "Hey! What's the big idea-" she turned around to face the glare of her older brother. "Touya!" she yelled, annoyed, "lemme go!"
He sighed and feigned a hurt expression. "I'm offended. I go to a faraway uni, I study hard, I miss my family terribly, work my ass off at the café to save some money for a train ticket, come back for one day and that's what you say to me?"
Sakura threw her half-eaten toast at his face and he caught it and put the unbitten end in his mouth. "Argh! As if you came by train…you probably just drove here. Your university is only a twenty minute drive away!" she exclaimed.
Touya shrugged. "Don't you miss your beloved older brother?"
"No."
"Ouch." He put a hand on his chest with an almost-believable sad look. "Oh, and by the way, nice haircut."
"Piss off Touya," Sakura was about to storm out when there was another tug at her shirt.
'Where do you think you're going?" he said.
"Ever heard of the BEACH? I'm already LATE, so LET GO, damnit!"
"The beach? Hmm…interesting…" Touya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm coming too!"
"WHAT! No way!" Sakura struggled against his hold on her shirt. "Why!"
"You need to be supervised, kid," Touya grinned.
"Don't call me 'kid'! I bet you just want to perve on all the girls in bikinis, you sick bastard!"
"Hmm…maybe," he said wickedly, releasing her, "wait for me outside while I pack my stuff…if you leave I'll personally dismantle your dearly loved motorbike when you get home."
Sakura grumbled as she hastily ran out the door, meeting Tomoyo and Meimi at the front gate.
"What took you so long, Saku?" Tomoyo said breezily, putting her fashionably huge sunglasses on top of her head, while Meimi 'oohed' and 'aahed' at Sakura's haircut.
"Mybrotheriscoming," she mumbled.
"What?"
"My brother is friggin' coming with us," Sakura said darkly.
"Your BROTHER? He's hot!" Meimi squealed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.
Sakura groaned. "Please, I don't want to hear any of it."
"Fine…" Meimi turned to Tomoyo, "he's sooo hot, isn't he?"
"Yep. Hot. Hot, hot, HOT-" Tomoyo yelped as Sakura chased her around their stationary bikes.
"I can't believe you persuaded me to come here," said Syaoran, dragging his feet in the sand.
Eriol spread his arms out wide optimistically, a completely different person from yesterday. "Lighten up, will ya? The sky is blue, the sun is high…"
"I can't help but feel you have something planned behind my back," Syaoran grumbled. He was wearing a black tee and orange shorts, which really wasn't a good idea because the black was absorbing the sun's heat, making him feel hot and bothered.
"Nah…we just decided to come 'cause we need to relax," stated Asuka, who looked very casual and different without his usual school tie, instead sporting a white singlet and green board shorts. "Eriol called last night and asked and I agreed…'cause you know, we didn't look…exactly alive yesterday."
"Yeah…" Syaoran looked down, remembering the reason why. 'Kinomoto…' And then he looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. 'Why did I even bother… ?'
"Come on, Syaoran," Asuka called from a short distance. "Eriol's taking us some place that has some shade so we can put down our stuff."
"Yeah…coming…" he said, trudging along.
Sakura parked her bike and followed her friends, taking in the view. The sun now high at midday and the surface of the sea glittered serenely, small waves crashing on shore. Seagulls were flying above in the perfectly blue, cloudless sky, searching for food. The sand was warm and reflected a blinding white. The beach today wasn't crowded at all; only a few striped umbrella dotted the shores.
'Where did Tomoyo go…' she thought, yawning a bit as she squinted at the white sand, scanning the beach in search of her friends. Seeing them already setting their stuff down in the nearby shade, she ran towards them, but stopped when she saw her friends' figures stiffen.
And when she reached them she saw the reason why.
Three males stood in front of them, larger than life, their auras ablaze with power. To anyone, it was somewhat intimidating, but Sakura Kinomoto held her chin high.
"Li." She acknowledged him with the slightest tip of her head.
"Kinomoto." His steely stare never leaving her own.
"Hiiragizawa."
"Daidouji."
"Asuka."
"Haneoka."
The names ricocheted like bullets, back and forth, as they stood face to face, building up the tension. The sun glared down on the six, but not one of them twitched.
At last, Tomoyo broke the silence. "You know what? This is just so stupid…" she exclaimed, giving Eriol the crucial 'help me' look.
"I agree," Eriol said hastily. 'Here's your cue, Daidouji…this better work like we planned last night…or all the rehearsing will go to waste!'
"We are supposed to be in the same gang! This…behaviour…will simply not do," Tomoyo said.
"I have the greatest idea," she continued, clasping her hands together, looking very animate compared to the rest of the group who all stared at her with their eyebrows raised.
"Why not skip the formalities and…" she paused for dramatic effect, "call each other on a first-name basis?"
"What are you getting at Daidouji…" Syaoran said coldly.
"Tomoyo," she corrected, "It seems more friendly doesn't it, if we use our first names."
"Why would we want to be 'friendly'" Meimi scrunched up her nose.
"We need some…co-operation within this gang, don't we, if we are planning to defeat the Sharks," Eriol said smoothly, "and we need to start somewhere. It has to start by us calling each other by our first names."
"You know, it seems like you have planned this, Eriol," Syaoran said suspiciously. Eriol gave him a half-shrug that didn't really reply his question.
Asuka dropped his jaw in horror. "You mean I have to call Haneoka…M-Mei-" Throughout all the years of hating her, he had never used her first name once.
"It's Meimi, you retard," Meimi said frostily. "What, so I have to call him 'Daiki'?" she turned to Tomoyo, not directly addressing him.
"Asuka will remain…Asuka," Eriol cut in, "we call him that ourselves anyway."
"What! Is that injustice or what?" Meimi stormed off, and Asuka, discovering the fact that she's annoyed because he can use her first name (and she can't use his), ran after her, repeating her name with glee as she clapped her hands over her ears while yelling abuse at him.
Eriol turned to Tomoyo, bowing gentlemanly, "Delighted to have your acquaintance, Miss Tomoyo," he held out his palm.
Tomoyo refrained herself from giggling and replied courteously, "The pleasure is all mine, Eriol," she curtsied.
"You two really did plan this, didn't you?" Sakura sent them both death glares, ones that could match Syaoran's.
Syaoran swore and was ready to launch himself at Eriol, but Eriol ducked skillfully.
"You two just need to get used to the idea," Tomoyo said, "stop being so stubborn! Maybe we should go and let you two think about it for a while…let's go for a walk, shall we, Eriol?"
"Let's go and buy some icecream, Tomoyo," Eriol emphasized her name strongly and they walked off with smiles plastered on their faces.
Which left Sakura and Syaoran standing there.
A gust of wind whistled past.
"They do have a point, you know," Syaoran began quietly.
"What!"
"It does promote…a sense of 'unity'…we need to set the example for Asuka and…Meimi."
"I will never call you anything but 'Li'!" Sakura shook her head stubbornly.
"I can't believe you're being so childish! I don't care if you do it because you want to, but frankly, you have a duty to the gang," he said, "Look you stupid bitch, if I'm willing to accept it, then so will you!"
"Who are you calling a bitch?" a hand landed on Syaoran's shoulder. Syaoran's reflexes made him grab that hand, ready to flip the person behind him but Sakura sent him a warning look.
"It's nothing, Touya," she said calmly, her eyes trained on Syaoran's face, "he's like that."
"Oh yeah? Well I don't like it," Touya tightened his hold and he was surprised the kid's grip tightened also. The first time Touya ever laid eyes on this kid, he disliked him; he recognized him as the kid that pushed in front of him at Mr Mikarzhi's icecream parlour, the kid that knocked Sakura's icecream over, and the kid that bullied his little sister. And now, he was the kid who was calling his sister a 'bitch'.
And really, something had to be done. The kid had always managed to slip out of his grasp, and today, he was going to get it.
Sakura read her brother's facial features and knew what was coming. "Touya," Sakura said a little louder this time, "It's fine. I'm sure you've met…Syaoran," she tested the name carefully, watching Syaoran's expression of shock, and smiled inwardly.
"Uh…" Syaoran brushed the hand off his shoulder and turned around to face Touya. "Sakura and I are friends…I was just kidding around," he played along.
"Really…" Touya looked at Sakura disbelievingly, and she nodded quickly.
Not even getting support from his sister, Touya backed away, but eyed Syaoran with a guarded expression. "You…watch out," was all he said, and stomped off in a huff.
"Right…" Syaoran said, then turning to Sakura, "You didn't have to do that, you know…I could have just-" but he stopped, discovering she was already walking away.
"Will you shut up and quit following me?" Meimi yelled, running as fast as her legs would allow.
"Why, oh Meimi? You're such an interesting person to talk to, Meimi. I wouldn't dream of any other place I want to be, Meimi…" Asuka merrily rattled on, keeping up with her with ease.
Meimi gave a hysterical shriek of annoyance and stopped short, finally figuring out she couldn't possibly get away from him.
Asuka, who was babbling on, stopped just in time. He blinked. She was so close he could smell the scent of her shampoo from her hair. It was a sweet, vanilla scent that suddenly washed over him and he had the sudden urge to grasp her long ponytail and breathe it in.
Meimi whirled around, about to scream in his face to leave her alone but found her face centimetres from his chest. She felt herself blush at the closeness but didn't understand why. "It's just Asuka…" she muttered, hastily withdrawing herself.
Did he just hear right? Asuka froze in surprise, hearing her say his name softly for the first time. It was always "ASUKA! YOU RETARD" or "ASUKAAA YOU BLOODY IDIOT" on the top of her lungs that it felt…weird to hear it. It was a different feeling of weird though; like a slight drumming in his chest; a light fluttering in his stomach.
"Say that again…" he said slyly.
"What?" her head snapped towards him.
"Say my name again…"
"Huh?" she looked at him as if he was crazy.
"Say my name…with that sexy, breathy, soft voice of yours," he said with a wicked smile.
Meimi flushed red and nearly choked. "M-my-"
Asuka burst out laughing, but his mirth was cut short when Meimi hurled a handful of sand in his direction.
"You BITCH!" he rasped, coughing and spitting out sand.
Meimi giggled and stuck her tongue out, then ran off.
"COME BACK HERE!" Asuka yelled, quickly recovering, and went tearing after her, her laughter floating in his ears.