Clow lay down the animals and paused, thinking. Then he slowly looked up at his wife and quietly told her, "Nakuru…I'm dying."

Dancing in Darkness

Chapter two

Meiling

I crept out of the small apartment as quietly as I could so I wouldn't wake up the woman that I called "mother". I slipped on my school coat and heaved on my back my heavy bag.

"Meiling? Are you going to school today?"

Darn, she was awake. I turned to see "dearest mother", her brown hair perfectly kept and her red eyes still mournful from father's death twelve years ago.

"Have a good day baby, and be careful of strangers and-."

I cut her off, "Sorry mom, I'm kind of in a hurry. Bye, see you after school." I quickly walked out and slammed the door shut.

I hated this! Our poverty, the pity that we received; and mom's stupid job as a flower shop keeper. I glared at the ground; and I also hated Sakura Kinomoto. She was rich, popular, and didn't have to worry about anything. I wish I were Mr. Kinomoto's daughter…

Yukito

I smiled at the pacing Toya, "Calm down, it's only a boy."

He glared at the ceiling, "Dad had no right to just pick a fiancée for her! What if he's evil, and abuses her! Or, what if he's fat or stupid!"

I sighed, "Toya, calm down. It was your mother who picked the boy, not your father."

He stopped glaring, and his eyes softened at the thought of his deceased mother, "…I just…don't want to lose my little sister, that's all."

I patted his shoulder, "Toya, you're family. You're not going to loose her just because she's going to get married. And be grateful, you have a family to love."

He turned towards me, "Yuki…we're your family. And we all love you."

"You found me on the streets in Hong Kong when I was six years old."

"So? What's your point?"

I turned my head away, "Nothing, never mind."

"Do you want to find your real family that bad?"

Yes, I thought secretly. I couldn't remember much about my parents, but I did remember an older brother with long white hair…

Tomoyo

I sighed, frustrated, "I can't believe they didn't come over to meet you! I guess you'll be seeing each other after school."

I sneaked a glance at my best friend; she actually seemed relieved at the news that her fiancée wouldn't meet her until after school.

The limo stopped abruptly in front of our school, "Come on Sakura, let's go and learn more useless stuff at school."

She laughed and we both got out.

"Whoa, oops!" she cried as she knocked and tripped into Meiling accidentally. Meiling's bag opened and books and her packed lunch all spilled out. I gasped, poor Meiling! Her lunch was ruined!

"Oh my gosh!" apologized Sakura, "I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you with that!"

But Meiling only stared at her meager lunch sprawled all over the ground. Then she glared up at Sakura and quickly picked up her books, ignoring the helping hand reached out.

"Uh…umm, do you want some of my lunch?"

But Meiling had already walked away. Sakura groaned, "What a way to start off my day."

I smiled to comfort my worried friend, "It'll be okay Sakura, why don't you talk to her at lunch?"

Sakura sighed, "Meiling doesn't seem to like me…"

I laughed, "You can't have everyone love you Sakura! And she's the only one who doesn't!"

"That's what worries me! I don't want anyone to hate me!"

"Sakura," I got serious, "Not everyone is your friend. Have the people who are nice to you are only sucking up to you because you're wealthy. At least we know Meiling is staying true to her feelings."

"Alright…," she replied quietly.

I smiled again, "Come on Sakura, we'll be late for math class!"

"Math…class…?"

Syaoran

Ah…Tomoeda Elementary…I smiled at the school in front of me. So this was the school that Sakura went to. Heh, boy was she in for a big surprise when I would walk into her class, handsome as I was…

Sakura

When I walked into class I noticed something different, there was a new desk seated right behind mine. Huh? Well, I decided to sit down anyway.

Ms. Tsutsumi smiled at us all, she's a strict math teacher, but still very kind.

"We have a new transfer student today class. His name is Li Syaoran, and he's come from Hong Kong."

"Come on in Syaoran!" called our teacher.

And in came a boy with brown hair and eyes and the first thing he seemed to look at, was me.

Meiling

I didn't care who came or not, I was still pissed at Sakura for ruining my day first thing in the morning. I glared at her, she didn't even seem to care that I was going to starve now because of her.

"Come on in Syaoran!" called Ms. Tsutsumi.

I finally looked up to see the hottest boy in what seemed like the universe. I forgot all about Sakura and just stared at him.

"Wow…," I whispered.

I could hear the other girls squealing quietly over him. He was probably the cutest boy in the school and seventh grade. Wow, I thought, if this is him as a twelve year old, what will he look like when he's older?

I sat still, hoping he would look my way…but he wasn't. He was staring at her…at Sakura.

"Syaoran, there's an empty desk right behind Ms. Kinomoto, that is where you will be seated for the rest of the term."

He smiled at Sakura and walked slowly to his desk.

"Now class, open your textbooks and turn to page ninety-eight."

The class groaned, but I only watched Syaoran.

He poked Sakura in the back and asked, "Hey, Sakura."

She turned around, frowning, "How do you know my name?"

He grinned, and shrugged, "You look like one you know?"

"…You're saying that I look like a Cherry tree?"

"Yeah, all long and branchy."

She glared at him, "Long and branchy? Is making fun of how someone looks customary in Hong Kong? Because if it is, here, let me greet you in the Chinese way. Leave me alone you ass."

He smirked, "Are you making fun of the Chinese people?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Kinomoto? Li? Is everything okay back there?"

"Yeah, I was just asking to share Sakura's textbook but she's being selfish."

Everyone except Tomoyo, Chelsea, Nikki, and Rita laughed. I smiled; maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all.