I Think I'm In Love with My Bestfriend's Boyfriend
Author's Notes: When I saw the feedback I got from the prologue, I was very happy! Thank you to rema, ForevernAlwayz, aznanimegrl30, Walking Green Cucumber, anime flower, KuraLi and chikichiki for reviewing! I hope that this story will be interesting enough.
Here is the true Chapter Two for I Think. Okay, since the title is too long to write over and over again, I thought I'd shorten it when I mention its name.
I am also experimenting with Sakura's diary entries mostly at the beginning and end of the chapter, or sometimes in between when there are a lot of events. Please tell me what you think! Continue, or not?
Enjoy this installment and kindly leave a review!
Disclaimer: All characters and places are property of the manga-ka CLAMP and companies related to it. Only the plot and story is my intellectual product.
Summary: It turns out that Syaoran is no stranger. One of the two best friends had known him from long ago…
Chapter Two: Memories
January 19 (Thursday)
Dear Diary,
You will not believe what just happened today.
I thought that I'd never meet him again, but I did.
Li Syaoran.
That irritating, infuriating, irksome, inconveniencing, impatient, ill-tongued, irascible, ill-humored, incomprehensible, inflexible, idiotic, irresponsible but ironically…intelligent, incomparable, interesting, intellectual, intriguing…ah, and oh-so-admirable…
Um, the reason for all those 'i's is because I accidentally ripped out the "I" section of my dictionary during English Class and left the rest of the book in my drawer (who cares, I'm almost finished with college anyway)…and since I found so many words in there to describe him…
So, back to him. Yes, he's that same annoying, self-centered -- I mean, really, self-centered enough to insist he be called by his last name -- Chinese foreign exchange student I happened to have a crush on during high school. Who cares? It was nothing but a little adolescent brain glitch, right?
Right?
Then I wonder why my heart beat that little bit faster when I recognized those amber eyes and mahogany hair (Tomoyo says they're chocolate brown; 'guess she's right). But I was too frozen to do anything…
…
Sakura was busy writing in her diary again, scribbling furiously down her feelings for the day. She didn't care about the fact that she was punching holes in the scented stationery with her pen, or that the phone was ringing furiously downstairs.
No matter how loud Touya banged on the door, shouting about someone wanting to speak to her, or how many hanging decorations fell from her brother's actions, she didn't budge from her seat.
…
…but that's not the worst thing. I sneaked a glance at Tomoyo and saw that a faint blush was creeping up her pale cheeks. There was something in the way that she replied to Li's courteous greeting, something different in the way she said "Thank you and pleased to meet you…"
When Li looked at me though, there was no recognition in his eyes. I could not see any sign that he knew me from before.
Is my heart about to break again?
…
The doorknob twisted wildly on her side of the walls, and there was that distinct sound of keys. 'Touya has spare keys…right…' Sakura thought miserably, and waited for her sibling to storm into her chambers.
"Sakura!" Touya yelled, holding a cordless phone in his right hand. "Tomoyo has been on the line for five minutes already! Here!" he shouted, pushing the noisy thing towards her.
By the time that she dropped the pen and put the phone to her ear, there was an empty dial tone. She gave it back to her brother without a word, who simply put it back on her writing desk just in case Tomoyo might call again.
He was right.
Sakura was carefully scanning the older pages of her treasured journal, when the phone rang again. Lazily she picked it up, unprepared for what was going to happen.
"Sakura! It's me, Tomoyo!" came the ecstatic voice on the phone. Without waiting for a response it continued, "You will not believe what happened. Remember that guy we saw at the park yesterday?"
Sakura gulped, anticipating the worst;
"Well, after we went home I forgot my favorite brush under the trees! Unbelievable for responsible me, huh? So I went back. He was holding it when I got there! He smiled at me, then said that I should be a little bit careful with my things…" Tomoyo narrated, taking no more than a short breath before she went on,
"…then I started standing there staring when he went, "Are you okay?" to me! Then I said yes, then I asked him what his life was, then, then, then…"
Sakura could barely keep her jaw from dropping open when she heard the final statement of that long string of 'then's…
"Then when I asked him if he had a girl friend, he said no and then I asked if he was free tomorrow evening and then he said no! So now because I asked him, we're going to watch a movie tonight!" concluded her best friend.
This left Sakura utterly, utterly speechless. There was nothing more that she could do than say, "That's nice Tomoyo…"
After Tomoyo started describing the details about the coming evening, they hung up with usual goodbyes and Sakura flipped the pages of her thick notebook way, way back to her high school days…
…
March 6 (Friday)
Dear Diary,
About that new student we have in our class that I mentioned yesterday; it turns out he talks Japanese after all.
Me being the clumsy person that I was, I forgot my pencil case in the calculus classroom! When I went back to the desk I was sitting at it was nowhere in sight. I thought I had lost it for good this time (like I thought last month) when I heard laughter from the doorway.
It was Li, smirking and swinging the keychain on my pencil case from side to side. "I knew you were going to be looking for this…" he said, then told me, "You should be a bit more careful about your things."
I'm still annoyed at him being so much better than me at sports, but somehow…I don't think he's such a jerk anymore. He's kind of…nice.
…
Flashbacks from those days rushed in quite quickly, causing Sakura to feel the beginnings of a headache. Despite this she turned the page, sneezing slightly as she revisited the past she didn't want to return to.
It suddenly began to rain. Not just a passing shower for the flowers either - the water patted heavily on the window right beside her, and she could see the peculiar shadows the drops made on the yellowing paper.
…
March 9 (Monday)
Dear Diary,
We had a lesson in introductions during our Social Graces period. I found out that Li wasn't even dating yet.
Unbelievable, huh?
Really! And the whole weekend I was worrying whether I should give in to this little crush I'm feeling. At least now I have no direct threats.
Funny language I'm using these days…
Anyway I'm sure this is nothing but puppy love. I've been through it before with Yukito anyway, so I would know. Nothing but a distraction to my studies.
I wish Tomoyo was still here though. Ever since she moved to Tokyo for her senior year things have been harder. It's a good thing she's coming back in November! We won't have to deal with all the fuzzy phone connections and I could talk with her about these kinds of things…
Also, Meilin Rae is a good pal too. She always helps me out with the more advanced gymnastics, even though this is her first and final year at my school. She's a little like another best friend for the time being.
…
Lightning flashed through the grayed sky in brilliant white roots and thunder invaded the lands' ears soon after.
…
March 10 (Tuesday)
Dear Diary,
I've decided. I wrote a love letter to Li this afternoon during History (so I didn't listen to whatever Terada-sensei was saying about the conquest of France) and am planning to drop it into his bag in the hallways.
I'm not going to turn back now.
…
After that she could only bear to read one more entry; she was about to do so when the phone rang again. Sakura picked up the phone with the liveliness of a forgotten banana peel, and simply pushed the button to turn on the audio.
"Good afternoon, may I please speak to Kinomoto Sakura?" came a not-quite-unfamiliar voice on the phone.
Sakura was stunned; she didn't expect that it would be-
"Li?"
"Sakura? Is that you?" was the slightly surprised reply. "Your voice has changed over the years, hasn't it Kinomoto?"
The other was rendered speechless.
Syaoran smiled at his end of the wires. "If you're not going to acknowledge me at all then I might as well get to the point. Daidouji-san requested me to inform you that she's leaving her digital camera at your house for the next week."
'Daidouji-san?' Sakura thought, wondering why Li would be so polite to someone he was going to date in a matter of hours.
"A-alright-t…" she managed to answer, unpleased at the way her voice quivered. The way she spoke contrasted with the smile she could (practically) hear from Li. "You okay, Kinomoto?"
"I…I ju-just tho-thought that you didn't remem-mem-ber me. It didn't se-seem like you did yesterday." she confessed honestly, while still successfully hiding the true sentiment in her voice.
"In fact, I hardly do." he admitted as well. Sakura felt a part of herself sinking; wasn't she memorable enough?
'Now Sakura, it's no use getting weak over a failed hope.' she scolded herself.
"Alright then, have a nice day, Kinomoto." Syaoran returned, a little less firm than before. Before she could reply the boy had already hung up.
Sakura let out a sigh of both relief and sadness, then reopened her journal for the third time that day.
…
(Sakura noticed she did not put the date on this particular page, or paid much attention to her handwriting, spelling or grammar.)
I cant believe this When I saw Li in the coridors today I quickend my pace to put the letter in his bag but I saw that Meilin was walking beside him to! I herd them talking 'bout what they were going to do that nite and I herd them saying about they're meeting at the mall.
I cant believe that just when I decided to tell everything goes wrong I didnt even know that Meilin was interested but Li looks overhappy-
…
Lightning flashed through the blackened sky in angry silver roots and thunder attacked Sakura's peace soon after.
Two raindrops somehow leaked into the room and fell on the aged paper. Or, perhaps, you could call them tears.