Day 5: Eriol's Story

Tomoyo was eating breakfast when a knock came to the door. She got up and went over.

The moment she opened it, she stepped back, surprised to see Eriol. It wasn't that he was there, but the fact that he was… wearing a pair of blue jeans, hiking boots, a white t-shirt, and a red plaid blouse (wide open, un-tucked, and rolled up to the elbows). His hands were in his pockets, and he was beaming at her.

"Eriol… what happened to you?" She asked. "You look like a lumberjack."

He laughed. "I didn't want to mess up my good clothes. Where we're going, they certainly would be."

She raised her eyebrow. "Where are we going?"

"Hiking," He replied simply.

-

She wore a pink shirt that was too big for her and a pair of blue jean capris, despite Eriol's advisory to wear old clothes. Her hair was braided down the back and tied with a pink ribbon.

The two were hiking up a wooded mountain, far out of Tomoeda. It was very scenic, and though there were many leaves on the path, it was easy to walk. The strolled idly upwards for quite a while, making small talk about the beauty of the trees, pointing out animal footprints, and asking for certain things out of the bag Eriol brought with him that had bottled water, snacks, binoculars, etc.

After about two hours of walking, Eriol walked a ways off the path and plopped down under a tree, letting out a sigh.

"Let's rest for a bit," He said, straightening his glasses.

She sat down next to him and hugged her knees. "What's the matter. Can't you make it?"

"I can… but I prefer to sit down when I tell stories."

"So you're about to lie to me, are you?" She joked, nudging him with her elbow.

"No, no," He replied, gently smacking her arm in a playful way. "I wish."

Her smile faded, her expression becoming that of curiosity. "What's the story about?"

"I'm about to try and explain myself."

"…"

"I'm going to tell you how I became the way I am…"

Her curiosity transformed into surprise.

"I couldn't sleep last night… I was thinking about it… I… I upset you when you asked me about Kaho… I overreacted… It was just an honest question, and I shouldn't have responded so bitterly."

She merely listened.

"I was… embodied fourteen… I immaturely believe that since I was so much older than my body looked, I automatically knew all about love and what there was to do with it."

"Yeah, you're really more around Sakura's dad's age, aren't you…" Tomoyo said, looking a bit flustered.

"You never start living until life comes at you," He replied. "I feel the way I look. That's why I am the way I am. Anyways… I thought I knew what love was. I was ready to let everyone know, and I didn't care if everybody else was angry because they thought I was still a child… I was stupid… I was still a child. I bought a ring you see, a really expensive one. I gave up almost every last ounce of my money to do it because I wanted to splurge on her to show her how special she was to me…"

Tomoyo furrowed her eyebrows as she took it in.

He let out a half-hearted chuckle. "I had Ruby Moon go find her for me to tell me where she was. When she arrived, she told me that Kaho was at a restaurant and gave me the name. She tried to tell me more, but I rushed out before she could warn me what I was about to find…"

His smile faded completely. "When I… got there… I rushed in excitedly, looked into her eyes… and then into the eyes of the man she was sharing a meal with…"

Tomoyo gasped. "She was cheating on you?"

"I tried to convince myself that it was just a friend of hers, but the look on her face when she saw me… I knew the truth…"

"What'd you do!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"I walked up to the table and placed the ring box in front of her and told her… You might wanna pawn this so you can by things for you and your lover…" He went quiet for a second. "…and then I walked out…"

Tomoyo's eyes were wide. "I never thought of Miss Mizuki like that…"

"Me neither… she was the one I loved. I gave myself to her… I gave her my heart, my soul…" He blushed. "My virginity…"

Tomoyo blushed too.

"I let her live in my house. I thought she was… the perfect woman. She was beautiful, intelligent, and she really liked me for who I was, not for my riches or power…" His eyes watered up a bit. "…but I was wrong…"

Tomoyo took in and let out a deep breath.

Eriol blinked several times and looked up at the sky, the sun glaring on his glasses through the trees. "Afterwards, I stayed alone a lot. Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun tried to make me feel better, but in the end I cast them away from me to go do their own things. I suppose you remember Ruby's return as Nakuru to bother your brother and his boyfriend."

"Yeah… she was really disappointed to find out Touya was taken, but then she found a boyfriend. They're all in college together now."

Eriol sighed. "Anyways… I didn't have much left to my name, and I thought I was doomed to be living on the street because of that cursed ring. Luckily though, I'd made friends with a man in a bar who wanted me to go on a cruise with him since his wife couldn't go. I obliged, since I needed some relaxation."

He continued after taking a drink of water. "It was there I discovered how women would like you even if you were poor. I was sixteen at the time, but since I looked a bit older I could get away with many things. How else would I have gotten into the bar? Anyway, I found many girls flirting with me on the cruise, and I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. It made me feel like someone liked me."

Tomoyo nodded.

"Of course, you already knew that I got into the cruise line business because of the owner's daughter. I was introduced as her boyfriend, but I really had nothing more than lust for her. The man liked my business-oriented mind and my snappy dressing, and soon I was up high in his ranks. I told the girl that I wasn't interested not long after she introduced me, but she never held it against me… I worry that she might have actually loved me and still does, but I wasn't ready for real love. As I got older, I became more interested in being surrounded by the wonderful thing that was women. At first it was because they were so much more friendly and nicer on the eyes than men, but after awhile, I just wanted them in my bed with me."

Tomoyo's eyes narrowed.

"Don't misunderstand… I basked in the feeling of someone warm in my arms. It was a drug for me, having someone there to fill that empty space on the bed… and in my heart… Foolish really… My heart was as empty as it always was, but like any other drug, the sex made me forget and feel good about myself. I had to have it. I needed it with my entire being… The feeling I got when I was alone at night… in the dark… The way I felt curled up, running my hand along the spot where my lover should have been… It hurt so badly that I couldn't deal… I had to cover up that feeling by expressing my loneliness in the only way I knew how…"

He lowered his head and ran his fingers into his hair. "My heart ached for the love I'd been given… for the love that'd been taken from me… I was in a daze and confused lust with love and I…" He trembled slightly.

"I… didn't know…" Tomoyo replied solemnly.

"That's why I told you, silly," He said, raising his head and wiping his eyes. "It's stupid really… I was beating myself up over it all night."

"What made you understand now?" Tomoyo asked.

"I've been laying alone for a few days now. I'm thinking clearly for the first time in my life in many, many years. How I made it so well in business is anyone's guess."

She stood up. "Let's walk some more." She held her hand out to help him up.

He stared at it for a moment, then slowly reached out and placed his in hers. She pulled him up and he smiled at her.

"So, why'd you tell me this?" She asked as they walked together up the path farther.

"I trust you… and you're smart enough to understand me…"

She blushed. "Oh, shut up…"

"So, tell me something about you, Tomoyo… I've spilled my guts to you."

She laughed. "This is nothing close to what you just said but… I really did want to be a singer… After Sakura stopped capturing the cards, I lost my inspiration on directing, and I turned to music. I think I got really good, but my mom needed help at work, and soon enough… I lost my dreams in the dust of my past."

"Tomoyo…"

"What?"

"What do you say that when we get back to Tomoeda… we both make a fresh start. I'll throw away my past and start anew, and I know the first thing that I'm going to do."

"What's that?"

"Get a haircut."

-

He did not lie.

When the limo driver returned to town, he stopped them at a fancy salon, and the two both walked in. The driver left to retrieve a nicer outfit for Eriol on Eriol's request.

"What'll it be?" The woman asked, looking at Eriol like he was some sort of disgusting creature. After all, in the outfit he was wearing, he probably looked like a grunge music artist to her.

"I would like to have my hair cut and styled. Miss Tomoyo here wants a washing, a manicure, and a pedicure."

"Who me?" She asked, blushing.

"I know girls like that kind of stuff," He responded, laughing, paying the woman.

The two were escorted away from each other.

-

While the women worked on Tomoyo's fingers and toes, her hair rolled up in a dryer, she thought about what had happened in the woods.

I've never seen a boy cry like that… I mean, boys cry no matter how much they hate to admit it but… the way he cried… it was almost like he was afraid to be sad…yet… you could really feel the pain. It erupted from him like an aura. The poor boy has a broken heart, and he doesn't know how to fix it. Betrayal is the worst kind of thing to do to someone…She pondered, closing her eyes and imagining him. I almost feel bad for making this bet…

Her eyes flew open. Almost.

"Oh, that's nice!" Tomoyo exclaimed, looking at her manicured nails.

-

Tomoyo couldn't have been happier with her hair. Being washed professionally made it shine like diamonds, tumbling around her shoulders in perfect curls. This was the kind of hair people didn't put up. She wondered if Rapunzel had hair like that.

"Well, well, well!" The woman Eriol had paid earlier said in surprise. "You don't even look like the same person!"

Tomoyo turned around.

Eriol walked in, straightening his tie and looking mighty proud of himself. He had put on black slacks, a matching vest, and a white blouse underneath. His shoes were shiny and clean, and his hair… It had been cut short with a part very similar to Fujitaka, Sakura's father, except it was in the middle. He looked even more distinguished and rich than he did before. He was… very handsome…

"Wow!" Tomoyo exclaimed, not realizing just how pretty SHE looked.

"Wow…" He said after meeting eyes with her.

The two blushed.

"Here," Eriol said, handing the lady a hundred dollars. "It's a tip."

The women stared at him in shock.

"Will you marry me?" One of them asked, starry eyed.

"Bye, see-ya!" He chimed, dragging Tomoyo out. "I must not give into temptation, y'know!"

"I thought you said you were starting fresh!" Tomoyo yelled.

"We'll start by getting out of here!" He sang, zooming off down the street where the limo had been parked.

"OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND I HAVE TO HANG OUT WITH THE CRAZY GUY!"

He laughed.