§ Cherished in My Heart §
A fiction by moondocc
Rated T/Genre: Romance/Drama
Originally dedicated to DarkAnimeChick for her birthday, 1/22. Happy birthday!
Chapter 4: An Unexpected Present
"Where did you get that?" The chilling voice emitting from behind him hissed.
That damn pig, Cherry thought murderously, "Stop being so nosy, you pig head." She smirked to herself for coming up with such a great comeback.
Syaoran snorted. "No need to compliment me, Miss Kura."
"Will you leave me alone! I was in the middle of something," Cherry frowned impatiently, searching deep for that blurred memory, "and now you're disturbing me!" she whispered so that the professor wouldn't hear.
"Does this 'disturbance'," at this Syaoran rolled his eyes, "have anything to do with a memory?"
Cherry narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?"
Syaoran laughed, "A ha ha ha ha, you're asking the master here to spill his secret?" Cherry shook her head, Syaoran caved in. "Fine. Your face was distorted in a very weird shape."
"No it wasn't!" Cherry protested, embarrassed that her face could be distorted in any other shape than a cheerful and happy one. Her hand immediately rose up to her cheeks and covered it. "Don't lie, Li."
"Oh? Are we on last name terms now, Kura, hmm?" Syaoran arched his eyebrow, so high that it disappeared behind his shuffled bangs, "I wasn't lying, Kura, your face was scaring me." Tomoyo turned around and shot the two a dirty look. "You're being too loud," she warned.
Cherry flipped back to her seat and took out a pen, scribbling some things on her notepad. Despite the loud speech given by the professor, her mind was still not focusing on Ancient Empires. In fact, it was bouncing between a lost memory and a very annoying baka sitting right behind her.
Not even five minutes into her full focus into the lesson being taught, Cherry felt herself being poked again. Furious, her eyes landed on a very interested Syaoran Li.
"So was this memory something that happened in your past?"
Cherry shrugged. "I thought it was. Maybe it wasn't."
"What do you mean?" he whispered slowly, his eyes darting back and forth across the room, where it eventually landed on the professor's brown head.
"I don't know." Cherry announced simply before sinking in her own seat again. Five minutes later, a very flustered (and angry) Tomoyo found herself glaring at her best friend. "What is it?"
"Where did you get the bracelet?" Cherry asked softly.
"What?" Tomoyo was a little bit taken aback. After all, they were in class, discussing the Roman Empire, when her best friend suddenly brought up the topic of a certain present that was presented to said best friend only thirty minutes ago.
"My birthday present, of course," Cherry repeated in oblivion, her eyes twinkling.
"Oh," Tomoyo smiled. She shot a look toward the direction of Professor Yuumi, but it seemed like that she was not paying attention to two scheming girls sitting prettily in the back. "I found them in the Museum of Aviation Flights last month."
Cherry's mouth drooped to the floor.
"They were on display for a special exhibit and the description talked about your flight, you know, 618 to Tomoeda, Japan?" Tomoyo explained patiently, her glamorous hair falling across her face. "I thought it might help you bring your memory back."
"I think it worked," Cherry gasped in realization, "I think it really, really did work!"
Tomoyo clasped her hand on her mouth, "How?"
"Something flooded back into my head. I saw some things about a girl and a boy." Cherry analyzed, "it was like it was me who was in her memory."
"What? What do you mean?" Tomoyo was truly perplexed. It was like it was her? Shouldn't a person's memory be well…personal?
"Who's 'her'?" The same chilling voice sounded from behind. A very interested (and smirking) Syaoran leaned forward, his full attention on the redhead sitting in front of him.
"Sakura Kinomoto," Cherry swallowed. "How could this have happened?" Why do I feel that she looks…a bit like me?
Maybe because you are Sakura, you dimwit, Syaoran thought bitterly. He wouldn't dare saying that to her. He didn't want to risk a trip to the hospital after all. The girl looked strong as a bull.
"You two in the back row?" Professor Yuumi called out. Syaoran and Cherry's heads darted across the room, their hollow eyes landing on a very red teacher who seemed too small to be yelling at such a volume. "Do you two have something to share with the class?"
"No," Syaoran muttered quietly, sinking back in his chair. "Shit," he whispered to himself. Cherry lowered her head shamefully and studied her New Balance sneakers.
"I didn't think so. Do not talk in class. You will interrupt other students' desire to learn about possible the greatest empire in the world."
Cherry and Syaoran nodded bitterly. Professor Yuumi nodded, and went back to lecture the students about the Twelve Tables and the Pax Romana.
"What do you have to bother me for?" Syaoran nudged Cherry in the shoulder with a wide smirk. Appalled, Cherry raised her eyebrow. "Excuse me? You were the one who was bothering moi," she emphasized, shooting the boy with chestnut hair a dirty look.
To her surprise, Li Syaoran had the nerve to laugh. "I'm sorry, I don't speak gibberish…such as moi!" he laughed quietly to avoid another public outburst on behalf of Cherry Kura. Tomoyo shook her head and continued taking notes on the great Roman Peace.
Cherry scowled. God, Li Syaoran, I can't stand you! Unfortunately, it was already too late, because she had just shouted, at the very top of her lungs, "GODLISYAORANICANTSTANDYOU!"
The whole class flipped toward their direction as Cherry felt her cheeks start to redden. Within seconds, her colors were literally comparable to that of a tomato's color. Professor Yuumi stopped walking in her tracks and tapped her teaching stick loudly on the desk behind her. "Miss Kura, Mr. Li, I trust that you two have not settled the dispute between you."
"No shit," Syaoran shot back. Professor Yuumi's eyes widened as her lips slightly parted. "Mr. Li! That is not the way you treat your elders!"
"Does it matter?" Syaoran answered in boredom. "Come on, just sent me out of the class. It's not like I care about the 'Great Roman Peace' anyway." Syaoran's finger wiggled at his emphasis. Professor Yuumi's eyes widened more, if that was even possible, until they reached the level of complete shock.
"Get out of my class," Professor Yuumi ordered. "Now."
Syaoran smirked. He stood up from his chair staring at a bewildered redhead as he slumped his backpack across his back and made his way down the aisle. "As you wish," he sneered devilishly as he walked past Professor Yuumi, giving her a wink.
Cherry watched as Syaoran made his way out the door. What she could not believe is that, when he passed the last seat in the class, right next to the door, he blew her a kiss before turning away again.
Ooo, the NERVE of that man!
"Hey KURA!" Someone shouted from across the hallway. The shout was so piercing that Cherry found herself temporarily deaf. It turned out that the shout wasn't from across the hall. It was more like…across the earshot, really.
Turning around, Cherry found herself staring at the very pair of eyes that annoyed her to death. "Yes, Li? What do you want?"
The owner of the eyes smirked at her before feeling himself yanked back again, his collar choking his neck. He made a few gagging noises and threw his hands in the air. Cherry secretly laughed at this. Revenge, sweet revenge.
"Ugh!" Syaoran shouted in disgust as the girl who yanked him back finally decided to let go. "Geroff, Natalie!" Natalie was the same girl who drooled all over Syaoran this morning. Unfortunately for her, this morning he was quite enjoying her company. But the tables have turned now.
"Why should I? I'm your girlfriend." Natalie stated as-a-matter-of-factly as she took Syaoran by the arm and crossed hers in between. She shot Cherry a look of jealousy before she smeared her bright red lipstick all over Syaoran's cheeks.
Syaoran looked too shocked to say anything. Whether it was the bright second lips on his cheeks or his bulging, scary eyeballs, Cherry found him extraordinarily…funny. Before long she found herself in a fit of laughter as she clung her hands on her tummy and laughed like an idiot.
Syaoran shook himself back into reality as he shook Natalie off his shirt. "Sorry to pop your bubble, Evans, but you're too ugly to be my girlfriend."
Natalie Evans feigned a hurt expression on her face. She pouted her lips and crossed her arms. "For that, Syao-darling, you have to compensate."
Syaoran threw his arm in the air. "Goodbye, Natalie." He said at last before pushing Cherry aside. Natalie gasped and walked away angrily, shooting one last look at the girl who she thought succeeded her. If looks could kill, Cherry would have had at least a hundred bullets in her head now.
"That was interesting," Cherry said in boredom as she examined her nails. Syaoran scoffed.
"You know, for a college guy, you should know how to break things off without hurting their feelings. I mean, you have had 365 girlfriends you know," Cherry reminded him.
"Oh, Kura, with my charm and my looks, there's plenty of girls to spend," Syaoran laughed and waved it off. He didn't exactly want to bash his hurt in her face.
Cherry sighed. "I just don't see what those girls see in you." She looked away in disappointment. "Is Hong Kong University just full of guys like you?"
"I-" Unfortunately, Syaoran was cut off by a beautiful raven-haired girl. She cut her way across the crowd and observed the two in concern. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Cherry said immediately and gave Tomoyo a tired smile. "Absolutely nothing."
"Well then, let's go to lunch! There's a Taco Bell in the cafeteria, I hear," Tomoyo chuckled as she led the way toward the cafeteria. Syaoran followed closely behind, not knowing whether it was relief or disappointment to be cut off at such a crucial moment.
Sitting down among a group of other girls, Tomoyo nudged Cherry eagerly. "Cherry, remember that picture in your birthday present?"
"Yes," Cherry answered slowly, her eyes rolling. What was Tomoyo up to now?
"Well, Li wants to see it," Tomoyo smiled as she tore the wrap to a burrito. Syaoran had just sat down across from Cherry when another man walked their way.
Before Tomoyo could continue, the man bowed in front of him, practicing the most perfected chivalry. "Are you the transfer students from Japan?" he asked politely as he pushed Syaoran on the other edge of the seat.
"Yes," Cherry smiled kindly, reaching out a hand, "my name is Cherry Kura, and I'm very, very pleased to meet you." Syaoran almost spat out his coke.
"Hai, my name is Eriol Hiragizawa, and it is indeed a great pleasure to meet you, miss Kura," to Cherry's surprise, Eriol took her hand, but rather than shaking it, he planted a gentle kiss upon her soft white skin.
Cherry giggled. Syaoran rolled his eyes as he unwrapped his burrito. Poor wrapper…Syaoran tore it into ten pieces when he bit angrily into this juicy wrap.
Jealous, Syaoran? A devilish voice laughed.
Syaoran flicked his eyes toward the two in deep conversation in disgust. Only if it's Sakura Kinomoto I would be. But this girl, she's nothing like the Sakura I know.
Oh? She's not? The same eyes, the same smile, the same hair, the same lips?
"Shut the fuck up," Syaoran wondered out loud.
"Excuse me?" Unfortunately Cherry thought it was directed at her. Why does that girl always think his insults are directed at her? Well… they have been so far…he wasn't one to insult girls. He prefers…charming them.
He could use this to his advantage…"Eriol, I believe I was talking to Miss Kura first," he said sweetly, showing Eriol a row to glittering white teeth while his eyes masked murder. Eriol sweat-dropped and stood up to leave.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Eriol bowed politely, "I will take my leave now," at this he winked at Cherry, who smiled dreamily back, "would you two like to join me for lunch sometime?" He looked at the two expectantly. Syaoran mouthed a "no" and motioned that he would slit Cherry's neck if she accepted him.
"Hmm," Cherry pretended to be in deep thought with her hand on her chin. Syaoran's glare was furious. Smirking silently to herself, Cherry smiled wide.
"We would love to, Eriol-kun," she winked at Syaoran.
a/n: rewrites are awesome! Yay! Another chapter re-wrote!
I fixed some MAJOR mistakes in this one. I keep thinking that they are in high school, when in fact they are in college. And nobody ever pointed it out to me before. I guess you all just all forgot or something, haha. That's why I changed the 'teacher' to 'professor' you guys. And also, in the next chapter, they're supposed to be in detention, but how can you have detention in college! That's ridiculous. Therefore, the next chapter is going to take a long while to edit. At least I'm making my chapters more readable, don't you think?
Also, I won't revise the last three chapters. I'll probably fix some grammar mistakes and common mistakes here and there, but no rewrite. I feel that my writing has definitely matured these past two years that I have been idle from FF.N…therefore I won't rewrite those chapters. I'll edit, sure, but no rewrites.
Please review this chapter and tell me what you think! Of course…none of you are going to review, but I'm doing this for future's sake! Hahaha. See you in next chapter!
