Author's Notes: Mucho of my sorries for this late arrival. I've just had so many things on my hand. School as my one and only priority. For more info on this, check out my bio. Not that anyone would wanna…

Title - Head Over Heels

Author - Shinsei Kokoro

Chapter - 16 - Heartbreaker

Beta Reader - Amai

Updated –3rd March 2005

Sakura Kinomoto P.O.V

The ride to school was so quiet that I could hear Kero in the back seat breathing like the dog he was. Usually Touya never allowed him in the car because of the mess he made, but maybe it was just because he didn't want to be alone with me. Or maybe because he thought there was a chance that Syaoran might be attacking him again.

I don't know which one of the two, but I was better off with his choice. Kero's whines and coos set my eyes from glancing at Touya more than often. He wasn't one of those car dogs who stuck their head out and let their tongue dance in the wind.

Touya's eyes had blackened and there were caked bruises on his jaw that hadn't healed over night. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't look at his face even when we were downstairs for breakfast. It all reminded me only of Syaoran and I was far from wanting to think of him right then.

Unlike the usual, breakfast had looked like some chicken that had rushed into an oven and come out with all feathers shaved off. Some very fluffy chicken that I ended swallowing even though the nuggets weren't half cooked. I hadn't said anything to Touya when he buckled up in the car and I wasn't planning to either. I was too embarrassed. Or maybe embarrassed wasn't the word…more like uncomfortable.

He stopped at the school gates, and it took me longer to grab my books with Kero lounging on them like he was Queen Cleopatra herself. Dusting his fallen hair of my Computer manual, I unbuckled and opened the door.

"Sakura..."

I turned back in a reflex and caught myself staring at my brother's poorly beaten face. I could have cried right then. Actually, I nearly did, but I was lucky to catch my breath and stuff them into my lungs before they came out sounding rasping and deranged.

"Yeah?" I croaked and looked back at Kero who was panting away.

"If that asshole comes near you, I better know it."

I knew who he was talking about. I knew it better than anyone did and I nodded numbly, my eyes locked on the guys playing soccer in the middle the road.

"Sakura." His hard voice made me look back at him and I shrunk back into my seat at his furious look. There were only a few times I'd seen him looking that messed up, and that was a long time back; when Mom had made Dad sign the divorce papers that is, "You tell me if he does anything to you and I'll be killing that fuckshit. All right?"

All right Touya. God, I was shaking right then. I had never seen Touya like that. What the hell was I supposed to say?

Without another a word, I jumped out and slammed the door, walking off and not looking back once. Oh God. I never wanted to see my brother that angry ever again. Last night had been enough. When I had seen him and Syaoran punching each other, I'd thought that one of them was sure to end up dead. Honestly dead. I had imagined one of them lying bloody in the doorway, with Kero sniffing and barking like crazy. I could still imagine it.

Quickly wiping off my cheeks with the back of my hand for any stray tears, I sped-walked my way to my locker even though homeroom had already started. I was one of the few ones walking the hallway and by the time I dumped all my books, the corridors were deserted. I took my time in arranging my books. Homeroom lasted only for fifteen minutes and that was enough time for me to catch my face from falling off.

Nestling my Lab book under my arms, I attempted to slam the door several times before my rage finally hit the spot and I squared my shoulder into it. The noise of metals sharply clang together and a girl next to me inched away wincing. Ha! That wasn't even nearly as scary as I could be.

This was exactly where I had met Syaoran and it was precisely the first thing he'd done for me. Or rather, taught me to do: help me close my locker door.

When I saw him last night, I almost hadn't recognized him. I had never known he could be like that. So wild. So...so angry with me. I had been given the shock of my life when he screamed everything out at me. When he called me those words and when he looked at me with all that betrayal. With hurt.

That look nearly killed me and I could still remember what all that he said. Every single word.

With a lurch, I clamped my mouth and made a run to the toilets. It was empty like usual and I gave in as I closed myself into one of the cubicles.

I kicked down the cover plate, sat down and cried till I was sure that every damn tear was out. Until I was so tired to even sniff my blocked nose and stay as silent as possible. I didn't want anyone coming in and finding out that Sakura Kinomoto was found crying in the toilets because her secret boyfriend had intentionally assaulted her family.

It was just that I couldn't believe he had done that. For one second, I thought if I could wish hard enough to God, maybe he would make this entire thing feel like some horrible dream.

I hadn't seen Syaoran that way before. So violent. So rough. It had definitely surprised the hell out of me, and I couldn't will his words away.

I had never expected something like that to happen. Truthfully, I'd never expected Syaoran to react that way. Never. He had seemed like this whole new guy who just hated me so bad that it made me hate myself. He had been truly hurt, but he just lost it and let it out at Touya. And I hated him for that. He lashed out on my brother, while swearing away at me in front of my family. Like Touya said last night, I'm not sure what he would have done to me if it hadn't been for Dad and him. What would he have? Would he have hit me? If Touya hadn't been there on time, would he have slapped me and given me a black eye? I wasn't so sure anymore. With Syaoran's rage at hand, I wasn't sure about anything anymore.

I sat thinking through the bell.

I grabbed onto my sleeves and wrapped my arms around myself tight and snug. My knees were nearly itching inside my jeans and I cradled my head in-between my elbows and wiped everything in my nose from the thin and almost synthetic feeling roll of tissue paper. I gave a glance to my wrist for the time and...surprise, surprise...I wasn't even wearing a watch. Swearing softly, I got up on my feet after what felt like ages and opened the door to see two girls swiftly turn around at the noise of the slamming door.

We stood there for a few seconds staring at each other until I made a move and turned on the tap at full force. I looked horrible. My eyes were red and blotchy with dark circles around them. My hair looked limp and strangled. My nose was puffy and the mascara I had on to calm myself this morning had run down my cheeks making me look like some ugly idiot who didn't give for decent make-up.

I scowled at the girls who kept looking at me and their heads mutually turned away whispering amongst themselves. Someone, please give them a life would you?

I rubbed off my mascara with water and fixed my hair with a hair tie after combing it with my fingers. I looked reasonable after two minutes and headed off giving the girls one last frown. They had better not open their mouths and start blabbing. But they looked like juniors and I didn't expect them to even know me.

Outside, no one particularly looked my way. They didn't notice how messed up I was, so I headed off to Chemistry. I didn't want to see anyone right then. Especially Syaoran. I knew his class was right opposite to mine so I made a quick dash inside before my eyes could involuntarily gaze inside the room. They always did that, even before I could realize myself.

I was the fifth one there in class and the professor glanced at me in surprise. "Good morning Kinomoto." She regarded me with a brisk smile and ticked me off her register. Maybe she was surprised because I wasn't one of the many who came to class on time? I took my seat and hugged the desk against me, watching each student arrive slowly and like graceful morons laughing and giggling like chickens.

"Sakura." I didn't fail to notice Eriol and Van coming towards me. They always seemed to be the center of attention, "What's up?"

Van was beside me first, then Eriol, "You all right? Your eyes are kinda red."

I turned to Eriol with clenched lips; "Of course I'm fine. I didn't sleep good, that's all."

"Hey, how'd you manage to skip homeroom eh?" Van was grinning and I had that sudden urge to slap him across his face, "The last time I tried to, some hallway monitor chased me back in with his hockey stick. I didn't even know we had monitors who checked hallways."

So what? Neither did I.

"Because I wanted to." I tried sounding convincible.

"Huh?"

"I didn't wanna come to homeroom because I didn't want to." I looked right away before I could throw imaginary darts onto his face. I knew that wasn't the answer he was looking for because his grin faltered and there could be seen was confusion.

Eriol leaned over a little from his side. There was some concern on his face, but I wanted to puke, "What happened Sakura?"

I flinched at his tone, and I found myself screwing my eyes shut and crying silently. What happened? I could remember what Syaoran had said last night about me and Eriol. About Van and me. About me being a tramp with nothing else to do. He said it so loudly and harshly. Near Dad and Touya. Like he had actually believed all that. Like he actually thought I was a slut who went around cheating on him with his enemies. I mean, I knew he hated Eriol like hell. I wasn't blind to see that. I knew he hated Van because of that day he caught us together outside the cafeteria. I knew he was jealous. It was so damn obvious. But now? Now what?

What had happened now? What was I supposed to do now? Because wasn't it true? Eriol wanted me. Van wanted me. And I was in a relationship with an unknown guy from Tokyo. It had been a rumor I'd started for Tomoyo, but everyone saw it as the truth. Even Syaoran. Because of that rumor he thought I was a whore. Some girl who would get going with three or four guys at once. Oh God. How could he think that? How could he think I was like that? How!

"Sakura?"

I know I liked him. I know I would never do that. I know that if he'd calmed a little bit last night, I could have explained. If I'd been given time to get over the things I had seen last night I could have told him that I wasn't like that. That I really liked him. That I've never done that to any guy or even come across to cheating on him. Would he listen to me if I had said that?

For a tiny moment, I had my mind made up to run off to the opposite room, confess everything to Syaoran and let him apologize to Dad and Touya. Then everything would be good right? No one would hate me right?

"Sakura?" Van's breath was right in my ear, and I had to flinch back.

"What?" I snapped before I caught a hold of myself.

"Something wrong? You looked spaced out."

I looked at him intently and then Eriol who was equally looking quizzical. It was them. It was because of these two losers that all this had happened. Especially Eriol. The stupidest shit that made me make up that rumor so that Tomoyo could have a chance with him. And so that he would leave me alone. But this is what had happened. This shit.

"None of your business." It just came out of my mouth, and for once I didn't care if I sounded like some bitch. They just shrugged, gave each other a look, then started on taking their notes. However they didn't give up on trying to start conversations, but I ignored them. It had all been because of them. These two bastards and my imaginative moronic boyfriend. Everything had just fallen into pieces because of them. Every damn thing!

I spent the rest of class, agitated in my seat. I couldn't stay still for even a second. There was always Van trying to sound beside me, and I lost my anger more than a few times. Eriol on the other hand stayed quiet. Maybe he knew something was wrong, but I didn't give a crap for that. He could think whatever he wanted to. He could spend the rest of his goddamn life thinking what kind of a screw up he was; I didn't care.

He had possibly wrecked my life right then. And I hated him for that, I really hated him. God, maybe even more than I hated Mom. Because of him, Dad and Touya would probably never trust me anymore. Because of him, they would probably stay distant from me like Mom did. Because of him, I was losing everyone.

The slides on the OHP were coming up and down, and there weren't more than ten words in my book. I was just looking down at the lines. And when a sudden tear fell, I sat back stiffly, and let Van give me another glance. I felt like I was burning from inside. Like my skin was on fire. I could even feel heat trickling down my back.

This might have been a fine moment to just collapse. The pin-drop silence was kicking my spinning head. I could hear the wall clock's ticks. I could hear the scribbling of pen, the breaths, and the movement of feet. It made me nauseous.

It seriously made me want to scream so loud. That way my voice would stay hoarse and manly for the rest of my life. I was so angry right then. My nerves were pinching down my skin, and I was left looking around with impatience.

I was clicking my pen in and out, and I didn't miss the frowns the people beside me gave me.

"Sakura." Van hissed, and I made no movement to look at him.

"What?" I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice.

"What's wrong with you?"

I swallowed without much control, and looked at him rigidly, "Does it look like something's wrong?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah. Definitely."

"Well it's nothing. I'm just...thirsty."

His grin turned a little subtle, "Really. Thirsty for what?"

To punch you. To slap you and kick you where it really hurts. "Water. What else?"

His smile didn't fade, and I forced my eyes back on my book. I forced down some of the words from the OHP. Process of oxidification. I switched onto a red pen, and underlined it several times.

How could this happen?

How could this happen to me when I've been wanting this for so long. When I've been wanting Syaoran for so long. Why was it that something always got messed up? Every time I wanted something, it would jump off a cliff and drown in the ocean. Why? Was I that horrible?

"There's a party tomorrow at my place." It was Van again. When my silence was his only answer, I felt the side of his arm lean against mine, and so I moved, "You're coming right? Or have you got that church stuff again?" he smirked arrogantly.

I was boiling underneath.

Was I that inviting? Was it something in me that gave the guys the impression that I was single and looking? That I didn't have any other business other than worshipping their pretty faces?

Or was it the way I acted? Did I flirt unconsciously? Was I the kind of girl that went around, sitting on laps and kissing guys after guys?

No, I didn't do that. As far as I knew, I was always only on 'friendly' terms with any guy who wasn't under my obsession list.

Why was it that they could never ask me a simple question such as, "Are you taken?" before they make their move? Why was it that they couldn't just stay away when they knew that I was in some relationship with a guy back in Tokyo?

I know I've never leaded Eriol or Van on. I've stayed away from them when the situation became sticky. Like when Eriol had suddenly leeched onto me and started kissing me ages ago. When Van would pretend that we were going out and put his arms around my shoulder and hug me. I would laugh like nothing was wrong and slither out of their grasp. Was that enough to get them backing off? No, that didn't seem to be the way things went around here.

I had thought we could be friends. I mean I wasn't stupid. I know when a guy wants something, but I can't be nasty. I can't just swear away because they were only hugs.

I hugged my friends all the time. But did this mean that I was giving myself away? Was I like one of those sluts you found creeping around in clubs just waiting to pounce on a guy and let them have their way with you? Was I?

Syaoran Li P.O.V

"You're a prissy little shit head, Syaoran. Do you know that? You just have to have every single thing your own damn way and I'm getting sick of it." Meiling hadn't stopped talking, "You think you're so tough, that I seriously don't feel like caring if you ever die of an overdose. I'll be dancing at your funeral and I'll celebrate it every year by cutting a cake. Does that sound good to you?"

I craned my head over my shoulders and shrugged at her, "Sounds fantastic."

"I bet." She muttered under her breath and moved down beside me on the concrete in a crouch, "I don't know what the hell made you do that, but if you keep it up like that, you will be dying, and I'll be the one explaining to Auntie, so please save me the misery right now all right? She's been calling and saying 'Oh Meiling, you father needs you here. Meiling dear, won't you be a sweetie and come look after your father. Meiling, my child, your father has forgiven you' and she goes on and on and on and I can't stand it!"

"Screw you." I groaned turning my head away, "Why don't you sod off and toy with your boy huh? Can't leave me the hell alone can you?"

She gave me a long look and I looked out in the sun where the boys were kicking the ball off into invisible goals. Shit, some imagination they had, "Not before you start speaking."

"None of your business, cow." I scowled at her. Why couldn't she just drop the damn thing? "How hard is that to understand huh?"

She glared back, "Very hard."

"Then good for you."

"Will you at least get your ass off to a doctor then?"

"No!" I barked right in her face, "Nothing's wrong all right? Just get lost!"

Meiling had found out. She'd somehow slithered it out of me that I'd gotten wasted last night. And being the tattletale she was, the entire apartment knew by now. Yamazaki and Shiroi were pissed, Chiharu as usual wasn't talking to me and Meiling refused not to talk to me. She'd unfortunately also seen blood drops by the toilet and had ended up putting two and two together. That's where the Doctor came in, and Shiroi had been insisting on bringing his nurse mother. He'd ended up with a whack and hadn't spoken to me yet. Assholes, they couldn't just let me get a grip of myself, could they? I was too important to them all. Without me, they'd have no place to stay and possibly no alcohol, 'cause I had a close friend who mastered in fanning out fake I.Ds.

My legs could never have brought me to school, but it was on my cue and I was supposedly not to be wagging at any time come thunder or the end of the world. If it weren't for Mr. Principal, I'd be in Kawashi no time flat. I wasn't in the mood for any educational schooling shit. I wasn't in the mood for anyone's shit actually. I'd had enough of it last night.

"So you're back with Minas right?"

I didn't say anything. It was surprising how in just two seconds, everybody knows who I went to bed with last night. Or maybe that was just Minas's big mouth and her brother who was out to giving me a hiding the next time he saw me. He's a scum like his other droolin' circus mates. One look at any chick and they get jelly knees. They broke into a dairy last year just to nick lollies and ice creams. I say that's not normal.

Meiling didn't look like she was about to give up, "I saw you guys making out, but really, it wasn't just me. I thought it was a dead end with her."

I sealed my mouth close. I wasn't gonna say one darn word to her. I just wanted to forget everything.

"I mean, you guys are on and off..." Meiling leaned in when I looked away, "...on and off. On and off. On and off. Say it Syaoran, something goin' on that your cousin should know?"

I shifted uneasily, clenching my jaw just to harness any loose anger, "Why don't you just shut up and get the fuck out of my face huh?" I was careless to show her my sudden rage and she fell onto her knees.

"Ooh. Man, something's definitely fishy eh?"

"Fuck you Meiling." I got on my feet without loosing a moment of expression, but she followed me.

"C'mon Syaoran. Who's got your feet slipping? You were bitching on about Minas just yesterday and you hook up with her like everything's just smooth 'n clean."

This one was a fuckin' bitch. Meiling didn't have a damn clue of when to shut her trap.

"Tell me, what's up with you and Sakura? You used to be-,"

I whirled around at her words and caught my hands just before I could let them move. In that little second her face paled and I gasped to get my spilling anger under control, "You better shut your fuckin' mouth up before I seriously cat your goddamn ass you bitch!" I hissed through clamped teeth, my hand clenching her elbow, "You don't need to know every fuckin' thing 'bout me all right! So just keep shut and stay the fuck away from my business! You don't need to stick your damn nose in it if you get what I mean." I growled without a second thought. I had to make sure she got hold of every darn word.

I had enough of her yapping in my face all morning, and her crap wasn't getting good on me either.

What I did was my load, and it didn't need to have her pissing out on me.

It took me long enough to just forget everything that had happened last night for a while, but with her trash it had all come back up.

I moved back glaring at her.

She was just standing there and so I went back to where I'd been sitting.

She had brought Sakura back into my head, and it had already gotten me fucked up last night. I hadn't slept for a damn second after Meiling had left with everyone else.

I hadn't stopped thinking, and it was one thing I hardly did.

The fuckin' whore. I didn't give if she died right then wherever she was. Man, I seriously didn't give a shit. I had what I wanted. I had a girl who was a better hooker. Hotter and a way better kisser. I didn't give a fuck about Sakura anymore.

Sakura Kinomoto P.O.V

Eriol had finally asked me out. Can you believe it? That rotten piece of trodden and manhandled cheap-shit of a dirtbag had the nerve to ask me when my guard was down. But who the heck was I to be sounding so surprised? Like I hadn't seen it coming from a mile off.

This morning, while I had been seething and practically forcing out tears out of my eye sockets, I hadn't noticed Tomoyo in her first stage of loosing it. It was defining her mind. Her sanity. She looked so incredibly pale and weak when I first set eyes on her during interval. We met in the corner of the quads as usual, and she was just sitting there, clutching her stomach to herself. At that moment, I wanted to breakdown in front her. Throw my arms around her and tell her what my night and day had been like. Just for one day, I wanted to share ugly things with my friends.

But I couldn't. I just wasn't ready to.

When she looked up with a small smile, I had to practically inch back in tremor. But then again, at least one of us was smiling. Maybe it wasn't fair to say that, but who the hell cared anymore?

"Hey." She greeted me with something like a small wave, and I felt so frustrated with myself when I couldn't even afford a fake smile. I had been trying that for the last three periods, attempting to look like I'd had a soundless sleep last night, but that was probably the last thing there was left to prove. It felt like everyone could see through me, because there hadn't just been one asking me, 'Sakura, you look dragged girl!' but several. And all I could do was perk up my face and give this really demented wannabe smile. Dear God, I was such an idiot. They all probably thought I was trying to pull a dry joke, but I didn't give a rooster.

I couldn't concentrate in class. I'm usually a good English student, but within ten minutes of class, I got as uneasy as I got in the last few periods. My eyes were hurting terribly and they wouldn't stop watering. That was my excuse - something got in my eye last night - because this junior kid kept asking me if I was crying the moment I got out of Maths. You see, even being a junior he does Grade 11 Maths. And along with that, even Biochemistry. So that's one reason I have to stay away from him, because I've heard that jealousy can also make you strangle people.

After blurting out my answer to the junior I hurried off to get out of his sight before he could shoot another question. The quads had been the usual. Busy, and the occasional couples snogging like they had no care in the world.

Tomoyo was the first one there because I couldn't see Rika or Naoko or the other nameless girls. I stood there looking at her for a few seconds, before I sat next to her. It was either listening to Tomoyo about how her life sucked or going back to the toilets to finish out on my crying. So I chose the foremost. Maybe it would be good for me to hear about other wrecked lives for once, rather than worrying about the day I lost herself in some maze.

I decided it was up to me to make some sort of a conversation, so I glanced down at the way one of her palm laid on her stomach. For a second I almost caught myself thinking she was pregnant, so I cleared my throat and she looked at me expectantly.

"Oh sorry." She went, "I was just thinking..."

I kicked at the dirt under my feet. Seemed like a good thing to do. Think. "About what?" I asked her instead. She was unusually quiet. Actually, she's been like that since the moment Eriol dumped her, but I managed to get that rat's face into the gutter before it got any further in my head.

"About me..."

"What?"

"About what I should be doing after I get out of school." She looked at me with these speculating eyes and it only brought on some heavy-duty confusion on my face. "For a job I mean. There's just one more year left after this, and I have no idea what to take in university."

I rolled my eyes at her silliness, "Tomoyo, what are you talking about? I don't have any idea of what to take next year. Imagine that."

"But you know what to do with yourself right? You said you wanted to become business woman or something like that."

I watched her play with the ends of the three-quarter jeans, "I'm not sure Tomoyo. As in, who knows? I could become a nurse or even a post woman." She gave me a blanched look, "Or maybe I could become a permanent babysitter and get the joys of raiding the fridge and making international calls. Once my friend made me help her little brother, and I ended up eating the lasagna till the moment she came back home with her boyfriend. Her mom found out about it though. About the calls too and she made my Dad pay the bill. I got grounded for a month, but c'mon I was just twelve. "

Tomoyo appeared with this very grim look that made me bite my tongue, "But at least you have something in mind right! A babysitter who calls takeaways from Vanuatu or not. But what about me? Anyone asks me that, and I don't have a single damn clue!"

I imagined looking shocked. Seriously shocked. Really, since when had Tomoyo become so intent on her future? Just two days back she'd been modeling in the girl's toilet with a new mini skirt she'd brought and now...this? I couldn't believe my ears.

She went on like I'd given her permission, "I was talking with my Mom last night, you know about Eriol and all..." Okay, now I knew what this was about, "And she agreed with me. I have to get something in my mind to think about other than clothes and make-up and watching my calories. She said people don't need to worry about their weight if they became businesswomen..." Oh that just broke a little string clutching onto my pride, "You don't even have to spend hours in front of the mirror if you want to become a secretary or get hair-colours to become a veterinarian. You know, maybe that's what I'll become after University? A veterinarian. But gosh, is that possible? I mean, I don't even take Biology!"

I was staring at her outburst without a single word, but I dare say I couldn't imagine Tomoyo with her doctor coat and a gloved hand poking into a dog's you know where. Maybe she was exploding because her hairdresser had taken a chill. Or maybe because her mother had forced her to take on a part-time job. Was that just it?

She didn't stop talking, and I sat there hoping and Rika and the others would get there soon. I had only thought for a little chat with the closest of friends, but it turned out I was talking to a revolutionist. She started going on about how she should probably become an assassin or something close to that or maybe join the army. The she started asking me if they had assassins in the army. Truthfully, I told her I didn't have a clue, but she then she went on about suggesting that idea to the army guys. I zoomed out after that. I didn't even know when the girls arrived, and I didn't even know when bell rang.

They nudged me just in time and I had to race to my locker to get my PE gear. That was when I saw Syaoran for the first time that day. Face in bruises and a blackening around his eye. He was laughing at something his friend's had said, and I was left walking back on my shoes. I couldn't go there. I couldn't face him right then. That was just impossible. That was when I also noticed Meiling, and a girl leaning against my locker. The girl was obviously flirting with him. But all I could notice were her blonde highlights that stood out in beside Syaoran.

I swallowed and turned around before I could slow my breathing or have him see me standing there staring. Dear God. He was laughing. Laughing like nothing had happened! Laughing...

I didn't know what to do. For a split second I decided to go to the nurse and check in and say I couldn't make it to PE because I had a chicken prancing around my head. Maybe that wasn't possible. She would never do that.

So instead I changed my direction towards the girls' toilets. My eyes were stinging and I didn't want to bawl out right there in the open yet. I strode on biting my own lips and feeling that familiar and horrible burning in my head.

Syaoran had been laughing. Actually laughing. Like...like nothing was wrong. Like nothing had happened to him. Like he hadn't bloody attacked Touya last night!

Oh God! Here I was, unable to forget anything, let alone crack a smile and he was laughing! Bloody hell! How...how could he do that!

He had punched and kicked my poor brother! He had insulted me right in front of my family and now he was laughing! Was that possible? Was that even Syaoran?

I knew I would have cried right then. I could already feel it: anger and frustration and the tightening of my throat. Then I felt a hand grab the elbow of my arm and I wouldn't stop walking for a second of shock, before the person actually pulled me to a halt.

I whirled around, and there was a sudden disappointment creeping up my back as I looked up at Eriol, "Finally! I was trying to find you before interval, but you weren't anywhere!"

I was doing what normal people did in bathrooms. But me? I was crying, however I didn't tell him that.

"What do you want?" my voice strained in boredom and I was surprised at myself. Eriol wasn't.

"I want to ask what the hell is up with you? You look really tired and really worn out and..." I rubbed my eyes for a second. Was I really talking to Eriol? The guy I'd promised myself to stay away from and never be at least five feet near? But here I was, just one foot away. I would have backed up just to keep up to my promise, but there was all this bile I could feel rising up my throat. Syaoran was not in sight, yet I could still hear his laughter, and that made me enough to stumble. Unfortunately, that just made Eriol's hold on my arm tighter.

"Sakura! Hey, what's wrong? You almost fell on your own feet right now. Are you feeling weak?" He sounded truly concerned. It was actually embarrassing. Not the fact that he was holding my arm in the middle of the hallway. Not the fact that if Syaoran were to see me with him he would think that there was definitely something going on between us. But the fact that a guy I hated from the bottom of my heart was actually worried about me. I was being cruel, but what else was I supposed to do?

I snatched back my arm and stood up straight just to show him what my backbone was made of, "Actually," I glared at him like I've wanted to throughout the morning, "You might find that Tomoyo's the one who needs a tad bit of your attention. If you'd look at her, you must at least make it out that she's been starving herself or locking herself up in her room thinking of a way to kill her brain once and for all. And do you know whose fault this is? It's all because of you Romeo. Your little plan."

He looked taken back for a second and I noticed his surveying around his shoulders. No one in particular seemed to listening to what the great and mighty Eriol was just about to say. I was in a pose to walk off while kicking the surveillance camera in his head, but he caught my arm again. I snatched it back in a reflex and continued on with the glare. This was Eriol Hiiragizawa in front of me, I told myself. The guy who I'd been waiting to aim a gun at. I should have been doing more than just giving him the cold shoulder. I was supposed to be punching his guts, scratching his pretty face and belting him. It was because of him that I'd lost Syaoran. It was because of him that my life was a mess!

But what possibility was there that I'd get away with it huh?

"She's just a little over in her head." He hissed a little, "She'll be back with some other guy in just two days." He wiggled two fingers at me and a smirk that I wanted to slap off. Was Syaoran right about me? No. He wasn't.

"Two days my ass." I scoffed in response, "I don't think you even care about her...or do you?"

He leaned in closer and I scarcely caught sight of how students walking by looked our way, "I care about you." He stated matter-of-factly and I was amazed he could keep his face straight that way.

I watched him closely. He was in an enough distance to kiss me, but I wasn't in the mood to let him by it. I was sizzling. For that moment, I was so pissed that I felt like I was gonna blow up. But instead, I nudged a finger into his chest, "Really? Well then, here's something for you asshole. Care for this why don't you." I gave him the finger right in front of his face; "Is that good enough?" I never really meant to say it. Instead of just swearing at him, I had something like borrowing a chair from one of the classrooms and crashing it over his head more in my mind. But it came out all narrowly and with a sudden feeling of stupidity.

"Loud and clear." I saw him grinning madly, "But do you really mean that?" Maybe he'd gone insane.

I ground out this time and I grabbed the front of his shirt in my fist and closed in, "Read my lips Eriol. Fuck you!"

He didn't frown or growl or get angry in any sort of way. He laughed. He actually laughed, and in a daze, I let go of his shirt. I gazed over his shoulders and found no one looking at me. Eriol was still chuckling, almost cockily and I took steps back into the nearly empty hallway. Maybe he was an ex-patient from Tomoeda's mental hospital?

"You look cute when you're angry. Seriously, I just noticed it."

And what I noticed was that my insult hadn't even fazed him. I was definitely amazed now.

"And you're looking ugly right now." I said it before I thought of it. I just had to put him off. I didn't care what I said, but I had to figure out a way to let Eriol know that I was a bitch.

"You're lying. You think I'm just too good to be true. Actually, you probably think I'm the hottest guy around."

This time I was the one who erupted with a laugh, "Dream on Eriol."

But he wouldn't listen to me; "Van's having a party this weekend. I want you to come with me."

I stood there like an idiot for God knows how long until I eventually exploded, "Excuse me!" I think it came out louder than I expected but what the hell! Didn't this guy every get the point? I'd just sworn at him and he had asked me out!

"You don't have to worry about Tomoyo," I heard him say, "Van's got this friend who's got the hots for her and he'll introduce them. She's sure to get it on with him and she's got no chance of seeing us together 'cause there's gonna be a crowd. Isn't that a plan?" he looked happy saying that. Like the anger I was expressing on my face was so invisible that he couldn't stop smiling.

At that point I thought my head was on the verge of exploding. I moved my feet to get their circulation running, "You're a sad little bastard." That's the first thing that came onto my tongue, "When I said 'fuck you' right? It meant I wanted you to take your cheapskate flirts and blow it onto someone else's face. I don't know how many time's you're gonna try, but this has got to be the last Eriol." I looked away the slightest; "I'm not interested in you."

Maybe that was something I should have said all along. Because the moment his face-hardened, I think he finally got what I meant. Without waiting any longer, I walked off, my nerves freezing and unlocking their gates to allow blood flow. The sad thing was probably that for all this time Eriol had thought I was at least a little bit attracted to him. This time, I wasn't even a little bit sorry to say that what he thought was wrong.

I went straight back to my locker, and what I saw there, took me with a tight chest and a sobbing fit straight into the nurse's office. Syaoran had still been there. That same girl leaning all over him and his hand fingering the edge of her skirt that reached mid-thigh. I stood there stunned with everything screaming inside of me. But the moment I saw him sucking her face, I doubled and ran.

I skidded a few seconds later along the hallway along with my books scattered, but I picked myself up hastily and continued on. I never turned back and I didn't dare to even look up. I didn't care if they had seen me. I didn't even care if Syaoran had seen me standing there and watching him. Because right then, he was someone I hated most of all. God, I didn't care if it was a sin, but he was someone I wanted to see dead.

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A/N: Okies! I bet y'all were ready for another cliffhanger from me. Man, I feel so evil right now …and does it feel GOOD! Yea-yah. By the way, I'm sorry that I made Syaoran's povs so short. I just thought that this had to be Sakura's another oh-so-usual bad day.

But besides that, what do you guys think of the way I'm taking the plot? All the drama that I'm bringing? And how Sakura finally thinks Eriol has heard her last words? All I can say is poor her. And that brings me to telling you guys about the advantage of being an author: you can torture the characters how much ever you want to, even if they're on rent. Insert the evilest laugh mankind has ever heard