Reality's Dream

. Chapter 14: Attack of the Evil Contraptions

"No!" Sakura pouted like an insolent child, arms folded defiantly against her chest, as Meiling and Tomoyo hovered over her. "I refuse to wear those evil contraptions. I can see it now. They are already plotting my destruction, planning to trip me up the moment possible. I will not let them win!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic and put them on!" Meiling said rolling her eyes at her friend's antics. The "evil contraptions" that Sakura was referring to was a pair of three inch black heels placed before her which she was eyeing distastefully.

"Be thankful I even got them that short." Tomoyo commented pointing to her and Meiling's four inchers. Those things could kill, Sakura was certain of it.

"Short!" Sakura seemed flabbergasted. "You call those short! They are as long as my finger!" She held up her own for proof. "That ain't short! Besides remember how I fell in the ones you gave me last year. Please they are a safety hazard. I'm likely to kill Eriol's toes in these." She gave the puppy dog look, her vibrant green eyes widening to enormous length as she pleaded for the freedom of her feet.

But the look went unheeded and Sakura finally submitted, beginning to strap herself in mumbling curses of various sorts while her friends chuckled and finished up the last few touches to their ensembles. Meiling was putting on her long gold dangling earrings that contrasted nicely with the slinky black spaghetti strap she wore. Tomoyo was smoothing out the satiny gown she wore, admiring the metallic gray blue that colored the shimmery material. But despite her calm appearance, inside was turmoil. She was getting ready for what could be quite possibly the night from hell. Meiling had somehow talked her into this whole fiasco. She had been running and been caught. Praying maybe things would change, or that she had just been imagining it all. That Syaoran truly loved her. That Sakura was just a friend. That the world was perfect. 'Hah! That would be the day.'

After witnessing the battle of friends she began to doubt her judgments. Maybe she had just misread the signs and was seeing something that didn't exist. Maybe her fear of losing him had manifested into thinking Syaoran might have a thing for his friend. And if she broke it off with him on misconceptions…well she just had to be sure.

And so here she was preparing for a date with one who had hurt more than anyone before him had even done and she was going willingly. Oh the irony. But no she would not go down without a fight; she was here on a mission. She would watch the two friends closely to prove her fears. Her gut instinct had told her years ago not to get involved with Syaoran. Yet she had listened to her heart. Now she just hoped her instincts were wrong. And so she set off to face the music.

"Okay I'm done." Sakura exclaimed as she got up with a slight wobble thanks to the shoes that were now hidden beneath her dress. It hung across one shoulder with a thick strap. It was made of a vibrant red velvet cinched at one side creating a cascade of waves across its lengths flowing to the bottom where a small slit went up the side. With her golden brown hair piled atop her head she looked very elegant like she belonged at some sophisticated ball or maybe the Oscars. "Tomoyo these dresses are just amazing. I don't know how you do it." Sakura complimented her friend.

"Very classy. I'm sure Eriol will approve." Tomoyo said with a small smile, but despite the polite comment Sakura thought something seemed off about her. 'I'll ask her later if everything is going okay the next moment we're alone.' Sakura decided.

"Approve? The boy better do more than just approve, he better be drooling unless he's blind." Meiling joked causing Sakura to blush with embarrassment. Meiling seemed gifted at making those kind of comments. "As for myself, I'm sure Derek's eyes will go gaga at the lovely sight of me." She struck a pose and winked as her friends struggled to withhold their muffled laughter. No one could deny that Meiling was one of a kind.

Honk Honk

"That would be him." Meiling gave a little squeal as she gathered up her purse and coat. "Eriol should be here any moment with Syaoran to pick you guys up and we'll all meet at the restaurant in a few. See ya." Meiling gave quick hugs farewell and dashed out to her awaiting date.

Tomoyo began to rummage through her purse distractedly, as if she was doing it just to have something to do. After a few moments she was still searching the bag's contents having pulled out nothing. 'What is going on?' Sakura wondered at her friend's unusual behavior. She slowly walked up behind Tomoyo, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Tomoyo, is everything alright?"

Tomoyo turned to face Sakura, her eyes sliding back and forth while she bit on her lip as if debating to whether or not to speak the truth. But then fear made the decision for her, fear of being right, fear of being wrong, fear that saying it would make it true. So instead she gave a smile. "I'm just feeling a bit off. No worries. I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Sakura could tell Tomoyo was hiding something but she trusted her. 'If it's something I need to know she'll tell me.'

"Yeah." Tomoyo confirmed and then switched the focus of conversation. "So tell me, how are things with you and Eriol."

"Wonderful. He's so sweet and fun to be with. It's so easy to be around him." Sakura said then the next moment her eyes darkened over. "But I guess that happiness has its price."

"Syaoran?" Tomoyo prompted.

Sakura sighed and looked out the window of her room to the darkening sky. "Yeah. I know he and Eriol are just pretending everything's fine between them. Sure they're being civil and all but I don't know how to be with Eriol knowing the whole time I was the cause of a friendship crumbling."

"It's not your fault." Tomoyo stated the trite little phrase. But she couldn't stop the little voice inside from whispering that maybe it was. Pain always tries to find someone to blame.

Sakura continued her rambling, "I just don't understand. What the hell was so bad that they can't get past it? I even asked Eriol what the problem was and if they could fix it and you know how he responded?" Now imitating her dark haired date, "'That Syaoran and I don't see eye to eye anymore.'" She gave a little huff. "How pathetic is that? It's ridiculous!" She collapsed on her bed frustrated and upset. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Well they're boys so of course they're acting weird. They might as well be another species." Tomoyo said sitting down beside her friend who was cracking a smile at their little joke. Any boy trouble had always been explained as being due to crazy male antics and them being female of course left them unable to decipher the meanings.

Ding Dong

"Oh they're here." Sakura perked up. "Come on, let's go dance the night away." Picking up her purse and jacket she grabbed Tomoyo's hand and began to drag her to their awaiting dates.

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Six teens sat around a table munching away on French fries and burgers and slurping on creamy milk shakes in the fifties style diner. Although one could say they were slightly overdressed for such a place, the joint was jumping with many groups of teens in sparkly dresses and penguin suits. At the moment, the six mentioned were chattering away about freaky faculty members and hilarious and horrifying incidents with them. Eriol was telling the tale of Ms. Bee the Biology teacher and her whirlwind affair with Jack the janitor, mostly to Sakura who sat across from him between Tomoyo and Meilin while Syaoran and Derek sat beside him.

"So I decide to go to her classroom after school to question my grade. I open the door to find them going at it like rabbits on the lab tables. I swear I am scarred for life by that image. Talk about getting friendly with the faculty." Eriol gave a shudder.

"So that's why you don't like any of the science classes." Sakura giggled and the two stayed smiling at one another.

"Well," Syaoran interrupted with a bit more force than natural conversation permits. "There was also another scary science teacher he, well we, had in middle school. Mr. Kurbaka was this grumpy, fat teacher who limped around the school glaring at every one and we think he had a thing for the boys in the class cause he would say some rather…suggestive things. Like one time we had this project of testing water absorption in different vegetables, carrots, potatoes, peas, celery, lettuce, and sorts. We had to wait a while to keep checking the progress so my lab partner Jeff was spending the spare time flirting with the girls the table next to us. All of a sudden Mr. Kurbaka barks out, 'Jeff is your celery limp?'" Syaoran imitated the man's gruff voice. "Well you can imagine how …interesting that sounded. But Jeff responded that it wasn't yet and shook it off. But then Mr. Kurbaka asked, 'Jeff are you potatoes firm?' And he even made a grabbing motion to emphasize that well let's just say it looked rather sexual."

Sakura was scrunching her nose in disgust but was also laughing to the point where tears were filling her eyes.

"That wasn't the oddest thing Mr. Kurbaka said. One time…." Eriol continued on with another treacherous tale of teachers not noticing the watchful eyes of Meiling and Tomoyo, both of whom were quite aware of the fact that although this had been a group conversation, the two boys seemed rather focused on the green eyed girl across from them. But to those not speaking one could say it seemed almost like a competition, each vying for the laughter and attention of Sakura.

While Meiling merely found it intriguing, Tomoyo found it damaging. When Syaoran had arrived at the Kinomoto house all pretended things were normal. She and Syaoran had exchanged small talk and held hands and acted like they had never spent any time apart, it was like Tomoyo's disappearing act had never happened. But as the evening continued she was finding it more and more difficult to cling to hope feeling it chiseled away as she watched Syaoran. Every time he clenched a fist or anger and jealously flashed through his eyes or even those rare few brilliant smiles she saw her misgivings slide away because not a one was because of her. It was because of Sakura. Her naïve friend who could not see the silent feuding of Syaoran and Eriol, all over her. The reason for their broken friendship was quite apparent, at least to Tomoyo. And it broke her heart to see it. When the time came she would do what was needed.

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"Look at all the sparkly lights." Sakura cooed as they entered the darkened school gym. The usual garish fluorescent lights had been replaced by strings of soft colored lights. "It's so beautiful."

"Just like you." She heard a voice whisper in her ear. She looked up at Eriol who was walking beside her, his hand holding hers.

"I think you are just a bit too talented at making me blush," Sakura joked. No matter how many times he gave her a compliment she couldn't help being bashful.

"But you're so adorable when you're red. You're like a cherry." Eriol teased while Sakura stuck out her tongue.

"Alright you two. Enough with the flirting. You'll have plenty of time during the slow songs. But now is the time for boogying," Meiling commanded and grabbed Derek and Sakura dragging them to the partially filled dance floor. Sakura yanked Eriol. Eriol pulled Tomoyo. Tomoyo grasped Syaoran. And so the line of teens began to dance under the colored lights just letting go of their troubles, moving to the music, laughing at one another, just having fun.

Eventually the fast paced songs turned into a swoony love ballad and most of the floor cleared, leaving the couples to have their moment. Eriol began a little waltz with Sakura to make her laugh.

"Eriol!" She squealed as they wheeled around the gym until they came back to where Syaoran and Tomoyo were dancing. Sakura took a quick notice of the couple near her. Tomoyo seemed distracted and Syaoran looked…guarded. 'Something is going on,' Sakura's mind pointed out before her attention was brought back to her dance partner as he switched to the modern slow dance, his hands on her waist pulling her closer. Sakura snuggled even closer like how she felt comfortable in his arms. Giving a sigh of contentment she snuggled up to Eriol resting her head on his shoulder.

Slowly both of them pulled apart slightly so they could close the distance in another manner.

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Tomoyo was caught in her thoughts. She didn't want to do this. She loved him. Maybe there was hope he could grow to love her more. She wanted to follow that childish impulse of just holding on to him and never letting go. Reason fought with emotion, the heart with the mind.

Tomoyo felt Syaoran tense in her arms as they swayed to the music. Craning her neck she turned to locate the source of his enrapture and rage. It was Eriol and Sakura…lip locked. Tomoyo felt every last ounce of resistance swept away by the torrent of anger and pain now coursing through her. Her decision was made.

"Syaoran."

No response.

Resisting the urge to shake him, rather aggressively of course, Tomoyo stated again with more force, "Syaoran."

Syaoran was snapped out of his thoughts to find his girlfriend looking resolute, her violet eyes burning and trying to suppress what looked like to be sadness. "Is everything alright?" He questioned, concerned.

Tomoyo had the sudden urge to laugh right in his face. 'Alright! Alright! How can anything be ALRIGHT when you don't love ME?' Trying to shove aside any emotional outburst, Tomoyo took a deep breath and slowly disentangled herself from his grasp. She saw the confusion dart in his eyes. Fixing a stony gaze upon him, she uttered the words she had been battling whether or not to say. "Syaoran, we're through."

Syaoran's face barely changed but from the subtle widening of his pupils she knew the words had hit home. She might as well have slapped him for it would have had the same shocking effect. "What?" He managed to mumble sounding like he was hoping that the cheesy love song playing had twisted her words or that he was mistaking her meaning.

"You and I are over." Tomoyo said clearly, though her voice wavered a bit.

"What?" He repeated. "Wait. Why?" Syaoran's mind was screaming a million things at once, but all had one idea in common; he was confused.

"Syaoran it's just not going to work out between us." Tomoyo spit out another banal and bland phrase which kept Syaoran still in the dark.

"I don't understand."

Anger flared up inside of her, and her usual ability to stay calm was lost. She just wanted to get away. "You don't understand? Well fine then let me simplify it for you. We're breaking up. And why? Because your thoughts have been not with your girlfriend the entire night. No instead you have paid more heed to our friend over there and yet I'm supposed to be the one you love. And I can't compete with that. And I'm not going to. We're just done." By the end Tomoyo was shaking and on the verge of tears. She had hoped to stay strong and composed, to put an end to this without causing too much stir but as usual things never go as expected. Syaoran was probably akin to a deer caught in headlights at this moment, but so was Tomoyo. She felt just as lost and hurt. She almost had the desire to take back her words and pretend that everything would be okay. But she also saw the small hint of guilt in Syaoran's face as he began to realize who she had been talking about.

"Sakura." He said it so softly she almost didn't catch it.

"Yes. Sakura." There was almost a bitterness to her voice. Was she jealous of her own best friend? "And you're too blind to even see it. She has you wrapped around her little finger and you know what, you probably don't even care!"

"Tomoyo I-" Syaoran stepped forward, reaching out to her.

"No. Just leave me alone." Tomoyo tried to back away, but her unsteadiness hampered her ability to walk and she felt the sharp stab as she twisted her ankle on her high heels. Syaoran rushed forward to help but the moment he placed a hand on her she practically screamed, "Don't touch me! Don't you dare." Barely at a whisper, he heard, "You've hurt me enough."

Stunned into silence he watched as she lifted herself off the floor and hobbled away from him. Eriol and Sakura walked quickly to the disheveled Tomoyo having witnessed most of the scene. Hell half the school had probably seen the couple fight, but having only her yelling be loud enough to be heard, the crowds were left to whisper over what the disruption might have been about.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked concern apparent in her features. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Tomoyo feebly lied. But her body betrayed her as she winced and let a small gasp out from the throbbing in her ankle.

"No you're not fine." Sakura protested. "Oh sweetie that doesn't look good." Taking a closer look, she saw that the ankle was beginning to swell slightly turning a reddish-purple shade. "We should get you home so you can lie down and put some ice on it. Here lean on me and Eriol." As Sakura and Eriol flanked Tomoyo, Sakura joked, "See I told you heels were dangerous."

Meiling approached the three, her face still flushed from dancing most of the time they'd been there. "What's going on?"

"Tomoyo got hurt so we'll take her home." Eriol responded.

"Ouch that looks painful. Sorry." Meiling flashed her a sympathetic smile. "Oh I'll go round up Syaoran so you can leave."

"No!" Tomoyo protested. When the three looked to her silently she added, "I wouldn't want him to miss all the fun just because I twisted my ankle."

"Okay then, Derek and I can give him a ride home." Meiling complied, curious but not questioning further. They knew that wasn't Tomoyo's reason but now wasn't the time to push.

"Sakura why don't you stay then?" Eriol said shocking her and Meiling immensely. "I can take Tomoyo home. I don't want you to miss out on the dance." But behind his words she saw something more, and she got the message as he mouthed the word 'Syaoran.' They were on damage patrol. Eriol would see to Tomoyo and Sakura would deal with Syaoran. Usually in matters of love it would make sense for them to be dealing with the friend of the same gender. But circumstances had led to this different outcome.

"Okay I'll just catch a ride with Meiling and Syaoran over to the Li's. I can say hi to Yelan." She gave Tomoyo a gentle hug wishing her to feel better and to call her if she needed anything. Then went to Eriol and gave him a quick kiss and they exchanged a knowing smile before going their separate ways.

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A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed especially to some of the hilarious ones.