Two: Difficulties
Sakura splashed through the water and then let herself float peacefully on her back. She closed her eyes, smiling, loving the feeling of just letting go. This was just what she needed. Lately, everything had been so crazy and stressful and it was nice to breathe.
The guy hadn't been mean to her but he hadn't exactly been nice, either. He was cold, really. Just distant and he was always in his room. But, hey, Sakura wasn't there to judge.
Syaoran walked barefoot along the warm shore, letting the foamy water hit his feet. He spotted a person in the water, unmoving, and his heart kicked into high gear. What if it was the girl from the beach house? She seemed like a ditz who could get herself into major trouble. Just the other day she had fallen down the stairs because she was on the phone.
He ran into the water and suddenly the figure moved. It was the girl from the house but she wasn't dead, obviously. She spotted him and smiled slightly, waving.
He rolled his eyes. He was here to relax and this stupid girl was just bothering him.
A loud, "Hi!" pierced the air and Syaoran realized it was coming from her.
Sakura waved wildly at him. If he was going to be frosty towards her, she would just egg it up. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura! It's nice to meet you!"
He didn't respond. Oh well. Sakura knew that he wouldn't. But when she got out of the water, he was standing on the shore, his right hand outstretched. She shook it tentatively.
"Li Syaoran," he said formally. With that, he turned and went back into the house.
Sakura smiled. At least he was respectful.
--
A knock came at Syaoran's door and he opened it slightly.
"Call for you, Syaoran," Stella said, handing him a portable home phone.
He was so relieved that she hadn't called him 'Mr. Li.' It would've made him feel like his father. He nodded and took the phone from her. He knew who it was. He sighed and said, "Hello?"
"Syaoran! Where is your cell phone? Do you know how worried we are?" his mother screeched.
He rolled his eyes. "It's in the limo, Mother. I forgot it."
"You forgot it," she scoffed. " Well. Never mind. When will you be home?"
Forcing himself to not let any attitude seep into his voice, he became strained as he said, "I'll be home when I'm home. Mother, I'm relaxing."
She laughed. "Relax? Whatever for, Syaoran? Oh, darling, you don't know anything about needing to relax!"
He gritted his teeth. "I have to go. Goodbye, Mother." He hung up and threw the phone onto his bed. "Fuck. I don't know anything about needing to relax. I live with her and my father!" He groaned and flopped onto the bed.
A knock came at his door and he opened it, expecting Stella. "Oh. Hello, Miss Kinomoto." He tried not to sigh. He really didn't need another woman on his case.
"H-hi. I just…I need the phone and Stella said you had it."
He grabbed the phone and handed it to her.
They stood there awkwardly, Sakura holding the phone and shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Syaoran leaning on the doorframe, still steaming about his mother.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sakura suddenly asked.
He was taken aback and he actually laughed a little. "Talk about what?"
She cleared her throat. "Your…mother."
"I'm sorry but I don't think that's any of your business," he replied coldly, almost spitting the words out at her.
She stepped back and held up her hands in defense. "I'm sorry. You're right. I'm sorry, Mr. Li."
He groaned involuntarily and ran his hands through his hair. "Please don't call me that."
"Um…okay…I'm sorry again, Li."
He exhaled. He didn't want to be near Li anything here. "Just…just call me Syaoran, okay?"
Sakura huffed and looked up at him. "You're pretty difficult, Syaoran. I'm sorry. Again. I'm just going to leave now."
Sakura walked away, thoroughly feeling like an idiot. Syaoran chuckled to him, thoroughly finding her an idiot.
--
"I made dinner, dear, but I don't feel well, so I'm just going to go on up to bed. Enjoy it," Stella said, setting out the chicken and rice and heading up the stairs to her room.
"Thank you," Sakura said, grabbing a plate. "I hope you feel better." Stella smiled at her.
Sakura sat down at the island with her meal but stopped short when Syaoran appeared in the doorway.
"Miss Kinomoto." He nodded politely.
"Hi, Syaoran! Have a seat!" Sakura said enthusiastically. She laughed at herself. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually that perky."
Syaoran just stood there, a plate in his hand and an amused smile on his face. "May I join you?"
"Of course," Sakura answered, gesturing gracefully with her hand.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Sakura finally spoke up. "Do you like it here?"
Syaoran just nodded.
"Um…wow…um…so! How long are you staying here for?"
"About two weeks."
"Me…me too. You know, you're a bad conversationalist," Sakura said bluntly.
This made Syaoran look straight at her. "Why do you say that?"
"You're barely responding to my questions. I can't do everything, you know," Sakura shook her head and sighed. "But oh well."
"How old are you?" Syaoran asked suddenly.
Sakura gasped sarcastically. "You never ask a lady her age! I'm fifty-six. Plastic surgery does wonders."
Syaoran rolled his eyes.
"I'm twenty-one. Why?"
"I thought you were sixteen, to be honest."
Sakura laughed and said, "I get that a lot."
"I'm not surprised," Syaoran murmured.
"So…do you want to hang out tomorrow?" Sakura said, poking at her rice.
"What?"
Sakura threw up her hands. "Don't make me repeat myself. This is awkward enough!"
Syaoran chuckled. She was such a spitfire. He didn't answer her question.
Her brows furrowed and she sighed. "Fine. Good night."
He laughed again and said, "Good night, Kinomoto."
She turned and said, "That's Miss Kinomoto to you." She walked out of the kitchen, leaving him there laughing.
She quickly came back in and said, "I'm just kidding! But no, really, how about a trip to town tomorrow?"
"Sure thing, Miss Kinomoto."
--
Syaoran sat in Sakura's car and said, "Are you sure you don't want me to drive?"
"What? Of course I'm sure! I'm not gonna crash," Sakura replied, backing out of her sandy space and heading out onto the road.
When they got to town, they realized that it was six stores and a few kiosks.
"Quaint," Sakura said, smiling.
"Tiny," Syaoran mumbled.
"Oh, you're so hard to please. Ice cream?" Sakura said brightly. She started walking towards the ice cream parlor, forcing Syaoran to follow her.
"Strawberry, please," Sakura said sweetly.
"Chocolate," Syaoran said from behind her.
"Separate or same bill?" the man at the counter asked.
"Separate," Sakura said at the same time that Syaoran said, "Same."
She turned to him and gave him a look. "I can pay for myself, thanks."
He took some money out of his pocket and put some on the counter. "It's just ice cream."
Sakura put her own money next to his. "I don't care."
"Come on."
"No," Sakura said.
"Don't be like that."
Sakura's eyes widened and she turned to him. "Don't be like what? Who the hell are you, my brother?"
"I didn't mean anything bad. Just let me pay. I'm being polite," Syaoran said, exasperated. What was the big deal of just letting him pay?
Sakura took her ice cream and said her thanks to the man at the counter. She walked outside with her ice cream and started to walk down the street.
"Sakura, wait!" Syaoran yelled after her. "Stop!" he yelled in an extremely demanding voice.
She stopped and turned around swiftly. "Whoa. You have no right to talk to me that way. What I did in there was not wrong."
"I'm sorry," Syaoran blurted out, surprising himself. He was actually apologizing? Was there something in this ice cream?
She let out a breath. "Okay."
"Are you going to apologize?" Syaoran prompted.
Sakura threw her arms up and laughed. "Apologize for what? My gosh, you're so difficult!"
--
:)
