Four: Scary Movies

SAKURA

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I couldn't move.

All I could do was cry.

And cry.

And cry.

It's been a year.

I miss you.

--

SYAORAN

"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered to myself as I sped down the highway, driving towards the hospital. "Fuck," I added, just because.

What was I going to do? I couldn't just break up with Nina for another girl right after she'd been in an accident. What kind of dick was I if I did?

But…Sakura. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to protect her so badly. I wanted to find that bastard that had hurt her and kill him.

The speedometer went up and I gripped the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles turned white. I nearly missed the exit for the hospital. I quickly found a parking spot and rushed into the emergency center, giving the secretary Nina's name.

"Room one sixty-five," she said, her voice bored.

I nodded my thanks and went to find Nina's room. When I did, I knocked on the door, secretly hoping Nina would be asleep.

"Come in," came a weak voice. Nina's.

I entered the room and was hit by the hospital smell of Lysol and plastic gloves. My nostrils kind of burned, but as soon as I saw Nina, the smell was erased from my mind.

She was lying on the hospital bed, a cast around her arm, a bandage on her forehead. Her hair was shorter, much shorter; it lay in uneven strands around her sad, bruised face.

"Syaoran," she said quietly, not quite smiling. Her eyes were puffy and red.

"Nina," I said, afraid to step closer. Afraid to make her think I was all there. Truth be told, part of me was wondering was Sakura was doing. I shook my head and focused on Nina, the girl who thought I loved her with all my heart.

"Syaoran," Nina repeated, closing her eyes. "I'm so sorry I got mad at you. I realized that all of that stupid shit we fight about is…well…stupid."

I nodded, out of it. I could barely follow what she was saying; my ears were filling with the sound of the bottom of the ocean, like they were connected to a giant shell. A warm feeling overtook my body and I realized that I needed to get out of Nina's room.

I looked at Nina; her eyes were closed, her breathing steady. Sleeping.

I fled out of the room and didn't stop running until I was in front of my car, hands covering my face, shoulders shaking with an unknown sadness.

I shakily pulled out my cell phone and dialed Eriol's number.

"Yo, Syao. How's Nina?" he answered.

"I-I don't know. I don't know anything anymore, Eriol. I don't love Nina. I don't," I said, my voice sounding far away, like I was just watching a play about this sad, confused idiot, not participating in it.

"Dude, calm down. Where are you?"

"The hospital. I-I need to get out of here. Shit, Eriol. Fuck! What am I going to do? You know how much of a dick I would be if I broke up with Nina right now?"

"A big one…?"

I groaned. "I'm coming over."

"Sure, if you wanna hang at my house by yourself."

"What?"

"I'm with Moyo."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later," I said, hanging up before he could reply.

I got in my car and drove and drove and drove until my gas tank was almost empty. I turned off my car on some random street, leaning my head against my seat.

"Geez," I muttered to myself. "I'm hopeless."

All of a sudden, I heard light footsteps and a voice call out, "Touya!" The footsteps got closer and closer and somebody tapped on my window lightly.

I rolled down my window and there she was; it had to be some kind of sign or something.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were somebody else! My brother—T-Touya—he has a car that looks like yours. Well…I feel stupid…so…hi!" Sakura said, her eyes shining with light and her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

I laughed, not at all minding that she had knocked on my window. "Hey. What are you doing at home on a Thursday night?"

She laughed, her eyes closing as she did so. "What's so special about Thursday nights?"

I motioned for her to lean in, partly so I could whisper to her, partly so I could be close to her. "There's a scary movie marathon on tonight."

She smiled. "Oh is there?"

I nodded.

"Then why are you just sitting in your car?"

She had me. "Oh…I was so scared that I…just had to take a drive."

"Big strong football man," she teased.

"Mhm," I said, leaning closer to her.

SAKURA

My palms were sweating but I tried to smile. Syaoran Li was mere inches from me! I could see the light brown strands of his hair, the blue hidden in his brown eyes.

I shook my head. He was with Nina, and I had bad luck with relationships. I wondered idly if there really was a scary movie marathon on TV.

I shivered; it was getting clod, and late, I noticed.

"Are you cold?" he said quickly, his eyebrows furrowing.

I told myself that it was just normal concern, not anything special. "Mm…a little bit. The nights are always so chilly."

"Go inside. I don't want you to get sick," he said quietly.

I nodded. "Don't watch too many scary movies," I teased, smiling at him and starting to walk away. I turned around and was almost on my driveway when he called out.

"Hey!"

I turned around.

"Next Thursday," he said. I could hear his smirk.

I coughed, hoping to cover up my blush. "O-okay. Bye, Li!"

"Syaoran!"

I smiled. "Sakura," I said, turning and walking into my house.

I closed the door and slid down the dark wood, burying my face in my hands. After everything that had happened, I was developing another crush? But Syaoran was nice.

Adam was nice.

Syaoran played football.

Takeshi played soccer.

How could I think he would be different? How could I sit there and hope and pray that he would be different?

Because I was Sakura Kinomoto.

"Okay. Describe me in one word," I said, smiling at him, holding up the Truth card that was kind of a dare.

"One word…tough," he replied, his blue eyes shining.

"Tough? That's the word?"

"No," he laughed. "Describing you in a word is tough. Um…spunky."

I giggled. "Spunky? What does that even mean?"

"It means you never give up."

I could feel my face developing an expression of wonder. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're Sakura Kinomoto."

SYAORAN

I drove away from Sakura's house feeling elated and confused. Had I set up a date? If I showed up next Thursday, would she be there? Or would she come out of her house and laugh at me for being stupid?

I shook my head; she wouldn't do that.

Nina's face popped into my brain unexpectedly; she would do that.

"Fuck," I said under my breath, quickly turning into a familiar street. I parked on Eriol's driveway and got out of the car.

Eriol came out of his house just as I was about to knock on the door; I accidentally rapped on his forehead.

"Huh?" he blurted out.

"Hey," I said, a little embarrassed.

"Er. Hi."

"I was kinda hoping you wouldn't be home," I admitted.

"Why?" Tomoyo shouted from inside somewhere. "So you wouldn't have to admit you went to see Sakura?" She sing-songed her name.

Eriol smirked. "You know where she lives?"

"No. I just, um, ended up on her street."

"Is there really a scary movie marathon?" Tomoyo asked. I still couldn't see her.

I mumbled something as Eriol started to chuckle. Then he suddenly turned serious. He only said one word: "Nina."

"I know," I groaned. "I know."

"Oh! Come in, come in!" Eriol bursted out all of a sudden. "Tomoyo can help."

"I can?" Tomoyo said. I could finally see her; she was just sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. I pointed to it. "Eriol was supposed to get the DVD's out of the car. Then you came. And this is more important. Sit down, Syaoran Li."

I'd only spoken to Tomoyo a few times and, to be honest, she intimidated me. She was loud and demanding but still nice, always so sure of what she was doing and saying. I sat down.

"Okay. First things first. You hurt Sakura, you think of hurting Sakura, you look at Sakura the wrong way, you disrespect Sakura, you be mean to Sakura, you--" Tomoyo ranted on until Eriol put a hand on her shoulder. She took a breath. "Anyways. You hurt Sakura, and I swear to God that you'll wake in a box on its way to Cuba. Because that girl is the sweetest, purest thing in the world and she's been through more shit than she deserves, okay?"

I nodded, kind of scared. I was sure she was serious. "I wouldn't hurt her. I swear, Tomoyo. Please. I…God…I can't explain it," I groaned.

Tomoyo smiled widely. "He likes her, Eriol. That's just what Sakura does to guys."

My head snapped up at the comment. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, don't freak out. I don't mean anything like that. It's just that Sakura is so nice but shy and you wanna make a move on her, right?" She paused for a second so that I could nod. "But you're afraid. Because, like I said, she's just so damn nice. And she never understands when guys are hitting on her." She shook her head, her smile tender.

I smiled, too; Sakura was exactly like that.

"She called me and told me what happened," Tomoyo grinned. Eriol laughed and looked away, covering his mouth.

I looked away, too; it was kind of embarrassing. "Nina," I mumbled.

"Oh. Right," Tomoyo said, a dark look crossing her face. "Nina. I…I honestly don't know. Going behind Nina's back and liking and flirting with Sakura is wrong. Breaking up with Nina in her time of need is wrong."

"Is there anything that's right?"

She frowned. "I don't know yet, Li. The doctor is currently out."

--

I went to see Nina again on Saturday; she looked a lot better. Somebody had cut her hair evenly and the bruises on her face were starting to yellow and fade.

"Hey, Syao," she said, smiling. Her voice sounded stronger.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"So much better! But it seems like all that's ever on this TV is some Spanish soap operas," she sighed, clicking the TV off and looking at me. "How are you?"

"Me? I'm, um…the same, I guess…" I glanced up at the clock. "Oh, crap! I have to get to practice, Nina!" I got off the chair.

She touched my arm and said, "Okay. Have fun, Syao," she smiled at me.

I nodded and ducked out of the room quickly. I saw a male nurse walking through the hall and a smirk crossed my face. I gestured to Nina's room and said, "She's kind of hungry."

He went into the room and I heard her giggle after a moment.

Score.

--

SAKURA

I walked through the park, snapping random pictures of random things. The good thing about being on the yearbook committee was that they gave me more film than I ever really needed so I just used it on silly pictures. Me and Tomoyo had filled up two albums with pictures we'd taken using the yearbook's film.

"Sakura," someone behind me called. The voice sent a chill of fear down my back and an explosion of rage through my body.

I kept walking, increasing my speed.

"Sakura, please talk to me!" Adam said, easily catching up to me.

I stopped and turned to face him. "You—you—YOU'RE AN ASS!" I was angry at myself that that was the best thing I could come up with, but I knew that I wasn't going to think of anything better. I started running, tears of anger flowing down my face.

I wish Takeshi was still here; he would know what to do. All I could do was say something stupid, run, and cry. And then be outrun.

He stopped in front of me and I crashed into him. He grabbed my arms as I tried to get away. "Sakura, come on! Please! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I was so stupid. Come on, please. Forgive me. Please. Will you?"

My eyebrows knitted together and I could feel my knee coming up, without me even thinking about it. I felt it make contact and I felt him let go of me and go down. "Does that answer your question?" I ran and ran and I didn't stop running until I was leaning against my car, wheezing and panting and, strangely, laughing.

My cell phone rang and I answered it without even looking at who was calling. "H-h-hello?" I said, sounding like I was dying.

"Saku? Are you okay? What the hell?" she added when I burst into giggles.

"I—it's nothing. Wh-what's up?" I took a deep breath, but the laugh just bubbled up again.

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering if you wanted to hang out," she said slowly, sounding concerned.

"Of course! Hee hee! Where?"

"My house?"

"Sure! I'll be there in a little bit."

"Okay. Sakura?" Tomoyo said before I could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Take some medicine."

And then the laugh just started again.

--

"What?" Tomoyo shrieked as I told her what had happened at the park. "Adam? He had the nerve to talk to you? He had the nerve to touch you?"

"Moyo, calm down, calm down. It's okay, honestly. I mean, I was scared at first, but like, he wouldn't have done anything out in the open like that," I shuddered, wondering if he would've.

She shook her head. "Ugh. That…that…that…"

"Ass?" I offered.

"That ass!"

I sighed and wracked my brain, trying to think of a way to calm her down. I smiled and said, "Let's go buy shoes!"

She grumbled something unintelligible.

"I'll try on heels," I said, smiling wider.

She looked at me and sighed, giving in. "Let's go buy shoes."

That Thursday, I waited for him.

I sat out on the sidewalk, looking up at the sky that was overflowing with skies. I shivered as a cold breeze blew against me. I wondered if he had just been messing with me last week.

"Hey," his voice came from somewhere in the darkness. "Aren't you freezing?"

"Um…no. Well, actually, yes, but…I have a blanket!"

SYAORAN

A smile crossed my lips as I saw her hold up the blanket, grinning victoriously. "Then put it to use and wrap it around yourself."

She looked down at the blanket and then at me. "Aren't…you cold?"

I laughed softly. "Men don't get cold."

"Oh, whatever. You just have that big jacket! So…is there a scary movie marathon on tonight?" she asked, throwing the blanket over her shoulders.

I shook my head. "Funny movies. All the classics."

"Really? That's so neat!"

She smiled, lighting up her face, the sky, the world, it seemed.

Lighting up my heart.

Blabber:

Oh I hope you guys liked it! I love writing this story; it makes me happy!

(:

To My Reviwers:

Rosedreamer101: Haha Sakura is number one to Syaoran. And, sure, I guess she could be number three on Eriol's list.

Whitewave16: Syaoran originally went out with Nina only because of the whole quarterback/head cheerleader thing, and then he fell for her because he felt he kinda had to. But he likes Sakura just…naturally.

Ruby Orchard: Oh yes, details about Saku's past will be coming out. Slowly. Ha ha.

Musette Fujiwara: You'll just have to read to find out!

And thank you everybody else for just taking time to write me a review! Every single one puts a smile on my face.