I Bet You Love Me

Chapter Two

OMG…I'm so sorry, this update took forever…! Wah…I hope you guys still wanna read it. T-T Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter!

"Hmm…" Azusa leaned back in his chair. "I really do think it's funny that she let you in so easily, Syaoran. Do you think…she's on to us…?"

I looked away, remembering her tears, and her smiles. Those were genuine. I could tell.

"I think…" I started, her grinning face flashing through my mind again. "I think that she was just at her breaking point. She's been alone for too long, cut off from the rest of us in her own little world. My not thinking that she was snobby, and leaving as soon as she told me to…it affected her. Right now…she just really needs a friend," I ended in a whisper; I don't know if the other guys heard it or not. But again, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

Azusa sighed. "Well…just keep on doing what you're doing, she's falling hook, line and sinker."

I looked at the floor. How could I be the only one that felt guilty about doing this to her…?

"Unless," Ikkaku said, stepping over and placing his hands on Azusa's shoulders, "you feel bad? You want to quit, and make some big speech about treating people with care and respect, or something stupid like that?"

I glared at him. "You really tick me off," I growled under my breath.

"What was that?" he asked.

I kicked a chair out of my way and grabbed my blazer. "Nothing," I muttered, slamming the door behind me.

Ikkaku didn't care one bit about Azusa's plan, and definitely not for Sakura or for any other human on the planet, for that matter. He just wanted everyone to be wrapped around his finger, so he could manipulate them, and humiliate them.

My fingers balled into a fist. And now, I was his subject. His court jester. All he wanted was to see me fail at something when everybody was watching me. How many other people had he disgraced with his disgusting schemes?

I walked by a classroom whose door was open, and stepped back when I realized I had seen Sakura.

She was stretching up as far as she could, reaching for a box of chalk on the top shelf of an organizer. And those things are pretty tall. I walked over to it and grabbed it for her; I am, in fact, taller than she is!

I handed it to her, smiling. She took it, her eyes wide. Then, she looked up and smiled back.

The other students in the room all gasped; they gaped in amazement that she had made human contact…and they were enchanted by the beautiful smile that they hadn't known existed. I felt proud to have been the one to discover it, but it left a horrible aftertaste knowing that I was only using her.

"Thank you," she told me quietly, bowing a little.

"Any time," I replied. "Would you like to eat lunch with me?"

Sakura blushed, to my surprise. But my shock turned to a smile soon enough. She was really cute.

"You…you really want to eat lunch with me?" she asked incredulously.

I chuckled. "Of course! Don't act like I'm retarded for saying that!"

She smiled, and nodded. She walked out the door, and I followed, but not before waving triumphantly at her classmates.

"Where…do you want to eat?" she asked me expectantly.

"Let's eat under that tree you always sit under," I suggested.

"Oh…okay." She hesitated before taking my hand and leading me over to her signature spot.

I plopped down with a sigh. The view from the tree was amazing; you could see all of the flower petals, some swirling playfully through the air. It smelled better than any other place in the school; fresh and natural, and I felt so safe, lying under its protection.

"I can see why you always sit here," I told her softly. "It's…astonishing."

She nodded, and then it kind of went silent. It was a little awkward, with kids staring at us in wonder, but the safety of the tree kind of toned it down.

Sakura finally broke the silence. "It's embarrassing."

I blinked. "What is?"

She gestured to everyone walking by. "They all stare as they walk by. Like I'm breaking the laws of physics by not being alone."

I snorted. "Yeah, you're right. Heh, that's funny."

She smiled. "I don't want to be alone all the time. It's tiring. Everyone else is having fun, and I sit under this tree and watch." She sighed. "I'm supposed to be alone so that I don't attract attention. But it's so hard, living life with no friends. God, I wish I would have a rebellious stage or something, and have a party at my house when my parents are away."

I laughed. "You're pretty funny, you know that?"

She giggled, too. "Thanks."

I thought that maybe I should ask why she wasn't supposed to attract attention. Her parents didn't want the media to pick up on her, or something? I mean, that was why I was hanging out with her – to get information.

But a voice at the back of my head told me not to, and I happily listened to it.

"So I guess being the shy, introverted girl everyone thinks you are is just an act?" I asked.

She eyed me. "Why do you ask?"

I smiled at her. "Because I get a kind of…outgoing vibe from you. Like that's what you are, but you just don't know how to show it. Or you can't."

"I guess you're right…" She snorted suddenly. "I play tons of online games – they're my connection to the outside world. I have like two hundred friends on all of them! Funny enough, I have no friends outside of my computer. Guess I'm an otaku, huh?"

I waved my hand. "Nah. It's because of your parents that you aren't allowed to make friends, not 'cause you don't want to. And you aren't some creepy thirty-two year old that still lives with his parents and has fantasies that are limited strictly to manga and anime," I told her jokingly.

The bell rang suddenly. Sakura collected her things and got on her feet, then helped me up, too. She tugged my arm really hard – I didn't expect her to be so strong! I ended up grabbing onto her waist to keep my balance.

I blinked, and looked down at her. Her face was red – come to think of it, mine was, too – and I instantly ripped my hand away.

"Sorry," I said simply.

"Yeah," she replied.

We stood there for a minute, and then her face broke into a smile.

"Well…it was really nice talking to you, Syaoran." She laughed. "It feels like I haven't talked since elementary school!"

I grinned. "Glad to break your silence. So, I'll see you around?"

She beamed back at me. "Sure!"

I walked back to my locker, thinking about what Sakura must have gone through all her life. Her parents (hypothetically) are politicians, so they keep her on a tight leash. She's not allowed having friends. She never gets to have a normal family moment…like, what does she do for Christmas? That's a given family thing. Does she sit at home, alone, or what?

My chest ached again when I thought about how I was selling her out, basically. But the proud man inside of me wanted to prove everyone wrong and kick Ikkaku to the curb.

I shivered as I trudged down the asphalt, heading for home. It was pretty cold for November. The tips of the grass were white, the first layer of frost settling in.

I spotted a certain politician's daughter standing alone, rubbing her arms. She was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and was shaking like crazy.

I walked over to her, stripping my coat. Sneaking up on her, I dropped the jacket onto her shoulders.

She let out a yelp before turning around, clutching my coat. "Syaoran!"

I smiled at her. "You seemed pretty cold, shivering like a baby monkey."

Sakura pouted. "I am not a baby monkey." She giggled. "You suck at analogies."

I shrugged. "What can you do? At least you have a coat now."

She slipped her arms through it gratefully. "Are you sure you want to give it to me?"

I smiled. "Yep. Don't argue. I've got my blazer, too. Tell your parents you found it on the floor, or at least it's from a girl!" I laughed, thinking that maybe I could pull out some more info.

"Eh…my parents are way too high class to accept that I found it on the ground…but it'll be okay, they never come home anyway."

Family moments and Christmas and all those mushy thoughts I had earlier breezed through my mind. It made me feel bad all over again.

Sakura snuggled into it. "Thank you," she murmured.

"I'll walk you home," I offered.

"Oh, no. I'm fine going home by myself," she protested.

I stuck my tongue out at her. "You won't get away that easy." I grabbed her hand and pulled her along with me.

I'll be able to tell Azusa where she lives, and maybe he can relate the house to where Amamiya Nadeshiko lives, I thought as I walked alongside Sakura.

"Syaoran…?" Sakura asked softly.

I looked down at her. "Hmm?"

"My…parents always tell me to keep a poker face in public, but…" She blushed and smiled. "I was so happy when you asked me to be your friend."

"I thought other people asked to hang out with you?" I quipped.

"Well, they do, but it always sounds like they're doing it out of pity," she explained. "With you it felt genuine. And you still hang out with me, not just for that one day."

Stab.

My heart couldn't take much more of this…

She stopped; we must have arrived at her house. I glanced at it, and a house bigger than average with a big gate in front stood in front of us. It was 3689 Narita Street.

"Uhm…I'll bring the coat back for you tomorrow," Sakura told me.

I smiled at her. "Keep it."

We kind of stared at each other. Her soft emerald gaze was so warm and inviting.

"…Thank you," she whispered. I knew it was for more than just the coat. She was thanking me for everything I'd done for her.

"Yeah," I murmured back.

I turned around and started toward my own home. When I was out of earshot from Sakura, I pulled out my cell.

"Azusa?"

"Yo. Syaoran," he replied on the other line.

"She lives at 3689 Narita Street," I informed him softly.

"Whoa, awesome!" he exclaimed. "You're good at this, dude! I can't believe you found out where she lives! I'll go check it out, thanks!" He hung up excitedly.

I tucked my phone back in my pocket.

This stupid scheme was tearing me apart.

Men and their stupid need to be proud. :P Sorry again for the long update! I hope you'll all review! :) Thank you!