We Belong
Author's Notes: Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Eriol and the rest of their class are section A—which is the star section. Another thing, there are 46 students in their class.
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Chapter 12 – The New Girl
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The cold wind breezed through the sheer white curtains of Sakura's room. They had arrived back at Tomoeda by noon. She was currently unpacking her things from her luggage when she was reminded of the souvenir Syaoran got her from the Teddy Bear museum. She reached for huge white teddy with a green laced ribbon and embraced it.
"This is so kawaii… This is the first stuffed toy Syaoran has given me ever since we were born." She reminisced. "He would always give me video games or DVD's and stuffs like that. I wonder what got into him that he gave me this.…" She giggled, embracing teddy even tighter. She was enjoying playing with her teddy that was almost as tall as her when her mobile phone suddenly rang.
"Hello. Who's this?" She greeted.
"Hey Kinomoto! This is me."
She shivered at the voice that greeted back. "Yumiko? What do you need? Why are you calling me? Where the heck did you get my number to start with?" She barked, even just hearing her voice makes her sick.
"Hey ass—I mean Kinomoto, chill out. It doesn't matter where I got your number, just listen to me for once, will you?" The voice answered back, seriously.
"What do you want?"
"Well, first, I want to apologize. I'm so sorry for all the things I've done to you, like for plotting a plan to kill you and the likes."
Sakura's eyes widened. "What? You even plotted on killing me? Why, you are such a--"
Sakura was immediately cut off before she could continue. "I said I'm sorry. Would you just let me finish before you go bursting out like that? Okay, second, I want to tell you that you'll never see me at school again. See, the principal found out I am 2 months pregnant, so I got kicked out of Tomoeda High. I just felt the need of telling you because you're the class principal to begin with."
Sakura's jaw dropped. She just doesn't know if she'll believe the other one on the line or not. "Are you serious? Who's the father?"
"Of course I'm serious. The father is none other than Syaoran." The one on the other line paused. Sakura grew outraged, she was about to burst out again when the person continued, "Freeze, I'm kidding. Do you seriously think that Syaoran will make out with me? You should have known better."
"That's not what I'm thinking. I know Syaoran would never do that even if you're the last girl on earth." She grunted.
"Yeah right. But maybe he will," She whispered softer, "if you don't exist." And continued, "To get on with what I'm saying, the father is my ex-boyfriend. See, before I even met Syaoran, there is this guy that I've been dating for like 2 years to be exact. I broke up with him when I found out that I'm seriously in love with Syaoran."
"So… you really are serious about Syao aren't you? Umm, does the father know about your condition? Are you two back together?" Sakura worriedly asked. Yeah, this girl she's speaking to is the first girl she ever hated, but at a time like this, she just can't help but worry.
"Yeah, I've really fallen for Syaoran. I mean, who wouldn't? He's all in one; handsome, wise and RICH. What can a girl ask for when SHE'S got him? On the other hand, about me and my ex-boyfriend, well, we got back together eventually. He still loves me and I guess I do feel something for him still. When I told him about the situation, he was more than willing to stand up for the baby. We'll be leaving for the province tonight and we'll settle there for good."
"Really? That's good for you. You're lucky to have someone to love you the way your boyfriend does. I never thought I'd say this, but, I'm happy for you Yumiko." She mumbled.
"Umm. Thanks Sakura. So I hope you can forgive me for everything. I didn't really mean to be that mean. Goodbye for--"
"Wait. It may be a little too soon, but I forgive you already. Take care of your baby."
"I will. Oh, and one more thing, quit being stupid already. Open your eyes Sakura, you hold something dear that every other girl has always wanted to have. You are so lucky for having to hold that precious thing. Open your eyes and your heart soon enough before somebody grabs it away from you. You know what I'm talking about. Bye."
"Hey Yumiko, wait!"
TOOOT… TOOOT…. TOOOT…
Sakura flop her cell phone closed and plopped onto the bed. "What is she talking about? What is that precious thing I hold that others always wanted to have? What could that be?"
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Another beautiful day has started. The sun was brightly shining on the vast blue sky. Syaoran sat on the driver's seat, waiting impatiently for Sakura to come out.
"I'm here already!" She screeched happily, dashing towards the green convertible. She opened the car door and sat on the passenger's seat.
"Finally." Syaoran grunted before speeding up on their way to school.
Sakura sat quietly on the car. She looked up at the sky, pondering about what Yumiko has told her. Syaoran noticed her unusual silence so he poked her on her side.
"Is something the matter Sakura?" He questioned anxiously.
Sakura turned to face him, "Nothing. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She smiled reassuringly. Syaoran just smiled back.
'What is that precious thing?'
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Everyone sat quietly on their arm chairs as the teacher entered the room. "Good morning class!" Mr. Tereda greeted.
The students all rose and chorused, "Good morning sensei!"
"Okay, you may now all take your seats." He responded. "Today, I'll be dividing the class into two groups for the homecoming preparations. The first half of the class will be assigned for the stage and auditorium designs while the second half will be assigned for the food committee." He took out a paper from his blue folder and read the details for the preparation, "Our theme for this year's homecoming celebration is Royalty. So those that will be assigned for the stage and venue design, be sure to make the auditorium look formal and elegant. The first half of the class would be working with the section B. And those that will be assigned for the food committee make sure that all the foods will be fit for royalties. The second half would be working with the section C." Mr. Tereda finished.
"Oh, I hope to be on the first half." Tomoyo crossed her fingers and wished. Everyone on class started chattering, each wishing to be on the respective half that they like.
"So, Saks, which half do you, want to belong to?" Syaoran asked, jerking Sakura out of her current contemplating.
"Any group will do. But I would love to be on the first half though; I want to try designing the stage. How bout you?"
"I want to be on the group where you'll be." He said rather plainly, but it did make Sakura happy.
"Quiet everyone. Now I'm going to assign you on your respective groups." Mr. Tereda announced. "Okay, the first half would compose of all students with their surnames starting with A-K. The rest, those with surnames starting with L-Z would be on the second half. The first half would be joining the section B at the auditorium while the second half would be with the section C at Rm. 214. Any questions? None? Okay, that's it for today; you may now all proceed to your respective areas." Mr. Tereda rose from his seat and was about to leave when Syaoran raised his right hand.
"Yes Li?"
"Tereda-sensei, can you just put me on the first half?" Syaoran requested.
"Why would I do that?" Mr. Tereda inquired, raising his brow at Syaoran.
"Because most of my friends will be there, I guess I can work so much better if I get along with the people in my group."
"I'm so sorry Li, but we were instructed to divide the class in half, and unfortunately, you're the first one to be on the second half being the 23rd student alphabetically." Mr. Tereda explained, walking towards the door.
"Sensei!" Syaoran called out. "How about I switch with someone on the first half so that I can be on the first group?"
"That's not allowed Syaoran. Besides, it's far too late because I've already passed the names of the students in the first and second half to the principal. So, you have to stick to your assigned group." Mr. Tereda explained further and then left the room.
Syaoran dropped to his seat and punched his desk softly. Their classmates slowly dispersed from the classroom and headed towards their respective areas. Soon enough, only a few students were left at the room.
Eriol patted his cousin's shoulder, "Don't worry Syaoran, Takashi is on your group. You can hang-out with him." He said, pulling Yamazaki over.
"Yeah dude, we'll sure enjoy hunting foods." Takashi assured with a smile.
"That's right Syaoran, besides Chiharu, Rika and Naoko would be there too. That's not too bad." Tomoyo added up.
"Yeah, Syaoran. Don't worry." The three girls chorused. "We'll see you at Rm. 214." Chiharu, Rika and Naoko uttered cheerily before leaving the room with Takashi.
"That's alright couz. We better get going Tomoyo and Sakura, c'mon." Eriol invited, walking out of the room together with Tomoyo.
"Okay. I'll follow right away Eriol-kun!!" Sakura smiled. She bent over to Syaoran who was still perching on his chair that seem to have no plans of joining his group. She pinched his cheek.
"What?" Syaoran said with a frown. Sakura took both of his hands and pulled him up from his seat.
"Syaoran, you're acting like a kid." She giggled. "See, it's okay if you're on that group and were on the other, we can still eat lunch and go home together. This would only last for like 4 days to be exact, and after that we'll all be joined together in a class again. Stop brooding over this." She pulled him but stopped before they reach the door.
"Smile now, little wolf." She commanded, "I said smile or else we'll both stay here until dismissal." She threatened.
'Well, I just want to be with you, be where you are, all the time..' He forced out a slight smile. "Okay, you better help out on your group now and I'll help out on mine." He said, winking at her and ruffling her auburn tresses.
"That's good. Darn, it's hard dealing with you, you're like a kid." She laughed. "I'm going now, see you at lunch." She walked towards the corridors, heading for the auditorium.
Syaoran watched her as she walked away from him. "Hey kaijuu!! Be careful or else you'll end up destroying the stage instead of fixing it." He smirked. Sakura looked back at him and stuck her tongue out. He could only smile.
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"Nice to see you here Li." Ms. Kaho remarked. "Um, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure sensei." Syaoran retorted, following after the lady.
"Ummm… Syaoran, you see, we have to search for foods appropriate for the theme for this year. That's why I've decided to assign you, since you have a car of your own, to go around town in search for foods that would fit for the theme. Would that be okay with you?" Ms. Kaho inquired with a soft smile on her face.
"That's fine, no problem."
"Good. I'll partner you up with Aika Matsumaru, a student from section C. She had been in the food committee for years already so she knows a lot about the restaurants here in Tomoeda."
"But sensei, I can do it all by myself. Besides, I can ask Wei to give me a list of all the restaurants present here in town. I don't need her." He said nonchalantly.
"But I insist Li. Aika could be a big help to you. There's no need for you to consult on Wei, Aika can do. So please accept my proposal, please do it for me." Ms. Kaho begged with pleading eyes.
Syaoran can't just imagine that a teacher would be pleading to him like this, he just don't like it. "Okay sensei, I agree." He sighed in defeat. He bowed down before Ms. Kaho and was about to leave.
"And one more thing Li. Please be nice to Aika. See, she has a heart problem so she easily gets affected by the simplest things." Ms. Kaho explained. Syaoran just nodded and walked away.
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"Hi, you are Li Syaoran right?" Aika, a girl with short gray mane and pale blue eyes inquired. She was almost as tall as Syaoran and she has a beautiful face.
Syaoran didn't even care to look. "Yeah, I'm Li Syaoran. And you're Aika Matsumaru."
"You know my name?" Aika excitedly asked.
Syaoran shook his head, "Not actually, Ms. Kaho told me." He offered his hand to her, "Nice meeting you!"
Aika shook his hand right away and smiled again. "Nice to meet you too. Can I call you Syaoran, Syaoran-kun?"
'Such a pushover.' He thought to himself. "Sure. Whatever you like."
"Really? Thanks a whole lot Syaoran-kun!" Aika cheerily mumbled.
"Not a big deal. Let's start listing all the restaurants that we will be visiting." Syaoran uttered. He sat on one of the chairs and took out a pen and a paper. The gray haired girl hurriedly sat beside him and stated the names of the restaurants happily.
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"So, I guess these are enough for now. Let's take a break first." Syaoran rose from his seat and carried his bag with him. "I'll see you here after lunch break. Goodbye." Syaoran said before walking off.
"Syaoran-kun!! Wait!" Aika followed after him.
'Now what does she wants?' Syaoran grumbled to himself, rubbing the back of his head. He continued walking.
"Would you mind if I join you for lunch today?" She asked cheerily, walking besides him.
"Not really, but aren't you going to have lunch together with your friends or classmates?" He retorted obviously irritated.
"Nope. I usually eat lunch alone. So can I join you?"
"If you please."
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Meanwhile, at the cafeteria…
Tomoyo sat between Eriol and Sakura. They are happily chatting about the meeting they had earlier with the rest of their group while munching on their foods. Sakura kept glancing at her wrist watch and to the door, waiting for her best friend Syaoran to arrive.
"What is taking him so long?" Sakura grunted, taking a piece from her cheese flavored fries. She glanced at the door again.
"Maybe that guy's on his way now. I can sense his presence already." Eriol responded with a smile, taking a bite from his sandwich. Sakura nodded and smiled again.
"So Sakura-chan, I have already designed your gown for the homecoming night! I'll start working on it tonight." Tomoyo said with glittery-eyes, imagining Sakura wearing the gown she has drawn last night. "Oh, I can't wait for the homecoming night!! I'm so excited!" She cheered.
"Thank you Tomoyo-chan!! I already owe you a lot." Sakura smiled at her cousin, resting her head on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about that Sakura. I will also do your hair and make-up for the homecoming celebration! So, you already have a partner? Someone asked you already?" Tomoyo inquired, taking a sip from her juice drink.
"Nope. No one has asked me yet…" Sakura responded plainly. "I don't really mind if I don't have a partner." She beamed.
"Oh Sakura-chan, that won't ever happen, I mean, Syaoran won't ever let that happen." Eriol assured, winking at Sakura. He looked over to the door and saw his cousin approaching. "Speaking of the devil, here he comes…. Wait, with a girl? Are my eyes just playing a trick on me or is Syaoran really with that girl?" He adjusted his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Tomoyo and Sakura looked over to where Eriol was looking.
"Hi guys, sorry to keep you waiting." Syaoran greeted, sitting on the chair in front of Sakura with Aika sitting besides him facing Tomoyo. "You guys finished eating already?" Syaoran questioned, eyeing confused at the three people in front of him who seemed to be all in a state of shock. 'I get it why they're like this.' He pinched their noses. "You guys are so weird. Anyway, this is Aika Matsumaru, she is my partner in the food committee."
Aika smiled at them and waved her hand. "Hi everyone! I'm Aika Matsumaru from section C. I'm pleased to meet you!" She greeted.
Sakura, Tomoyo and Eriol all recovered from a state of shock and all smiled at Aika. "Nice to meet you!" They chorused.
"So, you guys are fine now aren't you?" Syaoran questioned. The three nodded. "Aika, this is my cousin Eriol," He paused, pointing on Eriol, "Tomoyo, a friend of mine and Sakura, my best friend." He introduced.
"I know them already, the four of you are quite popular here in school." Aika mumbled sweetly. "Let's eat now!"
"Hai!" The three chorused.
SILENCE overwhelmed the five for like 5 minutes, no 10, I mean 23 minutes.
"So Aika, when are we going to start our task?" Syaoran broke the silence between them. Sakura watched him from the corner of her eyes as he talked to the gray haired girl.
"Ummm, Ms. Kaho said that we should start as soon as possible. She said that we can leave the school right away after class hours. I guess we should start this afternoon." Aika responded, staring at the guy beside her.
"Today? After class hours? Okay, but you'll have to wait for me here because I have to bring Sakura home first. Will that be okay?" Syaoran continued.
"No! It's okay Syaoran. I'll just go along with Tomoyo and Eriol. They'll just drop me home, don't mind me." Sakura smiled reassuringly.
"Are you sure?" Syaoran sighed. Sakura just nodded. "Okay then." He responded. "Sakura, you've got cheese all over your mouth." He giggled, taking his hanky from his pocket. He wiped the cheese powder that stained her lips.
"Arigatou! But you don't have to do that, especially in front of Aika. You're embarrassing me." Sakura muttered, punching Syaoran on the shoulder. Syaoran only smiled.
'This is the first time I saw him smile since this morning. He must've really liked her.' Aika thought to herself, her smile diminishing into a sigh.
"So Matsumaru-san, is Syaoran being nice to you? If he's not, tell me and I'll knock him off." Sakura beamed at her, glaring at Syaoran.
"I've been nice! I am always nice!" He ruffled Sakura's hair. Sakura pushed his hand away and gave him a soft slap on the forehead. They continued playing and doing stupid things to each other.
Aika interrupted. "Don't worry Kinomoto-san, Syaoran-kun had been pretty nice to me." Aika said seriously and forced out a smile.
"Right!" Sakura replied, a little shocked of what she just called him and just smiled back. She stopped hitting Syaoran and continued on her food. She glanced at Aika and caught her staring at Syaoran. She wondered, 'Did she just called him Syaoran-kun? Since when did they get on first name basis?'
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Author's Notes: Yaaay!! I finally updated!! I'm so happy that I finally finished this chapter. I kept changing everything every now and then until I made this. I hope you like it guys. It's summer vacation so I've got plenty of time to write. I'll try posting the next chapter before classes start. Thank you to all the readers and reviewers of this story! I owe you guys a lot!
By: Lady Raiah
Coming up: Chapter 13- I Think I Do -- this is just a temporary title though. The next chapter would be about the entire homecoming celeb preparations. Sakura and Syaoran will grow apart? Let's see...