We Belong
Chapter 14 – Falling Apart
'You know Syaoran, for this once; I wish I hadn't been your best friend, for if I wasn't, things would've been much easier. If I wasn't, I will be able to tell you my feelings without even worrying about putting our friendship at risk.'
The moon shone brighter as the darkness engulfed the sky. After contemplating for an entire hour, Sakura finally came up with what she thinks is the best to do. 'I cannot take the risk, no. I have to settle these feelings I have for you once and for all, for my sake and for the sake of our friendship.'
"You know Saks, I haven't seen that expression of yours for years." Syaoran mumbled. He yawned and rubbed his temples.
"How long have you been awake?" Sakura questioned, scolding herself for not even noticing his stare.
"Actually, I've been awake for 15 minutes now. It seems like you had some tough thinking. You look really puzzled." He rose from his previous position, sat beside her, leaned forward and looked her in the eye. "Tell me about it. Why are you worried?" Syaoran said invitingly. He can clearly see through her. He knows.
Sakura giggled. "I told you already, nothing's wrong!" She pushed him slightly.
"I know that something is wrong. Just tell me what it is!" Syaoran said, annoyed. "I won't let you sleep unless you tell me about it. I'm serious Sakura." He threatened.
'Darn, he knows me full well.' Sakura gulped. 'Think. Think. Think. Of course I couldn't tell him that he's the problem.' She looked away. "Ummm… You see, I'm a little worried be-cause…. Umm… I still don't have a partner for the homecoming night! Yeah, that's it! There, I said it, you happy now?" She puffed.
"You are worried because of that? Darn Saks, that was so childish!" Syaoran laughed. "I cannot believe it, you are worrying too much just because of that simple matter! And that look, that creepy look you made was just because you still don't have a partner?! Sometimes you really are stupid."
'You don't have an idea Syaoran, you don't.' Sakura thought. Syaoran laughed harder. And harder. And harder that it is already darn annoying.
"Syaoran, you better stop laughing or else." Sakura cupped his face and glared straight to his eyes. She glared sharper. And sharper. And sharper that if looks could kill, Syaoran would surely be buried by now.
"Fine, princess." He took her hands from his face and held it onto his. "Of course, at problems like this, only your prince-best friend could save you. Don't worry about that anymore; I would be your partner for the homecoming night." He winked at her and smiled arrogantly.
Sakura blushed, she pulled her hands away. "Are you serious?" She chuckled. "What made you think that I would agree to that?"
"Well, because you don't have any choice. I would tell every guy at school that you're my partner already. I guess no one would dare ask you then." Syaoran laughed evilly.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "You won't even ask me to be your partner if I hadn't reminded you about that!"
"Wrong." He protested. "I was actually thinking of asking you to be my partner tonight." He blushed and looked away, "I'm glad you opened up the topic and made it easier for me." He smiled.
Sakura smiled back. She felt really happy for what he said. Well, at least, she's going to be his partner for that special night. She also felt a little relieved because he chose her to be his partner. Her and not Aika.
"So, that's a YES! Then it's settled. I, Syaoran, would be Sakura's partner for the homecoming." He smiled happily. "I'm really glad Saks."
They both blushed.
--
The sun climbed its way to the sky, shining its luminous rays to the small land of Tomoeda. It was a beautiful day, bright and full of life.
BEEP!!
"Coming!" Sakura dashed as fast as she can and got into the car. She smiled cutely to the pissed off guy sitting on the driver's seat who had been waiting for half an hour already.
"Darn. You're really a slowpoke." Syaoran muttered. He leaned towards Sakura, buckled her seatbelt, and started speeding up.
Sakura smiled at him. "Chill out. You are always getting annoyed every morning."
Syaoran sighed. "That's because you're always too slow."
"Then just get used to it." She pouted.
"Yeah right." He rolled his eyes. 'Darn. She looks so cute.'' He shook his head off and focused his eyes on the road.
"Syao-kun, are you joining us for lunch?"
"I don't think I can. Aika and I are leaving early at lunch time. The principal allowed us to leave earlier so we can go home early." He explained.
"So, were going home together?" Sakura asked cheerfully.
Syaoran nodded, "Yeah. I don't want to make you wait again like you did last night." He smirked.
"I told you already, I was NOT waiting for you!" She pouted. He smiled.
--
Sakura walked towards the girl's locker room. She opened up her locker, took her sketch pad and pencil and then she stuffed her bag in. She was about to take her mobile phone from the pocket of her bag when Tomoyo came in.
"Morning Sakura-chan!" She greeted cheerfully and hugged her cousin. "You look happy today."
Sakura smiled and greeted back, "Morning! Guess what! Syaoran asked me to be his partner for the homecoming!" She whispered to Tomoyo.
"Really? That's great!" Tomoyo cheered. "Tell me more about it."
Sakura chuckled. "Sure. But the other girls are coming, we better go." She pulled her cousin and they proceeded to their room.
"Sakura-chan left her locker open again." Chiharu shook her head with a smile and then she closed Sakura's locker.
"She's always like that." Rika agreed.
--
The sun was high already as it was noon. The students all gathered to the cafeteria to take their break from their busy works. It's only a couple of days more to go before the awaited celebration, so everyone's rushing to finish the tasks assigned to them.
"Hey Sakura-chan, isn't Syaoran joining us for lunch?" Eriol questioned after taking a bite from his rice ball.
"Nope. He already left with Aika to go to restaurants. He said that the principal allowed them to leave earlier so that they can go home early."
"I see. That's good then. You two could go home together." Eriol smiled. Sakura nodded and smiled back.
"Sakura-chan, the design for the stage was fantastic. The sensei approved it. We can start working on it this afternoon." Tomoyo stated.
"Yeah. I'm glad they approved it." Sakura agreed. "I'm sure we'll finish it by tomorrow."
"Of course. The designs for the ceiling, the lights and the music have already been settled. Just a little more stuffs to do, some polishing and then were done. We'll get everything ready and accomplished the day before the homecoming night." Eriol followed up.
"Cheers!"
--
Meanwhile…
"One down, two more restaurants to go then were done for today." Syaoran said while driving their way to the next restaurant on the list.
"Yeah." Aika responded. She drank from her bottle of water and wiped the perspiration on her forehead.
"Is this the place?" Syaoran questioned. He looked on the name of the restaurant and on the name scribbled on the paper. "I guess this is it. Let's go Aika. Aika? Are you alright? You look really pale." He asked worriedly.
"I'm fin, do--"
"Aika!!"
--
"How is she doctor?"
"She's fine. She just fainted because of the hot weather. She'll be awake any time by now." The doctor explained. "Are you her boyfriend?"
Syaoran shook his head off. "No, I'm not. See, I'm just—"
The doctor chuckled, "It's alright. Just watch over her.," and then she left.
"But I'm not really her boyfriend." Syaoran objected. "Never mind." He walked towards the bed where Aika was currently lying and sat on the nearby chair. "She could've just told me that she's not feeling well." He searched for Aika's mobile phone on her bag and called Aika's mother.
"Konnichiwa! This is Syaoran, the one Aika introduced to you last night."
"Oh yeah, Syaoran. Good afternoon." Mrs. Matsumaru greeted. "Is something the matter? What's with the sudden call?"
"You see ma'am, on our way to the next restaurant, Aika fainted. We're currently at Toudo Clinic." Syaoran explained calmly.
"WHAT? How is she now?"
"Don't worry ma'am, she's fine. The doctor said that she just fainted because of the heat. She'll wake up any time now."
Mrs. Matsumaru puffed and felt relieved, "I see. Syaoran, please take care of her for me. I'm afraid I couldn't make it to that clinic because I still have to finish a lot of work here in the office. Please watch over her." She pleaded.
"No problem ma'am, I'll take care of her. I'll bring her home safely when she wakes up." Syaoran responded reassuringly.
"Arigatou gozaimasu! You're such a nice guy. Thank you again."
Syaoran hung up. He returned Aika's phone to her bag. "I won't be able to bring Sakura home today." He frowned and took his mobile phone from his pocket and dialed Sakura's number.
RING--RING--RING
"Darn it. Onegai, answer it Sakura."
'This is Sakura Kinomoto. I'm sorry but I cannot answer my phone right now. Just leave your message after the beep. BEEP.'
"Sakura, it's me, Syaoran. Something happened to Aika, it's an emergency. I'm afraid I cannot bring you home, so just go home with Eriol and Tomoyo, alright? I'm really sorry. I'll explain everything when I get home. Be ho--"
"Darn it. My battery is dead. At least I get to tell her."
--
"We're going home Sakura. Are you sure you won't come with us?" Eriol asked. He started out the car's engine.
"Nope. I'll just wait for Syaoran." Sakura responded and smiled.
"Alright then. Bye Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo waved at her and then they sped up.
"I wonder why Syaoran's not here yet." Sakura mumbled to herself. She walked towards the girl's locker room, opened her locker and took her bag. "Oh yeah, I forgot to get my phone this morning." She reached for her bag's pocket and drew out her mobile phone. She checked it and found Syaoran's voice mail.
"What could've happened to them." She uttered worriedly. She dialed Syaoran's number and tried to call him.
'The subscriber cannot be reached, please try your call later.'
"His battery might've gone dead. I hope nothing bad happened to him." She prayed. "I better go home now. Good thing I still got my roller blades on my locker." She smiled. She took the roller blades she hadn't been able to use for months ever since Syaoran got his own car. She put in on and went her way home.
--
"You can now go home Ms. Matsumaru." The doctor said.
"Thank you doctor." Aika bowed in front of the doctor. She excused herself and went to get her bag that she left on the bed table.
"Mister, I suggest you treat her with ice cream or anything that is cold. It could help her feel much better." The doctor suggested. "You could also consider that as a date." She continued and smiled. "That's all. I'm going now." And then she left.
'That doctor, I told her already, she's not my girlfriend!' He grumbled to himself. "Let's go Aika." He called out. Aika followed after him.
--
"It had been months since I last searched the streets of the market by myself." Sakura said to herself. She skated along the streets of Tomoeda, looking around the new shops and beaneries. She stopped at one particular restaurant. Cherry Blossoms.
"This must be it. The restaurant Syaoran was telling me about. He's right, even the outside is beautiful. They also sell ice cream here, I better try them out." She said to herself. She was about to enter the beanery when she saw HIM with HER.
"It tastes really good Syaoran-kun! Thanks for bringing me here." Aika said chirpily. She smiled at him lovingly.
"No problem. The doctor said that you would feel much better if you would eat something cold. Hurry up so I could get you home." Syaoran replied nonchalantly.
Aika just nodded. 'Right, he just took me here because the doctor said so. I should have known.'
Sakura, on the other hand, was still dumbfounded. Syaoran and Aika. Eating together. Chatting.
'So this is the emergency he's talking about. It looks more like a date to me.'
She screamed on her mind, her emotions were stirring up inside her. She couldn't understand why would Syaoran lie to her. Feelings of hatred and pain are overwhelming in her heart. Just why?
"Aika, you got ice cream on your lips."
"Really, where?"
"On the left side. There."
"Is it gone?"
"Nope. Here." He took the table napkin and wiped the ice cream stain on her lips. "There, it's gone."
'He used to do that to me. Only to me.' Tears welled up on her orbs, her chest felt so tight and she found it hard to breathe. She gasped and tried to catch air. She never felt this kind of pain before, never in her entire life. A lot of people stared at her. Some asked if she's alright while the others laughed at her misery. She just kept on staring and ignored everyone. It felt like her entire body became numb, she couldn't move. She just watched as the two chatted and ate happily.
--
"I'm home." Syaoran greeted upon entering their house. He hurriedly searched for Sakura in the living room, but he found it empty. He sighed.
"Welcome home, young master." Wei bowed in front of him.
"Arigatou!" Syaoran responded. "Is Sakura home already?"
"Yes master. She's upstairs."
"I see, thanks!" Syaoran smiled and rushed up stairs.
"Sakura! I'm home." He chirped. He just dropped his bag on his bed and hurried to her room.
He knocked on her door three times, but he got no response. He decided to enter. "Sakura. Hey, Sakura!" He found her lying on her bed, entirely covered with her comforter. He sat on her bedside and softly shook her. "Sakura, are you asleep already? Hey!" Still, there's no response. "You must've been really tired." He sighed. He embraced her curled body on the bed and whispered good night.
"I love you." Sakura whispered after he closed the door. Her eyes were badly swollen from crying and her cheeks were flushed crimson.She placed her hand over chest and crumpled her shirt, 'I would just ignore these feelings until it fade away on its own. 'For the mean time, I have to part from him. I have to avoid all he has to say especially when it's about her. I cannot take it yet, not now. I cannot take it when he tells me that he likes her, even more, that he loves her. I'm not yet ready.'
--
It was a plain old morning. The sun showed up from the east and sent its light to the entire city of Tomoeda. The birds chirped their lovely tunes and the rooster cocked their usual sound.
"Wow. You're incredibly fast this morning." Syaoran teased. Sakura hopped on inside the car just after he got in. He leaned forward and was about to fasten up her seatbelt but Sakura brushed his hands away.
"I can do it by myself." She told him nonchalantly. "Let's go."
"Alright." He started speeding up. He eyed at her from the corner of his eyes. She slouched on her seat and turned her head towards the side facing the window. Syaoran cleared his throat, trying to get her attention. "Sakura, about yesterday, you see… Aika fain--,"
Sakura hastily cut him off before he could continue, "It's alright. You said it was an emergency, then that's it. You don't have to explain further." She said, without even looking at him.
Syaoran sighed, worried about the way she's treating him. "Have I done anything wrong? You're obviously mad at me." He clarified, staring at her from the side mirror.
'So now he's trying to play innocent? Even so, I don't have the right to be mad at him for dating the girl he likes. I'm just his best friend.' She eyed at him, "Nope. I'm not mad. I'm just not in the mood." She defended herself.
Syaoran was about to hold her hand when someone called from the bus stop.
He eyed to where the voice came from and pulled off just inches away from the spot.
"Morning! You going to school?"
"Yeah."
"Hop in." Syaoran invited.
"Thanks! I'm really glad." Aika responded cheerily. She hurried towards the car.
Sakura gulped, surprised to see her. She got the same feeling again from last night. Without thinking about it, she transferred to the back seat from the passenger's seat. "I'll just sit here. Aika you could sit beside Syaoran." She forced out a smile. Aika smiled back and nodded.
"No Sakura, it's alright. You don't have to do that." Syaoran scolded, he pulled her bag from her and placed it back on the passenger's seat. "Go back here now."
She pulled her bag back. "I insist. It's alright, really. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal." She responded. "Aika, please get in now." She invited.
Aika followed what Sakura just said and sat on the passenger's seat. She felt the tension going on between the two. For some reason, it made her feel relieved.
Syaoran sped up as soon as Aika got in. He watched Sakura from the rear mirror. He observed her every move and every expression she made. It worried him.
--
Eriol hurried towards the playground. He got a message from his cousin to meet him at the said place. He searched for Syaoran and found him sitting under the shades of a tree. He walked forward to him. "Hey, why did you call for me?" He asked.
"Sit down." Syaoran invited. "We haven't talked for a while." He smiled.
"Darn. You missed me already Syaoran?" Eriol teased. He rubbed his cousin's hair and sat beside him.
"No way! Idiot!" Syaoran laughed. "I just want to ask you about Sakura…."
"Hmm.. I wonder where Syaoran-kun is." Aika mumbled to herself. She searched for him on different rooms. "Excuse me, Takashi-kun, have you seen Syaoran?" She asked.
"Yeah. I think he went over there." Takashi responded, pointing towards the playground.
"Arigatou gozaimasu!" Aika headed towards the playground.
"That Hiirigazawa!" Tomoyo grunted. She stomped along the corridors searching for her boyfriend. "How dare he run away from all the work that needs to be done!"
"What about Sakura?" Eriol questioned.
"She's been acting really weird this morning. I was just wondering, did something happen yesterday?"
"Hmmm…" Eriol adjusted his glasses as he recalled on the happenings yesterday. "Nope. Nothing unusual happened. Actually, Sakura was really happy yesterday. She and Tomoyo had been teasing me all day." He stated.
"I see." Syaoran breathed out. "Maybe I'm just worrying too much. I guess she was just on a bad mood."
"There he is!" Aika hurried when she saw Syaoran sitting under a tree. She stopped. "There's Hiirigazawa-san too. I wonder what they are doing here." She trampled quietly and hid behind a tree near the two gentlemen. She remained as silent as she can be while listening to them.
"Just as I thought. I knew it! The playground is always his hiding place." Tomoyo's eyes glittered. She was about to jump over Eriol and strangle him to death when she saw Syaoran with him. "Hey. What are those two doing in here?" She wondered. "Wait a second. There's Aika too. What is she doing hiding beneath that tree?" She observed from the side behind Aika. She also hid but behind the bushes.
"Another thing," Syaoran continued, "Sakura agreed to be my partner for the homecoming!"
"Great! So, what are you planning?"
Syaoran smirked. "I am planning to confess to her right on the homecoming night."
"Way to go! I think it's about time you do." Eriol patted his cousin's shoulder. "I better go back now. I'm sure Tomoyo's fuming by this time." Eriol gulped.
Syaoran laughed. "Alright. I'm coming too." They both walked away.
Aika puffed. "He's confessing to her." She started crying. "I shouldn't be surprised. I know from the very beginning that he loves her but I still hoped that he could notice me. That somehow, if we spend time together, he could fall for me." She felt pain forming in her chest. She calmed herself up and rubbed her chest.
Tomoyo gulped. She watched and listened cautiously. 'She's in love with Syaoran. I wonder if she's alright.'
Aika took a deep breath, "I should not let him do that." She whispered with determination and then she walked away.
'No way! What is she up to?' Tomoyo hurriedly rose from behind the bush and followed after Aika.
Aika headed towards the principal's office. She knocked on the door and came in. Tomoyo followed after her.
"Darn it. I cannot hear them from behind this door." Tomoyo grumbled. "Think Tomoyo, I should find out what she's up to!" She walked back and forth on the corridors. "Of course! There's a camera on the principal's office! I can watch them from the security room!" She dashed upstairs and hurried towards there room where there is a big sign that says "NO STUDENTS ALLOWED". She smirked, her eyes glittered. "What Tomoyo needs, Tomoyo gets! I will not let that girl ruin the night we've all been waiting for!"
--
Author's Notes: Go Tomoyo, you can do it! HAHA. So that was Chap.14. Sorry for making it too long, I just needed to stuff in the important details of the story. I hope you liked it. God bless you!
Coming Up: The homecoming night celebration would definitely be on the next chapter. Sakura would suffer more and Aika would get what she wants. That's it. )