Chapter Six: A Calling from Home.
"Fuck!" Caitlin said, coming off the soccer field at lunch. She was greeted by Tomoyo.
"What's up?" Tomoyo asked. Caitlin looked at her.
"Nothing. It's just my sub Kevin won't be here to play soccer against Meilin's school tomorrow." She said. Tomoyo noticed that she was limping a bit.
"That's wonderful." Tomoyo said sarcastically.
"Isn't it?" Caitlin replied sarcastically as well. Aiden came over to them.
"Bloody Kevin, do you think you'll be ok tomorrow?" He asked not noticing Shayla coming down.
"Yeah. I'll ice it tonight and strap it before the game. I won't do any training tonight." Caitlin said, looking at her ankle.
"Li's-not-going-to-be-happy." Shayla sang, smiling. What they didn't know was Li, Eriol, Sakura and Sam were watching and making their way towards them.
"Who gives a fuck what Li thinks. I'm fine." Caitlin replied.
"I give a fuck what I think." Li said from behind her. Caitlin jumped and turned around guiltily.
"Shit!" She said when she saw them all behind her.
"You're limping Caitlin." Li stated.
"I'm good. I've done this before without a sub." Caitlin replied.
"Yeah she has. But she couldn't walk for two days afterwards." Sakura said. Caitlin glared at her and Sakura closed her mouth.
"It's true Caitlin." Said Tomoyo. Aiden and Shayla nodded.
"What is it? Pick on Caitlin day or something?" Caitlin asked exasperated. They grinned at her.
"Yeah and I love you guys too."
"We are just worried about you." Sam said.
"Great that's nice. You know I can take of myself." Caitlin said and limped off.
"I don't think that was good. Do you my cute little cousin?" Eriol said and smiled at Li.
"Don't call me that." Li spat and glared at Eriol then followed Caitlin.
"Caitlin stop." Li called. Caitlin stopped and looked at Li.
"We don't need you going off and making things worse than they are. Listen we just don't want you to hurt yourself."
"I'm not going to hurt myself. I know what I'm doing." She said and walked off headed for the girl's locker room. Li walked back to the others.
"I'll talk to her later." Sam said.
"I could get the coach to pull her out of the game tomorrow." Aiden said. Shayla hit him.
"Ouch! You're getting good at hitting."
"Don't do anything stupid and I won't have a reason to hit you." Shayla shot back.
"Caitlin's usually right." Tomoyo said. They all looked at her.
"You remember last time she hurt her foot and played with no sub. She said she probably won't be able to walk for a couple of days. "Sakura nodded.
"If it happens again, I'm not going to be her slave this time round." Shayla said. Then all three girls turned and smiled evilly at Sam. He looked at them and grew worried.
At the end of the school, Caitlin was waiting for Tomoyo and Shayla to turn up. Just then Tomoyo ran up to her.
"Sorry I'm late." She stopped and looked for Shayla. Then Shayla came running out of the building.
"How are Aiden's tonsils?" Caitlin asked and got into the car. Tomoyo and Shayla got in after her.
"There just fine, how's the foot?" Shayla asked. Caitlin pulled out of the parking lot and some bikes started to follow them.
"Tomoyo, check the bikes behind us will you?" She asked, looking in the rear view mirror. Tomoyo turned around and watched the bikes.
"There not ours." She finally said.
"I know. Just what I thought." Caitlin said stopping at a red light. She watched as they came closer. "Man, I wish I had my bike."
"Why?" Shayla asked. The light turned green and Caitlin sped off. Shayla and Tomoyo grabbed hold of the bottom of their seats until they got use to the pull then let go.
"But I am glad that I've got a fast car." Caitlin said. Shayla just shrugged, as Caitlin swerved through traffic and went through a red light. Car horns followed them as they dodged through the cars.
"Watch where you're god damn driving! Learn how to friggin' drive! Stupid bitch!" Caitlin started rattling off. Tomoyo turned to Shayla who shook her head. Tomoyo turned back to face the front and she and Shayla screamed as they were almost hit by a car. Someone flipped them off and Caitlin still floored it.
"Watch where you're going! Get out of the way! I'm trying to drive here!" Caitlin screamed. Caitlin out ran the bikes and headed back to their place, Shayla and Tomoyo pale-faced in the back. Tomoyo on Shayla's lap, where she had landed.
"They're late." Sam said when Li stood behind him. Then Caitlin came flying into the yard and slid to a stop at the stairs.
"Maybe Caitlin wanted to work off some anger. Sakura said, coming up behind them. Shayla, Caitlin and Tomoyo got out of the car.
"Damn friggin' Bear's!" she spat, and walked into the house to the back.
"The Bear's where following us." Tomoyo said, still a little shaky. She and Shayla were learning on the car.
"Remind me to never get in the car with Caitlin again." Shayla said and went inside.
"She can take jumping a bike. But she can't take Caitlin's driving." Meilin said coming outside.
"Well after Caitlin lost the Bear's behind us, she didn't slow down or give way to traffic until we got here." Tomoyo said.
"I'm betting anyone she's giving the punching bag a work out." Sam said and went towards the back. Li walked around the car.
"You didn't get fired at?" He asked. Sakura looked at the two girls. Tomoyo shook her head.
"Maybe they were just trying to follow you to see where you go." Li said.
"Meilin I want you and Sakura to try and talk reason into Caitlin. We don't really need a hot head at the moment." Li stated and walked inside. Meilin looked at Sakura.
"I think someone needs to say that to him at times." Meilin said and Sakura smiled.
"Don't let him hear you say that." Sakura giggled. Meilin rolled her eyes.
"Are you kidding?! I think the only one to say that and get away with it would be you.
Sakura blushed. "Why do you say that?"
"I'm not an idiot Sakura. I don't think there's anyone here who hasn't seen how Li dotes on you. We've seen how close you two are." Meilin replied. Sakura went bright crimson.
"I-I- . . . Well ... we're just . . ." she stammered. Meilin smirked.
"Come on. Let's go see what Sam and the others are doing." Sakura sighed and tried to cool herself down.
'That was close.' she thought as she followed Meilin. They walked to the back to see that Sam was right about the punching bag.
"I think you need to cool down. Sam said. Caitlin stopped and looked at him.
"Ok." she said and went inside. Eriol and Tomoyo walked out, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Shayla was inside on the phone to Aiden. Caitlin came back out in her swimmers and jumped into the pool. They looked at her.
"Sam said to cool down." she explained and started to do laps. Tomoyo turned to Sakura and ignored the hot headed Caitlin.
"Sakura are you ready to do singing because the Blossom's have been booked for tomorrow night." Tomoyo said. Sakura smiled.
"I'd love nothing more than to sing. I'll sing for father and Touya." Tomoyo walked over to her smiling and gave her a hug.
"We will all sing for them." She said. Then turned to Caitlin who was still doing laps in the pool dogging Sam who had joined her. "Even the hot head. Because we all loved them."
Li sat at his desk he was on the phone to his mother.
"Xiao Lang, you have to come home soon when it's safe. Chan wants to see Meilin." Yelan said.
"We just have to finish business." Li replied.
"I know, but it's taking a while. I know you have to finish for your father but Bear's probably thinking the same thing."
'The same thing. He's the reason I'm doing this not my father.' Li thought.
"Patience is a virtue mother. I'll be home when I can get away from here."
"Be careful Xiao Lang." Yelan's concerned voice came from the other end.
"Of course. I always am. Bye!" He said and hung up the phone.
Li was lying on his bed and Sakura came into the room.
"What's wrong Sakura?" He asked, sitting up. She hopped onto the bed beside him.
"I came to see what's wrong with you." She said quietly. "And I want to feel safe in your arms." Li lay back down and hugged her close to him.
"Nothing's going to happen to you. I promise." Li whispered beside her ear. Sakura sighed and cuddled up to him and drifted off to sleep. Li kissed her on the forehead and stayed with her and watched her sleep.
Tomoyo woke up to Sakura's laugh. She opened her door and Li was there smiling.
"I think Sakura's a little better today." Li said to her. Tomoyo had spoken to her mother last night. The funeral was to be held on Friday.
"As much as I love to see Sakura smile again, I'm going to hate seeing all sad again when the time comes." Tomoyo sighed. Li gave her a sad smile.
"But I am glad that she's a little better." Tomoyo said. Just then Caitlin came out of her room smiling.
"It looks like Caitlin's better too." Tomoyo said. Sam came up the stairs and Shayla walked out of her room.
"Caitlin worked off her energy last night." Sam said and smiled. Caitlin looked down, blushing. Shayla glared at Sam and wished to god she had her gun with her.
'Memo to self. Always carry gun around with a bullet with Sam's name on it.' She thought.
"I think I'm going to go to school today." Sakura said cutting through the tension. Li look at his best friend as the girls ran to hug Sakura.
"I think you walked into a war zone." Li said and went down stairs. Sam followed him. Eriol was in the kitchen when they walked in.
"You heard what happened?" Li asked him. Meilin came in shortly after them, followed by all the girls.
"I didn't need to hear. I heard the whole show last night." Meilin said smirking, before bursting out laughing. Caitlin looked like a statue, Tomoyo waved her hand in front of her face. Seeing this, Meilin laughed even harder.
"I'm joking Caitlin." Meilin laughed.
"If you want to get her back Caitlin, just ask her about the last time she saw her fiancée." Li said smirking. Meilin stopped dead in her tracks and went bright red.
"What happened?" Caitlin asked.
"They had to replace the bed." Eriol said smirking. Caitlin cracked up laughing.
"It was five months ago." Li said. "So you could imagine how many beds we would be replacing if Chan was here."
"Shut up, Xiao Lang!" Meilin shouted, and then walked out of the room.
"You go girl!" Caitlin yelled after her. It was followed a frustrated scream from Meilin as she ran up the stairs.
* *~ Soccer Competition~* *
After lunch time, Meilin turned up at Sakura's school and looked for Tomoyo. Meilin found her in the stands with the camera fixed on Sakura, Shayla and the rest of the Cheerleaders.
"Hi Tomoyo." Meilin said sitting next to her.
"Hey Meilin." Tomoyo said moving her camera to the soccer team. Meilin looked and couldn't see Caitlin.
"Where's Caitlin?" Meilin asked.
"She's coming." Tomoyo said then Caitlin came out. The boys on the soccer team from Meilin's school mouth's dropped open seeing Caitlin go over to her team.
"I don't think they want to play now." Shayla said to Sakura. They watched as the other team's coach talk to their team's coach.
"Or they just won't let Caitlin play." Sakura said. She scanned the crowd and saw Tomoyo and Meilin with three vacant seats next to them. Sakura turned to see the players walk onto the field. Caitlin was on the west wing. She was usually forward.
"Caitlin doesn't look happy." Rika said and Sakura nodded. Shayla glared at the other team's coach.
Caitlin had the ball on the west wing and a guy came up to tackle her.
"Hi Kevin." she said and dodged him and passed it to centre.
"Fuck you!" She said to the guy who was following her.
"Go, Team Go! Go, Team Go!" All the cheerleaders yelled. The opposing team scored they all booed and turned away to go sit down. Sakura watched as Caitlin kicked at the ground. Rika came up beside her.
"We are losing" Sakura said.
"Well it's just a game. Even though our team wanted to go to the finals this year." She said then looked at the crowd. "At least our team has our school behind them." She watched as some guys from their school was throwing cans and other things at the other schools coach before their schools principal walked up to them. Sakura giggled at the sight.
"They won't be happy with the detention they're going to get."
By half time, Caitlin's team was losing by one point.
"Please! Please put me back in my position." Caitlin begged the coach. The coach shook his head.
"Sorry Thomas, the only way you stay in this game is if you got moved out of that position." Caitlin huffed off. She looked at the crowd and could see that Li, Eriol and Sam were just sitting down.
"Caitlin's been moved out of her position and they're losing by one point." Tomoyo told the guys when they got there.
"Why was she moved?" Li asked, and then spotted Sakura with the rest of the cheerleaders. Tomoyo and Meilin shrugged. Sam was watching Caitlin talk to some of the guys on her team. She was smiling evilly.
"Caitlin's going to do something bad." Tomoyo said as the team walked back onto the field. Caitlin's team started with the ball because the other team scored last. The Ref blew the whistle and they started. Caitlin got the ball and a guy came to tackle her. She went around him and put out her arm and the guy came into contact with it and hit the ground. The Ref blew his whistle.
"You bitch! What did you do that for?" The guy she had hit asked.
"I'm trying to get sent off, you see, because of your coach I'm not allowed to play in my position." Caitlin said and smiled sweetly at the rest of his team who came over. Her team came over too.
"Get that bitch off the field!" Another guy on the opposing team said.
"Wow! A compliment. I don't need compliments, I've got a boyfriend. But thanks anyway boys." Caitlin said and her team laughed.
"Ok Thomas, you're on the bench!" The coach said.
"Thank you coach!" Caitlin chirped and ran off to the bench. The Ref blew his whistle and the game resumed play.
"She's done it now." Tomoyo said and turned to Li, with the camera.
"You know you're helping her don't you?" She said and returned back to the game. Eriol, Sam and Li shrugged. Li's attention however kept wavering back and forth between the game and a tempting goddess with pom poms.
After the game, Sam was waiting for Caitlin by her car. All the rest of them had gone.
"Hi Caitlin, bad game." He said when she turned up.
"Bad? You mean horrible!" She said and gave him a kiss.
"Why did you get moved?" He asked as they got into the car. Sam was driving.
"They had their smaller players in that position." She replied. "And I hope that guy got hurt."
"Poor Caitlin." Sam said. Caitlin ignored him.
Li and Sakura where over at Tomoyo's house, helping her mother with the last arrangements for the funeral.
"So they will do, won't they?" Sonomi asked, showing Sakura pictures of two coffins. Sakura just nodded.
"That's all Sakura. You don't have to do anything else." Sonomi said and Sakura nodded, and left with Li. In the car, Sakura was quiet.
"What time's the gig tonight?" Li asked, trying to get her mind off everything.
"About eight." Sakura relied, looking out the window.
"You know the group should be called 'Cherry Blossom and her girls'." Li said trying to make her smile. It worked and she turned and him smiling.
"Sure Little Wolf. Whatever you reckon." She said.
"Who made up the name anyway?" Li asked.
"Tomoyo and Shayla thought it was a good idea. Caitlin didn't really like it but she puts up with it." Sakura smirked remembering then she sighed. "Tomoyo is probably waiting to pounce on me as soon as we get there for costumes." Li laughed and Sakura hit him on the arm then joined in.