31
I'm sitting at the dining table, trying to do my math homework. I say trying, since I've always been bad at math, and I definitely need help right now. Then, as if heaven heard my prayers, the doorbell rings, and when I open the door, I see Eriol outside.
"Hi." He says, trying to act normal. "Thought you may want some company."
"Hi." I reply back, as I smile to him. I know he's here to fix whatever went wrong this morning, but I actually don't care. Just the fact that he's here, is enough to fix it all. "You're just in time. Can you help me with my math homework?"
Eriol stays and helps me for about two hours. He explains he theory, helps me solve a problem, and supervises as I solve the rest. If I have any doubts, he explains again. So after two hours, when I'm done with the homework, Eriol checks my results, agrees to it all, and after saying goodbye, we promise to see each other tomorrow morning.
Dad and Misaki are already in bed, so after putting everything back inside my backpack, and head to the kitchen to have a glass of water, I walk upstairs, to my bedroom, ready to get into bed. However, when I turn on the light, I see Mei Lin lying in my bed. I push her to a side, which wakes her up, and she mumbles:
"Wanna get some pizza?" Nope, she's not awake. Obviously she's still sleeping.
"Tomorrow." I tell her, as I lay next to her. "Pizzeria's already closed. Eriol just left and now we must sleep."
"Hiragizawa was here?" She asks, still in mumbles. I slightly push her again, and she growls, but hurries to add. "Li will get so angry. You better not tell him."
"Syaoran's not getting angry." I say, as I cover us both with my fuzzy blanket.
"Of course he will." She insists, but she doesn't say anything else, so I can tell she's definitely back asleep.
As I turn off the light, and as the silence surrounds me, I can't help but wonder if making Li angry would be the easiest way for him to break up with me.
Especially when I know I'm not brave enough to break up with him.
He has helped me so much to make everything between me and Eriol to go back to normal, but I have no idea how much more help he needs in order to not get back with Daidouji. Even when I know they'll get back, it's just a matter of time. Maybe he's also not ready yet to get back.
I try to get everything back to normal, as if nothing occurred, but it's being quite hard. Syaoran's still eating my lunch, but he no longer comes pick me up, I now walk to school with Eriol. Syaoran keeps on writing me notes, but he no longer kisses me, neither during the morning since I now arrive with Eriol, neither after school, since he's busy with the football training.
I've attended some more parties, but Syaoran knows he can't ask me out Saturday nights, since dad, Misaki and I sit in front of the computer to have dinner, as we video call Rika, who's having lunch.
"Are you planning anything for Bom festival?" Rika asks, as she's eating from her salad bowl, while we're having tonkatsu.
"Same as every year." Says dad. "Grandma will come and we'll cook what she likes."
"I hope Syaoran also comes." Misaki says, as she's cutting her cutlet.
"Syaoran who?" Rika asks.
"Sakura's boyfriend." Misaki says, and that's when she realizes I still haven't told Rika a word about it.
I bite my lip, visibly nervous.
"Syaoran." Rika repeats, and so I have to confirm.
"Li Syaoran."
"How did it happen?"
"It just did." I say, as I shrug my shoulders. But there's something in the way Rika asks, how she looks at me, that instead of making me feel uncomfortable, I feel angry.
"I don't think Li Sayoran's a good guy for you, Sakura. He's still in the football team, right? All the jokers are a bunch of idiots."
I can't believe she just said that right in front of dad and Misaki.
"Syaoran's not an idiot." I hurry to fight back. "You need to give him a chance, get to know him, then you'll see."
Rika raises her brows, sneers, and pretends her salad bowl is now more interesting that the conversation we were just having. And my anger increases.
Can't she be happy for me? Can't she at least pretend to be happy for me? The same way I had to pretend I was happy for her and Eriol…
"Misaki. Do you like Syaoran?" I hurry to ask. Rika finally looks up, and I can't help but smile, proudly.
Misaki's smile, on the other hand, is utterly happiness.
"Yes! He comes all the time! We watch movies together, and he also helps me with my experiments. He also takes me to get ice cream, and then we walk around Penguin Park for hours!"
"I also like him." Dad says. "He's really a good boy. And he's completely in love with you, Sakura-chan, which is what matters the most."
"What do you mean?" I ask, and forgetting about Rika, I look at him.
"It's in the way he looks at you." It's Misaki who replies. "There's a way he stares at you… when you're not looking…"
"You're right, Misaki." Dad nods. "Sakura bewitched him."
3
Ribo~
