Playing With The Threads of Fate
Chapter One: Planning A Surprise For Sakura

Beep, beep, beep, beep! The alarm clock rang out.

Sakura Avalon reached up and tried to shut it off, but it wasn’t there. She sat up in bed and sleepily looked around the room. She spotted her alarm clock on her desk. Sitting next to it was Kero.

" Don’t you remember what today is Sakura?" Kero asked annoyed that the alarm woke him from his sleep.

" The day I get to sleep in?" She fell back down onto her bed.

" Uh actually I was going to say... THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" Kero shouted into Sakura’s ear.

" Huh?" Sakura sat up in bed and looked at her pink calendar. Monday, September 3 was circled with a red pen. She looked at her alarm clock that read: " Seven-thirty, ah!" Sakura shouted jumping out of bed and running over to her closet.

" Maybe you should have remembered to get up earlier," Kero spoke sarcastically.

Sakura let out a frustrated growl. She finished dressing in the school uniform and grabbed her pre packed school bag.

" Sakura you’re going to be late!" Aiden Avalon called from the bottom of the stairs.

" I’m coming!" Sakura answered back putting on her hat. " It’s going to be one of those days again Kero, I can feel it."

" Me too!" Kero shouted fly down after Sakura.

Sounds of cooking were coming out from the kitchen and so was the aroma of chocolate chip pancakes. " Mmmm alright... FOOD!" Kero shouted.

Tori, who was sitting at the table already eating, looked up strangely at the flying Kero. He sighed, " Still can’t get used to that thing eating with us."

Sakura laughed. " It’s alright Tori." Kero gave Tori an evil look.

" So squirt, first day of High School huh?" Tori asked just looking for a way to tease his little sister.

" Yup," Sakura replied smiling.

" Make sure you never go into the locked up room," Tori warned.

" Why not?" Sakura asked. She knew Tori were just trying to tease her, but she kind of guessed what he was going to say next.

" Because the spirit of a fifteen year old boy is trapped in there. That’s why they had to close down the school last spring," Tori said in a spooky voice.

Sakura winced and laughed nervously. She still was having a hard time trying to get over her fear of ghost and Tori would use every once of his energy to make Sakura more nervous about school.

" Oh yeah and that reminds me squirt," Tori took another bite of his pancakes. " Madison called for you. Don’t you have to go meet her?"

" Oh yeah!" Sakura yelled jumping up and abandoning the rest of her breakfast. " Bye dad!" She shouted running into the other room and putting on her roller blades.

Kero and Tori stared hard at each other. Sakura always left some breakfast over so it was always competition between the two of them who got it. Both of their forks reached the pancake at the same time, but Tori was quicker and lifted the pancake up and stuck it into his mouth, half way sticking out.

" Oh no you don’t," Kero screamed trying to yank the pancake out of Tori’s mouth.

Aiden looked into the dinning room, " Don’t worry there’s plenty more."

Sakura peeked her head back into the dinning room, " And isn’t someone late to go meet Julian for his first day of class at the college?"

Tori jumped up out of his seat, swallowing the rest of his breakfast. " Gotta go dad."

" Have a good day!" Aiden shouted after his two children. The door slammed shut. Aiden turned to Kero, " Did you tell her?" " No I didn’t. It’s suppose to be a surprise right?" Kero spoke in a sly tone.

Sakura skated around the corner and spotted Julian waiting for Tori. " Hey Julian!"

" Hey Sakura," he greeted smiling. " So first day of High School huh?"

" Yeah," Sakura agreed. Although she didn’t have any feelings for Julian she still had a hard time talking to him.

Tori screech to a stop right next to Julian and Sakura leaving tire tracks in the ground. " Sorry I’m late," He apologized. " Squirt’s starting to rub off on me."

" You just wish," Sakura teased back.

Julian laughed. Each morning they always did this so he was used to it by now. Although he hoped that they would eventually grow out of it.

" Okay, bye you guys," Sakura bid farewell, " I gotta go meet Madison and the others."

" Bye Sakura," Julian called after her.

Sakura turned around and waved good-bye to her brother and Julian. She skated faster afraid to be late on the first day of high school.

" So, did you tell Sakura yet?" Julian asked Tori.

" No we want it to be a surprise," Tori said watching his sister leave.

Sakura passed by Reedington Elementary School, which was already in session. While passing the school she felt sadness. Li, she thought. She saw a person run past her and shook her head. Thinking about Li must have gone to her mind because she swears she just saw a person who looked exactly like him.

No, must’ve just been my imagination, she thought reassuringly to herself. It couldn’t have been Li. Here in Reedington again. Sakura may have thought that, but she wished with all her heart that it was Li Showran here again. After he, Meilin, Eriol, and everyone else had left it was getting lonely here in the little town of Reedington.

Sakura sighed.

" Hey Sakura over here!" A voice called.

Sakura looked up and saw Madison Taylor, her best friend from elementary, calling for her. Next to Madison was Chelsea, Rita, and Nikki, Sakura’s other elementary and junior high school friends. They were all taller this year just like Sakura was. " Hey guys."

" Sakura you’re late again," Chelsea complained.

" As usual," Madison teased.

" Hey guys, give me a break," Sakura pleaded.

They continued walking up to Reedington High School. Madison walked next to her, " Did anyone tell you anything about today?" Madison asked trying to not sound suspicious.

" No," Sakura responded, " Why would they?"

" Oh just seeing as your starting at new school," Madison replied back smiling.

" Oh," Sakura answered. Everyone has been acting suspicious lately. " There it is guys!" Chelsea shouted.

Sakura looked up at the new school. " It’s gigantic," she shouted. " How am I going to find my way through there?"

Everyone laughed. " Don’t worry Sakura," Rita spoke for the first time today.

" Yeah, we came here for summer school so we kind of know our way around. We‘ll help you Sakura," Nikki assured.

" Thanks you guys," Sakura smiled.

" And over there is where we’ll be having lunch together this afternoon," Chelsea pointed out a beautiful spot under a blossoming Sakura tree.

" Wow it’s so beautiful," Sakura admired. " Huh?" Sakura exclaimed looking up in the cherry blossom tree. She squinted her eyes trying to get a better look. It seemed like there were two people up in the tree and they looked awfully familiar.

" Sakura hurry up," Chelsea shouted.

Sakura’s attention was broken off of the figures in the tree. " Coming," She ran up to her group of friends.

As Chelsea and Nikki were leading the way Sakura whispered to Madison, " I just saw someone up in that tree."

" Well who was it?" Madison questioned innocently.

" I don’t know, but I felt magic," Sakura sharply whispered.

" Oh Sakura, you’re probably just imagining things. Perhaps it’s all of this energy in the air?" Madison suggested.

" Maybe you’re right," Sakura agreed.

The principal of the school walked up onto the stage. " Good morning students," He greeted. The rest of his speech was drowned out of Sakura’s mind as she tried to grab a hold of the feeling she felt in the garden earlier today.

It wasn’t another loose Clow Card. Sakura thought. It was more of an aura not a spirit. It could have been someone new to Reedington.

" Sakura," Madison called. Sakura looked up completely lost. Everyone around her was standing up and exiting the cafeteria. " Time to go to our first class."

" Oh right," Sakura walked after Madison looking at her schedule. She bumped into someone.

" Sorry," She and the stranger spoke at the same time. Sakura continued walking not bothering to look up. Madison was urging her forward. " Huh?" Sakura spoke. That voice... it sounded like...

She turned around, but the person she had bumped into wasn’t there. " Sakura let’s go, we don’t have much time," Madison pushed Sakura out of the cafe.

" But Madison, I just- " Sakura tried to explain.

" Tell me in class or we’re going to be late," Madison urged.

" Welcome students I’ll be your homeroom teacher this year," The teacher greeted.

" You say you heard someone who sounded just like Li?" Madison asked.

" Yeah and the magic I felt, that seemed like Li too," Sakura explained. Luckily she and Madison were in almost all of the same classes.

" That’s impossible Sakura," Madison reasoned, " Li’s all the way in Hong Kong."

" I know," Sakura assured, " That’s why it’s so strange."

A bell ringed in the hallway and the students streamed out of the classes. " That means to go to your next class students. I’ll see you here tomorrow."

" So, meet you at the cherry blossom tree at recess?" Sakura inquired.

" You bet," Madison agreed walking into her next classroom.

Sakura sighed. How am I going to find my next class? She thought in despair.

A bell rang again and Sakura was still trying to find her class. When she finally did she opened the door and walked in. " Sorry I’m late," She apologized to her new math teacher.

" It’s alright Sakura," Said a familiar voice. " Please sit down."

" Mrs. Mackenzie?" Sakura questioned sitting down on the nearest desk she could find. Mrs. Mackenzie smiled.

Oh great this day just keeps getting weirder. Sakura thought while she smiled back.

RING!!!

A bell rang out and everyone exited out of class again. Sakura walked out trying to look for the exit. Once outside she located the Sakura tree again and waited there for Madison. She admired the beauty of the tree as she waited.

" Sakura really are beautiful aren’t they?" Asked a familiar voice.

" Yeah they are," Sakura agreed. Wait that voice. Sakura thought turning around. She expected to see no one, but there someone was there. She gasped.