CHAPTER TWO: BIRTHDAY
Sakura’s POV
A few months later
I bound out of bed, already smiling. Today is my 17th birthday! I hum a little as I pick out an outfit. This year I’ve been lucky enough to have my birthday on a no-school day.
Tomoyo-chan is going to pick me up at one and we (along with Syaoran-kun and Eriol-kun) are going skating and then to a restaurant (it took a very long time to convince Syao-kun to go skating).
Muffled snores are coming from my desk drawer. Kero-chan is still asleep. I’ll bring him up some breakfast later.
I walk down the stairs into the kitchen. Otusan is at the stove. Touya sits at the table.
“Onii-chan?” I inquire. Touya moved out a couple of years ago.
“Good morning, kaijuu. Happy birthday,” he says with a slight smile.
17 and he still calls me a monster. I sigh.
“I am not a kaijuu!”
“You’ll always be to me,” he replies, strangely serious.
“Breakfast is ready!” Otusan announces. “Happy birthday, Sakura.”
“Domo, Dad,” I reply, and shoot a glare at Onii-chan for not giving up the superior big brother act.
Dad’s breakfast is great. I save a little in a napkin for Kero-chan (otherwise he’ll sneak down later and take something).
“Who are you feeding up there?” Onii-chan says, frowning.
“The same person as always,” I reply with a nervous laugh. Sometimes I think he guesses…
“I’m surprised you’re not fat,” he says, laughing.
I take a leaf out of Filia’s book and knock him over the head with my mallet. He falls to the ground with swirly eyes.
“Good morning, Onii-chan!” I say cheerfully to him on the ground. I set the mallet on my shoulder and go upstairs.
Kero-chan is up now. He drools at the sight of the napkin in my hand, but takes a second look at my mallet and stays back.
I am puzzled a second then smile again and replace the mallet within the folds of my clothing (I love anime women’s storage space ^-^) and offer him the food.
Kero-chan scarfs it in about two or three gulps.
“Arigato, Sakura-chan!” he says happily.
“I think you’ve forgot something,” I say, keeping my face straight.
“Forgot something? Did we make plans for today?”
The silly beast is fishing in the dark.
“Nope. I’ve got plans with Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun and Syaoran-kun though,” I hint. I say “Syaoran-kun” very softly. After all, Kero still doesn’t like the guy.
I can’t figure out why.
“Well, let’s see,” he says, and flies over to my calendar. “It’s… Oh, Sakura-sama, gomen nasai! I can’t believe I forgot your birthday!”
He is truly distressed.
I laugh and hug my guardian. “It’s okay, Kero-chan!”
He sighs in relief and then frees himself from my embrace. He hovers in the air at eye level.
“Now that that’s cleared up… Did you mention the Chinese gaki? Because I thought you might have, and I’m hoping I just heard wrong…”
“Ho-ee,” I say. Didn’t get away with it this time…
“Yes, I said Syao-kun. Do you have a problem, Kero-chan?” I say. I am sick of their constant feud.
“I Don’t Like Him,” the stubborn beast says in capitals, closing his eyes and folding his arms in his “immovable decision” pose.
“You haven’t liked him since the first day you met him. Why?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“He called me a… a stuffed animal!” Kero says, annoyed to be reminded of it.
“And you bit him for it,” I sigh. “Kero-chan, I like Syaoran’s company. Underneath that cool exterior, there’s a wonderful person.”
“You’ve said that a million times!”
“Because it’s true!”
We stand glaring at each other. I think vaguely that we must look like Kero and Syaoran facing off.
Finally Kero relents.
“It’s your life, and your birthday… As long as he isn’t coming here.”
“Kero-chan, Onii-chan came to visit. Onii-chan plus Syao-kun equals trouble.”
“Most definitely,” Kero nods.
We both sweatdrop.
“Sakura!” Otusan calls up the stairs. “Touya is leaving!”
“Talk later,” I tell Kero, and run down the stairs.
I've gotta get to work,” Onii-chan frowns, looking at his watch. “Sayonara, kai-- er, Sakura.”
He obviously has rethought the equation of “Sakura = kaijuu” with “mallet” in the variables.
Ach! Math! What’s wrong with me today? Tomoyo-chan would say that it’s because I’m thinking of Syaoran-kun and his favorite subject is math, but I’m not, really.
Am I?
“Sayonara, Onii-chan,” I say, kissing him on the cheek.
He leaves and I smile. This day looks good already.
At about 12:45 Tomoyo-chan shows up in her new car, a blue Lumina. For once she’s convinced her bodyguards to stay at home.
“Sakura-chan!” she yells, and honks.
I run out to the car and climb in. Eriol-kun sits front passenger side, smiling happily. Syaoran-kun sits in the seat beside me, scowling unhappily (actually, it’s his normal day-to-day glare).
“Happy birthday, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo-chan says cheerfully. Eriol-kun echoes her sentiments.
“Happy birthday,” Syaoran-kun mutters. I notice distractedly that his face is red. What always makes him blush?
Tomoyo-chan always says it’s me, but I don’t know. It could be something else and I’m not taking any chances with my once—broken heart.
“Domo, minna—san,” I say. “Everyone got their skates?”
Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun voice assent, but Syao-kun just nods.
“What’s wrong, Syaoran-kun?” I ask, a bit hurt.
He mumbles something, and his blush deepens.
“Hmm?” I say politely.
“I don’t skate,” he says indistinctly, and turns his face away.
“You can’t skate, Li—kun?” Eriol-kun says sounding surprised.
Inside I sigh. Eriol-kun is goading Syaoran again… What’s so fascinating about it? Does he just like making people squirm?
Well, I’ve stood up to one person already today…
“It doesn’t matter, Syao-kun,” I say, smiling at the poor boy. “I’ll teach you!”
“That’s okay,” he mutters, but I know he’s pleased.
Tomoyo-chan pulls up to the curb and we get out at the park. I pull on my blades quickly and watch the others.
Eriol-kun is helping Tomoyo-chan with her straps. Her face is a pleased pink color. Syao-kun is simply glaring at the skates.
I laugh.
“Honestly, Syaoran-kun, if you hate skating so much then why did you come?”
“Because you asked.”
*That’s sweet… Let’s see if I can improve his attitude a bit, though.*
He pulls on the skates and stands, a bit wobbly.
“See, it’s like ice—skating, only with wheels,” I say.
Then I recall the last time he tried to ice—skate.
*I should not have said that.*
“Anyway,” I say quickly, “it’s easier than ice—skating. Here, I’ll teach you.”
I hold out my hand. He stares at it for a moment, then shrugs.
“Okay,” he says, shooting me one of his rare smiles.
“Kawaii!” Tomoyo-chan yells.
We both sweatdrop.
“Tomoyo-chan, let’s skate now and film later. Remember…”
And Eriol whispers something in her ear.
“You’re right!” she agrees cheerfully, and starts skating.
Syaoran and I exchange looks. What is she up to now?
“Must be something big,” he says nervously. “She’s never missed a chance to film you before.”
“Yeah…”
I take his hand and pull him along beside me on the pavement. I can’t imagine why he doesn’t think he can skate. Someone with his training should have an innate sense of balance.
*However, he can’t seem to find his,* I reflect a few moments later. He is sitting o the pavement again, skates splayed. It’s quite a picture.
I bite back my impulse to laugh because it would offend him, and instead pull him to his feet once more. It puts us rather close… My face is hot and probably as red as his.
There is a flash.
Tomoyo says merrily, “I just couldn’t resist! You looked so kawaii together!”
We glance embarrassedly at each other and move apart (upon which Syaoran-kun falls down again because he can’t skate backwards).
“Tomoyo-chan, why don’t you let me keep the camera a while?” Eriol-kun says with a smile. “Then you won’t have to worry about it when you skate.”
Semi—reluctantly Tomoyo hands over her beloved camera and Syaoran and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Domo, Eriol-kun,” I say quietly.
“Many thanks, Hiiragizawa,” Syaoran mutters.
We are quiet so Tomoyo doesn’t hear.
“No problem,” Eriol-kun replies with a small bow. “I know that Tomoyo-chan can seem a bit… overwhelming at times.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Tomoyo protests, catching the end of his statement. She pretends to knock him upside the head.
“Hey!” he protests good-naturedly.
She skates off laughing and he chases her.
“They’re in love,” I say softly, and a bit wistfully.
Syaoran mumbles something about them deserving each other from his place on the pavement.
“They’re lucky,” I say, a bit admonishingly. “They have plenty in common…”
“Like what?” Syao-kun inquires curiously.
“Well, uh… Actually, almost the only thing they have in common is an enjoyment of torturing us.” I sigh and sweatdrop.
Syaoran sighs too. “Too true… Now, are you going to show me how to skate or not? You’re not a very good teacher…”
“Hmph,” I say good-naturedly and pull my silly friend to his feet (not so close this time). “Now, just like this…”
To be continued...