Best Friends - Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don’t own Card Captor Sakura.

Syaoran

…Syaoran strode quickly down the hallway and was so intent on getting away from Jet he didn’t realize he had just stepped into a spare bedroom and its current occupant was looking at him with question in her eyes. He started pacing about the room and started muttering something about ‘unexpected, she didn’t even ask if I wanted to,’ Finally, Sakura could hold it in no longer. She burst out laughing. Anyone who knew Li Syaoran would have prayed for her soul because no one, absolutely no one got off easy after laughing at him. But Syaoran just stared at her. And slowly, began to laugh.

“Ahahahaha…Syao, man you look hilarious.” She gasped.

Suddenly a thought struck Syaoran. He stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. She took the hint and stopped laughing too.

“What’s wrong Syao?” She said quizzically.

“Why aren’t you enjoying the party?” It was then that he noticed how bone tired she looked.

“W-well, I…” Why was she up there? Oh yeah. Cause her best friend’s bitch of a girl friend left to plan the party all by herself. But Sakura was far too nice to even think such a thing. “I’m very tired Syao.” She let her eyelids droop a bit to emphasize her words.

“Oh. Well, you can’t rest here. Come on, I’ll take you home.” Sakura grinned happily and tried to get out of bed but flopped back on the bed, exhausted. Then, without thinking, he picked her up off the bed and got a strange thrill in doing so. She tensed but realized that she was perfectly safe in Syaoran’s arms. Having her in his arms was way more exciting than seeing a totally naked Jet. Little did he know, she felt exactly the same way. Minus the naked Jet part.

Katana

Hearing loud moans and gasping breaths through the wall that separated her room and Jet’s was the last straw for her. She didn’t care if she had to walk, she just had to leave. She snatched up her purse and put on her most comfortable sneakers. She ran down the stairs and almost knocked over a sullen girl holding her drink.

“Oops, I’m so sorry.” The girl turned around, her green streaks swaying with the movement. “Ayisha?” The two girls briefly hugged.

“What are you doing here?” They asked each other simultaneously, and laughed. “Well-“ They both began.

“You first.” Offered Katana.

“Well, Hitoshi was busy knocking back shots with some random guy at the bar and I was completely bored so, I grabbed a martini and was about to leave when you spilled it all over me.” Ayisha summarized.

“Well, I can’t really go far enough on foot and I can’t use the car because of that tree thing and Jet’s got someone in her room,” She moved her eyebrows suggestively. “So, if I rather die of exhaustion trying to leave the grounds than listen to whatever’s going on in that room.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Hey guys!” Exclaimed the ever-bouncy Sakura. Ayisha realized, though that her voice was laced with tiredness. She had known Sakura since grade 5 and they were pretty close, but not as close as her and Syaoran.

Katana’s eyes widened as she saw that Syaoran was carrying her. ‘What the hell?’ She nearly screamed in disbelief. “If that’s Syaoran…” She said weakly.

Ayisha seemed to have not noticed. No one had heard Katana and she didn’t have the strength to repeat it.

“We’re going over to Sakura’s place, wanna come with?” Invited Syaoran.

“Sure, this party’s a drag any ways. No offense Sakura,” Ayisha added quickly.

“It’s cool Ayisha, How ‘bout you ‘Tana?”

Katana could only nod ‘yes’. “What’s wrong?” She said noticing that she was paler than usual. Katana shook her head and shrugged it off. She would tell them later, there were too many unwanted listeners around here.

“Hang on I forgot my purse upstairs.” And she ran up to go get it.

Five minutes and a short car ride later, they were at Sakura’s apartment. She unlocked the door to let her friends in.

“Where’s the food?” Katana said a bit loudly. She hadn’t eaten a thing since this morning as she had refused to come down to the party.

“Shh, you’ll wake up my mom. Speaking of which… I’m gonna go check on her.” And Sakura left, tiptoeing down the hallway as usual.

“Okay, later then.” Ayisha didn’t even notice her friend left because she had found Sakura’s Play Station 2 and started playing ‘Kingdom Hearts 2’ , her favorite game.

“Um, Syaoran, how you weren’t with Jet?” Katana asked. This question reminded Ayisha of Jet’s supposed infidelity. Syaoran however, was kind of oblivious.

He told them that he couldn’t find Jet at the party and Katana accepted this story easily. However, Ayisha heard the hesitation in his voice and was about to question him about to when a loud “HOE!” was heard from Avalon-san’s room.

Katana and Ayisha dismissed as her falling. But Syaoran had known her for longer and he could practically see her panicking. He came running, with the other two not far behind.

“What is it Sakura?” Syaoran demanded.

“M-mom…” They looked at Avalon-san who was having a seizure on her bed, her eyes rolling convulsively.

“Call a freaking’ ambulance!” He yelled at Katana and Ayisha, snapping them out of their reverie. Both girls jumped at his command. Neither of them had seen Syaoran so…frantic before.

Twenty minutes later the ambulance arrived. They strapped Jade to the stretcher and wheeled her out of the apartment. Sakura followed them and Syaoran offered to ride in the vehicle with her, for moral support. She was crying hysterically in his arms, soaking the green sweater he was wearing. He tossed Ayisha his car keys and told Katana to stay far away from the driver’s seat. She rolled her eyes, how did everyone know about that?

Hospital, The Next Day

Sakura sat next to her mother’s hospital bed, her eyes dry. There was nothing left in her to cry, so she sat, emotionless, impassive, beside her mother. The doctors had managed to stabilize her and she was resting at the moment. They had told her that the seizure was due to liver damage. The alcohol had destroyed her liver completely and Jade needed a liver transplant. Sakura resolved to talk to her mother about her habits and rehab when she woke up.

Syaoran stepped in the room followed by Katana, Jet and Ayisha. There were also two unknown people behind them. She didn’t look up, feeling too drained to do so.

“Saki?” Jet flinched at the fact the way he said her name, so full of Love? No! She scolded herself silently. Pity, it’s pity that he’s looking at her with. But she was only fooling herself. She absentmindedly wondered why Sakura had a nickname and she didn’t. Well, her name was already pretty short. Or maybe he didn’t care about her enough.

“What?” Her voice was so monotone.

“There are people here to see you.” She still didn’t look up, preferring to stare forlornly at her unconscious mother.

“How ya doin’ Saku?” Saku? No one called her ‘Saku’ except…

Slowly, she looked up. And found herself staring into a pair of concerned violet eyes. She smiled. “’Moyo!” She said in hushed tones.

She got up to hug her best friend. “What about me?” the second stranger asked, sounding slightly hurt. She turned and met a pair of bright crimson eyes. “Mei Mei!” She addressed Syaoran’s older half-sister and Tomoyo’s best friend.

“Call me Li-san.” She joked.

“Oh, of course. Li-san.” Jet frowned, why didn’t she do that for her?

Mei Lin laughed, “Just kidding. That sounds so stuffy. Mei Mei works much better.” The three of them giggled. While the rest looked on, completely lost. Syaoran cleared his throat. “Maybe we should let them catch up.” And with that, they left. Sakura didn’t even bat an eye in their direction.

After hours of catching up an awkward silence descended upon them. “H-how is she doing?” Tomoyo gestured to Sakura’s mother, who was still resting peacefully.

Without warning, Sakura burst into tears. The two girls rushed to her side, comforting her and drowning her in sisterly hugs. “It’s all my fault.” She gasped between sobs. “I Sh-should’ve s-stopped her.”

“it’s not your fault.” It was a statement. Sakura shook her head brokenly.

“I-it is, I knew the dangers of alcohol, and even though I didn’t tell her to do it, I didn’t even try to stop her. Th-that’s why I’ve decided to donate my liver to her, ‘cause we probably have the same blood type.” She hiccupped. And stopped crying.

“You cant…” came the weak voice of Avalon Jade. Sakura looked at her mom and started crying and hugging her.

“It’s okay mom, the doctor said it’s perfectly fine. I’ll be okay.” Sakura didn’t want her mother worrying about her.

“It’s not that it’s…” She pauses to look at Sakura’s companions. Tomoyo and Mei Lin. They could be trusted. “You’re not my biological daughter…”