Card Captor Sakura 1. Chapter 1

Behind It All

Summary: It was no big deal, moving schools. She'd cope with it just as she'd coped with everything else life had thrown at her. And if the guy next to her in class was cute, then it was no business of hers; she was there to prove her mother wrong, nothing else.

Disclaimer: this is a story of my own invention. It is for entertainment purposes only and is not purported or believed to be part of CLAMP's official story line. All recognisable characters herein are created and owned by CLAMP; I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Cardcaptor Sakura.

Chapter 1

Tokyo High was not so different from Seijuu. Sure, the structure was more impressive, and the student population far larger, but really, as she said, it wasn't so different. It was still the same routine; the same subjects and the same few cliques that dominated the school, which, as Sakura had recently discovered, seemed to be a running trend among high schools. Even from where she was now, she could spot the stereotypical 'nerds' by the tables, the cheerleaders and jocks by the benches; and the 'Goths' by the toilets just at the edge of the courtyard, partially hidden by the shadows of the adjacent wall.

She shook her head and continued towards Block C where her homeroom supposedly was. She couldn't understand it. Even after years of school attendance, Sakura didn't see what the fuss about being part of the 'right' social clique was. Kasumi had warned her of course, explained how important it was to form the 'right' connections with the 'right' people so she could enjoy the "maximum benefits of high school life", but Sakura had assumed that it was just her sister being irrational yet again. She'd assumed the obsession with cliques was something that was particularly emphasised at Seijuu High, and had never really considered that her old school had just been part of the norm.

She'd just entered the building and was now counting down the room numbers to where the timetable indicated she was supposed to be. Around her, she could hear the high pitched shrieks of students greeting each other for the first day of term and the excited exchange of holiday stories and getaways as they hurried to change into their school slippers.

There! Sakura finally spotted the room and slipped in after the previous person before they slid the door shut.

It was everything, yet nothing at all as she'd expected. The room and atmosphere was almost identical to that of Seijuu, sans the familiar faces, and yet Sakura was disappointed. There had been a part of her, however small, that had hoped this would prove to be a new experience; something exciting and challenging, though she supposed it was probably better this way. Normal meant boring; and boring meant no distractions, and extra time to focus on what she'd come here for.

With this in mind, she straightened her shoulders and held her head higher as she moved past the groups of students towards the back of the classroom where she could spot an empty seat by the window. She had only just settled down when a figure stopped before her and cleared their throat loudly.

"Excuse you, new girl, you can't sit there; that seat belongs to Syaoran."

Sakura looked up to see the owner of the haughty voice and saw a girl her age scowling down at her. She had to admit, with her thick black ringlets and evenly tanned skin tone, the girl would have been rather pretty, were it not for the too heavy makeup. Oh, and her dire need of a personality check.

Behind her, she could see two other girls a few steps away, leaning on the desks and giggling to themselves as they glanced in her direction.

Ugh.

Why couldn't there ever be a school where everyone just played nice?

She glanced back at the girl who was not so pretty after all, and saw her tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the 'new girl' to answer her.

Sakura sighed. Whatever. She would give in just this one time so she could at least have the clear conscience of mind that she'd tried to be the bigger person, and had attempted to avoid trouble on her first day. She packed her things and moved to sit at the next table over, when the girl cleared her throat yet again.

"Sorry new girl, you can't sit there either; I sit next to Syaoran."

At this, the un-pretty girl smiled smugly to herself then moved to point towards the front of the class, "Maybe you can sit there instead, I'm sure the teachers will love you."

Sakura stared at the un-pretty girl, flicked her gaze to the front where she was pointing - the front row middle seats which everyone seemed to be avoiding - then back again and raised an eyebrow.

"The perceptions of the teachers are no concern of mine. Since you seem to hold their approval in such high regard however, I'm sure those seats are perfect for you." And with that, she placed her books with slow deliberation on the table; pulled out the seat, taking great care to scrape the feet of the chair against the floor as loudly as possible, and sat down.

She stifled a laugh when she saw Unpretty begin to turn a most unbecoming shade of pink and stamp her foot on the floor, her heels clacking against the tiles.

"How dare you, you new bi-"

"Move."

The single, softly uttered word was enough to halt Unpretty mid sentence and Sakura tilted her head slightly to gain a view of who it was that could shut the chit up so effectively.

It was a boy, fairly tall from the looks of it, with thick, brown hair adorning his head. If there was one striking feature about him though, Sakura would definitely say it was the eyes. While they were now glaring at Unpretty, willing her to move out of his way, they were an intense shade of brown, unlike any Sakura had seen before. In fact, she would go as far as to call it amber rather than brown. No, definitely amber.

"Li! It's so good to see you! How was your break? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to block your way it's just that this new girl over here took your seat and I told her to move out of the way because it was yours, and so she moved to the seat next to yours, but then I told her that.."

Her voice was shrill and Sakura quickly tuned her out. Li? So Unpretty didn't dare call the guy by his first name to his face did she? Sakura curbed another urge to cackle madly and ducked her head to hide her smirk. This was too good.

The man in question looked down at the new girl Aiko was talking about, and saw the girl duck her head to hide what seemed to be a smirk. Syaoran shook his head, and took his seat, ignoring the angry female before him. Perhaps the new girl would think before she did anything next time. From the look on Aiko's face, the girl had found herself a new enemy.

Sakura's shoulders shook as she fought to contain her amusement at Unpretty's face. Perhaps she should point out the fact that 'Syaoran' was no longer paying attention to her and was now looking out the window; and perhaps she should tell her that the class had quietened as the teacher had just entered and was now making his way to the still fuming girl. And perhaps she should warn her that the man did not look too pleased and was now tapping his foot, with his arms crossed, while the rest of the class looked on, whispering and laughing to themselves.

Should she? Nah. Sakura might have tried to be the bigger person, but one dose was enough maturity to last the day. Unpretty had brought this upon herself, and who was Sakura to deny the girl her just reward?

Kinomoto Sakura letting some chit of a girl get the best of her? Hell would freeze over first.

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So, let me know what you guys think!Of course, any constructive criticism is always more than welcome and very much appreciated.

CM


	2. Chapter 2

Dear fellow CCS fans,

I am so sorry for how majorly late this chapter is. I went away for a couple of months and since then, life has been hectic. Furthermore, the initial creation of this story was actually just a whim; a excuse for procrastination, if you will. I hadn't actually properly thought out a plot or planned what was to come, and till now, I still haven't really got it all down. That's not to say that I've got nothing, however. In the past few months, I've been able to plan ahead for the next few chapters during my free time, but I ask that you guys be patient with me. I wouldn't say that writing necessarily comes naturally to me, or that I have a lot of time to spend, but I do love being able to weave stories and images through the power of words.

Life is still pretty hectic at the moment, but I'll try my best to write when I can - no promises on fast updates though. And now, without further ado, here is the second chapter! (sorry for any errors, I haven't had the chance to run an editing comb through it, but I figured I had delayed it for long enogh)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: this is a story of my own invention. This is for entertainment purposes only and is not purported or believed to be part of CLAMP's official story line. All recognisable characters herein are created and owned by CLAMP; I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Cardcaptor Sakura. 

Chapter 2

The morning classes passed smoothly and while the teacher – Terada-sensei, as he had introduced himself – had made her stand before the class to introduce herself, Sakura was glad for the opportunity. She made sure to be clear cut, concise and to the point; enough so, that the majority of the students had been sufficiently intimidated. From what she had observed so far, she had made the right decision. The students appeared to lack concentration and work ethics, feigning a mild interest when the teacher faced them, but losing it the moment his back was turned.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura spotted Unpretty pass a neatly folded note to one of her lackeys, who opened it and giggled. Sakura snorted; perhaps her mother was right after all - she was far too used to private schooling. With the student population nearly double the size of Seijuu, the teacher's here had a far harder time controlling the class. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if many of them gave up trying to actually teach the students.

Terada-sensei though, appeared to be an exception, and Sakura watched in amusement as he plucked the note from the lackey's hand and unfolded it. His brows shot up, above his hairline, as he skimmed its contents and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what it contained.

" Shimidu-san, Kikuchi-san. While I'm sure Li-san will be more than flattered to learn that you wish to," at this, the man paused to glance at the words before continuing, " run your fingers through his thick, chocolate locks, this is neither the time nor the place. Cease such foolery before I'm tempted to disclose the rest of the contents in this note."

It seemed that this was a more than sufficient threat, and the class snickered as both girls turned bright red and hurried to pick up their pens and copy what had been written on the board.

Sakura looked to the table beside her and waited for Li's reaction. The boy seemed unfazed and continued to stare out the window, not bothering to spare a single glance for the situation a few rows ahead. Was this a normal occurrence for him?

Whatever it was, she wasn't sure but she was glad for it, for the class had finally settled. Maybe it was because they didn't want to suffer the wrath of Terada-sensei, or maybe it was because they finally realised the importance of paying attention (though Sakura highly doubted the latter), but not one more note was passed, and there wasn't a student who wasn't diligently taking notes from the board. The teacher nodded in approval and the lesson continued.

When the lunch bell finally rung, Sakura was thankful for it. She hurried to pack her things and moved for the door, but before she could go any further, a boy stepped up. A curious sense of de ja vu swept over her as she noticed a group of, what seemed to be jocks, standing a few meters behind.

"Welcome to Tokyo High, Kinomoto-san. My name is Kobayashi Minoru; it's nice to meet you."

Kobayashi 's smile widened when the new girl nodded in greeting and continued, "I know personally how intimidating our school can be to new comers and understand how displaced you must feel. But don't worry, it would be no trouble at all for my friends and I to help you; it would be our pleasure to show you around."

The broad shouldered boy puffed out his chest and waited for the gratitude that was to come. It was rare that new students were approached by his group and the new girl was most likely struggling to find how to respond in his presence.

To his chagrin, while said girl shook his proffered hand, her next words said otherwise. "Thank you for the offer; you are most kind Kobayashi-san. But I think I'll have no trouble finding my way around."

Sakura smiled at him thinly, then excused herself and moved past the boy and towards the door.

Behind her, there was a moment of stunned silence, then one of the boys let out a loud whoop, "Oh, _burned_!"

It was all that was needed and the rest of the group broke down into raucous laughter, coming up to the frozen Minoru and slapping his back.

Sakura shook her head and stepped out the classroom when she heard a girl comment that "the new girl" had no idea who they were but that she and her friends were more than happy to hang out with them instead. Please, who did they think she was? Sakura was very clear on the fact that she had just turned down what could have guaranteed her rise in social standing amongst the student population.

What they obviously couldn't comprehend though, was that she had no interest in their power plays. It was entirely too complicated and convoluted in her opinion and only ever caused trouble. All she wanted was a nice, peaceful experience at Tokyo High where she could focus on what was really important – her grades.

With that firmly in mind, the girl entered the building which the secretary had pointed out to her as the library in the morning, and breathed in the musty smell of leather bound books and recirculated air. Soft murmuring and the sound of rustling pages surrounded her as her steps were muffled by the carpeted floor. Floor to ceiling shelves were neatly arranged in rows before her and along the walls, and from her position by the entrance, Sakura could see the glass windows which looked over the school gardens. Reluctant as she was, she could not deny that she was impressed, for despite the noise in the classrooms and corridors none of the clamour seemed to carry over to the library.

"Excuse me, do you need any help?" a soft voice asked.

Sakura turned to the side and saw a girl about her age with short, bobbed hair and large round glasses, smiling at her shyly.

"Oh, yes please. I was wondering where I could find books detailing events leading up to the Sengoku Jidai."

The girl's smile widened as she indicated for Sakura to follow her, "No problem! It's just around the corner. I'm Yanagisawa Naoko by the way, are you new here?"

"Kinomoto Sakura; it's a pleasure to meet you." Sakura gave a wry smile, "Am I really that obvious?"

"Oh, not at all! Please don't take offence, it's just that I know nearly all the faces around the school and yours was an unfamiliar one."

They were now between the rows and Sakura could see familiar titles surrounding her.

Naoko smiled as she watched the girl raise her hand to trace the spines of one particularly frail looking tome. It was clear that the new student held a healthy appreciation and love for knowledge; a rarity in itself these days, especially amongst the student population of Tokyo High. When she saw Sakura pluck a book off the shelves and immerse herself in its contents, Naoko quietly excused herself. She was familiar with the excitement that came with finding a new read as well as the annoyance that could accompany any disruptions. She had no doubt that Sakura would become a regular face around the library – she would find another time to speak to the girl.

Sakura looked up from her page and frowned. She had known that the wars had to have been bloody, but the brutality involved in each war through history never ceased to amaze her. And for what? Pride? Status? Land? She knew she was no saint herself, but that didn't mean she couldn't acknowledge the fickle ways of humanity.

The shrill ringing of the bell sounded, signalling the end of lunch and she closed the book with a soft sigh placing it back on the shelf. From the corner of her eye, she spotted someone staring at her and she turned her head, deciding to forego any subtly that was supposedly required for situations like these. Azure eyes caught hers and she quirked an eyebrow. He was a tall boy, with a skin tone that seemed to lack pigmentation, a sharp contrast to the colour of his hair which was so black that Sakura could almost swear there was a tinge of blue to be seen.

She blinked, and the moment was gone. The boy seemed to catch himself and, after a short pause, winked mischievously at her, before making his way to what Sakura guessed, was the exit.

She shook her head, bemused, and continued after him towards the exit. Who was she to question the inner workings of adolescent boys? 

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Thankfully, none of the other teachers deemed it necessary to call Sakura up to the front, so she found her seats at the back of the classes and took notes with quiet diligence.

She sighed in relief when the final bell rang and quickly made her way out the classroom and towards her locker. It was as she was putting her school slippers back that she heard the high pitched voice of Unpretty.

"Li!"

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw the girl run down the corridor, a mere few metres away from where she now stood, and grab Li's arm, causing him to give her a pointed stare, moving his gaze from his arm, the to her face and back again. Unpretty blushed and let go as if burned but continued as if nothing had happened.

"So Li, I was thinking.. Well, that is, there's this new movie out in the cinemas and I thought that since I live close, and you live close, maybe we could go watch it tonight!" Unpretty looked up at him hopefully and stepped closer, this time careful to avoid contact; as if by doing so, the boy would be more likely to agree.

He turned his head and gave her a long look, "it's a school night."

They were passing her now and Sakura quickly turned her head to face her locker so she would pass unnoticed. With her back to the pair, Sakura noted that Unpretty sounded unaffected, almost as if she had expected such a reply and simply continued with, "then why don't we study together? You could come over my house, it'd be fun. My mum's out tonight so we would have the whole house to ourselves.." she trailed off towards the end and tilted her head in a suggestive manner, making it clear to him, and to Sakura, exactly what sort of 'fun' they would be having.

"I'm busy."

Sakura looked up. Li hadn't even bothered turning his head this time and simply disregarded the girl as he walked out of the building, closing the conversation. Unpretty stood there, her mouth hanging open, and stamped her foot in fury, before spinning around and stalking past Sakura towards the opposite end of the corridor.

Sakura snorted. That Li guy sure knew how to handle advances from girls didn't he?

She shook her head in amusement, closed her locker and exited the building. Summer was at its peak and Sakura felt the heat hit her the moment she stepped out. The hot season was acceptable – it allowed for trips to the beach and basking in the sun, but Spring was definitely her favourite. The joy she felt at seeing new flowers blossom, especially cherry blossoms, could not be compared to, and the weather was much more mild and pleasant. In comparison, she could already feel the moisture beginning to build up underneath her shirt and she hurried to get home and out of the heat. 

It seemed luck was on her side. She was nearly home and it had taken her under half an hour with only one wrong turn. She turned at the café, which was situated at the corner leading into her street, and made for her apartment block. It was the only one on a street otherwise filled with houses and the thought of sleep made her smile.

The sound of running feet behind her caught her attention and Sakura turned to see a little boy chasing a red ball. Acting quickly, she caught up to the ball with ease and picked it up before it could roll onto the road. The little boy reached her a moment later, breathing heavily, and she handed the ball to him without a word.

"Thank you very much," the boy said seriously.

Sakura's eyes softened, "You're very welcome."

She looked around her, and not finding anything, turned back to the boy before her. "Where are your parents?"

The boy's eyes lightened and the intense look faded."Oh, mum's at home. She says she's taking a break from work. I live around here, just over there." At this, he pointed towards one of the bigger houses a few blocks down from her apartment.

Though not overtly big, it was a beautiful two storey house with huge glass windows facing the street and a neat front garden where hours of dedication had obviously been spent. Sakura's attention was drawn back to the boy when he continued speaking.

"You can come over, mum is real nice. Are you new? I've never seen you around here before. Mum says it's polite to invite new neighbours to your house so they feel welcome," the boy gave a serious nod at this and before she could utter a word of protest, he had slipped his hand into her own and was gently pulling her towards his house.

This was definitely not how she had planned her afternoon to play out. Weren't children supposed to be taught stranger danger? For all he knew, she could be a serial killer out to murder him! Not that she was, but it was the principle that mattered.

The boy had stopped and she realised she had reached the house already. This was not good. What would his parents say? Would they think she was some creep out to get their son? Some stalker who-

"Hello!"

Sakura was pulled out of her musings when the white front door to the house was flung open, revealing a young woman who looked to be only in her mid twenties. She was dressed in casual yet elegant attire, and her hair was pulled up in a simple French twist. A soft smile adorned her features and Sakura could instantly see where the boy got his smile from.

"My name is Fuutie, are you new to our neighbourhood?"

Sakura nodded, "Nice to meet you Fuutie-san, my name is Kinomoto Sakura. I hope you don't misunderstand. I was just helping, um.." Sakura paused. Through all his seriousness, the boy had never introduced his name. Fuutie must have picked up on this and she turned to him.

"Kei! You managed to invite someone to our house without first introducing yourself?"

Kei's demeanour changed at once and he flushed, crossing his arms and shuffling his feet.

The woman gave a tinkling laugh. "Sorry for his lack of manners. That's my son, Keiichi. He doesn't usually forget them like this, but then again, he doesn't usually bring home strangers."

Her tone was thoughtful and Sakura tensed at the words, only to be completely thrown off guard when the woman suddenly threw her arms out and hugged her. From his position at her side, Kei gave her a smug smirk as if to say "I told you so".

When she pulled back, the woman exclaimed, "don't worry! I saw everything from my window upstairs. Thank you for helping Kei!"

Sakura blinked at her and smiled weakly. This lady was far too energetic for her to keep up with right now.

Fuutie gave a tinkling laugh and moved to hug her again, "You are too kaiwaii! You must come in, my husband will be home soon; you should stay over for dinner!"

This snapped her to attention and Sakura hurried to reply before it was too late, "Thanks for the kind offer Fuutie-san, but I really must be going. Today was my first day of school and I'm afraid I have a pile of work to catch up on."

"Oh please, no need to be so formal. Just call me Fuutie! Which school do you go to?"

"Only if you call me Sakura," she replied with a warm smile, "I go to Tokyo High."

Fuutie grinned, "I have a brother who goes there! You guys should meet! I'll invite the both of you over sometime so you can get to know each other. I hear he is quite the heartbreaker over there."

And this she gave Sakura a wink, causing her to blush; Kei to give a scandalised "Mum!" and Fuutie to laugh.

Sakura decided it was probably best to leave before the woman came up with any other ideas. "It was nice meeting you Fuutie, but I really best be taking my leave now."She then turned to the boy who had yet to leave her side and ruffled his head, "Thanks for inviting me to your home too, Keiichi-san, and remember to be more careful with your ball next time."

Kei blushed and ducked his head down mumbling something so soft that Sakura had to bend down to hear what he was saying.

"Call me Kei."

Taken aback by his sudden shy behaviour, Sakura could only laugh and nod her head, "Kei it is then, but only if you call me Sakura."

Kei looked up and smiled widely at the girl, "Ok Sakura-nee san. Will you come back?"

Sakura stared at the boy, then turned to look helplessly at Fuutie, who just laughed. "Of course she will! We'll invite Sakura-nee san over another day when she's free."

Said girl nodded, causing the boy to stand back, satisfied, and stood up to take her leave.

"Bye Sakura-chaaann, make sure to come around sometime soon!"

She turned to wave at Fuutie and Kei then continued past the gate and back down to her apartment.

Sakura inserted the new key and twisted, letting herself in to the dark apartment. She deposited her keys on the counter and moved to open the blinds, letting the hot rays of sunlight stream through, before sitting on her study table and flipping through the mail she had collected before she entered.

Junk, junk and more junk. She had been in town for little over a week and it seemed the junk mail had an easier time locating her than her own family. Sakura scoffed. She was about to throw the stack in the rubbish before one letter in particular caught her attention. The envelope was a soft lavender colour and Sakura traced the beautiful, cursive writing with a smile.

She hurried to open it, ripping the envelope and scanning its contents before laying her head on the table with a small smirk. Someone was in for a surprise.

_Dear Sakura-chan,_

_How have you been faring? I hope things with your mum and Kasumi are going better than last I heard from you (which was a very long time ago, I must say!). I will be returning to Japan very soon; how I wish you had been allowed to come with me - I miss my kaiwaii Sakura-chan so much! My mother's company is doing well; so well that she's allowed me to come back to Japan first! I know Au would probably take a belt to you if she realised I was your friend rather than her precious Kasumi's, but couldn't you find some way to cover your tracks and meet me sometime? I haven't seen you in years! _

_Ahhh what am I saying, I just said it myself. Your mum would completely flip. I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I just miss you so much. I've got the most KAIWAII designs that you must try on when we do meet again! I've been so bored recently and I've been saving my designs so that when we do meet again (and we will!), you can model them for me! Ohohohoho!_

_Well that's all from me for now, mother is calling me to greet some clients. Stay safe and remember, you are so much better than those two! That's why your dad loved you best _

_Love,_

_Tomoyo_

_Reviews and constructive criticism make me a happy author and improves my writing! Thank you so much to all of you who left reviews in the previous chapter and added me to their favourites/alerts lists. i read them all the moment i got them, and was able to edit the mistakes pointed out to me, especially Aizawa Li Syauran Vessalius who pointed out my first major blunder with names. Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing and learning more from you guys!_

_CM_


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Card Captor Sakura, Friendship, Romance