Chapter One

"Where are you? Sakura!"

Sakura heard her friends calling, but she couldn't bear to see anyone right now, she turned the corner and slammed into the doors that led outside. She bolted around the side of the school, right around to the back. Finally, she collapsed onto the floor. She waited for the tears to stream down, but they weren't coming.

"Come on." She pleaded with herself, choking. Nothing came.

"Ugh!" She threw her fist into the brick wall, and quickly recoiled, looking at her fist. She'd left her rings on, a drop of blood oozed over her hand. She swiped it across her pants and then pulled her legs into her body, wrapping her arms around them. Her hand was throbbing but she ignored it.

Who knows how long she was sitting there before her friend Li came around the corner.

"There you are." He sat down beside her.

"What?" She asked.

"Are you alright?"

Sakura shook her head vigorously.

"You know they're all looking for you. You have to go back and sing the last song." He rubbed her shoulder.

"Tell them to sing it without me." She whispered.

"No." He shook his head, "Come on." He got up and offered her his hand. She knew there was no winning this, they'd all find her sooner or later, they were probably all looking still. She could finish after, she had to be strong.

"Fine." She grunted, reaching for his hand with her non-injured one.

He led her back into the school and into the gym, where she quietly returned to her seat in the choir. "Are you alright?" Her friend Crystal whispered. She just nodded curtly.

"And now the choir..." Sakura barely heard the announcement, she just got up mechanically with everyone else. She sang her heart out though, she loved singing, she could see all the choir members were trying to get her more upbeat, so she pretended to go along with it. She smiled, laughed, and sang. She guarded her eyes so no one would see what she was truly feeling. The second she hit the last note of the song, she bolted for the door again. She ran outside the same way, this time the tears did stream down her face, because the last thing she saw as she ran out was his hand brush across her face.

"Sakura!"

Sakura took a sharp intake of breath, she recognized the voice - Crystal.

"Sakura wait! Please."

Sakura stopped running and turned on her heel. The tears were flowing over her chin now.

"Oh Sakura I'm so sorry." Crystal cried and she ran up to Sakura, wrapping her arms around her. Instantly Sakura leaned all her weight onto Crystal and sobbed into her shoulder. That's when Chi and Emmett came around the corner. Emmett was Crystal's boyfriend. They all group hugged around Sakura as she cried until there were no tears left. It must have been at least fifteen minutes.

"I need some space now, guys." She whispered to them, "But thank you."

"We can't leave you," Crystal said, putting her arm around Sakura, "What if they walk by?"

"They" were Jordan and Kristen. Jordan was the boy Sakura loved more than any other, unfortunately so did Kristen. Jordan decided to ask Kristen out, and now they were a cute couple. It drove Sakura crazy, especially since her and Jordan were supposed to be friends, but he didn't always treat her that way. On top of it all, he always talked to her about Kristen, it was enough to kill a girl.

"Follow at a distance then, I need space." Sakura's voice was barely audible and it cracked because she was dried out from the crying. She boldly stepped into the school, barely aware of Crystal and Emmett following her. She ran up the stairs and collapsed on the floor. Her parents were downstairs, she couldn't stay there. She just sat and thought.

He had told her so much, she thought so highly of him. He always made sure she was around, and as long as he wanted it that way, she'd stay, no matter how much he hurt her. But, he didn't always treat her like a friend, he said one thing and did another. He didn't pay any attention to me tonight she thought to herself, and it killed her.

At that moment, Crystal was at her side, hand pressed firmly on her shoulder. Sakura knew what was coming, her eyes looked up and she saw Jordan and Kristen walk by. He looked at her, and so did Kristen, but he said nothing. He looked so happy.

Sakura could feel the pain in her chest. Her heart was surely going to pop out of her chest, shatter into a million tiny pieces. She cried again, sobbed this time. Surely everyone in the building would hear.

Crystal was saying something to her, but she didn't hear it. All she could hear was Jordon's ringing laughter, his voice that was soft as music. She's jealous of me, he said so, she thought to herself, so that's why she stared at me. But why him? Why wouldn't he say hi? It was too much.

Then she remembered the look on his face, when, just before the performance, she asked to take a picture with him. That look was ridiculous, it was like stabbing a knife through her already damaged heart. Those piercing blue eyes cut through her like arrows. She clutched her chest with one hand, and with the other pushed Crystal away. "No." She whispered.

The mistake was that she pushed Crystal away with her injured hand. Sakura looked up at Crystal and instantly saw the horror flash across her face. Crystal's eyes flitted from Sakura's face to her hand and back again. She had let Crystal into her soul, into her sorrow. I must look so hurt she thought and my hand must look worse thanI thought... She tried to lighten her face for Crystal's sake, but to no avail. "Your hand." Crystal gasped, then, taking it in both of hers and lightly brushing her fingers across it. Sakura pulled her hand away, slowly. "It's nothing." She whispered. Crystal seemed to realize she would get nowhere right now, as she nodded slowly, and turned the corner. Sakura knew she'd wait there with Emmett until Sakura was ready to be near friends again.

Kristen walked by then, alone, and Sakura couldn't help but look up slightly. Kristen looked the other way the second Sakura looked at her, but when Sakura averted her eyes down, she felt Kristen's gaze seep through her. I wonder where Jordan is? She wondered to herself, her heart longing for him.

She must have sat there at least another 20 minutes before she heard footsteps. Footsteps that sounded all too farmiliar and bouncy, but she wouldn't let her hopes up. What hopes? She snorted to herself, not like he cares anyway.

She couldn't help but look up, though. That's when their eyes met.

"Sakura?" Jordan's eyes widened, and he walked to her side.

I won't cry, she screamed in her head.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, sitting himself down beside her.

"Get away from her you freak!" Crystal was standing in the middle of the hall pointing at Jordan.

"Like you don't know what's wrong, you pathetic, foul..." She was stuttering now, her anger cutting out her words. Emmett came behind her and placed one hand on each shoulder trying to soothe her, but glared at Jordan all the same.

"What?" He looked truly confused, and the look of despair on his face was too much.

"It's o-okay, Crystal. Just wait for me there." Sakura attempted to get out, while choking back tears.

Crystal's and Emmett's gaze softened under Sakura's hurt expression. Crystal nodded and waltzed back to her corner. "I'll hurt him if he does anything to you." Emmett whispered to me before he followed his girlfriend.

"What are they talking about?" Jordan asked me, his blue eyes wide in confusion.

Sakura sighed. "They're talking about you."

"Me?" He looked taken aback.

Sakura nodded slowly.

"I did this...to you?"

Sakura nodded again, the tears were welling up in her eyes once more.

"I don't understand..."

"Because I love you," she breathed, "but you don't love me."

And she let the tears overcome her again, even though she said she wouldn't. Jordan looked akward for a moment, but then he pulled her into his shoulder and let her cry herself dry for the second time that night.

"You love me?" He asked her quietly.

She nodded once.

"Alot?"

She nodded again.

"I see." He looked off into the distance.

"I want you to be happy," Sakura whispered so quietly that Jordan had to lean in to hear her, "So I'm fine if you're with her, but please don't act lovey-dovey in front of me. And please, treat me like a friend if that's what you say we are." She looked into those deep blue eyes, and saw comprehension dawning on Jordan's face. Then remorse.

"I'm sorry." He said to her, and hugged her tightly.

Sakura felt a searing pain in her right hand as he hugged her this time, and realized it was sandwhiched between her chest and his. She took in a sharp intake of breath.

"What?" He asked, pulling his head back.

She tried to move her hand across swiftly, so he wouldn't see, but he caught her movement and grabbed her hand. His blue eyes turned the most pale she'd ever seen them, and they widened. The light glistened off them as they shone, it looked like he was close to tears now. "What happened?" The breath whooshed from his lips.

"Nothing." Sakura whispered.

"What happ-ened?" he pronounced each syllable through gritted teeth.

"I...I punched the wall." Sakura hung her head.

"Why?"

"Because, I was frustrated and hurt." Sakura mustered up the courage to look into those pale blue eyes as she said it.

"I can't believe I hurt you so bad..." He sounded so sorry, it killed her even more. "I really am sorry. I'll be more of a good friend, I promise, I never want to see you like this again."

"I forgive you." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him.

He held her for a while, and her breathing steadied.

I hope this lasts...She thought to herself as she let her eyelids flutter shut, while resting in his arms.

Reviews

[Peggy Gildon]

Okay now I have the beginning and a wonderful start to this adventure I am coming along to see what happens next. I am very interested. I already have pictures in my mind about what Sakura looks like and what Jordan looks like. The school the hallways out the doors and around back. Beautiful writing.

[Ally]

WOW is all I can say... I can't wait to read the rest nicole!!!! :D beautiful work, I love the writing! Emotions are excellently portrayed, very few grammatical or verb mistakes so I will give it full marks :) lol amazing work sweetie!