A little something
I thought up while I was having a visit at the Alameda fair last month.
It's separate from the Auction Ahoy series, but follows along the same
kind of lines: I based these stories on personal experience. Sugar alert,
this fic is so sweet it might cause cavities...like I said, I'm a sap for
romances, hehe, S+S all the way!
__________________________________________________________________
The summer hadn't
even started yet, and already Syaoran knew what his plans for the summer
were: an all expense paid trip to the Doldrums. It was like this every
summer, including the ones in Hong Kong. Why did he even bother to wait
through it? Each summer, his hopes would rise, only to be smashed again
as another summer went by without event. This year, maybe he should try
something a little different. Maybe he'd sign up for an after school activity,
like soccer or swimming...or...
" Or maybe you
should go to the fair."
Syaoran looked
up at the person addressing him and found himself caught up in the stern
gaze of his cousin Mei-Ling, and her new best friend, Tomoyo. Once, those
two had been complete enemies, but now they were steadfast friends, practically
inseparable. Mei-Ling used to chase Syaoran, but after seeing it was a
completely hopeless relationship, she took a vow to help Syaoran find the
girl that would make him forever happy. And it looked like this was another
scheme of hers.
" The fair? What
fair?"
" Oh, Syaoran!"
Mei-Ling sighed in exasperation," How could you not know?"
" ..."
" Syaoran, the
county fair is in town, and everyone's talking about it."
" Oh, really."
" We're going
as a small group, and we're hoping you would join us." Tomoyo said hopefully.
" Nah..."
" Tomoyo, let
me handle this. When it come to Syaoran, I know how to sway him." Mei-Ling
said.
Tomoyo stepped
aside, allowing Mei-Ling to step up and grab Syaoran by the shoulders.
" Listen here,
Li Syaoran," Meilin said firmly," if you don't show up, you'll make me
and a certain other person sad. And if we're sad, you can bet Tomoyo won't
be a very happy person. And when she's not happy, things happen..."
Syaoran gulped.
Tomoyo was giving one of those innocent " Just try it" looks, that said
plainly her disappointment would lead to some seriously scary things.
" All right, you've
made your point, I'll go."
Mei-Ling and Tomoyo
exchanged glances of triumph. Tomoyo suddenly piped up.
" We'll rendez-vous
at your house, Mei-Ling. Syaoran."
" What!" Syaoran
started to protest," Oh, no.."
" Either that
or Sakura's house..." Mei-Ling interrupted.
" On, second
thought, my house is fine. How are we going to get there?"
" Don't worry.
That's all taken care of."
" Uh oh." Syaoran
shook his head," I don't like the sound of that."
______
After a satisfying
lunch, Syaoran looked out the door of his quaint home he shared with Mei-Ling,
only to have his jaw nearly dent the floor as it dropped. A limo was pulling
up onto his driveway! Syaoran's mouth was still open when the door flew
ajar with and ecstatic Tomoyo grinning at him.
" Hey, if we want
to go to the fair, we might as well go in style..." Tomoyo laughed, as
Mei-Ling joined her. She'd read his thoughts perfectly.
Syaoran looked
out, and saw Rika chatting with Chiharu and Yamazaki. But, where was Sakura?
" Where's Sakura?"
" Sakura? Oh,
she's not coming." Mei-Ling said as she checked her purse.
" What?! But,
you said, that if I didn't go..."
" You'd make
me and a certain other person sad. Tomoyo. Duh! Who'd you think I was talking
about?"
Syaoran was opening
and closing his mouth like a fish, when suddenly Tomoyo burst out laughing.
" Oh, quit it!
She's in the limo already, honestly, it looked like you were about to pass
out! Can't you take a joke?"
Syaoran frowned.
He was ushered outside, and before he could protest, shoved into the back
thigh to thigh with Sakura. Mei-Ling sat on his right, ever aware of his
insistent pushing away from Sakura. Mei-Ling only answered by pushing Syaoran
closer. Sakura's face was red, and she did her best to ignore the fact
that Syaoran's leg was rubbing up to hers. She could feel the warmth of
his skin through his pant leg, and it was a little disconcerting.
Rika, Chelsea,
Yamazaki, and a bodyguard sat in the seats facing theirs, and Tomoyo was
up front. They were all aware of Tomoyo's plan at matchmaking, but ignored
it - playing along. This was Tomoyo's doing, and if something went wrong,
they wanted nothing to do with it.
______
" We're here!"
Everyone's eyes
went wide as they looked out. In the distance, they could just make out
the ferris wheel and over there...
" All right, everyone.
This is how it goes. For the first hour or so we'll group, but after that
we'll split into smaller groups and do separate things, k? Last we'll meet
at the center pavilion for the final show."
" Yeah!"
" Okay. First
stop, tickets!"
Sakura's face
fell.
" Tickets, I didn't
know we had to buy tickets!"
" Don't worry,
its my treat."
" What? But,
look at these prices!" Sakura motioned to the little handpainted sign.
" Hey, I'm rich
remember? Relax!"
Sakura calmed
down a little. They walked from the ticket booth towards the metal detectors.
" Don't want some
nutcase trying to ruin everyone's good time."
Each went through,
with Yamazaki babbling about metal detectors used by pickpockets.
" Where should
we go first?" Tomoyo exclaimed.
There were so
many things. What to do...what to do...
" Oh, look, how
cute! Swans!" Sakura cried.
" Let's go see!"
Sakura rushed
over to an area thick with the odor of fowl. In a large pen with a beautiful
little pond, were two swans one white, the other black. The black one let
out a low rumbling honk, countered by the shrill answer of the white.
" Oh, look! They're
hugging!"
Syaoran watched
as they twined necks. It was as if they saw no one, but each other. His
daydreams were interrupted by Mei-Ling.
" Syaoran, look,
geese!"
Mei-Ling knew
it was a mistake the minute she'd said it. She cursed as Syaoran's bubble
was burst and looked at Tomoyo helplessly.
" Don't worry.
We can fix it later. Doesn't matter, as long as its not in the middle of
my video. For now, look for another opportunity." She whispered reassuringly.
Sakura was kneeling
next to a cage with green netting around it. Inside a splendid adult male
peacock rested in the hay bed provided. Nearby, the peahen rested as well,
the heat of the afternoon wearing them out. As she watched, the most splendid
thing happened: the peacock slowly rose up, and in a breath-taking display
of colors fanned its silver green plumage, with the yellow eyespots at
the tips. Each pigment stood out brightly against the green of the netting,
and Sakura was taken by surprise. There were oohs and aahs from her friends.
" They say," Yamazaki
entered," that if a peacock fans its tail for you, it means your true love
is nearby."
Sakura wondered
if that was true, and looked up. Syaoran stood beside her, and she felt
a flush.
" Ooh!" Mei-Ling
squealed.
" What?"
" Chicks!"
Mei-Ling poked
a finger into the cage, petting one of the chicks fleetingly before mother
hen came to complain.
" Look!" Rika
cried," Rabbits!"
All the girls
in turn rushed to admire the two snow white bunnies in their pen when Chiharu
gasped.
" There's more!"
Indeed, an entire
half of one of the buildings had been devoted to rabbit hutches containing
every color and texture possible: white, brown, gray, black, calico, siamese
pattern, short fur, long fur, curly fur...
The other side
was dominated by chickens. Eriol walked up to one cage, and stroked some
of the soft feathers sticking out.
The air inside
the building was stale, but they didn't care. So many cute furry, feathery
friends! A man who was in charge of this area, went around spraying the
animals lightly with a spray bottle to relieve them of the afternoon heat.
Chiharu giggled as one of the rabbits she watched opened its mouth in a
huge lazy yawn.
" There's still
more to see!" Prompted Tomoyo," Come on!"