The colorful eaves started to fall from the trees. So ever lasting, falling one by one. It was not a surprise to Sakura. She had seen leaves come and go from the trees every autumn, but they always returned again.

The trees had an everlasting beauty about them. Something about them made all the difference. Sakura watched a leaf flutter to the stone white pathway. The pathways were filled with brightly colored leaves of red, orange, brown and mainly an illuminating yellow. The leaves kept falling gracefully, making their way to the ground. Sakura remembered her mother telling her a story when she was very young, that if someone caught a falling leaf then that person would be granted true happiness. Sakura didn’t feel like roller-blading that day. She usually did. It wasn’t icy or anything, no. She just felt like admiring the beauty of the autumn scenery. School would be out in a few days for fall break. Everyone was talking about the Halloween dance. Sakura had just entered grade seven and to her great excitement she finally got to participate in school dances! She was overjoyed when she heard there would be a dance!

Sakura rounded the corner and walked towards her comforting house, deep in thought. Not watching where she was going, she bumped into Touya on her way in. “Hey! Squirt! Open your eyes for once and maybe you won’t be as clumsy as usual. Oh, wait! Your eyes are open!” Touya teased.

“Onii-chan! Why do you have to be so mean? I was just thinking about the dance because it’s my first dance and I’m kind of, of, of nervous.” Sakura replied nervously. “Oh! Your very first dance! Who you going to dance with? What are you going to wear?! Hmmmm???” Touya teased with a grin. Sakura blinked with confusion at what Touya said before she yelled back, Touya stop it! You’re confusing me! Sakura yelled back rubbing her head to help her think faster.

Touya just kept laughing at Sakura until she stomped up to her room with at most anger. She couldn’t help thinking about Touya’s questions. The more she thought, the more nervous she got. I’ll ask kero about it! That’s it! He’ll probably know about stuff like this! I have known Kero for so long. I can talk to him about anything. Sakura thought confidently.

“Kero! I’m home!”

“Got…to…beat...high...score!” Kero shouted out with fire burning in his eyes.

“Kero, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it Sakura?” Kero asked after a cruel loss on the game console. “Well, the dance is coming up and I don’t know who I should dance with and what I should wear, do you think you could help me?”.

“Well, why don’t you dance with that lone brat kid?”

Sakura started to stare off and blush extremely red while taking her off her jacket.

“Maybe…I love Syaoran, but I’m too nervous to ask him and I’m not a really good dancer.” Sakura replied nervously.

“Sakura, don’t worry about it! A dance is all about having fun! Just relax, you’ll do great kid! Don’t worry” Kero reassured her.

Sakura smiled at Kero. She wouldn’t know what she would have done, if she hadn’t met Kero. Kero had guided her through thick and thin and even in personal issues he knew just what to say. Overcomed with joy Sakura hugged Kero, almost squishing him.

“Hey! Kid, don’t kill, okay?” Kero squealed.

“Sorry Kero, I just got carried away.” Sakura beamed.

“It’s okay Sakura. So, when is this dance anyway?”

“Umm, today I think.”

“So did you decide what you are going to wear?” Panic rushed through Sakura. Clothing?! I don’t know what to wear! She thought astounded. Sakura turned her head to look at the clock. 6:00pm. The dance started in an hour! Sakura had to pick the perfect outfit and fast. She rushed over to her closet and opened it as fast as lightening. Sakura searched through her closet with at most speed. Skirts, dresses, shirts, blouses’ how could she pick?! Sakura saw many different outfits. A pink puffy dress with leather shoes. Too tacky. A green skirt with a pink shirt? No, not the right colors! After numerous combinations of clothing tossed on the floor she finally decided. A cute short skirt and white blousse would be perfect for the occasion. It was already six-thrity when she finished and remembered she still had to eat supper. She hurried downstairs with butterflies in her stomach. For supper her father made fried rice omlettes with buck wheat noodles on top, Sakura’s favorite. Unfortunately, Sakura had eaten her supper faster than usual and didn’t have time to enjoy the meal. In the entrance was Touya, doing up his sneakers and putting on his fleece jacket. Touya was going to his night evening shift at his job, so he would give Sakura a ride.

“Have a good time you two!” Sakura’s dad called while waving to Sakura and Touya .

“We will!” Touya called back as he opened the door for Sakura and closed it behind him.

Outside, on the way to the school, Touya decided to scare Sakura a little bit while turning a corner on his bike.

“Hey, Squirt. Did you know, if you dance with someone that immediately means a ghost will come after you?” Touya explained with a smirk on his face.

“Really? Touya, are you serious?”

“Yeah, totally. So remember, don’t dance with anyone, okay?”

“Um, okay.” Sakura said while gulping hard with a serious look on her face.

In the gymnasium it was packed with people dancing, talking and listening to the music. There were lasers and lot’s of flashy multicolor lights zooming around in whole gymnasium. The j-pop music was up really loud, people could barely hear each other. Sakura was sitting in the corner of the gym staying there for the first half of the dance, trying not to make eye contact with any of the guys or get trampled on.

“Sakura? What’s wrong? Why aren’t you dancing with Syaoran -kun?” Tomoyo asked.

“Well, Touya told me that if I dance with a guy, it means a ghost will come after me!” Sakura replied worryingly with a scared face.

“That’s not true, Sakura! Touya was just teasing you again,” Tomoyo said reassuringly.

“WHAT?! So that was just a joke?!”

“Yep.”

“Oh! I wasted all this time lying around when I could have been having a great time!! What am I going to do now?! What am I----“

“Sakura, wanna dance?”

Sakura looked up and saw Syaoran standing there, arms outstretched to dance with her. Sakura blushed as red as a beat and replied, “Yes.”

Sakura put her arms around Syaoran’s smooth neck and slowly swayed to the slow beat of the music. She felt Syaoran’s delicate arms around her and she thought nothing could go wrong. Everyone around her seemed to fade away and it felt that all that mattered and all that was there was them. It was like someone had showed her the way to true happiness and love. It felt like heaven.

Sakura kept dancing. She wished it would never end. All of a sudden, Sakura became aware of something. It wasn’t a Clow card, it wasn’t clow, it wasn’t magic. It was still danger. After a few seconds, she knew exactly what it was. She had danced right into the punch and snacks table. Shoaran was covered with punch and Sakura was lying on the floor with cookie crumbs all over her. Her dress was splattered with punch stains and crumbs sticking to it. She was soaked with punch from head to toe. Syaoran was rubbing his head from pain and brushing off all the sugary candy that had fallen on him. Sakura looked around and saw all these people looking at her, all were trying so hard not to laugh at her akward postion. Sakura couldn’t take it. She picked herself up, dusted herself off as quick as possible and headed for the gym doors. She could hear Syaoran, Meilin and Tomoyo calling after her. Sakura had embarrassed herself in front of the whole school. She couldn’t stop running, not until she got far away. She ran outside and to that same pathway she had been that afternoon. The moon was shining so brightly. The sky was clear and lights illuminated the road. The leaves kept falling. Sakura finally stopped. She was out of breath and broken down. Sakura tried to keep it in, tried to be strong, but just couldn’t, she cried salty wet droopy tears, each coming down her face and onto the ground.

“Sakura! Sakura!” Syaoran called after her while running toward her.

Sakura turned around, wiping away the tears.

“Sorry, I ruined this dance for both of us.” Sakura apologized face full of disappointment, her face all red and messy with big drippy tears running down her face.

“No, you didn’t. I should have watched where I was going.” Syaoran assured her, face full of concern

Syaoran took Sakura’s hands away from her face. “Sakura, don’t cry. It was an accident She stared at her hands in disappointment. A few minutes passed and nothing happened. All of a sudden a light breeze came along and a single leaf floated gracefully down to her hand. Sakura instantly remembered what her mother had once said about catching a falling leaf, that it would grant true happiness Sakura looked up at Syaoran with a smile on her face. The two leaned towards each other. They both looked at each other’s eyes, thinking the same thing. They both knew they loved each other and that no matter what, nothing would take them apart. Sakura and Syaoran knew they would always have each other and no matter what, they’d always be togheter.

“I love you, Syaoran-kun.” Sakura smiled. Syaoran smiled “I love you too, Sakura”

The night was perfect. The place, time: Everything was perfect for their very first kiss.

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