Chapter III Tug of War

Tomoyo watched her friend throw out each of the things in his locker carelessly.She sighed.She knew it:Eriol figured out Hermosa's visiting schedule.Fortunately,Hermosa is much smarter than he thought.

"Well?"she asked.

He faced her,visibly disappointed."None."He was about to lock his locker again when Tomoyo motioned to his things strewn on the floor.He slapped his forehead."Shoot!I can't belive there's no letter for me today!"he complained as he threw his things back to the locker.

"Maybe your I-Know-Hermosa's-sked idea is wrong."said Tomoyo.

His eyes lighted up."Maybe you're right!"

She winced.If there's anything Eriol Hiragizawa hates,it's being wrong.But now.."You're really desperate to get a letter huh?Since had she become part of your system?"

Eriol stopped,blue eyes confused."I don't know."

She looked away,guilt brewing in her heart.

He slammed his locker shut and looked down at the floor."I miss her letters already."he whispered sadly.



And that was all that Tomoyo needed to hear to drive her back to her study table and pick her red ballpen up again.She slaved over her letters for hours before calling it a night.



"Eriol,you look so sad."She commented the next day.

He smiled weakly."Stop looking at me like that,Tomoyo,or I might just believe that you are concerned about me."

Tomoyo turned pink."Fine!"She was about to march away when Eriol held her back."Oh please Tomoyo,don't go!Losing Hermosa is bad enough,I can't lose you too!"

She looked at him."So that's why you're sad!She never wrote back to you."

He nodded miserably."I might have frightened the living daylights out of her when I chased her like a madman."

She nodded."Oh yeah,I can still recall those crazed wild eyes of yours that reminded me of that psycho guy in 'Scream'.."

The corner of his mouth twitched."That guy was wearing a mask,Tomoyo.How did you see his eyes?"

She ignored him."I swear,Eriol!Your mouth was frothing and you were sputtering!"

Laughing,Eriol hugged her."Tomoyo,Tomoyo,I can't believe I'm letting you do this to me!Making fun of me just to cheer me up!Thank heavens I have you."

She opened her mouth to ridicule him but instead she said,"You will always have me,Eriol."She looked up at him."Feeling any better?"

His azure eyes twinkled."You have no idea how much."

She pulled him towards the locker."Now let's get Hermosa's letter so I can eat the chocolates already."

"But she's not writing to me anymore!"he protested,but he let her drag him to it anyway.

She opened his locker-she knew his combination because he gave it to her when he started school weeks ago-and out tumbled a bag of chocolate and a cream envelope.

His face lit up like a thousand candles."I..I can't believe it!"He brought the sealed envelope to his lips."Hallelujah!She's back!!"

Tomoyo's face burned."What the hell are you doing?"She grabbed the letter away."Do you have a crush on this Hermosa character or something?"she yelled.

He was speechless,but the colors of his cheeks were doing the talking.

"God,no!"Tomoyo gasped.



That night Tomoyo was pacing restlessly back and forth her room."This game is going too far!I have to stop this now!I have no right to play with his feelings!"She looked at the bouquet of red roses that Eriol gave Hermosa.She screamed."God,help me!!!"

"Tomoyo?Are you OK?"her mother's concerned voice asked from downstairs.

"Yes.Mom!I just..broke a nail."Tomoyo flopped down her bed."I'm going to tell Eriol tomorrow who Hermosa is,by hook or by crook."She smiled devilishly."But first..one last prank."She got out the latest product of her mother's toy company:the Larynx.It can change the user's voice through some adjustments and speaking on its built-in microphone.After adjusting it a little,she dialed Eriol's number.



Eriol was awaken by the sound of the phone ringing.He answered it groggily.

"Hello Eriol."The voice purred on the other line.

At once Eriol perked up,his heart racing."Who's this?"

"This is Hermosa."she replied,breathing heavily on the phone.

Eriol gulped."O-Oh,hi.W-What's up?"

She laughed sexily."Oh nothing much.I just want to..hear your voice.I'm not disturbing your sleep,am I?"

He ran his fingers through his unruly hair."Of course not!H-How did you find my number?"

A little "Hmm" then the voice replied mysteriously,"I have my ways."

"You do?"he squeaked,then cleared his voice."I-I mean,t-that's..good."Her sexy bedroom voice was driving his testosterone level crazy and was electrifying him all over."Listen,I'm sorry if I chased you off when you visited my house."Thank God he was able to produce a coherent sentence!

"Apology accepted,but remember,curiousity kills the cat."she purred some more.

"I'm not a cat."

"Good point."the voice giggled."You are so funny!"

"Everyone always say that."he said.

"Do they?"the voice challenged.

Eriol frowned.Obvously Hermosa knew enough that he was the most straightforward guy in Tomoeda."Who's this?"he asked suspiciously.

"This is Hermosa."the voice said nervously.

"Nakuru,is that you?"Eriol boomed.

"Nakuru?You have a girlfriend already!"exclaimed the voice,aghast.

"Y-You're not Nakuru?"he asked.

The voice sniffed."You should have told me earlier that you already have a girl.Is she that beautiful and smart dark-haired lady you always keep company?"

"N-No,that's Tomoyo.S-She..she's different."he said.

"In what way?"the voice wanted to know.

Eriol himself wanted to know what made his friend different,but he didn't like his heart's answer so he shifted the topic."Look,Hermosa,I want us to meet face to face."

"I.."the voice panicked."I'm not yet ready."

"I'm willing to wait."he replied.

"Thanks,Eriol."

"Hermosa,I like you."whispered Eriol before he put the phone down.



The call had long ended,but Tomoyo's heart was still beating like crazy.It's not because she was almost caught,but because of his parting words.Her face turned hotter as his words echoed in her ears.She tried to block it off by burying her head in her pillow,but she could still hear his voice.

"No,this can't be!"She cried out.

Ugh.She suddenly had a crush on her geeky friend whom she wouldn't name but who's initials are EH.

Ugh.

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