i've come to a realization:

no one can make me smile the way you do

-Amertie (Deviantart)

Chapter One:

MAY

Tomoeda:

"SAKURA-CHAN WAKE UP!!" Kero screeched in Kinomoto Sakura's ear. If she didn't wake up soon she would be late for school...again.

"Mmm hmm…. Just another minute, Kero," Sakura mumbled. She turned over away form the window where Kero had just opened and sighed. Kero gave up and sat down next to Sakura.

"Come on, Sakura, what's wrong?" Kero asked concerned. He flew over Sakura and tried to push her out but Sakura was too big. "Really now. You're over reacting."

Finally, Sakura got out of bed rubbing her eyes as she said, "He's not going to be there again…. I just know it. Syaoran's not going to be at school."

"Sakura, I don't know why you worry so much about that kid. He can take care of himself and you know that."

"Yea Yea. I know…" Sakura said as she put on her uniform. In the few months since Syaoran's return Sakura had grown her auburn hair out a few inches but it was still short. Sakura combed it out and pulled a little bit on the top of her head back. She tied her hair together with a pink ribbon, checked her refection in the mirror, and ran downstairs to where her brother and father sat at the kitchen table eating.

Sakura ran out the front door and was immediately caught by her brother Toya. "Don't you want to eat first?" Toya said as he grabbed her wrist. Toya has always been worriful of his sister and tried to do everything he could to make her happy but sometimes he goes overboard.

"Nah, I'm on cleaning duty at school this week and I'm already late so I really got to go. Bye, Toya-onii san!" Sakura said as she ran out of the yard and down the street.

By the time Sakura got to school she was panting. A girl with long dark hair ran up to her. In the girls hand was a video camera that she often had to videotape documentaries with… if you can call them documentaries. Most of these "documentaries" were videos of Sakura during her Card Captor days, but those were long gone and the girl's favorite subject was still Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" the girl yelled happily as she wrapped her arms around Sakura. Daidouji Tomoyo let go after a few seconds and said, "Sorry but it doesn't look like Li-kun is going to be here today. I wonder if something is wrong. Well, he's probably just sick. Hey, I know we should go visit him today. You know after missing school for so long you would think Li-kun would get lonely."

"Yeah, sure. Good idea Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said.

"Huh? You're going to visit Syaoran-kun? Well, could you take his homework to him?" Chiharu asked. She had just happened to overhear what her two friends were talking about. "It will save me more time with all the work I'm doing around the school and all."

"Sure thing, Chiharu-chan," Sakura smiled. "Oh crap! I have to get going! Bye guys!" Sakura ran into the school and to her classroom where she had to clean. She put her stuff on her desk and turned around to the empty desk behind her and sighed.

~*~

"Okay, Let's go Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said.

"Yay! Finally something good I can videotape! Li-kun will be so happy to see we remembered him too," her eyes turned to stars. Tomoyo went on and on and on and blah blah blah blah blah.

Sakura and Tomoyo were walking down the street that they had so many times before to Syaoran's apartment. "I feel kind of bad we didn't come sooner. Poor Syaoran-kun must have been bored out of his mind," Sakura sighed.

"Yeah, well we all thought Li-kun would be back soon and after a few days, we kind of just thought he would come back the next day till two weeks had passed," Tomoyo tried to comfort Sakura without much success. Sakura just felt horrible that she had forgotten Syaoran.

Finally, the two girls reached Syaoran's apartment and Tomoyo knocked lightly on the door. They waited for a while and no one came. Tomoyo knocked again a little harder. They waited a bit longer and still no one came. Tomoyo continued to knock quite annoyingly hard.

It was strange for Syaoran not to notice that someone was at the door. "Maybe he's sleeping…" Sakura said not feeling too good at the moment. She moved up and began to bang on the door. "HEY SYAORAN! ARE YOU IN THERE!" She shouted.

"If you're looking for the boy he left a while ago," a man said. His hair was a shocking blonde and he was wearing a dark pinstripe suit.

"Oh…um, well, I guess we'll wait," Sakura told the man.

The man in the suit shook his head. "That's not what I mean. He left one night with a few bags and got in a taxi. I assumed he was leaving, didn't think he would go and not tell anyone, he has friends after all, seeing you two."

"What?" Tomoyo said with a puzzled expression.

"You mean Syaoran isn't here?" Sakura asked dumfounded. Surely Syaoran would tell her if he was going to leave wouldn't he? He did care about her right? "Do you think he might have gone back to Hong Kong?" Sakura asked Tomoyo. Tomoyo shrugged because to be honest she had no clue.

What is going on with Li-kun? Tomoyo thought. Wouldn't he tell Sakura is he was leaving? After all, I thought they were inseparable.

"Uh, okay then, sorry to bother you," Sakura said fast. She walked briskly back down the road. When she was a block away with Tomoyo falling behind she stopped. "Tomoyo-chan, you don't think he really went back to Hong Kong do you?" She already knew the answer deep in her heart but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Sakura…" said Tomoyo.

"Well, never mind. He'll probably come back soon. He must miss his family a bit, you know," Sakura said trying to stay positive. "Uh… Tomoyo-chan it is late you probably have to go home, don't you…"

"I'll stay if you want me too. I'm sure okaa-san won't mind. I'll just call her up-" Tomoyo began.

"No you should go home. I'm tired anyway…. Bye Tomoyo-chan, see you tomorrow." Sakura said cutting Tomoyo off.

"Alright…" Tomoyo said. She bit her lip. Sakura was obviously depressed and she wanted to help. And no matter how much of a good scene this was she would never bring out her video camera at a time like this. She had more respect for Sakura than to do that. Tomoyo turned around and pulled out her cell phone. She called her driver to come pick her up: her mind was swirling around too much for her to notice where she was going anyway.

Sakura went inside and watched from the window until she saw Tomoyo get into her car and drive away. Sakura sighed and went up to her room.

"Sakura! You're back late! What took you so long, I'm hungry!" Kero continued to complain as Sakura went over to her bed and collapsed on it. "What's wrong?" Kero asked when he realized Sakura wasn't very happy.

"Nothing," she mumbled into her pillow. "I'm going to bed."

"What? But it is only 7:30," Kero complain. Finally he dropped it and laid down next to Sakura, who turned her face away from him. His stomach grumbled but he ignored it. I'll eat more tomorrow, Kero thought as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Sakura meanwhile, stayed up till three in the morning till it really hit her. She would not see Li Syaoran again. Sakura sat up and stayed there for a while with wide eyes till she finally blinked, tears streaming from her eyes.

Things Will Get Better I Know It