A/N: Yes, it is HEAVILY rewritten. I had to take it down because the more I read it the more uh, disgusted I was on how I started it. It took me a LONG time to think on how on earth will I ever get this back up again and here it is! XD Well just the first chapter at least, I'd like to hear what you've got to say about this. For those who've read this before it has been revamped, I am very grateful and I'm hoping this would be worth the wait. ^^,

Disclaimer: Look if I owned this I wouldn't be here writing this, this would actually happen in the series! But sadly I don't own so you don't sue okay?

They were everywhere.

Maybe I'm starting to hate lights. Well my hate is starting to be synonymous to fear which is a little confusing but, I'm pretty sure I'd go for the stronger emotion which is hate. So there, I'm starting to hate lights; particularly the small ones that are bunched up together in order to a form a blinding light called 'flash'. They were everywhere tonight and if I didn't love my manager as much as my mother then I wouldn't be in that party.

Besides they'd have a field day. I can already see the headlines: "Lonely Heiress Alone on New Year's Eve."

Pathetic.

I'm not one for big bang parties and night life glitz. A small family party would've sufficed… A soundless chuckle escaped my throat. Was that an attempt? I sighed. Maybe I should've just dished the last glass of champagne like I mentally agreed on and maybe you wouldn't have to suffer my psycho babble. I say what's on my mind a lot, not just this much; maybe the champagne is really kicking in. If only I listened to my earlier mental agreement then my head would probably still be straight. Well it still is.

I really should've ignored the last glass of champagne.

Then maybe I wouldn't be walking down the street barefoot with my left hand clutching my heels.

No. Me walking barefoot has nothing to do with the champagne, they're just starting to kill me that's all. So in the middle of escaping the really loud hotel party I took them off. Not like anyone would bother anyway. Everyone's out there somewhere with someone too busy to even bother with me. Besides it's the spirit of New Year, everyone should at least welcome it with a bang. I've honestly never done something as silly as this before and I can laugh at it when I wake up tomorrow. Yeah. Everything will be fine.

It was then that I noticed that I've been walking with my head down with my eyes pinned on the dull concrete. I slowly lifted my head and felt the first honest smile of the night tugging my lips. Wow just how tipsy was I? The moment I was able to orient myself the smile on my lips just grew wider. I'm already somewhere downtown! Not that it's a dilemma of some sorts, well it actually is, but what I should really be thinking about right now is where I am going to enjoy the fireworks.

Anyone who can see me now would definitely pin me as tipsy.

What sane person would be blabbering to a sparkling silver ring, with an equally sparkling solitary diamond, when the ring should be wrapped around a finger, and not a replacement for a pendant?

It was a mesmerizing sound.

A mesmerizing but miserable sound.

And it brought me to a trance when it shouldn't have that kind of effect.

It's not supposed to have that sort of effect anymore… at least.

I blinked as I realized that the thing that dropped on the counter was only a bottle cap. It sounded pretty similar to that miserably mesmerizing sound I thought I left before. Thank goodness I snapped back at once before anyone could see the look on my face. Sakura, who surprisingly looks tipsy despite the fact that she's only been drinking cola, looked up at me with a goofy smile, "Eriol-kun! You should stop working behind that counter and join us!" Her short auburn hair had confetti decorated on it but it didn't seem to bother her.

"You know that's the problem with people who are the stick up your ass; they only know how to stay stiff." Another auburn head stuck his head into unwanted business. Judging from the expression on his face he's been holding in his liquor pretty well.

Oh and ignore his earlier comment he's always been the stick up my ass too, with or without the alcohol. "I'd say you're doing a pretty good job yourself Li." I paused as I search the crowd with my eyes for the only person who could prove my point, "In fact I'm pretty sure Touya-san over there would be delighted to share instances with me."

He instantly stiffened and gave me a threatening glare. He was about to retort when Sakura beat him to it and raised her cola bottle, "Guys! A truce alright? Eriol-kun you know that I adore you, and I totally rely on you to keep my brother and Syaoran from killing each other."

"Really? I thought you relied on me to keep you posted on whose winning."

"I'd better be winning those odds Hiiragizawa or you'll-"

"Syaoran!" Sakura's equally aghast voice and expression made Syaoran chuckle while I grinned and shrugged it off. It's amazing how people manage to stick together. I've known Syaoran and Sakura since high school by the way. Most of the people around the café-turned-disco-club are people we've known since high school and some in college. It was Sakura's idea to turn it into reunion kind of thing, so together with old schoolmates are the café's regulars here in this really crazy party. I'm grateful that the music isn't loud enough to the point that we have to shout at each other just to converse.

Syaoran took another swig of his bottle, "So is this everybody? Wow, never really expected people to actually believe the mini-reunion thing."

I picked up another glass and started wiping it dry, "I don't even recognize anyone anymore. Someone came up to me showing pictures of his twins and he was wondering if I'd like to be a godfather."

"You're lucky. One guy, I don't know who he is and I don't ever wanna know, actually asked me if there's any chance that I would 'swing that way'."

I laughed so loud that it startled the other people nearby the counter. Sakura, being the really nice and innocent person she always was, just tipped her head in confusion. Syaoran gave me a droll stare, "You're lucky since the only kick you get out of being asked as a godfather is that it makes you feel old." He took another swig and sighed, "Honestly I hardly know anybody here anymore."

Sakura heavily placed her cola bottle on the counter, "That's the problem with you two! You don't know anyone anymore because you hardly talk to them!"

"That's your job Sakura-san."

"Yeah you're the social butterfly and we're the guards in waiting."

"Come on! You guys are like the gods of our batch! You can whip up a reunion even if you guys announce that it would happen on the streets! Heck, forget batch mates! You guys could probably call out anyone who claimed to graduate from the school!" Chiharu, another auburn head who sports her long hair into braided pigtails, came crashing at the counter sitting next to Sakura.

"Chiharu-chan! How many bottles have you drank already?"

The auburn head in question just laughed, "Don't worry Sakura-chan it's my last bottle I swear. One more bottle and I won't be able to see the fireworks. That aside you two," She raised accusing finger and started pointing back and forth towards me and Syaoran, "What's with your social skills? Don't tell me your guys are anti-social 'cause I won't believe a drop of it," Her dark brown orbs pointedly glared at me, "Especially you Hii-san!"

I shrugged, "It's all about the company I guess."

Syaoran looked slightly offended, "Mihara! Are you saying that my social skills need working?"

"I think what she wants to say is that you should do something about your temper first." Sakura offered Chiharu a high five and she eagerly took it, "Couldn't have said it better myself Sakura-chan!"

He grumbled something incoherent as someone gave him a comforting tap on the shoulder, "You know it really bothers me as to why we can't win against them." Syaoran looked up and gave an appreciative nod, "I ask myself the same question Yamazaki." He sat beside Syaoran and asked me a glass of water.

"You haven't been drinking?"

He laughed and shook his head, "I figured that there should be at least a handful of sane people to clean up later on."

I handed him the glass, "Welcome to the crew."

"I'm not so sure I should thank you for that." He took a few gulps from the glass, "It's going to be a long night after all. Thank goodness Master agreed to open up on the 3rd."

Syaoran downed the last swig of his beer, "Really? You're not pulling my leg are you?"

He grinned, "Well actually I had to let him down a few drinks before he totally agre-"

"YAMAZAKI!" The two women instantly got up from their seats ready to pounce on the poor guy. Master is old enough to be our grandfather after all. After knowing him for so long it makes one aware that anything could happen to the old man. I'm no different from the ladies; I'm considering splashing him with a glass of cold water myself. He instantly raised his hand up in surrender, "Hold it! Hold it! I was just kidding!"

Syaoran had a mischievous smirk sculpted on his face, "You know I've never been able to distinguish your lies from the truth." He said this knowing that it would only rile up the women who are this close to killing him. I swear Syaoran secretly loves watching people squirm.

Yamazaki gave an audible gulp, but he didn't back down. "That's because you're so gullible Syaoran-kun." Syaoran hates being called with "-kun" by anyone other than Sakura. That earned a raised brow from the dark auburn head as he took it as a challenge, "Hiiragizawa, seeing that Mihara is too enraged to tell whether he's lying or not, you're the only one left who can do it. So should I feed him to the ladies?"

It's actually very tempting to say that he's telling the truth though, "Give the guy a break Li, he's lying."

The ladies instantly snapped at me, "You sure?"

Again it's really tempting to say that he's telling truth, "It's the truth ladies, you can sit down now."

They were hesitant at first but they settled down on their seats anyway. Yamazaki held onto his chest as he gave a relieved sigh, "We can never win against them can't we Syaoran-san?"

He smirked, "No, and I like to believe that you can't win against me either. So about opening at the 3rd was that a lie as well?"

He shook his head, "No it wasn't. Rika-san told me earlier and she asked me to tell you guys about it." Sasaki Rika is the Master's granddaughter. This café, The Stargazer, is one of the oldest café's here downtown and has always been managed by Rika's grandparents. Although Rika's grandmother died as soon as we graduated high school, the Master continued to manage the café, after all it is also his home. The two-story cottage like building is a café on the first floor and the Master's home on the top floor. We've always hang out here back in high school. It became quite a habit because we frequent the place even during our university days, even after we graduated.

Chiharu still looked a little suspicious, "So where is Rika-chan now? I've hardly seen her all night!"

"She said she'll be upstairs with the Master. As much as he wanted to enjoy the fireworks with us he'll be watching in his bedroom. The Master is old after all."

"Oh. And Terada-san?"

"He called earlier and said he'll be running late but he'll make it."

Sakura took in the last gulp from her cola bottle and raised it high, "I suggest we go upstairs and join the Master in his fireworks bedroom viewing!" Chiharu raised her hand in agreement, "I agree! It's so nice to have all of us back together again! If only Naoko could make it, I told her about the party and I even tried calling her several times even bu-"

Sakura's eyes widened like saucers as she elbowed her, "Chiharu-chan!"

"Ow! Sakura-chan what are you-"

Realization coated her eyes and the expression on her face is a cross between utter shock and embarrassment. Sakura had the same look on her face only it had a mix of sadness in it. Plus she has this habit of twiddling her fingers whenever she feels guilty about something. Chiharu hang her head and glanced around, probably hoping that someone would come and cut the silence. Well the men did a better job at hiding it but they were uncharacteristically silent. Yamazaki stares at his glass of water like it's the most interesting thing in the room. Suddenly there's this thick tension in the air, and I'm the only one trying to act oblivious to it.

I need to breathe.

I looked up at the clock; I've got twenty minutes to breathe. I'll take whatever I could take. I started untying the apron around my hip and caught Syaoran's eyes. He gave me a nod and I nodded back. I went pass the swinging doors, got out of the counter and, I was about to head straight to the door when Sakura tried speaking up, "Uhm Eriol-kun about-"

I stopped in my tracks but I didn't turn back. "It's alright Sakura-san. I'm fine."

"But-"

I sighed. As innocent as Sakura-san is, it's hard to convince her when it comes to saying that you are fine. I walked towards her and tapped her shoulder as I gave her the most convincing smile that I could muster, "I'll be fine Sakura-san. Now since we only got twenty minutes, and we're fresh out of snacks due to all this partying, I suggest I'll step out and make a quick trip to the nearest store."

"I'll come with you!"

"Me too!"

The words easily came out from the ladies that it made me rethink my answer, "No, I'll be fine by myself. Unless you have any requests?"

Syaoran didn't turn to face me and just raised his hand and waved. "Anything's fine Hiiragizawa, now go out and get going."

I smiled and started heading out towards the door.

"Syaoran-kun we can't let him do it by himself!"

"One of you could've at least gone out with him!"

Yamazaki shook his head, "Ladies he'll be fine. Just give him some time alone."

"Oi Hiiragizawa!"

I turned around to see a can of beer flying my way. I raised my hand and caught it with ease.

My so called best friend gave me his patent smirk, "You should at least take one."

I stared at the can in my hand, and before I knew it I clicked it open. Luckily for me the fizz didn't burst out even after the can's flying trip. I took a sip and finally head towards the door as I raised my can in the air.

"He's still in his bartender outfit are you sure it's alright to let him out?"

"Sakura, relax. It's New Year's Eve no one will mind."

I can finally breathe.

"Yo Hiiragizawa."

"What?"

"Since when did you own a pair of heels?"

A/N: Hahaha! Yeah I know the last bit is kinda random but I think its fine that way. :D R&R Please? ;)