Author's Notes: Thank you for the new reviews. I appreciate the little number of reviews I get. They may be few but they're more sensible compared the loads I get in my other stories.

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She feels like she suddenly outgrew everything. She is unsure if she really outgrew them or maybe there's just something wrong with her. She doesn't want to go out. She's lazy going to the mall; she's not excited about going anywhere that is supposed to be "fun". She spends her weekends in the house; better, she reckons, if she's alone. She used to be an extrovert but now she feels like she evolved into an introvert.

Sakura's arms were resting on the stone railings and she rested her chin upon her right arm. She scowled a little for having the need to think about her recent manner. After a few seconds, a smile crept to her face. That is because, honestly, she likes it more; because it means less pressure from 'what others think of her'.

Yes, she has changed.

Depression leads you into being an introvert? Sakura asked in hear head. No one else could answer her of course. Before, she always likes to make people know if she's sad so she can tell them her problem. Now, she doesn't want them to even know when she's gloomy. She likes them to think that she's fine so they won't ask her.

She will be all right; she promised her self. A little smile appeared when she thought of 'not having the need to commit suicide'. It's just so pathetic and juvenile to do it. It's very embarrassing; although she wouldn't care by then because she won't be breathing…but still…

And then the sound of the happy chitter-chatter of the people from inside has reached her senses. Sakura felt free to frown again.

"Any teenage girl who goes thru crap will have the need to shun all the stress off of her." She recited in a soft yet deep voice. "She had a huge problem, she needs space." She recited yet again, but this time a slight louder. "She has every right to be selfish." Sakura closed her eyes after that last statement. "Why can't they think of it AS THAT?" She snapped upon her invisible audience. "I bet they think of me as an immature hardheaded little girl who is not worth giving a damn about!" Her temper was beginning to rise again. Usually, Chikao Yamada, her ex-boyfriend, would hold her and pat her back when her blood begins to boil. Too bad, that's all in the past now.

"I know Sakura. She's hardheaded. Let's just leave her be." Sakura declaimed in a squeaky girlish voice. She was imitating Seka Nagano, her former female best friend. "I didn't think Sakura would turn out to be like this. We were always on the phone before, but now she's all weird and overreacting on things that don't exist. What a pain." She narrated by copying Daitaro Yamashita's voice. She was just merely assuming all of these lines. That's what she thinks of what they are saying about her now. Her right hand balled into a fist. Soon, she was holding back her self from crying but the tears escaped ever so annoyingly. She immediately wiped them and hoped no one saw.

She looked around again and hoped no one else was there. Her luck was available, no one was in the balcony but her.

"I don't want to see them." She declared to her self. And so, she decided to just head home before any of the traitors would get the chance to confront her. God knows she doesn't want to talk to them, let alone be close friends with them again. She doesn't feel the sentiment to tell them what's really bothering her or what her problem is with them. Letting them know that has the agenda of her wanting to regain her close ties with them. But she does not, so she will not. She thinks it's best if she just leaves everything out in the cold. Who cares now who's right or who's wrong? Who's immature or who's mature? She is sick of them and they don't care about her, case closed, everyone's apart, everyone's contented and happy. That's how she sees things and she's leaving.

Her right hand fingers made their way to her eyes. She checked one last time if there are no traces of tears on her face. After convincing her self that she doesn't look like she cried, she turned her heel and once again entered the so called 'ball'.

Daitaro and Seka were clearly in her view. She made a long cut around the crowd to avoid them and managed to arrive safely by the entrance front double doors.

"Leaving so soon?" Usually, that type of line would be coming off from someone evil, but this time it's different. The tone was manly with a spark of worry and a tad bit of softness.

"Oh, I didn't see you there." Sakura turned her head to face him. "Sorry, Syaoran."

"It's okay." He grinned, showing off his perfectly straight white teeth. She noticed that he's holding a glass of booze with his right hand.

"So, you've been drinking, huh?" Her tone was very casual.

"Well, ye-" Syaoran was cut off because Sakura pulled him out of the way. She dragged him by his arm all the way towards the back of the fountain that can be seen a few miles away from the double doors. They ended up crouching as they hid. "W-what? W-why?" He was taken aback.

"I umm… I…" She didn't know what to say. The reason why she pulled and dragged him is because she saw her former close friends stepping out thru the double doors. Sakura placed her fingers upon the edge of the marble fountain and peaked over it. She saw Daitaro and Seka walking over to the parking area. "I was just umm…" She remembered she owes the man an explanation.

Syaoran stood straight and smiled. "You were avoiding them, weren't you?" He didn't sound like he was accusing her, his tone was gentle.

She now stands properly in front of him. "H-how'd you know?" Sakura abruptly asked. She's sure not many people know that she fled from their so called 'friendship'.

"Lucky guess." He smiled a little before finishing the liquor in his glass.

She might have also guessed correctly that that's not his first glass. Syaoran wouldn't come up to any girl…except if he has enough courage to. "Umm okay." She felt embarrassed. Almost everyone can agree that leaving your friends is not a right thing to do; unless, they deeply discern the escaper's bitter feelings prior to her reason.

Unexpectedly, he stepped closer to her. His left hand slowly lifted from his side and it stopped just in front of Sakura's eye level. His left hand gently rested upon her right cheek and his thumb slowly brushed her right eye's lashes. "…You've been crying."

"N-no, I wasn't!" She immediately denied. She forced her self not to entertain her urge to hold onto his hand and never let it go. She had always liked him the first time she sat across him. She was enthralled by his presence even if Chikao was sitting next to her and they weren't an item then. Now that he is so near to her, and this had never happened before, God knows she wants to hold him but she limits her self and dare not try to push her luck. It is almost torture.

"I know." He admitted. And it's obvious that he was talking about some other thing. "But is it true though?" Doubt had joined his voice.

"T-true, w-what?" She was acting dumb but she doesn't want to assume either.

He weakly smiled. "Never mind." And then he let go of her and stepped away.

Sakura almost screamed in her head. What did she do wrong? Why did he retreat? He was once again beguiling her, why stop now? No one likes a tease!

"Are you going home now?" He took advantage of the silence and the obvious shock in her emerald eyes.

To be continued…

Author's Notes: No one likes a cliffy but who can sue writer's block? Sorry, guys.