Disclaimer: CCS and all characters belong to CLAMP.
Chapter 3
What's her name?
"No," Sakura repeated for the tenth time as she stared at herself from the full-length mirror propped in front of her. Turning around a bit, she bit her lip and shook her head once more. "I look like some cheap...cheap--"
"Whore?"
"Yeah, yeah sure whatever you call that," Sakura mumbled absentmindedly as she frowned at the clothing Tomoyo had given her. "I mean look," she tugged at the hem of her short leather skirt. "This is a belt, not a skirt."
Tomoyo giggled wholeheartedly. "Oh stop exaggerating Sakura-chan. It's a mini skirt, you know, extremely short skirts?"
"Demo (but)--"
"Oh stop complaining," came Meiling's voice as she entered the room. "Fifteen more minutes for you gals to pamper up. And you don't look bad," she added as an afterthought. "Much better then when you stepped through those doors this afternoon."
Sakura frowned, turning back to the mirror and shivered. "My shoulders are cold."
"It's a tube top, what do you expect?" Meiling laughed as she fixed her high ponytail into a messy bun with a pin. "Did you all grab something to eat?"
"Mm hmm," Tomoyo answered and smiled. "I have to agree with Meiling, the cherry pink really suits you Sakura."
"But my shoulders," Sakura muttered as she glanced at her bare skin. "Look, I'm getting goose bumps."
"More the better," Meiling said with a roll of her eyes. "Oh, and Tomoyo maybe you could throw in a belt for Sakura. It seems rather empty around the waist."
"No problem," Tomoyo grinned as she hopped off her stool and into the closet. "So Sakura, getting excited for your big night?"
Sakura sighed, running her hand through her extremely straight hair. Tomoyo had permed it straight for her right after they had some quick dinner. Ignoring the butterflies flying around in her stomach, she answered as casually as she could, "I'm ok. No big deal right?"
Tomoyo reappeared again with a thin chain in her hand, wrapping it around Sakura's waist as she responded, "Well, it's your very first night at the Vibe. It's tradition to have an orientation type of thing."
"Orientation?" Sakura felt her butterflies multiply as she took a step forward, wobbling slightly on her matching pink heels. "Ok, I can barely walk in these."
"You'll get use to it," Meiling said and winked at Tomoyo. "Don't tell her too much about the tradition. It wouldn't be half as fun."
"Hai, hai," Tomoyo's eyes danced as she combed out her own hair. "Is Rika-chan all set?"
Meiling nodded, "She's just getting the music ready. Well, hurry up because I'm going out and opening the doors."
"Hai," Tomoyo turned back to check her reflection one last time before grabbing Sakura's hand. "Come on, we don't want to keep them waiting."
Sakura paled slightly as they left the change rooms, the blaring music vibrating through the building, the lights flashing. She thought her head was spinning, and before she knew what was happening, the lights were on her and she could no longer feel Tomoyo beside her as the music took her away.
"Damn I wonder if she's going to be there tonight..."
Syaoran eyed his friend warily. "What are you mumbling to yourself about?"
Eriol looked up quickly and shook his head, composing himself. "Right, I was talking to myself..."
"Move it you two," a gruff voice said from behind them as a burly looking man pushed by and into the club. Syaoran frowned, glaring at the back of his head before turning to Eriol.
"Why are we standing outside the door?"
"I'm waiting for you to open it," Eriol answered.
Syaoran rolled his eyes, pushing open the glass doors and was met with the overwhelming loudness of music, momentarily blinded by the flashing neon lights. Shaking his head, he turned to glare at the navy haired man. "Why did I even let you bring me here? I swear if I get a headache--"
"Aw, poor little Syaoran can't get a headache? How will I ever be able to report back to his mother what a terrible job I've been doing in taking care of her son!" Eriol faked a dramatic faint, causing Syaoran's glare to harden.
"I can take care of myself," was his last remark before he pushed through the crowd, looking for somewhere to sit quietly and be away from his annoying so-called best friend.
"Hey I was only joking!" Syaoran heard Eriol's shout before it was drowned out by the music. Mumbling, he sat down at an empty booth in the corner, not wanting to join the insanity on the dance floor. God, why do people even come to these places? He thought with frustration as the smell of smoke met his nostrils. Coughing slightly, he fiddled in his seat, suddenly feeling very alien with his surroundings.
"Geez, you don't have to run away," Eriol's figure emerged from the dancing crowd as he plopped himself down next to Syaoran.
Closing his eyes, Syaoran simply ignored the young man beside him.
Eriol, giving a side glance to his grumpy friend, attempted to lighten the mood by punching him on the shoulder. "Look! That's the girl I've been talking about," excitement was evident in the usual calm voice of Eriol Hiiragizawa. Amusement tugged at Syaoran's lips as he cracked an eye open.
"Looks like little Eriol here is excited."
Eriol didn't seem to mind though as he stared ahead. Following his gaze without a thought in mind, Syaoran saw a girl with long wavy ebony hair dancing on the stage. He couldn't help but notice his best friend didn't have bad taste at all. Whistling, he turned back to Eriol and smirked, "I never knew you had it in you! I always thought you'd marry some pianist, or some girl who sits in the library all day."
"That's great Li," Eriol mumbled. "And I think you're just going to stay single."
Syaoran growled and turned his eyes back to the stage, adverting his gaze from the long haired girl to the girl dancing next to her. The girl was slightly shorter, with shoulder length auburn hair in straight sheets. Her eyes were closed at the moment, and Syaoran couldn't help but feel an incredible yearn to see her eyes. Mesmerized for no reason at all, he simply sat and watched.
He could no longer hear the music, just the fluid movement of her arms and her hips. He could no longer be blinded by the flashing lights because she outshone them all. And then there was this tug in his mind. Some air of familiarity surrounding that girl upstage. Something tugging at him, and didn't seem to want to stop anytime soon. He didn't even hear the last beat of the music, his heart skipping a beat when the girl's eyes finally shot open.
Emerald green eyes.
"Earth to Li Syaoran..."
Snapping back to reality, he turned his head quickly to Eriol and blurted out the first words that came to his mind, "I'm ok!"
Eriol, looking at him strangely, nodded with stifled laughter. "That's good to hear."
Blushing for no reason whatsoever, Syaoran turned away to stare at the opposite wall. Eriol continued to chuckle before saying, "I agree, that girl beside Miss Daidouji is cute. But I'm more attracted to long hair I guess."
Turning back to face Eriol, Syaoran frowned. "So if she cuts her hair one day, you won't like her anymore?"
"Well, no," Eriol laughed. "Oh look, here comes Meiling and Rika."
"How do you know all their names?" Syaoran questioned as he glanced at the two dark haired girls that had joined the two formerly dancing.
"Let's just say this isn't my first time here," Eriol replied and cheered along with the crowd. "Oh right, that girl you were staring goggled-eyed at is new. I wonder what Meiling's going to throw at her."
"What?" Syaoran's mind was muddled with confusion.
"I don't want to miss this, come on," Eriol leapt out of his seat and onto the dance floor where the rest were eagerly watching the four girls on stage.
Still confused, Syaoran could only follow his overly excited friend to the crowd. The girl with raven black hair was attempting to quiet the audience, an air of authority around her. Syaoran decided that she could be extremely mean if she wanted to be.
"Ok, quiet now!" Meiling shouted above the many heads. "So, all you daily nighters at the Vibe have probably noticed the new girl!" Meiling hollered with a wave to the girl with auburn hair. The crowd cheered and shouted inaudible words. "And we all know we want her to feel welcomed!"
With that, pandemonium broke out even more and Syaoran could not help but flinch. He glanced at Eriol who seemed perfectly fine with all the noise. Rolling his eyes, he mumbled to his friend, "You know, I actually thought you were some orderly guy who sits at home using fancy china."
"No, that's more like you," Eriol whispered back and adverted his attention back to the girls.
"So, all you lucky men have a chance to get her!" Meiling exclaimed brightly and gave Sakura the thumbs up. Syaoran thought the girl didn't look so happy. In fact, she looked just as confused as he was. "All you have to do," the ruby-eyed girl paused for effect, a sly smile on her lush lips, "is guess her name correctly! And she's all yours for the night!"
Once again the crowd went wild, and Syaoran couldn't help but notice the girl's colour drain from her face. She turned to the amethyst-eyed girl and seemed to be whispering something frantically, but the girl simply patted her shoulders.
And once again, Syaoran couldn't help but felt the tug in his mind. He looked at those emerald eyes, wide and innocent? He shook his head. What type of girl would be innocent and work at a place like this? But still, he could not shake the strange feeling of déjà vu away.
"Kelly!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"Andrea!"
"Celine!"
Syaoran glared at his friend. "What are you doing?!"
"Guessing names," Eriol replied with a grin.
"But I thought you liked that other girl," Syaoran mumbled.
"Well if I guess right, I'm giving the new girl to you!"
Syaoran stared at his friend in disbelief before Eriol cracked up and shook his head. "God you're no fun old man."
"Whatever," he muttered before turning to look at the girl who seemed to be holding her breath. She didn't look too thrilled about the whole name-guessing thing, Syaoran noted. Sighing, he fell in deep thought as the men all around shouted random names.
"I swear her name's Jack!"
"Fiona!!"
"Come on, is that all you've got?!" Meiling continued to holler.
Closing his eyes so he could think more clearly, he thought about all the girl names he knew. Most of them had been guessed already. He stopped thinking abruptly and wondered to himself why he was even trying to guess. Shaking his head, he laughed inwardly at the thought if his mother found out what he was doing. Ah, whatever, guess it's time to rebel, he thought with a smirk.
The blackness in his mind was comforting, but no names surfaced. He wondered if someone had already guessed correctly but the shouting around him continued. He guessed not.
"Maybe you should shade more colours in the sky."
"Thanks."
He frowned, his brow furrowing. Now he was not concentrating at all...with random memories seeping into his concentration. Grumbling, he was about to give up when a soft voice echoed in the depths of his mind.
"Next time I see Mr. Li Syaoran, you better be smiling."
His frown deepening, he couldn't help but recognize that voice. He recognized those words. He recognized that memory. A girl. He remembered meeting someone on a hill, when he had visited Japan briefly. A girl...a very kind looking girl. A very talented girl who dared to dream....
A girl with emerald green eyes that made the grass jealous and beautiful auburn hair that even the sun could not compare.
"If you don't mind...what's your name? Maybe we can talk some other day."
And then it clicked in his mind.
"Sakura," he mouthed quietly to himself. Then with a sudden wave of confidence, he found himself shouting above every voice in the room. "Sakura! Sakura Kinomoto!"
And then silence fell.
Sakura winced.
Or maybe she flinched.
She wasn't so sure but she had heard her name. It was louder than any other shout from any other man in the crowd. Maybe it was because it was her name, and she knew what awaited her. Groaning with misery, she glanced at Meiling who was looking back at her with a wide grin. Growling, she tried glaring at the ruby-eyed girl for getting her into such a situation, but her glared faltered as Meiling's shouts echoed out over the crowd.
"Oh, oh! You're right! Her name is Sakura! And what the hell? How'd you know her last name?" Meiling shouted to no one in particular. "But that doesn't matter! Get yourself up here and claim your prize," Sakura was sure the little dinner she had was ready to come out of her mouth. Fidgeting with her thumbs, she glanced at Tomoyo who gave her a comforting pat.
"Daijoubu Sakura-chan! It'll be fine, I mean, we've all done this before," Tomoyo said lightly.
Sakura stared at her. "Done what?!" She squeaked.
"Oh you know..." Tomoyo's voice trailed off as someone stepped on stage. Grumbling with frustration, Sakura quickly turned around to find out who the lucky guy was and instantly met a familiar wash of déjà vu.
Intense amber eyes stared down at her filled with unanswered questions, locks of messy brown hair falling in front of the handsome stranger's face. Sakura couldn't place a finger on it...but the so-called stranger didn't seemed like one at all. In fact, she could have sworn she had seen this person before...and didn't Meiling say he even shouted out her last name?
"Come on," came the young man's gruff voice as he literally dragged her off the stage with catcalls and cheering following behind them.
Still dazed and slightly nervous, Sakura let herself be dragged out of the club and into the chilly night air. After a few seconds, she regained her senses and quickly ripped her arm from the man's grip. "How did you know my name?" was the first question that tumbled out of her lips as the stranger turned around to face her. Once again she felt that tug in her mind, telling her she knew this person and yet she couldn't find the name to match.
"I just did..." came the young man's response as he ran a hand through his messy locks. "Kinomoto Sakura..."
Sakura shivered slightly. Hearing someone she didn't know at all say her full name made her feel uneasy again. "You know, you do look familiar," Sakura admitted as she eyed the man thoughtfully. His gaze shifted from the ground to her face and their eyes simply clicked in place for a good minute or two.
Coughing at the tension in the air, Sakura dug the heels of her pink shoes into the dirt before mumbling, "Well, according to Meiling-chan, I'm 'yours for the night'," she glared at the ground. "Oooh I swear I'm going to kill her..."
"Oh, you don't like my company?" Syaoran couldn't help but ask.
Sakura quickly looked up, shaking her hands in front of her. "No, no! I didn't mean that..."
Syaoran smirked and shook his head, observing her as she looked away. "You don't seem like the type of girl to work at a place like this..." he glanced back at the club still partying the night away.
"Well how would you know? You've only met me for a minute or two," Sakura shot back, wanting to fit in like all the others back at the Vibe.
"I don't know," Syaoran shrugged slightly. "I just thought girls here would be all over me by now. You know, not kind of nervous and jumpy like you."
"So you want me to be all over you?" Sakura tried to steady out her voice, daring to raise her eyes and stare at the amber-eyed man before her.
Syaoran blushed, making Sakura grin with satisfaction. At last she wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable. "No! I like it as it is right now...with you standing over there and me standing over here," Syaoran said hastily. "Nice big gap for personal air space."
"I see," Sakura smiled a bit, amusement dancing in her emerald eyes. "You seem to know alot about girls then, being able to read me like a book."
He laughed at the statement. It was utterly not him to be able to read a girl's mind, nor to be able to judge a girl just by meeting her for less than ten minutes. Composing himself, he responded casually, "I know about other things too."
"Like?"
"Er...I sword fight, I like sports-soccer the most..." Syaoran suddenly paused. Something in his mind was surfacing again, and he couldn't believe how strange it felt to let those words leave his mouth. It was as if he had a conversation almost exactly the same as the one he was having now...and with someone...someone he couldn't quite remember..
Sakura was suddenly immersed with the nagging feeling of having had a similar conversation as the one she was having now. She bit her lip in deep thought as she automatically closed her eyes...
"Oh, I don't know...sword fighting, sports- soccer being my favourite, and cooking is enjoyable too."
Frowning, she let that memory echo in her mind. She was sitting on a hill...that hill she always sat on when she was a toddler. The hill near the cemetery. And it was twilight...and she was sketching, and no, she wasn't alone. Someone with a deep, masculine voice was next to her, talking to her...and he was sighing.
Opening her lips, she let her next memory flow out of her mouth. "Why sigh when you're such a talented guy? Too many girls lining up around the block?" She opened her eyes, feeling a smile lighting her face as she did so.
Syaoran glanced up from the smooth pavement, catching the girl's twinkling eyes. "No that's not it. It doesn't matter how many talents I have because my life's planned," he felt something lift from inside of him as he let his memory guide him. He remembered. He had visited Japan, walked around...saw a girl sitting there near the cemetery...it was peaceful.
Sakura's smile widened. Yes, her memory was telling her the truth. She had met this young man before. In fact, not too long ago. Grabbing the ends of that distant memory, she spoke clearly, "Next time I see Mr. Li Syaoran, he better be smiling."
And Syaoran smiled, a bit lop-sided, but it was a smile. "Sakura Kinomoto."
"Li Syaoran," Sakura repeated with a genuine smile before clapping her hands together. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Same here...I knew there was something familiar about you at first..." Syaoran noted.
"Mmm hmm," Sakura agreed and laughed. "Talk about coincidence!"
Syaoran grinned, but almost as quickly as it had appeared, it slipped away. Sakura noticed this sudden change of mood and instantly looked concerned. "Is anything wrong?"
The chestnut haired male stared at her for a good while before questioning, "What happened?"
Sakura blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Syaoran frowned, "When I first met you...in Tomoeda, you seemed really...different, and yet you're the same..."
Sakura felt her smile slowly disappear as she listened to Syaoran. "You were so...innocent? Just sitting on that hill, sketching away with the town below you. You seemed really educated and...and not a girl who'd work at..." he glanced quickly behind him and continued, "at the Vibe."
She felt her defenses kicking into place as she replied not too gently, "Well, I guess you were wrong about me."
Syaoran's brow furrowed, "You have to admit, it's strange. And I thought you said something about no traveling for you? Tomoeda isn't exactly in Tokyo. You did move."
Sakura looked away hurriedly. "People change. Maybe I like my job. I like the Vibe and the girls I work with."
"You didn't look too happy when the idea of whatever guy who could guess your name would get to have you for the night," Syaoran pointed out, his mind set on finding out what was wrong with this girl he had met three months ago.
She bit her lip and shifted her eyes back to his steady gaze. "Ok, so I didn't expect that and I didn't like that, but everything else is fine."
"And the way you dress..." Syaoran couldn't help but notice the difference. From the sweater and sweat pants to leather and tight tops.
Sakura shifted in her spot uncomfortably, wanting to say something yet not finding the right words. Finally, she mustered up the coldest glare she could do and blurted out, "It's my life and I can do what I want with it. If you don't like what I'm doing, then that's your problem. Now, if you're done lecturing me about my life, I'd like to go now," Sakura let out a breath and turned around quickly, nearly stumbling on her heels.
Frowning deeply, he rummaged through his pockets and threw something towards Sakura. It landed in front of her, causing her to stop in her tracks and look down. Syaoran could not see her expression for her back was facing him, but she was bending down slowly to pick up whatever it was that he had thrown. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Sakura turned around.
"What is this for?" She asked softly, clutching the bill in her hand.
"What do you think?" Syaoran asked obviously.
Sakura stared at him with confusion written on her naive face. Rolling his eyes, Syaoran threw his arms up in the air and said with exasperation, "Exactly! You don't even know what type of lifestyle you've got yourself into! You work at a night club. You're sent out here to 'be mine for the night'. What do you think all this is for?!"
"...Entertainment?" Sakura answered with uncertainty.
"Right, at least you got that part down," Syaoran mumbled.
"Then why the money?" Sakura asked with pure confusion reflecting in her grass green eyes.
He looked at her with disbelief and shook his head, "You really don't understand do you?" He paused, watching Sakura's blank face. "Just look in the mirror then!" He nearly snapped. "Look at the clothes you're wearing! The place you're working at! What else can you be but some high paid whore?!"
More silence.
Syaoran felt his own breath coming out heavily in the night air. He glanced at Sakura's face and saw the words sinking into her. She was slowly getting up from her crouched position again, the money still in her hands, her face slightly paler. Her lips shook as she spoke, "Is that what you think I am?" Her voice was soft, hurt...Syaoran couldn't tell, and he suddenly felt horrible. "I don't want your money," she finished off in a louder voice and threw the bill back at him, turning on her heels in record speed.
"Then why are you choosing this kind of low lifestyle?!" Syaoran hollered after her figure. "Sakura Kinomoto! Answer me!"
Sakura didn't bother to turn around as she screamed back, "Maybe I don't have a choice! Maybe I'm not like you, able to throw money around at random people!"
"What do you mean you don't have a choice?!" Syaoran called out.
And with that Sakura looked around her shoulder, her face slightly covered by her hair blowing in her face. Syaoran could not read her expression from afar, but he could tell she was not smiling, and that the conversation they were having was not light and cheery. "It's my life. I'm living it, not you. You don't seem to understand that," and with that she ran the rest of the way back to the club.
Syaoran was left to stand there, wondering with frustration what had caused such a dramatic change in a girl he met three months ago. Sure, they had only talked for a couple of hours. Sure, they had almost spilt their heart and soul out that day on the hill. But Syaoran thought they really had something there. A bond maybe, even if they had been complete strangers. Just casual acquaintances.
But he couldn't feel that bond anymore.
And he somehow wanted it to be there. He wanted to help this girl who thought she had no choice, no other road to take. Syaoran wondered if maybe he could help this girl, and all the time he never thought about what a similar position they both were in.
AN: Hmm, they didn't exactly hit it off in the very best light did they? .;; Welpz, things will get better...hopefully. Anywho, thanks for reading and R+R =)