Disclaimer: I do not own CCS in any way; I don't even own the title! Isn't that pathetic? I do own the plot though…
I'm hatching a plan to kill CLAMP though, (so we don't have to put this crappy things at the beginning of the each chapter)…who joins? XD
Feral Nattering of the Authoress: Enjoy -
Chapter V
Who Said Shopping Wasn't Dangerous?
"Where in God's name have you been?!" The angered scream reverberated against the walls of the expensive Li mansion. Crystal chandeliers quivered and all the windows let out a groan in warning.
Syaoran inwardly cringed at the sight of his ravaging mother.
Somehow, to him (or to anybody else for that matter ¬¬) those words didn't exactly sound like a joyous cry of welcome.
"Good morning Mother." He said pleasantly, forcing himself to step into the foyer with a confidence he did not feel.
"I see nothing good in it Xiao Lang." Yelan growled out. "And you better start explaining yourself if you don't want to suffer a terribly painful death." Li Yelan said, her eyes glittering and narrowing, reminding Syaoran of a predator ready to attack its prey.
"I was at Eriol's house." He said simply with a shrug. At least he didn't have to lie this time.
"I don't care if you were with the Pope, Xiao Lang," Yelan said with terrible calmness and Syaoran's face twisted into an ugly grimace upon hearing the word 'Pope'. It was too close knitted to cathedrals or priests…he shuddered upon remembering.He really didn't want to know anything about cathedrals or (shudder)priests for the rest of his life. He had had more than his share already.
"You'd be surprised at the nearness of your commentary." Syaoran muttered.
"What did you say Xiao Lang?" Yelan asked, her eyes flashing, making Syaoran remember why he was still nursing a feeling of terror towards his mother once in a while. If there was something that Yelan would not tolerate was for someone to talk back.
"Nothing," he hastened to say.
"That's what I thought," Yelan paused to sit down regally into a blood red settee and order for chardonnay. "Now, tell me why you didn't meet your beautiful fiancé today, like planned" Yelan said, sipping her wine.
"I just didn't Mother, and there's nothing you can do about it." No matter how hard he tried, he always came down as arrogant around her. She always had this manner with him that made him strip out his 'humbleness' and take out all the haughtiness behind the name Li.
Sometimes he thought that it was in self-defense and others…just plain stupid. Yelan had that uncanny way of making him feel…exposed when he was around her. It was as if she could drill down into his mind and bare it from all the tangled webs of lies that he weaved around and between them.
She knew him only too well for both of them to like it.
"I know you didn't my dear son…but that's not what I wanted you to tell me. I already know that. I want you to tell me why was it that you didn't show yourself." Yelan said, almost hissing…calmly…so calmly it was almost haunting. "Perhaps was it fear that kept you from facing the person you will share your life with, dear son?" Taunting…mocking…
Yelan could be unbearable when she desired to.
She caressed her son's face with the back of her hand, a light smile on her lips and storm in her eyes.
"Never." Syaoran hissed, pushing his mother's hand away with a swift movement of his own.
Her laughter was musical, but it was pure torture to Syaoran. He knew that Yelan hadn't been fooled for one second. She knew why Syaoran hadn't met Tomoyo. She knew that Syaoran's greatest fear was about to be granted to him in about two months…uncalled for.
"I'm not afraid, mother." He reiterated, with more conviction than the one he felt.
"Then prove it." Yelan said, ceasing her laughter abruptly and looking sharply at her only son, eyes glinting.
'Now or never Xiao Lang. Prove that you aren't a coward.'
The voice inside his head (AN: BLINK!!!!! Um, sorry for the interruption, I think I'm obsessed…¬¬) made him feel more secure. Of course he was no coward.
He was Li Xiao Lang!
The guy who was scared of a girl.
How manly.
'You'll have to see her anyways, sooner or later. So off with it now and then you can pass out'
Thanks, that was masculine ¬¬
"Fine," He said with what he thought was a firm voice.
(Meaning that it came out strangled…)
"Dinner, tomorrow." He said, standing up…
"Tomorrow?" Yelan asked, her eyebrow shooting up flawlessly. "Why not today? Aren't you anxious to see her?" Once again that mocking tone.
"Tomorrow" He said nodding his head with his insides churning. "You don't want me to strangle myself with the pasta before time, ne? Let's wait until tomorrow. That way you can give me more time to go and screw some bitch's brains out before you chain me into the everlasting sacrosanct hell of marriage." He said with a wide grin and a wink, knowing how his mother repulsed hearing 'vulgar' words.
Yelan inwardly winced at that comment. Her son could be so…un-delicate at times. But at least she knew that he knew that marriage was forever.
That was a Li's honor.
·······
"Sakura!" Tomoyo squealed, barging into the room as if a herd of cows was stampeding behind her.
Sakura groaned and tried to cover her face with a swan feathered stuffed pillow.
"Rise and shine…it's a new day!" (AN: But it all feels old. 'It's a good life' that's what I'm told…oops sorry…just couldn't resist nn") Tomoyo giggled, opening the blood red silk curtains of the windows that reached from floor to ceiling, sunlight flooding in.
"Remind me to lock the door tonight…" Sakura growled out, huddling up into a ball as Tomoyo pulled back the snow white covers from her body and took the black pillows away from her reach. (?)
"The sun is shining and calling your name!"
"Really? Tell him that I'm honored, but that he can go to the fucking hell for all I care." Sakura cut in.
"Hear him call! Saaaaaaaaaakuraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaakuraaaaaaaaa!" Tomoyo cried, so totally ignoring her, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her hands stretched in front of her, as if she was a zombie and her eyes crossed.
Okay…that was weird…even for her.
She was acting as if she was a battery-driven puppet…or worse yet…
Sakura gulped and sat up abruptly.
Caffeine boosted.
That sent warning signals all over Sakura's mind.
Those weren't good news.
Red lights started to flash and whirl.
WARNING
DANGER!
CAFFEINE ON A GIRL GONE PLUMB LOCO!!
"It's calling for you to accompany me to…" Tommy continued, her eyes glazed, looking at the ceiling.
"No Tommy…" Sakura whispered hoarsely, her eyes wide as saucers.
The red lights turned right into exploding fireworks.
"SHOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I can't believe you've dragged me up to here." Sakura said, looking up at the huge sign at the top of the revolving doors.
"And I can't believe that you can't stop your whining! You're definitely a pain in the ass Sak-chan. We're going to have sooooo much fun!" Tomoyo said with a giggle and eyes still glazed over, her voice the one of a girl.
Caffeine
Tomoyo
Never, hear me well, never use those words together in a sentence…they spell torture.
And for Sakura…
Hell.
Tomoyo took Sakura's hand and towed her into the world of clothing.
"Miss Kinomoto! Welcome, welcome! Always a pleasure! May I…" A far too eager clerk greeted Sakura, and she nodded as they breezed past her. Tomoyo threw her a quizzical glance and Sakura only mouthed 'Does the word job ring a bell?', knowing that Tomoyo would reproach her why she came here and had never known…and most probably alone.
That's a crime to Tomoyo. To come shopping alone.
"Miss Daidouji…A pleasure to see you, as always." A grey haired man said, bowing low at Tommy. It was Sakura's turn to throw her a puzzled glance and she shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
They even knew her in this distant whereabouts? Just how obsessed was Tommy with shopping?
Pretty deeply into it for her fame to be so widely known… O.o…
Somehow, that didn't sound too promising for Sakura.
"Tomoyo…please do tell me that you haven't come shopping here before?" Sakura whispered fiercely as she grasped her friend's arm tightly.
"It seems that I'm not the only one." Tomoyo snapped with a light giggle. (AN: Is that possible?)
"It's not what you think." Sakura said narrowing her eyes. "Do you know what my profession is? Does planning weddings…? My clients always drag me around in their shopping excursions; it's not as if I actually liked it." She said in defense, noticing the glitter in Tomoyo's eyes.
"Oh, but I'm more than sure that you didn't whine when you went shopping with them did you?" She reproached.
"Oh for Kami-sama's sake Tommy…"
"It's not different Kinomoto." Tomoyo said, reading Sakura's mind. "I am a client of yours, am I not? I did pay quite an insulting amount for you to plan my wedding." Tommy said, poking a finger at Sakura. "I still don't see why you complain so much with me and not with the others."
"Because they were not my friends Tommy. Honestly, you can be…"
"So dense sometimes…" Tomoyo mimicked in a high pitched tone of voice as she barely contained a giggle. Sakura could be so predictable.
"Hey! Quit imitating me!"
"Well, quit being so predictable." Tomoyo said, rolling her eyes, but smiling, knowing that this would launch Sakura into a tantrum.
"I'm not predictable!" Sakura exclaimed, placing her hand on her hips. "I am so not predictable Daidouji! I'm as unpredictable as can get!" Yep, perfect timing Sak-chan.
"Uh, really?" Tomoyo asked, not really caring as she checked out some pearl earrings.
"Yes!"
"Would these go with the blue dress that I bought the other day in…?" Tomoyo shut her mouth when she saw that Sakura was staring angrily at her. She really hadn't been paying her any attention, and she must've finally noticed this.
"You are not hearing me" ¬¬
"Ding ding, you're right!" She exclaimed with a giggle, her mind still on those earrings. Should she just buy them? Because she was sure that they wouldn't suit the violet dress, but would go just perfectly with the blue dress…but she liked the violet dress so much better and…
"Tommy!"
"Huh? Oh yeah…you were saying?"
"You are ignoring me!" Sakura whined.
"Yep, right again! And the prize goes to…Sak-chan!!" Tomoyo squealed as she held up a brilliant diamond necklace. She furrowed her brow as she carefully examined it against the luminescent lighting. "So fake" She muttered and her frown got deeper still. "How do they intend on selling this stuff off? It's cheap, that's what…" She murmured. Then she shook her head and sighed. "If you are so unpredictable why don't you ever surprise me Sakura?" She asked, retaking the one tracked conversation that Sakura was holding and leaving the fake necklace aside. Honestly, what these people would do to get money in their hands…
Sakura stopped her flow of words as she heard what Tomoyo had just said, and she just stood there, with her mouth agape.
"You look ridiculously like a goldfish Sakura." Tomoyo said, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one leg as the other one stuck out in front of her.
(Why did this sound familiar?)
"Well, I may look like a goldfish Tommy, but I, unlike you, actually look cute while doing it." Sakura said with a smile.
"What are you staring at Tommy? Wanting to look as cute as me when I'm impersonating a goldfish?" Sakura asked innocently, snapping Tomoyo's jaw shut. This seemed so déjà vu like.
She always seemed to be snapping Tomoyo's jaw shut.
Or likewise…
"What do you think about this Sak-chan? Isn't it so totally kawaii?!!!!" Giggle…giggle…gasp as she encountered another 'kawaii' garment. "Sak-chan, you need to try this on!" Tomoyo said, holding up a violet dress with a low cut back and a plunging neckline. "You just simply have to try this on!"
"No way…its violet Tommy, remember? The color I hate?" Tommy seemed to have a moment of sharp lucidness, because she snapped her head towards Sakura and blushed, her mouth forming a perfect 'o'. She was remembering certain bride maid's dress…"Right…" She said with a nervous giggle, and returned to dig up new clothes.
Sakura was so tired of this. It was the cazillianth store they visited that day, and Sakura was simply dead tired. No other words could be used. It seemed that Tomoyo thought every piece of clothing kawaii and Sakura just had to try them on.
But wasn't Tomoyo the one who should be getting a dress?
Speaking of which, why did she need an evening gown?
"Let me see if I'm getting this straight. We're here…both of us…to buy an evening dress because…?"
"We're going out to dinner with Syaoran-kun!" Tomoyo squealed.
"Um…we're? That sounds like a herd to me………………………More than one Tommy ¬¬" Sakura said before Tomoyo had gotten a chance to ask.
"o.O Oh Ok…" Tommy said; then she took her time to process the information. "Yes! Yelan said that Syaoran invited you also! Isn't he a gentleman?! Then we can be together and I won't be as nervous as if I was alone!"
"I guess…" Sakura muttered. "Tomoyo, honestly, I would hate to burst your dream bubble, but I don't think that it would be appropriate for me to be there. I mean, it should be a personal moment, you know, meeting your fiancé is something you want to do alone." Sakura said, picking up a slinky mini skirt that barely covered the essentials and observing it with disgust. "Look at this confection. It's horrendous! And they want to sell it at this price? No wonder its still here."
"AW! Come on Sak-chan! It would mean a lot to me if you went also!"
"I don't know Tommy…I would feel like I was intruding…" (AN: Raise your hand if you know the feeling ¬¬)
"Please!" Tomoyo said, making a sad puppy face. "Please, please, please!"
"Whatever." Sakura said, rolling her eyes and picking up a gray dress from the rack that uncovered (gasp) a beautiful green evening dress. "Wow" She breathed out. It was simply the dress of her dreams.
In any normal girl that saying would be used to be referred to a guy, but remember, we're talking about Sakura here.
It was silvery green and with the light it was simply glorious, throwing out both shades. It was slightly above the knee and with a hammock neck, slightly showing off the shoulders.
She simply couldn't resist the temptation and technically ran all the way to the dressing rooms.
This had to be hers.
She pulled it over her head and grinned when she saw her reflection in the mirror.
She had never realized that she had a waist. And look! What were those curves in her thighs? Could they be…?
They were hips? O-o
Whoa! I actually own a pair of those?
While Sakura was busy rediscovering her body, she heard Tomoyo's voice.
"Sakura are you in there?" And without waiting for an answer she barged in to the little square room.
"Oh me God!" Tomoyo exclaimed as she got in, squishing Sakura against the wall.
"TOMMY! GET OUT!" Sakura hollered, totally indignant.
"Why?" Tomoyo asked.
"WHY? BECAUSE I'M FUCKING DRESSING, THAT'S WHY!"
"No you're not. You're already dressed."
"BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN; AND YOU JUST BARGED IN LIKE THAT! WHAT IF IT HADN'T BEEN ME INSIDE HERE EH?"
"But you were." Tomoyo said simply.
¬¬ this simply wasn't going anywhere.
"That's so…KAWAII!!!!!! And what are those?" Tomoyo asked, poking at Sakura's thighs. "gasp Hips! Why didn't you tell me that you owned a pair of those?!" Tomoyo cried indignantly. "Who would've thought Sak-chan?"
"¬¬U Thanks, I really needed that self-esteem boost Tommy." NOT.
"No prob here!"
Honestly, she can be…
Parrot like 'so dense sometimes…'
Who said that? O-O
"…Honestly it is just perfect…" Tommy was babbling away.
"Oh just forget it!" Sakura said, throwing her hands up and stomping out of the changing room, the dress still on. She was about to go out of the store when a security guard stopped her by the arm.
"Excuse me ma'am, but you can't leave the store…"
"Shove off!" Sakura said, wrenching her arm out of the simple guard's touch.
"Excuse me ma'am, but I'll have to ask you to take the dress off." The guard said in a whisper as he took her arm a bit more forcefully.
Of course our poor, innocent, and pure minded Sakura had to misinterpret the officer's words.
"EXCUSE ME?!!! WHY, YOU FOUL DISGUSTING MAN!!!! DON'T TOUCH ME YOU SICK MAN WHO LIKES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF POOR INNOCENT GIRLS LIKE ME!!!!"
And of course she just had to heel around and slap him. Not just one slap, oh no my friend, her savageness was not satisfied with one insignificant slap. She just had to knee him where sun don't shine and kick his shins.
The poor man was in the floor in two seconds flat, transformed from a dignified security guard into a pitiable mound of groans and whimpers.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo cried as she raced towards her friend, her things clanging against her body. It had taken her about two minutes to realize her friend had left her talking alone, and she had ran to catch up her, not knowing what spectacle awaited her.
As soon as she saw Sakura (and what she was wearing) and the body lying on the floor with an office badge shining in its chest, she knew what had happened. Or at least she had a sort of accurate idea.
She ran towards the poor man and knelt besides him, trying to get him to stand up.
"OH YES! RUN TOWARDS THE CULPRIT AND LEAVE THE POOR INNOCENT VICTIM ALONE!!! GO AND COMFORT THE PERVERT!!!"
Tomoyo just looked at her disgustedly and with a slight frown in her face, then went back to helping the man.
"TOMOYO WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! HE TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME!!!" Sakura shrieked with her eyes full of anger.
"For chrissake Sak-chan, he's an officer!" Tomoyo said with her voice full of mirth. It was just so plain silly if you looked at it with a certain manner…
"THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT HE'S A GODAMNED PERVERT!!! BESIDES…" Sakura shut up as she flushed to the top of her head. So it had finally settled in that he was an o-f-f-i-…what came next? An S or a C?
…Sakura hysteric, thinking that an officer, for Kami-sama's sake, had tried to take advantage of her. An officer lying in a groaning heap, and Tomoyo just to spectator to this mad house.
As the officer incorporated himself, Tomoyo held back, thinking that if she staid there longer she would burst out laughing.
"You have the right to remain silent…" The officer started reciting Sakura's rights and clamping cuffs at her wrists.
"Tommy! Do something!" Sakura shouted above all the disapproving murmurs of the crowd that had gathered to observe the show.
"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Tommy said, perking up. "Charge that dress to my credit account Mr. Furuhata!" She cried and Sakura just fell backwards, as well as the officer.
XD
Sakura rubbed her wrists where minutes before there had been circulation-cutting cuffs.
"I can't believe he got all worked up with just a few good punches." She muttered as she slung her knapsack over her shoulder and she indignantly shook her loose hair out of her face.
"Few punches?" Tomoyo couldn't help but snort in a very unladylike demeanor at this, thus earning a glare from Sakura.
"Don't give me that killer glare Sak-chan, because if it hadn't been for me you wouldn't be here in the first place. And I don't even want to think about the amount of money we had to pay just because you couldn't keep your dirty little thoughts to yourself!" Tomoyo said with a smirk in her face. It was still funny remembering the incident at the mall.
"It's funny Tommy. I really thought he was going to rape me!"
"Oh, now it was rape." Tomoyo said rolling her eyes as she walked up to the door of her emerald green Jeep. "For Kami-sama's sake! Of course it was going to be rape! You are simply so irresistible Kura!" Tomoyo said, rolling her eyes.
"Stop making fun of me!"
"That I won't, darling." Tomoyo said as she revved up the engine and backed out of the city jail.
"At least now you can say that you have been in jail. You're a bad girl now" Tomoyo said with a grin as she earnestly drove like a maniac through the streets of Hong Kong. She almost snorted again. Sakura a bad girl. HAHA, that was SO funny!!!
She left many tires a screeching behind while she just barred through the avenues and narrow lanes.
"So, are you coming with me tomorrow night?" Tomoyo asked hopefully, her eyes leaving the street to look at Sakura pleadingly.
"No way. Not after this anyway." Sakura said, looking out the window, but knowing fully well that she would end up going anyways. Tomoyo had this to blackmail her with.
"Aw, come on. Don't be like that."
"Like what?"
"Like, so bitter?" Tomoyo suggested.
"I'M NOT BITTER DAIDOUJI" Sakura stated calmly XD.
"Okay, forget I ever said it. Just go with me, okay?"
"Nope."
"Please?"
"No."
"Well, if it hadn't been for me you would be rotting in prison right now for the charges of man handling an officer." Tomoyo said, crossing her arms.
"Tomoyo! The steering wheel!" Sakura yelled as she reached across the passenger seat to reach the wheel. The tires screeched as Tomoyo pushed the brake pedal to the bottom, scarce centimeters away from an old oak, just in front of the Li mansion.
"ARE YOU CRAZY!!!? YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME KILLED!!!" Sakura cried, panting.
"Well, are you going with me or not?" Tomoyo asked matter-of-factly, her arms still crossed.
The Feral Nattering of the Authoress: Okay…maybe it was not that nice, but hey! I updated, didn't I? Okay, so it was all shit what I wrote, but I reread the first four chapters the other day and I thought that I had hurried everything up, so I'm trying to slow down here for a change. I thought about doing Sakura's encounter with the officer a bit longer, but I found myself short of patience…I just wanted to move on with the story!!! Lol, maybe that's the reason it does seem hurried up a bit…I don't have that much patience XD. Sigh But oh well, doesn't matter. I hope you guys enjoyed this chappy as much as you have seemed to enjoy the other ones. You know…reviews really do make authors grovel, especially long ones. So if you would please do me that favor I would be so happy with you. And I hope you guys take the hint?
Okay, so long…
Kudos to you kiddos, and just call me,
-Lee-