CCSxSt Tail. Two gangs at Tomoeda High; Sakura's and Syaoran's. Both hate each other equally, but what happens when they have to stand side by side against another school? DM ET but especially SS

Hey back again! This time with a longer chapter...sorry if they're a little short but I'm not used to writing so much!

Thanks to: Tinaptran Illusion Dragon Miss Blossom Lonely Magician Mimiluv cleo2rox...

and as for sTaR zZz: I always thought sakura had red hair and green eyes! Doesn't she have red hair?? Well I dno...if u don't like it I sppose u don't have to read it.

Disclaimer: 'tis not mine. No characters r mine, juz the storyline...

The Ice-cream Parlour: Plan Backfired

"Now," said Ms Lai, "Back to what I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted by Miss Kinomoto and Mr Li." Most students began to switch off again.

"If the x-intercept is -2, then the y-intercept has to be 5. Are you all following?" Few sleepy mumbles of 'yes' and 'uh huh' were heard. Someone snored loudly and Ms Lai noticed this. "Class!" she screeched in annoyance, piercing through the silence. Everyone snapped back into motion and sat up straight.

"If you all don't listen right NOW, I won't give you the details for tonight's Masquerade!" she threatened.

People sat straighter.

"Wha-?"

"What Masquerade?"

"Since when? When did YOU know about it, Miss?"

"Do the other classes know?"

"Miss, don't tell us you've been keeping this from us..."

"That's right," Ms Lai replied smugly. "I have. But now that you know, let us get back to our Maths..."

People were standing up now.

"That's not fair, Miss!"

"Oh my god! Tonight? I have nothing to wear!" the girls shrieked.

"What's Masquerade anyway? What are we supposed to do?" yelled some of the dumb ones.

Ms Lai looked around, pleased with herself. She knew this would cause a stir. But when she saw that the back row was still sitting cool as ever, she fumed silently.

"Miss! Can you please, please, at least tell us when it starts?" begged some girls. They were already fretting about how to do their hair, makeup, dates, dancing...

"Yeah Miss!"

"I can't believe she did this..."

"SO not fair!"

"Oh my god, I have volleyball training after school...I won't get ready in time!"

People were out of their seats, discussing loudly and shouting. They were getting angrier and angrier, slamming their fists onto the table. The class was almost getting out of hand...and what could Ms Lai do? Nothing. Her pretense of authority failed to work. Ms Lai shook her head as the voices rang in her head, in hope to clear it out. She had not imagined it like this...she was supposed to feed off their confusion and pain, but right now, she wasn't satisfied at all.

"Masquerade? I bet all the other classes knew ages ago, and they probably all have really cool costumes since they had heaps of time to prepare."

"Why didn't she tell us earlier anyway? Is this some kind of punishment?"

"We didn't do anything wrong did we? Nobody has been in serious trouble last week..."

"I'm gonna go to see the principal at recess..."

"Yeah same...Ms Lai...what a bi-"

"ALRIGHT!" Ms Lai suddenly screamed, wisps of hair flying in different directions. The whole room fell silent at once. "SIT DOWN, ALL OF YOU!" Control. She needed to show control. The room of people hastily sat.

"Alright..." she repeated, panting because of the amount of energy she had used to scream, "I'll write the details on the board. And I'll go to the principal at recess to have a chat with him at recess," she said. Secretly, she told them this because if her students did go to complain to the principal, she would be at fault: she had been notified about the Masquerade Ball since last month. Her plan would backfire.

But the students knew better. Chiharu Mihara put her hand up. "Why don't we go now?" she said.

"Yeah," chorused the whole class. "Now."

"W-We?" Ms Lai said. 'Damn,' she thought, 'why did my voice tremble just then? A sign of weakness!'

Chiharu and Takashi Yamazaki both stood up; they knew what they had to do. Being the form captains of the class, and for the class's wellbeing, they had a duty to perform. "What are you doing?" demanded Ms Lai. "Get back to your seats!" she said furiously.

"We're going to see the principal with you. Now." they both said robotically. Chiharu grabbed Ms Lai's right arm while Takashi took her left. "What are you DOING?" Ms Lai screamed. "Class! The rest of you! Help me!" The whole class stared blankly back, right through her, as if she didn't exist, as if this wasn't happening at all. "You're breaking some serious rules here! I can get you suspended, expelled, even!" Ms Lai's feeble struggling did no good: her arms were firmly pinned to her sides. 'No!' she thought. 'This isn't happening!' Her plan...everything was coming undone... They marched her out of the door and down the hallway; disappearing around the corner, her protests fading away.

A sweet silence after that.

"SO," started Meimi turning to Tomoyo, unruffled and her voice smooth. "Masquerade, huh?"

"I KNOW!" Tomoyo's high pitched squeal echoed the room, "I can design all these CUTE OUTFITS for ya!" she said with stars in her eyes.

The other people in the class listened in suspiciously. The Masquerade was tonight and she's going to make THREE (Sakura's, Meimi's and her own) costumes by then? Was she a freak or just terribly skilled? But there was no denying that Daidouji's clothes-making talent...for every year's dance, social, or ball, Meimi, Sakura and Tomoyo have been turning up in amazing creations, them three winning best-dressed every time. But what the other students didn't know was that Tomoyo used magic. Yes, she does have remarkable talent with the sewing machine but after years of experience, she found out magic beats the sewing machine in speed and perfection by tenfold. What Tomoyo did was draw and design their clothes, and Sakura would use the Create card to make the drawings real. Easy. Stitching, sizes, seams, materials, colours: perfect.

"What the hell are you all doing?" said Sakura angrily when she saw them eavesdropping. Everyone hastily stopped listening and pretended to be busy: putting stuff back into their pencilcase, fixing their hair, looking out the window, concentrating on a blank page. The wrath of Kinomoto was something they don't want to inflict upon themselves.

"Anyhoo..." said Tomoyo, after people darted away. "Back to those CUTE OUTFITS..."

"Don't think about the ball yet," Sakura said, "Tomo, Mei, we have to think of a name for our new gang."

"Why?" said Meimi. "I thought this union wasn't serious."

"Well, it isn't...but Li said..."

Tomoyo raised her eyebrows. "Is that what you and Li were talking about before? Since when did you start listening to him?"

"I HAVEN"T started," defended Sakura, "I thought it was a crap idea too. But as I thought more about it, we really do need a new name. Because that way, it'll be more official and people will recognize that we have joined together properly. They not only need to fear Blood Phoenix and the Dragoons, but the new gang we have created."

Tomoyo nodded while Meimi only grumbled.

"So," Sakura said, "You guys got any ideas?"

"No...yes..." said Tomoyo.

Meimi and Sakura turned to look at her questioningly.

"Sakura will look sooo good in green and Meimi will look soooooo cute in glittery organza!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Tomoyo, be serious. Try not to think about clothes for a millisecond. The gang name is more important."

"Yes, you're right," Tomoyo exhaled. "But so is what we are wearing tonight..." she said under her breath.

"Meimi?" said Sakura. "Can you think of anything?"

"Not at the moment. My head is stuffed full with the Masquerade Ball. I'm excited about tonight too," Meimi admitted.

Sakura sighed as she leaned on her chair. "I guess we'll just have to think about the name later then."

"Man...do we have to go to the Masquerade?" Asuka asked Syaoran. "Every year it's the same...stupid music, little food, not-even-spiked drinks...boring."

Syaoran frowned. "I know...but we need to attend tonight's one. I'm planning to 'unveil' the new gang to Tomoeda High...meaning, the whole of Tomoeda. But I need to speak to Kinomoto first to see if she agrees...and, we need to decide on a new gang name."

"Since when did you have to ask Kinomoto for permission?"

"Well, we are in the same gang now, Asuka...no point in denying the fact."

"Stop using the word 'we'...it freaks me out," shuddered Asuka.

Eriol smiled a bit. "Asuka...just go with it. Go with the flow...as they say."

"Yeah, yeah," Asuka murmured. "So Syao, what the hell are we supposed to wear tonight? I mean...it's a costume party kinda thing isn't it?"

"I don't know actually...Just dress appropriately...you'll be representing the new face of our gang tonight."

"You know what? I don't trust Asuka to dress properly for this," Eriol teased his friend. "His dress sense AND sense of creativity is completely off."

"Fuck you," Asuka said as he lightly punched Eriol on the arm.

Syaoran grinned.

"And that is why, my friends," Eriol told them, taking out a leaflet of paper, "I have already drawn some suitable designs for tonight," showing them rough sketches of clothing that he had drawn when the class was complaining to Ms Lai.

"Fuck man...are you gay?" Asuka said as he and Syaoran scanned over the drawings.

Eriol rolled his eyes. "Just coz they're good..."

"Yeah, they are," Syaoran agreed. "These should be fine," he said, handing back the sheet of paper. "But how are you gonna make them? Three costumes in an afternoon?"

"Magic," Eriol said simply. "Just come over to my house after school."

The door swung opened and the chitchatting class held its breath. In walked Ms Lai, looking severely grumpy but also looking like she was swallowing the rage she was feeling. She said nothing; her mouth was closed into a thin line. Her heels clicked on the polished floor as she walked over to the blackboard. Picking up a piece of chalk, she, a little unwillingly, wrote:

Masquerade Ball (this year's school dance, whole school attendance)

Held in the Main Hall.

8:00pm till late. Therefore, school tomorrow will start at 10:30am.

Entry only permitted to those in full costume and masks.

The students watched her heave a sigh, shoulders sagging, and she finally turned around. "Class," she said in an overly bright voice, a fake smile plastered on her face. The class watched her with a weary eye, not knowing what she was trying to pull off. "After a meeting with the principal, he has said that it is unfortunate that you did not receive the news of the ball earlier. However-"

She was interrupted when a black haired boy and chestnut haired girl strode in. Takashi and Chiharu have returned. Both looking extremely happy and pleased with themselves.

"Hey class," Takashi said breezily. Shouts of 'hey', 'yo' and 'what's up' answered him. Yamazaki was a popular guy. He wasn't elected form captain by chance.

"We've just come from the principal's office," Chiharu said. Whoops and catcalls came from the male section of the class. Being a pretty girl with alluring brown eyes, she was not only form captain but also head cheerleader. And she too, wasn't selected for form captain for nothing.

"And," Takashi continued, "we have some exciting news." The students kept on cheering. These two really knew how to rile up the crowd, compared to Ms Lai.

Chiharu nodded. "When we got to the Mr Honda's office, we told him how we were terribly mistreated by our teacher, who shall not be named," she put on a dramatic face. The class hushed. "and because she didn't care to tell us about the Masquerade, or rather, in my opinion, she purposely kept this from us, we have to miss out on a simply wonderful evening."

Takashi tsk-tsked and shook his head solemnly. "And since we only knew today, even if we plan to go, we will have no time to prepare for the ball, and we will look like complete idiots in front of the whole school."

The students yelled out abuse to Ms Lai and shook their fists at her. Some girls started tearing up. The back row watched the scene unfold. It was quite dramatic for high school.

"As your form captains, we felt that we have to do something about this outrage," said Chiharu.

"Luckily, our dear Mr Honda was very sympathetic..." said Takashi cheerfully, which was a really quick change of expression.

Chiharu smiled. "And thanks to Takashi's excellent persuasive skills-"

"Why, Chiharu, you weren't so bad yourself!" Takashi said flirtatiously.

Chiharu's cheeks tinted slightly and she hit him over the head. The class laughed at the two: Chiharu always tries to ignore him but they all knew she enjoyed the attention from Takashi.

"As I was saying," as Chiharu's colour returned to normal, "we were able to persuade Mr Honda..."

"Into giving us the permission..." said Takashi.

The whole class waited for it. They knew whatever their form captains did was good; Chiharu looked like she was going to explode with excitement.

"TO HAVE THE REST OF TODAY OFF TO PREPARE FOR TONIGHT'S MASQUERADE!" Chiharu finally burst out.

The class sat in shock. Because one thing...it was only 9:30 in the morning...not even an hour of school has passed yet.

"So, do you have anything to say, Ms Lai?" said Takashi haughtily.

Everyone stared at the teacher and she shifted uncomfortably. "Class dismissed," she said dully.

And with that, the truth sunk in. The class erupted, and celebrated with cheering and clapping.

"Wait," said Ms Lai quietly. Even with her softly spoken statement everybody could hear her; there was something in her voice that sounded something like glee. "Miss Kinomoto and Mr Li...have you not forgotten? You both received a detention earlier."

The room immediately turned sober. Their classmates turned to send them looks of sympathy. Sakura and Syaoran immediately glared back with 'I-don't-need-your-damn-pity' written all over their face.

"Class...you are free to go...but Kinomoto and Li...please stay behind," Ms Lai said with a malicious glint in her purple eyes.

R&R

scarletskies