Housekeeping!

Hey, lemme just start by saying, sorry it's been taking me so frekkin long to update. I'm doing my best, but if you combine a short attention span with stupid bored friends, you get me and my tendency to procrastinate. Okay, now I get to start again and say THANK YOU TO ALL YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE REVIEWING! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN I LOVE MY DOG! (I actually don't own a dog, nor do I like them, but if I did own one and I did like it, I would still love you more than it.) The one thing I wanted to say about it is someone said that they didn't like my chapter. I do accept "flames" as you guys have dubbed it, but I would appreciate it if you could tell me why you decided to brulee (that's French :-p) my story/ chapter. That's all I ask, it just makes the whole thing go down easier and makes me stop crying sooner if it's constructive criticism. With that out of the way, I say on with the story! bona patite! (saying brulee got me thinking of Creme Brulee, whihc made me think of food, which made me attempt to bust out some Italian.... although I'm pretty sure Creme Brulee is French... wow... I've just dug myself into a hole, haven't I?)

Luvs, Da Mandolin!

Sakura stumbled back into her house. She wanted to die. Flopping on to her bed, she prepared to close eyes, but her eye caught on the card with Syaoran's number on it. "Gah. I suppose I have to call sooner or later." She mumbled to herself. She rolled over and grabbed her phone. She dialed the number and waited. She didn't have to wait long.

"Yeah?"

"I believe you have my car."

"Hmmm... I don't know, might I ask whose calling?"

"Don't be a jackass. What do I need to do?"

"Well, I could stop by with Eriol and drop it off...."

"No, I'd rather pick it up."

Syaoran sighed over the line. What was it with this Saku chick? "Fine, you know that gas station down by Chiriko's?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we'll meet you there in a half hour or so?"

"I'll be there." Without even a goodbye, Sakura hung up the phone. She wasn't usually a rude person, but this Syaoran guy just pissed her off. And she was tired. Sighing again, she looked at her clock. Crap. She would have to go straight to the press conference. Her dad would kill her if she was late. That meant that she would have to get ready for the conference first. Syaoran had better not feel like asking any questions...

There was a knock on her door. Opening it, she found Adell. "Miss Sakura? Your father asked me to inform you that you would be attending dinner after the press conference with him. It will be a formal gathering, so your father requests that you wear an evening dress."

Sakura forced a smile. "Thank you Adell, I'll pick something out." Adell nodded and headed off down the hall. Sakura closed her door and leaned her forehead against it. All she wanted to do was sleep. Was that too much to ask? In her household, apparently it was.

Sakura carefully stood up. She had had Charles drop her off again with his car. Eriol and Syaoran were already there, waiting in the parking lot. Eriol gaped at her dress and Syaoran whistled. Admittedly, her choice of clothing did draw a second glance. She was dressed in a full length peach evening gown that was covered in sparkles. Her auburn hair was in an elegant twist, and a cold fire burned from her matching diamond earrings, bracelet and necklace. Gold heels completed the outfit.

"Gee Saku; you didn't have to dress up just for me..." Sakura shot a look laden with daggers at Syaoran, who was still sitting in his car.

"I have to attend a dinner. Jackass." She turned to Eriol, who was leaning against Syaoran's door. "How can you stand him?"

"Lots and lots of practice. Oh, and he comes with benefits." Sakura giggled. She didn't want to know what kind of benefits he was talking about, but she assumed they went beyond the typical "friendship". I mean, hadn't they been wrestling when she first met them? She completely missed the death glare that Syaoran directed at Eriol, and the wink that he returned.

"Well, I'll leave you to those benefits. I, however, have to go. It was nice seeing you again." She said shaking Eriol's hand. She glanced at Syaoran, who still hadn't bothered to get out of his car. "Thank you for your help. Next time I won't be needing it. Although you might after I smoke your ass." Syaoran just snorted, but Sakura wasn't paying attention. She was already back in her car and ready to. She turned it on and revved the engine, peeling out. She turned on her stereo, ready to zone out to some metal. But instead she was blasted by... opera?! She swiftly turned the radio station off and pushed play on her Slipknot CD. That was better. But she did wonder about who had driven her car to the gas station...

In a half hour, she reached the ritzy hotel in which the press conference was being held. Strings of limos were pulling up and masses of news vans with satellites on top were scattered about. Sakura hated this part. But she allowed the valet to help her out of her car, nearly being blinded by the strobes of cameras while she was at it.

"Sakura! Sakura, over here!" Sakura sighed through a smile that was stapled on. She knew the best way to get through this was to give them a good pose. She headed towards one of the huge red and white banners that were blaring "Kinomoto for Ambassador" to all of Japan. Stopping in front of it, she gave the most dazzling smile she could. Which was pretty dazzling. The press loved it, and as she had prayed, she was aloud to head indoors.

If only she hadn't. If only she would have stayed for a second longer, she would have seen a rat haired man, a man with messy chestnut brown hair and amber eyes, and possibly even the man with the gun.

Syaoran

"I do not get what is up with that chick." Fumed Syaoran. He was still sitting in his car talking to Eriol at the gas station.

"My guess would be that she just doesn't like you..." Syaoran just glared.

"Thanks for that scientific deduction."

"No prob." Eriol said. He began walking around Syaoran's car to get in on the passenger side, but Syaoran stopped him.

"I've got that stupid dinner thing of my dad's to go to, remember?"

"Oh yeah... Well, have fun; I'll just get out then... Haha... And... Hope... Someone I know is... around... you know, so I don't have to walk the TWENTY MILES TO MY HOUSE!"

"I'm sorry, Eriol, you know my dad will kill me if I'm late... But I'm sure someone will be around soon enough, I'll talk to you later..." With that, Syaoran put his car in gear and was off, leaving Eriol literally standing in his dust. He pulled off the sweatshirt he had pulled on over his tux while talking to Saku. Wearing a tux might bring up some odd questions. He pulled on his dinner jacket just as he arrived at the posh hotel.

Climbing out of his car, he allowed a valet to get in. He knew that as soon as the valet was out of sight, he would floor it. Just so long as he didn't put a scratch in it, Syaoran wouldn't have to kill him. Syaoran immediately plastered on a smile as the camera strobes offended his eyes. He hated these stupid functions. And to top it off, he had to attend some stupid dinner party afterwards. A room full of pompous old windbags. And Fujitaka Kinomoto, king of them all, would be the guest of honor. Syaoran hated the man. Unfortunately, Kinomoto was one of his father's best friends. It didn't come as a surprise to Syaoran; they were both conniving bastards, for lack of a better term.

Syaoran was nodded inside by a doorman who looked very pleased with himself. Rubbing-elbows-with-the-great syndrome, no doubt. He merely nodded back and headed inside to a room full of sparkling dresses that was almost as blinding as the camera flashes outside. All of these rich old hags trying to look beautiful. It was so sad. But he decided to look on the bright side, perhaps some of these stuffy, glitter-embalmed old people had brought their daughters. Sighing again, he did a quick scan of the room. Directly across the dance floor from him stood the current ambassador of Japan. Various other political greats of Japan stood about. There, in the corner, was his father, talking to Kinomoto. And, standing a few feet back from the pair, stood the most beautiful creature he had ever laid manly eyes upon. She was pretty far away, buts he looked vaguely familiar, with auburn hair and a light colored dress. He grinned slightly and began to walk forward. As he got closer, he saw a man in a seedy looking suit with slicked back hair staring intently at the girl. He was obviously not a part of this crowd, and Syaoran wondered what he was doing here. Shaking his head slightly, he continued forward, but was interrupted by a gun shot ringing across the room.

Sakura screamed, as her father stumbled back, knocking into her, sending them both to the ground. Blood was blossoming through his white tuxedo shirt. All around there was chaos. People were screaming, and running. And Sakura only sat on the ground sobbing, holding her bleeding father. Another shot rang out and the tile next to her shattered into a million pieces. The broken stone flew everywhere, embedding itself into her hand. But she didn't feel it. She didn't feel anything. She was stronger than this, but she didn't know what to do. What if her father died? He was all she had left in the world. Just then hands grabbed her around the waist. "Saku, it's okay, an ambulance is on its way. Come on, get up, I've got to help your father." The voice sounded familiar, but Sakura couldn't think. She just nodded and stood up. But she didn't stay up. She stumbled backwards in her tall gold heels and the owner of the voice caught her before she fell.

As he saw Kinomoto fall with the first gun shot, Syaoran rushed towards the group that was under attack. His father, of course, was running along with the rest of the glamorous crowd in the direction of the nearest exit. As the second shot rang out, all that was left was Kinomoto gasping for breath next to his daughter. Sakura. Or was it Saku? He hurried forward and pulled Sakura to her feet, and when she stumbled he caught her, just as the building's security rushed around him, descending on the fallen man. Carefully, he lowered Saku to the ground. He knelt next to her, and she looked at him through emerald eyes that were sparkling through her tears. Her eyes widened with recognition as amber met emerald. "It's okay Sakura, it'll be alright, I'm here for you." He whispered to her while pushing her hair that was now in disarray back from her face. The wailing of sirens was rapidly approaching, and within seconds, the moment was passed. In the hustle and bustle of the moment, no one noticed a rat haired man who was hurriedly dialing a number on his cell phone, a pleased look on his face.

Okay, hopefully that had a teeny bit more action for you, but from here on out, the plot had begun to thicken....at least I hope... I might have forgotten to add the cornstarch... Heehee... Oh, I crack myself up... But, I'll stop, have no fear. Anyway, the next chapter should have another street race in it. laughs maniacally It should be an exciting one if I decided to write what I'm thinking about atm. But, I don't want to spoil it....like there's anything to spoil... coughs Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and if you review my self esteem will rise, and I will love you...(In the backgroud I burst into song, singing "I will always love you") Until next time!