Chapter 2
...be closed."
"Maybe Eriol can get us in?"Sakura suggested.
"It's worth a try," Yue said.
"Yeah," Tomoyo agreed. " Why not? We've got to do something to kick off this winter break."
Sakura made a quick phone call to her friend Sierra Pomeroy and arranged to meet het at the CI.Twenty minutes later
she and Tomoyo pushed open the glass doors to the coffee house. A bunch of little tables and chairs filled the center of
the room.Along one wall was a rack of international newspapers.Another wall was lined with computers.And at the back
was a small stage for performers.
"Sierra!" Sakura called,seeing her friend head into the rest room.Sakura hurried to catch up with her." Wow," she said,
checking out the plaid skirt and boring white blouse Sierra was wearing."Your mom makes you dress like that for break?"
Sierra nodded and shrugged. She pulled off her scrunchie,letting her flaming red hair fall around her shoulders."Whatever.
It'll be all gone in a sec," she said,gesturing at her clothes. Sierra's real name was Sarah, but only her teachers and her
parents called her that. Everyone else knew the truth - that she was leading a double life. At home she wore conservative
clothes, played the violin, and went by the name her parents had given her. But the minute she was off her mother's
radar, she changed into totally hip outfits and let down her hair.Then she became the person she wanted to be - Sierra,
bass guitar player in a rock band called The Wave.
Sakura watched as Sierra balled up the skirt and blouse and stuffed them into her backpack. Quickly she slipped into
a pair of mango-colored silk cargo pants and a lime green top. " This is getting to be a major chore," Sierra said,
nodding toward the backpack with the extra clothes." I'm so over living a double life."
" How come?" Sakura was surprised." I thought you sort of liked the whole drama of it." Sierra shook her head.
" For one thing, look at these pants! They're so wrinkled, it looks as if I've been sleeping in a mummy case."
" Wrinkled is in," Sakura argued.
"Maybe," Sierra sighed." But it's more than that.I'm running out of excuses to tell my mom every time I have to go
practice with the band." Plus it must be weird not being able to tell your parents the truth about anything, Sakura
thought. She would really hate having to lie to her parents all the time. " Hey," Sakura said." What if you told them?"
"Huh?" Sierra blinked as she applied some black eyeliner. " I don't know. It's just an idea,but what if you told your
parents the whole story?" Sakura suggested." About your band,your name,your taste in wrinkled clothing..."
"Ha-ha. Very funny," Sierra said. " No I'm serious," Sakura insisted." Why not? I mean, what have you got to lose?"
"What have I got to lose?" Sierra's eyes opened wide."Are you kidding? They could make me stop playing guitar
altogther." "That would be bad," Sakura admitted," But what are the chances? Your parents aren't the worst humans
on the planet or anything. They're just --" "Strict? Old-fashioned? Demanding? And totally convinced they know
what's best for me?" Sierra said, filling in the gap." Pick any two." "Okay true," Sakura said." But that's most parents,
right? I mean, give your mom some credit. She was listening to an indie-rock station on the car radio the other day."
" The tuner was broken. It was stuck on that station," Sierra explained.
Oh too bad Sakura thought." Well, anyway, your mom's not so awful," she added." I remember once she actually
complimented my hair, and it was totally messy that day. It was back in my " How many ruber bands can I use in one
hairstyle?' phase. What I'm trying to say is, I'll bet you could make her understand why guitar is so important to you-
if you'd try."
Sierra looked doubtfull." I'll think about it," she said as they headed back into the cafe and ordered two mochas.At the
last minute Sierra ordered hers to go." You're not staying?" Sakura was surprised. " I've got band practice," she
explained. " I didn't realize how late it was." Oh. Too bad again, Sakura thought. She checked out the CI.The place
was packed with people from West Malibu High, which was cool. But was this really how she wanted to spend her
break? Just hanging around with the same people she saw evey day of the school year? " Make mine to go too," she
told Eriol, who was scrambling around behind the coffee bar. " How come?" Sierra asked. " You're comming to band
practice? I thought you and Alex were sort of over." Alex Zimmer was the lead guitar player in The Wave. He and Sakura
dated earlier in the year, but that had cooled down. " No I'm going to take a walk through town," Sakura said." I'ts such a
beautiful day. I'm thinking, if I do something different, then maybe something different will happen to me."
"Okay. Call me later," Sierra said as the two of them parted at the door. Sakura sipped her mocha and walked through
the crowded streets of Malibu. The weather was perfect, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Cars cruised
through town and every single convertible top down. Now there's a cool car, Sakura thought, spotting a vintage red
Mercedes sports car with white leather seats.Then she realized that the man behind the wheel looked familiar.
Wait a minute, Sakura thought. Thats him! That's Clow Reed! No wonder Mom and Yue were so psyched about
him, she realized. In person, the man radiated glamour. He had a white scarf thrown around his neck,Which made
his wavy hair look cool, somehow, instead of just ancient. How come he's driving so slowly? she wondered. Clow had
the top down on the Mercedes, and an adorable little fuzzy white poodle hung over the edge of the passenger-side door.
The car was going so slowly Sakura could walk faster than he drove. He kept craning his neck, looking around as if he
were lost or something. He spotted Sakura staring at him." Hello! Pardon me," he said in his totally charming French
accent. He pulled the car to the curb." Do you know where Dr.Mandleson's office is?
" The vet?" Sakura nodded." Sure." Of course she knew where Dr. Mandleson's office was. She and Tomoyo had been
there a bunch of times right after they got their new cocker spaniel,Pepper. "It's sort of hard to find," Sakura explained.
"But it's just two blocks away. Go down that street, turn right behind the muffin shop, and you're there." She pointed.
" You can park around the back." Clow tossed up his hands and looked at her pleadingly." I've been around the block
three times!" he said." And I didn't see you possibly show me?" "Sure," Sakura said as Clow hopped out of the
car with his puppy. They started walking." You're Clow Reed, aren't you ?" Clow smiled." I'm surprised someone your
age recognized me," he said, bowing slightly in her direction." Oh I didn't," Sakura blurted out." I mean, I propably
wouldn't have recognized you, but my mom showed me your picture. She said you rented a house near us.I'm
Sakura Kinomoto." Clow laughed, and Sakura instantly blushed." I am charmed to make your acquaintance,Miss
Kinomoto." Clow said, smiling and shaking her hand awkwardly across the armfull of puppy he was carrying.
" Which house is yours?" " The boxy white one with a lot of glass and a deck facing the water." Sakura said.
" That sounds like half the houses on the beach," Clow replied with a laugh. Yeah I guess it does, Sakura thought,
blushing more. What is it about movie stars that makes you go all tongue-tied?
" Well, I'm sure I will see you on the beach," Clow said." And then you can point out your house to me."
" Okay," Sakura said as they reached the end of the street." Here we are." Sakura turned into the alley by the
muffin shop." Dr.Mandleson's office is up those stairs." " Ah!" Clow said, as if he never would have found it without
her." Merci.You have saved my life." " No problem," Sakura said as Clow headed toward the office.
"See you back at home on the beach!" Clow called before he climbed the stairs." Au revoir!"
"Au revoir," Sakura called back, grinning to herself. How cool, she thought. I just said good-bye in French! Then she
turned to head back up the street - and smacked right into a guy standing behind her." Oh! Excuse me!" Sakura
gasped. Then she gasped again when she saw who it was. Not just any guy. He was tall,almost six feet, and blond buff.
His pale blue T-shirt fit snugly over his muscular chest. It matched his intense, Amber eyes, which were rimmed with
dark lashes. And he had dimples so deep, they made him look as if he was always smiling. Sakura's heart raced.
Not just because he was cute, but because she recognized him, too. I don't believe it, she thought. That's...
Syaoran Li! The son of the famous actor Richard Li. What is this? Two - for - the - price - of - one - celebrity day?
Thats all I'm gnna write for today,coz i have to do school homework n stuff ,enyhow I hope ya'll like the story so far.
Thanks for the reviews.
I promise the next chapter is gonna be much longer :)
R&R
