Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ A Boy, a Girl, and a Halloween Party ❯ Party Nite... ( Chapter 6 )

A Boy, A Girl and a Halloween Party: Chapter 6 a.k.a. The Chapter that Refused to be Written

~BaBySmurf~

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Disclaimer: i don't own .. blah-Dee-blah-dee-blah.... i never have .. doo-bee-doo-bee-doo... and never will... la la la. Woah, did you really just read that? i mean are you really that bored? it's a disclaimer. whaddaya esspect? there's nothing special here. NO really, there's not. it's just like every other disclaimer. ..... uh yeah... nothing special. ...... hey, look down there! \/ \/ \/ *runs away*

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

~~Saturday... party night~~

Sakura shifted in her spot and uncrossed her legs. She let out a long sigh and stared hard at the dress laying on a chair before her. She tried not to look at the clock as she eyed her dress closely. She crossed her legs again and folded her arms.

Her eyes darted at the clock and watched the numbers click 1:20 PM. She let out a long breath and stood up. Sakura shoved her hands into her pockets and started to pace around the room. "Still 6 more hours and 40 minutes till the party." she muttered.

The usually carefree cheerleader clasped her hands behind her back and halted her pacing in front of her gorgeous dress. She ached to wear that dress again. It was like that dress was made for her- well it was, but it was like this dress was hers, and hers alone. It would be pretty on anyone else- It would be positively gorgeous on Sakura.

Tomoyo had definitely agreed that Sakura was probably the only one who could put that gown on and do it justice. Heck, Sakura could put anything on and it'd look good.

Sakura's green eyes followed the length of the dress down and she pondered whether Tomoyo had spent just as much time and care preparing Syaoran's costume. The cunning videographer had kept his costume a complete secret from her, and did the same with Syaoran, keeping Sakura's costume a secret from him. Sakura picked up the complicated tiara that went so beautifully with the outfit. She absent-mindedly ran her fingers over the bands of silver entwined and spun gracefully throughout the amazing coronet. A smile found it's way to Sakura's face. Tonight was going to be so fun. Spending time with all her friends, just hanging out. Of course she was also looking forward to spending some quality time with the one boy she would always feel comfortable with. She let out a soft sigh and continued to dream of being alone with her Li. Well, it's not like she hadn't already spent some time alone with him before. I mean she had stayed with him a few nights ago for their little 'study date' (as Tomoyo insisted on calling it,) but she'd been such a sleepy head they hadn't been able to have any just... together time.

Sakura smiled and fell back on her bed as she remembered what had happened. She'd remembered falling asleep in his lap, but when she woke up the next morning, she was all alone in her own bed. A blush crossed her face at the thought of Syaoran carrying her all the way from his house to hers. I mean, he didn't drive yet, and Sakura seriously doubted that he would have called to have her brother come over and pick her up after spending a night alone at a BOY'S place. And it was also highly improbable that Syaoran would have wanted to sit through a session of Touya's own, 'if you so much as laid a finger on her I'll---' speeches. Sure, Touya really cared for his little sister, but in certain cases (especially those concerning males, more particularly those named Syaoran) he could get a little out of hand. Sakura smiled to herself, unable to hide her blush, and closed her eyes thinking it over. Well it could happen couldn't it? I mean he didn't live that far away from her place, and hey! No, harm in dreaming right?

A thud from the door brought Sakura out of her thoughts and she turned to see Touya's head sticking out through the doorway. "Hey squirt. Watcha doin'? Not worrying about that lousy party are you? Ha, I hope not!" he teased grinning.

"Argh!" Sakura moaned and threw a pillow at her older brother for putting an end to her fantasizing. Touya ducked out of sight, and the pillow flopped harmlessly to the ground.

He reappeared in front of the door and picked up the pillow, "Tut, tut you little kaijuu, anger management!" he said smiling.

Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed the pillow from his hands. "What do you have to say to me now?" she groaned sitting up.

Touya pretended to look shocked and slipped onto the bed. "That's all I get? No 'Hi my wonderful older brother! How's the weather?'" he asked in a mock-shaky voice.

Sakura giggled and shoved him off her bed, "How's the weather? Is that the best you could think of?" she said as he fell to the ground. Touya poked his head up over the bed to squint at her. Sakura feigned a sour look as Touya tried to keep a straight face. Sakura couldn't help but break a grin and Touya stood up chuckling under his breath.

"Well, what are you doing then?" he asked more seriously. Sakura sighed and picked at a loose thread in her shorts. he raised his eyebrows and motioning to the gorgeous dress spread out on the chair behind him, said curiously, "...fretting about the party?" Sakura hesitated, then nodded looking him in the eye. Touya ran a hand through his not-so-neat hair and let out a sigh of his own. "What? Well true, even though you are going to some loser party-" Sakura hit him in the arm, but she was listening, "-with some loser people-"

Sakura hit him again, "Touya, I'm waiting for some kind brotherly advice, but I'm getting nothing. " she smiled, "Now stop making fun of my friends or I'll throw you out of my room." she threatened poking out her bottom lip.

Touya tousled her hair from his comfy position on the floor, "Just playing kiddo. But I still object to this party being coed. It's unethical! Who knows what kind of hooligans and riffraff could be running around up there! Anything could happen!" he crossed his arms and gave her a stern look.

Sakura rolled her eyes again, "And I thought I was worrying! Touya, this party happens to be hosted by my best friend (since kindergarten, mind you!) Trust me, she'll have her eye out on everything, and I seriously doubt she would let anything happen to me."

Touya's stoic expression didn't change, "Will Tomoyo be watching you 24/7? Noooo, she'll be way too busy with other 'important' party matters." Sakura folded her arms before her and narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth for a comeback but Touya started again, "I don't think you should be going to this party." he said firmly.

"Well I don't think you should be getting on my case." Sakura looked him square in the face and went on, "I'm 15 years old now, you don't always have to be hanging over my shoulder anymore Touya. You never think anything I do is appropriate unless you're there in the background watching over my shoulder. Even Yukito thinks you should back off a little. Touya-" her voice unconsciously hardened, "I can manage on my own." Sakura looked down from her place on the bed at her older brother kneeling on the floor ready to gripe at him some more. She froze at the look on his face. In moment, his eyes had changed; they looked sad and lonely. His face was free from expression, but his younger sister could see a look in his eyes that he looked like the wind had been knocked out of him.

He sucked in a deep breath, and refused to look Sakura in the face. "Well you shouldn't be.... -It's not right for...." his voice trailed off when he just couldn't find an argument. His fingers twisted around each other. He sighed and looked up at her bright emerald eyes. "That's something I've always liked about you, Sakura..."

'What? No kaijuu, no monster, just Sakura?' Sakura was feeling a little on edge now.

A trace of a smile crossed her brother's face. He looked down at his feet. "You are your own person." he continued, "Never letting anyone tell you what you can or cannot do." He looked up at her again, his smile more evident now. He slowly stood up and reached out like he was about to ruffle her hair again, but at the last second changed his mind and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You're not so little anymore are you kiddo..." he said

Sakura visibly winced, she could tell she had hurt her brother's feelings. "No, I guess I'm not," Sakura couldn't help it as the words tumbled out of her mouth. "But it's not like I'll disappear if you aren't monitoring my every movement, so why do you keep treating me like I am!" Sakura winced at her own words and the annoyance she'd heard in her voice.

Touya closed his eyes, and after a long uncomfortable pause, started speaking again, "Sakura, a long time ago I didn't."

Sakura raised her eyebrows.

Touya's deep brown eyes opened again, "But then something happened, and I swore that I would never again let you out from under my protection."

Sakura's eyes widened, what could this be leading to?

"Our mother was just like you..." he said his eyes going out of focus for a moment, "She was always kind and considerate of others," his gaze hooked on his sister for a moment, "and she looked exactly like you." Sakura held her breath and waited for him to go on. It wasn't that the Kinomotos didn't speak about Nandeshiko, their deceased mother, it just happened rarely, and when they did speak about her, it was usually pretty emotional. "If there was one thing Mother loved to do, it was go out on her own. She would go out on her little adventures with her friends, like you do sometimes," Touya said as he studied his sister's face.

Again, Sakura found herself holding her breath. What was he getting to?

"She liked to go out- she could only stay in one place with nothing to do for just so long. So whenever she up and went, we didn't think too much of it, she could take care of herself, and she would never be gone longer than a few hours." his eyes glistened, "I even went with her sometimes." he sighed. "We didn't think we had anything to worry about." Touya swallowed hard and let his weight fall onto the bed, ".....Then one night.... it all went wrong.."

~@~13 years ago~@~

Nandeshiko fiddled with her pen and watched her son work intensely on his homework. She smiled at his childlike innocence- his eyebrows furrowed as he struggled with his work. She looked back down at her lap, where she was doodling in one of her half-full notebooks. A sketchy drawing of her son was scrawled on to the page. Nandeshiko smiled and long auburn hair bounced around her face as she idly tapped her foot, listening to the slow tick-took of the clock on the wall. She restlessly watched the seconds tick by and the noise of the clock grew louder. Nandeshiko couldn't take it anymore. She jumped up, breaking the silence.

A 9-year old Touya looked up from his textbooks questioningly at his mother. Nandeshiko smiled, "How about we go for a walk, little T?" A smile bloomed on his little-boy face. He jumped up and scrambled to his mother's side, even as he'd grown older, he would never pass up a chance to have some alone time with his mom. Together they left the house where a baby Sakura and Fujitaka slept peaceably together, and marched down the street arm in arm.

It was in the middle of October, and a bit chilly. It was cold out, and the two had forgotten their jackets at home. Nandeshiko found it'd be a good idea to jog for a bit to keep themselves warm, and made a game out of it, chasing her son as he sped away in mock fright. The two raced down the darkening street. "I'm winning!" shouted Touya pulling ahead of his mother.

Nandeshiko giggled and grabbed her son, swinging him around in a circle. Touya shrieked in delight and laughter filled the empty street. Touya grinned toothily at his mother and burst into another fit of giggles. Nandeshiko smiled warmly at his innocent face and continued walking with an arm wrapped tightly around her son. They wound their way down empty streets, arm in arm- A mother and her son.

Pretty soon a fog was began to set in, and Nandeshiko hurriedly tried to steer them towards a direction close to home. The fog gradually built up, getting thicker by the minute- soon enough they seemed to be wandering aimlessly down the streets. Touya grasped his mother's hand in his small palm, "Mom, wh-where are we?" he asked nervously, his wide eyes straining to see in the dark.

Nandeshiko squeezed his hand reassuringly, "Not to far from home! Just stick close to me, and we'll be home faster than you can say lickety-split!" she said with a warm smile.

Touya let out what could pass for a giggle considering the circumstances and held his mother tight. Nandeshiko walked forward confidently down the streets she knew so well, but under the gray of the fog, everything seemed strange and unfamiliar. The lights of the street lamps through the fog were blurry and distorted; it was of no help to the two sole people in the dark.

Nandeshiko kept a watchful eye out for any sign at all of where they were. The fog was very thick now and she could barely see a few feet in front of her. Nandeshiko wasn't bothered though, she kept walking at a steady pace, giving her son the impression she knew exactly what she was doing. Of course in reality, she was racking her brain for some hint that would help them find their way home out of the blurry gray that was the night. Touya followed his mother obediently, fully trusting in her abilities as his mother to get him home safely.

They wound their way through what seemed to be endless streets, totally oblivious to their surroundings, thanks to the blinding fog. Touya stumbled forward and shivered, the cold seeping under his clothes, and chilling him quite considerably. Nandeshiko, noticing this, bit her tongue and continued her attempts at navigating the two around in the dark.

They seemed to be getting nowhere fast, almost as if they were doing nothing but traveling around in big loops. Nandeshiko turned around in a slow circle, seeing nothing through the thick night air. Touya shivered next to her and clung to Nandeshiko's long skirts. The boy's mother vainly tried to peer through the empty gray fog, intent only on getting her son home, warm and safe. Their footsteps echoed loudly, the only sound in the frightening inky dark of the night.

She hurried along the road faster, growing more desperate every second that went by without benefit to either of them. A swift wind came hurtling at them out of nowhere and Touya bit back a whimper, a soft moan escaping his lips. Nandeshiko stopped immediately lowered herself down to Touya's eye level. She clasped her own cold hands around Touya's little boy face, "Touya, don't be frightened." she said firmly. "A little fog isn't going to stop us from getting us safe home to daddy and baby Sakura! Okay?" she smiled warmly and kissed his head.

Touya nodded and smiled weakly, pulling himself him to stand up straight. His teeth chattered involuntarily, and Nandeshiko pulled her much loved son into a warm embrace. "You're such a brave boy, Touya!" she whispered in his ear. "I love you so much."

Nandeshiko finally pulled away from her son and pushed his black hair back off his forehead. "Now let's see..." she mumbled half to herself. She took a step towards one of the barely recognizable lampposts to see of she could get a feel for where in the world she was, Touya mirroring her movements so he wouldn't lose her in the dark.

Suddenly realization struck her, "Aha!" she exclaimed- they'd arrived at the lip of the White Blossom Bridge; the bridge that emptied out onto an intersection that lead to their home on a quiet street. A smile erupted on Nandeshiko's face and she glanced back at Touya in relief. She grasped his hand and headed down the bridge. Touya skipped ahead with his mother, relieved to know that soon they'd be home again.

They trotted down the bridge, the fog thicker than ever, but no longer were the two scared that they wouldn't find their way home. The air around them was now no more than a thick gray curtain, blinding them further, but still they forged ahead. The upward slant of the bridge had leveled out, and they felt about halfway over the water.

Little Touya let out a tiny cry as he tripped across some loose gravel and fell to the hard ground. His hand slipped out of his mothers warm palm, and he looked up, expecting to see his mother's happy face ready to help him, but found only empty gray air.

"Mom!" he cried into the darkness. The wind tore at his tousled brown hair in reply. Touya sat up and wiped his mouth, his wide dark eyes searching through the darkness. "Mommy!" The wind whipped the shout from his mouth and Touya pushed himself up to a standing position. He hadn't any idea where his mother had gone. His feet stumbled over the worn path of the bridge in a frantic search for his mother. "MOTHER!!!" his voice cracked and his eyes glistened, but still the words had barely left his mouth before the wind had stolen them away. He was growing more anxious by the second; his breathing quickened and his eyes grew wide.

Consumed by his distress, and too panicked to make much sense of anything, Touya didn't hear the low rumble of an approaching vehicle. A blinding flash of light and the rev of an engine was all the warning he got before it happened.

Touya stood numbly, nearly unaware of his odd surroundings. The next few moments passed in a blur. In the blink of an eye a truck hurtled sideways across the small-town bridge, narrowly missing the little boy.

Touya glanced around in panic, the thick fog blinding him from most of his surroundings. Not being able to see, Touya's hearing perked up. In the next instant, his senses were assaulted by a heavy crash, then the crack of the bridge's railing.

In his haste to dodge Touya, the driver overlooked the second figure lost on the foggy bridge. He slammed on the brakes, wildly spinning the steering wheel to avoid hitting the slim woman, but it was too late. The truck took down Nandeshiko and blasted half way over the side of the bridge before stopping. A high feminine shriek pierced the night air before it was cut off abruptly by the fast-moving water below. Touya could barely comprehend what the shriek's unexpected end could mean, not to mention put the voice to a face.

Hanging in balance off the edge of the bridge, the bulky pickup see sawed on the edge of the bridge- held back only by the broken jagged railing. Touya, forced to the ground as the truck had passed him, stared in shock his eyes growing small as he watched the precarious dance of the truck's blinding headlights. It would undoubtedly take him several minutes before he realized the entirety of those few frightening moments.

Shouting in panic, the driver responsible for the terrible mess managed to back up a few feet- enough to stabilize the vehicle. The driver hopped out of his pickup and raced to the edge of the bridge, not noticing little Touya frozen in terror. The tall man shouted down to the chilly waters below but got no answer. The thick mist was ever so slowly receding, and he immediately sought out a hasty search of the water below, calling over and over again. Growing more nervous by the second, he spun around, ready to race off to the police, when he noticed little Touya. Fear and pain had caused the man's eyes to grow large, which now mimicked Touya's. Trying to keep himself as much as Touya from hysterics, the man tried to speak calmly but not being to successful, stuttered out, "It- I-- " he was cut short as a responsible neighbor appeared at the opposite end of the bridge, plainly looking to see what the commotion was all about.

"What going on! I heard a crash- Is everything all right?" the older man shouted as he jogged onto the bridge, his thinning red hair tossed by the wind. The man's vision was still a bit hindered by the departing fog, enough for him not to notice the void in the bridge for a moment. The neighbor jogged a few steps forward, than halted when he spotted the gaping hole in the bridge. "Oh My God," the man raced to the gap, glanced down then whirled back to face the driver. "What happened, is anyone hurt?"

The driver was still to much in a shock to respond, all he could do was look to Touya in helplessness. The man followed his gaze and his eyes widened with recognition. "That's the Kinomoto's kid- what's he doing out here by himself- Where's his parents," the red-haired man turned to the driver, who's gray eyes looked about in panic. The older man stalked over to the driver and glared harshly at the panicking male. The redhead, whom Touya had finally named as kindly old Mr. Kairda from up the street grabbed the driver's collar, "What'd you do, what happened- Tell me, now!!" he threatened dangerously as he shook the man.

The driver looked about in a panic, when Touya's small voice interrupted them from his seat across the way, "Where's my mom?" he cried weakly. "What happened to her- Where'd she go!"

Touya's feeble cry seemed to push the bewildered driver to words, in near hysterics the words tumbled out of his mouth. "I'm- I'm so sorry- It was an accident- I - I didn't see her, It- I didn't mean it! I swear! I couldn't help it- I swerved and then she was right in front of me- I- I tried to stop, but I--- I -- Please, I'm sorry, Don't hurt me! Please!" Mr. Kairda's eyes went blank and the death grip he had on the frightened driver's collar went slack. His feet turned his face, free from expression, to face the small boy trembling just a few feet away from him.

There were a few long moments, and Kairda stepped forward and stooped low to look at Touya eye to eye. After a healthy pause he spoke, his voice cracking, "Touya..." Mr. Kairda looked down and grasped Touya's miniature hands in his own. "You mother won't be coming back for a while."

Over and over again, the scene played through Touya's mind as Mr. Kairda's words seeped into him. He heard the crash again and again in his mind, able to hear only the high pitched squeal of the tires as they skid across the pavement, the thud of the truck hitting a lithe body, the harsh shattering crash as the truck broke through the precarious railing, and finally, a wail, a desperate shriek dropping over the bridge, then coming to an all-to-abrupt halt as a splash overtook the piercing cry. Touya's eyes blurred, he could no longer hear the words of comfort Mr. Kairda was offering him, he could only see the crash, played out in his mind over, and over, and over and over again, helpless to stop it. Over and over again he heard a shrill shriek that racked through his body, a scream that called to him, "Touya, help!" A scream that watched him sit stunned, unable to help at all, until it was cut off by the tumultuous river below. Over and over and over again.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Touya's voice, void of emotion, continued, Sakura making no effort to wipe the salty tears running down her cheeks. "For one instant I let her go...." Touya watched a tear leave Sakura's chin and fall noiselessly to the bedspread. The round bead of water winked at him and Touya blinked to find only a small damp spot where it had been.

"That's why." he said simply. "When you started getting older, and going out so often, messing around with boys," he said the last one with a trace of habitual bitterness. "I just got worried. I tried so hard- I'm terrified that something might happen to you, like what happened to mother- I love you too much to let that happen again.... I wouldn't want to make the same mistake twice." he swallowed hard, "I wouldn't want to let down the family again." he ended softly studying his hands. A rebel tear fell from his eye and he wiped it away furiously.

Sakura finally managed to regain control of her voice again and countered fiercely, "Touya, you couldn't have stopped what happened that night at the bridge, it was an accident- it wasn't your fault!" she grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look at her. "Don't punish yourself for something you didn't do- you weren't the one to let down Mom that night. and Touya- no matter what, I still love you, and I know you'd never let me down." Sakura settled back for a moment, surprised at the truth in her own words. "And no matter what has happened or what will happen, you'll always be my big brother." she smiled truthfully and hugged her brother tight. She paused a moment to reconsider, "Okay, maybe my dorky big brother, but my brother none the less." her voice was muffled against her brother as she hugged him.

Touya pulled back for a moment, "Did you say something....?"

"Not at all." she answered innocently.

Touya looked at her through his dark almond eyes, and managed a smile. He chuckled suddenly and stood up to ruffle her hair. He sighed and turned towards the door. "Yep, you're the greatest Sakura." He headed to the door but paused, looking serious again. "Now Sakura, this doesn't mean I'm gonna let you get away with anything!" Sakura flopped back on her bed, groaning. Touya went on, "I'm still your brother, and I'm still gonna care about what you do, the only difference is," He leaned closer, "Now you know why." He smiled and left, shutting the door behind him.

"Touya, Touya, Touya...." she muttered. She sat up and her eyes caught on the dress once more. She smiled, "Ya know, I don't think there is ever a time when it's too early for a girl to get ready for a party." She bounced off the bed with a grin just as her phone rang. It ringed twice more before she finally found it, and answered: "Moshi, moshi"

The person on the other end didn't speak. Sakura frowned, only she, Tomoyo, Syaoran and Kero knew this number. Kero was sleeping, Tomoyo would start talking before she'd even said hello, and there was absolutely no reason for Syaoran to call her. She thought the last part with a twinge of sadness. Who would could possibly be calling her? "Hellooo?" she tried again, somewhat nervous. She knew they hadn't hung up; Sakura could hear someone breathing rather heavily into the phone. Stories of children and teenagers being abducted and killed flooded her mind. She knew she should hang up the phone, a night of watching horrific news stories filled with reports of missing children later found dead could tell her that. 'This is crazy. Sakura, you're overreacting! Calm Down!' she ordered herself. 'Just hang up the phone and forget about it. It's probably just a wrong number, or something like that. Not some deranged killer who wants steal you from your own room at night!' she thought panicking.

The mysterious person on the other end of the line had finally gathered the courage to speak, "Sakura?"

The frightened cheerleader let out an involuntary scream and dropped the phone.

Sakura could hear an urgent male voice from the phone on the floor. "Sakura are you all right?!? Sakura what happened!?! It's me Syaoran!" Sakura breathed a sigh of relief at the voice and grabbed the phone "Sakura?!" Syaoran asked again, his voice full of anxiety. Sakura nodded, and breathed heavily trying to slow her heart down. "Sakura!" Syaoran said again, louder.

Sakura hit herself with the phone. He couldn't see her over the phone, duh. "Hai," she replied. "I'm here."

"Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, sincerely concerned.

Sakura tried to laugh, "Oh, you just scared me a bit, that's all." She blushed, and was glad he couldn't see her rose-colored face. "I'm fine now." she smiled, her face turning redder by the second.

The door banged open and another unintended scream escaped Sakura as Touya rushed in. Her adrenaline was obviously still pumping. "What happened? Are you okay? Why'd you scream? What's wrong." He asked the string of questions leaving no room for Sakura's answer. "I swear, if anyone hurt you I'll-" he punched his open palm with his right hand and glared suspiciously at the locked window.

"Sakura!" Syaoran shouted again. Sakura hadn't heard Syaoran's last two shouts, to preoccupied with Touya and calming herself down. She had dropped the phone again, and when Touya heard Syaoran call Sakura's name he whirled around, ready to fight whoever was in the room with them.

He circled the room, his fists at the ready. He even probed a suspicious looking pile of laundry while Sakura gave an exasperated sigh and grappled for the phone. Obviously, she was right- her brother was definitely still gonna be the same ol' Touya, regardless of their conversation earlier, she thought with an ironic smile. "Sorry Syaoran." she apologized into the phone. She went on, "I guess I'm just a little nervous." She forced an all-too-fake sounding laugh and immediately shut her mouth, blushing all the more.

Syaoran seemed not to notice. "About the party?"

"Hai. About the party." she agreed quickly. Truth be told, she was a bit more nervous about talking to him on the phone than she was about the party, but she wasn't about to admit that to him. She'd already been embarrassed enough tonight.

Touya had not even noticed that Sakura was talking on the phone again, so intent he was on finding the 'intruder.' Sakura rolled her eyes and threw a stuffed animal at Touya to catch his attention. He whirled around, fists at the ready until he noticed Sakura smirking.

She put the phone to her chest, "If you'll excuse me Touya, I'm on the phone." She raised the pink phone back up to her ear and waved Touya out of the room, "So what's up, Syaoran?"

Touya charged back in, "Syaoran!?! I should have known! What's that Chinese gaki doing calling you??" he asked rudely.

Syaoran chose (wisely) to keep silent and let Sakura handle her obtrusive brother. He was a little too nervous right now to engage in some serious glaring. Of course, you couldn't really glare effectively over the phone, but he was sure Touya would find a way to convey the message.

"Just a second," Sakura said into the phone, then put it face down on the bed. "Touya, Syaoran is my friend. That's what friends do. They call each other." She sounded like she was explaining something to a five-year old. "Now please go away and let me talk to my friend." she said. Touya looked a bit taken aback by her little speech. She could see him any minute now asking stupidly, 'you have friends????'

"Go on, go." she said. Sakura even jumped up and shooed him out of the room. When he finally stood in the hallway, she warned him, "And NO eavesdropping!" and the door shut in Touya's face.

He immediately put his ear against the wood. He heard nothing. He leaned against the door and pressed his ear hard against it. Still nothing, wait, what was that... a giggle??? That gaki was making her giggle?!? He snorted and listened for more. Suddenly something hit the other side of the door, exactly where his head was pressed against. His head bounced hard against the door, and he found himself sitting on his butt on the ground. He heard laughter from his sister's room. Touya scowled and rubbed his head. "I'm losing my touch.." he muttered as he stood up. He scowled at the closed door once more and walked back to his room shaking his head.

Inside her room Sakura smiled, "Thanks Syaoran, I think that got rid of him!" She laughed again.

Syaoran couldn't help but grin hearing Sakura laugh: it was just so addictive! Though he couldn't help but be sobered when he reminded himself of why he'd called in the first place. "Um, so Sakura..." he started off shakily. "Uh," Wait, he didn't have to ask her right away, did he? "So watcha doing right now?" 'Smooth move, Syaoran' he thought and whacked the phone against his head.

"Oh, I'm just gearing myself up for the party, that's all." She answered sweetly. Sakura was going over her dress, smoothing out a wrinkle here or there. "You know I'm not to crazy about haunted parties...." she said slowly.

Syaoran bit back a smile, even though she couldn't see him. It was just too cute that she was 15, and was still afraid of ghosts! The words spilled from his mouth without thinking: "Aww, you'll have nothing to worry about as long as I'm there," he said lightly. A moment later he realized his mistake and shut his eyes to prepare for the disgust and humiliation he knew was to come. Had he really just say that?

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, "Really?"

Yeah, he really had just said that, "Hai..." he forged ahead without considering the consequences, "I'd never let anything happen to you Sakura..." Syaoran bit his lip, afraid of her response to his honesty.

"Oh..." Sakura replied.

Syaoran tasted blood in his mouth. 'Great...' he thought to himself, 'I've just lost my best friend because I can't keep my stupid mouth shut.' He sighed. Well at least she knew the truth. Well ...half of the truth. She still didn't know that one detail- the reason he couldn't stop from blushing whenever he saw her, or fumbling for words when she smiled at him; why it took him half the day to convince himself to call her, and why it took him another hour to dial her phone number without hanging up before the first ring. It was because he loved her- he loved her and he was too coward to tell her.

Sakura's voice interrupted his thoughts; he'd nearly forgotten he was still on the phone, and he blushed.

"Thanks Syaoran, that means a lot to me..." Sakura's voice was tentative and soft; hearing it turned Syaoran's grimace into a smile.

Well, maybe he could work up the courage to ask her after all... "Um, Sakura..." he started hesitantly.

"Yes?" she asked sweetly.

"I was just wondering, uh, about the party, if-uh... if it would be okay if- I mean, only if you want to... you don't have to if you don't want to, I'm only asking-" He blundered on.

"What did you want to ask me?" Sakura interrupted.

Syaoran shut his mouth and swallowed to calm himself down. "UH- I wanted to know-- I wantedtoknowificouldgiveyouaridetotheparty." he rambled.

"Hoe?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes and smacked his head with the phone again. With a deep breath and being careful not to sound so foolish this time, he started hopefully, "I - wanted - to - know - if ---"

"Sakura!!" Touya poked his head into the door. "What time does your party start?" he asked before Sakura could accuse him of eavesdropping.

"8:00. Why?"

"Yukito wanted to show me something and I wanted to make sure I got home in time to give you a ride to your party."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." She turned back to the phone. "What were you saying?"

Syaoran sat miserably and answered, "Oh, nothing. See you at the party tonight, okay Sakura?"

"Of course! Ja!"

Syaoran hung up the phone. "Right. Ja." he muttered dejectedly. Well that had gone over well. Syaoran stood up. He'd finally worked up the courage to make a move, and he'd bombed it out. Of course, asking if he could give her a ride wasn't much of a move, but hey, for Syaoran, it was something.

Well, he may have just made a fool of himself, but maybe he'd be able to try something again at the party. Nah, he'd embarrassed himself enough for one night... He started towards the bathroom feeling depressed. He looked at himself in the mirror and remembered what she'd said earlier.. "That means a lot to me." she'd said. He watched himself smile at the thought. Maybe there was a chance that she could feel the same way. Then again, maybe she was just being nice...

Syaoran shook his head. He should just stop thinking about it, and take a shower. A shower that he needed even more, he thought taking off his shirt and noticing the small damp spots underneath the armpit. He rolled his eyes and turned the hot water on. Yep, he was just hopeless when it came to Sakura.

~@~@~@~

Sakura stared at the phone for a bit. 'Well that was abrupt. Did I say something wrong?' she thought. Sakura bit her lip, well, no matter, it was a rare treat to get a call from Syaoran, and she might as well concentrate on the good. She sighed and smiled, as she thought about the good...

What exactly had he said, his words floated through her mind, 'Aww, you'll have nothing to worry about as long as I'm there...' With a dreamy smile on her face her mind started wandering, what if there really was a chance.... a chance that maybe, just maybe, he would return the feelings that she'd felt for so long.

~@~@~@~

The Daidouji's mansion-like place was indeed a sight. It was 4 stories tall and seemed extra imposing in the night. 2 hours before at 6 o'clock when darkness had set in a spotlight set somewhere in the lawn had focused itself on the entrance. It left the rest of the building in a shadowy gloom, save for a few glowing lights coloring the windows. The walk up to the doorway was illuminated by pairs of soft white candles on the sides of the long winding path. The party had started and plenty of people had arrived. Tomoyo had originally thought to only invite a few of her friends, but as her plans had progressed she couldn't stand not to invite a good half of their grade.

There were extravagant medieval-type torches places periodically throughout the building. A few select hallways were blanketed in fog, and Tomoyo was in heaven. She doubled as hostess and official videographer. She sashayed around the main hall where her guests were wandering in and out, decidedly having a ball, Tomoyo in turn greeted all those who came with a smile and a ready camera. She dared not miss a moment of this most excellent party. Of course, it was impossible for her to be everywhere filming everything at once, but Tomoyo, as always, had a solution to everything. in a single room not far from the main hall, dozens of screens documented everything that was going on in her mansion. She'd taken great care in arranging the each and every camera, and she was oh, so proud of herself. The only thing keeping Tomoyo locked in side that room silently observing her guests was the promise of having it all recorded and on tape. Another of her rather more ingenious ideas.

Tomoyo herself was thoroughly enjoying herself as she played the hostess. She couldn't keep a smile on her face as she bounced around to the various teenagers dressed in some of the most outrageous costumes. She made sure to greet everyone of her guests that came in through the thick double doors at the entrance to the great room. She smiled every time one of her friends stumbled in looking totally bewildered until they'd realized they'd finally found the party.

One such guest was wandering in now Tomoyo noted, and she bounded over to say hello. She grinned at her friends as they recovered from their confusion and applauded her for an excellent party.

Tomoyo laughed, "Oh, but it hasn't even started yet!" She herded Chiharu inside, then turned to close the doors once more. "Hasn't Yamazaki come with you?" she asked surveying the outside hallway before shutting the doors with a dull thud.

Chiharu smiled, "Oh he'll be in any minute. Seems he's gotten himself into an argument with one of them metal suits lined up in one of the hallways." Chiharu's eyes went wide. "How did you manage that anyway? i could've sworn that it was just another old empty suit of armor when suddenly he clanks over and strikes up a conversation with Yamazaki!"

Tomoyo hid her smile. "That's for me to know and Yamazaki to find out," she admitted mysteriously. She expertly changed the subject, "Chiharu that costume is just adorable! You'll just have to tell me where you got it!" Tomoyo insisted as she whipped out her camera.

The two girls headed away from the entrance, Chiharu amicably chattering away about her scandalous little pink bunny outfit. Tomoyo skipped off to greet the newcomers as the two friends were soon joined by others admiring Chiharu's American-made costume. She sighed contentedly to herself. Yep, it was just lovely playing the hostess. she thought to herself. She nodded to the handsome young band members she'd hired as she passed them by with her camera. This party was just amazing!

~@~

The full yellow moon stood out courageously in the dark October sky. It was Halloween, and that moon had front row seats for what was sure to be a most incredible night.

From the street a good ways from the house, a gorgeous princess nearly flew from the van she'd arrived in. The girl raced up the winding path and arrived breathless at the door, almost half an hour late from when she'd meant to arrive. The teenage royal raised her hand to knock as she caught her breath. Surprisingly, her hand caught nothing as the door swung open for her to reveal a dimly lit corridor. The girl smiled at her friends attention to detail. The honey-haired beauty lifted her trailing skirts and crossed the threshold with a smile upon her face. The heavy door shut behind her with a snap and the smile on Sakura's face dimmed as she reminded herself that she'd just entered a haunted house.

Sakura swallowed and took the only path down the corridor. While most of the hallway was half concealed in shadows, not to far away was a pedestal lit up from above. Sakura cautiously made her way towards it as she tried in vain not to think about vampires and ghosts and purple hairy monsters jumping up from the shadows around her. She found herself unharmed in front of the old wooden pedestal and breathed a sigh of relief. 'If this is how the whole nights going to be,' she thought to herself, 'I don't think my blood pressure will be the same again.'

She glanced down at the pedestal in front of her. A brown leather book cloaked in cobwebs lay open before Sakura. Her sparkling jade eyes followed the course of the page as she read.

You have entered the house,

A house you won't leave,

Until you've had your fill

Of games and tricks and good ol' friends,

Of music and horror and fun.

But nothing comes without a price.

To enjoy our fine company

We must be found.

Hidden somewhere in this haunted old house,

You will find us

But you will also find terror.

Be quick-

the longer you spend in the maze,

the hungrier THEY will get

It is up to you

To make it through

The horror of House Daidouji

We are waiting...

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. That sounded almost... threatening! She bit her lip. 'Are there really horrible ugly beasts in the house that will eat me if I take a wrong turn?' Sakura swallowed. Of course not. Tomoyo may have her moments, but there was no way she'd set wild animals loose on her friends for staying in her house too long. Sakura smiled again, confident once more. She'd just take her sweet little time and use her head to find her way safely through the maze of Tomoyo's house. Hey, for Sakura Kinomoto, Card Captor extraordinaire, a little hide and seek would be a breeze. Sakura took a confident step forward toward one of the three doors leading out of the hallway. 'A breeze. Nothing to be afraid of. ' she reminded herself as she pulled open the door. Sakura's ears prickled at a sound behind her.. it sounded like... growling? Sakura vanished through the door and it swung shut noiselessly

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Hey look, it's me again! Alive and intact with no visible scars! [grumble-mumble] at least not yet [/grumble-mumble] Well i hope you all thouraghly (how in the WORLD do you spell that stupid word!! Thourally? thouraghly? thuraghly?) enjoyed that chapter. That loooooong, juicy chapter. My blood and sweat went into that chapter! Sure it took me what, 5? 6? 7? months? But hey, now it's out, and you can all dance around singing praises to my all mighty muses who worked so hard for me to get this chapter out *points accusing at the three muses hibernating under a rock* (whisper: hurt THEM not me!)Anyway i can't wait for you all to review this chapter. Me is oh, so, nervous bout this one, and whatever you have to say is important to me. Thanks for taking the time out of your oh so busy lives to read my pathetic attempt at a story. Until next time.

CHOW! (er, i mean CIAO!)

Libber-fish a.k.a. ~BaBySmurf~

Oh wait, by the way, no promises but I'll try to get the next chapter out in maybe... hmm.... 3 weeks? okay, gimme a month- it'll be better that way, i promise (: ] hey, with the speed this story is moving at, maybe you'll be able to read the next chapter by NEXT Halloween. NO NO! I'm only kidding, please put away your switchblades, i wouldn't be that cruel. anyway, who's up for my excuses?

MY VERY BELIEVABLE AND VERY TRUE EXCUSES FOR TAKING SO LONG TO FINISH THIS STINKING CHAPTER:

a. my dog ate my floppy

b. i was abducted by wild partying aliens who kept me up in there ship for a couple months until they ran out of

c. i was busy. YES, contrary to popular belief (BLAKE!) i DO have a life.

d. my computer died. Yes, it died before i had a chance to save all my work on my floppy, then had a miraculous recovery so i COULD save it all, then went back into a coma. I'm praying for a miracle. OR a new computer. Whichever comes first.

e. i got the measles. no wait, i think it was the mumps. Hmmm, on second thought, they did look a lot like chicken pocks... Oh well. er wait, yeah. I was sick. .... achoo.... ahem.

f. i was away on vacation to a wonderful sunny beach where i got a wonderful sunny tan and met some wonderfully sunny tanned hot guys and had a wonderfully sunny vacation. 8) Oh yeah.

g. My floppy imploded. yep. I wrote so so so so so much, that it got overloaded and had to abort mission. :D This also is what caused my computer to die. (see d.)

h. i suffered from a horrible lack of inspiration. *points again to the three muses hibernating under a rock* my wonderful muses decided to take their own vacation, which apparently, will last them until the story is finally finished and they can come out, wake up and take all the credit.

f. The doctor said i couldn't. He said i had a terribly overactive imagination and i was forbidden to go near an empty page, or even a pencil for a long time. no wait, hmm, i think he might've meant overactive bladder... ;)

g. school. it made me all confuzzled like. *sigh* least i still know my abc's! ABCDEFGHFG H F G.... F... H... G? well, at least I still have my sanity. no wait... i think it ran away too... :(

DOn't even ask.

-May the force be with you

..... er.. what's my name again?