"Oy, kaijyuu."  Touya greeted his little sister with a quick nod of the head.  "Loud as usual, I see."

 "I'm not a monster."  she complained, sticking her tongue out.

 "Only a monster would make so much noise going down the stairs."

 She made a face.

 "Oy, you're going to be late, you know."  he pointed at the clock.

 "Why aren't you getting ready?"

 "No school for me today, remember?"

 "Oh, yeah."  she sighed.  "No fair.  I wish I didn't have school, either."

 "Haha."

 Sakura did not catch the grin on her brothers face when he glanced at the calendar, and so darted off.

***************************

 "Sakura-chan!"  Tomoyo rushed to her friend as soon as she spotted her.  "Here."  she handed Sakura an envelope.

 "Hoeh?  Do I open it?"  Sakura questioned.

 "Sure!  It's an invitation."  she explained.  "I hope you can make it!"

 "Who else are you inviting?"  the girl tore the envelope open and glanced over the writing.

 "Rika-chan, Naoko-chan, Chiharu-chan--"

 "No guys, right?"

 "Why not?"  Tomoyo smiled.  "I wasn't quite done.  ...Yamazaki-kun and Li-kun."

 "HOEH?  Why them?!"

 "I need them for a game I will be holding.  (And they're the only guys that we know.  Pretty much.)"

 Sakura caught the mischievous grin on her friend's face.

 "HOEH?"  she repeated.  "What game?"

 "You will see."

 "Hoeh?"  she blinked, finally finished reading the letter.  "Your mother's leaving the house for a month?"

 "Yes."  Tomoyo sighed, glancing down.  "That is why I am holding the party.  That way we will have the house to ourselves."

 "Hoeh, I don't think that I'll be able to go if there's not going to be any adults around."

 "Do not worry, there are adults."

 "Who?"

 "My maids and my butler, for example."  she smiled.  "And my bodyguards will be watching out for us."

 "Well, okay.."

 "Oh, Sakura-chan, I have a favor to ask you."

 "Hoeh?"

 "Could you give these invitations to Chiharu-chan and Yamazaki-kun?"

 "Um, sure--"

 "Oh, Li-kun will probably be with Yamazaki-kun.  Do you mind giving this to him?"

 "Not really, but--"

 "Thank you so much, Sakura-chan!"  Tomoyo pushed her in the direction of the park.

 "But, but--"

 "Go on~!"

 "But, school--"

 "Huh?"  Tomoyo pushed her lavender hair out of her face.  "School...oh!  Do not worry, we have a break today.  Did you forget?"

 "HOEH!  So that means I got dressed for nothing--"  Sakura sweatdropped, noticing Tomoyo's 'normal' clothes.  "H..how did you know I would come here..?"

 "Oh, since I forgot to remind you yesterday, I thought that you might have come to school--"

 "To-mo-YO-ch-an!"

***************************

 Knock, knock.

 ::Please answer the door..::  Sakura thought, crossing her fingers.  She did not want anyone thinking that she had gone to Yamazaki's house to see him.

 "Hai~!"  Chiharu opened the door and blinked at her friend.  "SAKURA-chan!  Come on in!"

 "U..um.."  Sakura shook her head feebly, but Chiharu didn't notice and pulled her in anyways.

 "Why'd you come here, out of all places?"  she glanced down at her friend's clothes.  "And why are you wearing school clothes?"

 "I forgot there was no school.."  Sakura replied sheepishly.  "And Tomoyo-chan wanted me to give you--"

 "Sakura?"  Syaoran popped his head out of the door to the kitchen and gulped.  "W...what are you doing here?"

 "I was just going to answer that question--"

 "Kinomoto-san!"  Yamazaki grinned, pushing Syaoran out of the way.  "What brings you here?"

 "HOEH!"  she sat down, swirly eyed, as the boys blinked in confusion.

 Chiharu sighed.  "I think she was going to answer that question before you two had to interrupt!  Sakura-chan, what did Tomoyo--"

 "But I wanted to know--"  Yamazaki began.

 "We all did--"  Syaoran added.

 "Hoeeeeeehhhh~.."  Sakura said feebly.

 Syaoran got out of the kitchen and tilted his head, quickly getting annoyed.  "So, Sakura, are you going to answer or are you going to sit there 'hoeh'-ing, or whatever else you do?"

 "Hooeeeehhh.."

 "Forget I even asked."  he rolled his eyes.

 "Oh, what's that?"  Yamazaki walked over to Sakura and peered curiously at the envelopes she had in her hand.  "Oh, this one has my name on it."  he took it cautiously and tore it open.

 "Yamazaki-kun, don't be rude, let her explain first!"  Chiharu complained.

 "Okay, okay."  he placed the envelope back into Sakura's hand and smiled angelically as though he had never touched it in the first place.

 Chiharu went over and shook the other girl.  "Sa-ku-ra-ch-an!!!  Ar-e-yo-u-ok-ay?"

 "H..hoeh?"  Sakura blinked sheepishly.  "O..oh, yeah!"  she handed each of the others the corresponding envelope.  "Tomoyo-chan wanted you to come to her party--"

 "When is it?"  Syaoran interrupted.

 "Um..I think the day after tomorrow."

 "I'm busy."  he turned.  "Tell her that I'm not going."

 "Hoeeh!?"  Sakura cried out.  "But she especially wanted you and Yamazaki-kun to come because of some sort of game we're playing--"

 "I don't care."  he growled, turning to the other two.  "I'm going home."

 "Oh, okay, bye bye, Syaoran."  Yamazaki waved, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

 "Bye, Li-kun."  Chiharu waved, also, and then busied herself with the invitation.

 "But--"  Sakura bowed to them and hurried off after Syaoran before he could leave.

 They walked in silence for a while, Sakura a few steps behind his quick pace.

 "U..um..Li-kun?"  Sakura began.

 The boy slowed and let her catch up so that she could walk next to him.

 "What?"

 "W..why can't you--"

 "I told you I'm busy."  the boy sighed.  "Okay?  I don't even know why she invited me in the first place."

 "Because we're friends, that's why!"  she blinked, then turned away shyly.  "R..right?"  she asked hopefully.

 He did not reply.

 A few minutes later, he questioned,  "Why do you want me to go?"

 ::Why do I?::  Sakura sweatdropped,  ::I didn't say that I particularly wanted him to go, it's just that Tomoyo-chan--::

 "Well?"  he narrowed his eyes, turning to her.  "Do you want me to go?"

 ::Hooeeeeehhhhh~!::

 "I guess not."

 "You're not busy on that day!"  Sakura blurted out.  "You just won't come because Y..Yukito-san isn't going!"  ::Oh, shoot..stupid excuse..::

 "Heh!"  Syaoran spat.  "That was five years ago...don't you think I would be over it by now?"  he glanced at her bright red face.  "Though it seems that you haven't..."

 "I have too!"

 "Yeah, sure."

 "I have!"  she pouted.  "What proof do you have?!"

 "There's someone else that I like now..."  he said, and Sakura stopped in her tracks.

 She gritted her teeth.  "W..well, it better not be another guy!"

 Syaoran turned to her.  "And what if it is?"

 "T..then.."  ::What if it is?::  Sakura knew she wouldn't be able to think of a come-back to such a question.  "..nevermind.  I'm sorry I ever mentioned it."  she crossed her arms.  "And I don't care if you go to the party anymore.  I wanted you to come before because..you looked so..um..lonely..since you live by yourself now..and.."  she shook her head.  "But since you don't want to go, I won't make you.."

 "Humph."  ::You already have made me.::  the thought popped into the boy's head and he raised his eyebrows, pondering over it.  ::Huh??? ...where'd that come from?::

 "I..I'll see you at school if you don't come.  Bye, Li-kun."  Sakura rushed off, spotting a classmate nearby and offering to walk her home.