I DO NOT OWN CARD CAPTOR SAKURA. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT.

ENOUGH SAID

Chapter 2

Sakura continues running until she reaches a cute little book shop called BookMeUp. She's nervous but she didn't run for more than 3 minutes just to chicken out now. She gathers her wits and courage and enters the shop. The shop was a little busy. Lots of customers hovering around, others chit chatting about books while others are too engrossed on the books they are reading.

Sakura approaches the counter and lets out a deep breath. This caught the attention of the girl behind the counter.

"Hello, welcome to BookMeUp! How may I assist you?"

"Hi. Can I hmm, talk to ... ", Sakura forgot who she wanted to talk to.

The girl starts to frown and tries again.

"Yes, Miss? Do you need help finding a particular book? I could assist you."

"No, no. Hm, can I talk to your Manager?"

"Oh. Is there a problem? I'm sure I'd be able to help you solve it, if you just tell me what is the matter.", the girl insists.

"There is no problem, Miss. Actually, there is. But I don't think you can help me with my problem.", Sakura tries to give a reassuring smile.

"Try me."

"No, really, you can't help me. It's very errr.. kinda.. yeah, very complicated. Say, may I please talk with your Manager?"

"May I know who wants to talk with our Manager and what's the nature of the request?", the girl curiously asks.

"I am Sakura Kinomoto, and I was hired to work here yesterday. I'm supposed to be here at exactly 8 o'clock but I ... I .. ", Sakura tries to think of a very plausible excuse why she wasn't able to come to work today.

"I was ... while.. I was... I got into a .. a .. little emergency while I was on my way here." Sakura tries not to stammer. She starts to feel all shaky and red.

The girl gives Sakura a disapproving stare. She shakes her head and starts this tsk-tsk sound.

"That's right. Shaoran tried to get a hold of you when 9 o'clock came and you didn't. This ain't a good way to start your job, sugar."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. Is he the Manager, this Shawn? Can I talk to him, please? Now? I'd really like to know if I still have a job."

Sakura asks desperately. She really needed this job.

The girl looks at Sakura for a while, and after a few minutes of deciding, walks to a door on her left. The sign on the door says KEEP OUT. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

Sakura waits patiently and nervously. After a few moments, Sakura hears shouting inside the room. She remembers the guy who called her early this morning. Oh God. She's debating if she should still pursue this. Is this worth her life? She's sure there are lots of available jobs for a student like her. She's not ready to die now. Oh God, please, spare me. Just for today, just for my first job. I promise I won't be late again. Oh God, I'm lying. I'll be late again, I know but pleeaaaaaaaaase.

While Sakura was busy pleading for God's mercy and help, the girl went out with a funny expression on her face. She's smiling and is rolling her eyes. She looks at Sakura, sighs and says, "You can go in now. He wants to talk to you."

Sakura hesitates but asks anyway, "Is he angry? I heard someone shouting. Is it safe to go in?"

The lady just laughed and said, "He is a little pissed off but you'll be fine. He doesn't bite. Well, at least not that I know of. He's plenty nice, no worries, sugar. I'll be here. Shout if you're in danger, okay? I'll be sure I'll hear you. Go before he gets really really pissed and ...", and she laughs.

Sakura's eyes almost popped out. She tries to laugh but there's this lump in her throat that is very hard to swallow. For the first time in a long time, she's feeling afraid. She didn't think the joke was funny, but she's sure she'll laugh it off tomorrow or when the minute she gets out of that horrible room. She starts to walk into the room, hesitates and stop.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea. I could get a job somewhere. Please tell your Manager that I changed my mind."

"He's not just the manager, he's also the boss. You really should try to talk to him. You never know. He really doesn't bite." The girl tries to reassure Sakura but Sakura is not convinced. She's far from convinced. She decided its not worth it.

"Boss, Manager, whatever. Just please, tell him I have changed my mind, and thank you for hiring me but I've changed my mind. Thank you.", and Sakura starts to walk away. But before she took her fourth step, someone from the "dangerous" room called out.

"WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING SO LONG? GET IN HERE! OR SHOULD I CARRY YOU?"

Sakura, very nervous and fidgety, didn't think twice of going into the room because of the tone of that voice. She has almost reached the door when she stopped again.

"How dare him shout at me like that? Or anyone for that matter! No wonder he hired a freshmen like me because he couldn't find other people because of his attitude. He'll have to hear what I think of him, and walk outta this awful place!", says Sakura to herself.

Angry now, she walks into the room, ready for battle. Before she manages to say anything, a very tall guy,wearing a shirt that reads "I got you some nails to chew on!" stood up from the chair behind a messy desk. He looks at her from head to toe, and asked in a menacing voice,

"You are Sakura Kinomoto?"

Feeling a little intimidated, Sakura tries to answer.

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I think I hired you yesterday, am I correct? I think if I open that computer now, search my email, I'd be able to find a sent message to a Sakura Kinomoto saying that she's hired and she must report at exactly 8am today. But I must have gotten it wrong." The guy sits down and faces his computer, as if doing exactly what he just said.

"Okay, okay. Alright. Yes, you're right. You will find in your sent folder a message to ME telling me that I'm hired and I should report 8am today. "

The guy stops accessing his computer and faces Sakura.

"And were you here 8am today?"

That patronizing tone seems to rub Sakura the wrong way. She starts to get so irritated.

"No, I wasn't."

"Why?"

"I don't have an excuse."

"Make one up."

Arggggggggh. Sakura is now beyond irritated. So she says the very first thing that came to mind.

"I'll do better than that. I'll tell you the truth. I wasn't here at 8 o'clock in the morning because I was in bed, sleeping, dreaming about walking in the park, having a good day. But that stupid phone call woke me up. And guess who called? A huge asshole who's so mean he can't even ask for me nicely!"

Sakura was breathing heavily after her outburst. She couldn't believe she just said that. Well, he asked for it. Damn him. Actually, she feels great. Smiling, she starts to walk out of the room.

"And where do you think you're going? We're not done talking. Don't you dare walk out on me when I'm still talking to you."

That's it. Sakura turns around and tells him a piece of her mind.

"You don't have any right to order me around. I'm not your employee, you jerk. You're the biggest jerk!"

"According to this contract, you still are. Unless, of course, I fire you. So until then, you stay put. You understand?"

Sakura, too tired to argue, nods. Seeing her agreeing, he starts to lecture her.

"This is your first job, right?"

"Yes, this is my first job. Is this relevant?"

"And as your first job, aren't you supposed to be early and willing to work?", Shaoran continued like he didn't hear her.

"Look, Boss, I'm really sorry I wasn't here. I decided to quit anyway. I'm sorry I got you all worked up for nothing. Really, I'm sorry."

"And why weren't you able to report at 8am?"

"What?", Sakura asks. "Where the hell is he going with this? I said I was sorry, didn't I? And I said I quit."

"I asked you why weren't you here at 8am?", Shaoran starts to get irritated at this girl's affected or maybe not stupidity.

"I …. Well… Honestly?", Sakura hesitates.

"Please, I just need to know why."

He suddenly stopped.

"Oh wait.. I remember now .. you were still in bed, dreaming. Am I right?"

Sakura starts to glare at her boss, for stating the obvious.

"Yes, you were right. You didn't have to rub it in. But since you did, please, I apologize. There. I've said it one or twice, and I'm going to say it again. I'm sorry I wasn't here. It was irresponsible of me to forget that I actually have a job to do today. So, can I go now?"

"You what?", a surprised Shaoran asks, barely yelling.

"I what?", asks Sakura, eyes narrowing.

"What did you say?"

"I said, can I please go now?"

"No, no. About the irresponsible line .. what was it?"

"I said it was irresponsible of me to forget …"

"Forget? You forgot you had a job today? What kind of a college student are you if you forget important things such as your job? What future do you expect you're going to have if you're like that?"

"Lookie here Mister, I don't have anything to explain to you. So, I was late today for my first job. Well, my bad. It wasn't intentional. I'm sure you'll get over it, and I'm pretty sure I'll get over it as soon as I walked outta here. But hey, since you're an expert in reading people, you judge me by that one mistake. Well, thank you but no thank you. I quit! I don't need this!"

And she walked out.

But before she can totally walk out of the room, she heard her boss ask something.

"You're here, aren't you?"

She turned around and faced him, steam coming out of her ears. (anime style, of course)

She didn't respond. She's too angry to even comment on that smirk and condescending tone.

"Well, since you're here, you might as well start working. There are lots of things to be done. Meme, that girl outside? She's working alone and she needs help. Now, scram before I change my mind and fire you here and now."

Sakura had no choice to but walk out of the room. She was confused but still unrelenting. She doesn't like her new boss. He's an asshole, and totally insufferable.

Meme approaches her, with sympathetic look.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. Is he often like that?"

Meme smiled.

"You'll get used to it. So, you ready to work or you need a minute?"

"No, I'm ready."

Sakura turned towards the boss's office and shouted, "BRING IT ON!"

In the other room, Shaoran heard that new girl's apparent challenge.

"Well.. well.. What have we got here?"

Shaoran smiled.

Well, there ya have the long overdue chapter 2. I got inspired, what can I say.

Arf! TBC