The Other End of the Line
By Zero
+++
A/N: This is my first digi-fic, dedicated to sora_takenouchi11 for turning me on to Digimon in the first place. Takari lovers...just hit your back button now.
+++
Ok, Killer's in a good position to hit Drone2...Heh heh heh...I can use a sheep!
Willis sat at his computer, taking a well-needed study break with his favorite game, Worms 2. He decisively hit the space bar...and a little sheep ran across the screen, right over to the worm called "Drone2". With another slam of the space bar, the sheep exploded and Drone2 was blown to Kingdom Come.
"Good one, Willis!" Terriermon jumped up and down on the bed, peeking over Willis' shoulder.
"Yes! Eat my justice!", he chuckled, taking a swig of pop. He waited patiently for the computer to make its move, rocking out to one of Matt's demo tapes. He leaned back in his chair, and decided that Slasher, his strongest worm, should seal Drone4's fate. I think you deserve a Molotov Cocktail...don't have to worry about the wind...ready, set, go! "YEAH!! DIE!" He laughed out loud as Drone4 was killed, and gave Slasher a round of applause. Just then, the phone rang.
"Hello?" Hearing the voice on the other end of the line, his face fell from a broad smile to a worried, wide eyed stare.
"It...it's Hikari, is now a good time?" Her voice cracked, and he could tell that she was crying.
"Hey, it's always a good time here. What's the matter?"
"... ..."
"Kari?" He turned his stereo down and walked to his bed, reaching over to pause the game.
"Oh, I just need somebody to talk to..." He heard her sniffle.
"Well, you've got somebody right here, what's wrong?"
+++
She took a deep breath, sitting all alone in her room. "It's about T.K…we're not together anymore!"
"How come? Are you ok?..."
"He's...I saw him kissing Sora! And whenever I try to ask him about it, he tells me to leave him alone!" She angrily plopped down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Sora? What does Tai think of all this?"
"Oh, that's a whole different story," she huffed, "But he doesn't care!"
"Have you talked to Sora?"
"She told me all about it! She said she was sorry, but he wasn't! Turns out that T.K. has had a thing for her all along, and I don't even know why he did anything with me in the first place! They went for a walk, and I guess one thing led to another, and he told her how he felt...and she said she didn't mind, she likes him too! I guess there's nothing to do but...live with it, but I'm so pissed at him, and now things are gonna get all screwed up with me and Sora...and we've been friends for so long! And what the hell! T.K. and Sora don't even hardly know each other!" Kari wasn't even close to calming down. She was trying her hardest not to scream into the phone, she was enraged!
"Kari...some things just aren't meant to be. But some things are. And the only way to tell the difference is to try."
"But I was planning so much...I think I loved him. I know I trusted him, and now this!" She tossed a pillow across the room, watching it slide down the wall as another tear slid down her cheek.
+++
Although he hated to admit it, Willis was distracted. He was back at the computer, intently surfing the net for something or other...
"It sounds hard to believe, kid...but you'll love again, and you'll trust again. Just be grateful for the memories you had, but don't let them ruin your life."
"I guess you're right...I mean, I know it'll make sense later, but I'm just too mad to think right now, you know?"
"Don't I. I wish I could be there...hell, I'd show up with a box of Kleenex, a sleeping bag, and four days' iron rations!" He let out a little smile, hearing Kari chuckle on the other end.
+++
"Yeah, it would be nice," she said, "it really sucks that the only person who'll make time for me is an ocean away." She sat up, wiping her eyes and sniffling a little.
"Hey, that's what friends are for...and at least I'm somewhere, right?"
"Yeah..." Her voice trailed off as she laid back down. "Willis?"
"Yeah?"
"Really. How many nice guys are out there?" She couldn't hold back a little smile, waiting for him to say 'Sorry, kid, I'm the only one!'
"More than you might think. And they're all single, too, because most the girls only want big, buffed-up, popular jerks. Ah, the angst..."
Again, she had to smile. "Hopefully I can find one of them...who'll just tell me if they want someone else, who'll make time for me, who'll always be there on the other end of the line...someone who's not just interested in..."
+++
"Interested in 'carnal exploits?"
"That's one way to put it."
"Well, trust me, they are out there." He leaned back in his chair, and Terriermon hopped up in his lap. "And they're looking for nice girls...nice girls like you, who just want someone honest."
"Thank you..." Kari's voice was just an exhausted whisper now.
"For what?" He rubbed Terriermon's head, quickly clicking through screens full of pictures.
"For being there. You don't know how much I needed this..."
"I think I might. A broken heart can be life-threatening. Besides...what are friends for? I couldn't just leave you hanging..."
+++
They talked for hours. Kari explained the whole story of her relationship with T.K., Willis told her the story of his first love back in Colorado...they showed off the scars on their hearts. By the end of their talk, Kari was crying again...tears of laughter, at Willis' idea of an insane green-worshipping cult that created zombie cheerleaders to eat T.K. and Sora. By then, Kari was sitting up, covered in her blanket, just smiling and laughing.
"You can't even remember my name!", Willis squeaked in a cheerleader voice, "*Chomp!*" He deepened his voice. "Finger lickin' good...*burp!*"
"Aaaiiee!!" Kari squealed with laughter, then imitated his deep zombie voice. "If you are what you eat...then maybe I should go eat Sora! At least she's cute!"
"Oh, man, that was classic!," he roared, "You really think..."
"Cuter than T.K., and shut up, you pervert!" She stuck her tongue out at the phone in the vain hope that he could see it.
"Ok, ok..."
"Well, Willis...I gotta go, it's almost midnight here!" She took her watch off, and started untying her shoes to go to bed.
"If I woulda known it was that late, I wouldn't have kept you..."
"Don't worry about it! I needed someone to talk to."
+++
"Hey, I'm always here..."
"Willis, get that one," Terriermon whispered, "the white and yellow roses!"
"Well...I'll probably be calling again...it gets kind of lonely...being alone."
"That's why I'm here. You gotta do what you gotta do, kid, and I'll help you." Willis clicked on the screen and pulled up a beautiful bouquet of white and yellow roses. He grabbed his credit card from his back pocket and started typing furiously. "More than you might know right now, I'll help you out."
"Oh, thank you...this...it's nice to have a nice guy around. Even if he's not..."
Whoa, change subject! Can't let her think too hard!
"Even if he's not right next door? Hey, I'm always on the other end of the line.""Well...thanks. It means a lot to me."
"I know." He stared at a blank screen, where he could enter the message on the card, and was drawing a mental blank.
"I'll talk to you later, Willis..."
"Good night, Kari, and you get some sleep!"
"I will. Bye!"
"Bye!" He heard her click, then slowly put the receiver down. A smile spread across his face as he was graced with an idea--finally.
Kari,
The world can get cold, I know...but you'll always have a place in the sun with me. Think of me whenever you need a smile.
--Willis
+++
zero3147351867@aol.com
All trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners.