Digimon isn't mine. I'm too lazy to write a proper disclaimer, and I have Phys Ed homework to hand in tomorrow. I have no time.
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Any Other Way
"Takeru!!!"
The sixteen-year-old blonde known to his friends as TK shot straight up in bed, clutching his bedclothes about him. He looked at his watch. Eight-thirty. He was going to be late for school - again.
"Kobimachi-san is going to *kill* me!" he wailed, rooting through his chest of drawers for a clean pair of underpants. He found none. Dashing out onto the landing, he rifled through the airing cupboard until he found a pair, and snatched it up.
"TK, are you - oh my." Takeru's mother Natsuko chuckled, standing at the top of the stairs with a hand hiding her smirk. Takeru flushed bright crimson.
"MOM!" Strategically placing his underpants, he dashed back into his bedroom and tugged his clothes on. Dashing into the bathroom, he scrubbed his teeth rapidly with a blue toothbrush and flicked a flannel over his face. Grabbing his schoolbag in one hand, he clattered down the stairs, snatched up his toast and gripped it between his teeth whilst he tied his laces. "Love you Mom, bye!" he called, heading for the front door. It slammed shut on any reply that Mrs Takaishi might have been about to make.
* * * * *
"Hikari! Wait up!" TK galloped up the street to where Kari stood waiting, an amused smile on her face.
"Late *again*, Takeru-chan?" TK nodded a wheezing reply as he tried to catch his breath. Gripping Kari's arm, he hurried her on. He didn't want to make his girlfriend late too.
"Well, you'd better be on time for the dance tomorrow night," she teased. "I shan't appreciate turning up late for the New Year celebrations."
"Fashionably... late," panted Takeru, steering them round a lamp-post. Kari laughed.
"Still..." she warned. "I mean it, TK, this is our last New Year dance as High School students, and I don't want to be held up by a little boy who can't tie his shoelaces yet." She sniffed primly as TK checked his shoes. They'd come undone again.
"We're here," he said, only a little out of breath now. "I'll meet up with you in History, okay?"
Kari smiled. "See you then," she whispered, leaning over and giving TK a small kiss on the cheek. A few younger kids tittered. TK scowled at them and hurried off to first class, blushing all the way.
* * * * *
"Miss Yagami, that's the third time I've caught you not working! You can stay back after school this afternoon to catch up on what you have missed!"
Kari stared miserably at the floor. "Sorry," she whispered, but Aniko-san had already turned back to the board. Kari scuffed her foot against the floor and tried hard to concentrate.
TK frowned at the back of Kari's head. It wasn't like her to get into trouble, or get distracted easily. Something must be bothering her. He'd ask her after class.
Aniko-san was talking again, in her heavy, droning voice. TK kept his head down, writing, but he wasn't really concentrating at all. He took a good look at what he was doing, and realised he wasn't even copying from the correct page. Great.
"Excuse me... Aniko-san..."
The teacher threw her chalk down on the floor in a temper. "For goodness sake, Hikari, what is it now?"
"I don't... feel, very..." whispered Kari. And promptly threw up on the floor.
"Kari!" TK shot out of his seat and dashed forward to where Kari was sat pale-faced in her chair, swaying slightly. "Oh my God, are you okay?"
"Takaishi Takeru, nobody gave you permission to move from your chair!" Aniko-san barked. TK turned to face her, eyes blazing.
"SHUT UP!" he yelled. The class gasped. Aniko-san stepped back a couple of paces in surprise. TK ignored her. "Come on, Kari, let's get you to the nurse's office," he said soothingly, slipping an arm around her to help her up. Hikari rose very shakily to her feet and managed to get as far as the door before fainting in TK's arms.
* * * * *
TK jigged up and down in his seat, longing desperately for the final bell to ring so he could go and check up on Hikari. He hadn't written a single sum through worrying about her.
"And how much have you done, Takaishi?" TK stared dumbly at the Math teacher as he examined TK's book with a frown. "As I suspected, nothing at all. Stay behind, please. You can spend an hour of your own time completing the work that everybody else finished in classtime."
"But, sir -"
"No buts. The rest of you are dismissed."
TK clenched his fists in frustration. Daisuke caught his eye from the other side of the classroom and shrugged sympathetically. Then; "How's Kari?" he mouthed.
TK shrugged back. The classroom cleared. TK gathered his concentration as best as he was able and started to plough his way through the Math questions.
A long, slow, tedious hour later saw TK sprinting down the stairs two at a time to get to the sick room. He sprinted down the corridor and burst into the office out of breath once more. The nurse turned to his with a quizzical smile.
"Are you looking for Hikari?" she asked, putting the last of her things into her bag. TK nodded, his blonde mop of hair boucing up and down. Nurse Shuu smiled again.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid her brother came to pick her up about ten minutes ago. If you want, I could -"
TK was gone, the slap-slap-slap of his unlaced shoes echoing down the hall.
* * * * *
"Excuse me, but is Hikari there please?" TK, breathless as usual, hopped from foot to foot outside the Yagami threshold. Hikari's mother smiled fondly at the boy.
"Her father just took her to the hospital, TK. She should be back in about -"
"Thank you!" TK called, running down the hallway towards the stairs. Mrs Yagami shook her head at the boy's impatience and retreated back inside.
* * * * *
The hospital buzzed with life, doctors with trolleys scurrying back and forth through the corridors. A young blonde boy burst in, and rushed straight to the reception desk.
"I'm looking... for Yagami Hikari," puffed TK. The clerk punched a few letters into a keyboard with her perfectly manicured nails, and sniffed.
"She's already been checked out. She left about three or four minutes ago."
TK sighed exasperatedly, clutching at his hair with his fists. "Well where did she *go*?" he demanded.
The clerk arched an expertly plucked eyebrow. "One would presume," she sniffed disdainfully, "that the young lady went home."
TK crashed his head down on the desk.
* * * * *
"TK..." The teens hugged as best as they were able whilst Kari was sat in her chair. TK sat on the bed nearby.
"Are you all right? Kari, what happened?" TK asked anxiously.
Kari smiled wanly and dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "You know me. I'm always coming down with viruses."
"That was years ago!"
Kari shrugged, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air. TK cleared his throat.
"So... will you be in school tomorrow?" he asked hopefully. What he really meant was, 'Will you be at the dance tomorrow,' of course. Kari smiled affectionately.
"Mom says that I can't go to school tomorrow, but if I'm all right all day I can go to the dance in the evening. But I have to take it easy, no fast dances," she warned. TK stretched over and put his arm round her.
"I'll look after you," he promised softly. Kari wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. They stayed like that for the rest of the evening.
* * * * *
"Sorry," said Kari's head ruefully, poking round the Yagami front door. TK's face fell.
"You mean you can't come after all? Oh, Kari, were you sick again?" he asked worriedly. Kari shook her head.
