Autumn Leaves Chapter 1: Just Friends, a digimon fanfic

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A/N: So yeah, I don't own Digimon, or anything like that… wow… If I did why would I be here? In fact I own very little. The bolded X's are suppost 2 be breaks from one character to another. I couldn't figure out how to get regular like stars or w/e on the site so if anyone could help me there... I'd much appreciate it. Love and be loved. Read… and review please.
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Just Friends

The leaves in Autumn are beautiful, with their colors of gold, red, brown, and green. They make you feel safe, welcome, good… loving. They dance around your head when they fall, tempting you to reach for it, daring you to out reach and touch something real that won't be there anymore very soon. So soon you can't help but keep your hands away… to let the leaves be. Really? What's the point in touching something that won't always be there for you, that will leave you, that will be gone before your eyes in just a few short months, when the cold has turn them over for death. But still… the leaves are beautiful in Autumn.

My alarm clock is screaming once again but I can't make out what it's saying. I haven't been able to understand what its been saying for a while now. I've tuned my ears out of it and only to the direction it is coming from. The direction I plan on putting my hand in the middle of, to stop the non-worded noise it is making. It's not that it's there to wake me up anymore… I've learned to do that all on my own. I'm awake plenty before it goes off, but it's their as more of a reminder of the world I live in and the world I have to return to… the world I've grown to hate. My hand slips to look for the noise. My mind wanders to the night before… it's astonishing isn't it how fast the mind back tracks. In seconds, I've gone back eight hours in my mind to remembering where I put that clock. It wanders for a more seconds before I remember to knocking it over as I turned it on. I turn over in bed and reach off the side of my bed and shut the contraption off and prepare myself for the day ahead. A day assured to be filled with painfully awkward people. They are the most painfully awkward people, because they remind me so much of the leaves and the ever changing seasons. Always changing how they feel depending on their 'emotions'. I don't need emotions… those people are so weak, I and only I can be strong, because whose going to be there for me if I become weak? No one.

My mother doesn't understand me, and my grandmother is just well… old. I pull out a few casual clothes and a towel out from my laundry room, turn the shower on, and prepare for the ritual that I begin with every morning. I grab the toothpaste and put some on my toothbrush and take off. I rub vigorously and thoroughly. I don't have to look good for anyone but myself. But any day could be my day… but it never is. But today is different! No doubt, today will be different then every other day! I can feel it is in my tarot cards. I'll change today… like I should have a long time ago. Why? Because I need to change for my mothers sake of having a daughter, for my grandmothers sake so she can have a granddaughter, but most important…

for my own sake… because I need it more then anyone else.

But how do you change what has been there for you for so long and been there day after day, after day, after day, after day?

I look out side, it seems like the calm before the storm. . . and it's about to pour.

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Shoo… man it's about to POUR! But I have to meet Jeri. She's waiting for me in the park… by Guilmon's old hangout. She has to hear me out because we'll . . . she'll want to. I made it out to be something really important on the phone because to me, it is.

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"Hello, is J-Jeri home?" I said nervously.
"Yes, may I ask who is calling?" her stepmother replied.
"Takato Matsuki, um, tell her it's kind of important." I said, still nervous.
"Okay, I will, one moment please."
I wait a few moments waiting for Jeri to come on. I can hear muffled voices, a laugh (I think), and the phone is picked up. "Hello Takato."

"Hey Jeri. What's going on?
"I don't know, you tell me." She responded.
"Not much. Um, can you meet me in the park tomorrow? Since it's going to be Saturday and all."
"Sure. Where in the park? Oh, and when?" she questioned.
"Uh, I was thinking at Guilmon's old hideout? Um like three-ish? What ever time is good for you?"

"Hold on one sec." She says, putting the phone down and I can hear the muffled voices again and no doubt she's asking her step-mom for a ride.
"Takato?"

"Yup."
"Umm… is four all right? Kind of busy at three."
"Yeah it's fine. Oh and incase your mom didn't tell you, it's important."
"She did. Bye."
"Bye" I finished and hung up the phone.

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Gee, I sure did pick a perfect day to meet Jeri in the park… wow what a crappy day! Damn, I hope it isn't raining when we finally hook up… I mean meet up… I mean… God I don't know what I mean anymore, I'm over anxious. Best not to get ahead of yourself Takato. What if she doesn't feel the same? She's gonna feel the same though! How do you know that? Because well… damn I fought to get her back from the D-Reaper, damnit! If that doesn't scream 'I like you' I don't know what will?

But what if she does say no? … Yes, what if-

NO! She'll feel the same I know it! She has to; I mean… she cares about me doesn't she?

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So… am I early or is Takato late? Oh, there he is coming up the hill. So, what is so important? Did he check the weather before he called me? Oh well. I've got a ride home with mom, I wonder if he's got one? Should I offer him a ride home? Well he does live like five minutes from here right? I'm sure we'll be done and him home with plenty of time before it storms. I mean how could-

"Hey, Jeri!"
"Hey, Takato."
"You're here early." He told me.
"(I knew it!) I guess so. So what's so important that we had to risk being soaked?" I questioned.
"Well… umm… this isn't very easy to say, I mean, not for me at least. It's just that you see… umm, it's just that…" He stuttered.

"C'mon Takato, you know you can talk to me about anything! Were friends!" I comforted him, but for some reason he blushed and looked away? What's going on?
"Hmm, I know, I know. I was just wondering, if, well… you know… I figure, well…"
"C'mon Takato," I begged him to talk more, "just say what's on your mind!"
"Umm, well I know we see each other a lot, and I was just wondering if…"
"(What? What is he trying to say?)… Out with it, you can't keep to yourself all the time Takato."

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?" He said with his head towards the ground.

Wha… wha… what? How could he ask me that! I never thought that about him! It never really even crossed my mind. I was shocked!
"Umm… oh God… yeah I guess that is sort of important," I had to word myself perfectly, "but umm, Takato, I always just thought of you as my best friend, and I don't want to lose that with you, it's way too valuable to me." I stammered out.
I could tell, without seeing his face, he was disappointed.

"You see what I'm saying? I like you too much to want to be with you, because if we do go out, and then if we were to break up, then we wouldn't be that close anymore? I want us to be… just… just," I fought to find the right words, "just friends!"
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A/N: Hey, that's the name of the story.
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I waited to see how he responded; he was still looking at the ground, just as I was about to go on he finally looked up at me.
"Yeah, I understand. Now you better get going, its gonna pour." He said.

But how he said it scared me. His face was blank. The boy who always had a smile of some sort on was emotionless for once. His eyes showed no love for the world around him… did he feel that strongly about me? Or was it just the aftermath of let down still upon him? I mean, he's way to good for me, there are plenty of girls he can get besides me! He's a great guy. I felt my feet start to move away from him. I tried to offer him a ride home, but the words got caught in my throat and I couldn't choke them out. It is going to pour though, I tried to tell myself. I just hope he doesn't get caught in the storm.

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Just friends'… just friends? That's all I was to her? That's all she thought of me. As her best 'just' friend. I risked my life, and the lives of others, and the lives of our digimon partners because I wanted to get her back from the D-Reaper. Impmon was almost killed just to offer her freedom, and be told no! I put my life on the line to save her, and this is how she repaid me? No! That's not how to see things, because that's not how things really were. She cared so much about me, she didn't want to lose what we had by a breakup, which by the way, I had never planned on.

I stood there for a few more minutes pondering what 'just friends' could do for me, and came to several conclusions… all of which were 'nothing'. And then? Then I just ran. I ran away because I had nothing. I had no one. So I had nothing to lose by running, because there's nothing to gain from just walking around aimlessly. But… that's what I was doing, wasn't it? Only I was running around aimlessly, I wasn't going home, I was going wherever my legs carried me. Because I had nothing, and that meant I had nothing to lose.

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"Hi mom!" I exclaimed.
"Hello Jeri," she responded. "where's Takato? It's about to rain isn't it."
"Yeah. But I don't know where he is. I left before he walked away." I said.
"Soo… what was SO important that he had to see you before it stormed, and too important for the phone?" she asked me.
"Oh nothing." I said unconvincingly. I don't think my stepmother would understand so I wasn't going to tell her.

"Well, if you don't want to talk about it, then I won't ask. But just by not wanting to talk about it I can tell it must be very important." She pointed out to me.
"Yeah I guess so." I said getting into the car, just as it started raining.

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Where am I going? Why am I going this way? What am I doing? I need to get out of this rain before it engulfs me. I need… I need… I need-

"You idiot, get out of the rain!"

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After an hour of getting ready for the day ahead, I finally decided it was a ripe time to have breakfast. With the after taste of toothpaste finally out of my mouth, I walked into the kitchen to find grandma making eggs.

"Morning grandma." I said.
"Good morning Rika," She responded. "would you like some scrambled eggs?" She asked me.
"Please." I said.
"Okay, but your going to have to help me a little bit."
"Not a problem." I had always been able to get along with my grandma much better then I did with my mother.

"What do you need?" I asked.
"Well I'm almost done, but the trash can is full can you take it outside?"
"Aww, c'mon grandma it JUST started raining." I begged.
"Now Rika, if you want the reward you must work for it."
"All right," I said while tying up the trash, when a thought came to my mind, "hey grandma, where's mom?"

"She had to go to an sudden photo shoot that came up this morning."
"Hmm, figures." I said. I need to change, and seeing the upside of everything is a not-so-easy way to start off, but no one needed to know I was changing yet.

I opened the front door and carried the trash into the storm. Man, it was really bad. As I was putting it into the bin I saw some whacko bent over on the curb, breathing heavily. They looked like they had been beat up, or just out of breath? Either way, not my prob- . . .

No! It should be my problem. Changing who I am is a big part of helping others and if I can help a stranger I can help anyone. But I wasn't gonna be nice about it. So I yelled out-

"You idiot, get out of the rain!"

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What? Who… who? Where am I? Who yelled? I turn and I can barely see through the rain the outline of someone standing about twenty feet away. I'm not gonna take crap from this random person, not now, not in this pathetic state I'm in. Crying, out of breath, and ready to take the beating from the rain.

"Leave me alone. I'll do what I want." I yelled back through the rain.

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That voice sounds familiar? Nah, I can't hear that well through the rain. But I'm not gonna take no for an answer.

"Fine, do what you want, but what you should want is a warm house offered by an complete stranger." I yelled back, biting my lip to prevent myself from calling them an idiot again.

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Some people just can't get a clue, can they? Step off now! I don't want your sympathy…

or do I? Maybe sympathy is just what I need? Maybe what I need is someone to talk to, someone who doesn't know me and who I can trust because they aren't going to see me as pathetic, but just as someone who needs a friend… yeah someone to talk to is just what I needed right now.

"A warm house? Can I hold you to that?" I asked.

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So this person was gonna except my hospitality were they? Well I guess there not such an idiot. These emotions weren't so bad… sure I'd probably hit myself later for being too weak. But right now was about change. I started walking towards them, as they started getting up.

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I began getting up as they started walking over to me. Wow, this person must really be nice to offer me so much, and then to also to not just reach out to me, but to reach out in this kind of weather. I mean who would be so-

"Takato?"

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"Rika!"

"What the… what… hey…" I stammered out. Rika Nonaka, of all people, offering me kindness in this weather? Did I run into some parallel universe when my legs were moving me?

"Hey. Umm… what the hell are you doing in this rain? And are you crying?"

"No, it's ah, just the rain. I ran out of breath. I was on my way home from the park."

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What? That didn't make any sense, his house was all the way on the other side of the park? Why would he come out the wrong way if he was going home?

"Umm, so lets get you inside the house and cleaned up. Oh and if you tell anyone what I said, your dead." I threatened him.

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Hmm, Rika Nonaka being nice to someone she thought a complete stranger, I wonder what this is all about? But of course she threatened me.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I told her.

As I started walking back to her house she gave me a little shove in the back an said-

"Walk faster its pouring, remember?"

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A/N: Ta da! Well, that's it for chapter one! I'm sure you're boo's are all ready lined up and waiting, but please no flames. Okay, so I've certainly got a freaking lot to explain. First of all, I could NEVER change Rika as a character, I can't tap into that kind of emotion and make her change her mind through out a series of (hopefully) like five stories. Much to difficult, and complex for my little mind to comprehend, so I just made it out that she realizes what a jerk she's been and is trying to change, but not for anyone but herself. As for the title and the talk Jeri gives him, it gave me much grief trying to figure a title for the story or an explanation she would give Takato for not wanting to go out with him, and then I remembered this talk a good girl friend of mine gave me once when I asked her out, and I used that speech as an outline for their talk. Were still good friends so I expect Takato and Jeri to remain that way… or maybe not. It's my story and because it is- I wanted it to rain.

Oh, if you've ever red the poem 'Bells' by Edgar Allen Poe, then you would kind of understand where I was coming from with that whole repeating that it was going to rain thing. If you haven't red it, then I suggest you do so, its really good. What it is though, is he uses the word 'bells' like Thirty times over the course of like four verses. The point is to make you say it so many times it reminds you of the sound of a bell. So that's what I did, I used the word pour, rain, storm, and whatever a lot so you would start to get the idea of it was actually raining (plus it was raining when I started this so…).

I also changed from one characters point of view to another characters point of view a lot because I like doing it (thats what those X's with bolds are suppost 2 be... I couldn't figure out how 2 get brakes in the story b4 i posted it so...). I try not to leave anything up in the air for you wonderful people to criticize and say 'hey! what happened to blah'. I don't know if I'll continue writing from Jeri's point of view, not that I don't like it, just I don't know where she would fit into the rest of the story line. If I choose to do then it would probably turn into a Jeri/Henry kind of thing. I bunched the talking together so it wouldn't seem so big... if it is? I expect it to be like 5 chapters like I said earlier, but if you didn't like it, I won't write anymore.

Oh yeah, and did I forget to mention this is my first story? SO PLEASE NO FLAMES. I'll take any other kind of comments, even 'constructive criticism.' Love always, and Rukato forever. Peace.

(Truck horn sounded and trucker talking) Honk! Honk! I thank you.
(Chappelle in the background) I'm Rich Bitch!
(I also don't own 'The Chappelle Show' closing or anything remotely like that.)