OPERATION SURPRISE PARTY
By: Emily Ishida
"Hey Kari!" Kari heard behind her as she walked out of the grocery store.
"Oh hi TK!" Kari beamed, slowing down to help TK catch up with her.
"Hey, do you know what tonight is?" TK asked, grasping Kari's hand and hoping she'd know.
"Uh...my dad's cousin's birthday?" Kari guessed. (Though I don't know WHY TK would know that to ask Kari about it anyway.)
"Um...besides that," TK answered. He was a little confused. (I know I would be.)
"I don't know, tell me." Kari patiently watched TK have a fit before telling her.
"IT'S THE ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DATING!" TK shouted. Kari furiously hushed him, watching as Tai walked out of the store. Obviously Tai needed to get to bed when Kari first saw him...now he had a sudden awkward and playful shine dancing in his chocolate eyes.
"Hey you two love birds! Kari I gotta get home! I'll get your groceries...you go to TK's! See ya!" Tai demanded as he rushed down the street.
"I hope he didn't hear that, I don't want him to try and throw us a surprise party like he did for my birthday," Kari grumbled.
"Boy, now THAT was a disaster," TK agreed with a light chuckle. TK remembered clearly how Tai tried to organize a surprise party, and ended up with a ruined house and a 25-foot sub sandwich with frosting and candles all along it...along with five smoking, retired clowns and a drunk Sora. (Don't ask!)
"Don't remind me," Kari murmured, smiling at the thought of a quiet, peaceful, romantic celebration at TK's house...
"Anyway, let's get back. I'll walk you to my house!" TK suggested, offering his arm in an old-style gentlemen fashion. Kari giggled lightly, excepting his arm with both hands and resting her head on his shoulder.
"You're such a sweetie," Kari sighed. "And to think I get you ALL to myself tonight."
"Likewise!"
~ At Tai's House ~
Tai rushed inside while setting the groceries on the table. He had snatched the groceries Kari had to keep her from coming home. Quickly he completed his routine, organizing the house for his love...Sora. They both had moved into a small, cozy apartment together, and were engaged. But when Tai moved out...so did Kari. So Kari lived with Sora and Tai, but that didn't bother them. To them Kari was a pleasure to have around...when she wasn't sticking frogs in the bed when Tai and Sora wanted a little "fun."
Picking up the phone, Tai dialed Joe's house. He knew better than to take the risk for fear of him being at class, but he HAD to try. To his surprise, the phone was answered by a familiar, friendly voice.
"Hello? This is Joe," Joe answered in his usual way...casual yet sophisticated.
"Hey Joe? This is Tai," Tai spoke into the phone with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Oh, Tai! Hi, how are you? Listen I wish you hadn't caught me at such a bad time, eitherwise I would stay and chat. But I have to run...I don't want to miss my test," Joe replied, a hint of disappointment lingering in his voice.
Figures! Tai thought bitterly. But his voice was all the same. "Well I have to tell you something urgent!"
"Who's injured?" Joe queried, a little over his head.
"No one. Listen, I went shopping with Kari today, and she headed out before me. When I got to the door I had to tie my shoe, and luckily I was hidden behind a garbage can. I was tired at the moment, but what I heard proved to be my wake-up call!" Tai explained, pausing to see if Joe was listening.
On the other line Tai could practically hear Joe nodding as he said, "Go on."
"Anyway she was talking to TK, and it turns out tonight is the anniversary of when they first started going out, and-" Tai was cut off by Joe's excited voice.
"Oh no! We're NOT throwing a surprise party! Remember last year at Kari's birthday? It was a DISASTER! Those retired clowns insulted me and called me geek-freak, and that sandwich looked like it could kill someone it looked so disgusting! Plus, I had to keep Sora in that bed for a week, lying by saying you were going to join her in the bed in a minute to keep her out of trouble. Luckily she forgot every time an hour had past!" Joe explained sternly, hearing a whimpering Tai on the other line.
"I know, I know. But this is SPECIAL! Not only will it be for Kari...but for TK, too! And I know Matt would agree..." Tai was again interrupted by Joe.
"Yeah...he'll agree, alright. With me!" Joe said with sarcasm, laughing as Tai pouted in protest.
"Shut up! Anyway think of what we'd be doing for them!"
"Yeah, we'll be sending them to back to hell where they were last year!" Joe yet again cracked up as he held away the vibrating phone while Tai screamed out profanity at Joe. "Okay, okay! I'll stop!"
"You better you idiot!"
"Anyway, I have to go, Tai. I'll be late."
"I won't let you go until you agree."
"No!"
"Please?"
"Ugh...FINE! Only once! Never again will I put TK and Kari through the torture! Now let me get to class."
"Meet me at Mimi's. We'll do it there! Can YOU do the shopping?!"
"This should be interesting..."
"Joe?"
"Okay, okay I will...bye now!"
"Bye!"
As Tai hung up the phone, he immediately called Mimi to arrange the meeting at her house, Matt to convince him that he'd be doing WONDERS for TK as a big brother and if he could cook, Izzy to help with the decorations and Sora to keep TK and Kari occupied.
~ At TK's House ~
"TK this is SO nice of you to rent Titanic and to set all this up," Kari cooed, staring at her surroundings. Buttered popcorn and other snacks set neatly on the coffee table in front of the couch, the movie rewound and ready to play, the lights turned low and candles in different places, and a wonderful-smelling dinner preparing in the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"
"I decided to try another country's style, so I'm preparing an Italian meal...fettuccini alfredo, garlic bread, and a giant salad with a specially prepared Italian dressing!" TK answered proudly, gathering Kari in his arms. "And besides...it's all worth it for my precious little angel."
"Oh TK...hey, is your mom home?" Kari asked with a little mischief in her eyes.
"She won't be back till tomorrow morning...some meeting in Hong Kong. Why? You offering?" TK asked with a playful tone.
Kari looked at the clock. 5:00. "Well...I was thinking that after the movie and dinner, we could go to your mom's room, since the bed's bigger, and..." Kari stopped short when TK pressed his soft lips to hers.
"Of course, my sweet Kari." Both were sharing a passionate kiss when the doorbell rang. "I'll get that."
"Okay...but hurry!" Kari rushed. TK hurried to the door to find Sora there.
"Hey you two! I was wondering if you'd like to join me at the theater?" Sora asked innocently. TK and Kari were disappointed.
"Um...tonight's not a good night..." Kari mentioned.
"Why? Did I interrupt something?" Sora asked again with an innocent glance.
"Well...do you promise you won't tell the others?" TK asked eagerly.
"Sure. What's up?" Sora knew everything about the anniversary. She and Mimi were the only ones who wanted to do this anyway...(Boy are THOSE TWO brave...obeying under TAI'S command...)
"It's our anniversary of when we first started dating," Kari murmured. Sora, playing dumb, gasped and ran to both of them and hugging them tight, nearly killing poor TK.
"Well then I HAVE to take you out for a treat! The movie of your choice plus anything else!" Sora insisted. She grabbed both their arms and hauled them out of the house, TK forgetting completely about the dinner...
~ At Mimi's House ~
"Okay, Mimi can you get those good-smelling candles from your bathroom?" Izzy asked, blowing up another balloon.
"How'd you know they were there?" Mimi puzzled.
Izzy suddenly grew horrified. "Um...you know that...pink one that...smells like, uh...peppermint?" Izzy hesitated. Mimi nodded with an accusing glare.
"What did you do?"
"Um...I...you know the toilet?"
"What did you DO?"
"Well it started with the toilet...and the water...and the spinning...and...yeah."
"WHAT DID YOU DO!"
"Okay! I flushed it down the toilet!"
"WHAT? What were you doing in there anyway?"
"I was searching for...never mind!"
"IZZY!"
"Okay! I was searching for the perfume you wear, and I knocked it in the toilet, and I tripped trying to catch it and I accidentally pushed the flusher thingy! It went straight down!"
Mimi's eyes went big. Not only was she angry...she was plain surprised. Did Izzy love her? "WHAT? Why the HELL did you do that? You IDIOT!" she screeched.
"What did you do?" Matt demanded. He had heard everything and was mad. "You flushed the PINK one down?"
"What, you like pink?" Izzy teased. Tai and Joe were laughing in the background.
Matt's face went red. "Er...no, I...but MIMI likes it! Why'd you do that to Mimi?"
"Looks like someone loves Mimi!" Izzy teased again, but that wasn't a good idea.
"Look who's talking, perfume boy!" Matt fought. Izzy's face went pink.
"Shut up! Mimi's MINE!" Izzy challenged.
"No! She's MINE!" Both guys went at each other's throats. Fists went flying into both boys, knocking each other down.
"Stop it, you two!" Tai yelled furiously. He was making sure that everything was in order...and everything was NOT in order at that time.
"She's MINE!" Matt roared. He pulled an umbrella from the coat rack and attacked Izzy with it as if it were a sword. "Take that! You fiend!"
Izzy too snatched an umbrella from the coat rack. "I shall win the love of my fair lady MIMI!" Izzy announced, darting the umbrella at Matt. "No one will get in the way! NO ONE!"
"I beg to differ, Sir Izzy! Thou shall NOT win the heart of the princess! For I, Sir Matt, shall slay thee!" Matt corrected, jabbing Izzy's side with the tip of the umbrella.
"Ah!" Izzy gritted his teeth, as if he were really struck by a sword. "Never!" Izzy jumped forward to seize the opportunity of jabbing HIM. But Matt knew this trick already. For previously, last year at Kari's birthday, he had challenged Joe.
"That's it," Joe grumbled, taking a cooking pan and hitting both guys square in the noggin, knocking them out cold. "Now, let's finish this surprise party. I'm going to the store for ingredients. What do we need?"
"Um...eggs, milk, vegetables..." Mimi listed while counting them down on her fingers.
"Also we need grape juice and ham," Tai finished.
"Why grape juice?" Joe queried.
"I think Kari's STILL too young to drink wine," Tai murmured protectively. Matt agreed about TK being too young too, but Joe bopped his head again and made him go back out.
"Well, at least grape juice will make it LOOK like wine," Mimi offered. Everyone agreed.
"Okay. I'll be right back," Joe said, rushing out the door.
~ At the Theater ~
"Uh...let's see Shrek!" Sora suggested.
"Uh...sure," Kari and TK said in unison, kind of with no choice. Kari offered to pay, but Sora scolded her because it was their anniversary and she paid for the movie and they went inside. While TK and Kari were cracking up during the movie, Sora ran to the phone booth saying she had to use the bathroom.
"Tai, how's everything coming along? We're in the middle of Shrek..." Sora whispered into the phone.
"SHREK!? I've wanted to see that for SO long..."
"Tai shut up. How's everything?"
"Boy I wish this were OUR anniversary..."
"If you don't answer me Tai I swear I'll-"
"Okay, okay! Uh, well Joe just went out to do the shopping and Matt and Izzy are out cold and Mimi is complaining about the heat here," Tai hesitated.
"WHAT? You haven't done ANYTHING? Why the heck are Izzy and Matt out?" Sora raged, a young boy staring at her in bewilderment.
"Long story..." Tai murmured.
"Oh...I already know. Mimi, right?"
"Bingo."
"Ugh...okay well hurry up. I'll convince them to watch another movie, alright? Just PUNCH IT!"
"Yes sir...I-I mean...ma'ame!"
"Just get to work!"
"I'm all over it!"
"Grrr..."
"Okay, I'm going, I'm going!"
"GOOD!"
"I still wanna see Shrek!"
"TAI!"
"Okay! I'm gone! Bye!"
"BYE!"
When Sora hung up, she went back to the movie. As she sat down, she held her breath and began plan B.
"Why'd you take so long?" Kari whispered.
"Long line," Sora answered. "Hey, do you two want to see The Mummy Returns after this?"
"It's getting late," TK mumbled, looking at his watch. Sora pleaded them till they agreed. Again she paid for the tickets.
~ At the Grocery Store ~
"Milk...milk...where's the blasted milk?" Joe grumbled. He had gotten the eggs and the grape juice, now he needed the veggies, milk and the ham. "Excuse me sir!" Joe waved his hand towards a young man who worked there.
"Yes?" the man asked.
"May you please point me to the direction of the milk?" Joe asked politely.
"That way. Next to the other beverages," the man answered with irritation.
"I have no clue why I missed it before," Joe thought out loud. He walked over with his shopping cart, accidentally passing the ham, and saw that it was the last gallon of milk there. Another lady, about 80 years old, glared at Joe, challenging him. Joe glared back, both preparing their carts to race. Both began to race after a man yelled "Fish and chips!" Joe thought this strange, though.
Racing, the old lady gaining speed, Joe ran faster. Both reached for it...JOE GOT IT! The lady, old though she was, began to cuss at him and yell continuously, soon having a heart attack and falling over.
Joe felt a little bit guilty, but he HAD to get the milk. Now the veggies. He had no problem getting those. The ham...Joe had to get the HAM! Turning towards the meat section where he had last seen it. It wasn't there!
"Can I help you with something, sir?" the same man who worked there asked.
"NOT NOW! I HAVE TO GET THE HAM!" Joe yelled, rushing out of the door. The man sighed.
~ At Mimi's House ~
"Where is Joe? It usually takes him about fifteen minutes to get the groceries!" Mimi complained.
"I don't know, but Matt and Izzy are at it again..." Tai answered, sighing as he watched Matt and Izzy fight again with their "swords."
"Take THAT!" Matt yelled.
"No! You take THAT!" Izzy retaliated, picking up an expensive vase and throwing it at Matt. It shattered into thousands of pieces. Mimi shrieked in anger. Matt and Izzy began to throw expensive glass things at each other. Soon, Matt even picked up Mimi and threatened to throw her, but Mimi hit him on the head and he fell to the floor.
"No respect!" Mimi grumbled, brushing herself off. She went into the kitchen where Tai was, leaving an unconscious Matt on the floor. Tai was a mess. He had tried to make Jell-O, which was the easiest thing to make...and he couldn't even poor the water in right. "TAI! What are you doing?"
"Making Jell-O!" Tai snapped, trying to read the directions. He was extremely irritated with the whole thing...but then again he wasn't much of a cook.
"WHY!? You can't even boil WATER without burning it!" Mimi complained in anger. If Tai couldn't boil water then he MUST be a horrible cook...cause that is pretty sad...
"Shut up! I'm trying!" Tai raged, sounding hurt. Mimi's eyes grew soft and she kissed his cheek.
"Sorry. Do you want me to do that?"
"Thank you SO much..." Tai sighed in relief, giving the apron to Mimi. Mimi continued to work on the Jell-O.
~ At the Grocery Store ~
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! WHERE THE HELL IS THE BLASTED HAM!?!?!?" Joe yelled, scaring a baby girl. He rushed all through every store he could think of. "NO! NO! I NEED that ham!"
"Can I help you, sir?" the same man from the grocery store asked. Joe found this creepy...what was he doing on the other side of town?
"DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE FREAKING HAM IS!?!?!" Joe yelled. The man shot back in shock.
"W-we ran out, but-" the poor guy didn't get to finish, cause Joe had already gone berserk.
"WHAT!?" Joe shrieked. He again ran out the door.
"Sir! I was going to say that we get a new shipment in 3 hours!" It was too late. Joe had already disappeared.
As Joe ran with a bag of groceries in his arms, he passed a farm. He had strangely reached the outskirts of town. Joe found that creepy too.
"Hee, hee, hee..." Joe snickered, getting an idea. He ran into the farm...passing through a chicken coop. He was going to get the ham whether it was TK and Kari's anniversary or not...
~ At the Theater ~
"AHHHH!" Kari screamed, clutching TK's arm and throwing herself onto him. She really hated this movie. The Mummy Returns was a little too much Sora could tell. Sora got up to make a phone call, tricking Kari by saying she was going to the front desk to complain that the movie was too scary. Kari had fell for it.
"Hello?" Sora heard from the other line.
"Tai? How's it coming?" Sora asked, twirling the phone cord with her index finger.
"Well...Joe hasn't exactly returned with the groceries..." Tai held the phone away as Sora yelled profanity at him.
"GET THAT PARTY READY YOU FREAK! I'm running out of cash! What else am I supposed to do?"
"LOCK THEM IN A CLOSET! I don't know! Just keep them BUSY!"
"You son of a..."
"Don't even FINISH that sentence."
"Fine...gun."
"Huh?"
"Son of a 'gun.'"
"Oh."
Sora hung up immediately. She couldn't take it. She had to tell TK and Kari.
When she had returned, Kari and TK were kissing. Figured. It was a romantic, sappy scene in the movie at that moment. Just THINKING about what they'd do in the middle of the movie Titanic...
"TK? Kari?" Sora interrupted. "TK?" No answer. "KARI!"
Kari jumped from her moment of heaven.
"WHAT?"
"I need to confess something..." Before she could say anything, a really large man in a squirrel costume came in with a gun.
"THIS IS A STICK UP!" he yelled. Everyone laughed, until he shot the gun at the ceiling. "SHUT UP! Now give me all your money!"
Everyone strangely lined up one by one and were talking as if nothing were happening. It almost seemed like they were doing it WILLINGLY.
"What the hell?" TK stammered. He was REALLY confused. Why couldn't he have a nice romantic dinner at home with Kari? "Wait...home...dinner...OH MY GOD!"
~ On the Sidewalk ~
Joe was walking home extremely content but VERY tired, with a butchered pig swung over his right should and a bloody, messy bag of groceries in his left hand. He had chicken feathers, chicken food and goat poop all over him, but he didn't care. He had gotten the ham.
Behind Joe he could hear yelling. When he looked back, a farmer was chasing him. He broke into a full run.
~ At Mimi's House ~
"IZZY YOU HAVE TO FINISH THE DECORATIONS!" Tai was screaming, but to no avail. Matt and Izzy punched and swung "swords" and hit and bit and drooled, (okay NOW it's getting creepy,) and no one could stop them...except Mimi.
"IF YOU TWO DON'T CUT IT OUT I'M NOT GOING OUT WITH EITHER ONE OF YOU!" This got their attention. Suddenly they were shaking hands and saying "sorry" and were perfect little angels. Mimi smiled in satisfaction.
"I don't know HOW she does it," Tai mumbled. Mimi overheard though.
"It's all in a day's work, Tai! You have to have the right equipment!" Tai cringed at what he thought she was talking about.
"Okay, Mimi. Anyway, where's Joe? Did you see if he came home yet?"
Suddenly the door flew open. Joe was standing there, breathing heavily, with chicken feathers and other strange things all over him, the farmer coming up the doorsteps, and blood from the butchered pig dripping on the floor. He was a mess.
"I GOT YOUR PRECIOUS GROCERIES!" he flared, throwing them into Tai's arms. The bloody pig meat knocked him over. Matt and Izzy stood astounded at Joe's outburst.
"MY CARPET!" Mimi cried, running into the kitchen to get some cleaning supplies.
"MY PARTY!" Tai raged, upset about the whole thing turning into a nightmare.
"MY SWEATER!" Joe screamed, noticing his expensive sweater covered in blood, chicken feathers and chicken food, goat poop and other various disgusting stuff all over it.
"MY PERFUME!" Izzy cried, depressed that he didn't get any of Mimi's perfume.
"MY HEAD!" Matt grumbled, getting a headache from the whole thing.
"MY BASKETBALL!" was heard from behind them all. Behind them was Michael Jordan, sobbing and crying because he lost his basketball. That scared them all. What was HE doing in Japan?
"Okay...now it's official...Tai...you're a jinx!" Matt stammered, running upstairs screaming. Tai was outraged.
"I AM NOT! It was just an unfortunate accident! I wonder how Sora and TK and Kari are doing..." Tai reached into Mimi's purse on the counter while she was cleaning furiously, and dialed Sora's cell phone number from Mimi's cell phone.
~ At the Theater ~
"Okay, come on, keep it coming!" the squirrel bad guy said. Everyone was laughing and having a good time while they gave their entire life savings to this squirrel freak. Suddenly a cell phone rang. It was Sora's. "WHO'S PHONE IS THAT! I'LL SHOOT WHOEVER HAS THAT PHONE!"
"WOULD YOU KEEP IT DOWN PLEASE? I'm trying to hear!" Sora yelled, talking on the phone. "What's up, Tai?"
"I wanted to know what you were doing," Tai answered.
"Mmm...not much. Although the second movie we saw scared Kari so much she wet her pants, the popcorn was too salty and we're being held hostage in the theater by a robber dressed in a squirrel costume ordering everyone to give him their money and they're all lined up as if it were the bank...either than that I'm doing just peachy." Sora replied.
"WHAT?! You're being held HOSTAGE? By a SQUIRREL? Now I've heard everything..."
"Has Joe got the groceries?"
"Uh...yeah..."
"Oh good!" Suddenly Sora hung up. "TK...Kari...we can go home now!"
"YOU MEAN I HAVE TO GO HOME!!!!! I-" TK was interrupted by the squirrel guy.
"Shut UP!" he yelled.
"That's IT!" Kari shrieked. She ran to the squirrel guy and punched him square in the nose. Everyone was silent. Then they were all singing the Barney song. "I'm getting sick of you ordering us AROUND!" And the fact that everyone is singing the Barney song...Kari thought.
"Owwww...you hurt my nose! MOMMY!!!!!!!" the squirrel guy cried, running out of the theater, leaving the money. Sora dragged the two out the door.
"Come on! I have a surprise for you!" Sora beamed, rushing to Mimi's house.
~ At Mimi's House ~
An hour later, they had reached the house. Why there was an angry farmer at the door, they didn't know. When they got inside, Sora and Kari and TK all screamed.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HERE!?" Sora screamed. Everyone was crying about something, there was a butchered pig on the floor, Michael Jordan was in the house, and Joe smelled like goat poop.
"S-Sora! You're home!" Tai stammered, jumping up. "Um...how's it going?" Tai laughed as he spoke, scratching the back of his head.
"TAI! Don't give me that! What happened here!?"
"Joe went to get the groceries and I tried to make Jell-O and Izzy and Matt were fighting over Mimi and when Joe came back he got the groceries but couldn't find ham and came back with a butchered PIG!" Tai spurted. Sora was outraged.
"What the-" Soon the guy from the grocery store walked in as if everything was normal. He walked over to Joe.
"Here's your ham, sir! I was going to say to you we get a new shipment in three hours, but you were pretty much gone." The guy smiled. Joe couldn't take it.
"WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I went through all that for NOTHING!?!?!?!?" He attacked the grocery guy, and everyone held him back.
"OH NO!!! My HOUSE!" TK ran out the door. Kari was crying.
"What's wrong, Kari? D-don't c-cry..." Tai's eyes grew wet with tears. He held his little sister, and was trying to be the courageous brother he always was. But he couldn't help the fact that he really was a jinx.
"Tai...you tried to give TK and me a surprise party! I just wanted a nice, romantic evening with TK...and it's just like last year..." Kari burst into tears, and Mimi and Sora found it so depressing they were hugging each other while wailing pathetically.
"I-I'm so sorry...I just wanted to be a good b-brother..." Tai hugged Kari, then slowly got up and went out the door.
"No Tai!" Kari ran to her brother, hugging him from behind as he shivered while choking on helpless sobs. "Thank you, Tai...I love you..."
"I-I love you too, Kari! Well...happy anniversary!" Tai and Kari left, holding hands and talking about the day.
A/N: Well? Liked it? Hated it? R&R please! If ya wanna know what happened to everyone, here's what's what:
Mimi married Matt.
Izzy got his perfume.
Joe became a vegetarian.
Tai swore never to throw another surprise party ever again.
Kari and TK finally had a nice anniversary in Paris.
Sora never wanted to see another TV in her life.
TK had to buy a new house because it burned down from the dinner. He also got grounded after his anniversary.
The squirrel guy got arrested.
The grocery guy got fired.
The old lady replaced the grocery guy.
Everyone lived happily ever after. (Except for the squirrel guy and grocery guy.)