A ringing sound emanated from the alarm clock, telling it's buyer that it was time to awaken, get dressed, and prepare for the day that lay in front of him. However, this young man would have nothing of the sort.

"Uggh…" he said, as he rolled over onto the side of his bed not covered in slobber. "Five more minutes…"

"Stefan!" a shrill voice shouted from below him. "Time to wake up! You'll miss the bus!" Groggily, Stefan woke up, and lurched over to his mirror. Stefan Bloomquist was a good looking boy, Swedish in descent. He had light blonde hair and limpid blue eyes. His skin was very pale; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even get a semblance of a tan. He was tall and slender, at about 6 feet even. However, in the early morning light, he looked nothing like that. He had sandbags under his eyes and felt like he had just rolled around in gravel for the past hour.

"Honey!" the shrill voice called again. "I'll be right down, mom!" Stefan answered back. He took off his pajamas and got into his normal clothes, a light blue polo shirt and some nice khakis, wearing Crocs on his feet. After brushing his teeth, he went downstairs for breakfast, making large clomping noises as he descended down each step. His mother was at the foot of the stairs. There, Stefan bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

"There, there honey." His mom started chuckling. "Don't be so loud, or you'll wake up all the others." Stefan was the oldest of six brothers and sisters. His mom had a decent job, working as a professor of psychology in the University of Hartford. His dad, well, he didn't do squat.

"Did dad pay the child support bills yet?" Stefan asked his mother, though he knew what the answer would be, as it had been for the past seven months.

"No." The woman looked downcast. "We'll get by though, we always do."

"Yeah." Stefan also looked at her. He loved her more than anyone in the world. He was a mama's boy, and proud of it. "So, can I have some breakfast?" Instead of a verbal response, his mom smiled at him and led him to the kitchen, where a heaping plate of scrambled eggs lay waiting for him. In between bites he thanked his mom, grabbed his knapsack and walked out of his house, and began his long journey to the bus stop. As he walked he thought to himself about his family situation, especially his mom. His dad could probably be arrested by now, but his mom never wanted to make that fateful call down to the FBI. She always believed that eventually, he would come around, and that every man had a little bit of good inside of them, no matter how deep the darkness can penetrate.

"Yeah right." Stefan thought to himself. "Perhaps a while ago he was good, but now, he's pure evil. How else could he just abandon my mom with six kids to raise by herself? How could he abandon me?" Stefan's life had changed because of that. While he still had friends, he was hesitant to make new ones. He had given up sports after that, and always made decisions with one thought in the back of his mind; how it would affect his mom. He was a changed person, less reckless, and more of a logician. He had grown up too fast. That man had stolen his childhood, just like all that money he owed to his family. Stefan wished he could act like any normal kid, but he couldn't. Now he had to help his mom in any possible way he could; getting groceries, doing the laundry, even getting his homework done on time. He didn't have time for fun. Well, unless you counted his guiltiest pleasure; Digimon. You see, Stefan had a television in his room. And, without fail, every night when Jetix rolled around, he watched the episode of Digimon. It was his little haven from all of the pressures that were constantly surrounding him. Instead of worrying about whether his mom would be able to put all of the food on the table, he could bathe in the battles against Devimon and Apocalymon without a care in the world. In that world, no matter what, light always overcame darkness. The evil always lost, no matter how heinous their crimes. Not like in the real world, where the darkness can just grow and grow, without any borders to speak of.

"Eh, well, that's life." Stefan surmised to himself as he reached the bus stop. It was a cool November day, but the wind didn't faze Stefan. He had Swedish blood; this was like summer.

"Hey Stef!" a voice shouted to him. Stefan looked out into the distance and saw his good friend Jaren running towards him. As he came closer, Stefan saw his trademark dragon wristband on his arm. He was sometimes called "The Dragon" because of this. The two slapped five in greeting, and while waiting for the bus struck up a conversation.

"So what's up man." Stefan said, his voice whistling through the breeze.

"Nothing much. The family is great." Stefan smiled as he listened to Jaren speak. The Pinnock house was like his second home. The two families had met ever since the Bloomquist clan had moved to Willimantic, and had become fast friends.

"Dude. Basketball tryouts are soon. Come on, sign up!" Stefan sighed. Here we go again. Jaren was always trying to get him to get back into sports, especially basketball, where Jaren was on the team already. At 5'8, Jaren played point guard with the ferocity of a dragon, maybe a more apt beginning for his nickname.

Stefan shook his head. "No. You know what's up, Jaren? I can't risk getting hurt. The medical bills would be too much for my mom to handle." Jaren looked back at Stefan.

"Come on. You worry too much about what might happen. You also might lead our team to the Championship game!" Stefan smiled and shook his head, again.

"I'd rather be with my family and friends." Jaren gaped.

"You are such an enigma." He sputtered, looking pleased with himself for the big word. Stefan started laughing. And then the bus pulled up.

The ride to school was uneventful. Jaren and Stefan talked about nothing important, did their Algebra II homework in preparation for their class later today. When they got to school, the dynamic duo had to separate. Stefan had gym first period, while Jaren had wood shop. Stefan had initially balked at Jaren when he chose the class as an elective, but Jaren simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "Hey man. It's my passion. I can do what I want." Stefan ceased his questioning after that, and was actually impressed by some of Jaren's creations, including a clock and a birdhouse.

Stefan walked into the locker room, not expecting to see anyone he knew. Gym was his least favorite period of the day, seeing as he knew no one in his class. He usually just walked around the track alone, his own thoughts absorbing him. He changed, unceremoniously dumped his clothes and his backpack into a locker, and walked into the gymnasium, a spacious place with basketball hoops attached to the rafters.

"Heaven for LeBron James, purgatory for me." Stefan thought to himself, referring to the mythical place where souls go if they are not good enough for heaven and not bad enough for hell. He couldn't call it hell. Hell was reserved for his father.

The class stretched, and Stefan noticed a girl who he hadn't ever paid attention to before. She was about Jaren's height, maybe a little shorter. She had brown hair that ran down to her shoulders, and pale skin with a light tan coating that ran over it. She had a nice face with brown eyes and was stretching alone, on the far right side of the gym. After stretching, the gym class ran a few laps around the track, and then the coaches called the whole class together. The head teacher, a large, mustached man named Mr. Thomas, bellowed in a deep, nasal voice.

"Everyone is going to be playing basketball today! No ifs, ands, or buts." Stefan groaned. Another chance to humiliate himself. So, the games began. He was playing with some non-descript classmates, on a non-descript court. He wasn't doing great, and he wasn't doing badly. It was exactly neutral.

"Dang." Stefan thought to himself. "This is like purgatory." And then he saw a sight that made his heart leap. It was that girl, again. She was standing on the baseline, out of bounds, just watching the game with some of the other faces in the crowd. But her face was the one that stuck out to Stefan. All of a sudden, Stefan wanted to do something to impress her, to make him seem amazing in her eyes. He got the ball behind the three point arc and faced his man, a shorter and certainly stouter defender. Stefan faked right and then drove down the baseline. A bigger foe stood in his path, but then Stefan jumped and switched the ball to his right hand and kissed it off the glass. The entire gym just stared at him for a moment. Even Coach Thomas, who was busy berating a kid for throwing a basketball at a girls head, had turned around to watch, and now his mouth was agape. Stefan had just pulled a move that most players on the basketball team couldn't have done. Stefan turned around and saw that girl he noticed. Now she was looking at him, and smiling. Then he felt a tap behind him.

"Nice shot, but let's get on with the game." It was the kid who had defended him on the perimeter. Not wanting to do anything to anger these boys, Stefan starting playing again. Nothing much happened, unless you count that girl not taking her eyes off of Stefan for the rest of the scrimmage. And Stefan smiling at her whenever he made a basket.

After class, Stefan tried to walk up to the girl but found an obstacle in his path. Coach Thomas.

"Bloomquist, right?" Stefan nodded. "What year are you in?" "Sophomore" Stefan answered, knowing where this conversation was going. "Son, you should try out for the basketball team. We could use a player like you." Stefan smiled inwardly and began shaking his head. "No. I can't." Coach Thomas looked downheartened. "Here, kid. Tryouts are today after school. You can come if you want." Stefan smiled and thanked the mustached coach, but knew that he couldn't go to the tryout. "It wouldn't be right. I can't do that to my family." He thought to himself as he went back into the changing room.

"Hey, you!" Stefan turned around, and saw that same kid again, the kid who had defended him on the perimeter. "What's your name?"

"Stefan. Stefan Bloomquist. And you?" Stefan asked, politely trying to make conversation, though with one eye glancing at the clock."

"Brian. Brian Porter."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Brian." Stefan replied. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go to my next class." As Stefan began to walk out of the locker room, he heard Brian's voice trailing behind him.

"You sure can play basketball, Stefan!" In embarrassment Stefan started to quicken his pace, only to bump in to someone who let out a very feminine shriek. Stefan heard her books tumble to the ground.

"I'm so sorry." Stefan mumbled in apology as he picked up her books. And as he looked up, he saw her. That girl from gym class.

"That's OK." She whispered in a voice that could make angels cry. "I forgive you." She began to pick up her books and walk away when Stefan called back to her.

"What's your name?" She looked back, surprised.

"Julia Rosen. And yours?"

"Stefan Bloomquist."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you. I hope to see you again soon." And with that, Julia just walked away. Stefan also walked out the door and began to proceed to his next class, Chemistry. As he got there he sat behind one of the many desks in the laboratory and saw his faithful science partner there. Craig Sloan was one of those bookish kids that you could just peg as a nerd, but Stefan knew better than that. Craig was actually a very athletic and open kid who just preferred to play video games and watch Sci-Fi channel than flinging footballs to wide receivers.

"So…I'm guessing that we're starting that big science project today?" Craig nodded, eyes glazed over from staring at his Gameboy SP too long.

"What game are you playing, Craig?" Stefan asked. Craig, apparently too lazy to open his mouth, showed him. "Wario? Eh…"

"What?" Craig said irritably in a whiny voice. "It's an addictive game."

"Yeah, but still, Wario?" Stefan asked again. Craig was about to mount a retort when the science teacher, Mr. Smith, got the class's attention.

"So today we are starting our new projects. And instead of using our normal science partners, I used a computer to randomize you guys into pairs." Mr. Smith then referred to a list on white paper. "The first pair that was spit out…Stefan and Andrew." Stefan looked around and saw a kid sitting in the corner. He was reclining in his chair and his feet were on the desk. He was wearing a cap backwards on his head and had a small smile. A small piercing was encased in his left ear and he smiled and waved slightly at Stefan. Stefan walked over to Andrew and sat down, still feeling a little uncomfortable being around him. Andrew seemed to notice that, and shrugged it off. He was like everyone else; judging his outside. After the rest of the groups were read, Stefan and Andrew began to talk.

"So, ready to work?" Andrew asked, pulling out a pristine looking notebook from his backpack. Stefan mumbled a yes and took out his book as well. For a good 15 minutes, the two worked silently on whatever project they had, until Stefan ventured to ask Andrew a question.

"So, where did you get that piercing from?" Andrew turned slowly to him and smiled.

"I got it with my friends. Same with these tattoos." And with that, Andrew rolled up his right arm sleeve, revealing a number of colorfully designed tattoos and symbols on his dark skin. Stefan noticed many things, the first of which was the symbol for the Bloods.

"You're a gangster?" he blurted out. Andrew simply looked at him.

"If that's the term you wish to use, yes." Stefan immediately regretted his past comment and apologized. Andrew just looked at him.

"I was born into it. The turf I live on is Blood territory, and it was either join or risk me or my family getting hurt." Inwardly, both Andrew and Stefan smiled for different reasons. Stefan, because he'd have done the same thing in Andrew's situation and respected that. Andrew, began he had just lied his butt off successfully.

"What's with the lightning bolt?" Stefan asked. Andrew just turned away from him.

"We should really get working on that science project." And so it was for the rest of the period. After Chemistry, Stefan had one more period, and then lunch with Jaren. That period was English. Stefan loved English, almost as much as he hated Math. Writing was always something he loved to do. And as soon as he walked in to the room, he noticed a familiar face.

"Julia!" Stefan called. He had never noticed her before; maybe because he was so absorbed in his own writing and stories. However, there she was, talking to two other people.

"Hey Stefan! I didn't know you had this now." Her smile could light up a room. "Come sit down with me." Stefan meandered over and sat down next to Julia. "Do you know these two?" Julia asked. Stefan shook his head. "Well, these are the Green twins, Rebecca and Sam." The girl and the boy smiled and waved. Rebecca was about Julia's height and had black hair. She was wearing a long dress that covered her knees and high socks. Her smile was effervescent. Sam was wearing a jean jacket over a T-shirt. His body was quite big, not in a fat way, just big. His pants were long khaki slacks, and Stefan noticed small white strings hanging out of them. Still, both were very nice, and during English Stefan and Julia conversed with them for a long time.

"So, guys, how do you know each other?" Stefan asked the trio.

"We go to shul together, that's all." Julia answered. Stefan had never known Jewish people before, and he had just made a bunch of new Jewish friends.

"Well, what a day, at not even lunch!" He thought to himself. "It's almost as if God wants me to meet all of these people just now, on this day in particular." Then the bell rang. Lunchtime.

"You guys have lunch now?" All three nodded. "Well, let's go then." And the quartet went to the lunch room, talking all the way. Sam seemed awfully quiet, almost like Stefan. When they got to the lunch room, Stefan saw Jaren and Craig already there, sitting at their table, and saw Jaren's eyes widen when he saw Stefan walking with all of the new people.

"Hey look! Stefan learned how to make friends!" Jaren said jokingly. Stefan smiled sheepishly when he heard this and sat down, ready to dig in to the lunch that his mom made him. As he ate, he talked. And not just to Jaren and Craig as usual, but to everyone else at the table. Sam, as usual, remained quiet, but Rebecca was anything but, and talked off Stefan's ear. Julia was also fairly quiet, but spent the lunch period staring at Stefan with a smile on her face. And Stefan just looked back at her, smiling as well. Rebecca and Jaren seemed made for each other, as both talked so much about the most random stuff. Then the unexpected happened. Sam said something.

"Guys, look outside. I think something is going on." As Stefan looked, he saw, in the building across from them, a small fire. Its flames were flickering merrily, but everyone knew that in truth, those happy flames were awaiting something to burn.

"Let's go, before the alarms go off." And sure enough, right after Stefan said that, the alarms went off. And then one thought went through their minds.

"RUN!" Jaren shouted. And the group of six sprinted to the door, somehow worming their way through the countless other students scrambling, trying to find a way out of the school. They ducked down a hallway and kept running. However right as they passed the boys bathroom, two guys came out. Stefan gasped. They were Andrew and Brian. And Andrew was holding a small switchblade to Brian's neck. Brian looked panicked, he was backed up against a wall, his hands over his head.

"Give me your money!" Andrew grumbled in a low voice. Brian hurriedly reached into his pocket and found a 20$ bill, then hastily gave it to Andrew. Jaren decided to intervene.

"What the heck are you doing?" he yelled, eyes at Andrew. "You can't 'just do that man!"

"I do whatever the heck I want." Andrew said simply. Meanwhile, Brian ran over to me, still panting, tears coming out of his eyes.

"He just came at me in the bathroom, threatening me." Stefan held his head in his arms, not exactly knowing what to do.

"Uh…guys" Craig chimed in. "Fire. Let's get out." Then, everyone remembered that there was a fire. However, another distraction caught Rebecca's attention.

"Look at the computer room! One of the screens is lighting up!" Now, their curiosity piqued, the group headed into the computer room, forgetting all about the fire for a minute. Sam closed the door behind them with an ominous click. The group gathered around the computer, where white light was still streaming out. A voice could be heard.

"You are now here…The Digidestined have arrived…The world can finally be saved." Stefan cocked his head. He was sure he had heard Digidestined in there. Then all of a sudden, eight bolts of light enveloped the members of the group; Jaryn's red, Stefan's blue, Julia's green, Andrew's yellow, Sam's sky blue, Brian's brown, Craig's metal and Rebecca's white. Then, they were all swept into the computer, into a new world.

A world in disarray.

The Digital World.

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How do you like that for a first chapter? Please read and review. I hope to get a new chapter up next week sometime. Thanks, and remember, read and review.

CW27