Chapter 1

I stood surrounded in havoc as I looked all around myself. It was kind of like our group when we were in the Digital World. Except this time it was in the real world and with humans. It's me, Orimoto Izumi, signing into my brain to make a mental note. Don't trust boys who keep hair clips and give them back to you later on just to intrigue you. I looked around with my green eyes at the four boys in front of me, protecting me on my behalf. The way I got into this situation is kind of hazy. Of course, Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, Junpei, and Tomoki are my friends. We've all bonded since we got back from the Digital World but this situation was just uncalled for and unnecessary. I might as well rewind this story, well if you would want to call it a story. I started thinking in my head with my thoughts, that I shouldn't say practically everything that's on my mind. It usually makes the situation worse. That's when Takuya got socked in the face. And then Junpei went to go kick the other guy. But he missed and got conked on the head. And really hard. We don't intend to hurt people but they inflicted the damage first, so it's just self-defense. We also have Tomoki in our group as much as possible but he's younger than all of us, and we especially don't want him to get hurt, but he knows. I try to not make him feel left out although he wants to help the group out. Okay, well that's not the beginning; it's just that those images keep playing throughout my mind as I sit on a stool in my room, thinking of what to do. It's been a long day as I want to solve this. Takuya has a very noticeable bruise on his left cheek, Junpei's head really hurts and he needs to put ice on his head for a long time, and well, Kouji and Kouichi know how to fight as they are a great working duo, but still, I don't want anyone to be in any sort of harm. Geez, I really do attract danger sometimes. Maybe I should rewind to the beginning, perhaps to sort out everything and talk about it to my friends.

-----------------

It all started out on a bright morning. It was a somewhat usual school day. Spent time in the bathroom purifying my face and not looking messy right before going to school, putting a hair clip in the right side of my hair, stuffing all my procrastinated homework into my book bag, and then walking off to school. Takuya, Kouji and I are in the same grade, Junpei is one grade above, while Tomoki is two grades below us. Kouichi goes to another school since he's located in another part of town. We go to class doing busy work, then go to gym, the last class for the day. Then I went to go meet the boys after school like always then walk with them to Junpei's classroom, then to get Tomoki, who was usually on the playground with Teppei and Katsuharu. Lastly, we meet Kouichi at the bus stop. What was not completely normal was that we were going to a ramen bar to eat noodles, celebrating one hundred days after being in the Digital World. We sat down as we talked cheerfully, slurping noodles.

"Hey, remember when you two got whacked in the head real badly by Izumi for walking in on her on the island with Toucanmon?" Tomoki said, pointing at Takuya and Junpei while chuckling, having noodles in his mouth.

The group and I reminisced of our times in the Digital World. Sometimes we wished we could go back. But that wasn't an option. Our cellular phones had turned back and would never become D-Scanners ever again. I sighed as I thought of my counterpart spirits, Fairymon and Shutumon. They were so beautiful. Those spirits helped me find myself. My importance in the world and the meaning of friendship. I know I wasn't the strongest in the bunch but I had my part as the warrior of wind. My hair somehow ended up in my mouth as I ate more noodles. I spewed it out as Takuya and Kouji were having a fight about who could eat the most. They most likely were going to barf. Just like when they made those ridiculous hamburgers when I went out to fight for the Burgermon.

"Aw, is poor little Kouji too stuffed? Maybe you should go home to mommy if your tummy hurts so much," Takuya cooed.

Kouji frowned extensively as he continued to slurp more noodles, tension increasing between himself and Takuya. "No, I'm not pig," he garbled as noodle bits flew out of his mouth, with Kouichi and Junpei cheering for him.

"Hey aren't any of you guys on my side?" Takuya yelled.

"Nope," Kouji laughed triumphantly as the three were on his side. Kouji continued to chug down the soup remains.

"Haha I finished first!" Kouji proclaimed as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"I bet I can eat more dumplings than you!" Takuya said, pulling the plate of dumplings in between himself and Kouji.

"You're just a sore loser," Kouji said, as he threw two dumplings in his mouth and chewed rudely.

Junpei and Kouichi were no longer rooting for Kouji and Takuya's eating contest but instead screaming over watching Tomoki's shoulder, watching him play his video games. "Watch out for the monster! Don't forget to grab the money! Grab the ammo!" they said simultaneously as Tomoki mashed a bunch of buttons vigorously.

I just watched from the sidelines. I noticed the bar tender did not like us being so rowdy inside such a small bar tent. I sat as I arranged my hair behind my ear. My hair clip kept it out of my face and my hair neat. It contained an amethyst-colored crystal. My mother gave it to me as a birthday gift a few years ago. Although there wasn't any real story or meaning to it, I had just grown attached to it.

"Hey you guys should settle down," I said, nagging at messy Takuya who had noodles on his hair. I got up and helped him pluck them out of his brown hair. Just then my phone rang.

"Quiet down you guys!" I said as I tried to listen to my inaudible father.

"Izumicomhomerightnow!" it sounded like. I walked out of the tent.

"What did you say, dad?"

"It's getting dark and almost five! Aren't you coming home?"

"Yes, yes dad. I'll come home."

"Hey, you guys, I have to go now. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." I picked up my backpack and paid my half of the tab.

It was an autumn late afternoon, around five thirty. The leaves rained all across the sidewalk as they broke off the branches, and it was gusty. I walked home as the wind clashed with my face several times. Since I arranged my hair so many times, my beloved hair clip fell and bounced off the sidewalk, but I didn't notice. At the time, I didn't know someone walked by the hair clip and picked it up.

I arrived home as my father wanted me too, and what luck. No one was home. My dad left a note.

"Gone to the office real quick, I'll be back. Eat these noodles I made and have dinner.

Love,
Dad"

"Ugh, I just ate!" I muttered to myself. I put some plastic wrap over the bowl so I wouldn't have to eat it. I bet my mom would nag at me to "stop starving myself" when I've already eaten. She just doesn't believe me. Sometimes I wish I had gone to the Digital World with my mother. Then we'd bond better with each other. It's like with the girls at school. On and off bad relations. She yells at me one day. The next day we're watching the TV together laughing. Then my cell phone rings.

"Izumi, are you home yet?" my dad asks.

"Yes, but you aren't."

"What's with the attitude? Never mind, it looks like your mother isn't coming home to stay with you. She has to stay the graveyard shift at work. I'm at my office doing some urgent paperwork, and it looks like it will take me a long while. I'll come pick you up."

"Can't I stay home?"

"No! You're only eleven. Bring your homework and brush your teeth."

"I have work to do!"

"Which is why I said to bring your homework, now stop dilly-dallying!"

"Yes, dad," I said, pressing hard on the red disconnect button on my phone.

I strolled off to the bathroom to put a bunch of minty stuff in my mouth then gathered all my books. I looked straight into the mirror in my room. My clip was missing. I gasped. I wailed.

"Where is it?" I screeched as I scampered around, seeing if it fell on the floor somewhere. None. Nada. "Ugh!" I screamed in the apartment. I quickly covered my mouth. The landlord might come up and tell me to be quiet and shut up. He wasn't a nice man at all. The doorbell rang. It was my dad, thank god. I ran out with her into the car.

The office was boring and dreary. I sat in the green room, playing with my pencils. The green room had a refrigerator, television, and one window where you could see the offices, including my dad. That way I couldn't lie around and do something else. Well I suppose it's not that bad being people's vision. All the best for myself. My dad was running around with files and on the phone. I don't know what he was doing. He was a loan officer. I looked around as there was nothing to do. I took out my science book and began to read. A topic about cells… moments later, one of dad's co-workers walked in with his son.

"Now son, I have a lot of work to do. Just sit here for awhile. I won't take too long," the man says.

The kid pouted as he smashed himself into a chair, looking mad with a furrowed brow. I looked at him and looked back at my book.

"What a weird kid," I thought. But I didn't know him and after being in the Digital World, I learned the valuable lesson of friendship and other parts of it. The boy stared back at me funny as if he had found a lot of money on the ground up for grabs. I didn't know what he was going to say or do to me. His dad left, relieved of his whiney kid and went to his office, next to my mom's. I wrote some notes on my paper. I looked at the kid again.

"You go to my school, don't you?" he asked normal friendly tone.

I looked at him with a puzzled appearance. He looked into his pocket and pulled some item then put it back in. I couldn't see what it was, it probably was a watch. He must've been that bored.

"I think I've seen you around the halls," I replied, going back to writing.

"I'm Oda Hayaki, and you are?" the boy kept talking.

"I'm Orimoto Izumi. I'm in the grade six."

"What are you doing? Homework?"

"Yeah."

"Egh, so boring. Give me your phone."

"Why? I don't even know you. I'm friendly and all but there's a limit," I said, twisting my pencil around.

"I'm not going to run off with it. C'mon it's boring in this office as it is. There isn't anything interesting on TV."

"Why don't you read a book? I brought my stuff from class. You can study if you want."

"I'm in grade seven. I already did that lousy work last year. You need help?"

"No thanks," I said, pulling the book past my face so I wouldn't have to talk to the guy anymore. He was a bit chatty and it was already eight at night. I had to get the homework done so I could have good marks in class.

"May I please use your phone?" Hayaki pleaded again.

Just so I could finish my work, I handed it to him without looking. He put in some number. He tweaked his voice up two notches with an unbearable accent.

"Hello? Dis is de fish store! You order lotsa fish! What are you talkin' about? It says Oda Ryozo from the loan firm on First Street. No I am not crazy. I am not going to take back your order. Please pick up fish in ten minutes! Bye! La la la!" Hayaki said as he flipped my phone shut, laughing.

I stood up and grabbed my phone away from him.

"Don't waste my phone time for your useless pranks!" I couldn't help but chuckle as I threw my phone into my backpack and picked up my pencil.

"Oh come on. I just prank-called my dad. See you're laughing."

I hid my smile.

"I'm glad you like jokes and all but I've work to do."

Hayaki pulled out a canister of soup. He was slurping real loud. I was ready to move in my dad's office and let him have the green room. He was probably trying to shoo me away so he could watch cartoons.

"Can't you be a little quieter?" I asked.

"Can't you stop studying? And for your information, I like soup," he shot back.

"No. I can't."

"Ugh, I want to watch. Here, mainly what you're going to be asked is the cell structure and that's it. You don't have to look at all this useless info."

"And just how do you know?"

"I had the same classes as you, duh."

Just at that time, my dad came in. "Izumi, it's time to go. I finished my work surprisingly fast." I picked all my stuff and walked out.

"Bye Hayaki," I said, as he grabbed the remote and watched cartoons like I predicted. I walked to the car behind my dad, threw my backpack in the trunk and sat at the front.

"Looks like you made friends with my co-worker's son," my dad mentioned, turning on the radio.

"No, he just started talking to me."

"Mr. Oda told me about his son. He's a well-liked boy at school, so you'd better watch out," my dad joked.

"Dad," I said wryly, smiling.

We finally got home as I went to bed and hugged my dad good night. The next day, I met up with my two friends, Suminoto Sayoko and Chikamatsu Mai. We went to the school library as none of us knew the chapter for science very well. We all had the same class and quiz within forty minutes. Sayoko kept flipping pages trying to cram all the information in her head, as usual. She never spent enough time studying as she did playing golf. Mai was the one out of us who almost always studied, but this time she didn't study a lot like usual. She was easily sidetracked by food though.

"My mom brought home this load of imported food from India. It was really good," Sayoko said.

"Yes, yes, we all know about your trying new foods crave," Mai said, not looking up from her book.

"Um, I heard the quiz is about cell structure only," I whispered.

"How do you know?" Mai asked, worried she would flunk as she looked at her hand-written notes.

"Oh, I just heard," I said, only looking at one page of the book.

"From who?" Sayoko asked.

"Oda Hayaki."

"He's a seventh grader. What does he know?"

"Why are you talking to a seventh grader, Izumi?"

"Oh! Look who has a new crush!"

"I do not!" I screamed a little too loud. The librarian came up to me and told me to be silent or else I'd get me and my friends banned from the library for two days as penalty.

"Ugh, just be quiet," I said, propping the book up vertically so I wouldn't have to speak again.

"Oh come on Izumi, we tell you about who we like. And Hayaki isn't just one grade above, he's quite popular too and on the basketball team."

I didn't say anything. I really didn't have time for this. I was trying to be friendly and all, but I didn't like to be picked on or teased. I suppose my attitude is what makes girls talk gossip of me. Just because I moved to Italy at a young age and came back to my homeland makes me stand out so much. Sometimes I hate it. Then the bell rang. Time to go to class and flunk my quiz.

-----------------

I'll continue my story later on. I'm quite tired and it's late. I've been sitting on this stool for at least two hours brooding. I have to go to school tomorrow and face everyone. I don't want to but I have to. Three problems… problems with the "cool" people at school, one boy who likes me but I do not like him, especially after what happened, and two others boys on my mind. Takuya and Kouji. I'll keep rewinding these thoughts of the group and I can come to an absolution. Well, at least I hope so. Signing off, Izumi.

End Chapter 1.