Disclaimer: It's mine, all of it. I created Digimon, and Toei Animation, Akiyoshi Hongo, Bandai, and many, many others in both Japan and in the U.S. have absolutely no claim on it at all.
Not.
The Window to the Soul
The school bell rang, announcing that it was time for the lunch break. Two seniors—a tall, blonde boy and a rather small girl with shoulder-length brown hair—got into the cafeteria line.
"Lunch time at last! I thought our math teacher would go on forever!" The boy, Takeru Takashi--known to most as simply "T.K."--commented.
Kari Kamiya, the girl, smiled as she picked up her tray. "Speaking of going on too long . . . let's eat outside today. Davis was trying to talk me into going somewhere with him this weekend." Davis Motomiya, one of their classmates, and also another member of the Digidestined, had quite a crush on Kari --and he let the world know.
Kari didn't know it, but T.K. was also interested in her, and this news made him slightly concerned. "What did you tell him?" Please let her have turned him down! T.K. thought. Mentally he crossed his fingers.
Kari flashed him a mischievous smile, and T.K. relaxed. "Well, I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I changed the subject and asked him about his last soccer game."
"Then he wouldn't shut up, would he?" T.K. grinned. Both knew that Davis could talk about himself for hours if given the chance.
Kari sighed tiredly at the memory. "Right."
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
After they had gotten their food, they walked down the hallway, heading towards a side door that was not often used.
Kari looked down at her plate. "Why do they call it 'Mystery Meat'?" she wondered aloud.
"I think that's because it's a mystery as to whether it's really meat!" T.K. deadpanned.
"You know, you're probably right!" Kari giggled.
As they walked on, they passed a bulletin board, and one of the flyers on it caught T.K.'s eye. He paused to look at it, and Kari, noticing he'd stopped, turned and gave him a questioning look.
"You go on ahead, Kari. I'll meet you outside. I need to sign up for something."
"Okay," Kari nodded, then continued down the hall alone.
After he had signed up for the basketball tryouts—he had been on the team since Jr. High, so he was pretty sure he could make it again–T.K. turned his attention to the flyer that had first interested him.
" 'Walk Through the Stars,' the Odaiba High School Homecoming Dance," T.K. read. "To be held two weeks from Friday from 7 to 12 the Odaiba Tokyo Hall. Tickets $10 each." Hmm, he thought. I wonder if this is where Davis was trying to get Kari to go with him . . .
Suddenly, T.K. heard a well-known—and usually very irritating—voice behind him: "Hey, T.N.!"
I bet he's looking for Kari again. T.K. groaned inwardly. Though I have to admire his tenacity . . .
"Hi, Davis!" T.K. replied, trying not to sound annoyed. "What's up?"
"Have you seen Kari?" Davis asked, oblivious to T.K.'s discomfort.
Good grief. Don't you ever give up? T.K. wanted to say, but instead he asked, "Why are you looking for her?"
Davis instantly became defensive, growling a bit as he said, "None of your business, T.R.! So where is she?"
"Why do you think I know?" Like I'm gonna tell you after Kari said she wanted to get away from you for a while.
Davis narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Look," T.K. said finally. "It's lunch time. Where do you think she'd be?"
"Of course, the cafeteria!" Davis exclaimed. "Glad I thought of it. Bye, T.C.!" Davis ran back down the hallway, making a beeline for the cafeteria. With relief, T.K. watched him go, then turned back to the bulletin board. He carefully pulled the flyer down—I'll put another one up later—and suddenly remembered that he was supposed to meet Kari outside. Oh! he thought. I'd better hurry. I don't want to keep her waiting.
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
T.K. and Kari relaxed under the shady oak, the biggest tree on the school grounds. They had already finished their lunches and their discussion about their homework, and were now simply enjoying the day and each other's presence.
T.K. sneaked a glance at Kari. She was leaning back against the tree, eyes closed peacefully.
"Hey, Kari?" he said, abruptly breaking the silence.
Kari opened her eyes and smiled at him. "What is it, T.K.?"
T.K. reached into his pocket, pulled out the dance flyer, and handed it to her.
"Have you seen this yet?" he asked quietly.
"I don't think so." She accepted the flyer from him and looked it over. "Looks like fun!" she said brightly, glancing up at him.
"I . . . think that's what Davis was trying to ask you to." Kari looked at him with surprise. "But I was wondering--" T.K. worked up his courage and plunged ahead, "Since Davis hasn't really asked you yet—" He could feel himself starting to blush "—I was wondering if you would like to go with me?" There, he thought. I said it. But—what will she say? T.K.'s heart leapt as Kari smiled up at him warmly.
"T.K., I'd love to."
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
From their perch in the big oak, Gatomon and Patamon watched T.K. and Kari eat lunch. They could also hear every word the kids said; however, they didn't consider themselves to be eavesdropping, since they took their jobs of protecting their partners very seriously.
"So they're going to a dance! Sounds like fun!" said Patamon, who had tan fur with a buff-colored underbelly. He resembled a cute, jumbo-sized hamster with large bat-wing ears that enabled him to fly. "Can we go?"
"If we sneak in," answered Gatomon. She looked like a cuddly white kitten, except for her long, purple-striped tail, which was nearly twice as long as her body, and her big, yellow-and-red-striped paws, tipped with large, sharp claws. She smiled to herself, then said, "I'm just glad Kari's going with T.K. instead of Davis. I'd much rather hang out with you than with Demiveemon any day."
Patamon blinked, but remained silent.
Gatomon shifted on her limb to get a better view of the kids. "Hey, look at this!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I think they're having a 'moment'!"
"Really?" Patamon said, looking down. "A moment of what?"
"I don't know. That's just what Tai always says when we're watching those mushy romance movies on TV."
"Oh."
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
After school, the courtyard was full of high schoolers, most of whom were talking about the dance. T.K. and Kari managed to find each other in the big crowd, so they talked quietly while they waited for the other Digidestined to find them.
"My Mom said that I needed to come straight home today, but she didn't say why." Disappointment filled T.K.'s voice; he scuffed his foot in the dirt as he spoke. "I don't think I can go to the Digital World with you guys today."
Kari picked up on T.K.'s dejection right away. "That's okay," she said comfortingly. "I think I'll go home now, too. Tai's staying at the house with me while my parents are visiting my grandma in Kyoto for a couple days." She giggled. "He likes me to stay close to home 'while he's responsible for me.' "
"Yeah," T.K. chuckled. " Big brothers are weird like that, aren't they? But since we're going the same way—" T.K. bowed formally "—May I escort you home, miss?"
"T.K.!" Kari laughed, but she took his offered arm, and they started off down the street together.
They hadn't gone far when they heard a voice yelling behind them: "Hey! Kari!" Surprised, they turned, letting go of each other's hands, and saw Davis running after them. He stopped in front of them and, ignoring T.K., Davis blurted, "Kari, I wanted to ask you to go with me to the Homecoming Dance in two weeks."
Kari pulled out the flyer T.K. had given her and held it up. "You mean this dance?"
"Yeah, that's the one!" Davis said excitedly. "You'll go with me right?"
"Sorry, Davis," Kari turned and smiled up at T.K., who smiled back warmly. "I'm already going with T.K."
"What?" Davis sounded confused. "But—"
Just then Yolei spotted them and hurried over. She had graduated the year before, but she sometimes worked as the computer teacher's aide, and still went to the Digital World with them from time to time. "Hi, guys!" she exclaimed. "What's up?"
"But—" Davis said again.
"Kari and I can't go to the Digital World today. We've gotta go home, parents' orders!" T.K. explained, ignoring Davis.
"But—"
"That's okay. Cody can't go either," Yolei told them. "Something about a science project and lots of homework. I have to go home, too, to work to pay for all the food I've still got on my 'tab,' so I guess no one's going today."
"But—"
"Well, we'll see you guys tomorrow!" T.K. said.
"Bye!" Kari chimed in, and they ran off down the street together.
"But . . ." Davis's protests trailed off. He sighed with frustration.
Yolei looked at him curiously. "What's wrong, Davis?" she asked.
"Nuthin'," he replied sulkily.
"Hey, I have an idea!" Yolei said brightly. "Since you aren't doing anything this afternoon and you still haven't repaid me for all the food Demiveemon's eaten, why don't you come help me work?"
Davis's jaw dropped. "Huh?!"
Yolei laughed to herself, then grabbed Davis's arm and pulled him along after her. "I'm glad I thought of this! I'll call your parents to make sure it's okay, but you need to do it even if they don't like it 'cause you owe me big for all the food!"
"But Yolei—" Davis began, then he groaned. Aw, man! he thought. Double burn! This day just can't get any worse!
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
A loud crash resounded through the store. I take it back. It just got worse.
Davis, wearing a frilly yellow apron, tiredly picked up his mop and bucket and headed towards the source of the sound. ("Sorry, Davis," Yolei had said. "That's our only spare apron, and you'll ruin your clothes if you don't wear one!") He growled to himself. Yolei had not sounded sorry at all. Some girls were so annoying . . .
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
He had finally managed to clean up all the syrup and the remains of the broken glass bottles when Yolei appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. "I guess you can go after you finish with that. Thanks for helping out, Davis!"
Davis snorted. "You're not welcome, but I've been wanting to ask you something."
"Ask me something? Davis, I've already got a date for Friday night."
"That's NOT what I was going to ask you!" Davis suddenly seemed to sag. "It's about Kari," he mumbled.
"Oooh, I see where this is going!" Yolei's voice oozed with sweetness.
Davis ignored her teasing. "Well, I was gonna ask her to this dance, but T.K. asked her first!"
"So?"
"So, I don't get it." Davis slumped even more. "Why would she go with T.K. instead of me?"
"Because T.K. is kind, polite, and practically her best friend, and you are obnoxious, rude, and conceited!"
Davis blinked, confusion clearly written across his face. "What are you saying?"
Yolei groaned loudly, but then frustratedly explained, "Look, T.K. asked her first, didn't he?"
Davis became defensive. "Well, I was trying to, but I kept getting sidetracked . . ."
"So he asked her first—"
"Yeah, I guess . . ."
" She said yes—"
"Uh-huh."
"And this means . . . what?" Yolei looked at him pointedly, waiting for his reply.
"Um . . . I have to find a way to split them up?"
"No, you doofus!" Yolei practically shouted at him. "It means you should leave them alone and find yourself another date!"
Before Davis could reply, another loud crash and the tinkle of breaking glass filled the air.
"Oh, not again!" Yolei groaned, rubbing her forehead with a hand. "Davis, do you think you could—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a frilly yellow apron smacked her square in the face, covering her head. She tore it off to see Davis running out of the store in a full, headlong sprint. "Hey, what the— Davis, wait!"
"Bye, Yolei!" he called over his shoulder as he sped out the door, ignoring Yolei's shouts.
"Davis Motomiya, just you wait till I get my hands on you!"
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
At nearly the same time, T.K. had reached his apartment. He and Kari had gone for a walk before he took her home; he'd enjoyed it, even though it had been a shorter walk than he would have liked: they both knew that they had to get back to their apartments (and their neurotic older brothers).
They had gone 'window shopping,'--it had actually been his idea, which surprised Kari, but T.K. really kind of liked shopping; his mom had taken him with her a lot when he was younger, so he was used to it. Besides, he would do just about anything as long as it meant he could spend more time with Kari.
In one of the windows they had passed, Kari had admired a very pretty, heart-shaped silver locket. In the middle of the finely inscribed stars and flowers was a blank space for a short message, or a name. She had first seen it while T.K. was preoccupied with a TV/VCR/DVD combo player in a nearby window, and she had been studying it so closely that she didn't notice that he had come up behind her until he spoke:
"Which one are you looking at?"
She had blushed deeply, not wanting him to think she expected him to buy something for her.
"The—the silver heart locket. It's pretty, but . . . well, you may think this sounds crazy, but there's something--something drawing about it. I don't know how to explain it . . ."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I—I feel it, too."
They were silent for a moment, both looking at the strangely attractive necklace.
"That's weird!" T.K. had finally said, shaking himself, as if to rid himself of the uncanny feeling.
"Yes, it is," Kari mused, then she'd suddenly turned and looked up at him. "Ready to go home?"
"Yeah. But first, let's stop at the ice cream shop. I'll buy."
"It's a deal," Kari had agreed with a smile.
And now T.K. sighed happily to himself as he unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside, memories of the last hour running through his head.
"Mom, I'm home!" he yelled as he took off his shoes and replaced them with his comfy slippers. There was no reply. He looked into the neat living room, then the clean, spotless kitchen.
No one.
"Mom?" He poked his head into her office, but only the computer greeted him. Then he noticed the message scrolling across the screen:
Takeru:
I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you this morning, but I'm going to France to follow up on a story. Just in case, I—
"Hey, Squirt." The voice came from the hallway behind him. Startled, T.K. spun around.
Matt was standing behind him, leaning against the doorframe.
"Matt! What are you doing here?" T.K. asked, looking back over his shoulder at the
computer's screen.
The rest of the message read:
Just in case, I asked Matt to stay with you while I'm gone. Be good and take care of yourself.
Love,
Mom
"Oh. That would explain it."
Matt blinked in surprise. "You mean she didn't tell you she'd be gone?"
"This is the first I've heard of it."
"Oh well," Matt sighed. "So much for getting responsible with age." He shook his head. "Anyway, Dad's gone on a business trip now, too, so I'm more than happy to stay here with you."
"Cool," T.K. said, suddenly grinning at Matt. "So what's for supper, 'Mom'?"
"Very funny."
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤
T.K. was sitting on the couch, watching TV with Patamon when the telephone rang.
"I'll get it," Matt said, closing the refrigerator door. He picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Is this T.K.?" asked a cold, raspy voice on the other end of the line.
Matt shivered; the voice reminded him of nails scraping down a chalkboard.
"No, this is Matt." This had better be a joke.
"Is T.K. there?"
Whoever is doing this has a really sick sense of humor. Matt twisted around to look towards the living room. "Maybe. Who wants to know?"
Whoever it was ignored his question, either knowing or else assuming that T.K. was indeed there with Matt. "Take a message. Ask him if he's sure he wants to go to that dance. It could be . . . dangerous if he does!"
"Who is this?" Matt demanded angrily, but the voice's only reply was harsh, cold laughter.
There was a sharp click, and the phone went dead in his hand.
For a moment Matt could only stand there in shock, still holding the phone to his ear; when he did return the phone to its cradle, his hand was not steady. He slowly walked into the living room and stood behind the couch, looking down at his little brother's tousled blonde hair, the exact same shade as his own.
"T.K. . . . " he murmured numbly.
T.K. looked up on hearing his name, giving Matt a bright smile . . . then he noticed his brother's pale face and worried eyes. "What is it?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong, Matt?"
Matt's voice sounded unsure. "I—I think you just got a threatening phone call."
"What?!" T.K. and Patamon exclaimed together.
"Someone just called and said that you might get hurt if you go to that dance in a couple weeks." Now Matt sounded angry, and a little scared.
"Isn't your band playing for the dance?"
"For part of the night," Matt confirmed as he sat down next to T.K. He looked over at his little brother with concern. "Maybe you shouldn't go."
"But Matt—" T.K. felt his face warming "—I . . . have a date."
Matt smiled slyly at his little brother. "Are you taking who I think you are?"
"Well—I asked Kari to go with me," T.K. confirmed, his face still flushed.
"And?"
"She said she'd love to!"
"I knew it!" Matt exclaimed, laughing. "I knew you two would end up as a couple someday!" He gave T.K. a roguish wink. "My little bro is pretty slick with the ladies! Way to go, squirt!"
T.K. just stared at Matt, his eyes the size of silver dollars, and approaching that of small dinner plates. "Huh?!"
Patamon looked up at T.K, his big turquoise eyes questioning. "T.K., what's he talking about?"
T.K. blushed even more furiously than before. "Matt, we're just friends!" he protested, ignoring Patamon's question.
"Sure, I've heard that one before!"
"Matt!"
"Just friends, huh? By your choice, or hers?"
"I . . . I don't know."
"Well, do you want to be more than friends?"
"Matt, we're only in high school. But . . . I would like to get to know her even better."
Matt smiled at the tone of T.K.'s voice. "You two are already really close; in fact, I think I'd say you're best friends." T.K. gave Matt a surprised look. "It's true, bro, and it's really cool. I mean, I didn't find my girlfriend until just a few months ago."
"I bet it's hard to have a long distance relationship, but even though she lives in America, you and Becky get to see each other pretty often because of the Digital Portals."
"Right," Matt nodded. "She's even coming to that dance to play in my band. But it's still hard: how would we ever explain how she got here to Dad and Mom? They'd freak! I'm glad they'll still be gone, or we'd have some explaining to do!" Suddenly Matt stood. "I'm gonna call Tai. I want his opinion on that phone call." He headed for the kitchen. "Meanwhile, don't worry too much about this, T.K. It's probably nothing, just someone's idea of a practical joke."
"Or maybe it's a telemarketer gone bad!"
"That too," Matt agreed, chuckling, but his eyes hardened as he reached for the phone. If this is someone's idea of a joke, it's not very funny.
¤ ¤ - ¤ ¤