AngelOfLight04: Hello again! Thank you to all of my reviewers! I'm happy that you guys like this story! Okay, so in the last chapter, TK has a reason to believe that his best friend, Kari, is at his school. He wants to talk to her, but he is a little nervous that she won't recognize him. Yolei encourages him to talk to her, but before he can, the teacher walks in. Terrible timing, right? Unfortunately, Kari isn't in his next class, so he can't talk to her. In the meantime, TK makes a new friend named Chase, who happens to share the same love for basketball that TK does. At least some things are working out all right for TK.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Digimon. If I did, well, the ending to 02 would have been waaay awesome. And this story wouldn't be here. Moving on!
Chapter 2
TK walked into the noisy lunchroom, saw the long lunch line and decided to wait for it to die down a little before he got anything to eat. As promised, Yolei saved TK a seat at a table near the back of the cafeteria. When TK approached the table, Yolei looked up from the concoction on her tray and asked, "Where were you? Got lost or something?"
TK shook his head and sat down across from Yolei. "Nah. I was looking for a basketball sign-up sheet with a friend." Yolei nodded her head in understanding. Just then, Cody set his tray down next to TK and sat down. TK grimaced at the stuff that looked like some kind of meat mixed into a substance that resembled the oatmeal he ate that morning. "What the heck is that stuff they're serving?"
Yolei took a spoon, scooped up some of the mush and sniffed it. She gagged and pushed her tray away. "I don't want to know. I think I'll buy some crackers from a vending machine outside."
Cody did the same thing Yolei did and shuddered at the stuff on his spoon. He also pushed his tray away. "I'm with you on that one." He looked over at TK. "You're not eating?"
TK shook his head. "Not after seeing what they're serving today and your reactions. I'm game for the crackers."
"So, TK," Yolei said. "Did you ever talk to her?" It took a moment for TK to figure out who "her" was, but he quickly figured out what Yolei was talking about and shook his head.
"No, she left the classroom before I could talk to her and I didn't see her again after science. She must have her third period class on the other side of the school." Yolei shrugged. "Maybe," was her answer.
Cody stared at his older friends. "What are you talking about?"
Yolei blurted out the story before TK could even open his mouth. "TK thinks that a girl in his first two classes is his best friend from, like, four years ago. He's almost positive she is, though. Almost. He's worried that she won't recognize him. So, I told him to just wing it; maybe she was waiting on him to recognize her, but she left the room before he could do anything and he hasn't seen her again." Cody's mouth formed a small "o" but no words were said.
Then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and telling the students to get to their next classes within the next five minutes. The three friends sighed silently, thankful for once that the bell rescued them from the uncomfortable silence. Saved by the bell, TK thought. He looked at the analog clock on the wall at the end of the hall. Only 1 o'clock. He decided to wait till after school to get anything from the vending machine. The concoction that was being served in the cafeteria had made him lose his appetite.
He pulled his schedule from his pocket and looked for the room number of his next class. Study hall in the library. Well, at least he could get some homework done in the library without distractions… hopefully. He found the library and walked over to an empty table in the back left corner of the library and set his stuff down on the floor next to him. He watched other students come in, some with their iPod headphones sticking out of the pockets of their jeans or jackets. TK hoped that she would be in this class with him.
A girl wearing a pink and white shirt came over to the table, set a textbook on the table and took her seat a couple of chairs over from where TK sat at the table. He snuck a couple of glances at her while she wasn't looking; pretending to be interested in doodling in is notebook when she was turned towards him. This was definitely the girl in his first two classes, so he wondered why he had not seen her come in. A closer look at her face confirmed his speculations from earlier: this was his best friend, Kari Kamiya.
The teacher in charge of the study hall called out. "Even though this is the first day back at school, that does not mean you can talk, sing, flirt or whatever you kids nowadays do. It is still study hall and it's still a library. There are other people other than the people in this class who need to use the library so there will be no talking whatsoever. You may work on homework, study for upcoming quizzes or tests, or read a book. There is no excuse for not doing something during this time."
TK took out his math book, opened it to one of the first few pages and opened his notebook to a random blank page. He ripped it out of the notebook and scribbled some words down on it, praying that he and Kari wouldn't get caught passing notes. He paused and glanced at the book from time to time, making it appear as though he was doing homework. He read the message to himself: Do I know you from somewhere? TK shook his head a little. It would have to do. He folded the piece of paper up and set it down in the seat between himself and Kari, careful not to let the teacher see. It was a good thing that Kari wasn't clueless as to what was going on for she discreetly picked up the paper and carefully read it before scratching down a reply, using the same method of secrecy that TK had used.
Kari slipped the paper into his waiting palm. He continued his act as he scanned over the message. She had written: Well, we have our first 2 classes together, if that's what you mean, but I have a feeling it's not.
TK smiled. Not quite, he wrote and slipped it back onto the chair, waiting for a reply.
I think I know you. TK Takaishi, right?
Yeah, that's me. Mind if I take a guess at your name?
Shoot, came the reply.
TK almost hesitated. Yes, almost. I'm thinking… Kari Kamiya? Bearer of the Crest of Light. The last part was more of a statement, but it was all right. He knew it was Kari, and she knew it was himself.
Kari flashed a smile at him. I was wondering when you would recognize me.
TK returned the smile. I thought it was you and I was going to try to talk to you before class, but you know how people in this town have terrible timing.
Kari struggled to keep from bursting out in a fit of laughter. Weren't you supposed to come visit every summer and during breaks?
TK sighed. Yeah, I was. But something always came up. Usually a flight got cancelled, either me or my mom got sick, Mom couldn't get time off of work… So usually Matt and Dad were coming to see us. I wish I could have come to visit you and the rest of the Digidestined, though.
That's too bad. I wish you could have come, too. Things have been really boring around here since you moved and it just hasn't been the same at the Digidestined get-togethers without everyone there.
TK turned to Kari and smiled faintly. She smiled in return. TK decided to end the conversation there, since the teacher was gradually getting closer to the table he and Kari were sitting at. He folded the note again and put it in his backpack.
He and Kari managed to get some work done in what time they had left. Occasionally, he glanced at her in between math problems. Apparently she had been doing the same to him also, because once they caught each other glancing at the other and both quickly turned their heads away, blushing.
The next half hour of study hall dragged by. When the bell finally rang, TK and Kari both sighed in relief. They gathered their books and made their way to the door of the library, knowing that they still could not talk until they were in the hallway. Once in the hall, Kari grabbed TK's wrist and pulled him aside from the crowd of students. She threw her arms around him, tightly squeezing him as if he was a lifeline and she was holding on for dear life. TK laughed and hugged her back.
Kari pulled away after a few seconds. "I was trying so hard to keep myself from doing that in the middle of class!"
TK grinned and said, "I must admit, it was terribly hard for me to restrain myself."
Kari started down the hall with TK next to her. "So, what class do you have next?"
"I have PE. What about you?"
"I have history for my last class. I had my photography class third period," Kari said and TK nodded. TK stopped at his locker. "Hey, I'll talk to you after school, okay?"
Kari nodded. "Sure. See you later!" She waved and continued down the hall.
TK smiled and fiddled with the lock on his locker. Sure is good to see Kari again. I can't believe how much I've missed her smile, her eyes… Wait, what? Am I really thinking this stuff? Come on, you know you don't like her like that. Just friends. That's all we are.
"Hey, TJ!"
TK dropped a book in his locker and turned, closing the door as he did so. A boy with dark brown, spiky hair and goggles glared at him, clenching his fists. He looked like a kid in TK's homeroom. Is he talking to me?
"Um… Excuse me? Are you talking to me?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Who else? You should know better than to flirt with MY girl, CJ!"
TK furrowed his brow. "For one thing, my name is TK, not TJ, not CJ, TK. For another, I haven't been flirting with any girl. I've only talked to two girls today and as far as I know they don't have boyfriends, so you must have to wrong guy. Sorry."
The boy raised a fist, as if he were preparing to throw a punch. "I know I have the right guy, 'cause I saw you hugging my girl!"
TK had no idea who "his girl" was. Then it hit him. He must be talking about Kari. But she didn't tell me that she had a boyfriend. "Oh, well, I didn't know Kari had a boyfriend, so I didn't think it would be a big problem for anyone."
"Uh, well…" The boy stammered. TK thought back to his first class and remembered the teacher calling him Davis. Davis continued, "We're not dating… yet. But, still, you have no right to be hugging or even talking to my girl!"
TK started to get annoyed with the constant "my girl" thing. Kari wasn't property, and she had a name, so why not use it? "You don't have the right to be making the rules about who talks to or even hugs Kari. And she's not property, so don't call her 'your girl', even if you end up dating her someday. Now I gotta go. I'm gonna be late." With that, TK walked off in the direction of the gym. A dumbstruck Davis just stood there, baffled that someone had actually stood up to him for the first time since he was a kid.
~*~*~*
Tai Kamiya slung his bag of soccer clothes over his shoulder. Tryouts for the team were good, and he was the team captain. As he started towards the high school's courtyard to meet his girlfriend, Sora, a beeping sound made him stop. At his waist, his Digivice was showing strange symbols on the screen. "Huh?" He just stood in the middle of the soccer field, staring at the screen. He came to a conclusion. "The Digiworld is in trouble…" He mumbled. He took off running toward the middle school, hoping that his plan would work…
~*~*~*
Kari stood outside by the school gates waiting for TK to show up. When he did, she called him over. He ran over to her and they started walking home together, since they lived only a few buildings away from each other.
"Kari!"
They turned around and saw a girl with shoulder-length red hair run toward them. TK smiled at the sight of his old friend. "Hey, Sora!"
Sora slowed down as she neared the two. She looked up at the blonde boy as it clicked in her mind how he knew her. "TK?! When did you move back to Odaiba?"
"A couple of weeks ago. I didn't tell anybody except Matt because I wanted to surprise everyone."
Sora nodded. "Well, you certainly surprised me." She shook her head. "That's not fair, TK!"
Kari was confused. "What's not fair?"
Sora continued to stare at TK. "You're taller than me! And you're, what, twelve? So not fair!" TK and Kari just laughed at Sora. She soon joined them, but abruptly stopped when she remembered why she had come to Kari in the first place. "Kari, you haven't seen your brother, have you? He was supposed to walk me home, but he didn't show up after school. I'm starting to get worried."
Kari shook her head. "I haven't seen him. Maybe he's in the school," she said, pointing to the middle school. "I have no idea why he would be, but you never know with Tai."
"I can't argue with that."
The threesome ran back into the school, through the empty halls and peeked through several doors, looking for a teenager with huge hair. Once, they came across a teacher who was just getting ready to leave. She raised her eyebrows in question at her students and a high school girl. "TK, Kari, you do know that you are quite a few hours early for school, considering it doesn't start until 8 o'clock tomorrow morning."
They all took a few steps back into the hallway, explaining that they were looking for Kari's brother before running up the stairs to search the second floor. Kari ran up the stairs so fast, she almost ran head-on into a girl with purple hair and big glasses. She felt her face turn hot. "Uh, sorry." She moved aside and allowed the girl to get by.
"Yolei?" She heard TK say. The girl, apparently Yolei, turned to the blonde beside Kari.
"Oh, hey, TK. You late for something?" Yolei asked.
"Uh, no," TK said. "Why do you ask?"
Yolei raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're running all over the school as if you're looking for something or trying to get somewhere before it ends or something like that."
Sora spoke up. "Uh, we're just looking for a friend of ours. Have you seen a tall guy with really big hair? He also has some goggles on his head."
Yolei just then noticed Sora. "I think I saw a guy in high school who matched that description. I think he's in the computer lab."
TK smiled and nodded at Yolei. "Thanks. Oh, and by the way, this is Kari and Sora," he said, motioning to each of the girls as he introduced them.
Yolei nodded. "I'm Yolei. Nice to meet you. Sorry to have to leave you on such short notice, but my mom needs help at our family's store. I'll see you guys later; maybe we can get together for a movie or ice cream or something. See ya!" She turned and disappeared down the stairs.
The three resumed their search for Tai, now heading for the school computer lab. They got there just in time to see Tai hold up his Digivice to one of the computers and say, "Let's hope this works!"
A bright light filled the room and Tai seemed to be sucked into the computer. TK, Kari and Sora stood there, shocked at what had just happened. They all found their voices at the same time and shouted:
"TAI!!!!"
Oooh, what will happen next? You may be able to figure it out, but let's just see what happens next time.... Please review!! Sayonara!
