Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon
A/N: What do you think?
Chapter 2
"Daddy, tell me about destiny." I said to him.
He was printing out papers while putting some into his briefcase. "Destiny is something that happens that no one can really explain. Like me being destined to be partners with Armadillomon." He closed the briefcase and set it aside (the floor) to fetch something else. The briefcase toppled over. "Right, Pal?"
Suddenly, there was a loud crunch. "Right." Armadillomon said.
I looked down and saw him relaxing on Dad's briefcase like it was a chair. Dad looked down and sighed. "Not again."
Armadillomon got up and looked at what he was sitting on. "Oh, gee! Not again! Boy, I'm sorry, Cody."
Dad picked up the dented case and sighed again. "Eriko, can you get me the spare?"
"Sure." While I was doing that, Dad was pressing his papers to make them straight again.
"We'll have to thank Grandma again for this paper presser." He told me. Of course, he was referring to his mother. "Come on, Armadillomon. We're going to be late."
"Good luck, Daddy." I waved as he left.
Mom came in seconds later with her purse and backpack. If you didn't know better, you'd say she was a student. She even had her hair in a high ponytail and flip flops on. "Good morning, Eriko." She said. "Are you ready for school? Do you need anything?" She set her purse down to look for her keys.
"No." I answered, waiting for her. She didn't want me to leave unless she saw me go.
"Okay." She pulled out her keys and her glasses. "Ready?"
"Yes." I nodded putting on my backpack.
"Great! Let's go!" She threw her backpack over her shoulder and followed me out the door. Then, I waved to her, going in one direction while she went the other.
As I began my walk, guess who was coming. Right. Mel. "Hi, Eriko." He said with a huge grin.
"Hi, Mel." I greeted back. "How was your morning?"
"Well, it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it would be." He laughed a little dorky laugh. "That was a joke because I didn't think it would be traumatic at all."
I laughed too. But not at the joke but his...dorkiness. "I guess you can say my morning wasn't as traumatic either."
"How about that math homework last night? It really threw me for a loop."
"Actually, it wasn't that hard for me. Since my mom is a math professor, math is never a problem."
"Cool. Maybe you can help me some time." He grinned.
"Maybe after school today. My dad is going to your house this evening. I could probably tag along."
"Really?" I nodded. "How neat! I can't wait to tell my cousin, Yuu. I'll be the first to have a girl over."
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?" He nodded. "Well, it'll be my first time going to a friend's house."
"You don't have any friends?"
"Oh, I do. I just never went to their house."
He nodded. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
I blushed. "Um, no. Have you had a girlfriend?" It was a random question I just decided to bounce back.
He sighed with a smile. "Oh, I wish! My friends would be eating out the palm of my hand!" Then he said "I'm surprised you never had a boyfriend. I mean, you're so pretty."
I blushed again. "You think so?" We crossed the street. "That's so nice."
"Yeah." He blushed. Why was he blushing? Oh, it was probably Aika Ichijouji. Even if she has big glasses like her mom, Yolei, she's still very pretty. She looked over here and waved. We waved back. That must be it. Mel must like Aika. That's why he is asking me these questions. He must be practicing how to sweet talk a girl on me so he won't be so much of a dork talking to her. That had to be it. No guy ever likes me like I thought Mel did. Maybe he really does see me as just a friend. Years of just assuming he had a crush on me are gone.
"Well, my class is this way." I said as soon as we got inside. "I'll see you at lunch."
"Okay. Bye, Eriko!" He waved and went his direction.
I sighed as I continued my walk. My head hung so low that I accidentally bumped into Hitomi Izumi. "Oh, sorry." She said so sweetly. She's such a nice girl but so very weird. Very weird.
"It's okay." I maneuvered around her and continued walking.
Finally, I found the bathroom where I looked myself in the middle. "Nobody likes me." I whispered faintly to myself. "Nobody." But I didn't let it get to me. I took a deep breath and said "But I don't really know that yet. I don't know anything. I just have to keep up the good work." I smiled into the mirror, but Mel's smile was the one that came back to me. How odd.
()()
In my debate class, we had an epic argument about whether the school should start an hour later or not. Let's just say, I was the the school's defense attorney and decided against the policy. I argued my argument so much that the opposing side withdrew their vote. "Great speech, Eriko." My friend, Tori, said. She was the opponent. "As always, you win."
"Thank you. You did great too." I said, packing up my backpack.
"You must have a lot of practice with this whole debate stuff."
I nodded. "My father is a lawyer."
"And she has to fight to get everything she wants." Lu, another classmate who is absolutely not my friend, said. She is so cranky all of the time. "Daddy's little girl has to get every little thing she wants. She's so spoiled."
"Spoiled?" I asked with my hand lightly on my chest. "I'm spoiled?"
"What are you going to do about it?" Lu stepped in.
I just looked at Tori. She stepped in front of me in a protecting manner. "She is not spoiled. She has a kind heart and..." I stopped listening. I was too... I think Lu was right. I mean, my father takes me out of school sometimes so I could go to work with him and we get ice cream while kids are doing fractions. I got everything I wanted and found out anything I wanted.
I started slipping away and trudging out of the room, remembering. It goes back as far as I can remember. I was curious to know what things meant. How things work. How they feel. I soaked in knowledge and asked so many questions that I gave new meaning to the word "why". Now, it's become sort of an art or a science. Curiously, I ask every day "Why didn't I get what I want?" and "How can I get what I want?" Sometimes, I ask "What kind of loopholes can I find?"
But Lu was right. This curiosity has left me spoiled and greedy for knowledge. As I was kind of feeling sorry for myself, I remembered what Daddy's friend, Izzy, told him. "What can possibly be wrong with acquiring knowledge and information?" He's right. That's why I cling onto every word. From start quote to end quote.
()()
"Eriko, I saved you a seat." Mel waved towards a seat.
"Hi, Mel." I said, sitting down next to him.
"I was thinking about what you said. I'll never know anything unless I try. It's like the golden rule to curiosity, right?" He asked so quickly and excited.
I nodded.
"You must be the curious type."
I raised an eyebrow. "I am? What makes you say that?" Maybe Mel was as smart as he looks after all. He figured out I was spoiled because of my curiosity.
"The way you're always asking questions and you're never afraid to get answers when you want them."
I smiled. "You're probably right."
"But that's not me. I can't really demand or ask for anything unless it's help. But I think I found my special trait."
"Really? What's that?"
He smiled brightly and said proudly "Asking for help and staying clean!"
Surprisingly, I was shocked by his statement. I should've expected this from Mel. He was just that wishy-washy. "That's your special trait?"
He nodded, but then his enthusiasm faded when he sighed. "Yeah, it's lame."
"Well, it's better than some. But I think you need to do a little more soul searching."
Aika Ichijouji passed by our table and waved. Mel had a gigantic grin on his face when he waved back. "Isn't she nice?" He asked.
I nodded. "Sure." I gulped. Then again, I wondered why I cared so much? One plausible explanation is because if he has a girlfriend, anyone is capable except me. Even dorky dork Mel gets a date and I don't. I don't want to be left alone but I want him to be happy.
Then again (again), I might be worrying for nothing. A beautiful girl like Aika wouldn't date Mel. Right? Right.
"So, are you still coming over?" Mel asked. "I just wanted to tell you that Yuu will be there too."
"I don't think I've ever met Yuu."
"Oh, right." He pointed to the cool table. "That guy with the glasses. He's my cousin, Yuu."
After searching for a while, I saw him. They did look kind of alike but their personalities must be total opposite. He's at the cool table while Mel is here. "I didn't know you had a popular cousin." I said.
"He's not really popular. He just hangs out with popular people A.K.A. the popular Makoto." He pointed to him.
Makoto was indeed popular. He got around. He definitely was gorgeous. Such a really handsome boy. But he wouldn't want to be my boyfriend. I just wish he did! Just look at that beautiful head of strawberry blond hair and brown eyes I can stare into forever. I'd do all I can to just be with him.
"Eriko? Are you there?" Mel waved a hand in front of my face.
"What?" I said, wiping a bit of drool from my face. How embarrassing!
"You just stopped talking for a second." Mel chuckled. "Were you checking Makoto out?"
I blushed.
"You were checking him out! Like a book!"
"Shh! Don't let him hear you!"
We both laughed when Makoto turned to look at us. And that was it. Our first friendly bond. I just felt our friendship get a little stronger.
()()
"Welcome to my humble home!" Mel opened the door and showed me around. The place was pretty small, but it was cute.
After school, I just headed straight to Mel's house. Dad will come by later and pick me up when it's time to leave, so I might as well come early. And Mel didn't mind it. It was actually his idea. "Nice place." I said.
"Thanks. My parents did all the work." He laughed. "Let me show you my room."
"Okay."
Before we went in, the computer in the living room started to glow. We both stared at it for a few seconds before a Digimon came out. "Hi, Gomamon." Mel greeted.
"Hi, Mel." He greeted back. "How was school?"
"Fine. I brought Eriko over."
I waved as the Digimon just looked at me. "I see." He said. "Nice to see you again, Eriko! You get prettier and prettier every time I see you."
I blushed. "You think?"
He nodded. Then to Mel, "Dad's on his way. He told me he was right behind me but..." Suddenly, Joe did come out of the computer. He smiled at all of us. "There he is!"
"Sorry I'm late. One of my patients ate another tongue depresser. Remind me to get more." He said.
"Sure thing, boss!" Gomamon said.
"Well, we'll be in my room." Mel said, taking me by the hand.
"Okay." Joe said. "Have fun, you crazy kids."
Mel closed the door to the room we stayed in for two hours just talking. It was a very eclectic conversation with totally different views on an argument. But one thing we talked about most was how he wished to be more knowledgeable and reliable like me. We called it confidence. But I kept telling him that he is very reliable. I bet an any situation, he can come up with a reliable solution. Right?
But that moment for confidence came a lot sooner than we thought.
The ground rumbled a bit before it randomly stopped. I looked at Mel who gulped. Then we opened the door and it happened again, making us fall over. "Dad?" Mel called.
Joe was holding on the table at the time. "Kids, get under the table. Now."
We did as we were told. Mel had his arm around me in a protective manner. He held me close as the rumble got more intense. Gomamon came dashing in. "Joe, there are Digimon out there." He said.
"We better go. And quickly." He said.
"Joe," someone else said; I think it was Dad, "is Eriko here?"
"I'm here, Daddy!" I called.
"Good. Stay there." He said firmly. Then to Joe, he said "We have to get out there. Let's go, Armadillomon!"
The adults left. They just left us here, scared and unknowing what to do. Mel and I were alone.
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