Lone Wolf: A month since I last updated. I think it'll take about a month for the next update from now on. Sorry if it's a bit long for you, but keeping three stories up is hard with piles of homework and projects.
Hiei: Thanks to the reviewers and a note to karika88, she didn't do that because it's too cliché.
Lone Wolf: Digimon is not mine, sadly. If it were, there would be a lot more Ryuki. I do own Fukuhonmon though. No stealing. No, I didn't forget about him. He'll be back soon.
"So who is going first?" Jeri asked for the second time. No one answered. "Fine. So that it's fair, I'll just spin the bottle and whoever it points to goes first," she stated. "Okay?" she waited for approval. "Whatever Jeri. Just have someone go who's not named Rika Nonaka," Rika said, clearly bored. Spin the Bottle was such a stupid game. All it involved was spinning a bottle, hence the name, and kissing or hugging or in some cases hurting, oh how she would have loved the latter, the person it unfortunately landed on. Ignoring everyone and everything else, Rika leaned against the dresser and closed her eyes. (A/N: If you walked into the room and faced the opposite wall, she'd be on your left. See Chapter 3 if you forgot the layout of the room.)
The fat soda bottle spun around and around and around and around. It was quite a strange sight, the bottle being so large. The Tamers paid no heed to this fact as it didn't really matter how big or small the bottle was. It slowed, but still spun. Past Rika and Alice, Henry and Ryo, Takato, Jeri, and Kenta, the bottle finally landed on Kazu. (A/N: They're sitting in a circle, obviously. Rika's next to Alice who's next to Henry, etc. Kazu is next to Rika.)
"You're first Kazu," Jeri said cheerfully. "Why me?" Kazu frowned. "Haven't you been paying attention? The first spin was to decide who goes first," Takato told him. "I didn't ask you Ta-ka-to. I was asking the people 'up there.' Are you that slow?" Kazu retorted. (A/N: The dashes in Takato's name are there on purpose. Kazu broke up the name into its three syllables a few times in the show. Just in case anyone was wondering.) Rika peeked open an eye, "I wouldn't talk if I were you." "And why not?" Kazu asked, then paused. Everyone laughed. "Hey! That is so not funny," he yelled. Henry stopped laughing and sighed, "Just go already."
Kazu spun the bottle. It went around and around. A minute later it stopped; it had landed on Jeri. Takato looked at Kazu jealously as everyone, minus Takato, Jeri, and Kazu, laughed. It wasn't so bad; it was only a hug. Jeri and Kazu stood up and Kazu gave her a quick hug, both sitting back down afterwards. It was Jeri's turn to spin now, and she did just that. Much to her delight, it landed on Takato. The goggle-head silently cheered and stood up. Instead of only being a receiver, he returned the hug. Alice pulled out a camera from seemingly nowhere and took a quick shot. There was a flash. Takato and Jeri turned their heads in the direction it came from and quickly broke apart. Alice smirked. Rika opened her eyes and kept them open, except when she blinked. She also smirked. Alice hit the 'review' button on her digital camera. Rika leaned her head over. "Aww. You two look so cute together," she said. She meant it but it had come out a tad sarcastic. Everyone got up and crowded around Alice. Jeri and Takato blushed; everyone else agreed with Rika.
Takato spun Kenta. Takato quickly hugged his friend and they sat back down. Kenta spun Henry and the glasses wearing boy gave Henry a hug. Henry spun; it landed on Alice, who froze. Rika made use of the split second and grabbed the camera. Alice got up. She and Henry hugged. Rika took a picture, another cute one. Alice spun, face still red. The bottle pointed to Rika. They hugged. Rika spun, Alice regaining possession of her camera. It was a weak, bored spin and the bottle only rotated about twice. It landed on the one and only, Ryo Akiyama. He smiled his trademark smile. Rika refused to get up. "Oh, if you want, you can kiss him, Rika," Jeri told her, smiling. Rika glared at her. Ryo walked over to the Digimon Queen and knelt down, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, before getting up and returning to his seat next to Henry and Takato. Alice had caught the moment on her camera and was looking it over. Rika's face had been very red, and it still was. Other than that, her face was quite blank.
Suddenly breaking out of her trance, Rika reached over and tried to grab Alice's camera. Seeing the motion coming, Alice got up and ran behind Ryo. Rika came near, but stopped a foot from the cerulean-eyed boy. She stared at the floor, trying not to blush. Her attempt was in vain; a tint of pink crawled up her cheeks. Shaking it off, Rika ran behind Ryo, forcing Alice to run. Having gotten a head start, Rika soon caught up, causing Alice to throw the camera to Henry, which he caught with ease. So much for Spin the Bottle and it was only 9:45.
Rika walked over to Henry and tried to get the camera. He had grown and was about two inches taller than she. He kept the camera well out of her reach, above his head. Kazu, Takato, and Jeri joined in as well, helping Henry and Alice keep the camera away from Rika. Ryo and Kenta just sat on the floor, watching in amusement.
10:15. Rika gave up. It was hopeless. There were five of them and one of her. Ryo wasn't even helping despite the fact that he was also in the picture. Rika collapsed on one of the mattresses, defeated. Alice retrieved her camera from Takato and put it away in her bag. She resumed reading her manga. Takato, Kazu, and Kenta went to sleep. Ryo and Henry were engaged in a conversation about something unknown to the others. Jeri had walked over to where Rika was and started teasing her.
"Aww. You two look so cute together," Jeri said, repeating the exact words that Rika had spoken earlier. "Jeri," Rika said threateningly. Of course, Jeri paid no heed to Rika's threat and continued her teasing. "So do you like him? Do you, do you, do you?" Rika glared at Jeri but gave no response. She wasn't sure. What had happened hours ago felt like days. The chase, the mysterious man. Why did she run to Ryo's house? Henry's had been so much closer. Was she falling for her rival? She'd thought she hated him ever since he beat her. After everything that had happened a year ago and what had happened a couple of hours ago, she wasn't sure. She was his friend, sure, but was it possible that she liked him more than that?
Rika tried forcing the thoughts out of her head. She and Ryo were only friends, nothing more. 'Don't fall for him. He'll only reject you. He can have any girl he wants. Why would he want you anyway?' she thought to herself. As hard as she tried, she couldn't convince herself completely. She doubted everything she just thought; she hoped. There was a small chance he like her, wasn't there? He was always teasing her and calling her 'Pumpkin' and 'Wildcat.' He didn't give everyone else a nickname and he always seemed to enjoy her company. Didn't he?
"Rika? Hello? Anyone home?" Jeri asked, knocking on Rika's head with her fist. "Huh? What now?" Rika responded, confused, but annoyed. "Never mind. We should get to sleep. It's pretty late," Jeri said, checking the clock that hung above the TV. Jeri went over to her sleeping bag and climbed in. Alice had finished reading and had also gone to sleep, Henry finishing his conversation with Ryo and doing the same. "Your pick, Pumpkin," he told her, nodding at the mattresses. She remained where she was on the one closer to the others, forcing him to take the one against the wall. 'He called me that again.' "Good night, Rika," he mumbled and drifted off to sleep. "Night...Ryo."
Lone Wolf: In case you wanted to know, Alice is next to the mattress on the dresser side. She's next to Henry who's next to Kenta. Between Alice and Henry on the opposite side is Jeri. Next to Jeri, between Henry and Kenta is Takato and next to Takato between Kenta and the couch is Kazu.
