I don't own Digimon. So there. Do you own Digimon? Maybe there's a bit of Digimon deep inside us...y'think?
(Seishuun Dettane)
Chapter Two
"Sir?"
Joe pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, and turned around to see a young man looking up to him with a clipboard.
Joe nervously smiled, sweatdropping. "Y-you don't have to call me 'sir', Austin."
The young man blinked innocently. "But sir, I'm used to it, sir."
"Please get un-used to it, then! Geez!" Joe took the clipboard. "All of our sponsors are accounted for?"
"Yes, sir. And we have a large turnout." Austin replied.
Joe sighed. Still the 'sir' thing "Good work. The proceeds going to the hospital could very likely top last year's."
"Here's hoping, sir."
Joe smiled, looking over the bustling crowds in the auditorium. He rested a palm on the table he stood behind. "This is encouraging, Austin."
"Yes, sir."
Joe walked out from behind the table. "Go mingle, will you?"
Austin nodded, "Yes, sir. And you?"
Joe didn't look behind him. He stuck one hand in the pocket of his navy blazer jacket, and rose the other one. "Don't worry about me."
The tables looked impressive, but nothing interested him much. He turned his wrist over so he could look at the time. It was almost time for everyone to start showing up. He turned around the meet back up with Austin, and bumped face-first into another. They both yelped, and stumbled back.
"Ow!!" the person Joe bumped into squeaked.
"Gee, I'm sorry, Miss!" Joe straightened his glasses.
"No, it's fine. Excuse me." The girl walked behind the table, keeping her head lowered.
Joe turned around, his suspicion aroused by the girl's withdrawn behavior. He saw the girl's light brown hair fall on her back, but her face was towards the wall. She sighed as she pulled her hair up in a twist with a clip.
Joe looked at the table next to her, and saw a pink hat with a striking resemblance to the one Mimi owned. His eyes widened a bit, and he took a step towards the table.
The brunette discreetly looked over her shoulder as he examined the hat a bit closer. Her eyebrows rose in curiosity.
Joe picked up the hat, and adjusted his glasses. "Fancy seeing you here." He muttered below his breath. "Just where's your owner nowadays?"
The girl now had to stifle her laughter. She turned around and walked towards the table Joe was at.
"Is there a reason you're talking to my hat, Joe?" the leaned over the table.
Joe jerked his head up, still holding the hat. He got eye contact with the girl, who smiled cutely.
"Really, aren't we a little old to start a Mimi fan club?" the girl giggled.
There was a delayed reaction for Joe. First his pale complexion went bright red in the manner of a thermometer, and then he threw the hat down and jumped back with a wild yelp.
Mimi giggled more. "Even nearing graduation, no one changes when you get down to it."
"M-M-Mimi!" Joe blinked, his face still red. "It is yours, then!"
Mimi nodded. "Of course it is! That outfit was custom-made just for me!" she picked up the hat, and held it to her chest, frowning a bit sorrowfully. "I can't believe my Mom's making me part with it!"
"I bet there's a lot of memories to go with it, too." Joe looked at Mimi, and pushed up his glasses.
Mimi nodded. "But I guess we all have to say goodbye to childhood eventually." She set the hat back on top of the box, running her now more slender fingers around the rim.
Joe looked at her hands, and followed her arms up to her face, which still had her familiar features, but a more slender neck and dignified facial features.
Mimi turned to him, and they got eye contact. "Hmm?"
"Uh!" Joe blinked, and suddenly felt a need to explain himself. "Wow, you've gottent-taller!"
Mimi folded her arms, "Right." She smiled, and sighed wistfully. "My time in America was my time to grow up a bit."
Joe nervously smiled, "Well"
"Ah! In America or Japan, boys are still the same!" Mimi put her hands on her face melodramatically.
Joe sweatdropped, "Now wait a sec!"
Mimi giggled, and shook a finger at him. "Don't worry Joe, I won't hold it against you!" She teased.
Joe hung his head. "Forget it."
"As much as you are the same, you've grown up quite a bit, too, Joe." Mimi sweetly smiled. "Are you a doctor yet?"
"I'm getting there, after all--" Joe put his hands back in his pockets. "I'm only nineteen, I'm still in Pre-Med."
"Oh, that's a shame." Mimi blinked. "And here I thought you'd be spending every waking moment with your textbooks while I was away."
Joe blushed, and rose an eyebrow.
"after all, it's not like you'd date or anything" Mimi bluntly stated.
"You know, Mimi, I may not be a member of the social elite, but I know an insult when I hear one." Joe's tone got a little agitated.
"Calm down, Joe!" Mimi put her hands behind her back again, and smiled. "For you, it's a compliment!"
"Right." Joe rose his eyebrows.
"Still no sense of humor, too. Hmm" Mimi folded her arms, and nodded. "That's a shame."
Joe sighed, and turned around, putting his arms behind his back. "I guess I should be getting back to work."
"Wait, Joe" Mimi hurried around to the front of the table, and lightly tugged on the edge of his sleeve.
Joe turned to her, and gulped when he saw the concerned expression on her face.
"Joehow are the kids?" Mimi asked in a low volume.
" 'kids'?" Joe stiffened a bit as she took his arm with both hands and nodded. "oh! They've started high school. They're faring well, I thinkCody's hitting it big in the school's kendo club, and Yolei's panning to fill Izzy's position as the computer club president this year."
Mimi smiled, "That's great to hear."
Joe cleared his throat, and lightly moved the arm Mimi was holding.
"Oh!" Mimi quickly backed off. "Sorry! In America, things were so different! I'm still re-adjusting to the traditional ways of Japan!"
Joe rubbed his arm a bit as Mimi laughed.
"In America, it's not looked down upon to publicly display affection!" Mimi held up a finger, and her eyes widened. "I've seen people kiss on the public streets numerous times while there!"
"In public?!" Joe gawked. "Like, in front of people?"
"In crowded places, too!" Mimi nodded. "It look some serious getting used to, let me tell you."
"Mimi, I wish you'd keep this hat in the box, or it'll wind up back at the house" Mrs. Tachikawa approached the table, and put the pink hat back in the box.
The two teenagers turned around to look at Mimi's mother.
Mrs. Tachikawa looked up, and clasped her hands together, looking at Joe with starry eyes.
Both Mimi and Joe's eyes widened, as they took an apprehensive step back.
"Ah!" Mrs. Tachikawa sighed (sounding almost exactly like her daughter), and leaned over the table. "What a handsome young man!"
Joe nervously smiled, and Mimi sent her mother a deadly glare.
Mother-dearest, you have no tasteMimi folded her arms. "Mom, you remember Joe, don't you?"
"Of course! The smart one who's going to be a doctor!"
"Oh, no! Joe's not the smart one, that's Izzy." Mimi corrected her mother.
It was Joe's turn to send a deadly glare, this time aimed at Mimi. "Gee, thanks."
Mimi covered her mouth, and nervously laughed. "Oh, dear! That came out wrong, too!"
"Open mouth, insert foot, huh?" Joe replied, folding his arms.
"And ruin my shoes from Harold's? In your dreams!"
"It's figurative, Mimi." Joe turned to Mrs. Tachikawa. He leaned on the table with one hand, and handed her a business card.
Mrs. Tachikawa blinked, and looked up at Joe. "What's this?"
"A neurologist." Joe replied with a straight face.
Mimi leaned into the conversation. "Huh?"
Joe grinned devilishly. "I think there are still some side-effects from when your daughter bleached her hair a few years ago. I think you may want to get her checked." He gave Mrs. Tachikawa a victory v before straightening up.
Mimi's brow furrowed. "HEY!" Mimi's mother laughed.
Joe turned around, "I'll be around, Mimi."
"I don't ever want to speak to you!" Mimi rose her voice, and stuck out her tongue.
"Where's your sense of humor?" Joe teased, turned partway around with both hands in his jacket pockets.
Mimi growled deep in her throat, and then rose a fist dramatically. "That's my line, you over-grown allergic reaction!"
Joe smiled back. "I like having your real hair color back."
Mimi lowered her fist, and blinked.
Joe's smile widened, and he turned around to only be lost in the crowd before Mimi could reply.
Mimi folded her arms again. "He sure has gained some confidence with that new fashion sense."
Mrs. Tachikawa blinked in realization. "Oh!"
Mimi turned around. "What is it?"
"That's right! I saw some of his friends at the tea shoppe on the way back in!" Mimi's mother put the business card in her purse.
"WHAAAAAT?!" Mimi freaked. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I thought you weren't ever going to speak to him again." Mrs. Tachikawa muttered as her daughter hurried into the crowd.
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How was that? Was that any better? Please read and review! Your comments do inspire me! Believe it! I hope you enjoyed reading this part as much as I enjoyed writing it and illustrating it...oh, I'll have to post up my pictures somewhere...I'll keep you posted on that. ^^ Don't worry, I still have more! Y'think I've forgotten the others?! Fat chance!
Mimi