Of Odds, Bees and Wings
"You know, in all technicality, a bumblebee shouldn't
be able to fly. Amount of surface area of the wings and the weight of the bee
itself--the proportion isn't right. Doesn't it make you wonder how it was able
to overcome all the odds against it and prove everyone wrong and fly?"
Daisuke muttered, staring off across the soccer field.
Taichi jerked his head up and looked at the other boy, an
unreadable expression on his face. "Where'd you learn that?" He
asked, settling against the grass again, closing his eyes against the sun,
which peeked out from behind a cloud.
"Biology, the internet, a book, one of those. I don't
remember. But, doesn't it make you wonder how they did it? I wish I could
overcome the odds. Be like I want to be, not like everyone else wants me to
be." He let out a soft sigh and rolled over onto his stomach, breathing in
the scent of the dirt, the grass, the outdoors.
"Yeah... If you try, though, you can beat the odds. It
might be hard, but it is possible, Dai." Taichi said softly. "Maybe
they used their environments to their advantage--the bees, I mean. Like the air
pressure or hot air pockets. Maybe they looked to each other to get through the
early days. Who knows? I don't. I do know that they did overcome it all,
however they might've done this."
"It makes it a lot harder to beat the odds, when
there's no one there to help you. When you're all alone, and you can't even be
totally honest when talking to certain friends or about a certain friend, since
what you have to say would probably not be met very well." He stretched
out, then rested his head on a pillow made of his forearms, eyes still closed.
Taichi glanced over at his friend, worry clear in his brown
eyes. "Dai, are you okay? You know you're not alone. You've got me, at
least. I'm here for you." His words were met with silence, which was to be
expected. Funny how he knew exactly how Daisuke would react. "Dai-chan,
c'mon. Let's play some soccer, okay? We can get ice cream afterwards, if you
want." He stood up and brushed the grass off his shorts, then held his
hand out to help Daisuke up. The younger boy ignored this and remained
stubbornly on the ground.
Grinning lopsidedly, Taichi made up his mind. If Daisuke
wouldn't get up on his own, he would just have to make him get up. He quickly
straddled the younger boy, sitting on his legs, and began his assault. Daisuke
was soon rendered helpless by the tickling, and tears were streaming down his
face as he laughed.
"Tai--lemme--stop! Lemme--go!
Ahh--Tai!!--ple--eease!" Tai soon gave mercy to the boy and ceased his
attack.
"Now, you wanna get up now, or do I have to convince
you some more?" The hand that was offered this time was not refused, and
they stood together in the middle of the soccer field.
Daisuke scrubbed at his face, getting rid of all traces of
the tears and trying to get his breath back. "That... was unfair... and
you know it, Tai."
"Well, unfair as it may have been, it did get you up.
Stop sulking and come play soccer." Another cheerful grin was thrown his
way, and he just shook his head ruefully.
"Really Tai, weren't there more humane ways to get me
up? I think I may have injured myself--I heard a lack of air to the brain'll do
that to you." Daisuke said, his tone serious but his expression
light-hearted.
"Well, possibly, but I was too wrapped up in thinking
of odds, bees, and wings. I didn't have enough time or brain capacity to think
about anything else. Besides," he said, pausing to poke Daisuke in the
ribs. "I really don't think you're permanantly damaged. Now c'mon, and see
if you can beat the odds."
Daisuke felt a wave of relief as Taichi turned away before
noticing his blush at being touched like that by the older boy. He fought the
redness down and walked after Tai. "Oh? And what odds are those?"
"Well, the odds are against you beating me in a
one-on-one soccer match. Think you're up the the challenge, Oh Breathless
One?" He said teasingly, turning around to grin at Daisuke.
"Three words: Bring it on!"
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