Endless Sleepover
Mrs. Kamiya walked into Tai's room.
"Tai we're getting a pizza tonight Kari is having a sleepover with her friends."
"Cool." Tai returned to his manga. Though it wasn't very good . Typical shounen mind numbing crap. Big robots. Girls in skimpy skirts. As if that was what real monsters looked like.
"I just wanted to tell you. Gives you a heads up."
"Why should I mind?" Tai said "I like Kari's friends." He silently added to hinmself , We're all digidestined after all.
"I know you and your sister are close. But my brother's friends were so annoying. They used to play twister and drink beer all night long. Slumber parties can be stressful."
"You are such a worry wart, Mom." Tai said.
"Ooh did you hear? Your friend Yamato Ichida. Oh he was in the paper. His new concert series got good reviews."
"Since when do you read the reviews of Rock Concerts?"
"Oh I'd do anything for Matt. Such a sweetie. I remember when he and you were in marching band."
"Before or after I dropped my clarinet on the Football players head."
"I never understod why you couldn't apply yourself like Matt. Oh I bet you two could have been great classical musicians in a quartet."
"But you made me play clarinet. Besides I broke the reed in my mouth."
"Well I'm glad you're okay with this." Mom said "TK and Kari are best friends."
*****
Daisuke breathed deeply. This was Kari's mom. If she hated him it would be over between him and his lovely angel of light. He frowned. He took deep breath and composed himself. He had to play it cool.
"Hello."
"HiMrsKamiyaImhereforyourdaughtersbirthday!" Daisuke's tongue vibrated in his mouth at a prodigious speed.
"Hi Mrs Kamiya I'm here for your daughters birthday and I brought my own sleeping bag."
"Oh you must be Daisuke. I'm supposed to warn... I mean tell her when you come."
"Oh and Mrs Kamiya. I promise. No matter what comes over me in there. I will defend your daughter's honor."
"That's good to know."
"You're the first one here."
Daisuke couldn't breath.
*****
Ken bid his time when he saw Daisuke enter the building.
"So Daisuke has entered all ready. Providing and interesting situation."
Cody shrugged "You know Ken. Maybe you should calm down. I mean it's just a party."
"I haven't been to a party."
"Really?"
Ken held onto Wormmon, a little closer.
"My parents well they didn't hold me a big birthday, and no one would ever come. So we would go on vacation or my uncle would by me a new or something. I haven't been to a sleepover."
"Well it's not so bad. I've been to a few. So stop thinking like a general and have fun."
"Let's go and bust up Daisuke-chan's perfect plan. He'll never be alone with Kari now."
"You can be meanspirited." Cody said.
Ken smiled as Mrs. Kamiya opened the door.
"Hi you must be Mrs. Kamiya. I'm so happy to be here." He shook her hand.
"Hi Mrs. Kamiya. How are you today?" Cody said. "This is Ken Ichijogi."
"Oh the genius."
"Well I'm off to join the fun. Bye bye."
Wormmon whimpered "Ken wait for me."
Cody gasped.
Mrs. Kamiya eeked and grabbed a broom. "A Bug. Ew Ew Ew." She swatted the broom. Wormmon hid in the hall.
"Uh oh."
"That's my robot. Wormmon. Yolei, Cody and I have been working on him. Isn't he impressive? He can move by himself. Let me show you his remote control. He grabbed one of his watermark pens.
"To you it might look like an ordinary pen. But this is a powerful remote control. I speak into this and it repeats what I say. Like "I'm Wormie."
Wormmon looked around.
"It didn't hear me." Ken growled.
Wormmon looked up at Ken "I'm hungry."
"You are not hungry you are Wormie. Listen to me." Ken shouted.
Mrs Kamiya laughed: "I guess it's broken."
"I guess it has a few bugs."
"Oh Ken that's so funny."
"Few screws loose in it's head."
Cody smiled "We better work on him some more when Yolei gets here."
Mrs. Kamiya "Ken is certainly a happy boy. For a second I thought it was one of those smelly digimon. Well I suppose that is all over with." Mrs. Kamiya smiled and waited for the others arrive.
*****
"Wormmon what did I tell you?" Ken poked the digimon.
"That I was a toy robot." Wormmon said.
"And I was going to pretend to use the remote control." He waggled his pen.
"But I forgot. I was hungry. And the big human was scary."
Ken sighed.
"Ken, I don't really have screws loose in my head. It could fall off and stuff-" Wormmon looked fearfully.
"Oh it's just something humans say. It means that you..."
Wormmon looked up oblviously.
"That you are a perfectly lovely digimon."
"Oh really." Wormmon hugged Ken. He rolled his eyes.
"Hey lets show them operation: robot."
Wormmon went stiff and Ken twisted his pen cap.
"I am Wormie. I am Ken's robot. How are you?"
"Excellent." Ken smiled.
Daisuke heard the noise in the hall.
"Okay Robot, Hug Daisuke."
"Wormie Hug Daisuke."
"Hey Wormmon! Let go."
"I am Wormie. Ken's Robot." Wormmon said again. Ken spoke into his pen "Busted Dai-kun. In the middle of wooing fair Kari."
"Hi Ken." Kari waved.
"Enchante Madame Host." Ken kissed her hand.
"How did you get Wormmon to act like that?" Kari asked.
"Oh we rehearsed." Wormmon blushed. "Am I a good actor?"
"I didn't even recognize you." Kari humored him "I thought you were Wing Zero. Oh did I show you my Heero Yuy Wallscroll."
"Wow. I always wanted to do romantic works."
"Your mom think he's a robot that I invented."
"Wow."
"The best thing about being a genius is no one questions the fallibility of your claims. They think I can produce artificial intelligence on my hardware limited budget." Ken snorted a laugh. "My Mom wanted to know if it could sing happy birthday."
Cody came in.
"Hi Kari!"
"Cody."
"Where am I going to sleep?' Cody let Opumon out of his backpack.
Yolei precariously balanced the snacks on top of each other. As Poromon carried a bag of shrimp crackers in his bill.
"The food is here."
"Boy wow."
"But, what is everybody else gonna eat, Yolei?" Daisuke laughed.
"That leaves only TK." Kari said. "Well since Daisuke brought the sleeping bag. He can sleep next to my bed.
"I brought my pillow. I can just lie down anywhere. I'm small." Cody said.
"I call the couch." Ken said.
"That leaves the top bunk and the recliner."
"I want to sleep next to your bed Kari. To protect your virtue. A man should sleep on the floor anyway." Daisuke grinned.
Yolei groaned.
"Can I sleep on the top bunk? At my house I never..." Yolei grabbed onto her friend.
"Fine." Kari knew it would turn into a whole "my brothers never let me have anything" speech.
"I'll just unroll the sleeping bag and set you up."Kari said grabbing his sleeping bag.
"Whoa wait Kari."
She rolled it out quickly and Demiveemon rolled out of Daisuke's bed roll.
"Demivee-mon!" Daisuke gasped
"Oh my! Chibi-mon are you alright? I'm so sorry." Kari covered her mouth.
"Whee whee whee. Roll me up again. That was more fun than a rolly coaster." He tried to walk but walked around in circles.
Opumon laughed "You looked like a big sushi in there."
"I was hiding in the sleeping bag. I don't know why they call it that. I didn't know bags could sleep."
"Pills can sleep maybe it's the same thing." Opumon said.
Gatomon sighed "It's too sleep on. Do you guys believe everything you hear?"
"Yes Why Shouldn't we?"
"I'm glad I didn't hurt you." Kari pet him and kissed his head.
"Wowie Kari kissed me. This is the best night of my life." Demiveemon fainted.
******
Then at last the door bell rang for the last time.
"Matt now you talk to her about my allergies or something Adulty like that while I sneak Patomon in."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to-"
"Please Matt only one time." TK grabbed his arm. "Can't your kawaii little brother ask his wonderful big bro for a favor?"
"All right Little Guy, Fine." Matt smiled. He loved being the big bro.
'Thanks matt." Sucker. He loved being a big brother.
"Yamato-kun." Mrs. Kamiya hugged him "Oh my Matt. You're so tall and why is your hair so shaggy. I know you are a rock star and all but your eyes are soo pretty."
TK wandered in.
"Hello TK. Kari is inside with the others." Mrs Kamiya didn't even look at him.
Tai came out.
"Hey Matt."
"Hey Tai."
Matt was never much for words. He could say anything with a look. As in a "Wow I didn't know married women could be fan girls". he stared at Tai, smirking.
"Hey come in, and have a soda."
Patomon flew in.
"I think your Mom loves Matt." Patomon rested on TK's shoulder.
"She's a big fan. She likes Matt more than anyone." Kari said. "She thinks all of the others of the Original Digidestined are just weirdoes."
"Yeah."
"Too bad you are so late." Daisuke interupted "Now you have to sleep in the lawn chair."
"Oh that's okay I brought an air mattress."
"Air mattress?"Cody said.
"Cool." Yolei said.
"Yeah from when my Dad took me to China for Spring Vacation. We stayed in a tent. We saw this crazy spring would jump in and turn into things. It was killer"
Kari was transfixed. "Ooh that's cool. It looks so comfortable."TK unrolled it on the floor
The digimon looked at it.
"It looks like a big slug." Opumon said.
"TK can I please please try the air mattress. I won't break it." Kari tugged on TK's sleeve.
"Sure."
"You can use my bed."
"But Kari I was going to protect you." Daisuke said.
"Oh Fine. You can protect me on the floor." Kari said.
*****
Tai watched Matt's expression get more desperate.
"Say when's you next rehearsal."Tai raised his eyebrows.
"Quite soon. In fact tonight."
"Tonight."
"Oh yeah. I'm so sorry I can't stay and talk more." Matt stood up.
"I'll walk you out." Tai said.
"That'll be great." Matt said putting Tai between him and his mother.
Tai knew it he was looking way too much at his friend. I mean just staring. Mat didn't spend any time looking at him back. There was something in his face or his indigo eyes that drew him to look. It was crazy. He needed to stop obsessing.
"I know where Jun gets it."
"Girls always act like that around you." Tai said. "You should stop being so charming or one day you're gonna get pounced."
Mat smiled but the way tilted his head closed the topic.
"Matt. I-"
Matt smirked at him again his usual guard, his mask.
"If my brother breaks my air mattress, don't send him home. I'll know where he lives."
"Okay."
*****
Daisuke was turning normal pink again. Ken was taking his pulse.
TK shook his head "I-"
"This is no time to say I told you so." Daisuke said.
"Actually it is being that you were proven wrong." Yolei nodded. Daisuke sat up.
"Daisuke you can't blow up that thing by yourself." Kari said a little miffed.
Daisuke gasped.
"And you said I wouldn't need my emergency kit." Ken spoke to Cody. "Well maybe not the snake bite medicine but-"
"I didn't know you could turn green from lack of air." Cody noted.
"Hey can I try?" Patomon asked.
Dai pulled off the cuff to the spigmospamometer "If I can't do it what makes you think"
Patomon held the thing in his mouth "Bubble Pop."
The force of air fill the bed and Kari bounced.
"Thank you Patomon."
"Wow a full air mattress in two point four seconds."
"I was upstaged by a flying guineapig. How embarassing." Daisuke said.
*****
After Kari had run out of manga to show them, Cody began to move.
"Boy you are a real otaku." Yolei said.
"Am not. Just because Gundam Wing is like the coolest show ever made and Heero Yuy is cute and I like Duo and Trowa and Quatre and..."
"God you are a poster child for Otakus. I bet you could be on one of those 'You know you've watched Gundam Wing too many times when' list."
"Or write one." Kari said.
"Man I wish I could watch it. My Mom says that it has too much violence. Good thing she doesn't know I go to the digital world or she'd shut that down too."
Cody burrowed up from the Manga "Can't breath."
"I see you guys are tired of manga."
Yolei sighed well we could eat the snacks. I want some Mowtan Duu. It's green."
"I'm just thirsty." Ken said.
"Here slurp down that."
"Ooh Coca Cora." Ken "I like this. My mom doesn't let me have this kind of stuff at home. She's been cooking macrobiotic. And says it will melt your teeth."
Cody sighed grabbing some peapod chips "Yeah. I'm so tired of plain rice. Mom doesn't even have soysauce in the house cause grandma has high blood pressure."
TK ate some cookies "Ooh chocolate covered ginger snaps."
"They are new." Kari said.
"More Pocky?"
Daisuke gargled the soda.
*****
Hopped up on sugar and caffeine Ken had jumped on the table and singing.
"Oh baby baby. Is kirring me."
"What is he singing?" Daisuke asked
"It's something American." Cody said.
"I must confess dadada dee. Yeah ah."
"What does it mean?" TK asked.
"When I am with you bout to roose my mind. Gimmee a chine, hit me baby one more time."
"Come on. It's a cool song. It's like the best number one song in America. You guys are so provincal."
"What does it mean?"
"It's just a song. Songs don't have to mean anything." Yolei said "I like it. Hit me Baby one more time."
Cody jumped up "I know an American song."
"Yeah." Ken jumped onto the couch and bounced.
"Ken stop it."
"Roddy pop Roddy pop Oh Roddy Doddy Pop, Roddy Pop Roddy Pop oh Roddy Roddy, Roddy Pop." He made a popping noise."Baboomboom boom
"That was great." They applauded.
"Who is Roddy Pop? Is he an American guy?"
"I don't know. It's a fun song."
"I only know 'Meiree had a drittle ramu.'" Kari said.
"Yeah you guys rock."
"Thank you. Thank You" Cody bowed.
"Ooh I got one. I know the whole thing." Daisuke smiled.
"Come on up."
Daisuke curled up his left and began shaking his hips "ah Since my baby lleft me,"
He twitched "Founda new prace to dwell."
He began dancing all cool "Uh down at the end of ronely street."
"Go Daisuke!" TK shouted. The girls laughed
"At Heartbreak Hotel." He picked up the soda bottle like a microphone
"I feel so ronely baby, I feel so ronely I feel so ronely I coulddie."
He fell to his knees.
"That song is super cool." Yolei said.
"It's an Elvis."
"Wow. Elvis is good."
"He's cooler than any Americans. Even that Burituni Supeesu. He's gonna be more famous"
*****
And Lo, did the evening pass for the Digidestined and their digimon friends, in camradery and merrymaking. But as all evenings
"Okay. What do we do now?"
"We've read all the manga."
"Yeah we got Ken so full of sugar he won't stop running around being weird."
Ken chuckled and clapped his hands with his extra pair of undewear on his head.
"Let's go see what Tai is doing."
"That sounds like fun." TK said.
"He's doing homework." Daisuke said confused.
"Huh. Daisuke. Are you really a little brother? I said lets go see what he is doing." Kari said.
"Whoops my bad." Daisuke said. Hey Kari. Wait up."
Cody "I don't get it."
"Yeah seeing what your brother is doing translation. I want to bug him to amuse myself."Yolei said. "Only children, yeesh."
*****
Tai was reading a manga.
Kari flipped over the edge of his bunkbed.
"Hi Tai!"
"BWAAH!" Tai freaked out as Kari swung by her legs.
"Mom said you had to let me use the bed."
"I know."
"I wish I had a bunk bed. It's cool." Kari said.
"Mom said the bunkbed was mine. It's comfortable. The tatami hurt my back. So You're only just borrowing it."
"I know that." Kari said wistfully, "It's just bunkbeds are fun."
TK pointed at the wall "Is that for Matt's band? I haven't seen that poster."
"No it's Willow. They rock. They got this schizoid lead singer who wear two different-"
"Oh."
TK flipped over "I thought you like my brother's band."
"I like Matt's band. I'm a big fan of Mat's Band. I have all his albums."
"Then how come you don't have a poster for Mat's band, then." TK asked.
Tai turned a page "Well I thought it was kind of creepy having Mat's picture in my room all the time. And Mimi's too."
"He'd be honored."
"Yeah well... I took it down. if you want it, it's yours." Tai said
"Oh come on why did you take it down."
"My only poster f Matt's band has Mimi in it."
Kari jabbed him "So you like Mimi. She's your friend."
"It's complex."
"Why are you being mean to Mimi?" Kari accused.
"I am not. It's just last time they were both over here they saw the poster and she thought I was trying to make fun of her. You know how sensitive she is. She began crying weeping. She got Joe to yell at me. So I went to Mat and he accused me of trying to get the band back together because I'm a busybody. He went nuts for no reason at all. I mean he was worse than Mimi. So I took it down. And he hasn't been to our house since. Happy?"
"But I just think if you say you like my brothers band you should have a poster."
"He's right Tai. I mean Mat is your friend.
Tai growled, got off his bed slammed down his manga. He grabbed his chair. He climbed on his chair and reached to the top of his closet, pulling out a wrinkled folded poster of 15 year old Mat and Mimi and the rest of their band.
"That's when they were still Bubble Gum Pop venue." Kari said. "I hate those songs."
"Now be quiet please." Tai said replacing the poster over the Willow poster.
"I guess you do like his band." TK said.
"I've been trying to tell you this." Tai was shouting his eyes bulging.
"If you are such a big fan Whats it's name then?"
Something in Tai's brain snapped.
"Alright get out and take the poster with you."
"What did I say?" TK asked.
Tai shoved TK and Kari out of the room.
"You two are forbidden from my room."
"But Mom said I get the bunk bed."
Tai growled "Until you go to sleep. You are forebidden from my room."
Tai slid door shut as fast as he could.
"What's he doing?
"Nothing. Just reading."
"But he should be doing his homework." Yolei said. "Let me go talk to him."
Yolei entered the room.
"Tai, I brought you a snack."
"Wow. Good old Yolei."
Yolei brought him in a soda and some chips.
"You like Double Chocolate Pocky right? I got one just for you."
"Yolei. I love you."
"No where is your homework?"
"Oh I haven't done it yet."
Yolei grabbed the bottle and the cola squirted into his nose.
"Yolei! What are you doing?"
"In my house we don't get snacks until the homework is done."
"Well I was trying to relax first. And they canceled juku so I thought..."
"Well that's not how it's done Mr."
"What?" Tai asked.
"I'm taking these snacks back." Yolei piled the bags.
"Can I at least have the pocky? You-"
Yolei took it from him.
"Okay."
"I'll be back in a half an hour. You better have something to show for it." Yolei said.
"I don't have to listen to you you realize." Tai said softly, "I mean any idea that you have disciplinary power over me is a pure illusion."
Yolei only had to look at him. Just once. One look of authority and power coolly destroying his defiance. And a sluight tremble of her lower right eyelid "Look. Do. Your. Homework."
"You can't make me!"
Yolei frowned once.
*****
Tai was now in the middle of his homework. How had he been itimdated by Yolei? It's not like it wasn't sunday tomorrow and he couldn't goof off. He stared at dopey Mat in hip hop pants with his blank dead grin. Maybe having a sleepover was harder than he thought.
"Do you need help with your ever so serious high school homework?"
Tai lifted up his head to the voice.
Ken and Cody jumped inside the room.
"The Brothers McMathematics."
All at once loud carnival music began playing. Ken came into his room balancing a ruler on his nose. Cody was juggling paperweights.
"Yes we sing, dance, compute the cosin of of an isosceles triangle."
Ken tossed the ruler in the air "You have geometry, trigonometry, applied calculus, Thermodynamics, Quantyum Physics, we are your men... er boys."
"And all while looking cute as a button." Cody smiled.
They fenced with slide rules. Cody did a handstand.
"Um guys."
Ken was holding a compass between his teeth. Cody was standing on the opposite wall getting compasses thrown at him.
"Guys!" Tai Tai shouted.
"Whab bis it?" Ken said with the compass in his mouth.
"I'm trying to work."
"That is why we are here. To help you get your homework done and make Mathematics fun."
"That is almost a rhyme." Ken said "ahahahahaha."
Tai buried his head as the two capered and cavorted around his room. They grabbed the worksheet.
"Hey,that's my homework."
Ken took out his pen and marked the worksheet.
"The answer is four." Ken said.
"Wait, The answer is three." Cody said.
They walked into the corner. And began fake whispering to themselves.
"wubba wubbba wubba."
"Spspspspssps."
"Okay then. We've come to a conclusion." Ken said
"The answer is 4.3." Cody said
They shook hands.
"Good Job Ken."
"Why thank you Cody."
Tai stared at the answer scribbled on his paper. The long equation scrawled over the worksheet.
"Oh Four point three." Tai's eye twitched.
"How long were you working on that one? You can thank us now." Ken smiled.
"Four point three. Did you want to check again?" Tai gave them a streesed
"Oh I always double check." Ken said.
"I always triple check." Cody said, "We can bring Yolei in here and quadruple check."
"Did the Brothers McMathematics realize I'm doing English homework?"
"Um."
"And I have to do it over again. Because you scribbled on my worksheet"
"Good day then."
They began to dance.
"bababababa yadayadyada"
"doo de doo de doo de doo-oo."
*****
"How has you sick cat been doing? How did you do on the last test?" Tai repeated to himself in English as the headphones. Man he was hungry. Well there was pizza in the kitchen.
The Digimon picked over the remains of the big pizza.
Demiveemon slid the slice over to Gatomon "You can have my slice. I'm full."
"Wow. Thanks."
Patomon stared "You had two slices already."
"Yeah but we're growing champions." Gatomon licked her paw, finishing Demiveemon's food.
Tai stared in horror.
"There is no more Pizza left."
"Oh no. Tai didn't get any."
"Oh sorry Tai." Gatomon said with her mouth full.
"That's the last piece of pizza." Tai said.
"I could cut it in half." Gatomon wiped her mouth.
Patomon flew holding the piece of pizza "You can have all of mine Garlic makes me itchy."
Tai whimpered.
"I only took a few bites." Patomon said scratching himself, getting lint, dander on the slice in the
"Thank you." Tai frowned.
"Ooh. If you really don't want it..." Gatomon grabbed it.
"He that is my pizza."
"Mine."
"I'm hungry."
"I'm hungry too."
"You can't have it." Tai easily yanked the pizza away. He spoke to it "You are all mine pizza."
"I'm sorry Tai it's an old habit, I eat as much food as possible when it's available. I shouldn't be so greedy but that's how it was growing up in the wild, with nothing to eat, never knowing where your next meal is coming from. You don't know what it is to be really hungry."
They all lowered their heads.
"Gatomon, I'm sorry. Here."Tai handed her the pizza.11
Gatomon was weeping large tears on him against him "Thank you Tai. This piece of pizza is a small consolation for all the misery I have suffered, now knowing I have a home with you and Kari."
"Stop. I'll eat left overs." Tai began bawling. "It's so sad."
Tai left the digimon alone, crying for poor Gatomon's suffering.
Gatomon took another bite "One of the things that I did learn in the wild. Other than glutting myself, is that guilt is an effective weapon against those bigger yet more gullible than you."
Demiveemon shook his head "Lady you are pure poison."
*****
There was nothing but cola in the fridge. He might as well drink something to fill his aching stomach. Not one bit of food left to feed poor Tai. Maybe he could sneak some junkfood from Yolei. He couldn't face her again knowing he was in the middle of his homework. Somehow the girl had pysched him out.
The phone rang. Cody picked it up
"Hello? Who is this?"
Yolei growled "You're supposed to say, Kamiya residence."
"I can do it." Ken grabbed the phone trembling with energy. He began talking to fast for any of them to understand at all, without any stops "Oh no this isn't Tai- Tai oh well I don't him very well- I mean I played him and soccer and you know we kind of spend time I mean we don't hang out like everyday- We're more like business associates or acquaintences- I'm much closer to his sister. Kari who is turning 13 today and I will wish her happy birthday for you- He seems like a great guy though- Real class act- Has a nice room though Did I tell you I am making a artificially intelligent robot..." Ken's teeth were chattering he was on such a sugar high.
"She's not asking for your life story." She yanked it away give me that." Yolei yanked the phone "Who is this? Karana Himiko. Hmm I will find him, sorry about all these childish boys."
Kari sniggered, "It's Himiko the team manager. He likes her."
"Well I'll just find Tai and..."
"I wish I could talk to her."
"Here let Kari talk to her." Daisuke said "She should know what kind of man her brother is dating."
"No I'm finding Tai and..."
"Give Kari the phone..."
"No. This is private."
Daisuke growled and tackled Yolei wrestling the phone away.
"Taichi-kun?" Himiko said on the phone.
Daisuke pankicked "Yes?"
"Oh kami. Tai-kun it's horrible-"
Tai walked into the room.
"Who was on the phone?"
"Oh Nobara Himiko." Yolei said.
"Himi-chan. Oh."Tai said frustrated
Kari panicked. "Why what's wrong?"
"I can't stand her. I thought she was so cute but then I found out she dumped her boyfriend just because he didn't play sports and had a thing for me. And she's high maintenance and eats her toenails. I hope you hung up."
"Well no."
Daisuke was talking on the phone "So I really enjoy the company of a fine beautiful lady as yourself. What color is your hair?"
"Oh Tai-kun you know I have black hair. You goose."
"So kid. I'm excited about our date."
"What date?"
"The one I'm making with you. Tommorrow." Daisuke said.
"Oh wow. I thought you had to take your grandma to the doctors."
Tai froze.
Daisuke smiled "I think I got you a date." He winked "She likes you."
"Gah no I just made that grandma story to throw her off track. I don't like her."
"Who is that?"
Daisuke panicked again "That's my sisters friend, Daisuke. Total stud for a second grader."
"Gimme that phone you twerp."
"But I got you a date. Kari said you liked her." Daisuke said.
"Hang up."
"Um Himiko, we aren't going out. I don't like you bye."
"Tai you are acting strange and who are all those crazy people. I'm coming over."
Tai grabbed the phone "You better not. I don't like you you slob. Now stop calling."
"What why you...."
Tai hung up the phone.
Demiveemon smiled "You sound just like Daisuke."
"Grah" Tai screamed "I can't believe you made me do that. Now I have to go to soccer practice tommorrow and apologize and she doesn't deserve it."
"I'm sorry I was only trying to help."
"Look no one can answer my phonecalls, no one do my homework, no one eat my food, no one come into my room."
Tai slid the door.
"He's on the slippery slope." Yolei shook her head.
Kari sighed "I think we better leave Tai alone. He might snap."
"What can we do?"
"Let's go to bed." Daisuke said "I don't want to get yelled at again."
TK yawned.
"No way. This is Kari's sleepover. And we are going to make it one we'll never forget." Yolei glomped Kari "In the youth of our lives we must have wicked scarlet pasts to color our lives."
"We're only eleven. We're not ready for scarlet pasts." Ken said.
"I'm only eight."Cody said "I've just gotten over stuffed animals."
"We must do something wild, crazy pasionate and thrilling." Yolei said.
"what?"
"Spin the Bottle" Yolei said.
Lightning crashed.
"Daisuke." TK had to pull him up from fainting.
"My mom would never let us play spin the bottle." Kari said.
"Your mom is asleep."TK said, "she was in her bed and everything."
Yolei grabbed the two liter empty jug "We'll use this."
"What is Spin the Bottle?" Ken asked.
"Well you spin the bottle and then-"
"Sounds like fun." Poromon sound
The digimon began spinning the bottle "Go bottle go."
"How fast do you spin it?" Opumon bounced.
"But when it points at a person. You have to kiss that person."
The digimon jumped away grumbling "Ewww."
"That sounds..." Ken shrugged.
"Oh yeah." Daisuke smiled. "I've dreamed of this. A real real party with spin the bottle."
"It's gonna be cool." TK said.
"Well..." She looked at Daisuke's maniacally happy expression.
"We don't have to tell anyone. We'll just keep who we kiss a secret."
"Well it sounds wild. Okay Okay." Kari nodded "Lets do it."
*****
They got into a huddle.
"Kae bae bo!" (paper rock scissors in Korean)
They through there hands in.
"I'm out." TK said. Pulling out his even number. Yolei grumbled.
Ken Daisuke, Cody and Kari remained"Kae bae bo."
Ken asked as he looked at his hand "I don't have too."
"Oh well." Cody shrugged. "Girls are yucky."
Kari looked fearfully at Daisuke.
"Kae" Kari gulped
"Bae" Daisuke grinned.
"Bo." they yelled
"At last. Yes. Virtue triumphs. I'm gonna go first. Oh if only if only...."
Kari sweatdropped as Daisuke did cartwheels around the room.
"Remember. I can always help you fake your own death." Cody patted her on the back
"And he has to point the bottle at you." Yolei said.
Daisuke smiled "I have a fool proof system. It can't fail. I've been planning on this forever. It's called Operation: True Love."
Daisuke looked at the bottle. He spit in his hands.
"Eww. Daisuke." TK squicked "We have to touch that."
"Sorry."
Daisuke spun it. It spun faster than anything. Kari looked at it fretfully.
"Kari Kari Kari."
"Lands on..."
Kari crossed her fingers.
"Kari." Cody said.
Kari gasped. The bottle pointed straight at her. Like a beacon of doom.
Daisuke blinked.
"Can we do a redo... or-" Kari muttered.
"IT WORKED!" Daisuke ran around the room once again cartwheeling.
"He'd be great on the gymnastics team." Yolei said.
Kari was silent.
"Well Kari this is it."
"Daisuke-chan. You are my best friend and we've known each other for ever-" Kari backed up.
"I've been saving this." He squirted the binaca in his mouth.
"And I like you as a friend but I'm not ready for any boys."
"Pucker up."
"Ahhhh. Don't eat me." Kari shrieked.
The others closed their eyes "This will get messy."
Ken froze "I'm too terrified not to look."
"Run Kari!" Yolei shouted.
Daisuke looked deep into her eyes. Kari was stilled.
"Kari."
"Yeah?"
Daisuke lowered his face in for the softest deepest most amazing kiss Kari would ever feel.
Yolei and Cody stared at each other. TK covered his mouth. Ken stared. He hadn't bitten her head off, he wasn't even sloberring on her. They sat in dumbfounded amazement.
Kari went limp and hung in his arms like a rag doll.
Daisuke held her face.
"Did you like that Kari?" Daisuke asked softly.
"Whooooa." Kari said dizzy.
"Cool I kissed you good."
Yolei clutched onto Ken "I'm gonna faint.
"Wow." Kari said.
"Yeah This is a fun game." Chibimon laughed.
"How did you learn to kiss like that?" Yolei demanded, shoving him lightly.
"Whoa. Wow. Whoa." Kari gulped.
Daisuke's voice jumped down three octaves "I don't mean to brag or embarass some fine ladies. I've got lots of practice." Daisuke grinned and winked.
Demiveemon nodded "Yuhhuh. Yeah He just stands in front of the mirror with his sisters cabbage patch kid-
"Demiveemon!"
"Yeah he takes the doll, and put lipstick on it and kisses it. And then he looks at it and he kisses it and calls it Kari. Sometimes he'll be there for an hour.
"Demiveemon!!! Be quiet." Daisuke sweatdropped.
"But you practice a lot. More than soccer." Demiveemon jumed to the top of the couch "Kari at last you are in my arms."
***
Tai sighed putting down his manga. This was suspicious. Firstly the kids were listening to him (the first clue something was wrong). They had left him in his room amd left him alone. He was not so far out of childhood he could trust that. The next thing was that they were respectably quiet. As if they weren't having a party at all. His spider senses were going crazy
"I wonder what they are doing."
***
Ken watched Yolei's bottle stop. On TK.
"TK" Cody the unofficial bottle judge shouted.
"Okay TK pucker up. I've done this a hundred times at Race Camp." Yolei said. She refreshened her cherry chapstick.
Daisuke elbowed him.
TK looked at Kari. Kari gave him another 2000 yen note.
"That's 5000 yen, if you do it." she nodded.
Ken looked at Cody who shrugged.
TK kissed Yolei on the lips as she smiled. Then dove into that freaky big mouth.
Yolei squealed.
Daisuke said "What's the matter? Tongue tied?"and Kari high fived him.
"Eww. You put your tongue in my mouth."
"What? That's how they kiss in the movies." TK needled. "I thought you played this before."
"Man I never thought I would want to be kissed by Daisuke." Yolei smacked TK with her pillow.
"oww."
Kari passed out laughing.
"Ow."
"I can't believe he did that." Ken was gape mouthed
"Well I'm not playing anymore." Yolei crossed her arms. "Ken you're up."
Ken froze. "Okay here... I .... Um you wanna go Cody? This game is unstimulating." Ken turned to him.
"I don't like this game either. All the girls don't want to kiss me. Besides we all have to go."
"Come on." Yolei said "Give it a spin." She made a kissie in the air.
"I thought you weren't playing any more."
"I'll only play when Ken is playing." Yolei said "Not with casanova and big jerk head."
Kari smiled "Yeah. Come on Ken, If Dai-kun can do it like that..."
"Yeah if I can do it. Hey?" Daisuke wrinkled his brow. "No fair Kari."
"Okay." Ken closed his eyes. "Here it goes."
"Great the kid can build a control spire but he can't spin the bottle."
Kari looked curiously. Ken was cute. Like a tv bishounen or some guy on Gundam. Maybe he would kiss her. He'd have to kiss her. There weren't any girls left.
The bottle stopped at the window.
"Ooops. Do I have to redo?"
"It's closest to me." Kari said quickly.
"Yep. It's Kari." Cody said.
"Neat. I'm getting all the boys kissing me. This is cool."
"No." Daisuke gasped."Ken doesn't get to kiss Kari."
Ken stood up "Yeah. I should just sit out and-"
"That's the game." TK shrugged.
Daisuke sighed. "Fine then ruin my happiness." Ken would probably be a genius kisser too. He'd sweep Kari off her feet. He saw visions of Ken and Kari going ice skating in soldier costumes and eating ice cream sundae's together. TK was just a poser, but if the ex Digimon Emperor, Boy Genius liked Kari there would be no competition. Daisuke looked at his blue eyes and lovely violet hair. Man there was no way he could top that.
"But shouldn't it point at someone?" Ken insisted "Isn't that the rule?"
"It's okay Ken. " Kari smiled. She was so sweet, Daisuke thought. But she had to be crazy not thinking about kissing him. He was pretty like those crazy boys on Gundam Wing that his mom says he couldn't watch anymore. The kind of bishounen that girls like. He looked like the evil warlock on that one show that he couldn't watch cause it had curse words and talked about breasts. Even the purple hair. Except Ken's was real.
"I won't bite." Kari said.
"Not like T-" Yolei pinched his arm."-K"
"Owww." TK yeowled.
"I'm going to pinch you everytime I remember." Yolei said.
Daisuke continued to stare. Ken was cute too not just handsome. You know when he was vulnerable. If anyone knew how cute he could be, how kind and sweet he was it was Daisuke, which was why losing him to Kari was inevitable. He sighed and watched the gorgeous boy make his move.
"If it's the rules."
Kari rolled her thumbs. Ken closed his eyes.
Daisuke frowned. One kiss and it would be over.
Ken sort over hovered.
"Just kiss me and-"
Ken panicked "Okay Okay. I'm kissing you. I don't know where your face is."
"It's over here where my face is." Kari said.
"Just open your eyes, Ken."
"Okay."
"Open them or-"
They bumped noses.
"Ow." Kari stood up.
"Kaddi?" Ken grabbed his nose too.
"Ooh. How did you mess up that badly?"
"I'b sorry. I'll just." Ken backed up and walked out of the room.
Kari followed him."Wait Ken!"
"Man that must be so embarassing." TK said a little ashamed of himself.
"Yeah. Peer pressure can really bite." Yolei said mournfully. Then she twisted TK's nipple. "OWWWWW!"
****
"Ken I'm sorry." Kari said hanging outside the bathroom
"It's just I can't do it. I mean I look at you and I get so nervous. So I close my eyes and then I can't see you, and then I-" Ken sighed and looked out the window. "I-"
"I'm sorry. It's just I never thought you would be shy."
"Well. I don't know. When I was him, I was just so mean. Instead of being scared of people like I always was, I was mean. I think it's called a compensatory facade. I was a real shy geek. I guess I've gone back to what I was before."
"It's just a kiss." Kari kissed him on the cheek "See. I'm not dead."
"I don't know. What you need is someone to practice on. Someone who is approachable, unintimidating, unattractive. Someone no one could ever possibly have any interest in." Kari said.
"Yeah." TK said. "That should loosen you up."
"But who?"
Daisuke shrugged.
****
Tai walked towards the door to the bathroom. He shouldn't have tied to drink three root bears with an empty stomach. But it was locked. He put his ear against the door. Someone was in their crying. Oh great the classic sleepover blowup. Well Sleepovers never changed. There was always one huge emotional fight at any good sleep over. Maybe he should intervene. It would get who ever was crying out of the bathroom.
****
"I'm not doing it." Daisuke crossed his arms.
"Please Daisuke. It's just-" Kari waned coquettish "You were such a good kisser. I thought he could learn from the best. Would you do it for me Daisuke?"
"Oh well. I would do anything for you." Daisuke froze.
"So you would kiss Ken?" Kari pouted
"I can't believe this. It's too crazy." Daisuke turned around.
"It's crazy enough to work." TK said in a cliched tone.
"Well I'm not kissing you." Yolei said. "No matter what Kari says."
"Okay pucker up Ken."
Ken leaned in and pressed his lips against Daisuke's. Daisuke kissed back.
Ken's eyes fluttered shut. Daisuke was shocked, or maybe wasn't. Ken could really kiss.
"Wow this is the record." Cody shook his head.
"You guys can stop now."TK said.
Daisuke and Ken opened there eyes, but didn't disengage. Daisuke got a wicked look in his eyes.
"Oh my God he's going for the tongue." Yolei gasped and kicked TK in the shin
"Ow."
"What are you guys doing in there?" Tai knocked on the door. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Tai. Quick... Um."
"HIDE!" Kari panicked.
He froze as he witnessed Daisuke kissing someone were open mouthed kissing each other.
"You-" Tai froze "guys?"
Ken stopped. Yep that was a very red faced Ken Ichijogi in his arms. Daisuke was sucking on his face like a lamprey eel.
"You guys! Stop it." Tai shouted.
"Are you kissing Ken?" Tai looked at Daisuke.
"It's just practice. I didn't..."
Ken frowned
"Um no I mean he's really really and I- I-"
Ken pointed at Kari "Kari told him too. You know he'd do anything for Kari."
"You're not selling me out Ichijogi. You're the one who kissed him."
"I wouldn't do anything for Kari." Daisuke said "I wouldn't feast on the blood of the innocent."
"You are playing spin the bottle, Kari. Oh Kari. You're only 11." Tai shook his head.
Ken giggled "I think I won."
"You guys. That's it. If I was Mom this party would be over. I didn't even play spin the bottle till I was 13. You need a chaperone."
"But Cody didn't- Uh."
"I brought in my Play Station. We can play some video games. Until we're ready to sleep."
"Aw thanks Tai you are the best big brother." She hugged him and held him.
"And I won't tell Mom."
Kari let him go "That's what I was hoping."
"Casanova on this side." Tai placed Dai on one side. He pointed at Ken "You Hot lips, on this side. How did you kids learn to kiss like that?"
"TV." Ken said
"Daisuke practices with a doll." Chibimon chirped.
"Chibimon shut up."
It wasn't half an hour before Ken was sleeping on Tai's shoulder. Hot Lips Ichijogi was finally crashing from his first massive sugar high. Cody was curled up on his pillow.
Tai stood up.
"Let's get to bed."
"Come on. It's almost midnight." Kari said "Please Tai."
"You can go to bed at Midnight."
He tossed Cody his little blanket. He was already fast asleep.
Daisuke yawned "Man I'm never going to forget tonight.
"Come on get to the couch, Hotlips." Tai said.
"Stop calling me that."
"Where are we gonna sleep?" Opumon asked.
Poromon shrugged "I'm tired."
DemiVeemon "Daisuke! Do we have sleeping bags?"
"Um..."
"Sure we do." Tai said. He got out three grocery bags. "Three sleeping bags."
"Are they sleeping bags?"
"Well they are sleeping bags when you are asleep." Patomon said. "But they are grocery bags when you are awake." Patomon winked at Tai.
"Oh." The three rookies nodded.
"Wow we have sleeping bags. It's almost like a campout." Poromon snuggled.
"What's like a campout?"Opumon asked.
"I don't know I never been on one." Poromon yawned.
DemiVeemon was already asleep.
"I'm sleeping on Kari's pillow." Gatomon sniffed.
Daisuke looked at Kari but then turned around towards the couch.
"Ken?"
"...." Ken was awake but too tired to speak. He lifted his blue eyes once.
"I'm sorry I kissed you because Kari told me too."
"..m'okay." He rested his eyes.
"I don't do everything Kari tells me."
Ken was listening. Daisuke just knew. He wouldn't let himself sleep without hearing this.
"You don't need anybody pity kissing you."
"I only kissed you because Kari told me to." Ken mumbled.
"Well. I'm not Kari's boy so. I don't have to do everything she says."
"..."
Daisuke smiled and brushed Ken's hair back. He kissed his cheek then his mouth.
"You know all I'm going remember is kissing you tonight." Daisuke said.
Ken smiled and closed his eyes.
Daisuke bubbled inside and curled up by the couch.
Tai settled on the old thick tatami in Kari's room.
He felt the pain in his back return. He threw away the little chibi poofy animal and closed his eyes.
But they popped open again. This was the last time he drank rootbeer after 10pm. It was going to take forever to live through this night.
At 10 there was a sound.
"Breakfast honey."
Tai rolled on the floor trying to get out of bed. Forgetting he was in the tatami, he couldn't stand without the leverage.
His back was a huge knot of pain.
TBC
Mrs. Kamiya walked into Tai's room.
"Tai we're getting a pizza tonight Kari is having a sleepover with her friends."
"Cool." Tai returned to his manga. Though it wasn't very good . Typical shounen mind numbing crap. Big robots. Girls in skimpy skirts. As if that was what real monsters looked like.
"I just wanted to tell you. Gives you a heads up."
"Why should I mind?" Tai said "I like Kari's friends." He silently added to hinmself , We're all digidestined after all.
"I know you and your sister are close. But my brother's friends were so annoying. They used to play twister and drink beer all night long. Slumber parties can be stressful."
"You are such a worry wart, Mom." Tai said.
"Ooh did you hear? Your friend Yamato Ichida. Oh he was in the paper. His new concert series got good reviews."
"Since when do you read the reviews of Rock Concerts?"
"Oh I'd do anything for Matt. Such a sweetie. I remember when he and you were in marching band."
"Before or after I dropped my clarinet on the Football players head."
"I never understod why you couldn't apply yourself like Matt. Oh I bet you two could have been great classical musicians in a quartet."
"But you made me play clarinet. Besides I broke the reed in my mouth."
"Well I'm glad you're okay with this." Mom said "TK and Kari are best friends."
*****
Daisuke breathed deeply. This was Kari's mom. If she hated him it would be over between him and his lovely angel of light. He frowned. He took deep breath and composed himself. He had to play it cool.
"Hello."
"HiMrsKamiyaImhereforyourdaughtersbirthday!" Daisuke's tongue vibrated in his mouth at a prodigious speed.
"Hi Mrs Kamiya I'm here for your daughters birthday and I brought my own sleeping bag."
"Oh you must be Daisuke. I'm supposed to warn... I mean tell her when you come."
"Oh and Mrs Kamiya. I promise. No matter what comes over me in there. I will defend your daughter's honor."
"That's good to know."
"You're the first one here."
Daisuke couldn't breath.
*****
Ken bid his time when he saw Daisuke enter the building.
"So Daisuke has entered all ready. Providing and interesting situation."
Cody shrugged "You know Ken. Maybe you should calm down. I mean it's just a party."
"I haven't been to a party."
"Really?"
Ken held onto Wormmon, a little closer.
"My parents well they didn't hold me a big birthday, and no one would ever come. So we would go on vacation or my uncle would by me a new or something. I haven't been to a sleepover."
"Well it's not so bad. I've been to a few. So stop thinking like a general and have fun."
"Let's go and bust up Daisuke-chan's perfect plan. He'll never be alone with Kari now."
"You can be meanspirited." Cody said.
Ken smiled as Mrs. Kamiya opened the door.
"Hi you must be Mrs. Kamiya. I'm so happy to be here." He shook her hand.
"Hi Mrs. Kamiya. How are you today?" Cody said. "This is Ken Ichijogi."
"Oh the genius."
"Well I'm off to join the fun. Bye bye."
Wormmon whimpered "Ken wait for me."
Cody gasped.
Mrs. Kamiya eeked and grabbed a broom. "A Bug. Ew Ew Ew." She swatted the broom. Wormmon hid in the hall.
"Uh oh."
"That's my robot. Wormmon. Yolei, Cody and I have been working on him. Isn't he impressive? He can move by himself. Let me show you his remote control. He grabbed one of his watermark pens.
"To you it might look like an ordinary pen. But this is a powerful remote control. I speak into this and it repeats what I say. Like "I'm Wormie."
Wormmon looked around.
"It didn't hear me." Ken growled.
Wormmon looked up at Ken "I'm hungry."
"You are not hungry you are Wormie. Listen to me." Ken shouted.
Mrs Kamiya laughed: "I guess it's broken."
"I guess it has a few bugs."
"Oh Ken that's so funny."
"Few screws loose in it's head."
Cody smiled "We better work on him some more when Yolei gets here."
Mrs. Kamiya "Ken is certainly a happy boy. For a second I thought it was one of those smelly digimon. Well I suppose that is all over with." Mrs. Kamiya smiled and waited for the others arrive.
*****
"Wormmon what did I tell you?" Ken poked the digimon.
"That I was a toy robot." Wormmon said.
"And I was going to pretend to use the remote control." He waggled his pen.
"But I forgot. I was hungry. And the big human was scary."
Ken sighed.
"Ken, I don't really have screws loose in my head. It could fall off and stuff-" Wormmon looked fearfully.
"Oh it's just something humans say. It means that you..."
Wormmon looked up oblviously.
"That you are a perfectly lovely digimon."
"Oh really." Wormmon hugged Ken. He rolled his eyes.
"Hey lets show them operation: robot."
Wormmon went stiff and Ken twisted his pen cap.
"I am Wormie. I am Ken's robot. How are you?"
"Excellent." Ken smiled.
Daisuke heard the noise in the hall.
"Okay Robot, Hug Daisuke."
"Wormie Hug Daisuke."
"Hey Wormmon! Let go."
"I am Wormie. Ken's Robot." Wormmon said again. Ken spoke into his pen "Busted Dai-kun. In the middle of wooing fair Kari."
"Hi Ken." Kari waved.
"Enchante Madame Host." Ken kissed her hand.
"How did you get Wormmon to act like that?" Kari asked.
"Oh we rehearsed." Wormmon blushed. "Am I a good actor?"
"I didn't even recognize you." Kari humored him "I thought you were Wing Zero. Oh did I show you my Heero Yuy Wallscroll."
"Wow. I always wanted to do romantic works."
"Your mom think he's a robot that I invented."
"Wow."
"The best thing about being a genius is no one questions the fallibility of your claims. They think I can produce artificial intelligence on my hardware limited budget." Ken snorted a laugh. "My Mom wanted to know if it could sing happy birthday."
Cody came in.
"Hi Kari!"
"Cody."
"Where am I going to sleep?' Cody let Opumon out of his backpack.
Yolei precariously balanced the snacks on top of each other. As Poromon carried a bag of shrimp crackers in his bill.
"The food is here."
"Boy wow."
"But, what is everybody else gonna eat, Yolei?" Daisuke laughed.
"That leaves only TK." Kari said. "Well since Daisuke brought the sleeping bag. He can sleep next to my bed.
"I brought my pillow. I can just lie down anywhere. I'm small." Cody said.
"I call the couch." Ken said.
"That leaves the top bunk and the recliner."
"I want to sleep next to your bed Kari. To protect your virtue. A man should sleep on the floor anyway." Daisuke grinned.
Yolei groaned.
"Can I sleep on the top bunk? At my house I never..." Yolei grabbed onto her friend.
"Fine." Kari knew it would turn into a whole "my brothers never let me have anything" speech.
"I'll just unroll the sleeping bag and set you up."Kari said grabbing his sleeping bag.
"Whoa wait Kari."
She rolled it out quickly and Demiveemon rolled out of Daisuke's bed roll.
"Demivee-mon!" Daisuke gasped
"Oh my! Chibi-mon are you alright? I'm so sorry." Kari covered her mouth.
"Whee whee whee. Roll me up again. That was more fun than a rolly coaster." He tried to walk but walked around in circles.
Opumon laughed "You looked like a big sushi in there."
"I was hiding in the sleeping bag. I don't know why they call it that. I didn't know bags could sleep."
"Pills can sleep maybe it's the same thing." Opumon said.
Gatomon sighed "It's too sleep on. Do you guys believe everything you hear?"
"Yes Why Shouldn't we?"
"I'm glad I didn't hurt you." Kari pet him and kissed his head.
"Wowie Kari kissed me. This is the best night of my life." Demiveemon fainted.
******
Then at last the door bell rang for the last time.
"Matt now you talk to her about my allergies or something Adulty like that while I sneak Patomon in."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to-"
"Please Matt only one time." TK grabbed his arm. "Can't your kawaii little brother ask his wonderful big bro for a favor?"
"All right Little Guy, Fine." Matt smiled. He loved being the big bro.
'Thanks matt." Sucker. He loved being a big brother.
"Yamato-kun." Mrs. Kamiya hugged him "Oh my Matt. You're so tall and why is your hair so shaggy. I know you are a rock star and all but your eyes are soo pretty."
TK wandered in.
"Hello TK. Kari is inside with the others." Mrs Kamiya didn't even look at him.
Tai came out.
"Hey Matt."
"Hey Tai."
Matt was never much for words. He could say anything with a look. As in a "Wow I didn't know married women could be fan girls". he stared at Tai, smirking.
"Hey come in, and have a soda."
Patomon flew in.
"I think your Mom loves Matt." Patomon rested on TK's shoulder.
"She's a big fan. She likes Matt more than anyone." Kari said. "She thinks all of the others of the Original Digidestined are just weirdoes."
"Yeah."
"Too bad you are so late." Daisuke interupted "Now you have to sleep in the lawn chair."
"Oh that's okay I brought an air mattress."
"Air mattress?"Cody said.
"Cool." Yolei said.
"Yeah from when my Dad took me to China for Spring Vacation. We stayed in a tent. We saw this crazy spring would jump in and turn into things. It was killer"
Kari was transfixed. "Ooh that's cool. It looks so comfortable."TK unrolled it on the floor
The digimon looked at it.
"It looks like a big slug." Opumon said.
"TK can I please please try the air mattress. I won't break it." Kari tugged on TK's sleeve.
"Sure."
"You can use my bed."
"But Kari I was going to protect you." Daisuke said.
"Oh Fine. You can protect me on the floor." Kari said.
*****
Tai watched Matt's expression get more desperate.
"Say when's you next rehearsal."Tai raised his eyebrows.
"Quite soon. In fact tonight."
"Tonight."
"Oh yeah. I'm so sorry I can't stay and talk more." Matt stood up.
"I'll walk you out." Tai said.
"That'll be great." Matt said putting Tai between him and his mother.
Tai knew it he was looking way too much at his friend. I mean just staring. Mat didn't spend any time looking at him back. There was something in his face or his indigo eyes that drew him to look. It was crazy. He needed to stop obsessing.
"I know where Jun gets it."
"Girls always act like that around you." Tai said. "You should stop being so charming or one day you're gonna get pounced."
Mat smiled but the way tilted his head closed the topic.
"Matt. I-"
Matt smirked at him again his usual guard, his mask.
"If my brother breaks my air mattress, don't send him home. I'll know where he lives."
"Okay."
*****
Daisuke was turning normal pink again. Ken was taking his pulse.
TK shook his head "I-"
"This is no time to say I told you so." Daisuke said.
"Actually it is being that you were proven wrong." Yolei nodded. Daisuke sat up.
"Daisuke you can't blow up that thing by yourself." Kari said a little miffed.
Daisuke gasped.
"And you said I wouldn't need my emergency kit." Ken spoke to Cody. "Well maybe not the snake bite medicine but-"
"I didn't know you could turn green from lack of air." Cody noted.
"Hey can I try?" Patomon asked.
Dai pulled off the cuff to the spigmospamometer "If I can't do it what makes you think"
Patomon held the thing in his mouth "Bubble Pop."
The force of air fill the bed and Kari bounced.
"Thank you Patomon."
"Wow a full air mattress in two point four seconds."
"I was upstaged by a flying guineapig. How embarassing." Daisuke said.
*****
After Kari had run out of manga to show them, Cody began to move.
"Boy you are a real otaku." Yolei said.
"Am not. Just because Gundam Wing is like the coolest show ever made and Heero Yuy is cute and I like Duo and Trowa and Quatre and..."
"God you are a poster child for Otakus. I bet you could be on one of those 'You know you've watched Gundam Wing too many times when' list."
"Or write one." Kari said.
"Man I wish I could watch it. My Mom says that it has too much violence. Good thing she doesn't know I go to the digital world or she'd shut that down too."
Cody burrowed up from the Manga "Can't breath."
"I see you guys are tired of manga."
Yolei sighed well we could eat the snacks. I want some Mowtan Duu. It's green."
"I'm just thirsty." Ken said.
"Here slurp down that."
"Ooh Coca Cora." Ken "I like this. My mom doesn't let me have this kind of stuff at home. She's been cooking macrobiotic. And says it will melt your teeth."
Cody sighed grabbing some peapod chips "Yeah. I'm so tired of plain rice. Mom doesn't even have soysauce in the house cause grandma has high blood pressure."
TK ate some cookies "Ooh chocolate covered ginger snaps."
"They are new." Kari said.
"More Pocky?"
Daisuke gargled the soda.
*****
Hopped up on sugar and caffeine Ken had jumped on the table and singing.
"Oh baby baby. Is kirring me."
"What is he singing?" Daisuke asked
"It's something American." Cody said.
"I must confess dadada dee. Yeah ah."
"What does it mean?" TK asked.
"When I am with you bout to roose my mind. Gimmee a chine, hit me baby one more time."
"Come on. It's a cool song. It's like the best number one song in America. You guys are so provincal."
"What does it mean?"
"It's just a song. Songs don't have to mean anything." Yolei said "I like it. Hit me Baby one more time."
Cody jumped up "I know an American song."
"Yeah." Ken jumped onto the couch and bounced.
"Ken stop it."
"Roddy pop Roddy pop Oh Roddy Doddy Pop, Roddy Pop Roddy Pop oh Roddy Roddy, Roddy Pop." He made a popping noise."Baboomboom boom
"That was great." They applauded.
"Who is Roddy Pop? Is he an American guy?"
"I don't know. It's a fun song."
"I only know 'Meiree had a drittle ramu.'" Kari said.
"Yeah you guys rock."
"Thank you. Thank You" Cody bowed.
"Ooh I got one. I know the whole thing." Daisuke smiled.
"Come on up."
Daisuke curled up his left and began shaking his hips "ah Since my baby lleft me,"
He twitched "Founda new prace to dwell."
He began dancing all cool "Uh down at the end of ronely street."
"Go Daisuke!" TK shouted. The girls laughed
"At Heartbreak Hotel." He picked up the soda bottle like a microphone
"I feel so ronely baby, I feel so ronely I feel so ronely I coulddie."
He fell to his knees.
"That song is super cool." Yolei said.
"It's an Elvis."
"Wow. Elvis is good."
"He's cooler than any Americans. Even that Burituni Supeesu. He's gonna be more famous"
*****
And Lo, did the evening pass for the Digidestined and their digimon friends, in camradery and merrymaking. But as all evenings
"Okay. What do we do now?"
"We've read all the manga."
"Yeah we got Ken so full of sugar he won't stop running around being weird."
Ken chuckled and clapped his hands with his extra pair of undewear on his head.
"Let's go see what Tai is doing."
"That sounds like fun." TK said.
"He's doing homework." Daisuke said confused.
"Huh. Daisuke. Are you really a little brother? I said lets go see what he is doing." Kari said.
"Whoops my bad." Daisuke said. Hey Kari. Wait up."
Cody "I don't get it."
"Yeah seeing what your brother is doing translation. I want to bug him to amuse myself."Yolei said. "Only children, yeesh."
*****
Tai was reading a manga.
Kari flipped over the edge of his bunkbed.
"Hi Tai!"
"BWAAH!" Tai freaked out as Kari swung by her legs.
"Mom said you had to let me use the bed."
"I know."
"I wish I had a bunk bed. It's cool." Kari said.
"Mom said the bunkbed was mine. It's comfortable. The tatami hurt my back. So You're only just borrowing it."
"I know that." Kari said wistfully, "It's just bunkbeds are fun."
TK pointed at the wall "Is that for Matt's band? I haven't seen that poster."
"No it's Willow. They rock. They got this schizoid lead singer who wear two different-"
"Oh."
TK flipped over "I thought you like my brother's band."
"I like Matt's band. I'm a big fan of Mat's Band. I have all his albums."
"Then how come you don't have a poster for Mat's band, then." TK asked.
Tai turned a page "Well I thought it was kind of creepy having Mat's picture in my room all the time. And Mimi's too."
"He'd be honored."
"Yeah well... I took it down. if you want it, it's yours." Tai said
"Oh come on why did you take it down."
"My only poster f Matt's band has Mimi in it."
Kari jabbed him "So you like Mimi. She's your friend."
"It's complex."
"Why are you being mean to Mimi?" Kari accused.
"I am not. It's just last time they were both over here they saw the poster and she thought I was trying to make fun of her. You know how sensitive she is. She began crying weeping. She got Joe to yell at me. So I went to Mat and he accused me of trying to get the band back together because I'm a busybody. He went nuts for no reason at all. I mean he was worse than Mimi. So I took it down. And he hasn't been to our house since. Happy?"
"But I just think if you say you like my brothers band you should have a poster."
"He's right Tai. I mean Mat is your friend.
Tai growled, got off his bed slammed down his manga. He grabbed his chair. He climbed on his chair and reached to the top of his closet, pulling out a wrinkled folded poster of 15 year old Mat and Mimi and the rest of their band.
"That's when they were still Bubble Gum Pop venue." Kari said. "I hate those songs."
"Now be quiet please." Tai said replacing the poster over the Willow poster.
"I guess you do like his band." TK said.
"I've been trying to tell you this." Tai was shouting his eyes bulging.
"If you are such a big fan Whats it's name then?"
Something in Tai's brain snapped.
"Alright get out and take the poster with you."
"What did I say?" TK asked.
Tai shoved TK and Kari out of the room.
"You two are forbidden from my room."
"But Mom said I get the bunk bed."
Tai growled "Until you go to sleep. You are forebidden from my room."
Tai slid door shut as fast as he could.
"What's he doing?
"Nothing. Just reading."
"But he should be doing his homework." Yolei said. "Let me go talk to him."
Yolei entered the room.
"Tai, I brought you a snack."
"Wow. Good old Yolei."
Yolei brought him in a soda and some chips.
"You like Double Chocolate Pocky right? I got one just for you."
"Yolei. I love you."
"No where is your homework?"
"Oh I haven't done it yet."
Yolei grabbed the bottle and the cola squirted into his nose.
"Yolei! What are you doing?"
"In my house we don't get snacks until the homework is done."
"Well I was trying to relax first. And they canceled juku so I thought..."
"Well that's not how it's done Mr."
"What?" Tai asked.
"I'm taking these snacks back." Yolei piled the bags.
"Can I at least have the pocky? You-"
Yolei took it from him.
"Okay."
"I'll be back in a half an hour. You better have something to show for it." Yolei said.
"I don't have to listen to you you realize." Tai said softly, "I mean any idea that you have disciplinary power over me is a pure illusion."
Yolei only had to look at him. Just once. One look of authority and power coolly destroying his defiance. And a sluight tremble of her lower right eyelid "Look. Do. Your. Homework."
"You can't make me!"
Yolei frowned once.
*****
Tai was now in the middle of his homework. How had he been itimdated by Yolei? It's not like it wasn't sunday tomorrow and he couldn't goof off. He stared at dopey Mat in hip hop pants with his blank dead grin. Maybe having a sleepover was harder than he thought.
"Do you need help with your ever so serious high school homework?"
Tai lifted up his head to the voice.
Ken and Cody jumped inside the room.
"The Brothers McMathematics."
All at once loud carnival music began playing. Ken came into his room balancing a ruler on his nose. Cody was juggling paperweights.
"Yes we sing, dance, compute the cosin of of an isosceles triangle."
Ken tossed the ruler in the air "You have geometry, trigonometry, applied calculus, Thermodynamics, Quantyum Physics, we are your men... er boys."
"And all while looking cute as a button." Cody smiled.
They fenced with slide rules. Cody did a handstand.
"Um guys."
Ken was holding a compass between his teeth. Cody was standing on the opposite wall getting compasses thrown at him.
"Guys!" Tai Tai shouted.
"Whab bis it?" Ken said with the compass in his mouth.
"I'm trying to work."
"That is why we are here. To help you get your homework done and make Mathematics fun."
"That is almost a rhyme." Ken said "ahahahahaha."
Tai buried his head as the two capered and cavorted around his room. They grabbed the worksheet.
"Hey,that's my homework."
Ken took out his pen and marked the worksheet.
"The answer is four." Ken said.
"Wait, The answer is three." Cody said.
They walked into the corner. And began fake whispering to themselves.
"wubba wubbba wubba."
"Spspspspssps."
"Okay then. We've come to a conclusion." Ken said
"The answer is 4.3." Cody said
They shook hands.
"Good Job Ken."
"Why thank you Cody."
Tai stared at the answer scribbled on his paper. The long equation scrawled over the worksheet.
"Oh Four point three." Tai's eye twitched.
"How long were you working on that one? You can thank us now." Ken smiled.
"Four point three. Did you want to check again?" Tai gave them a streesed
"Oh I always double check." Ken said.
"I always triple check." Cody said, "We can bring Yolei in here and quadruple check."
"Did the Brothers McMathematics realize I'm doing English homework?"
"Um."
"And I have to do it over again. Because you scribbled on my worksheet"
"Good day then."
They began to dance.
"bababababa yadayadyada"
"doo de doo de doo de doo-oo."
*****
"How has you sick cat been doing? How did you do on the last test?" Tai repeated to himself in English as the headphones. Man he was hungry. Well there was pizza in the kitchen.
The Digimon picked over the remains of the big pizza.
Demiveemon slid the slice over to Gatomon "You can have my slice. I'm full."
"Wow. Thanks."
Patomon stared "You had two slices already."
"Yeah but we're growing champions." Gatomon licked her paw, finishing Demiveemon's food.
Tai stared in horror.
"There is no more Pizza left."
"Oh no. Tai didn't get any."
"Oh sorry Tai." Gatomon said with her mouth full.
"That's the last piece of pizza." Tai said.
"I could cut it in half." Gatomon wiped her mouth.
Patomon flew holding the piece of pizza "You can have all of mine Garlic makes me itchy."
Tai whimpered.
"I only took a few bites." Patomon said scratching himself, getting lint, dander on the slice in the
"Thank you." Tai frowned.
"Ooh. If you really don't want it..." Gatomon grabbed it.
"He that is my pizza."
"Mine."
"I'm hungry."
"I'm hungry too."
"You can't have it." Tai easily yanked the pizza away. He spoke to it "You are all mine pizza."
"I'm sorry Tai it's an old habit, I eat as much food as possible when it's available. I shouldn't be so greedy but that's how it was growing up in the wild, with nothing to eat, never knowing where your next meal is coming from. You don't know what it is to be really hungry."
They all lowered their heads.
"Gatomon, I'm sorry. Here."Tai handed her the pizza.11
Gatomon was weeping large tears on him against him "Thank you Tai. This piece of pizza is a small consolation for all the misery I have suffered, now knowing I have a home with you and Kari."
"Stop. I'll eat left overs." Tai began bawling. "It's so sad."
Tai left the digimon alone, crying for poor Gatomon's suffering.
Gatomon took another bite "One of the things that I did learn in the wild. Other than glutting myself, is that guilt is an effective weapon against those bigger yet more gullible than you."
Demiveemon shook his head "Lady you are pure poison."
*****
There was nothing but cola in the fridge. He might as well drink something to fill his aching stomach. Not one bit of food left to feed poor Tai. Maybe he could sneak some junkfood from Yolei. He couldn't face her again knowing he was in the middle of his homework. Somehow the girl had pysched him out.
The phone rang. Cody picked it up
"Hello? Who is this?"
Yolei growled "You're supposed to say, Kamiya residence."
"I can do it." Ken grabbed the phone trembling with energy. He began talking to fast for any of them to understand at all, without any stops "Oh no this isn't Tai- Tai oh well I don't him very well- I mean I played him and soccer and you know we kind of spend time I mean we don't hang out like everyday- We're more like business associates or acquaintences- I'm much closer to his sister. Kari who is turning 13 today and I will wish her happy birthday for you- He seems like a great guy though- Real class act- Has a nice room though Did I tell you I am making a artificially intelligent robot..." Ken's teeth were chattering he was on such a sugar high.
"She's not asking for your life story." She yanked it away give me that." Yolei yanked the phone "Who is this? Karana Himiko. Hmm I will find him, sorry about all these childish boys."
Kari sniggered, "It's Himiko the team manager. He likes her."
"Well I'll just find Tai and..."
"I wish I could talk to her."
"Here let Kari talk to her." Daisuke said "She should know what kind of man her brother is dating."
"No I'm finding Tai and..."
"Give Kari the phone..."
"No. This is private."
Daisuke growled and tackled Yolei wrestling the phone away.
"Taichi-kun?" Himiko said on the phone.
Daisuke pankicked "Yes?"
"Oh kami. Tai-kun it's horrible-"
Tai walked into the room.
"Who was on the phone?"
"Oh Nobara Himiko." Yolei said.
"Himi-chan. Oh."Tai said frustrated
Kari panicked. "Why what's wrong?"
"I can't stand her. I thought she was so cute but then I found out she dumped her boyfriend just because he didn't play sports and had a thing for me. And she's high maintenance and eats her toenails. I hope you hung up."
"Well no."
Daisuke was talking on the phone "So I really enjoy the company of a fine beautiful lady as yourself. What color is your hair?"
"Oh Tai-kun you know I have black hair. You goose."
"So kid. I'm excited about our date."
"What date?"
"The one I'm making with you. Tommorrow." Daisuke said.
"Oh wow. I thought you had to take your grandma to the doctors."
Tai froze.
Daisuke smiled "I think I got you a date." He winked "She likes you."
"Gah no I just made that grandma story to throw her off track. I don't like her."
"Who is that?"
Daisuke panicked again "That's my sisters friend, Daisuke. Total stud for a second grader."
"Gimme that phone you twerp."
"But I got you a date. Kari said you liked her." Daisuke said.
"Hang up."
"Um Himiko, we aren't going out. I don't like you bye."
"Tai you are acting strange and who are all those crazy people. I'm coming over."
Tai grabbed the phone "You better not. I don't like you you slob. Now stop calling."
"What why you...."
Tai hung up the phone.
Demiveemon smiled "You sound just like Daisuke."
"Grah" Tai screamed "I can't believe you made me do that. Now I have to go to soccer practice tommorrow and apologize and she doesn't deserve it."
"I'm sorry I was only trying to help."
"Look no one can answer my phonecalls, no one do my homework, no one eat my food, no one come into my room."
Tai slid the door.
"He's on the slippery slope." Yolei shook her head.
Kari sighed "I think we better leave Tai alone. He might snap."
"What can we do?"
"Let's go to bed." Daisuke said "I don't want to get yelled at again."
TK yawned.
"No way. This is Kari's sleepover. And we are going to make it one we'll never forget." Yolei glomped Kari "In the youth of our lives we must have wicked scarlet pasts to color our lives."
"We're only eleven. We're not ready for scarlet pasts." Ken said.
"I'm only eight."Cody said "I've just gotten over stuffed animals."
"We must do something wild, crazy pasionate and thrilling." Yolei said.
"what?"
"Spin the Bottle" Yolei said.
Lightning crashed.
"Daisuke." TK had to pull him up from fainting.
"My mom would never let us play spin the bottle." Kari said.
"Your mom is asleep."TK said, "she was in her bed and everything."
Yolei grabbed the two liter empty jug "We'll use this."
"What is Spin the Bottle?" Ken asked.
"Well you spin the bottle and then-"
"Sounds like fun." Poromon sound
The digimon began spinning the bottle "Go bottle go."
"How fast do you spin it?" Opumon bounced.
"But when it points at a person. You have to kiss that person."
The digimon jumped away grumbling "Ewww."
"That sounds..." Ken shrugged.
"Oh yeah." Daisuke smiled. "I've dreamed of this. A real real party with spin the bottle."
"It's gonna be cool." TK said.
"Well..." She looked at Daisuke's maniacally happy expression.
"We don't have to tell anyone. We'll just keep who we kiss a secret."
"Well it sounds wild. Okay Okay." Kari nodded "Lets do it."
*****
They got into a huddle.
"Kae bae bo!" (paper rock scissors in Korean)
They through there hands in.
"I'm out." TK said. Pulling out his even number. Yolei grumbled.
Ken Daisuke, Cody and Kari remained"Kae bae bo."
Ken asked as he looked at his hand "I don't have too."
"Oh well." Cody shrugged. "Girls are yucky."
Kari looked fearfully at Daisuke.
"Kae" Kari gulped
"Bae" Daisuke grinned.
"Bo." they yelled
"At last. Yes. Virtue triumphs. I'm gonna go first. Oh if only if only...."
Kari sweatdropped as Daisuke did cartwheels around the room.
"Remember. I can always help you fake your own death." Cody patted her on the back
"And he has to point the bottle at you." Yolei said.
Daisuke smiled "I have a fool proof system. It can't fail. I've been planning on this forever. It's called Operation: True Love."
Daisuke looked at the bottle. He spit in his hands.
"Eww. Daisuke." TK squicked "We have to touch that."
"Sorry."
Daisuke spun it. It spun faster than anything. Kari looked at it fretfully.
"Kari Kari Kari."
"Lands on..."
Kari crossed her fingers.
"Kari." Cody said.
Kari gasped. The bottle pointed straight at her. Like a beacon of doom.
Daisuke blinked.
"Can we do a redo... or-" Kari muttered.
"IT WORKED!" Daisuke ran around the room once again cartwheeling.
"He'd be great on the gymnastics team." Yolei said.
Kari was silent.
"Well Kari this is it."
"Daisuke-chan. You are my best friend and we've known each other for ever-" Kari backed up.
"I've been saving this." He squirted the binaca in his mouth.
"And I like you as a friend but I'm not ready for any boys."
"Pucker up."
"Ahhhh. Don't eat me." Kari shrieked.
The others closed their eyes "This will get messy."
Ken froze "I'm too terrified not to look."
"Run Kari!" Yolei shouted.
Daisuke looked deep into her eyes. Kari was stilled.
"Kari."
"Yeah?"
Daisuke lowered his face in for the softest deepest most amazing kiss Kari would ever feel.
Yolei and Cody stared at each other. TK covered his mouth. Ken stared. He hadn't bitten her head off, he wasn't even sloberring on her. They sat in dumbfounded amazement.
Kari went limp and hung in his arms like a rag doll.
Daisuke held her face.
"Did you like that Kari?" Daisuke asked softly.
"Whooooa." Kari said dizzy.
"Cool I kissed you good."
Yolei clutched onto Ken "I'm gonna faint.
"Wow." Kari said.
"Yeah This is a fun game." Chibimon laughed.
"How did you learn to kiss like that?" Yolei demanded, shoving him lightly.
"Whoa. Wow. Whoa." Kari gulped.
Daisuke's voice jumped down three octaves "I don't mean to brag or embarass some fine ladies. I've got lots of practice." Daisuke grinned and winked.
Demiveemon nodded "Yuhhuh. Yeah He just stands in front of the mirror with his sisters cabbage patch kid-
"Demiveemon!"
"Yeah he takes the doll, and put lipstick on it and kisses it. And then he looks at it and he kisses it and calls it Kari. Sometimes he'll be there for an hour.
"Demiveemon!!! Be quiet." Daisuke sweatdropped.
"But you practice a lot. More than soccer." Demiveemon jumed to the top of the couch "Kari at last you are in my arms."
***
Tai sighed putting down his manga. This was suspicious. Firstly the kids were listening to him (the first clue something was wrong). They had left him in his room amd left him alone. He was not so far out of childhood he could trust that. The next thing was that they were respectably quiet. As if they weren't having a party at all. His spider senses were going crazy
"I wonder what they are doing."
***
Ken watched Yolei's bottle stop. On TK.
"TK" Cody the unofficial bottle judge shouted.
"Okay TK pucker up. I've done this a hundred times at Race Camp." Yolei said. She refreshened her cherry chapstick.
Daisuke elbowed him.
TK looked at Kari. Kari gave him another 2000 yen note.
"That's 5000 yen, if you do it." she nodded.
Ken looked at Cody who shrugged.
TK kissed Yolei on the lips as she smiled. Then dove into that freaky big mouth.
Yolei squealed.
Daisuke said "What's the matter? Tongue tied?"and Kari high fived him.
"Eww. You put your tongue in my mouth."
"What? That's how they kiss in the movies." TK needled. "I thought you played this before."
"Man I never thought I would want to be kissed by Daisuke." Yolei smacked TK with her pillow.
"oww."
Kari passed out laughing.
"Ow."
"I can't believe he did that." Ken was gape mouthed
"Well I'm not playing anymore." Yolei crossed her arms. "Ken you're up."
Ken froze. "Okay here... I .... Um you wanna go Cody? This game is unstimulating." Ken turned to him.
"I don't like this game either. All the girls don't want to kiss me. Besides we all have to go."
"Come on." Yolei said "Give it a spin." She made a kissie in the air.
"I thought you weren't playing any more."
"I'll only play when Ken is playing." Yolei said "Not with casanova and big jerk head."
Kari smiled "Yeah. Come on Ken, If Dai-kun can do it like that..."
"Yeah if I can do it. Hey?" Daisuke wrinkled his brow. "No fair Kari."
"Okay." Ken closed his eyes. "Here it goes."
"Great the kid can build a control spire but he can't spin the bottle."
Kari looked curiously. Ken was cute. Like a tv bishounen or some guy on Gundam. Maybe he would kiss her. He'd have to kiss her. There weren't any girls left.
The bottle stopped at the window.
"Ooops. Do I have to redo?"
"It's closest to me." Kari said quickly.
"Yep. It's Kari." Cody said.
"Neat. I'm getting all the boys kissing me. This is cool."
"No." Daisuke gasped."Ken doesn't get to kiss Kari."
Ken stood up "Yeah. I should just sit out and-"
"That's the game." TK shrugged.
Daisuke sighed. "Fine then ruin my happiness." Ken would probably be a genius kisser too. He'd sweep Kari off her feet. He saw visions of Ken and Kari going ice skating in soldier costumes and eating ice cream sundae's together. TK was just a poser, but if the ex Digimon Emperor, Boy Genius liked Kari there would be no competition. Daisuke looked at his blue eyes and lovely violet hair. Man there was no way he could top that.
"But shouldn't it point at someone?" Ken insisted "Isn't that the rule?"
"It's okay Ken. " Kari smiled. She was so sweet, Daisuke thought. But she had to be crazy not thinking about kissing him. He was pretty like those crazy boys on Gundam Wing that his mom says he couldn't watch anymore. The kind of bishounen that girls like. He looked like the evil warlock on that one show that he couldn't watch cause it had curse words and talked about breasts. Even the purple hair. Except Ken's was real.
"I won't bite." Kari said.
"Not like T-" Yolei pinched his arm."-K"
"Owww." TK yeowled.
"I'm going to pinch you everytime I remember." Yolei said.
Daisuke continued to stare. Ken was cute too not just handsome. You know when he was vulnerable. If anyone knew how cute he could be, how kind and sweet he was it was Daisuke, which was why losing him to Kari was inevitable. He sighed and watched the gorgeous boy make his move.
"If it's the rules."
Kari rolled her thumbs. Ken closed his eyes.
Daisuke frowned. One kiss and it would be over.
Ken sort over hovered.
"Just kiss me and-"
Ken panicked "Okay Okay. I'm kissing you. I don't know where your face is."
"It's over here where my face is." Kari said.
"Just open your eyes, Ken."
"Okay."
"Open them or-"
They bumped noses.
"Ow." Kari stood up.
"Kaddi?" Ken grabbed his nose too.
"Ooh. How did you mess up that badly?"
"I'b sorry. I'll just." Ken backed up and walked out of the room.
Kari followed him."Wait Ken!"
"Man that must be so embarassing." TK said a little ashamed of himself.
"Yeah. Peer pressure can really bite." Yolei said mournfully. Then she twisted TK's nipple. "OWWWWW!"
****
"Ken I'm sorry." Kari said hanging outside the bathroom
"It's just I can't do it. I mean I look at you and I get so nervous. So I close my eyes and then I can't see you, and then I-" Ken sighed and looked out the window. "I-"
"I'm sorry. It's just I never thought you would be shy."
"Well. I don't know. When I was him, I was just so mean. Instead of being scared of people like I always was, I was mean. I think it's called a compensatory facade. I was a real shy geek. I guess I've gone back to what I was before."
"It's just a kiss." Kari kissed him on the cheek "See. I'm not dead."
"I don't know. What you need is someone to practice on. Someone who is approachable, unintimidating, unattractive. Someone no one could ever possibly have any interest in." Kari said.
"Yeah." TK said. "That should loosen you up."
"But who?"
Daisuke shrugged.
****
Tai walked towards the door to the bathroom. He shouldn't have tied to drink three root bears with an empty stomach. But it was locked. He put his ear against the door. Someone was in their crying. Oh great the classic sleepover blowup. Well Sleepovers never changed. There was always one huge emotional fight at any good sleep over. Maybe he should intervene. It would get who ever was crying out of the bathroom.
****
"I'm not doing it." Daisuke crossed his arms.
"Please Daisuke. It's just-" Kari waned coquettish "You were such a good kisser. I thought he could learn from the best. Would you do it for me Daisuke?"
"Oh well. I would do anything for you." Daisuke froze.
"So you would kiss Ken?" Kari pouted
"I can't believe this. It's too crazy." Daisuke turned around.
"It's crazy enough to work." TK said in a cliched tone.
"Well I'm not kissing you." Yolei said. "No matter what Kari says."
"Okay pucker up Ken."
Ken leaned in and pressed his lips against Daisuke's. Daisuke kissed back.
Ken's eyes fluttered shut. Daisuke was shocked, or maybe wasn't. Ken could really kiss.
"Wow this is the record." Cody shook his head.
"You guys can stop now."TK said.
Daisuke and Ken opened there eyes, but didn't disengage. Daisuke got a wicked look in his eyes.
"Oh my God he's going for the tongue." Yolei gasped and kicked TK in the shin
"Ow."
"What are you guys doing in there?" Tai knocked on the door. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Tai. Quick... Um."
"HIDE!" Kari panicked.
He froze as he witnessed Daisuke kissing someone were open mouthed kissing each other.
"You-" Tai froze "guys?"
Ken stopped. Yep that was a very red faced Ken Ichijogi in his arms. Daisuke was sucking on his face like a lamprey eel.
"You guys! Stop it." Tai shouted.
"Are you kissing Ken?" Tai looked at Daisuke.
"It's just practice. I didn't..."
Ken frowned
"Um no I mean he's really really and I- I-"
Ken pointed at Kari "Kari told him too. You know he'd do anything for Kari."
"You're not selling me out Ichijogi. You're the one who kissed him."
"I wouldn't do anything for Kari." Daisuke said "I wouldn't feast on the blood of the innocent."
"You are playing spin the bottle, Kari. Oh Kari. You're only 11." Tai shook his head.
Ken giggled "I think I won."
"You guys. That's it. If I was Mom this party would be over. I didn't even play spin the bottle till I was 13. You need a chaperone."
"But Cody didn't- Uh."
"I brought in my Play Station. We can play some video games. Until we're ready to sleep."
"Aw thanks Tai you are the best big brother." She hugged him and held him.
"And I won't tell Mom."
Kari let him go "That's what I was hoping."
"Casanova on this side." Tai placed Dai on one side. He pointed at Ken "You Hot lips, on this side. How did you kids learn to kiss like that?"
"TV." Ken said
"Daisuke practices with a doll." Chibimon chirped.
"Chibimon shut up."
It wasn't half an hour before Ken was sleeping on Tai's shoulder. Hot Lips Ichijogi was finally crashing from his first massive sugar high. Cody was curled up on his pillow.
Tai stood up.
"Let's get to bed."
"Come on. It's almost midnight." Kari said "Please Tai."
"You can go to bed at Midnight."
He tossed Cody his little blanket. He was already fast asleep.
Daisuke yawned "Man I'm never going to forget tonight.
"Come on get to the couch, Hotlips." Tai said.
"Stop calling me that."
"Where are we gonna sleep?" Opumon asked.
Poromon shrugged "I'm tired."
DemiVeemon "Daisuke! Do we have sleeping bags?"
"Um..."
"Sure we do." Tai said. He got out three grocery bags. "Three sleeping bags."
"Are they sleeping bags?"
"Well they are sleeping bags when you are asleep." Patomon said. "But they are grocery bags when you are awake." Patomon winked at Tai.
"Oh." The three rookies nodded.
"Wow we have sleeping bags. It's almost like a campout." Poromon snuggled.
"What's like a campout?"Opumon asked.
"I don't know I never been on one." Poromon yawned.
DemiVeemon was already asleep.
"I'm sleeping on Kari's pillow." Gatomon sniffed.
Daisuke looked at Kari but then turned around towards the couch.
"Ken?"
"...." Ken was awake but too tired to speak. He lifted his blue eyes once.
"I'm sorry I kissed you because Kari told me too."
"..m'okay." He rested his eyes.
"I don't do everything Kari tells me."
Ken was listening. Daisuke just knew. He wouldn't let himself sleep without hearing this.
"You don't need anybody pity kissing you."
"I only kissed you because Kari told me to." Ken mumbled.
"Well. I'm not Kari's boy so. I don't have to do everything she says."
"..."
Daisuke smiled and brushed Ken's hair back. He kissed his cheek then his mouth.
"You know all I'm going remember is kissing you tonight." Daisuke said.
Ken smiled and closed his eyes.
Daisuke bubbled inside and curled up by the couch.
Tai settled on the old thick tatami in Kari's room.
He felt the pain in his back return. He threw away the little chibi poofy animal and closed his eyes.
But they popped open again. This was the last time he drank rootbeer after 10pm. It was going to take forever to live through this night.
At 10 there was a sound.
"Breakfast honey."
Tai rolled on the floor trying to get out of bed. Forgetting he was in the tatami, he couldn't stand without the leverage.
His back was a huge knot of pain.
TBC