Rumpleteasza: Thanks for all your lovely reviews! big snugly huggles special thanks to Emilia there. Milly, one day I will rise up and destroy you.
xxxx


Chapter Three – How To Maximise Your Phone Bill

Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring, ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Sora, it's me!"

"Hey Tai! What youup to?"

"Nothin' much. You ok?"

"Huh?"

"You seemed sort of angry at practice, I… well, I… guess I was just wondering if you were ok."

"What? Oh, that! Don't worry, just got a bit of a headache, that's all."

"Oh, right! You sure?"

"'Course!"

"Cool! So, you doing anything on Saturday? Want to see a film? Me and the guys are seeing Sewer Rats From Hell at the Roxy. You in?"

"Oh, Saturday? Sorry, Tai, can't make it."

"Oh… why, what are youdoing?"

"Out with the girls."

"…"

"Tai?"

"You what? 'Out with the girls'?"

(Laugh) "Me, Mimi, Kari and Yolei are having a day out together."

"Where?"

"Oh, you know… just around. Girl stuff."

"Like what? What's the big secret?"

"Sorry, Tai, that's for us to know and for you to wonder about… anyway, got to go and do that Maths or Mizuki-sensei'll blow her top tomorrow. Catch you later, ok?"

"Hey, wait! C'mon, Sora, what are yougetting up to with my sister and the others?"

"Oh, nothing you'd be interested in…"

"Yeah right."

"Got to run. Seeya, Tai!"

"I'll get it out of you somehow. Seeya tomorrow, Sora."

Click.


Ring, ring… ring, ring…

"Konnichiwa, Tachikawa residence."

"Hi, Mimi? It's Joe!"

"Hey Joe! How's that extra work going?"

"You mean the junior medic's report for Ms. Hoshi?"

"I mean the one you've spent the best part of five days holed up over…"

"Yup, that's it. It's going pretty good, I'll be finished up by the weekend. Me and the other guys are seeing a movie then, want to come?"

"What, on Saturday?"

"Uh-huh. I told them I don't mind seeing anything except that gross horror movie about mutant sewer-rats."

"Sorry Joe, I can't. I have plans."

"You do? What're you doing?"

"Oh, just a little something with Sora, Yolei and Kari…"

"Oh yeah? I know that tone of voice… What are you up to, Mi?"

"Nothin'…"

"You're not fooling anyone!"

"I don't have to." (Giggle) "Gotta go. Seeya soon, Joe, nice talkin'!"

"Wait a sec, Mi-"

click.


Ring,ring…

"Konnichiwa, Inoue Convenience Store, how can I help you?"

"Konnichiwa, may I speak to Miyako please?"

"Oh, hello Koushiro, of course you may. Hold on for a second."

"Domo arigatou, Inoue-san."

"Hi!"

"Hey Yolei, it's me."

"I know! How's it going, Iz?"

"Not bad, and you?"

"Just fine! Did you sort out that debugging program for the virused-out computers at the lab?"

"Yeah, I'll have it finished by Friday. Hey Yolei, can you do me a big favour?"

"Sure, Izzy! Just name it!"

"Thanks 'Lei, I don't know what I'd do without you. I need some help debugging the computers before school starts again on Monday – could you come down with me on Saturday and give me a hand?"

"Are you kidding? Of cour- oh, rats."

"What is it?"

"I'm so sorry, Iz, I'm all booked up Saturday."

"Oh… you have plans?"

"Yeah…"

"What are you doing? Just curious-"

"Oh, just a little something I planned with Mimi, Kari and Sora."

"Sounds intriguing."

"Oh yeah, it'll be great!"

"Well, I hope you have fun, 'Lei!"

"Thanks Iz... but I feel bad about you doing all that debugging on your own. How about we head down there on Sunday instead?"

"Yeah, that's ok, I'm not doing anything then. Thanks!"

"No problem! Oh- don't forget it's the half-term dance Saturday night! You going?"

"Oh, well… I don't know, Yolei."

"Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun!"

"Well... ok, if you twist my arm. Isuppose I could do with an evening out."

"You're the best! Don't worry, it'll be great. Listen, I have to get off the phone in case we have customers calling in – I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure. Bye, 'Lei."

"Seeya!"

click.


Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring, ring…

"Hello?"

"Hi Kari!"

"Hi TK! How was your day?"

"Good! Basketball practice was great, we totally crushed 'em!"

"Cool! And I bet you scored most of the baskets, right…?"

"Aw, Kari…"

"You did, didn't you?"

"It's a team effort, Kari. Everyone matters, not just the person who's lucky enough to score."

"That means you did. Hey, by the way TK, do you know what's going on with my brother? He came home in hysterics and hasn't been able to stop laughing since. He kept asking me if I liked the colour of your eyes, or something. D'you know what he's talking about?"

"…"

"TK? Are you still there?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm still here…"

"Well, do you know what he's talking about? He's been really weird all evening."

"Um, no, I got no idea, hehe, dunno what he's on about… um, say, Kari, d'you wanna get Yolei, Daisuke and Cody this weekend and all go to the movies or something?"

"This weekend? Sunday's fine, but me and the girls have plans on Saturday."

"Yeah? 'You and the girls'? Are you gonna go and sit in some beauty parlour and talk about us guys, then?"

"Maybe…"

"Really? That's what you're doing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, TK Takaishi!"

"I would, actually."

"Well, hard cheese, it's our little secret!"

"Kari! Spoilsport."

"I'm sure you'll get over it…"

"Not if I get it out of you first. Hey Kari, Got to go, Matt wants the phone, but I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Ok, bye TK! Luv ya!"

"Luv ya!"

click.


Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring-

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sora? It's Matt."

"Oh, hey Matt. What's up?"

"Nothin', just called for a chat."

"A chat? I didn't think you were a very chatty-on-the-phone type of person."

"Hey, is it a crime for a guy to want a little light conversation with a friend?"

"No, no, of course not. So what've been up to lately?"

"Oh, y'know, out with the guys, band practice, playing a few gigs, stuff like that."

"Playing gigs, yeah? Where's your next venue? We should all come down and see you play some time."

"We're playing atLoveculture next month. You really wanna come and see us?"

"Sure, Matt! You never tell us enough about what's going on in your life, I for one would love to see you play. Hey, I know – we can all be your groupies! Without the sex, of course." (cough)

:Laugh: "Hey, that's way cool, Sora! Thanks, dude!"

"No problem!"

"Oh yeah, Tai called earlier – he said you girls are all sneaking off out on Saturday to do makeovers on eachother and gossip about us guys while we aren't there."

"God, news travels fast…"

"It's true, then? I can't imagine you giving someone a makeover!"

"Yeah? Tai's attitude's been rubbing off on you! I'm not that masculine!"

"I'm kidding, dude. So you're really doing it, huh?"

"Well, we're not doing them on eachother, we're going to– hey, wait a min, you fixed this up, didn't you? Tai made you ring me and ask me what we're doing on Saturday for him, didn't he?"

"Uh…"

"Yamato Ishida, you are shameless! I really thought you rang because you wanted to talk to me!"

"Well, I-"

"So you can just go and phone him back and tell him it didn't work!"

"Hang on, Sora –"

"No way! What's so important about knowing what we're doing, anyway? God, I don't get you boys sometimes!"

"Hey, hold on, Sora! Ok, I admit Tai asked me to call you, but-"

"I knew it!"

"Ok, I'm sorry! But I wanted to speak to you anyway, just to catch up. We haven't talked in ages."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I appreciate you wanting to come see the band, Sora. None of the others seem bothered."

"Oh, that's ok, no problem… sorry for going ape on you."

"No worries dude, s'pose I kind of deserved it. So, how about that catching up?"

"Sure!"


Ring, ring… ring-

"Moshi, moshi?"

"Hey Iz, it's Tai. Heard the news?"

"Oh, hi, Tai. What do you mean, news?"

"I mean that Sora, my sister, Mimi and Yolei are getting together on Saturday for no less than the wholeday to gossip abut us! Us guys! That's what I mean!"

"Oh, Yolei did mention something about that. What's the problem, Tai?"

"What… What d'you mean, 'what's the problem'? They'll all be talking about us! Kari knows secrets about me that would raise the dead, and she's gonna be telling them all to Sora!"

"Just Sora?"

"Well, no, obviously- hang on, that's not the point, Izzy! Do you want everyone to know about your continuous love-affair with your laptop when we first went to the Digiworld? Or how Mimi saw you sucking your thumb one night? Or-"

"Hey! What do you mean, 'continuous love-affair'? And I never sucked my thumb!"

"Well, Mimi thought you did, and she'll be telling Yolei all about it."

"I never- hold on, why specifically Yolei?"

"Oh, drop the act, everyone knows you two feel-"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tai."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm not getting into this argument. Look, Tai, if you want to know what Sora's doing, why don't you just phone and ask her?"

"I spoke to her once this evening, she didn't tell me anything. I rang her again a couple of minutes ago. The line's busy."

"Oh, right."

"In the meantime, You call Joe and Cody, and I'll call Daisuke. Tell them to meet up tomorrow after school in the park, ok?"

"What about Matt and TK?"

"I already tried Matt, he's still engaged. He's talking to Sora. I didn't know he'd be this long…"

"Well, why not? They're friends too, you know."

"Yeah, I know… ok, look, got to run, Iz. Make sure you tell Joe and Cody, yeah?"

"I suppose, if that's what you want. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Tai."

"Later!"

click.


Rumpleteasza: I'd been listlessly watching Clueless before I wrote this... Quite frightening, really, what can result from such activities.

xxx