Rumpleteasza: Hehe, now the REAL fun begins... beware of Jun Motomiya being treated LIKE A PERSON for a change. (shocked face) No! Surely, you jest! But no, I kid you not, I'm taking her seriously. Of course Jun IS annoying, but she's still a person. I respect a girl who never gives up. I worry for her sanity, yes, but I still respect her in a twisted sort of way.

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Chapter Seven – Shopping

"And now we see the fascinating socialisation habits of the female of the species," Joe said in a hushed voice. "Note how bizarre and artificial hair-colour is used to outstand the crowd, presumably to attract suitable males. The behaviour of the females advancing as a pack, holding hands, is a widely-used technique causing the intimidation of lesser individuals, and the affirmation of territory is obtained by making their presence known with squeals, giggles and hugs, also useful for pack bonding-"

"Joe!" Tai hissed. "Stop the narration already! You're not taking this seriously!"

Daisuke peered through the shop window as Kari held a tiny, baby-blue halterneck dress against herself, Mimi nodding her head approvingly. Daisuke's mouth involuntarily formed and 'Oooh' shape. "Oh yeah, Kari, go on, try it on, come on…"

"Daisuke!" Tai spat, clouting him round the head. "That's my sister you're talking about!"

"Sorry," Daisuke apologised sheepishly, rubbing his head.

"Hey, dude," Matt interjected, looking over his shoulder into the crowded mall. Shoppers were looking curiously at them as they passed. "We're getting a lot of funny looks. I knew these suits weren't a good idea…"

"Oh, stop complaining!" Tai said crossly.

"Guys!" Cody said suddenly. "Guys, they're coming this way!"

They swung round to look through the window. The girls had replaced Kari's dress and were walking towards the exit – straight towards the boys.

"Run for it!" TK whispered urgently.


"What was that?" Kari said suddenly, looking curiously towards the escalator.

"What was what?" asked Sora, following Kari's gaze.

"Thought I saw my brother's big hair." Kari shook her head. "Never mind. It must have been someone else."

"Two people with hair like Tai's?" Mimi exclaimed, looking horrified. "I hope not!"

Yolei giggled. "Rather Tai than Matt. I bet he uses a whole tub of gel every day."

Jun's eyes grew big and sparkly. "It's worth it, though… for the end result…"

"Know what I've wanted to do for years?" Sora said mischievously.

"What?"

Sora grinned impishly. "Get a strand of his hair and twist it," she said. "Just to see if it snaps."

"Sora!" Jun squealed, scandalised, dissolving into giggles.

"Know what I'dlike to do?" Kari said with a devilish smile.

"What?"

"Hide those goggles and see who goes craziest – Daisuke or Tai!"

The girls caught another fit of the giggles as they walked into the next shop.


"What's wrong with my hair?" Tai huffed.

"I don't use an entire tub of gel per day!" Matt said, enraged. "I use three-quarters of a tub per day! And my hair most definitely would not snap!" He grabbed a strand of honey-blond hair and tugged. "See?- oh," he said as the strand broke off in his hand.

"Schweet!" TK said, looking as if his birthday had come early. "Watch out, big bro. Next time you tick me off, I'll go for the hair."

"You dare!" Matt snarled at him.

"Hey!" Joe exclaimed. "Where'd they go? We lost 'em!"

"No way!" Daisuke moaned, casting anxiously around. "How are we gonna find them again in this jungle?"

"Damn," Tai groaned. "They could be anywhere!"

"Not necessarily," Izzy said, thoughtfully, checking a map of the mall by a huge potted plant nestling by the escalator. It says on here that there are two other women's clothes shops around here – Topshop and Lipsy. So they're bound to be in one of them."

"Nice work, Izzy!" Tai praised. "Ok gang – which one first?"

"Lipsy's Mimi's favourite shop," Joe offered helpfully. "Maybe they went there first."

"Brilliant!" Tai crowed. "Let's get going!" Then he stopped, frowning. "Hey, Joe, how did you know what Mimi's favourite shop was?"

Joe turned a rather worrying shade of magenta. "Oh, well, I-"

"You haven't been shopping with her, have you?" Matt inquired suspiciously, a look of horror on his face.

"Um- well………"

"Duuuude," TK said, screwing up his face.

"Freak," Daisuke muttered.

"Oh, shut up," Joe shot back at them.


"Oh Sora, that crimson is perfect on you!" Jun exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, it really looks like they made that dress just for you," Kari said admiringly.

Mimi cast an experienced, critical eye over Sora. "I have to say, they're right," she concluded. "You're not going to find a better dress than that. You should totally buy it."

Sora beamed, smoothing the silky fabric with her fingers. "You think so?"

"Definitely," Yolei declared. "How much is it?"

"It's in the sale," Sora said happily.

"So that's Sora's, Yolei's and my dresses we've got so far," Mimi said, ticking them off on her fingers. "Which means we still have to get yours and Jun's, Kari."

"I liked that light blue halterneck I saw at the very beginning," Kari told her. "I'd like to go back and get it."

"Which means we only have yours to look for yours, Jun," Yolei said, "and then we'll head for the Café Samba."

"I don't know if I'm ever going to find anything," Jun sighed.

"Hey, don't worry," Mimi said with a smile. "As long as I'm around, we won't give up until we've found you the perfect outfit. You'll knock Matt off his feet tonight."

Jun raised her eyebrows. "I doubt it."

"You will!" Mimi said firmly, taking her arm and following Sora to the cash register. "Positivism, Jun! Positivism!"


"Knock Matt off his feet?" Matt said in disgust. "Matt will never be knocked off his feet by Jun. Matt has some standards."

"Uh – Matt?"

"What, TK?"

"Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?"

Matt was silent for a second. "Well – can we get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Yeah!" Daisuke whined. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"That was only a couple of hours ago, Dai," Cody reminded him.

"Exactly."

"So shall we go for a burger or something?" Joe suggested.

"We have to keep them in sight, ok?" Tai said in annoyance. "We'll eat when they eat. Hey, look, they're heading out again."

Daisuke's stomach rumbled loudly.

"Hey, keep it down!" Tai hissed, glaring at Daisuke's middle. "They'll hear you!"


Rumpleteasza:-D

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