Un-amusement Park
TK gobbled down some more rice as he sat at the breakfast table across from his mother, who was sipping coffee and eating a piece of toast before heading off for her day of shopping.
"You're certainly in a hurry this morning." She noted to her son, who took a few gulps of milk from his glass. "Do you have a hot date or something?"
"Well, actually, I'm going to the amusement park with a friend." TK said.
"Oh, is it that girl you've always talked about? Kari Kamiya?"
"Actually, it's my other friend. You know, Yolei Inoue?"
"Oh, the girl whose family runs the convenient store? Well that's nice."
"Yeah. Hey mom, can I ask you some advice?"
TK's mother set her coffee down, listening intently to her son.
"I'll do my best." She said with a smile.
"Suppose you liked someone for a long time, but they never showed that they liked you back. Now suppose that person decides to go out with someone else. What would you do?"
"Hmm…sounds like what I go through every time I hear Matt talk about the dates your father goes on."
"Doesn't it eat you up inside?"
"A little, yes, but his decisions are his alone. I'm no one to tell him what's right and who he should be with."
"I see."
TK's mother could see that her son was troubled by something. She stood up and gave him a pat on the back, smiling at him.
"Takeru, let me tell you something." She said, getting his attention. "Who you love is your business and no one else's no matter what your brother or anyone else might think. In a relationship the only opinions that truly matter are yours and your partner's, whomever that may be."
"That makes sense to me, I guess. It still doesn't make things any less complicated for me, though." TK said, staring down at his rice bowl.
"No one ever said love made any sense either." His mother said with a laugh. "Well, I have to get going if I'm going to catch the sales. Lock up when you leave, and have fun!"
"Okay, thanks mom." TK watched his mother leave and then set to getting ready for the day. He'd already showered, so he went to his dresser and picked out a pair of white shorts and a tan colored t-shirt. He added a white, short sleeved, buttoned shirt, but kept it unbuttoned. He looked himself over in the mirror for a moment after combing his hair a bit.
"Just keep it friendly, TK. She doesn't like you like that, and besides it's Kari you really like." He told himself. "It's just a fun day at the amusement park with a friend. Right, here we go!"
TK slipped into his tennis shoes at the genkan and left the apartment, locking it behind him. He headed for Yolei's place, ready to leave his worries behind and have fun.
_ _ _ _ _
Yolei tilted her head to one side, stretching her neck as she waited for TK outside the store. She knew she was early, as usual, so she didn't start to panic when he wasn't immediately there. She had ditched her glasses for her contacts again, and had gone with white t-shirt that had a small hawk embroidered onto one sleeve in red thread and dark blue pants with her tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back in a black barrette instead of her kerchief.
"It' a nice day for an amusement park don't you think?" she heard TK say as he approached.
"Absolutely perfecto!" she smiled back at him, flashing a peace sign at him.
"Now that's more like it." TK sounded rather enthusiastic. "Lead the way!"
A few minutes later the two were on a train speeding towards the stop for the amusement park. TK looked at Yolei for a moment, in particular her head where the bruise had been. For some reason it wasn't there anymore.
"How's your head doing?" he finally asked.
"Oh, fine. Mom helped me with a little makeup on it, to cover the bruise. Believe me, it's still there." Yolei replied, pointing to where the bruise was. "But I'm fine now. I was over the wooziness the next day."
"That's good to hear."
"Thanks again for helping me out that day. I'm sorry I was being so stubborn."
"That's what friends are for, Yolei." TK flashed her a peace sign, coupled with a big, cheesy grin. Yolei instantly started laughing.
"Well I certainly couldn't go wrong with a friend like you, TK."
"You certainly seem a lot cheerier today than the last time I saw you."
"Why wouldn't I be? It's a gorgeous day, and I'll be spending it at an amusement park with a great friend."
"You just seemed a bit preoccupied the other day I guess. Was there something on your mind then?"
"Well I had been clocked in the head by a case of prune juice, TK. I was bound to be acting a little funny." Yolei knocked on her head lightly a couple of times and laughed.
"True enough. Still, you know you can talk to me about anything." TK leaned against the train's doors, still looking at her.
"I'll remember that." Yolei said, hopping to her feet from the seat she'd taken.
The train screeched to a halt and TK and Yolei disembarked. The walk to the amusement park from the station took only a few more minutes, and before long they had bought their tickets and were inside, looking around at the myriad of things to do. Yolei rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"All right! What first?" she announced. "Hmm…how about that roller coaster? It's called the Mind Bender…oooo, check out those loops!"
TK looked at the roller coaster and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. The track looped and twisted so much it looked more like a car wreck than an amusement park ride to him. What's more, he'd never been particularly fond of roller coasters. He chalked it up to when Matt had snuck him onto one several years ago. It had terrified him. Nonetheless, he found himself being pulled towards the ride as Yolei had grabbed him by the arm, dragging him along.
"Maybe we should start with something tamer first?" he asked nervously.
"Nonsense! You've just gotta dive right in as far as these things go." Yolei let go of him as they reached the back of the line. She spun him around and began pushing at his back, making him continue on the way to what TK thought could only be certain doom.
"I still think we should reconsider this!"
"Oh come on, you've flown around on Pegasusmon before. How is this any different?"
"That's because Pegasusmon won't flip me upside down when I'm riding on his back!"
"Oh hush, you'll be fine. Now in you go!"
Yolei pushed TK into one of the roller coaster's cars and sat down next to him, pulling the protector down over both of them.
"I guess it's too late now to mention that I hate roller coasters?" TK said, groaning.
"Hmm…well, let's see." Yolei replied, pausing for thought. Just then the cars began to move forward, and she grinned madly. "Well if it wasn't too late before it is now!"
"Yolei!"
"Don't be such a baby, TK! Besides, these things are totally based on the principles of physics."
"What do I know about physics?!"
"It's simple. See, first the chain pulls up to the top of the hill." As she spoke, the train of cars began to climb the first hill. "See, gravity is pulling on us, but we keep going higher. The higher we go, the faster we'll end up going when we eventually…"
"Don't say it!"
"…drop." Yolei giggled a bit. "The rest is elementary. Oh, and you might want to try and cover your ears here."
"Why?"
TK realized that they were just about at the peak of the hill by now. He felt a twinge of panic go through him as he saw the heights they were at.
"Because I'm a screamer." Yolei added as they began to drop.
Before TK could ask another question they dropped, and Yolei began screaming her head off. TK found himself joining in as the track twirled and twisted, taking them in every which direction until finally, a couple of minutes later, they pulled back into the station. Yolei hopped out of the car, celebrating all the way out.
"Alright! Now that's how you get the blood moving!" she yelled. She looked back and saw TK making his way over to her slowly, a blank look on his face. 'Uh oh, maybe I screwed up here. I hope he's not mad…'
"That…was…" TK muttered.
"I'm sorry, TK, are you okay? I promise we can take it more…" Yolei said, apologizing.
"…INCREDIBLE!!!!" he yelled. He grabbed hold of Yolei, lifting her and hugging her with the sudden burst of energy he felt. He set her down only to continue ranting. "Whoa! What a rush! That was great! Why didn't I ever do that before?!"
"You just needed to loosen up a bit is all. Now c'mon, let's hit the next one!"
"Yes! By all means!"
The two proceeded to go from one roller coaster to the next, laughing the entire way, and completely absorbed with the fun they were having.
_ _ _ _ _
Kari let out a sigh as she sat at the picnic table. It was a perfect enough day, but she was still full of mixed feelings. In a chat session recently, Mimi had let it slip that Yolei and TK were coming to the amusement park on another date, and that had been more than enough for Kari to come on her own. At least, coming alone had been the original plan.
"Lunch is served!" Davis said, setting the tray down on the table. He sat across from Kari and inspected the hamburgers. "Let's see, this is the one with no tomato, so that's yours. This one must be mine."
"Right…" Kari said absently.
"Um, Earth to Kari? You with us?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks again for lunch Davis." Kari unwrapped her burger and took a small bite out of it.
"Hey, it's the least I can do seeing as how you bought the tickets to get in here. I feel bad that I couldn't treat you to something like this myself right now."
"Maybe another time."
"Yeah, I'll talk to mom and see. So, what ride do you wanna go on next?"
"Could we just maybe walk around for a bit Davis? I'm not much for going on rides just after I eat."
"Oh, I hear that. No prob!"
After finishing the rest of their lunch in silence, Davis and Kari walked around for a bit, looking over the various rides and attractions. After about a half-hour of walking, they stopped at a bench to rest their feet a bit.
"I had no idea this place was so huge. I think I'll end up with blisters on my blisters after today's over." Davis joked.
"Well we'll rest here for a bit, and then we'll hit the rides again."
Kari's tone didn't sound normal to Davis, though. It was like she was distracted by something, and whatever it was it was getting in the way of her having fun. Davis decided not to say anything about it, but decided that he'd spend the rest of the day trying to get Kari out of whatever funk she was in. After all, he lived to see her be happy.
_ _ _ _ _
"You know you're going to end up burying me in plush dolls, TK.' Yolei said as she held her latest acquisition. This time it was a red colored plush bird doll that she carried. TK had won it at a game on the midway that involved shooting a basketball through a hoop. There were three hoops, each a bit smaller and higher than the last, and if you got the ball into the highest one you got your choice of a doll. The bird reminded Yolei of Hawkmon, and so that had been her choice.
"Hey, this time I didn't need any help from Matt. Basketball is just my thing." TK said with a laugh.
It was now about mid-afternoon, and TK and Yolei were starting to tire out. They had hit every roller coaster in the park, and TK had found he'd gotten over his dislike of roller coasters quickly after he'd experienced the adrenaline rush the first one had given him.
They passed by the entrance to another ride as they were walking back to the entrance. It was a small train ride that traveled all around the park as well as through a few more scenic sections that you could only see on the train.
"Wanna ride the train for a bit?" TK asked. "We could relax for a while, and it'd bring us back close to the exit."
"Ahh, I and my feet thank you." Yolei said, patting TK on the back. They laughed as they went through the line, picking the last row of the last car to sit in. There were a few other people on the train, but much further up. As the train started up, Yolei could tell she was quite tired. Without thinking, she leaned over and found herself being propped up by TK.
"Um, Yolei…?"
"You don't mind, do you? I'm just tired is all, TK." She said.
"No, I don't mind at all." TK blushed a bit and tried to relax, but his arm was pinned against him and it made things a bit weird. Finally he shifted his arm a bit and put it around Yolei, resting his hand on her shoulder. Yolei didn't even think about it, as she was taking in the scenery.
'This is nice. He's very warm. It was getting a little cool anyway. Something about this feels so secure, like I know nothing bad could happen to me right now.' Yolei thought. She moved a little closer to TK, smiling to herself.
'I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm surprised she hasn't freaked out yet. Even so, it is kinda nice. We'll just stay this way until the ride ends.' TK thought. He felt Yolei shift a little, and her head was right next to his. Her hair smelled lightly of jasmine, and TK figured it must be whatever shampoo or conditioner she used. It was certainly pleasant.
Eventually the train passed through a long tunnel, where partway inside was a lit portion that had a traditional Japanese tea garden scene, complete with koi pond and everything. It was quite beautiful to look at.
Yolei found herself leaning over to see it, appreciating the simple beauty of the old style garden.
"It's something else, isn't it?" TK asked, looking at her.
"Yeah, it's really…" Yolei turned to face him. They suddenly realized that their faces were just centimeters apart. "…breathtaking." She finished her thought, suddenly caught by his eyes, which were an absolutely perfect shade of blue.
"Funny…that's just what I was thinking…" TK said in a hushed tone.
The two were transfixed on each other, bewitched by each other's eyes. TK found himself pulling her a bit closer, their lips touching once again, picking up their kiss as if it hadn't ended since their first date. Yolei found that she was instantly lost in the moment, thinking of nothing but kissing TK. She felt him run his hand through her hair and sighed contently into the kiss.
'It's happening again, and I can't help myself! Why does he have to be such a good kisser? Oh, who cares if it doesn't make any sense, just enjoy it for now Yolei! You know this can't last, after all…' Yolei thought to herself.
'I can't help myself. I hope she doesn't mind…I know I sure don't. I don't understand why, but this feels…well, it feels kinda right.' TK thought.
They continued to kiss for the remainder of the ride and even for a little bit as they felt the train come to a halt. Only the sound of a familiar voice snapped them out of it.
"TK?"
_ _ _ _ _
She had seen them. Kari and Davis had been in line for the train ride, and she'd seen them as the train pulled up. The look of shock on her face hardly expressed what she was feeling inside. She couldn't believe that she had seen them kissing.
"TK?" she said as she approached. Davis fell in behind her, though she didn't even acknowledge that he was there.
TK and Yolei broke off their kiss as they heard Kari's voice and quickly stepped off of the train, both blushing deeply.
"K-K-Kari! Wh-what're you doing here?" TK said, unable to stop stammering.
"What's this all about?" Kari asked, looking at him with pained eyes.
'Yeah, why is she here? Could she have…oh, damn it Mimi! Can't you keep anything to yourself?' Yolei thought, cursing at herself for even mentioning her date to Mimi.
"I'm just…on a date with Yolei. That's all." TK said finally, telling the truth.
"I already figured out that much." Kari said, folding her arms.
TK tried to think of a way out of his situation, but to no avail. Finally, Yolei started to walk off on her own.
"Yolei? Where are you…" TK took a couple of steps towards her.
"Hey, don't let me get in the way here. I can get home on my own. Later guys!" she said, waving to them as she walked off. 'That's right, just keep walking Yolei. Don't look back. After all, this was the plan all along.'
"Yolei, wait up!" TK called out, starting to walk after her.
"TK, we're not done talking yet!" Kari told him.
"Kari, this'll have to wait. Besides, aren't you here with Davis?"
"Who cares about him? I came here because of you!" Kari said. She suddenly gasped as she realized she'd said that out loud. She looked over at Davis, who not surprisingly looked rather hurt.
"I thought…I thought you really liked me, Kari…" he said, suddenly crestfallen. He turned and took off, running out of the park.
"Davis wait!" Kari called after him.
"You'd better catch him, Kari. Now you've got two people to explain something to." TK told her.
"I'm still not done talking to you, TK!" Kari said, now a bit angrily.
"Yeah, well likewise Kari. But we'll have this talk later, I've got to go." TK told her. He took off at a running pace after Yolei, leaving Kari alone and even more confused than ever.
_ _ _ _ _
"Where's the stupid train already?" Yolei complained as she stood on the platform. She prayed that the train would show up soon. The longer it took the more likely…
"Yolei, wait up!" TK called as he ran over to her. Yolei just shook her head disappointedly.
"My dumb luck." She muttered. She turned and looked at TK, a bit miffed. "What're you doing here?"
"I've got to see you home, now don't I? It wouldn't be right, after all." TK said, catching his breath. He'd run at a full sprint the entire way to the station.
"Are you stupid? This was the plan all along! A couple of dates and then you'd see how she reacts. Well, I'd say you have your answer. Now go on and get back to her."
"Kari's got a bit of talking to do, and not just with me. I'll catch up with her another time. Right now it's my duty to see you home and that's that."
"You're being foolish, TK. You're going to lose your chance with her for real this time." Yolei said, turning away from him.
"Stop it, Yolei. Why are you trying to push me away all of a sudden?"
"Why do you even care?" Yolei turned on him, her tone suddenly very angry. "I'm not Kari, TK! She's the one you love, remember? You can't honestly tell me you feel anything for me. I mean come on, two dates? We hardly know each other and we're kissing? And for that matter, what was that all about before on the train ride, huh? What made you do that again?!"
"Well can you blame me for wanting to kiss a pretty girl like you?!" TK shouted at her in frustration.
TK's shout rang through the station for a moment and drew some looks from other people nearby. Dead silence hung between TK and Yolei for a long, tense moment with TK pacing a bit, completely frustrated, and Yolei desperately trying to absorb what he'd said.
"Look, let's just go home and try to get past this okay?" TK said as he heard the train nearing the platform. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier on. Maybe it was a bad idea after all."
Yolei only nodded silently. When the train arrived she quickly took a seat near the door, folding her arms so that she was hugging herself. TK stood on the opposite side of the train, leaning near the door and watching the city pass by. The train ride seemed to go by quickly, and soon enough the two found themselves nearing Yolei's home. They stopped at her door, TK finally finding the strength to look at her again.
"Talk to you later?" he said. She didn't respond. He sighed in frustration again and began to walk away.
"Why did you say that?" she finally asked, her voice small and distant. TK stopped where he was, not looking back. "Why did you say, 'Can you blame me for wanting to kiss a pretty girl', TK?"
"I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean, Yolei. You figure it out." TK told her simply. Yolei suddenly felt her lower lip quivering a bit as she started to lose what control she had left over her emotions. TK sighed again and continued walking away.
"I'll talk to you again in a day or so. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Yolei. I just hope…you had a good time today." He said, his tone more depressed, almost as if he'd been defeated. He then started to run off and quickly disappeared from sight.
Yolei entered her home, going directly to her room. She sat on her bed after locking her door and felt the confusion and emotion settle into her. Eventually she changed into some nightclothes and curled up into bed.
'Why? Why why why why?! Everything is all messed up now. He's not supposed to like me, it's Kari he loves! So why me? It doesn't make any sense! And I…what do I…this is all too much!'
Yolei felt the tears falling across her face, but did nothing to wipe them away. In the end, she cried herself to sleep as she tried feebly to make sense out of why TK was acting like he had been, as well as what was going on inside of her anymore.
TK gobbled down some more rice as he sat at the breakfast table across from his mother, who was sipping coffee and eating a piece of toast before heading off for her day of shopping.
"You're certainly in a hurry this morning." She noted to her son, who took a few gulps of milk from his glass. "Do you have a hot date or something?"
"Well, actually, I'm going to the amusement park with a friend." TK said.
"Oh, is it that girl you've always talked about? Kari Kamiya?"
"Actually, it's my other friend. You know, Yolei Inoue?"
"Oh, the girl whose family runs the convenient store? Well that's nice."
"Yeah. Hey mom, can I ask you some advice?"
TK's mother set her coffee down, listening intently to her son.
"I'll do my best." She said with a smile.
"Suppose you liked someone for a long time, but they never showed that they liked you back. Now suppose that person decides to go out with someone else. What would you do?"
"Hmm…sounds like what I go through every time I hear Matt talk about the dates your father goes on."
"Doesn't it eat you up inside?"
"A little, yes, but his decisions are his alone. I'm no one to tell him what's right and who he should be with."
"I see."
TK's mother could see that her son was troubled by something. She stood up and gave him a pat on the back, smiling at him.
"Takeru, let me tell you something." She said, getting his attention. "Who you love is your business and no one else's no matter what your brother or anyone else might think. In a relationship the only opinions that truly matter are yours and your partner's, whomever that may be."
"That makes sense to me, I guess. It still doesn't make things any less complicated for me, though." TK said, staring down at his rice bowl.
"No one ever said love made any sense either." His mother said with a laugh. "Well, I have to get going if I'm going to catch the sales. Lock up when you leave, and have fun!"
"Okay, thanks mom." TK watched his mother leave and then set to getting ready for the day. He'd already showered, so he went to his dresser and picked out a pair of white shorts and a tan colored t-shirt. He added a white, short sleeved, buttoned shirt, but kept it unbuttoned. He looked himself over in the mirror for a moment after combing his hair a bit.
"Just keep it friendly, TK. She doesn't like you like that, and besides it's Kari you really like." He told himself. "It's just a fun day at the amusement park with a friend. Right, here we go!"
TK slipped into his tennis shoes at the genkan and left the apartment, locking it behind him. He headed for Yolei's place, ready to leave his worries behind and have fun.
_ _ _ _ _
Yolei tilted her head to one side, stretching her neck as she waited for TK outside the store. She knew she was early, as usual, so she didn't start to panic when he wasn't immediately there. She had ditched her glasses for her contacts again, and had gone with white t-shirt that had a small hawk embroidered onto one sleeve in red thread and dark blue pants with her tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back in a black barrette instead of her kerchief.
"It' a nice day for an amusement park don't you think?" she heard TK say as he approached.
"Absolutely perfecto!" she smiled back at him, flashing a peace sign at him.
"Now that's more like it." TK sounded rather enthusiastic. "Lead the way!"
A few minutes later the two were on a train speeding towards the stop for the amusement park. TK looked at Yolei for a moment, in particular her head where the bruise had been. For some reason it wasn't there anymore.
"How's your head doing?" he finally asked.
"Oh, fine. Mom helped me with a little makeup on it, to cover the bruise. Believe me, it's still there." Yolei replied, pointing to where the bruise was. "But I'm fine now. I was over the wooziness the next day."
"That's good to hear."
"Thanks again for helping me out that day. I'm sorry I was being so stubborn."
"That's what friends are for, Yolei." TK flashed her a peace sign, coupled with a big, cheesy grin. Yolei instantly started laughing.
"Well I certainly couldn't go wrong with a friend like you, TK."
"You certainly seem a lot cheerier today than the last time I saw you."
"Why wouldn't I be? It's a gorgeous day, and I'll be spending it at an amusement park with a great friend."
"You just seemed a bit preoccupied the other day I guess. Was there something on your mind then?"
"Well I had been clocked in the head by a case of prune juice, TK. I was bound to be acting a little funny." Yolei knocked on her head lightly a couple of times and laughed.
"True enough. Still, you know you can talk to me about anything." TK leaned against the train's doors, still looking at her.
"I'll remember that." Yolei said, hopping to her feet from the seat she'd taken.
The train screeched to a halt and TK and Yolei disembarked. The walk to the amusement park from the station took only a few more minutes, and before long they had bought their tickets and were inside, looking around at the myriad of things to do. Yolei rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"All right! What first?" she announced. "Hmm…how about that roller coaster? It's called the Mind Bender…oooo, check out those loops!"
TK looked at the roller coaster and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. The track looped and twisted so much it looked more like a car wreck than an amusement park ride to him. What's more, he'd never been particularly fond of roller coasters. He chalked it up to when Matt had snuck him onto one several years ago. It had terrified him. Nonetheless, he found himself being pulled towards the ride as Yolei had grabbed him by the arm, dragging him along.
"Maybe we should start with something tamer first?" he asked nervously.
"Nonsense! You've just gotta dive right in as far as these things go." Yolei let go of him as they reached the back of the line. She spun him around and began pushing at his back, making him continue on the way to what TK thought could only be certain doom.
"I still think we should reconsider this!"
"Oh come on, you've flown around on Pegasusmon before. How is this any different?"
"That's because Pegasusmon won't flip me upside down when I'm riding on his back!"
"Oh hush, you'll be fine. Now in you go!"
Yolei pushed TK into one of the roller coaster's cars and sat down next to him, pulling the protector down over both of them.
"I guess it's too late now to mention that I hate roller coasters?" TK said, groaning.
"Hmm…well, let's see." Yolei replied, pausing for thought. Just then the cars began to move forward, and she grinned madly. "Well if it wasn't too late before it is now!"
"Yolei!"
"Don't be such a baby, TK! Besides, these things are totally based on the principles of physics."
"What do I know about physics?!"
"It's simple. See, first the chain pulls up to the top of the hill." As she spoke, the train of cars began to climb the first hill. "See, gravity is pulling on us, but we keep going higher. The higher we go, the faster we'll end up going when we eventually…"
"Don't say it!"
"…drop." Yolei giggled a bit. "The rest is elementary. Oh, and you might want to try and cover your ears here."
"Why?"
TK realized that they were just about at the peak of the hill by now. He felt a twinge of panic go through him as he saw the heights they were at.
"Because I'm a screamer." Yolei added as they began to drop.
Before TK could ask another question they dropped, and Yolei began screaming her head off. TK found himself joining in as the track twirled and twisted, taking them in every which direction until finally, a couple of minutes later, they pulled back into the station. Yolei hopped out of the car, celebrating all the way out.
"Alright! Now that's how you get the blood moving!" she yelled. She looked back and saw TK making his way over to her slowly, a blank look on his face. 'Uh oh, maybe I screwed up here. I hope he's not mad…'
"That…was…" TK muttered.
"I'm sorry, TK, are you okay? I promise we can take it more…" Yolei said, apologizing.
"…INCREDIBLE!!!!" he yelled. He grabbed hold of Yolei, lifting her and hugging her with the sudden burst of energy he felt. He set her down only to continue ranting. "Whoa! What a rush! That was great! Why didn't I ever do that before?!"
"You just needed to loosen up a bit is all. Now c'mon, let's hit the next one!"
"Yes! By all means!"
The two proceeded to go from one roller coaster to the next, laughing the entire way, and completely absorbed with the fun they were having.
_ _ _ _ _
Kari let out a sigh as she sat at the picnic table. It was a perfect enough day, but she was still full of mixed feelings. In a chat session recently, Mimi had let it slip that Yolei and TK were coming to the amusement park on another date, and that had been more than enough for Kari to come on her own. At least, coming alone had been the original plan.
"Lunch is served!" Davis said, setting the tray down on the table. He sat across from Kari and inspected the hamburgers. "Let's see, this is the one with no tomato, so that's yours. This one must be mine."
"Right…" Kari said absently.
"Um, Earth to Kari? You with us?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks again for lunch Davis." Kari unwrapped her burger and took a small bite out of it.
"Hey, it's the least I can do seeing as how you bought the tickets to get in here. I feel bad that I couldn't treat you to something like this myself right now."
"Maybe another time."
"Yeah, I'll talk to mom and see. So, what ride do you wanna go on next?"
"Could we just maybe walk around for a bit Davis? I'm not much for going on rides just after I eat."
"Oh, I hear that. No prob!"
After finishing the rest of their lunch in silence, Davis and Kari walked around for a bit, looking over the various rides and attractions. After about a half-hour of walking, they stopped at a bench to rest their feet a bit.
"I had no idea this place was so huge. I think I'll end up with blisters on my blisters after today's over." Davis joked.
"Well we'll rest here for a bit, and then we'll hit the rides again."
Kari's tone didn't sound normal to Davis, though. It was like she was distracted by something, and whatever it was it was getting in the way of her having fun. Davis decided not to say anything about it, but decided that he'd spend the rest of the day trying to get Kari out of whatever funk she was in. After all, he lived to see her be happy.
_ _ _ _ _
"You know you're going to end up burying me in plush dolls, TK.' Yolei said as she held her latest acquisition. This time it was a red colored plush bird doll that she carried. TK had won it at a game on the midway that involved shooting a basketball through a hoop. There were three hoops, each a bit smaller and higher than the last, and if you got the ball into the highest one you got your choice of a doll. The bird reminded Yolei of Hawkmon, and so that had been her choice.
"Hey, this time I didn't need any help from Matt. Basketball is just my thing." TK said with a laugh.
It was now about mid-afternoon, and TK and Yolei were starting to tire out. They had hit every roller coaster in the park, and TK had found he'd gotten over his dislike of roller coasters quickly after he'd experienced the adrenaline rush the first one had given him.
They passed by the entrance to another ride as they were walking back to the entrance. It was a small train ride that traveled all around the park as well as through a few more scenic sections that you could only see on the train.
"Wanna ride the train for a bit?" TK asked. "We could relax for a while, and it'd bring us back close to the exit."
"Ahh, I and my feet thank you." Yolei said, patting TK on the back. They laughed as they went through the line, picking the last row of the last car to sit in. There were a few other people on the train, but much further up. As the train started up, Yolei could tell she was quite tired. Without thinking, she leaned over and found herself being propped up by TK.
"Um, Yolei…?"
"You don't mind, do you? I'm just tired is all, TK." She said.
"No, I don't mind at all." TK blushed a bit and tried to relax, but his arm was pinned against him and it made things a bit weird. Finally he shifted his arm a bit and put it around Yolei, resting his hand on her shoulder. Yolei didn't even think about it, as she was taking in the scenery.
'This is nice. He's very warm. It was getting a little cool anyway. Something about this feels so secure, like I know nothing bad could happen to me right now.' Yolei thought. She moved a little closer to TK, smiling to herself.
'I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm surprised she hasn't freaked out yet. Even so, it is kinda nice. We'll just stay this way until the ride ends.' TK thought. He felt Yolei shift a little, and her head was right next to his. Her hair smelled lightly of jasmine, and TK figured it must be whatever shampoo or conditioner she used. It was certainly pleasant.
Eventually the train passed through a long tunnel, where partway inside was a lit portion that had a traditional Japanese tea garden scene, complete with koi pond and everything. It was quite beautiful to look at.
Yolei found herself leaning over to see it, appreciating the simple beauty of the old style garden.
"It's something else, isn't it?" TK asked, looking at her.
"Yeah, it's really…" Yolei turned to face him. They suddenly realized that their faces were just centimeters apart. "…breathtaking." She finished her thought, suddenly caught by his eyes, which were an absolutely perfect shade of blue.
"Funny…that's just what I was thinking…" TK said in a hushed tone.
The two were transfixed on each other, bewitched by each other's eyes. TK found himself pulling her a bit closer, their lips touching once again, picking up their kiss as if it hadn't ended since their first date. Yolei found that she was instantly lost in the moment, thinking of nothing but kissing TK. She felt him run his hand through her hair and sighed contently into the kiss.
'It's happening again, and I can't help myself! Why does he have to be such a good kisser? Oh, who cares if it doesn't make any sense, just enjoy it for now Yolei! You know this can't last, after all…' Yolei thought to herself.
'I can't help myself. I hope she doesn't mind…I know I sure don't. I don't understand why, but this feels…well, it feels kinda right.' TK thought.
They continued to kiss for the remainder of the ride and even for a little bit as they felt the train come to a halt. Only the sound of a familiar voice snapped them out of it.
"TK?"
_ _ _ _ _
She had seen them. Kari and Davis had been in line for the train ride, and she'd seen them as the train pulled up. The look of shock on her face hardly expressed what she was feeling inside. She couldn't believe that she had seen them kissing.
"TK?" she said as she approached. Davis fell in behind her, though she didn't even acknowledge that he was there.
TK and Yolei broke off their kiss as they heard Kari's voice and quickly stepped off of the train, both blushing deeply.
"K-K-Kari! Wh-what're you doing here?" TK said, unable to stop stammering.
"What's this all about?" Kari asked, looking at him with pained eyes.
'Yeah, why is she here? Could she have…oh, damn it Mimi! Can't you keep anything to yourself?' Yolei thought, cursing at herself for even mentioning her date to Mimi.
"I'm just…on a date with Yolei. That's all." TK said finally, telling the truth.
"I already figured out that much." Kari said, folding her arms.
TK tried to think of a way out of his situation, but to no avail. Finally, Yolei started to walk off on her own.
"Yolei? Where are you…" TK took a couple of steps towards her.
"Hey, don't let me get in the way here. I can get home on my own. Later guys!" she said, waving to them as she walked off. 'That's right, just keep walking Yolei. Don't look back. After all, this was the plan all along.'
"Yolei, wait up!" TK called out, starting to walk after her.
"TK, we're not done talking yet!" Kari told him.
"Kari, this'll have to wait. Besides, aren't you here with Davis?"
"Who cares about him? I came here because of you!" Kari said. She suddenly gasped as she realized she'd said that out loud. She looked over at Davis, who not surprisingly looked rather hurt.
"I thought…I thought you really liked me, Kari…" he said, suddenly crestfallen. He turned and took off, running out of the park.
"Davis wait!" Kari called after him.
"You'd better catch him, Kari. Now you've got two people to explain something to." TK told her.
"I'm still not done talking to you, TK!" Kari said, now a bit angrily.
"Yeah, well likewise Kari. But we'll have this talk later, I've got to go." TK told her. He took off at a running pace after Yolei, leaving Kari alone and even more confused than ever.
_ _ _ _ _
"Where's the stupid train already?" Yolei complained as she stood on the platform. She prayed that the train would show up soon. The longer it took the more likely…
"Yolei, wait up!" TK called as he ran over to her. Yolei just shook her head disappointedly.
"My dumb luck." She muttered. She turned and looked at TK, a bit miffed. "What're you doing here?"
"I've got to see you home, now don't I? It wouldn't be right, after all." TK said, catching his breath. He'd run at a full sprint the entire way to the station.
"Are you stupid? This was the plan all along! A couple of dates and then you'd see how she reacts. Well, I'd say you have your answer. Now go on and get back to her."
"Kari's got a bit of talking to do, and not just with me. I'll catch up with her another time. Right now it's my duty to see you home and that's that."
"You're being foolish, TK. You're going to lose your chance with her for real this time." Yolei said, turning away from him.
"Stop it, Yolei. Why are you trying to push me away all of a sudden?"
"Why do you even care?" Yolei turned on him, her tone suddenly very angry. "I'm not Kari, TK! She's the one you love, remember? You can't honestly tell me you feel anything for me. I mean come on, two dates? We hardly know each other and we're kissing? And for that matter, what was that all about before on the train ride, huh? What made you do that again?!"
"Well can you blame me for wanting to kiss a pretty girl like you?!" TK shouted at her in frustration.
TK's shout rang through the station for a moment and drew some looks from other people nearby. Dead silence hung between TK and Yolei for a long, tense moment with TK pacing a bit, completely frustrated, and Yolei desperately trying to absorb what he'd said.
"Look, let's just go home and try to get past this okay?" TK said as he heard the train nearing the platform. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier on. Maybe it was a bad idea after all."
Yolei only nodded silently. When the train arrived she quickly took a seat near the door, folding her arms so that she was hugging herself. TK stood on the opposite side of the train, leaning near the door and watching the city pass by. The train ride seemed to go by quickly, and soon enough the two found themselves nearing Yolei's home. They stopped at her door, TK finally finding the strength to look at her again.
"Talk to you later?" he said. She didn't respond. He sighed in frustration again and began to walk away.
"Why did you say that?" she finally asked, her voice small and distant. TK stopped where he was, not looking back. "Why did you say, 'Can you blame me for wanting to kiss a pretty girl', TK?"
"I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean, Yolei. You figure it out." TK told her simply. Yolei suddenly felt her lower lip quivering a bit as she started to lose what control she had left over her emotions. TK sighed again and continued walking away.
"I'll talk to you again in a day or so. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Yolei. I just hope…you had a good time today." He said, his tone more depressed, almost as if he'd been defeated. He then started to run off and quickly disappeared from sight.
Yolei entered her home, going directly to her room. She sat on her bed after locking her door and felt the confusion and emotion settle into her. Eventually she changed into some nightclothes and curled up into bed.
'Why? Why why why why?! Everything is all messed up now. He's not supposed to like me, it's Kari he loves! So why me? It doesn't make any sense! And I…what do I…this is all too much!'
Yolei felt the tears falling across her face, but did nothing to wipe them away. In the end, she cried herself to sleep as she tried feebly to make sense out of why TK was acting like he had been, as well as what was going on inside of her anymore.