----

And we stare each other down like victums in the grind,
Probing all the weakness and hurt still left being and we cry,
The tears of pearls.
We do it. Oh we do it.

Is love really the tragedy the way you might describe?
Or would a thousand lovers still leave you cold inside?
Make you cry..
These tears of pearls.

All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls.
Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world.

----


Saturday morning, and Henry still laid on his bed like he had ever since the night before, just staring at the ceiling. Suzy sat on the floor, stroking Terriermon's ears which Terriermon really didn't mind. Suzy's mind was more on her brother's expression than Terriermon anyways.
"She a tamer." Suzy had memorized that line from Henry repeating it so much. With the cutest voice she could manage she looked up at him and spoke.
"Henwy, what's a tamer?"
Henry looked over at her, then Terriermon who's expression had changed from a stuffed animal look to a 'say a word to her and I'll hurt you' one.
Henry sighed and then forced a smile at her.
"Don't worry about it Suzy.. you'll understand when you're older."
"Oh..." Suzy said thoughtfully, watching the floor.
Suzy picked Terriermon up and set him on top of Henry's stomach, then kissed his forehead.
"Well I hope you figuwe somethwing out..."
Henry smiled and messed with her hair a bit and went back to staring at the ceiling.
As soon as the white door had closed behind Suzy, Terriermon came back to life.
"If I asked you, could you tell me how many of those little bumps are on the ceiling?" Terriermon asked, half serious.
"Probably." Henry grinned, but still had his eyes on the ceiling.
"According to Suzy and your other sister you're going out with a girl tonight..." Terriermon changed the subject to what had been bothering him all day long.
"It's not a date... we're going to the carnival."
"It's a date." Terriermon put his little hands on his hips and stuck his bottom lip out like he did when he saw he wasn't going to get his way.
Terriermon jumped off Henry's stomach and walked over to the window to stare out it.
"Two million, sixty-eight thousand, four hundred and ninety-two..."
Terriermon turned around to look at Henry with a confused expression. "Huh?"
Henry sat up straight and grinned at him.
"That's how many bumps there are on the ceiling."
Terriermon laughed and rolled his eyes, going back to watching the birds outside.
~
"PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ?"
Rika pulled a tight metallic-blue colored shirt over her head and looked over at the small white digimon, green eyes glimmering with hope.
"You REALLY want to come?" she asked with the same attitude she showed before, just with a kind smile on her face.
Calumon loved that smile now, he loved how she treated him. Just this morning she played a game of soccor with him in the front yard.
Calumon grew even more exciting, his little voice ringing with happiness.
"YES YES YES YES YES!!!" he shrieked.
Renamon came out of the shadows behind the two, and talked, with her calm attitude still about her.
"If he goes I get to go too."
Rika turned and looked at her, then sighed impatiently.
"Oh alright."
She grabbed the black belt studded with the blue gems and started to slide it around her jeans.
Calumon jumped off the dresser and went dancing around the room, jumping from one foot to the other.
"I get to go to the carnival, I get to go to the carnival!" he sang as loud as he could manage.
"Whoooo.." he cooed as Renamon picked him up.
"What should I do with him?"she looked at Rika questionigly.
Rika sighed brushed her hair with the metal-green brush that had sat on the dresser, and smiled.
"Oh Renamon put him down."
Renamon shrugged and set the small digimon down on the floor, just to watch him prance around, singing the same song over and over again.
He jumped up and flew onto Renamon's shoulder and leaned forward to get into her face.
"There'll be candy, cotton candy, hot-dogs, soda...." He jumped on top of her head and peered into her face.
"And lots and lots of fun!!"
Renamon just gave Rika a 'save me' look.
Rika gave her a famous 'I really don't care' scoff and walked out of the room, leaving Renamon with this small white digimon climbing all over her.
"Well, I do believe my daughter does have a fashion sense!"
Rika froze at the sound of her mother behind her, closed her eyes wishing she was somewhere else or that she could just melt into the floor.
"Where are you going in an outfit that attractive? You have a date?"
Rika whirled around facing her mother and gave her the death glare. "It isn't a date!!" she shrieked.
Her mother stepped back a little, took a deep breath and looked her in the eye.
"You certainly aren't going to someone's house looking THAT dressed up!"
Rika just glared harder, and with a swift motion, turned around and walked out the front door to go sit on the steps to wait for Henry.
The sun was turning an orangish color as it set over the horizon, catching the glimmer of Rika's blue metallic shirt, and she curled her legs closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and setting her chin on her knees.
She felt someone watching her and turned around slightly to see Renamon basking in the warm orange light of the late August evening.
"You're anxious." Renamon said in her knowing tone.
Rika turned back towards the front gate.
"You think I wouldn't be?" she sighed.
Renamon leaned against one of the white marble pillars and watched her tamer for a moment, trying to figure out what to say next.
"Do you like him?" Renamon asked after a moment or two of silence.
Silence from Rika, almost as if she was pondering what to say in responce.
"Well?"
Rika just sighed and stayed silent, knowing Renamon would pick up the answer sooner or later. By the end of the night.... at least Rika hoped.
The two didn't have to wait long to see Henry, a loose, buttoned, white shirt setting off his grayish eyes that immediatly caught the attention of both of them.
Terriermon was close behind, almost colliding with Henry when he suddenly stopped on the sidewalk.
Terriermon flew up and sat in his normal position on Henry's head.
Rika stood up straight, and held back a smile, trying to keep her cool.
Henry stared at her a moment, he wasn't used to her having her hair down, or wearing anything that didn't have a broken heart or skull on it. This Rika was different, even in her personality.
He was tempted to ask her if she had gotten into the alcohol cabinet but decided that wouldn't be the smoothest move he'd ever make.
"You look.... nice...." Henry said after looking her up and down.
Rika smirked at him, the closest thing to a smile yet to Henry and walked towards him, then stopped dead and smacked her forehead. "I forgot something."
"Someone is more like it!" a small high-pitched, irretated voice said sharply that came from right behind Rika.
She turned around, Henry peering around her, at Calumon who had his small little hands on his hips and a very angry look on his face.
"I'm sorry..." Rika sighed.
Calumon brightened up a moment later. "It's okay! Let's go!!!"
Henry leaned towards Rika and whispered in her ear. "I didn't know we'd have company..."
Rika looked over at him a moment and sighed, but whispered back. "How was I supposed to say no?"
Henry nodded a moment in acknowledgment, then smiled at Rika. "Well you ready?"
Rika nodded and started to walk out in front of him, Calumon flying behind her and landing on her half-bare shoulder, trying not to get his foot caught in the spagetti strap of the shirt.
"Let's go!!" he shrieked again.
Rika and Henry smiled inwardly at the small digimon's excitment and walked out of the yard and down the sidewalk towards the large towering Ferris Wheel in the distance, glimmering in the light of the setting sun.
~