—Quite a day, Quite a night—
Koushiro 'Izzy' Izumi happily bopped down the street, his frizzy, scarlet, mop-top hair, and backpack clad laptop, bopping along with him. He gave a big yawn and stretch which let to an odd giggling from Izzy. He let out a long content sigh.
"Nothing like an early morning walk," He said to himself, letting out another laugh. His bright vermillion shirt almost seemed to glow in the early morning sun, as did his saffron gloves. Izzy's curious, glittering eyes gazed over the streets of Odaiba. A few people walked about, but other than that, the streets were mostly empty. Spotting a bench outside of a small shop, Izzy took a seat and unstrapped his laptop from its confines. He tugged at the bottom of his gloves, tightening them around his fingers.
"And now for some heavy-duty programing," Izzy said to himself, his computer whirring to life. Patterns of '0's and '1's played past Izzy's sight, making a scene of paradise for one of Izzy's stature. Typing furiously, Izzy saw what a lot of people didn't. While the average layman saw nothing but random hex, Izzy saw a different world; a world of endless possibilities, and while some people saw something they could only attain with knowledge, Izzy saw something he could only attain with imagination and curiosity. Izzy seemed to stop in time, for to him what was moments was hours to those around him. And so, the city life played around him, people walking, talking, having fun, children laughing, playing, making music.
*
Izzy closed his laptop and glanced as his watch.
"11 o'clock already?" he said, looking around. He perked up suddenly, noticing someone a few shops down. Those big glasses, that short blue hair, that white collared shirt and brown pants: the figure could only belong to one person he knew. "Is that you Joe?' Izzy called.
"Izzy?" Joe said, looking for the bearer of the voice he had just heard.
"Over here!" Izzy shouted, picking up his laptop and running over to meet his friend. Izzy hadn't seen much of Joe after they had gotten back from their other worldly adventures. Although Joe looked much like the stereo type for a loser, he was actually an invaluable asset to the team, and the most reliable one of which.
"Um...h-hi Izzy," Joe said, nervously looking around.
"You okay?" Izzy asked, noticing his friend's jumpiness. Joe replied with a few 'Well..'s and 'Uh...'s, but he couldn't hide it.
"Oh Jo-o-o!" Came a sing-song voice from the shop Joe stood in front of. Izzy knew the voice, but was unsure of the situation. Sora, a tall, brown haired girl, happily skipped out of the shop, her light chocolate hair bouncing about. Joe buried his face in one hand, muttering an 'Oh no...' He gave off a look that said 'I'd just like to curl up and die now.' Sora bounded up to Joe and nuzzled her soft hair against his shoulder.
"C'mon Joe, let's go get lunch," Sora said, grabbing his arm.
"Yes dear..." was all Joe could say before he was dragged away by his wrist. Izzy blinked a couple of times and thought about the scene that just played before him. Disregarding it, he thought about what Sora said: 'lunch.' His stomach let off a deep growl and gurgle. He gave a half-hearted smile, looking around for a place to eat. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out what yen he had, grunting at how little his father had left him that morning. He turned to a small stand labeled 'Beef Bowl.'
"I guess this'll have to do..." He muttered.
*
Izzy finished his ramen, gave the bowl back to the stand owner, picked up his things, and began walking down the street. Suddenly, there she was: Kari, sitting in the exact spot Izzy had been. She looked beautiful: her cocoa hair coming just past her ears, her ruby eyes sparkling in the high noon sun; she wore a loose pale orange shirt, nice fitting jeans, and apricot sandals with her toe nails painted a light shade of peach. Izzy felt a strange feeling come over him. He shook it off, assuming it had something to do with the cheap beef he had just eaten. Izzy made a quick check to see that no cars were coming, and dashed across the street. Kari stood up to greet him. Izzy stopped dead cold, noticing how tall Kari had grown in the last few months. He only came up to her bosoms, which also had grown a bit.
"Hey Izzy, it's been a while," Kari said, walking up to the stunned teen.
"It..." Izzy paused to look up, "certainly has."
"You seem a bit surprised," Kari said giggling a little. That smile...Izzy felt it again. A nice feeling...a warm one. "Izzy?" Kari said, noticing his head had nodded downward. Izzy's head popped back up. Those big, black, innocent eyes, that tiny half frown, those slightly blushed cheeks; it struck something in Kari's heart.
"You're so cute!" Kari squealed throwing her arms around Izzy's neck, hugging as tight as she could. This odd feeling completely enveloped Izzy. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that Kari was completely closing off his windpipe, but he guessed against it. His eyes closed halfway, and a big goofy grin appeared on his face. He suddenly felt himself falling, splashing into rose colored water. He floated to the top of the lake and saw the scenery around him. Big cherry colored trees and flowers sprouted from the ground. He suddenly found himself floating, rising, above the clouds, admiring the pink paradise below him. And all he felt was joy. Joy and love.
"Izzy!" Kari shouted, snapping him back into reality. Izzy looked around. He was sitting on the warm concrete sidewalk, Kari crouched next to him. "Izzy are you okay? It's not like you to space out like that."
"I...I'm not sure," Izzy said, attenmpting to understand what just happened. "I think so..." Kari got up and extended her hand, offering to help him up. Izzy silently nodded, grabbing her hand, and hoisting himself up. He brushed himself off, and turned to Kari. He wanted to say something...anything if he could, but nothing formulated.
"So Izzy, what 'cha doin' out here in the city?" Kari asked. Izzy took a few deep breaths and collected his thoughts.
"I was taking an early morning walk, and I sat down to toy with a new computer program and well..." Izzy paused "before I knew it, it was lunch time." Kari giggled. It was just so much like Izzy to do something like that.
"What are you doing the rest of the day?" Kari asked. You could easily see the high hopes in her beautiful eyes. Izzy put his hand on his mouth and thought for a second or two.
"Nothing, I think." Izzy said calmly. However, behind that calm image was a feeling of pure anxiety. While on the outside Izzy wore a nonchalant smile, on the inside he was a complete wreck. He had no idea what was going on; he was just going with the flow. And what was this weird feeling that kept enveloping him? He needed answers...he also needed to know where to get them.
"Great," Kari said, smiling brightly, "Then we can hang out today, right?"
"Yeah..." Izzy said, but it sounded quite distant.
"Izzy?" Kari said looking the shorter boy strait in the eyes. 'What's wrong?"
"Oh...nothing," Izzy said, not sure if he'd be able to break the gaze between them. "I think I just had some bad beef for lunch. This brought up a bit of laughter between the two.
"Well c'mon!" Kari suddenly said, about to sprint off.
"Where're we going?" Izzy said, as Kari started running.
"The park, silly!" Kari called back.
"Hey, wait up!," Izzy shouted, running as fast as he could. "You know I'm not that fast!" Kari laughed, and slowed to a jog, allowing Izzy to catch up. "Now what's the big rush?" Izzy questioned, a bit annoyed. Something lit up in Kari's eyes.
"You'll see," she said mysteriously. With that she grabbed Izzy's wrist and started running again.
"Kari! Wait! Hold on!"
*
Izzy collapsed onto the soft park grass, breathing heavy. Kari stood above him, breathing heavy, yet not as heavy as him.
"You know it's rude to just plop down like that," Kari said playfully, putting her hands on her hips. "But..." Kari plopped down next to Izzy. "It's still a good idea."
"Look who's talking about manners," Izzy said with a snicker. Kari put her hands behind her head and gazed up at the azure sky. Not one cloud dotted the sky on this beautiful Spring day. Sakura petals danced gently in the air above the two friends, floating slowly to the ground, one landing on Izzy's nose. Izzy blew the petal off, but it floated back down the same spot, and again he blew off the petal, but it again floated back to its resting spot. Kari's gentile hand reached over and softly brushed the petal from Izzy's nose.
"Um..th-thanks," Izzy said, suddenly feeling that odd emotion wash over him again. Kari got up on her knees and looked down on Izzy's meek form. A big goofy grin appeared on Kari's face, causing Izzy's face to shift around with confusion. He got up and was about to question Kari, but it was in vain. The bouncy girl lunged at Izzy, wrapping her arms around his waist tackling him to the ground.
"Kari!" Izzy loudly protested, "What are you-"
"Tickle fight!" Kari shouted, bringing her delicate fingers around his stomach, tenderly massaging his sides, causing him to squeak, squeal, and spasm out completely. Izzy attempted to plead with Kari, but he was to filled with giggles to talk. All he could get out was a 'Kari, I...' before he was consumed with laughter again. Kari let up for a moment, letting Izzy fill his lungs with air. Taking advantage of the brief moment of mercy, Izzy scanned over the ground looking for something, anything to help him, knowing he would again be caught by Kari in another few moments. Spotting a feather, he snatched it up, playfully pushed Kari onto her back, knocked off one of her sandals and began tickling her pale sole. Kari now was the one to break into a fit of laughter. It was unlike Izzy to act like this; even he didn't know why he was acting as he did, but it felt so...right. Suddenly, in a small spasm, Kari accidently clopped Izzy in the side of the head with her sandal, causing Izzy to hit the ground with nothing less than a loud yelp and a resounding 'd-doomf.'
"Izzy!" Kari near yelled, jumping up from her spot. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" "Ow..." Izzy suddenly trailed off. He attempted to sit himself up, but Kari would have
none of it.
"I'm fine, Kari," Izzy said, hoping she would listen, "Just a bump," He said, feeling where he had just been kicked.
"Let me see," Kari said, moving closer to Izzy. She carefully moved his hair around to see the bump and bruise. "Oh, I'm sorry Izzy, it was an accident,"
"It's alright Kari," Izzy said, "I know you didn't do it on purpose, it's not your fault," Kari smiled. Izzy was so sweet and understanding, and such a good friend. Kari suddenly brought Izzy into a hug, with much surprise to Izzy. He was about to say something in protest, but decided against it, feeling suddenly at peace. Feeling her soft, warm body against his...it set Izzy into a new world.
With a final tight squeeze, Kari broke the embrace between the two. Izzy was completely stunned, not knowing what to do or say. All he could think about was how beautiful Kari looked, her hair gently blowing in the Spring breeze, her soft, rosy cheeks brightening up her face, her caring eyes, her...
"Hey Izzy, what time is it?" Kari asked, breaking the silence. Izzy lifted his wrist.
"Two-thirty," Izzy said, Kari's sudden interest in the time piquing his curiosity.
"Oh no, I gotta' go," Kari said rather dismayed. This brought a look of appall to Izzy's face. "But hey!" She then said suddenly causing Izzy's face to light up with excitement. "I'm having a sleep over tonight, you should come."
"I take it the gang's going to be there?" Izzy said.
"Actually it's only the girls, but it would be more fun if you came," Kari said. This hit Izzy like a cold hammer right in the gut. A sleep over...with a bunch of girls...and him.
"Um...wouldn't that be a bit...odd?" Izzy asked, trying his best to cover up his nervousness.
"We all trust you Izzy, we know you wouldn't try anything," Kari said.
"Well, I suppose it might be fun..." Izzy said rather distantly, but Kari didn't notice it at all. She was too overjoyed by his expectance.
"Great!" She near yelled. "Be there around six." Kari then paused to kneel down. "I had a great time today." And with that she gave him a little peck on the cheek, and ran off towards her house. Izzy stood completely stunned, staring off into blank space, and then flopped backwards with a loud 'thump.'
*
Izzy clicked on an icon in the shape of a red beetle on his desktop labeled 'Tento.' A screen showing the interior of what seemed to be a tree house appeared on screen. Suddenly a red beetle-like creature walked in front of the camera. His back was covered in thick black spikes, and his eyes were that of round emerald spheres.
"Oh, hi Izzy," The odd creature said in an equally odd voice.
"Tentomon, I have..." Izzy paused "...a problem,"
"Really?" Tentomon asked, ready to help Izzy in any way.
"Well you see..." Izzy told Tentomon the story of his day, and all of the odd feelings he felt. Tentomon's insect eyes seemed to light up.
"Don't you see Izzy?" Tentomon asked, expecting the boy to understand. "It's love, love, lo-o-o-ve!" Tentomon began to fly around, singing happily. Izzy sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Izzy!" Tentomon said merrily, finally landing from his little, over joyous chant. Suddenly a shout came from a room behind Izzy.
"I'd better go," Izzy said, giving a little wave.
"Keep in touch." Tentomon said, doing the same. With that the screen went blank.
*
Taichi "Tai" Kamiya, a tall, ginger haired boy, whose hair sprouted out all over around his headband-goggles, and Yamato "Matt" Ishida, an equally tall boy whose golden blond hair resembled that of a bird's nest, lazily tossed a basket ball around. Tai, who unfortunately dosed off, got nailed in the head with the ball, sending him to the pavement.
"Sorry 'bout that Tai," Matt said helping him up. "I thought you were paying attention. What's bothering you, man?" Tai sighed.
"Kari told me about her plans for a sleep over tonight," Tai said downhearted. Matt failed to see any point.
"Yeah...and...?" Matt trailed off, hoping Tai would fill in the blank.
"She mentioned how it was her, Sora, Mimi, and..." Tai paused for a moment, "Izzy," He said blankly. There was a long silence between the two friends. Then in unison, they both muttered, under their breath, with a touch of detest in each voice: 'Lucky...'
*
Izzy walked across the street towards the Kamiya's apartment complex. Stepping in the doors, he noticed the elevator had just opened, and ran to get it. Izzy looked over the set of numbered buttons.
"Second to the top, right?" Izzy asked to no one in particular, as he hit the glowing button. The elevator emanated a soft hum as it climbed the building flights. Izzy had to take a few deep breaths; he was getting overly anxious. He really didn't know what to expect. What do girls do at sleep overs? Izzy was worrying himself sick.
With a soft 'bing,' the elevator reached its destination. Izzy wearily stepped out, searching for Kari's apartment. He stopped at the door labeled 'Kamiya,' and gently knocked on the door. Mrs. Kamiya greeted Izzy and let him in. Izzy placed his shoes by the door, and then gave a little bow, thanking Mrs. Kamiya for having him over for the night. Mrs. Kamiya pointed Kari's room out to Izzy and returned to her work in the kitchen. Izzy sheepishly stepped towards the door. He could hear the giggling of school girls from inside the room. He raised his hand to knock, but then pulled it away. He again tried, but stopped himself again. Finally, mustering up all of his courage, Izzy quietly rapped upon the door in front of him. He heard Kari say "I'll get it, I bet it's Izzy." Izzy's heart skipped a beat. Kari slid the door open, welcoming Izzy in. Mimi got up to greet Izzy: her walnut hair, pulled up into a bun, yet still ending around her waist, her deep brown eyes contrasting perfectly with her pale skin, her face full of care-free character, suddenly Izzy felt something grip him. His legs gave out, he fell to his knees, holding his head.
"Izzy, are you alright?," Kari near yelled as she knelt down beside him. Izzy slid his eyes open, racking his brain for any explanation.
"Y-yeah," He said wearily, "I've just been having...weird dizzy spells lately. I should be fine." Kari couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, but she knew if she tried to get Izzy to lie down he would deny it and say he felt fine.
"We should get into our pajama's, right?" Sora asked to the group, being greeted with nods. Mimi began to slide up her shirt, forgetting a boy was there. She was instantly covered in a bed sheet by Kari. Izzy stood wide eyed. Kari broke a smile, and shoed the still stunned boy out into the hallway. Izzy shook it off, and stepped into the bathroom to change. Several moments later, Izzy emerged, clad in an overly large beige shirt and forest green pajama pants, dotted with palm trees. He knocked on Kari's door, making sure it was okay to enter. It was addressed with a 'It's alright Izzy, c'mon in.'
Izzy walked into the room, welcomed in by the now pajama dressed girls. Mimi was dressed in a rose, button down shirt, and matching pants. Kari was dressed in something similar, however in a baby blue. Sora's attire was a green robe and short-shorts of a similar color.
Izzy looked curiously at the three girls in front of him.
"So...uh...what do we do?"
*
The girls crowded in the middle of the room, giggling as they painted each other's nails, as Izzy sat on the lower bunk, seeming to be completely enveloped in his techno-work. However, while he appeared to be deep in his programing, he was actually just typing blindly, as his mind slowly went over the prior events. Maybe Tentomon was right, maybe it was love...but both Kari and Mimi? Izzy shook it off. He had to relax and have some fun.
"What do you think, Izzy?" Mimi said, showing off her new toenail color: a deep pink. Izzy thought for a moment, and then clicked around his computer, confusing the three girls. He turned the laptop around to reveal a paint-type program, with a large square drawn, colored a hue of much lighter pink.
"I think this would look a bit better," Izzy said. The three girls stared at the screen for a moment.
"He's right," Sora said. "That would look much better,"
"You've got a good eye for color, Izzy," Kari complimented, causing Izzy to blush a bit. "Isn't he cute when he blushes?" Kari squealed, her eyes glistening in schoolgirl awe.
"He so is!" Mimi said, that same glitter in her eyes. Izzy grabbed the nearest pillow and buried his head in it, knowing his face was turning some unknown shade of red. Kari stepped up beside him.
"Aw, I'm sorry Izzy, we were just kidding." Kari said sweetly. And with that she grabbed the other pillow off of the lower bunk and smacked Izzy to the floor.
"Kari! What was that about?" Izzy yelled. He wasn't usually one to raise his voice, but he also wasn't one to get randomly attacked.
"Pillow Fight!" Mimi happily shouted as she grabbed her pillow and smacked Sora over the head. Sora grabbed her own pillow, and dove at Kari, smacking her away from the downed Izzy. Sora held her pillow high, ready to plow it into Izzy, as he held his head under his hands. A loud 'poomph' filled the room as Izzy was again thwacked. Mimi ran to Izzy's aid, nailing Sora in the gut. Mimi gave Izzy a hand up, and the two now stood against Sora and Kari, who had also teamed up. The two teams exchanged blows, laughing all the while. Feathers fluffed about the room, and joy flowed freely. Slowly the excitement died down and the four fighters ran out of energy. Kari hopped over to the desk and picked up a video.
"Here Mimi, get past the previews," Kari said, handing the video to Mimi, "I'm going to make some popcorn." Mimi popped the tape in the VCR and fast forwarded to the beginning of the movie. Some girly movie...
*
Tai and Matt stared blankly at the television screen, playing one of their favorite video games, the flickering lights of the game warping the color of their faces.
"Hey Tai..." Matt said rather monotonously. "You wonder if girls ever strip down to their bras and panties and have tickle fights when they have sleep overs?" There was a long silence between the two friends, then, in unison, the two said blankly, not breaking their zombified state 'Lucky...'
*
The credits of the movies began to roll. Izzy, who had fallen asleep, was snoring gently, his head nestled comfortably in Kari's lap. Kari, herself, was giving the screen a perplexed look, as Mimi and Sora held each other, both softly sobbing. The tape clicked off, leaving the room in darkness. There were the sounds of muffled footsteps, and then the lights clinked on, Mimi the bearer of the newfound brightness, tears still gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"Time for bed?" She suggested. Both Kari and Sora nodded in agreement. Kari kindly pulled Izzy's sleeping bag from his knapsack and carefully slid him in, being sure not to wake him. Kari then set up her sleeping area, on Izzy's left, Mimi already on his right, Sora on the bed. Kari hit the lights, again plunging the room into darkness.
*
The early morning sun peeked through the windows of the Kamaiya's, waking Izzy from his slumber. He was instantly in a state of panic. Kari was snuggled close, apparently using Izzy as a stuffed animal. Mimi was doing the same, her soft hair half covering his face, one leg over his blanket. Carefully as he could, he slid his right hand over to his left wrist, placing two fingers on the underside of his arm. A pulse. He was still alive; not in heaven...
*
Izzy said his goodbyes, and again bowed and thanked Mrs. Kamaiya for having him over. Just as he was about to leave, both Mimi and Kari bent down and pecked him on the cheek. Izzy's eyes widened and cheeks turned a glowing red, the shock of both kisses completely stunning him.
"S-see ya'" was all he could stutter out before he blindly stepped out, walking in the complete opposite direction of his house. Kari and Mimi looked at each other, both cracking a smirk. Quite a night, indeed.
***The End***
Koushiro 'Izzy' Izumi happily bopped down the street, his frizzy, scarlet, mop-top hair, and backpack clad laptop, bopping along with him. He gave a big yawn and stretch which let to an odd giggling from Izzy. He let out a long content sigh.
"Nothing like an early morning walk," He said to himself, letting out another laugh. His bright vermillion shirt almost seemed to glow in the early morning sun, as did his saffron gloves. Izzy's curious, glittering eyes gazed over the streets of Odaiba. A few people walked about, but other than that, the streets were mostly empty. Spotting a bench outside of a small shop, Izzy took a seat and unstrapped his laptop from its confines. He tugged at the bottom of his gloves, tightening them around his fingers.
"And now for some heavy-duty programing," Izzy said to himself, his computer whirring to life. Patterns of '0's and '1's played past Izzy's sight, making a scene of paradise for one of Izzy's stature. Typing furiously, Izzy saw what a lot of people didn't. While the average layman saw nothing but random hex, Izzy saw a different world; a world of endless possibilities, and while some people saw something they could only attain with knowledge, Izzy saw something he could only attain with imagination and curiosity. Izzy seemed to stop in time, for to him what was moments was hours to those around him. And so, the city life played around him, people walking, talking, having fun, children laughing, playing, making music.
*
Izzy closed his laptop and glanced as his watch.
"11 o'clock already?" he said, looking around. He perked up suddenly, noticing someone a few shops down. Those big glasses, that short blue hair, that white collared shirt and brown pants: the figure could only belong to one person he knew. "Is that you Joe?' Izzy called.
"Izzy?" Joe said, looking for the bearer of the voice he had just heard.
"Over here!" Izzy shouted, picking up his laptop and running over to meet his friend. Izzy hadn't seen much of Joe after they had gotten back from their other worldly adventures. Although Joe looked much like the stereo type for a loser, he was actually an invaluable asset to the team, and the most reliable one of which.
"Um...h-hi Izzy," Joe said, nervously looking around.
"You okay?" Izzy asked, noticing his friend's jumpiness. Joe replied with a few 'Well..'s and 'Uh...'s, but he couldn't hide it.
"Oh Jo-o-o!" Came a sing-song voice from the shop Joe stood in front of. Izzy knew the voice, but was unsure of the situation. Sora, a tall, brown haired girl, happily skipped out of the shop, her light chocolate hair bouncing about. Joe buried his face in one hand, muttering an 'Oh no...' He gave off a look that said 'I'd just like to curl up and die now.' Sora bounded up to Joe and nuzzled her soft hair against his shoulder.
"C'mon Joe, let's go get lunch," Sora said, grabbing his arm.
"Yes dear..." was all Joe could say before he was dragged away by his wrist. Izzy blinked a couple of times and thought about the scene that just played before him. Disregarding it, he thought about what Sora said: 'lunch.' His stomach let off a deep growl and gurgle. He gave a half-hearted smile, looking around for a place to eat. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out what yen he had, grunting at how little his father had left him that morning. He turned to a small stand labeled 'Beef Bowl.'
"I guess this'll have to do..." He muttered.
*
Izzy finished his ramen, gave the bowl back to the stand owner, picked up his things, and began walking down the street. Suddenly, there she was: Kari, sitting in the exact spot Izzy had been. She looked beautiful: her cocoa hair coming just past her ears, her ruby eyes sparkling in the high noon sun; she wore a loose pale orange shirt, nice fitting jeans, and apricot sandals with her toe nails painted a light shade of peach. Izzy felt a strange feeling come over him. He shook it off, assuming it had something to do with the cheap beef he had just eaten. Izzy made a quick check to see that no cars were coming, and dashed across the street. Kari stood up to greet him. Izzy stopped dead cold, noticing how tall Kari had grown in the last few months. He only came up to her bosoms, which also had grown a bit.
"Hey Izzy, it's been a while," Kari said, walking up to the stunned teen.
"It..." Izzy paused to look up, "certainly has."
"You seem a bit surprised," Kari said giggling a little. That smile...Izzy felt it again. A nice feeling...a warm one. "Izzy?" Kari said, noticing his head had nodded downward. Izzy's head popped back up. Those big, black, innocent eyes, that tiny half frown, those slightly blushed cheeks; it struck something in Kari's heart.
"You're so cute!" Kari squealed throwing her arms around Izzy's neck, hugging as tight as she could. This odd feeling completely enveloped Izzy. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that Kari was completely closing off his windpipe, but he guessed against it. His eyes closed halfway, and a big goofy grin appeared on his face. He suddenly felt himself falling, splashing into rose colored water. He floated to the top of the lake and saw the scenery around him. Big cherry colored trees and flowers sprouted from the ground. He suddenly found himself floating, rising, above the clouds, admiring the pink paradise below him. And all he felt was joy. Joy and love.
"Izzy!" Kari shouted, snapping him back into reality. Izzy looked around. He was sitting on the warm concrete sidewalk, Kari crouched next to him. "Izzy are you okay? It's not like you to space out like that."
"I...I'm not sure," Izzy said, attenmpting to understand what just happened. "I think so..." Kari got up and extended her hand, offering to help him up. Izzy silently nodded, grabbing her hand, and hoisting himself up. He brushed himself off, and turned to Kari. He wanted to say something...anything if he could, but nothing formulated.
"So Izzy, what 'cha doin' out here in the city?" Kari asked. Izzy took a few deep breaths and collected his thoughts.
"I was taking an early morning walk, and I sat down to toy with a new computer program and well..." Izzy paused "before I knew it, it was lunch time." Kari giggled. It was just so much like Izzy to do something like that.
"What are you doing the rest of the day?" Kari asked. You could easily see the high hopes in her beautiful eyes. Izzy put his hand on his mouth and thought for a second or two.
"Nothing, I think." Izzy said calmly. However, behind that calm image was a feeling of pure anxiety. While on the outside Izzy wore a nonchalant smile, on the inside he was a complete wreck. He had no idea what was going on; he was just going with the flow. And what was this weird feeling that kept enveloping him? He needed answers...he also needed to know where to get them.
"Great," Kari said, smiling brightly, "Then we can hang out today, right?"
"Yeah..." Izzy said, but it sounded quite distant.
"Izzy?" Kari said looking the shorter boy strait in the eyes. 'What's wrong?"
"Oh...nothing," Izzy said, not sure if he'd be able to break the gaze between them. "I think I just had some bad beef for lunch. This brought up a bit of laughter between the two.
"Well c'mon!" Kari suddenly said, about to sprint off.
"Where're we going?" Izzy said, as Kari started running.
"The park, silly!" Kari called back.
"Hey, wait up!," Izzy shouted, running as fast as he could. "You know I'm not that fast!" Kari laughed, and slowed to a jog, allowing Izzy to catch up. "Now what's the big rush?" Izzy questioned, a bit annoyed. Something lit up in Kari's eyes.
"You'll see," she said mysteriously. With that she grabbed Izzy's wrist and started running again.
"Kari! Wait! Hold on!"
*
Izzy collapsed onto the soft park grass, breathing heavy. Kari stood above him, breathing heavy, yet not as heavy as him.
"You know it's rude to just plop down like that," Kari said playfully, putting her hands on her hips. "But..." Kari plopped down next to Izzy. "It's still a good idea."
"Look who's talking about manners," Izzy said with a snicker. Kari put her hands behind her head and gazed up at the azure sky. Not one cloud dotted the sky on this beautiful Spring day. Sakura petals danced gently in the air above the two friends, floating slowly to the ground, one landing on Izzy's nose. Izzy blew the petal off, but it floated back down the same spot, and again he blew off the petal, but it again floated back to its resting spot. Kari's gentile hand reached over and softly brushed the petal from Izzy's nose.
"Um..th-thanks," Izzy said, suddenly feeling that odd emotion wash over him again. Kari got up on her knees and looked down on Izzy's meek form. A big goofy grin appeared on Kari's face, causing Izzy's face to shift around with confusion. He got up and was about to question Kari, but it was in vain. The bouncy girl lunged at Izzy, wrapping her arms around his waist tackling him to the ground.
"Kari!" Izzy loudly protested, "What are you-"
"Tickle fight!" Kari shouted, bringing her delicate fingers around his stomach, tenderly massaging his sides, causing him to squeak, squeal, and spasm out completely. Izzy attempted to plead with Kari, but he was to filled with giggles to talk. All he could get out was a 'Kari, I...' before he was consumed with laughter again. Kari let up for a moment, letting Izzy fill his lungs with air. Taking advantage of the brief moment of mercy, Izzy scanned over the ground looking for something, anything to help him, knowing he would again be caught by Kari in another few moments. Spotting a feather, he snatched it up, playfully pushed Kari onto her back, knocked off one of her sandals and began tickling her pale sole. Kari now was the one to break into a fit of laughter. It was unlike Izzy to act like this; even he didn't know why he was acting as he did, but it felt so...right. Suddenly, in a small spasm, Kari accidently clopped Izzy in the side of the head with her sandal, causing Izzy to hit the ground with nothing less than a loud yelp and a resounding 'd-doomf.'
"Izzy!" Kari near yelled, jumping up from her spot. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" "Ow..." Izzy suddenly trailed off. He attempted to sit himself up, but Kari would have
none of it.
"I'm fine, Kari," Izzy said, hoping she would listen, "Just a bump," He said, feeling where he had just been kicked.
"Let me see," Kari said, moving closer to Izzy. She carefully moved his hair around to see the bump and bruise. "Oh, I'm sorry Izzy, it was an accident,"
"It's alright Kari," Izzy said, "I know you didn't do it on purpose, it's not your fault," Kari smiled. Izzy was so sweet and understanding, and such a good friend. Kari suddenly brought Izzy into a hug, with much surprise to Izzy. He was about to say something in protest, but decided against it, feeling suddenly at peace. Feeling her soft, warm body against his...it set Izzy into a new world.
With a final tight squeeze, Kari broke the embrace between the two. Izzy was completely stunned, not knowing what to do or say. All he could think about was how beautiful Kari looked, her hair gently blowing in the Spring breeze, her soft, rosy cheeks brightening up her face, her caring eyes, her...
"Hey Izzy, what time is it?" Kari asked, breaking the silence. Izzy lifted his wrist.
"Two-thirty," Izzy said, Kari's sudden interest in the time piquing his curiosity.
"Oh no, I gotta' go," Kari said rather dismayed. This brought a look of appall to Izzy's face. "But hey!" She then said suddenly causing Izzy's face to light up with excitement. "I'm having a sleep over tonight, you should come."
"I take it the gang's going to be there?" Izzy said.
"Actually it's only the girls, but it would be more fun if you came," Kari said. This hit Izzy like a cold hammer right in the gut. A sleep over...with a bunch of girls...and him.
"Um...wouldn't that be a bit...odd?" Izzy asked, trying his best to cover up his nervousness.
"We all trust you Izzy, we know you wouldn't try anything," Kari said.
"Well, I suppose it might be fun..." Izzy said rather distantly, but Kari didn't notice it at all. She was too overjoyed by his expectance.
"Great!" She near yelled. "Be there around six." Kari then paused to kneel down. "I had a great time today." And with that she gave him a little peck on the cheek, and ran off towards her house. Izzy stood completely stunned, staring off into blank space, and then flopped backwards with a loud 'thump.'
*
Izzy clicked on an icon in the shape of a red beetle on his desktop labeled 'Tento.' A screen showing the interior of what seemed to be a tree house appeared on screen. Suddenly a red beetle-like creature walked in front of the camera. His back was covered in thick black spikes, and his eyes were that of round emerald spheres.
"Oh, hi Izzy," The odd creature said in an equally odd voice.
"Tentomon, I have..." Izzy paused "...a problem,"
"Really?" Tentomon asked, ready to help Izzy in any way.
"Well you see..." Izzy told Tentomon the story of his day, and all of the odd feelings he felt. Tentomon's insect eyes seemed to light up.
"Don't you see Izzy?" Tentomon asked, expecting the boy to understand. "It's love, love, lo-o-o-ve!" Tentomon began to fly around, singing happily. Izzy sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Izzy!" Tentomon said merrily, finally landing from his little, over joyous chant. Suddenly a shout came from a room behind Izzy.
"I'd better go," Izzy said, giving a little wave.
"Keep in touch." Tentomon said, doing the same. With that the screen went blank.
*
Taichi "Tai" Kamiya, a tall, ginger haired boy, whose hair sprouted out all over around his headband-goggles, and Yamato "Matt" Ishida, an equally tall boy whose golden blond hair resembled that of a bird's nest, lazily tossed a basket ball around. Tai, who unfortunately dosed off, got nailed in the head with the ball, sending him to the pavement.
"Sorry 'bout that Tai," Matt said helping him up. "I thought you were paying attention. What's bothering you, man?" Tai sighed.
"Kari told me about her plans for a sleep over tonight," Tai said downhearted. Matt failed to see any point.
"Yeah...and...?" Matt trailed off, hoping Tai would fill in the blank.
"She mentioned how it was her, Sora, Mimi, and..." Tai paused for a moment, "Izzy," He said blankly. There was a long silence between the two friends. Then in unison, they both muttered, under their breath, with a touch of detest in each voice: 'Lucky...'
*
Izzy walked across the street towards the Kamiya's apartment complex. Stepping in the doors, he noticed the elevator had just opened, and ran to get it. Izzy looked over the set of numbered buttons.
"Second to the top, right?" Izzy asked to no one in particular, as he hit the glowing button. The elevator emanated a soft hum as it climbed the building flights. Izzy had to take a few deep breaths; he was getting overly anxious. He really didn't know what to expect. What do girls do at sleep overs? Izzy was worrying himself sick.
With a soft 'bing,' the elevator reached its destination. Izzy wearily stepped out, searching for Kari's apartment. He stopped at the door labeled 'Kamiya,' and gently knocked on the door. Mrs. Kamiya greeted Izzy and let him in. Izzy placed his shoes by the door, and then gave a little bow, thanking Mrs. Kamiya for having him over for the night. Mrs. Kamiya pointed Kari's room out to Izzy and returned to her work in the kitchen. Izzy sheepishly stepped towards the door. He could hear the giggling of school girls from inside the room. He raised his hand to knock, but then pulled it away. He again tried, but stopped himself again. Finally, mustering up all of his courage, Izzy quietly rapped upon the door in front of him. He heard Kari say "I'll get it, I bet it's Izzy." Izzy's heart skipped a beat. Kari slid the door open, welcoming Izzy in. Mimi got up to greet Izzy: her walnut hair, pulled up into a bun, yet still ending around her waist, her deep brown eyes contrasting perfectly with her pale skin, her face full of care-free character, suddenly Izzy felt something grip him. His legs gave out, he fell to his knees, holding his head.
"Izzy, are you alright?," Kari near yelled as she knelt down beside him. Izzy slid his eyes open, racking his brain for any explanation.
"Y-yeah," He said wearily, "I've just been having...weird dizzy spells lately. I should be fine." Kari couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, but she knew if she tried to get Izzy to lie down he would deny it and say he felt fine.
"We should get into our pajama's, right?" Sora asked to the group, being greeted with nods. Mimi began to slide up her shirt, forgetting a boy was there. She was instantly covered in a bed sheet by Kari. Izzy stood wide eyed. Kari broke a smile, and shoed the still stunned boy out into the hallway. Izzy shook it off, and stepped into the bathroom to change. Several moments later, Izzy emerged, clad in an overly large beige shirt and forest green pajama pants, dotted with palm trees. He knocked on Kari's door, making sure it was okay to enter. It was addressed with a 'It's alright Izzy, c'mon in.'
Izzy walked into the room, welcomed in by the now pajama dressed girls. Mimi was dressed in a rose, button down shirt, and matching pants. Kari was dressed in something similar, however in a baby blue. Sora's attire was a green robe and short-shorts of a similar color.
Izzy looked curiously at the three girls in front of him.
"So...uh...what do we do?"
*
The girls crowded in the middle of the room, giggling as they painted each other's nails, as Izzy sat on the lower bunk, seeming to be completely enveloped in his techno-work. However, while he appeared to be deep in his programing, he was actually just typing blindly, as his mind slowly went over the prior events. Maybe Tentomon was right, maybe it was love...but both Kari and Mimi? Izzy shook it off. He had to relax and have some fun.
"What do you think, Izzy?" Mimi said, showing off her new toenail color: a deep pink. Izzy thought for a moment, and then clicked around his computer, confusing the three girls. He turned the laptop around to reveal a paint-type program, with a large square drawn, colored a hue of much lighter pink.
"I think this would look a bit better," Izzy said. The three girls stared at the screen for a moment.
"He's right," Sora said. "That would look much better,"
"You've got a good eye for color, Izzy," Kari complimented, causing Izzy to blush a bit. "Isn't he cute when he blushes?" Kari squealed, her eyes glistening in schoolgirl awe.
"He so is!" Mimi said, that same glitter in her eyes. Izzy grabbed the nearest pillow and buried his head in it, knowing his face was turning some unknown shade of red. Kari stepped up beside him.
"Aw, I'm sorry Izzy, we were just kidding." Kari said sweetly. And with that she grabbed the other pillow off of the lower bunk and smacked Izzy to the floor.
"Kari! What was that about?" Izzy yelled. He wasn't usually one to raise his voice, but he also wasn't one to get randomly attacked.
"Pillow Fight!" Mimi happily shouted as she grabbed her pillow and smacked Sora over the head. Sora grabbed her own pillow, and dove at Kari, smacking her away from the downed Izzy. Sora held her pillow high, ready to plow it into Izzy, as he held his head under his hands. A loud 'poomph' filled the room as Izzy was again thwacked. Mimi ran to Izzy's aid, nailing Sora in the gut. Mimi gave Izzy a hand up, and the two now stood against Sora and Kari, who had also teamed up. The two teams exchanged blows, laughing all the while. Feathers fluffed about the room, and joy flowed freely. Slowly the excitement died down and the four fighters ran out of energy. Kari hopped over to the desk and picked up a video.
"Here Mimi, get past the previews," Kari said, handing the video to Mimi, "I'm going to make some popcorn." Mimi popped the tape in the VCR and fast forwarded to the beginning of the movie. Some girly movie...
*
Tai and Matt stared blankly at the television screen, playing one of their favorite video games, the flickering lights of the game warping the color of their faces.
"Hey Tai..." Matt said rather monotonously. "You wonder if girls ever strip down to their bras and panties and have tickle fights when they have sleep overs?" There was a long silence between the two friends, then, in unison, the two said blankly, not breaking their zombified state 'Lucky...'
*
The credits of the movies began to roll. Izzy, who had fallen asleep, was snoring gently, his head nestled comfortably in Kari's lap. Kari, herself, was giving the screen a perplexed look, as Mimi and Sora held each other, both softly sobbing. The tape clicked off, leaving the room in darkness. There were the sounds of muffled footsteps, and then the lights clinked on, Mimi the bearer of the newfound brightness, tears still gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"Time for bed?" She suggested. Both Kari and Sora nodded in agreement. Kari kindly pulled Izzy's sleeping bag from his knapsack and carefully slid him in, being sure not to wake him. Kari then set up her sleeping area, on Izzy's left, Mimi already on his right, Sora on the bed. Kari hit the lights, again plunging the room into darkness.
*
The early morning sun peeked through the windows of the Kamaiya's, waking Izzy from his slumber. He was instantly in a state of panic. Kari was snuggled close, apparently using Izzy as a stuffed animal. Mimi was doing the same, her soft hair half covering his face, one leg over his blanket. Carefully as he could, he slid his right hand over to his left wrist, placing two fingers on the underside of his arm. A pulse. He was still alive; not in heaven...
*
Izzy said his goodbyes, and again bowed and thanked Mrs. Kamaiya for having him over. Just as he was about to leave, both Mimi and Kari bent down and pecked him on the cheek. Izzy's eyes widened and cheeks turned a glowing red, the shock of both kisses completely stunning him.
"S-see ya'" was all he could stutter out before he blindly stepped out, walking in the complete opposite direction of his house. Kari and Mimi looked at each other, both cracking a smirk. Quite a night, indeed.
***The End***