Disclaimer: I don't own digimon :( but oh, how I wish I did.
Now on with the story!
Chapter 2
They were halfway down the block before they stopped, both out of breath from the combined effort of running and laughing. "Did you…see…your mom's face…!?" Tai asked, trying to catch his breath. Sora only nodded, laughing too hard to speak.
It took only a few seconds for the laughter to stop as they realized that they were still holding hands. Both blushed and let go, but thankfully, the blush was barely visible on their faces, already red from running. "Thanks for rescuing me Tai," Sora said gratefully, "I don't know how much longer I would have made it in there."
Tai shook his head, "You rescued yourself. Will your mom be furious when you get back?" Even as he asked it, he knew the answer. He had witnessed Ms. Takenouchi's temper and it definitely wasn't pretty.
"Yup," Sora replied cheerfully, as she savored the clean, fresh air, not drenched in the scent of flowers. "But, I'm not risking my life for nothing, I believe I was promised a milkshake," she added with a smile. Tai laughed, "I almost forget, you're right, let's go."
~ ~
Somehow or another, it was almost closing time before the two returned. Sora cringed, her mother would be absolutely livid. She had left a hundred things undone to go on her little romp with Taichi, and they were a hundred things for paying costumers, who expected them the next day.
"SORA TAKENOUCHI!!!" Both teens heard as soon Sora opened the door. "HOW DARE YOU LEAVE LIKE THAT YOUNG LADY!?! YOU HAVE RESPONISIBLITIES HERE THAT YOU CANNOT JUST ABANDON!!! IF YOU WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE AN ADULT, YOU SHOULD ACT LIKE ONE! YOU ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE THIS TIME SORA," the fragile looking women yelled in a voice that was far from fragile. Sora hung her head, suddenly aware how right her mother was; she had acted completely irresponsibly.
It was clear Ms. Takenouchi wasn't done with her sermon, but before she could start again, Tai interjected. "Please, Ms. Takenouchi," Tai started as Sora glared a warning at him. "It wasn't Sora's fault, I convinced her to come with me," he said, genuinely guilty for getting his friend into this much trouble.
"No mama, it wasn't his-" Sora started before her mother cut her off. "Tai, that's very sweet of you, but it was ultimately Sora's decision to go; she knew she had work to do here." She turned back to her daughter, "I am very disappointed in you. Stay here and until you finish the orders you shrugged off. I'll talk to you about your punishment when you get home," she said coldly and walked out of the shop.
"Sora, I feel terrible…" Tai said, looking a lot like a guilty puppy dog that had just torn up its owner's best shoes. "No Tai, she's right. It was my decision; it wasn't your fault at all. Thanks though…for trying to help," she said and smiled. "Anyway, you better get going, I've got a lot of work to do."
"Can I at least help you?" Tai asked, desperate to make up for the trouble he had caused. She laughed, "Tai, really, it's my responsibility, you don't have to." "But I want to," he said and then blushed, realizing how that must have sounded. "I mean…it would make me feel better," he added, in a slightly more "macho" tone. He smiled as he saw Sora biting her lip, a tell-tale sign she was debating something. "Please?" he added, with the same puppy-dog face he knew had swayed her decision so many times before. Smiling, she let out a sigh; Taichi had defeated her yet again.
~ ~
The work was done in well, almost half the time. At first, Tai was having some… "difficulties". He cut himself with the cutting scissors, poked himself with thorns, and destroyed more flowers than he was even working with. However, by the end of the night, he had become quite the florist.
"Now see? Was that so bad?" Tai asked mockingly after they had finished. Sora stopped a second to think…actually…it wasn't…it was almost…dare she say it… "fun". "Well…I guess not, but it's only because I had company. It was pretty entertaining to watch you cut yourself…repeatedly," she said with a laugh. Taichi laughed as well and flashed a bright smile before they packed up and headed home.
They exited the shop and the little bells on the door rang gleefully. Sora locked the door behind them. It went without saying they would walk each other home. Since they were little, they had lived right next to each other. Because of this, there were very few times in their 17 years that they weren't together, and even fewer that they didn't walk each other home. As they walked, conversation ranged from how happy they were it was summer, to the digi-world, to what flavor ice cream was the best, to green space-exploding aliens, and then always came back to how great it was that it was summer.
Just before they reached Sora's door, Taichi stopped her. "Sora…tonight…really wasn't that bad, you know? And I know how much you hate it there…so maybe I could…" "No." Sora said flatly. Tai was a bit taken back, "Oh come on Sora!! Your mom's hiring anyway, and who better than your best friend to keep you company in your own personal hell?" "No Tai, you don't understand, it's not my own personal hell, it's hell. Flat out hell. I can't let you waste your summer like that, I won't let you. It's bad enough I have to suffer through it, not you too," she stated, dead serious.
"But Sora! My mom said if I keep lying around the house all day, which I inevitably will since you're not around, she'll make me get a job anyway! I'd really rather work with you at the flower shop than with that creepy kid with one eye at the copy store." Sora paused, that kid was creepy. "Pllllllleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeee," Tai remembered to add. "Nooo! Not that! I hate it when you do that!" she cried, but was forced to surrender. "Alright, alright, let's go ask my mom."
Ms. Takenouchi agreed without hesitation. After all, she needed workers and not many of the teenagers looking for summer jobs wanted one at a flower shop. Besides, despite how angry she sometimes got with her, she loved her daughter very much. She knew how much Sora cared about Taichi, and maybe, by having him there, it would keep her from burning down the poor old flower shop.
To be continued! :D
AN: Thanks for reading everyone! Hope you liked it! ^_^ I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but there's always the trouble of homework :( Reviews are welcomed, but please, no flames :\
"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make one's day" :)