Chapter 11: A Friend Departed, a Father Returned
Author Amber: Hi! I am filling in temporarily because....normal Amber had a......accident. Anywayz.....I am proud to say that the winner of the 50th review contest is: *drum roll* RIKA1332! *confetti and streamers explode from the ceiling, and people jump out of their hiding places, blowing noise- makers* WOO-HOO! *Looks around and gets stares* Congrats! But it took long enough....If you would REVIEW every once in a while.....*breathes deeply* okay.....I think I'm okay now. BUT REVIEW!!!!!
Angry Amber: *rolls eyes* and I thought I had a rage problem.
Lovesick Amber: Oh come on, people!!!! WHERE'S THE LOVE?!?!?!
Angry Amber: I dunno, maybe it flew out the window with your brain.
Lovesick Amber: Hmmm....*ponders* I'll look. *looks around* nope.
Singing Amber: *sings* There was a man, now please take note....there was a man, he had a goat.....he loved that goat, yes sir he did.....he loved that goat.....just like a kid! Get it, a kid? *Laughs but then notices no one else is laughing, but staring at her as if she's some kind of freak* urg....*throws up hands in exasperation* You guys just won't let it go, will you?!?!
Lovesick Amber: Just ignore them. They have no compassion. Even I'VE given up on them.
Angry Amber: *hits Lovesick upside the head* you doofus.
Lovesick Amber: *rubs head angrily* Hey! What was THAT for?!?!?!
Angry Amber: Two reasons. 1) I'm angry Amber. I'm angry. Naturally, I tend to hit people. 2) What you did was dumb!
Lovesick Amber: Hey! He has his.....qualities!
Angry Amber: *turns to other Ambers* who put THIS dingbat in charge of crushes?!?!?!
All except Author & Angry: *shrugs*
Normal Amber: *goes whizzing by, chasing a squirrel* COME BACK HERE WITH MY TAPE!!!!!
Author Amber: ^^;; a squirrel stole Amber's solo practice tape.
Normal Amber: *comes back, holding a dead squirrel in one hand and a small audio cassette tape in the other* got 'im. *smiles*
Author: Good. See, Amber's trying out for a solo (one she wants really really bad), and she has a tape that she plays with background music on it. The squirrel stole it, and since Amber wants this solo more than anything else, the tape was very important. The whole world is out to get her by trying to steal her solo.
Normal Amber: RIGHT! EVERYONE HATES ME! THEY DON'T WANT ME TO BE HAPPY!
Lovesick: Yes, Amber will be very depressed if she doesn't get that solo. PRAY FOR HER TO GET IT!!! IT MEANS THE WORLD TO HER!!!!
Normal: Dumb squirrel. Even HE hates me.
Angry: Whatever. *Blares Good Charlotte CD in ears*
Normal: Good idea! We'll blast Good Charlotte CD's into our ears!
All: *blasts Good Charlotte CD in ears*
Disclaimer: I own my notebook, which contains the story Bunny-boy will NEVER see, but alas, I don't own Digimon. Big whoop.
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Chapter 11: A Friend Departed, a Father Returned
Rika sighed. 'Well, it was fun while it lasted...' the cruise was over, and how that time had flown. Despite the miserable photo shoots she was subject to, she thought the vacation was fun. She would miss Kouji, even though he had...well, displayed affection for her. The truth was, she liked him too, although not like he did. They had gotten to be quite good friends.
She was anxious, too. Her father really was there, about to get married to Nabiki's mom in the Bahamas, which was the trip that brought them there. Nabiki was gonna have Ryo be her date for the reception. There's a weird hypnotic talent that goes down Nabiki's female side of the family that entrances guys. Ryo will never be safe from falling victim to the spell, but it can be broken instantly by none other than his true love's kiss (oh how classic). Her father had fallen victim to Nabiki's mom's spell, but when they tossed her overboard, it broke the spell.
Rika wondered if her mother's kiss could break the spell on her dad. Then she'd know for sure if her father really loved her mother. But Nabiki was thrown overboard with her mother, and they had both been presumed dead. What was making her anxious, though, was that she had talked to her dad, and he said that he was sorry he left her, he had no choice, and that he wanted to try again by moving in with her, her mother, and her grandmother, Seiko. They had room to spare in their home.
Rika was a little suspicious. Her mother's eyes went far away, to a distant time, when she mentioned her father. She wondered, though, why it was her father had had to leave in the first place. On a whim, she imagined he was a spy. She had always wanted adventure, and a spy has lots of those. She wished he could be a spy. They could go on adventures together.
'Stop thinking,' Rika scolded herself. 'You're too excited at the thought of meeting him to think straight.'
Still, she kept imagining what her father would be like, and why he had to leave. She was in the middle of an Indiana Jones fantasy when she had a rude awakening.
BEEEEEEEEEP! Her mother lay on the horn, snapping her out of her dreamland. "Honey!" She shouted, sticking her head out the window of the small car. "Get on the motorcycle with your little friend, it's time to go!"
"Yeah, whatever," Rika said, back to reality. She climbed aboard the motorcycle and snapped her helmet on. Only a short time later, she stood at the loading dock of the cruise ship, getting suitcases and bags stuffed in her face.
Everything went by like a dream, like she was somewhere in between her dreamland and reality. She knew she wouldn't see her father on the ship, he would be in mom's cabin, talking to her about how she was doing, what happened to both her and him while he was gone, and Rika felt a stab of guilt that she was jealous of her mom getting to find out what had happened to him before her.
There was a good thing about her not being around her father through the boat trip. She weaseled it out of one of mom's co-workers that when she got back, there was gonna be a welcome home party. Her mom had apparently called and told Grandma back home the good news. She had arranged the rest. She didn't like parties, but this one wasn't for her, so maybe she could relax and get a rest from all this drama. But Ryo would be there too. He would be hanging around her telling her how great she was, and she wouldn't know what to say.
She just wished that she could come out and say it. To get this torture over with. Her friends already knew, why keep up the charade? Maybe something would happen tonight. She wandered to her cabin and tried writing a note to him.
Dear Ryo,
I know you know this, everyone else does. I really like you, and I'm sure you like me too. I'm tired of hiding my feelings. I think we are all mature enough to face this. I want you to be my boyfriend, Ryo. I...love you.
Love,
Rika.
But she wasn't really sure she had the courage to give it to him. It was perfect, not mushy, straight to the point that all of them had been coming to for so long. She decided she could fake it if he didn't feel the same way. She snuck over to Ryo's cabin, as he took the same boat as her on the way home. She slipped the note under the door, hearing him inside, sounding indecisive, humming to himself frantically. She scampered away quickly, because he was approaching the door. She watched him open the door, and look about from around the corner.
She saw him next, with that famous smile on his face. It filled his lips, his eyes, and Rika could tell, his heart. She snuck back to her cabin, wondering if he would say anything. She came up to her CD player and put in a CD. She pressed "play."
What is love
it's the way you're nervous when you speak
the way I know just what you mean
it's the kind of thing that's bitter sweet
it's the funny feeling deep inside
so many different sides
but still so easy to live by
cause you know it every time
and not just in your mind
but you can feel the butterflies
sendin' chills down your spine
what is love
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away
a safe play to run
what is love
but a complicated simple truth
a bond between me and you
the number one
[all that's love]
and the things that never cross your mind
what you're doing all the time
it's with someone special, it's alright
it's like dancing when you walk
and singing when you talk
you are happy just to be alive
live in the moment, don't pretend
let it go and take it in
you don't have to understand
the how, why, and when
what is love
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away
a safe place to run
what is love
but a complicated simple truth
a bond between me and you
the number one
so take off your hat and stay for a minute
love is a precious thing
if you let it in
you'll never know what you'll find
until you give it, sometime, sometime
what is love [what is love...yeah]
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away [a smile that won't go away]
a safe place to run
what is love [what is love]
but a complicated simple truth [a simply truth]
a bond between me and you [between me and you]
the number one
what is love [what is love]
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away
a safe place to run [a safe place to run]
what is love [what is love]
but a complicated simple truth
a bond between me and you [between me and you]
the number one [the number one]
all that's love
what is love
it's kiss on a rainy day....
'I wish I had that..' Rika thought. 'But I've put this off for so long...' Just then, a note slipped under her door, and she rushed over to read it.
Rika,
I'm sorry, but I've been leading you on. I never really loved you. Goodbye.
Ryo.
"This must be a joke," Rika said to herself, unable to believe it was true. "This can't be happening..." What she had just no realized was her worst nightmare had just come true. Ryo didn't love her back, and she was no longer sure she could pretend this didn't happen. The dreamlike aura that has swirled around her had gone, she was hit hard with reality.
'How can he just leave me like that?' she thought, as her denial turned quickly into anger and rage. 'HE WILL PAY!'
~~At the Welcome Home Party...~~~
"Hello, Whitney," Greeted Rika warmly as she was introduced to a cousin of her father's. She was her age. She had a mischievous smile on her face as she vigorously shook Rika's hand.
"I hope you like the punch," she said, "It's my special recipe."
"I'm sure it's delicious," Rika said, to which Whitney had a little laugh. The doorbell rang again, and when Rika answered the door, she was knocked to the floor.
"RIKA!" shrieked Amber and Ashley, who had charged her the second she opened the door.
"Cool it, you guys," she said as they scrambled off the floor.
"So how did the splendid little love boat trip go? We're all dying to hear," Ashley said anxiously, but they knew something went wrong as the cheery smile vanished in an instant. "Oh no, what did we do?" Ashley asked.
"Oh, no you guys, it's not you!" Rika said in an attempt to make them feel better. "It's--"
"Ryo!" called Rika's mom, rushing to the door. "Come on in sweetheart!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Nonaka," Ryo said, and getting heavily snarls and looks that would kill, he proceeded across the room to hang up his stuff. The girls automatically got the hint.
~~Later...~
All the guests had arrived, and the girls were separate from the boys, giving their accounts of how the cruise back was.
~~Girls...~~
"Oh my god, Rika he didn't!" Amber exclaimed.
"That is lower than low!" Jeri said.
"I know," Rika said, "but I don't understand why...there has to be something..."
"No, guys are jerks!" Ashley said, then added, "well, some of them...just...forget abut him, Rika."
"Well, you are being asked to sing..." Jeri said, but got looks like daggers. "Uh-oh...."
"What?!?!?" Rika said.
"Your dad wants to hear you sing..." Amber said, now that the surprise was ruined.
"Well," Jeri continued, "what if you sing a song about how hurt you are?" Rika considered this for a moment and decided that would be quite like spilling her guts to everyone, but she had already, and everyone probably already knew, so why not?
"Okay," she said with a song in mind.
~~Guys...~~
"Really?" Kazu asked.
"Why would you do that?" Kenta said, confused.
"I dunno," Ryo said. "I'll figure out somehow-"
"Well, you better! That's injustice! It's not right!" Henry shouted. He was upset anyone would do such a thing.
"Well, it doesn't make since, but Ryo does what he wants, I suppose..." Takato reasoned.
~~Rika's performance...~~
She took a deep breath and signaled the music. It began slowly, and she swayed gently.
"The trouble with love Is"
Oooh oooh, oooh yeah, mmmm...
Love can be a many splendored thing
Can't deny the joy it brings
A dozen roses, diamond rings
Dreams for sale and fairy tales
It'll make you hear a symphony
And you just want the world to see
But like a drug that makes you blind,
It'll fool ya every time
The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all
Now I was once a fool, it's true
I played the game by all the rules
But now my world's a deeper blue
I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too
I swore I'd never love again
I swore my heart would never mend
Said love wasn't worth the pain
But then I hear it call my name
(The trouble with) The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all
Every time I turn around
I think I've got it all figured out
My heart keeps callin' and I keep on fallin'
Over and over again
The sad story always ends the same
Me standin' in the pourin' rain
It seems no matter what I do
It tears my heart in two
(The trouble with love is) The trouble with love, yeah
(It can tear you up inside) It can tear you up inside
(Make your heart believe a lie) Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
(The trouble with love is)
It's in your heart
It's in your soul (doesn't care how fast you fall)
You won't get no control
(and you can't refuse the call)
See, you got no say at all
(The trouble with love is) Oh, yeah
(It can tear you up inside)
(Make your heart believe a lie)....
Her father looked shocked as she stepped off the stage. "Oh honey, you've gotten even better since you were little...you've sang since you could talk..."
"Thanks," she said flatly, interrupting him. She was far more interested in Ryo's reaction, which was stony and emotionless. He was standing at the punch bowl, and took a sip of punch. He automatically gagged, and ran to rinse it out. Rika laughed and narrowed her eyes at him, thinking about her cousin Whitney. 'She must've spiked it.' Her friends came up to congratulate her.
"Rika, you were great!" said Ashley enthusiastically. She scoffed, letting them know that singing did not soothe her pain and humiliation. They backed off and talked amongst themselves. Meanwhile, the boys were discussing Ryo.
Ryo had approached Rika cautiously. He tapped her on the shoulder, to which she coldly replied, "What."
"Hi. Can I have a word with you?"
"Why? Do you want to humiliate me again? Why do you care about me all of a sudden? I thought I was merely a toy for your amusement." She said, still turned around, fists bunched.
"Rika, I-"
"Oh, you don't have to explain, I know, you guys are all alike. I was a fool to trust you. Heh, I even risked my life for you. I make myself sick." She said, and with that, she whipped around and punched him hard in the face, arousing the attention of Rika's friends and the other guys, who all ran to his aid.
"Oh my god, Rika!" Takato shouted. "What did you do?"
"Um, I believe I punched him. In the face, if you must know." Said Rika coolly, her lavender eyes had iced over, and she refused to face any of them as she ran into her bedroom, Amber following close after.
"You know, we just had a talk with the guys, and they said some rather interesting things." Amber said. "You might have wanted to hear them before you did that." Rika turned around. Tears flooded her eyes.
"Why do I care? Ryo wants nothing to do with me..." Rika said, and Amber sat her down on her bed.
"You know what? You might just want to sit here, look at the moon, listen to music, think, but you need to cool off. Just remember," she said, smiling slightly disproportionately, always a good sign of things to come from Amber, "things happen for a reason, even though no one knows why at first." And she left Rika feeling slightly confused.
She decided to take a bit of Amber's advice, and look out the window to what appeared to be the ordinary cloudless, starry night. She heard soft footsteps and a slight pressure on her bed. She turned around, and was about to say something, but a finger was held to her mouth and was soon replaced by Ryo's lips. Rika's eyes shown in the moonlight as a shooting star darted across the night sky, and she felt she could kiss him forever.
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Author: Well, that was certainly a romantic chapter, wasn't it? I have been so darned busy lately that I have had zip time to do this! Sorry, but Ashley convinced me to get involved in this fic that I am currently writing about mind powers. You can see that one a lil later though, cause I have to get some more done before I'll even get the energy to type it (Ashley will probably end up typing it for me.) anyway, sorry for the wait, I hope it was worth it a little. Besides, I've been pretty depressed because I didn't get the solo I wanted *curses Mrs. Bolton for being a psycho with a dyke haircut that has no taste in talent*. Oh well, I'll prove myself somehow, I'm sending a voice clip of me out to my friends.....I'm sorry if you are a friend and I missed you, I forget stuff. 1 a.m. in the morning.....*mutters* the things I do for anxious fic readers.....well, I hope you didn't forget about this one, folks, cause I'll be staying right on top of it! I'm a firm believer in finishing what you started......^_^ I'm out!
})i({~Amber~})i({
Author Amber: Hi! I am filling in temporarily because....normal Amber had a......accident. Anywayz.....I am proud to say that the winner of the 50th review contest is: *drum roll* RIKA1332! *confetti and streamers explode from the ceiling, and people jump out of their hiding places, blowing noise- makers* WOO-HOO! *Looks around and gets stares* Congrats! But it took long enough....If you would REVIEW every once in a while.....*breathes deeply* okay.....I think I'm okay now. BUT REVIEW!!!!!
Angry Amber: *rolls eyes* and I thought I had a rage problem.
Lovesick Amber: Oh come on, people!!!! WHERE'S THE LOVE?!?!?!
Angry Amber: I dunno, maybe it flew out the window with your brain.
Lovesick Amber: Hmmm....*ponders* I'll look. *looks around* nope.
Singing Amber: *sings* There was a man, now please take note....there was a man, he had a goat.....he loved that goat, yes sir he did.....he loved that goat.....just like a kid! Get it, a kid? *Laughs but then notices no one else is laughing, but staring at her as if she's some kind of freak* urg....*throws up hands in exasperation* You guys just won't let it go, will you?!?!
Lovesick Amber: Just ignore them. They have no compassion. Even I'VE given up on them.
Angry Amber: *hits Lovesick upside the head* you doofus.
Lovesick Amber: *rubs head angrily* Hey! What was THAT for?!?!?!
Angry Amber: Two reasons. 1) I'm angry Amber. I'm angry. Naturally, I tend to hit people. 2) What you did was dumb!
Lovesick Amber: Hey! He has his.....qualities!
Angry Amber: *turns to other Ambers* who put THIS dingbat in charge of crushes?!?!?!
All except Author & Angry: *shrugs*
Normal Amber: *goes whizzing by, chasing a squirrel* COME BACK HERE WITH MY TAPE!!!!!
Author Amber: ^^;; a squirrel stole Amber's solo practice tape.
Normal Amber: *comes back, holding a dead squirrel in one hand and a small audio cassette tape in the other* got 'im. *smiles*
Author: Good. See, Amber's trying out for a solo (one she wants really really bad), and she has a tape that she plays with background music on it. The squirrel stole it, and since Amber wants this solo more than anything else, the tape was very important. The whole world is out to get her by trying to steal her solo.
Normal Amber: RIGHT! EVERYONE HATES ME! THEY DON'T WANT ME TO BE HAPPY!
Lovesick: Yes, Amber will be very depressed if she doesn't get that solo. PRAY FOR HER TO GET IT!!! IT MEANS THE WORLD TO HER!!!!
Normal: Dumb squirrel. Even HE hates me.
Angry: Whatever. *Blares Good Charlotte CD in ears*
Normal: Good idea! We'll blast Good Charlotte CD's into our ears!
All: *blasts Good Charlotte CD in ears*
Disclaimer: I own my notebook, which contains the story Bunny-boy will NEVER see, but alas, I don't own Digimon. Big whoop.
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Chapter 11: A Friend Departed, a Father Returned
Rika sighed. 'Well, it was fun while it lasted...' the cruise was over, and how that time had flown. Despite the miserable photo shoots she was subject to, she thought the vacation was fun. She would miss Kouji, even though he had...well, displayed affection for her. The truth was, she liked him too, although not like he did. They had gotten to be quite good friends.
She was anxious, too. Her father really was there, about to get married to Nabiki's mom in the Bahamas, which was the trip that brought them there. Nabiki was gonna have Ryo be her date for the reception. There's a weird hypnotic talent that goes down Nabiki's female side of the family that entrances guys. Ryo will never be safe from falling victim to the spell, but it can be broken instantly by none other than his true love's kiss (oh how classic). Her father had fallen victim to Nabiki's mom's spell, but when they tossed her overboard, it broke the spell.
Rika wondered if her mother's kiss could break the spell on her dad. Then she'd know for sure if her father really loved her mother. But Nabiki was thrown overboard with her mother, and they had both been presumed dead. What was making her anxious, though, was that she had talked to her dad, and he said that he was sorry he left her, he had no choice, and that he wanted to try again by moving in with her, her mother, and her grandmother, Seiko. They had room to spare in their home.
Rika was a little suspicious. Her mother's eyes went far away, to a distant time, when she mentioned her father. She wondered, though, why it was her father had had to leave in the first place. On a whim, she imagined he was a spy. She had always wanted adventure, and a spy has lots of those. She wished he could be a spy. They could go on adventures together.
'Stop thinking,' Rika scolded herself. 'You're too excited at the thought of meeting him to think straight.'
Still, she kept imagining what her father would be like, and why he had to leave. She was in the middle of an Indiana Jones fantasy when she had a rude awakening.
BEEEEEEEEEP! Her mother lay on the horn, snapping her out of her dreamland. "Honey!" She shouted, sticking her head out the window of the small car. "Get on the motorcycle with your little friend, it's time to go!"
"Yeah, whatever," Rika said, back to reality. She climbed aboard the motorcycle and snapped her helmet on. Only a short time later, she stood at the loading dock of the cruise ship, getting suitcases and bags stuffed in her face.
Everything went by like a dream, like she was somewhere in between her dreamland and reality. She knew she wouldn't see her father on the ship, he would be in mom's cabin, talking to her about how she was doing, what happened to both her and him while he was gone, and Rika felt a stab of guilt that she was jealous of her mom getting to find out what had happened to him before her.
There was a good thing about her not being around her father through the boat trip. She weaseled it out of one of mom's co-workers that when she got back, there was gonna be a welcome home party. Her mom had apparently called and told Grandma back home the good news. She had arranged the rest. She didn't like parties, but this one wasn't for her, so maybe she could relax and get a rest from all this drama. But Ryo would be there too. He would be hanging around her telling her how great she was, and she wouldn't know what to say.
She just wished that she could come out and say it. To get this torture over with. Her friends already knew, why keep up the charade? Maybe something would happen tonight. She wandered to her cabin and tried writing a note to him.
Dear Ryo,
I know you know this, everyone else does. I really like you, and I'm sure you like me too. I'm tired of hiding my feelings. I think we are all mature enough to face this. I want you to be my boyfriend, Ryo. I...love you.
Love,
Rika.
But she wasn't really sure she had the courage to give it to him. It was perfect, not mushy, straight to the point that all of them had been coming to for so long. She decided she could fake it if he didn't feel the same way. She snuck over to Ryo's cabin, as he took the same boat as her on the way home. She slipped the note under the door, hearing him inside, sounding indecisive, humming to himself frantically. She scampered away quickly, because he was approaching the door. She watched him open the door, and look about from around the corner.
She saw him next, with that famous smile on his face. It filled his lips, his eyes, and Rika could tell, his heart. She snuck back to her cabin, wondering if he would say anything. She came up to her CD player and put in a CD. She pressed "play."
What is love
it's the way you're nervous when you speak
the way I know just what you mean
it's the kind of thing that's bitter sweet
it's the funny feeling deep inside
so many different sides
but still so easy to live by
cause you know it every time
and not just in your mind
but you can feel the butterflies
sendin' chills down your spine
what is love
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away
a safe play to run
what is love
but a complicated simple truth
a bond between me and you
the number one
[all that's love]
and the things that never cross your mind
what you're doing all the time
it's with someone special, it's alright
it's like dancing when you walk
and singing when you talk
you are happy just to be alive
live in the moment, don't pretend
let it go and take it in
you don't have to understand
the how, why, and when
what is love
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away
a safe place to run
what is love
but a complicated simple truth
a bond between me and you
the number one
so take off your hat and stay for a minute
love is a precious thing
if you let it in
you'll never know what you'll find
until you give it, sometime, sometime
what is love [what is love...yeah]
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away [a smile that won't go away]
a safe place to run
what is love [what is love]
but a complicated simple truth [a simply truth]
a bond between me and you [between me and you]
the number one
what is love [what is love]
but a kiss on a rainy day
a smile that won't go away
a safe place to run [a safe place to run]
what is love [what is love]
but a complicated simple truth
a bond between me and you [between me and you]
the number one [the number one]
all that's love
what is love
it's kiss on a rainy day....
'I wish I had that..' Rika thought. 'But I've put this off for so long...' Just then, a note slipped under her door, and she rushed over to read it.
Rika,
I'm sorry, but I've been leading you on. I never really loved you. Goodbye.
Ryo.
"This must be a joke," Rika said to herself, unable to believe it was true. "This can't be happening..." What she had just no realized was her worst nightmare had just come true. Ryo didn't love her back, and she was no longer sure she could pretend this didn't happen. The dreamlike aura that has swirled around her had gone, she was hit hard with reality.
'How can he just leave me like that?' she thought, as her denial turned quickly into anger and rage. 'HE WILL PAY!'
~~At the Welcome Home Party...~~~
"Hello, Whitney," Greeted Rika warmly as she was introduced to a cousin of her father's. She was her age. She had a mischievous smile on her face as she vigorously shook Rika's hand.
"I hope you like the punch," she said, "It's my special recipe."
"I'm sure it's delicious," Rika said, to which Whitney had a little laugh. The doorbell rang again, and when Rika answered the door, she was knocked to the floor.
"RIKA!" shrieked Amber and Ashley, who had charged her the second she opened the door.
"Cool it, you guys," she said as they scrambled off the floor.
"So how did the splendid little love boat trip go? We're all dying to hear," Ashley said anxiously, but they knew something went wrong as the cheery smile vanished in an instant. "Oh no, what did we do?" Ashley asked.
"Oh, no you guys, it's not you!" Rika said in an attempt to make them feel better. "It's--"
"Ryo!" called Rika's mom, rushing to the door. "Come on in sweetheart!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Nonaka," Ryo said, and getting heavily snarls and looks that would kill, he proceeded across the room to hang up his stuff. The girls automatically got the hint.
~~Later...~
All the guests had arrived, and the girls were separate from the boys, giving their accounts of how the cruise back was.
~~Girls...~~
"Oh my god, Rika he didn't!" Amber exclaimed.
"That is lower than low!" Jeri said.
"I know," Rika said, "but I don't understand why...there has to be something..."
"No, guys are jerks!" Ashley said, then added, "well, some of them...just...forget abut him, Rika."
"Well, you are being asked to sing..." Jeri said, but got looks like daggers. "Uh-oh...."
"What?!?!?" Rika said.
"Your dad wants to hear you sing..." Amber said, now that the surprise was ruined.
"Well," Jeri continued, "what if you sing a song about how hurt you are?" Rika considered this for a moment and decided that would be quite like spilling her guts to everyone, but she had already, and everyone probably already knew, so why not?
"Okay," she said with a song in mind.
~~Guys...~~
"Really?" Kazu asked.
"Why would you do that?" Kenta said, confused.
"I dunno," Ryo said. "I'll figure out somehow-"
"Well, you better! That's injustice! It's not right!" Henry shouted. He was upset anyone would do such a thing.
"Well, it doesn't make since, but Ryo does what he wants, I suppose..." Takato reasoned.
~~Rika's performance...~~
She took a deep breath and signaled the music. It began slowly, and she swayed gently.
"The trouble with love Is"
Oooh oooh, oooh yeah, mmmm...
Love can be a many splendored thing
Can't deny the joy it brings
A dozen roses, diamond rings
Dreams for sale and fairy tales
It'll make you hear a symphony
And you just want the world to see
But like a drug that makes you blind,
It'll fool ya every time
The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all
Now I was once a fool, it's true
I played the game by all the rules
But now my world's a deeper blue
I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too
I swore I'd never love again
I swore my heart would never mend
Said love wasn't worth the pain
But then I hear it call my name
(The trouble with) The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all
Every time I turn around
I think I've got it all figured out
My heart keeps callin' and I keep on fallin'
Over and over again
The sad story always ends the same
Me standin' in the pourin' rain
It seems no matter what I do
It tears my heart in two
(The trouble with love is) The trouble with love, yeah
(It can tear you up inside) It can tear you up inside
(Make your heart believe a lie) Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
(The trouble with love is)
It's in your heart
It's in your soul (doesn't care how fast you fall)
You won't get no control
(and you can't refuse the call)
See, you got no say at all
(The trouble with love is) Oh, yeah
(It can tear you up inside)
(Make your heart believe a lie)....
Her father looked shocked as she stepped off the stage. "Oh honey, you've gotten even better since you were little...you've sang since you could talk..."
"Thanks," she said flatly, interrupting him. She was far more interested in Ryo's reaction, which was stony and emotionless. He was standing at the punch bowl, and took a sip of punch. He automatically gagged, and ran to rinse it out. Rika laughed and narrowed her eyes at him, thinking about her cousin Whitney. 'She must've spiked it.' Her friends came up to congratulate her.
"Rika, you were great!" said Ashley enthusiastically. She scoffed, letting them know that singing did not soothe her pain and humiliation. They backed off and talked amongst themselves. Meanwhile, the boys were discussing Ryo.
Ryo had approached Rika cautiously. He tapped her on the shoulder, to which she coldly replied, "What."
"Hi. Can I have a word with you?"
"Why? Do you want to humiliate me again? Why do you care about me all of a sudden? I thought I was merely a toy for your amusement." She said, still turned around, fists bunched.
"Rika, I-"
"Oh, you don't have to explain, I know, you guys are all alike. I was a fool to trust you. Heh, I even risked my life for you. I make myself sick." She said, and with that, she whipped around and punched him hard in the face, arousing the attention of Rika's friends and the other guys, who all ran to his aid.
"Oh my god, Rika!" Takato shouted. "What did you do?"
"Um, I believe I punched him. In the face, if you must know." Said Rika coolly, her lavender eyes had iced over, and she refused to face any of them as she ran into her bedroom, Amber following close after.
"You know, we just had a talk with the guys, and they said some rather interesting things." Amber said. "You might have wanted to hear them before you did that." Rika turned around. Tears flooded her eyes.
"Why do I care? Ryo wants nothing to do with me..." Rika said, and Amber sat her down on her bed.
"You know what? You might just want to sit here, look at the moon, listen to music, think, but you need to cool off. Just remember," she said, smiling slightly disproportionately, always a good sign of things to come from Amber, "things happen for a reason, even though no one knows why at first." And she left Rika feeling slightly confused.
She decided to take a bit of Amber's advice, and look out the window to what appeared to be the ordinary cloudless, starry night. She heard soft footsteps and a slight pressure on her bed. She turned around, and was about to say something, but a finger was held to her mouth and was soon replaced by Ryo's lips. Rika's eyes shown in the moonlight as a shooting star darted across the night sky, and she felt she could kiss him forever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author: Well, that was certainly a romantic chapter, wasn't it? I have been so darned busy lately that I have had zip time to do this! Sorry, but Ashley convinced me to get involved in this fic that I am currently writing about mind powers. You can see that one a lil later though, cause I have to get some more done before I'll even get the energy to type it (Ashley will probably end up typing it for me.) anyway, sorry for the wait, I hope it was worth it a little. Besides, I've been pretty depressed because I didn't get the solo I wanted *curses Mrs. Bolton for being a psycho with a dyke haircut that has no taste in talent*. Oh well, I'll prove myself somehow, I'm sending a voice clip of me out to my friends.....I'm sorry if you are a friend and I missed you, I forget stuff. 1 a.m. in the morning.....*mutters* the things I do for anxious fic readers.....well, I hope you didn't forget about this one, folks, cause I'll be staying right on top of it! I'm a firm believer in finishing what you started......^_^ I'm out!
})i({~Amber~})i({