Back In The Day

Wanna Be My Friend?

DF103: I got distracted. IACDTT won't be out yet, cuz it's too short…but it will be out before the month is over and done with. I have nothing else better to do…well, I do, but who would want to do two summer homework assignments when there are better things to do? In any case, this fic was due for an update a long, long, long, long time ago. I dun own Digimon. Keep in mind that everyone is little and that there may be OOC-ness…and um, Ryo is the same age as everyone else…

"I lost my mom before I started preschool." Jeri caressed Rika's stuffed bear. "But, after I met you guys, I had nothing to worry about."

- - -

Jeri's dad let out a heavy sigh.

"Part of her will always be with us, Jeri," Jeri's father reassured.

Jeri just turned away. Jeri's father didn't know what to do, Jeri being his first child. He let out another heavy sigh and just looked over the preschool campus.

In a distance, the two of them saw a group of kids and their parents walking in through the gates.

"Hey, look. More little kids like you," Jeri's dad noted, hoping to cheer Jeri up.

Jeri didn't seem to really to care, since it was only a group of boys. She looked the other way and saw a girl with her mom and dad. They walked in through the gates also. Jeri looked at the confused auburn haired girl. Her parents greeted the other people who were there. Jeri tugged on her dad's shirt and pointed to group of people.

"You want to meet those people?" Jeri's dad asked. Jeri nodded. "Okay, come on."

Jeri jumped off the bench and grabbed her little book bag. Jeri's hand slipped into her dad's large hands and they walked over there.

"I like your teddy bear," Ryo said, pointing to Rika's stuffed animal.

"Thank you. My daddy gave it to me," Rika answered, smiling. She looked up at her dad and looked back at the guys. "What are your names?" Rika asked, pointing to the three boys.

"I'm Kazu. I can spell my name!"

"I can spell my name, too! My name is Kenta."

"And I'm Ryo," Ryo simply replied.

While Kazu and Kenta wrote their names in the dirt, Jeri stepped into the group, as her dad greeted the other parents. Jeri looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Ryo and Rika.

"Are you okay?" Ryo asked, looking at Jeri's sad face.

She just nodded.

Rika held out her bear. "Do you want to hold my teddy for a little bit?"

Jeri stared at the bear, before she nodded again. Rika handed her the brown bear and Jeri snuggled it.

"He's really soft," Jeri noted, cuddling it.

"Uh-huh," Rika answered, nodding her head.

Jeri's dad looked down at Jeri, and sighed. Jeri glanced up at him, before she turned her back on him.

"She's been so sad lately. You see, my wife died a couple of weeks ago," Jeri's dad explained, with a glum look.

"Oh dear. How did you go about telling her?" Kenta's mom asked.

"I told her straight out. I didn't know how to tell her."

"Oh my goodness. Do you have no feelings for you little daughter? You probably crushed her poor, little heart." Rumiko replied, taking a glance at Jeri.

"Well, hopefully, preschool will get her mind out of things."

Kenta's mother glanced at Jeri. "It's hard to believe she understands death."

"Look Henry, more kids your age," Mrs. Wong pointed. Henry ran towards the others as the other parents greeted his mom.

"Hewo!" Henry exclaimed. "My name is Henwy. What's yours?" The others just looked at him, before the tall, young woman, standing behind them, captured their attention.

- - -

"That lady freaked me out, man! I don't know how she ever got the kids to like her," Kazu yelled, holding the class picture up. He searched for her in the picture before he smiled; he spotted her short dark red locks put up in a ponytail, as her smile winked back at him. "She's hot!"

"Are you crazy? That lady was insane…and extremely happy!" Rika retorted, looking at the picture. "But then again for you, Kazu, she could've been 'the one' for you—"

"Really?" Kazu incredulously replied.

"Yeah… If she weren't twenty-some years older than you!"

- - -

"Good, good…good, good morning children—and parents! I'm Ms. Sato. Come on inside. It's a safe zone!" the lady exclaimed. She opened up the door to the small school and let everyone inside. Some kids were already in the room and messing around with the miscellany in the boxes. The young kids' eyes twinkled, all except Jeri. Poor, poor Jeri was so timid and shy. "There you go kids. Go on and have fun while I talk to your parents."

"Come on!" Rika insisted, grabbing Jeri's arm and following Ryo and the others.

Henry, also, stepped into what the kids considered… "Pawadise"

"What did you say?" a large child, taller than Henry, asked.

"N-nothing?" Henry stuttered.

The fat kid obnoxiously laughed, snorting in between. Henry chuckled nervously along with the child. The youngster stopped abruptly and asked coldly, "What are you laughing it?"

"…Well, we'll see you later parents! Wave bye-bye to your mommies and daddies!" Ms. Sato exclaimed as the parents left. "Oh? Who do we have here?" She glanced out the door and saw Takato's mom carrying Takato with one arm and his lunch in her other hand. "Hello there."

"Come on, Takato. Say it like we practiced," Takato's mother whispered to her son as she put him down.

Takato stepped up to the lady with his arms behind his back and gazed up innocently. "I'm sorry for being late."

"Oh! That's okay, sweetie!" Ms. Sato swept Takato off his feet and hugged him. "Go and have fun with the other kids while I talk to your mom." Takato walked up to his friends Kazu and Kenta.

"Hey, guys!" Takato greeted.

"Look, it's Takato," Kazu pointed. "Ryo, this is our friend Takato." Kazu dragged Takato towards Ryo.

"Hi."

"Hello," Ryo replied.

"And, who are these other people?" Takato asked, eyeing Jeri and Rika.

"Rika and Jeri," Kenta replied.

"Hi, Rika," Takato said, facing Jeri. "Hi Jeri," he said turning to Rika.

"You've got it all backwards. I'm Jeri and she's Rika," Jeri clarified, giggling.

"Oops." Takato's face flushed a light pink.

"Hey! Stop it," a voice whined on the other side of the room. The group of friends looked around the room and spotted Henry, being teased by the chubby child. "I don't want to fight." Henry fell over and was helpless.

Rika and Jeri gasped as Takato and others just watched. Ryo finally walked across the room and stood in front of the kid. Ryo, being a few centimeters taller than the overweight rascal, frightened the brat and ran away. Ryo helped Henry get back up. "Are you okay?"

Henry nodded.

"Wanna be our friend?" Ryo asked, waving the others over to the two of them. As they came, Ryo introduced them. Henry bowed in gratitude. "Let's promise that we'll help each other. Friends?" Ryo put a hand in.

After glancing at each other, the rest put their hand on top of Ryo's. "Friends."

DF103: I finally found a purpose for this fic. It's like a coming-of-age thing, but sorta not. o.o;; Well, it's my thoughts on how the tamers got to be the way they are in the show. Somethin' like that. In any case, I really apologize for not updating IACDTT yet. Like I said, I'll get it out before the month is done with. Yep. Till then, L8terZ.