To the Highest Bidder
By theladyknight
Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviews, you guys are all awesome. Please, R&R, and enjoy!
Deathlioness: Thanks!
Lan Night: I'll do my best, thanks!
Winter-green-elf: glad u like it!
Anubiana: Sora's family appears yet again in this chapter!
Lonewolfsblossom: thanks for all the good reviews, I'm glad u like it!
Armitage: yeah, there are a lotta things that could be his fault, but this is a big one, sorta...
blondie121147: yeah, she really has to have a lot of self-control, damn, how does she do it?
scorpion05: i hate going shopping for hours upon hours at a time, I've got friends like that too..
My Name is R.C.: Next chapter your wish will be granted. I wanted to put it in last chapter, but I ran out of room, and I couldn't figure out how to fit it in this chapter but believe me it will come!
Kerei Kitsune: thanks!
crazyamzy: good things are on the horizon for Taichi, well after this chapter, though they do start to improve for him in this one...
Chapter 5: It's All Taichi's Fault!
For some unknown reason, my family actually let me sleep and didn't barge in to ask me questions about my date with Yama. I woke up at 10:00 with a smile on my face. I had been replaying the goodnight kiss he had given me in my dreams and was in quite a good mood. Stretching, I opened up my eyes and let out a scream. "What the hell are you doing?" I yelled as the faces of Tracey, my mom, dad, grandparents, and a handful of other relatives all sitting in various placesaround my room entered my line of vision.
"Language, young lady, language." Mom warned.
"Sorry. Let me rephrase that: to what do I owe the honor of this many people here waiting for me to wake up?" I responded sarcastically.
Tracey gave a laugh. "I think you and I both know very well why we are all here."
Of course I knew but decided to play dumb. My personal life is none of their business. Grandpa stood up and picked up my cell phone. "Either we find out from you or we call up your young blond friend and ask him for the details. Haruhiko, do you know what number he is on here?"
"Number one." Dad smirked. Oh my God, how does he know? I told him that he and mom were number one. Crap. "Though I imagine you can just say his name. My money's on Yama not Yamato."
"If that's the case…Yam—" Grandpa began.
"What do you want to know?"
Grandma smirked. "Everything! All the gory details! Was he sweet? What'd you guys talk about? Did he think you were really hot? What all did you two do—though we may not want to know that…"
You've got to be freaking kidding me! I know I had to look like a tomato as I responded to her questions. "What's there to say? We were two friends who just happened to go out together." They all glared at my comment. "Fine, he was as sweet as he always is, we talked about the same things we normally do, he said I looked nice, we went out for supper, and then took a walk. Does that satisfy your hunger for pestering me?" Well that's not completely a lie when I told them we went on a walk; they would never leave me alone if I told them about the marshmallow roasting and kisses he gave me.
Tracey raised an eyebrow. "Let's think about that…yeah right! You're hiding something."
"No, I'm not." I protested a little too quickly. My nose suddenly picked up an awful smell. "Is something burning?"
"Shit!" mom exclaimed jumping up. "The cake!"
"Who needs to watch their language?" I called, watching her dash out the room.
One of my aunts looked at her watch. "Hey everyone, the others are going to be showing up soon. We have to start bringing everything to the park for the party." Wow, I had entirely forgotten about my birthday party in all the chaos of the date.
My relatives all jumped up andhurried out of my room. I took a shower and dressed, walking into the kitchen to help transport the food and other supplies into cars and vans.
By noon, everyone was at the park, and it became very clear why mom had left me so much money to buy food. I chatted with relatives I had never seen before or seen for quite some time. A mountain of presents and cards was forming, and I was beginning to get a little curious.
Lunch was served, and I sat with a bunch of my cousins, catching up on some old memories. "Hey Sora, I took your cell phone by mistake this morning. It looks like you missed some calls…I wonder who they're from." Grandpa trailed off, handing me my phone.
"Maybe one's from lover boy!" Tracey smirked. Oh great, she's got as big mouth as Taichi.
"Who's she going out with?" asked one girl. "Is he hot?" her sister asked.
"Hell yeah he's hot!" Tracey shrieked. "He's Yamato Ishida!"
Mouths dropped, and I suffered the same stream of annoying questions and responses as yesterday. Rolling my eyes and knowing they wouldn't let me put my two cents worth in, I checked my messages. "Hey Sora, it's Taichi. Um, you didn't…by any chance…uh…um, talk to…Jun this morning…or anyone else from school…did you? Um…yeah, I'll talk to you at school this morning…I mean tomorrow morning…heh."
Okay, I have received some very odd messages from Taichi in the past, but this has to be by far the weirdest of all. "Who was that from?" Tracey asked, ignoring the conversation my female cousins were having about what part of Yamato was the cutest. I swear, sometimes I think I'm adopted…
"My friend Taichi. I really don't know what he wanted though. I check the other message."
"Hey, Sor, it's me. Did Tai leave one freaking strange message with you cause I got this odd one from him that asked if I talked to Jun? Why would I talk to Jun when I'm almost ready to file a restraining order against her and some of her buddies? I really wonder about our best friend sometimes. Anyway, hope your family didn't annoy you too much when you got home last night, especially that Tracey chick. The more I think about it, the more I'm positive she and Taichi would make a very good couple. But I gotta go, have fun at your party and talk to you at school. Later!"
Tracey jumped up. "HA! I told you one would be from Yamato!"
"Taichi's up to something." If Yama got the same message I did, then Taichi either did or said something that I'm starting to be afraid of. I thought about the other things Yamato had said. Tracey and Taichi would make a very cute couple. I may just have to play matchmaker…
Cake and present time came. Mom's cake had indeed been burnt so she ran to the grocery store to pick up an already made one. Eighteen candles were placed on it and lit as everyone sang "Happy Birthday."
"Make a wish!" Grandma exclaimed. Well considering last night I wished for Yama on the star today I'm going to wish that I find out what Taichi's message was about. Dull wish, but I guess I made my big one last night. And besides I have a much better chance of this happening than that of Yama and I being more than friends. I took a large breath as the song finished and blew out all but one of the candles.
"Ha!" Tracey laughed again walking up next to me. "I wonder who that candle represents…maybe Yamato!" she yelled and began explaining the twisted story that is Yama and me to the rest of my family. Sighs and awes could be heard from the feminine population while most of the men rolled their eyes.
Mom came up next to us. "You'd better make a dash for it. They're planning on giving you your birthday spankings and a pinch to grow an inch." She said grinning at me and giving me the heads up on their stupid birthday tradition.
I turned to leave but was stopped by Tracey. "If they don't catch you and getting the spanking done, I'm sure Yamato would have absolutely no problem doing it!" she goaded.
"Screw you!" I exclaimed, giving her the middle finger before dashing off…
Well, I escaped my relatives and the rest of the party and day went by fast. I wound up with some very good presents, lots of money in fact, all of it being saved up for college. I am planning on attending Tokyo University along with Yamato and Taichi. The three of us got our acceptance letters on the same day and had had quite the celebration upon learning we'd all be going there.
I woke up Monday morning and got ready for school. Hopping in my car, I left a few minutes earlier than normal, hoping I'd catch Taichi and find out what his message was about. I parked my car in the parking lot and as I got out of it, noticed a few sophomore girls pointing in my direction and whispering amongst themselves. Wonder what their problem is.
I grabbed my stuff, locked my doors, and headed into the building. Okay, I thought it was weird before but as I walked into thebuilding, it seemed everyone was broken into little groups gossiping and whispering about something. Something funny is going on, and I have a very strong feeling Taichi is behind it.
I walked over to my locker and began putting books away. Mizuki Lee, second in command to Jun in the We love Yama-kun club hissed at me as she walked by. She and I have never really been friends, but it's not like we've been enemies. Something is definitely up. Spotting a flash of blond that could only belong to one person, I walked over to Yamato's locker, where for the first time in nearly four years, he was alone.
"My guess is Taichi." I simply said. He turned to look at me, feeling my legs shake from the heartbreaking smile he gave me. I hope I don't faint...that would be a little awkward...
"I'd say that's a pretty good guess." Yama ran a hand through his blond locks. "I have never heard the school this quiet. I can even hear myself think."
I smirked. "That's a first, you thinking." He glared at me as we walked further down the hall in the direction of Taichi's locker. "Yama, everyone is staring at us…" I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.
"Have you never seen two people walk before?" he growled looking around at the spectators. At once, everyone turned around and began gossiping again. Yama and I exchanged looks, both of us wondering if we really wanted to know what it was Taichi had done. "Yagami!" Yama shouted as we reached our bushy haired friend's locker."
I could see Taichi's Adam's apple quivering the second Yamato and I approached him. "Uh, Sora, Yama…what's up?" he asked nervously, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.
"Funny," I responded, "that's exactly what we wanted to know." Taichi began to look even more uncomfortable. I looked over my shoulder and saw a good deal of the student population watching us. "Have you never seen people talk either?" I yelled.
Once again, everyone disappeared to their own little areas, all flashing their eyes in our general direction. "It appears you owe us an explanation, Yagami." Yamato said in a surprisingly calm voice.
"Not here." The bell rang. "Let's go to the cafeteria."
"Moron." I rolled my eyes. "We go to the cafeteria every morning." Taichi, Yama, and I all have Honor Passes and hang out in the cafeteria during our first period study hall on the days we have study hall. Seniors have the ability to gain an Honor Pass, something that allows us to hang out in the cafeteria, library, or just wander around during study halls. Unfortunately, leaving campus is not accepted. I know it sounds weird, Taichi and Honor in the same sentence, but somehow, most likely by the fact he has about every class with Yama and I, and we try our best to keep him in line, he managed to meet all the qualifications.
The guys and I took a seat at the cafeteria table farthest away from all the other tables and people so we could have a little privacy. "Can I buy you two anything to drink?" Taichi asked quickly as Yama and I sat down at one side of the table while he sat across from us.
The blond and I exchanged glances again. Yep, that's a sure sign Taichi has done something and is seeking our forgiveness. He never offers to buy us anything, hell he bums off us three-fourths the time. Yama and I both knew he was trying to butter us up before informing us about what he had done. So, we decided to abuse the privilege. "Two frappuccinos." Yamato said, requesting the most expensive items in any of the vending machines. Taichi gulped but stood up anyway and went to buy us the drinks.
"What do you think he did?" I asked.
"It had to be something big, I mean the whole school seemed to be watching every step you and I made this morning." We stopped talking as Taichi returned with two drinks and a juice for himself. He sat down and handed us his drinks before clearing his throat. "How was the date with Jun, Taichi?" Yamato asked, knowing our friend would not spill what he had done immediately.
"Could have been worse." He answered, and we finally got a smile from him. "She was pretty pissed off when she found out we were going to McDonald's (not mine), but she didn't stay that mad. Supper was good…the dollar menu…mmm…I could like live off that." Yama and I both laughed because we knew it was true. "Anyway, the second part of our date was spent at the bowling alley, and they had this contest thing for any dates at the bowling alley that night.To make a long story short, Jun and I had the highest bowling scores so wewon a hundred bucks! Not bad, huh."
I blinked. Leave it to Taichi to have something like that happen. "Did she annoy you?"
"Heh," Taichi rubbed the back of his neck again, and I knew he was about to confess something, "well, all throughout supper she kept asking me questions about you and Yama, and I got a little annoyed with all her pestering so I kind of told her," he paused to take a drink. "Younsoraveengoinoutforwhil." He said quickly through a mouthful of juice
"What?" Yama and I exclaimed not understanding a word he said.
"I told her you and Sora have been going out for a while but were keeping it a secret."
HE TOLD HER WHAT!
I held my hand to my head as the realization sunk in. I carelessly held my other hand up to grab Yamato's uniform coat, holding him back from tearing Taichi apart. I could understand why he was mad; Taichi could have thought of millions of other excuses yet he used that one without even thinking about the consequences of it.
"Yagami, what the hell possessed you to tell her that?"
"I don't know!" Taichi exclaimed. "She wouldn't stop asking me questions about the two of you. I panicked! I figured this would keep her from bothering you for the rest of the school year. I kind of forgot she would spread this around school…"
"How did you manage to forget that little problem?" I asked, trying to stay calm though my heart felt like it was about to explode. Did everyone in school think Yama and I were going out? What would that mean for us?
"I told you I panicked! But think about it, all you two have to do is pretend you're a couple for the next like, two months, and then Yama, you'll be Jun-free and fangirl free. Think about it."
"Maybe I'll think about it after I kick your ass, Yagami!" Yamato growled.
"Yama, calm down." I warned. "We don't want to create a scene. That's the last thing we need. You and I will both kick Taichi's ass later. Right now we have bigger things to worry about, like what we're going to do."
"I'll let you two sort this out." Taichi exclaimed, jumping up and sliding down the table.
Yama looked me in the eyes. "What are we going to do?"
"The way I look at it, we've got two choices. Number one, we can go on with this little charade, acting like we really are a couple, whatever that calls for. Or number two, completely deny everything and get caught up in the gossip and rumors that will circulate around the school for the next month, at least." I knew which choice I wanted; hell I would choose it in a heartbeat.
The blond nodded and reached his hand up to my face. "What do you think?"
I gulped. Oh God. "Number one." I managed to say.
"You do realize what we're going to have to do." He didn't look like he was against my choice, rather he seemed to be making sure I wanted to do it.
"Yeah." I answered. "But it shouldn't be that hard to get used to. I mean we always hang out on weekends anyway. All we'd have to do there is ditch Taichi quite often and go out by ourselves. You already go to all my tennis matches you can make, and I go to all your concerts, so that's already taken care of. We just have to show some PDAs in between classes and obviously most likely we're going to have to make out in front of others. A lot."
Yama smiled. "I know which number I choose so I think we've come to a conclusion, then. Hopefully this doesn't get too awkward, the kissing I mean."
"It's not like we've never kissed each other before, though." I replied.
"True." He answered. "Listen, Sor, you don't know how much this is going to help…you don't know how much I appreciate you. You've got to be the most awesome girl I have ever met in my life. Thank you."
"Anytime, Yama." I answered as he hugged me, and I returned it, taking in the smell of his cologne. At the same time, the realization of what I had just agreed to do sank in. I am going to pretend to be Yama's girlfriend. I actually am going to be going out with Yama, well sorta, but you get the picture. "Yagami, get your butt over here."
"Time to find out what other details you told Jun." Yama said. "We've got to make sure we've got our facts and story straight so people actually believe us."
"So you guys are actually going to do this?" he asked. We both nodded. "Good luck. Um, let's see I told Jun you guys have been going out since Valentine's Day. Sora's mom let you into her room after school and you waited there with a bundle of roses and your guitar and serenaded her with her favorite song before asking her out."
"God," Yamato said, hitting his head against the table, "you made me sound like a freaking pussy, retard."
Taichi rolled her eyes. "Jun completely ate it up. Deal with it, Yama. You've gotta make some sacrifices in life, and this is one of them. Let's see, what else did I tell her? You two decided to keep your relationship a secret because you didn't want people bugging you about it. But you've both been crazy about each other since the summer after freshman year but were too afraid to admit anything." I rolled my eyes. We are so going to have a hard time keeping this straight. "Oh yeah, at your concert next week, you're singing a song you wrote for Sora for the first time. Might wanna get started on that, Yama."
I looked over and saw Yama shaking his head, and I knew he was contemplating the way he could beat Taichi up right there without me noticing. I kicked his leg and saw him smirk at me before he kicked me back. We continued this until Taichi picked up on it. "Would you two stop playing footsie! This is serious."
"Obviously." Yama and I said in unison. "Please continue."
"I think that's it. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Oh great, it's time for second period."
Yama and I stood up and put our book bags on as Taichi threw away our empty containers. "So, I guess we are officially pretending to be a couple starting when that bell rings." I said stupidly. Inside my heart was racing. Oh my God, in some strange odd way both my wishes came true!
"Yeah. No matter what happens between us in the next few months I want us to be best friends through it all and when its done, okay?" He answered looking me in the eyes again. I nodded. He is always looking out for me. God, I get to pretend I'm the girlfriend of like the sweetest guy on the face of this planet! I'm so not complaining! "Think we can do this?"
I noticed a few other seniors looking in our direction. I stood up on my tiptoes and after mustering up the courage, gently kissed Yama on this lips. "I think so." I cannot believe I just did that...well, I guess I'll have to do it plenty more times in the future. He smiled at me and winked, taking my hand as the bell rang.
"And so the act begins…"
A/N: Thoughts? Please review and tell me what you think! Oh, and I'm wondering if it should be a Taichi/Jun or Taichi/Tracey…I'm leaning toward the T/T one but would like to know what everyone else thinks! Please Review!
