To the Highest Bidder
By theladyknight
Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!
A/N: Here's chapter 8! Hopefully everything's okay...my mom's kicking me off the computer so I hope there aren't any mistakes! Please R&R and thanks to everyone who does!
LilCelestialAngel: Glad u like it!
My Name is R.C.: There were 12 people in my Honors Bio class and all 12 of us, for the first time, heard it in class that day. My school's not that large; most of my classes have about 25 people in them but I have a couple, mainly science with about 10. You'll find out more about that little conversation Taichi n Yamato had this chapter…
Placid Snowflake: Yes, yes, skipping homework is a good thing even if there are no updates or anything to read…lol!
Raine189: I tried to write a song, but it sucked. It won't be in this chapter though…the chapter kinda got a little too long…
Indigowolf: We'll have to see…
Lixxytwixxy: Thanks!
Scorpion05: As of right now, the only people who know the relationship is a hoax are Sora, Yamato, and Taichi…
YamatoFangirl: No, you're not being too harsh. Let's see…about the car thing. When I first started this story, I was going to have it take place in America not Japan, but I guess I changed my mind halfway through and forgot the details about cars…my bad! Secondly, about Tracey's name: Tracey tells them all about her family and heritage next chapter. You'll find out why her name is Tracey and not a Japanese name. Regarding Taichi's comment last chapter, I thought it would be funny to hear him say something he normally wouldn't say. I was basing the comment off the things a lot of guys say, like is she hot, when their friends are talking about a girl. I didn't mean for it to make Taichi sound shallow, and he explains to Tracey about the comment. About Sora's feelings and the whole Sorato relationship: yes, so far it does appear kind of fabricated, but that was the way I purposely wrote it for this chapter. Sora's concerns rival your concerns and if you look at the chapter title, you'll see what's in store…
Anubiana: Braces, that has to suck!
Trio Wing: It's probably a very good thing you're not a crazed I love Yama-kun girl! LoL!
Armitage: My friend's dad did that to some teenagers who were standing in front of their car and blocking it in!
Blondie121147: I love that Friends quote, they don't know that we know they know…yeah, Yama thinks something like that…
Crazyamzy: I found a song for next chapter, a different one than I e-mailed you about! You'll have to wait and see, but it's much better than the other one! Thanks for the help!
Chapter 8: Confrontations
"Did you figure out how to do problem thirteen?"
I shook my head. "Nope, I actually didn't start the homework yet." Yamato's head dropped, and he sighed.
"I'm never going to get this done."
"Why the long face, buddy boy?" a very perky voice asked us. I rolled my eyes as Taichi sat down next to us with a gigantic grin on his face. "Tonight is the start of our spring break! Why are you focusing on useless math when you can be thinking about the party tonight?"
Yeah, tonight's the big party at Lindsey's house. We've only been in school for like an hour this morning, yet I've heard so many different things about it, my head is beginning to spin. It's certainly the talk in the cafeteria right now. While Yama and I are trying to get our Calculus homework done, Taichi is taking a break to relax. Wish my life was as carefree as his. I loaded up on hard courses this year, but my brunette friend opted to take a bunch of goof-off classes. At least it's almost time for graduation.
I would much rather be thinking about the party than doing my homework right now. There's so much stuff going on during the next week that I can't wait for, with the party and Tracey being here high up on the list. But something inside me kind of was fearful of spring break. And surprisingly enough it all came back to Yamato.
And how does it come back to the blond that I've fallen for? I—
The tune of "Feelin' Way to Damn Good" by Nickelback started playing. (Not mine!) Yama and Taichi both looked over at me, and I pulled out my cell phone before the ring got too loud.
Taichi shook his finger at me. "Someone doesn't follow the school's rules…" Taichi said in a singsong voice.
Yama looked over at Tai. "Do you like memorize the school's rules?"
"No, they were sitting on the principal's desk, and I was looking at the them while I tried to stay awake last time she was lecturing me about God knows what!" he exclaimed cheerfully.
I stifled a laugh. "Hello."
"Sor, it's me."
Confusion swept over me. "Tracey, what's up?"
"There's been a change in plans."
"What!" I exclaimed causing the two guys to stop what they were doing and listen.
"I'm still coming," she explained and I let out the breath I was holding, "but I'm going to be taking the train. Last night Mom told me I could take Dad's work car and drive up before consulting dad, and well, I think you know the rest." I grinned. That sounds just like Tracey's family. But more about them later…
"What time are you going to get here?"
She paused. "I leave in a couple of hours. The train should get there around four thirty. Can you pick me up?"
I laughed. "Tracey do you really think I'd make you walk."
"Well…" she began. "I'm just kidding. So listen, Sora…"
"Yes." I answered.
"Do you think you can bring this Taichi with you? I really want to meet him."
"You probably won't be thinking that after you meet him," Taichi flashed me an evil look figuring I was talking about him. "I'm just joking. Taichi's great. I love the guy to death." Yama narrowed his eyes, causing me to roll my eyes. "I'm just going to stop talking before he and my boyfriend get into an argument. Listen, do you just want to talk to him?"
"Ooh, can I?"
I held the phone out to the brunette. "Hey, Tai, you wanna talk to Tracey?"
"Do I?" he exclaimed, nearly ripping the phone out of my hand. "Hey Tracey, it's Taichi."
Taichi paused and listened to her talk, laughing finally. Yama and I gave each other weird looks. "Naw, I just said that to see what the others would say. I heard the two love birds talking about you before, and you sound like my kind of girl! I think we'll have a lot in common." He held the phone away from his ear and faced me. "I like your cousin already!"
Laughing as Taichi went back to talking to Tracey, I whispered, "Now who's not following the school rules." My chocolate-haired best friend gave me a goofy grin before lounging his feet up on the table and continuing his discussion with my cousin. Yama had decided to go back to his homework, and I felt it would be a good time to go to the bathroom. "Make sure he doesn't eat up all my minutes. I'm going to the bathroom." I told the blond rock star. Yamato nodded and leaned over to kiss my cheek.
"Will do."
I forced a faint smile to appear on my face before quickly heading off towards the bathrooms. When I was sure I was out of sight, I instead headed to the balcony of the gym, somewhere I could be alone to sort out my thoughts and for once, be away from Yamato.
Okay, that sounds mean, wanting to be away from him considering how strong my feelings are for him, but I can justify my reason pretty well. Before we started "dating" I had no problem being around him. We'd walk to class together every now and then; talk in the hall all the time, and the normal things. But it never felt weird. But now everything just seems unnatural.
For one, he holds my hand every time we walk to class together, which as sweet as it is, just doesn't have to happen. We're like one of the few couples around the school that actually does it. Another thing that I at first didn't mind, and am still having a hard time hating, is all the kissing. It just feels like he's overemphasizing the fact that he's taken and I'm "his." He insists upon kissing me all the time, when its not even necessary. It just feels like everywhere I go, he goes. He's crowding me trying to make it realistic, but I don't think he understands how unrealistic it actually appears.
And I'm not the only one who thinks that. I was in the bathroom in between classes the other day and heard a couple of junior girls talking. Curiously and not wanting to be seen, due to the fact their conversation was centering about Yamato, I hid in one of the stalls.
I could tell the girls were putting on makeup and taking their good old time. Great, how am I going to explain this to my seventh hour teacher? "I can't wait for Lindsey's party!" One of the girls exclaimed.
"Yeah, I hear everyone who's anyone is going to be there." The other girl answered. "Like Yamato." Both girls sighed and I had to hold back my laughter. I'm sorry, but do they realize how stupid they sound? I mean seriously! I'm going out with the guy, and I've never acted that way around him.
"Too bad he's taken."
"Yeah, that Sora chick is really lucky. And Yama's not afraid to show it either. Man you can't go anywhere without seeing the two of them together. I always see them kissing in the halls or holding hands." That comment hit a nerve. The more I think about it, the more I realize how true it is. It's like Yamato likes to flaunt off the relationship when we don't need to. I just wish we could go back to the way were before we started this act or at least make everything more natural. I understand the significance of all the acting but it seems like he's becoming too possessive and wants to do everything with me. I just can't handle that. I really need to talk to him…
"Ooh, I love this song!" Taichi exclaimed cranking up my Ashlee Simpson cd in Yamato's car. He rolled down the windows and began singing along in a really high-pitched, out of tune voice, "I'm a bad ass girl in this messed up world. I'm a sexy girl in this crazy world. I'm a simple girl in a complex world…" (Don't own it!)
"Dude, do you realize what you're singing?" Yamato shouted as we made our way to the train station to pick Tracey up. The blond winked at me as he continued driving. I smiled, feeling a lot more relaxed after getting out of school. Well, the issue of Yamato was still lurking on my mind, but I figured I would talk to him about it tomorrow. I checked my watch and realized Tracey's train would be in soon.
I giggled. "Tai, I can see why Yama's the singer and you aren't. Trust me; please don't consider a career in the music industry."
"You're just jealous." He answered. "Because I've got many talents you'll never have." He smirked at me. "And many you'll never get to see…"
"Would you mind not flirting with my girlfriend?" Yamato growled.
"He was just kidding around, Yama." I said.
"Yeah." Taichi replied. "Besides the two of you really aren't going out anyway. You don't have to get so defensive, Yama."
The blond shook his head. "Whatever."
I looked out the window. Great, more to add to my list of things I need to talk to him about. As much as I want to think of Yama as the absolute perfect guy, I've always known it's not true. If I needed any proof, here it is. Maybe I'm going to need to talk to him before tomorrow.
We arrived at the station as the train Tracey was on pulled up. Yama parked and rushed over to open my door for me. I sighed and rolled my eyes, upset about that, too. Man, I sound so pessimistic but seriously, I have two arms and two legs. I don't need someone to open the door for me every place I go.
Taichi and Yama both caught up to my fast pace. "Sor, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." I answered, quickly. "Tracey's—TRACEY!" I shouted running up to my cousin.
"SORA!" she exclaimed running over to give me a hug. "It seems like I just saw you!"
I giggled. "We did just see each other a couple of weeks ago!"
"Ooh, I know who the sexy blond is, don't kill me for saying that," I grinned at her comment. I hear that one a lot. "But is that guy with the big hair Taichi? He's HOT!" she exclaimed as the two boys joined us.
Yamato put his arm around me and for once, in the past few days, I really didn't mind. "Tracey, you already know Yamato." She nodded vigorously and motioned for me to continue. "This is Taichi Yagami. Taichi, this is my cousin Tracey Takenouchi who you've been so anxious to meet."
Taichi opened his mouth to say something but Tracey interrupted him. "Damn, Sora, why did you not tell me how hot he was?"
Taichi stood dumbfounded. "Sora, did I tell you you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world, and I'm never ever going to be able to find a way to thank you. I'll make sure to buy you a really really really really nice wedding gift when you and blondie get married some day in the future. Well, once he finally decides to be a man and tell you he's in love with you."
Tracey and I both turned to face the brunette. "What?" He grinned at us and faced Yamato, causing us all to look at the astonished blond.
"Somebody wanna fill me in?" Tracey asked.
"It's nothing." Yamato said quickly. "Let's get heading back. I'm sure you want to rest up before the party tonight." He pushed Taichi towards my cousin's bags and pointed to his car.
As Taichi and Tracey grabbed her bags and started for the car, I held Yama back. "Please explain what Taichi was talking about. I won't take no for an answer."
Yama sighed. "Sor, you know as well as I do that Tai has always wanted the two of us to get together. Hell, when I was talking to him about trying to get off the block before the auction, he kept telling me I asked you because we were "finally going out". He went on this big long spiel about why we should be together."
I smiled remembering my own conversation with the soccer star. "He told me the exact same thing."
"That's our friend Taichi for you." Yamato replied.
A horn honked repetitively. "Yama, Sora, let's go!" Taichi yelled.
The blonde's face blanched. "Taichi get your hands off my car!" He sprinted toward his "baby", second only to his hair, at least the way I see it, and climbed in. "Come on, Sor."
For the first time since Yama and I had started this whole dating hoax thing, it felt like things were back to the way they normally were. As he drove the car, the four of us laughed at Taichi's obvious flirting and Tracey's jokes. It was just like the good times before everything got crazy. We could just be ourselves without worrying about keeping up an act. Yama put his arm around me and squeezed my hands a couple of times, but I had absolutely no problem with it. This is the way things should be.
We arrived back at my apartment a while later. Tracey and I lugged her three suitcases out of the trunk, and I nearly collapsed under the weight. "My God, how much crap did you pack?"
"Enough for next week." She simply replied.
"Tracey, you have enough for one year right here."
"No I don't! I had to leave one of my other suitcases at home!" she protested.
I rolled my eyes. That's Tracey for you. "Do you need some help, Sor?" Guess who asked.
"Yama, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "We'll be fine. What time are you coming to pick us up?"
He looked at Taichi. "What time does the party start?"
"7:30."
"We'll be here at 7:00 then." He answered. "See you ladies then." The car drove off, and Tracey turned to face me.
"Okay, are you and Yamato having problems or something?" she asked as we very slowly carried her luggage up to my apartment.
"It's a long story." I answered, explaining the way he had been treating me, excluding the teeny tiny little detail that Yama are just pretending to be a couple. I have my reasons for not telling her. I just think the fewer people who know the better. "Basically," I finished, wrapping up the explanation, "the way he's been acting, it feels like I'm some little wimpy girl and he's the big strong man that has to help me. But I hate that! I don't need some guy doing all this stuff for me."
"Talk to him, Sor, the sooner the better. It's obvious you are crazy about him, but you can't let him think that he needs to do everything for you. This is his first real serious relationship, right?" she asked and I nodded. Yama had dated before, but I think our relationship is his longest one. I guess he just hasn't found the right girl yet. "He doesn't want to loose you. He's crazy about you too, but you've gotta let him know he's being a little too chivalrous and perfect. That's just not the way life is."
"I know. I just…"
"Sora, talk to him before you end up hating him. I don't want to see you two break up for some stupid reason like this." She answered, pulling out her clothes and hanging them up. "But enough about that, it's time to get ready for the party…"
Tracey and I stood outside at 7:00 waiting for our dates to arrive. "I'm so excited Sora!" she exclaimed. "Taichi seems like a great guy so far, and I can't wait to get to know him better."
"He is a great guy. I'm pretty sure he likes you, Trace."
"I hope so!" she exclaimed as Yamato's convertible pulled up in front of us.
"Hey ladies, are you ready to party?" Tai shouted from the backseat.
I rolled my eyes as I climbed into the car, not even letting Yama get a chance to open the door for me.
As Tracey sat down next to Taichi, the blond squeezed my hand lightly. "You okay?"
"Huh?"
"You seem a little tense and angry."
"It's nothing." I disregarded, knowing it was a flat out lie.
Yamato looked hurt at my response but quickly brushed it off. He drove off towards Lindsey's large house, and we soon arrived. Somehow the blond managed to find a parking space, and we pulled up a good two blocks away from her family's house. Rumor at school is her parent's are on a cruise to Jamaica for a week and a half. No wonder she decided to have a party.
As I was about to open up my door, it opened for me. I groaned as I stepped out, ignoring Yamato's outstretched hand and started walking towards the house.
"Are you mad at me or something?" he asked, catching up to me.
"Why would you think that?" I responded, sharply.
He held a hand to his head. "I don't know. Other than the fact you've been cold to me and are ignoring just about everything I do!"
Taichi and Tracey stopped to look at us. "Are you two okay?" Our best friend asked.
"Go on and go in, guys. Yamato and I need to talk about something." I responded, waving my hand toward the house. Their eyes traveled back and forth between us until they finally decided to go inside.
"See…see you in there." Taichi muttered as he and Tracey walked toward the house.
"Now would you mind telling me what the problem is?" Yama asked after the two were out of our sight.
I looked around to make sure there were no parking spots around us so no one could pull up and here us. "My problem, Yamato, is the way you've been treating me lately. When we started this whole thing, everything was fine but now it seems like you think you have to wait on me hand and foot. I'm not some little girl that needs a big strong man to do stuff for me!"
He stared at me and his blue eyes turned a dark shade. "Sora, I'm trying to make everything natural! I'm doing stuff that people assume couples do and..."
"Yama, that's my point! A lot of it is not things couples do! Not every couple holds hands between classes. I don't see most of the guys kissing their girlfriends goodbye after every class. It just doesn't seem realistic anymore, Yama. People are starting to wonder, I'm starting to wonder…"
He walked over to me. "What are you starting to wonder about?"
"Yama, the other day when I heard you and Taichi talking…it wasn't about some other girl, was it? It was about me." He turned his head away from me. "If we're going to make this thing work, we've gotta be honest with each other. Tell me; was the girl you were talking about me?"
He sighed. "Yes, the girl we were talking about was you."
"What were you talking about me for?" I asked, hesitantly, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
"Sora," he whispered, putting his finger underneath my chin, "it was nothing bad and nothing that'll hurt you. Taichi just wants me to do something that I think will endanger our friendship."
"Yama, tell me please."
He shook his head. "I want to tell you, I really do but I think for now, it's best if I don't. When the time is right, you will find out."
"I just don't like the idea of you not telling me something like that."
"Sora, I feel the same thing about you. If you have had a problem with the way I was acting, why didn't you just come out and tell me?"
"I thought that maybe you'd slowly fix it…" I supplied, knowing it was a dumb answer.
"That's not the way it works though. I'm no mind reader and I'm far from being a perfect person."
"But that's what you've seemed like…"
Yamato's mouth fell open. "What?"
I blushed and looked away. "The way you were treating me just seemed so perfect, like something out of a fairy tale. Everything you did was sweet and chivalrous, something a lot of girls, even me, have always wondered what it would be like. But lately, it feels like you're doing everything for me, like I can't be my own person. It seems like everywhere I go, you go. Yama, if we're going to make this thing believable and work, you've gotta give me space to breathe. I just wish our relationship was the same as it was before this whole mess…"
"We can quit." I stared at him not understanding. "We can give up the whole act thing and go back to being best friends. Before we got too far into this, I told you that throughout everything I wanted to be your best friend. But right now, we're bitching each other out worse than we ever did as just plain Sora and Yamato. If you want to stop this, it's okay with me."
I sighed and shook my head. "We don't have to end this. I think we just need to start over back in square one, pretend like it's the first time we're pretending, if that makes any sense."
Yamato cracked a smile and pulled me into a hug. "I like that idea. I'll do my best to back off and treat you the way I always used to. But anytime I don't or anytime you have a problem with something, please tell me and don't try to hide it. Honesty is a big thing. Sor, I care about you more than you can imagine and don't want us to end up hating each other."
"Me either." I answered. "So, square one?"
"Square one." He smiled and stepped forward. "Now come on, we've gotta get in there and show Taichi and Tracey a thing or two about dancing." I giggled as we walked in together, knowing things between us were much better.
It's funny how my definition of perfect changed over the course of a few days.
At first, perfect was everything about him—the way he did everything and the way he did everything for me. But now, I realize perfect may soon apply to this "square one" where we're as close as we have ever been, are giving each other room to breathe, and feel free chewing each other out after one of us as been an ass.
We walked inside and spotted Taichi and Tracey dancing right away. Yama and I joined them and felt the beat take over as we danced alongside them, getting into the music. I had a blast being around the three of them, laughing and dancing, taking breaks to grab some drinks and then get back out on the floor.
This is the way normal should be. I could tell from the looks people gave us, they seemed to think things were a lot more normal between us. It'll be hard going back to school and having people wonder why we aren't acting the way we were before, but we'll manage to get through it.
I wrapped my arms around the blond as a slow number came on and rested my head against his shoulder. I have a feeling things between us will be much better after that little argument, and I'm glad we could work through our differences. Starting back at one is definitely a good idea, and I can't wait to see what comes from it…
A/N: Thoughts? Next chapter will be a little bit more with the party and the concert. This chapter was long enough without it! Please review!
