Anyway. To make a long story short, my life is a twisted, twisted thing. But it makes for good fanfics.
This chapter is a mix of so many things right now - several memories, some actual happenings, and a lot of thoughts that I've had about my life turning into my fanfic. I really hope you like it - 'cause I guess I'm suffering for your pleasure. XD
(I'm kidding, of course, if you thought I was serious about the suffering part. Although my life really IS twisted, and often turns into my fanfics whenever I write 'em. It's very scary.)
--
I sat on my bed for a long time after Henry had gone in my room, contemplating to myself. It was just weird. Why did my life fall together like this, the way it did, the it was now?
It was just too weird.
I sat up, and Jeri entered my room as I did. I ran my fingers through my hair, and she smiled.
"Umm, what's up Jeri?" I asked her. I felt slightly nervous, for some reason. It felt so odd.
Was I... regaining my feelings for her?
I tried to shake the feeling away, but could not as she smiled at me, grinned at me. I felt myself melt inside. Feelings were rekindling, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was accident or what.
"You okay?" she asked me, tilting her head to the side. Her brown eyes stared into mine, and I felt like I was going to fall into them. I grabbed the blanket around me, in nervousness.
"Uhm, I'm okay."
"Ya sure? I mean, I feel kinda bad... 'cause of that whole second round thing, and not letting you know."
"It's all right."
Jeri edged closer to me, leaning forward, studying me with her eyes. I felt nervous, my palms grew moist. She was so close - our noses almost touched, our lips were inches apart. I managed to take the smallest of breaths, my heart beating hard.
Suddenly, she laughed, and leaned back. I still felt as nervous as before, but she seemed laid back, still giggling. Finally she stopped, and opened her mouth to speak.
"Takato... listen. The second round... uhm, we kind of have to do this thing where we partner up... and we have to dance together. With someone outside of the contest. It's to show compatibility. I think.
Anyway, uhm. I was wondering if you... uhmm... uh..."
I glanced at Jeri, and suddenly, I saw the old Jeri. The one who was often somewhat nervous. Scared, if you may. She had gained courage through Leomon; that was his gift to her. And maybe that's why she dramatically changed after she left. Maybe she felt like the old Jeri, and she felt like that wasn't right. The old Jeri sat there, trembling a little with nervousness, even though she looked like the new one, wanted to act like the new one, but couldn't. I got over my nervousness, just for the time being, and I put my hand over hers.
"And, Jeri-chan?"
Jeri looked at me, suprised that I had used her nickname. She glanced at our hands, and then looked back at me. She gained a bit of confidence, and managed to spurt out the last part.
"I was wondering if you'd be my dance partner."
"Well..."
As I spoke, it hit me. Out of nowhere.
They were doing this to see whom I'd pick.
If I really did like Crystal, I'd just say no to Jeri. But if I liked Jeri, I'd say no to Crystal.
Not just as a dance partner though. As a -partner- partner, as in a couple partner.
A boyfriend.
The nervousness returned. I didn't know what to say.
Yes, no, maybe so.
Don't screw up, Takato.
Jeri stared at me, as if my face had suddenly turned extremely deformed. I bet she's thinking 'What's taking him so long?' The truth is, I didn't know why I was taking so long. Probably the nervousness. I felt my face grow red, I was so embarrassed, but the nervousness kept me sitting there like a freakin' statue.
It was so. Freakin'. Nerve racking.
Finally, after what seemed like forever of waiting, after Jeri's eyes boring a hole in my head, my nervousness growing, my face turning so red I looked like Guilmon after a sunburn, my stomach getting butterflies and flipflops and my nervousness wanting me to break down into itty bitty pieces, like a wrecking ball would to a crumbling building, I did it. I said it. Squeaked it, kinda, but I said it.
"...Yeah, okay."
Jeri smiled, and leaned over to kiss my cheek. I felt my face grow hotter than before, and she got off my bed, and walked out of my room. I heard a small, "Practice starts tommorrow morning!" as she walked, and then she disappeared.
She seemed triumphant.
I gasped, as if I had finished holding my breath for half an hour. Maybe an hour. Or two hours. I felt like I had held my breath that long while Jeri was here, anyway.
After she left, and I had calmed down, I continued to sit on my bed, contemplating. What in the world had just happened? I breathed deeply, partly from the lack of air before, partly from wondering if it would help me think.
I must have dozed off a bit, because I had the weirdest dream of me dressed up as Guilmon, Jeri with Katzeimon's ears and tail, and Crys with Puppi's ears and tail. Both of the girls were tugging on me as if I was Guilmon.
I rubbed my head. Deep thought must give me weird dreams.
I looked out my window, which was now my naturally occurring clock. It was dark, and the moon was out, pale and white against a dark atmosphere, and the moon was so bright it almost hurt to look at. Palm trees that grew on the beach held their leaves out, trying to grasp the stars.The waves crashed against the shore in a repetative manner, yet the waves were never really the same.
I creaked the door open and went outside, in order to take a walk. I walked along the shore, the waves tickling at my bare feet, creeping up my ankles desperate to hold onto me, but were called back into the sea.
I saw a silhouette dancing a few feet away from me, far enough so that I couldn't detect its face. But I had a good idea of who it was. Pearly-colored sand flew in the air, wanting to join the stars as the figure danced against the moonlight. The figure's hair twisted and turned as it danced, curving the air as the figure swayed to and fro, moving with nature's music.
I approached, and saw Crystal's face, gleaming in the moonlight. She smiled at me, her eyes catching the moonlight and shining slightly.
I sat down, wanting to watch her performance once again, but instead, Crystal sat down and joined me. She slipped her arms around my waist, and I held her close for a bit. This was the only affection I had with her the whole beach trip; With Jeri around, it was hard otherwise.
"Why're you out here?" She asked me, curiously.
"My nap gave me a weird dream."
"Do I wanna know?"
"Not really."
We sat in silence for a while, holding each other. Then, suddenly, Crystal spoke.
"Takato... I know."
"Know what?"
"I know you know that Jeri and I are competing, I know that you think I don't know, and I know that Jeri asked you to be your dance partner, and think that I don't know."
"...Oh."
Crystal looked at me, and suddenly laughed in this serious moment. "That's a lot of 'I know's."
"Yeah.." I said, chuckling a little as well.
Crys looked into my eyes again, and the mood grew serious. "Takato... did I ever tell you why I dance?"
"No, you didn't."
"My parents... they wanted me to be a great dancer. I just wanted to be a regular kid. But they constantly tried to teach me how to dance, but I refused to listen... it was a battle of what they wanted, and what I wanted."
"So what happened?"
"I finally yelled at them, saying that I wanted to be a normal kid, and they let me. I think they work for fate though, because soon after that, I wanted to learn how to dance, and I ended up asking someone, like you did."
"Who'd you ask?"
"A guy that I knew, kinda liked. Named Derek (AN: Yes, I'm putting my ex-boyfriend in here, for the sake of people who want to yell at him xD). He taught me how to dance... but I never told him I liked him, and he ended up finding a girlfriend right when I was almost done with my lessons."
"This sounds familiar."
"It is. But I was never able to tell him I liked him, so I ended up having to move on and quitting my lessons. I told my parents a little while after that I had taken dance lessons, and they were pretty smug about it, but they helped me learn everything else I needed."
"So what's the moral of this story, Mother Goose?"
"Haha, very funny. I'm not gonna tell you anymore."
Crystal sat quietly, and finally I pestered her. "Okay, sorry... so really, what's the point of telling me all this?"
She glanced at me, as if to study if I was "worthy" enough to hear it. She finally closed her eyes with a small smile.
"Basically Takato... There are gonna be times when you have the things you want, and the things you think you want, other times when you have the things you want, and the things someone else wants. And sometimes, even if you choose the 'wrong' thing, life's gonna twist it so your life's back on track."
"What about if your life seems to be a non-stop trail of bad things half the time?"
Crystal stood up, brushing the sand off. She had a look of deep thought on her face, and then she grinned, finding her answer. "Good things gotta happen at some points. You know this. You can't have pot holes without the road."
She started to walk away, then paused in her tracks. She turned to look at me. "Oh, and Takato... since you know that I know that you knew now, do you know what I'm probably gonna ask you next?"
I glanced at her, and had a slight smile on my face. "If I can be your dance partner, right?"
"Yeah. Wanna answer that yourself?"
"Sure, I'll be your partner."
Crystal smiled. "Thanks for answering my question."
"Technically, wasn't it mine?"
"You know what I mean."
Crys sprinted over to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek, on the same place Jeri had kissed me this afternoon. I blushed lightly in the moonlight, and Crystal smiled, and sprinted away.
I stood there, not knowing what to do. Things felt complicated, -WERE- complicated, and I didn't know what to do about it. I thought about what Crystal said, about what I wanted, about what they wanted, and the potholes without the road.
Is it possible, to have potholes without the road?
--
I know. I suck at endings. Shut up.
I noticed that Takato's really OOC, not to mention that he seems to be more flustered by Jeri than by Crystal.. which I will get around to explaining. I think.
But wow! For the first time, I have more reviews than I do chapters. That's... interesting. oO First time that's ever happened to me. Especially when my fic is this long. Thank you so much! I am very glad to have the reviews and it means a lot to me. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I may take a while to write up the next chapter, but I shall get it done. I think. But yeah! Just be patient, your reviews really inspire me (Thank you YearoftheCat, you inspired me to finish that last chapter) and I hope you just end up liking the outcome X3