I'm What?
By theladyknight
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, the Princess Diaries, or any of the TV shows mentioned.
A/N: Chapter 6, Sora figures out her answer, we learn about PPI (Prince Phillipe's Isle),Taichi's odd obsession is revealed, and of course some Soratoness. Thank you to everyone who reviews and please read, review, and enjoy!
Yama-sama: Thanks!
violet eyes rika: Thanks, I hope you like the books!
Armitage: warm fuzzy feeling...understandable hehehe!
Aino Yuy aka Usagi-Hater: Princess lessons are on the horizon...after Sora's decides if she wants to be a princess or not. And I was thinking about having her tell Yamato too but decided against it. Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad your back in a Sorato mood!
sorato4eva: long is not always good...especially in school when my English papers are always like four pages long, and everyone else's are at one page! Glad you like it!
Chapter 6: Of Conclusions and Group Therapy
Tuesday October 16Living Room
I woke up after getting a few hours of sleep to see another note lying beside my bed. This one was from my mom…
Sora, honey, Yamato told me what happened when I got home last night. I called your school and told them you were sick. Go ahead and go back to sleep or do whatever else you feel like doing. Your father left a number in case you want to reach him or Antonio. I know you're going to have a lot of things to think about, but I want you to know I respect whatever decision you make. Love you, Mom
How awesome is my mom! I'm so happy she's not making me go to school today. I looked over at the clock and noticed school would be starting pretty soon. I would have been late if I did have to go. It will be nice to spend today relaxing, staying in my pajamas watching soap operas and trashy talk shows instead of sitting in a class, bored out of my mind.
The more I think about it, the more I've come to believe my life belongs on one of those talk shows. I can see it now, my mother, father, and I all sitting in chairs, trying to peacefully come to a decision on Ricki Lake or better yet trying to rip each other's head off on Jerry Springer. But I don't think that's exactly the route we should take or my parents would want to take. This whole decision really is up to me to choose, no one else. No matter how much they want me to choose them and the life they offer, in the end it comes down to me. Being a princess is a huge jump from my normal everyday life. Maybe I should investigate the reasons for and against it.
Pro Accepting the Duty of Princess1. Great benefits—in the lunchroom the seniors get to budge and cut, but as a princess, I'd get to better things than runny spaghetti first, such as movie openings, new restaurants, and the works.
2. Personal service—it would be so awesome to never ever have to clean up my own room again; I'd have a maid!
3. Connections—I'd get to meet some of the hottest celebrities and most prominent figures in the government, most likely spending time with them at charity balls and such.
4. Making a Difference—how cheesy does that sound, but I guess it's true. As princess, I would have the ability to make a difference in this world.
5. Backup: Jennifer Jones would so not bother me ever again if I threatened her with both PPI's army and navy.
6. Dad—I would actually get to see my father more than just over summer vacation or the occasional school break. That would definitely be a plus.
7. Residence—how cool would it be to live in a palace? And better yet, I'd actually be able to afford to let my friends come visit it me. A sleepover in a palace, that's something you only read about it books or see in movies!
Con Accepting the Duty of Princess1. No privacy—The paparazzi would never leave me alone. It just seems like they make it their mission to ruin the lives of celebrities andpolitical and royal figures.
2. Residence—I would have to move. I've lived in Chicago my whole life; I'm a Midwest girl at heart. Almost everything I know is here.
3. Friends—If I was to become Princess, how exactly would my friends react to this? I don't want them to walk around, bowing and curtsying and all that crap. Things just wouldn't be normal.
4. Public eye—as Princess the people would depend on me to do things. When Mimi and Koushiro went on their little "Hollywood controls everything" rant, I thought nothing of it. But now I guess everyone would be watching me and talking about me. I don't want people just to buy something because Princess Sora wore it.
5. Description—I am one of the least likeliest people to fit the description of a princess. All princesses and queens are beautiful poised women, yet I don't fit that character trait even though Yamato seems to think I'd make a great princess.
6. Guys—Okay, it's not like I'd be able to get with Yamato or Jacob Richards, sigh, as much as I could wish, but there are plenty other hot guys here. As a royal teenager who would my father let me date or go out with?
7. Mom—my mom is probably the strongest woman I know. She needs me to look out for her and keep her company when…ew…Mr. R. isn't.
There we go. I'm deadlocked between the two. I don't know which one to choose. I have so many questions about what would happen if I decided to accept my role. Again, the biggest is about how my relationship with my parents will be affected. I've lived with my mom my whole life and see my dad occasionally, but depending on what choice I make, could end up hurting one or both.
And I guess there's the whole issue that I've never really been to Prince Phillipe's Isle. Isn't it a little odd my dad wants me to rule there when the only part of the Isle I've set foot on was the beach by Grams' beach house? Time for some more research. I logged onto the Internet and decided to go from there. Funny, in my sixteen years that I've been alive I've never run a search to learn a little about the island my father lives on or anything about it. Even when I did my project about PPI for school last year, none of the material really stuck with me other than they had a king and it was a tropical island near the Bahamas.
Previously Unknown Facts about Prince Phillipe's Isle1. Government—king, prime minister, and parliament. Obviously I know whom the king is, though I'm wondering why my father goes by the name Haruhiko instead of his real first name, Santo?
2. Population—10,287 people. Okay, so the city of Chicago is much bigger than the kingdom I may rule in the future…
3. Chief industries—Tourism, fishing, farming, manufacturing, and surprisingly mining.
4. Odds and Ends—literacy rate is at 99 percent, there are no taxes, the government is in no sort of debt, low levels of pollution, average temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, Spanish is the official language. Overall it looks like my ancestors did a good job of ruling this place!
5. History—founded in 1498 by and named after Phillipe Chavez, the first governor of the island. He decided to add the name prince to make it more majestic, that or as I see it, he thought very highly of himself. In 1504, the inhabitants of the isle won their independence from Spain, though from what it says, on this site, the battle only lasted two days. Maybe I should ask Dad about that as well. 1634, my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Diego Olivarez became ruler, starting the line that exists today. No wonder my father wants me to keep the line going! After years of peace, there was the Civil War of 1872 where, just as America's Civil War, slavery was outlawed. In 1947, the office of prime minister was instated to insure the monarch did not have too much power. 2004, wow on December 31, New Year's Eve, it's the 500th birthday of the nation, cool!
That gives me more to think about. I just don't know what to do though. When I first heard Dad tell me I was a princess, I thought there was no way in hell I could ever or would ever want to do it. Me, a princess? But now after really thinking about it, I'm having second thoughts.
Along with the second thoughts come doubts. There's the tiny itsy bitsy little detail of me not knowing the mannerisms of a princess or what a princess does everyday. Damn, I have problems telling apart which fork is used for salad when mom and I dine at some of the fancier restaurants in Chicago. What am I going to do when they offer me like seven forks? I'M GONNA STARVE! If I go I'm going to have to pack so much junk food and snacks—oh my God, I'm starting to sound like Taichi! Next I'm going to start telling long-winded nonsensical stories about crossbreeding of animals that are unable to interbreed.
"You've got mail!" my computer announced, snapping out of my scary daydream. Figuring it was Mom checking up on me, I opened the message. But it wasn't, and I nearly fell out my chair after reading who had sent it.
Hey Sor, I looked for you this morning, but Mimi said you're sick. I guess you were really drained last night—hope you get better soon. I need someone to keep me company in the resource room other than Taichi. Oh well, I've got to go before my teacher realizes I'm not researching good old classic novels. Get well soon! Yamato:)
Oh my God! Yamato sent me a get-well note? Yamato actually was looking for me this morning? Yamato is concerned about me? I logged off the Internet and shut down the computer. He is such a sweet, great guy…but thinking about him reminds me all about my decision I'm trying to make. I just don't know what to do…
Wednesday October 17Nurse's Office
I have come to a conclusion about what I'm going to do. After rushing down to my 6th period class and telling my teacher I felt queasy, I dashed up to the nurse's office. Just as I expected, the nurse wasn't there, but even if she had been, she wouldn't have cared. People come in here to sleep or whenever they have a test to take. There are two beds and three chairs, so it's first come first serve. I luckily got to the room in time to grab a coveted bed.
I needed somewhere I could sort out my thoughts without being interrupted by teachers explaining stuff or anyone talking. S,o here I am now with what I think might be the answer I'm going to give my parents. This answer came in the strangest way from the person, well, actually I should say the people I least expected…
I was sitting in the resource room waiting for everyone else to come in. Mimi and Koushiro walked in arm-in-arm, and both waved at me before going off in a corner to show a few PDA's.
Yamato and Taichi then entered the room, laughing about something that had happened in an earlier class. "Glad to see you back." Yamato smiled at me.
"Thanks." I answered trying to control the color on my cheeks. He and Taichi made their way to the table I was sitting at. "Where's Takeru?"
"He's coming…I hear he's got a surprise for you Tutor Girl!" (A/N: Okay, ripped that off One Tree Hill, not mine!)
"Oh really."
Just then Takeru came sprinting into the room. "Sora, guess what? I got a 97 percent on my algebra make-up test!"
"Takeru, that's great!" I exclaimed standing up and giving him a big hug. Over his shoulder, I saw a bushy haired person, obviously Taichi, jump up and down.
"SORA SANDWICH!" he shouted loud enough for anyone outside to hear. I laughed as two thuds hit Takeru and me, assuming the thuds were Taichi and Yamato. My assumption was correct. Those two never failed at making me laugh or brighten my mood.
"Boys!" the moderator yelled, frantically walking into the room as the second bell rang. "Let Ms. Takenouchi go!"
"Sorry Ms. Lewis." They muttered in unison as we all took a seat.
"Mimi! Koushiro!" she yelled, running off to yell at the next people, who just happened to be getting a little too carried away with their affectionate behavior.
This was an everyday occurrence, and though we were all very used to it, it never ceased to amaze me. "You're not contagious or anything?" Taichi suddenly asked pulling his chair away from mine and closer to Takeru's.
I tried to hide the guilty expression lurking on my face but unfortunately Yamato caught it. "You weren't sick were you?"
I blushed. "No. I woke up and found a note from Mom that said I could stay home yesterday, and she'd cover for me."
"Lucky." Takeru said enviously.
"Yeah." Taichi poutedand after learning I had played hooky, moved his chair back. "My parents would never do that for me. Hell, they always seem to catch me when I play hooky."
Yamato laughed. "I wonder why, moron. Maybe because you order-in a bunch of fast food then leave the empty containers and pop cans sitting out for all to see!"
"I only did that a few times." He said turning red.
Takeru snorted. "Yeah, if twenty times is considered a few."
"Anyway," Taichi responded seeing as though everyone disagreed with him, "why'd she let you stay home, Sora?"
I sighed and carelessly doodled on my Music Appreciation homework I had yet to start. "I don't even know where to begin. Everything got stressful when my father showed up yesterday."
"What happened?" Takeru asked.
"It's a long story, but basically there's this big decision he needs me to make, and it's going to affect the rest of my life no matter which choice I make. I just don't know what to do. I tried everything, but I don't know what decision is best."
Yamato put a hand on my shoulder. "Is this the whole issue you're sworn to secrecy about?" I nodded.
Taichi cleared his throat. "Well, I have just the solution." We all looked up at him, my eyes being the most eager for what…er…interesting solution Tai would suggest. "Here's the plan. I saw this on Dr. Phil once." We all stared at him.
"What the hell!" Takeru and I exclaimed at the exact same time.
"Dude, do you need to lie down or do you think you're going to throw up?" Yamato questioned.
"I'm not sick! I just find Dr. Phil to be enlightening every once in a while. I've only watched his show when I was at home playing hooky. It's actually not that bad…you guys should really check it out."
I leaned closer to Yamato and, doing something I'm surprised I managed to do without fainting, whispered into his ear, "Does the chemistry lab keep any testosterone?"
Yamato smirked. "Unfortunately for us, I don't think so."
"Maybe we should inform the school board how much it's needed." As the blond was about to respond, Taichi clapped his hands in front of our faces.
"You two can flirt later. Just listen to my suggestion." My cheeks began to turn bright red. As I looked away from Yamato I was surprised to find his face tinted red as well.
We heard a sigh coming from outside the room. "What's my brother trying to get you guys to do now?" Hikari's voice asked. I looked at the door and smiled at her as she, after making sure Ms. Lewis wasn't watching, came into the room, pulled up a chair, and sat down between Taichi and Takeru. This was also a common occurrence in the resource room. People walked in and out as long as the moderator didn't catch them.
"Aren't you supposed to be in class, Hikari?" Taichi asked.
"English test. I told the teacher I felt sick, but it sounds like this'll be better than sitting in the nurse's office, bored out of my mind."
"He's trying to get us to do something off Dr. Phil." Takeru explained, snickering.
Kari didn't seem to find it weird. "At least it's not off Oprah. Taichi would die if that show ever got cancelled."
"Taichi, man, what IS your problem?"
The brunette boy flushed again. "Look, Oprah provides insightful information about sensitivity and the way a woman's mind works. Don't diss the lady."
"We're not." Yamato answered. "It's you we're making fun of. If you've been learning all about women, why do you not have a girlfriend?"
"I could get any girl to be my girlfriend!" Taichi boasted. "Hell, I could ask Sora out if I wanted to, but I know someone who would slaughter me before I could do that. So I'm sorry, Sora, you're not going to be getting any 'Taichi love' soon."
I laughed. "You are so full of it." Then his words hit me. "What do you mean someone would slaughter you?" Taichi gave a goofy grin.
"I thought you had some sort of plan you wanted to tell us?" Yamato injected, receiving a smirk from his best friend.
"Now you're eager to hear it, eh, Yama?" he goaded earning a death glare from the blond. "I wonder why? Maybe it was something I said…"
Takeru coughed, trying to contain his own laughter. "Yes, brother dear, please share."
He stared them both down. "Well, there's the little issue of the class being over soon. If you're going to suggest something, now would be a pretty good time."
"That's right. We eat lunch next period. We're on some screwed-up schedule today." Hikari responded.
"So Tai," I began getting us back on topic, though I was very curious why Yamato decided to change the subject, "what do you have in mind? I'm open to any thoughts, even yours!"
"I'm going to ignore that last comment." Taichi answered. "We're going to have a group therapy session. The more people, the more help we can give Sora. We'll each share a problem, and everyone will give answers to the others problems. Sora'll go last because by the time we get to her, we should be giving some good advice."
I tried not to laugh. We've got to get Taichi addicted to a new television show. "I'm game." The others, though quite reluctantly, nodded their heads.
Hikari looked around the room. "Mimi, Koushiro, come over here!" she smiled at me. "The more the merrier." Takeru explained what was going on and five minutes later, after the two had recovered from their laughing fit, our group therapy began.
"Okay people! I want each of you to tell us a problem and then let the solutions fly. Keep in mind; Sora's problem is the one we'll need to give the best advice to. I'll go first…hello, my name is Taichi." We all stared at him waiting for our crazy leader to continue. "Hello Taichi." He mocked whispered.
"Hello Taichi." We echoed. God, I feel so stupid doing this!
"My problem is that I don't know if the soccer team will go undefeated this year…"
Mimi held up a hand. "Look Taichi, you guys will either be undefeated or pretty damn close to it. The clock is ticking. We'll move onto a more important problem, like mine. I'm afraid Daddy is going totake away my credit cards! He thinks I go shopping too much!"
"He won't take them away. Next!" Takeru and Yamato both exclaimed.
Koushiro cleared his throat. "I'm worried about world hunger, inflation of gas prices, the state of the union…"
I cut him off. "Next! As concerned as I am about all those things as well, I don't think we'll be able to solve them in the next ten minutes."
"Takeru and I have the same problem." Hikari began. "Our parents think we're too young to date."
Mimi shrieked. "You two are going out? Since when? Oh never mind, tell me on Friday night. I'm having girls night out at my place; you and Sora both need to be there at 6:00. Oh, continue on with the therapy session!" she smiled as we all gave her odd looks. That's a typical Mimi response. Within the next period, everyone will know Takeru and Hikari have hooked up.
"Go on group dates." I suggested. "Make them casual enough so you can tell your parents it's just a group outing yet you can break off and hang out together alone during the dates without them knowing."
Taichi clapped. "Good job, Sora. Everyone give Sora two snaps." I rolled my eyes. Tai was getting a little too into this. "Yamato, it's your turn."
Yamato sighed. "I'm probably going to regret this. I like this girl, but I'm pretty sure she only thinks of me as a friend."
"Tell her." I responded automatically. I knew he liked someone else. Oh well, I may as well help him find happiness. "You'll never know if you don't take a chance. I bet she likes you too, Yama, but she's just afraid to tell you. You're a great guy, and she probably just is scared you don't like her that way."
"I know who she is!" Taichi exclaimed in a singsong voice.
"Me too." Takeru snickered.
Yamato glared at them and raised a fist. "Tell anyone and you're going to miss basketball season, Takeru, and you'll miss soccer season, Taichi." They both gulped and stopped their teasing. I wonder who it is?
Koushiro laughed. "Once again Sora comes through with the good advice. Maybe you'll end up solving your own problem!"
I giggled. "I've already tried that, and it didn't work." I paused and looked around at the group seated at the table. "So mainly my problem is that my dad offered me something, but I don't know what to do, whether to say yes or no. I've investigated the good and bad of each choice, but I'm locked in the middle. And this is a really big decision. Both choices are good, but I don't know which one is better."
I sat back waiting for the responses to come. And they came flying in. "Talk to your parents." Koushiro suggested.
"No, that won't work. I want to have an idea of what I'm going to do before talking to them."
Mimi's eyes lit up. "Whenever I have two cute outfits that I want but can only get one, I try and figure out which one I can get the most use out of. Try and think of the one that will most benefit you."
Surprising that was some decent bit of advice. Who knew thatclothes could provide an idea? "Try imaging how one day with the decision you make will be." Takeru suggested.
"Ask another trusted member of your family."
I shook my head. "That one won't work either. I'm kind of sworn to secrecy about the details of it."
"When I can't decide if I want the chocolate-flavored cereal or fruit-flavored cereal, I flip a coin." Guess whose suggestion that was…
Yamato decided it was his turn to speak up. "So this decision of yours is going to benefit you from both ways, right?"
"Something like that." I responded, wondering what he was getting at.
"Wel,l since either way, you're going to be content with what you end up with, try thinking about how it's going to affect the people around you and what the best thing for them is…did I help any?"
I sat looking at the wall. Others around me, why didn't I think of it? Why have I been thinking about my parents and myself while I had yet to consider the other people this would greatly affect? "Yeah, I think I know what I'm going to do. I've got to go!" I got up out of my chair and gathered my stuff. "Thanks for all the help guys. Nice idea, Taichi. I'll talk to you all later." I ran out of the room as the bell rang, completely ignoring the outbursts my friends were yelling after me.
I bolted downstairs hitting someone as I rounded the corner and dropped the books I was holding. "Sorry." The handsome voice of Jacob Richards said.
"No…no problem." I answered as he walked off. That was the first word he ever said to me! But no time to think about that.
So, now here I am after recounting my big adventure. I'm pretty sure I know what to do. Now I just have to figure out how to get out of here and let my family know…
A/N: Thoughts? To let you all know I have hardly ever seen Oprah or Dr. Phil and have never attended a group therapy session so I pulled everything out of my butt along with the facts about PPI. Hope it wasn't too bad. Please review!