Highs and Lows

Chapter Two: After School Sentences

- Criquett

Thank you to all those who reviewed, Spartan3500, BlueSpirit98, Courage Sun, dbzgtfan2004, Flarie Hanami, JyoraKoumi, Matani, Vash, Litanya, and taiorafann this chapter is for you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon

The final bell rang as eager students rushed outside, relieved to get through anther long day at Odaiba High. A particular student brown-haired student, however, was not lucky enough to escape to the outdoors. Tai trudged his feet upstairs to the third floor of the school. It was more like an attic than an actual floor. There were only two rooms there. One for storage, the other was his destination, the Detention Ward. Not an unfamiliar place, but one that he dreaded nonetheless.

It was always either scorching hot or freezing cold, depending on the weather outside. Tai glanced outside the small window and saw a few students wrapping jackets tightly around them in the mid-March breeze. He ran a hand through his thick hair as he turned the knob of room number 2.

He saw a few faces he recognized from his previous sentences in the room, and a few that were new to him. The room was surprisingly full. He walked over and placed his pink notice in a basket with all the others. He glanced back around the room and was thankful to see his favorite seat was still unoccupied. Tai always sat in the back row, second from the end. It was the perfect seat. Far enough away from the teacher's desk, but not right next to the broken window, which today, was sure to let in the cold air. Nobody ever sat in the seat next to the window, another bonus for Tai's seat: privacy.

"What's goin' on Otis?" Tai said patting a huge, pudgy boy sitting in the seat in front of his. The boy smiled and grunted as a reply back. Tai nodded curtly to the other familiar faces and also to the ones he didn't know.

"Ok then," Mr. Kido said a little shakily as he sorted through the pink slips. "Looks like we're just waiting on one other person… should be here shortly" He gave a small smile to the group in front of him, only to receive rolled eyes, death glares, and inappropriate hand gestures in return.

Tai rose from his seat and walked to the front. Mr. Kido made a move to scamper away, but stopped when he saw the brown-haired soccer captain reach for the hand-held pencil sharpener on his desk. Tai smiled as if to say "what's up?" and commenced to the stand over the trashcan by the door where he began to sharpen his pencil. He stopped when he heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Mr. Kido piped up, rushing past Tai to answer the door. "Y-yes?"

"Hi," a breathless Sora stated as she leaned against the wall to catch her breath. "Is this room 2?"

"It is, can I help you with something?" Mr. Kido asked, mentally crossing his fingers in hope that he was getting replaced.

"Yes, I'm here to serve a detention." Sora handed him her notice.

Mr. Kido looked at her in disbelief, as did everyone else in the room. "I-I…uh… well, come in… are you sure you're supposed to be here Miss Takenouchi?" Sora simply smiled. "Well I'll be, signed by Headmaster Oshima himself." Mr. Kido said in almost a hushed whisper.

Sora took that as a sign to enter, accidentally bumping into Tai who was fixed behind the door. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

Tai didn't say anything for a moment. He stood rooted where he was and stared at the girl before him. He snapped himself out of it, "No, it was my fault." He looked over to Mr. Kido who was still frantically scanning Sora's detention notice.

"Aren't you Sora Takenouchi, class president?" A dark, mousy haired girl asked rudely.

"I am." Sora stated plainly.

"Class president?" A spiky haired boy wheezed through his pierced lip. "The hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be having tea with Oshima?" There was collective assortment of laughs and grunts.

"Ignore them," Tai said out of the corner of his mouth as he followed her back to his seat.

"I did," Sora smiled as she set her bag down by the only vacant seat.

Tai immediately stood up and gestured towards his chair, "Here, take my seat. You don't want to sit there, it's the worst seat in the house."

"No, it's okay, I love the window seats."

"You say that now," Tai smirked. "You noobs have so much to learn."

"Sorry?" Sora asked looking over at him with a raised brow.

"Newcomers." Tai explained bluntly.

"Oh, and I take it you're a regular here?" She asked wryly.

He shot her a quick look, "I've been here once or twice."

"O-okay, let's get settled. I'm sure you all have homework that needs to get done." Mr. Kido said anxiously to the class. He relaxed a bit when he saw the students reach down into their bags as they pulled out their materials. "Um, no talking! You'll be dismissed at 4:30."

Tai stole another glance at the girl beside him before he settled down into his history book. He propped the book up on his table and sank lower into his seat, obscuring his face from view of the teacher. "So, are you going to answer the question?"

"What question?" Sora asked.

"The hell are you doing here?" Tai asked, imitating the boy who asked her the same question earlier.

Sora covered her mouth, trying to conceal a laugh. "Oh" she mouthed. "I'm a political prisoner."

It was Tai's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You mean that protest at lunch today?"

Sora nodded. "What about you?"

"I was late for class… again." Tai said regretfully.

"P-please, those in the back, keep quiet for those who are trying to study," Mr. Kido's voice said from somewhere overhead.

"For those who are trying to sleep," Tai muttered. Sora laughed to herself as she turned back to her calculus notes. She pulled out a pad of graph paper and began working on her homework.

Tai looked subtly in her direction. When he noticed she was busy working he went back to his textbook, flipping through the pages while admiring the pictures and photographs.

Sora felt a chill run down her spine as a sharp breeze rattled through a gap in the window. She rubbed her hands together in her lap while her teeth started to chatter uncontrollably. She heard Tai snigger and shot her head in his direction.

"I won't say I told you so," he said.

"You just did."

"I know, that was the point," Tai retorted as he sat up in his seat. Sora gave him a puzzled look and let out another shiver as a second brisk wind made its way in.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked in shock as she watched him take off his green blazer, which was a part of the school uniform.

"Being a gentleman," Tai said casually as he tossed the jacket into her lap.

Sora stared down at the green blazer in her lap. She wove her arms in the sleeves and adjusted the collar. There was no mistaking that it was too big for her, but she thanked him all the same. "Thank you."

Tai smiled and resumed flipping through his history book.

She was very grateful for his kind gesture, and a little surprised at the same time. She could still feel his body warmth radiating from the folds of the fabric onto her cool skin. Afraid that another gust would take it away, Sora instinctively wrapped Tai's jacket tighter around her small figure, and noticed the sweet smell of cologne. She took a deep breath, inhaling more of the scent, frowning as she exhaled. It was an annoying amount of cologne. Not because there was too much, but because there was just enough to keep you sniffing for more.

Sora heard the ticking of the clock on the wall behind her. She turned her head and was shocked to see only fifteen minutes had gone by since she arrived. A look around the room told her it was, however, enough time to leave the majority of the room lolling their heads to the side as they dozed off. It wasn't long before Tai himself was overheard snoring softly underneath his history book. She sighed to herself as she picked up her calculator and began entering numbers.

After only a few more interruptions, Mr. Kido noticed that it was almost time for dismissal. He sighed in relief, "Okay team, well done today. I-I mean, I hope you learned your lesson! Let's hope we never meet under these circumstances again. You are dismissed."

"Psst! Hey," Sora nudged her sleeping neighbor.

"Wha?" Tai asked sleepily. He heard a giggle come from somewhere overhead. He looked up and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Sora in his jacket. It seemed to be eating her up; her hands were hidden by the long sleeves as the rest of the jacket fell loosely around her.

"Ha ha yourself," Tai leered. "Please don't tell me you walk around school in ridiculous clothes like that!"

Sora laughed, gaping at him. "No, but you do!" She teased, removing the garment and handing it back to the sleepy boy in front of her. Tai laughed as he stood and stretched.

"See, normally you can't sleep in here, but thanks to Mr. Kido…" Tai yawned. "Sweet dreams."

Sora rolled her eyes as she led the way downstairs to the main floor. She saw Maya waiting for her in the lobby looking thoroughly annoyed. She was afraid that her best friend was mad, but understood when she saw a familiar dark-claret haired boy with goggles chatting away next to her friend.

"Sora!" Maya cried in relief, jumping up to greet her.

Davis was a little surprised but rose out of his seat to meet with Tai. "'Sup?"

Tai smirked as he glanced over at the two girls next to them.

"Oh my gosh Sora, I can't believe you got a detention!" Maya shrieked.

"I know," Sora said sadly. "But I guess I deserved it. Thanks for waiting for me! I know it must have been hard."

Maya glared at Sora. "You have no idea…" Sora laughed airily. "Come on, let's go."

The two friends gathered their things and were about to head out the door when a voice called out.

"Hey, Sora!" Tai called out. "Go on Davis, I'll meet you outside." He jogged up to the auburn-haired girl.

"Hang on a minute," Sora said to her friend. Maya nodded and waited by the main doors. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering," Tai began, finding his charm, "well you know I had fun with you today.."

"You mean when you weren't drooling in your sleep?" Sora poked.

"Heh, yeah…" Tai scratched the back of his head. "Well, apart from that, I had a good time."

Sora smiled and gave a small nod.

"Yeah? I mean yeah, so if you're not busy then maybe we could I dunno, go out for bite to eat or something."

Sora looked at the books in her arms, unsure how to answer. "Listen Tai, you're a nice guy and everything and I did have fun, but you see I'm really busy…"

Tai wasn't going to back down now. No girl had ever been "too busy" fro him before. "Like what? What all do you have to do?"

Sora was a little taken back. "Well, I have to get started on an oral report for my sociology class, and tomorrow after school Mrs. Miyagi asked me and a few others to help her tutor some kids in chemistry, and-"

"Chemistry?" Tai asked all of a sudden.

"Yeah, you know molecules, atoms… chemistry?" Sora said slowly.

Tai rolled his eyes, "Yeah, thanks. But seriously I need help in chemistry…" his mind began racing. "I uh… need to pass the unit on...er… acids and bases."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Acids and bases?" She asked skeptically.

"Yes! Please? Come on, you need to tutor, and I need a tutor!" Tai pleaded.

Sora sighed, "Alright, I guess so."

"Great! How does tomorrow 6 o' clock at my house sound? I live right across the street from Izzy Izumi"

"Fine, I'll see you then. Bye," Sora said. 'I'm really going to regret this,' she thought as she turned and walked away.

Tai on the other hand threw a fist in the air and commenced dancing all the way outside only to be laughed at by Davis and a group of girls standing in the parking lot.

:-D yay, chapter two is done! Review please, even if you didn't like it!

Regards,

Criquett