Ariana: …
Ti: Well, looks like you didn't hit 50.
Ariana: …
Ti: Oh come on! It's not that bad. Stop being such a drama queen.
Ariana: …
Ti: Sorry this chapter took longer than predicted, Ariana's mind has been on shut down for a while…
Ariana: …
Ti: -sigh- I guess I'll do the disclaimer: We do not in any way, shape, or form, own the characters or storyline of Digimon. We do however own the storyline of this fic, and a movie or two, and possibly some cds…
Welcome to My Life: Chapter 9
Daisuke sighed as he looked at the clock, hoping he'd be able to get up in the morning. After dinner had finished, he and Jun had a hard time getting Yamato out of the house. It wasn't until Jun had pointed out that they all had work the next day that Yamato grudgingly left. They had another cooking lesson, this time at Yamato's. The blonde had protested, but Daisuke had been extremely insistent. He didn't want another incident with his father.
He had just finished moving all his things out of the bathroom. He could finally go to bed, after doing a last minute check of the apartment. He went into the front room, checking the door and all the windows. He went into the kitchen and checked the refrigerator. Yamato had told them that it would keep at least a little cool if they didn't open it too often. As Jun had asked, the food was stored with icepacks packed around it, out of the way of "The Stash" which had been restored to its rightful place. He still didn't know where she had hidden it.
"What are you doing in there?" asked a gruff voice.
Daisuke jumped and spun around to face his father. The man surprisingly seemed sober. He leaned around him and grabbed a beer. "I don't want to catch you with any of this," he said sternly.
Daisuke bit his lip to keep from saying anything and nodded. His father scoffed. He opened the bottle and took a drink, glaring at the bottle when he finished. "Why isn't this cold?" he asked.
"The power's out. I told you that," responded Daisuke.
His father turned his glare on him. "Watch how you speak to me," he warned. "I don't know why they turned it off..." he mumbled to himself.
"Maybe because you didn't pay the bill," said Daisuke scathingly. Perhaps if it had been earlier in the day, or he hadn't been so tired and frustrated with his father, Daisuke's brain would have been a step ahead of his mouth. As it was, it was only after the words had gotten out that Daisuke's brain caught up and realized he was very, very stupid.
"What did you say?" his father asked icily.
Daisuke folded his hands behind his back to keep his father from seeing them shake. "The bill never got paid. I saw the bill and it was already overdue."
Smack!
Daisuke stumbled to the counter as his hand automatically reached for his cheek. His eyes watered involuntarily as he stared at the man who had just hit him. His father leaned in just a few inches above his face. "Don't you ever be so disrespectful again. Reading other people's mail is a crime. I should put you behind bars myself. If you're so damn concerned about the bills, get yourself a decent job and pay for them yourself." His father turned around and stormed back to his room, slamming the door behind him.
After taking a few breaths to calm himself, Daisuke stood up and blew the candle out. He felt his way back to the hall. As he was about to pass Jun's room, her door opened and a hand gently pulled him inside. Jun lit a candle and looked at her brother in concern. She gasped as she saw his bright red cheek.
"What happened?" she exclaimed.
Daisuke turned away from her. "Dad," he said quietly. After a few moments of silence Daisuke dared a glance at his sister. She was shaking with rage.
"How dare he," she whispered. "It was bad enough when he started drinking and smoking. Worse we he stopped feeding us and let the bills go unpaid. It was almost the last straw when he wasted all that food the other day. But this, this is unforgivable. That, that" Jun couldn't finish and dropped to her knees, sobbing hard.
Daisuke leaned down and took his sister in his arms. He flinched as her head brushed against his cheek. There would definitely be a bruise in the morning. He continued to comfort her until her shoulders stopped shaking. "Daisuke," she whispered. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know," he whispered back. "I really don't know."
Hikari sat straight up in her bed, sweat causing her hair to cling to her shoulders. She looked around frantically, only to realize she was safe in her room. She shivered, trying to rid the traces of her nightmare.
She and all the other chosen were at park having a picnic. Everyone was having a great time, until one by one her friends started disappearing. Soon, only she, Taichi, Takeru, Yamato, Ken, and Daisuke were left. Yamato was looking at Daisuke sadly, and Taichi was trying to bug the blonde into talking. Takeru briefly distracted her. When she looked back, Daisuke was running away. Hikari moved to go after him but Ken stopped her shaking his head.
"Just let him go Hikari," he said softly. "You've done enough." The last look on Ken's face was one of disgust, before the scene suddenly changed.
She was standing near a cliff, watching Daisuke balance on the edge. She called out to him and he looked up sadly. He shook his head at her, leaned back and jumped. She ran to cliff but he had disappeared.
The scene changed again and she was sitting at bench with Ken. He looked up, tears falling from his face.
"I don't know what to do anymore," he said quietly. "Do you?"
Once again the scene changed and she was standing in some sort of fog. As she walked through it she realized she was at the bottom of the cliff. She kept walking until she tripped over something. She looked down to see a pair of broken goggles and dark hair. It was Daisuke.
Hikari wiped the tears that were now flowing freely from her face. A knock sounded from her door. "Come in," she choked out.
Her brother shuffled into the room, followed closely by her mother. Taichi rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Are you okay, Kar? We heard screaming."
Her mother noticed her tears and sat down on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
Hikari shook her head. "Just a nightmare. I'm okay. I didn't mean to wake you," she said apologetically.
Her mother smiled softly and wiped away the remainder of her tears. "Do you want me to get you a glass of water?"
Hikari nodded and returned the smile. Her mother got up and left the room for the kitchen.
Taichi took her place. "What happened?"
Hikari relayed the dream as Taichi listened. By the time she was done she was crying again.
Taichi looked at her in concern. "That's a really creepy dream. I'm sure Daisuke's fine though."
Hikari nodded. Her mother came back in with a box of tissue and the glass of water. She handed both to her daughter, who took them graciously.
She took a sip and looked at Taichi and her mom. "I'm okay now. You should go back to sleep."
They nodded and bid her a goodnight as they left the room. Hikari stayed awake for a little while longer. Taichi was right, Daisuke was probably fine. Even so, she would go by his place tomorrow, just to make sure.
Hikari stood outside the building, biting her lip. She had gone to Daisuke's place, only to find he wasn't there. Jun, however, had been home for lunch and told her where she could find him. This was certainly a change from when Jun had basically told her to leave him alone.
She sighed to herself. So many things had changed in the past year, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up. Telling herself that she most assuredly wouldn't if she never confronted Daisuke, she took a deep breath and walked through the door.
The cool office was a nice relief from the summer heat. She turned to the front desk, only to find it empty. A sign told her that someone would be with her in a moment. She took the opportunity to look around the office. A hallway led from the main entrance to the right, probably toward individual offices. The wallpaper was a light brown and a sign behind the desk read "Odaiba Career Assistance". Across the room from the desk were chairs that looked only mildly comfortable. Just when she thought no one was here, she heard laughter down the hall.
"Whatever you say Sako-san," she heard a familiar voice call. There was more laughter. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm going." She heard footsteps quickly approach the front area.
"I'm sorry about that," said the voice as he came around the corner. "How can I help—" Daisuke stopped as he realized who she was. "Hikari? What are you doing here?"
Hikari took a deep breath. She had to say this now or she would come up with some excuse and chicken out. "I need to talk to you." There, she'd said it.
He looked at her strangely. "Okay. I'm about to go on lunch, so maybe we can go eat somewhere?" he suggested. She nodded. He turned back to the hall and shouted "Kimi-san! I'm going to lunch. Will you cover the front for me?" He turned back to her. "Okay, let's go."
Hikari followed Daisuke out the door and back into the heat. She had been caught by surprise by Daisuke's reaction to her demand. She had expected him to put up some kind of fight. Daisuke generally tried not to talk about himself. It wasn't until after the picnic that Hikari actually realized that. All throughout grade school, and even into high school, Daisuke always bragged about the things he could do and how he was so much better than everyone else, especially Takeru. But he had never really talked about himself. He hardly ever talked about his feelings, thoughts, or ambitions; although Hikari still wasn't sure if this was because he didn't want to, or because nobody bothered to ask. Over the past couple of days she had started to understand why Daisuke might have wanted to distance himself from the group. She was shaken from her thoughts by Daisuke's voice. She blinked at the back of his head. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Daisuke looked back at her in amusement and stepped back so that he was beside her. "I asked where you wanted to go. I only have an hour and then I have to get back to work."
She shrugged. "I don't know, what's good around here?"
Daisuke thought for a moment. "Toni's has the best pizza. That actually sounds good right now. Do you feel like pizza?"
Hikari smiled at him. "Sounds great."
They walked into the restaurant and ordered a large pepperoni for the two of them to share. "So," prompted Daisuke, "what's up?"
Hikari looked down and studied the table, though she could still feel his gaze on her. She tried to gather what it was she wanted to say. She hated putting people through interrogations. Gathering her resolve she looked back up, with every intent of confronting him. However when she finally noticed his face, she gasped. "What happened?" she asked.
Daisuke looked at her strangely until realization dawned on him. She watched as he gingerly touched his cheek and flinched. "This is what happens when you try to fumble around in the dark," he said easily.
"What did you hit?"
He shrugged. "Who knows?" He paused to thank the waiter as he brought out their pizza. "Dig in," he said, gesturing to the pizza in the middle of the table. He took a few slices and looked back to her. "I'm sure that's not what you meant to ask me." He took a bite out of his pizza.
Hikari was amazed at how blunt he was being. Sure Daisuke wasn't the most tactful of people, but this was different. Instead of an "I have no idea what I'm saying" attitude, Daisuke's tone was all business. She took a bite of pizza to get some time to think.
"Why did you leave?" she finally asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Hikari frowned. "What do you mean?"
Daisuke rolled his eyes. "You're asking me why I left. You have to be more specific."
Hikari snorted. "You are impossible. You know exactly what I mean."
Daisuke grinned. "Perhaps."
Hikari stared at him. "Well?"
Daisuke sighed and put down the slice he was about to eat. He looked across the table at Hikari. "You really want to know?" he asked.
She nodded. He searched her face for a moment. Suddenly he turned away from her and looked across the restaurant. "I don't really know." He paused for a moment and turned back to her. "I was going through a lot and didn't want to put you guys through it."
Hikari studied her friend. That was a lie and they both knew it. She wondered again what Daisuke was hiding from everyone. And every time he lied, she became more determined to find the truth. "Daisuke, I know when someone lies to me and I don't like it." He didn't respond. "I have spent over a year trying to figure out what happened to you. I think I deserve the truth."
Daisuke stared at her, mouth agape, before glaring at her. "Oh please. Like I'm supposed to believe that." He shook his head and chuckled, and continued eating his pizza.
Hikari focused on her pizza while forcing back the tears forming in her eyes. "How can you say that?" she whispered. She looked up to find Daisuke looking at her in confusion. "I don't lie about things like that," she said a bit more strongly.
"You really were looking for me all this time?"
She nodded. "Didn't your sister tell you?"
Daisuke gazed out the window. "She might have mentioned it." He looked back to her with a smirk. "Does Takeru know about this?" he asked teasingly.
Hikari rolled her eyes. "Don't start," she warned. "Takeru has been just as concerned."
"Really?" he asked, unconvinced.
Hikari nodded. "You guys were never really great friends, so he didn't want to 'invade' is what he called it. He asked about you a lot though, if I had heard from you and things like that." She sent a silent prayer that Takeru wouldn't kill her for disclosing that information.
Daisuke looked thoughtful. "Why?" he finally asked.
Hikari shook her head. "You have to answer my question first, truthfully."
Daisuke sighed and leaned back. "I honestly didn't think you guys would notice, or even care if you did."
Hikari eyes widened. "How could we not care if one of our friends suddenly disappears without a word to anyone?"
Daisuke frowned. "Well it's not like I was a part of the group, not really. I was the loud and annoying one that everyone put up with at best. I was just supposed to stand there and play dumb; pretending like what everyone said never affected me. I was sick of it and, quite frankly, didn't have the energy to put up with it anymore." He glanced at his watch. "Well, my lunch is over so I got to get back to work." He stood up and threw a few bills on the table. He glanced at Hikari, and walked away without saying a word.
Hikari sat staring at the spot Daisuke left for quite awhile before shaking herself out of it. She glanced at the door as if trying to see Daisuke through the walls. She had no idea, none of them did. She picked up the bills Daisuke had left and realized he had paid for both of them. No longer caring where she was, Hikari let the tears fall.
Ariana: Dun dun dun! It seems Hikari's catching on. How much longer can Jun and Daisuke keep everything a secret? Find out next time on—
Ti: Shut up. No body cares about the corny next episode synopsis. Just get your butt in gear and write.
Ariana: You are so supportive of me. This is why it takes me so long to update.
Ti: Don't blame me; it's your writer's block.
Ariana: You're the muse! Ungrateful feline….Well I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but I can't promise anything. Research papers and projects are coming up so we'll see what happens. Until then, thank you everyone who reviewed:
Dark Qiviut: Thanks for the review. Yamato hasn't gotten it all figured out yet, but we'll soon see what he thinks about this…
KoumiLoccness: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like the story so far.
Chibi-Kari: Hopefully this chapter explained the mystery of their dad not missing the beer. As far as something big, this could have been it, or there might be something more…
LegendarySilverX: Your reviews always amuse me. Looking back on the last chapter yeah I guess barely anything happened. Hopefully this chapter made up for it. (bites nails nervously) Unfortunately, the plot is running out of control and I'm barely hanging on (why does this always happen to me?) Hopefully I'll be able to tackle it soon and get the plot going again. As for the casserole, I happen to like casserole (as long as it's not cafeteria) and it is actually pretty easy to make. But if you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Ficmaster: Jun and Daisuke's lives do seem to be getting kind of chaotic, huh? But I'm not quite done with them yet… (laughs evilly)
digiguy01: Glad you like the story so far. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up sooner than this.
And once again thanks to everyone who's still reading this story!
Ti: I have to say I'm surprised.
Ariana: Why's that?
Ti: Just, people actually like this.
Ariana: Grr….Please click on that little drop down menu that says "submit review". I have to go deal with a cat. (Pulls out chainsaw) Here kitty, kitty, kitty…
