Here's chapter 9. I hope you enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own digimon.
The girls were in Mimi's grandmother's house, where she was staying during her vacation. It was a small cottage like house, covered with ivy, located in a quiet suburban neighborhood. The girls had to walk two blocks from the bus stop to the house. The neighborhood was mostly inhabited with elderly person, since this was one of the quietest neighbor hoods in all of Japan. The streets were quite, with minimal traffic.
Like Mimi, her grandmother had a liking for the colour pink. The girls were gathered in the basement of the house that Mimi had turned into her room. The walls, the bed cover, and the carpet were various shades of pink. The wall above the fireplace were lined with various pictures of Mimi and her family and friends. At a corner of the room an army of manikins stood , sporting various pieces of clothing that Mimi was working on. Hotaru and the two younger teens sat on Mimi's pink been bag chairs, watching the Notebook, while Sora bombarded Mimi with questions regarding her fashion projects. For a tomboy, she sure was interested in fashion. Mimi had already gotten the measurements and had decided on fabric and chosen a rough design for the younger two girls. This left Kari and Yolie free to watch movies.
"Alright Hotaru! Your turn." Sora said as she came over to where Hotaru was sitting. Mimi flashed Hotaru an encouraging smile while holding up the measuring tape. Hotaru walked over to the corner Mimi had set aside for working. Sora fell into the seat Hotaru had previously occupied, exhausted from standing and turning to Mimi's every whim.
"Hold out your arms Hotaru." Mimi stated as she started taking measurements. She noticed that not only did Hotaru have good moon-light skin, the girl was also very thin. Hotaru found it awkward to have some this close to her personal space.
" Hotaru?" Mimi asked, looking up at Hotaru's dark blue eyes.
" Yes?" Hotaru replied, her arms were slightly aching from holding them up.
"What's going between you and Izzy?" Mimi bluntly asked. She was never one for beating around the bush.
" What do you mean?" Hotaru asked. She was certainly uncomfortable now. Not once in her life had anyone talked to Hotaru about a boy. In her old school, there were no boys, and girls never told her about their boy problems because she was not close with any of the girls.
Mimi took a deep breath. She sincerely hoped this conversation wouldn't ruin the new friendship she had just established with Hotaru. Honestly was always the best policy.
" Are you guys secretly dating? Do you have feelings for Izzy?"
Hotaru felt her face getting red. She knew the answer for the 1st question, but didn't know how to respond to the latter. Did she have feelings for Izzy? She enjoyed spending time with him. She was comfortable around him, and felt at ease. She didn't have to over think, or be scared. Izzy helped her to get out of her shell a little bit. But, did she like him more than a friend? Was she only feeling the way she felt, because he was the only boy outside her family to be this close with her. She was confused and she didn't want to lie to Mimi, whose friendship she valued.
" We're not secretly dating." Hotaru began to explain. "We uhh –"
Mimi noticed how uncomfortable Hotaru was, and felt terrible for putting her in this position. Mimi decided to explain her situation to Hotaru, and then let Hotaru decide.
" Izzy and I dated, " Mimi began. Mimi told her story to Hotaru. She told Hotaru things she's only told Sora, her best friend of almost 10 years. She even told things, that Mimi couldn't even admit to herself. It was surprisingly easy to talk to Hotaru. Mimi found that Hotaru was a great listener, and she was empathic, and Mimi knew she would not judge her.
" and it hurts so much, because sometimes he hardly looks at me, or it feels like he's talking to me like he's annoyed." Mimi finished feeling relieved she got all that emotional stress off her chest.
Hotaru embraced Mimi in a tight hug. She had no idea Mimi, who always appeared to be confident and in control, felt these insecurities. Hotaru only knew Izzy for a few months, but Mimi had known him since childhood, and had loved him for the most of it. They belong together Hotaru thought, and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure Izzy saw how much Mimi loved him.
"Don't worry Mimi." Hotaru said, look at her new friend's chocolate brown eyes. " I'll help you in any way I can to get Izzy back."
Mimi stared at Hotaru in disbelief. In front of her stool a girl she met only a few days ago, who just pushed away any feeling she had, in order to help Mimi with her love. Whether or not she got izzy back this vacation, Mimi knew she gained herself a great friend in Hotaru.
" Bad news Mimi." Kari said as she turned off her mobile phone. Mimi and Hotaru looked questioningly at Kari.
" My mom says she wants me and Hotaru to come home to sleep. Tai is on his way over to pick us up." Kari explained as she started to gather her belongings.
" What? Why?" Mimi cried as she pouted at the Kamiya sisters. Her sleep over wouldn't be as fun without the sisters there, and Mimi was dying to ask Kari the details on TK.
" I'm not sure. She just said my dad wants us home." Kari shrugged. Hotaru had gathered sweater and handbag as well.
" Don't worry Mimi." Hotaru said, taking her new friend's arm in her hand. The strawberry blond girl smiled at her new friend. " We'll come over tomorrow, and we'll come up with a plan to knock Izzy into his senses." Hotaru comforted Mimi.
" Oh fine. But I'm not happy with this at all." Mimi stated, hugging her new friend.
Kari's cell rang yet again.
"It's Tai." She said as she answered it.
" are you serious?" she laughed into the phone. The other four girls looked at the youngest one.
" only you would do that Tai! Okay, fine. We'll meet you there." She said shaking her head as she hung up.
" He's at the McDonald's down the street, and he says the line is too long. He claims he was just too famished to pick us up first. So we're going to meet him there instead." Kari explained, still smiling at her brother.
"Stupid Tai!" Sora said fondly at her boyfriend. The other girls laughed.
It had just gotten dark when the two sisters left Mimi's home. They were glad that they each brought a sweater because there was a slight chill in the air. The McDonalds that their brother was in was two blocks away from where Mimi's house was. Mimi lived in a quiet neighborhood, unlike the noise apartment complex that the sisters lived in. The silence was comforting, and the pair enjoyed their walk. There was a full in the sky that night, and –as Hotaru noticed- it seemed particularly big and bright. Hotaru wished that their neighborhood was as quite like this. It was a nice place for an evening walk.
Kari was updating Hotaru about how a girl in the cheerleading squad with her was pretty upset that Matt had turned down a date with her, when a dark blue Beemer pulled up to where they were walking.
"Hataru? Hikari?" A voice inside the car called. Hotaru cautiously took a step back, as Kari stepped closer to see who it was. The car parked at the sidewalk, and Damien stepped out of the car and walked towards the two sisters. He spun his car keys on his index finger as he walked over to the sisters.
" Hey there Damien!" Kari greeted happily, as her elder sister muttered a "hello"
" What are you two doing here at this time?" He asked.
Kari explained the situation , laughing at her brother during the process.
"That sure seems like Taichi." Damien said shaking his head. Tai was known around school for his never ending appetite.
Just as he said this, there was a loud noise behind him. Three drunken men had just stumbled onto Damien's car. The tallest of the trio was lying on the hood of the car, as his other two friends laughed uncontrollably at him.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Damien shouted furiously at them. Hotaru started trembling. She felt strange, and a feeling of doom had swept all over her.
The drunk man lying on the hood of the car slowly lifted his head up and looked at Damien and the sisters. His eyes were blood red, and the odor of alcohol mixed with sweat radiated off him.
" Well, well, well." He sneered as he pushed himself of the car, and faced his friends. "looks like We have a rich boy, and two princess." He said, as he eyed Damien, who stood in front of the two sisters in a protective stance. The drunk's eyes then moved to Kari who stood behind Damien. Her hands were in a fist, and she looked pissed off, ready to fight if needed. He found her fierceness hot. Finally the drunk looked at Hotaru, who stood close behind Kari. This girl was much paler, and she looked sick, as if she was ready to faint. She must be very scared Thought the drunk.
"Let's have some fun" He whispered to his two friends. His friends snickered in agreement.
"So rich boy, what are you doing here? Trying to make some more money out of these girls?" The leader jeered.
The drunken trio walked around the car, towards Damien and the sisters. He stumbled as he got on to the sidewalk. Kari grabbed Hotaru's hand, and took a step back. I'm so stupid! We should've waited at Mimi's house Kari thought.
How am I going to protect both of them? Damien wondered, while desperately hoping a car or person would drive by soon.
" Hmmmm Jerry. I bet he payed for this car by pimping." The fatter of the three said as he juggled the beer bottle he was holding.
Damien heard Kari hiss at that comment. If the girls weren't there, Damien would have punched the guy so hard that his teeth fell out for saying what he said. However, he had to get the girls safely out of there, so he'll have to keep his anger in check for now.
" What's the matter sweetie? " The tall one said looking at Kari, stepping closer, as Damien and the sisters stepped back. Kari wanted to punch the guy in the face, while Hotaru looked paler than a ghost.
"You don't like to publish what you do? " He said looking Kari up and down
"Shut the hell up." Kari snapped, wishing Gatomon was there. She'd teach those morons a lesson they'd never forget.
" Tell you what." The leader said, as he halted. His two goons, gently bumped into him, being too drunk to have their reflexes work properly. " We'll let you and the pretty lady in pink go," he said , jerking his head towards Kari " if you let us have some fun with the pale one in the back."
Hotaru went stiff. She's seen many movies like this, and it never ended well for the girls. Hotaru wished she was strong like her brother, or at least had a digimon there to protect them. Kari stepped in front of her sister. They'll hurt her sister over her dead body.
" I think it's a very fair deal." The drunk leader explained, grinning to show his yellow teeth. " She looks like she's going to drop dead any moment. You won't be making any money with her."
PHOW!
The drunk leader feel backwards on the ground; his two goons hovered over him astounded. Damien, who had been working hard to keep his cool, had just dropped kicked the drunk man in the face. The man's face was now oozing with blood.
"RUN" Damien cried, as he grabbed Hotaru's hand and ran as fast as he could. All he had to do was get to the main intersection, which was a block away. With the crowd there, they would be safe.
" Go get them you fools!" He heard the leader cry.
"Shit!" Damien heard Kari whisper, as he turned around to see what happened. Kari was on the ground, grabbing her ankle, her face scrunched up in pain.
" I tripped on that crack! My ankle! I can't move it.!" Kari cried desperately. Damien bent over, wondering how fast they could go if he carried her on his back. The three goons were close by.
"Slow down boys" The leader called, as he pulled himself off the ground. Blood still dripped from his nose. He whipped it with his sleeve. " It looks like they won't be going anywhere."
"Shit !shit! shit! " Damien cursed. He highly doubted that he could take care of all three of the drunks, and there was a high possibility that those low lives would target Hotaru or Hikari. Damien was lost at what to do.
Trust yourself, Hotaru. Hotaru heard a voice deep within her. She felt a warm feeling spread all over her from.
"Holy shit!" the third goon exclaimed, looking at Hotaru.
Kari and Damien turned around to see what the drunk was talking about. Hotaru stood tall behind them, walking towards the three goons. She looked paler than normal, almost translucent. Yet she didn't' look scared. In fact, she looked healthier than Kari had even seen her. Her jet black hair danced in the breeze, her eyes bright and focused. It was impossible to say this was the girl that looked like she would faint any moment 5 minutes ago.
" What happen princess?" The leader jeered at Hotaru, fascinated, that this little girl was walking towards him. " Did you pop a little Viagra?"
Hotaru walked passed Damien and Kari. "That was a stupid joke imbecile!" Hotaru said , staring straight at the drunk leader. Her voice was deeper than normal, and radiated out of her. " You are a coward, and a nuisance to society!" She said as she approached closer to him.
Kari stared with disbelief at her sister. What was her sister thinking? She was going to get herself killed!
" How dare you call me a coward!" The drunken leader screamed. IT was time to teach these kids some manners. He raised a hand to hit Hotaru.
Kari closed her eyes in fear, while Damien stood staring , unable to move by shock. With such swift movements that no naked eye could see, Hotaru crumbled the man's arm, and left him on the floor shrieking in pain. The fat drunk then ran towards Hotaru, cussing profundities that even Charlie Sean wouldn't use. Hotaru moved so fast, that the fat man fell flat on his face, and was instantly knocked unconscious. Seeing the fate of his two comrades, the third drunk turned around and ran away. He tripped, and fell too.
"Coward." Said Hotaru. Hotaru turned around and faced Damien and her sister.
Kari stared at disbelief at her elder sister. She could not believe her eyes. Who was this person? Her sister was shy and fragile. The person who stood before her was strong like Gatomon, courageous like Tai, and righteous like TK. She was like Wonderwoman. Right as Kari thought that, Hotaru went limb and fell to the floor.
I will try to get the next chapter up, as soon as I can. Please R & R