~~Hello readers, I decided to write a Digimon fanfiction.
Digimon does not belong to me.
I only own my original characters.~~
~Introduction~
My name is Sioku Marie, and I am a 14 year old middle school student.
I love my family, my best friend, animals, music, outdoor activities, playing video games, and watching Anime.
I live in an apartment with my mother and two sisters.
We have a cat named Lily and a small dog named Milo.
Lily is usually quiet and loves to snuggle.
Milo is a hyperactive Pomeranian who loves to bark at everything.
I'm usually caring, hyper, clumsy, and very emotional at times.
My stubborn side comes out whenever I see somebody getting bullied.
It was Friday June third, also known as the day of my eighth grade graduation.
I just couldn't wait to leave middle school behind.
The only thing I liked about being at school was seeing my best friend Ariel.
Ariel is the only person at school who talked to me and always had my back.
Everybody else just avoided me like a contagious disease.
There was only one person I hated more than anyone in school.
She is my Academic assistant Julie.
Julie has a bratty, self-centered teenage daughter named Mira.
Unfortunately, Mira is in the same grade as me.
Mira is nothing but an annoying follower.
Neither Julie or Mira have any respect for me at all.
I have mild, high functioning autism.
Instead of accepting and helping me cope with my emotions, Julie constantly bullies me about it.
Mira always worsens every situation by making rude comments or calling me Sad Sioku whenever she gets the chance.
She came up with that annoying nickname.
I just brush it off to keep Julie from noticing how much her daughter's words hurt me inside.
Julie will find every opportunity she possibly could to yell and embarrass me in or outside of class.
Mira would butt in and laugh at me.
Julie's loud voice is the most frightening sound I've ever heard in my life.
One simple mistake at school could cost me my sanity.
Little do I know, this day is going to change my life forever.
~Morning~
I woke up to the loud beeping sound of my alarm clock.
The sun shined brightly through my window which illuminated my entire room.
Smiling to myself, I reached over to my bedside table and pressed a round button at the top of the machine.
The screen on my alarm clock read: 6:45 AM.
I took a deep breath while staring out the window.
Normally, I would be startled by the noise.
The beeping didn't phase me at all because I was thinking about Digimon.
"Hopefully Julie won't bother me today," I thought with an anxious sigh.
I decided to brush that evil woman off my mind by watching an episode of Digimon on my phone.
My smile grew wider as I listened to the theme song.
The upbeat lyrics have always sent me to a happier place.
After stepping onto the tile floor, I slowly walked over to my wooden dresser.
I changed out of my purple pajamas and into my formal graduation outfit.
It consisted of flat black shoes decorated with sparkling gems, a long white dress, and a thin white cover with short sleeves.
After neatly setting my pajamas in a drawer, I put on my favorite necklace.
It is a blue jewel that hangs down from a gold chain.
Tentomon's lively voice caused me to stand still as I paused to listen to him speak.
He instantly drove away my bad thoughts.
"I wish that bright angel was real," I dreamily whispered.
I then walked over to my vanity and sat down on the stool.
My face lit up with joy as I watched Agumon Digi-evolve into Greymon.
The high pitch in Agumon's voice gave me a feeling of excitement as I giggled.
"Tai is lucky to have that little Digimon," I said dreamily.
I grabbed a brush from the drawer and started to brush my wild curly hair.
Digimon continued to play in the background as I styled my hair into two long braids.
Afterward, I took pictures of myself in front of the circular mirror.
Then I took videos of me singing my favorite songs.
My confidence level usually rose higher than normal after I watched Digimon.
In the midst of making a video, I heard a knock on my bedroom door.
"Come in," I answered happily.
The door slowly opened to reveal my older sister Melody standing in the entrance.
"Good morning Sioku," she greeted with a smile.
Melody is a 17-year-old girl with dark green eyes and straight, blond hair.
She was dressed in red tennis shoes and socks, striped blue jeans, and a blue T-shirt.
"Good morning Melody," I replied as I stood up from my seat.
Melody closed the door and started walking toward me.
She stopped and noticed the big grin on my face.
"Somebody looks happy today, what are you thinking about?" Melody asked curiously.
"I've been watching Digimon," I answered proudly.
Melody let out a sigh of irritation as her smile disappeared.
"Of course you have," she mumbled.
I only shook my head at that, not wanting to start an unnecessary fight with her.
My older sister has always disliked everything about Anime.
She judges the people around her who watch it.
Melody decided to change the subject and stared at my dress.
"You look really pretty Sioku," she complemented with a smile.
"Thanks," I simply replied.
We remained silent as I posted my singing videos on Tiktok.
"Mom wanted me to tell you that breakfast is ready," said Melody as she headed for the door.
"I'll be there in a nano second," I replied before I laughed out loud.
My sister paused and gave me a look of disgust.
"That better not be from Digimon," she grumbled.
"Oh calm down Melody," I replied in annoyance.
Melody glared at me as she walked away, leaving the door wide open.
I quickly placed a few of my things into a small shoulder bag.
Smiling to myself, I dreamily exited my room and closed the door behind me.
Milo happily ran up to me before I had a chance to walk down the short hallway.
I giggled at the sound of his constant panting.
"Milo! Come here boy," I called as I knelt down to his level.
The dog wagged his bushy tail and barked playfully at me.
He growled as I playfully ruffled his long fur.
"Sioku! Don't get your new clothes dirty! They are expensive," Melody shouted angrily.
She was sitting on a long couch in the living room and watching the Tv.
This girl was getting on my last nerve.
"He just had a bath yesterday," I snapped back.
Milo shook off as I gently released him.
I giggled at the jingling sound of Milo's collar.
My little sister Lynn heard the commotion and emerged from her bedroom.
Lynn is a 12-year-old girl with brown eyes and red, curly hair.
She had on Pink dress shoes, pink pants, and a frilly, purple blouse.
Milo happily ran up to Lynn while wagging his tail.
"Hey buddy," she greeted.
She then lifted the dog into her arms.
"What is going on out here?" Lynn asked while looking at me.
"Melody is being annoying," I answered with a sigh.
"Be quiet Sioku!" yelled Melody.
I threw her a glare in response.
"Both of you need to chill out," added Lynn as she set Milo down on the floor.
Lynn was always the peace keeper around here.
I admired her calm and collected nature.
Milo panted loudly as he bolted into the living room.
He then jumped on the couch beside Melody.
"Lay down," she ordered.
The dog let out a sigh as he did so.
I quietly made my way into the kitchen where my mother Kara was cooking breakfast for us.
The scent of bacon and eggs filled the air as I approached her.
"Good morning Mother," I greeted politely.
Kara was dressed in yellow sweat pants and a yellow T-shirt.
Her long black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.
"Same to you Sioku," she replied warmly.
I decided to set the table in order to distract myself from Melody's rudeness.
First,I grabbed four glass plates from a cabinet above the sink and carefully set them down on a counter beside the stove.
"Thank you Sioku," said Kara as she smiled at me.
"You're welcome," I simply replied before I walked away.
Then I filled four cups with ice water and carried them to the dining area.
I carefully placed the cups on the table at each spot.
Our wooden table was decorated with a green table cloth that had plant designs all over it.
After grabbing silverware from a drawer, I neatly laid it out on a few napkins.
Lynn looked at the table and then smiled back at me.
"You did a great job Sioku. The table looks very nice," she praised in admiration of my work.
"Thank you Lynn," I replied with a smile of my own.
I paced back and forth while thinking about Digimon.
"Breakfast is ready," Kara called from the kitchen.
Melody, Lynn, and I patiently stood in a line as Kara handed a plate of hot food to each of us.
"Thank you Mother," we said in unison.
"You're very welcome girls," she replied.
My sisters and I quietly made our way over to the dining area and then sat down at the table.
Kara joined us a few minutes later.
We ate our breakfast in silence while watching the Tv.
Milo broke the silence by growling as he stared out the window.
His growl then turned into a constant high pitched bark.
"Be quiet Milo!" exclaimed Melody.
"Oh shut up dog," Kara added.
I couldn't help but burst into laughter at that.
After breakfast, I headed to the restroom and brushed my teeth.
I then grabbed a leash from the closet and clipped it onto Milo's collar.
Milo began running around in circles and jumping on my legs.
"Settle down Milo," I commanded as I firmly placed my hand on his back.
The dog started whimpering in response.
"Hurry up Sioku! Take that dog out before he relieves himself on you!" hollered Melody.
Instead of responding back, I ignored her and proceeded to walk outside with Milo happily following behind me.
"Let's go outside," I said while opening the door.
Milo and I walked down two flights of stairs and then exited the building.
I was thankful to have a break from Melody's constant nagging.
The beautiful sun shined brightly in the clear sky.
There wasn't a cloud in sight.
A light breeze brushed against my face.
"Today is going to be a great day," I thought with a smile.
I slipped deep into pleasant thoughts about Digimon as I led Milo down the sidewalk.
There wasn't a car on the quiet street.
I used the silence to fully concentrate on my walk with Milo.
Tentomon's lively voice echoed in my head, causing me to snap back to reality. "Sioku, you and I will be together very soon."
Not knowing what to expect, I stood completely still with my heart racing.
Milo tugged at his leash while digging in a small patch of grass.
I was too caught up in a surprising situation to notice him.
My peaceful expression suddenly changed to a look of utter shock.
I gasped at the sound of my name and asked out loud. "What was that all about? How does Tentomon know me?"
Realizing that I didn't have much time before the bus comes, I shrugged off those thoughts and continued walking down the linear path.
I quickly started walking back to our apartment once Milo and I had reached a chain-link fence at the end.
After opening the door, I quickly rushed up the stairs.
Milo panted heavily as he ran along side me.
"We made it," I whispered breathlessly.
Lynn greeted us in the doorway as we entered.
"Sioku, put that leash away. We have to go," she said in a rushing tone.
I did so without a word.
Milo happily ran around in circles.
Melody quickly picked Milo up to prevent him from following Lynn and me.
"Thank you Sis," said Lynn in relief.
"No problem," Melody replied before walking back down the hallway.
"We'll see you at your graduation ceremony Sioku," said Kara.
"I'm looking forward to it," I replied cheerfully.
I then gently closed the door behind us.
Without hesitating, Lynn and I hurried down the stairs and out the door.
We then waited at the curb for our school bus to arrive.
I slipped back into my thoughts as I looked up at the beautiful clear sky.
The mysterious situation with Tentomon's voice still had me confused.
Although Tentomon sounded lovely as usual, I just couldn't understand how he knew my name.
The loud rumbling sound of an engine suddenly snapped me back to reality.
"The bus is here," said Lynn.
"I just noticed that," I replied casually.
Lynn gave me a questioning look and asked. "Sioku, what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing important," I answered while trying to shrug off the whole topic.
Mom and my sisters would accuse me of going crazy if I told them what had happened to me earlier.
A huge grin stretched across my face as I saw Ariel wave at me in the window.
My body started to shake with excitement.
"Calm down Sioku," said Lynn as she touched my arm.
I simply nodded at her in response.
The bus stopped in front of the curb.
Lynn and I stepped on as soon as the doors opened.
We heard many conversations going on at once.
"Everybody must be hyped up about the end of school," I thought.
I grinned and waved at Ariel from a distance.
"I'll see you later Lynn," I said before I happily ran down the isle.
Lynn gave me an awkward look before she sat down in the front row.
Ariel excitedly jumped up from one of the middle seats.
"Over here Sioku!" she hollered.
I plopped down on the seat beside her with a joyful grin still present on my face.
Ariel is a 13-year-old girl with blue eyes and long, blond hair.
She had on red sparkly heals, a long red dress, and a red short sleeved cover.
"Hey Sioku, I'm so glad to see you again," she cheered while giving me a big hug.
I happily returned the hug.
"Where have you been all my life?" I joked.
Ariel burst into laughter at that.
I couldn't help but laugh along with her.
A painful memory of Julie suddenly flashed through my mind causing me to falter.
I then gave Ariel an apologetic look.
"Sorry Ariel, I tell jokes to hide my fears of Julie," I said sadly.
Ariel's facial expression changed from a look of happiness to one of concern.
"It's okay Sioku, I don't blame you. That woman is nothing but trouble," she replied sympathetically.
My best friend and I sat in silence for a minute as we listened to the constant chattering around us.
I decided to start a conversation as a thought crossed my mind. "Hey Ariel, I need to tell you about something that happened to me while I went for a walk with Milo."
Her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked up at me.
"What is it?" Ariel asked.
I took a deep breath and stared at her.
"This may sound crazy to you, but I heard Tentomon's voice in my head. Tentomon told me that he will see me very soon," I answered.
Ariel stared awkwardly at me as if she didn't believe anything I had just told her.
She narrowed her eyes in confusion and said. "Sioku, it sounds like you had an awesome dream last night. Have you been watching a lot of Digimon lately?"
Instead of arguing with her, I decided to answer the question calmly.
I couldn't risk damaging our friendship.
"Yes, Digimon is my escape from Julie's madness. Julie would have driven me insane if I hadn't started watching it," I explained.
"I hear you," Ariel replied.
I slowly let the constant noise pull me back into my thoughts.
"Being friends with Tentomon for real would be amazing," I thought.
We arrived in the school parking lot 20 minutes later.
Ariel brought me back to reality by tapping on my shoulder.
"We're here," she said softly.
"Thank you," I replied while stretching.
I looked out the window to prevent myself from daydreaming again.
Ariel and I waited until the isle had cleared out.
Once we exited the bus, Ariel and I walked down to a secluded area behind a set of portable classrooms.
There were tall trees and different types of plants everywhere.
This place almost looked like a forest.
Flocks of birds chirped in the treetops above.
We sat down on a cement planter box under a tree and kept to ourselves.
The fresh air cleared those crazy thoughts about Tentomon out of my head.
"This place is really pretty," I whispered.
"I know right?" Ariel replied.
Our moment of peace was rudely interrupted when I spotted a familiar woman walking toward us.
All of the joy I felt had vanished almost instantly.
My stomach began to tie up in knots.
I rubbed my right arm as the muscles in it started to tense up.
"Oh great, Julie is here," I muttered to Ariel with a frown.
"Stay calm Sioku," Ariel replied smoothly.
I just stared down at the floor and sighed.
Ariel watched as Julie stopped right in front of me.
Julie is a woman in her late forties with green eyes and wavy, red hair.
She had on blue tennis shoes, blue jeans, a red T-shirt, and a thin red sweater.
A yellow leather bag hung down from her right shoulder.
"Let's go Sioku," she ordered roughly.
Julie's low voice sent shivers crawling up my spine.
Without a word, I reluctantly stood up and then walked over to the woman's side.
Ariel gave Julie a dirty look before she turned away from her.
"Wow, Julie can't say hi to Sioku?" she thought.
"I'll see you at the ceremony," I said to Ariel.
Ariel waved at me as she stood up.
I sadly watched as my best friend began walking in a different direction.
Julie and I then started making our way to the bleachers.
We passed by many crowds of people.
I stayed as calm and quiet as possible in order to prevent myself from attracting any attention toward us.
Julie broke the silence between us by starting a conversation with me.
"Sioku, are you satisfied with your overall behavior this year?" she asked while staring down at me.
Judging by the tone of her voice, I could tell that Julie was trying to push my buttons already.
I shook my head to suppress the rising anger inside me.
"Yes, why would you ask that?" I replied in annoyance.
The air suddenly grew thick around us.
"Don't play innocent with me Sioku," she retorted.
Picturing Tentomon's image in my head lit a spark of determination inside me that I had never felt before.
Looking down at my necklace, I smiled in relief.
"Thank you Tentomon," I thought.
"Stay strong Sioku," he replied encouragingly.
My eyes widened as I gasped in surprise.
This new situation was getting weirder by the minute.
Julie glared at me and shouted impatiently. "Quit zoning Sioku!"
I ignored the yelling and bravely decided to stand up for myself instead of shutting down in fear.
"What in the world are you talking about Julie?" I asked dumbfounded.
"You know what you did wrong Sioku," Julie answered in a rougher tone.
This guessing game with her was making my head spin.
"Quit playing games Julie! I want to know why you're upset with me," I replied with clear irritation in my voice.
"You wouldn't apologize for throwing your project mentor under the bus?" Julie continued.
Julie's question caused something inside me to snap.
My blood began to boil with pure rage.
The stubborn side of me was now beginning to take over, and I couldn't control it.
"I have never done that to anybody! You're making things up again!" I shouted back, my voice now laced with anger.
"No I'm not," she simply replied.
Julie's calm and collected demeanor stayed the same which caught me by surprise.
I was expecting her to verbally attack me until I broke down in tears.
"Why would you say that?" I asked defensively.
"You started an unnecessary fight last week," she answered with a glare.
My mind flashed back to the argument I had with my former science teacher.
~Flashback to a Week Ago~
It was my last class of the day which was science.
Ariel and I were sitting at a table across from each other in a huge classroom.
The classroom looked like a science lab.
"Please excuse me Ariel," I said as I hopped off of my stool.
"Go ahead," she simply replied.
I happily walked up to the teacher's desk.
The teacher was filling out some paperwork.
"Pardon me," I started.
"Yes Sioku?" she replied while staring up at me.
I rested my arms on top of the desk and asked politely. "May I please go get my laptop out of the computer lab?"
"No," she simply answered.
"I gave her a questioning look and continued. "Why not?"
"Nobody is allowed to leave the classroom," she answered firmly.
My eyes widened in surprise at that as I added. "What? Do you seriously not trust me?"
"I do trust you Sioku. Teachers have rules too," she explained gently.
I let out a disappointed sigh.
"That's enough Sioku!" interrupted Julie.
I ignored Julie's yelling and assured. "I won't mess around, I promise."
"The answer is no," she replied.
"I'll get it after class," I said quietly.
Without a word, I rejoined Ariel at our table.
Ariel and I played a game until class was over.
~End Flashback~
"That is not true Julie," I argued back roughly.
"It isn't?" she taunted with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes at her in response.
There was something suspicious about her composed attitude toward me.
I just couldn't hold back my anger anymore.
My heart raced as I turned to get in Julie's face.
"Julie, you should know that I would never, ever hurt anyone! Everything you say about me is a lie! You have no proof to back this up!" I screamed.
Sweat dripped down my forehead as I breathed heavily.
"You don't know that," she replied.
I let out a growl of frustration and turned away from her.
Without a warning, Julie grabbed the back of my shirt and proceeded to drag me across the floor.
I tried to maintain my balance by straightening up, but Julie was walking too fast for me to keep up with her.
People stared at us as they passed by.
A feeling of embarrassment washed over me as I shook under her grasp.
We eventually made it to the bleachers.
I took a deep breath in relief knowing that I finally had a short break.
To my horror, Julie pushed me onto a seat as she released my shirt.
My back smacked against the flat metal surface.
"I've had enough of this," I thought.
"Please be careful Sioku," replied Tentomon.
I threw her a death glare as I situated myself.
Julie's attitude toward me instantly changed from calm to irritated.
"Don't you glare at me Sioku," Julie demanded as she slapped her hand on my right shoulder.
My rage soon faded leaving fear in its place.
I jumped and let out a nervous yelp.
The shaking in my body intensified.
She then forcefully pulled me closer to her causing me to shut my eyes tightly.
Unfortunately, that didn't block out the situation at all.
"Oh quit acting like that Sioku. Your little nervous act isn't going to fool me," Julie said while tightening her grip on me.
I groaned internally at the stinging pain in my shoulder.
My body started to shake uncontrollably as my breathing rapidly increased.
Julie's violent actions caused me to go into a complete shut down.
I was too afraid to argue back.
It almost seemed like all hope was lost at this point.
"You must calm down Sioku," urged Tentomon's voice in my mind.
As much as I adored Tentomon, his voice had no effect on me at all.
The fear of Julie's harsh voice was beginning to sink in.
However, I still didn't intend to cower before her like I used to.
I decided to use the energy in Tentomon's voice to regain my confidence.
The spark of courage that Tentomon had telepathically lit in my heart was still fresh.
Before I could finally respond, Julie relentlessly continued her yelling speech. "Sioku, there's no way I'll let you get out of this predicament so easily! Your mentor and I have gone above and beyond, and you didn't appreciate any of it! You acted like a little baby because she wouldn't let you download that silly VeggieTales music on your laptop! VeggieTales is for children five years old and under!"
That speech of hers lit a new spark of fury inside me that nobody had ever seen.
The anger I felt toward Julie now burned through my body like a wild fire.
Now I didn't care who was watching.
Enraged, I stood up and got in her face a second time.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
"Do you seriously call bullying and yelling at me every day going above and beyond?" I hollered.
"I've been giving you information," she protested.
I stared into her eyes with a look of burning hatred.
"Julie, that is not even close to what happened! Your mind is twisted! You have this all wrong!" I shouted with my voice now full of malice.
"Yes it is! Your mentor told me the entire story as soon as you left the room!" Julie yelled back.
"Oh really Julie?" I asked with distain.
Julie simply nodded in response.
An image of Tentomon flashed through my mind which gave me a major boost of courage.
I felt as if he was healing my mental wounds every time Julie struck me with her harsh words.
"I'm not surprised that you believe her. You two probably set up that fight to attract negative attention toward me," I argued.
Julie grabbed me by the shoulders and hollered furiously. "Enough is enough Sioku, sit down! You will not win this fight!"
"We'll see about that," I replied with a competitive look.
I then pulled away from her with all the strength I had.
"First of all, you had no right to put your hands on me! Second of all, you had no right to criticize me for watching kids' shows! They have helped me way more than you have ever done!" I yelled back while not being intimidated by her in the slightest.
Julie wasn't going to let me speak my mind freely though.
She always had to have the last word.
"It sounds to me like you'll never get this through your thick head Sioku. I hope whenever you listen to that music, you think about how much you've hurt both of us! You have demolished your friendship with me and her," she replied back roughly.
"I never had a friendship with you Julie," I grumbled in annoyance.
"Oh really? I'm going to tell your mother about this whole argument! She'll deal with you," Julie replied before she turned away from me.
Julie's last comment caused me to finally break down mentally.
My wall of rage soon came crumbling down on me.
A feeling of defeat washed over me like a tidal wave.
I lowered my head and burst into tears as I imagined my relationship with Mom shattering because of Julie's threats and accusations.
"You win Julie," I whispered in utter defeat.
My body began to shake once again as I silently cried into the fabric of my cover.
I no longer had control over my emotions.
Just when I thought my life was officially over, Tentomon's voice kindly echoed in my head. "I'm still here Sioku, are you all right?"
Tentomon's voice usually made me happy, but I didn't show any reaction to him.
"No Tentomon, not anymore, I just couldn't win against her. I should've just backed off when I had the chance," I thought sadly.
"Sioku, don't worry about anything Julie says. I'm right here for you," Tentomon reassured.
The Digimon's words did sound convincing which put my mind slightly at ease.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down by thinking about my favorite songs from VeggieTales.
Unfortunately, hearing those songs only made me remember Julie's harsh words.
Tears welled up in my eyes as the lyrics played in my head.
There was no possible way I could escape this situation now.
"Hang in there Sioku," Tentomon said softly.
I tried perking up at his voice but to no avail.
"Thank you for speaking to me Tentomon," I whispered.
I overheard Julie happily talking to her daughter Mira as if nothing ever happened.
"Julie is so fake," I thought with a frown.
Mira pointed at me and laughed out loud.
"Awe, it's Sad Sioku. What is the little baby crying about this time?" she teased.
Instead of getting up to fight Mira, I just shook my head at the girl.
Mira then turned back to her mother.
With a shattered spirit, I quietly slipped back into my thoughts.
I knew that I would have to completely forget about VeggieTales in order to prevent this mental scar from ruining my life.
Before I knew it, an announcement rang over the loud speaker, telling all of the graduates to get seated on the field.
"It's time to go Sioku," Julie said in a nicer tone of voice.
I knew better than to fall for her sudden change of attitude.
Without a word, I followed Julie down the bleachers and out to the field.
There were rows of chairs everywhere.
"Hey Sioku," called Ariel from a distance.
I just waved at her in response.
"This is strange, Sioku usually hollers back to me. What happened to her?" Ariel thought as she noticed the frown on my face.
Julie led me to the row of chairs where Ariel was sitting.
I dejectedly slumped down into the chair and sighed.
"Lose the attitude Sioku! Nobody wants to see your negativity!" Julie shouted in my ear.
Avoiding Julie's madness was impossible.
Ariel sadly watched as I flinched and put my head down.
"Leave Sioku alone Julie! You're the one who upset her!" she screamed in the woman's direction.
"Stay out of this! Sioku got busted for acting like a child in class! She needs to face the consequences of her actions!" Julie yelled back.
Ariel wasn't about to let Julie step all over her too.
My best friend stomped up to Julie with anger now present in her features.
"That is not true! You weren't supposed to be in the classroom that afternoon! Sioku and I were playing a game! She never said a single word to our teacher! I was there the whole time!" Ariel argued.
My face contorted with fear as I watched Julie get into Ariel's face.
"Ariel! Look out," I desperately called to the girl.
Ariel gave me a reassuring smile in response.
"Actually, I stayed here at school to see what the little brat would do. Based on what i heard from my own daughter, Sioku was obviously up to no good. Sioku acts like a selfish child when she doesn't get her way," Julie said furiously.
"Your daughter is a messed up liar," Ariel replied.
I felt my blood boil like hot water at Julie's words.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Tears of sadness mixed with anger fell from my eyes.
My face heated up as I sobbed internally.
"It's okay Sioku, I'm right here. Please focus on me," Tentomon said smoothly.
"I can't do it Tentomon," I thought.
"Sioku, you've got to relax. Try to think about Digimon. Maybe it will calm you down," he suggested.
Ariel glared daggers at Julie and continued to stand her ground.
"Julie, you really are a sick monster! You only agreed to be Sioku's assistant just so you can bully her! Guess what, your bullying days are over now! I won't let you or Mira hurt my best friend anymore!" she yelled protectively.
Hearing Ariel's kind words temporarily drowned out Julie's harsh voice.
"Thank you Ariel," I said with a small smile.
Ariel gave me a thumbs up in response.
Julie rolled her eyes at Ariel and then made her way back to the bleachers.
She then smiled at me as if nothing ever happened between us.
I closed my eyes and followed Tentomon's advice.
He was right, thinking about Digimon really did get rid of the VeggieTales songs that were playing in my head.
The graduation ceremony started out with the assistant principal introducing herself.
Then a few people read their speeches out loud.
Afterward, a few people performed a song.
I just kept to myself and didn't care about what was going on.
My spirit was too damaged for me to enjoy the ceremony.
Lastly, each student walked up to the stage after their name was called.
Ariel and I were the last two people to receive a certificate.
I hid my sadness by putting on a smile before I walked up to the stage.
Once I received the certificate, I quickly ran back to my seat.
I cheered loudly for Ariel as she walked up there.
The ceremony concluded with everybody holding up their certificates so the adults could take pictures.
