Tuesday, December 28, 2010

In the previous chapter: Natsue saved her younger sister, Miyuki, from self-destructing. Yet still, no one's heard from her for days. While Hikari suffers through this gossip, she gets a break when she and Miyako decide to go job hunting and make the acquaintance of one of Daisuke's friends, Ken.

A quick note: I went through and edited all of the previous 8 chapters, and in many cases, rewrote or added parts. That's part of the reason this chapter took so long posting, as it's been finished for several weeks now. This was my effort to make everything flow a little better. Thus, you may want to go back and reread the story (though you may have done so already).

Disclaimer: I own many many pairs of shoes. So that's kind of like owning Digimon, right? Right?

Enjoy the latest (belated) installment!

All-American Girl

By ebacusta

Chapter 9:

The Return of a Queen

Hikari sighed as she headed towards homeroom. It took all her willpower not to let her agitation show on her face. She liked to think she was a pretty relaxed person, but jeez!—this was ridiculous! People were still whispering, gawking at her as she passed. And though they tried to pretend that she didn't interest them, the hush that fell over the gaggles of girls as she walked by was far too obvious for her not to notice what they were doing. This was going on day three. How long was she supposed to endure this? Didn't these people have anything better to do with their lives? Surely they had to have found some other gossip to occupy their time with.

"Shh, here she comes!" a nearby girl (loudly) whispered to her friends, putting a finger to her lips. "Act normal." The girl scrambled to lean against the window, as though she did that every day while waiting for class to begin. Hikari's eye swooped to the side to stare at her as she passed. After all, there were certain behaviors Hikari could just not let slip, and that blatant act of "normalcy" was one of them. She wasn't dead. She knew exactly what they were doing. They already took her for a boyfriend stealer. Surely they didn't take her for stupid as well. The girl caught Hikari's gaze, and her face flushed scarlet as she quickly turned away. Shaking her head, Hikari rolled her eyes and returned to staring straight ahead. She quickened her steps and felt a great wave of relief when she reached her classroom. Quickly, she opened the door and slipped inside, free of the gaze of a thousand eyes. At least that's what it felt like.

"Good morning, Hikari," Asuka said, waving. Immediately, Miyuki's cronies turned to glare at her. 'No one's heard from Miyuki in five days,' their eyes seemed to say. 'This is all your fault!'

Hikari laughed, wearily. "Good morning." She shuffled over to her desk, trying not to make eye contact with Yumi, less Miyuki's friends think Hikari was somehow in cahoots with the dark-haired beauty. The door slid open just as she was sinking into her chair. Takeru entered with Ryuji, Daisuke, Akari, and Toshi. The blond was so engaged in the very animated conversation he was having with his friends, he didn't even notice the glares boring into the side of his head.

"No way. Had Atsuyama been there, the Arrows would have lost. It didn't help that Nabe sprained his ankle halfway through the second quarter," Toshi said as the boys approached Takeru's seat.

"Atsuyama's not the godsend you make him out to be, Toshi," Ryuji said. "And even if he was, the fact that your team falls apart when two of its members are missing is rather sad."

"Wrong. There's several things you aren't taking into account, Ryuji," Takeru shot back, shaking his head firmly. "The team's going through a rough patch because several new members were added this year. They haven't figured out everyone's patterns yet. If the team was as cohesive as they were last year, the Arrows wouldn't have stood a chance! Hey, Hikari." The blond dropped his bag on his desk, again oblivious to the tension he'd just intensified by speaking to her in such a familiar manner.

"Hey," she replied, quietly, glancing up. The other boys nodded a greeting at her. She smiled at them and lowered her eyes back to her book as they continued their spirited discussion about basketball.

"Takeru, your team is done for. It's about time you accepted that fact. Since they traded away Sakuya and Fundo, they've been on a steady losing streak. No amount of team cohesion is gonna fix that," Akari interjected.

"That's BS," Daisuke frowned. "Sakuya and Fundo weren't that good. Takeru's right. Once they get used to each other's playing styles, they'll be fine. We'll just agree that the Arrows had a lucky night last night. An unusually lucky night."

"Lucky my ass," Ryuji snorted. "It's not my fault you guys suck this season."

"Oh please. The ref was calling so many bullshit calls on us and absolutely none on you. That's luck if not outright sabotage!" Toshi exclaimed. The door at the front of the classroom slid open as Akari opened his mouth to retort.

"Get to your seats," Miss Kinoki said. She held her attendance book in the air, leaning it casually against her shoulder. Reluctantly, the boys broke up their discussion and headed to their seats. Takeru slid into his with a contented sigh. He'd gotten plenty of sleep last night, he'd had a nice breakfast with his mom this morning, and he'd schooled Ryuji and Akari on the game last night. Why did he have a feeling that this was going to be the best day ever?

As Asuka stood and instructed the class to stand and bow, another thought popped in Takeru's head. He joined the rest of the class in wishing Miss Kinoki a good morning and then dropped back into his seat. "Good morning, class. We have a few morning announcements…" Miss Kinoki began.

"Psst." Hikari glanced up. Takeru was grinning at her. "Thanks for the tip."

A smile broke out across her face. "Don't mention it."

Click, clack, click, clack, click, clack. Her heels hit the pavement confidently with each long stride she took. Miyuki was back in control. After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast (Natsue had insisted Miyuki start such an important day right), Miyuki had retired to her room to carefully put together every part of her outfit. This was the first time she'd see Takeru since the…debacle on Saturday morning. An event that had led to such a dreadful slide. Thank goodness Natsue had been there to remind Miyuki of the proper way to handle this situation: look glam, hot, and unfazed; make sure the boy knew what he was missing. Upon seeing her looking so put together, Takeru would, of course, open his eyes to the huge mistake he'd made. Miyuki, being the gracious human being she was, would accept him with open arms. She'd bestow her forgiveness without making him beg, they'd pick back up where they'd left off, and all would be right with the world. Yes, Miyuki smiled. Everything would be perfect again.

For things to go as planned, however, she had to make sure no one knew about her… experience this weekend. Natsue had told her to tell her friends the family had gone on a ski trip and the lodge had no reception. Miyuki had taken to the idea right away. The excuse would provide a great cover for the bandages wrapped around her infected hands. She'd fallen and scraped her hands or the poles had caused her skin to chaff. Either reason would work. Furthermore, a ski trip on a mountain with no cell phone reception made her sound exotic and so above all the insignificant troubles of this ephemeral life. Worrying over losing a boyfriend—which for the record, she had not quite lost—was so beneath her. She could get plenty of boys, if the boys turning to stare after her were any indication of that fact. Yes, Takeru was missing out. It was imperative that he realized this.

She turned into the gate of the school and strolled to her shoe locker, where she swapped her heels for slippers and headed into the main hallway of the school, her hair bouncing with each step. Her hair, like everything else about her, was perfect. Well, it was usually perfect, but today, she'd made the impossible possible and made it even more perfect. The right amount of curl and bouncibility, not one strand out of place. Her makeup highlighted her beautiful brown eyes and plump, perfectly shaped lips. Her heart began to pound with anticipation. She couldn't wait to see the shocked looks on everyone's faces. She had that glow. That I-just-had-the-best-time-of-my-life glow people envied so much. She almost licked her lips in anticipation but refrained from doing so as the action would have messed up her flawlessly glossed pout.

The rest of the way to homeroom, she entertained herself by imaging the dates she and Takeru would go on once they were back together. When she arrived, she paused to pat her hair and adjust her uniform, and then, she slid the door open loudly and strutted into the room. Just as Miyuki wanted, everyone turned to look, the surprise at someone barging into the classroom at such an unusual hour written all over their faces. Impassively, she took in everyone's expressions. Her friends were elated, Yumi looked as though she'd just eaten three sour lemons, most people were shocked, some looked…bored, and Hikari, well, she looked… hmm, she looked annoyingly unaffected. And what's more, she looked prettier than usual. Had she tarted up to try and draw Takeru's attention while Miyuki had been out of school? She had a glow. Some kind of glow, but Miyuki could not identify it. She cursed, but made sure her expression remained pleasant. She wouldn't look at Takeru. Doing so would ruin the illusion that she had everything under control. That everything everyone had heard was all a vicious lie, a huge misunderstanding. She dropped her note on Miss Kinoki's desk and glided to her seat, whereupon she put her bag on the floor and daintily sat down. Eye followed her as she walked, some stuck on her, others flicking between her and Takeru, watching him for a reaction.

Though she was sharing the spotlight, the brunette couldn't help but smile. She'd caused quite a stir. Yes, she'd made her triumphant return. And everything had gone swimmingly.

Takeru couldn't pretend he hadn't had second thoughts when Miyuki had walked into the English that morning. She looked beautiful and healthy, which eased his fear that somehow, in breaking up with her, he'd made her really sick (though the bandages on her hands hadn't escaped his attention, and that worried him). Her face was the picture of innocence. In retrospect, saying she looked like an angel was probably a bit much, but she might as well have been one. She'd taken his breath away. Had he really given her up?

As soon as English had ended, however, Akari had practically kidnapped Takeru from the room before anyone so much as had a chance to find their lunches. He'd asked if they could talk. Takeru was terrified. He hadn't been that obvious with his thoughts had he? Did Akari know he'd been second-guessing his decision, especially after the blond had promised his friend he wouldn't?

Takeru followed Akari downstairs. Together, they stood in line for bread, and then made a beeline for the school courtyard, where they sat down on a set of stairs. The same stairs they'd sat on when Akari had told him to reconsider his relationship with Miyuki. Or so it seemed to Takeru, who was sweating so much, he began to feel woozy from dehydration. Or at least that's what it felt like.

Akari bit into his bread, but Takeru didn't move. His mouth felt chalky. He wasn't hungry, and, what's more, if he had been, he wouldn't have enjoyed the food anyway. Finally, having organized his thoughts enough to voice whatever concern he might have, Akari began the conversation.

"You feeling all right?"

Takeru furrowed his brow in confusion. Wait, what? "Huh?"

"Miyuki's back. You haven't seen her in a while. Are you feeling okay? No doubts about what you did?"

"Um…" Should he tell the truth? He felt that Akari would be so disappointed if he knew though. 'How could Takeru be so weak?' he'd think. 'Why won't he realize Miyuki is a bitch?'

'I tried, Akari! I tried,' Takeru pleaded mentally. 'You have to understand, I gave it my all, but I want her back.' Maybe if he told Akari that and explained how much he'd tried, Akari would understand.

Instead of taking the risk, he shrugged and said, "No, I'm all right. No doubts whatsoever."

"Takeru," Akari intoned, eying the blond, his bread hovering centimeters from his mouth.

Takeru wanted to glance down at his hands, to pick at a scab or something. Anything but answer Akari's question. But he didn't. He held the dark-haired boy's gaze and replied, "Really, I'm fine. No regrets."

"You're not eating."

"Yeah, I, uh… um…" he couldn't think of an excuse.

Akari polished off his bread and sighed contentedly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Perfectly understandable. She looks really pretty today."

"I know," Takeru replied quietly, giving into his desire to turn away. "Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing. Sometimes I want to call her and apologize. But it's nothing to worry about. I'll keep my promise."

Akari frowned. "I'm not trying to keep you from doing something you want to do. This promise isn't supposed to be some ball-and-chain to keep you in line. Just be weary of acting on impulse."

Takeru nodded. He hadn't been scolded and Akari didn't seem to think any less of him. Mission accomplished? Had he not been so distracted by this fact, he might have noticed the irony of Akari warning him not to act on impulse. But he didn't. Instead, he attacked the bread in his hands eagerly, as his appetite had returned suddenly. He finished it off in a matter of minutes. The two boys rose and strolled around campus, talking about various things. As they neared the track, however, a break cut through their conversation. A girl was running around the track at a considerable speed.

"Is that Hikari?" Takeru squinted.

"I think so," Akari nodded.

Takeru approached the edge of the field and yelled, waving. "Hikari! Hikaaarriii!"

The brunette's step faltered as she turned towards him. Realizing it wasn't one of Miyuki's lackeys coming to beat her up, she broke off the track and jogged over, smiling as she approached. "Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing really. Just wanted to say hey. Why the running?" Takeru asked.

"Oh, uh…helps me deal with my frustration… in a non-violent manner," she replied. "It's tense in there, you know. Especially since… yeah. People are expecting something big to happen I'm sure. My nerves can't take the strain." She tried to laugh to ease the awkwardness of the confession. After all, this was Takeru's ex-girlfriend they were talking about.

Takeru nodded. "You do this everyday?"

"Everyday this week, really," she said. "Are you two out…well, actually, what are you doing?"

"Just catching up, really," Akari replied. "Then we happened to spot you on the track."

"Nice to catch a break, huh? How are you doing?" she asked, shyly, not sure if it was her place to ask such a private question or not.

"Me? About wh—oh. I'm fine. Akari let me speak my mind, so yeah. Doing great." He laughed awkwardly, and glanced around, unsure of how to continue the conversation. Hikari checked the time.

"Hmm, well, I guess lunch will be over soon. So, guess I'll go clean up and get changed really quickly. See you in class."

"Yeah, see you," Takeru replied. With a wave to both of them, she jogged off towards the changing rooms.

"I'm home!" Hikari called out as she closed the door behind her.

"Welcome home," her mom replied from the kitchen. Hikari opened the hall closet to put away her sports bag. "Hikari, a package arrived for you today," Ritsuko continued, walking into the living room where Hikari could see her. She was holding a small box in her hand.

"A package?" Hikari asked curiously, pausing in her quest to dig her wet swimsuit out of her bag.

Her mother nodded. "It's from Chase." Hikari's breath caught in her throat. She turned to her mother, the shock evident on her face. Surely her mother was joking. But Ritsuko simply nodded and smiled. No, it couldn't be! Hikari slammed the door shut and kicked off her shoes, racing down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of Ritsuko. She stared at the box in wonder.

Chase Murphy

2150 Travel Rd

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

It was true.

"To me?" Hikari asked, glancing at Ritsuko before checking the upper left hand corner.

Hikari Yagami

Written in his cramped, slanted writing. The excitement washed over her as she snatched the box from her mother's hands and dashed toward the stairs.

"Wait a minute, Hikari. Aren't you even going to open it? I want to know what he sent you too!" But Hikari ignored her, cresting the stairs and hurrying to her room. "Hikari!" When greeted by silence, Hikari heard her mother shuffle away, muttering, Hikari could only assume, about her daughter. But at least she was gone.

Hikari turned her attention back to the box she held in her hands. It was small, about as wide as both her hands put side-by-side, and about as tall. Even more puzzling than the size was its weight. It was light, as though the box were completely empty, yet when she shook it, though she couldn't hear the object bouncing around, she could hear a faint rustling sound. She frowned, puzzled. What could Chase have sent her? It wouldn't be surprising if the box were empty, he would be the kind of person who would send an empty box to someone.

Her heart was pounding wildly as she crossed her room to her desk and sat the box upon it, staring at it apprehensively. Should she open it? Well, of course, she should open it. She couldn't just leave it sitting on her desk forever. But, now? What if he was sending her some things she'd left behind because he'd moved on to someone else. Not that he shouldn't move on. They weren't together anymore, and they couldn't very well have a relationship separated by the Pacific Ocean. Still… So soon?

She stared at the box for several minutes until she felt so ridiculous for her hesitation that she snatched the scissors from her pencil jar and sliced the tape keeping the box closed. Slowly, ever so slowly, she pulled open the flaps of the box with trembling hands.

An envelope sat on top, addressed to her. She set it aside and gazed in anticipation at what lay below. Tucked into a sea of varying shades of pink tissue paper was a small velvet box about the size of her palm. Carefully, she removed the box, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Clearly, it was jewelry, but what? A necklace? Or perhaps a bracelet? Or maybe it was both. Or a set, like a necklace and earrings. Maybe an anklet…? Mustering all the courage she could, Hikari took a deep breath, opened the box, and gasped, releasing all the air she'd just taken in.

Nestled in the folds of a pink satin pillow was a ring with a brilliant pink, heart-shaped stone as its centerpiece. The heart was flanked on both sides by small clear stones that Hikari assumed to be rhinestones cut into perfect circles. Around both these stones brushed the silver that formed the band, skirting the rhinestone and tracing the edge of the heart so that it curved partially up the bump of the heart from the right side, and just under its point from the left.

Her breath was taken away. In awe, she stared at the ring, the light from the evening sun glinting off its silver band. What was this, and why…? The letter! She'd totally forgotten about it. Placing the open jewelry box on her desk, she reached for the letter and carefully wiggled her finger between the flap and the tape he'd attached to it to keep it shut, and pulled out the folded paper inside. With baited breath, she flattened it.

Dear Kari,

Happy anniversary!

I hope this reached you safely. I know it's early—that our anniversary isn't until the 20th. I debated for a while as to whether or not I should send it to you. I bought this back in May. When I saw it in the display case, I knew it would be perfect for you, so I brought Angie back to see what she thought. She said it was perfect. I considered giving it to you before you left, but…the move was so sudden. I didn't want to burden you with unnecessary feelings. It was hard enough for you to leave without me making it worse. Anyway, I figured there's no point in me keeping it here. I bought it for you, so you should have it, whether our anniversary still counts or not.

Two years, Kari. Two whole years. I can't believe it. The time we spent together has been some of the best moments of my life. No matter what happens, I want you to know that you mean the world to me. You deserve a ring like this, so please, enjoy it. The heart stone is pink sapphire, and the two stones on either side are diamonds (real diamonds, Angie terrorized the sales clerk to make sure). The band is white gold, just in case you need that information for anything. Not sure why you would, but yeah.

Anyway, it would be nice if you thought of me when you wear it, but it's not a requirement or anything. I think about you all the time. Angela tells me you've been doing well, so that's good. I miss you more than words can express. I hope you'll keep a place for me in your heart. There will always be a place for you in mine. Say hello to Tai for me. I miss him too. Happy two years, babe!

Love always,

Chase

Inexplicably, Hikari was crying by the time she'd finished Chase's letter. Not wanting to ruin the ink of his pen with her tears, she hurriedly pushed the letter away and tried to quell the rush of emotion that had suddenly coursed through her veins. Their anniversary. He'd remembered. More than anything right then, she wanted to run and jumped into his arms. To kiss him and stay up late into the night talking to him like they used to before she'd left.

"Hikari?" her mother said, knocking softly on the door. "Are you crying? Is everything all right?"

Sniffling and hiccupping, Hikari nodded, even though her mother couldn't see the movement. "Yeah. Everything's great, mom. Just great." I just miss home, she added, silently.

Just as Chase requested, the next day, Hikari wore the ring and thought of nothing but him. In class, during lunch, and even after she'd taken the ring off for swim practice she was still thinking about him. She'd received endless compliments and heard people—particularly, Miyuki's crowd—whispering. As a result, she was in a ludicrously good mood as she and Miyako left the locker room for home.

"Hikari, you've had that goofy grin on your face all day," Miyako noted with a laugh. "You must have really been into this guy. Tell me about him."

"Oh, I was. I still am. Chase was the best. He was crazy—so much fun to be around, but he was so affectionate and so smart. I miss him so much. Just thinking about him makes my heart hurt, you know?"

"Mmm," Miyako agreed, nodding. "Seems like a great guy. I mean he remembered your anniversary, nevermind the fact that he sent you a present from America. That's dedication. And such a beautiful present at that." The lilac-haired beauty sighed. "Must be nice to drive a guy so crazy he buys you rings with real diamonds in them."

Hikari laughed, and looked down at her hand to admire the ring again, as she had been all day. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. All the air rushed out of her lungs as she came crashing back to earth from the cloud she'd been floating on all day. The ring was not on her hand. She stopped dead in her tracks. It took Miyako, who was still daydreaming about having a wonderful boyfriend of her own someday, a moment to notice that Hikari was no longer walking beside her.

"Oh, and we could go to the beach and watch the sun set. Listening to the sounds of the waves lapping against the sand. Doesn't that just sound romantic—Hikari?" she turned, casting about for the girl who was now frantically searching her bag.

"Hikari?" Miyako repeated again, approaching. "What's wrong?"

"My ring. I'm not wearing it. I think I lost it!" Hikari exclaimed, trying to remain calm as she rummaged through her bag yet again. She still came up empty handed. "I have to find it," she said, heading back towards school scouring the ground as she went.

"Of course," Miyako said, following her lead. "I'll help you look."

Miyuki entered the locker room, crinkling her nose at the suffocating stench of chlorine hanging in the air. She tried not to set foot in this rancid place whenever she could avoid it, but having been made to sit and watch the other girls swim in PE earlier that day, she had been unable to escape. She'd forgotten her makeup compact in her gym locker when she'd left. Of course, she couldn't go home without that.

"So, Keiji took you out to Hibiki's?" Ruki squealed. "That place is so expensive! How was it?"

Himiko practically fainted at the question. She'd been dying to tell someone, and Miyuki had been too preoccupied watching Takeru when she'd tried to tell her about it earlier. Himiko knew better than to demand her full attention at such a moment. So she hadn't pushed it. But now…

"Oh, it was heavenly! He really splurged on me. Did set any sort of price limit or anything. He's so hot, Ruki. Oh god. Just makes me sweat just thinking about him." She fanned herself melodramatically.

"Sounds nice," Ruki cooed, nodding fervently.

Meanwhile, Miyuki had crossed the room to her locker. The showers were still going, which meant some of the people from the swim team were still in there cleaning up after practice. That is to say, no one worth talking to was there, so Miyuki tried to hurry up before someone saw her. As she crossed the bathroom area again to rejoin her friends, however, a glint caught her eye by the sink. She turned, and instantly, a devilish smile curved across her face as she grabbed it and rounded the corner excitedly.

"Let's go," she said. "I have something I want to show you." Once they were out of eye or earshot of the locker rooms, Miyuki pulled her girls into a huddle and then unfolded her hand delicately revealing what was sitting in the middle of her dainty palm: a ring with a pink heart as its focal point. Himiko and Ruki gasped.

"If it isn't the little slut's tacky ring," Miyuki supplied. "She was prancing around with this hideous thing on her finger all day. No doubt fake. The only question is what to do with it."

"Throw it out?" Ruki suggested in earnest.

Miyuki shook her head. "Nah. We won't get to see her face when she realizes the damage that's been done."

"Sell it?" Himiko said, twirling her hair, her mind clearly still on Keiji.

Miyuki glared at her. "Are you an idiot? No! That's even worse than throwing it away because it leaves a trace."

That brought Himiko back to attention. "Well whatever we do, she'll know it was us," Himiko said defensively.

Miyuki, who was about to lash out at her again, paused to consider this. "True," she conceded, her annoyance disappearing. "So, that means we have to make it count…" She tapped a perfectly manicured nail against her chin thoughtfully as Himiko and Ruki furrowed their brows deep in thought. "Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" both girls asked, eagerly.

"I've got it," Miyuki replied.

"What? What? Tell us!"

"You'll just have to wait and see," the brunette replied in a sing-song voice as she turned on her heel and began walk towards the school gates.

Hikari's attitude as she dragged herself into school the next day was considerably different than it had been the yesterday. The energy was gone, replaced by weariness, puffy eyes, and a red nose. She'd been crying all night. Where had the ring gone? Even with Miyako's help, they'd been unable to find it anywhere, and they had checked everywhere. Even the street! What was she going to tell Chase? The mere thought brought tears back to her eyes.

"Hikari, you okay?" Takeru asked as he sat down in his seat beside you. She nodded, but as he wasn't stupid, he could tell that she clearly wasn't okay. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she managed in a voice just above a whisper, trying to keep her voice steady. If it broke, she just knew she'd break down into tears again. "I'm just…tired."

Takeru frowned. The way she looked, Takeru could tell it was more than just a matter of getting enough sleep, but she clearly didn't want to talk about it, so Takeru stayed quiet, glancing over at her from time to time to make sure her countenance hadn't fallen anymore.

Having mastered her emotions again, Hikari stared at the door, disinterested. Waiting for the teacher to come in to begin class so that this awful day would be that much closer to being over. However, everyone but the teacher was coming through, talking to their friends, grabbing their seats, and making plans for the coming weekend. Asuka, Rita, Katsu, and finally Miyuki and her friends, talking about some asinine "problem" that a normal person would have found a minor inconvenience. The girls approached Miyuki's desk, giggling and whispering as usual. And that's when she saw it.

The brunette had merely used her hand to brush all her hair over one shoulder before lowering it back to her hip, where it rested daintily while she talked. However, Hikari had seen the flash of light off silver and pink. She squinted at her archenemy's hand, trying to get a closer look without seeming obvious, and as Miyuki shifted again, the light bounced off the ring again, and Hikari was sure beyond a doubt. Hikari shot to her feet in shock, knocking her chair back noisily across the floor. Several people turned to look, including Miyuki, who locked eyes with Hikari and smirked.

It took all the willpower Hikari had in her body not to dive across the desks and beat Miyuki to a pulp. That sort of violence would show Miyuki she had won. Again. Still, Hikari could not believe that Miyuki would stoop so low. Clearly, Miyuki knew it was hers, from the smirk she'd just given her. Which meant she couldn't expect to get it back if she just walked back over there to ask. What's more, Hikari was intimidated. To think that Miyuki had found the ring and then deliberately decided to wear it to school today to spite Hikari was a clear declaration of war.

Takeru, meanwhile, watched Hikari carefully. Her sudden movement had startled him, drawing his attention away from his book to her surprised facial expression. She seemed unnerved by something, staring off in the direction of the front door of the classroom. Again, without any indication of her intention, she left her seat and hurried out the door at the back of the classroom, distress evident on her face. Takeru pushed his chair back and made as if he were going to follow her and then thought the better of it. Maybe she wanted to be alone… He glanced back at the door and sighed. Was she going to be okay?

Unsurprisingly, Miyuki had not made any indication that she was going to give Hikari her ring back all day. In fact, she had pranced around the girl as much as possible, using her hands at every opportunity just to draw Hikari's attention to the ring that was on her finger. Even after she told Miyako the situation, and Miyako had tried to go take it by force, she had not been able to convince herself to confront the girl before she'd left school. The initial burst of anger she'd felt had dissolved into apprehension.

But now, as Hikari sat at her desk staring at Chase's letter, which she'd tucked into a photo album, Hikari was no longer intimidated, she was angry again. Pissed off. How dare Miyuki take her ring—the ring that Chase had given to her for their anniversary—and parade around as if it were mere costume jewelry? Miyuki had had her fun and Hikari wanted her ring back, but she didn't want to wait for Monday to get it. Before parting ways, Miyako had mentioned that Miyuki was having a party at her house that evening. Though Hikari, obviously, had not been invited, Miyako had urged her to attend. Hikari had declined, but she was rethinking that decision now. Perhaps going to Miyuki's party was just the thing to do. There was just one thing to do prior to going, however. She grabbed her cell and dialed.

"Hello, Mimi? If you're not busy, can I come over? I have a favor to ask of you."

Hikari could hear the bass before she'd even reached the entrance to Miyuki's yard. The music oozed from every possible opening in the house into the cool night air. It was lucky that Miyuki's house was so large and surrounded by such a nice, big yard; otherwise, Hikari was certain the neighbors would have called the police ages ago. Of course, it was better that the party hadn't been broken up yet. There was no way her plan would work if she met Miyuki alone.

She smiled as she let herself in through the front gate and started walking up the path to Miyuki's door. She felt hot. Mimi had done such a fantastic job styling her for the occasion. She wore a black-and-white striped mini dress, which on a regular day she might have found obscene without leggings or opaque tights. Tonight, however, it seemed just right. It was shorter than the mini dresses she usually opted for, true, but it was not so short that she looked (or felt) skanky. With the leather bomber Mimi'd thrown on over it, it actually looked rather classy. The dress, by itself, was innocent. The bomber added a sense of edginess; the black, suede, thigh-high boots made the look sexy.

While Mimi had tried to deck her out in a full on rocker chic (i.e. raccoon eye) look, Hikari had insisted her makeup stay simple. Thus, her red eyes were only rimmed with black liner that flared out slightly to form a perfect point at the edges. Her eyelashes were coated with mascara. Her accessories, like her makeup, were simple. A couple chunky rings and several bangles—all silver. She felt dangerous, like she was ready to do some damage.

Lucky for her, that was just what she'd come here to do.

She stepped up onto the porch and knocked, waited a moment, and then tried the door. Unsurprisingly, it was open. Taking a deep breath, Hikari tucked a small strand of her straight-as-a-board hair behind her ear and entered the house, closing the door behind her. There was no turning back now.

She was in the hallway, and while the front two rooms—the formal dining and formal living room—were empty, it didn't take Hikari long to find where the party was centered. She entered the second living room and tried to keep her mouth from flapping open. Perhaps eight feet away from her, Ryuji, mild-mannered, intelligent, quiet Ryuji, was grinding up against a girl as hard as he could, a cup in hand. With a particularly hard thrust against the girl's gyrating body, some liquid sloshed out of the cup onto Ryuji's hand.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. It was almost as if that incident had reminded Ryuji that he was holding a drink in his hand in the first place. The brunet lowered the cup to his mouth, pausing his activities momentarily to take a nice, long swig of its contents. Thirst assuaged, Ryuji went to resume his former activities, but he was stopped as the girl turned around and started to kiss him fiercely. He did not resist.

Wow. This was just… There were no words.

Suddenly aware of how private the moment seemed (drunken though it may have been), Hikari turned away sharply, heat rising in her cheeks. It was then that she noticed that Ryuji was no the only person going at it. Where was Miyuki? Hikari wasn't particularly in the mood to fend off drunken suitors. She started to head back into the hallway when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hikari!"

Ryuji. Oh great. She turned to greet him, a small smile on her face. "Ryuji. Hey, what's up?"

"Not much. Oh baby, you look haaaah-ot!" he slurred, taking in her appearance. Though Hikari could tell the compliment was sincere, she felt a bit unnerved.

"Thanks."

"You want some?" Ryuji asked, extending his cup towards her.

The smell of alcohol in it was strong. "No thanks," she said, holding up her hand to wave the offer away.

"Mmm," he replied, raising the drink to his own lips and taking another swig. Hikari took the chance to glance over his shoulder at the girl he'd been previously sucking face with. She seemed upset that Ryuji was talking over here talking to Hikari as opposed to engaging in suggestive moves over there with her.

"Wanna dance?" Ryuji asked, grinning devilishly. Though his cheeks were slightly flushed, he looked rather handsome. His slightly unkempt brown hair fell into his eyes, giving him a boyish appearance, further emphasized by the smirk crossing his face, flashing perfect teeth. He reached out to touch her; she quickly intercepted his hand with her own, grasping it lightly and giving it a squeeze as she smiled and released it by his side again.

"I'll pass, thanks. Actually, I'm looking for Miyuki. Have you seen her?"

"Miyuki?" he slurred, the slight rising intonation showing his surprise at this unusual request. However, when Hikari nodded firmly, he dutifully pointed towards a doorway across the room, "She's in the kitchen."

"Thanks, Ryuji," Hikari said, patting him on the arm. As she moved away, he suddenly grabbed her arm and spun her around. It was all she could do to avoid being smooched on the lips by the intoxicated teenager.

"I'm just so happy to see you, Hikari," the boy confessed in a slurred half-exclamation, half-sob. "We never hang out. I'm just so glad that you're here. I wanted you to know that." He went to kiss her again, and again she narrowly avoided a full-frontal kiss by tilting her head to the side. Her face was burning.

"Thanks, Ryuji," she said, struggling to free herself from his grasp. "I'm glad that you're here too. Please take care," she finished, awkwardly as she freed herself and sidestepped the boy, making a beeline for the door that evidently connected the living room to the kitchen. That experience had been…interesting.

"You take care too," Ryuji said, as he turned to return to the girl who'd spent the last five minutes glaring at the pair. "You look so good tonight, Hikari. So good. I just….ah. Yeah. So good."

Hikari pretended that she hadn't heard him, and finished crossing the room in three long, confident strides, disappearing before he had a chance to yell any more "compliments" after her retreating figure. She could already hear Miyuki's voice. Hikari paused momentarily to gather herself and then strode confidently into view, fixing her eyes on her target—Miyuki.

The girl in question was in the middle of telling a story, surrounded by a small crowd of riveted spectators and a couple bemused bystanders—one of whom was Takeru. As such, though Miyuki did not noticed Hikari right away, Takeru did almost immediately. His eyes widened in shock when it registered exactly whom he was seeing. The next person to notice was Akari, followed by Daisuke, neither of whom were particularly paying attention to Miyuki's tale.

Unlike Himiko, who seemed to be falling over her partially intoxicated self to find out what happened next. "Oh my gaawd!" she exclaimed loudly, slapping her hand against the counter. She was clinging to a person Hikari had seen in the hallways but not met. He was talking to one of his friends instead of listening to Miyuki's story, as such, he was the next person to notice Hikari standing there. "What did you do, Miyuki?" Himiko slurred.

"Well, of course, I handled it with grace and decorum. I am a member of the Todo family, after all," Miyuki said, brushing a sizable lock of her hair over her shoulder as she crossed her arms haughtily. "Though he was clearly dying to be with me, I simply refused him." Fumi, bored with the interchange between Miyuki and her best friends, glanced at her brother, and upon noticing his distracted countenance, followed his gaze. At the same time, Himiko's boyfriend's friend turned to see what everyone was staring at, followed quickly by Chieko, who'd been hanging off his arm trying to get him to resume paying attention to her.

"You refused him?" Ruki asked, frowning.

"Of course I refused him!" she shot back angrily. Her voice softened as she turned to face the still shell-shocked Takeru. "I already have someone, right Takeru?" The blond didn't reply, but thanks to Himiko's outburst, Miyuki didn't notice. Neither did Ruki or another girl Hikari didn't recognize as they both finally got on to everyone's odd behavior and turned to see what was going on.

"How nice! All the boys want you, Miyuki," the girl sighed. "Like that one really hot guy at the grocer's. I'm so jealous. What ever happened with him anyway?"

Hikari, tired of waiting, decided to join the conversation. "Yeah, Miyuki. What happened with him?" Miyuki, finally catching on to the fact that no one was listening—no one important anyway—shot her head around so fast, Hikari thought it was going to flying across the room. Even still, she finished her contribution with a smirk as she watched the shock of recognition cross Miyuki's face. "I'm dying to know."

Miyuki's jaw dropped.

Takeru's followed suit.

Himiko was the last the notice. She turned around, and in her slightly off state, didn't recognize the gravity of the situation right away. That was not the case with Ruki, who pointed and roared, "You!"

"W-w-wh-wha…? How did you— Why did you— When did you…?" Miyuki sputtered.

Hikari didn't bother to answer her unspoken questions. She ignored Ruki's outburst too, merely twinkled her fingers in greeting. "Nice party."

Miyuki's face went sensationally red as the anger flooded her body. That brought her back into the realm of coherence. "What the hell are you doing here?" she exclaimed, shoving past Himiko to approach Hikari menacingly.

"I think you know why I'm here, Miyuki," Hikari replied, refusing to back down. She crossed her arms and straightened to show that she was not afraid. Miyuki had gone too far this time, and it was time that Hikari put her in her place.

"Wha?" Miyuki asked, confused, though she was trying to remain upset.

Hikari nodded her head at Miyuki's hand, where her ring glinted brightly. "I think you have something that belongs to me."

Though Hikari had not thought it possible, Miyuki's face became even redder. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, Hikari could not tell, and what's more she didn't care. She kept her gaze steady.

"Wha—what?" Miyuki sputtered again.

The red-eyed brunette held out an unshaking hand. "I'd like it back, please." The tension in the air was palpable. At any moment, the situation seemed likely to explode. "Now," Hikari added when Miyuki made no move to return it. The entire room seemed to be holding its breath. What was going to happen? Takeru seemed especially tense. Was he going to have to jump in there and pull his ex-girlfriend off the new girl? And what was Hikari talking about anyway? Miyuki had her ring? Certainly not. But slowly, Miyuki's hand moved and took the ring off her finger, reaching out and dropping the accessory into Hikari's palm. Takeru's mouth flapped open again. He couldn't believe Hikari had the nerve to show up at all, nevermind confront her archenemy.

Yet she had. With a small smile, Hikari closed her hand around the ring, pausing a moment to continue to glare at Miyuki unfalteringly, and then she turned on her heel and headed towards the door. "See you at school," she said, breezily. As she left, she could hear Takeru's voice. "Did you really steal her ring, Miyuki?" followed shortly by Miyuki calling his name.

Hikari was already halfway down the garden path when she heard someone call her name. She turned and was surprised to see Ryuji hurrying down the path towards her.

"Ryuji!" she said, preparing to duck an attempt on her lips. Fortunately, no such action came.

"Hikari," he said, grabbing her hand and gazing at her earnestly. Hikari waited expectantly, but he said nothing else other than repeating her name once more.

"Ryuji," she said again. "What did you want?"

"We never hang out," he said.

"Yes, I think you mentioned that once before," Hikari said, but he didn't let her finish.

"It makes me so sad," he said. "We should hang out." Hikari said nothing, waiting for him to finish. Instead, he repeated, "We should hang out." He paused. "But I don't have your number. I don't have your number!" he insisted.

"Er, yeah… I guess you don't."

"I don't have your number," he said again. "What is it?" Hikari hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to give it to him, as she didn't want to deal with drunken texts or phone calls from the boy on the weekends. "Please," he said, clutching at her hand. "Please, please, please, pleeeaaassseee." He started to get increasingly worked up. Just to stop keep from causing him undue mental anguish, Hikari acquiesced and gave him her phone number.

"Yes! I'll call or text you. We'll hang out!" he said, stuffing his phone back in his pocket.

"Great," Hikari said, forcing a smile on her face, though simultaneously praying that he'd drunkenly mistyped her number. A moment of awkwardness settled on them as Ryuji, business completed, merely stood there looking at her, and Hikari, unsure what to do as she wanted to leave but thought that might be rude, simply stared back. "So," she finally spoke. "Anything else?"

Ryuji shook his head and smiled at her contentedly.

She returned the smile, but placed her hands on his shoulder and turned him around so that he was facing the door. "I've got to go, but why don't you go back inside? I bet your girlfriend is missing you." And so, with a light shove, he trotted back up the path and into the house. Hikari let out a sigh of relief when he was gone. She'd forgotten what it was like to interact with drunk people. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her bomber, she turned and resumed her walk towards homes.

"Hikari!" a voice exclaimed as she reached the garden gate. "Wait up!"

Oh god. Had Ryuji returned with another request? But the voice's owner was in fact, not Ryuji, but Takeru. He raced down the walkway towards her, slowing to a stop in front of her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey." She looked at him wearily, unsure of what he wanted, whether or not he was drunk. He didn't seem to be falling over himself, so that was good. They stared at each other in silence a moment before Takeru spoke up.

"U-um!" Great start, Takaishi. "Uh, I just…I can't believe Miyuki did that to you. That was…way over the line. I just, uh…wanted to apologize. I'm really sorry."

Hikari smiled. "Why are you apologizing? It wasn't your fault."

"But it is. I don't know why, but for some reason, Miyuki's gotten it into her head that you're the reason we broke up, but really it was a long time coming. I'm surprised we lasted as long as we did, actually."

"Is it rude to say me too?" Takeru looked at Hikari, surprised.

"What? How would you—?"

"Five months together. I heard from people," she replied. "I mean no disrespect, the two of you just seem to belong to two totally different worlds is all. I guess opposites attracted."

He was silent a moment, as though pondering what she'd just said, and then chuckled. "I guess they did." They fell silent again.

"Is that all?"

"Uh, well, no. Not exactly. I,uh… I was kind of wondering if maybe you'd like to go grab a cup of coffee or something. Maybe go see a movie."

It was Hikari's turn to be surprised. "Don't you have a party to get back to?"

"What? In there? Nah, I'm done. I think I'd have a much more interesting time with you."

"But won't you get in trouble?" she gasped.

"In trouble?" Takeru frowned. "With who?"

"With Miyuki."

"We aren't together anymore."

"Yeah, I know…" Takeru looked at her expectantly. "I guess I just assumed…" Assumed what, she wasn't exactly sure. "Nevermind. I'm sorry." She fiddled with her ring, now securely on her middle finger.

"So, is that a yes?" he asked.

Hikari hesitated. "You know this is only going to make things worse."

"I know."

"People are watching us from inside the house," she added, nodding over his shoulder at the faces she could see just peaking over the windowsill.

"I know," he replied without looking over his shoulder. "But I don't care. I'm doing something for myself. I'd like to get to know you better. Who cares what anybody else thinks?"

"I'm impressed."

"Why?"

"Er, nevermind."

"So…"

Hikari paused again, but smiled and nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Takeru grinned. "Great. My treat."

"No need," Hikari replied as she started to walk again. Takeru easily fell into step with her, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I insist. It's the least I can do after that show you just put on. I can't believe you came here to do that."

"Honestly, neither can I. Now that the adrenaline's worn off, I can tell just how terrified I was going in there. Speaking of in there, is Ryuji always so…"

"Outrageous?" he offered. Hikari nodded. "Pretty much."

"Really? I never would have guessed."

"It's always the quiet ones," he replied with a smirk, nudging her with his elbow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hikari demanded.

"Nothing," he replied in a slight singsong voice. "Nothing at all."

o-o-o-o-o-o

Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: A Feudal Fairytale, big big misty fan, big big kari fan, digimontklover, Funkeymonkey713, MagickCaster, DigiPal, Shire Folk, twiinklestar, xSNekoChan, xxburuxx, Uchiha-Kirara, LoneWolfVampire13, KHgatomon3444, penguindan333, midnitestarz, XxButterflyxAngelxLover, authorgal282, Nightshroud19, Final Genesis, and musiclover9419.

I'm not going to go through and answer questions since it's been so long, but yeah. I really appreciate your reviews! I've started working on Chapter 10. Here's to hoping it gets out before a year has passed… Happy new year, everyone!

Preview of chapter 10: Hikari spends time with Takeru as he babysits his cousins, and really hit it off. Their budding friendship deepens when Takeru unknowingly shows up at Hikari's house on Tai's invitation. Meanwhile, Hikari, after finally acknowledging her growing feelings for Ryuji, makes a decision regarding their relationship.

Get excited!