March 10, 2012

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. The drama is, unfortunately, all mine.

The next three chapters actually started as one. I split it to make it more readable, that is to say more manageable for computer reading. This chapter marks the build-up of uber-drama. Prepare yourselves.

All-American Girl

By ebacusta

Chapter 12:

Breathing: Part 1

Miyuki drummed her fingers on the table. She was too lost in thought to notice the pointed looks Natsue was shooting her from across the table, pen hovering over a notebook. Finally, her older sister said, "Tapping your fingers like that is that fastest way to ruin a good manicure, Miyuki. That and washing dishes."

"Oh, sorry."

"That's what you said ten minutes ago before you started doing the exact same thing," her sister replied, eying Miyuki's fingers, which hovered in the prime position to resume drumming. "What's on your mind?"

Miyuki thought about not telling her. Monday had been such a great day until she'd seen it: Takeru laughing with Hikari like old friends…or maybe even more than that. When Takeru had said her name during Japanese class, she had taken it as a sign from the gods that they were meant to be together. This was her chance to make him see that too. But then Tuesday had happened. Takeru had avoided her so studiously today that she knew it was no accident. He didn't want to talk to her, despite their project. That plus seeing Hikari with him yesterday evening had shaken her confidence. Takeru had said there was nothing between him and stupid Yagami Hikari, but had she been right all along? Surely, Takeru hadn't already moved on.

"Miyuki," Natsue said, a note of irritation in her voice. She put her pen down to show that this conversation was now officially her only concern. It wasn't going to be over until Natsue said it was.

No getting out of it then. So Miyuki told her. Predictably, Natsue looked bored halfway through. "I can't believe this is even causing you trouble," her older sister said when she'd finished talking. "The answer's obvious, isn't it? Even if he is with that other girl, you have to show him what he's missing."

"It's not that simple, Natsue. He won't even talk to me!"

"Well, he'll have to eventually to do your project. And since when do you wait around for things to happen to you? Go be proactive about it," Natsue said, looking back at her notebook. However, Miyuki said nothing, only sighing unhappily.

That was unusual. Natsue regarded her younger sister a bit more seriously. Usually a pep talk that reminded Miyuki of her fabulousness was all the younger girl needed to bounce back. Perhaps this was more serious than Natsue was giving it credit. "Everything was fine before stupid Yagami Hikari showed up. I wish she would have just stayed in America," her younger sister finally spoke as she stood up and padded into the kitchen for a drink.

Yagami? America? Something about those two words got Natsue's mind whirring. "Did you say Yagami?"

"Unfortunately." The lack of enthusiasm in Miyuki's voice was palpable, but Natsue ignored it. She was too busy making connections. Yagami. She knew a Yagami that had once been in America.

"Do you, by chance, know if she has an older brother?"

"Huh?" Miyuki stopped pouring her juice to fix Natsue with a patented Todo are-you-serious-right-now stare.

Having invented that stare, Natsue merely rolled her eyes. "Look, does she have an older brother or not?"

"I don't know. We aren't friends."

"Can you try to be a little bit useful right now? I'm trying to help you out here," Natsue snapped. As usual, Miyuki was too busy focusing on herself to see that Natsue had stopped doing something very important to deal with a problem that, as far as she could tell, wasn't really a problem. The women in their family were known not only for their beauty and assertiveness, but also for knowing how to use them. Had Miyuki forgotten this?

The girl in question was currently glaring at her annoyance, but she did seem to be putting her mind to rifling through the information she had on the American transplant. "I'm not sure if it's a boy, but I feel like I overheard her mention some older sibling once?"

That was all Natsue needed. She placed her well-manicured hands on the table and smiled. "I hope you're prepared to buy me the best birthday present ever this year, because I've just solved your problem."

"Because she has an older sibling?"

Natsue barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. "No. But because I know her older sibling, I know a few things about her family."

This got Miyuki's attention. She rounded the counter quickly, plunking her cup on the table a touch too hard. Juice sloshed onto the table again as Miyuki's hands clapped down onto the tabletop. "What?! Why do you know her older sibling?"

Natsue eyed the small puddle of juice on the table with an expression of mild distaste, before refocusing on her younger sister. Her eyes were wide and anxious, but of course she was focusing on the wrong thing. "Because he's in some of my classes at school. But let's focus on the more important matter here." She pursed her lips and flashed Miyuki a pointed look before continuing, "Now it just so happens that Yagami Taichi's father is one of dad's new business associates. Evidently, Father Yagami has made a really good pitch for one of daddy's ventures, so dad's considering working with him. That contract would mean major money for her father. We can both assume how much that means to him."

Miyuki struggled to process this unexpected connection. She knew her father had been working on a big project lately and meeting with potential partners and investors, but to think that one of them was Hikari's father! Her brow furrowed as she connected the dots.

Miyuki knew her father felt bad for not being around as much as he felt he ought too, something he tried to compensate for by showering his daughters with whatever they wanted when he was around. Miyuki never doubted that her father loved her and Natsue. His affection for his daughters was clear, so she knew he would not want to work with someone who was responsible—however indirectly—for making one of them unhappy...

Natsue could tell she did not need to spell out the rest of the plan to her sister. The wheels were turning, the corners of her mouth were curling up, and that devious spark had entered her eye. The older girl smiled, patting herself on the back for being the awesome big sister who saved the day yet again.

If she were not her father's daughter—that is to say, more like her kind-hearted mother—Natsue might have felt bad for giving Miyuki information that could not only hurt Hikari, but also the rest of her family, especially over the minor issue of boy troubles. However, Natsue firmly believed that one who could not stand the heat should stay out of the kitchen, that all was fair in love and war, and that efficiency was the best weapon in any circumstance. If it was to Miyuki's advantage to destabilize things on Hikari's home front, then that was what should be done.

"Dad had a dinner meeting with a potential investor today, but he should be coming home soon. Maybe it's time for a little daddy-daughter chat. I'm sure he'd like to hear about how things have been going at school."

Miyuki smiled, and lowered herself into her chair as she finally took a sip of her juice, "I think so too."

Wednesday morning, Miyuki had second thoughts. Maybe the reason Takeru had been avoiding her had been because of the bulletin she'd seen posted in the student entrance announcing the cast of the all school musical. Perhaps Takeru had been distracted by shame and guilt over whatever had possessed him to audition for this musical, and had been trying to think of a way to get out of it.

Perhaps, it had had nothing to do with Hikari after all.

Hmm.

Well, it was too late now. What was done was done. Call it extra insurance to make sure Hikari couldn't rally and interfere anymore than she already had.

And in any case, it was thanks to that bulletin that Miyuki had this chance. Takeru was standing by the vending machine, alone, clearly lost in thought, because he didn't see her coming. She paused to primp really quickly, fluffing her hair and smacking her lips to make sure her (contraband) lip gloss was in tip-top shape. She checked her appearance in the reflection of window, smacked her lips one more time and then approached.

"Hey!"

Takeru startled and turned to see who it was. His eyes didn't exactly light up when he saw her, but he wasn't fleeing either, so she took that as encouragement to continue. "Hey," he grumbled, turning back to the vending machine and putting in his money.

"So the school musical, huh?"

"Looks like it." He considered his options, what she supposed he'd been doing before getting caught up in his thoughts in the first place.

"Why?" she asked, then hastily amended, "I mean, it's not bad, just surprising. I didn't know you wanted to sing." She didn't want him to think that she, his loving one-and-only, did not fully support his endeavors. She'd seen High School Musical. She knew how that had worked out.

He paused and turned to her with a smile that she felt looked a bit strained. "Because of you actually."

"What?"

"Nevermind." He turned back to the vending machine and pressed a button without really looking.

"A strawberry milk, huh? You always did like strawberry milk when you were upset about something." Miyuki watched the claw of the machine retrieve the milk and carry it to the drawer.

He grabbed his milk and started towards her. "Yeah, well… guess I'm still a creature of habit." Her heart sped up. She used to be one of his habits. Could this be a confirmation of something?

"Takeru, I—"

"The bell's about to ring, and I don't want to be late to Kinoki's class, so can we talk later?"

"Huh?" But he wasn't really waiting for an answer. He was already heading toward the door. Rather, that was where he had always been heading. Miyuki's heart fell.

"Yeah, sure," she mumbled, and shuffled quietly after him.

SurferBabeXOXO: Hey lady!

ShoeBunny91: Angie! You're up late. Don't you have school tomorrow?

SurferBabeXOXO: Nah, great-grandma's 90th birthday. We're down in Palm Springs for the celebration.

ShoeBunny91: Oh right! Tell GG I said hello! Is she still doing her morning constitutional class?

SurferBabeXOXO: Yep. Chase and I have already been on it twice, in fact. It's not nearly as fun without you.

ShoeBunny91: Can't say it was fun with me, but you know…

SurferBabeXOXO: It was better than it is now, believe me.

SurferBabeXOXO: I swear if Daisy tries to set me up with her grandson one more time, I'm gonna climb the nearest mountain and jump off.

Hikari laughed, remembering Angela's great-grandmother's dear friend, Daisy, who had known GG Jeannie since they were children. Daisy had often tried to set the girls up with her youngest grandson, citing his connections in the movie industry and constant invites to exclusive parties as reasons to date him, but forgetting that he, in his mid-thirties, was more than twice their age.

ShoeBunny91: Haha! So she's still going strong?

SurferBabeXOXO: You have no idea.

SurferBabeXOXO: It was rude of you to move to Japan and leave me all alone to deal with this!

SurferBabeXOXO: Dishonor on your family!

SurferBabeXOXO: Dishonor on you!

SurferBabeXOXO: Dishonor on your cow! :(

SurferBabeXOXO: But I grow tired of this conversation. Tell me something juicy.

SurferBabeXOXO: How was your breakfast date with Ryuji?

ShoeBunny91: Since it wasn't a date, it was fine.

ShoeBunny91: Miyako came. And so did Takeru, Akari, and Akari's little sister, Fumiko. We just chatted and then headed to school.

SurferBabeXOXO: I said juicy, Hikari. That sounds horrendously boring.

SurferBabeXOXO: Please tell me a hoard of clowns came streaking by or the barista set the kitchen on fire overcooking the bagels.

ShoeBunny91: Angie….what?

SurferBabeXOXO: What? Those are implausible scenarios, you say?

SurferBabeXOXO: Then fine. At least tell me you and Ryuji held hands or he whispered sweet nothings in your ear or something.

ShoeBunny91: No! He did neither.

SurferBabeXOXO: WHY NOT?

ShoeBunny91: We were in a group. And more importantly, even if we weren't, I don't want him to.

SurferBabeXOXO: Again I ask, why not? What's your deal, man? Why won't you let the dude get close? It sounds like he wants to.

It took Hikari several tries to write the correct response. Partially because she wasn't completely sure of the reason herself, and partially because she knew she had to give Angie a legitimate reason or risk being Why not?'d to death.

ShoeBuny91: Because I'm not ready yet! You know how I am. This is heavy!

SurferBabeXOXO: You're not still waiting on Chase, are you? Because, you know, there's this little thing called the Pacific Ocean…

SurferBabeXOXO: And Chase isn't waiting for you. I mean, he's not actively looking for anyone, don't get me wrong. He's still in super annoying Mopey McMoperson mode, which only makes me miss you more, but he's doing what you asked him to do and trying to move on.

SurferBabeXOXO: It's not fair of you to ask him to do something you know he doesn't want to do and then not do the same—oh, then what's it about?

ShoeBunny91: No, this is not about waiting for Chase.

ShoeBunny91: Not necessarily anyway.

ShoeBunny91: It's just Ryuji is so different than my type. I'm just…nervous. I need time to figure this out.

SurferBabeXOXO: …Hikari, are you scared to get back on the market?

ShoeBunny91: No!

ShoeBunny91: If I were scared of anything, it'd be changing into someone I don't know anymore.

ShoeBunny91: Ryuji is fluid. He changes so much from one day to the next. His attitude, his feelings, his girlfriends. What sort of person would I have to become to keep up with that?

ShoeBunny91: I feel like I'd always be scrambling to keep up. I'm not sure yet if I'm willing to put in that sort of energy.

ShoeBunny91: Chase, on the other hand, was stable. We could discover new facets of ourselves and change together.

SurferBabeXOXO: I feel like you're overthinking this and psyching yourself out because it's been so long since you've been on the market.

Hikari could see that Angela was still typing out another message, but Hikari suddenly found that she really didn't want to read it, whatever it was. So, uncharacteristically, she cut her friend off.

ShoeBunny91: Can we talk about something else please?

ShoeBunny91: How are things with Tony?

"Hikari!" The brunette jumped at the sound of her mother's soft knock and voice outside the door. "Your father would like to speak with you. Come down a moment."

"Okay!" Saved by her father.

ShoeBunny91: Hang on, dad's calling. Brb

The house, which had been finished shortly before their arrival at the end of July, was generally quite light. It featured light colored walls, lots of windows, and walnut-colored wood accents where appropriate as but a couple of the features that reflected how much life in California had influenced her mother's tastes. But in here, it was dark. Her father's office was the only room devoid of her mother's preferences. It was his space and she had designed and decorated it accordingly, using dark woods, expensive yet classic furniture pieces, and plenty of hidden storage and drafting space. She had decorated with colors that supposedly promote creativity, but still reflected her husband's sophisticated style.

Against the wall opposite the door, her father sat at an L-shaped desk, his shoulder to the computer screen he had been facing when she'd first entered. Though the window behind him provided ample chances for staring off into space, he had dropped the blinds, preferring to do his work by the light of his desk lamp rather than by the waning sunlight. The shelves above his computer were littered with pictures of his family, squeezed between books and folders. To the left of the computer were piles of documents, marked in several colors. In front of him now lay several drafting plans sent to him from various contractors. Clearly, her father was up to his ears in work, but all of it currently lay forgotten in favor of the standoff taking place between father and daughter.

"Whatever you're doing to her, please stop now, Hikari. This is a very important business venture. Don't mess this up!"

Hikari was confused. When her father had called her into his office, this was the last thing she had expected to hear. She had barely had time to process that evidently Miyuki's father was one of her dad's potential clients before he'd started in on lecturing her. First, what exactly had she done to Miyuki? And second, how on earth did her father know about it before she did? This had to be a misunderstanding. "Dad, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not doing anything to her."

Her father looked at her with one of his you're-trying-my-patience stares. The sting he wanted her to feel came, but it was not of one of guilt. He didn't believe her. "Hikari, you must be doing something. Whatever it is, just stop it," he replied as he turned back around to face his computer. This was her father's "polite" way of telling her that this conversation was over.

The hell it was.

Hikari was hurt. She had grown to expect this from her classmates, who were always quick to judge everything and seemed to derive no greater pleasure than watching the drama unfold as one of their own was sent through the wringer. But from her own father? To be accused and have her defense dismissed so quickly? Perhaps that was why she snapped instead of responded, a slight tinge of hysteria entering her voice. "But dad, I'm not doing anything to her! I'm just existing and the thought of that pisses her off! She hates me because she thinks I'm trying to steal her boyfriend, but I'm not!"

Her father's lips thinned as he swung back around to face her. He was annoyed, maybe even angry, because his eyes were telling her he'd heard enough. But to Hikari it was clear that he hadn't heard anything. "Hikari, I'm serious," he said, his voice sharp and cold. "You stop whatever you're doing to antagonize Miyuki or you won't be going back to California for the holidays."

Hikari didn't think a punctured balloon could have deflated more quickly than she did. Hysteria turned to despair as tears welled up in her eyes. "But I'm not doing anything…" she whispered, but his expression remained unchanged. Why wouldn't he listen to her? Her father turned from her after fixing her with one last I-mean-it stare, but Hikari didn't even see it. She was already heading for the front door.

How could he say such a horrible thing to her? A father was always supposed to be on his child's side, right? A fresh wave of tears spilled over the brim of her eyes, blurring out the Tokyo skyline and the waves of Tokyo Bay. It seemed to her that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to escape Miyuki's clutches—the girl would continue to ruin her life in ways that Hikari doubted even she knew. No doubt, her only intention was to make sure Hikari didn't have any friends and that the brunette never spoke to her ex-, though she refused to acknowledge it, boyfriend again.

Like I care about your stupid boyfriend, Hikari seethed bitterly scrubbing the tears from her face again. It suddenly occurred to her that this must be why Japan's teenage suicide rate was so high. Where was someone like her, someone who didn't, couldn't, or wasn't allowed to belong, supposed to go in a place like this? It was a crushingly lonely feeling, and the only thing that had kept her moving forward was the knowledge that come December she could escape back to her true home, if only for a couple weeks. Now that hope was gone. Dramatic as it sounded, how on earth was she supposed to go on?

Chase.

The image of his face floated into her mind unexpectedly, but once it was there, she knew there was no getting rid of it. Not that she would want to. She missed him so much. How had he always managed to calm her down when she was upset like this? She remembered the soft kisses on her jawline and neck, the warm arms that pulled her into a sturdy chest, the low, deep voice that murmured all the requisite reassurances plus some that were not.

'It will get better, Kari. You'll get through this.'

'Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together.'

'You're tough. Don't let this beat you!'

'You can always lean on me.'

'I'll never leave you. I'll always be here supporting you.'

She willed herself to imagine his soft butterfly kisses. The tingles that would erupt wherever his lips had brushed against her skin. The way his hot breath would tickle her ear, or how, even though she would sit rigid, hugging her knees or glaring into space, he wouldn't let her go until she surrendered and collapsed against him. "You promise?" she would ask in a puny voice, tilting her tearstained face up, locking her ruby eyes with his emerald ones, not caring that she sounded or was acting like a little kid. And he would reply, "I promise," and then kiss her full on the lips.

Her father had taken that away from her as well. It seemed like that was his specialty as of late. Ruining her life. Frustrated, she tangled her hand in her hair and bit her lip to keep from sobbing as she began to cry in earnest again, her shoulders quivering with the effort to keep her cries to herself.

"Hikari?"

The voice shocked her badly, causing her to jump as she spun around to see who had spoken. The response was involuntary and automatic, because she had absolutely no desire to see anyone she knew in Japan. Takeru was behind her, standing in the sand several feet off to the side. He was holding a plastic bag, and dressed casually, so he'd clearly been home and run out to get what appeared to be groceries. But why he was walking along the beach to get back to wherever he lived was beyond her, because nothing but tourist hot spots lined this promenade. It was out of his way, she was sure. So that left only one feasible reason: God wasn't done torturing her yet. She could just imagine Miyuki staked out in the bushes watching whatever interaction was about to take place while plotting yet another way to make Hikari hate her new life in Japan.

Seeing the tears sparkling on her cheeks, Takeru, of course, had become very concerned. He closed the space between them quickly and knelt down beside her, asking, "Are you all right? What happened?"

Hikari, momentarily shocked by his sudden appearance, did not respond right away. But as soon as the surprise passed, her anger and bitterness returned and she turned from him, sharply. "Nothing. Leave me alone."

Now it was Takeru's turn to be shocked. Why the sudden attitude? Why was she lying to him? He thought they'd become friends. "Hey, if you want to talk, I don't mind listening."

"I don't want to talk. Go away."

"It's not a good idea to keep it bottled up inside you know," he prodded gently. "Maybe if you talk about it, you'll feel better." Hikari made no reply. So he reached out gently and laid his hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight shake. "Hey…"

Hikari's head snapped around and her crimson, red-rimmed eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "I said I don't want to talk."

"Then, how about a—"

"NO! WHAT PART OF 'LEAVE ME ALONE' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I don't want to talk to anyone, especially not you!"

Takeru's eyes were wide in a mix of astonishment and confusion, which were both quickly replaced by hurt. "All right then," he replied quietly, and stood. He hesitated a moment, but then slowly started walking back up the beach, pausing occasionally, no doubt to look back at her. Hikari buried her face back in her knees.

It's all your fault to begin with. Because you had such an insane, possessive girlfriend, Hikari thought bitterly. At least if Miyuki had been watching, there was no way she could possible construe anything romantic into what had just happened. Though knowing Miyuki, that wouldn't be enough. No, she'd probably decide Hikari had to be punished for being rude to her boy toy. Hikari just couldn't win.

Hikari hesitated, her finger hovering inches from the doorbell. She felt bad for what she was about to do, but she didn't want to go home, and she couldn't sit on the beach all night. She didn't really have another choice. So, she took a deep breath, and rang the bell. She waited, first listening to the sound of the doorbell echoing through the apartment, then in silence. Without realizing it, she held her breath, waiting, willing someone to come to the door. Even though it was the middle of the night, even though she hadn't called ahead and told them to expect her.

She was just about to ring the bell again, when she heard shuffling, followed by a thunk and a muffled curse. Finally, at long last, the door opened, and a half-asleep Yamato stood staring bleary-eyed at her.

"'Kari?" he asked, the first syllable of her name lost in the depths of his groggy mind.

"Hey, Yamato. Sorry to have woken you. I, um, I just really need to speak with Tai. Please," she replied. Hikari looked at him earnestly. Now that he seemed slightly more awake, her puffy red eyes and tear streaked face helped his mind to register that something was wrong.

"Sure thing. Please come in."

"Thanks." She squeezed passed him into the entry hall, kicking off her shoes. She stepped up onto the wood floor, but she didn't move beyond that.

"Uh…did you want me to get him?" Yamato asked, clearly puzzled. After all, she knew which room was her brother's. It wasn't like it would have been inappropriate for her to go wake him herself. But, she made no move in that direction, or in any direction at all, for the matter, so Yamato brushed past her and went to wake her brother.

She waited patiently, and finally, about five minutes there, she heard the sound of the door opening, followed by muffled voices, then a door closing, and the shuffle of footsteps. Taichi appeared at the end of the hall, squinting at her through the darkness.

"Hikari? Whassamatter? Whyryouhere?" he grumbled.

"I…I'm sorry, Tai. But can I stay here? I don't want to go home, and I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Huh? Wha happen'? Why you dun wanna go home?" he asked, sleep slurring his speech slightly.

"Dad, he…" her voice broke, and the tears which she thought she couldn't possibly have any more of started to flow again. "He accused me of… and then he said… he said… I couldn't go to California anymore."

"What?"

"I hate him," she whispered. "He was supposed to take my side."

"Hikari, what's going on?" Taichi asked, approaching her and leading her into the living room, which was lit only by the light of the full moon. Together, the two of them sank down onto the couch, and Hikari very painstakingly explained through soft sobs and sniffles the history of the matter.

She finished her story with a sob and a dramatic, albeit true declaration. "Tai, I hate it here! I have to go back to California. If I have to stay here, I don't see how I can go on. Nobody likes me here. I don't have any friends!"

"But what about Takeru?" Taichi offered, rubbing her back softly as she sobbed into her hands.

"He's the reason this all started in the first place."

"So you can't be friends?"

"I told you his girlfriend won't allow it. She's jealous, and she's the reason my life is such a living hell. She is forever trying to punish me for something I didn't do!"

"Right… his girlfriend…" Taichi said as though he finally understood, though he clearly did not.

"Ex-girlfriend," she amended, and Taichi's frown of confusion only deepened.

"Sorry, ex-girlfriend. And uh, why is she trying to, er, 'punish' you again?"

"Because she's insane! She thinks that I'm trying to steal Takeru away from her. And dad… somehow… she must have told her father that I'm bullying her or something, but I'm not doing anything to her, Tai! She won't be satisfied until I either stop breathing or disappear from this island."

"And you told Dad this?"

"I tried! But he wouldn't listen. He just got pissy and then said that I couldn't…. that I couldn't..." but the words were drowned out by tears. Taichi watched her hiccup as she covered her face with her. He didn't understand the situation 100%, however, he did know that he needed to sleep, and she needed to sleep. He'd figure out the rest tomorrow.

"Okay, okay. Let's calm down, shall we?" he said, patting her on the back. "Stop crying. Let's just go to sleep right now, and tomorrow, we'll try to get to the bottom of this."

"There's nothing to get to the bottom of. Dad's being a selfish pig," Hikari spat.

"Now, now. Let's not be rash. Come, you must be really tired. Seems like you've been through a lot today. Let's go sleep, okay?" Taichi soothed, and gently he guided her into his bedroom where they would share his bed. Wow. Sharing a bed. They hadn't shared a bed since Hikari was a little girl, afraid of the Boogie Man.

Wow, how things have changed, he thought, throwing Hikari one of his shirts that he knew Sora often liked to sleep in when she stayed over. He thought about his father and what he had evidently said, and sighed. Or maybe not.

Tuesday, September 23, 7:32pm

SurferBabeXOXO: Hikari, are you back yet?

7:46pm

SurferBabeXOXO: I'm heading to bed. See you tomorrow! xoxo

~o~

Wednesday, September 24, 7:13am

SurferBabeXOXO: Hey Hikari!

4:01pm

SurferBabeXOXO: Hikari? Is everything okay?

~o~

Friday, September 26, 4:59pm

SurferBabeXOXO: Hikari! Hey, I'm really worried. I haven't seen you all week.

SurferBabeXOXO: Will you message me back? Even if I'm not on. Let me know if you're okay.

~o~

Sunday, September 28, 7:23am

SurferBabeXOXO: Hikari? Hikari? Seriously, are you okay?!

~o~

Monday, September 29, 7:15am

SurferBabeXOXO: Hikari

SurferBabeXOXO: Please answer!

~o~

Thursday, October 2, 4:48am

SurferBabeXOXO: HIKARI FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SAY SOMETHING

SurferBabeXOXO: ANYTHING

Miyako thought she had had a rough night when she'd stay up until midnight trying to make sense of her math homework, but the instant she'd seen Hikari last Thursday morning, she'd known her night had been nowhere near as bad as her friend's had been. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked only slightly more alive than a zombie, but far more miserable than one. Miyako had helped her out by helping her cover her circles with some (illegal) concealer, but it had been much harder to get the full story behind her Day of the Dead look. She had managed to get little out of her sense.

Now, it was Friday the following week, and Miyako was desperate to do something—anything!—to cheer her inconsolable friend up. She had finally lit upon this fabulous idea, which she was trying to cajole Hikari into agreeing to.

"You're upset, your dad… sucks, and you're feeling kind of beat down. So let's go out! A girls' night will totally cheer you up!" Miyako suggested, leaning forward. Hikari sighed. She wasn't exactly in the mood to go out.

The lilac-haired girl could sense Hikari's hesitation. "Okay, look, we don't have to go to clubs or anything. But let's go out if for no other reason than to get you out of the house. You're obsessing over this, because it's all you have to think about. You sit in a room all day and haven't given your mind anything else to play with. We can go to Shibuya. Catch a show or just people watch. C'mon. It'll be fun!"

Hikari resisted the urge to sigh. Neither option sounded totally appealing, but perhaps Miyako did have a point. The last couple days had seen Hikari sitting in Tai's room staring at the wall or the ceiling or any other flat surface available to her and reliving this whole nightmare over and over and over again. Perhaps going out and people watching was just the thing to get her mind back in gear so she could figure out what she was going to do. Obviously, she couldn't stay mad at her dad forever, nor could she stay at Tai's for the rest of high school until she could safely move back to America on her own (plus, she wasn't sure she'd survive that long without Angie and Miranda anyway; she'd already tried signing in to her messaging account from Tai's computer and found that she'd forgotten her password). Long story short, she needed to figure out a plan.

She gave into her urge and heaved a sigh. "Okay. Let's go people watch."

Miyako squealed and clapped her hands together eagerly. "Oooooh, yay! This will be so much fun!" Miyako was so excited, Hikari couldn't help wondering if this whole adventure was as much about getting Miyako out of her own house as it was getting Hikari out of hers, but at least Miyako was happy. "Okay, tonight, 8 o'clock, meet me in front of the store. Look as cute as possible. I have to go to work right after school, but I'll grab something cute on the way."

"Okay, see you at 8." Hikari smiled. It was a watery, half-hearted smile, but it was a smile. Miyako's chest swelled with emotion—pride at having been the one to cause it, happiness to see it, and sadness that it had become such a rare sight that she'd had to feel the first two emotions at all.

The bell rang signifying the end of lunch, so with a wave, Miyako raced off to class, still squealing with excitement.

That night, as Hikari dragged herself out of Tai's room to the subway station, she wished she hadn't agreed to go. Getting dressed had been such a chore. All her "cute" stuff was at her house, and since she blatantly refused to step anywhere even near her street, she'd been forced to borrow from Sora, who, as a budding fashion designer, Hikari had to note was not a bad thing by any means. In fact, shopping Sora's "closet"—aka her drawer and the collection of outfits hanging in Tai's closet—had made Hikari realize that her own closet was shamefully under stocked on the "cute" front. She'd been so lost in her awe of Sora's amazingness that for a couple minutes, she completely forgot about her fight with her father.

But then the excitement wore down. After she picked her outfit, she'd taken a shower, and that's where it all came rushing back. Problems always seemed to find her at her most vulnerable times—buck naked and blinded by shampoo. The listless, heavy feelings she'd been feeling all week settled right back on her shoulders as though they'd never left, which made actually keeping her promise to Miyako to look cute and not show up dressed to the nines in hobo gear extremely difficult.

But here she was, getting off the train, trying her best to stay as far away from the sketchy young businessman who'd been eyeing her ever since he'd gotten on at Oimachi, while at the same time struggling to keep the arriving and departing trains from blowing up the skirt of her white and pink floral halter mini-dress. She clunked down the stairs, following the signs for the West Exit, hating herself more and more for selecting that pair of toffee brown clunky wedges with each set of eyes that lingered on her bare legs or looked her greedily up and down. Perhaps the hobo attire might have been the better option after all.

Skillfully avoiding a group of boys who were making a beeline straight for her after stopping their conversation to ogle at her from across the hallway as she passed, she exited the gate and hurried up the stairs onto the walkway to cross the street. As one might expect on a Friday night in early autumn, the streets were packed with young people oozing toward clubs, bars, or concert halls for a fun night with friends. In the middle of all of it, Hikari suddenly felt completely and totally alone.

'Isn't this how it was at school too?' she pondered as she descended back onto the sidewalk and beat a path up the street. As the new kid, at the school for less than a month, Hikari still had not found herself a solid friend group to slip into, floating aimlessly between several, none of which would have her. She suspected this was all Miyuki's doing, particularly since individually, Hikari got on well with most of her non-Miyuki-lackey classmates. It seemed the only group that would have her were Yumi's circle, Takeru and his friends, and most all the boys.

She bit her lip, focusing on that pain to keep herself from welling up again. Didn't her mom and dad see that she didn't belong here? That Angela, Miranda, and Chase were her home, her friends, her family? She didn't want to spend high school with only boys hoping to sleep with her sometime before the year was out as friends.

"Is that Hikari?"

"Hey, it is!"

"Ooh, she's lookin' mighty fine in that dress."

"Hey, Class 1!"

"Hikari!"

She stopped and turned in the direction of the voices. Their owners were a group of about seven or eight boys, some of which she recognized vaguely from other Year 2 classes at school, and some of which she didn't recognize at all, all of whom were holding cans or plastic bags from a conbini and lounging in various positions on the park benches or railings separating the "park" from the sidewalk—though truth be told, the it was more like a small playground as the greenery was fairly minimal. Since all the boys seated there looked to be about her age, she guessed the ones she didn't know must have been from another school. Regardless, she smiled at them.

"Thought maybe you didn't hear us," one of them said, waving her over. They were not, by any stretch of the imagination, friends of hers. In fact, this was probably the first time she'd ever spoken to them; she wasn't even sure how they knew her name. So why she complied and approached the group of, for all intensive purposes, strange men was beyond her. Perhaps because deep down, she knew these were the only kinds of guys she would be able to befriend once Miyuki was done ruining her life.

"Almost didn't," she said. As she neared them, she saw that the cans they held were beer cans, and that some of the boys she didn't know actually looked a bit older than she'd originally thought. Closer to Taichi and Yamato's age than her own.

It was one of those boys who smiled at her and replied. "Glad you did." He had shaggy, longish hair, bleached orange, brown eyes, and earrings lining his right ear. While he was not by any means hideous or covered in gang tattoos, Hikari could still tell that he was not the sort of boy Taichi, Chase, or any other male in her life would approve of her talking to. Hell, he was the sort of boy Hikari herself would not normally talk to any longer than was necessary. He looked like a host from one of those seedy, cheap host bars.

Not that any of them, especially Chase, would ever find out since she was evidently forbidden from leaving this island. And suddenly, she found herself caring a lot less about her own discriminating rules for socializing.

"So, Hikari," one of the boys from, she believed, Class 4 said, jumping off his perch on the walkway fence. "Where you headed? You looked like you were in a bit of hurry."

"Yeah, I'm going to meet a friend," she replied, taking what she hoped looked like a nonchalant step back as he advanced toward her. She may have abandoned her policies about whom she talked to, but she still put stock into her mandates on personal space.

"A friend, eh?" the black haired boy with silver tips sitting next to Host Guy piped up, leaning forward. "Is she as cute as you?" He grinned in what Hikari thought he must have imagined looked cool and sexy. To her, it just looked crooked, and, after almost ten years of seeing perfectly straight, perfectly shaped, perfectly white teeth pretty much everywhere she went, kind of gross with its slightly turned, partially yellowed teeth. But why not? She'd play along.

"Oh yeah, she's pretty cute," Hikari replied airily.

"She go to school with us? We know her?" Class 4, who was now standing almost right in front of her, asked.

"Maybe, yeah," she replied, but was cut off before she could continue.

A dark haired boy who'd been leaning against the pole next to Class 4 before Class 4 had moved stood up, excitedly. "Is she that purple-haired girl you're always talking to?"

Had it not been creepy how much these boys seemed to know about her despite the fact they'd never officially met, Hikari might have been flattered by their attention. As it was, she felt completely and totally sketched out and ready to move on to less stalker-y companions. "Yep, that's the one."

"Oh, she's a beauty," the dark haired boy said. A brunet from the other side of the group piped in, "Yeah, and with those glasses she looks like a hot librarian."

"Dude!" the black haired boy agreed.

"But not quite as beautiful as you," Class 4 intoned, and suddenly he was very close to her, holding his beer out to her. Of the group, Class 4 was probably the most attractive to Hikari, with bright green eyes and straight, floppy chestnut hair. If she stopped to think why she thought that, she wouldn't have been surprised. She would have been able to blame her following behavior on that very reason, and anyone who really knew her would have no choice but to understand why she'd done what she did, especially considering her current state of mind. Though if she'd really been thinking, she would have not only figured out why she wanted to react a certain way, but also stopped herself from reacting that way, using a line of reasoning that really wasn't that difficult to follow. For example, the ocean.

But as she stared into those green eyes, without even thinking, she reached out and took the proffered can and downed it.

She'd been drunk a couple times before. It wasn't a feeling she enjoyed, particularly around strangers, but tonight it was exactly what she wanted. A light, gauzy haze in which she could float around thoughtlessly and pain-free.

The boys shouted in surprise as they watched her raise the can to her lips and keep it there, tipping her head further and further back until the can was vertical. She didn't lower it until it was empty.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho!" Class 4 exclaimed. "Someone's a little thirsty."

Hikari wiped the mouth with the back of her arm, cheeks coloring a bit from embarrassment. That had been a bit unladylike. "Sorry."

"No, no. Have another," he replied, reaching back for an unopened can from 'Dude!' Guy. "We have plenty to go around."

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," he answered, slowly, eyes dropping first to her lips, then to her neck, and finally her chest. But Hikari was too busy opening the can to notice, and when she finally looked up, he was exchanging glances she could not see with his buddies.

Miyako tapped her foot impatiently and glanced at her watch for what must have been the thirtieth time in the past two minutes. Hikari was late—seriously late—and Miyako couldn't decide whether to feel worried that something might have happened or pissed off for being stood up. To say Hikari had been unenthusiastic about the idea of coming out tonight would have been the understatement of the century, but, even still, it was uncharacteristic of her to flake. Hikari tended to keep her word, even when she personally preferred not to.

Which means something must have happened.

Worry flooded her veins. She called Hikari's phone again, but the call went to voicemail after several rings. It was unlike Hikari not to answer her phone either, unless she seriously could not get to it. Perhaps she'd been kidnapped or fallen on the steps in the subway and broken a bone. Perhaps she was lying unconscious in a hospital right now, having been caught in the crossfire of some gang fight! Or maybe that was just what Hikari wanted her to think. She knew one other reason the brunette would not answer her phone: when she was trying to avoid someone. So, perhaps Miyako was being ignored.

Which means Hikari had bailed.

Anger flared in her chest. How dare she stand Miyako up like this! Since she hadn't had time to run home, Miyako had bought a new outfit when she'd gotten to Shibuya. Not only that, she'd begged an extra break off her boss just to do so. And Hikari, poor-little-ol'-me Hikari couldn't even be bothered to show up! Hikari had been awfully wrapped up in herself these last couple days. Perhaps she didn't even realize that what she'd done, what she was doing, was rude beyond belief. Miyako hoped something had happened to her. Otherwise, Miyako'd kill her.

But not really, because she didn't want anything bad to actually happen to her friend.

Which brought her right back to worrying. What if something had happened? Should she go and search the area to see if perhaps she'd gotten sidetracked or sideswiped by a group of boys who just didn't know how to take no for an answer?

"Uh, Miyako, was it?" a polite, almost apologetic voice asked.

Miyako's head shot up, hoping that the unfamiliar voice was Hikari trying to play a practical joke on her. But no such luck. The voice belonged to a familiar boy with straight, blue hair cropped at his chin and soft blue eyes. In her strung-out-half-worried-sick-half-pissed-beyond-belief state, it took her a moment to place him, but when she did, her heart gave a start as it started pounding like crazy.

Boy genius "Ichijouji Ken, right?" Miyako asked, not quite believing that the boy genius was talking to her, even though they'd already been formally introduced weeks prior.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes." There was a moment of silence in which Miyako tried to keep her fangirly panic to a minimum, and Ken struggled to come up with something to say. "What are you doing waiting here? It's dangerous for a girl to be out alone at this time of day, especially for her to just be standing there in a daze."

"Oh yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm just… It's just that…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say or how to say it.

Ken seemed to pick up on her mental distress, because he stepped forward and placed a hand gently on her arm. "Is everything all right?"

"Well, my friend—I was waiting for my friend. For Hikari, you've met her. The brunette I was with at the park that day we first met."

Ken nodded. "Yes, of course. I remember."

"I am waiting for her, but she's late. I mean like an hour late. I've called about a million times, but she's not answering. I don't know if—well, she's been going through a rough time, so maybe she just stood me up, but it's unlike her to not at least call or mail and say she won't be coming, you know? What if something happened to her? I don't know what to do!" Miyako could feel herself getting hysterical with each word. Having actually admitted the situation out loud, it suddenly seemed much more urgent and terrifying. Something might have actually happened to Hikari.

"Oh—well, stay calm. I'll help you look for her."

"Really?" Miyako asked, perking up. "Oh, but you obviously came here to do something or meet someone. I really wouldn't want to disrupt your plans."

"No, I insist. This is much more important. I'll just let them know I can't make it," he replied. Miyako knew she should have protested this more, but she felt like she was losing her mind. What if Hikari had been thrown in a dumpster somewhere after some unsavory types had robbed her or worse, taken advantage of her? Just the thought of Ken's help made her want to break down in tears. She had to find her!

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Miyako replied.

o-o-o-o-o-o

In the next chapter, the action reaches a zenith! Stay tuned!

Apologies for the tardiness guys. My betareader took her time reading these chapters. But that's all right, because I still love her. 3 This chapter saw the return of Angela. I hope you enjoyed it! Part 2 will be up next week at the latest. I'm writing it on my calendar.

Thanks for the reviews from ShireFolk, x0Arisax0, Randomdemoncat, Guest, Topazled Hannah, Digidestined Ninja of Sunshine, XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX, and FinalGenesis. I appreciate you guys!