Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ X+Y=Friendship? ❯ Made it Through the Wilderness ( Chapter 3 )

10,000 pts to Kira and Eva for figuring out Itaria's name (Italy) and the Japanese in the text. Good job!! The Japanese I put in the story is from a book, so please do kill me if I spell if it is spelled wrong. I hope you like the chapter, (the next chapter is SOOO much better in my opinion.). Also, I received a review that was claming that I might be coping off Debra's Bittersweet Symphony. Check the publish dates hon. Mine was out before that. Also, if you had read the story, you would realize it not even close Bittersweet Symphony. I don't mean to be rude, but please read before you go and accuse me of that. I realize that the summary is close, but please pay attention to that people. You will see those sayings later on in the story. Review please!

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Sara flopped down on her bed, disbelief written clearly on her face. She had gotten the news. She was going to be tutored and Ichijouji Osamu was going to be the one to do it. 'Why me?' she asked herself. Could this day get any worse?

"Sara!" Sara jumped off the bed and ran to Aoi. "Kenji and I are going on a business trip this week. I'm in the process of finding out who you are going to stay with and I have someone in mind. She's a good friend of mine and I think her eldest son is in you class. Does the name Ichijouji ring a bell?"

Sara's heart sank. "Ichijouji? Yeah, I know him. He hates me."

"Oh.?" Aoi said, and frowned. "Well... in that case I could--"

"But I'll stay there if you want me to!" Sara said quickly before she could stop herself.

"Are you sure?" Aoi asked. Sara nodded. "Great! I'll call Rika-san now!"

Could the day get any worse? It just did...

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Ichijouji Rika looked up as the phone rang. "Osamu! Bring the phone to me please!" Osamu ran into the room, handing the phone to his mother. "Thanks. Moshi-moshi, Ichijouji desu ga. Ahh!! Konnichiwa Akamiya-san!"

Osamu sat down next to Ken, barley listening to his mother prattle to her friend. "Need any help on homework?" he asked. Ken shook his head. Osamu scanned over the problems Ken had already finished. "Good job." he told him, patting his younger sibling on the back. He looked up as something his mother said caught his interest.

"Keep her for the week." Rika said, a look of joy on her face. "Whats her name? Sara Adams..."

Osamu jumped up and began waving his arms and shaking his head. "No mom!" he whispered.

Rika, noticing her son's reaction, planned something in her mind. "Of course she can stay. We'd be glad to have her!" She glanced at Osamu, who was glaring daggers at her. "Just send her home with Osamu and Ken tomorrow. Your welcome. Bye!" As she hung up the phone she turned to Osamu, who was sitting with a scowl on his face. "What?" she asked innocently. Osamu just sighed.

It was bad enough having to tutor her, but having her live with him... that was almost unbearable. He knew she ment well and she was just trying to make friends, but she got on his nerves. He had no idea how he was going to handle this. He sighed. again.

If only he knew what that week would do for the two...

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"Ichijouji!" Itaria screeched, making several people in the hall stare at her. "You have to live with him for a week? Is there no justice in this world? That is so unfair!"

"No kidding. " Sara said gloomily. "And it starts today. His mother is picking me up from school since Osamu is leaving early for some reason. His mom seems sweet. Wish he was."

Itaria smiled. "Like I said before, he's usually not like that. Well, I take that back. He didn't used to be that way. Fame turned him cold. He hates it. You can see it in his face."

"Yeah, I found that out a few weeks ago." Sara explained. "He yelled it to me across the room. Well, one more hour before my torture begins."

Itaria laughed. "You'll be fine, dear."

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Forty-five minutes later, Sara found herself at the front of the school, waiting for whoever was taking her to Osamu's house. A young red-haired woman walked to the front of the school and spotted Sara waiting. "Are you Sara?" she asked. Her face broke into a smile when Sara nodded. "Hi. My name is Ichijouji Rika. I'm Osamu's mother."

"Nice to meet you." Sara said. "So, is Osamu still gone?"

"Yes. He had an appointment with the eye doctor today." Rika explained. "We are going to have to walk home. I really hope you don't mind."

"I have to anyway." Sara said. "Its not a big deal really."

"So... You and Osamu don't get along I hear?"

"He hates me."

"Osamu doesn't hate anyone, except for reporters maybe." Rika said. "He's been teased all his life, by other kids, because he's so smart. He's different at home though." She laughed at Sara's surprised face. "I'm not kidding. He changes. He goes from being a polite, quite kid to a typical, no manners at all, preteen boy. You'll see."

Rika led them to her apartment and she pushed the door open. "Nice place." Sara commented, looking around.

"Thank you." Rika said. "Just make yourself at home. Would you like anything to drink? Pop, tea?"

"No thanks." Sara said. As she sat down in on the couch, she heard the door open again and the sound of voices.

"The boys are home." Rika said. All three Ichijouji boys walked into the living room, all three of them laughing. "Hey boys!"

Osamu turned to his mother. "Konnichiwa, okaasan." she said. Turning around, he found his litter brother staring at something, and he seemed to be hiding behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked. Still staring, Ken pointed towards Sara and asked his brother something in Japanese. Osamu followed Ken's finger and answered his brother.

"So, Osamu." Rika said quickly, noticing her sons eyes narrow. "What did the eye doctor say?"

Osamu shrugged, turning back to his mother. "That I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses. The usual."

"Who is the visitor, dear?" Shin asked, turning to his wife.

"Well," Rika said standing. "This is the new exchange student from America. Shin is this is Sara. Sara, this is my husband Shin."

Shin nodded respectfully to her. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Sara said.

"You already know Osamu." Rika continued "And the shy one hiding behind Osamu is our younger son, Ken. Ken-chan, come here."

The shy boy walked out from behind his older brother and smiled. "Hi!" he said. Sara smiled back at him.

"Hi there." Sara said. "How old are you?"

"Um..." Ken looked up at Osamu for help.

"Eight."

"I'm eight." Ken repeated.

"He doesn't speak English all that well." Osamu explained to her. "I don't see why though. He can understand it almost perfectly. He just gets confused on how to put the words together I guess. Who knows."

"I see..." Sara replied. She looked back down at Ken. "I'm Sara."

"Your from America, right?" Ken asked, his eyes getting wide.

"Yep." Sara said, smiling at the boy. "I live in the state of Oklahoma."

"What is it like?" Ken asked

"Where I come from is really small." Sara explained. "There are about thirty-two people in the town that I live in. The town next to it only has about 2,000."

Ken's eyes got even wider. "Wow! Thats like... small."

Sara nodded. "No kidding. It was really strange coming here. There are like what. A million people in Tokyo."

"Over twenty-six point five million to be exact." Osamu said. "Much bigger than you town."

"Why don't you kids go ahead and get started on homework." Rika budded in. "Dinner is going to be a bit late tonight."

The three nodded and Sara followed Osamu towards the back of the house. She remained silent as Osamu led her into the bedroom and opened up his bookbag. He took out a book that Sara recognized as a teachers addition to her math book. He laid the book on his desk and turned to her. "Well, since I'm supposed to tutor you, we better get started. Sit down."

Sara sat at the extra chair that had been pulled up for her. "You mom is cool." she commented, watching Osamu scribble something in Japanese. "Your lucky to have her."

Osamu shrugged. "I guess. She's overbearing sometimes. Not as bad as Dad is though"

"He did seem a little strict." Sara agreed. "I didn't know you had a little brother."

"Ken's not very well known." Osamu explained. "It drives me nuts. I'm famous and he's not. I wish there was something I could do." He added bitterly. Sara decided to remain silent. "Okay. Let me see you math paper. You're correcting it, right?" Sara nodded and handed him the math paper, blushing slightly. Osamu's eyes widened as 19 marks were on the paper. "Whew." he added under his breath. "Okay, you're working on fractions and division right?" Sara nodded. "Lets get started.

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A half an hour later and many frustrated cries from Sara and erases from Osamu later, they finished. Osamu had his hands in his hair, frustrated on how to get this through to her. 'At least she tries.'

"Kids, dinner!"

"Come on." Osamu said, raising from his chair and left Sara to follow him to the dining room. Sara entered it, greeted with a lovely smell. "Smells great mom." Osamu commented.

"Thanks."

"Sit here Sara!" Sara turned to see Ken pointing at the chair next to his. Sara took it and smiled at the boy. Sara stared down at her plate and found that the only silverware was chopsticks.

"Um... I don't mean to be a nuisance, but how do you use these?"

"I'll show you!" Ken offered. Having a eight year old show you how to use chopsticks is not the easiest thing in the world, especially if he doesn't speak English well. But with much help, Sara got the hang of it and was soon eating a wonderful meal. Sara kept noticing that Osamu was staring at her. Not a bad stare. It actually looked like he wasn't annoyed by her presence. His mother was right. He did change outside of school. He seemed friendlier and acted like a normal boy.

After dinner, the three kids retreated back to the bedroom. "What do you want to do now?" Sara asked. Ken looked up at Osamu and asked him something in Japanese. Osamu nodded.

"Ken wants to know if you would like to play a game."

"Sure." Sara said. As she said this, Ken's eyes lit up. "What would you like to play."

After a minute or so, they decided Monopoly sounded good. Luckily, Osamu has ordered the English version of the game off the internet and Sara was able to read it. As the three played, Osamu's mind wondered. 'Maybe she isn't as bad as I first though she was.' He was actually enjoying being around her for once. Instead of being obnoxious, she was quite fun. His thoughts soon went back to the game as he landed on Sara's $1700 Boardwalk property.

Three hours and many triumphant cries from Ken and Sara later, Osamu finally declared bankrupt. Sara had the most amount of money and, therefore, won the game "Good job." Osamu told her. "Its amazing you beat me. I usually win."

"Only because I give up!" Ken declared. "Thank you, Sara."

"No problem." Sara said. "I'm a master at the game. I beat my little sister all the time. I know the secrets."

"Well, teach them to me." Ken demanded.

"I'll be sure to do that, don't worry." Sara assured him. "Well, what now?"

Osamu looked at his watch. "Its nine-thirty. Since tomorrow is Saturday, we don't have to go to bed, but we can."

"Well, what about a movie?" Sara suggested. "You do have some, don't you?"

Ken nodded. "I know just the one." And with that, he took off towards the living room.

Osamu laughed. "Its a tradition." he explained. "He'll pick The Wizard of Oz. We used to have to watch that ever Friday, or we couldn't go to sleep. " Sure enough, when they arrived in the living room, Ken was rewinding the spoken video. "Make yourself comfortable. The way he watches it, it will be midnight before its over."

Sara snorted. "Rewinds ever little thing, huh?"

Osamu sighed and rolled his eyes. "You betcha he does."

The two sat in silence until Sara spoke up. "You know what?"

"Hmm?"

"Your alot of fun to be around."

Osamu stared at her, surprised. "You are too." he finally admitted, when he had gotten his voice back.

"Wanna start over?" Sara asked him. "Maybe try to be friends?"

Osamu thought for a moment and then for the first time since Sara had met him, he smiled. A true smile. Not the fake ones he got by with in school. "I'm willing to give it a try."

"Cool." Sara replied, not knowing what else to say. She turned back to Ken and the movie, a grin on her face. Maybe this week wouldn't be so bad after all.

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Okay, there is the third chapter. Are you at least somewhat interested? I hope so. Please review.