Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Bishounen Boys ❯ Part 8: Kaze ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Splash 
Silent suffering...
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.03.2002 | Updated On: 05.04.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 356 | Status: Completed
Silent suffering...
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.03.2002 | Updated On: 05.04.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 356 | Status: Completed
*******
The Bishounen Boys
Part 8: "Kaze"
By Splash
*******
I meant to release one large chapter including the contest, but it's already WAY too long already so I had to save some for the next chapter... again... XD Oh well, that's good news for you! Long chapter in this round and the next chapter shouldn't take as much time. ^_^
"Kaze" is the coupling song to Wada Kouji's "The Biggest Dreamer," which is the opening song for Digimon Tamers. Translated lyrics are after the chapter.
This chapter is... well... Taichi-centric except for the first blurb. Wai. ^_^
Gomen na... ore kimochi warui.- Sorry... I feel sick.
Moshi moshi-Hello (telephone greeting)
****
~October 2002~
The day of the local contest was drawing near. It would be held on a Friday night, when the stress of schoolwork was lessened and teenagers would be able to enjoy music more. The boys spent literally half their time deciding on what song they wanted to sing, making sure that it was appropriate for the rules and it was a song that they were ready for.
It was Taichi's personal favorite song, much to the dismay of the other members. Each one wanted to do his favorite, after all. However, Taichi was able to motivate them enough with the prophecy that their success in the local contest would bring in better crowds to hear their favorites.
So they worked the song for many practices, getting the harmonies to perfection and modifying the runs in the background. While Taichi and Yamato worked on their vocals, Takeru and Daisuke handled the synthesizers. Daisuke had some previous knowledge of the machine before coming to America, and Takeru helped him learn the rest of the tricks to be a little more than decent at it. Ken became interested watching the two expertly handle the buttons and switches and asked if they would teach him.
" Ken, I would concentrate on the vocals if I were you," Takeru answered him, " The synthesizer takes much more time than we have for this contest. It's better if we get this song to its best so we can worry about the long-term things afterwards."
Ken reluctantly agreed with him. It depressed him when he got rejected, even though there were probably no harsh feelings behind it. He joined Taichi and Yamato in their singing practice. They welcomed him warmly, but as they practiced Ken couldn't help but feel edged by the connection he sensed between the two older boys. It was obvious they had something deeply established, which depressed the raven-haired boy even further. Even though he was pretty close with Takeru and Daisuke, he wasn't sure if he had any value in their view. Besides, who would appreciate a gloomy, contemptuous and undeserving person like him...?
****
~October 9, 2002~
" It should be at least 5 pages, which shouldn't be difficult at ALL considering how much information there is about all three of these men. Any questions?"
A boy wearing glasses raised a timid hand. Mr. Andrews gave him a sideways glance. " Yes, Alex?"
" Uh... just WHAT are we writing about exactly?"
The teacher sighed heavily, and in one huge slur, said, " You will be writing a 5-7 page paper on one person--Morgan, Carnegie or Rockefellar, not all three. Can I repeat NOT, Mr. Orwell?" he tapped the person in comment's desk as he walked by, stirring more awakeness into the boy's figure. "Let's say you picked Rockefellar. You simply explain whether you believe that this person was a ruthless tycoon, and use supporting evidence. Or if you believe that he WASN'T a robber baron, use evidence that supports that. Comprendo? We've only been talking about it THE ENTIRE HOUR."
" 'We?' I beg to differ," Taichi muttered.
" What was that, Yagami?"
" Nothing."
" ...All right. Moving on..."
Yes, Honors American Heritage had to be his most fake class on Taichi's schedule. The desks were fake, the book was fake, the lessons were fake... hell, Mr. Andrew's HAIR was probably fake--whatever amount of it he had left.
Taichi's ability to let his mind wander off at times like this was a useless talent, but one nonetheless. He considered Mr. Andrew's speeches a good time to reflect on the past... after all, it WAS a history class. Heh. Daisuke would just die of boredom in this class, especially after trying to go through Andrew's tests.
Daisuke was everything Taichi had expected him to be, and Ken was even more so. One was over-enthusiastic and the other was over-cynical. The personalities complemented each other, at least. Takeru seemed to be a mix of both of them, or perhaps his own character. Taichi couldn't figure him out as quickly as the other ones. At times he could be stern like no other, but then there were also the occasions when he was the most hilarious thing in the world. The guy must have had something like... split personality or something. Sheesh. He was quite intriguing.
Although not as much as Yamato...
Curiousity getting to the better of him, Taichi turned his head in the blonde's general direction, and was surprised to notice that Yamato was already thinking the same thing for him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but then the torment pulled on Taichi, and he instead went to stare at the map of the world that was behind the enticing sight.
This world map was quite different... it covered the entire back wall of the classroom. There were apparent folds that sectioned off smaller squares on it... Taichi counted 35 squares, 5 x 7. Where the heck does somebody get a map that huge?!? He glanced at the spot where Japan was marked, then where America was. After adjusting to the American life somewhat, he had gotten used to the differences. He still had trouble dealing with some specifics... like his peers...
He smirked. His mind-wandering had suddenly reminded him of the time he played his cello for Yamato. He knew that Yamato enjoyed his performances, but it was just a habit for his mind to go all over the place.
After another five minutes of utter terror the students were free from Mr. Andrew's threshold. Taichi and Yamato made their way to French class on the other side of the school together. As usual Taichi teased the blonde about how bad his teacher was, while Yamato shot back with how bad the students in Taichi's class were. Even during the class Taichi's mind wandered toward him, the fact that Yamato was just in the room next to him giving him some relief. Madame Murphy was explaining the concept of writing passé composé to the rest of the class... again...
Taichi knew that he didn't need to pay attention to any of the discussion. Nonetheless, foreign language was the only thing he could truly be an overachiever in, so he took advantage of his teacher's extra lectures. They would help reinforce the important lessons that would be used in further years.
" Passé composé is not that difficult!" she said quickly, obviously in her ranting mood. When the other students were acting (or being) disassociated she would become a little frustrated. " There's just three things to remember."
She held up her thumb and the two fingers after it. " The subject," down went the thumb, " the present form of avoir or être depending on the verb," down went the index finger, " and the passé composé form of the verb," she held the remaining finger up, " That's all there is to it, you just have to..."
Taichi had to blink twice before he noticed it, and apparently none of the other students did. His seat towards the front of the classroom and in the center gave him a clear view of the finger in front of him. " Madame..."
****
~October 11, 2002~
" Taichi. Gomen na... ore kimochi warui."
One lonely Friday, one day without the blonde haired fellow near his side. Yes, the stroll to school seemed awfully quiet; yes, Mr. Andrew's class lacked something. But what hurt the most was lunch time, the single part of daily school life that points out --with a dirty, nasty finger-- your place in teen society. From the dark-clothed gotchic people gathered in the corners, to the athletic jockeys laughing loudly in the center, to the lowly clad females swooning discreetly at the jockeys. Oh yes, and there was also the occasional female who freed herself from the cage of the giggling swarm. There were several scattered around the lunch area, excited at the men teasing their barely protected bodies.
Lunch that day was French toast sticks with sausage. Taichi decided to try one of the sandwiches instead, and was amazed at their quality. They weren't too shabby for school food. However, he somehow failed to foretell a new arrival at his lunchtable until the intruder had made its way across from his front viewpoint. He was not in the mood for finding new social partners, and he was tempted to move, but some element of conscience arrived in his mind preventing from making any rude exits. Instead, he gave a meek greeting, then realized that it was... Lise. The one female who Taichi had contemplated being a misfit amongst a group that would make sure she was rejected unless she joined them. And also the only American he knew who could say his name properly.
' I can't believe I actually remember her name...' he thought without point.
" Hey, Taichi," she said casually, " I can't have anybody by themselves on a day like this. Football games build up a lot of pressure on the anti-spirits."
" Don't bother your time with me."
" Hmph, I bet you were a lot warmer to Yamato when you first met him, weren't you?"
Taichi blushed.
They remained silent for several moments, chewing indulgently on their lunches. The group that usually surrounded the two boys were now eyeing Lise. Most claimed that they were only surprised that Lise would ever have the nerve to do such a thing, although a majority hid their immediate jealousy.
" Come on, Taichi," his eyes furrowed once more at the exceptional pronounciation. " Yamato shouldn't be the only person here you can talk to. He might think that you're trying to put a burden on him."
Taichi blinked. He never thought of that...
Since he couldn't think of anything to argue back, he surrendered back to eating his lunch. Lise figured that he was trying to avoid conversation, and opened her mouth to get it going--- something like " How are your classes?" or "What do you think of this school so far?"
But it was Taichi who cut in. " What's Jesse's history?"
Lise took her turn at blinking. " Well, I've known her since Kindergarten, and-"
" I mean, what's her history HERE?" Taichi looked at her, a mild blaze in his eyes. " I had a bully after me and he seemed rather... envious."
The female was frozen for a moment. ' He plops all of these questions without emotion so easily. It completely degrades their importance...' "That's Brian Demple." She pointed him out, a few tables down. " He's Jesse's on-and-off goer. The problem is, every time Jesse is "off" him, she's always hanging off some other guy. If she gets the slightest sign of rejection, she'll turn to Brian for support. And then when her self-confidence rises again, she'll drop Brian and go after others... again. But now she's been rejected from just about every guy except Brian. She also finds you and Yamato to be very likable candidates."
Taichi continued to glare blankly.
" I think it was the bondage comment that set her off. I don't know what Yamato said to her, though. I wasn't there. Strange, Brian says some of the sweetest things to her and she just brushes them off."
The brunette, having lost interest in finishing his lunch, drank out of his sport water bottle to chug his food down.
" I can't help but feel sorry for her..."
Taichi's eyes widened. Practically spitting out his drink, he coughed and said, " I can."
" Huh?"
" She acts like a complete ditz! Seriously, if a girl keeps going out with someone who truly has feelings for her and then dumps them for the sole purpose of finding someone 'better...' and then USING the ex-boyfriend's interest in her to make herself feel better, not even CONSIDERING his feelings... it's so selfish!"
" Taichi, not so loud, she's nearby..."
He left Lise's comment unattended, his spirit becoming firey. He even raised his voice to outstand the lunch crowd. " A person like her doesn't deserve any pity, it won't help her at all! She needs some people to shape up her ass, and those responsible for that job know exactly who they are!"
Taichi stood up, quickly scanning the lunch area and identifying a large boy a few tables down, where Lise had indicated before. He glared at him. " Brian! You've got to be more than blind not to realize that Jesse's using you. Now, perhaps you think that she would ignore you forever if you didn't accept her, but that only makes things worse! You've got to believe in her own good and let her see things for herself! No form of support will always be there forever, and it's better to let go before she becomes too accustomed! If she realizes that she wished to be with only you, then so be it. If she realizes that she DOESN'T, so be it. Either way, it's better to find out now before YOU become too attached!"
" This is only high school. Here, love is so flimsy, yet so domineering. A single 'true love' is much too rare. And don't even THINK about commitment. It's only bullshit romantic propoganda you read and hear about in the media."
He took one large gulp, then went to face the girls (Jesse amidst them), ignoring the wide-eyed faces surrounding him. " Jesse! You need to wake up before you make a mistake you regret! Stop this foolery now unless you want to learn the hard way-- which is fine, go ahead if you want. I, just like all of your other 'friends' will be standing faithfully by as you tear your emotions apart. Face it, you can't get everyone no matter how highly you think of yourself. Most people don't think of you the same way you do. And to put it bluntly, you're overestimating yourself. I bet Bri-"
A high shrill-- close to a boiling teakettle-- interrupted him. It was a strange blur; the glimmer of tears catching everyone's attention as she stood up and shot out the doors, still wailing. Newsflash: Jesse has left the building.
For some reason, the first thought that occured in Taichi's mind as the school doors dimmed her voice, was 'Doppler effect.'
He stood still. The lunch room had grown silent long ago, and even the lunch monitors were hesitant to do anything. Then, Taichi felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned aroung, and met up with a very distressed Brian. The intense expression on his face couldn't be any more clear. ' Go talk to her.'
Taichi's eyes darted to the side, and he released a sigh, responding to yet another assigned chore.
Females could be so difficult, and in his case it more irritated him than impressed him. Mainly it was the way they handled competition and defeat... they're so stubborn. And on the excess side of that, too.
But what could he do? He DID kind of lash out too much. She probably deserved it, though...
Taichi paused at the school doors, not wishing to proceed. A flicker of an image popped in his head. Cool, stunning... blonde... would this have happened if he was there...?
He pushed the image away and the school doors with it, immediately hearing the girl's crying. He rolled his eyes again, more wearily this time, and waited for her to notice him. He wished she had NEVER noticed him, actually...
Through her weeping, she spotted Taichi out of the corner of her eye, then turned away. She sobbed even harder, hiding her face in her hands.
... Now what? Unlike with Yamato, he couldn't comfort this girl, emotionally nor physically...
Taichi shot down another blush. Damn, that guy was really getting to him today...
He looked back at the school doors, and saw Brian behind the window. The large boy mouthed the words, " Say you're Sorry..."
Taichi nearly gagged. It seemed that the only way to get out of this situation was to lie.
" Jesse," he uttered with mock willpower. " I'm sorry."
Her crying instantly stopped, although an ugly snort followed. " Really?"
The brunette almost couldn't help but laugh at the classic scene. She was even hiccuping at the right cues.
But it was his cue now. " Yeah, I shouldn't have said all that." 'Although there was a good reason I did in the first place, in which you're doing the exact opposite of right now.'
Obviously not hearing the words he had not said, Jess turned around, tears still puddled in her eyes. She suddenly gave a wild smile... " You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!" She leaped in Taichi's general direction, but his athletic reflexes easily allowed him to dodge. She held onto thin air (Brian hid his smirk) but refused to show her disappointment, convinced that Taichi was just playing around. Instead, she gave him a friendly elbow (which he also managed to dodge) and said, " Oh, you're a sly one, aren't you? Catch ya later!"
She skittered back inside after giving Taichi one of those feminine simles. Taichi just started at the wall after her, disgusted at what he had just done. He knew she had taken his apology in a way he had not intended, and there were going to be consequences...
If only Yamato were there...
****
The coach was watching. The ball had landed right where he could lead with it. Now was his chance...
The soccer ball landed neatly into his opponent's net, and it would have been impressive as well... if the goalie had not been slacking off on purpose to make it look easy. Taichi hmphed, then stood in the proximity of the net as the coach approached to comment on the play.
" Reiley, what happened there? You could have easily caught that."
Taichi held back his initial reaction, and kept it to himself. ' Yeah right...'
" Sorry coach, I was just a little preoccupied. Girls, you know..."
The coach laughed. " Better here than at the actual games, at least!" he said cheerfully, " Just get that problem fixed before the big one, okay?"
" Sure thing." With that, the coach ordered the team to proceed with the practice game. Reiley picked up the ball and handed it to the team coach, the whole time completely ignoring Taichi's presense. Taichi did nothing except head back to his offense position, which he disliked. He hated being unable to go anywhere through the field. It was better than being defense at least. Scoring was one of his specialties.
He was used to it now, this lack of recognition. He knew he was the newest team member. He knew that he was the cause of the other who had been cut from the team. And he knew that the only reason that person was on the team in the first place was because his fellow preppy friend the goalie. And the goalie was highly respected by the other members.
' Of COURSE that gives them a perfectly good reason to treat me like leftover shit,' he thought sarcastically.
He could wait, though. He was preserving himself on purpose, so that he could unleash himself during his first game. If he had a larger audience, then there would be no way the coach could avoid him...
In the meantime, suffering was the only choice he had.
****
Yamato's mother dismissed the brunette when he appeared at her door, telling him that Yamato should not see anybody while he was sick, and that Taichi should have called before stopping by. Sighing, Taichi headed home and promptly headed for the substitute plan.
" Moshi moshi?"
" Okaasan, I've got it." Taichi's felt his mind take a vacation as he heard that deep voice seep into him.
" Huh?"
" I said I've got it," he said calmly.
" Okay."
There was a click.
" ...Taichi?"
More fluttery feelings crept inside him, and Taichi couldn't control it. " How did you know it was me?"
" You sounded out of breath, I could hear your panting. And I saw you outside my bedroom window. Damn Okaasan, I'm not contagious or anything, I just had a bad fever."
" Oh..."
There was a significant amount of silence. For a minute, they simply listened to each other breathing, and Taichi eventually said, " My God... We have the contest tonight..."
On the other line, Yamato puffed out air. " I'm trying to convince Okaasan that I'm not sick so I can go."
" You mean you don't know if you'll be allowed to go?!? Yamato, we've been working on this for weeks..."
" I know. But you know how she is..."
Taichi flinched slightly. " Well, promise me you'll be there tonight."
" Promise you? I can't really-"
" Of course you can. And I'll promise you that I'll be there for the best day of your life."
Taichi blinked. That slipped out so easily...
" Right, Taichi..." Yamato replied. There was a hint of melancholy in his tone. " I'll try. Shouldn't you be going? The contest starts in a couple of hours."
Taichi checked the clock on the wall next to him. " True... Yamato... I..." he stopped, then picked himself back up. " I really hope you'll make it. Good luck to you."
" You too, Taichi."
Mrs. Yagami stepped into the room just as Taichi placed the receiver down. She looked rather excited about this contest... " Hurry up, Taichi! You don't want to be late! I already have the car keys."
Taichi looked at her with a half smile, tainted with the thought of Yamato. ' I wish he was the one to have my mom instead... he'd love her so much...'
He grabbed a large bag containing his concert outfit, and halted before deciding to go outside to the awaiting car. He was looking at the corner of the wall where a black case rested. " Okaasan. Load up the van instead," he said to his mother. She blinked curiously.
Taichi had an unusually serious gleam in his eyes. " I'm bringing my cello with me."
****
Tsuzuku...
****
Oooh, tension. =^.^= Reviews will help me GREATLY! I'm always wondering how people think this is coming along. ^^;
Anyhow, the lyrics! Credit: Whitecat (whitecat@austin.rr.com) http://www.hanashika.com/whitecat/
Kaze (Wind)
If I become the strong wind that flows from the clouds
My feelings should become straightforward and pure.
What about adults, wha - what about common sense?
Those aren't the more important things.
fly to the sky - this feeling
Now crosses over time
your luck - it's easy
Just waiting around is boring.
Take a Chance
Faster than anyone you grab it
Melting, now changing into heat
I'll search for my newborn wings
In that instant everything begins in my heart.
If I become the wind of dreams that engulfs the sky,
This true light would be wounded.
The world has no moods behind that subject
It'll pile up again, grace and laughter
breakin' a time - this city ...
Still doesn't see this, but
never mind - even so
I'm able to go anywhere
Take a Chance
In my heart is a certain beat
I want to sense that future
That I'll pierce inside this dazzling light
In the instant everything changes in my heart
Take a Chance
Faster than anyone you grab it
Melting, now changing into heat
I'll search for my newborn wings
In that instant everything begins in my heart.
Splash
http://gottaito.cjb.net
The Bishounen Boys
Part 8: "Kaze"
By Splash
*******
I meant to release one large chapter including the contest, but it's already WAY too long already so I had to save some for the next chapter... again... XD Oh well, that's good news for you! Long chapter in this round and the next chapter shouldn't take as much time. ^_^
"Kaze" is the coupling song to Wada Kouji's "The Biggest Dreamer," which is the opening song for Digimon Tamers. Translated lyrics are after the chapter.
This chapter is... well... Taichi-centric except for the first blurb. Wai. ^_^
Gomen na... ore kimochi warui.- Sorry... I feel sick.
Moshi moshi-Hello (telephone greeting)
****
~October 2002~
The day of the local contest was drawing near. It would be held on a Friday night, when the stress of schoolwork was lessened and teenagers would be able to enjoy music more. The boys spent literally half their time deciding on what song they wanted to sing, making sure that it was appropriate for the rules and it was a song that they were ready for.
It was Taichi's personal favorite song, much to the dismay of the other members. Each one wanted to do his favorite, after all. However, Taichi was able to motivate them enough with the prophecy that their success in the local contest would bring in better crowds to hear their favorites.
So they worked the song for many practices, getting the harmonies to perfection and modifying the runs in the background. While Taichi and Yamato worked on their vocals, Takeru and Daisuke handled the synthesizers. Daisuke had some previous knowledge of the machine before coming to America, and Takeru helped him learn the rest of the tricks to be a little more than decent at it. Ken became interested watching the two expertly handle the buttons and switches and asked if they would teach him.
" Ken, I would concentrate on the vocals if I were you," Takeru answered him, " The synthesizer takes much more time than we have for this contest. It's better if we get this song to its best so we can worry about the long-term things afterwards."
Ken reluctantly agreed with him. It depressed him when he got rejected, even though there were probably no harsh feelings behind it. He joined Taichi and Yamato in their singing practice. They welcomed him warmly, but as they practiced Ken couldn't help but feel edged by the connection he sensed between the two older boys. It was obvious they had something deeply established, which depressed the raven-haired boy even further. Even though he was pretty close with Takeru and Daisuke, he wasn't sure if he had any value in their view. Besides, who would appreciate a gloomy, contemptuous and undeserving person like him...?
****
~October 9, 2002~
" It should be at least 5 pages, which shouldn't be difficult at ALL considering how much information there is about all three of these men. Any questions?"
A boy wearing glasses raised a timid hand. Mr. Andrews gave him a sideways glance. " Yes, Alex?"
" Uh... just WHAT are we writing about exactly?"
The teacher sighed heavily, and in one huge slur, said, " You will be writing a 5-7 page paper on one person--Morgan, Carnegie or Rockefellar, not all three. Can I repeat NOT, Mr. Orwell?" he tapped the person in comment's desk as he walked by, stirring more awakeness into the boy's figure. "Let's say you picked Rockefellar. You simply explain whether you believe that this person was a ruthless tycoon, and use supporting evidence. Or if you believe that he WASN'T a robber baron, use evidence that supports that. Comprendo? We've only been talking about it THE ENTIRE HOUR."
" 'We?' I beg to differ," Taichi muttered.
" What was that, Yagami?"
" Nothing."
" ...All right. Moving on..."
Yes, Honors American Heritage had to be his most fake class on Taichi's schedule. The desks were fake, the book was fake, the lessons were fake... hell, Mr. Andrew's HAIR was probably fake--whatever amount of it he had left.
Taichi's ability to let his mind wander off at times like this was a useless talent, but one nonetheless. He considered Mr. Andrew's speeches a good time to reflect on the past... after all, it WAS a history class. Heh. Daisuke would just die of boredom in this class, especially after trying to go through Andrew's tests.
Daisuke was everything Taichi had expected him to be, and Ken was even more so. One was over-enthusiastic and the other was over-cynical. The personalities complemented each other, at least. Takeru seemed to be a mix of both of them, or perhaps his own character. Taichi couldn't figure him out as quickly as the other ones. At times he could be stern like no other, but then there were also the occasions when he was the most hilarious thing in the world. The guy must have had something like... split personality or something. Sheesh. He was quite intriguing.
Although not as much as Yamato...
Curiousity getting to the better of him, Taichi turned his head in the blonde's general direction, and was surprised to notice that Yamato was already thinking the same thing for him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but then the torment pulled on Taichi, and he instead went to stare at the map of the world that was behind the enticing sight.
This world map was quite different... it covered the entire back wall of the classroom. There were apparent folds that sectioned off smaller squares on it... Taichi counted 35 squares, 5 x 7. Where the heck does somebody get a map that huge?!? He glanced at the spot where Japan was marked, then where America was. After adjusting to the American life somewhat, he had gotten used to the differences. He still had trouble dealing with some specifics... like his peers...
He smirked. His mind-wandering had suddenly reminded him of the time he played his cello for Yamato. He knew that Yamato enjoyed his performances, but it was just a habit for his mind to go all over the place.
After another five minutes of utter terror the students were free from Mr. Andrew's threshold. Taichi and Yamato made their way to French class on the other side of the school together. As usual Taichi teased the blonde about how bad his teacher was, while Yamato shot back with how bad the students in Taichi's class were. Even during the class Taichi's mind wandered toward him, the fact that Yamato was just in the room next to him giving him some relief. Madame Murphy was explaining the concept of writing passé composé to the rest of the class... again...
Taichi knew that he didn't need to pay attention to any of the discussion. Nonetheless, foreign language was the only thing he could truly be an overachiever in, so he took advantage of his teacher's extra lectures. They would help reinforce the important lessons that would be used in further years.
" Passé composé is not that difficult!" she said quickly, obviously in her ranting mood. When the other students were acting (or being) disassociated she would become a little frustrated. " There's just three things to remember."
She held up her thumb and the two fingers after it. " The subject," down went the thumb, " the present form of avoir or être depending on the verb," down went the index finger, " and the passé composé form of the verb," she held the remaining finger up, " That's all there is to it, you just have to..."
Taichi had to blink twice before he noticed it, and apparently none of the other students did. His seat towards the front of the classroom and in the center gave him a clear view of the finger in front of him. " Madame..."
****
~October 11, 2002~
" Taichi. Gomen na... ore kimochi warui."
One lonely Friday, one day without the blonde haired fellow near his side. Yes, the stroll to school seemed awfully quiet; yes, Mr. Andrew's class lacked something. But what hurt the most was lunch time, the single part of daily school life that points out --with a dirty, nasty finger-- your place in teen society. From the dark-clothed gotchic people gathered in the corners, to the athletic jockeys laughing loudly in the center, to the lowly clad females swooning discreetly at the jockeys. Oh yes, and there was also the occasional female who freed herself from the cage of the giggling swarm. There were several scattered around the lunch area, excited at the men teasing their barely protected bodies.
Lunch that day was French toast sticks with sausage. Taichi decided to try one of the sandwiches instead, and was amazed at their quality. They weren't too shabby for school food. However, he somehow failed to foretell a new arrival at his lunchtable until the intruder had made its way across from his front viewpoint. He was not in the mood for finding new social partners, and he was tempted to move, but some element of conscience arrived in his mind preventing from making any rude exits. Instead, he gave a meek greeting, then realized that it was... Lise. The one female who Taichi had contemplated being a misfit amongst a group that would make sure she was rejected unless she joined them. And also the only American he knew who could say his name properly.
' I can't believe I actually remember her name...' he thought without point.
" Hey, Taichi," she said casually, " I can't have anybody by themselves on a day like this. Football games build up a lot of pressure on the anti-spirits."
" Don't bother your time with me."
" Hmph, I bet you were a lot warmer to Yamato when you first met him, weren't you?"
Taichi blushed.
They remained silent for several moments, chewing indulgently on their lunches. The group that usually surrounded the two boys were now eyeing Lise. Most claimed that they were only surprised that Lise would ever have the nerve to do such a thing, although a majority hid their immediate jealousy.
" Come on, Taichi," his eyes furrowed once more at the exceptional pronounciation. " Yamato shouldn't be the only person here you can talk to. He might think that you're trying to put a burden on him."
Taichi blinked. He never thought of that...
Since he couldn't think of anything to argue back, he surrendered back to eating his lunch. Lise figured that he was trying to avoid conversation, and opened her mouth to get it going--- something like " How are your classes?" or "What do you think of this school so far?"
But it was Taichi who cut in. " What's Jesse's history?"
Lise took her turn at blinking. " Well, I've known her since Kindergarten, and-"
" I mean, what's her history HERE?" Taichi looked at her, a mild blaze in his eyes. " I had a bully after me and he seemed rather... envious."
The female was frozen for a moment. ' He plops all of these questions without emotion so easily. It completely degrades their importance...' "That's Brian Demple." She pointed him out, a few tables down. " He's Jesse's on-and-off goer. The problem is, every time Jesse is "off" him, she's always hanging off some other guy. If she gets the slightest sign of rejection, she'll turn to Brian for support. And then when her self-confidence rises again, she'll drop Brian and go after others... again. But now she's been rejected from just about every guy except Brian. She also finds you and Yamato to be very likable candidates."
Taichi continued to glare blankly.
" I think it was the bondage comment that set her off. I don't know what Yamato said to her, though. I wasn't there. Strange, Brian says some of the sweetest things to her and she just brushes them off."
The brunette, having lost interest in finishing his lunch, drank out of his sport water bottle to chug his food down.
" I can't help but feel sorry for her..."
Taichi's eyes widened. Practically spitting out his drink, he coughed and said, " I can."
" Huh?"
" She acts like a complete ditz! Seriously, if a girl keeps going out with someone who truly has feelings for her and then dumps them for the sole purpose of finding someone 'better...' and then USING the ex-boyfriend's interest in her to make herself feel better, not even CONSIDERING his feelings... it's so selfish!"
" Taichi, not so loud, she's nearby..."
He left Lise's comment unattended, his spirit becoming firey. He even raised his voice to outstand the lunch crowd. " A person like her doesn't deserve any pity, it won't help her at all! She needs some people to shape up her ass, and those responsible for that job know exactly who they are!"
Taichi stood up, quickly scanning the lunch area and identifying a large boy a few tables down, where Lise had indicated before. He glared at him. " Brian! You've got to be more than blind not to realize that Jesse's using you. Now, perhaps you think that she would ignore you forever if you didn't accept her, but that only makes things worse! You've got to believe in her own good and let her see things for herself! No form of support will always be there forever, and it's better to let go before she becomes too accustomed! If she realizes that she wished to be with only you, then so be it. If she realizes that she DOESN'T, so be it. Either way, it's better to find out now before YOU become too attached!"
" This is only high school. Here, love is so flimsy, yet so domineering. A single 'true love' is much too rare. And don't even THINK about commitment. It's only bullshit romantic propoganda you read and hear about in the media."
He took one large gulp, then went to face the girls (Jesse amidst them), ignoring the wide-eyed faces surrounding him. " Jesse! You need to wake up before you make a mistake you regret! Stop this foolery now unless you want to learn the hard way-- which is fine, go ahead if you want. I, just like all of your other 'friends' will be standing faithfully by as you tear your emotions apart. Face it, you can't get everyone no matter how highly you think of yourself. Most people don't think of you the same way you do. And to put it bluntly, you're overestimating yourself. I bet Bri-"
A high shrill-- close to a boiling teakettle-- interrupted him. It was a strange blur; the glimmer of tears catching everyone's attention as she stood up and shot out the doors, still wailing. Newsflash: Jesse has left the building.
For some reason, the first thought that occured in Taichi's mind as the school doors dimmed her voice, was 'Doppler effect.'
He stood still. The lunch room had grown silent long ago, and even the lunch monitors were hesitant to do anything. Then, Taichi felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned aroung, and met up with a very distressed Brian. The intense expression on his face couldn't be any more clear. ' Go talk to her.'
Taichi's eyes darted to the side, and he released a sigh, responding to yet another assigned chore.
Females could be so difficult, and in his case it more irritated him than impressed him. Mainly it was the way they handled competition and defeat... they're so stubborn. And on the excess side of that, too.
But what could he do? He DID kind of lash out too much. She probably deserved it, though...
Taichi paused at the school doors, not wishing to proceed. A flicker of an image popped in his head. Cool, stunning... blonde... would this have happened if he was there...?
He pushed the image away and the school doors with it, immediately hearing the girl's crying. He rolled his eyes again, more wearily this time, and waited for her to notice him. He wished she had NEVER noticed him, actually...
Through her weeping, she spotted Taichi out of the corner of her eye, then turned away. She sobbed even harder, hiding her face in her hands.
... Now what? Unlike with Yamato, he couldn't comfort this girl, emotionally nor physically...
Taichi shot down another blush. Damn, that guy was really getting to him today...
He looked back at the school doors, and saw Brian behind the window. The large boy mouthed the words, " Say you're Sorry..."
Taichi nearly gagged. It seemed that the only way to get out of this situation was to lie.
" Jesse," he uttered with mock willpower. " I'm sorry."
Her crying instantly stopped, although an ugly snort followed. " Really?"
The brunette almost couldn't help but laugh at the classic scene. She was even hiccuping at the right cues.
But it was his cue now. " Yeah, I shouldn't have said all that." 'Although there was a good reason I did in the first place, in which you're doing the exact opposite of right now.'
Obviously not hearing the words he had not said, Jess turned around, tears still puddled in her eyes. She suddenly gave a wild smile... " You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!" She leaped in Taichi's general direction, but his athletic reflexes easily allowed him to dodge. She held onto thin air (Brian hid his smirk) but refused to show her disappointment, convinced that Taichi was just playing around. Instead, she gave him a friendly elbow (which he also managed to dodge) and said, " Oh, you're a sly one, aren't you? Catch ya later!"
She skittered back inside after giving Taichi one of those feminine simles. Taichi just started at the wall after her, disgusted at what he had just done. He knew she had taken his apology in a way he had not intended, and there were going to be consequences...
If only Yamato were there...
****
The coach was watching. The ball had landed right where he could lead with it. Now was his chance...
The soccer ball landed neatly into his opponent's net, and it would have been impressive as well... if the goalie had not been slacking off on purpose to make it look easy. Taichi hmphed, then stood in the proximity of the net as the coach approached to comment on the play.
" Reiley, what happened there? You could have easily caught that."
Taichi held back his initial reaction, and kept it to himself. ' Yeah right...'
" Sorry coach, I was just a little preoccupied. Girls, you know..."
The coach laughed. " Better here than at the actual games, at least!" he said cheerfully, " Just get that problem fixed before the big one, okay?"
" Sure thing." With that, the coach ordered the team to proceed with the practice game. Reiley picked up the ball and handed it to the team coach, the whole time completely ignoring Taichi's presense. Taichi did nothing except head back to his offense position, which he disliked. He hated being unable to go anywhere through the field. It was better than being defense at least. Scoring was one of his specialties.
He was used to it now, this lack of recognition. He knew he was the newest team member. He knew that he was the cause of the other who had been cut from the team. And he knew that the only reason that person was on the team in the first place was because his fellow preppy friend the goalie. And the goalie was highly respected by the other members.
' Of COURSE that gives them a perfectly good reason to treat me like leftover shit,' he thought sarcastically.
He could wait, though. He was preserving himself on purpose, so that he could unleash himself during his first game. If he had a larger audience, then there would be no way the coach could avoid him...
In the meantime, suffering was the only choice he had.
****
Yamato's mother dismissed the brunette when he appeared at her door, telling him that Yamato should not see anybody while he was sick, and that Taichi should have called before stopping by. Sighing, Taichi headed home and promptly headed for the substitute plan.
" Moshi moshi?"
" Okaasan, I've got it." Taichi's felt his mind take a vacation as he heard that deep voice seep into him.
" Huh?"
" I said I've got it," he said calmly.
" Okay."
There was a click.
" ...Taichi?"
More fluttery feelings crept inside him, and Taichi couldn't control it. " How did you know it was me?"
" You sounded out of breath, I could hear your panting. And I saw you outside my bedroom window. Damn Okaasan, I'm not contagious or anything, I just had a bad fever."
" Oh..."
There was a significant amount of silence. For a minute, they simply listened to each other breathing, and Taichi eventually said, " My God... We have the contest tonight..."
On the other line, Yamato puffed out air. " I'm trying to convince Okaasan that I'm not sick so I can go."
" You mean you don't know if you'll be allowed to go?!? Yamato, we've been working on this for weeks..."
" I know. But you know how she is..."
Taichi flinched slightly. " Well, promise me you'll be there tonight."
" Promise you? I can't really-"
" Of course you can. And I'll promise you that I'll be there for the best day of your life."
Taichi blinked. That slipped out so easily...
" Right, Taichi..." Yamato replied. There was a hint of melancholy in his tone. " I'll try. Shouldn't you be going? The contest starts in a couple of hours."
Taichi checked the clock on the wall next to him. " True... Yamato... I..." he stopped, then picked himself back up. " I really hope you'll make it. Good luck to you."
" You too, Taichi."
Mrs. Yagami stepped into the room just as Taichi placed the receiver down. She looked rather excited about this contest... " Hurry up, Taichi! You don't want to be late! I already have the car keys."
Taichi looked at her with a half smile, tainted with the thought of Yamato. ' I wish he was the one to have my mom instead... he'd love her so much...'
He grabbed a large bag containing his concert outfit, and halted before deciding to go outside to the awaiting car. He was looking at the corner of the wall where a black case rested. " Okaasan. Load up the van instead," he said to his mother. She blinked curiously.
Taichi had an unusually serious gleam in his eyes. " I'm bringing my cello with me."
****
Tsuzuku...
****
Oooh, tension. =^.^= Reviews will help me GREATLY! I'm always wondering how people think this is coming along. ^^;
Anyhow, the lyrics! Credit: Whitecat (whitecat@austin.rr.com) http://www.hanashika.com/whitecat/
Kaze (Wind)
If I become the strong wind that flows from the clouds
My feelings should become straightforward and pure.
What about adults, wha - what about common sense?
Those aren't the more important things.
fly to the sky - this feeling
Now crosses over time
your luck - it's easy
Just waiting around is boring.
Take a Chance
Faster than anyone you grab it
Melting, now changing into heat
I'll search for my newborn wings
In that instant everything begins in my heart.
If I become the wind of dreams that engulfs the sky,
This true light would be wounded.
The world has no moods behind that subject
It'll pile up again, grace and laughter
breakin' a time - this city ...
Still doesn't see this, but
never mind - even so
I'm able to go anywhere
Take a Chance
In my heart is a certain beat
I want to sense that future
That I'll pierce inside this dazzling light
In the instant everything changes in my heart
Take a Chance
Faster than anyone you grab it
Melting, now changing into heat
I'll search for my newborn wings
In that instant everything begins in my heart.
Splash
http://gottaito.cjb.net