Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ As Long As She's Happy ❯ ...When you say nothing at all. ( Chapter 9 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: moose_of_doom 
And now my first ever football match! And No, I will NOT call it soccer.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.11.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 475 | Status: Completed
And now my first ever football match! And No, I will NOT call it soccer.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.11.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 475 | Status: Completed
Chapter 9
...When you say nothing at all.
(Two Months later.)
It was a couple of hours before the first Match of the Youth season, and it was cold.
The month of January had been hell on earth. Freezing cold weather had followed the rain, and as Davis ran around the pitch, a couple of hours before the match, he shivered at the frost that lay heavy on the turf. He had got up early to get through his exercises. And this first match was being played at the new Tokyo stadium, which as a nice bit of Japan-Britain diplomacy, the Government had allowed Hess Football club to use as their new base. Davis stopped, out of breath after his workout. A cloud of vapour rose from his mouth. Back in their room at the stadium (This place came with all the extras!) Veemon slept comfortably. Davis was glad he had come out though. The world seemed so fresh at this time of day, with the frost lying on the ground like the finest cloth.
"It's bloody freezing out here." Came a voice from behind him. Davis turned and grinned.
His friend, Andy McNamara, the team's goalie, stood at the entrance to the tunnel, rubbing his hands over his arms. They wore matching tracksuits, both emblazoned with the HFC symbol, a rearing stallion.
"You want to take a couple of practice shots?" Andy asked.
Davis nodded. Andy pulled on his gloves and walked over to stand ready between the posts. Davis grinned slyly.
"You sure you want to be the one in goal?" he called.
"If I can stop your shots, I can stop anything!" came the reply.
Davis grinned again, and walked over to the manager's bay. Picking up a ball he walked over to the penalty spot. He set the ball down and drew back. Andy readied himself.
Davis ran forward and kicked the ball, aiming for the upper left corner. Andy leapt and his fist punted the ball up and over the goal.
"Too easy, you wuss!"
Davis lined up again.
"Is that any way to speak to your captain?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
It was John Tanner who brought the bad news.
"We're down a man." He said to Davis.
"You're kidding me."
"Nope, Joe Blesky got the flu this morning."
Davis sighed.
"What about the substitutes? We can bump one of them up cant we?"
Tanner shook his head.
"The subs bus has broken down. We're stuck with ten men. So you know anywhere we could get a replacement striker to go up with you?"
Davis smiled, an idea hitting him.
"I think I know just the guy."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Ken Ichijochi was changing into his customised HFC strip, when the phone rang. He picked up.
"Hey Ken."
"Davis? How are you? I was just getting ready to come down to the match!"
"Never mind watching it. How would you like to play for HFC this afternoon? If you don't mind wearing a borrowed shirt?"
Kens eyes bulged at the phone.
"Are you kidding me? I'll be right down! And I've got my own shirt. See you in half an hour!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Yolei, Kari and the rest of the Digidestined stood on the terraces of Tokyo stadium. All of them were dressed in their HFC strips.
Kari looked sideways at Yolei.
"Where's Ken?" she asked. The taller girl shrugged.
"HE said he had a surprise for me, and not to wait for him."
Cheers suddenly erupted around the stadium as the players jogged out of the tunnel and onto the pitch.
An announcer boomed from the callbox overhead.
"WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE JAPAN YOUTH PREMIERSHIP!
On This beautiful Day, we are going to watch Hess Football club youth team against The Tokyo Tornados!"
Kari and Yolei joined in the cheers. Their voices rising with the rest. The announcer rattled through the names of the Tornados, then moved on to HFC.
"In goal we have: Andy McNamara!" cheers greeted the name.
The announcer went through the rest of the team, and the crowds cheering escalated.
"And next we have some home-grown talent! An emergency substitution, but we ain't complaining! In his first HFC match, Kenyato Ichijochi!"
Yolei and Kari looked at each other in surprise. Then the row of Digidestined cheered as hard as they could.
"GO KEN!!!!!!!!"
"Finally, in his debut match for HFC, The new Youth Captain, Big it up for DAVIS MIYOMOTO!!!"
Yolei cheered, and looked across at Kari. There was a strange smile on the other girl's face, a mixture of sadness and pure joy. She was staring down onto the pitch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
The HFC team members huddled together, ready to listen to their captain's words. Davis spoke quickly and quietly.
"Okay, We're gonna have to play a defensive game for the first half. We can't risk anyone getting injured. Defenders stick close to goal, try and catch them offside if you can. Keep the ball in their side of the pitch. Ken, you're up front with me. Andy, do anything you can to keep that ball from getting into the back of the net. Lets go."
The huddle broke apart as the eleven players moved into their various positions.
Davis and Ken jogged to the centre line. Neither spoke, the silent communication that went on between them was enough to tell each other the others thoughts.
Davis kicked the ball from the centre spot, and the game started.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Half-time.
They were in the changing rooms, and they were losing. The substitutes bus was still no nearer to being there and the tornados were winning 2-0. The first being a lucky shot from the half-way line, and the second on a free kick. The mood was despondent. It wasn't that they weren't playing well, but sticking to a defensive game meant that they couldn't get the ball forward to Davis or Ken. Suddenly Andy spoke.
"Hell with this. We've got to stop playing this way Davis."
"And what happens if one of our guy's goes down huh? What are we gonna do then?"
Joey Orson, one of the midfielders looked up at this.
"Davis, we both know that the only ones who are at risk are you and Ken. We know that they haven't got a hope in hell of getting at you, and from what I can tell, the same goes for him." He pointed a thumb at Ken, who nodded.
"We've got two of the most famous Digidestined in the world playing for us, and you're worried about substitutes? Gimme a break."
Davis looked up at his teammates, and a sly smile spread over his face.
"Lets go for it."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
They walked back onto the pitch, and Davis again felt a deep feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.
20 minutes in, things were not any better. He had fumbled two shots, and was ready to give up.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Up on the terraces, Kari saw a camera panning towards her. she suddenly grabbed a large sheet of cardboard, which she had spotted earlier lying in the gangway. It had a large print of the HFC logo on one side, but the other was white. Pulling a lipstick from her purse, she wrote four words on the white side.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Everything might have been different, if the tornados hadn't decided to make a substitution at that point. It might have been different if Davis hadn't chosen that moment to look up at the scoreboard. It might have been different if the board operators hadn't decided to switch to shots of the crowd for the next 5 minutes on the board. It might have been different if the camera hadn't panned over a certain area of the terraces.
But it wasn't different.
For a couple of seconds, Davis looked into Kari's eyes. He read the sign she was holding.
'You can do it.'
Davis felt a rush of energy flood over him. If Kari believed in him, then he was going to turn this match around. The substitution finished, and the ball came back into play. It sailed towards Ken. Davis's friend caught it at his feet.
Davis Miyomoto ran forward, heading towards the goal. Ken crossed the ball over to him, and Davis leapt into the air, flipping backwards, a perfect bicycle-kick.
His foot connected with the ball, and it flew like a bullet towards the goal. It scraped past the goalies fingers and slammed into the back of the net.
2-1.
A cheer erupted from the stadium. HFC were back on track.
Fifteen minutes later, Joey Orson caught the ball at his feet, and sent it winging through the air towards Davis. He caught it on his chest, but the defenders were ready, and he didn't have a chance of getting past them.
Ken was already past them though. There was only one defender between him and the goal. Davis sent the ball lofting over the defenders heads towards his friend.
Too high. It was going to go over ken to the goalie.
But as the ball sailed towards him, Ken suddenly leapt up into the air and, seemingly defying gravity, slammed his head against the ball's leather. It flew into the top corner of the goal. As the goalie dived in the other direction.
2-2.
Davis saw the ref looking at his watch. Bringing the whistle to his mouth. But as ken landed, the tornados defender brought his leg around in a sweep that took Kens feet out from under him. The brought up his whistle and blew it. One short blast.
He strode over to the tornado defender. Ken had landed badly, and his ankle was twisted under him. Davis ran over and helped him up.
"You okay man?"
"Yeah, just twisted it. Drew huh?"
Davis shook his head. They looked up. The ref reached into his pocket and pulled out a red card. The tornados defender walked off in shame.
"Check out where you're standing. It ain't over yet."
Ken looked down. A white painted line marked the penalty box around the goal. He and Davis were firmly planted two yards in.
One shot left. One chance to win. Ken looked up at his friend.
"It's gotta be you Davis."
The other man nodded. Joey Orson Helped Ken over to the bench, as Davis turned back to the goal. He placed the ball on the penalty spot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
The crowd around Kari went completely silent. A huge intake of breath, drawn in, held.
Kari saw Davis falter, ready to take the shot, down on the pitch, the miniscule figure paused.
Kari stood up, drew in a deep breath, and cupping her hands around her mouth, shouted with all her heart.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Davis readied himself, and the stadium went silent around him. Doubt washed over him. What if he missed? What if now, when he was at the final hurdle, he screwed it all up? His legs felt slow, clumsy. His breath was coming in short pants, his body felt like a mess of nerve endings.
The silence pressed in on him, then...
A voice cut through that suppressing veil, a voice he knew only too well.
Kari.
"YOU CAN DO IT DAVIS!!"
He felt his strength rush back into him. And drew back a couple of paces from the ball.
The leather missile flew through the air like a bullet, the Tornados goalie reached out to stop it...
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Up on the terraces, the row of Digidestined gripped the backs of the seat in front of them, leaning forward.
Kari held her breath for what seemed like an eternity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
The ball flew straight and true. The tornados goalie chipped it with his hands as it went past, it shifted cours upwards, bounced off of the bottom of the crossbar, and hit the back of the net.
3-2.
Davis collapsed to his knees, relief washing over him. He felt himself being picked up by his teammates.
They had won.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
As they got changed out of their kit and were ready to go and celebrate, Ken hobbled over to Davis.
"There's a dance tonight at the school. You wanna come along? As mine and Yolei's guest?"
Davis grinned up at his friend.
"I'll be there. I've gotta watch you try and dance on that thing." He indicated Ken's leg.
John Tanner suddenly called from the door.
"Davis, there's someone here to see you. The rest of you, first rounds on me."
A cheer came up from round the room, and the team went out the door. Davis grinned at their backs, and put his foot up on the bench to do his shoelace.
"Hello Davis."
He whipped around to the door in shock. Kari stood there, her blue clothes matching the ribbon that was in her hair. The same colour as HFC's strip.
Davis was about to speak as Andy stuck his head into the room.
"Davis, are you..."
"Don't even think about it, Andy. Bugger off, close the door behind you. Just for a minute."
His friend closed the door. Kari was still standing there. She hadn't moved an inch.
"It's good to see you." She said quietly.
Davis didn't speak. Kari looked nervous. She held up her hand, Davis's goggles lay in her palm.
"I thought you might like these back..."
But Davis shook his head.
"There yours now. They were something to remember me by."
"I don't need these to remember you. I couldn't forget you if I wanted to."
Davis's brown head dipped down to his chest. He didn't look up as he spoke.
"Why are you here Kari?" he asked.
"Because I wanted to know something."
"What?"
"Do you still love me Davis?"
There was a long pause. Neither of them moved. Finally Davis looked up.
"I will always love you Kari. Now and forever."
But still neither made a move towards each other. They stood at opposite ends of the room, like chess pieces prepared for battle. Finally Kari spoke again.
"Then, do you think... we could give it a try?"
Davis closed his eyes, summoning all the courage he had left in his soul. He spoke slowly, measuring his words.
"I... I don't think so, Kari."
Her eyes widened.
"Why?"
"Because all I can see down that road is one of us getting hurt. And I'm afraid that it would probably be you. I don't want to be responsible for anything that could cause you pain."
Kari had tears in her eyes now.
"Nothing you do could ever hurt me, Davis. Nothing at all."
"You don't know that. No one does. We can't be sure."
A few tears were leaking down Kari's face now.
"Nothing in life is ever certain Davis. But now is. All I'm doing is standing here, asking you to love me. And I know you do, so what could possibly be wrong with that? Like I said, nothing you do could ever hurt me. But you've said your mind, and your heart. So I'd better go, before I start crying hysterically."
She moved to the door, and opened it. But she turned back briefly.
"I love you too Davis."
She turned and walked out of the door. Davis didn't move to follow her. But he spoke quietly after her retreating figure, and to himself.
"Now and forever, Kari. Now and forever."
He walked to where she had stood. The goggles lay on the floor. He picked them up and sat down on one of the benches, turning them over in his hands, not even seeing what he was doing. He bowed his head, and a single, solitary tear splashed onto the floor.
"You really are a stupid arsehole Davis. I didn't realise how much until now." Said Ken.
His friend, John Tanner, and Andy McNamara stood in the room. There were various degrees of sadness and disgust mingled in their expressions. Ken gave a lopsided grin.
"I suppose in a way it was the right thing to do"
The other two murmured assent. Davis's head sunk into his hands.
"Oh shit. I've made the wrong decision haven't I?"
The three men all simultaneously rubbed the backs of their heads. Davis's head snapped up.
"Ken, this dance tonight..."
"I'll understand if you don't want to come, Davis. I mean, she's probably gonna be there."
Davis stopped him.
"It's formal dress isn't it?"
The three men smiled. Ken nodded.
"I'll pick you up at seven."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
...When you say nothing at all.
(Two Months later.)
It was a couple of hours before the first Match of the Youth season, and it was cold.
The month of January had been hell on earth. Freezing cold weather had followed the rain, and as Davis ran around the pitch, a couple of hours before the match, he shivered at the frost that lay heavy on the turf. He had got up early to get through his exercises. And this first match was being played at the new Tokyo stadium, which as a nice bit of Japan-Britain diplomacy, the Government had allowed Hess Football club to use as their new base. Davis stopped, out of breath after his workout. A cloud of vapour rose from his mouth. Back in their room at the stadium (This place came with all the extras!) Veemon slept comfortably. Davis was glad he had come out though. The world seemed so fresh at this time of day, with the frost lying on the ground like the finest cloth.
"It's bloody freezing out here." Came a voice from behind him. Davis turned and grinned.
His friend, Andy McNamara, the team's goalie, stood at the entrance to the tunnel, rubbing his hands over his arms. They wore matching tracksuits, both emblazoned with the HFC symbol, a rearing stallion.
"You want to take a couple of practice shots?" Andy asked.
Davis nodded. Andy pulled on his gloves and walked over to stand ready between the posts. Davis grinned slyly.
"You sure you want to be the one in goal?" he called.
"If I can stop your shots, I can stop anything!" came the reply.
Davis grinned again, and walked over to the manager's bay. Picking up a ball he walked over to the penalty spot. He set the ball down and drew back. Andy readied himself.
Davis ran forward and kicked the ball, aiming for the upper left corner. Andy leapt and his fist punted the ball up and over the goal.
"Too easy, you wuss!"
Davis lined up again.
"Is that any way to speak to your captain?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
It was John Tanner who brought the bad news.
"We're down a man." He said to Davis.
"You're kidding me."
"Nope, Joe Blesky got the flu this morning."
Davis sighed.
"What about the substitutes? We can bump one of them up cant we?"
Tanner shook his head.
"The subs bus has broken down. We're stuck with ten men. So you know anywhere we could get a replacement striker to go up with you?"
Davis smiled, an idea hitting him.
"I think I know just the guy."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Ken Ichijochi was changing into his customised HFC strip, when the phone rang. He picked up.
"Hey Ken."
"Davis? How are you? I was just getting ready to come down to the match!"
"Never mind watching it. How would you like to play for HFC this afternoon? If you don't mind wearing a borrowed shirt?"
Kens eyes bulged at the phone.
"Are you kidding me? I'll be right down! And I've got my own shirt. See you in half an hour!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Yolei, Kari and the rest of the Digidestined stood on the terraces of Tokyo stadium. All of them were dressed in their HFC strips.
Kari looked sideways at Yolei.
"Where's Ken?" she asked. The taller girl shrugged.
"HE said he had a surprise for me, and not to wait for him."
Cheers suddenly erupted around the stadium as the players jogged out of the tunnel and onto the pitch.
An announcer boomed from the callbox overhead.
"WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE JAPAN YOUTH PREMIERSHIP!
On This beautiful Day, we are going to watch Hess Football club youth team against The Tokyo Tornados!"
Kari and Yolei joined in the cheers. Their voices rising with the rest. The announcer rattled through the names of the Tornados, then moved on to HFC.
"In goal we have: Andy McNamara!" cheers greeted the name.
The announcer went through the rest of the team, and the crowds cheering escalated.
"And next we have some home-grown talent! An emergency substitution, but we ain't complaining! In his first HFC match, Kenyato Ichijochi!"
Yolei and Kari looked at each other in surprise. Then the row of Digidestined cheered as hard as they could.
"GO KEN!!!!!!!!"
"Finally, in his debut match for HFC, The new Youth Captain, Big it up for DAVIS MIYOMOTO!!!"
Yolei cheered, and looked across at Kari. There was a strange smile on the other girl's face, a mixture of sadness and pure joy. She was staring down onto the pitch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
The HFC team members huddled together, ready to listen to their captain's words. Davis spoke quickly and quietly.
"Okay, We're gonna have to play a defensive game for the first half. We can't risk anyone getting injured. Defenders stick close to goal, try and catch them offside if you can. Keep the ball in their side of the pitch. Ken, you're up front with me. Andy, do anything you can to keep that ball from getting into the back of the net. Lets go."
The huddle broke apart as the eleven players moved into their various positions.
Davis and Ken jogged to the centre line. Neither spoke, the silent communication that went on between them was enough to tell each other the others thoughts.
Davis kicked the ball from the centre spot, and the game started.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Half-time.
They were in the changing rooms, and they were losing. The substitutes bus was still no nearer to being there and the tornados were winning 2-0. The first being a lucky shot from the half-way line, and the second on a free kick. The mood was despondent. It wasn't that they weren't playing well, but sticking to a defensive game meant that they couldn't get the ball forward to Davis or Ken. Suddenly Andy spoke.
"Hell with this. We've got to stop playing this way Davis."
"And what happens if one of our guy's goes down huh? What are we gonna do then?"
Joey Orson, one of the midfielders looked up at this.
"Davis, we both know that the only ones who are at risk are you and Ken. We know that they haven't got a hope in hell of getting at you, and from what I can tell, the same goes for him." He pointed a thumb at Ken, who nodded.
"We've got two of the most famous Digidestined in the world playing for us, and you're worried about substitutes? Gimme a break."
Davis looked up at his teammates, and a sly smile spread over his face.
"Lets go for it."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
They walked back onto the pitch, and Davis again felt a deep feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.
20 minutes in, things were not any better. He had fumbled two shots, and was ready to give up.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Up on the terraces, Kari saw a camera panning towards her. she suddenly grabbed a large sheet of cardboard, which she had spotted earlier lying in the gangway. It had a large print of the HFC logo on one side, but the other was white. Pulling a lipstick from her purse, she wrote four words on the white side.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Everything might have been different, if the tornados hadn't decided to make a substitution at that point. It might have been different if Davis hadn't chosen that moment to look up at the scoreboard. It might have been different if the board operators hadn't decided to switch to shots of the crowd for the next 5 minutes on the board. It might have been different if the camera hadn't panned over a certain area of the terraces.
But it wasn't different.
For a couple of seconds, Davis looked into Kari's eyes. He read the sign she was holding.
'You can do it.'
Davis felt a rush of energy flood over him. If Kari believed in him, then he was going to turn this match around. The substitution finished, and the ball came back into play. It sailed towards Ken. Davis's friend caught it at his feet.
Davis Miyomoto ran forward, heading towards the goal. Ken crossed the ball over to him, and Davis leapt into the air, flipping backwards, a perfect bicycle-kick.
His foot connected with the ball, and it flew like a bullet towards the goal. It scraped past the goalies fingers and slammed into the back of the net.
2-1.
A cheer erupted from the stadium. HFC were back on track.
Fifteen minutes later, Joey Orson caught the ball at his feet, and sent it winging through the air towards Davis. He caught it on his chest, but the defenders were ready, and he didn't have a chance of getting past them.
Ken was already past them though. There was only one defender between him and the goal. Davis sent the ball lofting over the defenders heads towards his friend.
Too high. It was going to go over ken to the goalie.
But as the ball sailed towards him, Ken suddenly leapt up into the air and, seemingly defying gravity, slammed his head against the ball's leather. It flew into the top corner of the goal. As the goalie dived in the other direction.
2-2.
Davis saw the ref looking at his watch. Bringing the whistle to his mouth. But as ken landed, the tornados defender brought his leg around in a sweep that took Kens feet out from under him. The brought up his whistle and blew it. One short blast.
He strode over to the tornado defender. Ken had landed badly, and his ankle was twisted under him. Davis ran over and helped him up.
"You okay man?"
"Yeah, just twisted it. Drew huh?"
Davis shook his head. They looked up. The ref reached into his pocket and pulled out a red card. The tornados defender walked off in shame.
"Check out where you're standing. It ain't over yet."
Ken looked down. A white painted line marked the penalty box around the goal. He and Davis were firmly planted two yards in.
One shot left. One chance to win. Ken looked up at his friend.
"It's gotta be you Davis."
The other man nodded. Joey Orson Helped Ken over to the bench, as Davis turned back to the goal. He placed the ball on the penalty spot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
The crowd around Kari went completely silent. A huge intake of breath, drawn in, held.
Kari saw Davis falter, ready to take the shot, down on the pitch, the miniscule figure paused.
Kari stood up, drew in a deep breath, and cupping her hands around her mouth, shouted with all her heart.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Davis readied himself, and the stadium went silent around him. Doubt washed over him. What if he missed? What if now, when he was at the final hurdle, he screwed it all up? His legs felt slow, clumsy. His breath was coming in short pants, his body felt like a mess of nerve endings.
The silence pressed in on him, then...
A voice cut through that suppressing veil, a voice he knew only too well.
Kari.
"YOU CAN DO IT DAVIS!!"
He felt his strength rush back into him. And drew back a couple of paces from the ball.
The leather missile flew through the air like a bullet, the Tornados goalie reached out to stop it...
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
Up on the terraces, the row of Digidestined gripped the backs of the seat in front of them, leaning forward.
Kari held her breath for what seemed like an eternity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
The ball flew straight and true. The tornados goalie chipped it with his hands as it went past, it shifted cours upwards, bounced off of the bottom of the crossbar, and hit the back of the net.
3-2.
Davis collapsed to his knees, relief washing over him. He felt himself being picked up by his teammates.
They had won.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------
As they got changed out of their kit and were ready to go and celebrate, Ken hobbled over to Davis.
"There's a dance tonight at the school. You wanna come along? As mine and Yolei's guest?"
Davis grinned up at his friend.
"I'll be there. I've gotta watch you try and dance on that thing." He indicated Ken's leg.
John Tanner suddenly called from the door.
"Davis, there's someone here to see you. The rest of you, first rounds on me."
A cheer came up from round the room, and the team went out the door. Davis grinned at their backs, and put his foot up on the bench to do his shoelace.
"Hello Davis."
He whipped around to the door in shock. Kari stood there, her blue clothes matching the ribbon that was in her hair. The same colour as HFC's strip.
Davis was about to speak as Andy stuck his head into the room.
"Davis, are you..."
"Don't even think about it, Andy. Bugger off, close the door behind you. Just for a minute."
His friend closed the door. Kari was still standing there. She hadn't moved an inch.
"It's good to see you." She said quietly.
Davis didn't speak. Kari looked nervous. She held up her hand, Davis's goggles lay in her palm.
"I thought you might like these back..."
But Davis shook his head.
"There yours now. They were something to remember me by."
"I don't need these to remember you. I couldn't forget you if I wanted to."
Davis's brown head dipped down to his chest. He didn't look up as he spoke.
"Why are you here Kari?" he asked.
"Because I wanted to know something."
"What?"
"Do you still love me Davis?"
There was a long pause. Neither of them moved. Finally Davis looked up.
"I will always love you Kari. Now and forever."
But still neither made a move towards each other. They stood at opposite ends of the room, like chess pieces prepared for battle. Finally Kari spoke again.
"Then, do you think... we could give it a try?"
Davis closed his eyes, summoning all the courage he had left in his soul. He spoke slowly, measuring his words.
"I... I don't think so, Kari."
Her eyes widened.
"Why?"
"Because all I can see down that road is one of us getting hurt. And I'm afraid that it would probably be you. I don't want to be responsible for anything that could cause you pain."
Kari had tears in her eyes now.
"Nothing you do could ever hurt me, Davis. Nothing at all."
"You don't know that. No one does. We can't be sure."
A few tears were leaking down Kari's face now.
"Nothing in life is ever certain Davis. But now is. All I'm doing is standing here, asking you to love me. And I know you do, so what could possibly be wrong with that? Like I said, nothing you do could ever hurt me. But you've said your mind, and your heart. So I'd better go, before I start crying hysterically."
She moved to the door, and opened it. But she turned back briefly.
"I love you too Davis."
She turned and walked out of the door. Davis didn't move to follow her. But he spoke quietly after her retreating figure, and to himself.
"Now and forever, Kari. Now and forever."
He walked to where she had stood. The goggles lay on the floor. He picked them up and sat down on one of the benches, turning them over in his hands, not even seeing what he was doing. He bowed his head, and a single, solitary tear splashed onto the floor.
"You really are a stupid arsehole Davis. I didn't realise how much until now." Said Ken.
His friend, John Tanner, and Andy McNamara stood in the room. There were various degrees of sadness and disgust mingled in their expressions. Ken gave a lopsided grin.
"I suppose in a way it was the right thing to do"
The other two murmured assent. Davis's head sunk into his hands.
"Oh shit. I've made the wrong decision haven't I?"
The three men all simultaneously rubbed the backs of their heads. Davis's head snapped up.
"Ken, this dance tonight..."
"I'll understand if you don't want to come, Davis. I mean, she's probably gonna be there."
Davis stopped him.
"It's formal dress isn't it?"
The three men smiled. Ken nodded.
"I'll pick you up at seven."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ----------------------------