Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Rock Show ❯ Don't Turn Back ( Chapter 4 )

<I>It are done! HURRAH! Geez, this took forever. Oh well, at least it is finished. I'll probably follow up with a short story involving the two already together and probably a little older. They'll be good for each other. They'll be good together.

Geez. Happy Holidays everyone. I'm almost done with high school! 12 more school days => Whew. And then I'll have more time to write and stuff and work and stuff and things. *shrug* Feh, I don't know what I'll be doing. I'll just... do stuff. Whatever.

I don't know what story I'll get done next. Probably Evolution, which I haven't touched for a while. Or some other Daikeru. Or something. I don't know. R&R please, hope you guys liked this... do you think I *should* write more about them?</I>

"Hey, what about in here? The name of this store is CD Reshop, so they obviously must carry CDs," Ai pointed up at the sign hanging over the small shop downtown. Ai and Midori were downtown in search of a birthday present for Bria, lead by Ginger, who was mainly dictating orders, and followed by Hikari, who didn't seem quite all there.

"Well if it has CD in the name, lets try it," Ginger put her hands on her hips and strode towards the door.

Hikari snapped back from her personal outer space, her hand shooting out and catching Ginger by the arm. "How about we not?"

"What's with you?" Midori tilted her head at Hikari. "You've been acting funny since Friday at lunch."

Ginger didn't care what was wrong with Hikari, and instead narrowed her eyes at her friend, removing her hand from her arm. "Bria wants the new Britany CD and she will <I>get</I> the new Britany CD."

"I <I>really</I> don't think we should go in there," Hikari insisted.

"Come on, Hikari, the worst that will happen is they won't carry it," Ai pushed the brunette into the store ahead of her.

"That's what <I>you</I> think!" Hikari whined slightly.

The CD Reshop was empty, considering it was still too early on a Sunday morning for most of the skate punks to be up and shopping around downtown, except for the two punks working at the store. One of them was the owner, Jay Jay, a bright orange stripe dyed through his jet-black hair. He waved furiously to Hikari from behind the counter, where boxes waiting to be stocked surrounded him, a big lazy grin on his face. The second was actually working, sitting on the floor with a box at his feet, and stocking the new shipment of CDs in one of the bottom rows. He glanced up from his work, a brilliant smile on his face. It quickly dissolved as he saw who it was. "Oh, Lord," he groaned.

"Daisuke? What are <I>you</I> doing here?" Ginger snapped, glaring at him like it was his fault for working at the very place they decided to come to.

He smirked and held up one of the CDs in his hand. "Working," he replied, turning back to stocking the row. "You girls need anything or are you just here to hassle me more? Oh, by the way. Jay Jay, these are the lovely girls I was telling you about earlier," he stood up, tossing the empty box to Jay Jay and grabbing another to stock.

Jay Jay's bright grin never wavered. "Oh! You're the stupid bitches! Ha ha ha, I've heard all about you! What the fuck are you doing in this store? Did you get lost? The mall is on the other side of town!"

Daisuke grinned. Ginger scowled. Hikari said nothing and turned away to eye the rows of skateboard decks along the back wall.

Ai shoved Ginger to the side slightly. "Actually, we aren't lost. We're looking for the new Britany CD, and since your shop has CD in the name, we came here."

"Hey, we don't carry that kind of shit here," Daisuke shook his head. "Try the place across the street, they have all sorts of suckass imported music. Now you want some good shit like Lit or New Found Glory you got your shop right here. What about you, Ginger, interested in picking up a pair of blades and trying them out?" he smirked at her, tossing the empty box to Jay Jay and grabbing another off the counter.

"Roller blades? You've <I>got</I> to be kidding me. Those went out with the 80's," Ginger snorted contemptuously.

"Actually, that's roller <I>skates,</I> Ging," Midori pointed out, genuinely distracted as she went through a row of CDs.

Daisuke grinned at Midori and slashed through the packing tape with his box cutter. "Look, we don't carry your stupid Britany CD. So you might as well leave now. Bye."

"Fine! Glad to leave this hell-hole!" Ginger spun around and flounced towards the door.

Ai was watching Midori look through the CDs and whined slightly at Ginger. "Come on, I'm <I>tired</I> of going from store to store. Let's just get her <I>anything</I> and have that be it. Daisuke?" the girl turned her big brown eyes on the boy. He was stocking another row of CDs and glanced at her boredly. "Can you help us? We want to buy Bria a birthday present... what music would you recommend?"

Daisuke groaned, snapping the blade on the box cutter back into it's shield and putting the last few CDs into their rack, throwing the empty box at Jay Jay again. "This is the same Bria who thinks soccer isn't a real sport and that big pants means someone's trying to be a label, right? Geez," he sighed, running a hand through his dark red hair. "Well... she likes Britany Spears? Ugh. I don't know if we have <I>anything</I> along those lines..." he ran his gaze thoughtfully over the store.

Ginger, who was pouting and huffing, finally announced, "I'm going across the street! They have GOOD music in that store!"

Ai took a step after her as she stormed out the door, but as neither Midori nor Hikari moved, she stopped and turned back to Daisuke. "Well, what would you recommend as good?"

"Probably nothing you guys would like," he eyed Ai, then Midori, and finally let his gaze fall on Hikari, the girl he'd been avoiding looking at since the four had entered the shop. They locked eyes for a minute before she turned away from him and started up a quiet conversation with Jay Jay. "Well, lemme see. Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination," he swept his hand through the air in a flourished beckoning gesture and led Ai down the rows of CDs.

"What did you say?"

"Eh? Oh, nevermind. It's from a movie. I take it Bria is not a raver, hmm? Wouldn't like ambient stuff then, eh." Daisuke continued on his way down the aisle. "Does she like anything besides bubblegum pop? Wait, I've got it. The Brilliant Green. Does she like them?"

"I don't know," Ai chewed her lip. "I don't think I've ever heard of them..."

"Even better!" Daisuke danced his fingers along the CDs and pulled one out of the row. "I guarantee she will like this CD. And if she doesn't, give it to Hikari, she likes Brilliant Green."

Midori leaned over Ai's shoulder. "I've heard of them. They're supposed to be real cool."

"They are, you've got my word," the boy grinned at them both. Midori smiled back. Ai looked up from the CD curiously, then slowly edged out a warm smile.

"Are you mackin' over there, Dais?" Jay Jay's voice cut through the store, echoing in the emptiness.

"Nah, just doing business," Daisuke led the two girls up to the register. "Jay Jay, do me a favor and ring these two out, eh? Hikari? I, uh, I need to talk to you."

"Nothing to say," Hikari mumbled.

Daisuke groaned. "I knew you'd say that. But there is stuff to say, because I have to say it, and you have to listen to me. Please?"

Jay Jay gave the girl a Look and then reached over to help her friends. Hikari sighed and nodded at Daisuke, following him off to the front of the store. She stood next to him as he idly ran his fingers over the decks displayed in the window, straightening one every now and then.

"Listen, Hi-chan. About the other night... don't interrupt me, okay? Look." He sighed and kept his eyes away from her, going back through and re-straightening the decks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I've led you on. I... would be really bad for you."

"What?" she looked up at him and blinked. "What's that supposed to mean? Daisuke, you aren't bad for me. We've been friends for six years, and you haven't destroyed me yet."

"But there's a difference between being friends and..." Daisuke lifted his eyes from his work and studied her. "I don't want to break your heart," he said simply, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Hikari blinked again. "That's the most... what? Daisuke! I can't believe you'd even say that!"

"I'm serious, Hikari! I really care about you, okay? You mean a hell of a lot to me. I don't want to ruin that by dating you and having something go wrong and breaking up with you and hurting you."

The girl peered up at her friend curiously, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm very surprised in you, Motomiya Daisuke. For all the girls you've ever dated, you seem to be missing something. Even if you get hurt in a relationship... even if you break up in the end... it's worth it. It's so worth it. You risk that sort of thing." She stared at him silently for a minute, then sighed and tilted her head to the side. "I'm willing to risk it. When and if you decide you are too... you have my number." She stepped back from him and waved shortly to him and Jay Jay, then exited the store and headed across the street to find Ginger.

Daisuke groaned and turned to find Jay Jay, Ai, and Midori all watching him. "Eh. You mackin' over there, Jay Jay?"

Jay Jay grinned slightly. "Nah. Just working. Here you go, girls. Thanks."

"Thank you. Thanks for your help, Daisuke," Ai nodded to him on their way to the door. "And, um. Sorry about the other day."

"And sorry about Ginger," Midori added.

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged. "See you girls later," he raised one hand in a wave as they followed Hikari out the door. He tilted his head at Jay Jay and groaned again. "Dude, I've fucked up."

"Yeah, but you'll fix it. Now get back to work, slacker! Those girls aren't half bad."

Daisuke shrugged a bit and returned to the counter for another box. "Well, I suppose if they're guilty of judging me before knowing me, I'm just as guilty of the vice-versa."

The first thing Hikari did when she got home was check her messages on the phone. Nothing. She ran to her room and checked her e-mail next. Nothing. She sighed and flung herself down on the bed.

He would call. He had to.

The phone rang the next minute and she sprung to her feet, racing into the living room and grabbing the phone off the phone stand. "Hello!"

"Hey, Hikari!" Takeru's voice rang out through the phone, happy and cheerful as ever. Hikari's heart plunged into her stomach. It wasn't Daisuke. "You wanna go out tonight? I thought we could hit up someplace for dinner. Mom's out of town tonight and I don't really feel like cooking."

"Sure," she agreed, forcing herself not to sound as dejected as she felt. Besides, she could use Takeru. He was nice to talk to when stuff wasn't working out. "When?"

"Can you meet me in an hour?"

"That works for me. Where you want to meet?"

"I was thinking about eating at La Dania's, if you're up for getting all fancy."

"Sure, that's cool... Bye." She hung up and returned to her bedroom to mope for a few minutes before she started prowling around for something nice to wear.

Takeru was waiting outside La Dania's for Hikari as she wandered her way up. "Hey, you look great!" he greeted her, oblivious to the bummed out look on her face.

"Thanks, you look nice too," she mumbled, hardly even registering how he looked.

He smiled slightly, taking her by the hand. "C'mon."

She followed as he led her in and only paid half attention as he told the doorman of their reservation, and nodded in dull agreement as he told her to go ahead to their table, he was going to the bathroom. Hikari sighed as the doorman headed her off through the restaurant. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I'm not going to be much fun tonight," she muttered.

"Your table," the doorman gestured, sliding open a door to a private room filled with windows. Hikari blinked in surprise, but not at the room.

Daisuke was sitting at the table, edging out a tiny grin at her.

"Daisuke, what are you doing here?" Hikari jumped a little as the door slid shut behind her. "Takeru did this," she answered for him, crossing her arms and pouting slightly. "That punk, he set me up."

"Well, I kind of... asked him to," Daisuke gestured at the chair across from him. "I sort of... Hikari, I owe you an apology."

She sat down and folded her arms, staring at him. "Okay." Silence. Daisuke shifted uneasily. "Say it!" she demanded.

"I... Sorry. I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

He folded his hands and studied her carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Sure about what?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Are you sure that you want to risk this?"

Hikari blinked. "You?"

"No,<I> you,</I>" he pointed at her. "Are you absolutely sure that you want to..."

She held up one finger to stop him, and he shifted uneasily in the chair. Pulling gently at her gloves, she pretended to be studying her fingernails through the sheer fabric. "The real question here is not if I'm willing to risk it, you know."

"I know."

Hikari held up her hand and positioned it so she could study her nails and Daisuke's face at the same time. "Hmm... you look nice," she noted, tilting her hand out of the way briefly.

"Thanks. I feel stupid in these clothes."

"It's a sacrifice for you to wear something nice, hmm?"

Daisuke groaned slightly and lifted his right hand to rub his temples gently. "God, Hikari..." He eyed her from between his fingers as she attempted to continue looking haughty and cold. He grinned slightly. She was horrible at it, constantly glancing up at his face to see his reaction. Taking his hand away from his head and sighing quietly, he reached over and took hold of her hand, tugging it away from her eyes. "Hikari-chan... do you want to be my girlfriend?"

She peered at her hand in his, then looked up at him anxiously. "Are you sure?"

"Only if you are," he tilted his head gently to the side. "Only if you're sure I'm worth it to you. Because you're worth it to me."

For a long moment, Hikari said nothing. Then she smiled. "Okay."

He smiled back.

<I>"Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination!" Recognize it? It's from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. =></I>