Slumming it

[Colbie Perez]

The final bell range with a resounding clang. Colbie sighed in relief, snapping her books shut. The manga she read at home did not exaggerate how hard Japanese school was. The Latina hadn't appreciated American school until faced with the long hours and large course load of her host's school. Quickly, the small girl shoved her books into her pack, swinging it over her shoulder. Self consciously, she pulled her uniform skirt lower.

Colbie had never enjoyed such..."Girlie" clothing. It always felt like she was prancing around the school in her underwear or something. She was distracted from adjusting her skirt when a buzz sounded in her bag. Scrabbling frantically through the black hole that was her backpack, the sable girl managed to find her cell phone, flipping it open to read the message.

Mom expects us home by 6:30pm, don't be late again or we'll get adult escorts. ~Ian

She half grimaced, nose wrinkling. That wasn't much time! She had wanted to go buy some books and go gift shopping. Mumbling to herself, she trudged out the door. It was a short walk to her shoes and coat, slipping easily into them and jogging out of the building. At least Ian was kind enough to respect her wish to travel alone. Colbie had wanted to get him a gift in secret, and she wasn't really friendly with the rest of the kids on exchange, nor any of her Japanese classmates. She needed some solitude once in awhile...

The bus ride was uneventful, the shopping even more so. She visited countless stores, hemming and hawing over various items and trinkets and none seemed to fit her friend. It was only when she was exiting the SONY store that Colbie realized how dark it was. Her chocolate eyes widened and she frantically dug out her phone.

"Crap!"

Her loud exclamation, in English startled an old couple passing by and she bowed quickly, muttering an apology and running. It was 6pm and her bus would be at the stop at 6:10pm, 6:15pm if she was lucky. Her short legs pumped hard, skirt lifting dangerously. Colbie grunted, tugging it down and looking rather comical as she scuttled through the streets.

Maybe I can make it on time if I cut through here?

Normally pessimistic, her moment of optimism was a sign of her anxiety. She really owed the Takashima family for letting her stay with them, and she would not trouble them by being late and breaking their rules.

Except, she was now in an area wholly unfamiliar and rather...Frightening. Graffiti lined the walls, there was garbage everywhere, and the people passing by were giving her funny looks. She shrank back.

Uh oh....

She turned around to go back, but a large man blocked her way. He smiled, eyes glimmering dangerously, palms outward in a placating gesture. Colbie backed away instantly, mind jumping and running through every possible scenario. Her ears roared and what little she could understand of what the man was saying didn't make sense. Colbie cursed her limited vocabulary, shaking her head and repeating "No, no, no!" as the man reached out.

Twisting away with a cry, the sable girl bolted, blindly darting down an alley. Arms pumping, she ran until her gasping breath was not enough to fill her lungs. With wheezing breath, she collapsed against a dirty cement wall. With eyes closed, the thickset girl gasped, willing her heart to calm down.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes. They gleamed wetly, filling with anxious tears. She didn't know where in Tokyo she was! Reflexively, Colbie reached into her bag. Frantically she emptied it, patting her coat down, doing everything she could. No phone.

Crap! Crapity, crap, crap!

Lost. No cell phone. What else could possibly go wrong? Unbeknown to Colbie, she had company. It was up to fate whether that company was benevolent or had more malevolent plans...

[Kyle Summers]

His mother had told him in no uncertain terms that his root was being redone now. Then proceeded to shove a card at him and tell him to get a new door. He was very thankful - a teenage boy needed a bedroom door...privacy and all that. Except for Kyle the privacy wasn't for solo activities but so Lucemon could actually come out of hiding.

Having a debit card in his pocket all day through school was such a tease, but once that final bell rang he was off towards the shops. The previous night he had given Lucemon his old mobile phone, so he could get in contact if he needed him, and shown the digimon how to use the computer. That way Luce could learn and play and not be bored while he was at school.

His first order of business was some coffee and a danish. Then he was off to spend - though only on a door. How unfun. He spent only a little bit of time on that - it was a door, they all did the same thing. Then he browsed his kinds of stuff - comics, DVD's, games, you get the gist. He bought one or two things with his own money and then left for home - the purchases fitting just nicely in his jacked pockets.

On his way out of the main shopping area he glimpsed a girl sag against the wall, appearing to be in quite a frantic state. The girl looked like she had just seen a ghost or something - or possibly a digimon? - and was quickly checking herself for...something. Something she didn't appear to have.

"Hey...you OK?" Kyle asked, approaching her slowly and being loud enough to get her attention but not loud enough to startle her or put her on the defensive. This girl looked so be upset enough, and Kyle would feel bad if he just turned the other way.

[Colbie Perez]

"Hey...You OK?" Someone asked. Colbie jumped, a tear escaping her eyes as she blinked in surprise. The guy was tall and lean, with pale eyes and even fairer complexion. Sheer surprise at seeing a westerner after being surrounded by Japanese people and culture kept Colbie still, otherwise, she would have fled. Sniffling, the chocolate skinned girl ducked her head, pulling at her navy skirt. She looked up in quick glances, breath stuttering as she tried to formulate an answer. It was harder to think of what to say in Japanese when one was upset.

"I-I'm lost and I c-can't find my phone."

The Latina answered, voice breathy and hitching towards the end. Her English accent became more pronounced and it further upset the girl, who had always prided her pronunciation. The teen sucked in a deep breath, crossing her arms across her chest in a defensive manner. At least the stranger didn't look that much older than she did, he looked around the same age. Perhaps he could help her find the bus? Ooooh, I'm so late!

"Could you help me?"

She pleaded, widening her eyes a little. This trick usually worked on boys, because of her...Um, lack of height and the curls surrounding her head. It made her look younger than her sixteen years. That and, the guy was kind of cute. Colbie could be kind of shallow sometimes. Figures that the good looking, blue eyed man did not invoke the same kind of fear the grubby old man in the back alley had. She was a sucker for guys with glasses, Ian Takashima could attest to that! Oh, if only she knew the sexual orientation of the guy she was going to flirt with...

[Kyle Summers]

The stutter gave away just how emotional the girl was. This girl was a complete stranger, so dealing with such a depth of emotion was making just slightly uncomfortable. He generally doesn't do well with emotional stuff - like hugging and comforting - with people whom he wasn't really close to. "Ah, sure. Where did you come from - it should either be around here or on the trail back."

If the girl thought her puppy dog eyes were going to work on him then she was only partially right. He wasn't a sucker for them but this girl was in a real state and he couldn't just leave her be as she is. Her looks with them may work on other men but he was immune to that. At least from her, a girl.

He took a quick preliminary look around the near vicinity for the device, but came up short. They would have to actually search for it. "Which direction did you come from - it should be along that" He asked, looking back at the girl, her eyes red from the crying and the tears. Curiosity got the best of him as he asked - "You OK?"

[Colbie Perez]

Gah, Colbie hated crying! It was so messy and girlie and guh! Poor guy looked a tad uncomfortable, so she swiped her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform, grimacing at the mucous that was starting to dribble out of her nose.

"Sorry about the crying," She sniffed quietly before continuing, "Um, I came from the 6 North bus, in the shopping district."

The young man was so nice, offering to help her...Colbie really did not want to head back the way she had come by herself. Obviously she had taken a short cut through the wrong part of town...He glanced around, and for a moment, Colbie's heart sank. Would he have to leave soon? Or would he try something?

Ah, no, he had actually been on the look out for her phone. He seemed to do a double take as she rubbed her eyes once more. Her eyes must be all bloodshot and gross. God darnit, she hated crying. It was one of the few instances where her dark skin would flush. The young woman sniffed again, shifting her weight to her other hip, cloth wrinkling and gathering around her plump curves.

"I um, came from back there." Colbie said, pointing into the dark alley, her other arm wrapped around herself, shoulders drawn in. She looked up at those bright blue eyes before glancing down once more to hide fresh tears, Gah, crying was not cool!

"Um...Some man back there tried to grab me as I was walking through. I ran and I think I dropped my phone..."

Maybe they could call it as they searched? Good thing Colbie had turned it to ringtone after school, usually she just left it on vibrate. The ringtone would be distinctive, a song from one of her favorite tv shows, Glee.

She might as well try and find it, she had already missed her bus, judging by how much time had passed. Ian's family was going to confine her to the house for the rest of the trip now!

[Kyle Summers]

Kyle nodded, and was about to direct them back in the direction she pointed when the girl continued - explaining why she was in such a state. And quite frankly Kyle was both sympathetic and angered at the reason - sympathetic to her fear, and angry at the man creature that had tried something like that.

"Oh...right...well, I can throw a good punch if we run into him" Plus, he had his digivice with him, and he could phone Luce and warn him before he digi-modified him with the teleportation card - Luce could then get to them very quickly, if they needed him. He would rather not have to summon the digimon - it would out him to this stranger - but if all else fails at least the option was there.

"Sure phone it a couple of times and we'll see if we can hear it as we go" He said, handing the girl his phone. He didn't know if he could throw a good punch - his back was still healing from Devimons claw.

"We'll walk along a little bit and try phoning it, then rinse and repeat. And if we run into the guy we either kick him or just give him a wide berth." He said, trying to sound all leadery - it sometimes helped in situations where you felt hopeless to follow a specific course of action.

[Colbie Perez]

"Oh...right...well, I can throw a good punch if we run into him"

Colbie smiled, a slight chuckle escaping her almond colored lips. He was tall, but he wasn't very built. Oh well, he would scare the pants off of the guy or any other thug who tried something....Hopefully...

The young student wasn't really one to take the lead in any situation, so she found herself falling instep and just a tad behind the guy as he braved the dark damp alley. Her loafers scuffed softly against the pavement and the girl unconsciously hunched in on herself. If there was one thing worse than narrow alleyways, it was dark alleyways. Colbie may be in high school, but that did not mean she had outgrown her fear of the dark!

"So, um what's your name? Thanks again for helping me. I'm Colbie."

The girl babbled, her voice just a bit higher than usual. She crowded close to the boy, breathing just a bit quicker as she dialed her number on the phone. She yelped loudly as her shoes clipped the back of the boy's heels, sending her off balance. She stumbled heavily, but did not fall. Flush evident on her dark skin, the teen apologized profusely.

”Sorry sorry!”

She breathed, glancing all around the back way they had taken. This place made her skin crawl and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Hopefully they'd find the phone quick and get the heck out of here. There was no sound to be heard from her cell. Frowning, she dialed the number again. A faint tinkling could be heard, along with the faint crooning of a singer.

~heart racing in your skin-tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight!

Colbie's face lit up.

”Over there!”

She trotted, skirt swaying as she dipped into another back alley full of garbage and planks of wood. Some creature shifted, the sound barely audible as claws clicked against the wood. There, laying right in front of the wood pile was the phone. Except, well...It looked...Different... It was bulkier, with a strap attacked and weird shaped screen. Colbie paused, unsure that the device was hers, but the phone she had borrowed called once more, and the device shook, more lyrics drifting softly from the strange machine on the ground. She glanced back at the boy.

"Um, I think this is it."

Dark, stubby fingers curled around the bulky thing and Colbie brought it up close, brow furrowed. What had happened to her phone?

[Kyle Summers]

The alleyway was pretty secluded - casting large shadows all around the place - and Kyle zipped his jacket shut to fend off the cold. So, um what's your name? Thanks again for helping me. I'm Colbie. "I'm Kyle" He answered, reaching his hand up to give the girl, Colbie, a wave. "And it's no bother, honestly. I was just on my way home, nothing special. Though why were you walked through these alleys...they're pretty...out of the way" he said, trying to hint at his meaning without saying it out loud - it's a place for easy prey.

Kyle felt he move closer to him in the dim alley and felt the shockwave of her foot connecting with his - it didn't hurt, but the girl stumbled - his hand shooting out to try and brace her, before pulling it back to himself when the girl regained her balance. "You OK?" He asked, having done stuff like that before - like kicking a paving stone that wasn't level with the others. Hurt like a bitch.

They continued on for a little, and then he heard it - heart racing in your skin-tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight! - and he guessed they were close. He knew the song too, it was catchy.

Kyle followed the girl to the source, at a more subdued pace, his face crumpling in confusion when Colbie continued to stay hunched over the area where he phone should be. Was something wrong?

Um, I think this is it

Kyle had gotten close enough to see what she was examining. Was that a...digivice?! He took a second to get his mouth working again before he looked away from the device, his hand sub-consciously moving down to touch his own digivice.

[Colbie Perez]

”Well, thank you anyway Kyle. Not many people would stop and help me.”

It was very true. Upon coming to Japan, Colbie hadn't been given the nicest looks. Growing up in a small, progressive town hadn't exposed the dark Latina to much racism, but she could recognize it. At least nasty looks were the extent of her troubles in that area. So what if a few shop owners tailed her as she went through the store? They did that with other teens too...

She blinked, breaking away from her thoughts as Kyle tried to politely ask why she had cut through such a foreboding area. She chuckled self deprecatingly. Tilting her head to look up at him, she answered, voice soft.

”I was running late to catch my bus and figured I could take a short cut through here. I have the worst sense of direction.”

It was entirely true. Colbie even got lost in video games. When she had a map on the screen. It was one of a few traits she wished she had never inherited from her father. It was then she tripped and Kyle tried to grab her and prevent her from falling. She smiled, thankful as she regained her balance. Darn skirt felt waaay too short. Colbie grumbled, smoothing it down over her thick thighs before continuing.

”Well....This is definitely my phone, but I don't remember having this model!”

As she cradled the device in her hand, she noticed a little plastic cover at the end of the strap, small and rectangular. Were those cards? Since when had she carried Yu-Gi-Oh or pokemon cards around? Not since elementary school! Feeling childish in front of this handsome young man, she unclipped the pack to peer more closely at its contents. As she was looking them over, she saw Kyle out of the corner of her eye. He looked like he had been smacked in the face. Colbie frowned.

”You alright?”

She held his phone out to him, eyes unconsciously following his hand as it touched something. Her eyes narrowed curiously, but she didn't ask.

”Um, sorry again, but could you show me the way to the bus stop?”

From there, Colbie could find a ride home on the bus or a safe place to wait for Ian's parents to come pick her up.

[Kyle Summers]

Kyle heard her words, but they were muffled - his mind still focused on the device in her hand. What did this mean? So far all he knew was that his own device appeared to him before Lucemon and Devimon did...did this mean another rogue digimon or two was going to appear?! He didn't think his back could handle any more slashes. Though hers seemed different than his - were his was purple hers was blue.

You alright?

"Oh ahm" Kyle murmured, shaking his head and coming back to the present. "Ah, yeah. Just...spaced I guess..." He took his phone off the girl and slipped it into his jean pocket, using the hand that had been touching hos own digivice.

Um, sorry again, but could you show me the way to the bus stop?

"Yeah ah, sure" He said, half mumbling the words as he fought an inner dilemma - to keep the digital stuff a secret, or to tell the girl...after he inspected her own digivice... "Hey, can I see that?" He said, pointing to her 'phone'. "I...may know what it is."

He kept his left hand near his hip - near his own digivice, cards, and phone. Last time anything digital happened he nearly died - if anything happens, if anything suddenly pops out he wanted to be ready to alert Luce and use the teleport card - hopefully at this range it'll actually work and let Luce get to him.