Chapter 8
A Night on the Couch
TK grumbled to himself, still bitter about Davis being given the whole guestroom while he was assigned to sleep downstairs on the couch in the family room.
And what a lumpy couch it was. TK only had to lie down for a second to realize, this would be a long night. Oh well, he did have a television across the room from him, so if he finally gave up on sleep, he could pass the time watching it.
"I thought you'd already be trying to get your eighteen hours in," Davis quipped as he walked into the room.
Ignoring the comment TK questioned, "Why are you up? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
Davis suddenly got an embarrassed, almost guilty, expression. "I needed to talk to someone about something."
TK raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Something?"
"More like someone," Davis corrected.
"Are you talking about Lexi?" Noticing Davis's stunned look TK continued, "I noticed the way you both were acting. I also recall that you have a girlfriend, so there might be a problem."
Davis began to explain the situation as he sat down in a chair opposite the lumpy couch. "It's not that I would ever want to start anything with Lexi; long distance relationships never work, but what bothers me is that I liked her and I thought about doing something about it but…"
"But there's Catherine," TK finished, "And you're scared that you actually liked somebody else. Relax; it's normal to just be attracted to someone else. The problem is if you do something about it."
"But what if it's a sign," Davis worried, "Maybe it means that I should break up with Catherine before things get too serious."
"You've been dating for a year. I think it's already serious. You liking Lexi is not a big deal, but if it bothers you talk to Catherine about it."
"Why is it that you always know what to say? Do you follow me around and take notes or something?" Davis crossed his arms.
TK grinned. "I'm just good with the whole advice thing."
The brunette yawned before saying, "Yeah, you are; thanks. I should get back to bed. Night, Teeks."
He nodded as Davis exited the room. "Night."
The blonde sighed. What had he been doing before? Oh, right; making plans to watch television. Now where was the remote? It had to be somewhere, but if he couldn't find it TK could always walk up and turn it on manually… or just keep lying in the dark. It was quite peaceful besides the lumpiness of the couch. With no one around it seemed more relaxing, serene, and most importantly quiet.
"Whee, whee!"
It was nice while it lasted.
TK twisted his neck to see none other than Ricardo perched on the edge of the couch.
"Davis is upstairs. Go upstairs!" TK tried to communicate. He even went as far as pointing to where the goggle-wearer had just exited, but Ricardo just sat there not getting the message.
TK raised an eyebrow. "We already fed you. What more could you want?" The monkey paused a moment before climbing its way down the edge of the couch and onto TK's stomach.
His eyes widened in understanding. "You can't sleep on me again, Ricardo." Ignoring his words, Ricardo looked with big, imploring eyes never flinching. TK sighed in defeat and patted his stomach in welcome. The monkey obliged, nestled in, and curled up. The blonde looked from the monkey to the end of the couch… to the remote sitting on the end table. He looked back down at the peacefully sleeping monkey that kept his torso firmly in place. Well, watching TV was out.
"TK, you're still up?"
TK turned his head to face the door that led to the stairs. "Uncle Tony, why are you still up?"
"I'm always up late," Tony said matter-of-factly. "I just came to get a glass of water; my throats been scratching since dinner. Those hamburgers were kind of burnt."
"Um, you made the hamburgers," TK reminded.
Tony cackled, "Exactly why they were burnt, so what's your story for being up at this hour?"
He looked over at his uncle as if it was obvious, "The monkey on me."
"Are you sure that's the reason?" Tony seemed skeptic.
TK was left a bit confused. "Is there another reason I would be up?"
"I was just thinking," Tony commenced, "Maybe I shouldn't have said all that stuff at dinner about Mike. At least that's what your aunt said; something about opening old wounds and such."
Oh, so that's what he meant. TK tried to force a smile but failed miserably. "It doesn't really matter. It happened a long time ago, so don't worry about it."
Tony shrugged, "Still, sorry. I get caught up, you know? I talk without thinking."
"Like I said, don't worry about it." TK didn't really want to think about it and wished his uncle would just change the subject. Why would he care about some guy that he never actually met? Even if that guy had split up his parents, made him move to a new apartment across the harbor, and completely wrecked his family and his entire life. Why should he care?
Why was he even thinking about it? Probably because his uncle was right, he hadn't thought about that guy, Mike, in so long that he might have momentarily stopped blaming him; but why would he ever stop blaming him? It was his fault after all. Maybe TK should put a little more blame on him; maybe he should be punished; maybe TK needed payback.
Thinking fast, TK started speaking again, "But, um, whatever happened to Mike anyway?"
Tony moved his hand in the air as if swatting away a gnat. "Last I heard he was up in Makon; the city with that really great bar. Being a guy like him, a city with any bar is as good as heaven."
"Cool," TK responded as if the information meant nothing. "Shouldn't you be getting your water?"
"Right," Tony agreed as he left the room for the kitchen next door.
After that TK lay back down. Mike is in Makon; should he write it down? No, there was really no need; he wouldn't forget.
Davis looked around the room in apprehension waiting for something to come to life and attack him, perhaps the tiki doll in the corner or the various gnome statues strewn across the floor? This place really was a sight, but Davis's eyes kept going back to the box with, as far as he knew, the ashes of Grandma Ishida.
The box was taped shut and balanced precariously on the edge of a dresser. Davis tip-toed around it carefully in order to not disturb any spirits. He moved the various odd-smelling rugs and rags that might have once been clothes off of the bed before lying down and getting settled for the night. He looked back at the box. It was over there, and he was over here; he was free for the night, wouldn't have to move again 'til morning. Sure, the light was still on, but he could handle that.
That is, he couldn't handle having eaten four burgers and drank five glasses of water.
The more Davis told himself he didn't have to go, the more he did, but he held it in willing himself to make it until morning. After all, it was only eight more hours, only eight more hours, only eight more hours.
His thoughts were so rhythmic. At a nice steady pace…
Drip, drip, drip
Oh please, not that pace.
Drip, drip, drip
Think about something else, anything else.
Drip, drip, drip
The weather was good, except it was supposed to rain.
Drip, drip, drip
Rain! Water! Oh, have mercy!
Davis shot out of bed knocking various items over as he went. He didn't flinch when the tiki hit the floor or even a glass figurine that had sat on a small seat shaped like a pumpkin, but then his foot slammed the dresser and the box tipped over.
It was like everything was moving in slow motion, the wind swooping around the box, Davis's cries, the thud that resonated around the room when it hit the wood flooring, and finally a high-pitched squeal came from within the heart of the box.
"NO, DON'T HAUNT ME! I'M SORRY! SPARE MY SOUL!" Davis yelped at the top of his lungs before dashing out the door full-speed, dripping and rain completely forgotten.
He sprinted down the stairs, stumbling and falling halfway causing TK and Ricardo to jump, but Davis kept running.
He grabbed TK by the collar pulling him towards the door. "TK, we have to get out of here now! I disturbed your grandmother's rest! She wants to get me!"
The blonde merely blinked allowing his friend to drag him a few more feet. "What are you-"
"There's no time for questions! We have to get away before she finds me! Go get Ken; I'm going to be hiding in the car." And with that, the goggle-head ran out the door and leapt into the driver's seat.
I really liked writing this chapter
By the way, I like the name Catherine and it didn't connect in my mind until after posting the graduation chapter that there was a french digidestined named Catherine -_-
Thanks for reading!