It's Just a Little Crush" Story Written by Freedom Fighter ****** Well, I'm back with another Digimon romance fanfic! Luckily for all of us, this one will not be as long or as complex as the soon to be finished "Courting Miss Mimi." And this one features the cast of Season 3! It's called "It's Just a Little Crush." The full synopsis: Takato and Jeri have been classmates for years. But as Takato and the other Tamers risk their lives to keep West Shinjuku safe from wild Digimon that have bio-emerged into the real world, Jeri's feelings for Takato continue to grow. But just as Jeri decides to admit her feelings for Takato, Rika beats her to the punch! It's a Tamer love triangle that even adds a fourth side when Henry admits he has a crush on Rika! Who will end up with whom? This ought to be interesting. I'll try my best to incorporate this with the anime, while making sure that this fanfic sounds genuine. There are five parts to this story, as well as 'The Making of..." sixth chapter. The five story chapters will be posted every other day from now until completion. The bonus chapter will go up on Valentine's Day. Which brings me to a little contest I'm holding for this fanfic only. At the beginning of each of the five story chapters, one (or two in one case) will sing a love song. The contest is to figure out who is singing in each chapter, what the name of the song is, and the artist(s) who sing that song. Each part is one point, which means you can earn three points per chapter. With five chapters, the maximum number of points you can get is fifteen. After the fifth chapter, I'll tally the scores and the winner will be announced in the epilogue/sixth chapter. What's the prize you ask? Well, I'll write a fanfic for you personally. Most of you probably are Digimon fans, but I'll take any request from the winner from any series, as long as I know it. Before anyone asks, I will not write any lemons, self-insertions, or fics bashing other shows. Other than that, it's open season! If anyone wants any more details, feel free to tell me in your review, or e-mail me! So get out a pencil and a piece of paper! The first song is coming up after the disclaimer! Good luck! [Feb. 2005 Reposting Note: This contest was originally held in Feb. '02. No new entries will be accepted... but feel free to play along anyway. And don't cheat and peek at the answers in the "Making of..." chapter, okay?] (Advance Warning: The first song is going to be the hardest to identify out of all of them. So don't feel frustrated if you can't get it.) Disclaimer: I do not own the Digimon anime. I do not own any of the characters, human or digital monster, that may appear over the course of this story. I also reserve the right to change certain scenes from the anime that may appear here, because I don't have all of the episodes on tape. Also, do not sue me, 'cause you'll get nothing from me except my brain. Wait, scratch that... I keep all my fanfic ideas in my brain! ****** [Begin playing song lyrics, pop ballad format] Walking in the park We're just holding hands Sharing these growing pains I know you understand The thought of being without you Makes me so so sad My night in shining armor rescues me Professing love for me so gallantly Until forever, for-ever I've got the world I have it all In your arms (wrapped in your arms) The only place I want to fall, Is in your arms (wrapped in your arms) This feeling is so strong Baby won't you wrap me up in your arms Just keep me safe and warm Baby won't you wrap me up in your arms The only place that I belong Is wrapped up in your arms I don't feel a thing when you protect me I'm not afraid, afraid at all I'm not scared Wrapped up in your arms Just keep me safe and warm Baby won't you wrap me up in your arms The only place that I belong Is wrapped up in your arms [Stop playing song lyrics] ****** Chapter 1 - "I Want to be with You" "Is that your girlfriend?" Those four words resonated through Jeri Katou's head as she headed home from the park after meeting Guilmon for the first time. [1] Innocently enough, Jeri was introduced to the Digimon by his tamer, Takato, after she overheard him talking to Henry about getting into an argument with Kazu and Kenta over whether or not Takato had a real Digimon. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that her first encounter with a Digimon would turn out the way it did. Upon first glance, she was afraid that the Digimon would jump out and spook her. But when Guilmon walked out of his 'house,' as Takato had called it, her uneasiness and fear of the Digimon turned into admiration and love. She couldn't believe how cute he was! Then again, Jeri thought that everything Takato had or did was cute. Which again brought up the question that Guilmon had asked Takato in her presence. "Is that your girlfriend?" Jeri was unsure of what Takato's reaction to the question was, but she was sure of hers. Recently, she had found herself paying more and more attention to Takato. Out of all of the boys in their class, Takato was the cutest. It didn't matter what Takato did. Whenever Miss Asaji caught Takato doodling in class, Jeri would giggle. Whenever any of her friends accused the boys of some act of wrongdoing, Jeri would always stand up for Takato. And when Kazu and Kenta didn't believe that Takato had a real Digimon, Jeri believed him. But after seeing Guilmon, Jeri decided that she needed two things in life. Her own Digimon, especially after seeing how cute Takato's was, and her own boyfriend... which ironically enough, was Takato. And she would do anything for her wish to come true. But then, Jeri comes to a startling realization. She was far from ready to come out and tell Takato her feelings. ====== Back in the park, Takato, Henry were talking to each other just after Jeri had left, when all of a sudden, their D-Arcs began to go off. "It must be another Digimon," Takato stated matter-of-factly as he glanced at Guilmon. "I guess we'd better get down there," Henry added. Terriermon, who had been sitting atop Henry's head, nodded in agreement. "Well," the puppy-like Digimon began, "let's get going then! Are you waiting for an invitation?" Henry ignored Terriermon's snide remark and started running off towards the digital field. Takato and Guilmon follow closely behind them. ====== Jeri arrives back at her house a few minutes later. She saw that her dad was busy running the bar, as usual. Luckily, he didn't seem too busy at the moment. He only had one customer. [2] "Hi dad!" Jeri shouted cheerfully. "Jeri," her father said, calling her just as she was running towards the stairs, "why are you home so late?" "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I was hanging out with one of my friends and I just lost track of time." Well, she wasn't exactly being truthful. But she sure couldn't tell her father about meeting a real life Digimon. She wouldn't believe him. "Well, don't let it happen again." "Yes dad," she replied, bowing. "Now, go upstairs and do your homework. I'll fix you something to eat for dinner. And keep it down! Your brother's already asleep!" Jeri nodded and ran over to the stairs. She took off her shoes before heading upstairs. She went to the bedroom, which she and her brother shared and looked for her backpack. Spotting it, she grabs it and heads out of the room. She walks across the hall to the guest bedroom, which has a small desk in it. Jeri takes a seat in front of the desk and takes a workbook and a pencil out her backpack. She opens the workbook and begins to glance at it as if she was working on it. "I can't do this right now," Jeri sighed. "I'm too busy thinking about Takato." Jeri reached back into her backpack and pulled out her puppet. She began to spark a conversation with it, in hopes of getting enough courage to admit her feelings to Takato. "How are you doing, Jeri?" the puppet 'asked.' "I feel lost," she responded ever so slowly. "Lost? How can you be lost in your own house?" "That's not what I'm talking about!" "Then why do you feel lost?" "I just... I just can't..." "Can't what?" "Admit my feelings for Takato." "Why not?" "Um..." "Are you in love with him?" "Well..." "Jeri's got a boyfriend, Jeri's got a boyfriend!" the puppet sang. "Hush!" Jeri blushed, covering her puppet's mouth. "Do you want my dad to figure out that I'm not doing my homework?" "Well, I'm not the one with a crush!" Jeri sighs again. "You're no help." "Okay then, why don't you just walk up to him and tell him?" "How can I tell my dad I have a crush on Takato when I haven't even told Takato I have a crush on him?" "I was talking about walking up to Takato!" "Oh." "So? Why don't you?" "It's not that easy! I mean, what if he thinks it's all a joke?" "Do you think he'll treat it as a joke?" "Well... maybe. I've never seen Takato actually hang out with any of the girls in our class." "Are you sure?" "Yes! But what happens if he never speaks to me again after this?" "Well, then look for another guy!" "You're supposed to be helping me, remember?" "Hey! I'm doing my best!" "You know," Jeri smirked, "I spotted a new puppet in this store I passed on the way home, if you catch my drift." "Okay already! I said I'm doing my best!" "That's better." "Thanks. Anyway, I think you need to stop worrying and just ask him already." "But what if he doesn't like me that way? What if he thinks of me as just a friend? Or worse... just a classmate?" "You'll never know 'til you find out." "But I don't want to go through this unless I'm sure he has feelings for me." "Oh, for crying out loud!" "Huh?" "Just ask the boy! It's better to find out now then to keep pretending you like him without knowing the truth!" "You're right!" Jeri said, jumping out of her chair. "I'm going to call Takato right now and tell him exactly how I feel!" "That's the spirit!" "Jeri!" her dad called from downstairs. "Dinner!" "That is, after I eat dinner!" Jeri pulls the puppet off of her hand and onto the desk before running out of the room and heading downstairs. ====== After dinner, Jeri is back in the study, with a cordless phone in hand. She turns it on and begins to dial a few numbers. As she brings the phone up to her left ear, she hears the phone on the other end begin to ring. After three rings, someone answers the phone. "Hello?" came the voice of Mrs. Matsuki, Takato's mother. "Mrs. Matsuki? It's me, Jeri." "Oh, hi Jeri!" "May I speak to Takato, please?" "He's not home right now. Do you want me to tell him you called?" "Yes. Tell him to call me back when he gets in. Thanks!" "Bye, Jeri." "Goodbye, Mrs. Matsuki." Jeri brings the phone down from her ear and turns it off. She puts the phone down on the desk and puts her puppet back on her left arm. "So, how did it go?" the puppet asked Jeri. "He wasn't home." "Uh huh. So, did you tell your parents to call you back?" "Yes, I did." "Bad move." "Huh?" "Takato won't call you back. You've got to call him back yourself." "But Mrs. Matsuki said..." "So? She's not in love with Takato. You are!" "Look, maybe I should just wait until I see him in school Monday morning." "You do that and some other girl will ask him out before you do!" "What other girl? The only girls he listens to are his mother and our teacher, Miss Asaji. He pays absolutely no attention to any of the girls in our class." "Well, if that's what you wish to do, then I can't stop you." "I thought so." "Then again, I am a puppet. Why are you even asking me for love advice in the first place?" "Good point. Just forget this happened, okay?" With that, Jeri pulls the puppet off and flings it aside. She then looks back at her workbook, picks up her pencil, and starts to do her homework. "Why?" Jeri asked herself aloud. "Why can't I tell you that I love you? If only this was all said and done already so I could feel your arms wrapped around me. We're both ten years old, so we practically face the same challenges everyday. Why can't we face them together?" [3] Jeri looked longingly at her puppet before finishing her thoughts out loud. "Come Monday... I'll tell you that I love you, Takato Matsuki." ****** Next Chapter: As Takato watches Rika and Renamon strengthen their bond during a battle with a Harpymon, he thinks back to Jeri's encounter with Guilmon. But his suspicions are confirmed when Jeri passes him a note in class Monday morning. But what's making him so uneasy when Jeri comes out and admits her feelings for him? ****** Author's Notes: [1] Although not officially confirmed yet in the dub, I am using Jeri's Japanese last name, Katou, in this and any subsequent fanfics from here on out until an official last name is established, if any. [2] In the original version, I've been told that Jeri's dad works at a bar of some sort. He's usually more focused on that than making sure Jeri and her brother are raised correctly. Thusly, Jeri has taken it upon herself to be a little more forward and to get things to work out the way she wants them to. [3] I am using the original ages, where everyone is ten, not thirteen. Besides, who ever heard of thirteen year old fifth graders? Come on! Which one of you at Saban made that costly mistake? ****** I have to add a little bit more information about the contest. I will only allow one attempt per song/chapter. I will not tell you whether or not you are right. I will not announce the correct answers until the sixth chapter is posted on Valentine's Day. By the way, that makes the submission deadline for all five answers February 12th. That allows me a day to do a tiebreaker if necessary, since I only intend on having one winner. Oh, and for the contest to commence, I must have a minimum of five entrants! If you wish to participate, make sure you leave an e-mail address so I can notify you if you win! If you have an account here at , just leave a signed review and I can pick your e-mail off your profile, if needed. If you don't have an account, leave your e-mail address in your review! By the way, you can either e-mail me the answers or leave it in the review. It's your choice, but note that whatever I read first is the entry that counts for that particular answer or set of answers. With that, I'll just say review, review, review, and see you in two days with Chapter 2! Copyright Date: 2/2/02