True Love Part 9

4. . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . !

Every birthday, my mom and dad would say you’re another year older, another year wiser

But I still go to school to get an education I treat each and every day like a mini vacation!

All Grown Up! I really wanna shout it out!

All Grown Up! I want the world to know!

All Grown Up! I really wanna shout it out!

All Grown Up with you

All Grown Up . . . with . . . you!


A New Years Promise


4 days before New Years Eve

Kimi is hanging out at the Java Lava with her Japanese club friends.

"Man, I can't believe how great of a guy you real father was." One of them smiled. Kimi's real father had come in from Japan to spend the Christmas holidays with his daughter so she didn't have to leave Tommy. He had just left the day before.

Kimi smiled. "I know, I was totally shocked when he arrived at the party." She sighed happily. "So, New Years is coming up; what are you guys going to have for your New Years resolution?"

"Well, I'm going resolve to try and make 10,000,000 paper cranes before the year ends...eh...I mean next year ends." Another one of her friends smiled.

"I'm going to resolve to bring my grades up." The first friend mentioned. Everyone stared at her. "What?"

"What are you going to resolve Kimi?" A third friend asked.

Kimi was a bit nervous. "Well...eh...I'm not really sure what my resolution will be."

Her fourth friend sighed. "I got one."

All the others, knowing what he was going to suggest, tried to talk him out of it.

"What? Let me hear it." Kimi said rather interested.

"Well...maybe you should resolve to be more trust worthy of your boyfriend." He said.

"What?" Kimi asked, rather confused.

The third friend sighed. "He's right Kimi...I mean, look over the past few months. You HAVE broken up a lot, most of which have been due to you not trusting him."

Kimi felt confused and scared. "Well...yeah but..."

"And you've never truly heard him out before you tried ending it with him." The 2nd friend mentioned.

Kimi was now speechless and confused like she's never been before.

"Kimi? Are you alright?" Her first friend asked.

Kimi just looked at all her friends...then she bolt for the back room, as she did, tears came down her face and she ran to the bathroom in the back room.

Kimi continued to cry in the bathroom. "No...they're wrong...they have to be..." She cried. "They have to be..." She sighed softly.


The Next Day


The rest of the gang, minus Kimi, were in the hall.

"So, Phil, what's your new years resolution?" Chuckie asked.

Phil, who was reading a magazine of some sort, merely shrugged. "No idea..." Then he whistles.

"What are you looking at Philip?" Lil asked. Then she snatched the magazine and sighed sadly. "Oh, don't tell me you're STILL going gaga over that one anime girl."

Phil snatched back the magazine and the two started into their usual bickering.

Just then Kimi walked up, put both her hands on Tommy's head and pulled him into a kiss.

"Wow..." Tommy said, really impressed. "What's the occasion?"

Kimi smirked. "Since when do you need an occasion to kiss?"

Tommy chuckled. "Good point."

Kimi smiled. "So Tommy...you want to, you know, go on a date tonight?"

"Sure, that'd be great! Where at?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, someplace interesting and fancy like Old Tokyo?" Kimi asked.

"Oh...well...sure I guess." Tommy said with a laugh.

Kimi smiled and nodded.

Later, during lunch


Tommy looked around the lunchroom. He saw no sign of Kimi or even Lil, Olivia, Nicole, Savannah, Angelica, or any girl that he knew. He sat down with Chuckie and Phil.

"Where are most of the girls?" Tommy asked.

Chuckie shrugged. "No idea, haven't seen them even enter the lunch room."

Phil, however, wasn't paying attention. Chuckie looked over. "Who's that? Lil seemed to know."

Phil jumped and rolled up the magazine. "Nothing...it's nothing."

"Phil, don't deny it. I saw you looking at a girl. Who is it?" Chuckie sighed.

Phil sighed. "Show us Phil." Tommy said.

Phil took out a magazine. "You know of the anime Tigerphron Orb X?" The two nodded. He opened the magazine and sighed happily. "There’s this one character named Moden and...well...she's..." He showed the pages that showed the picture of a tomboyish looking anime teenage girl.

"And...what's Lil going on about?" Tommy asked.

"Eh...nothing...I have no idea what she's going on about." Phil said nervously.


Outside


"I'm telling you...Phil is just obsessed with that Moden anime girl." Lil complained.

"That's nice Lil, but we're here because Kimi wanted to talk to us." Susie stated. "What is it you want Girlfriend?"

Kimi sighed. "Well...I was uh...considering my resolution and...well..."

"Ah cut to the chase." Angelica and Savannah said together. Then they looked at each other and glared.

"Quiet you two." Nicole snapped.

"No they're right...I'll just say it. Do you girls think I'm not...trust worth...of Tommy?" Kimi asked sadly.

All the girls looked at each other, then back at her.

"Kimi, what in the world gave you that idea?" Susie asked as she put her arm on her friend.

"Yeah, I mean of any girl you are the most trust worthy I know." Olivia told her.

"But what about during Christmas? Or when Dil tried to break us up?" Kimi asked.

Lil put her hand on Kimi's available shoulder. "Kimi, just don't think about it alright? You ARE very trust worthy. Besides, sure you and Tommy broke up before but you always sprung back together. Most people would fall apart for good."

Those last words echoed in Kimi's mind the rest of the day. 'Fall apart for good?' She thought

Later that night at Old Tokyo


Tommy and Kimi are dressed nicely. Kimi in a fancy Kimono and Tommy in a nice suit without a coat.

Tommy is nicely eating some rice and sesame chicken dipped in duck sauce while Kimi still hadn't even finished her Egg Drop soup.

Thousands of things were going through Kimi's mind. 'Oh my god, I hope this thing isn't a disaster. Do I look okay? What is he thinking? He looks like he thinks I'm bombing this! Why is he looking at me? What is he thinking? Oh...someone tell me I'm pretty.'

Tommy, meanwhile, was just looking at Kimi with one thought in his head. 'Man she is so beautiful tonight but why is she stressing out?' "Kimi...what's wrong? How do you feel?" He asked.

All of Kimi's built up tension finally snapped and she glared at Tommy, smacked her fist to the table, and stood up. "How do I feel? HOW DO I FEEL!?! LET ME TELL YOU HOW I FEEL! I TRY TO TAKE YOU OUT TO A NICE DINNER AND TREAT YOU LIKE A KING AND ALL I GET IS STARED AT!!! WHAT DID I DO TO YOU!?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?! WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO GO WRONG!?! I DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU TOMMY PICKLES!!! HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL!?!"

Everyone stared at Kimi and Tommy was just in complete shock. Kimi put her hands around her mouth and gasped. "I'm sorry." She said quietly and sadly. Then she bolted out of the restaurant, tears in her eyes as she was crying out.

"Eh...Check please." Tommy said to the waiter who approached him. He pulled out his wallet and tossed it to him. "I'll pick it up later!" He called as he bolted.

At the park, by the bench


Kimi is on her knees and cried. "Why...why did we have to get together? Why? Why oh why did I have to slip and..." She stops herself and put her finger on her lips.

Suddenly the bushes rustled. Kimi jumped and turned to see Tommy.

Kimi gasped and ran. Tommy was even more confused. "Kimi wait!" He called as he chased her.


Later at the docks


Kimi, tears coming down her face like a waterfall, looks out as she stands on the edge of the dock. 'This place ALWAYS calms me down.' She thought. 'But...it doesn't seem to be working now.'

Just then Tommy walked up. "Kimi...Don't jump!" He called, worried that she was suicidal.

Kimi jumped in fright and lost her balance. She started to fall. Tommy ran and grabbed her. He pulled her and she landed on top of him. 'There we go...it's all over...whatever what was in her mind...it should be out of her system.'

Unfortunately, Tommy soon noticed he couldn't be more wrong as Kimi looked like she was a total wreck.

Kimi hugs him and, tears in her eyes. "It's over Tommy." She cried. "I...let's just go back to being friends."

Tommy is just speechless. Kimi then stands up and runs, tears still in her eyes. Tommy just says one word the rest of the night. "Why?"

Elsewhere, at the DeVille house


Phil is laying on his bed looking at a cardboard cutout of Moden. He sighed dreamingly. "Man you're beautiful." Then he walked upward to the cut out and walked up to it. He gave it a hug and looked into its eyes. Then he kissed it.

"Oh...my...lord!" A Voice said loudly. Phil turned to see Lil standing at the doorway. "My gosh Phil...not again!"

"Eh...Lil...it's not what it looks like." Phil protested.

"Okay Phil...we have to talk." Lil moaned. "First off, that...THING has got to go." She reached for the cut out and grabbed it.

"No you don't!" Phil snapped as he grabbed it too.

The two struggled to take it away from the other. Suddenly it ripped in half and they both landed on their rears. Phil looks in shock at his end, the ripped arm, and cradles it. "She was so...perfect."

"Ugh! Phil will you get a grip?" Lil moaned.

Phil glared. "Oh I'll get a grip...AROUND YOU!" He snarled.

"MOOOOOOOM!" Lil yelled before she bolted out of the room.

Phil then got up and went after her and chased her around the house.

The next day

As the gang sat down to lunch outside, Phil and Lil had their backs to each other. Phil had a dark cloud hanging over his head the whole day. Lil had her head back with a look of pride on her face. Every so often, They'd look at each other. Phil would grumble, and Lil would smirk, then they'd turn their backs to each other again.

Even weirder, Tommy and Kimi were sitting on either side of Chuckie, trying to distance themselves from each other. They were acting pretty odd too. They wouldn't talk, but just look up at each other every so often, blushing and then look back down at their hands.

Dil looked at the DeVilles and then at Kimi and his brother.

Chuckie looked at him. "Hey," Dil said, "Don't look at me, I have no idea what's going on."

Kimi and Tommy, slowly, got up and walked off. "Later guys...class and all."

"Later." Chuckie said.

"See Ya." Dil added.

Phil and Lil didn't say anything.

Tommy and Kimi started to walk, unknowingly, side by side. They noticed and seemed a bit surprised. Then they sighed and kept on walking.

"So, uh...Kimi...what are you doing today? Just chillin' out?" Tommy asked.

"Well, I gotta work, but after 4, I'm all your bab--I mean, I get off work at 4, Tommy." Kimi sighed as they approached her classroom door.

The two looked at each other for a moment. "Well...Later..." Tommy added.

Kimi smiled and pecked him on the cheek. Tommy seemed shocked. 'Has she changed her mind?' He thought.

Kimi then realized what she did and gasped. She ran to her class room and slammed the door.

"Miss Finster!" Kimi's English teacher Mrs. Guppy snapped.

Kimi sighed sadly and moved to her seat.

Later


Tommy is laying on a locker and sighed sadly.


"Pickles...you're looking...eh...down in the trash?" A voice asked. Kimi looked to see VP Pangborn.

"It's down in the Dumps sir." Tommy corrected sadly.

"That's what I said, Pickles." Pangborn, supposedly, corrected.

"But you just..." Tommy tried to correct.

"GRRR!" Pangborn growled.

Tommy jumped a bit. "Eh...Dumps it is."

Pangborn chuckled. "Anyway...why are you so....sad...Pickles? You're usually the happiest kid in school with the girl Finster"

Tommy sighed. "We're...not together anymore"

"aaah...haaaa..." Pangborn chuckled...obviously he wasn't following.

Tommy nodded. 'Yeah, I don't understand it myself."

"Oh...and why is it you don't understand it?" Pangborn asked.

I donno! I just...I just want to figure out how to get her back." Tommy admitted.

"And you need my help with this?" Pangborn smiled.

"Well, yeah, I mean you could help me out, sir." Tommy lied so he didn't get in trouble.

Pangborn seemed surprised at Tommy's agreeing. "Well...Pickles there are just some things I can't do with intimidation."

"No, no, that's not what I meant." Tommy said very nervously.

"Never mind...nothing...I got to get going." With that Tommy left.

Pangborn sighed then he took out a notebook. "Hmm...this sounds good." He mumbled happily as he wrote. Then he walked over towards Phil's locker.

Phil noticed and quickly stuffed a magazine he was reading in his locker.

Pangborn, however, noticed. "DeVille...what is it you just stuffed in your locker."

"Eh...my homework." Phil lied.

Pangborn glared. "Well...then show me it. Open your locker."

Phil was nervous. He nodded and tried to open it. He started to shake the lock open...trying everything he could to make it look like it's stuck. "Well...it's stuck."

"Oh then let me." Pangborn smiled as he moved Phil out of the way. He moved his fist back.

"NOO!" Phil yelled.

Lil and a bunch of other girls are nearby as Pangborn slammed his fist against the locker and it burst open and out came a FLOOD of magazines that knocked Pangborn and Phil down.

"What's this Cadillac?" Pangborn snapped.

"It's DeVille sir." Phil corrected.

"That's what I said, Cadillac, now answer my question!" Pangborn demanded.

"Eh..just my class work." Phil lied.

Pangborn took one of the magazines and opened it and his eyes bugged out. "Good lord what is she wearing!"

The girls nearby with Lil giggled. Lil, on the other hand, covered her face in embarrassment.

"Eh...it's just a bikini sir." Phil admitted. Pangborn glared at him.

Later that night

Tommy, Chuckie, and Kimi were in Tommy's room studying. Chuckie was in the middle of Tommy and Kimi who both were wanting to look at each other but trying not to.

Chuckie finally decided to break the ice. "Did I miss something here?" He asked. "I mean, you two are usually all over each other, or at least telling cutesy-poo comments, during these study times we have...especially here at your house Tommy, but now you guys treat each other like...like plagues."

Tommy and Kimi looked down at the ground and sighed. Than Tommy stood up. "Can I talk to you in private C?"

Chuckie was a bit surprised but stood up too. "Sure, I guess.

The two walked into Dil's room while Kimi watched them go. As soon as they were gone she flopped on her back on the bed and sighed sadly. Then she looked at the poster of Tommy's idol Martin Costomiris. She smirked when she remembered telling Tommy she could of sworn it talked to her...she couldn't believe it when Tommy told her the same thing happened to him. Then she sighed sadly again and frowned.

"I guess being so much alike does not mean you're meant to be." She mumbled to herself. Then she saw something in the closet that caught her eye. "Hey...what's that?"

In Dil's room, Tommy was talking with Chuckie.

"And that's all that happened man...Kimi just, practically out of the blue, thought we weren't a great couple...or she wasn't a great girl friend or something, and broke up." Tommy sighed sadly.

"Man T...that's heavy. I mean...what are you going to do about this?" Chuckie asked.

"Well...I found her a great gift that I hope might remind her how great I think of her." Tommy told his best friend.

"What did you get?" Chuckie asked.

"Well, thing is, I already got it before, I just found it." Tommy replied.

Back in Tommy's room, Kimi looked into the closet and gasped when she saw something...it was a millennium Cynthia doll...the doll Tommy said he got her but lost all those years ago. Tears came down her face a little. "He finally found it....what's this?" He picked up a card attacked to it, via a string, and read it.

Kimi - Sorry it took so long but here is your real birthday gift from so many years ago. I want you to know how much you mean to me...no matter what happens to us, I will always be there for you. I mean, I finally found this...isn't this proof enough how far I will go? - Love, your Boyfriend forever and a day, Tommy

Tears came streaming down Kimi's eyes. "Why...why doesn't he forget me...why...why..." She cried. Then she dropped the doll and ran out the door.

Tommy and Chuckie heard footsteps going down the stairs they got out of the room in time to see Kimi run out the front door. The two friends ran to Tommy's room and Tommy saw the doll. "Oh no...she found it."

"I guess she didn't take it too well huh?" Chuckie asked.

"I'm going after her." With that Tommy bolted.

"Hey wait for me she's my sister too ya know!" Chuckie called as he ran after Tommy.

Meanwhile at the DeVille's


Phil is inside his room sulking. He could hear his mother on the phone with Pangborn. "Well, of course kids will be kids...and especially boys will be boys right? Right. Yes...yes I was already planning on talking with him for quite some time." Phil flinched at hearing that part. "Yes, uh huh, yeah, good bye." With that Betty hung up the phone.

Phil could hear her foot steps come upstairs and towards his room. He flipped on his bed and tried to look like he was asleep or something. Betty knocked on the open door. "Ha...trying the old sleeping excuse huh? That only works if..." She flicked the lights off and on. "The lights are out."

"Darn it." Phil grumbled as he sat up. As he did, his mom sat next to him on the bed.

"Come on Philly...tell me what's bugging you. What's so special about this cartoon chick that your so worked up about?" Betty asked as she put her hand on her sons arm.

Phil looked at her. "First off mom, it's an anime girl not a cartoon, there's a difference." He corrected.

"Really? Well they're both just a bunch of drawings moving around so it's all the same to me." Betty confessed. "But still, why her? Why not real girls?"

Phil sighed and looked down. Then he stood up and walked over to the poorly tapped up card board cut out leaning again the wall. "Because Moden...is a goddess. She's someone NO other girl could ever be like. She's witty, strong, and even...even..."

"Tom-boyish?" Betty asked with a smirk. Phil seemed a bit surprised. "What? You think a girl who wasn't one herself couldn't tell?"

"Yeah...guess you're right mom?" Phil admitted.

"Still, Philly, why a cartoon...or anime or whatever...why can't you find a real girl to be with or admire?" Betty asked rather concerned.

"Because...because either they thinking I'm weird...they're already taken...or....or..." Phil was at a lost for words.

"Or what?" Betty asked.

"Or they're Lil's friends and I don't want to take friends from her." Phil finally let out.

Betty sighed. "Phil, your sister has many friends and just cause one of them really turns her bro on doesn't mean she won't like you."

Phil turned around finally. "But mom, that's not all it. It's just...I don't think I can ever find a girl like Moden EVER in the real world."

Betty shook her head. "Phil, I know where you're coming from."

Phil was shocked. "Say what!"

Betty nodded as she straightened herself on the bed. "Yep. I was into stuff like that too...only it was comic book guys not this cartoon Japanese stuff. But there were some of the manliest men I fell for; like Strong Tom, or Speed Bill, or..."

"I get the idea mom!" Phil said, not wanting to hear this.

But Betty continued to list names. "Cobra King, Tickle-Me-Sam,..."

"ARGH!" Phil covered his ears and ran off.

As soon as he was gone Betty stopped and chuckled. "Heh, that should stop him for at least a little while." She smirked.


Elsewhere


Kimi continued to run down the streets as she constantly whipped the ever flowing tears form her eyes.  "Why?  Why can't he ever give up on me?  Can't he tell I'm not good for him?  Can't he tell he'd better off without me?  Can't he..."  Before she could finish, she had bumped into something...no...not something, someONE and she had landed on her rear.

"Hey watching it girl!"  A voice called out.  Kimi looked up and saw a sight that she hopped she'd never see again...it was the trio of High Scholars that tried to...do who knows what to her long ago.  The same boys that caused her to learn all her martial arts skills and, for a time, be a force of hatred against boys for a while.

The leader, Rick, was always in the middle and he was the person she bumped into.  He gathered himself and was about to strike..  "Alright you, whoever you are you're..."  He and his pals gasped when they saw who it was.  It was the girl who kicked their butts last time they met, and had barley gotten away from the cops before.

The three stumbled backwards.  "St...stay away from us you...you...witch."  Rick stuttered.

"Yeah..."  The guy on the left, Mitch, added.  "We haven't bugged you in a long time...so leave us be..."

Just then Rick stopped cowering and looked at Kimi, who was still on the ground in tears.  "Well look-y here boys...seems miss "Butt-Kicking-tough-girl" seems to not be in the mood to fight."  He smirked at his pals.  "What say we show her something we like to call...pay back." He smirked as he and his pals, who were nodding their heads, approached her and cracked their knuckles.

Normally Kimi would have gotten up and whopped their butts...but in the mood she was in she could barely stand. She was too depressed to even think straight.

Meanwhile Tommy and Chuckie finally caught up with her and saw the trio of high scholars. "Oh no...not them!" Tommy gasped,

Chuckie recognized them too. "What do we do T?"

Tommy, without a second thought, bolted towards the would-be-assaulters and, taking a move he'd seen Kimi do in practice, drop-kicked Rick in the chest and knocked him and his follies into the side of a garbage bin.

'Hmm...it appears they're not drunk tonight which means.' Tommy smirked. 'No drunken style.' With that he made a pose, again as he had seen Kimi done so many times before, while Chuckie helped get Kimi out of the way.

The trio-of-jerks charged at Tommy and started to gang up on him. At the moment, Tommy held his own quite fine.

Kimi continued to watch on with her brother next to her. "Why..." Kimi mumbled.

"What?" Chuckie asked questionably.

Tears continued to come down Kimi’s face. "What does he fight for me? Why does he continue to care about me when all I do is not trust him when he really needs me most? Why does he..."

Chuckie put a finger on Kimi's lips to silence his sister. "I'll tell you why...it's something T and I both know very well...you'd always do whatever it takes...for the one you love."

Kimi was shocked. "But I..."

Chuckie cut her off and continued. "Sure a couple can be argumentive...heck Nicole and I have had dozens of fights too...but what really matters is that you are at least able to make up with each other after the fight. That's where the real love comes outs...it comes from your hearts and is proven by your willingness to forgive."

Kimi sniffed. "Heh...since when have you been so philosophical?"

Chuckie shrugged. "Actually, most of that I got from reading some of Nicole’s romance novels...but the point is, Tommy loves you and he..." Chuckie looked to the side, where Tommy was fighting, and gasped. "and he's loosing fast!"

Kimi turned and saw her brother was right. Tommy had left a huge opening and Rick took advantage of it and now the three were ganging up badly on Tommy, really beating up.

Kimi glared. "Tommy was willing to risk himself for me because he...loves me...it's time I return the favor..." She smirked. "In spades." With that she charged towards the bullies.

Later


The police had showed up and were taking away the three black and blue-bruised bullies.  Nearby Tommy had been patched up a bit.  He walked up to Kimi.  "Heh...and here I thought I was supposed to save you."  He smiled.

Kimi smiled back.  "And you did Tommy...you saved me alright...from..."  She sighed.  "Man this is going to sound corny but...from myself."

Tommy smirked.  "You're right...it was corny."

"Hey!"  Kimi complained as she gently punched Tommy.  The two started to fool around a bit.

Chuckie chuckled as he watched them go at it.  The he smiled as he saw them stop and look into each others eyes.  Then he took out his camera and angled it just right so that he could take a picture of the kiss that was happening before him would be in the back ground of the full moon.

After the picture was taken he smiled.  "Glad you guys are back together again."


Days later...new years eve.  Countdowns to the new years are going on


Tommy is outside with Kimi as everyone else is inside watching the ball drop in New York City.  But Tommy didn't care, he was back with the one girl he loved most.

Kimi turned and saw him as he walked out.  "Hey...aren't you going to watch the ball drop?"

Tommy shrugged.  "Eh, you seen one new years you've seen them all."  He laughed as he walked up next to her.  Kimi was looking up at the stars before he came out, so he decided to do the same.  "They're beautiful huh?"

Kimi, who looked back up there, nodded.  "Uh huh."  She sighed happily.  "So what was your new years resolution?"

Tommy smiled.  "Same as always...make it big in Hollywood before I graduate High School."

Kimi and him laughed for a bit at his joke, than they both sighed at once.

"So what's your new year resolution?"  Tommy asked.

Kimi smirked.  "To not worry about our relationship again for as long as I live."

Tommy looked at her.  "Man...sure makes mine sound selfish."

"What you?  Selfish?  Never."  Kimi smiled as the two faced each other.

Inside the gang were counting down…at the same time Phil threw his Tigerphron Orb X manga to the side…he was done with that series…for now anyway

"5"

Tommy and Kimi continued to stare

"4"

Tommy put his hands around Kimi

"3"

Kimi did the same

"2"

The leaned in closer

"1"

The two's lips met and they kissed passionately

"HAPPY NEW YEARS!"  The gang cheered.  Outside though, Tommy and Kimi continued to kiss...they just made the first kiss of the new year, as far as anyone was concerned, and they intend to make it a long one.

The end...for now

Sorry it took so long to finish this.  School work combined with writers block aren't a good mix.  Well, post reviews and tell me what you think.  My next chapter is already in the works as we speak but I'd like a good number of reviews before I continue on with this series.