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Life, Love, and Death: The Story of Tailer Matthews (Tai Kamiya Romance Re-write) Part 1
By Tai92
When I went to the Digital World, everything changed. One day I was a friendless, disobedient, weak, cowardly pre-adolescent girl, and the next day, I was social, well-mannered, and courageous and yet still a pre-adolescent girl. And yet somehow, I had aged so much. If you are reading this, it means you know all about the Digital World, what inhabits it, and who its saviors were. This means that you know about Tai Kamiya and the others; although you have no idea about me and where I tie into their story. This is the story of how I grew into an adult, how I found love, and how I died.
When I was younger, somehow I managed to get transported to a place called the Digital World. I do not know how and I do not know why but somehow I went to sleep in my bed and woke up in a forest with a bunch of kids surrounding me. Needless to say, during the duration of our stay, we learned things about ourselves and each other. Tai Kamiya was an overprotective big brother, and a great leader. His sister Kari was wise beyond her years even though she was so young. Matt Ishida was a pretty boy with a hard time being able to make friends. TK, his younger brother, gave him something in common with Tai. Izzy Izumi was an anti-social genius kid who could think his way out of anything. Mimi Tachikawa was a prissy fashionista who had never done a day of hard labor in her life and she complained a lot. Sora Takenouchi was a tomboy and had not a single compassionate bone in her body. Joe Ido was a whiny older boy who was skittish around blood but for some reason was studying to become a doctor. Needless to say, being stuck together in a place unknown made us all close. Well, as close as you can be to a group of kids who live halfway around the globe from each other.
I grew up in a small town in the United States and the rest of the kids lived in Japan. How it happened that I ended up being the only American in the group of Japanese kids, I have no idea. Thank God my step-dad is a Japanese major and taught me how to speak their language. Anyways…
My name is Tyler Matthews and I am seventeen years old. I am from a small town in the northwest corner of the United States. I live with my mom and my step-dad. She is a stay-at-home mom and he is a Japanese major at the local college. I have a dad and brother who live in the area too, although after my parents got divorced when I was little, I have not seen much of my dad or my older brother, Dray.
At this point and time, I am still very much in contact with the Japanese Digidestined. Izzy has become like a surrogate brother to me, and the others and I still talk but not as often and only via email and text.
Anyways, I was sitting in my bedroom, reading a book when my mom and step-dad came into my room and gave me some almost unsettling news.
"Tailer, we have an announcement," my step-dad said. I quirked an eyebrow and put a bookmark in my book and sat up on my bed.
"You are not pregnant, are you?" I asked. My mother laughed. I hate her laugh.
"Oh no. We are moving! Rich got a new job!" she said, all excitedly. I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"…Where?"
"Japan! He got that teaching job at the university! The other professor had to leave early due to maternity leave."
"But mom! What about my friends!? What about Dad and Dray!? I like it here!" I whined.
"Oh do not worry, you can come back and see them. Besides, maybe you will get to meet that pen pal of yours once we are there. Boxes are in the garage better start packing. We leave on Saturday," she said, and then they walked out of my room.
In disbelief, I grabbed my cell phone from my computer desk and sent out a mass text message to my friends saying "I AM MOVING TO JAPAN!? " Whilst I waited for their replies, I logged into my computer and sent an email to Izzy saying pretty much the exact same thing. I sighed and looked around my room, reliving all the memories I had there with my friends over the past few years. I had not met any of the girls I now call my best friends until I came back from the Digital World. I pretty much always kept to myself, never really felt like I needed them. Now there was nothing else I wanted but my best friends to be here with me, freaking out about leaving the country.
As I waited for my friends' replies, I looked in the mirror that hung on my wall. Staring back at me was a strong figured girl with long brunette hair, fair skin, and dark brown almost black eyes. Surrounded by my reflection were a bunch of pictures of the past few years of my life. One was of me tied to a chair whilst my best friends were laughing with curling irons and make-up surrounding them. Another was of us on our first day of high school. Another of myself and an ex-boyfriend. One of my brother Dray and I as kids. And one of my younger self being kissed on the cheek by a poofy-haired Japanese boy. All these memories. What would happen to them once I moved to a different country?
Less than a half an hour later, I heard the doorbell ring. I jumped up from my computer chair, and ran down the stairs.
"I got it!" I shouted to my mom, who was getting off the couch; the only people who ever ring the doorbell are my best friends. I opened the door to see the four of them waiting for me. Taylor, my favorite of the bunch, was shorter than I, slightly stocky with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a cute pair of purple-framed glasses on her face. Jolene was my height, also brown hair, freckles dashed across her nose and cheeks adding texture to and enlightening the look of her blue eyes. Sabrina was petite and lanky with bright blonde hair and big blue shining eyes with pink pouty lips. Ashleigh whom we all called Red, was built like I was, broad shouldered and slim but she had light brown eyes and bright red hair (hence the nickname).
"We figured this was an in person kind of conversation," Taylor said.
"Yeah, tell me about it," I said. I let them all in and they removed their shoes and we all went upstairs to my room. Taylor and I plopped onto my bed, Jolene sat in the computer chair, and Red and Sabrina sat cross legged on the floor.
"So, tell us everything," Jolene said.
"I guess I am moving to Japan," I said.
"We got that much! When? Why? And why in the middle of second semester?" Taylor asked.
"Rich got a job at a university there. And I guess the other professor got pregnant or something and they need an immediate replacement so Rich starts like next week! We have to leave on Saturday!" I said as I dramatically fell back into my pillows. They were silent for a moment.
"You mean…we only get to see you for another week?" Red asked.
"What about the band?" Sabrina asked.
"What about your dad and Dray?" Jolene asked.
"I do not know! The only other choice I have is to move in with my dad and we all know she will not let me do that," I sighed.
"Well," Taylor said as she slapped her knees and stood up. "I guess that means we better make the most of the time we have left."
"Agreed," Jolene said as she too stood up.
"Come on, Tailer, we will spend all week together and we will help you pack," Sabrina said.
"I am gonna miss you guys…"
They all smiled back at me.
When moving day came, we were all sad. We literally spent the entire week together. The girls were a big help with packing up the house. The only way we could convince our parents to let them all stay the week was if they helped us pack. And sure enough, that is what we did all week. After living in the same house for ten years, you really see how much stuff you accumulate. Throughout the week I had numerous calls from Izzy and Tai both wanting to know where I would be moving to. But to be honest, I had no idea. I am not even sure my parents knew where we were moving to. Just that it was in Japan. I did not even get to see my dad before the day had come. Just phone calls of him saying that he would miss me and that he would make sure I would come back to visit this summer to finish recording our band's album.
The moving van had been packed and left the day before and was on its way to Japan. My friends and I walked through my empty house a few times, and once the house was locked, we stood on the front porch together, looking at the floorboards of the porch and then at each other.
"This part I will not miss," I said. Taylor and Jolene had tears in their eyes and everyone was sad. Taylor threw her arms around me and hugged me tight and whispered in my ear: "He is happy now." And then the rest of them joined in on the group hug.
"Tailer! We are going to miss the plane! It is time to say goodbye," my mom yelled from the street near the cab.
"Let us know when you land, okay?" Jolene said.
"Definitely. I will miss you guys," I said.
"Do not have too much fun with your Japan friends, okay?" Taylor said.
"Never in a million years,"
With one more hug, I got in the cab with my parents and drove away as my friends waved goodbye to me.
Numerous hours, and like a thousand layovers later, we landed in Japan. Once we made it through the numerous checkpoints, we started towards the exit where a man in a suit was waiting for us. How did I know he was waiting for us? Well he was holding a sign that read "Williams – Matthews Family."
We followed the man and he brought us outside to where a car was waiting to take us to our new home. Apparently the University Rich was going to work for was all prepared for us. Which led me to believe that this agreement happened long before my mom decided to tell me about it. They already had an apartment set up for us and everything. Considering I knew a thing or two about Japan due to my Digidestined friends, I asked where it was we were going.
"Heighton View Terrace," was the clipped response that I got in reply. I pulled out my cell phone and turned it on. I had tons of text messages from my friends in America and Japan as well as a few from my dad. Pretty much all of them said the same thing: Let me know when you land. So I sent out a mass text message to all my friends and family back home, as well as to Tai and Izzy saying "Just landed! Heading to the new apartment now."
The only one who responded immediately was Izzy; probably due to the fact that we were now in the same time zone. It was weird to be able to talk to Izzy directly without one of us having to be up in the middle of the night. Anyways, he asked if I knew which area we were going to be living in and I replied with Heighten View Terrace. By the time I had gotten through with sending the text, the car had come to a stop in front of the apartment complex.
"Is this it?" my mom asked the driver.
"Yes ma'am. Here is your home information as well as the schooling information. Keys are in the packet," the driver responded as he handed a manila envelope to my step-dad. We all piled out of the car and looked up at the apartment building. Rich opened the envelope as the driver pulled out of the parking lot.
"Looks like we are apartment number 1307. Hey Tailer look your bike is here already," Rich said as he looked around the parking lot. Sure enough, my black and red crotch rocket was already in the parking lot next to my mom's suburban and Rich's truck.
We walked up the stairs and to the end of the hall until we found ours. It even had a plaque up that said "Williams – Matthews Residence." Curious as to if all the apartments had name labels, I looked at the one to the left of ours. Theirs read "1306 Kamiya Residence."
"Wow I guess everyone likes to broadcast which family lives in which apartment. That is kind of strange," my mom remarked.
"Kamiya…" I muttered, "That sounds so familiar."
"What was that, Tailer?" my step-dad asked.
"Oh, nothing. So is all our stuff here?" I asked.
"I do not know," Rich said, "Let us find out."
And he put the key into the door and unlocked it. Sure enough everything that we packed and decided to keep was stacked in boxes all over the apartment. Thankfully, all the furniture was pretty much set up in a normal way; whoever moved everything in was thoughtful enough to try and arrange the furniture.
So we got started unpacking.
After a few hours of unpacking, I had most of my room set up the way I wanted to. All my clothes at least were put away in the dresser and closet. My bunk bed was set up, my computer desk was in the right place, and even better, my room had balcony access. Needing a break from cardboard, I grabbed my cell phone and walked out onto the patio where I checked it for the first time since getting to my new home. I had missed text messages from both Izzy and Tai; still nothing from America. Both of the boys' texts basically were asking where it was we moved to. I pulled up Izzy's contact and pressed the send button and the phone started ringing.
"This is Izzy!" he answered.
"Izzy this is Tailer," I said.
"Tailer! How are you? How was the flight? Where do you live?" he asked in a rush. I laughed.
"Breathe, Izzy! I am good. Flight was good. And I live in an area called Heighten View Terrace," I said.
"Hey! I live near there!" Izzy said.
"Really!? Oh my god I need to see you," I said. "Oh hey though, question. My neighbors have a last name that sounds very familiar and I do not know why."
"What is the name? Only a few kids you know still live in that area," he said.
"Uhh I believe it was Kamiya," I said. Izzy laughed.
"That is Kari and Tai's apartment!" he said, while laughing. I felt my cheeks redden for some reason.
"Oh, wow," I said.
"That is fantastic, Tailer. Want to go get coffee or something? I can meet you," Izzy suggested.
"Yeah that would be awesome, actually. I need a break already," I said.
"Okay well if you leave your complex and go left at the corner is a coffee place I can meet you there?" Izzy asked.
"Sounds good," I replied, "See you in a bit."
I ended the call and put my phone in my pocket and grabbed my clutch purse and left my room.
"Mom, my pen-pal Izzy actually lives around here! So we are gonna go get coffee, okay?" I said as I walked past the kitchen.
"How is your unpacking going first?" she asked.
"Great I am almost done," I replied.
"Alright. Well, be back before dark. Keep your phone on you," she said. I pulled it out of my pocket and held it up.
"Got it. See you," and I walked out the door.
As I was locking the door behind me, the door to my left opened and closed and a boy a few inches taller than me, with thick messy hair walked out of that apartment, his nose in his cell phone.
"Oh come on, Tai, you are not even going to say hi?" I asked as I leaned into the shadows of the hall. He turned around, brown eyes searching.
"Do I know you?" he asked. I stepped out of the shadows, grinning.
"Oh come on, I know it has been a while, but really," I said. He squinted at me.
"…Tailer?" he asked. My grin broke into a smile and I nodded.
"I was just texting you back!" he said as he pulled me into his arms tightly. I coughed.
"Uh, Tai, can't breathe," I mumbled. He pulled away quickly, blushing, as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Sorry, Tailer… So what are you doing here? Were you trying to find me or something?" he asked. I laughed.
"In your dreams, Tai! I actually just moved in next door," I said pointing to my door. "I was on my way to meet Izzy for coffee when I happened to see you."
"Oh shit!" Tai said, looking at his watch, "I have gotta get Kari from school. Wanna come with me until you meet up with Izzy?"
I shrugged.
"Sure why not? Give us some time to catch up," I said. He motioned for me to walk with him and we started down the stairs to the parking lot.
"So, how have you been?" I asked.
"Uh, good I guess. School has been good, soccer has been good," he said. I nudged him with my elbow.
"Any lucky ladies?" I asked, grinning. He blushed slightly.
"Actually uh," he coughed and his face got even redder, "the last time I kissed anyone was when I kissed you."
My jaw dropped slightly.
"Seriously? But that was just a cheek kiss. And it was like four years ago," I said in disbelief. Tai would not meet my eyes. We were nearing what I assumed was the school, considering kids were filing out of it.
"Well I have not really found anyone else worth kissing…" he mumbled. And then I turned red.
"Oh," I muttered. "Well I am flattered, Tai."
He grinned and rubbed his hand on my head.
"Do not be too flattered you were a lot cuter then," he said, grinning. I scoffed and pushed his hand away from my head.
"Thanks a lot, Tai. Now I can see why you are single. You are an ass," I said as I turned around.
"Tailer…" he said softly, reaching for me. "I did not mean it like that."
"Tai! You did not have to come pick me up. I am not a little kid anymore," a partially familiar girl's voice said. I shot Tai a look and then looked around to see his little sister Kari with who I assumed was TK running up to Tai.
"Who is this, Tai?" Kari asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"What do not remember me either, Kari?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and pouting. Her and TK shared a glance.
"Tailer…?" TK asked slowly. I broke into a grin.
"In the flesh," I said whilst doing a dramatic bow.
"Wow it is so nice to see you," Kari said after hugs were exchanged.
"Are you visiting or something?" TK asked as we started walking back towards the apartment complex.
"No actually I just moved here. My step-dad is actually going to be teaching at one of the universities around here," I said.
"Oh wow that is cool!" TK said. "I will have to tell Matt. He has been dying to see you since Izzy showed him a picture of you." He said winking. I felt my cheeks redden slightly again.
"We shall see," I replied.
"Tai! Kari! TK! Have you guys seen Tailer anywhere?" a voice from in front of us yelled. I peeked around TK's shoulder (damn the kid was seriously taller than me!) and saw a boy about his height with red hair running towards us.
"IZZY!" I shouted as I ducked around TK and ran to meet Izzy head on in a crushing hug.
"Tailer! You are here! You are really here!" He said laughing as he spun me around.
"Oh God it is so nice to see you," I said.
"What are we, chopped liver?" Tai asked.
"On occasion," I replied. "Oh, hey Kari, is that a camera around your neck?"
She fiddled with the device.
"Yeah, why?" she asked.
"I promised my friends back home I would send them a picture of you guys. Any chance you would be willing to let us take a picture?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders and removed the camera from her neck.
"Sure thing!" She looked around until she spotted a kid walking by. "Hey can you take a picture of us please? It is our friends first time in Japan and first time seeing her and we would like a picture to commemorate." She said to him. The kid agreed and while Kari was teaching him how to work her camera, we all lined up. I had Tai on my right and Izzy on my left with TK and Kari to Izzy's left. We all stood there smiling like idiots and right before the picture flashed, I swear I thought I felt something touch my left hip.
"There you go," the kid said as he handed Kari back her camera.
"Thank you so much," she replied.
"Can you send me a copy?" I asked.
"I can do you one better, if you want I can print it off right now and give you a physical copy as well as a digital copy," she said.
"That would be awesome! You are fantastic, Kari," I said grinning.
"I thought we were going to get coffee Tailer?" Izzy asked.
"Do you mind if we do this first? Frankly I am just happy that I am out of that apartment," I said.
"Oh I guess we never asked. Where is it you moved to, Tailer?" TK asked. I smirked.
"Guess who is your new neighbor, Kari?" I said. Her face lit up with a smile.
"That is great!" she said. "Well come on then, I can go print it out really quickly and then you two can be on your way."
"Why do not you come with us, Tai?" Izzy asked as we walked up the stairs. I glanced quickly at Tai to see him staring at me.
"I have, uh, got homework to finish," he said.
"But, Tai, you never do your homework," Izzy remarked.
"Yeah, well, today I am going to do it," he said lamely. Izzy quirked an eyebrow and sent me a questioning glance. I just shook my head slightly in reply.
"Fine, suit yourself. I guess it will just be the three of us then," Izzy said. Now it was my turn to stare questioningly.
"Matt heard through the grapevine that you had arrived so he is meeting us after he is done with band practice," Izzy said. A smile broke out onto my face.
"Oh cool! I hope he is still cute," I muttered to myself. Tai semi glared at me.
"Anyways, better get to that homework, Tai. Time to prove that there are actually brains in that big head of yours," I said grinning.
"Apparently I was right about what I said earlier, Tailer. You were a lot better then," Tai snapped at me. Leaving me with my jaw agape, Tai stormed up the rest of the stairs to their apartment.
"What was that all about?" TK asked. I sighed.
"Whatever. Forget about it. Kari can I come by after coffee? I do not think Tai really wants to see me anymore right now," I asked. She sent me a concerned look.
"Well… Alright. I will send you a text when he has calmed down, okay?" she suggested. I nodded.
"That sounds good. Do you have my number?" I asked. Kari pulled out her cell phone and read out the number that she had gotten through the grapevine to make sure it was the right one.
"Yup that is it. Thanks, Kari, I will see you later then," I said.
"I am going to head home, Kari, I will talk to you later?" TK asked, with a soft look on his face. Kari smiled lightly.
"Yeah we will talk." They shared a soft look for a moment before they both blushed and went their separate ways.
"Huh, when did that start?" I asked Izzy.
"When did what start?" he asked a confused look on his face.
"The two of them realizing that they have feelings for each other," I said. We started walking down the sidewalk towards where I assumed the coffee shop would be.
"Feelings? Like romantic feelings?" he asked in disbelief. I chuckled.
"Uh yeah. They have crushes on each other. Goodness you are clueless about relationships aren't you?" I asked.
"Oh shut up. I know enough to know that you and Tai had an argument about something," Izzy said, sending me a knowing glance. I sighed.
"Just him being a boy and me being a girl. Him saying something rude and me overreacting," I said.
"Well it sounded like he was pretty upset," he remarked.
"Him upset? He has got no goddamn reason to be upset! I am the one he insulted!" I scoffed. Izzy opened the door to a small café for me and motioned for me to go inside. Once we got our drinks and sat down at a table did we finish the conversation.
"So what happened?" Izzy asked. I sighed and sipped on my latte.
"Well… We were catching up and I asked him if he had a girlfriend and he told me that the last time he kissed someone was me –" Izzy cut me off
"TAI KISSED YOU!?"
"Shhh! When we were in the Digital World right before we left for the last time. And it was only a kiss on the cheek," I said. "Anyways, I told him that I was flattered that he had not kissed anyone since, and he basically said do not be flattered and called me ugly," I said. I rested my cheek in my palm and swirled my latte around in its cup.
"Well that was rude of him," Izzy remarked.
"What was rude of who?" a voice close by asked. I looked up from my cup and saw a tall blonde with bright blue eyes and soft pink lips, grinning down at me.
"Matt!" I exclaimed as I jumped out of my seat and wrapped my arms around him.
"Tailer! Welcome to the better part of the world!" Matt laughed as he untangled me from his arms and pulled up a chair to join us.
"Anyways, who is rude?" Matt asked. Izzy and I answered at the same time:
"No one!" "Tai!"
"Wait. Tai was being rude? You are kidding me right?" Matt asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Apparently Tailer ought not to be flattered that she is the only person he has been intimate with because she is now ugly," Izzy recapped. Matt's jaw went slack before he smirked at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"Do not feel bad that Tai is an idiot. I think you are fucking gorgeous," Matt said. I laughed.
"Thanks, Matt," I said. I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed.
"It is nice to be with you guys again. I think I needed this move more than I thought," I whispered.
"Wow, Tailer, you are just all over everyone aren't you?" a voice asked. I lifted my head off Matt's shoulder and glanced around.
"Excuse me?" I asked Tai who was standing near us, his own coffee in his hands.
"Your ego hurts so you try and get Matt to lick your wounds? That is pathetic," Tai spat.
"This has nothing to do with my ego, Tai. It does have everything to do with someone I have held close to my heart for four years be a fucking dick to me the first time he sees me!" I stood up from the table and grabbed my coffee.
"I will see you guys later," I said as I kissed both Matt and Izzy's cheeks quickly before storming out of the café and heading back to my apartment. Still frothing as much as my coffee, I stormed home. I heard my cell phone chime and felt it vibrate in my pocket so I pulled it out and checked it. It was a text from Kari saying that since Tai went somewhere, I should come by and get that picture. I sent her a reply saying that I was on my way back to the complex now and would stop by.
Once I got back to our building, I hiked up the stairs and knocked on Kari's door. She answered it with a smile and invited me in. Once I took my shoes off, I followed her to what I assumed to be her and Tai's shared room.
"You guys still have to share a room?" I asked. Kari sighed.
"Yeah we have been waiting for our dad to clean out the office so we can turn it into my room but you know how dads are, they take forever to get something done," she said grinning. Suddenly, I was missing my own dad.
"Well if it is any consolation, I totally understand sharing a room with a big brother and I am just very glad I did not have to deal with it in my teen years. I am so sorry for your loss of privacy," I said, grinning as I sat down on the bottom bunk of their bunk bed. Kari chuckled.
"I have never had privacy. We have shared this room since I was born," she said as she was clicking through her computer. "Aha!" she said as she opened a picture file.
The picture that was taken of us outside was actually very nice. We all looked happy and glad to be together again. Which was true, of course. I squinted my eyes at the monitor.
"Huh so that is what that was," I muttered.
"What?" Kari asked. I pointed to the screen at the small gap between mine and Izzy's bodies. There was a hand almost wrapped around my waist. Tai's hand no less.
"I thought I felt something touch me. Guess it was Tai," I said.
"Well that is no surprise. He has been crazy about you for years," Kari remarked. I quirked my eyebrow at her.
"Well he has a really crappy way of displaying his affection," I murmured.
"What happened with you two?" she asked, while loading her printer with photo paper. I sighed.
"He was just being himself and me, being the pissy female I am, took it the wrong way," I explained, "And then he stopped by the coffee shop we were at, and I was talking with Matt and he was a jerk and said I was trying to get Matt to lick my ego wounds."
Kari scoffed.
"I am sorry, Tailer. Boys are stupid," she remarked. I shrugged.
"It is alright."
"There you go! I also emailed you a copy of it," Kari said, handing me the photo.
"Thanks, Kari. I am going to send it to my friends now," I said, as I took the photo and stood up from the bed.
"Okay. Want me to yell at Tai for you?" she asked.
"Nah it will work itself out," I said as I slipped my shoes on.
"Thanks again, Kari, I will talk to you later," I said.
"Bye, Tailer," she said as she closed the door behind me. I walked next door and unlocked it.
"I am back!" I called into the apartment.
"Hey Tailer, I am making dinner. You hungry?" Rich asked from the kitchen.
"Um kind of. What are you making?" I asked as I slipped my shoes off and accidentally dropped my clutch on the floor.
"Just frozen pizza. We are going to go real grocery shopping probably tomorrow," Rich said. I picked my clutch back up and walked into the kitchen.
"Sure, sounds good to me," I said.
"What's that you've got there, Tailer?" my mom asked, pointing to my hand.
"Oh, it's a picture of my penpals," I said, "We all met up and they took a picture for me so I could send it to Taylor and the others."
"Let me see," she said. I frowned slightly and handed it to her.
"So who is who?" Rich asked, leaning over my mom's shoulder. I pointed to each person I said their name.
"That is Tai, that is Izzy, that is Kari, and that is TK. I also saw TK's older brother Matt, but he was not in time for the picture," I said.
"They look nice. When will we get to meet them?" Rich asked. I shrugged and took the picture back.
"Not sure. Probably after we finish getting settled in," I said. I grabbed two slices of pizza and put them on a plate before heading to my room.
"Thanks for dinner," I said.
I closed and locked the door behind me, and I set the pizza down on my computer desk. I grabbed some tape from the desk drawer and taped the picture to my mirror, right next to the one of Tai kissing my cheek way back when we first went to the Digital World. I sighed and sat down in the chair while turning my computer on. I looked at the pizza and grabbed one of the pieces and stuck it in my mouth. Once the computer was running, I looked at the clock. Only 6:30pm.
I dropped the pizza back on to the plate and sighed again. I pushed myself up from the chair and opened the slider door in my room that connected to the balcony. Grabbing the plate of pizza, I walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing. I looked over the edge, 'Not too far of a drop. Good,' I thought. And then I tilted the plate sideways and let the pizza slide to its doom.
"Did you just waste food?" a voice to my left asked. Startled, I jumped and nearly dropped the plate, too. I turned to see Tai leaning against his balcony railing.
"What does it matter to you if I waste food?" I asked, as I sighed and ran my free hand over my face.
"I guess it doesn't," Tai replied. We stood in silence a moment, while I stared down at the street below, before Tai opened his mouth again.
"Are you okay?" he asked. My head snapped up and I sent him a wide smile.
"I'm fine, Tai. Do not worry your pretty little head," I said as I turned towards my door.
"Tailer wait…" he said suddenly. I cocked my head sideways and looked at him.
"What?" I asked. His body tensed up slightly before he relaxed and sighed.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's okay, Tai, don't worry about it," I said. I felt my fingers tense with reflex against the plate in my left hand.
"No, Tailer, it's not. I just -" he stopped, frustrated, and ran a hand through his hair.
"Whatever you want to say, Tai, it's probably better left unsaid," I said.
"No, it's not, Tailer," Tai said as he walked to the divider between our balconies. He braced his hands against the bars and lifted himself up to jump across the small gap between our balconies. He walked up to me and put his hands against my arms. I stared questioningly at him.
"I'm really sorry about what I said. It's just-" he paused, and dropped my arm from his hand and ran his hand over his face again. He took the plate from my hands and turned it around in his own hands, contemplating.
"I loved you, Tailer," he said suddenly. My jaw went slack and I widened my eyes. "The thirteen year old you that I met in the Digital World. She was amazing. And then there's you…"
His eyes met mine again; he had an almost crazy look in his eyes.
"What about me?" I asked, sharply, eyes narrowing.
"It almost feels like you aren't real," he said softly. Taken aback, I took a step away from him.
"How… How can you say that, Tai?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.
"For so long you were such a beautiful memory to me. I mean…" he choked again almost like he was going to cry. "Put yourself in my shoes. It's hard having a memory so dreamlike to find, years later, that that wonderful dream is living next door to you."
I stared at him, unsure of what to say. I chewed on my fingertips nervously. Tai fiddled with the plate he took from me for a moment and then lightly set it on the ground. He touched my arms lightly and slowly ran them up my shoulders until his hands were resting lightly on the back of my neck.
"And here you are, Tailer. My dream all come true. All grown up and more beautiful than I could even imagine," he said softly.
parking lot where Izzy and Matt were waiting for us.
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