Tai, Izzy and Joe all hop out of Tai's car, going over to the main door to the apartment building and ring the buzzer up to the girls apartment. Once the girls told them they would be right down, Tai decides it would be best to wait for them in his car to keep their clothes from getting dirty. As the guys sit there the three talk about the goals they have for this evening and also the most important part. The most important part of it being that Mimi and Sora believe they look amazing whether or not they actually do, or they would never make it to the event. As Sora and Mimi com through the entrance all eyes are on them, even that of the construction crew working across the street, they look stunning! Izzy rushes to Mimi almost tripping over the curb and kisses her cheek, all the while looking her over with a huge goofy grin on his face. Tai tries to act cool leaving Joe by the car, and walks over to Sora winking at her, discreetly looking her up and down. Mimi squeals and points straight ahead, her four friends following their pals finger to a big sleek black limo that just pulled up to the curb to sit and wait for them.
"Oh my god! Izzy you really shouldn't have gone out of your way but it is amazing!" Mimi shrieks and hugs her boyfriend tightly.
"I am sorry Mimi but I did not call for a limo and I don't think that Tai or Joe did either we were together all afternoon." Izzy confesses wishing he had called for one.
The driver gets out of the limo and walks around to greet them all the while opening the door for them all. Then he turns to face them, hands clasped together in front of him, his face beaming with genuine smile before he speaks. " A Matt Ishida sent this limo to take you to the charity event because he couldn't be here himself."
The five friends still in shock are ushered into the vehicle with its lavish leather seats and whisked off to the event in style provided by their friend. They all sit in silence on the way to the hall, everyone's thoughts on Matt who went out of his way to give them all this present as a thank you for going to her event. None of them wanting to admit they had all once had a mean thought or word to say about him lately because he seemed to be too busy for any of the activities they did as a group. All of them secretly vowing to make it up to their friendship crest bearing friend one way or another, so that they could set their consciences at ease. They were brought back to reality by the driver announcing their arrival at the charity event, the friends mentally and physically prepare themselves one last time before they step out of the limo and into the world once again.
Matt is backstage with his band mates preparing for the concert, each member in a different corner of the room glaring at each other. Fame had changed them all and not really for the better, these once good friends now wanted nothing to do with each other Matt realised. The drummer has slept with the bass player's girlfriend, and they were no longer speaking, the keyboard player missed more than half of their rehearsals and he himself couldn't find the inspiration to write anymore songs. As he approaches his buddies who had gone through so much in this musical process together he felt hurt and sad but deep down he felt relieved. When he opened his mouth to speak all eyes were glued to him but strangely they all nodded their heads in agreement. Matt realises they all knew too and were just waiting for him to catch up and it makes him feel cold. Questions race through his head but he doesn't have a chance to think about them, the band stands and walks past him patting him on the shoulder as they take the stage. It is time to perform.
Matt steps on to the stage and up to his microphone, his guitar is slung across his back as he looks out over the crowd. He spots his friends sitting around a table and they stand, clap and cheer for him as he slowly awaits silence so they he can start. The events of the last few minutes catching up to him and he takes a deep breath to get the courage to tell the world not to mention his friends.
"Thank you all for coming, I would like to make an announcement before we start to rock. This band has come a long way and we have all learned a lot but sometimes the things we learned were not good. So as of tonight this will be our last show, we are breaking up. Thank you all for your support and enjoy our show. "Matt says finishing his speech and once again feeling the full support of the band members behind him in the decision.
The crowd is in shock, there are gasps through-out and no one know what to say or do at the news this hot band has just given, and that goes double for the best friends of the lead singer slash guitar player. They all stand frozen around the table silent and confused, knowing their reactions will be pressed into Matt's memory. They all glance at one another before Joe seems to snap out of his daze and into action.
"Come on guys, this must be what Matt wants and we have to support him 100%, even if we cannot understand why he is doing this. Come on he supported Mimi when she wanted to start cooking, hell he even gave her lessons! He supported you Tai when that girl Sakiwa dumped you and let you cry on his shoulder for a month. Izzy he is the one who convinced you to ask Mimi out and look at the two of you now. And Sora…" Sora cuts Joe off.
"Yes Joe he stood by me and beat everyone up who made fun of me when I cut all my hair off and had to wear a hat for like two years. Matt is the essence of friendship and he is really going to need his friends after tonight is over. "She finishes for him.
"Alright let get out there and cheer him on! And Joe your dead later only you and Matt were supposed to know about that incident. "Tai says threatening him, half-jokingly.
They all head out to the dance floor, they dance and sway to the song Matt is belting out, each of them with different thoughts running through their heads. Izzy grabs Mimi's hand and twirls her around they laugh together. Tai finds a girl, taps her on the shoulder and convinces her to dance with Joe, even though all Joe can do is stutter after she agrees. Tai turns to say something to Sora and notices her beauty, this causes him to stare. She is wearing a navy blue cocktail dress that looks like it is suctioned to her; it is strapless and has a slit up the side, definitely from Mimi's closet. Her hair which she has grown long recently is curled with some of it pulled back off her face, and she is wearing make- up that makes her lashes a mile long.
"Tai is something wrong? Is there something on my face? "Sora asks worriedly.
"No nothing, just wondering if you would like to dance is all. " He lies covering his tracks. He takes her hand and pulls her closer, he gets a whiff of her shampoo and sighs almost blowing his cool act then covers it up with a yawn.
Matt scans the crowd looking for someone as he sings; just two more songs and his singing career will be at a standstill. He is nervous but it is only partially because of the demise of his band, finally he sees her and knows what it is he has to do. He closes his eyes and imagines asking her out, something he has played out in his mind millions of times and tonight he will actually bring it to fruition. He opens his eyes and smiles already he has breezed through two of the last three songs, he chuckles to himself. He is thinking of the old saying, I could do that with my eyes closed, because he really could sing all his songs like that. The last song is their most popular, they will go out with a bang and he will go back to living his somewhat normal life. The only thing on Matts mind as he finishes the song, despite his confidence is please let her say yes, please let her say yes.
Matt's band leaves the stage and his friends take their seats around the table to take a breather from dancing, all but Joe who is off with his dance partner. They all have a drink in front of them and are smiling like crazy, all except for Sora, who really needed the rest room. She peers around the room and notices someone who looks like Matt from the back standing partially around the corner at the far end of the room and excuses herself from the table. She makes her way across the room to where she saw him in hopes of chatting with him and also finding out where the washroom is. As she makes her way toward him she thinks to herself, why am I drawn to Matt more than Tai? Is it true what everyone in school use to tease them about? As she approaches she realises that Matt is talking to someone. Sora doesn't want to interrupt so she hangs back but in ear shot so she will know when they are finished talking.
"Hey can I talk to you for a moment Kim? This is important and I have to get it off my chest. "Matt asks calmly.
"Sure Matt, what is it? " Kim replies looking concerned.
"Will it's like this, for a while I have wanted to ask you if you would like to go out with me, I have liked you for some time now but I held back because of my busy schedule but not that it is not so hectic, would you? " Matt confesses.
"Really? You're being serious? Oh Matt I would love to! " Kim cries and flings her arms around his neck in a hug.
A pang hits Soras heart like a blade and appear at her eyes, a pit forms in her stomach and her legs take control of the rest of her body. Sora feels herself running through the crowd of people pushing and shoving them as she heads for the exit as fast as she can. Everything is a blur as she rushes to the safety of solitude and the outside air. The words that Matt said to this Kim girl are spinning around in circles in her head making her cry harder. Does she really care for the sad, quiet, mysterious Matt as much as this pain tells her she does right now? She leans against the brick wall of the building and closes her eyes taking deep breaths to calm pulse and her thoughts. When she hears the sound of footsteps coming towards her, that is when she realises the huge scene she has just made and holds her breath as she waits to see who it is.