The Populars

Three students walked down the hallway, other students parting like the Red Sea to let them through. Two boys and a girl.

The girl had long flowing red hair and had brought the school the 3rd place trophy from the national tennis finals. One boy had spiky blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and sang lead for a recently signed band already quite popular in the area. The other boy had uncontrollable brown hair and was the daring soccer captain that had led the team to the national soccer championship.

Everyone wanted to be their friend. Their greetings were gold. To have them know your name made you teenage royalty.

The school year, however, was slowly drawing to a close; their power dwindling away. They didn't notice, they were above meaningless things such as high school problems; but others noticed. Especially one Kari Kamiya.

"Tai," Kari called after her brother, but the sea of students closed behind the three seniors. She needed a ride home. Earlier in the year it had been easy for her to find rides, people trying to get on Tai's good side by helping his beloved freshman sister. Now, however, she had been walking home more and more often.

"Did Kari just call for you, Tai?" Sora asked slowing her pace and looking behind the three for the little brunette. She finally spotted the freshman and smiled as Kari pushed through the crowd to Sora's side. Tai and Matt were a few feet ahead waiting or the two girls.

"Hey, Kari," Tai said. "Didn't see you this morning. Mom said you left early."

Kari shrugged, having left early to make it to school on time. "Can you give me a ride home?"

Tai grimaced. "I have to stay for the prom committee. It's this weekend, afterall."

Kari looked down, hoping Matt or Sora would offer.

"It's a beautiful day outside," Matt said. "Why not walk with TK?" He was referring to his younger brother.

Kari forced a smile. It wasn't that she didn't want to; on the contrary, she would have loved to. But, after making the varsity basketball team, TK had become just about the most popular freshman, following close in his brother's footsteps. Unbeknownst to him, many of his friends had told Kari to stay away from him so as to not spoil his reputation. She would have to catch him alone in order to talk to him. "I hadn't thought of that. Thanks, Matt. I'll try to find him now."

The three seniors smiled at the younger girl and then continued their way down the hall toward lunch, Kari following close behind so people would associate her with them. She needed all the benefit she could from their power.

"You got enough money for lunch?" Tai asked as he reached his usual table.

Kari simply nodded. Their mother had just given her more money for her lunch fund that morning, worrying that Kari didn't eat enough, because she spent most of her dinners picking at the food served. Tai smiled and watched as she slowly approached her usual table across the room.

"She's not anorexic," Tai said, turning to Sora. "Is she?"

"She eats fine," Sora said. "I was just like that my freshman year, remember? She'll grow out of that phase soon. She just needs…" Sora didn't know how to phrase it to not get Tai mad.

"A boy interested in her," Matt said. "Aside from Davis."

"TK!" a boy called out. "You gotta get a girl for my party!" Hi name was Devon, and he was the freshman to know. Once you knew Devon, he would pass judgment on you that everyone followed. Seeing as how freshman were not allowed to go to prom, he decided to throw his own party, one that even the seniors would likely admire and envy. He had one requirement, and that was that everyone had to have passed his test. He rarely decided that someone was completely unworthy of knowing him, but there had been a case or two, like that one whale American girl with frizzy hair and glasses so tight on her face, she once had trouble getting them off during PE.

"I have to?" TK asked in a joking tone as all his lunchmates hollered their agreements. "Do I not get to come if I don't bring a girl? And even guy/girl ration?"

"Shut up," Devon laughed. "You know there will be more girls, but you bring one in case you can't find one that doesn't want to dance and do stuff with you. You know, back up."

"TK doesn't ever have problems in that area," another lunchmate said. "He could walk in without a girl, and walk out with all of ours if he wanted to.

"Yeah, but he won't," Devon said. "He'll feel bad because he didn't come with her. That's why he needs to bring one."

"Bring that Sora girl," one boy said. "I've seen you talk with her plenty of times."

"She's going to Prom," TK said. He then added, "With my brother."

"How about the new girl?" Devon asked, referring to a girl just getting into the lunch line. "She's nice, and hot."

"And Texan, so she probably puts out."

"Go ask her now," Devon urged.

TK rolled his eyes and trotted to the lunch line. He got in line behind the girl who had now only been in school for three weeks. She had long black hair, dark brown eyes, and a body that no one could compare to.

"Hi," TK said, causing her to turn to face him. "Molly, right?"

She smiled a gorgeous smile with her perfect pink lips and sparkling white teeth. "That's right. And you're TK?"

"You got it. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come to a party this weekend."

"That sounds wonderful," Molly said. "Where is it?"

"It's at Devon's house," TK said nodding his head toward his table.

Molly looked at Devon and smiled a little more. "I live right across the street from him. Meet you there?"

"Sounds good," TK said. "About eight or so out front?"

"Perfect," Molly said. "Looking forward to it, TK."

TK returned to his seat and lowered his gaze at Devon. "Set-up?" he inquired.

"Oh, you didn't know that she lives across from me and already turned down three guys who asked her?" Devon asked. "She, actually, asked me to get you to ask her because she didn't want to feel too pushy, being the new girl and all. I promised her at least one night where she got to spend time with you. Why not at the party where, at least if you need to, you can ditch her and pick up some other girl?"

TK rolled his eyes, but then noticed his brother motioning to him. He got up, telling the guys he'd be back momentarily. When he got to his brother, Matt smiled at his brother.

"What you got going on after school?" Matt asked.

"Nothing important," TK replied, crossing his arms. "Why?"

"You walking home?" Matt continued. Sora was pointedly staring at him as well, while Tai rolled his eyes. They both knew what Matt was up to.

"Don't I always?" TK asked.

"Good," Matt said. "Make sure you walk with Kari."

TK stood still for a moment. "Is that all you wanted?"

"Yes," Matt said. "Why don't you talk to her every once in a while as well? She's your friend, right?"

"I talk plenty to Kari," TK protested.

"Outside of Digimon matters?" Matt asked. "In person? In school?"

TK tried to remember the last time that had occurred, and couldn't remember. He got his brother's point. He turned to see Kari just standing from her table and headed to the lunch line. As he still hadn't picked up his own lunch yet, even though he had spent several minutes in the line with Molly, he decided to join her.

"Hey, Kari," TK said getting in line right behind her.

She jumped a little and the suddenness of his voice after several weeks of not having heard it at all. She then looked at him and smiled. TK suddenly wondered why he hadn't thought to ask Kari to the party. She'd likely be there as well.

"Hey, are you going to Devon's party on Friday?" he asked as she reached for a salad.

"I wasn't invited," Kari said.

TK lifted an eyebrow. He knew that Devon had nothing against Kari. In fact, earlier that week, Devon had mentioned how he thought that if Kari were a little more adventurous in her everyday life, she'd make an awesome girlfriend. "It's really more of an open house. You should definitely drop by."

"Are you sure it'll be okay?" Kari asked.

"Better than okay," TK said, realizing that Kari had passed the main entrees without grabbing any. "It'd be fantastic. Is that all you're eating?"

"I'm not really hungry," Kari said with a shrug.

TK let her go on and pay without anymore hassle. As they were about to part, TK quickly said, "Meet me by the front bike racks and we can walk home together or something. It's been too long, with the digiworld safe and all."

Kari laughed and agreed.

"Dude," Devon said when TK sat back down and began on his sushi. "Were you just talking to Tai's little sister?"

TK simply nodded, not wanting to spray raw fish everywhere.

"You gotta invite her to the party" Devon said and smiled as a thought came to his head. "I bet she'd look fine in a mini and a tank."

TK smiled. "You ought to see her in a bathing suit."

Devon smiled wider at the simple thought of it.