"Tai wake up! You're going to be late!" Tai groaned hearing his sisters voice. A rush of cold air greeted him as his blanket was ripped off of him.
"You've got soccer practice." Kari announced and Tai's eyes went wide. He shot out of bed passing his sister who was holding his blanket. He probably would be annoyed but he was oddly grateful she woke him. He wizzed past her grabbing his school uniform. He looked over at her and saw she was dressed and giggling. He threw a pillow at her
"out." He demanded and Kari waved a hand in the air and left his room still laughing.
"Sisters." Tai groaned now annoyed. He threw his Pyjamas towards his laundry basket. The clothes missed the target and landed in a heap on the floor. Tai huffed and pulled his uniform on. He grabbed his goggles, homework and digivice. He quickly tore open his closet and found his soccer bag all ready to go. He heaved it over his shoulder and ran out of his room. Kari held out a smoothie for him and giggled as he dieseled the drink. He handed his sister the empt glass.
"Thanks sis, bye mom!" Tai yelled putting his shoes on and heading out the door.
"A thank you would be nice!" Kari yelled but Tai barley heard her as the door shut. He raced down to get his bike and passed a moving truck. A girl that looked around his age stared at him as he passed. He quickly ignored her and soon found himself pedalling down the busy street towards the field. Tai's only focus was getting to the field on time
"they're gonna be pissed if I don't get there soon." He grumbled to himself. He pedalled faster ignoring how tired he was getting.
"Move it Tai!" He berated himself and pushed forward. He saw the field and inhaled a breath as he parked his bike and ran over to the locker room. He ran in and to his relief saw his team still in there getting ready.
"Jesus Kamiya cutting it kind of close aren't you?" Marcus, one of the defenders chided and Tai rolled his eyes.
"I'm here aren't I?" He said sourly. Some of the other boys snickered and Tai ignored them and quickly got changed. Once he was out on the field nothing seemed to matter. Tai suddenly felt at ease as he juggled the soccer ball from his left foot to his right. He then called out one of his team mates
"Nate!" Nate turned and Tai kicked the ball hard towards him. Nate controlled it and sent it back. Tai felt a smile tugging at his lips. This was his place. The place he felt he was in complete control. He volleyed the ball onto his thighs and then flicked it in the air and kicked it before it hit the ground. He was clear headed and in control. His mind wandered to the digital world, the times he took control as the leader and their team came out on top. He shook the thought away, the digital world was becoming nothing more then a distant memory. It was easier to keep it locked away. It was painful to think about Agumon and the others. Tai received the ball and stopped it with his foot. The coach blew the whistle and tai left his thoughts about his old friend behind and started practice.
After 45 minutes of drills the coach blew the whistle
"alright do we need a break?" She asked and Tai confidently shook his head,
"no way! Let's keep going!" He said with enthusiasm. His face dropped as he looked over the rest of his team mates.
"Break. Come on Tai we need a break!" Marcus begged and Tai sneered,
"fine whatever." He mumbled and he reluctantly took a break. He laid down and started thinking about the drills he wanted to do next. He felt the sun disappear and opened his eyes to see his sister blocking the sun.
"Kari? You alright? Why are you here?" Tai questioned slowly sitting up. Kari smirked and handed over his lunch bag.
"You forgot this. I thought you might want it." She commented. Tai brightened up,
"Wow thanks Kar!" He took it from her and smiled.
"Well now you owe me." She teased with a wink. Tai frowned,
"Okay what do you want?" Kari put a finger to her chin.
"The raspberry ice cream bucket. The one at the corner store." Tai couldn't help but smirk. Kari was looking like she was 8 years old again.
"Fine, fine whatever you want." He said giving in. Kari grinned.
"Hey Tai! We need to get going stop laying around!" One of the soccer boys yelled. Tai frowned and looked at his team. They were all stretching.
"Hey wait a minute, what happened to you guys needing a break?"
"Break? We don't need a break we got a big game on Sunday!" Nate announced and Tai was suspicious.
"You coming Kari?" Nate asked and Tai's face hardened a bit.
"I uh, hope so!" She replied and Tai scowled at his team mates.
"Kari I'll see you after school." Kari looked at tai oddly but didn't linger. Tai watched her leave and then rounded on his team mates.
"Not cool guys my sister is off limits! Got it?" Tai threatened and some of the boys rolled their eyes.
"Whatever Tai." Tai huffed this was his thing. Soccer made sense he was in control right?
Tai made his way through the halls of his high school. He saw Sora and Matt, they were talking. Tai hesitated and turned to walk away.
"Tai kamiya." Tai froze,
"Mr. Nishijima." He greeted his teacher.
"Tai did you finish?" Tai blanched and swallowed,
"not exactly." He admitted. His teacher frowned.
"Tai you're the only one who hasn't submitted it. I'll have to see you in my office after lunch." Tai lowered his head,
"yes sir." He submitted and Mr. Nishijima sighed before leaving Tai.
"Tai? What was that about?" Tai's head snapped up hearing Sora. He turned to face her and put his hand on the back of his head,
"erm nothing, just the goals assignment. I haven't exactly finished it." Sora went wide eyed,
"you haven't finished it?! Tai that was due a week ago!" Tai put a hand up, "I know I know." Matt then stepped forward.
"Jeeze Tai, just write a few things out and hand it in. It's not that hard." Tai waved his hands,
"okay okay, I'll get it done." He hoped Sora and Matt would get off his case.
"Well I'll talk to you guys in later" Tai turned and left his friends. Sometimes he felt a weird energy from Sora and Matt. Like they were pulling away from him. Tai shook the thought away focusing on getting to his first class.
Tai thought silently.
"Meiko please take a seat in the back next to Tai." Tai looked up hearing his name. He saw a girl, he recognized her. She had long black hair and glasses. Tai squinted and then remembered where he had seen her. She had been moving into his building this morning. He awkwardly put a hand up indicating that he was Tai. She shuffled her way to the desk next to his and quickly kept her head down staring at her lap. Tai raised an eyebrow. This girl seemed oddly shy. He exhaled and faced forward. He ignored her and he ignored his lesson. All of his thoughts were on Agumon.
Lunch arrived and Tai silently thanked his sister for bringing his lunch to practice. He found a table to sit at and opened his lunch. Matt sauntered over and pulled out the chair next to Tai.
"So did you finish your goals assignment?" He asked and Tai smirked,
"it's all under control." Matt rolled his eyes
"yeah sure." Tai bit into his meal. He swallowed as Matt pulled out a ticket from his pocket.
"I've got a gig on Sunday if you want to come." Tai smirked,
"oh yeah? Teenage wolves back at it again?" He teased and Matt shook his head,
"nah we broke up this is a new band. Knife of day." Tai chuckled at the name.
"And why did the teenage wolves break up?" Matt shrugged,
"creative differences I guess." Tai thought Matts comment was odd,
"you guess? Weren't you there?" Matt frowned,
"whatever this band is much better. So you coming or not?" Tai looked at the ticket a moment,
"wait this Sunday? I can't I have a game." He handed the ticket back to Matt who nodded,
"no biggie." Tai slurped his noodles,
"can you pass the pepper?" Matt asked and Tai got a glint of playfulness in his eyes. He grabbed the pepper then quickly started shaking it out over Matt's noodles,
"hey knock it off!" Matt yelled and Tai snickered,
"hey I'm just trying to help." Matt growled,
"maybe you like ruining your food with too much pepper but I don't." Tai pulled the shaker back,
"I guess we have creative differences then don't we." Matt growled and punched Tai in the stomach. Tai coughed and laughed,
"watch it I almost hurled my combo bowl!" Matt growled again and Tai laughed. It was so easy to get under Matt's skin.
As lunch ended Tai walked into Mr. Nishijimas class room. The teacher was seated at his desk doing some calligraphy.
"Hello Tai."
"Hi Mr. Nishijima." Tai greeted.
"So Tai lets talk about your goals. What do you want to do in the future?" Tai sighed. Agumon flashed in his mind.
"There's a friend, a good friend. He lives far away. It'd be nice to be able to see him." Mr. Nishijima nodded,
"hmm, maybe something in traveling like an interpreter. You'd need to take language courses for that. But then you can travel the world. That would give you access to see your friend." Tai sighed,
"yeah sure, something like that." Mr. Nishijima smiled.
"You have to be live in yourself tai. You are in control of your life. Of your destiny." Tai looked out the window, there it was again, control, Am I? He wondered.
"Just think about what you want to do and do it. It's all within your power to succeed. Alright?" Tai sighed and turned to face his teacher.
"Sure Mr. Nishijima."
School ended and Tai kicked his soccer ball as he made his way out side into the court yard. He saw a familiar red head standing in the shade
"Izzy!" Tai called and he went over to his friend.
"I've got a soccer game on Sunday. You coming?" Tai asked sure his friend would be there. Izzy shook his head,
"it's my parents anniversary. We're going out. Sorry Tai." Tai hung his head.
"Yeah and Matt's band is playing. I guess T.K. will be going to that." Izzy frowned,
"it's hard to get us altogether. What about Joe?" Tai shook his head,
"studying." Izzy then perked up,
"what about Mimi?" Tai pulled a face,
"she's in New York." Izzy smirked,
"it's Mimi. Here I'll text her." Izzy pulled out his phone and started texting Mimi. Tai rolled his eyes there's no way Mimi will come he thought. Izzy's phone dinged,
"she replied!" He announced and Tai read over Izzy's shoulder,
"I'll be there." Tai read out loud, "how is that possible?" Izzy smiled as he texted back,
"it's Mimi she doesn't know the meaning of impossible. Tai shook his head,
"well have fun with your folks. I'll see you later Izzy." Izzy waved and Tai made his way from the school. He thought about his friends and sighed, well if Mimi can come and my sister maybe Sora will come to. He stopped his train of thought, Sora was tricky these days. He didn't have the energy to explore himself to find out why he felt she was tricky. He held his head high, it'll be fine. I'm in control. Always in control.