An old friend returns

"I hate you Tai."

Tai Kamiya is the most ignorant guy ever.

"What did I do?"

I meekly glare at him through loose strands of my bangs as he runs toward me with a soccer ball bouncing between his feet.

"Are you mad at me?"

I sigh and hesitantly reply. "No." I can hear him grunt at my response.

He quickly wipes away droplets of sweat from his forehead and quirks his head to the side. I can see that he is clearly confused.

"Is it because I'm winning?" He takes a guess while bouncing the ball on his knee. I simply shake my head in disapproval and look away.

"Come on Sora." He lets the ball fall on his hands. "Help me out here."

I look up at him and huff. How could he be so ignorant? Earlier when he had asked me out I didn't think he was going to bring me to the park to play soccer! Something about a pick up game in a dirty public park just doesn't feel romantic.

"Tai." I watch him trying to balance the ball on his head.

"Yeah?" He semi-pays attention to me as the ball falls and he picks it up and tries again.

"Earlier when you said 'go out' what did you mean by that?" He drops the ball and looks at me and I now have his complete attention.

"You know..." He mumbles and suddenly looks away avoiding my eyes and for a moment I felt hope. Hope that he'd finally see the messages I'm sending him; that he'd see that I'm in love with him and that I always have been. But then he starts bouncing the ball again and my spirit falls. "Hang out and play a game of soccer like we use to."

I avert my gaze to prevent him from seeing the hurt expression on my face. It amazes me how after all these years he's managed to remain as the same old goofy Tai. In fact, he seems to be the only one who hasn't changed and in a way I love him more because of it.

"Sooorraaa." His childish howl makes me weak and I smile to myself; I can't be mad at him.

"So..." He smirks. "Does that mean you forfeit?" He wiggles his chocolate eyebrows. I silently chuckle and shake my head.

"Shut up and play."

Grinning, he kicks the ball my way and we resume our game and I guess that's how it'll always be between us-just a game.

"So did you forget?" His question interrupts my thoughts. He pants as we run side by side, both of us trying to steal the ball from each other.

"Forget about what?" I lightly tackle him and take the lead. Running toward his goal I can hear him chasing after me.

He nudges my side and expertly takes the ball from my possession. "About Matt."

At the sound of the name I automatically stop to think and realize that I had indeed forgotten about the blond rebel. I stand in the middle of the field and reminisce of the last time I saw him.

"You're what??!!??" Tai frantically exclaimed.

"Relax Tai, I'll come back." Matt assured.

Tai shakes his head and picks his ear with his finger. "No, I mean I didn't hear you." He taps his head with his palm. "I got water in my ear." Matt rolls his eyes.

"Tai, not again." I sigh. "That's why we don't come to the beach that often." I watch him vigorously thumping his head and wiggling his finger in his ear. "You always get water in your ear."

"Are you really leaving Matt?" Eight-year old Kari dared to ask the question that dawned us all after Matt dropped the news. All of us, except for Tai, look at Matt and he nods; our spirits fall and we look away.

"YES!" Tai shouts. "It's out." He triumphantly smirks and takes a seat on the cooler next to Matt. "What's wrong?" He naively asks.

"Matt's leaving." Izzy informs.

Tai darts a look at Matt and opens his mouth to say something when Joe interrupts him. "First Mimi and now you."

"Come on guys." Matt pleads. "I'll come back."

"When?" I demand.

He looks down. "In four years." He mumbles.

"That's way too long!" Tai complains and the rest of us nod.

Matt simply smiles. "Don't worry guys; I'll be back before you know it."

"Does T.K know?" Izzy's inquiry made me realize that the little munchkin wasn't with us.

"Yeah. He's at my mom's and we already said our goodbyes."

"Well, I guess it's our turn then, huh." Joe cautiously pushes back his large spectacles in place as they slowly slip down his nose.

"I'm going to miss you Matt." Kari tugs at his arm.

"We all are." Tai adds.

Matt's dad received a job offer he couldn't refuse and a little after the defeat of Myotismon it was so long Odaiba; they moved to America. The memory feels like a dream; it was hard letting go but it's harder admitting that I forgotten. My conscience rattled with guilt; especially after remembering his last words to me.
"I can't believe you're leaving." I was the last one to bid my farewell and I tightly hug him.

"Don't worry." He surprisingly hugs back. "I'll be back for you." He whispers in my ear and holds me tighter.

I numbly stare at him as he slowly lets go and plants a small kiss on my cheek. I can feel myself heating up as I trace the spot on my face where his lips made contact and I can see him smile and wink.

"Ok guys, I gotta go!" He announced and the others grunted. "I know, I know." He sighs. "I gotta go; my dad's waiting for me." The others engulf him in one last group hug while I stand by the sidelines dumbfounded.

"See ya!" He shouts as he runs towards his dad's car and gets in.

"Bye!" Everyone shouts and I remain quiet.

The memory of his kiss makes me tingle and I feel a sort of buzzed sensation; I'm disoriented. I look around and Tai's at my goal successfully shooting and scoring. I shake my head and run to him.

"When's he coming back?" He ignores my question and performs his infamous victory dance. "Tai!" I protest.

"Today!" He shouts back. "He's coming back today." He picks up the ball.

"Then what are we doing here, come on!" I grab his hand and head home.

Without a moment to spare we run to our apartment complex, skip Tai's place because he was locked out and jump into the elevator and head to my place.

"Sora." Tai breaks the silence of the ride.

"I'm sorry." He mumbles.

"For what?" I ask as I count the number for every floor we elevate. 2, 3, 4...

"For today." He sheepishly smiles. "I take it that a game of soccer wasn't what you had in mind." He takes my hand and entwines his fingers with mine. My heart raises and I loose count. Maybe he has matured. I'm in bliss as he pulls me along the corridors; I didn't even realize we were out of the elevator.

"Come on!" He quickens his pace and I laugh. I try to keep up and as we run around the corner we see a tall blond standing at my door. He looks at us with piercing cerulean eyes and smiles.

"Matt!" I let go of Tai's hand.

TBC