~THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1~
Hey everyone! Venus163 here!
Sorry for the long wait. My modem has been broken for like, a long time, so I couldn't upload my files. Didn't help that the second computer was broken...*.*
Oh well, I got a new modem, even though it *is* a piece of crap...Excuse the language.
Now...
"Venus163! Venus163!"
(Sweatdrops) Um, hey Matt, what's up?
"Your files are all erased!"
WHAT??
(Venus163 exits, near panic.)
Matt grins diabolically. "Shh. Don't tell Venus163 this, but...I'm lying! Her files are fine. I just wanted to say the intro! Let's see, I know she has this all written down somewhere...ah! here it is!
"Ahem. Welcome to the Third Story of the Good Life series! As you all know, you should read the first two." Matt looks up. "Especially the first one, since I'm the main character.
"Um...she doesn't own Digimon. Oh, the plot is hers, though, Jare too." Matt makes a face. "Strange character if you ask me. But, that's off the subject. If you want to use him, please ask Venus163 first and then she won't..." Looks down at the paper. "Ooh, it's complicated, but I'll make it short and sweet: Ask her first and then she won't rip you to pieces!
"She says it's an alternate reality fic, where all of us are in high school except my brother T.K. and Kari, who are in middle school."
Matt puts down the paper. "I know the rest by heart. Venus163 wants you to review, or else. Oh, and um, the results for her contest...Although Third Eye Blind's 'Jumper' was voted for, the winner has to be Sarah McLachlan's 'Good Enough'. But you know, I was thinking more along the line of..."
YAMATO ISHIDA!!
Matt sweatdrops. "Uh-oh, I think Venus163's learned that I lied. I'm in trouble...Better finish up. Her story's rated PG-13, because T.K. is in so much romantic pain..."
WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YAMATO ISHIDA...
"Hurry! Um...uh...her E-Mail address...where is it? I know I had it..."
MATT!!
"Here it is! It's crescent87@hotmail.com! She wants all reviews and criticism sent to it. Now, I'd better go before Venus163 decides to CUT ME FROM HER STORY! AH! And oh, I, Yamato Ishida, present to you: THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1. Now, I need to go!"
~THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1
By Venus163
He was passing the sitting room when he heard laughter. Curious, he peeked inside.
His brother Yamato, known to everyone as Matt except adults, was laughing helplessly. His best-friend, Taichi Kamiya, or Tai as he preferred to be called, was laughing too, slapping Matt's back. Another friend of his brother's, Jyou Kido, or Joe, was turning purple from holding in all his laughter. And Matt's fourth friend, Koushiro Izuma, or Izzy, looked clueless.
Izzy looked up and saw him. "Oy, T.K.! What's wrong with them?"
T.K. stepped in. "Must be you," he said calmly. "You're the only one not laughing."
Matt had stopped laughing by that time. "Did you hear what Izzy said?"
"No..."
"He said..."
At that moment, Tai elbowed Matt. "Take a look at Joe..."
Both boys looked at their comrade, who was DEFINITELY purple by this time. Looking at each other, they started cracking up again.
T.K. looked at Izzy, who shrugged.
Matt stretched and glanced at the clock. "I have to go. I promised Mimi to pick her up from the Mall."
Tai yawned. "Don't worry about it, Matt. She won't mind if you're a little late."
"That may be true, but I still want to see her," Matt said, eyes growing dreamy.
Tai looked disgusted. "Well, it's your life..." He got up. "Come on Joe, Izzy. Let's go to that new music shop on Merit..." He walked out of the room.
"I've been dying to go there..." Joe said, following Tai out the door.
"Might as well check out the enhanced CDs," Izzy muttered, following his friends.
T.K. hesitantly said, "Um, Matt?"
"Yeah, T.K.?"
"Could you drop me off me off at the book store on Lawrence Street? I mean, after you pick up Mimi..."
"Sure, little bro," Matt said cheerfully.
T.K. followed his brother to the garage. Matt hadn't always been so nice. In fact, just several months before, he had been cold to everyone.
Then he had met Mimi Tachikawa, whose life was very much like his. Starting out as friends, they had fallen in love, and were now engaged. Of course, they kept this fact from the public, due to the fact that both the Ishidas and the Tachikawas were some of the richest families in Tokyo.
Mimi was very nice to him. She understood about his love for Kari...
T.K. winced, remembering how they had parted. She hadn't spoken to him in over two months, and he hadn't gotten the courage to apologize.
T.K. slid into the back seat of Matt's platinum convertible. To keep his mind off Kari, he said aloud, "It sucks not being able to drive."
From the driver's seat, Matt chuckled. "Just a couple more years, T.K."
T.K. stared out the window. How he wished that in a couple years, he could drive Kari around in a car, like Matt did with Mimi...
"You know T.K.," Matt said suddenly, "if you need someone to talk to, I'm here, alright?"
"Yeah." T.K. glanced at Matt's worried face. Quite often he was sure that Matt knew of his feelings for Kari, but Mimi hadn't told him, and HE certainly hadn't...
"Who's Mimi with?" he asked Matt curiously.
"Oh, the girls in her class. A mall trip. Mimi doesn't like them, she only went because they were having a sale there," Matt answered.
They pulled up five minutes early in front of the mall. Matt hopped out of the car and leaned against it. Taking out his sunglasses, he put them on.
T.K. stifled a laugh. "What's this, Matt?"
"I'm trying to look cooler," his brother said, looking at his reflection on the car. "Not that I CAN look any cooler..."
T.K. couldn't help laughing. "Trying to impress the other girls to make Mimi jealous?"
"No, I'm trying to impress Mimi..." Matt scoffed.
T.K. snickered. "You're a dork, Matt, did you know that?"
"Well, I'm a handsome, cool dork," Matt answered, leaning against the car and good-naturedly smiling at him.
At that moment, a crowd of girls came out of the mall. They stood, gawking, at Matt and his fancy car.
"Now you've done it, Yamato Ishida," T.K. said loudly. "Mimi's officially going to kill you."
Whispers of "Yamato Ishida?" and "Mimi Tachikawa?" ran like wildfire among the girls.
Matt smiled. "Well..."
T.K. rolled his eyes, knowing Matt was enjoying every moment.
Suddenly, Matt straightened. Taking off his sunglasses, he threw it behind him. T.K. leaned over the door and managed to catch them.
He smiled as he watched his brother run to Mimi, who had just come out of the door. Matt, grinning like an idiot, took all her bags (which were A LOT), and carried them to his car.
Murmurs of "Aww!" and "How sweet!" ran through the crowd of girls.
Mimi, walking empty-handed behind Matt, smiled at them all. "He's a perfect gentleman," she said proudly.
Opening the trunk, he expertly put all the bags except for the perfume and make-up bags into it. Then, carrying the rest of them, put them next to T.K. in the backseat. "You don't mind, do you?" Matt asked, grunting.
"Nope," T.K. answered, finding it hilarious that his brother was Mimi's willing slave.
Then, Matt waited expectantly at the passenger side.
Mimi giggled. "Oh Matt!" She walked up to him and kissed him.
Faster than T.K. could blink, Matt had wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped her into a passionate kiss.
Wistful and envious sighs came from the girls.
When they FINALLY pulled away, Matt, wearing a goofy grin on his face, opened the door. "Please have a seat, Ms. Tachikawa."
Mimi gave him a quick kiss before sitting down. "Thank you, Mr. Ishida."
T.K. tried hard not to laugh at the ecstatic whoop his brother gave as he rushed over to the driver's side and hopped in.
Mimi waved smugly to the jealous girls still waiting for their rides as Matt drove the car away.
"Hey, T.K.!" Mimi said smilingly, turning around to look at him.
T.K. burst out laughing. "Oh, you should have seen Matt! He was wearing sunglasses and trying to look cool, to impress you and the other girls, to make you jealous...and when you came out, he forgot everything but to help you with your bags!"
Mimi giggled. "Did he really?"
"Uh-huh! He threw the sunglasses at me and RAN to you!"
"I never threw sunglasses at you!" Matt said indignantly.
"Well, in the backseat, anyway. But you DID forget your 'cool plan' when she came out, right?"
Stopping for a red light, Matt turned and gazed at Mimi dreamily. "Who'd remember anything looking at such a pretty face?" he said suavely.
Mimi started blushing uncontrollably. "Matt!" she exclaimed, flustered.
Matt grinned. "You're so beautiful when you're embarrassed," he said approvingly.
Mimi giggled. "And you look cute when you're being sweet."
It was Matt who blushed then. "Then I must look cute all the time," he said lightly.
They looked at each other and laughed.
T.K. looked at the passing scenery, the trees blurring as tears stung his eyes. He remembered how he and Kari had laughed happily as they had teased each other. Of course, Kari's laughter had been VERY beautiful...
But that...JARE had come along. Kari had immediately fallen for him, HIS Kari. It wouldn't have hurt as much if Jare had been deserving and someone good for her, but T.K. had immediately known that he would do nothing but hurt her in the end.
He had tried to tell her. Only God knew how much he had tried. But she wouldn't believe him, insisting that Jare was the one for her. And soon, things got out of hand. He could barely remember what happened, but he knew that he had punched Jare and Kari had been furious, yelling at him. She had told him that she never wanted to see him again...
He closed his eyes, trying to force away the pain in his heart. Kari had unknowingly held his heart in her hands and had broken it.
There was hope, however...hope that Mimi had given him when he had told her what had happened. "Kari's sensible," she had said. "It may take some time, but she'll come to see that you cared about her, and did it to protect you...She'll forgive you."
Maybe Mimi was right...maybe she wasn't. But he vowed that he wouldn't let Jare hurt her, and if it was out of his power to prevent that, he would be there for her when she would need him, no matter what...
"We're almost at the book store, T.K.," Matt said triumphantly.
T.K. ducked, trying to hide his tears from his brother. Furiously, he rubbed his eyes.
"Matt," Mimi said quickly, "can we go for a drive later?"
T.K. gratefully smiled at her. Matt had forgotten about him and was eagerly holding Mimi's hand.
"Bye Matt!" he said, trying to be his normal, cheery self. "Could you pick me up in an hour?" Climbing out of the car, he looked at his brother.
"Yeah..." Matt said absently, staring at Mimi.
Mimi smiled and waved to T.K. "We'll be here in an hour, T.K.! I promise, I'll make sure Matt doesn't forget..."
Matt flashed him a smile before driving away.
T.K. hurried inside. A book immediately caught his eye.
" 'Healing a Broken Heart'...." T.K. read softly. Tucking the book under his arm, he made his way to the paperback section.
He was a little early. Sitting down in a plush chair, he opened his book and opened it to the first chapter.
T.K. was immediately drawn in. It described several situations of heartbreak, and one was the exact same as his. Reading the page number it said to refer to, he hurridly flipped the pages until he reached it.
He didn't read a word. SHE had arrived.
Peeking over the top of the book, he watched her every move: her fingers tucking a stray hair behind her ear, her eyes lighting up as she found a good book, her small smile...
Oh, how he loved her. T.K. had made a point to come here everyday at the exact same time, just because he knew that SHE was going to be there. He always pretended to read while in reality he was watching her.
Watching Kari at the bookstore was his only happiness these days.
Then...he saw HIM.
Jare had come up behind Kari and put his arms around her waist. Kari giggled softly as he started to kiss her neck.
T.K. forced his eyes down and bit his lip until it bled.
Jealousy and sadness fought each other for control, but sadness won out. The tears filled his eyes.
As quietly as he could, he slipped out of the section. Glancing down at the book, he decided to buy it.
He wandered outside, trying to nurse his broken heart.
"Yo, T.K.!"
He looked up and saw Tai waving at him. "Hi, Tai."
"What's up?" Tai asked.
"Oh, I went to get a book, and..."
Tai frowned. He knew very well who was in here at this time of day, and also what had happened between T.K. and his sister. She had told him how angry he had made her, after all. Yet...Tai found himself siding with T.K. He didn't like the sound of Jare.
"TAI!!"
T.K. looked past Tai to see Joe and Izzy staggering under the weight of bags, filled to the brim with CDs, movies, and music equipment.
Joe, panting, yelled, "Thanks a lot, Tai!"
Tai shrugged, sweatdropping. "Um, sorry. I saw T.K. here, so I..."
Izzy grinned. "Prodigious! The bookstore!" Handing Tai all his bags, Izzy rushed inside.
"IZZY!!" Tai roared. He raced inside after Izzy.
Joe sighed. "They'll never learn..." Grumbling, he staggered inside.
A horn honked behind him. T.K. turned around.
Matt waved, stealing a kiss from Mimi. "Yo, bro!"
T.K. got in the car. "Big clowns," he grumbled.
"What big clowns?" asked Mimi curiously as Matt drove out of the parking lot.
"Tai, Izzy, and Joe."
Matt laughed. "Oh, I knew that. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if their families weren't so rich. How would they be able to survive, not being able to buy music and movies and all the other junk they like?"
"Junk??" Mimi asked, a little pissed.
Matt put on his puppy-face. "They like junk, but you like all the best things..."
"Aw, how sweet," Mimi murmured.
Suddenly Matt pulled over and looked Mimi straight in the eye. "I love you."
Mimi beamed. "And I love you."
T.K., knowing that he was forgotten, said disgustedly, "I'm gonna walk from here," though he knew that neither had heard him. Grabbing his book, he opened the car door and deliberately slammed it.
Neither seemed to have heard.
Sighing, he walked the several blocks left to home. He ignored his mother and climbed up the stairs.
Flinging his door open, he threw the book on his bed, planning on reading it. Then, his eyes strayed to his closet.
Suddenly the urge to see HER pretty face became so strong that he couldn't hold back. Walking over to the closet, he opened the door and pulled out THE BOX.
~END OF THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1~
~TO BE CONTINUED...IN THE GOOD LIFE: T.K,'S STORY, PART 2~
Izzy walks in. "Prodigous! You read her story! Ahem. I'm here to say the conclusion, since Venus163 has been unavoidably detained...
(In the background) COME BACK HERE, MATT! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!
Izzy sweatdrops. "You understand what I mean, right? Oh well. I have memorized what she meant to say.
"Here we go. 1: Venus163 hopes that you have enjoyed her story. 2: She has three more parts of T.K.'s Story left to write. 3: She wants all reviews and criticism sent to crescent87@hotmail.com (her E-Mail)! 4: She wants to apologize again for a broken modem rendering her unable to bring her story to you..."
Matt runs in and hides behind Izzy. "Help, Izzy! Venus163's after me! Put in a good word for me! I mean, you *did* ask her for permission to say the conclusion, right?"
Izzy shrugs. "Um..."
"You did...didn't you?"
Izzy sweatdrops. "Um...I kind of...no."
Matt facefaults. "This isn't good..."
YAMATO ISHIDA! OH, AND NOT YOU TOO, KOUSHIRO IZUMI! SHAME ON YOU! NOW, GET BACK HERE AND FACE ME...
"I think not!" Matt starts running, pulling Izzy along with him.
"I never thought that I'd become a fugitive!" Izzy gasps out.
They run out of the room.
(Venus163 enters, panting. Her hair is messed up, and she's holding a frying pan) Where are those two? Wait'll I get my hands on them...
(She runs out of the room)
-Venus163
Hey everyone! Venus163 here!
Sorry for the long wait. My modem has been broken for like, a long time, so I couldn't upload my files. Didn't help that the second computer was broken...*.*
Oh well, I got a new modem, even though it *is* a piece of crap...Excuse the language.
Now...
"Venus163! Venus163!"
(Sweatdrops) Um, hey Matt, what's up?
"Your files are all erased!"
WHAT??
(Venus163 exits, near panic.)
Matt grins diabolically. "Shh. Don't tell Venus163 this, but...I'm lying! Her files are fine. I just wanted to say the intro! Let's see, I know she has this all written down somewhere...ah! here it is!
"Ahem. Welcome to the Third Story of the Good Life series! As you all know, you should read the first two." Matt looks up. "Especially the first one, since I'm the main character.
"Um...she doesn't own Digimon. Oh, the plot is hers, though, Jare too." Matt makes a face. "Strange character if you ask me. But, that's off the subject. If you want to use him, please ask Venus163 first and then she won't..." Looks down at the paper. "Ooh, it's complicated, but I'll make it short and sweet: Ask her first and then she won't rip you to pieces!
"She says it's an alternate reality fic, where all of us are in high school except my brother T.K. and Kari, who are in middle school."
Matt puts down the paper. "I know the rest by heart. Venus163 wants you to review, or else. Oh, and um, the results for her contest...Although Third Eye Blind's 'Jumper' was voted for, the winner has to be Sarah McLachlan's 'Good Enough'. But you know, I was thinking more along the line of..."
YAMATO ISHIDA!!
Matt sweatdrops. "Uh-oh, I think Venus163's learned that I lied. I'm in trouble...Better finish up. Her story's rated PG-13, because T.K. is in so much romantic pain..."
WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YAMATO ISHIDA...
"Hurry! Um...uh...her E-Mail address...where is it? I know I had it..."
MATT!!
"Here it is! It's crescent87@hotmail.com! She wants all reviews and criticism sent to it. Now, I'd better go before Venus163 decides to CUT ME FROM HER STORY! AH! And oh, I, Yamato Ishida, present to you: THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1. Now, I need to go!"
~THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1
By Venus163
He was passing the sitting room when he heard laughter. Curious, he peeked inside.
His brother Yamato, known to everyone as Matt except adults, was laughing helplessly. His best-friend, Taichi Kamiya, or Tai as he preferred to be called, was laughing too, slapping Matt's back. Another friend of his brother's, Jyou Kido, or Joe, was turning purple from holding in all his laughter. And Matt's fourth friend, Koushiro Izuma, or Izzy, looked clueless.
Izzy looked up and saw him. "Oy, T.K.! What's wrong with them?"
T.K. stepped in. "Must be you," he said calmly. "You're the only one not laughing."
Matt had stopped laughing by that time. "Did you hear what Izzy said?"
"No..."
"He said..."
At that moment, Tai elbowed Matt. "Take a look at Joe..."
Both boys looked at their comrade, who was DEFINITELY purple by this time. Looking at each other, they started cracking up again.
T.K. looked at Izzy, who shrugged.
Matt stretched and glanced at the clock. "I have to go. I promised Mimi to pick her up from the Mall."
Tai yawned. "Don't worry about it, Matt. She won't mind if you're a little late."
"That may be true, but I still want to see her," Matt said, eyes growing dreamy.
Tai looked disgusted. "Well, it's your life..." He got up. "Come on Joe, Izzy. Let's go to that new music shop on Merit..." He walked out of the room.
"I've been dying to go there..." Joe said, following Tai out the door.
"Might as well check out the enhanced CDs," Izzy muttered, following his friends.
T.K. hesitantly said, "Um, Matt?"
"Yeah, T.K.?"
"Could you drop me off me off at the book store on Lawrence Street? I mean, after you pick up Mimi..."
"Sure, little bro," Matt said cheerfully.
T.K. followed his brother to the garage. Matt hadn't always been so nice. In fact, just several months before, he had been cold to everyone.
Then he had met Mimi Tachikawa, whose life was very much like his. Starting out as friends, they had fallen in love, and were now engaged. Of course, they kept this fact from the public, due to the fact that both the Ishidas and the Tachikawas were some of the richest families in Tokyo.
Mimi was very nice to him. She understood about his love for Kari...
T.K. winced, remembering how they had parted. She hadn't spoken to him in over two months, and he hadn't gotten the courage to apologize.
T.K. slid into the back seat of Matt's platinum convertible. To keep his mind off Kari, he said aloud, "It sucks not being able to drive."
From the driver's seat, Matt chuckled. "Just a couple more years, T.K."
T.K. stared out the window. How he wished that in a couple years, he could drive Kari around in a car, like Matt did with Mimi...
"You know T.K.," Matt said suddenly, "if you need someone to talk to, I'm here, alright?"
"Yeah." T.K. glanced at Matt's worried face. Quite often he was sure that Matt knew of his feelings for Kari, but Mimi hadn't told him, and HE certainly hadn't...
"Who's Mimi with?" he asked Matt curiously.
"Oh, the girls in her class. A mall trip. Mimi doesn't like them, she only went because they were having a sale there," Matt answered.
They pulled up five minutes early in front of the mall. Matt hopped out of the car and leaned against it. Taking out his sunglasses, he put them on.
T.K. stifled a laugh. "What's this, Matt?"
"I'm trying to look cooler," his brother said, looking at his reflection on the car. "Not that I CAN look any cooler..."
T.K. couldn't help laughing. "Trying to impress the other girls to make Mimi jealous?"
"No, I'm trying to impress Mimi..." Matt scoffed.
T.K. snickered. "You're a dork, Matt, did you know that?"
"Well, I'm a handsome, cool dork," Matt answered, leaning against the car and good-naturedly smiling at him.
At that moment, a crowd of girls came out of the mall. They stood, gawking, at Matt and his fancy car.
"Now you've done it, Yamato Ishida," T.K. said loudly. "Mimi's officially going to kill you."
Whispers of "Yamato Ishida?" and "Mimi Tachikawa?" ran like wildfire among the girls.
Matt smiled. "Well..."
T.K. rolled his eyes, knowing Matt was enjoying every moment.
Suddenly, Matt straightened. Taking off his sunglasses, he threw it behind him. T.K. leaned over the door and managed to catch them.
He smiled as he watched his brother run to Mimi, who had just come out of the door. Matt, grinning like an idiot, took all her bags (which were A LOT), and carried them to his car.
Murmurs of "Aww!" and "How sweet!" ran through the crowd of girls.
Mimi, walking empty-handed behind Matt, smiled at them all. "He's a perfect gentleman," she said proudly.
Opening the trunk, he expertly put all the bags except for the perfume and make-up bags into it. Then, carrying the rest of them, put them next to T.K. in the backseat. "You don't mind, do you?" Matt asked, grunting.
"Nope," T.K. answered, finding it hilarious that his brother was Mimi's willing slave.
Then, Matt waited expectantly at the passenger side.
Mimi giggled. "Oh Matt!" She walked up to him and kissed him.
Faster than T.K. could blink, Matt had wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped her into a passionate kiss.
Wistful and envious sighs came from the girls.
When they FINALLY pulled away, Matt, wearing a goofy grin on his face, opened the door. "Please have a seat, Ms. Tachikawa."
Mimi gave him a quick kiss before sitting down. "Thank you, Mr. Ishida."
T.K. tried hard not to laugh at the ecstatic whoop his brother gave as he rushed over to the driver's side and hopped in.
Mimi waved smugly to the jealous girls still waiting for their rides as Matt drove the car away.
"Hey, T.K.!" Mimi said smilingly, turning around to look at him.
T.K. burst out laughing. "Oh, you should have seen Matt! He was wearing sunglasses and trying to look cool, to impress you and the other girls, to make you jealous...and when you came out, he forgot everything but to help you with your bags!"
Mimi giggled. "Did he really?"
"Uh-huh! He threw the sunglasses at me and RAN to you!"
"I never threw sunglasses at you!" Matt said indignantly.
"Well, in the backseat, anyway. But you DID forget your 'cool plan' when she came out, right?"
Stopping for a red light, Matt turned and gazed at Mimi dreamily. "Who'd remember anything looking at such a pretty face?" he said suavely.
Mimi started blushing uncontrollably. "Matt!" she exclaimed, flustered.
Matt grinned. "You're so beautiful when you're embarrassed," he said approvingly.
Mimi giggled. "And you look cute when you're being sweet."
It was Matt who blushed then. "Then I must look cute all the time," he said lightly.
They looked at each other and laughed.
T.K. looked at the passing scenery, the trees blurring as tears stung his eyes. He remembered how he and Kari had laughed happily as they had teased each other. Of course, Kari's laughter had been VERY beautiful...
But that...JARE had come along. Kari had immediately fallen for him, HIS Kari. It wouldn't have hurt as much if Jare had been deserving and someone good for her, but T.K. had immediately known that he would do nothing but hurt her in the end.
He had tried to tell her. Only God knew how much he had tried. But she wouldn't believe him, insisting that Jare was the one for her. And soon, things got out of hand. He could barely remember what happened, but he knew that he had punched Jare and Kari had been furious, yelling at him. She had told him that she never wanted to see him again...
He closed his eyes, trying to force away the pain in his heart. Kari had unknowingly held his heart in her hands and had broken it.
There was hope, however...hope that Mimi had given him when he had told her what had happened. "Kari's sensible," she had said. "It may take some time, but she'll come to see that you cared about her, and did it to protect you...She'll forgive you."
Maybe Mimi was right...maybe she wasn't. But he vowed that he wouldn't let Jare hurt her, and if it was out of his power to prevent that, he would be there for her when she would need him, no matter what...
"We're almost at the book store, T.K.," Matt said triumphantly.
T.K. ducked, trying to hide his tears from his brother. Furiously, he rubbed his eyes.
"Matt," Mimi said quickly, "can we go for a drive later?"
T.K. gratefully smiled at her. Matt had forgotten about him and was eagerly holding Mimi's hand.
"Bye Matt!" he said, trying to be his normal, cheery self. "Could you pick me up in an hour?" Climbing out of the car, he looked at his brother.
"Yeah..." Matt said absently, staring at Mimi.
Mimi smiled and waved to T.K. "We'll be here in an hour, T.K.! I promise, I'll make sure Matt doesn't forget..."
Matt flashed him a smile before driving away.
T.K. hurried inside. A book immediately caught his eye.
" 'Healing a Broken Heart'...." T.K. read softly. Tucking the book under his arm, he made his way to the paperback section.
He was a little early. Sitting down in a plush chair, he opened his book and opened it to the first chapter.
T.K. was immediately drawn in. It described several situations of heartbreak, and one was the exact same as his. Reading the page number it said to refer to, he hurridly flipped the pages until he reached it.
He didn't read a word. SHE had arrived.
Peeking over the top of the book, he watched her every move: her fingers tucking a stray hair behind her ear, her eyes lighting up as she found a good book, her small smile...
Oh, how he loved her. T.K. had made a point to come here everyday at the exact same time, just because he knew that SHE was going to be there. He always pretended to read while in reality he was watching her.
Watching Kari at the bookstore was his only happiness these days.
Then...he saw HIM.
Jare had come up behind Kari and put his arms around her waist. Kari giggled softly as he started to kiss her neck.
T.K. forced his eyes down and bit his lip until it bled.
Jealousy and sadness fought each other for control, but sadness won out. The tears filled his eyes.
As quietly as he could, he slipped out of the section. Glancing down at the book, he decided to buy it.
He wandered outside, trying to nurse his broken heart.
"Yo, T.K.!"
He looked up and saw Tai waving at him. "Hi, Tai."
"What's up?" Tai asked.
"Oh, I went to get a book, and..."
Tai frowned. He knew very well who was in here at this time of day, and also what had happened between T.K. and his sister. She had told him how angry he had made her, after all. Yet...Tai found himself siding with T.K. He didn't like the sound of Jare.
"TAI!!"
T.K. looked past Tai to see Joe and Izzy staggering under the weight of bags, filled to the brim with CDs, movies, and music equipment.
Joe, panting, yelled, "Thanks a lot, Tai!"
Tai shrugged, sweatdropping. "Um, sorry. I saw T.K. here, so I..."
Izzy grinned. "Prodigious! The bookstore!" Handing Tai all his bags, Izzy rushed inside.
"IZZY!!" Tai roared. He raced inside after Izzy.
Joe sighed. "They'll never learn..." Grumbling, he staggered inside.
A horn honked behind him. T.K. turned around.
Matt waved, stealing a kiss from Mimi. "Yo, bro!"
T.K. got in the car. "Big clowns," he grumbled.
"What big clowns?" asked Mimi curiously as Matt drove out of the parking lot.
"Tai, Izzy, and Joe."
Matt laughed. "Oh, I knew that. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if their families weren't so rich. How would they be able to survive, not being able to buy music and movies and all the other junk they like?"
"Junk??" Mimi asked, a little pissed.
Matt put on his puppy-face. "They like junk, but you like all the best things..."
"Aw, how sweet," Mimi murmured.
Suddenly Matt pulled over and looked Mimi straight in the eye. "I love you."
Mimi beamed. "And I love you."
T.K., knowing that he was forgotten, said disgustedly, "I'm gonna walk from here," though he knew that neither had heard him. Grabbing his book, he opened the car door and deliberately slammed it.
Neither seemed to have heard.
Sighing, he walked the several blocks left to home. He ignored his mother and climbed up the stairs.
Flinging his door open, he threw the book on his bed, planning on reading it. Then, his eyes strayed to his closet.
Suddenly the urge to see HER pretty face became so strong that he couldn't hold back. Walking over to the closet, he opened the door and pulled out THE BOX.
~END OF THE GOOD LIFE: T.K.'S STORY, PART 1~
~TO BE CONTINUED...IN THE GOOD LIFE: T.K,'S STORY, PART 2~
Izzy walks in. "Prodigous! You read her story! Ahem. I'm here to say the conclusion, since Venus163 has been unavoidably detained...
(In the background) COME BACK HERE, MATT! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!
Izzy sweatdrops. "You understand what I mean, right? Oh well. I have memorized what she meant to say.
"Here we go. 1: Venus163 hopes that you have enjoyed her story. 2: She has three more parts of T.K.'s Story left to write. 3: She wants all reviews and criticism sent to crescent87@hotmail.com (her E-Mail)! 4: She wants to apologize again for a broken modem rendering her unable to bring her story to you..."
Matt runs in and hides behind Izzy. "Help, Izzy! Venus163's after me! Put in a good word for me! I mean, you *did* ask her for permission to say the conclusion, right?"
Izzy shrugs. "Um..."
"You did...didn't you?"
Izzy sweatdrops. "Um...I kind of...no."
Matt facefaults. "This isn't good..."
YAMATO ISHIDA! OH, AND NOT YOU TOO, KOUSHIRO IZUMI! SHAME ON YOU! NOW, GET BACK HERE AND FACE ME...
"I think not!" Matt starts running, pulling Izzy along with him.
"I never thought that I'd become a fugitive!" Izzy gasps out.
They run out of the room.
(Venus163 enters, panting. Her hair is messed up, and she's holding a frying pan) Where are those two? Wait'll I get my hands on them...
(She runs out of the room)
-Venus163