Good ol' Matt

"Hi."

I couldn't believe my eyes. Was I dreaming? Matt Ishida was standing at my doorstep!

"Hi." I greet back.

"Matt!" Tai exclaims. "How are you?"

Smoothly running his hand through his now long blond locks he smiles. "Fine." His eyes are fixated on me and only me. I too find it hard to look away but manage to glance at Tai who is giving me an odd look.

"And how are you..." Matt's voice is huskier than I remember. "Sora?"

I could feel myself blush and I'm at a loss of words. I look up at Tai; my pleading eyes searching for words in his chocolate ones.

"She's fine." He replies for me. "We're fine." He wraps his muscular arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer; I could feel my face burning up.

"Oh." There's an expression on Matt's face that I can't pin point. Disappointment? "So are you going to invite me in or are we going to stand here all day?"

"Sorry." I stammer while fiddling my keys struggling to open the door. I always get clumsy when I'm nervous.

Inside the place was empty and I find a note pinned to the refrigerator with a fruit-shaped magnet; mom was working late at the flower shop again. I can hear Matt and Tai settling down in the living room while I remain in the kitchen to recollect myself. Opening the freezer door the cold breeze cools my heated face and I am ready to face them.

"Sorry. Just getting something to drink." I hand them each a can of soda. We sit in silence; looking at each other, observing our movements, smiling here and there. Surely it should be one of the most awaited days of my life and all I could think of was finding a way to escape. I inwardly sigh. The tension was so palpable you could almost taste it.

"Alright!" Tai shouts. "If no one's going to say it then I will." My grip the soda can tightens; leaving dents in the once well-rounded cylinder container. "I've missed you!" He confesses and I visibly relax.

"Watch the hair." Matt tries to escape Tai's bear hug.

Now that the ice had been broken I find the courage to speak up and join the reunion. "Since when did you care so much about your appearance?" I snicker.

"Come on Sora, I always have." He smirks and a memory of him saying those exact words every time Tai rummaged with him replayed in my mind.

"That's right, I forgot." I look away. That's not the only thing I had forgotten. I had forgotten how he looks; forgotten about or friendship.

"Dude, why so long?" Tai picks at his friend's locks only to have his hand slapped away.

"I just wanted to try something new. But I can see you haven't changed." He eyes the massive nest that is Tai's hair.

"Don't mess with a classic." Tai smoothly replies and I laugh.

"Sora." Great. The spotlight is on me. "I can see that you've changed."

"I'll say." Tai chuckles. "Our once tomboy Sora here is now a girl!"

"Oh really." Matt follows the joke and I snicker.

"We should call the others." I quickly change the subject.

"Good idea Sor." I remember Matt gave me that nickname. We watch Tai walk into the kitchen and pick up the phone on the counter. "Sora, where's you phonebook?" He whines.

"In the third drawer to the right!" I shout.

"I told you I'd be back." Matt sternly stares at me; I can feel his cobalt eyes burning through my skin. He looks and acts different; it frightens me. But even as I shake in my boots I feel the urge to hug him.

"I've missed you." He sheepishly smiles and for a split second I see the old Matt. The one who always fought with Tai; the one who wrote me poems on Valentines Day, the one who spent his afternoons in the flower shop to keep me company. I get up and pounce on him.

"Stupid Matt." I hug him. "Why'd you have to leave?" I playfully ruffle his hair and he pushes me away making me fall off the couch. "Ow!" I holler and punch him in the arm which he replies with a pinch on my side. We fall into a fit of laughter when Tai re-entered the room.

"I told the others to meet us at the park." Matt and I separate like scared mice and Tai darts me an odd look.

"Great, let's go." I dismiss the look and get up.

Matt nods. "We'll go in my car."

My eyes widened and Tai shouts. "You have a car???" He wiggles his eyebrows. "Can I drive?"

"Of course." Matt replies.

"Really?"

"Hell no." I start laughing.

The others were already waiting in the park at our old hang out under the big oak tree. Every one was present and accounted for; except for Mimi.

"Matt!" Kari was first to show her enthusiasm.

"Hey Kari, Joe, Izzy." He smiled. "T.K" He nudged his brother on the shoulder.

A boy with unruly purple hair stood forward. "Hi, I'm.."

"Davis." Matt nods. "T.K told me all about the new digidestined." He looks at a girl with purple hair and glasses and a little boy with astonishing green eyes. "Yolie, Cody." He smiles.

"I still can't believe you're back." Joe states.

"I keep expecting to wake up." Izzy adds and pinches his old friend on the arm.

"Ouch!" Matt rubs his sore spot. "It's not a dream! Besides, shouldn't you pinch yourself to check if you're not dreaming?" Everyone laughs.

I look around and everyone is enjoying themselves except me. I'm still skeptical about Matt. He sounds like the old Matt but looks like a stranger.

"Remember the time Agumon was too afraid to go the bathroom by himself in Devimon's mansion?" I watch the others reminisce about the old times.

"Or how about the time Sora's cousin gave us a ride and Koromon..." Matt's voice echoes in my head and I watch the others laugh. Good ol' Matt is back.

TBC.