Chapter 3: Delaying the Problem

After T.K. hung up on her for the second time in ten minutes, Lily threw the phone on her pillow. She got off her bed and sat on the floor, just staring at the wall. There were a lot of things she should've been doing, but everything she needed to get done probably wouldn't get done until Sunday night. Luke was always the responsible one. She was the procrastinator. Someone knocked on her door.

"What?" she called.

"What're you doing?" Luke called back.

"I have homework." Answered Lily. Luke opened her door, astonished that his sister was actually doing her homework on Friday afternoon. He found her sitting on her floor, flinging rubber bands at her wall.

He rolled his eyes. "You have homework, huh?"

"I never said I was doing it." She answered, though her attention seemed to be completely on the rubber bands that were bouncing off her wall. Luke closed her door and sat down next to her. For the next few minutes the only sound in the room was the snap of the rubber bands as they flew through the air and connected with the solid surface of her wall.

"So," said Luke at last "What are we going to do about T.K.?"

"What about him?"

"You said you wouldn't stop pestering him until he accepts your apology."

"And?"

"And he won't let us get near him."

Lily gave him a smile that was sickeningly sweet, yet sly at the same time. "Well Luke, this has just proved that you've learned nothing from living with me for the past twelve years. All this time we've let T.K. decide whether or not he wants to be around us. After Monday, he won't have a choice!"

At the House…

T.K. was almost asleep {again} when Matt came barreling through his door.

"I can't believe you lied to me!"

T.K., annoyed once again, opened his eyes and saw his brother trying to stay calm. Matt had never been good at controlling his temper. Once he'd calmed himself down he sighed and sat on the edge of T.K.'s bed.

"T.K. what were you thinking? You've never tried to skip school before."

"I'm guessing you're suggesting I wasn't thinking?" He knew he was starting to sound like a brat, but at this point he didn't care. He'd had it with this day.

Matt scowled at him. "Don't get all moody with me. I'm not the one who ditched school for no good reason." For the next few minutes the two brothers just sat there giving each other evil looks.

"Why can't you just drop it?"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

Then you're going to be in here for a while."

Matt gave him a sly smile that was so similar to Lily's it was scary. "I have other ways of finding out." He said as he left the room. In the kitchen he called Tai's house.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Kamiya. Is Kari there?"

"Sure, hang on a minute. I'll go get her." Matt waited a few seconds as Tai's mother went to go find her daughter.

"T.K.?" said Kari when she was handed the phone.

"Actually it's Matt."

"Oh… hi. What's up?"

"Hi. I was wondering, did anything big happen in school today to make T.K. upset?"

"Well he didn't look all that great today in class after the twins were introduced."

"Twins?"

"Yeah. Actually I meant to ask you about them. They have the same last name as you."

"Blond hair?"

"Yeah."

"Blue eyes?"

"Uh-huh. Matt who are they?"

"They're our cousins. Lily and Luke. Thanks for the information Kari."

"Wait! Matt, Tai wanted to talk to you."

"I'm kinda busy right now."

"I'm sure it can wait. Bye Matt."

"See you later Kari." He hung up the phone and headed back into T.K.'s room. T.K. was still lying in his bed staring at his ceiling. T.K. looked up and saw his brother's triumphant smile.

"Who told you?" he asked in a weary defeated tone.

"Kari."

T.K. stayed silent and rolled over so he was facing the wall. After a few moments he asked, "Does she know?"

"Only that they're our cousins." Matt started to leave the room. He stopped halfway out the door and turned back. "T.K., stop delaying your problem. You can't avoid them forever.

I would've posted this yesterday, but we were celebrating my step-brother's birthday. So now I'm going to post it at 3 AM. Read and Review Please!