Dogs that lie
Cautiously setting his back pack on top of his desk, Matt moved around the table and slowly eased himself into the chair; wearily looking around. Eyeing the vacant seats around him, he denoted that Mimi and Izzy were probably running late and Tai...
"Hey Matt." Tai smoothed himself into his chair like velvet; giving Matt a lopsided grin. Knocked out of his stupor, Matt nervously shifted views and lowered his head, staring at his bag in front of him. Frowning, Tai dismissively shrugged his shoulders and placed his things on the desk behind him. Sora's desk.
"Rough morning, eh?" Came Tai's voice, bent on swaying Matt into the brighter side. Grunting, Matt looked up and sheepishly grinned with a simple reply.
"Yup." His lips pursed together with a pop at the end.
They sympathetically exchanged scornful glances while the bell rang and the remainder of the class took their seats. Meanwhile, a tall dark man in a neatly pressed blue suit stood at the door, stepping no more than an inch into the class. With a rough clearing of the throat, he sternly executed his announcement that would be, much to his disliking, greeted by a heap of overjoyed shouts.
"Mr. Fujiyama won't be lecturing class today; he's very ill." Between happy hoots and hollers, the suit tugged at his collar and coughed; suspending his hand in mid-air, alerting the students to hold their gladden. "Your substitute teacher is running late and I trust that you're all good kids that'll behave until his arrival." Nearly the entire class deviously nodded. "Alright then." The suited man meekly looked around. Fixing his collar for a last time, he quickly turned around, bumping into a smaller frame.
"Sorry." Came a sweet voice that sent shivers down Matt's spine.
Watching Matt wiggle his shoulders, Tai looked forward and stood up. Walking in black slip-ons that clashed against her white socks, Sora sheepishly looked at Tai while desperately trying to elongate her short uniform skirt, tugging it down with her petite hands and then stuffing them into the overly sized pocket at the center of her black hoodie. Tai grimaced and folded his arms. Calm and collective, Sora looked up at him; he towered over her by three inches. Looking down, Tai arched an eyebrow in the most scrutinizing way possible. Sora bid him the same gesture and narrowed her eyes.
"Hey." Her monotone greeting dishelmed Tai's hard look, causing him to lower his arms and back up. Sure he was tough, but he knew very well not to insinuate when she gave him the 'don't start with me' tone. Instead, he took a more soft approach and loosened his facial muscles; relaxing them into a concerned expression.
"Where were you?" He inquired, following her to her seat. "Why didn't you come the last two days?"
"I was sick." She strained the words through her teeth; finding it difficult to lie.
"You could've called."
"I don't have to report to you every second." She snapped and Tai flinched.
Half nodding, he sat down and faced forward. After a few seconds, Sora impatiently tapped his shoulder and whispered. "Sorry." A simple gesture, yet enough to exuberate Tai's emotions. Gleaming, he turned around and grinned.
"We got a new kid in school." He announced, shifting eyes at Matt who hid behind an opened book. Sora looked to her left and tilted her head. "His name is Matt; he's shy." Tai informed and Sora edged closer.
Pulling on the book, Matt glanced up. "Hey!" Sora rejoiced. "It's you!"
"You two know each other?"
Sora grinned with an explanation that would be cut extremely short. "Yeah, he-"
"No!" Matt blurted out. "I mean, yeah." In between nervous coughs, he could see Tai frowning in speculation. "Well, I just moved in next to her." He swallowed and sheepishly smiled. "We're neighbors...but we've never actually met, you know...uh, what did you say your name was...Sora?"
Perplexed, Sora vacantly stared at him and lightly shook her head. "Um...yeah, it's Sora." She sadly responded and faced forward.
Watching her nonchalantly turn around, Matt cringed. Catching sight of Tai eyeballing him, he stiffened and opened his book once more as the door opened.
"Good morning students, sorry I'm late..."
-----
Poking his head into his locker and digging with both hands, Tai shoved a large textbook inside and observed Sora from the corner of his eye. "So what do you think about Matt?"
Leaning against a wall of lockers beside him, Sora looked around; trying to keep a collective tone. "What about him?"
"You like him? I mean...he's cool, right? He's been hanging out with us during lunch."
"What, why?"
Closing his locker, Tai narrowed his eyes. "You two were acting weird this morning."
"Were we?"
"Yeah you were. You guys got something going on?"
"What are you trying to say?" Sora turned around and crossed her arms.
"I was just asking." Defensively, Tai raised his hands in the air and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well don't. I thought I had introduced myself already but I was wrong. I guess it must have been his brother."
Looking around the two began to walk, trying to keep a close proximity through passing bodies.
"He has a brother?"
"Takeru."
Contemplating, Tai held the building door open for Sora. "Kari mentioned something about a new guy in her class; I think she called him T.K."
"That must be him."
"She's always talking about him." He gagged; recalling Kari's conversations on the phone that he had eavesdropped in.
They walked in unison through an outside corridor that led to the back end of the field. In the distance, Izzy and Mimi already resided in the usual spot with a third party that made Sora's stomach lurch. Nearing the group, Mimi ecstatically waved.
"Sora, you're back!"
"Yeah, I'm back..." Sora sarcastically dragged her words as she awkwardly sat down next to Matt. Looking down, Tai dropped his bag beside his leg.
"You want something to eat?" He inquired and Sora shook her head. "I'll bring you something anyway." He smirked and looked at Izzy who stood up and dusted his pants.
"What do you want, Mimi?"
Mimi tilted her head and frowned. "What are they serving today?"
"Crap."
"I'll come with you." Scrounging her nose, she sighed.
As the trio walked away; Sora sternly stared at Matt who occupied himself with yet another book. Once sure that Tai was out of sight, he threw it aside and spoke.
"Hey."
Faking a baffled expression, Sora tilted her head. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again? Matt?"
"Come on, don't be like that. I'm sorry."
"Why'd you react that way?"
"Well, Tai was there and..."
"What, are you afraid of him or something?"
"Yes, I mean no! Its just that he said that you...and him were...and he's so big..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, he said we were together?"
"Kind of but not really."
"Well we're not." Sora concluded, taking her sweater off.
"He really likes you." Observing her tight fitted uniform top, Matt nervously ran his hand through his hair.
Meanwhile, Sora pulled the hoodie over her head and matted her dishelmed hair. "That doesn't mean I have to marry the guy."
"You don't like him?"
In the action of folding her sweater, Sora's mind suddenly went blank; her eyes slowly lingering up to meet Matt's azure ones. "I..."
"Hope you like tuna!" Tai shouted; sitting down next to Sora.
"T-tuna? Since when did they start serving that?"
"I don't know. I think its pretty good." He smiled while taking a bite and handing the sandwich to her. She backed up and shoved his hand away.
"No thanks; you're gonna get sick."
Taking another hearty bite, Tai handed Matt a piece. "Wanna try?"
Disgruntled, Matt shook his head and gathered his things. "No thanks; I gotta head out." He half-angrily spoke.
"Where are you going?" Sora quickly inquired.
"To the library."
"Later Matt."..."Bye." The others dismayed themselves while Sora longingly watched him leave.
"So where were you two this morning?"
"Nowhere." Both Izzy and Mimi mischievously looked at each other.
"Pervs." Tai joked. "Right, Sora?...Sora?"
Snapping back, Sora meekly smiled. "Right."
-----
9:45pm...or so Matt guessed. Laying on his bed, he looked to his right where his night stand held a digital clock. Large, red numbers flashed in the dark, reading the time as 9:51. Heavily sighing, Matt sat up and looked at the east wall of his room. His dad took a double shift and his brother was out with a new friend. Spending a Friday night alone in the dark.
"Great." He muttered and looked to his left.
The patio.
Sitting up, he put on his sweater and opened the glass door. Stepping outside, he clenched his jaw and took a sharp intake of cold air through his teeth. He then walked to the edge and squinted his eyes where a dark shadow scattered on Sora's terrace.
"Sora?"
The shadow halted and straightened up. With a muffled click, a bright flash light pointed his way.
"Hey Matt." Tai dusted his pants and grinned.
"Tai? What are you doing?"
Pointing the light at himself, Tai wiggled his eyebrows and slid the door open. "Sorry, gotta go." He deviously smiled and walked into Sora's room.
"Huh?"
TBC
