The ladies will understand what I'm talking about. And just for the record, I may be mentioning things that are kind of seen as "Taboo" for some...because they are in their teenage years. You don't like it? Sorry.

Sora

I wasn't thrilled about this. And since Mimi left, I really didn't have anyone to talk about it. After all, it was a girl thing.

"Sora, it's nothing to be ashamed of." Mom gave me a bottle of anti-cramping pills. "First periods happen to every girl."

I still felt embarrassed, though. I mean, I had plans that day. I was supposed to take T.K and Kari to a movie for Tai, while he and the rest of the grade 7 soccer team went to semi-finals.

"Tai, couldn't they just go alone?" I had asked him the day before, sitting in our science class.

"I think they seriously like each other. I don't want T.K to try anything!"

I couldn't help but laugh at him. Did he really think T.K was going to try anything? They were only like, what, ten? I told him this, and he dropped his beaker. You know, Tai was kind of a sucky lab partner.

"What do you mean, 'only ten'? The way ten year olds do things today..."

"Oh, Tai." I sighed. "That won't happen. Kari and T.K are just best friends. There is nothing wrong with the two hanging out all the time."

"It just gets suspicious, them being a boy and girl." Tai looked at the green liquid that started dissolving our lab table. He started to panic and look around, like he always did. I will admit, though, he'd gotten a lot better than he was a couple years ago. I calmly wiped the liquid off and started the experiment again.

"Tai? Aren't we best friends, though?"

Tai shrugged. "That's different."

Different? I was curious to know how, but I felt kind of strange suddenly. So I looked at Tai, with a serious look.

"Okay, Tai. I'll look after T.K and Kari at the movie. But I'm telling you, you can't do this when she gets a few years older. Kari is a pretty girl, and I'm sure a lot of boys like her. Besides..."

Our beaker started to smoke, and professor Kachinawka ran over to our table.

"Excellent reaction!" he exclaimed. " A blue smoke! How strange...if you write a good paper on what you did, I'm certain this will get an excellent grade!"

Tai and I thanked the professor, and Tai said, "You were saying?"

"I was saying you'd rather it be T.K than some other kid. You've known him the longest, and he looks up at you." Tai sighed. "Yeah, I guess! Better than that weird Davis kid stalking her. He thinks he's a better soccer player, too. And I can't wait until we play..."

Tai kept blabbering in and copying my work, and my sides began to hurt. Later that night, after Tennis tryouts, I started my period.

I met up with T.K and Kari at the theatre, and they were both surprised I was there.

"Sora?" T.K looked confused. "You like horror movies? I realized that Tai probably didn't even tell them I was coming to watch them, and that he actually really meant "spy on them." But I nodded.

"Yeah, I've been wanting to see this, since...uh...whenever!"

T.K looked a bit confused, since I did tell him once that I hared horror movies. Kari looked excited, though.

"You could sit next to us!" she exclaimed. "Now I have two people to lean on when I'm scared!"

I giggled. Kari is always so cute, I thought to myself. We all got seats next to each other, and my sides and lowed abdomen started burning. Not to mention, I was not a big fan of slasher movies, so I was pretty nervous and sweaty watching the movie. T.K, Kari, and I kind of held on to each other. T.K went up to get more popcorn, but I personally think it was him being scared.

I bent over, trying to withstand the pain. Kari looked over at me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just having some girl issues."

Kari nodded. "Oh, I see. Mom gets like that too. You didn't have to come and watch me and T.K."

"What do you mean, watch you and T.K?" I asked. "I wanted to see this movie."

Kari looked doubtful, though. "You don't have to lie to me, Sora. I kind of knew this was Tai's plan."

I was silent for a moment, thinking of some way I could outsmart Kari. But I couldn't think of anything, so I asked how she knew.

"It's my brother, Sora. I know a plan of his when I see one." Kari sighed. "Besides, you don't like these kind of movies. I wish Tai would let me go off by myself sometimes. I may only be ten, but I'm mature."

The pain was getting worse, and I wanted to go home. But I decided to keep talking to Kari, because she seemed so serious.

"I know Tai is a bit stubborn sometimes. But he's only doing it because he loves you."

"I know, and I love him. But he should be trusting me by now, and trusting T.K. T.K is my best friend. I never had a problem or suspected anything bad when he hung out with you."

I grinned. "I told him the same thing. But he said it was different. You know, Kari, your brother confuses me sometimes." Kari was silent for a moment, then looked at me again. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, Kari."

"I think he has a great fondness of you."

"I hope so!" I said jokingly. "He is my best friend."

"That's not what I meant." Kari said. I blushed, and looked down on the ground. I wondered if Tai told Kari this himself, and this made me feel real excited, yet awkward. But before I could say anything else, a man said, "Why don't you two just SHUT UP! We're trying to watch a MOVIE!"

I apologized, and T.K. came back, so I excused myself, saying I felt sick, and ran down the theatre hall. I was embarrassed, of course, but I didn't care at the time. I was cramping to bad, I ended up taking a Taxi home rather than walking. When I arrived at home, my mom helped me out and then sent me to bed early, as I did look very tired. But laying in bed, curled up, I thought about what Kari said. Tai has a fondness for me? So he does like me. Mimi had told me it had been obvious. And I kind of liked him, too. But I still felt weird about it.

"If I told him I like him, what if he ended up not liking me, and things between us got real bad?" I asked myself a whole bunch of questions that night. "I wish Biyomon were here. She'd somewhat understand."

Tai

"Mom, we won semi-finals!" I yelled into the house, even though I knew everyone was in bed. I kind of wanted to set up a surprise so that everyone would be more excited than mad. But nobody woke up.

"Is anyone home?" I asked. I walked into my parents room, and my Dad was heavily sleeping. I wondered where Mom was and then remembered, she visited my aunt. I looked at the time, 10:53 p.m. Kari should have been home...

I walked to our room and saw T.K's hat on Kari's bed. I stared at it, then called her name. No reply.

"Kari! Why is T.K's hat on your bed?" I called out. I opened all the doors in our room, and still no sign of Kari, or T.K, for that matter. I started to get frustrated.

"Kari, if you don't..."

I suddenly heard a singing voice. It was distant, but loud. I followed the voice out to the living room, where is got nearer. Then, I realized I had not checked the balcony, and opened the curtains. Kari and T.K were standing on the balcony, and she was singing to a dazed-looking T.K.

"That sounds beautiful, Kari." T.K said, slightly blushing.

"You really mean it?" she asked. "Thanks!"

I opened the door. "What a wonderful night, huh?"

T.K and Kari looked surprised, but I didn't care.

"How was the movie? It wasn't a romance, was it?"

"Hey buddy, shut up!" some guy from the apartment above us yelled. "Some people are trying to sleep!"

"Oh, have some joy in your life, bonehead!" I shouted back, shaking my fist. Couldn't a brother have a talk with his sister?

"It was a slasher movie we saw, Tai. It was called 'Beautiful Nightmare.'" Kari looked rather annoyed, but T.K looked nervously happy.

"Nice trophy!" he complimented. "What was the score, Tai?"

I forgot about Kari and T.K being alone together and remembered the epic match from earlier. I grinned when I thought about the final goal, made by me...

"It was 2-5. You two should have been there!"

"T.K," Kari looked at him, "Should you be home now? I need to have a talk with Tai."

T.K looked at his digivice. "Holy crap, I should! Mom is going to seriously kill me! Thanks for the fantastic night. See you guys later."

After he left, Kari stomped to our room, me quickly following. I was honestly still thinking about the game, when she said, "You should be ashamed, Taichi!"

Kari never used my whole name, so I was curious to know what her problem was. "Why?"

"You made poor sick Sora come to the movie with us to spy. She wasn't feeling well, and you still asked her?"

I felt a stinging in my throat. Sora was sick? She seemed fine earlier...I remembered what happened to Kari when we were little, how she almost died because I kept her out when she was already sick.

"Sora was sick?" I managed to say, trying not to think of the Kari memory. "She seemed fine! Is she okay? Oh gosh, I really..."

"She was having some...stomach problems. And she did a good job of taking care of us."

"Look, Kari, I was trying to..."

"Spy on us?"

"Just looking out for you, okay?" I was starting to get very frustrated, and wanted to know if Sora was okay.

"You don't have to do that anymore, I'm ten!"

"Yeah, exactly! You're still a kid."

"Whatever, Tai." I never really saw Kari so angry, and then knew this was something she felt deeply about.

"I'm sorry, Kari. I am. I didn't mean to hurt you, or T.K, or Sora. I just want to be as protective as I can...so nothing happens to you."

Kari looked down. "I'm sorry too. I never really sounded like a jerk, huh?"

I smiled. "Nope. But I deserved it."

Kari walked over to me and gave me a hug. I felt very important, like someone needed me. I thought about if T.K thought I was a jerk. And Sora...I could only imagine how she felt.

I called her the next morning, her mother answering.

"This is Tai, isn't it?" she asked, sounding a bit unsurprised. My heart sank. Did Sora tell her mom how much she hated me? Not again...

"Uh, yeah. It is. How did you know?"

"You always call really early." she answered. "But hey, that's what friends do, right?"

"Yeah." I calmed down a bit, knowing Mrs. T wasn't mad at me after all. "So...is Sora up? I heard she was sick, and I feel super bad, and I want to see if she's okay?"

"Sora is still sleeping, but she's not sick. She's just having...well, personal problems."

I hoped she wasn't "personally" avoiding me.

"Is there anything I could do to help?" I asked, probably sounding too desperate.

"No, it's not a bad problem. It's, well...natural for girls."

I then heard Sora's voice in the background, and she was now on the phone.

"Tai?"

"Sora!" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry for making you go to that movie! I didn't know you were sick, and I'm evil for having you go, and..."

Sora was chuckling. "I'm not sick. I'm having girl issues. It's nothing extreme, Tai."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Um, Tai...I really don't want to tell you."

I still felt bad, and said kind of sadly, "I understand."

Sora sighed. "I'm too embarrassed. It's female problems. Do you understand what I'm talking about?"

I thought it was emotional issues. Maybe a boy? She liked a boy?

"Boy trouble?" I asked. I heard Sora slap her forehead.

"No. What have we talked about it health class? Girl's get in once a month..."

I then got it, and suddenly felt very nosy. I apologized for my creepy behavior.

"It wasn't creepy. You were just looking out for me." Sora paused for a moment. "Did you and Kari talk things out?"

"Yeah, we did."

"Oh, good. So you owe me one.

"Yeah, I know..."I thought nervously about having to buy Sora "female products" and the store, and how everyone would be there, laughing. "What do I got to do?"

"My mom says exercising is a good way to relieve cramp pain. But al I want to do is walk right now. Will you go on a walk with me later tonight?"

"Of course I will! I should probably lose some weight anyway."

"Shut up." Sora sighed. "I'll meet you at the park at seven. How does that sound?"

"I have soccer practice until seven thirty."

"Okay, I'll just wait at you're practice, then we can go?"

"Sounds great. Hope you don't mind if I smell."

"Nah."

"Alright. See you then?"

"Yeah. Thanks Tai."

"Hey don't you thank me. That's what friends are for. Besides...I owe you one."