Welcome to episode 10!!! Hurraaaayyy!!

I don't own Digimon.

I'm getting so many reviews!! Thankyou so much for everyone's overwhelming support!! Well, as I said last chapter, this has suddenly changed into a friendship/romance fic about the Digidestined finding themselves and becoming stronger… whew…. I'm exhausted. Anyway, please read and review!!

Episode 10: Matt's confession!!

Matt ignored his friend's glances and looks over at him. He knew he had the Crest of Friendship, so why did he feel like he was doing such a crappy job of it? Maybe it was because he was feeling guilty so he avoided them.

Matt thought as he went, why couldn't they have both? Love and friendship. That was possible, right? Maybe it was just hard for Tai because Sora was also his best friend. So he made that promise and everyone just agreed with it.

"Matt!!"

Matt almost groaned out loud. Instead he braced himself and turned and faced Sayo.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

Sayo grabbed his hand. "C'mon, Matt!!

Matt turned his eyes skyward. When had this happened? Sayo, his self-proclaimed girlfriend. He had always pushed her away before, but now that he thought of it, she was always with him and always dragging him around. So why was he letting her do this? And now, he realized he really disliked being with her. Why didn't he do something about it?

Matt sighed. He pulled his hand away from Sayo's and started to walk away from her.

"Where are you going, Matt?" she asked, confused.

"Lunch is over, Sayo. We've gotta get back to class."

"Oh… yeah," Sayo said, disappointed.

Matt barely raised a hand to wave bye to his girlfriend and he swiftly walked away from her, gaining speed as he left. He could see the other Digidestined getting up from under the tree outside and heading inside the school.

"Hey, Matt!!" Tai was yelling as he ran towards Matt. "WHASSUP?!? Why weren't you eating lunch with us today?"

"…well…" Matt started. He hated to admit it, he didn't want to say that he wanted to break up with Sayo and go back to his friends after what had happened when Sora and Tai tried stalking him.

Tai pretended to understand. "Oh, Sayo, right?" He tried to laugh, "Heh, figures. I guess you must really like her a lot then. I'm happy for ya, Matt!"

Matt watched his poofy-haired friend walk on past him and to his locker. Matt walked on too. Would Tai even try to understand? He doesn't know what it's like!!

Then Matt remembered. Well, DUH, after the incident with him and Sayo and the stalking, he could imagine what kind of impression he left them.

Matt frowned as he sat down at his desk and barely glanced at the geography teacher.

How… do I really feel… about her? He drummed his fingers on the desk. About Sayo… could I really love her? Because I don't really… care about her… that much right now…

Tai was having soccer practice after school that day. He bounced the ball back and forth from one foot to the other. Tomo ran over.

"Hey, Tai! I'm glad to see ya all happy again."

"Thanks, Tomo." Tai grinned at his pal. "I guess I am happier today,"

He looked up from the soccer ball when he saw Matt walking past. He was yelling at someone, and then he ran up to whoever it was.

Tai shrugged. It's probably just Sayo again. They're always together; you'd reckon they were joined at the hip or something.

Tai looked over at Tomo. "Hey, Tomo, why are all the guys taking so long to get changed? Could you go and get them to hurry up?"

"Huh? Yeah sure!" Tomo ran inside.

Tai waited till Tomo had disappeared and then he picked up the soccer ball and ran after Matt. He didn't know why he did it; he just wanted to make sure Matt was okay. It didn't usually happen that Matt was still after school at this time. Didn't he and T.K have to walk home together?

Tai ran faster and then before he could stop anything, he crashed into a girl with pretty reddish-orange hair.

"S-Sora?" he cried awkwardly.

"Tai…?" she wondered.

Tai hurriedly got up. "Sorry about that, I just-"

"Don't you have soccer practice with your team?"

"Well, yeah, but I saw Matt running this way and I was wondering why he was still around so I followed him,"

Sora nodded and she stood up. "Yeah… me too…"

Tai blushed when he thought about just how close Sora's hand was to his. He took a chance and grabbed it, and then he started running in the direction Matt had gone.

"C'mon, let's go! We might not be really good spies, but I'm sure it's the right thing to do to see what Matt's up to,"

Sora tried her very very best to fight it, but she felt her heart speed up again.

Why… is this happening? She could feel Tai's hands warming hers up and she ran along with him.

Tai felt his heart pumping faster. Why did I just do that? And why are we running and butting into Matt's life again? He told us he didn't want us to, but I just get the feeling he really needs a friend right now.

Matt could see Sayo in front of him. He just had to run… a little… faster…

He could feel all these different emotions in him. It was weird but now he realised it… what he felt towards Sayo…

I'm sorry, Sayo, he thought, I can't love you because I don't know how to. And I don't even know you… so why did I let you be my so-called girlfriend? He knew that he was way too attractive for his own good, as he could tell by the hoardes of girls that crowded around him every morning when he entered the school. Couldn't he be more than just looks? And fame- as he also was a rockstar…?

Would he ever be able to become someone like his best friend, Tai? He admired Tai because he was always cheerful and grinning and carefree, though Matt knew he had his own troubles. And Tai was deep too. He really cared about his friends and Matt knew of many girls that crushed on the soccer player.

But Tai wouldn't let anyone of them steal his heart. And he would never stop loving Sora. But he wouldn't try to tell Sora his feelings either. Instead, Tai treasured her friendship so much he had to hide his feelings as best as he could.

So why did Matt have to let one girl drag him away from his friends? Couldn't he be more like the courageous leader of the Digidestined?

"Sayo!!" he yelled out.

The girl turned her head, and seeing Matt, looked pleasantly surprised.

"Matt!!" Sayo turned around and went to hug him.

Matt put out his hands and grabbed Sayo's wrists. "No, Sayo."

Sayo looked at Matt, all helpless and tried to pull her hands away from him. "What's… with you, Matt?"

Matt gave her a look that pierced through her and his cold blue eyes made her shiver. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

She looked so confused; Matt almost felt sorry for her and backed away.

"Sayo, I… I'm sorry… I can't love you. I can't love anyone else either. It's because… I don't know how to… well, not right now, anyway. And I'm not ready to either. I'm not sure why I just realized it now, but it's true. I can't love you, Sayo, so I think it's best if you just give up on me."

Sayo was heartbroken. Her voice trembled. "What are you saying, Matt?"

"I'm… breaking up with you…"

Sayo cried, "You might not love me, Matt, but I love you!! And if you didn't, then why did you act like you did?"

"That's what I mean," Matt said seriously. "I didn't know why I let you drag me around for so long, but I figured it out. You… don't really… love me at all, do you? You're just as shallow as the other girls at school. You just love my looks and my being a musician. That's it, isn't it?"

"Noo… it's not!" Sayo said.

"Yeah, it is. It's the only part of me you could know because you didn't try to get to know me any better."

Sayo was shivering as she looked up at him. He could see the tears in her eyes.

"Why… are you… breaking my heart?!?" she cried.

Matt turned away from her. "I'm sorry, Sayo."

Sayo opened her mouth to say something, found nothing to say and then turn and ran away. The sound of her echoing footsteps rang loudly in Matt's ears.

Then, he wasn't sure why, but he felt great sadness as well. Why? He asked. Even Matt felt sentimental. What he wouldn't give for a friend right now…

Matt felt something in his pocket feel really heavy. He reached in and took it out.

The Crest of Friendship looked blurry to Matt's eyes because he felt a little tear in it. Maybe… now he'd be able to be a better friend to the others… but would they ever forgive him?

He clutched the tag tightly. Man… he'd been such a rotten friend. So much for the Crest of Friendship. Still… Tai's promise sounded good to him right now. Would he be able to keep it? And if friendship came first… would the Digidestined accept him again?

"Matt!! Matt!!"

Matt turned to see two familiar faces. Tai and Sora, his dear friends, arrived and stood in front of him.

"Are you okay, Matt?" Tai asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Matt didn't look at his best friend, but all at once the once-heavy tag in his hands grew lighter and felt warm in his hands.

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