"Izzy, hurry up!" I heard my mother call from outside my crowded little room. Of course the claustrophobia I felt was totally my fault. Every book ever made on computers, notebooks, and a chalkboard to scribble down my notes surrounded me. I had a few dozen monitors and towers in my room from friends and families members who wanted to junk their computers. I guess I am a computer scavenger, tearing up old computers and hooking them to each other. Just to see what would happen if I did this or that.

I struggled through my mess of coverage on my bed; my pillows abandon me some time late last night that now littered the floor. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and struggle to wake up.

"Izzy?" My mother's voice shot through my head.

"I'm up!" I cried. One more day of school then it is the weekend, I thought to myself. Then I get to do whatever computer nerd did on Friday nights, stay up all night with the love of my life, Stella. Not a musical instrument could compete with the quick clicking that greets me as I tapped on her keyboard. Yes, my computer's name is Stella. People name cars, they name those stress balls so what is wrong with me naming my computer!

"Izzy?"

"I'm coming mum!" I shouted.

"Hurry up." She called back.

"I am! Only heard you a half a million times!" I grumpily said.

"IZZY!" My mother swung open my door.

"Sorry, Mum." I mumbled, grabbing my pillow from the floor and hiding my face under my pillow to keep the view of the sun away from my tender eyes.

"You get up this instant young man or your father will be hearing about this new attitude you are suddenly displaying towards me!" She huffed in anger. It was not that I had an attitude; I mean…It is me. I am not a morning person, that is all there is too it. I love learning. I consume it, as it was a meaning of survival for me. Everyone has his or her own self-addictions. Mine is learning however, my dependence on that addiction is not as strong as my hunger for more sleep! Mornings always came too early.

I stumbled to the bathroom with my eyelids still feeling as they are glued shut. I did the regular morning rituals and almost enjoyed nodding off against the shower wall as steaming hot water cascaded down my spin but Mum turned the laundry on and a rush of cold water hit me like a nor'easter wind storm.

"MUM!" I cried, stepping away from the deadly ice bullets.

"Honey?" She hummed in her motherly way.

"I was in the shower!" I yelled back.

"Sorry dear, I thought you would be out by now." She didn't sound too concern to me. I secretly believe that it was a pay back from my morning wake up call.

I stepped out of the bathroom and immediately drool started sliding out of my mouth. The breakfast table was loaded with eggs, biscuits, bacon and hot tea. "That looks good." I don't know if I wanted mum to hear or if I was trying to make small talk with my hunger pains.

"Well sit down then," My mother nodded to the table as she dropped a basket of clothes down on the floor by the sofa.

"But I'm late," I said gloomy.

"Not at all. I wouldn't let you run so late with out the ability to eat a healthy breakfast. You have time but you can't slack at the table with your mouth gaping open." She smiled sweetly to me.

"Thanks Mum." I sat down at the table and begin filling my plate.

"Izzy dear." My Mum sat on the sofa and proceeded with her morning chore of folding clothes. "I'm sorry if you feel I am 'mothering' you. It's just I worry that I am not doing enough…"

"You are a great Mum," I cut her off. She smiled at me and turned to the television. Yes, she truly mothers me; she treats me, as I am a toddler still as well as my father. I constantly have to battle with them about my independence and yet still let them know that I do need them. I will always need them some how, they are my parents after all. Maybe foster parents but a parent is a parent and I have two of the best.

I stumbled out of my apartment, following behind a few other kids that were on the way to school, when I ran into Tai..or Tai ran into me. He came wiping around the corner in a speed that our impact sent us both sprawling on the concrete sidewalk.

"Hey Izz!" Tai scurried up and started to help me gather my books. He of course, was bookless. "Sorry, didn't mean to bump into you like that."

"It's alright," I mumbled, hoping the pounding my forehead was doing would not affect the rest of the day. "What's the rush? We aren't that late or do you have morning practice?"

"Hmm, no. Not late or anything like that." Tai grinned.

"So…why are you rushing off?"

"I just felt like running." Tai continued to grin.

"Okay." I eyed him carefully. Tai was a morning person and an afternoon person…evening person as well. He is a perky person, always trying to be happy and trying to make other people happy. He is a great person, the jerk. It makes people like him even harder for people like me to get a date!

"Did you see Sor?" He asked, carrying some of my books for me.

"No, why?" I asked.

"Just wondering, that's all." Tai beamed.

"I thought you two walked to school."

"We do which is why I am puzzled when her mum explained that she already left for school." Tai grinned. "I think she is stalking someone."

"Sora doesn't stalk." I shook my head. We walked a few more blocks before I couldn't stand his silence any longer. It was unnatural for Tai to be quiet for five minutes. Silence is his fear! "Okay, why would you believe she would survey someone?"

"Glad you asked!" Tai smiled, fully aware that I would have asked. "I was talking to Mimi…"

"Tai…" I moaned.

"What?"

"I told you before you can't always listen to her. Remember Jonathan?" I rolled my eyes, "She had the school convinced that he was dating Emily. Did you see how they eluded each other for two years?"

"Well this is different."

"How?" I asked, "Did you ask Sora if she was pestering someone?"

"No, she wouldn't tell me the truth."

"Then everything that makes you believe what you now accept as the truth and require the feeling to share with me based on those viewpoints is considered an anecdotal."

"Um…I understood half of what I believe you might have said. The point is," Tai kept on going, "Mimi and Sor are close so Mimi would be aware of anything unusual on Sor's part. Not like Emily and Johnny, where Mims didn't speak to either of them."

"Have you noticed anything bizarre about Sora?" I asked.

"Um…well now that I have been talking to Mimi I have."

"I see…"

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing, resume with your reasoning, please."

"Okay. Therefore, Sora left before I reached her home. We never miss a day of walking to our doom together unless one of us are sick or late or ate too much or forgot it was a weekday and not a weekend or…"

"I understand Tai."

"The point is she didn't call me."

"And…"

"And what?" Tai stared blankly at me. "There is another guy involved. Why else wouldn't she have called me?"

"Another guy?" I asked. I couldn't believe that Sora would date someone and not tell us.

"Well yeah…who else would come between us?"

"Didn't soccer and tennis almost break your friendship up?" I grinned.

"I said 'who' not 'what'. Don't you listen to me when I'm ranting?"

"Yes I can't help but not." I could see our school in a distant. "So who is she stalking and what makes you think she is stalking?"

"She has to be. I mean, what guy would ask her out with me in the way?"

"True." The whole school believed Sora and Tai should, if not already, be dating each other. No one in their right mind would ask her out and not fear Tai's wrath. Well almost no one…. "Do you think..?"

"Yes I do. If she isn't stalking him then he is defiantly interfering with a loving friendship." Tai smiled. "I would never have guessed them. Never."

"Tai listen to me." I turned stopped walking and waited until Tai looked at me, "Sora is not stalking him or anyone else. That isn't Sora and if they are carrying on a relationship that we are unaware of at this time, then they have that right…"

"But…"

"Tai, listen." I held my hand up to silence him, "They have that right to pursue the affiliation. There isn't anything you or I can do it about it." I stopped and waited. Tai's brown eyes melted as he tried to settle the war inside his mind. Not sure if he should let the topic go or proving he is right, which would really prove that he is wrong.

"Why shouldn't I…"

"Because you can't. There isn't any reason." I told him.

"But I'm…"

"Yes and so am I and to be honest I am quite thrilled with the idea." I told him.

"Yeah but…"

"And I think you should be also."

"Izz…"

"I mean, don't you want what is best for them?" I asked him.

"Izz…."

"And if they make each other happy, who are we to try and change that?" I asked.

"Izz…"

"I believe…." Tai cut me off by throwing the palm of his hand over my mouth.

"Can't you shut up and at least let me finish a sentence?" He asked me, slowing taking his hand away from my mouth.

"Oh, um…sorry about that. I suppose I did get a little carried away." I could feel my ears growing red.

"A little?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Well…err," I scanned the schoolyard. "There's your sister and her boyfriends."

"Kara does not have 'boyfriends.' Matter a fact she doesn't even have one!" Tai scowled.

claustrophobia