Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

Chapter Twelve: Party Time

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Sora woke up the next morning, alone on the couch. I must have fallen asleep here last night, she thought. She stretched, and walked to the kitchen, where her mom was reading the paper.

"Oh, you're up," her mother said. Sora nodded. "Well, sorry but I have to get to work. Tai isn't home, he went out about an hour ago. Or else he'd still be asleep on the couch with you," she said, laughing. Sora blushed slightly, knowing her mother had the wrong impression of her and Tai. She wondered why Tai had gotten up so early, and where he was. He had left to help Mimi set up for Sora's party, but Sora didn't know that. Maybe he's sneaking around with a girl, she thought. The thought of Tai with a girl upset Sora, and she didn't know why. She didn't want him…and yet she didn't want someone else to have him. Unless…she did want him.

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"Everyone, be quiet! Here she comes," Mimi whispered as everyone hid in the dark. The door opened, and Tai stepped into Mimi's house, followed by Sora. He flicked on the light.

"SURPRISE!" the roomful of people yelled. Sora looked around at everyone. Mimi and Matt were there, of course, but there were others, too. Yolei was there, and so were Rachel, Samantha, Rob, and Krista, her friends from back home. There were also four kids whom she didn't recognize.

"Is all this for me?" Sora asked happily. Everyone nodded. Mimi walked over to her, and gave her a hug.

"Sora, this is Izzy, and that's Joe. Do you remember them?" Sora nodded, and hugged them hello. She and Mimi were good friends with them before Sora moved away with her father. "That's T.K. He's Matt's brother," Mimi introduced Sora to a boy a few years younger than herself. "And this is Kari, Tai's sister."

Sora said hello to them, and got some chips. She was having a conversation with Yolei and Mimi, but her mind was wondering…and so were her eyes. She found herself watching Tai, who was across the room. He was clowning around with his sister, Kari. She thought it was so weird to see Tai in 'big brother mode'. He was way overprotective, especially when he saw Kari talking to T.K.

"Earth to Sora," Yolei said, waving a hand in her face. Sora snapped out of her trance, and turned back to Yolei and Mimi.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Where were you just now?" Mimi asked, having a pretty good idea where Sora was looking.

"I was just…" she trailed off. She didn't want to admit that she was watching Tai. She didn't have any feeling for Tai, but she knew Mimi would think otherwise.

"You were watching that really cute guy with the brown hair, weren't you?" Yolei cut in. Mimi laughed, and Sora blushed.

"Girl, just face it. You love him," Mimi added.

"I do not! He's just my friend, and that's all. Got it?" she looked back and forth between Yolei and Mimi.

"I don't know about that…I think he likes you. I mean, he's been staring at you the entire time," Yolei said. Sora turned her head toward Tai and Kari, and saw Tai looking at her. She smiled and he smiled back before looking away rather quickly.

"You know, I think that you and Izzy would look good together," Sora said to Yolei, trying to change the subject.

"Really? Well, he is kind of cute," she gushed. Mimi rolled her eyes, and went to talk to Matt.

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An hour later, the party was in full swing. Yolei and Izzy had really hit it off, and Sora was trying her best to avoid Tai. She didn't need to give Mimi another reason to bug her about him. Instead, she got to know his sister, Kari. She was a really sweet girl, and was really mature for her age. Kari was nothing like Tai, and yet she sort of reminded Sora of him.

In another conversation, T.K. was talking to Mimi. She was trying to get all the dirt on Matt, but T.K. wasn't breaking too easily. Honestly, he wasn't really paying attention. He liked Mimi, she seemed nice enough, but he was focusing on someone else, across the room. He was watching Kari.

Joe, Matt, and Tai were hanging out with Rob, while Samantha, Krista, and Rachel flirted with them. Mimi, who had stopped her conversation with T.K., was pretty irritated when she saw this. She walked over to them, sat on Matt's lap, and kissed him pretty deeply. The girls backed off, but not before Samantha and Rachel slipped Joe and Tai their numbers. Sora noticed this, and was oddly jealous. She didn't want Tai to start dating her friend, especially when she would be in America, and not able to keep an eye on them.

"So, my brother's told me a lot about you, Sora," Kari said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Really?" she asked. She was pleased that Tai talked about her.

"Yeah. He really likes you." Uh oh, Sora thought, I can see where this conversation is going.

"Well, I think someone likes you," she said, gesturing across the room. Kari looked up, and noticed T.K. was staring at her. He looked away quickly, blushing. Kari laughed, and blushed slightly.

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"Bye, thanks for coming," Sora said to Yolei, Rob, Krista, Rachel, and Samantha as they left.

"We're gonna miss you so much, Sor. Are you sure you have to leave? What will I do without you?" Yolei said sadly. Sora smiled.

"Yeah, I have to. But don't worry, I'll still visit. Plus, you can call me anytime you want, no matter what time it is in America," she said comfortingly. Yolei nodded, and Sora hugged everyone goodbye.

"Yeah, I gotta drive T.K. home now, so I'm leaving. Bye Meems," Matt said, kissing her. "Bye Sor, I'll miss you," he said. Then he whispered, "Mimi will be a complete mess without you." Sora smiled, and hugged him goodbye.

"It was nice meeting you," T.K. said as he left. A car horn honked in the driveway, and Kari stood up.

"That's gotta be mom. Bye everyone. Bye Sora," she said as she got her shoes on and left. Now, only Tai, Sora, Mimi, Izzy, and Joe remained. They talked for a while more, until Joe and Izzy left.

"Well Meems, we gotta go. Mom's probably wondering where we are," Sora said.

"Yeah, okay," Mimi said, hugging Sora. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Me too, but we'll definitely keep in touch. Plus, I'll be down here all the time, I promise."

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Sora and Tai walked into their house, and went upstairs.

"Tai," she said before going into her room.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Oh, no I didn't do anything. The party was Mimi's idea," he explained.

"No, I don't just mean the party. Thanks for everything," she said. She kissed him on the cheek, and went into her room. Tai just stood there, wishing with everything he had that she wasn't leaving in three days, but she was. Sighing, he went into his room, and went to sleep.

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