CHAPTER 3: Some of Us Have a Secret
"Tai, where are you?" Matt yelled, getting annoyed. They were going to be late for soccer practice.
"Why am I always covering up for him?" he said angrily. "Tai…what the…"
He trailed off, having caught sight of *them*. He stared.
Tai and Mimi had their arms wrapped tightly around each other.
Feeling betrayed by Tai, he said quickly, "Ahem. Tai, Mimi."
After a few more seconds, they pulled apart, with their arms still around each other. They turned their heads and stared at him.
"What?" Tai asked, looking dazed.
"Soccer practice…"
"Right. I forgot. See ya, Mimi." He gave her a brief kiss on the cheek before walking away from her.
Matt followed, feeling hurt, for some reason. But he knew that he had no claim on Mimi.
Walking across the field, he asked gruffly, "Since when have you two been going out?"
Tai had a strange half-smile on his face. He only shrugged.
Matt fell silent. Something was just not right here.
It spread over school quickly that Tai and Mimi were going out. They were seen everywhere together; one went nowhere without the other.
Two weeks later, after Tai had taken Mimi to a horror movie and teased her through it the whole time, the two were walking slowly home under the moon, quietly reminiscing.
"Doesn't this remind you of the moonlit nights back in the Digiworld?" asked Mimi softly, glancing at Tai.
"Sure does," he answered her, smiling warmly.
"Remember how you used to be so impulsive?" Mimi asked, slipping her hand into his.
Tai smiled, and squeezed her hand. "I still am."
Mimi pursed her lips. "Maybe, but I still think…"
A clattering off in the alley interrupted her. Mimi hid behind Tai, eyes wide open with fright.
Tai patted her on the head. "Now you be a good girl, while I go see what's happened, alright?"
Mimi laughed. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she told him. Without waiting for a reply, she strode into the alley.
The alley was deserted, and she sighed in relief. He wouldn't have come this far…would he? She glanced at the brick wall and felt her knees give way.
"Mimi!" Feeling strong arms catch her, she let herself close her eyes, blocking the horrendous sight.
She heard Tai read, "I'm losing patience, Mimi…Dave…" Supporting her with an arm, he asked, "Who's Dave, Mimi?"
Mimi tried to forget the green writing on the wall; it was nerve-wrecking. "Um, Dave? I don't know who he is, why do you think that I…"
"Mimi, you still can't lie very well, at least to me," Tai chided.
Mimi gave up; she should have known that she could have never lied to Tai and had gotten away with it. Looking up at him, she said clearly, "I met Dave back in New York City. He was this suave, rich guy that was really popular there. All the girls wanted to go out with him, but he chose *me* to ask out. I turned him down countless times…"
"Why?" Tai asked curiously.
"He reminded me too much of Myotismon," she answered.
Tai brought her closer comfortingly. "No wonder," he whispered.
"Well, he began to get violent and dangerous," Mimi continued, her heart pounding. "He began to stalk me…"
"STALK?!" Tai sputtered, eyes flashing dangerously.
Mimi clutched onto his shirt, looking like a deer trapped in the headlights of a car. "I became too scared to walk anywhere alone, especially at night. He became obsessive: everywhere I turned, he was there, or left a sign that he had been there! I was so relieved when my parents told me I was moving; I was positive that I wouldn't have to worry about Dave anymore.
"The day I left, he gave me a note that said, 'I'll always be wherever you are'. I didn't worry too much about it, I was moving halfway across the world, you know! And several times in Tokyo, I could have sworn I saw him, but I thought it was the light playing tricks on me. But this…this proves that he's here…for me…"
Mimi couldn't go on. Lip trembling, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face.
"Don't worry Mimi," Tai said soothingly, wiping away her tears. "I'll protect you, don't you ever doubt that!"
Scooping her up into his arms, he said, "I'll walk you home."
As they stepped out of the alley, Tai said determinedly, "If he dares shows his face around here, I'll pound his head in…"
Mimi couldn't help giggling. "You're right, you're still impulsive. I think I can sleep at night now," she said dramatically.
"Yeah, and rest assured, Mimi," Tai said seriously, "if he comes anywhere near you, I'll make him pay…"
"Tai, where are you?" Matt yelled, getting annoyed. They were going to be late for soccer practice.
"Why am I always covering up for him?" he said angrily. "Tai…what the…"
He trailed off, having caught sight of *them*. He stared.
Tai and Mimi had their arms wrapped tightly around each other.
Feeling betrayed by Tai, he said quickly, "Ahem. Tai, Mimi."
After a few more seconds, they pulled apart, with their arms still around each other. They turned their heads and stared at him.
"What?" Tai asked, looking dazed.
"Soccer practice…"
"Right. I forgot. See ya, Mimi." He gave her a brief kiss on the cheek before walking away from her.
Matt followed, feeling hurt, for some reason. But he knew that he had no claim on Mimi.
Walking across the field, he asked gruffly, "Since when have you two been going out?"
Tai had a strange half-smile on his face. He only shrugged.
Matt fell silent. Something was just not right here.
It spread over school quickly that Tai and Mimi were going out. They were seen everywhere together; one went nowhere without the other.
Two weeks later, after Tai had taken Mimi to a horror movie and teased her through it the whole time, the two were walking slowly home under the moon, quietly reminiscing.
"Doesn't this remind you of the moonlit nights back in the Digiworld?" asked Mimi softly, glancing at Tai.
"Sure does," he answered her, smiling warmly.
"Remember how you used to be so impulsive?" Mimi asked, slipping her hand into his.
Tai smiled, and squeezed her hand. "I still am."
Mimi pursed her lips. "Maybe, but I still think…"
A clattering off in the alley interrupted her. Mimi hid behind Tai, eyes wide open with fright.
Tai patted her on the head. "Now you be a good girl, while I go see what's happened, alright?"
Mimi laughed. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she told him. Without waiting for a reply, she strode into the alley.
The alley was deserted, and she sighed in relief. He wouldn't have come this far…would he? She glanced at the brick wall and felt her knees give way.
"Mimi!" Feeling strong arms catch her, she let herself close her eyes, blocking the horrendous sight.
She heard Tai read, "I'm losing patience, Mimi…Dave…" Supporting her with an arm, he asked, "Who's Dave, Mimi?"
Mimi tried to forget the green writing on the wall; it was nerve-wrecking. "Um, Dave? I don't know who he is, why do you think that I…"
"Mimi, you still can't lie very well, at least to me," Tai chided.
Mimi gave up; she should have known that she could have never lied to Tai and had gotten away with it. Looking up at him, she said clearly, "I met Dave back in New York City. He was this suave, rich guy that was really popular there. All the girls wanted to go out with him, but he chose *me* to ask out. I turned him down countless times…"
"Why?" Tai asked curiously.
"He reminded me too much of Myotismon," she answered.
Tai brought her closer comfortingly. "No wonder," he whispered.
"Well, he began to get violent and dangerous," Mimi continued, her heart pounding. "He began to stalk me…"
"STALK?!" Tai sputtered, eyes flashing dangerously.
Mimi clutched onto his shirt, looking like a deer trapped in the headlights of a car. "I became too scared to walk anywhere alone, especially at night. He became obsessive: everywhere I turned, he was there, or left a sign that he had been there! I was so relieved when my parents told me I was moving; I was positive that I wouldn't have to worry about Dave anymore.
"The day I left, he gave me a note that said, 'I'll always be wherever you are'. I didn't worry too much about it, I was moving halfway across the world, you know! And several times in Tokyo, I could have sworn I saw him, but I thought it was the light playing tricks on me. But this…this proves that he's here…for me…"
Mimi couldn't go on. Lip trembling, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face.
"Don't worry Mimi," Tai said soothingly, wiping away her tears. "I'll protect you, don't you ever doubt that!"
Scooping her up into his arms, he said, "I'll walk you home."
As they stepped out of the alley, Tai said determinedly, "If he dares shows his face around here, I'll pound his head in…"
Mimi couldn't help giggling. "You're right, you're still impulsive. I think I can sleep at night now," she said dramatically.
"Yeah, and rest assured, Mimi," Tai said seriously, "if he comes anywhere near you, I'll make him pay…"