Hey everyone! Thanx, again, for all the reviews, I'm glad you like it!
Lil Yaten Fae: I'm glad you 'likeys' it! I don't get that word often ^_^ . . . thanx a bunch, I will continue soon.
Lady Kamiya: omigosh omigosh! Thank you sooo much!! Lol, juss kiddin. And YES, I LOOOVE SUGAR! Heheh I can never really tell when I'm on a sugar high cuz I'm practically always on one . . . some of my fics just prove it for me. -_-;; Thanx 4 your review!
Starfall13: Thanks! ^_^ Glad you like it.
Luna Wolf aka Matt4ever: What do you mean "Why is Matt here already?!?" I'd be happy! ^^ He's hot enough . . . ~_^ Thx a bunch, I'm glad you like it!
Tyson FoxFlame: hehe, thanx! And it was my pleasure to add you to my fave authors list . . . you are one of them! ^_^ I luv your fics. Please update 'Black Rose' soon, k? But I'm kinda confused . . . who's KTF? -_-;; I'm an idiot . . .
Violette Mai: I'm glad I didn't spend a lot of time on Ryan and the others too, otherwise I think it'd get kinda boring. I wouldn't be able to think of anything good anyway . . . well maybe I could've written about the concert but I was too lazy -_-;; hehe, and yeah, I could just imagine Tai being punkish like that . . . *drools*
PrincessSwifty: hehe, I definitely agree . . . a punk Tai . . . SEXEE MAN!!!! *drools* (I seem to be drooling an awful lot today . . . I'll hafta get that checked . . . ~_^)
Redrum: Haha, I don't know if you can actually *swallow* a tongue ring, but I saw this guy on this demented talent TV show that can take out his tongue ring using his *tongue.* *shudder* Weird. And you're right, this chapter IS from Yamie's POV!! Wow, you're good . . .
Taito Kid: hehe, I got your email, thanks for the Yama plushie!!! I think I'll keep it under my pillow . . . and in my bag . . . and in my locker . . . hell, I'm gonna take it with me everywhere! ^_^
Also thanks to nEo-cHaN, Quazimodo, emiline, Sille, and anyone else who reviewed chapter 3. WOW! O.o I don't think I've gotten that many reviews before. *squeals* But then again I am a beginner . . . but whatever, I'm still very VERY HAPPEE!!!!
Here's chapter 4, enjoy!
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"Attention passengers, we will be landing in Tokyo International Airport in five minutes. Please find your seat and fasten your seatbelts when the seatbelt sign turns on. Thank you."
I sighed and leaned my head back on my seat, staring outside and seeing building block towers and ant-like cars scurrying over threads of highways. I was finally coming home from a month-long vacation at the Bahamas. Once we landed there a month ago, I was stunned by how beautiful the scenery of the ocean was. The water was a clear turquoise color, and was cool and enjoyable to the touch. I spent my time mostly on the beach, but also caught a live concert near our oceanside hotel two weeks prior.
The vacation was good for me; I needed some time to be away from home and relax. All with the band, school, and my own personal problems, life was becoming too much of a hassle. This time away from friends let me have a chance to think things over without interruption or other problems peeking into my mind, wanting to be solved.
My parents called a truce on the airplane ride over there, so they didn't fight (much) and let me and TK have a good time for once. I missed my friends terribly of course, especially Taichi. I wonder how he is right now. I can just see the look on his face when he sees that I've come home a day early. I hope he hasn't changed too much. I know I haven't.
Except for one tiny thing . . . okay, maybe it's not so tiny. At that concert on the beach, near the end of it a guy bumped into me. When he saw me, he obviously thought I was someone else, because he . . . well, he kissed me. And that's not even the biggest part. I *liked* it. It was a very long, passionate kiss, and much to my embarrassment, I found myself returning it. I was mortified when the guy pulled away, and then found that I wasn't the person I thought I was. He just waved it off, then walked away.
But it got me thinking . . . and soon I realized that I enjoyed kissing that guy a whole lot more than I liked kissing girls. It was so much more, oh I don't know how to explain it. More real, I guess. And then I realized . . . I must be gay.
Of course, I wouldn't accept it at first, and pushed the thought out of my brain. But it started coming back more and more often when I was certain very good looking guys . . . and now, I've finally accepted it. I'm gay. The only person who knows is TK, who saw that guy kiss me at the concert and pulled a confession out of me just a few hours ago when we had nothing else to talk about. He promised not to tell anyone. He had better not. What might this do to my career as a superstar? I told him as much, and he said not to worry. I try not to . . . but TK isn't exactly famous for keeping secrets. In fact, he sucks at it. Oh well . . . this is big, really big, so maybe this once he'll keep his mouth shut.
Soon, the plane landed, which I didn't like all that much. TK took a picture of me . . . again. I swear, he's taken a picture of me at both take-offs and both landings now. They probably aren't very good . . . I feel air sick . . .
Thankfully, I didn't puke my guts out this time. I did on the way over to the Bahamas (-_-;;). I sighed gratefully as I breathed in fresh air when I stepped off the plane. Ahh, it's good to be home.
I looked at my watch and saw that my school would be just about ending in about 15 minutes. Excellent, that's how long it takes to get to Odaiba, which would allow me enough time to show up at Tai's apartment to surprise him! Yes!
I told my plan to my family, then quickly exited the airport and hailed a taxi while my family retrieved our baggage. I couldn't help but feel giddy with excitement at the thought of seeing my 'Chi again. Uh, I mean . . . shit, I didn't mean that! I meant . . . oh well, I'm gay, right? What's wrong with liking your best friend?
'A lot of things,' said a sarcastic nasty voice in the back of my head, but I pushed it away. God, when will the cab get there?
But I had to wait another ten minutes before he pulled up beside Tai's building. I thanked and paid him, then hurried on inside and up the elevator to Tai's floor. I stood in front of his door and just stared at it for a second, as if basking in the familiarity of it. Then I snapped to my senses and rang the doorbell.
I heard a pause, then fast-paced footsteps becoming louder and louder. I heard Tai's voice before I saw him. "Kari, did you forget your key again? Honestly, I -"
He stopped when the door was open enough to see who it was. "Matt?"
"Hey, surprised to see me?" I asked, looking on amusedly on the look on his face.
"I'll say!" he exclaimed, immediately throwing himself at me into a hug, which I accepted happily. He pulled away. "I thought you weren't coming home till tomorrow."
"Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but there was a hurricane warning and we decided to come home a day early. I thought I'd surprise you," I answered, tingling a little from the feel of Tai's arms around me.
"Well, I sure am surprised," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Come on in."
I stepped inside his apartment, which was actually a bit neater then it usually was. Half empty mugs of coffee were still on the kitchen table, but the living room looked almost clean. Weird.
"You look good."
Tai's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to him smiling at the compliment, but then I stopped.
Whoa. Tai was different. I mean, really different. He had an eyebrow pierced and was wearing *eye makeup.* And that's not the only thing, he held himself differently, somehow. A new, carefree aura surrounded him, but it wasn't an 'I don't have a care in the world' kind of aura, it was a more . . . well it's hard to pinpoint a word. He just looked as if he had been plenty busy while I was gone, and had new priorities. He looked as if he was hiding something. But what?
"Uh . . . you too, Tai, you too. But . . . man, what did you do to yourself?" I couldn't help but ask, eying the difference in his appearance.
He laughed with amusement at my confusion. Well, that's certainly not like him. He opened his mouth to speak. "Well, I - "
RING RING. I looked around, confused as to where the sound was coming from, as it didn't sound like the Kamiya phone ringing. When I looked at Tai questioningly, he was pulling a small silver cell phone out of his bag on the floor. "Sorry," he said, and I nodded, furrowing my eyebrows. Where'd he get that? Tai doesn't get an allowance . . .
Tai flipped his cell phone on and spoke into it. "Yeah, Taichi . . . Oh, hey Chase, listen, something, er, someone came up," he smiled looking over at me, his eyes twinkling, "and I won't be able to come over as planned . . . What?" I looked up at the serious tone of his voice. He looked confused. "Why, what happened? . . . Oh, fuck," he breathed, and I narrowed my eyes. Since when does Tai swear? But he looked panicked for some reason, and I was concerned.
I tried to catch his eye, but he was staring at a spot on the wall somewhere in front of him. "Oh, bloody hell, is he okay? . . . Shit . . . He said *my* name? Why would he do that?" Now I was really confused. Why is Tai panicking over someone saying his name? "Yeah, I'll be at the front, see you."
Tai quickly snapped his phone shut and dug it into his pocket. "What's going on?" I asked as I followed him out the door. Then he was running down the hallway and down the stairs, so I had no choice but to run after him.
"This guy I met . . ." he panted, "he met up with . . . with this gang, and he got beat up pretty badly. I gotta get to the hospital, my friend's gonna pick me up in a few."
"Pick you up?" I repeated as we ran outside. "You mean he can drive?"
"Yeah, he's a bit older then me," he said off-handedly as he reached the curb and waited impatiently.
"Older? You mean you've got older friends?"
"Yeah, so?" My friend eyed me critically. "What's a few years difference gonna do?"
I heard a sound behind me and I whirled around. I saw nothing. "Hey, over here!" yelled Tai, he ran out onto the road, waving his hands. I was just about say, "Are you crazy? You're gonna get yourself killed!" but then a shiny red convertible pulled out of the afternoon traffic and screeched to a halt beside Taichi, who jumped in over the seat and waved.
"See you later, Matt. Step on it!" he yelled.
"When are you coming back?" I asked, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of screeching tires and honking from other cars. I very much doubt he heard me. They were already turning the corner down the street, anyway.
I stood there on the curb like an idiot for a minute, pondering over what had happened. I decided I would go and follow Tai to the hospital, seeing that he looked really worried. He seemed to be really good friends with these guys.
I started walking in the same direction as Tai's friend's car had gone, frowning. What was Tai doing hanging out with older guys, anyway? Wouldn't his mother disapprove? Does his mother even know?
I immediately felt ashamed. Tai was my best friend, after all. He's right, what's a few years difference going to do? I shouldn't be judging him so quickly. I now felt horrible about the accusing tone I had used on Tai. I promised myself to apologize once we get a chance to talk alone.
But his friends *did* seem quite a bit older, though. The one driving had to be at least 21, and the others looked only a bit younger, but still older than Tai. Not that I have a problem with it; I just hope Tai hadn't gotten himself into any kind of trouble.
The walk to the hospital was about 15 minutes, but halfway there I heard a very unwelcome noise. "Hey, isn't that Matt Ishida?!?" Before I had a chance to make a break for it, I was stampeded by a herd of heart-eyed girls.
"Matt! Can I have your autograph?"
"Matt, can you sign my bra?"
"Will you marry me, Yamato Ishida?"
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!"
I smiled at the last voice, as it was one that I recognized and was totally thankful of hearing. The girls rushed away, and I was left sitting on the ground as a certain red-haired girl I knew riding a bicycle screeched to a halt beside me.
"MATT!!!" she cried, throwing her arms around me. "You're here already?"
I laughed. "Yep, we took an early plane. But don't say anything, I want to surprise the others," I said, peeling Sora off me.
Sora jumped up and down. "How've you been? I've missed you so much! Are you busy? You want to come over?"
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, one question at a time," I grinned, holding up my hands. Sora smiled sheepishly, and I continued. "I've been pretty good, I missed you guys an awful lot too but it was good to get away for a while . . . And actually, I can't; I'm kinda heading somewhere."
"Okay, then, could I go with you?"
"Actually, I don't think you should."
Sora frowned. "Why not?"
I sighed. "I went over to surprise Tai earlier, but a friend of his called and told him some guy got hurt in a fight, and now he's at the hospital. I thought I'd go and see if he was okay," I said, my eyebrow wrinkling up in worry. "He looked pretty shaken up."
"Really?" said Sora, her eyes widening. "The guy got hurt in a fight?"
"Yeah, why does it matter?" I asked.
Sora closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them again and continued. "Tai has been acting real odd lately, especially in the past two weeks. He's *always* hanging out with those new friends of his."
"Yeah, but what's wrong with making some new friends?" I asked, confused about the source of Sora's concern.
"Well, there isn't, but Matt, he hardly ever speaks to us anymore!"
"What?" I shook my head as if to shake off anything that was affecting my hearing.
"Yeah, I don't think I've spoken to him since a few weeks ago. He doesn't even sit with us at lunch anymore; he's always at the library doing his homework. I once bumped into him in the halls and asked if anything was wrong, and he was totally rude to me!"
"Really?" I was shocked by this news. What was wrong with him? "He doesn't hang out with you guys anymore? And he was rude to *you*? But you guys have been friends forever!"
She nodded miserably. "It took so much not to start crying right there. You should've seen his eyes; they were so blank. You can't tell what he's thinking anymore. And poor Koushiro," she shook her head. "he went up to him after school today and offered him a ride to the airport tomorrow to go pick *you* up. And he was like, 'Whatever, thanks,' and walked away without another word!"
"Yeah?" my eyes stung with half-formed tears. I struggled to find an excuse for this. "Yeah, well, maybe he was in a hurry. I mean, he looked ready to leave when I arrived at his place."
"Then Tai must almost always be in a hurry. I talked to Kari the other day," started Sora, "and she said that he always comes home before she does and does his homework quickly so that he can go out with his friends. She said that sometimes they pick him up, and sometimes he walks. I tried to follow him once, but I lost sight of him."
I frowned. Tai's behavior was startling. "But, I just saw him a few minutes ago before he left . . . he seemed happy enough to see me . . ."
"Yeah, but that's you," Sora sighed. "I think he'd drop dead for *you,* Matt. I bet he was just happy to see you so soon. He'll be back to the way he was by tomorrow," she said miserably.
I shifted. "This is all so confusing, Sora. I honestly can't believe Tai would *do* all those things. What could have brought it all on?"
"That's the thing . . . about that fight . . . you think Tai could've joined a gang?"
My head shot up. "A gang? No way!" I shook my head firmly. "Tai may have changed a lot, but he would *never* join a gang. Not after when Kari almost got jumped by one," I said remembering how distraught Tai was a few years ago when it happened. "It seems to be that he's battling with something, though, internally. Maybe I can find out what it is," I said hopefully.
"Do try," she prompted. "I want the old Tai back. The one that was my friend." I looked at her face, and I saw that she was battling with tears.
"Hey, don't cry," I soothed, placing my arms around her in an embrace. "He'll come around. I'm sure he didn't mean anything he said," I reassured. I heard her take in a deep breath, then exhale shakily. She pulled away.
"I guess I shouldn't lose hope," she mumbled, and then looked up at me. "You should go to Taichi now. Talk to him?"
"I will," I promised. I waved good-bye and I continued my journey to the hospital.
Once I got there, I figured Tai would be with his friend, so I headed straight for the secretary's desk in hopes of finding where he was. But it turned out I didn't have to look far.
"Hey Matt, what are you doing here?" Tai's voice asked, and I turned my head and saw him sitting with the same guys that I saw in the car, plus another one whom I've never seen before.
"Oh, there you are, Tai," I said. "I was just worried about you; you took off so quickly. Is your friend alright?"
"Yeah, he should be okay," I sighed, standing up and walking over. He seemed pretty normal to me. "Just has a concussion. Joe was here before, and he said he was gonna be okay once he wakes up." The guy who was driving the car cleared his throat. "Oh, how rude of me," Tai said. "This is Josh, Chase, Shawn, and Dan, but don't go near him, he smells like crack." Dan made a noise of protest, and Tai smiled. "Just kidding, Dan. Guys, this is Matt, my best friend."
They all muttered words of greeting, except for 'Chase,' who waved cheerfully. "Hey Matt!" he said enthusiastically. I laughed mentally. 'Maybe he's on dope,' I thought.
"Hi," I said simply, then turned to Tai. Maybe I can pull some stuff out of Tai today. Here goes. "Are you coming home soon, Tai? I thought we could catch up and stuff."
I saw him wince, torn between going with me and staying there. I smacked myself mentally for putting him in this position. You know I'd love to Matt, really, but I think I should stay here until Ryan wakes up, y'know?" He shifted uneasily.
I smiled. "Hey, I understand. See you tomorrow in homeroom, then? I can't wait to see the others' faces when they see I'm here early."
"You bet," he said, slapping my back. "See you then." He paused, smiling suddenly. "It's good that you're back. Missed you, dude."
'Dude?' I tried not to laugh out loud. I had never heard that word come out of his mouth before. It sounded so strange. I smiled and said, "Yeah, bye Tai."
"Bye," he answered, and I walked outside again.
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I know it's a totally crappy ending. As usual, I suck at endings. The next chappie will be from Tai's POV, from the moment he gets into the car and drives away. Anyway, even though this ending is shit, review anyway. C'mon, click the little button down there . . . you know you wannnnn it . . . (hehe, gotta love those Cheesewhiz commercials!)
Lil Yaten Fae: I'm glad you 'likeys' it! I don't get that word often ^_^ . . . thanx a bunch, I will continue soon.
Lady Kamiya: omigosh omigosh! Thank you sooo much!! Lol, juss kiddin. And YES, I LOOOVE SUGAR! Heheh I can never really tell when I'm on a sugar high cuz I'm practically always on one . . . some of my fics just prove it for me. -_-;; Thanx 4 your review!
Starfall13: Thanks! ^_^ Glad you like it.
Luna Wolf aka Matt4ever: What do you mean "Why is Matt here already?!?" I'd be happy! ^^ He's hot enough . . . ~_^ Thx a bunch, I'm glad you like it!
Tyson FoxFlame: hehe, thanx! And it was my pleasure to add you to my fave authors list . . . you are one of them! ^_^ I luv your fics. Please update 'Black Rose' soon, k? But I'm kinda confused . . . who's KTF? -_-;; I'm an idiot . . .
Violette Mai: I'm glad I didn't spend a lot of time on Ryan and the others too, otherwise I think it'd get kinda boring. I wouldn't be able to think of anything good anyway . . . well maybe I could've written about the concert but I was too lazy -_-;; hehe, and yeah, I could just imagine Tai being punkish like that . . . *drools*
PrincessSwifty: hehe, I definitely agree . . . a punk Tai . . . SEXEE MAN!!!! *drools* (I seem to be drooling an awful lot today . . . I'll hafta get that checked . . . ~_^)
Redrum: Haha, I don't know if you can actually *swallow* a tongue ring, but I saw this guy on this demented talent TV show that can take out his tongue ring using his *tongue.* *shudder* Weird. And you're right, this chapter IS from Yamie's POV!! Wow, you're good . . .
Taito Kid: hehe, I got your email, thanks for the Yama plushie!!! I think I'll keep it under my pillow . . . and in my bag . . . and in my locker . . . hell, I'm gonna take it with me everywhere! ^_^
Also thanks to nEo-cHaN, Quazimodo, emiline, Sille, and anyone else who reviewed chapter 3. WOW! O.o I don't think I've gotten that many reviews before. *squeals* But then again I am a beginner . . . but whatever, I'm still very VERY HAPPEE!!!!
Here's chapter 4, enjoy!
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"Attention passengers, we will be landing in Tokyo International Airport in five minutes. Please find your seat and fasten your seatbelts when the seatbelt sign turns on. Thank you."
I sighed and leaned my head back on my seat, staring outside and seeing building block towers and ant-like cars scurrying over threads of highways. I was finally coming home from a month-long vacation at the Bahamas. Once we landed there a month ago, I was stunned by how beautiful the scenery of the ocean was. The water was a clear turquoise color, and was cool and enjoyable to the touch. I spent my time mostly on the beach, but also caught a live concert near our oceanside hotel two weeks prior.
The vacation was good for me; I needed some time to be away from home and relax. All with the band, school, and my own personal problems, life was becoming too much of a hassle. This time away from friends let me have a chance to think things over without interruption or other problems peeking into my mind, wanting to be solved.
My parents called a truce on the airplane ride over there, so they didn't fight (much) and let me and TK have a good time for once. I missed my friends terribly of course, especially Taichi. I wonder how he is right now. I can just see the look on his face when he sees that I've come home a day early. I hope he hasn't changed too much. I know I haven't.
Except for one tiny thing . . . okay, maybe it's not so tiny. At that concert on the beach, near the end of it a guy bumped into me. When he saw me, he obviously thought I was someone else, because he . . . well, he kissed me. And that's not even the biggest part. I *liked* it. It was a very long, passionate kiss, and much to my embarrassment, I found myself returning it. I was mortified when the guy pulled away, and then found that I wasn't the person I thought I was. He just waved it off, then walked away.
But it got me thinking . . . and soon I realized that I enjoyed kissing that guy a whole lot more than I liked kissing girls. It was so much more, oh I don't know how to explain it. More real, I guess. And then I realized . . . I must be gay.
Of course, I wouldn't accept it at first, and pushed the thought out of my brain. But it started coming back more and more often when I was certain very good looking guys . . . and now, I've finally accepted it. I'm gay. The only person who knows is TK, who saw that guy kiss me at the concert and pulled a confession out of me just a few hours ago when we had nothing else to talk about. He promised not to tell anyone. He had better not. What might this do to my career as a superstar? I told him as much, and he said not to worry. I try not to . . . but TK isn't exactly famous for keeping secrets. In fact, he sucks at it. Oh well . . . this is big, really big, so maybe this once he'll keep his mouth shut.
Soon, the plane landed, which I didn't like all that much. TK took a picture of me . . . again. I swear, he's taken a picture of me at both take-offs and both landings now. They probably aren't very good . . . I feel air sick . . .
Thankfully, I didn't puke my guts out this time. I did on the way over to the Bahamas (-_-;;). I sighed gratefully as I breathed in fresh air when I stepped off the plane. Ahh, it's good to be home.
I looked at my watch and saw that my school would be just about ending in about 15 minutes. Excellent, that's how long it takes to get to Odaiba, which would allow me enough time to show up at Tai's apartment to surprise him! Yes!
I told my plan to my family, then quickly exited the airport and hailed a taxi while my family retrieved our baggage. I couldn't help but feel giddy with excitement at the thought of seeing my 'Chi again. Uh, I mean . . . shit, I didn't mean that! I meant . . . oh well, I'm gay, right? What's wrong with liking your best friend?
'A lot of things,' said a sarcastic nasty voice in the back of my head, but I pushed it away. God, when will the cab get there?
But I had to wait another ten minutes before he pulled up beside Tai's building. I thanked and paid him, then hurried on inside and up the elevator to Tai's floor. I stood in front of his door and just stared at it for a second, as if basking in the familiarity of it. Then I snapped to my senses and rang the doorbell.
I heard a pause, then fast-paced footsteps becoming louder and louder. I heard Tai's voice before I saw him. "Kari, did you forget your key again? Honestly, I -"
He stopped when the door was open enough to see who it was. "Matt?"
"Hey, surprised to see me?" I asked, looking on amusedly on the look on his face.
"I'll say!" he exclaimed, immediately throwing himself at me into a hug, which I accepted happily. He pulled away. "I thought you weren't coming home till tomorrow."
"Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but there was a hurricane warning and we decided to come home a day early. I thought I'd surprise you," I answered, tingling a little from the feel of Tai's arms around me.
"Well, I sure am surprised," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Come on in."
I stepped inside his apartment, which was actually a bit neater then it usually was. Half empty mugs of coffee were still on the kitchen table, but the living room looked almost clean. Weird.
"You look good."
Tai's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to him smiling at the compliment, but then I stopped.
Whoa. Tai was different. I mean, really different. He had an eyebrow pierced and was wearing *eye makeup.* And that's not the only thing, he held himself differently, somehow. A new, carefree aura surrounded him, but it wasn't an 'I don't have a care in the world' kind of aura, it was a more . . . well it's hard to pinpoint a word. He just looked as if he had been plenty busy while I was gone, and had new priorities. He looked as if he was hiding something. But what?
"Uh . . . you too, Tai, you too. But . . . man, what did you do to yourself?" I couldn't help but ask, eying the difference in his appearance.
He laughed with amusement at my confusion. Well, that's certainly not like him. He opened his mouth to speak. "Well, I - "
RING RING. I looked around, confused as to where the sound was coming from, as it didn't sound like the Kamiya phone ringing. When I looked at Tai questioningly, he was pulling a small silver cell phone out of his bag on the floor. "Sorry," he said, and I nodded, furrowing my eyebrows. Where'd he get that? Tai doesn't get an allowance . . .
Tai flipped his cell phone on and spoke into it. "Yeah, Taichi . . . Oh, hey Chase, listen, something, er, someone came up," he smiled looking over at me, his eyes twinkling, "and I won't be able to come over as planned . . . What?" I looked up at the serious tone of his voice. He looked confused. "Why, what happened? . . . Oh, fuck," he breathed, and I narrowed my eyes. Since when does Tai swear? But he looked panicked for some reason, and I was concerned.
I tried to catch his eye, but he was staring at a spot on the wall somewhere in front of him. "Oh, bloody hell, is he okay? . . . Shit . . . He said *my* name? Why would he do that?" Now I was really confused. Why is Tai panicking over someone saying his name? "Yeah, I'll be at the front, see you."
Tai quickly snapped his phone shut and dug it into his pocket. "What's going on?" I asked as I followed him out the door. Then he was running down the hallway and down the stairs, so I had no choice but to run after him.
"This guy I met . . ." he panted, "he met up with . . . with this gang, and he got beat up pretty badly. I gotta get to the hospital, my friend's gonna pick me up in a few."
"Pick you up?" I repeated as we ran outside. "You mean he can drive?"
"Yeah, he's a bit older then me," he said off-handedly as he reached the curb and waited impatiently.
"Older? You mean you've got older friends?"
"Yeah, so?" My friend eyed me critically. "What's a few years difference gonna do?"
I heard a sound behind me and I whirled around. I saw nothing. "Hey, over here!" yelled Tai, he ran out onto the road, waving his hands. I was just about say, "Are you crazy? You're gonna get yourself killed!" but then a shiny red convertible pulled out of the afternoon traffic and screeched to a halt beside Taichi, who jumped in over the seat and waved.
"See you later, Matt. Step on it!" he yelled.
"When are you coming back?" I asked, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of screeching tires and honking from other cars. I very much doubt he heard me. They were already turning the corner down the street, anyway.
I stood there on the curb like an idiot for a minute, pondering over what had happened. I decided I would go and follow Tai to the hospital, seeing that he looked really worried. He seemed to be really good friends with these guys.
I started walking in the same direction as Tai's friend's car had gone, frowning. What was Tai doing hanging out with older guys, anyway? Wouldn't his mother disapprove? Does his mother even know?
I immediately felt ashamed. Tai was my best friend, after all. He's right, what's a few years difference going to do? I shouldn't be judging him so quickly. I now felt horrible about the accusing tone I had used on Tai. I promised myself to apologize once we get a chance to talk alone.
But his friends *did* seem quite a bit older, though. The one driving had to be at least 21, and the others looked only a bit younger, but still older than Tai. Not that I have a problem with it; I just hope Tai hadn't gotten himself into any kind of trouble.
The walk to the hospital was about 15 minutes, but halfway there I heard a very unwelcome noise. "Hey, isn't that Matt Ishida?!?" Before I had a chance to make a break for it, I was stampeded by a herd of heart-eyed girls.
"Matt! Can I have your autograph?"
"Matt, can you sign my bra?"
"Will you marry me, Yamato Ishida?"
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!"
I smiled at the last voice, as it was one that I recognized and was totally thankful of hearing. The girls rushed away, and I was left sitting on the ground as a certain red-haired girl I knew riding a bicycle screeched to a halt beside me.
"MATT!!!" she cried, throwing her arms around me. "You're here already?"
I laughed. "Yep, we took an early plane. But don't say anything, I want to surprise the others," I said, peeling Sora off me.
Sora jumped up and down. "How've you been? I've missed you so much! Are you busy? You want to come over?"
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, one question at a time," I grinned, holding up my hands. Sora smiled sheepishly, and I continued. "I've been pretty good, I missed you guys an awful lot too but it was good to get away for a while . . . And actually, I can't; I'm kinda heading somewhere."
"Okay, then, could I go with you?"
"Actually, I don't think you should."
Sora frowned. "Why not?"
I sighed. "I went over to surprise Tai earlier, but a friend of his called and told him some guy got hurt in a fight, and now he's at the hospital. I thought I'd go and see if he was okay," I said, my eyebrow wrinkling up in worry. "He looked pretty shaken up."
"Really?" said Sora, her eyes widening. "The guy got hurt in a fight?"
"Yeah, why does it matter?" I asked.
Sora closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them again and continued. "Tai has been acting real odd lately, especially in the past two weeks. He's *always* hanging out with those new friends of his."
"Yeah, but what's wrong with making some new friends?" I asked, confused about the source of Sora's concern.
"Well, there isn't, but Matt, he hardly ever speaks to us anymore!"
"What?" I shook my head as if to shake off anything that was affecting my hearing.
"Yeah, I don't think I've spoken to him since a few weeks ago. He doesn't even sit with us at lunch anymore; he's always at the library doing his homework. I once bumped into him in the halls and asked if anything was wrong, and he was totally rude to me!"
"Really?" I was shocked by this news. What was wrong with him? "He doesn't hang out with you guys anymore? And he was rude to *you*? But you guys have been friends forever!"
She nodded miserably. "It took so much not to start crying right there. You should've seen his eyes; they were so blank. You can't tell what he's thinking anymore. And poor Koushiro," she shook her head. "he went up to him after school today and offered him a ride to the airport tomorrow to go pick *you* up. And he was like, 'Whatever, thanks,' and walked away without another word!"
"Yeah?" my eyes stung with half-formed tears. I struggled to find an excuse for this. "Yeah, well, maybe he was in a hurry. I mean, he looked ready to leave when I arrived at his place."
"Then Tai must almost always be in a hurry. I talked to Kari the other day," started Sora, "and she said that he always comes home before she does and does his homework quickly so that he can go out with his friends. She said that sometimes they pick him up, and sometimes he walks. I tried to follow him once, but I lost sight of him."
I frowned. Tai's behavior was startling. "But, I just saw him a few minutes ago before he left . . . he seemed happy enough to see me . . ."
"Yeah, but that's you," Sora sighed. "I think he'd drop dead for *you,* Matt. I bet he was just happy to see you so soon. He'll be back to the way he was by tomorrow," she said miserably.
I shifted. "This is all so confusing, Sora. I honestly can't believe Tai would *do* all those things. What could have brought it all on?"
"That's the thing . . . about that fight . . . you think Tai could've joined a gang?"
My head shot up. "A gang? No way!" I shook my head firmly. "Tai may have changed a lot, but he would *never* join a gang. Not after when Kari almost got jumped by one," I said remembering how distraught Tai was a few years ago when it happened. "It seems to be that he's battling with something, though, internally. Maybe I can find out what it is," I said hopefully.
"Do try," she prompted. "I want the old Tai back. The one that was my friend." I looked at her face, and I saw that she was battling with tears.
"Hey, don't cry," I soothed, placing my arms around her in an embrace. "He'll come around. I'm sure he didn't mean anything he said," I reassured. I heard her take in a deep breath, then exhale shakily. She pulled away.
"I guess I shouldn't lose hope," she mumbled, and then looked up at me. "You should go to Taichi now. Talk to him?"
"I will," I promised. I waved good-bye and I continued my journey to the hospital.
Once I got there, I figured Tai would be with his friend, so I headed straight for the secretary's desk in hopes of finding where he was. But it turned out I didn't have to look far.
"Hey Matt, what are you doing here?" Tai's voice asked, and I turned my head and saw him sitting with the same guys that I saw in the car, plus another one whom I've never seen before.
"Oh, there you are, Tai," I said. "I was just worried about you; you took off so quickly. Is your friend alright?"
"Yeah, he should be okay," I sighed, standing up and walking over. He seemed pretty normal to me. "Just has a concussion. Joe was here before, and he said he was gonna be okay once he wakes up." The guy who was driving the car cleared his throat. "Oh, how rude of me," Tai said. "This is Josh, Chase, Shawn, and Dan, but don't go near him, he smells like crack." Dan made a noise of protest, and Tai smiled. "Just kidding, Dan. Guys, this is Matt, my best friend."
They all muttered words of greeting, except for 'Chase,' who waved cheerfully. "Hey Matt!" he said enthusiastically. I laughed mentally. 'Maybe he's on dope,' I thought.
"Hi," I said simply, then turned to Tai. Maybe I can pull some stuff out of Tai today. Here goes. "Are you coming home soon, Tai? I thought we could catch up and stuff."
I saw him wince, torn between going with me and staying there. I smacked myself mentally for putting him in this position. You know I'd love to Matt, really, but I think I should stay here until Ryan wakes up, y'know?" He shifted uneasily.
I smiled. "Hey, I understand. See you tomorrow in homeroom, then? I can't wait to see the others' faces when they see I'm here early."
"You bet," he said, slapping my back. "See you then." He paused, smiling suddenly. "It's good that you're back. Missed you, dude."
'Dude?' I tried not to laugh out loud. I had never heard that word come out of his mouth before. It sounded so strange. I smiled and said, "Yeah, bye Tai."
"Bye," he answered, and I walked outside again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I know it's a totally crappy ending. As usual, I suck at endings. The next chappie will be from Tai's POV, from the moment he gets into the car and drives away. Anyway, even though this ending is shit, review anyway. C'mon, click the little button down there . . . you know you wannnnn it . . . (hehe, gotta love those Cheesewhiz commercials!)