Chapter One; All The Pain

"Want to play some football, Ken? We've still got a couple of hours before the Sun sets." Davis laced his fingers behind his head, and turned to face his best friend.

"Sure." Was Ken's lifeless reply. Davis watched him out of the corner of his eye, noting the way Ken looked straight ahead, not even bothering to look Davis in the face.

He'd been like this for ages now. At first Davis had dismissed it as lack of sleep, or school pressure. When it didn't go away, he'd thought it was a phase that Ken was going through.

But it was still there. And Davis wasn't sure if even Ken knew just how far he'd sunk inside himself, hidden inside a shell. It frightened him to see Ken this way. >But he'll shake this off. He's fine>.

"Ken? You sure you really want to? You don't sound that enthusiastic…" Davis began uncertainly. Ken stopped, and finally turned to face his friend.

"Perhaps I'd better not. I don't feel that great." Ken rubbed at his temple, and Davis watched as the other boy winced slightly.

"I've got a bit of a headache. Can we do this some other time?"

"Of course. It's not like we live a thousand miles away from each other." Davis forced a smile, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. >But we're almost that far apart. Everyday, I can feel you drifting further and further away from me>.

"Thanks." Ken inclined his head, and began to walk away, heading back to Tamachi. After a couple of steps, he paused, and waved goodbye, as though it had only just occurred to him.

"So I'll see you tomorrow, right!" Davis called after him, suddenly desperate for a sign that everything was like it should be. Ken turned back, his expression slightly startled. It was obvious that he hadn't even thought about it.

"Umm…yeah. Odaiba Central Park?" Ken weakly suggested. Davis sighed. Once upon a time, they would have gone somewhere. Swimming, maybe, or just for ice-cream. But it seemed like Ken just couldn't be bothered anymore.

"Sure. Sounds great." Davis tried to grin, but found that he couldn't. Faintly annoyed with himself, he settled for a thumbs-up, which Ken took as his cue to go.

Davis stayed there, watching the retreating figure of his best friend. The best friend who didn't even notice anymore when Davis was lying to him. The best friend who never laughed at his jokes now. >I don't understand you, Ken.> he thought.

Perhaps they weren't best friends anymore.


"What's wrong with you? You look like the cat that got the sour, disgusting cream!" Yolei joked as she sat down at the lunch table. She wasn't in Davis' morning classes, so it was the first time she'd seen him all day.

"Nothing." Davis muttered, half heartedly examining his lumps of mashed potato. Yolei looked at him worriedly, before digging the newly arrived Cody in the ribs.

"Hey, what's wrong with Davis today? He doesn't seem himself." Cody glanced at Davis' slumped form, and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, but TK said he's been like this all day."

TK bounced up to them, leaving Kari to make her own way across the hall.

"Huh? I heard my name!" he announced cheerfully.

"Yeah. What's up with Davis?" Yolei asked, ever so slightly unnerved by TK's sudden hyperactivity.

"Dunno, but he's certainly taken a break from his position as Class Clown."

"I am here, you know. It's not like I can't hear you." Davis suddenly spoke up, stopping the conversation in its tracks.

"Well, tell us what's wrong then. We're your friends – you can share stuff with us." Kari smiled understandingly at him, and he gave her a weak grin back. >Should have known that Kari would get it out of me>.

It was strange, but Davis didn't feel tongue-tied around Kari anymore. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd gotten over the whole crush. It had slowly phased away during a long period of time, before disappearing entirely. He wasn't quite sure when those feelings had begun to fade away, but they had.

Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand through his spiky hair, and looked around him. Everyone was watching him, waiting for his confessions.

"I…I don't think me and Ken are best friends anymore." Davis cursed, wondering how pathetic he must have sounded just then. But the others just took it all in their stride, nodding.

"So he's grown distant with you? I though it was just me!" Yolei exclaimed.

"And me."

"Me too."

"Don't forget me!"

Davis stared at the others.

"You mean I'm not the only one?" He sighed in relief, then frowned. >If I'm not the reason, then what is?>

"Yeah, I sometimes run into him when I go across the river with my mum. You know, buying stock for the shop? But he just doesn't stop to chat anymore." Yolei said.

"He used to watch my Kendo competitions. Not any more. though." Cody put in.

"He stopped going to our school basketball matches as well." TK and Kari added. Kari was a cheerleader, and TK was on the team.

"Anyone know why he's acting so strangely?" Davis asked. Everybody shook their heads.

"You're the person he hangs out the most with. You'll have to ask him." Kari spoke softly, but reassuringly. Nodding, Davis stood up, beginning to strike a noble pose.

"You're right. I'm the only one who can save this ship from sinking!"


Davis stood by the slide, holding an umbrella. He was trying to ignore the way that the rain was hammering down on the brolly, but was failing miserably.

>Great. I virtually volunteer for a heart to heart talk, and it's raining. Talk about cliché>. He raised his head at the figure approaching, and recognised it as Ken.

"Ken! You don't have an umbrella!" Davis gasped, wondering how on earth his friend could just stand there getting soaked. Weren't geniuses supposed to know about pneumonia?

Ken shrugged, looking down at himself as though he hadn't realised that he was getting soaked. Perhaps he hadn't. Ken's mind seemed to be all over the place these days.

"Come on, my umbrella's big enough for two of us." Davis offered. Ken just shook his head, moving back from the inviting shelter.

"It doesn't matter." There was an awkward silence, and Davis looked away, trying to think of what to say.

"Ken?"

"Mm hmm?"

"Are you alright?" Ken frowned slightly, not understanding.

"Of course I'm alright. A bit of water won't hurt me." Davis resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and carried on patiently.

"No, I mean really alright. You've just seemed a little off lately."

Ken's expression cleared, and the boy nodded, suddenly understanding.

"Don't worry about me, Davis. I've just been staying up late to study. I'm fine, really." Davis waited for the trademark soft smile that was sure to follow, but to his disappointment, Ken's face remained blank.

"Oh…ok. I was just worried." Davis murmured.

"Well, you don't need to." Ken assured him. There was another silence, then Ken shrugged his shoulders again.

"Look, I have to go."

"Right…then I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Davis offered a small grin, but felt it slide from his face when he didn't get one in return.

"Sure. Meet you here at…" Ken's voice died away, and his violet eyes widened.

"Hey, you're probably tired of meeting here, aren't you?"

Davis nodded, hardly able to believe it.

"Then what if we go bowling? Meet you outside the Alley at four, tomorrow?" Ken suggested.

"Great! I'll be there!" Davis watched as Ken strode away, noting how good he looked even when he was drenched. No wonder the girls went crazy for him.

>He actually thought about me for once>. Davis leaned back against the slide again, deciding to wait until the storm had ended before heading home. Well, it was a start, even if he didn't believe Ken's story about studying. >But where's that almost apologetic smile I've grown to love and cherish? I can't even remember how long it's been since you laughed. Where's the Ken I used to know? Where are you? >