Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Lessons In Friendship

Chapter 7: Empty

For a moment, Davis merely gaped at Ken, unsure of whether or not to answer. The former Emperor had his arms crossed and his expression was neutral.

"Well?"

Davis quickly looked at the ground, avoiding Ken's eyes. There was no way to tell what his best friend might be thinking, and frankly he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know anyway.

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more hurt he felt.

I know I told Ken it was stupid, but to me it wasn't. I can't believe T.K. was such a jerk. I always thought he was better than that, even towards me.

Ken suddenly took him by the arm, leading him to a bench at a nearby park. They sat down, and Davis stared miserably at the street without really seeing it. It had been a long time since he had felt this bad. Even when he and T.K. had first met, he had never felt this bad, despite the fact that they hadn't gotten along very well at first.

"Davis, I'm your best friend," Ken said softly. "You know you can tell me anything. What did T.K. say to make you so upset?"

Davis sighed and gazed at his feet. Apparently, there was no getting out of telling the former Emperor, so he figured he might as well get it over with. "It wasn't what he said that made me so angry. It was what he didn't say."

"What do you mean by that?" Ken asked, frowning at him in confusion.

"I...happened to overhear a conversation at lunch time," he began, somewhat reluctantly. "T.K. was sitting with his teammates. They were going over their game plan for their practice this afternoon."

Ken nodded, encouraging him to continue. "I don't see what's so bad about that."

"Nothing." Davis hesitated, and letting out a deep sigh he slumped against the back of the bench in defeat. "It's what I heard after that that made me so angry. I was planning on asking T.K. if he minded coming over to my house tomorrow. We have a test coming up, and I need someone to help me study."

Ken tried to hide a smile, and Davis rolled his eyes. "Yes, Ken, I can put my pride aside long enough to ask for help, especially when I know I desperately need it!"

"I know." Ken patted his shoulder and gave him a warm smile. "So, what did happen after that?"

"Disaster struck, that's what," Davis replied, his voice hard. Reluctantly he began to speak...

Flashback

Davis quickly hurried down the hallway, his usual confidence radiating from him like a beacon lighting up the school corridors, and stretching his neck he proceeded to squint over the mass of students, searching in vain for a particular familiar face. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of bright blond hair, only there was not a single golden head in sight. Unfortunately.

Figures, T.K.'s never around when I need him!

Davis scowled at the thought, but immediately his face brightened when he caught of fellow Digidestined student Cody Hida, who was standing at his locker. The younger boy was trying to shove several text books inside, shaking his head and muttering to himself.

"Dude! Cody!" Davis waved a hand to get his friend's attention and quickly started towards the younger boy, hoping Cody had heard him over the noise of the other students. Somehow, he managed to successfully detach himself from the crowd, which was streaming towards the lunch room, and he stepped up beside his fellow Digidestined, a smile on his face.

Startled, Cody glanced up and gave him a quick smile in return, though it was slightly subdued. He seemed a little distracted and he kept frowning at his locker, as if it had done him some sort of injustice.

"Did you get tons of homework, too?" Davis asked, leaning against the locker next to the younger boy's and making a face. It was no secret that he hated homework. Everybody in the school knew it, including the teachers.

Actually, hate is too soft a word. I despise homework. In fact, I'd rather face MaloMyotismon again than do math problems!

"Yeah...and I have kendo practice today. I don't know when I'm going to have time to do any homework."

Davis grinned at Cody's frustration and patted him on the back. "Cheer up, dude. You could always just not do it. That's what I usually do. If you ask me, homework should be optional!"

"That's probably why teachers would never ask you," Cody muttered. "Er... thanks, Davis, but I'm sure I'll find the time to do it eventually."

Davis shrugged. "Suit yourself. Have you seen T.S. by any chance?"

Cody frowned at him, and Davis took note of the fact that he then proceeded to shut his locker door a little harder than was necessary. "I wish you wouldn't do that," the younger boy mumbled.

"Do what?"

"Call T.K. names," Cody replied, giving him a disapproving look. "It's not very nice."

Davis let out a snort, his arms crossing over his chest in defiance. "Come on, I'm only kidding. T.J.'s a big boy. I'm sure he can handle it. Besides, you know I've got his back."

What's the deal with him? It's not like T.K. never jokes around at my expense. I don't see what the problem is. Cody can be way too serious sometimes. He needs to lighten up a little, like me!

"Look, do you know where he is, or not? I have this test coming up and Mr. Yakuta says if I don't get a passing grade on it, I'm going to fail math this year. I need his help."

"The last time I saw him, he was headed towards the lunchroom with the basketball team," Cody said with a resigned sigh.

At this sudden tidbit of news, Davis wrinkled his nose, not even bothering to hide his disgust. In his opinion, the members of the basketball team were nothing but a bunch of stuck up snobs with swelled heads and even bigger egos. And that was putting it nicely.

I don't know why T.K. puts up with them. If I were T.K., I'd dump the whole lot of them and get a new team!

In his opinion, the guys on his soccer team were a much nicer crowd. They never went around thinking they were better than everyone else, just because they excelled in sports, unlike the guys Davis had dubbed the 'basket ball losers.' He had no use for them, and they, in turn, had no use for him. He knew most of them hated his guts, and that was just fine with him. He wasn't too fond of them either. They weren't the kind of people who made very good friends, and if they couldn't see what friendship was all about, then he didn't want anything to do with them. Unfortunately, though, since T.K. was on the team, he still had to put up with them occasionally. How many times had he tried to convince T.K. what a bunch of losers they were, but the blond refused to listen. Eventually, seeing as how his words always ended up upsetting T.K., he had given up and kept his opinions to himself.

Man, this stinks. I get the fact that T.K.'s the kind of person who always tries to see the good in everyone, I'm that way myself, but you can't blind yourself to the bad things either without getting hurt. You gotta find the middle ground, especially when the people who are important to you are the ones who might end up getting hurt. How hard is that to understand? I don't get it...

Davis frowned, trying and failing not to let his somewhat depressing thoughts distract him, and entering the lunchroom, he was greeted by fellow soccer teammate, Makio Takayama .

"Hey, Davis," the red head called out cheerfully, giving him a bright smile, his green eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lights.

"Hey, Makio, what's up?"

"Actually, I have a message from Yolei." He grinned and nodded towards the table where Yolei was seated across from Kari, glaring in his direction. "She says you're supposed to get your butt over there so she can yell at you for ruining her new skirt with mud this morning. Something about a soccer ball."

Davis winced and glanced anxiously at Yolei. Everyone always said he had a temper, but Yolei could match him shout for shout. She also did not hesitate to get physical if things did not go her way.

"Tell her I'm coming, but I have to talk to T.K. first."

Makio's face fell, and he glanced towards the table where T.K. was seated with the basketball team. "I would wait to talk to T.K. if I were you," he said quietly, refusing to make eye contact. The noise in the lunchroom nearly drowned out his voice, and Davis had to strain his ears just to hear the other boy. "Domu and the others have been in a nasty mood ever since they lost their last game. They've been even more unbearable ever since. I'd steer clear of them for a while if I were you. They've been looking for someone to take their anger out on."

Domu Kawaguchi was co-captain of the basket ball team, second only to T.K., who was captain. He was also one of Davis's least favorite people. Domu looked harmless enough, with grey eyes, sandy hair, and freckles, but Davis knew better. Despite his appearance, Domu was anything but harmless. His steel grey eyes spoke of a thirst for power and control, and Davis had a sneaking suspicion that the freckled basketball player was cooking up some sort of evil plan to replace T.K. as captain, by putting himself in that position, of course. At school, Domu followed T.K. around like a shadow, his calculating gaze glued to the blond's back. The surprising part was that T.K. didn't even seem to notice.

Which was why Davis had come to the conclusion that sometimes his blond friend could be a little bit on the dense side.

Even when Ken was the Emperor, I could still sense the good in him, but Domu...he doesn't care about anyone but himself. Why can't T.K. see it?

He couldn't understand. Out of the two of them, T.K. was supposed be the 'smart' one, so why was he the one who always ended up routing out the truth? Why was he the one who always did the rescuing? Not that he minded. It was in his nature to do so, and this time was no exception.

"Well, if T.K. isn't going to watch his own back, I guess I'll have to do it for him," Davis muttered to himself, clenching his fists in determination. There was no way he was going to let Domu do anything to hurt one of his friends. That was never going to happen. Not on his watch, that was for sure.

"Uh...Davis? Did you hear me?"

"I'm not afraid of them," Davis replied, waving off Makio's concern.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you," Makio sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "I've always liked T.K. He deserves so much better than those guys."

Davis frowned. "You're right, he does, and that's why he's got me. I better go talk to him before those losers take up all his time."

"Okay, see you later." Makio went to join the rest of the soccer team, and Davis headed towards T.K.

As he got closer, he could hear the group talking about basketball. Suddenly he heard his own name mentioned, and he froze, his ears straining to hear what they were saying.

"I still can't believe you hang out with that guy." Domu snorted, rolling his eyes and smirking at T.K. "He's such a loser."

"No kidding," another team member named Riku laughed, elbowing Domu in the ribs. "He's always so loud and annoying in class. Seriously, T.K., get rid of him while you still can, otherwise he'll never go away."

In response to Riku's words, T.K. lowered his blue eyes to the table and didn't say a thing. His merely sat there, his face expressionless and his blue eyes completely void of emotion.

I...can't believe it. Those guys are trashing me, and T.K.'s not even lifting a finger to defend me...

The hurt and anger that suddenly welled up inside of him was so intense, it left him breathless, and unable to move, he stood there frozen in horror, the shock he felt at T.K.'s silence no doubt evident on his face.

"You're too good for Davis. It's not like he's even really your friend anyway. All he does is make fun of you," Domu continued, patting the blond's shoulder, his face a mask of sympathy. It was so obviously fake, Davis was shocked that T.K. was able to endure it without punching the other boy in the face. That's what he would have done if Domu had been insulting T.K. in front of him, but apparently T.K. didn't feel the same way because instead of reacting , the blond continued to remain silent, his face void of expression.

Say something! Anything!

Apparently, T.K. wasn't telepathically inclined because his lips remained closed.

"I could tell him for you, if you want," Domu said, a dark glint in his eyes.

Again, T.K. remained silent.

Unable to stand it anymore, Davis slowly began to back away from the table, his throat constricting and his heart beating frantically in his chest. T.K. had not seen him yet, and he did not intend to let the blond see him now. Not while he was in his current state. Instead, Davis did the only thing he could think of, the one thing he had never, ever done before in his life. Him, a child of courage, the leader of the Digidestined.

He turned and he ran from the room, Domu's horrible laughter echoing in his ears, following him long after he had left the cafeteria. And T.K.'s blank face, burned into his soul, haunting him on his streak through the corridors, a dark shadow he most definitely could have done without.

End Flashback