Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

Chapter Seven: So Many Plans: Izzy's Story
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"He's dead," she said sadly.

I just stood there, no really sure what to say. I was kind of in shock, to be honest. I had seen him practically everyday for as long as I could remember, how could he be dead?

He had so much potential and promise. As long as I'd known him he was always talking about soccer and how he planned to play for Japan one day. He was actually pretty good, too. I really believed that one day I would be reading the newspaper and see him on the front section of the sports page. But I guess that wouldn't happen now.

I wouldn't see him in the newspaper, on the TV, or even in person, ever again.

I should probably start at the beginning, huh?

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I woke up thinking I was going to have a great day. I was rather eager to take my exam as I had studied really hard and was fairly certain I would excel.

I showered, got dressed, and left with Joe. His exam was a little earlier than mine, but he was going early to study. I thought that would be a good decision if I tagged along, so I told Mimi the night before and invited her, as well. She agreed and we were to meet her there at 9:30am. I essentially just intended to go over my notes; I had nothing left to learn, really.

We got there slightly late, at 9:45. Mimi must have been running late, because she wasn't there yet either. We sat down at a bench waiting for her to show when Matt walked through the door. We conversed for a nanosecond before Mimi came rushing through the door.

"Sorry I'm late! I slept in," she apologized.

"Don't worry, we just got here ourselves," I explained.

We hung around for about 20 minutes; by that time everyone else had showed up. When Tai showed up, I could sense the discomfort and tension between he and Joe.

The previous night, after the party broke up and I got back to the dorm, Joe was visibly angry. The things Tai said to him had really hurt him, I guessed. I tried to calm him down like any friend would, but I don't think it helped too much. Incase you didn't know already, I'm much better at fixing computer problems than I am at fixing human ones. Probably because I spent so much time on my computer instead of interacting with other kids while I was growing up.

"I'm going to go hit the library, anybody want to come?" Joe asked. I wasn't surprised; I could tell that he wasn't really ready to be friends with Tai just yet. I nodded and followed him, Mimi close behind.

We were approximately ten feet from the library doors when I heard someone call Mimi's name.

Joe and I glanced back and saw Davis running toward us. I took off, running speedily into the library. Joe followed, not wanting to be stuck with Mimi and Davis. When we got in there, we laughed and laughed as quietly as possible. After all, we were in a library and people were there to study and get their work done. We got a table and laid all our books out. Mimi came in a few minutes later looking exceedingly angry.

I smiled inadequately, hoping she'd go easy on us. She didn't.

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An hour later, Mimi and I left the library to get to our examination room.

Joe had left about a half hour earlier, much to Mimi's shock. I, however, wasn't surprised. I think I know Joe rather well by now. After all, I've known him practically my whole life. I would have bet quite a substantial amount of money on the over-preparedness of my best friend, as I knew he would not disappoint.

As Mimi and I strolled down the hallway to our classroom, we saw Davis and some other boys. I knew one of them from the computer club I was in a few years ago. He was really quiet and shy, especially around girls. I forgot his name, but I'm pretty sure it was Jake…or something like that.

When they walked away I noticed that they dropped a drawing on the floor. Mimi, noticing this as well, picked it up. I asked her what it was but she didn't seem to know. We concluded that it was just a stupid picture, and continued on our way.

I walked into the room with Mimi feeling quite confident. When we were told to begin, I looked over the first page of the exam. I felt the excitement grow inside me because I knew all the answers. I eagerly started writing.

BANG

Barely 30 minutes into the test, we were all interrupted by a loud noise. It didn't take us long to figure out what the noise was. It was a gunshot—several of them, actually. The teacher instructed us to get under our desks, but nobody listened. Mimi jumped up out of her seat, frantic. Everyone just stared at her, in disbelief. I, too, was rather surprised to see Mimi taking charge like this.

"Well we can't just sit here waiting for them to come to us! We have to get out!" Mimi screamed. I agreed, and stood up beside her. We all ran out of the room and into the hallway.

It was madness out there, yet it was nothing like I had assumed it would be. People were running around witlessly all around me, but they made virtually no sound. It was so quiet you could practically hear a pin drop in there. I was being jostled around, not sure which way I was heading anymore. I had lost track of Mimi sometime during the mad rush to the stairwell.

I don't really remember how, but I somehow made it to the stairs. My only theory is that I was pushed there by the other students during their desperate attempts to escape. Logically, I knew that the same thing probably happened to Mimi, but it didn't stop me from worrying about her safety. Oh God, how did we get ourselves in this predicament? I asked myself.

I ran down the stairs and through some doors into the main floor. I looked all around but didn't see a shooter. I thought it was highly irregular that there wasn't one guarding the door, but I didn't care. Everything lost all meaning and time stood still as I ran out the doors. I was safe, thank God, but it didn't soothe my nerves. Where were my friends?

I looked all around, but didn't spot one of them. After quite a while, I spotted Mimi. I didn't know for sure that it was Mimi, but she was the only girl with pink hair that I knew.

"Mimi!" The girl didn't turn around. "Mimi! Mimi, are you all right?" Still nothing. I was beginning to have my doubts as to whether or not this girl was my friend Mimi, but I had to make sure. I hurried my pace to catch up to her. "Mimi!" I reached out and grabbed her arm, spinning her around. Sure enough, it was Mimi.

But something wasn't right. This wasn't the same girl I used to know. She was missing something…there was no sparkle in her eye. She didn't say anything, just exploded into tears and fell into my arms. I didn't make a sound, I just hugged her tightly until Joe arrived.

"You guys, hey!" Joe screamed. I waved him over, and he raised his eyebrows at me, gesturing toward Mimi. I just shook my head, telling him that I wasn't sure what was going on, but I didn't think it was wise to ask just yet.

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After a while, we found Sora and Matt. We ventured a little deeper into the crowd of people and came across T.K. and Kari. T.K. got shot, but he's okay now. But there was a more pressing matter: We still hadn't found Tai.

T.K. asked around and found out that Tai had been brought to the hospital. We all piled into our cars and rushed to the hospital.

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Odaiba Hospital is a pretty nice place, very clean and white—especially for a hospital. It's filled with doctors, specialists, nurses, and other important people. There's a cafeteria on the main floor, and it's very large. But most of all, it's quiet. Very calm, serene and peaceful. Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience any of this, because I was so wrapped up in my thoughts.

It was so odd and foreign to be sitting in a hospital room with my comatose friend. That's right: Tai was in a coma. I didn't really have much to say, so I didn't stay in there too long.

"God, Tai…I can't believe I'm actually looking at you right now."

I sighed, and shifted in my seat. Tai was the last person I ever imagined something like this happening to. I couldn't even picture it taking place inside my head.

"You've got to wake up: they're all going crazy out there. Sora and Kari…God, they're just falling apart; we all are, Tai. You're the one who keeps us sane." I paused, unsure of what to say.

Well, no, that's not true. I knew what I wanted to say, but I knew that I would probably wind up getting really emotional. I haven't cried in a very long time, in fact, it was probably when I was about ten and overheard my parents talking about how I was adopted. That hurt a lot, but not as much as this hurt.

After that, I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I wasn't even with my real parents…how could I fit in anywhere else when I'm not even with my true family members? I basically felt like this all through grade school and right up until the end of high school.

Then, I met Tai at a party he was throwing for Sora. And somehow, someway, it just fit. All of us—Tai, Mimi, Joe, Matt, T.K., Kari, Sora and I—became instant friends.

When I was little, Joe, Mimi and Sora were some of my closest friends. Then Sora left and Mimi made new friends, more popular friends. It was just Joe and I left to hold up the fort, and even we were drifting apart. Everything had changed in just a few short years. Our lives were scattered, going in four different directions, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Sadly, I was the only one who seemed to notice—or care.

But then Tai somehow managed to pull us all back together.

I guess I owed him a lot. He gave me my best friends back, and added a few more to the list, too. But I never did get to thank him. That's why he had to wake up: so I would get the chance to.

"Get better, Tai. I don't know what the hell we'd do without you." I stood up and walked out.

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It was now 5pm, and we were all still in the waiting room. Tai had gone into surgery to get the bullet removed, and we were waiting to hear any news.

Tai's dad, who was on a business trip a few towns over, was now there with us comforting Kari and Mrs. Kamiya.

It was so quiet that the silence was almost unbearable. Nobody has spoken—or even moved—in almost an hour.

"He had a surprise for us," Sora said in almost a whisper. Everyone turned to face her.

"What?" Matt asked.

"Tai. He had a surprise for us," she explained. "He told Mimi and I, but he refused to tell us what it was."

"Yeah, that's right. I forgot all about that, actually. He said he was going to tell us it today, when we were all together," Mimi continued.

Everyone stayed silent for a second, probably thinking about what it might have been.

"He planned a trip for us," I told them, breaking the silence.

"What?" T.K. asked.

"A trip…I walked in on him one day while he was planning it. He had no choice to tell me, but he swore me to secrecy. He booked four rooms in some hotel near the beach; he said his uncle owned it so it was free of charge."

"Yeah, he does," Kari confirmed.

"That's what it was?" Joe asked, still slightly confused.

"Yeah, that was it. He's been planning it for a while, actually. He was so excited about it…he thought it would be a great thing to do before school started up again."

Sora nodded in understanding.

The room fell silent once more.

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I went home that night at around 8pm. Tai got out of surgery all right, but he was still in a coma.

I was walking into my parents' house, where I was staying for the summer. I waved halfheartedly at my neighbour as she got out of her car. She waved back at me and walked over to our driveway.

"Hey stranger," she smiled.

Her name was Cindy, and she was the same age as me. She was tall with a slim waist and long, shining blonde hair. She had bright green eyes and a gorgeous mouth. She wasn't in college or university; she took a year off to travel the world. Now she was back for the summer and, last I heard (from my mother), she'd be starting at Tokyo University with my friends and I next September. My mom and her mom had been friends since I could remember, and we used to play together when we were younger.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm all right…hey, did you hear about Derek?" I shook my head. Derek was a kid that lived a few houses down from us. He's a year younger than Cindy and I.

"No, what happened?" I asked inquisitively.

"Well, he's a senior in high school and he goes to Odaiba High…I guess there was some kind of school shooting there today."

"Oh, he was involved in that, too?" I asked. Cindy went to continue but stopped, her eyes wide.

"Too? Does that mean you were there?" I nodded, and explained about my exams. "Oh Gosh, are you okay?" she asked, full of apprehension.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. What were you saying about Derek?"

"Oh, right." She lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "He's dead," she said sadly.

And that's how I got here.

"Oh, God. How's his family doing?" I asked finally, coming out of my trance.

"I'm not sure. I haven't talked to them…I just heard it from my mom this afternoon."

"Oh," I said stupidly. I wasn't really sure what to say from this point on. I'm not exactly good at conversing with girls, especially the really pretty ones like her.

"Yeah…but hey, thank God you're okay," she said, and pulled me into a hug. I blushed slightly, but hugged back nonetheless.

Normally, I would've attempted to work up the courage to ask her out to coffee or something, but I wasn't in the mood. I still had the day, and the situation with Tai, hanging over my head.

"Hey well, you probably just went to get some sleep considering what a day you've had. Maybe I'll see you around sometime?" Cindy said, reading my mind.

"Yeah, I'd like that," I said with a small smile. "Goodnight."

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That night I lay in bed, unable to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about Derek. I guess I wasn't the only one who was affected by the day's events. I don't know why I was so naïve as to assume I had been, but I really hadn't stop to think about anyone else. Pretty egotistical, huh?

I felt terrible for Derek's family. He had a mother, a father, and a little sister. His sister is only ten; it must be really difficult for her to deal with. She's probably terribly upset. I made a mental note to stop by their house the next day and see how they were. I would have to remember to attend the funeral. Maybe I would even go out for coffee with Cindy afterward, I decided.

But I didn't want to think about Cindy. How could I, when someone I've known practically my whole life is dead? He had so many dreams, so many plans. But he wasn't the only one. We all had plans…would they ever come to fruition after something like this?

As I drifted off to sleep that night all I could think about was Tai's plan for us, and that hotel on the beach that might have four empty rooms in it come the beginning of August.

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k, I want a ton of reviews for this. I updated early because I won't be on my computer for a while, so I won't be able to write. Don't worry though, because I'm way ahead. Just to give you something to look forward to, I'll tell you that my next chapter is Tai's POV…and it takes place in his coma.

Ciao ♥