Like Old Times
"You're going to be going to this school?" Alice said in surprise, not having expected that little curve. Rika was already acting weird, what was she going to be like if this guy was around long term?
"Looks like, was in the principal's office before I came looking for Rika to make the arrangements. The guy made a lot of guff about coming in mid semester. Partly due, I think, to the fact that it was Rumiko putting in the word for me but we talked him into it. I start tomorrow." Matt said as he made a mock grimace though he didn't really mind. There were worse places to be that at school. "But it's okay, at least Rika's here to introduce me to people and stuff."
"And why the hell would I want to do that?" Rika wanted to know as she looked at him with a what the hell are you thinking look on her face. For that matter who would she want to introduce him to? She was embarrassed to be seen with most of the idiots she hung out with when she hung out with anyone at all.
"Because it's the nice thing to do?"
"And when have I ever done anything just because it was the nice thing to do?"
"Good point. I don't know what I could have been thinking even asking you that. Brain must have temporarily malfunctioned on me." Matt said with a wide grin on his face, not worried in the least about retribution. If she did try to hurt him there wouldn't be heat behind it. This was his Rika after all and no one knew her better. She'd wait till he wasn't expecting it and then hit him while he wasn't looking. "So aren't you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends? Or are you too rude to do even that?"
"None of the other ones are here." Rika said dryly then with a sigh pointed to the people who had come with her but had yet to be identified. "Ryo, Theresa, Umi."
)
"Yo." Matt said as he raised a hand in greeting, his eyes interested as they centered on Ryo. He'd heard plenty of rants about this guy and of Rika's acquaintances he heard about this guy the most. "Ryo Akiyama right? I've seen you play the cards, you're pretty decent."
"You play?" Ryo asked casually though his eyes were considering. He'd never in his life seen Rika happy to see anyone other then Renamon and some of the other digimon. They were the only friends she let close enough to her for her to act even remotely human and this guy was human and male which made it even stranger. Alice was Rika's best friend after Renamon and he couldn't even remember ever seeing the two girls hug.
"Naw, I leave that to the Queen here." Matt said with a friendly hand on Rika's shoulder. "She trounced me so many times as a kid she put me off the game forever."
"You weren't that bad." Rika said jokingly, allowing his hand to remain where it was which was more then a little shocking to the rest of the student body who'd seen time and again that Rika didn't want or like to be touched. Doing so could result in you needing to be touched up in the infirmary. "So anyway, wanna head, Matt?"
"Yeah, sure. Nice to meet you all. I guess I'll be seeing you around school tomorrow." Matt said with a nod, waving good bye as he and Rika headed off leaving everyone behind to gap, gossip and wonder how they could have missed hell freezing over.
"So this guy's a friend of Rika's from when she was a kid?" Ryo asked curiously as he looked over at Alice with a questioning look in his eyes.
"I guess so, she's never mentioned him except in passing a couple times I think. I didn't recognize him since the few pictures I've seen of them together were from when they were younger." Alice said with a casual shrug, a thoughtful look on her face as she absently tucked some hair behind her ear. "He must be quite the guy if he's got permission to live with them. I can't see Rumiko having any problems with it but Rika's grandmother on the other hand... Well that would be another story."
"Well those two seem to have more of a brother, sister thing going on." Henry pointed out, having been thinking along the same sort of lines.
"True, but you just never know right?" Alice pointed out before saying her good byes as she headed off too, thinking that by tomorrow morning everyone would be just waiting to pounce on the new arrival.
)
After walking for a couple of blocks Rika and Matt ended up walking through a park, the weather a little windy but relatively clear and sunny. They'd just been chatting about this and that for a while when Matt suggested they sit down on some swings. Taking that as a sign that he was going to tell her what was going on Rika sat down and began to swing, looking over his way as he did the same.
"You haven't asked." Matt said with faint amusement as he looked over at her too. "In the old days you'd have beaten it out of me by now."
"Well this isn't the old days and I prefer to be unpredictable, it keeps people on their toes." Rika said as she swayed back and forth on the old swing. "And I figured if you want me to know what's up then you'll tell me. If not that's cool."
"My dad's flavor of the week is moving in with him." Matt began, swaying too as he stared straight ahead at the various people passing by them. "Well not flavor of the week, she's had her talons into him for months now. I just wish she were only some bimbo coming in and out of his life."
"Ah, the whole my parents will get back together someday syndrome?" Rika asked with an understanding look on her face as she stared straight ahead as well, understanding that he needed to do this his way.
"Probably partly, I guess that hope will always be somewhere inside of me since I know..well I think that they do still love each other." Matt admitted ruefully, knowing how stupid that sounded. So he was still living in denial to some extent. So sue him, he could think whatever the hell he wanted. "Anyway this little blonde's got the intelligence of a real Barbie doll and I can't begin to tell you how annoying she can be, especially when she's got an audience. She even calls my dad all these stupid, lovey dovey names, which, to my complete disgust, he tolerates. I don't care how good a woman's built. She starts calling me her little love muffin she's out on her delectable ass."
"Little love muffin?" Rika said with a snicker, trying to imagine anyone actually being able to call someone that with a straight face. The fact that she could see her mother doing it was both horrifying and nauseating.
)
"Yeah. She even called me sweetie and honey a couple of times." Matt said with a shudder, easily remembering how much he'd wanted to cut the idiot's head open just to prove to everyone that the idiot really didn't have a brain but ran on complete animal instinct. A really dumb animal like the dodo bird or something. "I was gonna try to tough it out, at least till the end of school when I found out that wasn't gonna be something I'd want to do."
"Why not?"
"Because my girlfriend was making out with my best friend." Matt said with a shrug, smirking when Rika went into a rant of mass proportions involving calling Tai and Sora so many four letter words and other such imaginative phrases that he had to applaud her creativity. When she wound down a little he continued. "They really aren't that bad. I knew that they had a thing for each other when we were younger, I thought it was over and I guess they did too so Sora and I hooked up. Guess it wasn't as over as we all thought."
"I'm still gonna kick her scrawny little tomboy ass. When I get done with her they'll never be able to identify the body, they'll be too busy running tests to try and determine if she was once human." Rika said as she cracked her knuckles for emphasis. She'd only met Sora once but apparently she'd severely misjudged the girl. She'd be pushing up daisies instead of selling them when Rika was done with her.
"I'd rather you not." Matt said with a shake of his head, wondering absently if she was capable of that. She just might be if it came to protecting or avenging someone she cared about. That was what differed her and him from most people. They saw their dark sides and weren't afraid to admit they had them. Oh did they ever have them. "Anyway Tai can have her, no skin off my back really. What do I want with a girlfriend who's got the hots for my best friend anyway? But since those two and my other friends were the main draw for staying there I thought I might as well make a break for it while the getting was good. Save on the dramatic accusations and teary scenes that could end with me throwing Tai out a window or into traffic. Whichever was handier at that moment."
"But you're leaving all your other friends behind too and you weren't the one who did anything wrong."
)
"Well if I'd stuck around they'd have had to all play sides and I didn't want that. Especially since I have a feeling that they'd be more inclined to lean towards our former fearless leader's side." Matt said with a chuckle though it was more bitter then amused. "Everyone likes Tai, you can't help it even if you tried. Sora's pretty much the same way. Me, I'm not someone you get close to unless you really work at it. I doubt I'd have my closest friends if it weren't for bonds of battle that none of us can ignore. I can get all the friends I want, but the catch would always be that they'd be friends with the side of me they liked. Real friends, the ones that see the darkness in me..we'll they're rare. I think you're the only one who realizes just how close to the dark side I am. Good thing I don't have jedi powers, I'd have been the next Darth Vader."
"And I would be your most willing padwan." Rika said with a chuckle though she knew he was serious. She knew just how often Matt came perilously close to becoming someone else, how close she herself had come over the years to being that person. Someone surrounded by the loathing, emptiness and cruelty of darkness. The tantalizing void of nothingness that offered them freedom from the pains and problems of their lives. But at a terrible cost.
"Hey, I'm all for it just so you'd have to call me Master." Matt said as he forced a small smile in her direction before turning his attention back to the calm, blue sky.
"The force is telling me to attempt to strangle you with the swing ropes." Rika replied with a faint smirk, trying to lighten the mood which she wasn't used to since usually she was the one people were trying to get to lighten up and relax.. "And that if I do so I will take your place as a jedi master. It is very tempting, Master Matt."
"That is not the force speaking but the thoughts of the evil Emperor Principal. You must block out his voice, my young apprentice and concentrate only on the light. We must carry on our mission, to go to your house and convince your grandmother to let us have a snack before supper." Matt said in a grave voice as he hopped off the swing, holding his hand out to Rika with a faint smile on his lips. "Will you join me in this quest, my padwan?"
"I shall join you, Master. And may the force be with us." Rika replied with a grin as she took his hand and hopping off the two headed off towards home, their hands linked the entire way there.
)
"Look, their they come." One girl squealed the next morning to her friends as she pointed towards the school entrance where the infamous Rika Nonaka was walking in with the gorgeous blonde from the other day. The two were talking and appeared to be as close as two peas in a pod. "Good god but he's gorgeous, what can he possibly see in Rika?"
"Maybe it's a case of having a taste for bad girls." Another girl suggested as she and her friends all mentally wished they could be in Rika's place at the moment. They couldn't even go up to talk to the guy since lord only knew what Rika would do to them.
"So that's the guy, huh?" Kazu said from his position of honor beside Ryo as they sat on one of the picnic benches to watch the hot girls go by them. "He's not so good looking."
"So your blind as well as stupid." Alice said with a roll of her eyes. "Big surprise there. I'm surprised all the girls drooling over him aren't throwing themselves as his feet so he doesn't have to touch the ground."
"He is, gorgeous." Jeri agreed, doing some staring of her own before noticing that her boyfriend was glaring at Rika's friend as a result. Her boyfriend was usually very friendly and good natured, in other words he was feeling a little left out and jealous which meant she'd have to soothe his ruffled feathers. Sliding her arm into his Jeri leaned her head against Takato's shoulder. "Of course he's not my type at all."
"But he definitely could be Rika's." Kenta commented as he looked up from his math textbook for his own look. "You don't see her having an actual, participating conversation with anyone usually, much less with a guy. She must really like him to be making the effort to appear even remotely human."
"You know if I told her you said that you'd end up face first in one of the garbage cans after an animal dissection again." Henry pointed out, not even wanting to think about that day. The sight of the things hanging off Kenta when they got him out was not one he wanted to remember. "And anyway she's known this guy for a long time, if their friendship lasted they must be pretty close."
)
"Hey." Rika called over then knowing her duty pointed to each of her friends in turn. "Four eyes is Kenta, geek with the hideous hat is Kazu. The two lovebirds are Takato and Jeri. The rest you know. Everyone, this is Matt."
Various ways of saying hello coming from everyone Matt grinned and nodded. "Nice to meet you guys. My Gabumon's having a good time hanging with your digimon."
"So you have a digimon too? That's cool." Jeri said with a bright and welcoming smile, always ready to make a new friend. "I hope you like coming to our school and welcome to the gang. Feel free to hang with us whenever."
"Thanks, it's nice of you guys to let me hang with you. Seeing as I'm a year older then all you guys but Ryo I guess I won't have any classes with you but if you need help in science that's my best subject. If it's difficult math I'm the last person you want to go to." Matt said with a wink that had Jeri blushing a bright pink.
"Well if you need help with your math Henry here is the person to go to." Alice said as she motioned towards Henry. "He's the brainiac of the group and he's taking advanced math so he's at your level there."
"Quit calling me brainiac." Henry muttered as he sent Alice a dark look then something catching his eye winced slightly. "Jeri...couldn't you have told them to at least let the guy get settled before they descended upon him like the plagues of Egypt?" Coming towards them was Jeri's entire squad looking even more made up and un natural then usual. They hadn't wasted any time.
)
"Huh?" Jeri said with a puzzled look then following Henry's gaze had to wince a little. Even the ones who had boyfriends already had turned out to show off the goods. "Uh oh. Rika...please don't hurt them. We have a game tomorrow."
"And that's ever stopped me before?" Rika pointed out with an icy cold look on her face as she watched the coming cheerleaders like a predator watching the unsuspecting prey walk unknowingly into her trap. Of course she was making no attempt to hide her intent, which was why the cheerleaders were slowing down with their come hither looks becoming weary and a little unsure. That's right, bimbos. Start running before I take you down and make you need the plastic surgeon again, Rika mentally thought, eyes almost dancing with anticipation.
"Down girl." Matt said with a chuckle as he patted her on the shoulder. "Ladies, nice to meet you all." Matt added with a wave towards the girls, laying his hand on Rika's shoulder in a restraining hold as he nodded to the two he recognized from the day before. "Theresa, Umi. Nice to see you both again."
"Hey, Matt." Umi said with her best baby doll smile, brave or stupid enough to walk closer so that she didn't have to yell to be heard. "How's it going so far?"
"He just got here." Rika pointed out with sweet sarcasm. "He hasn't even had a class yet."
"It's goin good so far." Matt replied, more then understanding Rumiko's comment about him being good for Rika since she needed to work on her social skills. Apparently Rika wasn't nice to anyone outside her small circle of friends and she wasn't even overly nice to them. "Thanks for asking."
"Well if you need anything you just have to ask." Theresa said with a oh so friendly smile on her face that didn't sit well with Rika or Ryo for that matter. "After all I'm sure we'll see each other since we're in the same grade. I hope we're in a couple of classes together."
"Since Matt's taking advanced in most of his that isn't likely." Rika pointed out cattily, pleased when the I'm so sweet and lovable look left Theresa's face for a moment before sliding back into place. Rika was surprised the idiot had even gotten the insult. Before she could play one of her favorite games, insulting Theresa and getting away with it, the bell sounded, warning them all to get their butts to class or else.
)
"Izzy!"
"Izzy turned his head and saw Tai and Sora running towards him looking more then a little worried and upset. "Hey, guys." Izzy said as he stopped to let them catch up, a questioning look on his face since as far as he knew there was nothing to be worried about. "What's up? Something wrong?"
"Have you seen or talked to Matt since Tuesday?" Sora asked as she came to a stop, leaning forward to brace her hands on her knees since she was a little out of breath.
"Uhm no. He was absent yesterday though so maybe he's sick or something."
"He's not. We called his dad last night and apparently he's gone. As in gone, gone. He left the apartment sometime Tuesday night and all he did was leave a note saying he was moving out and that he'd call some time." Tai said with a worried look on his face. "Did he say anything about to you about bailing?"
"No. I mean he wasn't happy about that weather girl moving in but he didn't say anything about thinking about leaving." Izzy said with a confused look on his face. Matt wasn't the most responsible or thoughtful guy at times but this wasn't like him at all. Especially since he'd apparently left his best friend and girlfriend in the dark. "Why didn't he say anything to me?" Izzy muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he puzzled over it. "I saw him that night, he was on his way to drop in on Sora to tell her about these concert tickets he'd landed for you guys. He seemed normal, and he didn't say anything about leaving."
"He never came to my apartment on Tuesday." Sora said with an equally confused look on her face as she tried to figure this out.. Her mom had been home and she and Tai had arranged to study together and that's when they...oh no. She remembered her mom's surprise when she'd mentioned that Tai had been over and said something about Sora having had a visitor but that she'd been asleep so he'd left. Had her mom let Matt in and he'd...
"Well that's where he was headed anyway." Izzy said with a shrug, completely missing the looks Tai and Sora were sharing over his head. "I guess your best bet would be calling T.K. about it. If Matt was leaving he'd have told T.K. no question."
"We did. He doesn't know either." Tai said as he stared at the ground, not even seeing it. "Matt didn't tell anyone where he was going."