Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Okay, there'll be one more chapter with Mimi and Sora, and then I'll move to Tai and Sora. After that it's Mimi and Matt, and then I'll wrap things up. It's almost done!
My Best Friend's Girlfriend
Chapter 29: One Step Closer to Romance
Mimi Tachikawa
Mimi hurried down the hallway towards Sora's locker and glanced anxiously over her shoulder. She had not seen Matt or Tai all day, and she was hoping her luck would last until she had a chance to talk to her best friend.
I wonder if Sora has spoken to either one of them yet. I hope their friendship is still intact, and what about Matt? Has Sora broken up with him already?
"I wish," she muttered to herself. "Actually, that's not really true. Poor Matt. He's going to be devastated when he finds out about Sora's feelings for Tai. I love him so much, but the thought of him being unhappy is enough to make me wish he and Sora would never break up. I wonder if my best friend has already confessed her feelings to Tai. If she has, Matt's never going to be able to forgive them..."
Mimi jumped when she spotted Sora's carrot-coloured head at the edge of the crowd, and after a brief hesitation she quickly hurried over to her best friend's side. "Hey, Sora," she said softly.
Sora shoved a couple of textbooks into her locker and slowly looked up. "Hi."
What? That's it? Isn't she going to fill me in on what's happening with Matt and Tai?
Mimi felt a sudden stab of fear in her heart, and she held out the jeans and blue shirt her friend had let her borrow the day before. "Here, I thought you might want them back. Um...thanks for rescuing me from the rain yesterday."
"You're welcome," Sora mumbled, avoiding her eyes. The older female bit her lip and quickly shoved the clothes into her locker. She look like she wanted to say something, but the words never made it out of her mouth.
Okay, something's definitely wrong. Why does she keep looking at me like that? Have Matt and Tai decided to hate each other forever? Oh, Matt, I want to be with you, but most of all I just want to see you smile, and if that means I can never be your girlfriend then I'm willing to give you up. Besides, Sora's my best friend, and I'd rather see her with you instead of Jun or one of you other fan girls. Maybe I shouldn't have told her to let you go after all...
"Sora, what's wrong? Have you talked to Tai and Matt yet?"
What if she has already gotten together with Tai, and now Matt refuses to speak to either one of them ever again! Oh no, this is all my fault!
"I haven't seen Tai all day, but I did talk to Matt this morning," Sora said quietly after a brief moment of silence.
Mimi froze and gazed nervously into her friend's ruby eyes. "What did he say?"
Sora managed a weak smile and shrugged. "We broke up."
"What?"
"Matt and I broke up. Don't worry. I didn't dump him or anything. It was a mutual decision. I think he went to talk to Tai. At least, that's what he told me he was going to do when I saw him a few minutes ago. I hope everything's okay between them."
Mimi slowly sagged against the wall, and she stared at her friend in shock. "You...you guys broke up? Does that mean Matt knows about...um...your feelings for Tai?"
"He knows," Sora mumbled, her face turning bright pink.
Luckily the older female's locker was at the end of the row and there was nobody standing close enough to overhear their conversation.
The last thing we need is someone spreading rumours about Tai and Sora. I can't believe she actually went through with it. I'm sorry, Matt. I'm so sorry...
"Is he...okay?"
Sora finally smiled at her and nodded. "He's fine, Mimi. In fact, he has never been better."
"What...what do you mean?"
"He's not going to stop being friends with Tai, if that's what you're worried about. In fact, he told me he knows what Tai's secret is, and he's not angry about it. He's a little upset, but he said it doesn't matter because he cares about Tai, and I know he's going to do everything he can to fix things with his best friend. I'm glad. Both of them deserve to be happy, and hopefully they'll finally have that chance."
Mimi stared at her friend with her mouth hanging open, and she found herself unable to reply. She did not think she would have been able to say a word even if she had wanted to.
Matt knows Tai's in love with Sora? How? I never told him, and I know Kari wouldn't either. Unless...wait a minute, what am I thinking? Of course Tai didn't tell Matt the truth! He has been trying so hard to keep his feelings a secret because he doesn't want to hurt his best friend, and I know he definitely doesn't want to be responsible for hurting Sora either, but if that's the case then how did Matt figure out the truth?
"Sora-"
"I'm not really sure how Matt found out about Tai's secret, but I think he must have figured it out on his own," Sora interrupted, her ruby eyes glittering with sudden emotion. "You know what else I learned today? Apparently my ex-boyfriend isn't the only one who knows Tai's secret, but unlike some people he decided to be honest with me right from the start instead of keeping the news a secret behind my back."
Mimi felt her heart stop, and she slowly sank to the floor. Sudden tears stung her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug. Sora knew, and now her best friend was going to hate her forever...
Sora knows I'm aware of Tai's secret. Obviously Matt must have told her, and now she's angry at me for keeping the truth a secret from her. What am I going to do?
"You're not mad at Matt, are you?" Sora asked tentatively. "I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you or anything."
Mimi quickly shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "No. He was only trying to help. I never told him he couldn't tell anyone what I had said earlier. I don't blame him for any of this. How can I when he doesn't even know..."
"Why did you lie to me about what had happened at Tai's apartment a couple of days ago?" Sora said sadly. "You know I would never ask you to betray Tai, but you could have at least told me you knew what was going on."
Mimi covered her face with her hands and turned away from her best friend. "I...I couldn't..."
"Why not?"
"I'm sorry, Sora, I...I can't..."
"You have been avoiding me, haven't you?"
Mimi hung her head in defeat and slowly nodded. "Yes."
Does she know about my feelings for Matt, too?
"Why?" Sora asked quietly. "Have I done something wrong? Please, Mimi, talk to me. If I've done anything to hurt you-"
"What? No! Oh, Sora, no. You're my best friend, and I know you'd never do anything to hurt me. I'm the one who has done something wrong."
She felt Sora's arms go around her shoulders, and tears began to slide down her cheeks. She had forgotten about the consequences of what would happen if Sora somehow found out she had talked to Matt, and now she was paying for it big time. The older female was going to find out about her feelings for the golden haired Digidestined, and when that happened their friendship was going to be over for good...
If she doesn't know the truth already...
"I don't understand. Why are you avoiding me if what you say is true and I haven't done anything to upset you?" Sora asked, sounding extremely confused.
Mimi slowly looked up and jumped when she realized her best friend was sitting close to her on the floor. The older female's face was filled with concern, and her eyebrows were narrowed into a frown. "Mimi-"
"You're right, Sora, you don't understand. I'm the one who's going to end up hurting you, not the other way around."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Mimi sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. It's not important."
"Mimi, I know you're trying to avoid answering my questions, but it's not going to work. Why didn't you tell me about Tai?"
Mimi wrapped her arms around her best friend and buried her face in the older female's carrot-coloured hair. "I didn't say anything because I was afraid I'd end up blurting out his secret to you, and you know I'd never forgive myself if I ended up betraying him in any way."
"What does his secret have to do with me?"
Mimi smiled at the suspicious look on her friend's face and shrugged. "It has everything to do with you, but I'm sure you'll find that out soon enough."
"You were avoiding me because you wanted to protect Tai?"
"Yes, but...um...there's more to it than that."
"Right, so what else have you been hiding from me?"
Mimi blushed and hid her face against the older female's shoulder. "I'll explain later. First there's something I want to ask you. How did Matt find out about your feelings for Tai? Did you tell him?"
Sora hesitated and slowly shook her head. "No, he found out on his own. I didn't have to say a word."
"Really?"
"Yes, unless you mentioned something to him. You're the only one who knows my secret, other than my ex-boyfriend, of course."
Mimi let out a gasp of horror, and she hugged her best friend as tightly as she could. "No way! You know I would never tell anyone your secret!"
She felt Sora's arms go around her waist, and the older female gave her a reassuring smile. "I know, but I needed to hear you say it. He told me he could tell because of the way I looked everytime he mentioned Tai. Am I really that obvious?"
"Yes, but don't worry. Tai doesn't have a clue. He can be a real idiot when it comes to love."
"That's probably a good thing when you consider the fact that I'm not exactly very good at hiding my feelings!" Sora laughed.
Mimi slowly pulled away from her best friend and gazed directly into the older female's eyes. "Um...Sora? Are you going to tell Tai you love him? You're not dating Matt anymore, and I know you've been waiting a long time for a chance to be in a relationship with the one you really love..."
Sora took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Yes, but I promised Matt I'd let him talk to Tai first. I think he wants to fix their friendship before he lets me go. You know what he's like. He always has to make sure the people he cares about still love him before he allows things to move forward. Can you believe he actually wants me to date Tai? He really was a great boyfriend, and I know a part of me will always love him for giving me a chance to be with the one guy I know now I'll never be able to live without."
Mimi smiled softly through her tears and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Matt had given up his own happiness for Tai, and it was obvious the blond did not regret his decision one bit. I know I should be surprised, but I'm not. Matt cares about Tai more than he'll ever admit, and he did what he did because his best friend is the one person who will support him no matter who he dates, even if that girl is the one girl his friend loves more then anyone else on the planet. I can't believe I'm finally saying this, but once again the Crest of Friendship has triumphed over everything else...
"I'm scared, Mimi. What if Tai tells me he doesn't love me?" Sora whispered.
Mimi smiled and gently rested her cheek against the top of her friend's carrot-coloured head. "Trust me, Sora, I don't think you have to worry about that."
Oh, Tai, I'm so happy for you, and I can't wait to see the look on your face when Sora finally tells you she loves you. Little do you know how much your life is about to change, and it's all because of Matt...
Tai's dreams were finally going to come true, and she was extremely happy for him, but unfortunately her own happiness was still up in the air.
Is there a chance Matt and I can be together after all?
"Sora, I know Matt broke up with you for Tai's sake, but there's more to it than that, isn't there."
Sora smiled slightly and shrugged. "Matt feels the same way I feel. He still cares about me, but he doesn't love me the way he used to. Both of us have moved on from our relationship, and now Matt's free to date whoever he wants. I hope one day he'll be able to find someone who will make him happy. He deserves to be in a relationship with a girl who loves him, and only him, and I know now I'm not the one who's going to fill that position. Trust me, Mimi, Matt and I may not be in love anymore, but we'll always be friends, and I'm going to support him no matter who he dates."
"Are...are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Sora asked, frowning in confusion.
Mimi's heart began to pound rapidly in her chest, and she quickly twisted her hands together in a effort to stop them from shaking.
Really, Sora? I know you want Matt to be happy, but are you sure you're ready to see him with another girl? What...what if that girl was me? What if I was the one who ended up dating Matt? Would you still feel the same way then?
"Mimi, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Mimi pulled away from her best friend and nodded. "I'm fine, Sora. You are still going to tell Tai how you feel, aren't you?"
"Yes," Sora mumbled, her face turning bright red. "You're right, you know. It doesn't matter what he says. At least I'll finally know how he really feels about me and then I won't have to spend the rest of my life wondering about what might have been between us."
Mimi nodded and gave her friend's hand a tight squeeze. "I'm really happy for you, Sora. I know you're worried, but things always have this funny way of working out in the end, and I have a feeling that's exactly what's going to happen between you and Tai. Don't give up yet, okay?"
"Okay," Sora whispered. "Um...Mimi? Are you sure you're alright?"
Mimi realized her whole body was trembling, and she wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug. Sora had given her a chance to make her dreams come true, and the other girl did not even know it.
Matt will probably never love me, but that doesn't mean I can just throw away my one chance at happiness. I have to find out how he really feels about me otherwise I'll never be able to forgive myself for giving up on a possible relationship with him before I ever let it have a chance to start.
Sora had given her a wonderful gift, and she knew in her heart there was only one way to thank the other girl for making such a huge sacrifice. She had to tell her friend the truth about her feelings for Matt otherwise she'd never be able to live with herself for keeping such a huge secret from someone she cared about.
Sora's my best friend, and she deserves to know the truth. I care about her a lot, and there's no way my heart is going to let me pursue a relationship with Matt behind her back. I know she doesn't love him anymore, but that doesn't mean she won't be upset about the fact that her best friend is in love with her ex-boyfriend. I refuse to even talk to Matt without her permission, and if she decides she doesn't want me to date him then I guess I'm just going to have to suffer...
"Mimi..."
Mimi felt her eyes fill with tears, and she gave her best friend a nervous smile. "Sora, um...there's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?" Sora asked, her eyebrows narrowing into a frown.
"I...um...wasn't being entirely honest with you earlier. There are actually two reasons why I've been avoiding you, not just one."
Sora's mouth fell open, and Mimi winced at the expression on the older female's face.
"What...what's the other reason?"
I'm sorry, Sora. I hope you'll be able to forgive me...
Mimi threw her arms around her best friend, and a small sob escaped her mouth. "You and Tai aren't the only ones with secrets around here. Oh, Sora, I have a secret, too, and I've never been so scared in my life. You're going to hate me, I know it."
"Why?" Sora whispered.
Mimi felt her friend's arms wrap around her in a tight hug, and she managed a tearful smile. "Because I've hurt you, and you don't even know it."
"Mimi, you're not making any sense. Will you please tell me what's wrong?"
Mimi buried her face against the older female's shoulder and finally nodded.
"Sora, I've fallen in love with someone, too, and I haven't been able to say anything because you're my best friend, and you know I'd never do anything to hurt you. I was afraid to tell you earlier, but I'm not anymore. The secret I have has to do with Matt, and I hope you'll be able to forgive me for keeping my feelings hidden from you. It's a good thing you're sitting down because...um...well...I think what I'm about to say is going to be even more shocking than your breakup with Matt, and hopefully you'll somehow find a way to forgive me for being such a lousy friend..."