Friends
It had been three days since Tai confessed his love for Sora, three days since Matt gave her her first kiss and three days since the incident at the park. Neither Tai or Matt had heard anything from Sora after that night. She hadn't shown up for school or contacted anyone; it was as if she disappeared from the face of the earth. It was currently lunch at Odaiba High and Tai walked about school with his tray of food at hand, headed to the lone bench on the northeast of the cafeteria where he met up with Izzy.
"Still no word from Sora?" Izzy asked as he typed something in his laptop.
Tai sighed, set his things aside and sat down. "No." He began to pick at his food. "Have you heard from her?" There was hope in his voice.
Izzy stopped typing and looked up at his friend with a small smile tugging at his lips.
"You have!" Tai exclaimed accusingly.
"Shhh! Relax Tai."
"So what did she tell you?"
"Well..." Izzy sat up straight and folded his arms across his chest. "She told me a lot of things."
"Come on Izzy don't play around with me." Tai pleaded. "Why hasn't she been coming to school?"
"I don't know, why don't you ask her yourself?" Izzy pushed his laptop towards Tai and turned it around so he could view the screen. "I'm talking to her right now."
Stunned, Tai stared at the screen, not knowing what to do but repeatedly read the few words on the screen that read: "Izzy are you still there?"
Before beginning to type, Tai humbly looked at his friend and smiled. "Thanks."
(remember! This is a conversation between Tai and Sora but the screen name says Izzy since it is his laptop, oh and Sora doesn't know its Tai!)
Izzy: Yeah, I'm still here.
Sora: Good, I thought your laptop froze again.
Izzy: No, it didn't. Why haven't you been coming to school?
Sora: I'm not feeling well.
Izzy: Are you sick?
Sora: Sort of, I ate some of my mom's cooking the other day and let's just leave at that.
Izzy: Uh, ok.
Sora: Anyway, it couldn't have come at a better time. I couldn't face Tai or Matt the day after...you know.
Izzy: What are you going to do about them?
Sora: I don't know.
Tai hesitated for a moment before typing in his next question.
Izzy: Who do you like?
He nervously waited for her answer.
Sora: I don't know...
Tai was about to type something else when Sora sent him another message.
Sora: Matt.
Tai's world came crashing down. His true love chose another guy. With a dry throat, and teary eyes, he flimsily typed.
Izzy: Oh.
Sora: Something wrong?
Izzy: No, nothing. The bell just rang; I have to get to class.
Sora: Ok, bye.
Izzy: Bye.
Tai slowly closed the laptop and handed it to Izzy.
"What did she say?" Inquired Izzy.
"She likes Matt." Tai melancholy answered, not looking at his friend for fear that he'd notice the tears welling in his eyes, threatening to fall.
"Sorry."
"Don't be, it's not your fault." Tai dumped his meshed up food, slung his back pack over his shoulder and walked away.
Later that after noon...
DING-DONG! The doorbell's chime resonated through out Sora's apartment.
"I'm coming!" She shouted from the kitchen.
She opened the door and found Tai with his head bowed and his hands in his pockets. "Tai..." She gasped.
"Hi Sora, mind if I talk to you?"
"Sure, come in."
"No thanks, this won't take long."
"Ok." Sora was confused.
"Listen Sora, I'm sorry for rushing you like that the other day." He blushed at his bluntness the other day when he kissed her. "I know you've got someone else in mind."
Sora quirked her head to the side. "What are you talk-" she was interrupted.
"Its ok, I know who you've chosen and I'm fine with it." He stepped closer to her and caressed her cheek with his hand. "We're still best friends." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You'll always be my girl." and with that, he planted a soft passionate kiss on her lips which she didn't resist to.
He pulled away gently and began to walk away; leaving her dumbfounded. As he walked, he looked back and shouted. "Hope you feel better! Stay away from your mom's cooking!" he waved and disappeared down the apartment corridors.
Sora stared blankly in the direction he had left when it hit her. "It was him on the computer!" she slapped her forehead with her hand. She went inside, closed the door, and leaned against it. "I'm sorry Tai." she sighed.
The next day...
Sora walked through the school field squinting her eyes in every direction, searching for her friends. When she spotted them a few yards away sitting under a tree, she took a deep breath and walked towards them.
"Look whose back." Izzy stated the obvious.
"Nice to see you too Izzy." Sora replied.
She was about to sit down when Matt stood up and said "Sora, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sora looked down at Tai who looked at her with mournful eyes and a sad smile. He nodded, gesturing her to go ahead. Sora smiled back and replied. "Sure."
The two walked a couple of feet away from their other friends where they were sure they were out of hearing distance.
"Sora, I-" Matt spoke but was shushed by Sora.
"Matt, you don't have to explain." She blushed. "I like you too."
Ecstatic, Matt exclaimed. "You do?" He picked her up and spun her around. "You don't know how I've longed to hear you say those words." he whispered into her ear as he hugged her tightly.
They stared into each others intense eyes and share a sweet kiss. There was no need for more words; they walked hand in hand back to the tree.
"Congratulations." Izzy greeted them, noticing their link.
"Thanks." Sora blushed.
"I have to tell Mimi." He shouted and began to furiously type into his laptop.
"You're talking to her?" Sora shouted. "Let me see!" she sat next to Izzy and observed their conversation over his shoulder; occasionally typing in a few things herself.
Excluded, Matt and Tai sat next to each other and watched.
"Congratulations." Tai said.
"Thanks, no hard feelings?" Matt reached his hand out and gestured a hand shake.
Tai looked at his hand and smiled. "No hard feelings."
They shook on the agreement. "We'll always be friends." They both said in unison.
They turned their attention back on Sora and Izzy when Tai spoke once more. "But if you ever hurt her, I'll hunt you down and kill you."
Matt laughed at the comment. He wasn't serious was he? He stopped laughing when his friends stared at him blankly. "Eh..." he grew nervous.
Just then, Tai began to laugh and ruffled Matt's hair with his hand. "I'm just kidding."
"Not my hair!" Matt shouted; grabbing both Izzy and Sora's attention.
They watched as Matt pulled out a personal mirror out of his back pack and began to fix his hair. A guy packing a mirror in his back pack? What's that about?Everyone started to laugh and tease. In the moment, Sora happened to catch a glimpse of Tai who stared at her with happy eyes. They smiled at each each other and only at each other. Yes...everything was going to be ok.
THE END