Chapter Three: Why?

I thought Sora's eyes were gonna fall out of her head.

"You kissed T.K? Oh gosh, YOU KISSED HIM? YOU KISSED T.K!" She was practically screaming.

"No," I said stiffly.

Sora collapsed back into her chair. "Aw, Kari, how could you lead me on like that?" she mumbled.

"I'm not lying, Sora!" I cried. "I didn't kiss him, he kissed me, dummy!"

Sora was about to dance around the room, tears streaming from her eyes. "Awww… true love, that is so sweet…"

Oh crud. I've gotta get outta here. Sora's mad! I escape from her room, and out the door. Outside, I encounter more problems. Davis is just outside, he's with Ken and they're laughing at something in a magazine. Boys.

I try to sneak past them but…

"HI KARI!" Davis almost bursted my eardrums. He hopped over to me and looked at me crouching down, trying not to be noticed.

"Er, hi?" I said.

"You wanna come play soccer with me and Ken? I bet Tai taught you heaps of cool tricks."

"No thanks,"

"Aw, c'mon, you're a good player." I knew he was complimenting me but I really didn't feel like it.

"Ask Sora to play." I said.

"She quit soccer." he retorted.

Yeah, I know she quit. She quit because of girl problems and Tai was crying all night because of it.

"She quit soccer training, but she can still play," I said.

Davis looked so sad that I gave up.

"Fine, I'll play."

He brightened up.

I have to admit, I had lotsa fun playing soccer that day with Davis and Ken. Davis isn't really that bad, I guess. Then T.K came by. And it just so happened that I had the ball and Davis was making a big show of tackling me to the ground.

There was this weird look of contempt on his face, it made me shiver. It reminded me of how Matt glared at all the other popular boys at school.

At first I thought he was gonna run over here and start yelling for whatever reason. Instead, he walked past stiffly, his head held high… but something in his eyes made him look, well, really sad.

And I felt sorry for him.

Next day, he was back in the running. Popular as he was, new rumors were making their way around the school that T.K and I kissed.

I mean, hello! I didn't kiss him! He kissed me! ARGH!

Mimi and Yolie heard the rumors but didn't believe them.

"You, kissing T.K?" Mimi snickered. "Get real."

Yolie giggled. "He wouldn't even dare stick his face that close."

Sora and I sat stiffly. What would happen if they found out it was true?

I sent Sora a message with my eyes. Please don't tell them it was true!

She sent one back. I won't. It's out secret, ok?

Thank God. She may be mad but she's a nice person. I can see why Tai loves her so much. He said that it took him years and years to tell her how he felt but I don't believe him. They are clearly so much in love, how could saying those three little words be hard?

I saw T.K again that day. He looked at me, he clearly wanted to talk but I ignored him.

WHAT A JERK! I will never ever speak to him again ever!

"Hi Kari!" he smiled.

DON'T SMILE LIKE THAT! "Hi…" I stammered.

He looked like the T.K I knew. The T.K that was sweet and kind and caring and everything from the Digital World.

Then he turned away and went off with the populars.

How can one person be two different people? One minute, he's so sweet and then he's so crappy and stuck-up. How come? I miss him, I really do. I see him all the time now, and I just feel sad. I feel like the T.K I knew is gone. Maybe I should ask Sora about it.

First I thought that maybe talking to Yolie might help, but then I might accidentally tell her that T.K really kissed me.

I went over to Sora's again, but just my luck, Tai was there too. He was with Sora, hugging her and talking quietly to her.

And once again, I "accidentally" barged in on them. Will I ever learn?

"Hi Kari," Sora grinned at me. Tai grinned too. It's funny, whenever he's with Sora, he's always so happy with his goofy grin. Sora whispered something to Tai, and he nodded.

He got up, kissed her and went out of the room.

"What did you tell him?" I asked astounded.

"Doesn't matter," she said, "I just know you wanna talk without Tai here."

"You know me," I said.

Honestly, sometimes, when its times like these, I think that Sora would be the best sister in the world. Maybe if I daydream, and she and Tai get married then she would be my sister-in-law.

"So, Kari, Whaddaya wanna talk 'bout?"

"Can people change?" I asked.

"What does that mean?" She asked carefully.

"Can people change?" I insisted.

"Um… sometimes people change because, ahem… of, er, physical changes, but that's not what you mean, right?"

"Right,"

"People can change because of something emotional, like a death. Sometimes the thoughts remain with them, and they stay depressed for the rest of their lives."

"Uh huh,"

"Or people can change because they want to impress someone or a group of someones. They might change the way they dress and the way the talk so that they can fit in."

I blinked.

"Maybe you should just tell me what you mean exactly," she sighed.

"Can people actually change?" I asked again.

"What?" she grinned. "Like into superheroes or apes or animals or something?"

"No…" I sighed. Ok, I'll just tell it like it is. "Can someone's personality change?"

She watched me, amused. "Yeah… I guess it can. Someone might be really nice and then really mean. They might even change so much that you don't know them anymore."

"Can someone change their personality for the rest of their life?"

"Yeah," she said gravely. "Sometimes that happens."

Does this mean that the T.K I knew is gone? Has he really been replaced by some snobby smart-alecky popular guy?

"Hey Tai?"

Tai turned around in his wheelie chair and gazed at the young blonde kid. "Hey, it's the kid Matt Ishida," he joked. "How ya doin' T.K?"

T.K frowned. I don't want to be a kid Matt Ishida. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," the older boy laughed. "Whaddaya wanna talk about? Soccer, girls, soccer, popularity, soccer… homework…" he groaned.

Ha ha ha… um, how do I say this? T.K frowned again, "Um, can we just, like, talk?"

"Sure," Tai said. "I just thought you might be hinting that you wanted a, um, deeper talk."

T.K stared at him.

"Okay, okay, whatever."

"Do you think I'm popular?" T.K wondered.

"Why do you ask?" Tai laughed. "Are you really so snobbish that you need people to tell you that each day?"

T.K glared at him.

"Sorry…" he said, "I didn't mean that. Yeah, I think you're popular. You have girls chasing you; you are… snobby… ish, well you have to be, to be in the popular gang; you're a blonde; you're not too bad on the eye either… Man, did you know there are kids in my grade calling you the mini-Ishida?"

T.K looked dismayed. "What if I don't wanna be like Matt?"

Tai eyed the younger kid. "You mean you don't wanna be popular?"

"No… I don't wanna be like him, you know… snobbish?"

"Gosh, you're calling your brother a snob? What happened to respecting your elders?"

Oh, you're so shallow! T.K felt like screaming.

But Tai was nodding. "Don't worry. You shouldn't feel guilty if you act differently towards different people. You're just learning. Besides I didn't even realize that I liked Sora till… ahem I was your age… heh heh… anyway, we're all growing up. When I was your age, I was all lanky and everything… heh. And if you think you're acting… snobbish then maybe it's just to protect your popularity, people do that you know."

T.K's face was looking slightly flushed. "Er… do- do ya think that Kari… likes me?"

"Besides, you've kinda changed too, yourself. I didn't know you hated guys that much." Sora said, "But unfortunately, the balance of the nature wouldn't work if there were no guys so, yeah, you'll just have to live with it."

I nodded. Yeah, I know I'm different but I kinda miss the T.K I knew, but he's so popular! What am I supposed to do?

Sora stifled a yawn.

"Oh! Am I boring you? Should I go now?" I cried.

Sora waved me away, "I don't really mind but if you wanna go, you can go."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "Whaddaya mean?"

He was still pretty protective over his younger sister.

"I… um, I…"

"You kissed Kari, didn't you?" Tai said.

"I…"

T.K thought that Tai was about to swear but instead he reached over and slapped him hard on the back, laughing. "Well, you certainly get girls a lot easier than I can."

Yeah, but it kinda was for a bet, wasn't it? T.K thought. "Um, I think that I'll… get going now. Seeya."

He opened the door and was going out the door when…

T.K? What the heck?

I frowned at the blonde boy standing in front of me; he had just opened the front door and we were standing wide-eyed at each other.

T.K? What are you doing at my house? And I don't need to be invited into my own home.

I tried not to speak to him. What was he thinking? Showing up at my house again after stealing my first kiss?

Luckily I didn't need to speak to him. I just looked at him questioningly. He looked like he was gonna give me that gorgeous cool smile that he usually reserved for the popular girls but instead he gave me a genuine sweet smile and brushed past me out the door.

I felt the back of his hand brush past mine and realized that I had forgotten how soft his touch could be.

I felt my face burn again. It had been burning a lot lately, especially whenever I saw him.

I must be goin crazy. What's with me lately?

ATTENTION! DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE ENDING!

Emichii: YEAH! GO T.K! GO GET HER! Yeah, sorry peoples, if you wanted Davis and Kari to be together, I'm sorry but this is a Takari. If you wanna read a Davis/Kari then just be patient. 'Cause I'll be writing a Davis/Kari one when I have time!

I've been getting some reviews that say: Oh that is so funny; you must be really hilarious if you write that stuff. Blabla bla…

Yeah well, I do have a sense of humor… heh heh… it's kinda hard for me to be serious sometimes… eh eh… Oh well… Anywhizzles, YO PEOPLES! HI SAZ! HI SAZ! HI NEO!

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