So uh, I was re-reading the story and I feel like I should've aged them up. But I'm too lazy to change it, so just pretend and figure their ages for whatever you prefer. :p
Note, it's part A, of a longer chapter. Enjoy!
"Hey-"
"What?" Sora muttered, pushing her locker's door close. She spun the dial of her lock to secure it and then blew the strands of hair out of her face before turning around and letting out a frustrated growl. "I've been texting him and calling him and working my ass off trying to find him but he just keeps avoiding me! I don't know what to do anymore!"
Tai stared back with a confused frown and pursued lips, leaning against an adjacent locker. "Sor, you feeling alright?"
"What are you my mom?"
"Who the hell are you talking about?" Tai's arms folded over each other as he leaned against the locker beside her. "You..." He made an odd face like he was trying to word his thoughts differently. "This boy... Uh... new boyfriend?"
"What?" Sora choked, unintentionally jolting the items in her arms. She raised her knee for support and tried to shift her belongings back into balance, but her phone managed to slip sideways, out from under her arm. Her heart skipped a beat in dismay and fear as she watched its fall.
With the reflexes of a leopard, Tai instantly lunged forwards, hand shooting out to easily grasp Sora's phone. "... I got it."
"Thanks." The tension left her chest so she could let out a slow, relieved breath.
Good old reliable Tai, the absentminded thought unconsciously poked her before she shifted her belongings, trying to make space for her phone. It took a few seconds before she conceded, sighed silently and awkwardly cocked her head to the side. "Uh... would you mind-"
"Sure, I'll hold it for you." Tai said straightforwardly. He blinked as if realizing he had just read her mind but the surprised expression cleared into something of curiosity and a second emotion Sora couldn't pick out. "So... Who's the guy again?"
It took her a minute to remember what they'd been talking about. When she did, rash heat flared in her cheeks. "It's not a boyfriend, I was talking about Matt!"
"... What about him?"
Sora stared blankly. "Didn't Mimi tell you what happened last night?"
Tai nodded.
"Well I wanted to check up and make sure he's okay!" For some reason, there was this urge to elaborate so she followed it, trying, "You know, cheer him up, make him feel better."
"And you said he was ignoring you?"
"Yes!"
"Well," Tai shifted before nodding, indicating behind Sora. "He's here now. Let's figure out what's going on."
The railing of the bench was an irksome, useless item that deserved to die, Matt decided. Writing with a mental bar constantly poking him in the back and pressing into the underside of his ankles was a pain but he was too lazy to move. He stretched comfortably. So far none of the teachers had bothered to tell him off- maybe they could sense the bad mood radiating off of him?
"Hey! Matt!"
He took his sweet time sitting up before raising his arms, stretching again. "Hey Tai, wassup Sor-"
"Don't 'what's up' me, idiot!" She stalked over and fiercely slapped an arm down, frustration clearly etched into her face. "I've been trying to contact you all day and you've been ignoring me!"
"Why would I ignore you?" He shot her a reproachful look as he rubbed his sore arm. "It's not like you yell at me, call me names or hit me." Tai sniggered behind them.
"Drop the sarcasm Ishida, and explain!"
"Okay, okay, calm down!" Matt rolled his eyes, looking more exasperated than pissed. "I just turned off my phone today, that's all." He leaned over and dug through his bag before pulling out and flashing the dark screen of his phone. "See?"
Sora seemed taken aback but she quickly fired, "Why'd you leave for school early?"
"I had an extra band practice- it was a pain in the ass by the way, thanks for asking."
"... What about at lunch? Where were you then?"
"Again, rehearsing." Matt was really starting to get annoyed. Where the hell is this going? "We're playing for next week's school dance remember?" Though, it was unnecessary when they'd been practicing for the last couple of weeks.
Uncertainty trailed in her voice as it drove away the frustration on her face. "So you... didn't ditch?"
"No, and I wasn't ignoring you!" Matt snapped. Out of stressed habit, he ran a hand through his cropped hair. "You done bothering me? Or is there something else you have to yell at me about?"
"Well I'm sorry for trying to help you!" From the way her hands balled up and her face scrunched, he was hit with an urgent pang of I should back off. Right now. But instinct made him automatically retaliate.
"Am I missing something here? Wha- why would I need your help? " The words spilled out quicker than he had wanted them to in a way he hadn't even meant to word them. Sora flinched a little before a cool, undaunted, icy demeanor slowly flashed over. It was alright; this wasn't the first, nor the last time he'd be exposed to it.
"No no, you're hot and amazing and perfect, mister bigshot superstar." Sarcasm dripped off of the tennis player's tongue. "I'm sorry for caring but don't worry- it won't happen again." With the last word, she turned on her heel and stalked away, radiating with fury. The shard of indignation that was lodged in Matt's chest wouldn't allow him to call back.
Tai rolled his eyes. "Thanks man, she's gonna bitch about it to me on the whole way back."
"Thanks man," Matt mocked. "for talking, after she was done with me."
"You're welcome."
"You're not, coward. Go and check on her for me?" He hesitated ever so slightly. "Did I take it too far with the last one?"
"Yes," Tai helpfully supplied.
"That's not what you're supposed to say," Matt used his notepad to deliver a swat.
"Okay, then maybe?" Tai shrugged. "I mean, you might of not meant it that way but you know how she can be..." He trailed off, looking listlessly back in the direction she had disappeared. Matt watched for a moment before administering a kick to unguarded shins.
"Ow! You little shit-" Tai jumped a step back to glare from a safer distance. "what was that for!?"
"Are you fucking pining?" Matt demanded vehemently. "Because I've got some shit I need to get out if you are. Like number one, please stop. I need my wingman and my wingman needs to be single. Two, why are you pining? You used to be so much cooler!" He noted how the corners of Tai's mouth had gradually tilted upwards before lightly continuing, "And number three. Son of a god, why her?"
"... I'm not sure what answer you're looking for." Tai was smiling in a sheepish, goofy way that told Matt his support was the relief he'd been looking for. The soccer player scratched his head awkwardly, trying to look anywhere that wasn't his best friend.
"But when the hell did this happen?!" Matt burst out, half laughing, surprisingly delighted. He couldn't explain the small explosion of joy that had erupted in his chest seeing the sheepish way he was acting- like a little fucking schoolgirl. Well if I'm not going to be happy, at least they are. And I can't think of two people who deserve to be more than them. "How many signs have I been missing? Are you gonna tell her?"
"So many questions."
"Just answer 'em!"
"Okay, okay!" Tai still seemed pretty amused as he took a breath and carefully began, "Maybe this year...?" Matt patiently waited for Tai to gather his thoughts. "I mean, I guess we've always been so close it wasn't really hard for my feelings and thoughts to turn from friendship and, 'Hey, it's Sor, my best friend,' to 'Fuck, there's Sor, girl of my dreams.'" He looked to Matt expectantly.
Who couldn't help but cock a brow out of genuine surprise. "Girl of your dreams? How deep in this shit are you?"
"I mean I'm still not really sure but I know I've never felt like this about anyone... I mean I want to keep her company when she's down, make her smile constantly, hang out with her eve more, and just... be there for her all time, you know?" He shrugged helplessly. "And I keep thinking dumb thoughts. Like I want to hold her hand and then my mind's get stuck on the fact that her hand's right there, right in front of me, and I should just pull a stupid and go with it."
Visuals produced in Matt's head but for some reason, his gut lurched at just the thought. He ignored it and finally got off the bench. "Well, you have my blessing." He went back to grinning widely. "Wish you luck. Now go get her." He turned Tai by the shoulders and shoved to send him off.
The soccer player stumbled a couple of steps before turning back, bemused. "What?"
"Go tell her now." Matt's own smile turned sheepish. "I kinda pissed her off about a minute ago if you don't remember. Now would be a good time to go and cheer her up."
Tai raises his hands and turned them palms up to express disbelief. "Are you stupid?! I...I'm not going to tell her!"
"Oh you better, or I will." Matt threatened, slowly tapping one foot as he shook his head. "And fuck, I'm serious here."
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
"You wouldn't!"
"I will."
"Fuck you, Ishida."
"Love you too man!" Matt cheerfully responded. "And by the way, when you guys are together, I'mma say I called it!"
Tai had almost walked to the exit before pausing and turning around. "Since you brought calling up, I'm going to call too."
Matt raised a brow, unable to mask his curiosity. "On what?"
"Bullshit."
"Oh. On who? Izzy? Joe?"
"You. Why'd you turn your phone off?"
Matt nearly fell of the bench. "What?"
"Sora asked you why you were ignoring her and you said you turned your phone off. Why'd you turn it off?"
"No reason."
"I call bull again."
Matt remained silent.
"Look, we just want to make sure you're okay. You know that, right?" Tai ruffled his own hair and awkwardly shifted from side to side. "So..."
Matt exhaled. "I get it, but..." He shrugged and raised his hands in a gesture of normality. "thing is, I'm perfectly fine. I didn't want you guys to worry, that's all."
Tai studied him carefully. "You can tell that to anyone other than the me, or the gang." The soccer star's tone lightened and he tried for a half-smile. "Know we're here for you, okay?"
Matt remained silent. Tai, probably expecting that, had resumed walking and left the building.
You're a good friend and I don't take back what I thought about you being happy with Sora, Matt tilted his head from side to side, concluding silently. But man, are you a pain in the ass! I'm gonna be fine!
"Wasn't it just a first date?"
"Maybe that's what hurts more... It says didn't think he was worth her time."
"... I'm really sorry guys, Ava was just supposed to be make Sora jealous, that's all! She never told me she was going to go on an actual date with Matt."
"It's not your fault Mimi, but I do wish... Never mind."
"I've already apologized to Matt-"
"Joe's right, Mimi, it's not your fault. But I don't think setting him up with someone else right now is a good idea."
"...What if that someone is Sora?"
As humid as it was, they sat in their regular hangout outside as usual, protected by the shade of the trees overlooking them. Once they had discussed the issue of helping Matt, they'd quickly decided not to interfere. Well, directly- that is.
TK leaned against the rough bark of the tallest oak tree in the area. "You know he got over Sora right?"
It was kind of interesting how quickly their support group had become one of gossip instead. Mimi impressively had managed to get all three of the guys involved.
"Ha- that's a complete lie!" She rolled her eyes as she passionately pronounced, "My boy is still so head over heels for her. They neeeeed to be together!"
"Did Matt ever ask her out?" Izzy lazily sipped from his coke. (Which Mimi had used to bribe them)
"Well... No..."
Joe laughed. "Did Sora even know he had feelings for her?"
"... No."
Even TK joined in. "Did Matt ever make a move?"
"No, but-"
Joe grinned in a carefree way. "So what makes you think that they want to be-"
"Cause I can tell Sora likes him!" Mimi burst out with enthusiastic confidence. "Right Kari?" She turned expectantly.
"Sure," Kari offered, trying to stop giggling. She'd learned it was easier to agree, rather than argue with her close friend.
TK protested, "Mimi, even if she likes him now, Matt got over her you know?"
"And even if they do get together, they're both hot heads- they're gonna be mad with the interference." Kari pointed out. "Which, by the way, we will all be blaming on you."
Mimi rolled her eyes, smirking. "Bitch please, they'll be thanking me. And then I'll get all the glory." She skipped a circle around the three guys sitting on the ground, her skirt flowing at her ankles. "You should know by now, nothing stands in the way of my ships. Nothing." Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "You guys getting on board?" The guys hastily made agreements while Mimi reverted back to her cheerful, enthusiastic self and nodded happily, apparently satisfied. "Well then! That's that." She triumphantly pumped a fist into the air, calling, "We set Sora and Matt up, tomorrow!" as she walked away.
Izzy, Joe and TK exchanged glances. "Just agree with her," Kari helpfully told them, laughing at their somewhat-bemused expressions. "It makes life easier."