The Real World

Summary: They say that breaking up is hard to do. Well, Takeru is going to find this out first hand. Mentions Taikeru (Taichi/Takeru).

Chapter 4: Sweaters

3-23-07

With bleary eyes and shaking hands, Takeru bent down and began to spin the lock on the locker. Clutching a plastic bag carrying three sweaters, Takeru held back the tears he feared would come.

He still couldn't believe it. Taichi and him. Over?

But, Takeru said to himself. It's true. He had spent all Wednesday crying, and now all he wanted to do was to just push the feelings away. If Taichi cared so much about his stupid sweaters, then he could have them back. Takeru didn't care.

Not too much.

The lock snapped and Takeru swung open the door. He couldn't help but glance down at the bag that held Tai's gym clothes. Takeru's fingers twitched as he urged to grab the bag and smell it. He already missed Tai's smell. Maybe one quick sniff would be okay.

Takeru shook his head and scowled. No. He wouldn't. He'd be a man.

Why is the Earth still spinning, Takeru thought as he shoved the plastic bag bulging with sweaters into the locker. Why? I'm still the wake of absolute depression and teen angst, but at the same time the earth is still spinning, the people are still moving, the sun is still shining, and I've got a stupid love song stuck in my head.

As he shut the door and relocked the lock, Takeru stood up and resisted the temptation of kicking the door into smithereens.

"Tidal waves of tears have been released by my eyes," he said out loud to the empty hallway. "And yet Dai still grabbed Yamato in a bear hug this morning, I still had a disgusting math test, and there's still a Newspaper meeting after school."

He sighed and started to walk back to his study hall. "I didn't actually think that the world would stop if Tai and I broke up...but at the same time it all feels so surreal."

As Takeru wiped away a stray tear, he began to overanalyze. What was all the hugging, and the playing, and the hand holding, and the other small moments we had these past weeks? Was that a pity re-relationship? Was that a goodbye re-relationship? What the heck was that supposed to tell me? Cause it didn't prep me for the break-up, that's for sure. If anything, it only confuses me more.

The blonde rounded the hallway just as the bell rang. He groaned and began to walk faster, hoping that he'd be able to grab his stuff quickly and get to his next class in time.

I just wish that he'd change his mind and tell me everything that I want to hear, he thought as he pushed past the people leaving the study hall.

And yet, I know that it won't happen. It won't, because I live in the real world, where real things happen, where there are real emotions and real truths and real heartbreaks.

He paused as he grabbed his books. And then the tears began to fall as a tidal wave of misery fell upon him.

Just. Like. This. One.