"What's up with you?" Tai glanced over at his friend as he placed his books in the top locker.
"Nothing," Matt muttered.
"Uh huh," Tai frowned. "You want to talk?"
"About what?" Matt asked.
"About what's wrong." Tai replied.
"Nothing's wrong, Tai."
"Doesn't look as nothing is wrong…"
"I'm grounded…"
"Again? Why." Tai cut in.
"I was out too late last night and dad was home earlier then usual." Matt shrugged.
"How long are you in for?"
"He says three weeks but I'll give it two. If I be a good boy, he'll forget when he actually grounded me and…"
"You are hoping that he would forget all about it." Tai finished. "So what did he take away?"
"Practice and Friday nights."
"Our Fridays?" Tai slammed his locker shut, "You skip two Friday's in a row already!"
"Hey, it's not like I got to pick what he took away from me." Matt glared. "Geez."
"Damn it, Matt," Tai started down the hallway to his next class with Matt following, "What's so hard about being home before eleven? Hell, I have to be in before ten!"
"It's a long story that I don't want to go into…"
"When did you get home?"
"Doesn't matter, does it?" Matt said.
"You do know the others won't like this…"
"Again, not my fault!" Matt glared.
"Well in a way it is, isn't it?" Tai shook his head.
"Drop it…" Matt pushed passed him into the classroom.
"Remember that kid we convinced he could fly?" Tai pointed his fork at Sora's direction. "What was his name?"
Sora frowned before shaking her head, "Tai that was ages ago…." She spooned a mouthful of the school's food into her mouth. "I remember you told him if he ate enough sugar that he would have this sugar rush so strong, it would able him to shoot himself in the air but'' Sora swallowed her mouthful, "god I can't remember his name."
"Doesn't matter really," Tai shrugged, "But she's right. The next day I took in one of those five pound bags of sugar and he ate spoonfuls until he was sick…"
"He did get sick too," Sora wrinkled up her nose.
"Yeah but that was after…." Tai took a sip of his milk.
"After what?" Davis asked, looking between Sora and Tai.
"Oh I've heard this one before," Kari smirked, "Mum and Dad were so furious with you!"
"Aye, that they were but I wouldn't have changed anything." Tai sighed with the memory.
"What happen?" Davis asked again, pushing his lunch tray away from him.
"The kid ran up the slid and flew….." Tai grinned.
"More like glided," Sora pointed out.
"Yeah, glided then," Tai shrugged, "Gravity unfortunately showed its ugly face and the kid ended up doing this nose dive and smacked right into the pavement…"
"Ouch!" Davis grimace.
"He lost concussions if I remember right," Izzy interrupted, "When he finally came through, he threw up all over himself…"
"Do we have to be discussing this now?" Mimi looked at the group, "Really this is the very reason people don't believe me when I say I do eat! Just not during lunch hour because you guys are always bringing up gross stuff…"
"Not always," T.K shook his head.
"Yesterday you were comparing oysters with snot," Mimi stated.
"Well…" Tai scratched his head.
"The day before that you talked about spider guts and the day before that it was maggots, the day before that it was…"
"We get it…" Tai rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Matt's food tray.
"What are you doing?" T.K asked.
"Taking his lunch, not like he's eating it." Tai nodded his head in the blonde's direction. T.K glanced over at his brother who was sleeping soundly with his face in his arms.
"Did you find out why he is bailing on us this Friday?" Mimi asked the younger brother.
"Just that dad grounded him for staying out so late and not telling him where." T.K grabbed Matt's milk carton.
"Dibs on his fruit cup," Davis leaned over to swipe some of Matt's lunch.
"It's not that he's grounded really. I mean we can't help it that our parents over react on the simplest things, it's the fact that he already ditched us two weeks in a row already. Now add three more to that…" Tai grumbled.
"Bell…." Davis slurped the last of his milk before heading to the trash as the bell rung, ending school lunch.
Matt woke up and stared at his empty plate in confusion. "I…I didn't…"
"Bell," Tai smiled taking his empty tray from him, placing it under his own.
Matt just made it through the apartment door when the phone started to ring. He empity his arm load of books onto the table before picking the ringing device.
"Ello…Oh hi dad." Matt went to the refrigerator with the phone resting on his shoulder as he poured a glass of milk. "Yeah I'm home. Grounded, remember….of course you do…I…um…" Matt glanced around the small kitchen, darting from one object to another. Finally, his azure eyes rested on the microwave door where a bright yellow sticky note lingered, "Yeah I see it….sure I can do that." Matt nodded even though he was on the phone. "Okay…see you tonight." Matt pressed the hang up bottom on the telephone and placed it on the counter.
He walked over to the microwave and pressed a few buttons to heat the food his father left for him. Then, walking over to the table, he opened his book to finish his homework assignment.
"Hello?" T.K barged through the door.
"In here," Matt yelled from the kitchen.
"Hi…"
"Hello." Matt glanced up from his work.
"Whatcha making?" T.K looked over at the microwave.
"Just some soup…." Matt mumbled, "Hungry?"
"Starving." T.K smiled, taking a seat beside his brother. "So…Matt."
"T.K."
"Um…hey I was wondering if, well you know. Maybe you need someone to talk to about something." T.K picked up an extra pencil and started doodling on the empty page.
"What do you mean?" Matt raised an eyebrow.
"Well…I don't know." T.K shrugged. "The last few days you seemed troubled about something and I thought maybe I could help."
"I don't need help, T.K." Matt glared at his brother.
"I know…I," T.K shrugged, "I just want to let you know that I'm here if you need me."
Matt nodded, barely looking up at his brother.
"Hey I know I'm your kid brother and all but I have some really good advice."
"I'm sure you do…" Matt started to jot down some of his work on a piece of paper.
"And I might not have all the answers to everything…"
"Huh-huh…"
"But sometimes just talking and getting it off your chest can be a big help…."
"T.K…."
"Yeah?"
"Mum's back into those talk shows again, isn't she?"
T.K. frowned, nodding his head, "She's recording them. Watches them all evening….I don't know what to do."
Matt looked at his young brother.
"I'm thinking about killing the television. It's that bad, man!" T.K went on.
"Teek….did you want to watch television here?" Matt asked.
"Can I?" T.K beamed.
"You really don't have to ask…" Matt returned to his homework.
"And can I have some soup too?" T.K stood up to open the beeping microwave.
"Help yourself…Just leave me something!" Matt barked. "Bloody friends at my lunch…."
"You fell asleep," T.K shrugged. "You know there are people in this world that are starving and your food was going to waste. Do you think those starving beings would sleep through a meal or toss it out just because…"
"T.K. you're doing it again…" Matt cut him off.
"Oi…" T.K set a bowl of soup beside his brother. "Hey I'm going into the living room."
"Sure…" Matt mumbled, flipping through his books.
T.K carried his soup and a glass of milk into the living room. Matt heard the television click on and soon he heard voices in the background. He focused on his homework. The next time he looked up, two hours passed. He turned to the ringing phone his brother just grabbed.
"Hello…" T.K grinned, "Nah this is his brother….Yeah that's me….You have? All good then? Am I lucky? I don't know…." T.K looked over at his brother, "I kinda think he's the lucky one…I mean, I am such a wonderful brother and all…" T.K laughed and handed the phone over to his brother, "Some lady is on the phone."
"Hello, this is Matt…" the blonde's brows furied, "Oh hi…No, I'm not disappointed I just didn't think I'd hear from you for awhile…sure I thought about it…" Matt stood up and pushed his brother out of the kitchen. "No I haven't told anyone….because I don't know what I want to do right now….discuss what?"
Outside of the kitchen door, T.K pressed his head against the white surface. Straining to hear his brother's phone conversation. Normal T.K would have left his brother alone but never has Matt actually pushed him out of the kitchen.
"What am I suppose to say?" Matt went on to the woman on the other end. "I just need some time to work it out….I know…."
T.K pulled himself away from the door as Matt went into a silence moment. The younger brother stared at the door, trying to figure out what was being said and what was going on.
"You said I had a few months….I know….Listen…how is everything, I mean….it's okay right?"
T.K peered through the small crack of the door.
"You know Teeks," a voice came from behind him. "It is extremely rude to ease dropped on your brother and his telephone conversations."
T.K turned to look at his father, "Dad…"
"Hmmm.." His father sent the brief case down.
"Dad?" Matt popped his head out of the kitchen door, almost bumping into his brother. "You're home early."
"I wanted to make sure you were sticking around," His father put his hands in his pockets.
"Seriously?" Matt raised his eyebrow, "You don't trust me?"
"I trusted you enough to have faith that you would give me a phone call when you are late…look where it got me. I stayed up until two o'clock wondering if you were okay, if you were safe…"
"Not this again…." Matt rolled his eyes.
"You know I think I better go…" T.K grabbed his books, "You know homework and all…"
"You don't have to leave," His father watch him reach the door.
"Sure I know but Mum is expecting me and…" T.K stopped, remembering the whole reason Matt is grounded because there father was expecting him home.
"See that," Hiroaki pointed at T.K, "You could learn something from your little brother!"
"Um…I'll catch up with you tomorrow Matt," T.K nodded, "Night Dad."
"Night T.K, be careful going home."
"Always!" T.K shut the door behind him.
"Where are you going?" Hiroaki asked his older son.
"To my room," Matt mumbled. "I really don't want to hear the same shit I heard last night…."
"Matt."
"I get it!" Matt turned to face his father. "You already gave me this lecture and I get it!" He stormed off, slamming his door to his bedroom shut. He threw his books on the floor and sat on the bed with his hands in his hair.
"Matt…" His father opened the door and walked over to his son. "Listen, I…" Hiroaki sat on the bed, placing his hand on Matt's shoulder. "I had a rough time at work and didn't get much sleep…it's no excuse but I am sorry. I should not take it out on you. Your right, I lectured you enough about last night. Please try to understand though," He waited until Matt looked up, "What if you were me? Would you worry if your child were out all night? Not know what happen, if he was all right. It's hard to sit and wait for a phone call that never comes."
"I know and I swear I'm…"
"Sorry, I know." His father brushed Matt's hair away from his forehead. "You know…" Hiroaki looked around Matt's room. "You could clean this place up while you're grounded…"
"I should do my homework first," Matt mumbled, leaving the bed to pick up his schoolwork.
Hiroaki walked towards the door and paused, "Hey Matt."
"Yeah?" Matt asked, not looking up.
"You do know that your mother and I love you…" Hiroaki said softly.
Matt jerked his head up and looked at his father in silence, searching his father's face but read nothing, "Sure. I know." His father nodded his head before shutting the door.
Friday Late Afternoon.
"Guess what I got!" T.K barged through the door to Matt's apartment.
"What are you doing here?" Matt glanced up from the table where he was doing his homework.
"Knowing you and dad, I figure you had nothing enjoyable to eat so I stopped at the restaurant for take out." T.K grinned holding up white foam cartons of food.
"What are you doing here?" Matt repeated himself.
"And I picked up some movies…" T.K took off his jacket; swing it over the back of a chair.
"T.K." Matt interrupted his brother, "What are you doing here?"
"Visiting," T.K blinked.
"I'm grounded…" Matt frowned, returning to his studies.
"Well yeah but dad's not going to throw me out and besides you may not be able to leave doesn't mean we can't visit."
"Whose we?"
"Well me…" T.K said before turning to the refrigerator for a drink.
"And?"
"Ummm…Well Tai will show up and of course Kari and Mimi and um…oh Sora and Izzy…" T.K shrugged. "I tried to tell Davis to get lost but I think he'll pop in."
"Teek, you're going to get me into trouble," Matt sighed.
"Since when did dad ever ground you for something I did? Besides, I am his angel. I cannot do wrong. It's one of the small things I learn to take advantage for living with mum."
Matt rolled his eyes.
"I'm home!" Tai yelled.
"This isn't your home," Matt yelled back.
"Tonight it is." Tai came into the kitchen. "Whatcha doing?"
"Homework…"
"We don't have homework."
"Yes we do," Matt muttered.
"Can I copy…"
"No."
"But…"
"No."
"I'll even it up by…"
"No."
"It would only be this one…"
"No."
"I hate you!"
"No you don't."
"Yes I do."
"No you don't."
"Well I may one day!"
"Not today."
"Maybe not but you never know what tomorrow will bring."
"You won't hate me tomorrow either."
"Monday is a good day to hate you."
"Fine, hate me on Monday." Matt grinned.
It wasn't long before Matt's apartment filled with some of his closest friends. They ate in front of the television, watching several shows. Izzy and Mimi kept debating after each movie was finished. Kari brought out a board game she was able to sucker a few into playing.