Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is purely for my entertainment, and yours.

A/N: Yes, at last here is the months awaited epilogue. I apologize for it being so late. I feel sad ending this story, as it brings back memories of while I was writing it, the experiences I've personally had that I put in this story, etc. Enjoy, and don't forget the final review: )

Also on a second note, I have posted the first chapter of another Taito fic that'll surely be filled with less high school drama and more focus on romances. Second chapter will be up this weekend, so look forward to it!

Thank you to all the readers who have stuck with this story from chapter to chapter. Now that I look back on it, I try to convince myself to re-write it sometime, maybe in a while. I guess a story is never really completely finished.

Epilogue

It was a Thursday was I was sitting on a bleacher, drinking as much water as I could find, waiting for Tai to get done his damned soccer game. I don't think I'd ever been so overheated in my life.

There was a weird time Tai and I had when school was over. We had no idea what we were doing, so we had to sit down and talk about it.

"It's so…different," I remember Tai saying. "I don't know how to act around you."

I couldn't say anything. The only thing I could think of was, We're going to break up. But we didn't. We figured out a way it would work--we just simply wouldn't tell anyone until grade twelve.

I just didn't want to deal with coming out to my parents and classmates until Tai and me were totally comfortable with each other. The summer was for me and Tai, and no one else was going to stop that.

We were in the mall in June, teasing each other and joking around, when Noah walked by us. He looked at me in such a weird way, like he knew we were dating.

And he simply smiled and nodded, like he was happy for me. I always knew Noah was different than Yuki.

Tai ran over to me and stole my bottle of water. "I'll be out in a few minutes, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, knowing a few minutes meant ten. "Give me your keys."

"What?"

"Give me your keys, and I'll wait in there."

Tai dug through his pockets and hesitated. "Geez, Yama, you're getting pretty pissed off."

"Well, it's like a hundred degrees outside, okay? I'd feel a lot better if I waited where there's an air conditioner."

He shook his head. "I kinda like you like this…"

I felt like shoving him. "Just give me the fucking keys, all right?"

Tai pretended to look scared and threw me his car keys. I smiled and walked up the hill, toward the parking lot. When I was finally at Tai's car, I felt like I was gonna pass out. It was so warm out, I had to ask myself if it was worth waiting around for my boyfriend.

"Hi, Yamato."

The voice made me jump with surprise. It also made shivers run down my spine. Even before I turned around, I knew it was Mimi.

"Uh…hi, Mimi."

She was looking at me with such a sad look, it made me want to hug her. All the poor girl wanted was some attention she was probably lacking with her family.

Her hair was darker. She died it from pink to dark brown.

"How--how are you?" she asked me, trying not to make eye contact.

"Good," I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets. "How are you doing?"

"Better. I guess, anyway."

We stood in silence, but it wasn't awkward. Finally, she said, "This was such a rough year."

I nodded. "Are you going back to school in the fall?"

"No," she sighed, half-laughing. "No way. I'm going across the river. I just wouldn't be anble to stand the people here, asking me what happened, asking me…making up rumours, really."

I could have smirked. Mimi made up more rumours than anyone else I knew. The school was full of drama, and it wouldn't have been half as bad if I hadn't met Mimi. Yet there she was, crossing her arms, telling me she was too ashamed of other people to go back to school.

And all that made me do was feel sorry for her.

"I know what you mean," I replied, with more of a sarcastic tone than I intended on.

"Yamato, you have to know what it's like to have Yuki spread all those awful things about me. He told everyone I slept with him over a hundred times, that I wanted to sleep with all his friends…" She sighed. "…but there was only one thing people said about me that was true."

I leaned again Tai's car.

"I had such a crush on you, Yamato. I think it drove me crazy or something. I would spy on Kari, making sure she wasn't hanging out with you all the time. We fought so much, it just…"

I let her go on. I had to. It was like she was telling me her true feelings about what happened, exploding her frustrations to me. She changed so much since June, when I had last seen her break that window. She seemed angry and snotty back then. Now she just seemed sad and regretful.

"Maybe…I was in love with you. I don't know."

"You weren't," I immediately replied. "Love is completely different from a 'crush'. Do you think Yuki was in love with you?"

She shook her head and bit her lip. "No…"

"Exactly."

"But it's not the same anymore. I feel like…I just…"

I hugged her. There wasn't anything more to say, so I hugged her and stroked her hair. She cried on my shoulder. I felt horrible, like her mistakes were my fault.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I feel like everything si my--"

I pulled away. "Don't say that, Mimi."

She kissed my cheek. "Goodbye, Yamato."

Then she left. Even though it would seem like such a weird soap opera moment, I don't think I ever felt such a feeling, like sorrow or something. I wanted to help her.

But Mimi was the kind of girl that no one could help.

I watched her walk away for a few more minutes. When she was out of sight I jumped into the driver's seat. I remembered when I had liked her, partly from pressure and partly from her looks. It was five months earlier, but it felt more like years.

Then I picked her up at her large house. She was the least person you'd expect to be having issues with herself.

I bit my lip and thought about the year. It was hard to remember when Yuki was my best friend, Noah was my buddy, and Dai was the weird guy we hung around with. Now we were all separated, Noah with other friends, Dai with the soccer team…

…and Yuki…God knows where.

Tai jumped into the passenger's seat, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Get out of my seat."

I laughed. "You let me drive before."

"Um…yeah, never letting you do that again."

I started the car and drove. We were keeping light conversation, even though I wasn't listening, until Tai said,

"Did you see that Mimi girl walking on the sidewalk?"

I looked at him. "Yeah. Did you?"

He nodded. "Man, she makes a fucking ugly brunette, huh?"

She didn't look as good as she used to, but I replied, "She didn't look too bad."

We drove in silence. I was smiling because I knew I was smiling. Things all seemed to work out for me in the end with Tai and everyone else. I had to wonder if it was set up; it seemed so unrealistic. Sure, Tai and I had our arguments, but we were happy.

I knew we were.

"Remember all that shit she did?" Tai asked, shaking his head, as if reading my mind. "Man, she was one messed up girl. I knew she'd be a terrible friend to Kari."

"Well, I think she's…better now."

Tai shrugged. "I hope so. Wasn't she, like, obsessed with you?"

"I don't know," I lied.

"So guess who's at my house last night when I come home?"

I faced him. "Who?"

"Daisuke Motomiya. He was taking my little sister on a date."

"What?" I cried, wondering how Dai won Kari over.

"Things are so different now. It seems like ever since me and you became friends again, everything just got a little more…confusing, I guess, you know?"

"I know exactly what you mean."

Tai put his hand on my knee. "They got better, too."

That certainly surprised me. Tai wasn't normally all touchy-feely with anyone, so I smiled and turned to him. "Yeah.," I replied, putting my hand on his. "I know."

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Finn

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