Dear Readers,

Here is the third chapter. I'm sorry about not updating recently. School has been pretty hectic. But now it is the end of the year and so I will try to update more frequently. :D

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: We do not own Digimon and are not making any profit from it.

The Party

Kari's POV

A sharp knocking came from the door. Everyone knew who it was and the once cheerful chatting fell silent, with everyone staring at the door. The knocking came again.

Yolei slowly walked towards the door. She gestured to the rest of them to continue their conversations. Kari could hear Yolei open the door down the hall.

"I'm glad you could make it!" She heard Yolei say. A grunt was heard in response. Footsteps came up the hall and Yolei appeared with TK beside her. TK looked around the room with his bright blue orbs. But they were no longer full of happiness. The boy who was once full of hope was now stripped of it.

Kari looked at TK. She remembered what Sora had told her.

*Flashback*

"I think it started when you left" Said Sora.

"What started?" Kari asked. She wanted to get her answers quickly.

"Well we're not actually that sure." Matt replied anxiously.

"You see," Sora said slowly. "After you left he started acting a bit weird. We didn't notice it at first, but as the weeks drew on it worsened and we saw that something was wrong." Sora squeezed Matt's hand.

"TK stopped talking to people and just locked himself up in his room." Matt continued. "When people went in there he would just yell at them to get out. If we didn't do that he would get up and punch us in the face." Matt's eyes grew shiny and Sora continued, sparing Matt of reliving the sad times.

"We tried to help him and asked what was wrong. He would just sit there and stare at the wall. He never did anything else. For a couple of weeks we couldn't get him to go to school but then on the Monday of the third week he just got up and went there." Sora's flow of words stopped for a moment while she sobbed. "After that he spent all his time doing school work and training for basketball. He became the smartest kid and the best basketball player but he didn't boast. In fact he didn't say anything." Sora stopped, she didn't have anything else really to add.

"Sometimes I would come home when TK didn't know it and I would hear him crying in his room." Matt said, his eyes glazed, reliving the many moments in the past years.

Kari just sat there listening the whole time. Not once did she butt in or ask questions but just sat, starting at the wall as TK did.

*Flashback ends*

TK sat on a chair facing the window and sat there staring out the window. Kari walked over; she felt she had to say something. When she reached him she noticed that his eyes were shiny and a small drop of liquid was slowly dribbling down his face.

"TK..." Kari said, at loss of words.

"You didn't reply." TK said, still looking out the window. He didn't look at Kari once.

"What?" Kari asked, puzzled. TK turned around and looked her in the eye. His eyes were filled with pain.

"I called you. You never answered. I left messages but you never replied. I..." TK's voice wavered. He bowed his head, Kari guessed to hide his tears, and turned back to the window.

Suddenly Kari realised what must have happened. When her phone line got cut no one could get through. So of course they left messages. But Kari ended up getting her phone replaced and so the messages weren't heard. No one bothered to call after those two months so TK never got through to Kari.

He must have felt rejected by his best friend. But why didn't he bounce back. Wasn't that what TK did?

Kari realised how her moving to Australia had affected, not only TK but everyone else as well (they had to deal with TK). Of course, she blamed herself.

Kari was a nice, pretty girl. She was good at sports and quite a musician, and she was admired in academics. She loved drawing and painting in her spare time, so she was quite good at that as well. But she had one fault. And that was that she always blamed herself when other people got hurt, or bullied... or basically anything negative.

So it was only natural that she blamed herself for TK being so depressed. Right now she felt so ashamed that she almost started crying.

"I'm so sorry! When we got to Australia our phone cut out. And so we had to get it replaced and it took two months to get the new phone." Kari gabbled. "So when we finally got the new phone any messages that would've been left had gone. I'm sooooooo sooooo sorry. I should have never moved to Australia. Well, my parents made me... but I could have fought against them more and-" TK butt in.

"Stop!" Kari's mouth shut instantly. TK was still looking out the window. He nodded and turned to look at Kari.

"I didn't know about the phone business." Tk said. "Besides, it wasn't your fault." Once again Tk's voice wavered but this time it wasn't from hurt but from something much different. His eyes grew wet. Suddenly he flung his arms at Kari and wrapped them around her in a bear hug.

Kari gasped from shock. Tk took this as a negative sign and started to draw away but Kari saw this and returned the hug. Tk pulled Kari to his chest and he bent his head over Kari's. Kari felt a small wet drop of water drip onto her neck. This was followed by another drop. And another. And another. Was Tk... crying?

Soon there were multiple drops falling down at once, splashing onto her neck. Now Kari could hear the sobs and gasps and feel his chest jump as he wept.

Kari drew back and looked at Tk. His face was red from the crying and he quickly wiped away his tears, drawing in long breaths.

He must have cared a lot about me for him to have reacted like this.

Kari frowned. It couldn't just be that they were best friends could it? It must be! Being rejected like that by your best friend must hurt. Yes, that must be it.

"Are you ok?" Tk asked. Kari realised that she still must have been frowning. "I'm sorry," Tk continued. "I shouldn't..."

"Oh don't worry about it! I was just thinking." Kari said quickly.

"Oh, ok." Tk said.

"Now," said Kari cheerfully. "Let's get some food!" Tk smiled, for the first time in five years.

"Ok." He said. So, to the surprise of the other people in the room who couldn't help but watch as the encounter went on, Tk got up and followed Kari to the nibbles table.

Matt's POV

It was later in the party and Tk was standing amongst Yolei and the other guests. He was taking little part in the conversation but at least he had some. Usually, he would, if he came at all, sit in the corner looking at his feet or spent his time staring out the window.

Matt marvelled at what Kari had done. Tk must've had a strong bond with the girl when she was younger. Matt still was sure what had happened but whatever it was Kari had fixed it.

Matt smiled as Kari went to top up her drink and Tk followed. Matt's brother had been following Kari all night. He seemed unsure at what to do when she wasn't there.

Matt jumped as Yolei's grandfather clock chimed. He looked at the time. It was 11 o'clock. Cody had gone home at 9:30. He had a curfew and, as he wasn't 18 yet, couldn't drink, so there wasn't much use in staying on.

They had all drunk quite a lot but Kari had drunk the most by far. As she began to pour herself another glass she stumbled and fell. The wine bottle flew through the air and landed on her head, knocking her out.

So there's the end of the third chapter.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Please feel free to review. I'm open to advice.

Angel of Peace