Hello, hello! Back with chapter eight. Hmm. I was hoping this would be under 10 chapters, but obviously that's not gonna happen! BUT, I'm hoping I can get Tai and Matt to connect fast, but in this chapter you'll see how much that wolf effected Matt's feeling towards Tai. Reviews make me update faster; Enjoy! Sorry in advance for misspellings.

Yamato

Laying in the hospital is boring. The wolf Taichi gave me makes me feel not so alone though. It's probably 2 am, and I haven't slept yet. I stare at the door. There's a small window, and every so often, someone rushes by, and I make up stories about them. Which of my hospital visits they're attending to. The wolf lays against my chest and I run my fingers a long the same spot, already it's starting to lose the soft fuzz. I think about the boy that gave me the wolf stuffed animal. It actually really bothered me that I couldn't be nice to him. Maybe we just didn't have the connection Takeru and I had, but I found I could not be nice to the boy. I didn't know what it was, either. There was no reason I couldn't be nice. I was nice to Kari. I was nice to Billy. Even Koushiro. I just couldn't be nice to Taichi Yagami. I didn't even know why. I sighed in frustration, and the beeping of my heart monitor picked up. A nurse was in the room within seconds.

"What's the matter, Matt?" She asked, checking the machine by my head.

"Bad dream? I don't know. I'm fine." At my words my heart slowed, and I really was okay. She eyed me suspiciously before turning and walking away. She left the door open. I rolled onto my side, and snuggled the wolf close to me, desperately wishing I had someone to talk to. The wolf smelt like Taichi. Sweet. I buried myself in the wolfs fur. I'd give anything for that stupid, always laughing, idiot to be here. Taichi made me feel safe, even if I couldn't be nice to him. At some point, I fall asleep thinking about Taichi.

The body on top of me his heavy, and I'm choking underneath him. He's screaming words that don't make sense. I don't struggle, although I feel like I'm dying. Suddenly, the weight is moved, and I take a deep breath in, but a second later, the winds knocked back out of me as my body hits the wall. No sound comes from me. A fists connects repeatedly with my body, and I'm gone. I can see him. Andrew. I can see the people behind him, laughing. I hear. There's no feeling I'm gone. There's blood.

"I think you killed him." A girl. Hayley? No, not...

"You're hurting him, stop!" A..Taichi and Hikari.

I jerk into a sitting position and my eyes connect with blue, and there's a small gasp.

"Are you okay Matt?" Hikari. I eye her. I look for Taichi. He's there, too. My wolf in his hands. I yank it away from him and stare him down.

"Sorry, it was on the floor."

"Hmpf!" I flop down onto my pillows, cradling my wolf. Taichi smiles, and I glare at him. His smile fades, but as soon as I look away, him and Kari share a look and the smiles back. I ignore it this time. Taichi has a pretty smile. We all sit silently, and it's kind of awkward. When the doctors show up, I glare at them. Natsuko and Hiroaki follow. They're both smiling. I watch as the doctors remove the wires and tubes in my skin.

"I get to go back to the house?" Takeru looks at me, he noticed I didn't say home.

"Yep, we just wanted to double check you were actually alright before we sent you home." I shake my arm, it feels funny now. I'm well aware of the fact that I have no clothes, and I don't actually want to say anything though, so when the doctors leave, and everyone looks at me, I pull at the end of the hospital gown. It's Taichi that saves me, producing the clothes I had been wearing the Friday I ended up in the hospital.

"They were in my locker." He said. I blinked.

"You were in gym strip," He reminded me. Kari and Natsuko disappear fairly fast, and I sigh.

"Get out." I order the three boys in the room. Taichi moves, and Takeru goes to follow. Hiroaki does not.

"I'm not changing until you're gone, so if you want to stay here, by all means.." He moves. The door slams behind them, and within a minute, I'm joining them. Natsuko wraps her arms around me, and I pat her arm. We begin the walk to the entrance, Natsuko keeps her arm wrapped around my shoulders. At the door to the parking lot, I stop. I twirl and fly back to my room. My wolf is still sitting on the bed, right where I left him. I grab him, and walk back to the group of people waiting for me. It's then that I notice the rain, and the wind. I stare at the whether and breathe out. A hood is placed over my head, and I go with it. I follow Natsuko to the van. Everyone gets in, and I notice that it's Taichi's sweater I'm wearing. I sit in the back with him, letting Kari and Takeru sit together. The traffic was insane, and it took almost an hour to get home. I went straight to my room, keeping Taichi's sweater. I sat next to my door and listened.

"He's not very social, is he?" Hiroaki asked as soon as he heard my door 'shut'

"Would you be?" Takeru. He had obviously been told.

"Why, what happened?" Taichi.

"Never mind, Tai. Go get your sweater so we can go home." I listened as Taichi approached my door, and I slipped away from the floor, and flipped my laptop up and on. Internet was open and running by the time Taichi knocked on my door.

"What do you want?" I ask. I'm Yamato Ranger again. Cold and toneless. Taichi opens my door.

"Uhm, I was just wondering if I could get my sweater back. Kari wants to go home." I throw it at him. He watches me. I stare at the laptop screen.

"I'm glad you're okay." He says, then the door shuts. I turn to glare at him, but I'm too late. I sigh in frustration, and go for my cell phone. The number I dial is one I've only used twice to call. It rings. Once, twice, three times, I think it's going to go to voice mail.

"Hello?" The voice is sleepy. I realize it's 3am there. Whoops.

"People are stupid." I snap. There's a yawn from the other end, and I can hear the boy shifting.

"Matt? What's the matter?"

"I hate people."

"I know that, but, what happened?"

"A stupid boy, and his stupid caring, even though I'm an asshole."

"Are you high?"

"No, are you?"

"Uhm, I was sleeping, dude. It's late." The boy on the other side of the phone is becoming annoyed. I sigh again.

"What boy?" He asks.

"His names Tai."

"Do you like him?" What a fucking stupid question.

"Uh. I don't like anyone."

"Sure, sure. Then why're you being so mean?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe he likes you, and that's why he's being so nice." I've never thought about this. It would explain a lot, but...how do you like someone you don't know?

"We've never met in person, even though you lived in Italy for awhile, I like you." I stay silent. It was true. I've never met Billy in person, and I could easily say I cared about him. We've spoken four times with voices. Normally through short text messages, or e-mails.

"I have to go."

"Good night," Billy hangs up. I sit on my bed. My head's spinning. So much information. What to do with it, though?

Natsuko touches my arm, and my eyes open. I had fallen asleep sitting up. Baby's in my lap, and when I shift, she jumps up and licks my face. I pet her head.

"Yamato, Hiroaki and I have to go away for the night. You have to get ready for school." I blink.

"You're leaving all night?"

"Yes, is that okay? We can ge-"

"It's fine.." She watches me for a minute, then leaves. I get ready for school, and Takeru is up and ready when I get to the kitchen.

"Did they leave already?"

"Yeah. Said something about being gone for the night, coming home late tomorrow. You're in charge." I sigh. What a bunch of idiots.

"Why didn't you sleep in? I thought you didn't have school for another three weeks."

"I don't, but I was asked to walk you to school. Just in case. Whatever that means." I shrug, and play with an apple. Takeru watches me.

"Are you ready for school?"

"I've been the hospital lots before." Takeru doesn't say anything, and I leave it at that. After rolling the apple between my hands for half an hour, we decide to start walking towards school. Takeru slide his shoes on, then looked up at me.

"Can we bring Baby?" He asked. I blink.

"That way I have someone to walk home with.." I look over my shoulder at the growing puppy.

"Wanna go for a walk with T.K?" I ask her. She yelps and her tail starts wagging. She shoots down the hall and returns with her leash in mouth. She drops it at my feet, and T.K picks it up. He grins at me, and out the door we go. We walk in silence. I watch T.K try to control Baby, but he's failing miserably. I can't help but laugh at him. I take the leash from him, and give her a gentle tug to the side. She stops zigzagging instantly. I give him back the leash. Takeru glares at me. I smile innocently. At the school, he promises to be there to pick me up. We gain attention from every one, because of Baby's barking. I pick her up, and the barking stops.

"Shhh, be good." I say, and put her back down. She sits next to T.K and watches me leave. I go to my first class way before the bell rings, but I have a lot of homework I never bothered doing. When the bell rings, I am alone. Taichi joins me as the teacher calls his name. He's out of breath, and his cheeks are pink.

"Run here?"

"Yep." The whisper is barely out of his mouth before the teacher starts lecturing him. The day is going to be long and boring. I zone out through most of my classes. Lunch is eaten alone, and by the time last class comes around, I'm debating on skipping. Taichi appears from behind me.

"What're you doing? We're gonna be late."

"I'm not going."

"What? You just got back."

"I just don't feel like it..." I shrug. Taichi says nothing, and for a minute, I think he's left.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Suit yourself." Taichi seems shocked, but he doesn't say anything. I throw my bag over my shoulder, and Taichi follows me.

"Where are we going?"

"Park? Takeru's supposed to come pick me up, so.." We leave the school, and begin the walk down the street, when someone grabs me from behind.

"Skipping are we Yamato?" My heart stops at the same time my body begins to fight the arms around me. Oh god, no, please, don't let him be here.