Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Everything You Want ❯ Everything You Want ( Chapter 1 )

Pre-A/N: Written in the eighth grade. Don't hate.

            ; A/N: Hey! I'm out with my second fanfic, finally! I hope you enjoy, and just for the record, be on guard. This story can contain any couple throughout the plot. Any couple. That means it could be anything from normal to yaoi to yuri to even incest. Okay, I'm kidding. I wouldn't go that far. Just watch out and don't conclude that it's a terrible story just because you hate the couple. We're all entitled to our own opinion. R&R. Luv ya!

            ; Disclaimer: Since when do I own anything but my shoes? Digimon belongs to Toei & Bandai. The song belongs to Vertical Horizon. So there. ^_^

Everything You Want

By Faerie

* * *

“Somewhere there's speaking

It's already coming in,

Oh and it's rising at the back of your mind.

You never could get it

Unless you were fed it,

Now you're here and you don't know why…”

            ; Mimi Tachikawa sat in the basking shadows of the moonlight's glow. The night she had been waiting for so long was to arrive in a matter of time. In approximately three nights, her first prom was to fall… and she had the perfect date for it. He was cute, he was popular, and she knew that not one girl in school wasn't dying to have him for a date. Heck, even tomboyish Sora was pining over the guy! Yeah… her ideal man was the one and only… Matt Ishida. Of course there was that little task of getting him to ask her, but that should be no problem. That blondie would be hers in no time, thanks to her quick charm, good looks, and heavenly personality.

            ; 3… 2… 1… and let the games begin. Mimi sat up as she saw Matt's forest green pick up truck pull into his driveway. She had been waiting for him to come home for what seemed like forever. She quickly checked out her reflection in the mirror, and then stepped out of her candy-apple red convertible. Her brand new silk skirt blew wildly in the wind as she tried calming it while approaching her soon-to-be date.

            ; “Hey! Matt!” she yelled, waving her hands wildly as Matt turned and noticed her. “Fancy meeting you here!” she giggled.

            ; “Yeah… I live here.” He casually pointed out.

            ; “I know that, silly!” she giggled some more. “I was just wondering… you know, with the prom coming up and all, everyone's asking out everyone else, and I just realized that I don't really have a date so-“

            ; “You were wondering if I'd go with you.” Matt finished for her.

            ; “Yeah! So… you want to?”

            ; Matt raised his eyebrows. “No offense or anything, Mimi, but school dances aren't really my scene.”

            ; “Oh, that's no problem, my dad could just-“ Mimi stopped, suddenly realizing what Matt had just said. Was he… rejecting her? She began to feel dizzy. Nobody had ever said no to her before. But why?

            ; “Mimi…” Matt started to laugh. “Relax. My band's playing there that night. And I don't have a date either, so if you want me to be yours, I'll be happy to.”

            ; Mimi breathed a sigh of relief. So he didn't say no.

“That's great!” she exclaimed, with a big grin on her face. “Well, I'll let you go now! See you at school tomorrow! And don't forget to vote for me for prom queen!” Mimi walked back to her car with her head up high. This was going to be the best prom yet!

* * *

          “Oh my God! Did you hear? Mimi Tachikawa's going to prom with Matt Ishida!”

            ; “No way! He's so fine!”

            ; “I know! Why would he want to go with a bimbo like her when he could have a goddess like me?”

            ; The sound of gossip was in the air that morning as Joe stepped into school. So that was who Mimi's date is. He thought, somewhat disappointed. Oh well, Joe, you can't have everything. He rounded the corner to his locker and spied on Tilley Washi as she hung up the last of her campaign posters on the wall. Tilley was Mimi's competition, if you could even call it that, since she wasn't exactly… pretty. Why, she couldn't even get a decent campaign manager!

            ; Joe opened his locker and took out some badges he made for Mimi's own campaign. She had assigned him the position as her manager, probably because of his tendency of being reliable, whether he liked it or not. And he liked it. Although he didn't like to admit it, he was fond of the 15-year-old girl. Wow. Him, a senior, in love with a mere sophomore. Pitiful.

            ; He began to walk towards his first class when he spotted Mimi by the water fountain. She was talking to Sora about something. He walked closer and decided to listen in on their conversation.

“… you are so lucky. You guys make the sweetest couple.”

   

            ; “I know. He's so nice, too. But why do you seem so disturbed about it? Do you like Matt?”

            ; Sora sighed. “No, it's just, well, I always thought you and Joe would end up dating. I mean, you and Matt hardly ever had a conversation together, and Joe seems to care a lot about you. Have you ever thought about that?”

            ; “Oh, him? He's like an annoying weed.” Mimi answered. “Joe's nice and everything, he's just kind of… nerdish. What would people think if I were with him? My reputation would be ruined! He's just not my type of guy… ” her voice trailed off as she spotted Joe standing behind an old school banner, looking like his heart tore into a million pieces. Oh no… she thought as she hurriedly pushed her way past Sora and walked towards the poignant spectator.

            ; “Joe!” she yelled, but it was too late. He was gone.

“But under the skinned knees and the skid marks,

Past the places where you used to learn,

You howl and listen,

Listen and wait for

Echoes of Angels that won't return…”

          &n bsp; “You traitor!”

            ; “Huh?” Matt peered up at the angry face of his friend, Tai Kamiya. “Oh hey, Tai, what's up?”

            ; “When were you planning to tell me you were engaged to Mimi? I didn't even know you guys were an item! Dude, I'm supposed to be your best friend!!”

            ; Matt sat there in confusion before registering what his brown-haired buddy had just said. “Um, Tai, I think you should know that 1) I'm not engaged to Mimi, 2) We're not an item, I'm only taking her to the dance as part of friendship, and 3) Why are you acting so jealous?”

            ; “I'm not jealous! It's just that I suspect you to tell me these things.”

            ; “We're not girls, Tai. Don't act like one.”

            ; “I'm not acting like a girl!” Tai rolled his eyes. “Did you know that Mimi's telling the whole school how you romantically swept her off her feet last night and begged to go to the prom with her?”

            ; “No way,” Matt stood up. “Please tell me you're lying.”

            ; “Nope.”

            ; “Damn…” he closed his eyes. Why would Mimi be spreading rumors about them? She knew how much he hated gossip! And didn't he clarify the fact they'd only be going as friends? He was probably going to have to confront her about this.

            ; “So the rumors aren't true then?” Tai hopefully inquired.

            ; “No. She asked me. And I only like her as a friend, nothing more.” Matt said. “Now excuse me, I've gotta go do something.”

            ; Tai watched as his friend stormed down the halls in a cloud of fury. Should I believe him? He wondered. What was he thinking? Matt was his best friend! Why would he say anything otherwise?

* * *

            ; This is all my fault… Mimi sat down on a wooden bench and sighed. She shouldn't have said those things about Joe. He was almost like her best friend. Almost. And what she did could have really hurt the campaign. God, Mimi, stop being such a bitch! She thought. She just hurt one of her friends' feelings, and naturally all she could think about was herself. How selfish. How inconsiderate. Why was she like this? Why couldn't she just have kept her big mouth shut?

            ; “Who do you think you are?”

            ; Mimi looked up and saw the looming figure of Matt Ishida. Great. He was right there when she needed him the most. What a great boyfriend.

            ; “I'm not your boyfriend. And don't even think of saying I was flirting with you last night, `cause I wasn't. How could you say all that BS about `us'?”

            ; Mimi sat there, bewildered, as Matt ranted on and on about numerous things he'd heard throughout the day.

            ; “But… I never said any of that stuff…” she tried to explain.

            ; “Oh really?!!” Matt proclaimed in disbelief. “Just like you never told anyone we were an item?!”

            ; “But we are, aren't we?” Mimi questioned.

            ; “NO!!” Matt sat down and gave Mimi a sidelong glance. “I'm sorry Mimi, but I just don't feel anything for you. The only reason I'm going to the dance with you was because we were friends, and I felt sorry that the prom queen didn't have a date.”

            ; Mimi felt herself melting quicker and quicker into the depths of hurt and disbelief. Why is he being so mean? She thought. Does he really mean the words he's saying?

          &n bsp; “Mimi, I hate to do this, but I'm gonna have to break our date. I don't think I can handle this whole `us' thing. Besides, you're cute, I'm sure you can find another date.” And with that, he took off down the hall, not looking back for a second.

            ; The whole world had collapsed for Mimi, and it was all because of her big mouth. Why did she always have to stretch the truth? Why couldn't she have kept her thoughts and opinions to herself? Why couldn't she be more like Sora? Nobody ever gets mad at Sora, she thought sadly. Everyone respects her because they could trust her. But no one can ever trust me. I'll always be Mimi the Liar.

          &n bsp; “How could you?” Mimi vaguely heard a voice say. “I know I'm a big nerd and a geek and everything, and that you'd never go for a guy like me, but we were friends. Friends don't talk about each other that way. How could you be so cruel to me? Am I just an annoying weed like you say I am, because I could always get out of your way. That's what you want, isn't it? Well, let me tell you something! Even if I may act like a jack-ass, it doesn't mean I am one, so if you're willing to give up a perfectly good friendship based on looks alone, that just proves your own shallowness, and egotistical persona, so don't think I can't dump you first, because I can. Just because I'm a coward doesn't give you the right to step all over me like an over-used rug, Mimi. I can't believe you could be such a self-centered bitch!”  

            ;

            ; Mimi glanced up at the distressed expression on Joe Kido's face before bursting into tears.

            ; “I-I'm so sorry Joe!” she sobbed. “I know how snobby I'm being, and I'm sorry. I never meant any of those things I said. I'll understand it if you never want to talk to me again. If I were you, I'd hate me too.” Then she sunk down onto the floor and bawled her eyes out like a baby.

            ; “Mimi…” Then, before she knew it, Joe picked her up by the arms and set her back down on the bench. “It'll be okay, Mimi.” He whispered, gently caressing her soft hair. “I'll always be there for you, no matter what.”

            ; “I know…” she replied softly. Joe… why are you being so good to me? After what I said… how come? They sat there a few minutes more, neither of them speaking a word. Mimi then realized how right that moment felt… and yet it was horribly wrong.

“He's everything you want,

he's everything you need,

He's everything inside of you

That you wish you could be,

He says all the right things

At exactly the right time,

But he means nothing to you

and you don't know why…”

          &n bsp; Joe sighed as he stood on the cold porch of an endearing home. He was about to do something he vowed he'd never do in his entire life. C'mon Joe, you can do this. He knocked on the door. After a few moments, the familiar bucket hat of TK Takaishi appeared, along with a friendly smile.

            ; “Hey Joe! I haven't seen you in a while! Whatcha been up to lately?”

            ; “Not much,” Joe answered. “I was just wondering if I could talk to Matt.”

            ; “Um, yeah, sure, let me get him for you.” TK ran inside and Joe could hear the distinct cries for his older brother throughout the house. “He'll be right down!!” TK yelled. After some time, Matt finally reached the door, dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers.

            ; “Hey Joe, what's up?”

            ; “I need to ask a favor of you.” Joe replied. “Can I come in?”

            ; “Oh sure!” Matt stepped back letting the blue-haired boy through the doorway. He led Joe to the living room where Kari and TK were watching a movie. “So whaddya wanna talk about?”

            ; Joe stole a look at the two younger kids who were taking interest in the conversation. “Um, do you think we could go somewhere a little more… private?” he asked.

            ; “Okay…” Matt said uncertainly as he walked Joe to his bedroom. “So now what?”

            ; Joe trailed his eyes towards the open door. “Well, do you think you can close the door?”

            ; Matt rolled his eyes, exasperated, as he trudged towards his door and closed it. “Happy?”

            ; “Are you sure no one can hear us?” Joe stipulated.

            ; Matt threw his hands up in frustration. “Joe, the only other private place we can go to is the bathroom, and trust me, you don't want to go there!”

            ; “Okay, okay!” Joe pushed his glasses up. “So I heard you dumped Mimi.”

            ; “How could I? We were never together in the first place.” Matt bluntly stated.

            ; “You hurt her feelings, you know.”

            ; Matt sighed. “Look, I'm sorry I yelled at her like that, and I admit, I may have overreacted a little, but you would too, if some girl started saying untrue things about you.”

            ; “But that's the difference between the both of us!” Joe cried. “While you continue to push all the girls away, I'm here wishing I was you! Can't you see how many girls would die to go out with you, and how many guys would die to be you? God, Matt, are you blind or something? You have everything! You're everything a girl could ever want and more! Why are you always acting like a callous fool?”

            ; “You have no right to say that about me!” Matt yelled. “You don't know me at all, so don't you dare go judging people you've hardly ever talked to!”

            ; Joe was silent at this. He did know Matt. He knew Matt a long time ago when they were kids, and he knew that Matt would never turn his back on any of his friends. There was something bothering Matt, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

            ; “Look, all I'm asking is that you give Mimi a chance. If you don't like her, then you can go ahead and do whatever you want. I don't care. Just give her a chance. Take her to the dance.”

            ; Matt sat there for a moment before speaking. “Okay. Fine. If take her to the stupid dance, will you stop bothering me?”

            ; “Yeah, sure.”

            ; “Good. I'm sorry I yelled at you, and can you please leave.”

            ; “Okay.” Joe stood up and walked towards the door.

            ; “Joe?”

            ; “Huh?”

            ; “You should voice your opinions more often. People will really listen.”

            ; Joe turned red at this, and muttered a quick, “Thank you” before letting himself out.

 

            ; Matt sat there with his head on his pillow before taking out his guitar. He strummed a few chords, then stopped. Joe's right. He thought. What was wrong with him? He was getting moodier and moodier by the day. Why did he have such a problem with going to a simple dance with a beautiful girl? It was what normal high school kids did. Besides, he'd probably have the time of his life with Mimi. He just had to give her a chance. But why did he feel so doubtful about it? It was a part of life! Many people had said that he and Mimi made a great couple, but he never thought more of it. Maybe I do like her, I just don't know it yet…he thought uneasily. Maybe he was just afraid of  commitment. After all, it was the number one thing guys were afraid of these days, right?

* * *

            ; Joe sighed as he walked down the cold gusty roads. He had done it. He had conquered his fears and had stood up to Matt. But for what? To make Mimi happy. A voice in his head whispered. It was right. Joe had given up any breathing chance he had with Mimi, and told Matt to take her. And he doubted that Matt had even wanted her. But as fate would have it, he'd end up alone and miserable no matter what the outcome. Well at least he knew he had courage. It may not be as strong as Tai's courage, but it was courage nonetheless.

            ; But you don't care about that, do you? The voice in his head had aroused again. It was right. Right now, Joe couldn't care less if he had the courage to lead a one-man army against millions of evil Digimon. The only thing he cared about was Mimi, and it was tearing him up inside, knowing the fact that he could never have her.

“You're waiting for someone to put you together,

You're waiting for someone to push you away,

There's always another wound to discover,

There's always something more you wish he'd say…”

          &n bsp;

            ; It was the next day at school. The prom was tomorrow, and Mimi was one short a date. Who can I possibly go with now? She asked herself. Matt was her last chance to go with anyone at all! She was a complete and total wreck. Who would want her now?

            ; “Uh, Mimi?”

            ; Mimi looked up at the sound of her name. It was Matt. “Yes, Matt?”

            ; “Look, about yesterday…” Matt paused, apparently lost for words. C'mon Ishida, just say it!  He ran his fingers through his hair, contemplating what to say next. “I'm uh, sorry about what I said to you yesterday, and I just want you to um, know that I didn't mean anything I said and that I'd be happy to take you to the dance tomorrow.” There. He said it. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Mimi. She looked as if nothing had happened.

            ; “Why, Matt, that was very sweet of you to ask again, but if I was interested in going with a friend, then I might as well have asked Joe or Tai or God forbid, Sora.”

            ; Matt gawked in disbelief. He had asked her to the dance, and now she was declining?! What more did she want from him? Suddenly an idea came to his head. Kiss her! Matt was startled at the sudden thought. As popular as he was, he had never kissed a girl, much less asked one out until now. Kiss her! The voice said again. What was going on? Should he listen to it? Aw, what the heck, what'd he have to lose?

            ; Mimi gasped in surprise as Matt leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. What was he doing?  Eventually, she relaxed and smiled to herself. This is kinda fun! She thought. Maybe a little tongue… Suddenly a voice interrupted her thoughts.

            ; “Just friends, huh?”

            ; Matt and Mimi abruptly broke apart and glanced at their interruption. There, standing against the wall a few feet away from them was Tai.

            ; “You know Matt, I actually believed you there for a second when you told me you had no interest in Mimi, whatsoever. I guess I was wrong to believe you.”  Tai shook his head and walked away.

            ; “Tai!” Matt began to chase after him when he remembered Mimi standing there. “Oh crap…” He muttered to himself.

            ; “Go ahead, Matt.” Mimi whispered quietly. “Talk to him. I'll understand.”

            ; “Really?” Matt asked her. She nodded her head. “Thanks. See you tomorrow?” But before Mimi could answer, he was gone. 

“He's everything you want

He's everything you need

He's everything inside of you

That you wish you could be

He says all the right things

At exactly the right time

But he means nothing to you

And you don't know why…”

            ; “Tai! Wait up!” Matt ran along side of his best friend, panting every few seconds. Running was not his thing. “Tai! Dude, let me talk to you!”

            ; “What's there to talk about, Matt?”

            ; “Just stop for a minute and let me talk!” Matt said. Tai stopped, but said nothing. “Look, man, I'm sorry I lied about not having feelings for Mimi, but things happen, and you remember what we learned when we were kids, right? You can't change your destiny!”

            ; Tai took a deep breath and looked at Matt. “You don't get it, do you?”

            ; Matt stared at Tai, confused. “What's there not to get?”

            ; “This isn't about whether or not you lied to me Matt! This is about something way deeper than that, something you obviously don't understand.”

            ; Matt felt his face heating up with anger. Why was Tai being so complicated? “Tai, it's just a freakin' date! Why are you being such an narrow-minded idiot about this!”

            ; “You're the one being the idiot Matt. You know you don't really like Mimi. It's just a cover up from the truth.”

            ; “What truth? There's no other truth! God, Tai, why won't you believe me?”

            ; “It's not whether or not you believe me, it's whether or not you believe yourself!”

            ; Matt raised his fist at Tai. “You have no right to tell me what I should believe in!”

            ; “Well it's the truth, and obviously you can't handle it!” Tai shoved Matt aside and walked away.

            ; “Don't you dare start running away from me, Kamiya!” he yelled.

            ; Tai stopped and bit his lip. “That's funny.” He stated calmly. “You should take your own advice, Ishida.” Then he disappeared into the light of day.

            ; “What does he mean by stop running away?” Matt muttered. The truth… could it be? Matt slapped himself on the head. How could he have been so blind! Tai liked Mimi! Oh well. That's too bad, because she belonged to Matt now.

“But you'll just sit tight

And watch it unwind

It's only what you're asking for,

And you'll be just fine

With all of your time,

It's only what you're waiting for…”

            ; It was the night of the dance. Mimi checked herself out in the mirror and smiled. This was gonna be the perfect night! If she had her luck, everything would go according to plan. Matt would officially state his commitment to her, she'd be crowned prom queen, and then she'd rise to the top of the popularity pyramid. Of course, she was already on top, this would just assure her claim to fame.

            ; “Mimi! You're date's here!”

            ; “I'm coming mom!” Mimi rushed downstairs to greet the handsome face of Matt Ishida. He looked gorgeous with his long blond hair covering his face, and was dressed in a classy suit that could only be Armani. Mimi tossed her hair back and stopped on the doorstep as she striked her sexiest pose. “Hi, Matt.” She cooed.

            ; Matt turned red at the come-on, especially in front of her parents, and muttered a quick hello before walking Mimi to his truck. When they got in, he quickly explained his situation. “Okay, I told you before that my band was performing. When we get there, we'll probably have time for a quick dance before I need to get up on stage. After that, we'll probably have a break when I can dance with you some more, then they'll announce the prom queen. My band will perform one last song, and afterwards, we should have the whole night to ourselves. Is that alright with you?”

            ; “Of course!” Mimi replied. This was by far the best night of her life! What was better, was that everyone would know she was with Matt! How great was that?

            ; When they got to school, however, Matt was called on stage early for a quick warm-up. “I'll see you later, Mimi.” He smiled, then left her with Joe to talk over her acceptance speech.

            ; “So…you and Matt got back together, eh?” Joe asked nervously.

            ; “Well, yeah. Isn't he the greatest?”

            ; “Didn't he mention anything about, you know, how he decided to ask you out again?”

            ; Mimi frowned. “Yeah. He told me he just was in a crappy mood yesterday. Why do you want to know so much, anyways?”

            ; “No reason.” Joe lied. How could Matt have taken all the credit for it? He thought. Wasn't he, Joe, the one who talked him into asking her out? And Matt had been so reluctant about it, too. That just angered him.

            ; “Ooh! Look Joe!” Mimi interrupted his thoughts.  “They're starting!”

            ; Matt walked up to the microphone and cleared his voice. “Um, ladies and gents! Welcome and good evening! I know your all excited, and so am I, and I'd like to introduce you to my band. I'm Matt Ishida, and this is the Garuru Pack. I don't want to bore you all now, so just sit tight and listen to our…groovy tunes?” Matt looked at the drummer who had written the speech earlier and gave him a weird look. “Er, um, yeah, just listen to the music. 1, 2, 3, JAM!”

            ; Mimi watched attentively as her boyfriend rocked the bass while singing his latest hit. She never realized how hot he looked on stage with his shirt unbuttoned. She was so lucky to have him. “Joe c'mon, let's dance!” She pulled Joe onto the dance floor and displayed her best moves while Joe stood there, red in the face.

            ; “Mimi, I don't think I want to do this.” He mumbled.

            ; “Joe, it's easy! You just shake your hips to the left, and shake it to the right, and-“

            ; “I said, I don't want to do this!” Joe yelled, and stormed off into the crowd.

            ; “Whoa, talk about major PMS.” Mimi remarked, looking for someone else to dance with. “Hey, Izzy!”

“Out of the island

Into the highway

Past the places where you might have turned

You never did notice

But you still hide away

The anger of angels who won't return…”

      “Calm down, Kido.” Joe said to himself as he watched Mimi pull a flabbergasted Izzy along for a dance. It was obvious how much Izzy was hating it, but what could he say? He hated Matt. That's all he knew right then. He should've left him in that cave when they were kids. How many times had Joe managed to save Matt's carcass, and not be thanked for doing so? Plenty. Matt Ishida had some nerve trying to be the big man on campus. Just look at him, Mr. Big shot performing on stage, just knowing about the millions of girls willing to die for his attention. What was Joe feeling? No, not jealousy. Anger. He was angry. He was angry at Matt for taking everything he had for granted. He was angry at Mimi for not seeing who truly cared about her, who her real friends were. But most of all, he was angry at himself for letting her get away. Not only did he let he get away, he encouraged it. What was he thinking, letting Matt have Mimi? Matt didn't deserve her! She deserved better than that! Oh, and like you're any better? Joe thought to himself. He knew he wasn't. If he deserved Mimi, then he would've had the sense to tell her that years ago, when they were in the Digiworld. But he was too chicken to do it then, just like he was too chicken to do it now. The reason he told Matt to go with Mimi wasn't because he wanted Mimi to be happy. He knew she would never be truly happy with Matt. No, he pushed Matt toward her because he was too scared to deal with the truth. The truth that he was in love with Mimi Tachikawa.

      “Hey, everyone, I'd like to present to you a song I wrote a couple of weeks ago.” Matt's voice interrupted Joe's thoughts. “I didn't know it then, but this song was inspired by the reason I'm alive.” Matt glanced around the crowd and locked his eyes with Mimi's. “Mimi Tachikawa, this one's for you:  When I'm feelin' down / And I'm all alone / You'll be there / On the healin' throne / You know just what to say / When my world's a mess / It's because of you that I'm the best…” Matt paused for the short guitar interlude. He kept his eyes focused on Mimi until he noticed something out of the corner of his eye: Tai. What was he doing here? Tai had always hated dances, so why was he here? Whatever the reason, Matt quickly dismissed it and took the mike again. “We were friends for life / That you can't deny / No matter what we shared / It could be no lie / You are the one / You're my everything / All the happiness / In my world, you bring…” Matt's eyes left Mimi's once again, and landed on Tai's. Tai shook his head and, Matt could've sworn he saw something he hadn't seen in Tai in a long time: Tears. There was something about the way Tai looked at him that made Matt dizzy. What was wrong with him? Why did he suddenly feel like his stomach was in his mouth? There was no time for Matt to worry about that though, he had to perform. “Can you hear me? / You're my therapy for the soul / Can you see me? / You're the one that's in control /  `Cause when the ride is over / And the sun shines through/ You'll find out that I'm / Just another part of you. / Yeah… another part of you.”

      Matt stepped back, his head beginning to hurt. He could swear he heard Tai's voice echoing in his head. “Don't run from the truth, Matt,” it was saying. What truth was he talking about? If Tai really did like Mimi… no it wasn't that. If his friend liked her, he would've said something already. So what was it? Matt felt like he knew, but for some reason, something was keeping him from remembering. Remembering what? The answer was so close…

      “Man, you're up!” he heard the guitar front man whisper to him. But Matt couldn't answer. The “truth”, whatever it was, was just within his grasp, and he knew if he started singing again, he'd never figure it out. What could it be?

      Mimi looked at Matt inquisitively as he stood on the stage, staring into space. What was his problem? Did he forget the words? She noticed the guy with the guitar nudge him a couple of times, but there was no response. Finally, she heard someone yell something that she took as a joke at first, but watched in horror at what was about to happen.

      “Yo, Ishida, quit staring at Kamiya like he's your freakin' soul mate, and sing!”

      Kamiya. Soul mate. Suddenly it hit Matt like a hundred mile hurricane. Everything, the alibis, the arguments, they weren't about him and Mimi! They were about something else entirely! And the song… it wasn't for Mimi at all! He wrote the song for Tai! Tai was the reason he didn't feel right around girls! He had been fooling himself all those years, and Tai knew, but didn't say anything! Well Matt wouldn't deny it any longer. He knew that Tai was the man for him.

      Matt jumped down from the stage and pushed his way past the crowd towards Tai. “Tai,” he whispered. “I'm sorry.”

      “That's okay.” Tai whispered back. “I'm sorry for bursting out on you like that earlier.”

      “Why did you come? You knew I'd be with Mimi.”

      “I know. But I couldn't miss my best friend's first live performance.”

      Matt smiled. “I'm not gonna lie to us anymore, Tai. I'm ready to handle the truth.”

      “I'm glad. Let's get outta here.”

      Everyone stared at the twosome, wondering what was happening. They all were rendered speechless as Tai and Matt walked out of the gym, and into the night. No one said a word until Mimi finally spoke up. “I can't believe it… how could this happen…” She felt herself loose control of her feet and ran outside to look for Matt, but found herself a second too late. Matt was gone. Mimi was on the verge of tears when she heard the faint voice of the school principal, ready to announce the winner of prom queen. She quickly composed herself and walked back into the gym.

      “Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that we will dismiss tonight's event and focus on the real deal: Our Prom Queen. And king of course, but we all know how much smarter girls are than boys.” A nervous laughter flowed through the gym as the principal raised the scroll in her hand containing the winner's name and said, “This year's Prom Queen honor will belong to… Tilley Washi!”

      Mimi felt herself collapse onto the ground. How could she lose everything in one night? Her campaign, her boyfriend, what was next? Her sanity? She could feel her reputation slide further and further away from her and onto Tilley Washi. Mimi knew she would no longer be popular after this. Would she even have any friends? She glanced around and spotted her clique crowded around Tilley. So she had lost her friends too.

      “Mimi, are you okay?” Mimi looked up to find Joe holding out a hand to help her up. How could she have forgotten about Joe?

      “Oh Joe, it's terrible.” She gasped. “Matt's not what I thought he was, and that Tilley slut won my title and stole all my friends…”

      “It's okay.” Joe whispered. “I'm here.”

      Mimi burst into tears. “Joe… I don't know what I'd do without you…”

      “How `bout I take you home?” Joe suggested. “We'll take my car.”

      “Yes, please.” Mimi wiped her eyes. Joe was always there when she needed him. How could she have forgotten that? Ever since they were kids, he was there to bail her out, and had always been with her when she needed him the most. Why couldn't she be happy with him?

“He's everything you want

he's everything you need

He's everything inside of you

That you wish you could be

He says all the right things

At exactly the right time

But he means nothing to you

And you don't know why…”

     

      “Thank you so much.”

      “Yeah…” Joe felt himself turn red. “Don't mention it.” He walked Mimi to her door and stopped. Mimi was still crying and he felt he owed her something. Like what, the truth? He could just imagine himself telling her about the secret crush he had on her for 6 years… yeah, like that would go over well.

      “Thanks again, Joe.” Mimi smiled sadly and began to open the door.

“I am everything you want

I am everything you need

I am everything inside of you

that you wish you could be

I say all the right things

At exactly the right time,

But I mean nothing to you

And I don't know why…”

 

      “Mimi… wait!” Joe heard himself say. “I…I love you.” There. He had said it. All the feelings he had pent up inside of him was finally out in the open. He stared at Mimi and tried to read her reaction.

      “Oh, Joe…”

“Why…”

      Mimi shook her head. “I'm sorry Joe. I don't feel the same way.”

      Joe felt like a knife had been jabbed right through his stomach. She had rejected him. Funny, it hurt more than he had anticipated.

      “Goodbye, Joe.” She whispered as she stepped into her house.

“I don't know…”

      The door closed.