Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ New Life ❯ Can't Last Forever ( Chapter 5 )

Important! A message to readers of this fic: I'm sorry if I don't update for possibly a few weeks. A kid at my school died in a car accident over the weekend, and I really might not feel like writing. Of course, knowing me, I'll be writing more than ever. Please forgive me if I don't update right away-I feel awful about this happening, and so does almost my whole school. Sorry if I make you wait.

Warnings: Even I don't know what I'm gonna have Shizuma do, but I'll take suggestions! I know that's not really a warning-get over it. I was reading some Taito stories on a couple random sites and then I just didn't feel like reading any more-I felt like writing, so that's what I'm doing.

New Life

Chapter 5: Can't Last Forever

The next day at school Yamato was wearing a dark blue turtleneck-the collar barely folded, kept high to hide the bandages he'd wrapped around his neck the day before to cover his self-inflicted wounds. He was acting different that day, not being able to concentrate on any of his work, or even say hi to his friends when he passed them in the hall.

In the middle of math class the teacher left to do something-what, nobody was ever sure of, but he did it every day-and Taichi took the chance to try to find out what was going on with his best friend. He flopped on top of Yamato's desk, then turned around and crossed his legs, staring at the blonde that, amazingly, didn't notice his presence in the least.

"Yamato?" When the blonde didn't respond, he just sat there studying his friend, trying to figure out on his own what was wrong. Finally, he noticed how unusually high the turtleneck was that Yamato was wearing, and he reached over to pull it down a little. That was when his presence was noticed, and Yamato grabbed his arm in a death grip.

"Tai? What are you doing on my desk?"

"I've been sitting here for a while, but you didn't seem to notice. Then I saw how high you had your turtleneck and I was gonna check and see why you have it up like that."

"It's nothing," the blonde said too quickly, letting go of his friend's arm and leaning back against his chair.

"Come on, tell me. I know it's not nothing, or you wouldn't be so protective of your neck-and you wouldn't be so out of it today. What happened?"

"I already told you it's nothing, so just leave it alone, okay? Please?"

"No, I won't." The brunette jumped off the desk and dragged his friend out of his chair. "Now come on-nobody'll miss us." He continued to pull Yamato into the hallway and down into the boys' bathroom.

"Tai-what are you doing?"

"Just hold still." Taichi quickly reached up and yanked down the neck of Yamato's shirt, revealing the clean white bandages taped around his neck. "What happened?"

"Like I already told you-nothing. I scratched myself."

"How did you scratch yourself?"

"It doesn't really matter. I did it by accident, okay?"

Yamato turned around and started walking out of the bathroom but was stopped by Taichi grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling him back.

"Take your shirt off."

"What?!"

"I said take your shirt off. Then take off those bandages and show me your cuts if it's not that important."

"No."

"Don't make me rip it off of you. I will if I have to."

"Fine." Yamato yanked the shirt off over his head and threw it at Taichi, who caught it only because it was thrown right in his face. He ripped off the bandages and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "There. Happy now?"

Taichi couldn't believe what he saw, but he knew that Shizuma had to be the cause of it. There were little cuts all over the blonde's neck, above and below a dark bruise of apparent strangulation.

"What did he do to you?"

"He choked me-or at least he tried to."

"Then how'd you get all the cuts?"

"I told you already-I did it myself. I was trying to get the rope loose, and I was scratching myself without even knowing. Like I said-it's nothing."

"I don't call this nothing! He tried to kill you!"

"He just wanted to knock me out faster."

"Well today you're coming home with me, whether he likes it or not. I'm not gonna let you get hurt like this!"

"Just stay out of it! Okay? Just . . . just leave it alone already."

Yamato grabbed his shirt from Taichi and yanked it back over his head before walking out of the bathroom.

"How can I stay out of it? You're the only one I've got and I can't let you get hurt. I'd probably die if you did."

---

"I heard you talking to your buddy about what happened yesterday," Shizuma said, pacing back and forth in front of Yamato. "Maybe I should go kill him right now."

"No!" Yamato yelled, jumping off of his swing. "You can't! He's just butting into stuff-that's just the way he is. I won't let him get in the way of anything-I promise."

"That better be a promise you can keep, because I certainly wouldn't want anything to happen to your friends." He walked up close to Yamato and whispered, "You might want to go to the hospital now."

"Why?"

Yamato felt something stab into his stomach, and he felt to the ground, hands covering his wound. He looked up at Shizuma, who was holding a pocketknife coated with blood-Yamato's blood.

"That's why. Now you better keep your friend from meddling in our business, or you'll be in a whole lot more pain-and you may never see your little brother again-except in a casket." With that, he turned and walked away calmly.

Yamato pulled his hands away from his stomach and looked at the blood that covered his hands. "Damn you, Shizuma!" he muttered under his breath, clutching at his stomach again, hoping to ease the pain a little. Suddenly he remembered that he had brought his cell phone with him, and he shakily pulled it out of his back pocket. Not caring at all that he was getting his cell phone coated in blood, he turned it on and dialed Taichi's number.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up by and obviously tired Taichi. "Hello?" came the response from the other end of the line.

"Taichi!"

"Yamato? What's wrong?"

"You need to get to the park near the school right away!" Yamato moaned in pain, but still held the phone up to his ear.

"What happened?"

"Just get here-fast. Before . . ." Yamato dropped the phone and was lost in unconsciousness.

Taichi heard a loud clunk and started to get extremely worried. "Matt? Yamato? Oh god!" He hung up the phone, leaving a loud beeping to come from Yamato's cell phone after the line went dead.

TBC

Review! Or you don't get the next chapter! Mwahaha! Just kidding. I'd put it up even if I didn't get any reviews, but reviews are nice. And I know you're all wondering what's gonna happen to Matt, but you don't get to find out until the next chapter! And you're probably wondering what Tai meant after Matt walked out of the bathroom, too, but you don't get to know that either! I know-I'm so evil, especially when it comes to cliffhangers. And don't worry-Matt's not gonna die. That'd kinda defeat the whole purpose of making a sequel, now wouldn't it? If you review, I might get up the next chapter sooner! Although I doubt it. It all depends on whether I get time this week. And I might, considering Thanksgiving break. Which, when I get this up, will be in two days.