Midnight and 36 Minutes
~~TK~~
12:36 am! It was freaking 12:36 am and I was the only one sitting in the chairs near Gate H6
in O'Hare airport, the empty skeletons of food and magazine stands giving me the eerie
impression of some post-apocalyptic movie scene. Y'know...the ones where everyone except
one lucky winner disappears from the face of the Earth, poof, just like that. Not to mention the
fact that I was exhausted from an eleven hour flight, starving, and bored out of my mind. I
stared at the growing pile of empty candy wrappers sitting next to me and winced as my
stomach growled angrily. "Aww, poor me," I sighed dramatically, then shut up as the security
guard gave me a strange look.
So here I was, shipped off to Chicago to stay with my brother & co. during spring break cause
mom and dad both had work-related traveling to do. Jeez, you'd think a 13-year old guy would
be able to stay home by himself without burning the house down...I had to admit though, it
was nice getting to visit the States and seeing Matt, Tai, Sora, and Mimi...Matt and Tai were
both at UChicago, Sora at Loyola, and Mimi at the Chicago School of Design...I think after the
whole Digiworld thing, everyone had pretty much wanted to get a "fresh start," so they'd all
applied to US colleges. Oh, and I guess it was extra cool too that Kari was similarly visiting her
brother. Ever since Mom and I had moved to Tokyo for her job transfer, I hadn't gotten to see
Kari as much. In fact, I thought sadly, it had been at least half a year since I'd gotten the
chance to visit and I really missed the girl. After we had gotten back from Digiworld, oh about
five years ago, me and Kari had gotten really close. We always joked about being "soulmates,"
but don't get me wrong...we weren't involved romantically or anything...yet...
And anyways, so here I was, my flight having arrived two hours earlier, and waiting for my
delinquent brother to pick me up. Being the cheerful person I was, I decided to try to make
some conversation with the zombie-like security guard who I guess was waiting with me so I
wouldn't get kidnapped or go hijack an airplane or something along those lines.
"So," I said brightly, "how do you like it here? See, I'm visiting from Japan so I've never been in
the US before."
"S'okay," he grunted before turning back to his ah, rather sketchy magazine.
I tried again. "So, whatcha reading?"
This time, it elicited a response. He glared at me and turned around so the magazine was
blocked from view. "Nothin' you'd be interested in."
I was about to reply with some clever remark like "uh, okay" but then someone grabbed me in
an effusive hug and yelled, "Aww, look, it's TK!"
"Hi, Tai," I said, grinning. "Uh...can you let me get some oxygen in or what?"
He mercifully released me and I looked up. And blinked. They were all standing there, Matt, Tai,
Mimi, Sora, and Kari. "Wow! You all came for me?" I waved cheerfully. "Aw, man...talk about a
nice welcome!"
"Damn, TK," Matt said incredulously, "you get taller every time I see you!" He walked over and
gave me an enthusiastic hug which I returned, laughing. "Somebody's two hours and
thirty-nine minutes late!" I couldn't help adding with a mock-injured tone.
Mimi and Sora both then swept me up in hugs-I don't know why, but I was suddenly feeling like
a teddy-bear-and then Mimi giggled, smacking Matt lightly. "Oh, poor TK! You had to wait so
long! It's your brother's fault...we got stopped for speeding and then with all his attitude
problems, no wonder we were so late!"
"Attitude problems?" Matt replied innocently, sliding an arm around her waist. "Who me?"
"You were no help either, Tai," Sora admonished, "pretending we were speeding cause your
cat was stuck in a tree."
"Hey!" Tai protested. "It works every time!" He and Sora both laughed and then Tai leaned
over and gave her a long kiss which she returned with equal enthusiasm. I couldn't help
smiling...it was nice to know that no matter how much we'd all grown up, we could still share
our little inside jokes from so long ago.
Then after five seconds, I rolled my eyes. Ever since they had paired off (gee, who'd have
guessed?), it seemed like the two couples were always having some kind of contest to see
who could be the most mushy and all-around sickly sweet.
And then all thoughts left my mind as Kari stepped forward and gave me a teasing smile. "Is it
my turn to say 'hi' now?" she laughed. I stared. She was dressed in one of Tai's UChicago
sweatshirts and dark blue jeans, with her light brown hair tucked behind her ears and falling
just above shoulder-length. She looked cuter than I remembered.
"Uh, hi Kari," I managed, and then flushed when I noticed Tai and Matt both giving me weird
looks. "Long time no see."
"Yeah," she agreed, smiling a little, "I haven't changed the film in my camera for so long,
Takeru. No more pictures to take, y'know?" Out of all the digidestined, only Kari called me
'Takeru,' the name I preferentially went by now. TK just sounded so...ugh...childish? But I
guess old habits died hard and I couldn't begrudge my friends their little piece of nostalgia. Or
something like that.
"Oh, I'm so excited!" Mimi exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together, "we'll take lots of
pictures, Kari, don't you worry." She turned to me with a pleased smile. "Matt told you, right
TK?"
I flicked a suspicious look at my brother, who was giving me one of his little smirks. "Um...no," I
said slowly. "What? You're gonna go get me drunk?"
"Huh? No!" Matt protested, eyes widening. I quickly gave him a "just joking" grin to show I was
only kidding. Sometimes Matt could be a little overprotective. Okay, more than a little.
"We're goin' camping!" Tai shouted enthusiastically, brown eyes shining. "Isn't that cool, dude?
One of my friends is actually letting us borrow his cabin for the weekend. Just us and the great
outdoors..."
"Aw hell yeah!" Matt said, and he and Tai high-fived each other, grinning.
Sora rolled her eyes. "Why do I have a feeling this is all a guy thing?"
I bravely tried to keep a straight face. Somehow, I think it was a little more than a guy
thing...y'know, the whole romantic thing of being with your girlfriend in the woods in a
cabin...all alone...Kari caught my gaze, a secretive smile curving her lips, and I wondered if she
knew what I was thinking. I gave her a sly smile back and winked, then realized with
embarrassment that Sora was giving me an amused look.
"Man, I am starving!" I said loudly, trying to act nonchalant, but it didn't really work. I guess I
had never picked up on Matt's "too-cool" vibes.
Matt arched an eyebrow at me, his look clearly saying that we would have a little talk later, but
at least he replied smoothly, "No problem, lil' bro. We have some sandwiches in the car so you
can eat while we drive."
"Sounds like a plan," I said cheerfully, and as we headed off, I made sure to walk next to Kari.
Just in case.
********************************************************************************
~~TK~~
"So, what's up with Joe and Izzy?" I asked through a mouthful of tuna salad sandwich. At least
I think it was tuna salad...it was hard to tell with sandwiches made by Tai. But beggars can't be
choosers, so I did my best to pretend that it was good.
"Oh, Izzy has finals this week and Joe's off visiting his friends...y'know, Sakura and Cadao?"
Sora yelled from the passenger seat. Tai was driving and had the radio blaring so it was hard
to catch her words. Me, Matt, Mimi, and Kari were all crammed together in the back seat like
sardines, which I guess made Mimi and my brother happy. We were driving on Highway 66, a
remote ribbon of black pavement that stretched for miles on end and was surrounded by dense
forest. As far as I could see, we were the only ones on it, not surprising, considering it was 2
am.
I couldn't help glancing surreptitiously at Kari. She looked so beautiful, with the wind ruffling
her short hair, and the mischevious sparkle in those big brown eyes...and then because I had
spent too much time around Tai and picked up his none-too-subtle habits, I suddenly turned to
her and blurted out, "So Kari, do you have a boyfriend or what?"
Immediately, I wanted to smack myself. Luckily though, Matt and Mimi were laughing together
over some little joke and so hadn't witnessed my temporary lapse of sanity. I couldn't help
flushing and quickly added, "Just wondering."
Kari stared at me, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. "Are you suggesting
something, Takeru?"
I cleared my throat self-consciously. "Huh? No, of course not. It's just that...well...we haven't
seen each other in so long...so as your friend, I was just asking," I finished lamely.
"Why don't we let Matt and Tai take care of the big brother stuff, hmm?" she suggested dryly.
"And no, I don't have a boyfriend. Not yet."
"Not yet?" I repeated stupidly. "So then-" I trailed off as I realized everyone had suddenly
become quiet, which for them, was definitely not normal. And then I knew why.
"This is a breaking newsbulletin," the radio deejay was saying in solemn tones, "it has just
been reported that convicted serial killer Jason Myers has broken out of the Chicago
Penitentiary. Myers was on death row for the murders of a group of teenage campers two
years ago, a horror still fresh in the minds of Chicagoans because of its stunning brutality. It is
advised that residents near the Penitentiary be on alert until the CPD has captured Myers."
"Wait," Sora said slowly, "isn't the Penitentiary really close to your friend's cabin, Tai?"
"Um, yeah," Tai replied, sounding disturbed.
Mimi clutched Matt's hand, eyes wide. "Maybe we should cancel this whole trip then..."
"Aw, come on!" Tai protested, "we can't just turn back!"
"I think Mimi's right," Matt retorted. "We should just go back to the dorms. It's not safe."
"Oh, shit," Tai cursed.
"What?" Matt demanded, looking annoyed that Tai had cursed in front of me, but then stopped,
blue eyes dark with anger. Our car had just uttered a wheezing cough that didn't sound
particularly promising...and then, just as suddenly, it stopped, coming to a grinding halt.
"Oh, shit," Matt agreed. "What the hell? Try starting it again, Tai."
"I am!" Tai yelled back, frustration evident in his voice. "I don't know what's wrong with this
stupid car!" After jerking the key a couple of times with no successful results, he punched the
dashboard in anger.
"Let's try pushing," Kari suggested quietly before her brother could have an aneurysm. We all
clambered out of the car and put our backs to the bumper as Tai keyed on the ignition. Still
nothing. I couldn't help thinking how eerie this whole silent tableau was; besides us, the road
stretched on into darkness, with not even other headlights to illuminate it. The trees seemed
to press in around us, their branches casting dark, twisted shadows and blotting out the pale
moonlight.
"Okay, I'm gonna go look for a gas station or something," Matt said, brushing unruly blonde
hair out of his eyes. "There's gotta be one around here somewhere."
"No, you stay here. I'll go," Tai replied firmly. "I know this area better than you do."
Come on, Matt, don't fight, I pleaded silently, and breathed a sigh of relief when he conceded
reluctantly. "Okay, fine. But don't go too far."
"I'm going with you," Sora said. Tai looked like he was about to protest but she glared at him.
"Don't get macho with me, Tai. It's not safe for you to go off alone."
"Okay," Tai said. "Me and Sora will go look for a phone or a gas station. The rest of you just
stay put with the car. Maybe someone will stop by, but anyways, don't go off on your own,
okay? We'll be back in thirty minutes max."
I couldn't help smiling a little despite the gravity of the situation. Just like Tai, to act as the
leader. "Yeah, whatever," Matt smirked. "Just don't get lost looking at one of your maps, Tai."
I shook my head in amusement-some things never changed-and gave Kari a teasing look.
"Guess we're stuck together."
She laughed softly, rolling her eyes. "I always thought the Crest of Hope was appropriate for
you, Takeru."
"So you wouldn't mind if I kissed you then?" I asked, spontaneously, smiling to show I was
teasing. But then, with the sudden force of a lightning bolt, I realized I was pretty damn
serious. Looking at her, I realized with a heart-wrenching ache exactly how much I had missed
her, even if it had only been half a year. I missed the special connection we had, the way we
could always make each other laugh and how it felt so natural to share everything with her.
And I wondered when my feelings of friendship had suddenly turned to something more...and
wondered if she felt the same.
Kari gave me a little shove. "Maybe if we were stuck in a dark cave and being chased by an
evil, mega-powerful digimon...then maybe."
"Oh," I said, not sure how to reply to that and feeling stupid for having asked.
But she surprised me by taking my hand and squeezing it. "I guess a serial killer could
substitute for the evil, mega-powerful digimon. Maybe."
********************************************************************************
~~Matt~~
"I guess this wasn't exactly what we planned," I murmured ruefully to Mimi, brushing a strand
of golden-brown hair from her face.
Mimi gave me a little smile. "Just being with you is enough, sweetie. Even if it's while sitting on
a deserted road with a broken-down car."
I put my jacket around her and drew her close. "You're right as always. I mean, it could be
worse, right?"
"Like having 'two' serial killers on the loose?" she giggled.
I couldn't help grinning. "Um, yeah, something like that. Well, I was thinking more along the
lines of having Ken and his eardrum-shattering screams with us, but..."
"Don't make fun of your future band members," Mimi teased, laughing. "They might make you
famous someday."
I smiled back, then did a double-take as I glanced at TK and Kari...they were holding hands.
Holding hands and laughing together like...a couple?
"He's grown up a lot," Mimi commented softly, as if reading my thoughts.
I tried to make my tone casual. "Tell me about it."
"Don't get upset," she added, "but I think they're falling in love."
I stared. "What?"
She gave me an amused look. "You and Tai...sometimes you two can be so dense. Isn't it
obvious?"
"Yeah, sure, they're really good friends."
"Matt Ishida," Mimi replied, amber eyes sparkling, "they're more than good friends. In fact, I bet
you they're talking about their feelings for each other right now as we speak."
********************************************************************************
~~TK~~
"He...he...baked a cake!" I started laughing hysterically, glaring at Kari. "No way! Not Tai...man,
that is not pretty."
Kari laughed, brown eyes suspiciously bright. "There's more...he tried to make it in the shape of
a soccer ball, after her team won the championship. It ended up in the garbage chute. Okay,
your turn."
"Hmm," I said consideringly, "well, once he took Mimi out to a really fancy restaurant and
pretended to have a French accent all the way through. They got kicked out after five
minutes..."
"So," Kari replied mock-seriously, "our theory is confirmed. Love can make you act pretty
weird."
"Well, I don't know," I said slowly, "I mean...it's not like your brother's normal in the first
place."
"Hey," Kari protested, laughing, "yeah? Well, yours is-"
"Oh look!" Mimi's voice made us start. "A car's coming!"
"Maybe he'll have a jumper cable," I said hopefully, unable to stop smiling as the headlights
came into view, throwing two pools of diffuse light on the black pavement. Now maybe we
could actually get our car to move more than two inches at a time.
"Or food," Kari added cheerfully. We both started jumping up and down, waving our arms and
laughing at each others' attempts. "Cable! Food! Cable!"
"Hold it," Matt said suddenly, laying a restraining hand on my shoulder.
I choked off a laugh. "What?"
"What is it?" Mimi asked, giving Matt a questioning look.
Matt shook his head, azure eyes hard. "Hmm? It could be nothing...but the guy's driving on the
wrong side of the road. He's driving in the lane closest to us, even though he should be in the
other one."
********************************************************************************
~~Sora~~
"Aww yeah!" Tai shouted enthusiastically, grinning wildly. "Who's the man now?"
I rolled my eyes, amused and relieved that we had found a gas station after only twenty
minutes of walking. "You're asking the wrong person, Tai."
The gas station loomed ahead of us, the bright neon sign declaring "QuikStop" and
"payphones available." I never thought a gas station would be so welcoming, especially after
me and Tai had been inadvertently discussing the escaped serial killer. It seems like he had
stalked a group of college students on a camping trip two years ago and picked them off one
by one, leaving their mutilated bodies for the others to find. Like some horrible game...for some
reason, it reminded me uncannily of Puppetmon.
I shuddered involuntarily and Tai must have sensed it because he took my hand. "You okay?"
"Sure," I replied quickly, putting on a brave tone. "Let's just go call a tow truck and get back to
the others."
"Right," he said, and we walked over to the dimly lit line of three phone booths. They were all
in poor shape, scrawled with graffiti and gleaming with a dull luster in the artificial light.
I picked up one of the phones and dialed the operator. A soft hissing tone greeted me. "That's
funny," I remarked, puzzled. "I think this phone's out of service or something."
"I think we're permanently cursed around phones," Tai joked. He picked up the second phone
and pressed '0'. I gave him a questioning look, and he shook his head, brown eyes shadowed.
"Huh. Nothing. You'd think they check these phones. Okay, next-"
"Tai," I interrupted, my eyes fixed on the service station. It was pitch-black inside, and the only
thing I could glimpse through the blurry window was a wall clock that had apparently stopped
ticking, it's hands signaling 12:36. "Look at the service booth...it's completely dark. You'd think
someone would be in there."
"Damn," he muttered, following my gaze. "You're right. It's supposed to be open 24 hours."
"I don't like this," I said, forcing myself to remain calm and think things through. "Okay. Maybe
this isn't such a good idea. We should head back."
Tai nodded absently. "I wonder what's in the booth..."
"Don't go playing hero," I snapped, annoyed. "You don't have Agumon here to conveniently
digivolve, remember?"
"Sorry," he replied reluctantly, "okay, let's go-" he broke off as the third phone started to ring.
And then the lights in the service booth flicked on, flooding the pavement with blinding light...
~~THE END~~
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