"Hey Joe, where've you been? We've been looking all over for you!" T.K. bounced up to the older boy and grabbed his shirt, untucking it.
Joe tucked his shirttails carefully back into his trousers and pushed his glasses back up.
"I was, um, studying. Slow down, T.K. - what's up?"
The youngster beamed innocently at Joe. "Mimi told me to tell you that she wants to meet you at eight sharp by the bandstand in the park - and be sure to dress up!"
"Me? Mimi wants to meet me? Dressed up?" Joe stuttered, fiddling with his tie. "Are you sure?"
T.K. nodded firmly. Kari appeared beside him. "Yes, and she wants you to wear a pink carnation in your buttonhole!" she said, looking up at Joe with big brown eyes.
"Mimi wants to meet me at eight, and it's almost four now! I better get ready!" Joe bounded away, skidding and almost falling as he rounded the corner, his tie flapping gaily over one shoulder.
Behind him T.K. and Kari high-fived each other, cackling.
Eyes on his watch, Joe ran smack into Matt. He went sprawling full-length and scrabbled on the ground to pick up his glasses and assorted papers and textbooks that had flown from his satchel.
Matt watched him with the detached air of the truly cool. "Hey, I hear someone has a hot date tonight?"
"Uh - yeah. How'd you know?"
"Oh, you know how difficult it is for Mimi to keep her mouth shut when she's all excited about something," said Matt smugly.
"She's excited? About seeing me? Gee, I better take my inhaler!" Joe brushed the dust off his knees.
"Um, Matt...er..." He decided to come clean. "I don't know the first thing about dating. Got any tips?"
"Take a lesson from the pro!" Matt said, flicking a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "Girls like you to bring them a gift - especially girls like Mimi. Chocolates are good, flowers are great. Oh, and fluffy toys."
"Thanks Matt, I owe you!" Joe called over his shoulder as he skedaddled away. Matt struck a pose. "De nada."
Sora ran up to Matt. "Hey babe! Did he buy it?"
"Hook, line and sinker. Poor Joe!" He put an arm around Sora's waist. "This is going to be the best April Fool's ever!"
Tai rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Who'd have thought Mimi would be such a good sport? And this was all her idea, too. Hey, normally only I would come up with a plan this devious!"
"Devious? You?" Izzy, crouched over his laptop, snorted. "Your idea of an April Fool's joke is a bucket of water balanced on a half-open door."
He looked up, his expression worried.
"Tai, is this really such a good idea? I know it seems hysterical now, but Joe's going to be heartbroken. He won't be able to look any of us in the face for days."
Tai just looked at him, one eyebrow raised. Gradually Izzy began to smile, then grin, then he broke into uncontrollable laughter.
"Who am I kidding?" he gasped as he rolled on the floor clutching his ribs. "I'm gonna bring my digital camera so I can preserve Joe's expression on my website!"
"Wild thing! You make my heart sing! You make everything...grrrroooveh!"
Joe didn't normally sing in the shower, or at any other time, but this was a special occasion. He scrubbed himself pink, slathered his mother's Extra Special Lotus Blossom Hair And Body Wash everywhere, rinsed off and repeated the process twice more before satisfying himself that not even the tiniest part of him could possibly be dirty or smelly.
"Wild thing...I think I love you. Da-dow da-dow!"
He raided the airing-cupboard for fresh underwear and a crisp white shirt, which he teamed with his navy weddings-and-funerals suit. It was getting a little small for him, but it was the only pair of long trousers he owned. He stared at his dad's impressive array of ties as if hypnotised - black-and-white checks? Red silk? Snoopy? - before pouncing on a black bow. Tying it took longer than anticipated, as his hands were shaking so much. So much for becoming a surgeon if he got this nervous about a first date! His dress shoes polished until they shone like mirrors, Joe sat down to brush his hair in an attempt to calm the persistent spikes.
"But I wanna know for sure..."
It was almost eight. Joe slipped out of the house and walked on air to the park.
"Here he comes!" T.K. whispered loudly, peeking out. Matt yanked his little brother back into the bushes by his collar. "Ssh!" he hissed. "He mustn't see us!"
Tai scowled at Matt, whom he suspected of plotting the whole thing as an excuse to get close to Sora in the dark. But he brightened when he caught sight of Joe.
The kid was practically skipping. He was wearing a dorky blue suit and carrying a huge bunch of flowers - from the way his face was screwed up they were playing havoc with his hay fever - plus a box of Belgian truffles and an enormous plush Hello Kitty dressed in a T-shirt with the slogan 'I ♥ You!'. A pink carnation poked out of his buttonhole.
Izzy clutched his sides. Guess I'm not the biggest nerd on the team after all! he gloated silently. Kari and Sora were leaning against each other, helpless with stifled giggles.
Tai raised his hand. "Ready, everyone? On three. One, two, three!"
The six Digi-Destined each took a deep breath.
"APRI-"
Then Mimi appeared.
"She's not supposed to be here," Matt muttered. "Trust a girl to mess everything up!"
"Hey!" Sora snapped, kicking his ankle.
Mimi was dressed in a full-length gown of shimmery pink silk, glittering with sequins. Her auburn hair was piled up on top of her head and she wore high heels.
Matt's eyes bulged. "Gug..."
Sora kicked him again.
Everybody's jaw hung open. Izzy's eyes were like saucers; he looked as if Tai had beaten him at chess.
Mimi swept towards Joe and flung her arms round his neck. As he dropped his presents on the grass she moved in for a long, passionate kiss. Joe closed his eyes and ran his hands down Mimi's sides to her waist. Mimi turned her head so it rested on Joe's shoulder, her lips never leaving his.
The others crawled sheepishly out of the bushes, twigs and leaves in their hair.
"What's going on?" Matt asked feebly, though he could see only too well.
Mimi detached her face from Joe's and, still holding him, smirked.
"Looks like you guys are the April Fools. I knew Joe would never pluck up the courage to ask me out, and it wouldn't look good for me to have to ask a guy, so...I got a little help from my friends."
She took Joe's hand.
"Come on, darling, let's go!" They walked off into the evening, arms twined around each other.
T.K. picked up the abandoned box of chocolates.
"Oh well...truffle, anyone?"