A/N: Okay, I think I was inspired a little by Maki's Dumped, but then again, this is more my style of writing. I hope you like it! This is the ah...second or third Sorato fic I've written so far, and yes, I still am working on Back To My Heart and The Chaos Realm. Please review this, and them!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything/anyone.

Changing Leads, Chapter 1

Sora stared at the framed photo of her and Taichi in her hand, her hand shaking with horror. Then a fit of anger overcame her, and she threw the photo. There was a terrible crash as the glass shattered.

Then Sora got to her knees and began to rip the photo furiously. "I hate him! I hate him!" she yelled, and burst into tears, a sobbing bundle on the floor.

"Sora? Are you okay honey?" Mrs. Takenouchi opened the door a crack and peered in. Then she opened the door and went inside, closing the door with a soft click. "Oh Sora, honey, I'm sorry. Taichi broke up with you, didn't he?"

Sora nodded, tears still running down her face.

"Sora, it will be fine," said her mother bravely, sitting on the bed, then standing up and bending over to pick up the shards of glass before Sora could do something dangerous and slit her skin. Sora stared down at the mangled photo with anger. "I hate him, I hate him," she muttered over again. Then she swore so loudly and vividly that her mother was surprised. "Sora!"

"Sorry, Mom." Sora wiped a few stray tears and remembered what Taichi had said to her earlier that day, just after school.

***

"Hey um, Sora." Taichi walked over to her, to his locker which was beside hers, cradling his schoolbooks under his arm, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Yes, Taichi-san?" Sora asked curiously, as she looked at him, putting her books in her longer. Then a sinking feeling came upon her.

"Sora...Sora...I don't know how to say this," Taichi began hesitantly.

Sora fastened her gaze on the floor, blinking, trying not to let tears leak from her eyes. "Say it," she said harshly, bringing her head up to face him, anger in her eyes, tears spilling down her face. "It's not like I don't know what you're going to say Taichi. It's Hanna, it's it?"

Taichi looked miserable. "Sora...I can't see you anymore. I'm sorry," he said abruptly, then spun on his heel and walked away.

Sora let the tears flow, as she silently sobbed. Then anger overcame her. Taichi, the boy she had known for years-had broken up with her for some stupid, flirtatious girl with a supermodel body. Just because Sora wasn't perfect...Sora shook her head and exited the school.

When she got home, she had immediately phoned her best friend, Mimi. But Mimi seemed uncomfortable when Sora mentioned Taichi breaking up with her, and had said an abrupt goodbye. Sora was confused. Didn't Mimi care?

***

Sora recalled the events bitterly. "Some boyfriend Taichi was," she muttered, kneeling on her bed. "Some best friend Mimi is."

"Sora honey, do you want to be left alone?" Mrs. Takenouchi asked her hesitantly.

"Yes, Mom. Oh, wait-do you mind if I use the phone?" Sora asked, tears in her eyes.

"Honey, you should've try and persuade Taichi to go out with you," said Mrs. Takenouchi, a worried look on her face. "Why don't you phone Mimi and ask her to the mall or something?"

"No Mom, I'm not going to call Taichi," Sora reassured her mother. "And I'm not going to call the Tachikawa bitch, either."

Mrs. Takenouchi's eyes widened in surprise again. "Sora, things aren't going your way today. First, Taichi breaks up with you, then you and Mimi have a falling out-"

"Mom, Mimi and I did NOT have a falling out," Sora explained flatly. "I just don't like her anymore. Anyway, will the phone be free if I feel like calling anyone?"

"Yes, Sora," said Mrs. Takenouchi, still looking doubtful. "But who are you going to call?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. Someone that will listen."

"Sora, if you're trying to dial the Kids Help Phone-" Mrs. Takenouchi began.

Sora couldn't help but feel annoyed. "No, Mom. I'm not. I'm not THAT shallow."

"You mean you aren't as shallow as Taichi or Mimi," Mrs. Takenouchi corrected her tersely.

"That too," said Sora gruffly. "Anyway, I have a person to phone."

Hearing the satisfied click of her mother close her bedroom door, Sora frowned and chewed on her thumb. Who could she call that would understand what she was going through? She couldn't phone any of her soccer team friends-they'd all just jump at chance to snap Taichi up. There HAD to be someone else...

Then the solution hit her. Yamato. He went out with Mimi, but he was Sora's good friend too...maybe he would know why Mimi had been acting weird on the phone. Picking up the phone, Sora hesitantly dialed the Ishida's number.

"Hello?" Yamato picked up at the first ring.

"Hi, um, Yamato. This is-this is Sora," said Sora hesitantly. She wasn't sure if Yamato would want to talk to her or not.

Sora immediately scolded herself. Why wouldn't Yamato want to talk with her? After all, HE had nothing against her, like Taichi and maybe Mimi. Sora couldn't help but scowl.

"Oh, hi Sora," said Yamato cheerfully. "So, what's up?"

Sora felt a lump form in her throat. "Tai-Taichi," she croaked. "He-he-he broke up with me."

She could almost picture Yamato's deep azure eyes flutter in surprise. "Taichi? He broke up with you? But why?"

"I-I don't know!" Sora choked out, beginning to sob.

"Sora, Sora, it'll be alright," said Yamato soothingly. "Come on Sora, you've got to have faith."

"I hate him!" Sora yelled again. "I hate him! I hate him so much!" She slammed her free fist against her bedpost.

"Look Sora," said Yamato, "There's no reason for you to beat yourself up about this thing. Look, I know that Taichi had absolutely no reason to break up with you. You're pretty, you're smart-" Yamato trailed off.

"Thanks, Yama," Sora said softly.

"Look Sora, you're one of my friends, so anytime," Yamato replied back, just as softly. There was a momentary pause. "I'd come over, but I have to go to the park with Mimi in half an hour, so I kind of have to get ready for that. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" There was concern and sympathy in his voice.

"Okay," Sora replied miserably. "Maybe I'll phone you back later. Thanks for listening, Yamato." Miserably she hung up the phone, and sagged up against her bedpost, tears running down her face. Now she realized she might have had hidden feelings for Yamato all along. But he wasn't hers, he was Mimi's-

"Rich BITCH!" Sora yelled angrily. She heard her mother from her own room pause in what she was doing.

Why does *she* always get the best of everything? Sora asked herself angrily. "It's because she's daddy's little princess, rich, snotty, not to mention *stupid*, and spoiled," Sora mumbled. "Why was I ever friends with her, anyway?" Sora fell onto her stomach and fell asleep, her head buried in her pillow.

Two hours later, Sora awoke. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, but she didn't care, thinking it might be a good time to phone Yamato again. She dialed his number, and waited. On the third ring, he still hadn't answered. Then somebody answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Oh, hi, Takeru," Sora said, her stomach sinking. "Is-is Yamato there?"

"Sorry, but I don't think Yamato can come to the phone right now," said Takeru, his voice hushed and sympathetic.

"Why, Takeru? Did something happen?" Sora asked fretfully.

"Please don't tell anyone, but-Mimi-Mimi broke up with him," Takeru answered miserably, truthfully. "While they were at the park. He told me it was out of the blue, they were sitting on their bench, the one that had M&M forever carved on it, and she told him she didn't think things were working out and she couldn't see him anymore. He came home really upset."

"I'll say," said Sora softly. "I know what it feels like."

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry about Taichi," said Takeru abruptly. "Hikari told me. Taichi told her he might see somebody else now."

"Well, you can tell Yamato I phoned," said Sora softly, slowly hanging up the phone. "Goodbye, Takeru." She hung up the phone with a soft click, and began to cry.

***

The next day at school was not a happy one. Mimi was completely avoiding Sora, and Taichi was flirting openly with girls on Sora's soccer team and huddles of cheerleaders. Yamato was nowhere to be seen.

Finally she saw him, at lunchtime, in the cafeteria. He was sitting at a table by himself, looking lonely, and not eating anything. He looked terrible. His dark-blue sweater and dark-blue cargo jeans seemed to hang on his thin frame, which was more fine than usual, and he was pale, with bags under his deep azure eyes, which were clouded over, not revealing his true feelings. Sora knew how he felt-he was probably aching to cry, but his "Da Man" attitude forbade it. Feeling sorry for him, and wanting someone to talk to, she walked over and sat beside him. "Hey, Yamato."

"Hi, Sora," Yamato mumbled, turning away. "I guess you heard."

"Takeru told me last night," Sora answered softly. "I phoned for you again, you know. Would you have talked to me?" Gently she laid a hand on his arm.

Yamato didn't resist. "Maybe," he answered finally. "But Sora, I know you know what it feels like, but can *you* imagine that you're just sitting there with your girlfriend on your bench in the park, and she suddenly tells you she doesn't want you as her boyfriend anymore? Last night I felt like I was dragged through Hell and back."

"Me, too," said Sora softly. They sat in silence, until the bell rang.

"I'll phone you when I get home," she promised him.

Yamato sighed, and waved off the phone call. "Don't bother. I'll still be at the gym, practicing for the concert."

"All right," Sora said, her voice hurting.

Yamato turned to face her, hurt and grief in his eyes. "Look Sora, I don't mean to hurt you. Look, I'll talk to you later, okay?" His voice was blunt, not soft and warm like it had been the day before.

"All-all right," replied Sora miserably. First Taichi, then Mimi, and now Yamato, were all doing their best to avoid her.

Come on Takenouchi, don't you think you're overreacting a bit? she asked herself stubbornly. All Yamato has to do is to go to a practice, then you can talk to him. Stop bending things way out of shape.

"Whatever," she murmured to herself, and walked past Yamato, and out of the cafeteria to her next class.

A/N: Ah, I think this is shaping up to be a promising Sorato, eh? I put a lot of emotion into writing this, and I think it might be a long fic, with maybe an NC-17 finale, but I will only do that if it's wanted. Hm...maybe I'll do that along with an alternate, cleaner one...aagh, this is only the first chapter and here I am rambling on and on about the ending...ah, silly me! :P I hope you're enjoying this!

This is ~~Jane Ishida~~, signing off.