Sora sat outside the principal's office at the end of the day on the last day before winter break, her knees shook slightly. She was in 12th grade and she wasn't going to see the principal, oh no, she was going to go her see her guidance councilor to talk about college. College. That easily scared her a million times more than any principal meeting could.
"Sora?" Questioned the pretty secretary, "He's ready to see you now."
Sora nodded in reply her voice just didn't seem to want to work. Sora followed the young woman and entered through the door that she held open. The door closed behind her and Sora felt the desperate need to yank it back open and run.
"Hello Sora. Please. Sit." Mr. Rokitosa said as she sat down in chair across from him. "Sora, Sora, Sora." He said leafing through papers in the folder he carried. "We have a problem."
Sora choked silently. "What kind of a problem." Sora had spent the last several years studying like mad to get into college while Yamato and Tai goofed off. Tai could get into any college he wanted with his skills on the soccer field. He had started getting offers in the 10th grade. Matt was world renown with his band. Every college wanted the kind of publicity a student like Yamato Ishida could bring. Sora was just plain Sora.
"You get good grades Sora. You have been working hard these long years, but," he paused for what seemed like hours to the poor fearful redhead "that's all you have going for you. Grades and Tennis. You are amazing at your sport and in those books, but you don't have enough recognition for Tennis and it, there for, isn't as important to the colleges you might apply to. You are competing against students with the same grades as you; these students will have played sports as well. They will have community service, years of instrumental achievements. Sora, you need something special so that you can stand out."
"What can I do?" Sora asked her voice small.
"This" he said handing her a paper. On it was a list of the many things she should accomplish so that she could stand out. "Enlist a friend in your cause, you'll need all the motivation you can get. Good Luck." Sora nodded and left the room the page he had given her was full with all the extra curricular activities she should accomplish to get where she needed to be.
On her way out she bumped into a familiar blond haired boy. "Hey Sora" Yamato said tweaking her nose.
Sora put on a fake smile; "Ohiyo Yamato-kun" Yamato noticed the falseness of her smile and frowned.
"Wait for me, I'll only be a minute." And before Sora could say no, he had tweaked her nose again and gone into Mr. Rokitosa's office.
Sora waited in the principal's office again, reading and re-reading her list. It was long. When Yamato came out he looked concerned, but said nothing. "Come on, were going out to lunch." He grabbed her arm and stole her away pulling her out of the school. The bell rang just as he opened the doors and students came piling after them. Yamato hopped into his gorgeous red convertible "Come on," he repeated "I know just the place."
Five minutes later, Sora and Yamato were seated in a little cafe. "You are being awfully quite today Sora-chan." Yamato pretended to pout, "and I don't like it at all."
Sora laughed at her friend but changed the subject, "What's good here?" She asked opening her menu.
While Sora and Yamato waited for their food. A large group of fan girls sneaked into the cafe. "Damn it" He muttered Sora only nodded. This happened at every place he went, those stupid girls would follow him to the end of the earth, and they just never gave up. Sora pitied her blond friend. According to Tai, it wasn't half as bad when Sora was around. When Matt was with a girl they would just hiss in the background when he was with his male friends they would attack. Tai had told her that one time a girl had nearly tried to rape Yamato. After that he never went anywhere without a friend. Sora looked at the folded paper in her hand, Mr. Rokitosa had told her to 'enlist a friend.' She thought about asking Yamato but no matter how bad her problems were, his were always worse.
"Whatcha' got there" He asked stealing the paper from her hands.
"Give that back!" Sora cried grabbing at the paper.
Yamato smirked "not without the magic words" he sing-songed. Even with the magic words it had was to late; he had opened the paper and read its contents his brow furrowed. "You have to do all this?" Sora nodded and looked at her hands as they twisted uncomfortably in her lap. "I know" his face brightened like a child being handed a candy bar. "I'll help you."
"Really?" Sora asked happily then she remembered "But you're to busy with your band, you're not going to have time to do this with me."
Yamato reached across the table and tweaked her nose affectionately. "I'll make time"
Yamato read the paper, "lets start with an easy one. I know!" Yamato quickly pulled out his wallet and placed the appropriate amount of money on the table. Grabbing Sora's arm he dragged her out to his car and they sped away in the direction of his house.
Leaving Sora in his room Yamato left to the kitchen to get some snacks and make a few phone calls. Sora looked around Yamato's room his bed was small and pushed into the corner there were no posters on the white walls, and there was no evidence that he might be world famous except for his very expensive guitar in the corner. Etched into the body of the instrument was his band's logo. He had done it himself because no one was aloud to touch his guitar but him. "Everything is set up" He proclaimed proudly as he entered his room with a tray, "I've even designed a schedule."
Sora watched her friend horrified. "I get out of school for a few weeks of break and you put me on a schedule?!"
Yamato nodded. "And it starts now." He grabbed his guitar from the corner of the room. "Your first job is to learn a musical instrument." Holding the guitar upright he pointed at the different parts "Head" he informed her as he pointed to the top of the pretty tan guitar. "Neck. Body. Bridge" his finger moved down the guitar pointing to the different parts as he said them. When he was done he held it up to her.
"Head. Neck. Body. Bridge" She pointed just as he had.
"Good, those are just the main parts though, you'll learn as we go along." Yamato quickly scribbled some notes down on a paper and showed her. This is a whole note. This is a half note..." Sora studied with Yamato for about an hour until he finally decided she was ready. Putting his left hand on the neck of the guitar he rested his pointer finger on the first string, on what she had learned was a 'fret'. After plucking the string he handed her the guitar. "Your turn."
Sora stared at the foreign object. Yamato had never let anyone touch his guitar. And yet here he was passing her his beloved. After a few minutes of struggled playing the doorbell rang. Yamato jumped up and answered the door. "Mimi, it's good to see you." He stated.
"Mimi!?" Sora cried, nearly dropping Yamato's guitar she rushed to the door to hug her friend. Mimi had moved to the US and it had been a while since she had seen her. Mimi had been planning on staying for winter vacation but she had been planning to come in a few days, not today. "What are you doing here?" Sora asked.
"Yama here told me your dilemma. He figured I could help." Sora eyed Yamato curiously, how was Mimi going to help her?
"You already know Japanese and French. I figured knowing a third language would add a little spice. Mimi is going to teach you English. Sora hugged her pink haired friend.
"Any more surprises, Yamato-kun?"
Yamato laughed. "Tons"
Mimi frowned, "You know Yamato, all work and no play will make Sora a very, very dull girl."
The blond laughed "Too true, and we wouldn't want that now would we." Yamato tweaked her nose again. "Since we never got to eat our lunch, how 'bout we go out for a meal. My treat."
"Ohhhhh" Mimi said excitedly "and shopping!"
Yamato made a face, "and shopping" he said sadly.
Sora laughed she had really missed having all her friends around her. Even just having the three of them made a difference. She was really starting to miss the Digital World.
Dinner went fantastic and surprisingly, so did they shopping. Sora hadn't bought presents for all her friends and Mimi was a big help with all her suggestions. Yamato stopped and Sora bumped into him. "What is it?" She asked concerned. Mimi giggled. The trio had stopped in front of a music store and Yamato was staring longingly.
"Oh just go already, Yamato" Mimi told the blond just before he dashed into the store. Sora and Mimi found a bench to sit down. With Yamato out of hearing distance Mimi could finally ask what she had been waiting to ask. "Do you like him?"
Sora felt her stomach clench. "Yamato?" She asked. Did she like Yamato?
Mimi smiled "Yes Yamato. You two were always flirting I figured you would hit it off while I was gone. "
Sora forced a laugh. "Me? And Yamato? That's absolutely ridiculous." Sora knew that she had never had feelings for Yamato, well maybe once or twice in the Digital World. But that was then, this was now. Before Mimi had asked the question she hadn't even thought of the idea. The only problem was that Mimi could usually spot a relationship before it happened.
You two make a great couple that weird nose tweak thing he does is absolutely adorably, but, it's been a long time and you two haven't progressed. You need to make your move Sora, before some other girl gets him.
"But, I don't like him like that."
Mimi smiled piteously, "You will though, I just hope you haven't already lost him when you do."
The conversation got no further because their 'topic' had just returned from the store.
"Kami, Mimi you haven't changed." Yamato informed his pink haired friend behind the pile of shopping bags and boxes Mimi had made him carry. Mimi just laughed and climbed into the back seat of his car. Sora yawned stretching her arms. "Tired?" He asked with a smile.
"Mmm," she replied "Just a bit"
Matt laughed. I guess I need to get you ladies home.
When Yamato's car pulled up to her house Sora remembered something. She hadn't cleaned the house yet. Mimi would be staying over and Sora hated inviting a guest into a dirty home.
Yamato walked them up to the door he hugged Mimi and kissed Sora on the cheek, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning." With one last tweak Yamato was gone and Sora was faced with the door. She laughed at Yamato's joke. Yamato never woke up before twelve, and that meant she wouldn't have to worry about her schedule until lunchtime. Sora remembered her dirty house and winced as she opened the door. Surprisingly everything was clean and her mother was fast asleep on the couch, a duster in her hand.
Sora and Mimi quietly tiptoed into Sora's room. A cot was set up for Mimi, extra pillows and blankets were set up ready for them. "Wow" Mimi whispered impressed. "When Matt does something he really does it right."
Sora eyed Mimi in confusion. "Huh?"
Mimi laughed quietly. "He even called your Mother to tell her that he told me to come early. The Yamato I knew didn't make much of an effort to make sure everything went according to planed. He had really changed."
Sora smiled to herself. She probably knew Yamato the best out of all his friends. That was something to be proud of, especially after how distant he had always been as a kid. Both girls crawled into bed and both slept incredibly well, with dreams of tomorrow.
"Sora?" Questioned the pretty secretary, "He's ready to see you now."
Sora nodded in reply her voice just didn't seem to want to work. Sora followed the young woman and entered through the door that she held open. The door closed behind her and Sora felt the desperate need to yank it back open and run.
"Hello Sora. Please. Sit." Mr. Rokitosa said as she sat down in chair across from him. "Sora, Sora, Sora." He said leafing through papers in the folder he carried. "We have a problem."
Sora choked silently. "What kind of a problem." Sora had spent the last several years studying like mad to get into college while Yamato and Tai goofed off. Tai could get into any college he wanted with his skills on the soccer field. He had started getting offers in the 10th grade. Matt was world renown with his band. Every college wanted the kind of publicity a student like Yamato Ishida could bring. Sora was just plain Sora.
"You get good grades Sora. You have been working hard these long years, but," he paused for what seemed like hours to the poor fearful redhead "that's all you have going for you. Grades and Tennis. You are amazing at your sport and in those books, but you don't have enough recognition for Tennis and it, there for, isn't as important to the colleges you might apply to. You are competing against students with the same grades as you; these students will have played sports as well. They will have community service, years of instrumental achievements. Sora, you need something special so that you can stand out."
"What can I do?" Sora asked her voice small.
"This" he said handing her a paper. On it was a list of the many things she should accomplish so that she could stand out. "Enlist a friend in your cause, you'll need all the motivation you can get. Good Luck." Sora nodded and left the room the page he had given her was full with all the extra curricular activities she should accomplish to get where she needed to be.
On her way out she bumped into a familiar blond haired boy. "Hey Sora" Yamato said tweaking her nose.
Sora put on a fake smile; "Ohiyo Yamato-kun" Yamato noticed the falseness of her smile and frowned.
"Wait for me, I'll only be a minute." And before Sora could say no, he had tweaked her nose again and gone into Mr. Rokitosa's office.
Sora waited in the principal's office again, reading and re-reading her list. It was long. When Yamato came out he looked concerned, but said nothing. "Come on, were going out to lunch." He grabbed her arm and stole her away pulling her out of the school. The bell rang just as he opened the doors and students came piling after them. Yamato hopped into his gorgeous red convertible "Come on," he repeated "I know just the place."
Five minutes later, Sora and Yamato were seated in a little cafe. "You are being awfully quite today Sora-chan." Yamato pretended to pout, "and I don't like it at all."
Sora laughed at her friend but changed the subject, "What's good here?" She asked opening her menu.
While Sora and Yamato waited for their food. A large group of fan girls sneaked into the cafe. "Damn it" He muttered Sora only nodded. This happened at every place he went, those stupid girls would follow him to the end of the earth, and they just never gave up. Sora pitied her blond friend. According to Tai, it wasn't half as bad when Sora was around. When Matt was with a girl they would just hiss in the background when he was with his male friends they would attack. Tai had told her that one time a girl had nearly tried to rape Yamato. After that he never went anywhere without a friend. Sora looked at the folded paper in her hand, Mr. Rokitosa had told her to 'enlist a friend.' She thought about asking Yamato but no matter how bad her problems were, his were always worse.
"Whatcha' got there" He asked stealing the paper from her hands.
"Give that back!" Sora cried grabbing at the paper.
Yamato smirked "not without the magic words" he sing-songed. Even with the magic words it had was to late; he had opened the paper and read its contents his brow furrowed. "You have to do all this?" Sora nodded and looked at her hands as they twisted uncomfortably in her lap. "I know" his face brightened like a child being handed a candy bar. "I'll help you."
"Really?" Sora asked happily then she remembered "But you're to busy with your band, you're not going to have time to do this with me."
Yamato reached across the table and tweaked her nose affectionately. "I'll make time"
Yamato read the paper, "lets start with an easy one. I know!" Yamato quickly pulled out his wallet and placed the appropriate amount of money on the table. Grabbing Sora's arm he dragged her out to his car and they sped away in the direction of his house.
Leaving Sora in his room Yamato left to the kitchen to get some snacks and make a few phone calls. Sora looked around Yamato's room his bed was small and pushed into the corner there were no posters on the white walls, and there was no evidence that he might be world famous except for his very expensive guitar in the corner. Etched into the body of the instrument was his band's logo. He had done it himself because no one was aloud to touch his guitar but him. "Everything is set up" He proclaimed proudly as he entered his room with a tray, "I've even designed a schedule."
Sora watched her friend horrified. "I get out of school for a few weeks of break and you put me on a schedule?!"
Yamato nodded. "And it starts now." He grabbed his guitar from the corner of the room. "Your first job is to learn a musical instrument." Holding the guitar upright he pointed at the different parts "Head" he informed her as he pointed to the top of the pretty tan guitar. "Neck. Body. Bridge" his finger moved down the guitar pointing to the different parts as he said them. When he was done he held it up to her.
"Head. Neck. Body. Bridge" She pointed just as he had.
"Good, those are just the main parts though, you'll learn as we go along." Yamato quickly scribbled some notes down on a paper and showed her. This is a whole note. This is a half note..." Sora studied with Yamato for about an hour until he finally decided she was ready. Putting his left hand on the neck of the guitar he rested his pointer finger on the first string, on what she had learned was a 'fret'. After plucking the string he handed her the guitar. "Your turn."
Sora stared at the foreign object. Yamato had never let anyone touch his guitar. And yet here he was passing her his beloved. After a few minutes of struggled playing the doorbell rang. Yamato jumped up and answered the door. "Mimi, it's good to see you." He stated.
"Mimi!?" Sora cried, nearly dropping Yamato's guitar she rushed to the door to hug her friend. Mimi had moved to the US and it had been a while since she had seen her. Mimi had been planning on staying for winter vacation but she had been planning to come in a few days, not today. "What are you doing here?" Sora asked.
"Yama here told me your dilemma. He figured I could help." Sora eyed Yamato curiously, how was Mimi going to help her?
"You already know Japanese and French. I figured knowing a third language would add a little spice. Mimi is going to teach you English. Sora hugged her pink haired friend.
"Any more surprises, Yamato-kun?"
Yamato laughed. "Tons"
Mimi frowned, "You know Yamato, all work and no play will make Sora a very, very dull girl."
The blond laughed "Too true, and we wouldn't want that now would we." Yamato tweaked her nose again. "Since we never got to eat our lunch, how 'bout we go out for a meal. My treat."
"Ohhhhh" Mimi said excitedly "and shopping!"
Yamato made a face, "and shopping" he said sadly.
Sora laughed she had really missed having all her friends around her. Even just having the three of them made a difference. She was really starting to miss the Digital World.
Dinner went fantastic and surprisingly, so did they shopping. Sora hadn't bought presents for all her friends and Mimi was a big help with all her suggestions. Yamato stopped and Sora bumped into him. "What is it?" She asked concerned. Mimi giggled. The trio had stopped in front of a music store and Yamato was staring longingly.
"Oh just go already, Yamato" Mimi told the blond just before he dashed into the store. Sora and Mimi found a bench to sit down. With Yamato out of hearing distance Mimi could finally ask what she had been waiting to ask. "Do you like him?"
Sora felt her stomach clench. "Yamato?" She asked. Did she like Yamato?
Mimi smiled "Yes Yamato. You two were always flirting I figured you would hit it off while I was gone. "
Sora forced a laugh. "Me? And Yamato? That's absolutely ridiculous." Sora knew that she had never had feelings for Yamato, well maybe once or twice in the Digital World. But that was then, this was now. Before Mimi had asked the question she hadn't even thought of the idea. The only problem was that Mimi could usually spot a relationship before it happened.
You two make a great couple that weird nose tweak thing he does is absolutely adorably, but, it's been a long time and you two haven't progressed. You need to make your move Sora, before some other girl gets him.
"But, I don't like him like that."
Mimi smiled piteously, "You will though, I just hope you haven't already lost him when you do."
The conversation got no further because their 'topic' had just returned from the store.
"Kami, Mimi you haven't changed." Yamato informed his pink haired friend behind the pile of shopping bags and boxes Mimi had made him carry. Mimi just laughed and climbed into the back seat of his car. Sora yawned stretching her arms. "Tired?" He asked with a smile.
"Mmm," she replied "Just a bit"
Matt laughed. I guess I need to get you ladies home.
When Yamato's car pulled up to her house Sora remembered something. She hadn't cleaned the house yet. Mimi would be staying over and Sora hated inviting a guest into a dirty home.
Yamato walked them up to the door he hugged Mimi and kissed Sora on the cheek, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning." With one last tweak Yamato was gone and Sora was faced with the door. She laughed at Yamato's joke. Yamato never woke up before twelve, and that meant she wouldn't have to worry about her schedule until lunchtime. Sora remembered her dirty house and winced as she opened the door. Surprisingly everything was clean and her mother was fast asleep on the couch, a duster in her hand.
Sora and Mimi quietly tiptoed into Sora's room. A cot was set up for Mimi, extra pillows and blankets were set up ready for them. "Wow" Mimi whispered impressed. "When Matt does something he really does it right."
Sora eyed Mimi in confusion. "Huh?"
Mimi laughed quietly. "He even called your Mother to tell her that he told me to come early. The Yamato I knew didn't make much of an effort to make sure everything went according to planed. He had really changed."
Sora smiled to herself. She probably knew Yamato the best out of all his friends. That was something to be proud of, especially after how distant he had always been as a kid. Both girls crawled into bed and both slept incredibly well, with dreams of tomorrow.