Emily's 2nd web page

Love is Worth Everything

Book 1:
Love's a Risk Worth Taking

By: Emily Ishida

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?" Sora Takenouchi recited in front of her bedroom mirror. She had been practicing for the school play "Snow White" for a long time with Mimi Tachikawa, who was playing the part of Snow White. Sora was the evil queen.

"Iie, Iie! You need to add more pride to it! Sound like you think of yourself as the most beautiful damn thing on the planet, and sound like you're expecting that stupid mirror to say, 'You are, beautiful queen!' or something like that!" Mimi corrected. Sora wasn't too thrilled with playing the part of the evil queen, and had been hoping to play as Snow White, because Yamato Ishida was playing the part of the prince.

"Mimi! I don't need your lectures! And who are you to say my mirror's stupid?" Sora hissed, gazing adoringly at her large mirror, decorated neatly with Yamato photos of him as a friend and a rock star. Mimi rolled her eyes secretly. It seems like she made a shrine to him! Mimi thought with a soft giggle. Her soft pink hair rolled off her shoulders as she lifted her head up to watch a little spider crawl along the ceiling.

"I was talking about the mirror for the play, Sora."

"Oh," Sora blushed a little, then recited again, with more pride, just like Mimi had said. "Hey, that does sound more evil!"

"See? I act all the time. Especially when I'm around boring boys," Mimi bragged. Sora just rolled her eyes. Then, suddenly thinking of Matt in a prince outfit, she became jealous again.

"What's wrong?" Mimi asked curiously. Actually, Mimi had known that Sora was jealous, but because she acted around people all the time, she pretended not to know, just to feel lucky that SHE was Snow White, and Matt was HER prince. Not Sora's.

"Gomen. I shouldn't be so jealous of my best friend. It's just that you know I've had a crush on Matt since we first went to the Digital World. Now that we're in college, it's a larger chance for you to get married to him because you're a model. I think it's not fare that they chose you to be the main character because you're famous," Sora explained, looking into the mirror and sighing. Sora was hoping Mimi would give up her role as Snow White, but she said something almost as effective.

"Well, I can't give up my part, but I promise that even if I do like Matt too, I won't lead him on, okay?" Mimi placed her left hand on Sora's right shoulder, assuring her that she wasn't going to lead him on. "I promise."

"Okay," Sora smiled, hugging Mimi with a sigh. "Domo arigato gozaimasu."

"Do itashimashite," Mimi whispered, stroking the back of Sora's head. "I know how you must feel."

"Well, let's get back to rehearsing, okay?" Sora giggled, putting on her costume to make it more effective. Mimi nodded and began her lines.

"Does this look okay?" Taichi Kamiya heard from behind him. Tai was so wrapped up in getting his huntsman costume on that he had to turn around slowly to not rip the fabric.

"It looks fine," Tai grumbled, feeling envious of how stunning Matt looked in a prince outfit. Tai had badly wanted to change the story just a little…there was a prince, who was forced to work by his evil stepfather, the king, and another prince comes to him when hearing the sound of his voice from the other side of a stone wall, and in the end both princes fell in love and lived happily ever after. A small smile made its way across his face thinking about how he would feel if Matt was looking over him, as he pretended to be in a deep sleep, and Matt's lips came closer to Tai's soon pressed against his…

"Hey Tai! Get over here! I need help with this crown," Matt called. Tai finished putting on the outfit and walked over to Matt, who was fidgeting with a broken crown.

"What's the problem?" Tai asked. Examining it carefully, his hand touching Matt's. he ran his fingers over his hand on purpose, but then apologized to make it sound like an accident.

"It's broken here," Matt pointed out a broken edge where the crown came together. Tai grabbed some packaging tape and mended it, taking it from Matt's hands and placing it on Matt's head. How Tai loved the fragrance of Matt's shampoo.

"This way, no one can see the crack!" Tai smiled, yet inside he was heartbroken. Mimi is so lucky to have a prince like Yamato. Tai thought sadly.

"Uh, Matt, I need to talk to you," Tai murmured. Matt stopped his practice and turned to Tai the way he always did.

"Hai? What do you want?" Matt joked with sarcasm. Tai laughed a little.

"Uh, I have a confession, I…" at that point Tai chickened out. "…I have a crush on Mimi, so don't lead her on, okay?" I hate you I hate you I HATE you, Taichi Kamiya! Tai screamed to himself.

"Uh, okay! Don't worry, Tai. I won't!" Matt giggled, getting back to his reciting.

If only you knew, Tai sighed to himself.

That night at the play, when everyone was ready for the big night, Sora and Mimi were all worked up and nervous.

"Oh my GOD! There are at least three hundred people out there!" Sora squealed. That was an exaggeration, but there were a good hundred and fifty people out there, multiplied by two eyeballs each to watch them make a fool of themselves made that three hundred eyes.

"I know! Isn't this SCARY?" Mimi shrieked. Her amber eyes were shimmering with excitement and fear all at once, and Sora thought that was cute. She sighed with affection.

"And now to give you what you've been waiting for," a small, annoying man said from the center of the college gymnasium stage. "Our special version of SNOW WHITE!" The man was trying desperately to amuse the crowd, which had a backwards effect. Everyone, even the little man was relieved to see him walk off the stage. Everyone took their positions from behind the curtains.

"Okay, good luck, Sora!" Matt whispered gently to Sora. Sora winked at him to say "you too," and she took her position. Izzy Izuma, who was playing as one of the dwarves, gave Yolei a short kiss for good luck. Yolei was playing as the ugly little beggar lady that the evil queen turned into. Yolei returned the kiss.

As the curtains rose, Mimi was by a well, singing a song and looking into the well. Soon, she recited, "How I long for a handsome prince to take me away from this evil prison. I think I'll make a wish, and maybe my wish will come true," Mimi then looked deeper into the well, saying as cutely as possible, "Magic well, I wish a charming prince will come, to take me away to his kingdom and that I will find happiness within his arms!"

As Mimi went to a bucket of soapy water to wash some stairs, she suddenly began to sing. The audience was amazed at the quality of her voice, matching that of a small bird. That was Matt's hint to go out there. Matt stepped into the blinding light of the stage. His crown looked perfect thanks to Taichi. Sora waited in her position behind a cardboard tower, peering out of a cut window standing on a ladder to make it look like she was inside it. She watched in envy. Yet she loved the way Matt's walk made her weak in the knees. Not a good time to fall for him…literally, FALL! Sora gained posture and waited silently.

"Oh fair princess, I could not help but hear your beautiful voice!" Matt said warmly. Many girls in the audience fainted. Some teachers had to go to them and take them to the nurse's office upstairs of the college.

"Handsome prince, surely you must be mistaking. I honestly do not have a voice which matches that of heaven's angels, if that is what you think!" Mimi called to Matt from the other side of the stage, dressed in rags and looking like an abandoned doll. "Besides, how does this charming prince know that I am a princess within these torn rags?" Mimi turned away from him, looking out to the ceiling above the audience, in attempt to make him follow her. Matt did proceed to follow her.

"I beg to differ, beautiful princess. Of course your voice is that of an angel! I've never heard such joy in one's voice! How do I know you're a princess? By the delicacy of your soft face! No princess holds such beauty within her eyes OR heart."

"How do you know how my heart is?"

"Wild guess."

This was the first humorous line to the crowd. They laughed softly as the play proceeded. After an hour or two, they were at the scene with the princess lying asleep in the glass coffin. Seven dwarves, (which were Izzy, Ken, Cody, Davis, Willis, Michael and a boy named Lewis,) stood weeping around the glass coffin, which was laid upon a large stump in the middle of the forest.

From the shade of the trees, Matt, (known as Prince Charming,) stepped into the light. He gasped in horror, (He's still acting, ^_~) running to the coffin. Matt recited, "Snow White, beautiful, fragile and fair as she is, is lying dead in a coffin? This cannot be true! The evil queen is dead, yet she still lays resting soundly in this glass case? I shall kiss her lips one last time, as this is the only time I will say to her that I love her." With that, Matt leaned in, pressing his lips against Mimi's.

Mimi was surprised at how long it took Matt to kiss her. Even the audience was surprised. But as he lifted away from her, the audience then got the idea that that was all apart of the play. Mimi's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at Matt. "My prince! You've come for me!" Mimi beamed, placing her arms around Matt's neck slowly, as he lifted her from the coffin and onto his horse. (Which was real, they had to be very careful about little droppings though. ^^;)

The narrator, who was Kari, said as Mimi and Matt waved goodbye to the so-called dwarves, "As Snow White and her prince rode happily into the warmth of the evening sun, she and him lived happily ever after, and forever they shall be happy within the walls of their castle together."

The audience exploded into a cheering frenzy. Every character stepped onto the stage to bow. Tai looked in Matt's direction as he bowed, watching Mimi and him come out hand in hand.

Later that night, when everyone was taking off their costumes, (which were over their original clothes,) they were all congratulating each other. Cody sat down with Izzy to have a drink, and Joe snuck in to congratulate them. Luckily he didn't get caught.

"Good job Matt," Matt heard from behind him. It was Mimi. Matt smiled at the sight of her face.

"Yeah, you too," Matt replied. Mimi blushed. She loved Matt's ice blue eyes. Mimi then walked to Izzy to congratulate him. Matt watched her as she laughed along with him.

I can't believe I promised Tai that I'd stay away from her, Matt thought bitterly. He watches my every move like a vulture! Matt then had an idea.

"Hey Mimi!" Matt called to her. Mimi walked over to him obediently. "Hey, can I meet you at the park tonight around midnight? Tai won't let me near you during his waking hours."

Mimi giggled at his remark. "Uh, I bet my dad will throw a fit but alright. Sora won't let me near you either. In fact, I shouldn't be talking to you. But I will. Mata aimasho!" Mimi waved and went to Sora. Matt was halfway satisfied.

"What were you doing over there with Matt?" Sora hissed.

Mimi glared at Sora and replied, "He's one of my best friends, Sora. Just because you like him doesn't mean I can't say 'hi.' Sometimes you still act like a baby even if you are the most mature of the group!"

Sora felt insulted and stormed away. Mimi just sighed, looking over at Matt, shrugging. Tai saw this and went to Matt, asking him the same thing.

"She's my friend, too Tai. I can talk to whoever I want!" This time, Matt was the one who stormed off. Tai just felt hurt. If only you knew, Matt. If only.

At midnight, Matt was waiting by Mimi's favorite tree next to the lake. He shivered, but then he forced himself to shake it off and stood still as stone. He had a deep green t-shirt, which he realized wasn't the best choice because it would be hard for Mimi to see him.

I hope Tai doesn't find out about this, Matt thought over and over. Soon he saw Mimi panting towards him. She looked so good in her silver coat, which was of course expensive.

"Gomen, Matt! My dad didn't get to sleep until 11:45, so it was hard to get out of the house!" Mimi huffed. Matt just smiled. "My GOD you're not wearing a coat!"

"Ah I'll live," Matt smiled coolly. He was actually half frozen because it was late fall, but he didn't mind.

"No you won't! Luckily I brought my spare silver coat just like this…it was a size too big, so I got another one. Daddy said this big one could be used when I grew. I guess you're lucky!" Mimi threw the coat over Matt's head. Matt responded by slipping his arms into the sleeves. It was MUCH warmer. He thanked her and smiled. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"This whole deal with Sora and Tai," Matt grew tense and paced the cool grass, explaining as he went. Mimi watched with her arms crossed, understanding every word. "They are basically forbidding us to see each other. If they were really our friends they'd give us the freedom to love whoever we want!" Matt stopped when he realized that Mimi's eyebrow had raised. She knew what Matt accidentally said, and she was a little surprised. "Oops," Matt murmured.

"What are you saying 'oops' for?" Mimi asked with a beautiful smile. Matt was understanding where she was heading with this and he shrugged, chuckling lightly and gathering her in his arms.

"I guess I shouldn't go on before I say something stupid, huh?" Matt laughed.

"Nah, I don't care! I feel the same way."

"About Sora and Tai not being fair or what I accidentally said?"

"Both."

Matt was a little shocked. He looked at Mimi, who was smiling softly at him. She felt safe and content basking in his warm embrace, and she knew she loved him.

Matt leaned in, just like he did in the play, and melted her with one of his passionate girls-would-faint-like-dead-flies kisses. Mimi returned his kiss by slipping her tongue into his mouth. This sent shivers through Matt. He was so dazed by it that he forgot to breathe and choked.

"Forgot to…" Mimi whispered.

"Breathe," Matt finished, whispering back. She smiled and they tried again. This time Matt nearly made her choke with how long he was kissing her. They both laughed at this. "Vice-versa, huh?"

"Hai," Mimi giggled.

"You know, Mimi, Sora and Tai are really going to hate us for breaking our promises," Matt pointed out.

"So what? It's a risk, right? Love's a risk worth taking!" Mimi corrected, loosing herself into another kiss of Matt's. Matt was satisfied. They were so wrapped up in it that they fell asleep. Matt's back was against the tree, and Mimi was in his arms. They stayed like this all through the night.

The next morning, there were people in the park, unaware that the two were there. It was Mimi who woke up first. She looked around, watching a lady with her dog walk by.

"Matt! Matt wake up!" Mimi urged quietly, shaking him. He jerked awake. They both were frozen with worry. Even though Mimi was in her first year of college, she still lived with her parents because she was still looking for a suitable house. Matt's dad always checked up on him every morning at seven before he left for work, and it was 6:43 a.m. The sun was luckily bright.

"Oh my God," Matt sighed. He pulled Mimi up, but they both stood up too quickly, because they plopped back on the ground as dizzy as spin toys. They stood up more slowly and jumped into Matt's ice blue convertible, and he got Mimi home in time.

As Matt was driving away, he saw in his rear-view mirror Mimi's father raging out of the front door as Mimi reached for the doorknob. He watched as Mr. Tachikawa flared at his daughter. Matt suddenly felt the need to help her, and he turned around quickly.

"Mr. Tachikawa I can explain," Matt panted as he raced to the door.

"Oh I bet you can! Look at my daughter! She looks like she slept in a closet! She's worn an her hair's a mess! You dirty rebel of a baka! Rock star or not you cannot, I mean CANNOT do this to my daughter!"

"You're jumping to conclusions, sir! I didn't-"

"SHUT UP! I don't want to hear any excuses! I know you did! Get out! OUT!" Mr. Tachikawa raged more. He even threw a fist at Matt, but Matt caught Mimi's father's fist and let him stumble and fall to the ground. Mimi watched in horror.

"DADDY! Tomeru! Dozo!" Mimi kept on shouting, but Mr. Tachikawa kept making attempts to tear Matt apart, and Matt refused to hurt him. Event though he wanted to, he couldn't hurt Mimi's father.

In a matter of minutes, Mrs. Tachikawa came out, worried and shocked. She pulled Matt away as Mr. Tachikawa threw himself at Matt one last time. But he fell face first into the soil. Matt now had a cut on his arm from Mr. Tachikawa's pen in his shirt pocket, many bruises and a bloody nose and lip.

"Honey, what are you DOING?" Mrs. Tachikawa burst.

"That rebel…he's not allowed here…especially after what he did to MIMI!" Mimi's father hissed, pointing at him as he spoke. Mimi tried to explain it, but he refused to listen. Instead, he grabbed Mimi harshly by her arms, her back facing Mr. Tachikawa. He threw her towards the door, and she tripped and tumbled over the steps that led to the door. She cried hard, and Mr. Tachikawa kicked her and raged at her.

"DADDY! Daddy STOP!" Mimi begged.

"IIE! How could you let him do that to you? Are you completely stupid? Do you think that you can just walk away expecting to not get pregnant? You made the biggest mistake, Mimi Tachikawa! You'll never live in this house again!" Mr. Tachikawa screamed as he threw his hardest kick into Mimi's side. She was so beaten that when Mr. Tachikawa stopped, realizing what he had just done, she was unconscious.

"How DARE you! How COULD you?" Mrs. Tachikawa cried, slapping Mr. Tachikawa across the face and running to Mimi's side. But leaving Matt to stand free wasn't the best choice, because Mimi's father attacked him again. Matt then knew that if he didn't protect himself he could get hurt badly. So he returned the punch by throwing one into Mr. Tachikawa's jaw. But Mr. Tachikawa had Matt so beaten that it didn't do any good.

Luckily, Mr. Ishida was driving to work, passing the Tachikawa home. He saw Matt being beat upon by the man, and he flew out of the car and hit Mr. Tachikawa's back with his briefcase.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mr. Ishida boomed. He had Mr. Tachikawa on his back, Mr. Ishida over him, holding his arms down and yelling in his face.

"Your son has done something awful to my daughter! I could KILL him!"

"Leave Matt out of your anger, Mr. Tachikawa! I'm sure it can be handled!" Mr. Ishida yelled again. But Mr. Tachikawa refused to give up. He kneed Mr. Ishida in between the legs and punched him.

When Mr. Ishida had Mr. Tachikawa worn an beaten from the battle, he stood in front of his grown son, eyes set aflame and his deadly glare set on Matt. But Matt didn't look away. He stood, knowing exactly what his was assuming because he saw Mimi lying motionless on the ground. "What is the meaning of this, Yamato Ishida?"

"It can all be explained, Dad," Matt replied confidently. "Let me start by saying that you cannot assume something just because of what the whole situation LOOKS like, you have to go deeper than that, Dad. Just like when I had a crush on a certain girl in 1st grade, and this not-so-great-looking girl liked me, too. You said to me, 'You cannot judge a book by it's cover, Matt. Therefore, you cannot judge this girl by her looks. You have to go deeper than that.' This is exactly like that."

Mr. Ishida was stunned. But he never let his glare falter or focus on anything else but Matt. "Explain, then."

Matt told Mr. Ishida about Sora and Tai's unfairness and Matt meeting Mimi in the park at midnight. He even included how the whole thing started with the play, and how it ended with Mr. Tachikawa beating and kicking his daughter, causing her to fall unconscious. Mr. Tachikawa was silent as he listened.

"I understand, Matt," Mr. Ishida murmured. He watched Mrs. Tachikawa sigh in relief, but still with tears streaming down her face as Mimi lay still. Mr. Tachikawa looked as if he was guilty. But he still held a fire inside of him.

"I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT! What a pathetic excuse to cover up having sex with my daughter before she's even married! You bastard of a rebel!" Mr. Tachikawa yelled.

"I have a dad, you know! Choose your words more wisely!" Matt fumed back.

"You won't in a minute!" Mr. Tachikawa and Mr. Ishida then returned to a raging battle. Suddenly, sirens could be heard, and police were surrounding the building. Mr. Tachikawa was sent to jail after a long explanation, and Mr. Ishida was sent to the hospital after being thrown to a rock and breaking his arm. Matt was fine, and Mimi had a doctor come to the house.

Three weeks later, Matt and Mimi were sitting on a park bench, eating ice cream. It turned out that Izzy was the one who called the police, because he was walking by at the time.

"Matt, I've never seen my father act that way. He use to be so nice. Now look at him," Mimi was so depressed that she lay her head on Matt's shoulder. Matt held her, taking another bite of his ice cream then throwing the rest in a garbage can.

"I know. I never suspected it, either. But remember, it was discovered that he had been drinking and he lost control," Matt explained.

"But he's never drunk a beer in his whole life!"

"Unfortunately this was the first time."

Mimi started to sob lightly, then stopped when she felt Matt's index finger slip under her chin and her head lifted by it. Matt looked into her eyes, and whispered, "Mimi, remember that you have at least someone who loves you. MANY people who love you actually. Including me."

"Of course you love me, you're my best friend, and-" Mimi was cut off when Matt placed his lips upon hers. S

"Aishiteru Mimi," Matt whispered in Mimi's ear.

"Aishiteru Yamato," Mimi answered. She and him shared another round of passion on that park bench. And inside Matt's mind, he remembered the words Mimi had used that night in the park…Love's a risk worth taking.

*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*

Well? How was it? I know the father was out of character, but in order to make this story fit the title sometimes ya gotta change things...so don't sue me, got it? Well, if you have any comments please review or email me at: ButterflyBaby12345@hotmail.com

Ja ne!

Click here to read Chapter 2! ^_^

Translations:

  1. Gomen = I'm sorry

  2. Domo arigato gozaimasu = Thank you very much

  3. Do itashimashite = You're welcome

  4. Hai = Yes

  5. Mata aimasho = See you later

  6. Baka = Idiot/fool

  7. Tomeru = Stop

  8. Dozo = Please

  9. Iie = No

  10. Aishiteru = "I love you"

  11. Ja ne = Another term for "good bye"