"Sora, these bean sprouts are delicious!" Said Tatsuki (who was visiting the cottage)

"I bet they'd taste even better with melted chocolate!" Said Orihime as she went to go get some from the fridge.

"NO!" Cried Sora and Tatsuki.

"Honestly, Orihime, I don't know where you get your taste buds" Sighed Sora

"Not from this planet that's for sure" Joked Tatsuki.

The trio laughed comfortably.

"Sora, try these bean sprouts! Tatsuki's mom was so nice to send us some!" Orihime offered her brother some from her plate.

"No thanks!" Laughed the man.

"But you must be hungry!" Exclaimed the little girl, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she saw her brother eating.

"I'm full from sneaking into the mango trees this afternoon!" Said Sora, patting his stomach.

Orihime's eyes brimmed with tears. Getting up from the table, she pushed her food away.

"Hey what's wrong?" Asked Tatsuki.

"I'm full too." Orihime whispered.

"What's with the burst of drama?" Drawled Sora. His sister turned to him, hurt and anger in her eyes.

"Why do you keep lying to me?" She hissed, her tears sizzling with stifling fury.

Tears began spilling from her eyes.

"I know you aren't eating because there isn't enough money left in our savings from these past market days to buy food. Admit it!"

Tatsuki gasped.

"is...is this true?"

"You're letting yourself starve to death so that I won't go hungry" She sobbed.

"Mangoes give me all the energy I need to keep myself going." Said Sora, carelessly.

"How else do you think I keep this youthful glow?"

"Then-then why are your hands shaking" Inquired Tatsuki.

"Can it and eat" Replied Sora, a newly acquired edge in his voice.

"Please don't lie to me, Sora" Whimpered Orihime.

"Don't do this for me. I'm begging you... I'm not a little girl"

Suddenly months of pent up frustration came cascading into Orihime's heart.

"You think I'm stupid don't you? I bet you think that I don't realize that wer're poor and that we're struggling financially! But I do! I thought you could tell me everything! I thought we could always trust each other! But you don't! You're just a rotten liar!"

Sora looked away. Tatsuki bit her lip

"Maybe...Orihime, this isn't like you...please cut Sora a little slack...he's just looking out for you...it isn't his fault that you guys...you guys...aren't doing so well..."

"SHUT UP!"

Tatsuki nearly fell over in her chair, stunned at her usually passive friend's outburst.

"You don't get to tell me what I should do! You can't say anything about me! You don't know anything about my life? How could you? Your family owns one of the biggest sugar plantations in town! You've probably never had to worry about money a day in your life!"

That remark was enough to send Tatsuki back to her senses. Leaping up from her chair, she marched over to Orihime.

"You think your family is the only one that's suffering? You think you are the only one who ever has to worry about money troubles? You honestly think that just because my family owns a plantation, we aren't worried about how well our goods will sell too? Gosh, you're even more dense than I thought you were!"

Orihime sobbed as she released the words containing the biggest fear in her heart

"At least your family wouldn't be better off without you!"

"SMACK!"

As if on reflex, Sora had gotten up from the table and backhanded Orihime so hard that her legs gave way and she fell on her behind. Tatsuki's jaw dropped to form an 'O' with her mouth, and Orihime's eyes were almost as large as it.

"S-Sora?" She whimpered.

Her brother gasped as if he was waking up from a trance. His eyes filled with horror at the sight of the ugly, throbbing bruise on his sister's face.

"Orihime! I-I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what-"

Orihime wasn't holding anything back. Her rawest, most negative thoughts from the darkest part of her soul came gushing out of her.

"I HATE YOU!" She shrieked through her tears.

"YOU'RE THE WORST BROTHER EVER! I WISH THAT YOU NEVER EXISTED! I WISH I HAD ACTUAL PARENTS TO LIVE WITH! PARENTS WHO TREATED ME WITH RESPECT AND NOT LIKE A DUMB LITTLE GIRL! I WISH I HAD ANYBODY AT ALL WHO WASN'T A STUPID, STINKY LOSER LIKE YOU!"

A bolt of thunder from the storm outside crashed through the sky and the room was dead silent. In seconds, Orihime realized the effect of the words she had uttered. She gasped and slammed her hand against her mouth. But it was too late. The damage was done. Sora's eyes turned cold as steel before he turned away from her.

"Allright then." He said curtly.

"Have it your way. If you hate it here so much, I won't force you to stay. I didn't sign up for this"

"Everybody calm down! Stop fighting!" Cried Tatsuki desperately. But her words were in vain. Orihime got to her feet and brashly brushed away her tears.

"FINE!" She sobbed.

"I will go! And I'll never ever come back!"

Without even bothering to grab her raincoat or boots, she burst out of the house and into the full glory of the newly-hatched storm.

Sora and Tatsuki stood in silence for what felt like hours. Finally, long after the storm ended, did Tatsuki find the courage to speak.

"Sora-Orihime-you know she didn't mean any of that...she-she was just mad-cause she feels like-you're not being honest to her-and-and she hates feeling like a burden-and-she hates...being in the dark about things."

Sora turned to look at her and Tatsuki's heart broke at the sight of his eyes, stained red from tears.

"All you guys have is each other..." She went on, as she gained more courage.

"You're Orihime's whole world. And I know that you're not stupid enough to not know how much she adores you!"

A glimmer of hope fluttered across Sora's face.

"Don't tell me that you think that just because you had one angsty little fight that you're not the moon, sun, and stars to Orihime? Do you honestly think that she would really truly want to live with anyone who isn't you? You only need to have a brain to know that's a load of B.S!"

There was an incredibly long silence. Tatsuki was beginning to wonder if maybe it would be best for her to go back home, when Sora began to chuckle wistfully.

"oh, Tatsuki. If this family has a guardian angel, there's no way it wouldn't be you!"

Tatsuki blushed.

"I-I'm just stating the obvious here"

"Well, sometimes an idiot like myself needs to have the obvious stuffed in front of his face."

Tatsuki smiled.

"Everybody's like that at some point"

"Say Tatsuki, it'd be kinda rude of me to ask you for anything considering all you've done for us. But could you find Orihime and get her to come home"

Tatsuki jokingly punched Sora's shoulder.

"Aww, you should know by know that you don't need to ask!"