CHAPTER 4: Some of Us are Jealous
Matt walked slowly with Sora. She hadn't been her usual cheerful self lately. He didn't blame her; he hadn't been very receptive lately either. Ever since Mimi had come…
He mentally kicked himself. His thoughts had strayed to Mimi…again. He knew that Mimi and Tai were a couple, but it still hurt, as if he and Mimi belonged together, but she was with Tai and he was with Sora.
"Don't worry, Mimi," a familiar, bossy voice echoed out of a nearby alley ahead of them. "If he dares shows his face around here, I'll pound his head in…"
Soft giggles followed, and a voice that Matt loved to hear spoke, "You're right, you're still impulsive. I think I can sleep at night now," it teased.
The first voice announced, "Yeah, and rest assured, Mimi, if he comes anywhere near you, I'll make him pay…"
Then, into the lighted street, stepped Tai with Mimi in his arms.
Matt felt the jealousy run through him as he saw the smile on Mimi's face. How he wished she's smile at *him* like that. What he wouldn't give to trade places with Tai, even for just a moment, to have Mimi look at him that way…
Mimi looked away from Tai for a moment and noticed him and Sora. "Oh, hello guys!" She squirmed. "Put me down now, Tai!"
Tai shook his head, smothering snickers. "I don't think so, Mimi. Knowing you, you're probably still in shock." He grew serious. "And you'd fall and hurt yourself, and I would never forgive myself."
Mimi smiled tenderly at him. "Aw, Tai, that was so sweet! I never knew there was a romantic side of you!"
Tai bragged, "There's lots of things you don't know about me!"
"I know that in kindergarten, you…" Mimi began triumphantly.
As if noticing Matt and Sora for the first time, Tai covered Mimi's mouth with his hand quickly. "Do *not* go there, Mimi," he warned.
Mimi smiled, and nodded.
"Um, what are you guys doing out so late?" Sora asked, breaking the silence.
Tai let go of Mimi's mouth and said, "Oh, uh, we caught a movie and were heading home when…"
This time, it was Mimi who covered Tai's mouth. "Please, *don't*," she pleaded softly. "I'd rather it was a secret."
Tai smiled and nodded. "Right…"
Matt suspiciously looked them over. Mimi's cheeks were flushed, and she was smiling. Tai was looking dazed, and he was handling Mimi like she was a fragile flower…
Matt's eyes narrowed. Just the *thought* of Mimi and Tai making out made his blood boil. He glanced at Sora, who seemed to be trying not to cry.
"Well, I need to take Mimi home," Tai said loudly.
"Bye," Mimi waved, smiling.
Matt watched as the two disappeared down the street, Tai still carrying Mimi.
"You're not going anywhere alone at night, you hear me?" he heard Tai say.
"Yes, Tai," Mimi answered in a meek voice.
"And as I said, if he comes near you…"
"You'll pound his head in."
"Right."
"Right."
Silence. Then, "Tai, does that mean you'll send him away for good?"
" 'Course, Mimi. I mean what I say…"
Matt turned back to Sora, who was in deep thought. Something had changed forever between them, but he was yet to find out what it was.
Mimi sighed. Tai was taking this a little too seriously. He was waiting outside the girl's restroom, giving every guy who passed the evil eye.
Mimi looked in the mirror, tucking a strand of runaway hair behind her ear. She caught sight of Sora, who came out of a stall.
"Hey Sora!" she exclaimed, turning around to greet her friend.
Sora smiled. "Hi, Mimi. What's up with Tai? He's standing outside the door, glaring at all the guys!"
Mimi smiled to herself. "He's just being overprotective of me."
"From what? Other girls?" Sora asked skeptically.
Mimi shook her head, her face turning crimson. "Um, no. Well, how's it going between you and Matt?" she asked quickly, changing the subject. She *hated* talking about Dave.
"Oh, I don't know," Sora said lightly. "He seems distant, and I sense that something isn't right with him."
Mimi could tell that Sora wasn't being completely honest with her, but she knew that *she* wasn't being completely honest with Sora, either.
"Oh," she answered. "Well, gotta go. I don't want Tai to fix anyone with a death glare."
She hurried away, her eyes tearing. Oh, how she envied Sora. She had Matt in love with her. That only happened to Mimi in her dreams, and only her wildest at that.
"Hey beautiful."
She looked up, forcing a smile as Tai put an arm around her. "Hi."
He immediately frowned. "What is it?"
"Nothing," she answered. "Just…I met Sora in there…"
Tai understood. "It'll be alright," he whispered. "I promise."
Matt walked slowly with Sora. She hadn't been her usual cheerful self lately. He didn't blame her; he hadn't been very receptive lately either. Ever since Mimi had come…
He mentally kicked himself. His thoughts had strayed to Mimi…again. He knew that Mimi and Tai were a couple, but it still hurt, as if he and Mimi belonged together, but she was with Tai and he was with Sora.
"Don't worry, Mimi," a familiar, bossy voice echoed out of a nearby alley ahead of them. "If he dares shows his face around here, I'll pound his head in…"
Soft giggles followed, and a voice that Matt loved to hear spoke, "You're right, you're still impulsive. I think I can sleep at night now," it teased.
The first voice announced, "Yeah, and rest assured, Mimi, if he comes anywhere near you, I'll make him pay…"
Then, into the lighted street, stepped Tai with Mimi in his arms.
Matt felt the jealousy run through him as he saw the smile on Mimi's face. How he wished she's smile at *him* like that. What he wouldn't give to trade places with Tai, even for just a moment, to have Mimi look at him that way…
Mimi looked away from Tai for a moment and noticed him and Sora. "Oh, hello guys!" She squirmed. "Put me down now, Tai!"
Tai shook his head, smothering snickers. "I don't think so, Mimi. Knowing you, you're probably still in shock." He grew serious. "And you'd fall and hurt yourself, and I would never forgive myself."
Mimi smiled tenderly at him. "Aw, Tai, that was so sweet! I never knew there was a romantic side of you!"
Tai bragged, "There's lots of things you don't know about me!"
"I know that in kindergarten, you…" Mimi began triumphantly.
As if noticing Matt and Sora for the first time, Tai covered Mimi's mouth with his hand quickly. "Do *not* go there, Mimi," he warned.
Mimi smiled, and nodded.
"Um, what are you guys doing out so late?" Sora asked, breaking the silence.
Tai let go of Mimi's mouth and said, "Oh, uh, we caught a movie and were heading home when…"
This time, it was Mimi who covered Tai's mouth. "Please, *don't*," she pleaded softly. "I'd rather it was a secret."
Tai smiled and nodded. "Right…"
Matt suspiciously looked them over. Mimi's cheeks were flushed, and she was smiling. Tai was looking dazed, and he was handling Mimi like she was a fragile flower…
Matt's eyes narrowed. Just the *thought* of Mimi and Tai making out made his blood boil. He glanced at Sora, who seemed to be trying not to cry.
"Well, I need to take Mimi home," Tai said loudly.
"Bye," Mimi waved, smiling.
Matt watched as the two disappeared down the street, Tai still carrying Mimi.
"You're not going anywhere alone at night, you hear me?" he heard Tai say.
"Yes, Tai," Mimi answered in a meek voice.
"And as I said, if he comes near you…"
"You'll pound his head in."
"Right."
"Right."
Silence. Then, "Tai, does that mean you'll send him away for good?"
" 'Course, Mimi. I mean what I say…"
Matt turned back to Sora, who was in deep thought. Something had changed forever between them, but he was yet to find out what it was.
Mimi sighed. Tai was taking this a little too seriously. He was waiting outside the girl's restroom, giving every guy who passed the evil eye.
Mimi looked in the mirror, tucking a strand of runaway hair behind her ear. She caught sight of Sora, who came out of a stall.
"Hey Sora!" she exclaimed, turning around to greet her friend.
Sora smiled. "Hi, Mimi. What's up with Tai? He's standing outside the door, glaring at all the guys!"
Mimi smiled to herself. "He's just being overprotective of me."
"From what? Other girls?" Sora asked skeptically.
Mimi shook her head, her face turning crimson. "Um, no. Well, how's it going between you and Matt?" she asked quickly, changing the subject. She *hated* talking about Dave.
"Oh, I don't know," Sora said lightly. "He seems distant, and I sense that something isn't right with him."
Mimi could tell that Sora wasn't being completely honest with her, but she knew that *she* wasn't being completely honest with Sora, either.
"Oh," she answered. "Well, gotta go. I don't want Tai to fix anyone with a death glare."
She hurried away, her eyes tearing. Oh, how she envied Sora. She had Matt in love with her. That only happened to Mimi in her dreams, and only her wildest at that.
"Hey beautiful."
She looked up, forcing a smile as Tai put an arm around her. "Hi."
He immediately frowned. "What is it?"
"Nothing," she answered. "Just…I met Sora in there…"
Tai understood. "It'll be alright," he whispered. "I promise."