~~~~~~~~**Takenouchi's New Problem**~~~~~~~~
part three
Her feet stopped at the tennis court entrance. Sora had made an excuse to leave the restaurant.
There was no way she could stay there. Her hand pushed open the gate, and she walked inside.
The place was isolated. She would not be surprised if a tumbleweed rolled past her. 'W..why
does he not care what he did, why did he not talk to me about it, why did he run off when he
did it, and most importantly, why did he do it..why did he kiss me?' She crawled into a corner.
There were too many questions and no answers. Her back faced the cold wind.
"Hello there." Said a voice strikingly similar. Sora's head turned to see a grinning Yolei. She
was standing outside of the court.
"Y..Yolei?" Sora was surprised.
"What are you doing sitting there? Don't you play tennis?" Yolei leaned against the metal fence.
"Uh, well yes, I do!" Sora coughed.
"So, why aren't you playing?"
"Umm..I forgot my racket.." She lied.
"Sora? Are you feeling okay?" Yolei wondered.
"I..."
"Um okay. Anyway! Will you help me with tennis!? Please!!" Yolei dropped the bag she was holding.
"Tennis!?" And Sora thought Yolei was actually caring about her problem!
"I know I just started, but I really want to make the team at school!" Sora smiled at her.
'Does she look up to me?' Sora thought. 'I can't tell Yolei 'no', she knows I would never act
that way. Even though something is happening between Tai and I..maybe this is the way for me to
forget it even happened?'
"Please!" Yolei begged.
"Okay, Yolei! Don't yell." Sora stuck her tongue out.
"Yay! Thank you so much!!" She hugged the fence.
'This is a little embarrassing.." Sora looked around hoping no one was watching Yolei. "You have
played before, right?"
"Not exactly."
"Maybe we can practice then, for right now." She stood up. Yolei smiled and ran into the tennis
court.
"What is wrong with Sora?" Mimi asked Matt and Tai at the restaurant, "This isn't like her."
Tai just looked out the window.
"Just leave her be, you can find out later." Matt told her calmly.
"I want to know! Aren't you ever curious?!" She shouted at him.
"Mimi, people are looking at you." Mimi blushed and hid her face.
"There's nothing wrong with Sora." Tai suddenly said. They both looked at him.
"How would you know for sure?" Mimi asked.
"Because..if there was something wrong she would mention it."
"No one can tell everyone everything, Tai." Matt said reasonably.
"Just shut up." Tai got up out of the booth.
"What's the matter with you?" Matt got up, too.
"This is so embarrassing!" Mimi slumped under the table.
"Listen, I have known Sora longer than you-"
"What did you do to her?" Matt cut him off.
"I didn't do anything!" Tai backed up.
"You're a jerk! You cause everything, don't you?" Matt assumed.
"If kissing a girl is so bad, then punch me right now!"
Mimi's head rose and hit the table. "Ow! You kissed Sora!?" Tai was almost blushing at the fact he
blurted the secret. He walked out of the restaurant. Mimi was now standing next to Matt. "I can't
believe it."
"I wonder if he really did?" People were looking at them.
Tai was walking down the sidewalk. 'Why did I say it!?' He thought without knowing where he was going.
"Excuse me? You're from my school." Said a girl behind him. Tai turned around. The girl had long black
wavy hair, and she had green eyes. Her skin was close to matching Tai's.
"Uh, yeah?"
"I need some help, please. There is this project in science and..."
***
"Wow Yolei, you aren't so bad for just beginning!" Sora grinned.
"Really!?" Yolei was very happy even though the two girls barely played.
"Tomorrow come to the tennis court at my school, you can play with Gwen and I."
"Thank you so much! I'll come when school lets out!"
"I have to go, but I will see you then!" Sora waved and walked home. 'Yolei is really sweet, I'm glad
she is trying out for tennis.' Sora stopped walking. 'Is that Tai with some girl?' She shook her head
and kept walking. 'Oh well, who cares. He doesn't care at all.' She continued to walk and then opened
the door to her apartment. "Mama?"
"Sora, phone call!" Her mother called.
"Already?" Sora picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"SORA! You can't even tell your best friend! How cruel!!! GEEZ!" Mimi stressed.
"What are you talking about?!"
"When you left the restaurant..um..Tai kind of..accidently...told us he kissed you!"
"He..what?" Sora dropped the phone. It hit the floor, but Sora heard no noise. She didn't hear Mimi
repeating her name to see if she was there. Her hand leaned against the wall. Her knees felt weak, she
felt numb. 'Tai..told? Everyone?'
"Sora?!" Her mother caught her before she fell forward. "What's wrong?" Sora looked at her.
"After all you've known someone, they can't even keep a secret!" She cried.
"Sora, please hunny, maybe the person didn't mean to tell." She assured.
"Didn't mean to? W..what do you mean!?"
"Sometimes not everyone realizes that they tell something private until after they say it." She focused
all her attention to Sora. Her daughter then nodded slowly.
"I'll be back." Sora managed to make it to the door. She looked back quickly, "Don't worry, I will be
okay." She tried to smile and walked out the door.
"Homework sure doesn't help teenager stress." Mrs. Takenouchi said to herself.
Sora was walking to the Kamiya apartment. Her finger poked the doorbell.
"Hi, Sora!" Kari greeted when the door opened.
"Is Tai here?" She said with no emotion.
"No, but what's wrong? What happened?" She asked with concern.
"Nevermind." 'He's with that girl.' She turned away and walked to where she saw Tai earlier. Was he still
there? She was walking pretty fast until she came to the bench. Looking around she noticed that he was
walking in the other direction. She started to run to catch up. "Tai!"
He gulped and turned around. "..uh, hello." Tai choked. Sora's hand hit his cheek so hard that he felt the
sting. "My god can you slap." He rubbed his red cheek a few times but then stopped. "I am so sorry I said
it in front of them. I understand if you can't forgive me." His eyes looked up at her. She said nothing.
'I slapped him....? How could I have been so mad....?' "No. I'm the one who is sorry."
"Wha?" His jaw dropped. Strangely enough, Sora hugged him. Tai did not understand anything that was happening now.
"This is kinda strange!" He joked.
Sora let go and backed up. "I guess you could say that we are just weird people!" They laughed.
"He has a girlfriend!?" Someone whispered not too far away.
The next day Mimi had a huge issue;
"School!? Nooooo!" She grabbed Sora's leg. Sora went to pick up Mimi for her first day of going back to
school in Tokyo.
"Come on, everyone will be so happy to see you! I can't wait to show you around!" Sora said happily.
"I actually forgot I am going to your school for awhile! And I never knew you wore uniforms!" She whined
while pulling down her skirt a bit.
"We don't want to be late you know." Sora took Mimi's bag for her and started to walk out of the house.
"Wait! I am coming!" Mimi ran after. "Bye Mom and Dad!" She closed the door behind her.
"You'll have a great time." Sora slowed her walking pace for Mimi.
"I don't think you're only happy for me-Hey, what happened with Kamiya? You never called me back, it's
like you left me on the phone-"
"We are friends only. Nothing more, nothing less." Sora cut her off.
"We can talk about this when something happens between you two again."
"Mimi! There is no 'again'!" Sora shot back.
"Why not?" Her eyes went misty, "Two perfect friends turning into the two perfect lovers!" She sounded
like she was the voice of a commercial for a new romantic movie. Sora had a disgusted face plastered on.
"That's NOT happening!!" Sora started to walk faster.
"You need some romance in your life!" Mimi yelled after, "Come on, Sora!"
Sora spun back around, "And who is it you like??"
Mimi froze. She turned and walked the other way trying not to blush.
"Mimi!" Sora laughed. "You have to like someone that means! Come back here, first class will start
soon!"
Mimi raced up to Sora, "Never ask me that again!" They both ran before the first bell at the school rang.
"Class, it's the first day of the week!" Mr. Kontae announced. Everyone groaned. Sora was waiting for
him to bring Mimi in front of the class, but instead Mr. Kontae kept talking about the daily news. Matt
and Tai were bothering Sora about how happy she was.
'Why can't I be happy?' Sora thought, 'My best friend is finally coming back to school in Japan!'
"Sora's weird." Tai whispered to Matt. Matt nodded in response as they stared at the dazed girl.
"Okay class, something new happened this morning." Mr Kontae started, "Someone who use to live here in
Tokyo has come back for a couple of months." Sora looked up. "Please come in." That was the cue for the
door to open. The door slowly opened with a creak. The room was silent as Mimi stepped in gracefully.
"Hi there." She winked at the class. More than half of the students were stunned and the girls all screamed
her name. They jumped out of their seats and crowded around Mimi.
"She's back!!"
"Thank god!"
"Cute hair!!"
"How was America?"
"Are you happy to be home?"
"Did you meet any boys?"
"Are the clothes cheaper there?"
Before Mimi could say another word, Mr. Kontae broke the girls apart. "Enough! Please go to your seats!"
The girls muttered things as they obeyed his command. Mimi still was standing there, she was a little
confused. "For the people who do not know this girl, she is Mimi Tachikawa. Mimi, you can take a seat
anywhere you would like." Mimi glanced around until she spotted Sora in the back of the room with Tai
and Matt. She walked to them and sat next to Sora.
"Okay, let's continue the talk about plate tectonics," Mr. Kontae was facing the blackboard and
scribbling notes down for the children to copy. No one was actually paying attention, though.
"Hey buddy." Sora smiled at Mimi.
"Hello pal." She smiled back. Tai and Matt exchanged weird looks.
"Hey Mimi, there's a note on your desk." Matt whispered from behind her. She looked on her desk and picked
up a small piece of paper. She unfolded it and grabbed her pen. She wrote something down and threw it to a
girl across the room. Another girl threw a paper at Mimi. Mimi threw it back after writing something else.
By the end of class Mimi had over thirty notes in her backpack.
"Talk about Miss Popularity." Tai glanced at Mimi lugging her backpack around in the hall.
"Yeah, and that was only her first class." Matt responded. They walked up to Mimi and Sora.
"Oh hi guys, want to hold my bag?" Mimi offered tiredly.
"Heh, you wished." Tai answered.
"Well I am sure any other boy here would do it for me!" She stuck out her tongue.
"Then go tell one to!" Tai mimicked Mimi by sticking his tongue out, too.
"Children, children." Sora walked in between them. "You can fight after school, not in school."
"Argh, boys." Mimi glared at Tai.
"Well god, have Matt do it." They forgot Matt was still standing there. Mimi walked up to him.
"Please?" She batted her eyelashes. Sora rolled her eyes. Tai smacked his head with his hand.
"Okay." Matt lifted up the bag easily.
"See Tai, you need to work out." Mimi said with a laugh.
"What is that suppose to mean? I didn't even try to hold the bag!" Tai became angry.
"You knew it was too much of a challenge!"
"Fine, want to see me do it?" Tai tried to take the bag from Matt, but Matt wouldn't let him. This continued
until the bell rang, and they were all late for second period.
Later in the day, Tai was walking to his locker. Matt was standing there leaning against it. Tai stopped in
front of Matt. "Umm hello.." Tai was waiting for him to move.
"Are you going to gym now?" Matt asked him.
"Yeah..aren't you? Are you waiting for me or something?" Tai set his backpack on the floor.
"Don't I always wait for you? Man, you must have a bad memory." Tai rubbed the back of his head while laughing
slightly. Matt moved out of Tai's way not looking where he was going, he knocked into someone.
"Eek!" The girl fell over dropping all of her books.
"I am so sorry," Matt offered his hand to her. "Are you alright?"
"No, it's my fault." Her green eyes looked up and her hand took his. Matt pulled her up and then started to
pick up her books. "It's okay, I can do it." The girl moved a strand of ebony hair back behind her ear with her
finger. Tai wasn't even paying attention, he was putting his books away in his locker. He closed the door and
looked at Matt holding up several books. The girl put some books into her bag and took the rest in her arms.
She looked at Tai.
"Tina?" Tai asked.
"Eh?" Matt wondered.
"Tai!!!!" Tina smiled while dropping her books again. She hugged him tightly. Matt stared at the books on the
ground and sweatdropped. Tai was shocked from the sudden hugging.
"My ribs!" Tai tried to push Tina back.
"I am guessing you two know each other?" Matt's hands slid into his pant pockets.
"Yup!" Tina let go of Tai, he fell backwards. Tina spun around to Matt. "Of course everyone knows you two at
school, but I actually met Tai one day at the park. I thought I wouldn't ever talk to him after that again."
"Ah I see.." Matt looked at a clock in the hallway. Tai got up and brushed off his pants. "I think we should
go, Tai. If we're late we'll have to run three extra laps."
"Damn, okay see you around Tina." Tai grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Bye Tai!" She bent back down to pick up her books as the two boys walked away.
"I have June, you have Tina. Great combo." Matt laughed as they walked into the courtyard.
"Nah, Tina isn't that insane." Tai responded.
"That's what you say now."
"Sora, do not tell me you have practice after school." Mimi said to her while they were both walking to
eighth period.
"Umm.."
"You do? Oye. Well, does that mean I can come with?" She asked.
"Of course! Oh, Yolei is going to be there!" Sora smiled.
"Yolei!? She plays tennis since..?"
"I am not exactly sure.." They walked into the classroom and sat down in empty desks just as the bell rung.
The teacher shuffled her papers really quickly and arranged them along her desk. She walked to the window
and unlocked it from the top. With her hand she pulled the window up letting leaves fly into the room from
the outdoors. A leaf flew onto Mimi's face.
"Pptt!" She spit the leaf out of her mouth.
Sora looked at Mimi, leaned over, and whispered, "It's really hot outside, isn't it?"
Mimi looked at her strangely, "Yeah."
Sora leaned back into her seat. Mimi still looked at her as if she knew Sora wasn't done saying what she
was suppose to say. Sora was looking out the window while twirling a pencil slowly with her fingers.
'What the heck is she thinking? She can't just start a conversation and not finish it!' Mimi thought while
writing her signature in her textbook. Before Mimi knew it the class was over, and Sora was yanking her arm.
"Oww, quit it." Mimi wailed while pulling her arm away. She picked up her bag and slipped her book inside.
"We are going to be late for my tennis practice, we have to hurry." Sora stated.
"Okay, okay!" They walked out of the classroom quickly. Sora told Mimi to wait for her when she was done in
the girl's locker room changing into outfit. Mimi sat down leaning her back against the locker. She was pretty
bored, and she started to play with a strand of her pink hair.
"Mimi?" Sora looked down at her. Sora was wearing a pair of newer sneakers that were tied perfectly. Her white
skirt and sleeveless tight shirt with stripes along the side made her look like she was a professional tennis player.
"Hey, that's a cute outfit." Mimi complimented her.
"Thank you. Your backpack can stay in the locker room." Sora picked up her blue duffel bag. Mimi opened the door
to the locker room and threw her bag in without a care where it landed.
"Sorry that you're late. It's my fault for staring into space." She said as the door shut behind her.
"Nah, it's fine. But let's go right now, kay?"
Sora's tennis coach nodded in response when the girls were finished with the story as to why they were late. Sora
then entered the tennis court holding her racquet at her side. Gwen was standing directly across from her on the
other side of the court.
"Ooh, this should be interesting!" Mimi told the coach as she sat down on a bench outside of the court.
"Yes, those two girls have full determination in this game. They are the best on the team without a joke." The
coach responded.
"Are you feeling better today, Sora?" Gwen shouted.
"Yeah! You won't win this time!" She smiled.
"Funny, that's what I was going to say to you!" Gwen giggled. She walked over so she was diagonally across from
her opponent. She threw the ball up above her and struck it down with her racquet. The ball hit the cement hard on the
other side of the court, and Sora jumped up and hit the ball back with great force. Gwen ran to the other side and hit
the ball back the other way.
Mimi suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder that made her jump. She spun around and did a ninja stance. Yolei blinked
twice at her. "Yolei!?" Mimi straightened up.
"Mimi!!!!" She hugged her. Mimi felt awkward and patted the girl on her back. She noticed the object in her hand.
"Oh, you are playing Sora? I forgot." Mimi pointed at Yolei's tennis racquet.
"Yes I am!" She held up her racquet and smiled. "I am so ready to beat Sora!" Yolei was wearing a sweatband, a tennis
shirt, skirt, and tennis shoes. The whole outfit looked very new as if she never played before.
"I think you'll probably play Gwen first." Mimi turned around and watched the two girls play in the tennis court. "Sora
is actually really good at this game compared to the other team mates." She turned back to Yolei. "You really have
played before?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then. By the way, there's a tag on your shirt." Mimi snickered until Yolei yanked it off.
"Well maybe I haven't really played!"
"So why start now?" Mimi wondered.
"Tennis is great exercise, and I think I can be awesome at it!"
"No, come on really?" Mimi joked. "You want Davis to notice yah?"
"WHAT! Heck no! Maybe Ken-No Davis! No!"
Mimi just looked at her. "I think you do have a chance at getting guys' attention at this game.."
"Eh? Are you really serious???"
"Hmm..now that I do think about it! I mean the girls have championship things right? So I bet tons of people come to watch!"
"I don't know, I don't go to this school.."
"I want to know when the next championship is! Who gets all these trophies!!!"
"Trophies?" Yolei started to fade away as Mimi kept talking to herself.
Not too far away a soccer ball hit the goal directly in the center while the goalie was still on the side.
"Awesome job!" One guy high-fived Tai.
"Thanks." There were only a couple boys left practicing on the field.
"When do you think the sprinklers will come on?" The goalie asked them. As on command, the sprinklers started spraying
on them. They all shouted and ran towards the school. Their coach was standing in the locker room.
"I am proud of you boys," He said, "you really try hard at this sport, and I think you'll make it far in your future."
"Yeah, I bet Tai will become a lawyer or something!" One guy said.
"Hey shut up!" Tai threw a towel at him.
"You guys hurry up before someone locks these doors." The coach walked out.
"Is your leg okay?" Gwen asked Sora when they were done playing.
"Of course it's okay!" Sora smiled.
"Hmm..are you sure? I mean, it couldn't hurt one day and just go away."
"Well, it is possible, right?" Sora wiped her forehead with her towel.
"Sure." Gwen drank out of her water bottle. Yolei ran up to Sora.
"Is it okay if you teach me? I mean- play me?" She asked.
Sora looked at Yolei then at her watch. The other girls and the coach already left. "Tennis practice is over, so alright."
"Sora," Mimi shouted, "don't let Yolei play you, she needs a worse opponent like Gwen!" Mimi walked up to them. "Oops I mean,
no offense." She said to Gwen.
"None taken." Gwen told her. "It's fine with me, really. I don't want Sora's leg to hurt."
"My leg is fine!" She sweatdropped.
"Okay Yolei, so you're really good huh?" Gwen asked.
"Yep! Prepare to lose in battle!"
"In battle!?" Mimi and Sora looked at each other. This wasn't a battle at the Digital World, so what the heck was this girl
talking about?
Yolei practiced swinging her racquet while Gwen walked on the other side of the court.
"Should I serve?" Gwen held up a ball.
"Yeah, you serve!" Yolei jogged in place for a few seconds.
"Are you sure this will be okay?" Mimi whispered to Sora. There was no answer.
Gwen threw up the ball and swat it down hitting it on Yolei's side of the court. The serve was very light and not as fast.
Yolei swung the racquet at the ball with all of her strength, but all of a sudden her grip loosened, and the tennis racquet
flew out of her hand in mid-air. The racquet soared to the other side of the court very fast and hit Gwen right in her face.
Gwen fell backwards with the back of her head hitting the pavement. Everyone else's jaws dropped open.
"Oh my God!!!! What did I do!!!" Yolei screamed. Mimi and Sora looked at her with their jaws on the floor. They all then ran
up to Gwen.
"Are you okay? Speak to us!" Mimi screamed. Sora tried to help her up. "Is there blood? Is there blood!!!"
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.." Yolei kept repeating.
"There is no blood, all of you calm down." Sora said quietly.
"I have to take her to the nurse!" Yolei shouted ignoring Sora.
"You!? No way! I am going with you!" Mimi took Gwen's hands and Yolei took her feet. They walked quickly while holding Gwen
like maniacs. Sora stood up, she was now alone in the court.
"They are nuts." She said to herself. She walked to the entrance of the court and picked up her towel. She unzipped her bag,
put the towel inside, and then zipped it back up. She put the duffel bag over her shoulder and walked inside the school.
'I hope Gwen is okay, I should have never let her play Yolei.' She thought while shaking her head. Her hand pushed open the
girl's locker room. She placed her bag on a bench and lifted her foot. She pushed down her sock a little and examined a funny
looking scar...
***
Tai slammed his locker shut and put the lock on. 'It's like going from a locker to another, I was just at my gym locker.' He thought.
"Taichi!" Tina jumped on his back and he fell right into his locker. "Oops.." She got off and helped him up after a few
minutes. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to do that, in fact I thought you knew I was there, and-"
"No, it's okay." He cut her off. He scratched the back of his head.
"I ran into this girl named Victoria today, she's on the cheerleading team." Tai groaned and Tina changed subject. "So I heard that
you play soccer, that's why I stayed after school. Just to wait for you!"
"Gee, thanks." 'She reminds me of Victoria actually.'
Tina's face brightened up. "Come on, let's go! I will walk you home!"
"Okay, sure." Tai then remembered something, "Oh I have to meet up with someone, too. Do you mind?"
"Nope! Not at all! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!" She smiled.
'I am just a little scared now-no, she's just being nice. Yeah, keep thinking that, Tai.' He told himself. Tina reached for his
bag and took it from his hand.
"I will carry it for you, okay?" She was still smiling.
"Thanks, Tina." Tai looked the other way hiding the strange look on his face. They both walked towards the school doors. Tai
opened the door for Tina to get out with the large bag, which was too big for her, because she was slightly walking sideways.
"You know I can hold it."
"No! No, it's okay!" Tina held up the bag higher just to proof she was stronger than that.
They approached a bench where a girl was sitting casually. The girl looked their way with her golden brown hair brushing up
against the side of her face.
"Hey Sora!" Tai grinned.
Tina looked at Tai then at Sora. 'He likes her?!' Tina thought, 'Is this the person he was waiting for!? Is this the girl Victoria
was talking about?!' She slapped a smile on her face to try to look normal, but this girl was actually a fake.
"Hi Tai!" Sora got up off the bench and slung her bag on her side. She looked at Tina and smiled gently.
"Hello, my name is Tina Tokomayji. I have been friends with Tai for quite awhile now. Who are you?"
"My name is Sora Takenouchi. I have known Tai ever since I was born." Tina froze and was slightly angry.
"Your whole life you've known Tai?" She could barely speak. 'This girl is not getting my Tai! Who does she think she is!' Tina's
free hand was offered to Sora to shake hands.
"Yes." Sora responded then shook hands. Tina clenched her hand tightly so she had a strong grip. Sora gasped and tried to pull
her hand back. Tina let go and Sora stepped back. She looked right at Tai, her eyes looked worried. She rubbed her hand with the other.
"Oops, I'm sorry. Did I shake too hard?" Tina held in her laughing.
"Yes you did. What are you trying to prove?" She stared at her.
"Nothing! You play tennis, I thought you would have a strong grip like myself!" 'I thought Tai would be waiting for one of his
GUY friends. Not this puny girl with a weak smile.'
Sora ignored her. "Tai, are you walking home with her?"
"Umm...yeah." Tai forgot he was in the conversation.
"Oh." Sora looked away. Suddenly, Tina dropped Tai's bag. Tai went to pick up. Tina glared at Sora and grabbed her arm. Sora's
eyes opened wide, she was shocked and speechless.
"Stay away from Tai." Tina told her and then shoved Sora in the bushes. Sora almost did a full backflip in the thorn bush, she was caught.
Tina pretended she fell over and landed on Tai.
"Ow, my back!" Tai grunted.
"I'm so sorry! Sora just pushed me over and ran!" A fake tear squeezed from her eye.
"Sora did that? That's not like her." Tai helped her up. "Come on." They both walked away. Sora was still in the bush trying to get out.
"Argh, thorns!" She screamed as one pricked her on the cheek.
"Sora?" A sweet and innocent voice said.
"Mimi! Help me!" Sora pushed a hand out of the large bush.
"Oh no, how did you fall in there??" She pulled her out and hugged her.
"This girl pushed me in while Tai wasn't looking and they walked away!" Her face had some scrapes and some smeared tears.
"There, there. It's okay. We'll get this girl back and tell Tai." Mimi took her bag from the bush.
"I don't want to get her back." Sora mumbled.
"Well, then how can we deal with this?" A piece of her pinkish hair flew in her eye. She pulled it away.
"Not 'we', I can deal with it." She looked down at the crumbled pavement.
"If you couldn't just now, you probably won't be able to later." Mimi sighed while looking at her best friend. 'Sora is always like
this,' Mimi thought. 'she will take things in her own hands, but never the wrong way. There's something about her that makes me wonder...
wonder at how she can handle these things.' She smiled and put a hand on Sora's shoulder. 'I try to be the best friend Sora wants me
to be, but...I am not the person she needs now...Tai is...'
.........................................................................
Author Note::: Wow, I love cliffhangers! Sorry to my fans that I am a lazy bum, and I write as slow as a sloth! .
I hope you enjoyed this chapter tho! So what do you think of Tina? Please review! ^.^
part three
Her feet stopped at the tennis court entrance. Sora had made an excuse to leave the restaurant.
There was no way she could stay there. Her hand pushed open the gate, and she walked inside.
The place was isolated. She would not be surprised if a tumbleweed rolled past her. 'W..why
does he not care what he did, why did he not talk to me about it, why did he run off when he
did it, and most importantly, why did he do it..why did he kiss me?' She crawled into a corner.
There were too many questions and no answers. Her back faced the cold wind.
"Hello there." Said a voice strikingly similar. Sora's head turned to see a grinning Yolei. She
was standing outside of the court.
"Y..Yolei?" Sora was surprised.
"What are you doing sitting there? Don't you play tennis?" Yolei leaned against the metal fence.
"Uh, well yes, I do!" Sora coughed.
"So, why aren't you playing?"
"Umm..I forgot my racket.." She lied.
"Sora? Are you feeling okay?" Yolei wondered.
"I..."
"Um okay. Anyway! Will you help me with tennis!? Please!!" Yolei dropped the bag she was holding.
"Tennis!?" And Sora thought Yolei was actually caring about her problem!
"I know I just started, but I really want to make the team at school!" Sora smiled at her.
'Does she look up to me?' Sora thought. 'I can't tell Yolei 'no', she knows I would never act
that way. Even though something is happening between Tai and I..maybe this is the way for me to
forget it even happened?'
"Please!" Yolei begged.
"Okay, Yolei! Don't yell." Sora stuck her tongue out.
"Yay! Thank you so much!!" She hugged the fence.
'This is a little embarrassing.." Sora looked around hoping no one was watching Yolei. "You have
played before, right?"
"Not exactly."
"Maybe we can practice then, for right now." She stood up. Yolei smiled and ran into the tennis
court.
"What is wrong with Sora?" Mimi asked Matt and Tai at the restaurant, "This isn't like her."
Tai just looked out the window.
"Just leave her be, you can find out later." Matt told her calmly.
"I want to know! Aren't you ever curious?!" She shouted at him.
"Mimi, people are looking at you." Mimi blushed and hid her face.
"There's nothing wrong with Sora." Tai suddenly said. They both looked at him.
"How would you know for sure?" Mimi asked.
"Because..if there was something wrong she would mention it."
"No one can tell everyone everything, Tai." Matt said reasonably.
"Just shut up." Tai got up out of the booth.
"What's the matter with you?" Matt got up, too.
"This is so embarrassing!" Mimi slumped under the table.
"Listen, I have known Sora longer than you-"
"What did you do to her?" Matt cut him off.
"I didn't do anything!" Tai backed up.
"You're a jerk! You cause everything, don't you?" Matt assumed.
"If kissing a girl is so bad, then punch me right now!"
Mimi's head rose and hit the table. "Ow! You kissed Sora!?" Tai was almost blushing at the fact he
blurted the secret. He walked out of the restaurant. Mimi was now standing next to Matt. "I can't
believe it."
"I wonder if he really did?" People were looking at them.
Tai was walking down the sidewalk. 'Why did I say it!?' He thought without knowing where he was going.
"Excuse me? You're from my school." Said a girl behind him. Tai turned around. The girl had long black
wavy hair, and she had green eyes. Her skin was close to matching Tai's.
"Uh, yeah?"
"I need some help, please. There is this project in science and..."
***
"Wow Yolei, you aren't so bad for just beginning!" Sora grinned.
"Really!?" Yolei was very happy even though the two girls barely played.
"Tomorrow come to the tennis court at my school, you can play with Gwen and I."
"Thank you so much! I'll come when school lets out!"
"I have to go, but I will see you then!" Sora waved and walked home. 'Yolei is really sweet, I'm glad
she is trying out for tennis.' Sora stopped walking. 'Is that Tai with some girl?' She shook her head
and kept walking. 'Oh well, who cares. He doesn't care at all.' She continued to walk and then opened
the door to her apartment. "Mama?"
"Sora, phone call!" Her mother called.
"Already?" Sora picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"SORA! You can't even tell your best friend! How cruel!!! GEEZ!" Mimi stressed.
"What are you talking about?!"
"When you left the restaurant..um..Tai kind of..accidently...told us he kissed you!"
"He..what?" Sora dropped the phone. It hit the floor, but Sora heard no noise. She didn't hear Mimi
repeating her name to see if she was there. Her hand leaned against the wall. Her knees felt weak, she
felt numb. 'Tai..told? Everyone?'
"Sora?!" Her mother caught her before she fell forward. "What's wrong?" Sora looked at her.
"After all you've known someone, they can't even keep a secret!" She cried.
"Sora, please hunny, maybe the person didn't mean to tell." She assured.
"Didn't mean to? W..what do you mean!?"
"Sometimes not everyone realizes that they tell something private until after they say it." She focused
all her attention to Sora. Her daughter then nodded slowly.
"I'll be back." Sora managed to make it to the door. She looked back quickly, "Don't worry, I will be
okay." She tried to smile and walked out the door.
"Homework sure doesn't help teenager stress." Mrs. Takenouchi said to herself.
Sora was walking to the Kamiya apartment. Her finger poked the doorbell.
"Hi, Sora!" Kari greeted when the door opened.
"Is Tai here?" She said with no emotion.
"No, but what's wrong? What happened?" She asked with concern.
"Nevermind." 'He's with that girl.' She turned away and walked to where she saw Tai earlier. Was he still
there? She was walking pretty fast until she came to the bench. Looking around she noticed that he was
walking in the other direction. She started to run to catch up. "Tai!"
He gulped and turned around. "..uh, hello." Tai choked. Sora's hand hit his cheek so hard that he felt the
sting. "My god can you slap." He rubbed his red cheek a few times but then stopped. "I am so sorry I said
it in front of them. I understand if you can't forgive me." His eyes looked up at her. She said nothing.
'I slapped him....? How could I have been so mad....?' "No. I'm the one who is sorry."
"Wha?" His jaw dropped. Strangely enough, Sora hugged him. Tai did not understand anything that was happening now.
"This is kinda strange!" He joked.
Sora let go and backed up. "I guess you could say that we are just weird people!" They laughed.
"He has a girlfriend!?" Someone whispered not too far away.
The next day Mimi had a huge issue;
"School!? Nooooo!" She grabbed Sora's leg. Sora went to pick up Mimi for her first day of going back to
school in Tokyo.
"Come on, everyone will be so happy to see you! I can't wait to show you around!" Sora said happily.
"I actually forgot I am going to your school for awhile! And I never knew you wore uniforms!" She whined
while pulling down her skirt a bit.
"We don't want to be late you know." Sora took Mimi's bag for her and started to walk out of the house.
"Wait! I am coming!" Mimi ran after. "Bye Mom and Dad!" She closed the door behind her.
"You'll have a great time." Sora slowed her walking pace for Mimi.
"I don't think you're only happy for me-Hey, what happened with Kamiya? You never called me back, it's
like you left me on the phone-"
"We are friends only. Nothing more, nothing less." Sora cut her off.
"We can talk about this when something happens between you two again."
"Mimi! There is no 'again'!" Sora shot back.
"Why not?" Her eyes went misty, "Two perfect friends turning into the two perfect lovers!" She sounded
like she was the voice of a commercial for a new romantic movie. Sora had a disgusted face plastered on.
"That's NOT happening!!" Sora started to walk faster.
"You need some romance in your life!" Mimi yelled after, "Come on, Sora!"
Sora spun back around, "And who is it you like??"
Mimi froze. She turned and walked the other way trying not to blush.
"Mimi!" Sora laughed. "You have to like someone that means! Come back here, first class will start
soon!"
Mimi raced up to Sora, "Never ask me that again!" They both ran before the first bell at the school rang.
"Class, it's the first day of the week!" Mr. Kontae announced. Everyone groaned. Sora was waiting for
him to bring Mimi in front of the class, but instead Mr. Kontae kept talking about the daily news. Matt
and Tai were bothering Sora about how happy she was.
'Why can't I be happy?' Sora thought, 'My best friend is finally coming back to school in Japan!'
"Sora's weird." Tai whispered to Matt. Matt nodded in response as they stared at the dazed girl.
"Okay class, something new happened this morning." Mr Kontae started, "Someone who use to live here in
Tokyo has come back for a couple of months." Sora looked up. "Please come in." That was the cue for the
door to open. The door slowly opened with a creak. The room was silent as Mimi stepped in gracefully.
"Hi there." She winked at the class. More than half of the students were stunned and the girls all screamed
her name. They jumped out of their seats and crowded around Mimi.
"She's back!!"
"Thank god!"
"Cute hair!!"
"How was America?"
"Are you happy to be home?"
"Did you meet any boys?"
"Are the clothes cheaper there?"
Before Mimi could say another word, Mr. Kontae broke the girls apart. "Enough! Please go to your seats!"
The girls muttered things as they obeyed his command. Mimi still was standing there, she was a little
confused. "For the people who do not know this girl, she is Mimi Tachikawa. Mimi, you can take a seat
anywhere you would like." Mimi glanced around until she spotted Sora in the back of the room with Tai
and Matt. She walked to them and sat next to Sora.
"Okay, let's continue the talk about plate tectonics," Mr. Kontae was facing the blackboard and
scribbling notes down for the children to copy. No one was actually paying attention, though.
"Hey buddy." Sora smiled at Mimi.
"Hello pal." She smiled back. Tai and Matt exchanged weird looks.
"Hey Mimi, there's a note on your desk." Matt whispered from behind her. She looked on her desk and picked
up a small piece of paper. She unfolded it and grabbed her pen. She wrote something down and threw it to a
girl across the room. Another girl threw a paper at Mimi. Mimi threw it back after writing something else.
By the end of class Mimi had over thirty notes in her backpack.
"Talk about Miss Popularity." Tai glanced at Mimi lugging her backpack around in the hall.
"Yeah, and that was only her first class." Matt responded. They walked up to Mimi and Sora.
"Oh hi guys, want to hold my bag?" Mimi offered tiredly.
"Heh, you wished." Tai answered.
"Well I am sure any other boy here would do it for me!" She stuck out her tongue.
"Then go tell one to!" Tai mimicked Mimi by sticking his tongue out, too.
"Children, children." Sora walked in between them. "You can fight after school, not in school."
"Argh, boys." Mimi glared at Tai.
"Well god, have Matt do it." They forgot Matt was still standing there. Mimi walked up to him.
"Please?" She batted her eyelashes. Sora rolled her eyes. Tai smacked his head with his hand.
"Okay." Matt lifted up the bag easily.
"See Tai, you need to work out." Mimi said with a laugh.
"What is that suppose to mean? I didn't even try to hold the bag!" Tai became angry.
"You knew it was too much of a challenge!"
"Fine, want to see me do it?" Tai tried to take the bag from Matt, but Matt wouldn't let him. This continued
until the bell rang, and they were all late for second period.
Later in the day, Tai was walking to his locker. Matt was standing there leaning against it. Tai stopped in
front of Matt. "Umm hello.." Tai was waiting for him to move.
"Are you going to gym now?" Matt asked him.
"Yeah..aren't you? Are you waiting for me or something?" Tai set his backpack on the floor.
"Don't I always wait for you? Man, you must have a bad memory." Tai rubbed the back of his head while laughing
slightly. Matt moved out of Tai's way not looking where he was going, he knocked into someone.
"Eek!" The girl fell over dropping all of her books.
"I am so sorry," Matt offered his hand to her. "Are you alright?"
"No, it's my fault." Her green eyes looked up and her hand took his. Matt pulled her up and then started to
pick up her books. "It's okay, I can do it." The girl moved a strand of ebony hair back behind her ear with her
finger. Tai wasn't even paying attention, he was putting his books away in his locker. He closed the door and
looked at Matt holding up several books. The girl put some books into her bag and took the rest in her arms.
She looked at Tai.
"Tina?" Tai asked.
"Eh?" Matt wondered.
"Tai!!!!" Tina smiled while dropping her books again. She hugged him tightly. Matt stared at the books on the
ground and sweatdropped. Tai was shocked from the sudden hugging.
"My ribs!" Tai tried to push Tina back.
"I am guessing you two know each other?" Matt's hands slid into his pant pockets.
"Yup!" Tina let go of Tai, he fell backwards. Tina spun around to Matt. "Of course everyone knows you two at
school, but I actually met Tai one day at the park. I thought I wouldn't ever talk to him after that again."
"Ah I see.." Matt looked at a clock in the hallway. Tai got up and brushed off his pants. "I think we should
go, Tai. If we're late we'll have to run three extra laps."
"Damn, okay see you around Tina." Tai grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"Bye Tai!" She bent back down to pick up her books as the two boys walked away.
"I have June, you have Tina. Great combo." Matt laughed as they walked into the courtyard.
"Nah, Tina isn't that insane." Tai responded.
"That's what you say now."
"Sora, do not tell me you have practice after school." Mimi said to her while they were both walking to
eighth period.
"Umm.."
"You do? Oye. Well, does that mean I can come with?" She asked.
"Of course! Oh, Yolei is going to be there!" Sora smiled.
"Yolei!? She plays tennis since..?"
"I am not exactly sure.." They walked into the classroom and sat down in empty desks just as the bell rung.
The teacher shuffled her papers really quickly and arranged them along her desk. She walked to the window
and unlocked it from the top. With her hand she pulled the window up letting leaves fly into the room from
the outdoors. A leaf flew onto Mimi's face.
"Pptt!" She spit the leaf out of her mouth.
Sora looked at Mimi, leaned over, and whispered, "It's really hot outside, isn't it?"
Mimi looked at her strangely, "Yeah."
Sora leaned back into her seat. Mimi still looked at her as if she knew Sora wasn't done saying what she
was suppose to say. Sora was looking out the window while twirling a pencil slowly with her fingers.
'What the heck is she thinking? She can't just start a conversation and not finish it!' Mimi thought while
writing her signature in her textbook. Before Mimi knew it the class was over, and Sora was yanking her arm.
"Oww, quit it." Mimi wailed while pulling her arm away. She picked up her bag and slipped her book inside.
"We are going to be late for my tennis practice, we have to hurry." Sora stated.
"Okay, okay!" They walked out of the classroom quickly. Sora told Mimi to wait for her when she was done in
the girl's locker room changing into outfit. Mimi sat down leaning her back against the locker. She was pretty
bored, and she started to play with a strand of her pink hair.
"Mimi?" Sora looked down at her. Sora was wearing a pair of newer sneakers that were tied perfectly. Her white
skirt and sleeveless tight shirt with stripes along the side made her look like she was a professional tennis player.
"Hey, that's a cute outfit." Mimi complimented her.
"Thank you. Your backpack can stay in the locker room." Sora picked up her blue duffel bag. Mimi opened the door
to the locker room and threw her bag in without a care where it landed.
"Sorry that you're late. It's my fault for staring into space." She said as the door shut behind her.
"Nah, it's fine. But let's go right now, kay?"
Sora's tennis coach nodded in response when the girls were finished with the story as to why they were late. Sora
then entered the tennis court holding her racquet at her side. Gwen was standing directly across from her on the
other side of the court.
"Ooh, this should be interesting!" Mimi told the coach as she sat down on a bench outside of the court.
"Yes, those two girls have full determination in this game. They are the best on the team without a joke." The
coach responded.
"Are you feeling better today, Sora?" Gwen shouted.
"Yeah! You won't win this time!" She smiled.
"Funny, that's what I was going to say to you!" Gwen giggled. She walked over so she was diagonally across from
her opponent. She threw the ball up above her and struck it down with her racquet. The ball hit the cement hard on the
other side of the court, and Sora jumped up and hit the ball back with great force. Gwen ran to the other side and hit
the ball back the other way.
Mimi suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder that made her jump. She spun around and did a ninja stance. Yolei blinked
twice at her. "Yolei!?" Mimi straightened up.
"Mimi!!!!" She hugged her. Mimi felt awkward and patted the girl on her back. She noticed the object in her hand.
"Oh, you are playing Sora? I forgot." Mimi pointed at Yolei's tennis racquet.
"Yes I am!" She held up her racquet and smiled. "I am so ready to beat Sora!" Yolei was wearing a sweatband, a tennis
shirt, skirt, and tennis shoes. The whole outfit looked very new as if she never played before.
"I think you'll probably play Gwen first." Mimi turned around and watched the two girls play in the tennis court. "Sora
is actually really good at this game compared to the other team mates." She turned back to Yolei. "You really have
played before?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then. By the way, there's a tag on your shirt." Mimi snickered until Yolei yanked it off.
"Well maybe I haven't really played!"
"So why start now?" Mimi wondered.
"Tennis is great exercise, and I think I can be awesome at it!"
"No, come on really?" Mimi joked. "You want Davis to notice yah?"
"WHAT! Heck no! Maybe Ken-No Davis! No!"
Mimi just looked at her. "I think you do have a chance at getting guys' attention at this game.."
"Eh? Are you really serious???"
"Hmm..now that I do think about it! I mean the girls have championship things right? So I bet tons of people come to watch!"
"I don't know, I don't go to this school.."
"I want to know when the next championship is! Who gets all these trophies!!!"
"Trophies?" Yolei started to fade away as Mimi kept talking to herself.
Not too far away a soccer ball hit the goal directly in the center while the goalie was still on the side.
"Awesome job!" One guy high-fived Tai.
"Thanks." There were only a couple boys left practicing on the field.
"When do you think the sprinklers will come on?" The goalie asked them. As on command, the sprinklers started spraying
on them. They all shouted and ran towards the school. Their coach was standing in the locker room.
"I am proud of you boys," He said, "you really try hard at this sport, and I think you'll make it far in your future."
"Yeah, I bet Tai will become a lawyer or something!" One guy said.
"Hey shut up!" Tai threw a towel at him.
"You guys hurry up before someone locks these doors." The coach walked out.
"Is your leg okay?" Gwen asked Sora when they were done playing.
"Of course it's okay!" Sora smiled.
"Hmm..are you sure? I mean, it couldn't hurt one day and just go away."
"Well, it is possible, right?" Sora wiped her forehead with her towel.
"Sure." Gwen drank out of her water bottle. Yolei ran up to Sora.
"Is it okay if you teach me? I mean- play me?" She asked.
Sora looked at Yolei then at her watch. The other girls and the coach already left. "Tennis practice is over, so alright."
"Sora," Mimi shouted, "don't let Yolei play you, she needs a worse opponent like Gwen!" Mimi walked up to them. "Oops I mean,
no offense." She said to Gwen.
"None taken." Gwen told her. "It's fine with me, really. I don't want Sora's leg to hurt."
"My leg is fine!" She sweatdropped.
"Okay Yolei, so you're really good huh?" Gwen asked.
"Yep! Prepare to lose in battle!"
"In battle!?" Mimi and Sora looked at each other. This wasn't a battle at the Digital World, so what the heck was this girl
talking about?
Yolei practiced swinging her racquet while Gwen walked on the other side of the court.
"Should I serve?" Gwen held up a ball.
"Yeah, you serve!" Yolei jogged in place for a few seconds.
"Are you sure this will be okay?" Mimi whispered to Sora. There was no answer.
Gwen threw up the ball and swat it down hitting it on Yolei's side of the court. The serve was very light and not as fast.
Yolei swung the racquet at the ball with all of her strength, but all of a sudden her grip loosened, and the tennis racquet
flew out of her hand in mid-air. The racquet soared to the other side of the court very fast and hit Gwen right in her face.
Gwen fell backwards with the back of her head hitting the pavement. Everyone else's jaws dropped open.
"Oh my God!!!! What did I do!!!" Yolei screamed. Mimi and Sora looked at her with their jaws on the floor. They all then ran
up to Gwen.
"Are you okay? Speak to us!" Mimi screamed. Sora tried to help her up. "Is there blood? Is there blood!!!"
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.." Yolei kept repeating.
"There is no blood, all of you calm down." Sora said quietly.
"I have to take her to the nurse!" Yolei shouted ignoring Sora.
"You!? No way! I am going with you!" Mimi took Gwen's hands and Yolei took her feet. They walked quickly while holding Gwen
like maniacs. Sora stood up, she was now alone in the court.
"They are nuts." She said to herself. She walked to the entrance of the court and picked up her towel. She unzipped her bag,
put the towel inside, and then zipped it back up. She put the duffel bag over her shoulder and walked inside the school.
'I hope Gwen is okay, I should have never let her play Yolei.' She thought while shaking her head. Her hand pushed open the
girl's locker room. She placed her bag on a bench and lifted her foot. She pushed down her sock a little and examined a funny
looking scar...
***
Tai slammed his locker shut and put the lock on. 'It's like going from a locker to another, I was just at my gym locker.' He thought.
"Taichi!" Tina jumped on his back and he fell right into his locker. "Oops.." She got off and helped him up after a few
minutes. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to do that, in fact I thought you knew I was there, and-"
"No, it's okay." He cut her off. He scratched the back of his head.
"I ran into this girl named Victoria today, she's on the cheerleading team." Tai groaned and Tina changed subject. "So I heard that
you play soccer, that's why I stayed after school. Just to wait for you!"
"Gee, thanks." 'She reminds me of Victoria actually.'
Tina's face brightened up. "Come on, let's go! I will walk you home!"
"Okay, sure." Tai then remembered something, "Oh I have to meet up with someone, too. Do you mind?"
"Nope! Not at all! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!" She smiled.
'I am just a little scared now-no, she's just being nice. Yeah, keep thinking that, Tai.' He told himself. Tina reached for his
bag and took it from his hand.
"I will carry it for you, okay?" She was still smiling.
"Thanks, Tina." Tai looked the other way hiding the strange look on his face. They both walked towards the school doors. Tai
opened the door for Tina to get out with the large bag, which was too big for her, because she was slightly walking sideways.
"You know I can hold it."
"No! No, it's okay!" Tina held up the bag higher just to proof she was stronger than that.
They approached a bench where a girl was sitting casually. The girl looked their way with her golden brown hair brushing up
against the side of her face.
"Hey Sora!" Tai grinned.
Tina looked at Tai then at Sora. 'He likes her?!' Tina thought, 'Is this the person he was waiting for!? Is this the girl Victoria
was talking about?!' She slapped a smile on her face to try to look normal, but this girl was actually a fake.
"Hi Tai!" Sora got up off the bench and slung her bag on her side. She looked at Tina and smiled gently.
"Hello, my name is Tina Tokomayji. I have been friends with Tai for quite awhile now. Who are you?"
"My name is Sora Takenouchi. I have known Tai ever since I was born." Tina froze and was slightly angry.
"Your whole life you've known Tai?" She could barely speak. 'This girl is not getting my Tai! Who does she think she is!' Tina's
free hand was offered to Sora to shake hands.
"Yes." Sora responded then shook hands. Tina clenched her hand tightly so she had a strong grip. Sora gasped and tried to pull
her hand back. Tina let go and Sora stepped back. She looked right at Tai, her eyes looked worried. She rubbed her hand with the other.
"Oops, I'm sorry. Did I shake too hard?" Tina held in her laughing.
"Yes you did. What are you trying to prove?" She stared at her.
"Nothing! You play tennis, I thought you would have a strong grip like myself!" 'I thought Tai would be waiting for one of his
GUY friends. Not this puny girl with a weak smile.'
Sora ignored her. "Tai, are you walking home with her?"
"Umm...yeah." Tai forgot he was in the conversation.
"Oh." Sora looked away. Suddenly, Tina dropped Tai's bag. Tai went to pick up. Tina glared at Sora and grabbed her arm. Sora's
eyes opened wide, she was shocked and speechless.
"Stay away from Tai." Tina told her and then shoved Sora in the bushes. Sora almost did a full backflip in the thorn bush, she was caught.
Tina pretended she fell over and landed on Tai.
"Ow, my back!" Tai grunted.
"I'm so sorry! Sora just pushed me over and ran!" A fake tear squeezed from her eye.
"Sora did that? That's not like her." Tai helped her up. "Come on." They both walked away. Sora was still in the bush trying to get out.
"Argh, thorns!" She screamed as one pricked her on the cheek.
"Sora?" A sweet and innocent voice said.
"Mimi! Help me!" Sora pushed a hand out of the large bush.
"Oh no, how did you fall in there??" She pulled her out and hugged her.
"This girl pushed me in while Tai wasn't looking and they walked away!" Her face had some scrapes and some smeared tears.
"There, there. It's okay. We'll get this girl back and tell Tai." Mimi took her bag from the bush.
"I don't want to get her back." Sora mumbled.
"Well, then how can we deal with this?" A piece of her pinkish hair flew in her eye. She pulled it away.
"Not 'we', I can deal with it." She looked down at the crumbled pavement.
"If you couldn't just now, you probably won't be able to later." Mimi sighed while looking at her best friend. 'Sora is always like
this,' Mimi thought. 'she will take things in her own hands, but never the wrong way. There's something about her that makes me wonder...
wonder at how she can handle these things.' She smiled and put a hand on Sora's shoulder. 'I try to be the best friend Sora wants me
to be, but...I am not the person she needs now...Tai is...'
.........................................................................
Author Note::: Wow, I love cliffhangers! Sorry to my fans that I am a lazy bum, and I write as slow as a sloth! .
I hope you enjoyed this chapter tho! So what do you think of Tina? Please review! ^.^