My Notes: Ok this is my FIRST OFFICIAL SORATO FAN FIC! YEA!! :o) Hehe. Anyways, this came to me in a dream so I hope you like it.

This is addressed to the Sorato fans: Please PLEASE review! I luv to hear from my fellow Yamato/Sora friends. I'm a sucker for reviews and, if I get enough encouragement, I may even do another Sorato. ^_^

To everyone else: Please PLEASE if your not a Sorato fan, still read this. I'm just hoping some people out there are mature enough not to base a review upon my couple pairing and hopefully instead my skill at writing or the plot. Also, I may write a Sorato today and a Taiora tomorrow, it all depends upon how the mood grabs me (though I'm neither a lemon fan nor a Yuri/Taiato. If I ever wrote one I'm afraid I wouldn't do it justice :) 

K well that's enough from me. Good God, maybe I should call this 'My Insane Ramblings That Go On and On' instead. Ha ha. Now on with the fic!

Just A Note: Thanks for the reviews! You guys definitely rock my socks! Now in response to one person's statement/question: yea, Sora and Matt are being a heck of a lot nicer to each other! Sora is taking Mimi's advice and not writing Matt off so quickly. Before, she probably would have responded with indignant and anger to some of Matt's comments but now she's trying to just go along with it and take Matt's humor for what it is I guess. I think Matt is just being himself more too.

::.::Pretty Baby::.::

By ~*Jasmine*~

Chapter Four: Looking Back

Sora fumbled with the key and it skidded over the slick surface of her door lock. 'What is it with me and locks?' she thought before finally placing the key in the slot and opening up the door. She entered her dry house, followed close behind by Matt, and the falling rain still rang in her ears.

"We should probably change," she said and she looked the soaking boy up and down. "My dad's old clothes will probably fit you. Go to the third room on the left, my mom's bedroom, and everything's in the closet. You can wear whatever you like."

She watched the boy retreat and then went into her own room to change into a pair of dry jeans and a comfortable pail yellow sweater. Sora ran a comb through her wet auburn hair and dried her glistening skin before emerging from her room to see Matt had already changed. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue sweatshirt. Her father's stuff was a bit loose on his willowy frame yet it served its purpose.

Sora collected up their clothes and went downstairs to throw them in the drier before returning back upstairs and joining Matt in the kitchen.

Without a word she grabbed a box of Swiss Miss and put a kettle of water upon the stove range.

"Hot chocolate for our project?" Matt asked skeptically.

Sora giggled. "No, for our tummies, you idiot."

"O," laughed Matt. As they waited patiently for the water to boil, the boy's eyes wandered over the kitchen. Very small and cozy, everything was off white and floral patterned. He glanced over at the fridge. There was a note from Mrs. Takenouchi that was written in her beautiful, graceful script:

Sora,

     Hi honey. I had to go take care of sick Auntie Yunumy

like I told you this morning. I won't be back until sometime

on Sunday. I left the rest of the chicken and rice in the fridge

so you can heat it up whenever and I left you pizza money.

I trust you to keep the house neat and NO BOYS!!!!

Love,

Mom

  "Breaking a rule I see. Won't your mom be mad when she finds out you had a guy over while she was away?" said Matt.

"Not if it's strictly for school..." Sora said deviously.

"You can add lying to the list of rules you're breaking," Matt grinned.

"Excuse me? Are you implying I invited you over here to do more then our project?"

"I ain't implying, baby. I know so." He loved to tease Sora and make her uncomfortable; she shifted on her feet and gave him a deadpan look.

"Ha. Then you're gonna be disappointed, pal," Sora retorted flatly.

Matt returned to glancing at fridge until his eyes caught on a picture of the Digidestined group all together. There was Mimi and Jyou, she had just stolen his glasses and was wearing them even though they were way too big and looked like they were going to fall off her face while Jyou tried snatching them back. An odd couple that strangely worked. Next was T.K. and Kari, they looked like two little cute chibi dolls as they sat together and Matt's brother had his arm around Kari's shoulder. Even then there had never been a question they would grow up and date; it had always been that way. They were just right for each other; it was made sense because they were T.K.ari. It was just the way it was. Izzy was next, sitting in the middle typing on his bright yellow computer and looking just as adorable as ever. Izzy, the loveably geeky computer nerd who was transferred to a technology institute and completely by-passed high school. After all, who needed high school when you were destined to become the next Bill Gates? The last group was Matt, Sora, and Tai. Matt was standing beside Sora and they were both smiling. Tai had his arm around Sora's shoulder and he was doing a victory sign with his fingers.

They all looked so happy and young.

"Hey, you have this picture too?" Matt asked.

"Yea, it has always been my favorite. Look how cute we all were!"

"I still am cute."

"Yea uh hu, sure you are, Matt."

"You haven't changed all that much either."

"O I don't know about that," she said and her smile turned bittersweet, staring down into the boiling water and watching bubbles spiral upwards. "Sometimes I feel like a completely different person, ya know? Like that's some other girl who went to the Digiworld and had the greatest summer of her life. Back then I didn't care about make-up and boyfriends and being popular. I liked soccer and beating up boys and didn't mind the smell of sweat, I was a tomboy and life was great."

"Its called growing up, Sora. Look at me. Back then I was different too. I actually cared about people and I didn't mind showing my emotions once in awhile. But now... I'm different." 'Ever since you broke my heart', he thought reflexively but didn't say.

Apparently he didn't need to say it, Sora had been waiting for just the right moment. "You know, I don't think I told you before... About how sorry I was and am... for what I did back then. I was too young to know how mean it was to play games with someone's heart but now I realize I was wrong and stupid. I'm sure you probably don't even care anymore but I'm sorry."

Matt met her crimson gaze. "I'm sorry too, I gotta admit it was some of my fault too. I shouldn't have reacted so dramatically and thrown away our whole friendship. How were you to know that I loved you?"

Sora gasped, "You...You loved me?"

Matt shrugged and responded, "Yea, I did. But now that's in the past, right? We should just move on, that would be the mature thing to do." 'Huh, this is me saying this? The guy who dwelled on our past for his whole life? God, I am getting too wise for my own good.'

Sora nodded her head though her scarlet eyes showed she wasn't exactly being truthful to herself. "Agreed."  

The kettle whistled with escaping steam and the girl flicked off the stove. Sora pulled two mugs from the cupboard and used a dishrag to protect herself from the heat as she lifted up the teapot. The hot water poured into the cups and bubbled up. Sora took out two packets of Swiss Miss and emptied out the chocolate powder into the mugs before retrieving a bag of fluffy marshmallows from the cabinet. She plopped a few in their mugs and then headed over to the kitchen table, mugs and marshmallow bag in hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Matt as Sora placed the stuff on the table.

"You'll see," responded the girl as she went back into the kitchen and retrieved a few bottles of bright food coloring and a box of toothpicks.

"Enough with the mystery! What do you have planned?" Matt exclaimed pleadingly.

"Well as much I like to see you tortured, I guess enough is enough," Sora sighed.

Raising a blonde eyebrow, Matt smirked, "O no, by all means, torture me as much as you like!"

"You have such a filthy mind!" shouted the girl with a laugh.

"You know it."

               "Whatever, Casanova. I was thinking for our project we could use colored marshmallows to represent the molecules and stick them together using toothpicks, isn't that a good idea?" gushed Sora.

"Definatly. And also a yummy one."

And so they set to work dying and sticking and eating (mostly Matt did the eating). Sora had the job of pouring the food coloring onto the little globs of sugar and then handing them to Matt. Soon she heard a lot of nibbling going on and not too much sticking so she looked up to see Matt had eaten almost every marshmallow she had given him! His cheeks were poofed out like a hamster and he caught her gaze with wide eyes. 

"Matt! Those were for the project! And may I say, ewww, they had food coloring on them!"

"Noph mph fauph!" (For all those who can't speak mumble, he is saying 'Not my fault!')

"You jerk! I'll give you a 'Noph mph fauph'!"

Sora took a marshmallow and lobed it at Matt, striking him right in the forehead. He in turn almost choked on his mallows and then flung one back, hitting her on the cheek. This continued, with marshmallows flying everywhere, until finally Matt was forced to surrender. 

"OK OK white flag! I give up!" Matt shouted.

Sora still held a marshmallow in her grasp and raised it perilously.

"You wouldn't strike down a prisoner of war, now would you?" the boy pleaded.

"Maybe. After all, you ate half the bag, you pig!"

"No fair! I was feeling hungry!"

"And I'm feeling mean!" And with that she flung the marshmallow and Matt ducted just in time. The little glob of sugar flew past his head and hit the wall, making a nasty squishy noise.

They both erupted into laughter and Matt came out of hiding. "So was this what happened at lunch? You start a food fight?" Matt asked with a chuckle at the thought.

"Not exactly..." she said uncomfortably, squirming. 

"What then? God, you can tell me stuff you know. I won't go running off to tell 'The National Enquirer' or anything."

"Ya I guess. I can't believe no one's told you yet though, practically the whole school was talking about it."

"Maybe you haven't noticed but I don't exactly keep up on the school rumor mill. Now spill already."

"Alright, alright! Tai and I aren't going out anymore."

"What? The perfect couple is no more? That's like saying Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston broke up. I'm sure the school is just devastated." Most of what he said was sarcastic yet he couldn't deny that he himself was shocked too. Everyone was always talking about how perfect Tai and Sora were together.

"I was just as shocked as the rest of them. But Tai was only using me for popularity and sex..." Sora said and her crimson eyes gathered tears.

"WHAT! That bastard! You don't need a creep like that, Sora!" Matt fumed. 

"I know... But I can't help but feel like I'm half a person now... I mean, before no one even knew my name yet as soon as I started dating Tai everyone wanted to be my friend or date me. I just felt so special ya know? Like maybe I wasn't a big loser."

Matt put a hand on Sora's quivering shoulder and savored the warmth. "You're not a loser, Sora. Even without Tai, you're still a great person..." He felt awkward saying those words; they were supposed to be hated enemies.

"But now, who am I? I was always 'Tai's Girlfriend', now I'm a nobody. Now I'm just 'That Girl Everyone Use To Know But Forgot About'. Maybe Tai was right when he said he made me and he can break me. Maybe I've come unmade..." She whispered the last part as a tear slid down her cheek. 

The boy felt his own blue eyes fill with tears as he slid his hand under Sora's chin and lifted her angelic face to meet his. "You don't need Tai, Sora. He didn't make you. All he did was lie to you and make you think he had. You made yourself; you are your own person. You are Sora Takenouchi and you are perfect," Matt said sincerely and he drew the girl into a soft passionate kiss of tender love. Sora accepted his lips and kissed back with just as much delight.

Outside the rain fell.

^_____^

The sun poured in through the window and soaked into Sora's creamy tan skin. With a yawn, she rubbed and opened her sleepy crimson eyes. She was lying on her living room couch beside Matt, his arm around her slim waist. A blanket was draped over them and her head was on his warm shoulder. The young woman smiled and sighed, relishing the feel of the moment. 

*Ding Dong*

It was the doorbell. Sora hesitantly sat up and looked over at Matt. He was still asleep, his face so handsome, when he wasn't running his mouth. (Hehe and even then he's still too cute!)

The girl got up and walked over to the door, still wearing what she had changed into yesterday after being drenched by the rain. She opened the door and gasped. "TAI?"

Tai stood out on her stoop with a pretty yellow daisy in his hands and a sheepish smile on his face. "Hi Sor," he said.

"Hi yourself! What the hell are you doing here?" she shouted, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

"I brought you a flower," he said and handed the daisy to her lamely.

"A flower?"

               "Yea, it's a daisy, Sora. It's your favorite."

"And that's supposed to make me take you back? A daisy?" she questioned, eyeing the offending flower, not at all caring if she was rude.

Tai ignored her comment as he went on, "It's not just any daisy either. It's from Hanako Park. Do you remember that place?"

Sora replied bitterly yet softly, the anger melting a little at the edges, "Of course I do. Hanako Park was were we had our first date... It's a very special place for me."

"Me too. I was nervous when I brought you there because I thought you'd hate it... but you actually seemed to like it. I set out a blanket and we ate a picnic, remember?"

Sora nodded and her crimson eyes glimmered with nostalgia. "I loved that park. It was so beautiful. We ate under a great big oak and then looked at the passing clouds over on a hill, lying on our backs... And then, just before we left..."

"... I picked you a daisy and told you every time I gazed upon that flower, I would think of your smile..." finished Tai.

Sora looked up at Tai as the pleasant memory drifted away just as those clouds they'd watched had done. "But that was a long time ago, Tai. Too much has changed, we've grown too far apart..."

"I know but its still true, you know. Every time I see a flower I think of your beautiful face. Every time I see a soccer ball I think of you, every time I see a smile, a pretty bird, a girl's laugh, a tennis racket, the color yellow. God, you are everywhere, everywhere I turn! I just can't stop thinking of you, Sor," he told her urgently, the glint in his eyes of someone who had just lost their entire world.  

"It will pass in time, Tai. We've just got to move on," began Sora, although she shared in his sentiment. Every place they'd gone, all their memories, were tied up in him.

"But I don't want to let it go," he said and a tear slid down his cheek. "... Because then that means I'd have to let you go and I... I just can't. It's like I can't function without you as my girlfriend."

"I know how you feel, Tai, but you hurt me real bad you know." Her eyes were tearing up as well but she was trying to bite them back.

"Yes, I was an idiot. I never should have done that to you. But is my one mistake enough to throw away a three year relationship, Sor?"

"... I don't know," Her resolve had crumbled, the last stone of it wobbling perilously.

"Because I don't know what to do without you... It's always been you and me, Sor." And with those words the stone fell. 

Tai pulled Sora to his chest and kissed her. Their lips met and they fell together coldly. Sora didn't push away, she wasn't certain any longer. 'Maybe Tai's right. Maybe one mistake shouldn't jeopardize a relationship like ours', she thought. Somehow though this felt forced, like it was a kiss between two people who had outgrown each other yet were too scared to see they had. Sora was afraid: afraid of being alone and having to be just Sora Takenouchi... So she kissed back.

"What are you two doing?" came a shocked gasp behind Sora.

The girl broke the kiss and turned to see Matt standing a few feet behind her. He looked bewildered and betrayed, a flash of resentment in his pallid cerulean eyes.

"I... We..." stuttered Sora, unable to think properly.

"So you're back together then and I'm just some misfortuned loser who was fun for a while but not good enough in the long run, huh?" spit Matt, his words hoarse with bitter tears.

"No that's not how it is at all! I was just... I didn't mean to hurt you again..."

"Yea that's one thing you seem good at, Sora - breaking hearts," he whispered spitfully.

Matt pushed past Sora and leaped down the steps. The girl started to run after him and Tai reached out a hand to stop her.       

"Sora, don't go after him. He'll get over it," Tai said and it was familiar tasting in his mouth, like he'd said that once before.

Sora ran past Tai and down the street, following Matt's retreating form. Yet it was no use; even if she did catch up, what was she going do, force him to forgive her? She just had to give it time... So she slowed down and watched Matt disappear.

@_@

Sora lifted her bedroom phone up to her ear and dialed Mimi's number by heart. After a few rings a woman with a nasally high pitched voice answered.

"Hello. Mrs. Tachikawa speaking."

"Hi ma'am. This is Sora Takenouchi."

"Darling! How have you been holding up?"

"Well, I'm fine..."

"O that's great! Don't let men get you down, sweetheart. They're not worth a single tear so don't worry your pretty little head over them."

"You're right, Mrs. Tachikawa... Is Mimi home?"

"Yes of course darling. Wait one moment."

There was a long pause and Sora lay back on her bed, studying her ceiling. Suddenly a high-pitched girl's voice, similar to Mimi's mother's, traveled over the line.

"Sora?"

"Mimi! O my God, you will not believe what happened yesterday!"

"SPILL!"

So Sora blabbed the whole situation between Matt, Tai, and her. After she was finished there was a long silence (So unusual when dealing with Mimi) until Sora finally broke it.

"So? What do you think?"

"... Ummm... Well, I'm sorta confused... So you're with... Tai now?"

"I think so..."

"You think so?"

"Ya, I'm just as confused as you, Mimi. I mean, Tai was an ass before but we have a whole big long past together... But Matt is just... Well, when I'm with him I feel kind of like my true self, like I could care less about what everyone else thinks and I can be just me. I can't deny I have feelings for him."

"Sora, sounds like you have a problem..."

"You could say that again."

"And you know what my answer is to all problems?"

"What, o great dating guru?"

"Shopping!"

"... Shopping?"

"Yea! It's exactly what you need! Clear your head of all this confusion and stretch those fashion muscles!"

"I guess it wouldn't be bad to get out for a while..."

"Def and I don't wanna sound insensitive to your dating woes or anything, but... I NEED TO GET A DRESS FOR THE PROM!"

 "O God! I almost forgot! It's coming up in three weeks!"

"Ya and I need to uphold my standard of greatness by getting a slammin gown. I'll pick you up at three then so we can head to the mall OK?"

"Sure. I'll be waiting. And don't be late like you always are!" 

"My, my. When will you learn darling, beauty like mine takes time."

"Yea whatever, Ms prima donna. I gotta go. Lata."

"Chow."

The girl hung up the phone and then got up to get ready. It took her about twenty minutes to get dressed, put her sparse covering of make-up on, and do her hair. She decided on wearing a pair of stretchy white shorts that showed off her tan long legs and a pretty yellow tank top. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and then applied some lip-gloss. Then Sora sat out in the living room and watched the clock. It was about 4:30 when Mimi's silver Mitsubishi Eclipse finally screeched into her driveway.

Sora ran out to the passenger's seat and glared at her friend. "You were supposed to be here an hour and a half ago!" scolded the girl.

Mimi wore a dusky pink skirt and a white shirt that had scrawled across it in hot fuchsia diamonds: You Can't Afford Me. Her long light pink hair was let free to trail down her back and dark shaded sunglasses covered her hazel eyes. "Sorry. I had to argue with daddy about letting me take his credit card. I swear, that guy can be such a stick in the mud sometimes," Mimi whined.

Sora rolled her eyes as she sat down and Mimi backed up away from her house. "Ya well compared to you, Mimi, we all are," she laughed.

The car sped down the road at a racecar driver's pace and Mimi giggled, "So true, Sora."

When they finally got to the mall, three almost-accidents away, it was 5:00. Sora and Mimi began their hunt for good Prom dresses not already taken or worn by most of the girls in school. Sora found hers first and Mimi did after about 2 hours of continues shopping. (I'm not gonna say what the gowns looked like because that would ruin the surprise! :oP)

It was 7:00 when finally they sat down at India, their favorite restaurant, to eat.

"God! I could eat a horse and its saddle!" Sora said as she glanced over the menu.

"How appetizing," remarked Mimi with a wrinkled up nose.

"Yea well beggars can't be choosers."

After ordering two mango shakes and a marinated chicken breast for Sora and a lamb kabob for Mimi, the girls were ready to talk business.

"So now let me get this whole thing straight," said Mimi between sips of her yummy shake. "You were going out with Tai before and everything was good..."

"Somewhat good," corrected Sora.

Mimi began again. "OK, so you were going out with Tai and things were 'somewhat good' but then you found out he was using you so you dumped his ass like a bad habit... Good show by the way, everyone thinks you are now a powerful diva... OK back on topic. After that Matt had to come over to your house to do a project and one thing led to another and before you knew it you were all over each other..."

"We kissed, that's all," butted in Sora again.

"Yea yea. Let's just say you guys became more then platonic. Everything is starting to look good, right? Matt is actually not running his mouth and you guys are all into each other... How did you put it? O yea, he makes you feel 'real' or something like that..."

"Yea close enough."

"But then Mr. I-Can-Hurt-Sora's-Feelings-Because-I'm-Popular shows up and apologizes. You forgive him and kiss him..."

"I still haven't completely forgiven him..."

"Ya well you guys kiss right? So Matt sees you two and runs off to sulk and write a bad, 'love-sucks' ballad. Have I got it all down?"

"Yea pretty much. Ya know, hearing it from someone else makes me realize just how wacked out the situation really is."

"You're telling me... So what's the problem then? You're with Tai right, what's the matter?"

Sora looked down at her half eaten chicken and sadly stated, "I don't know if he is who I should be with... Both Tai and Matt are special to me, I care for them both. They both make me feel a certain way..."

"Listen," Mimi began what was no doubt to be her important advice for the day. "Don't worry too much about it for now. Prom is coming up; this should be one of the happiest times of your whole high school life! Just go with the flow and you'll find out soon enough which guy is right for you, your heart will lead the way."

"Is it just me or do you grow more intelligent every day, Mimi?" laughed Sora.

The brown haired girl giggled and finished slurping the last drops of mango from her glass. "Yes I know. I think Jyou's rubbing off on me."

"'Bout time," snorted Sora playfully and she received a soft kick from under the table.

"Yea and you are starting to run your mouth just like Matt!"

"But I'm with Tai."

"Uh hu, I know. Doesn't mean the guy can't rub off on you though, among other things."

Sora gasped, "I would never do any other thing with that guy! I told you, as of now I am Tai's girlfriend. End of story."

"Yea uh hu... So you want me to pay?"

"No of course not! We'll go dutch. My mother gave me some money that I could use while she's away because you know me, just a messily penny to my name."

"All right. Daddy probably will be happier that way. He will have a cow as it is when the bill for my new gown and heels comes in the mail!"

The girls paid for their meal and then Mimi drove Sora home. All the while, Sora pondered Mimi's words of advice.

~$_$~

Closing Notes: Did anyone see that coming? -_-;; Matt and Sora have kissed and yet again Sora chooses Tai over Matt. For some reason she just can't seem to let go of what she and Tai had. What's going to happen next? Somehow I have a feeling everything will come to a head at Prom!