"Sora? Sora honey, are you alright?"
"…Leave me alone, mom."
"But you have a visitor. Don't you want to see them?"
"I don't care. Tell them to go back home. I don't want to talk to anyone."
Mrs. Takenouchi sighed. "I know this is doesn't seem good right now but—"
"I said leave me alone!" Sora screamed at her mother. Mrs. Takenouchi backed away from her daughter's bedroom door and turned to the brown haired boy standing beside her.
"I'm sorry, Taichi. Sora hasn't been in her best spirits lately. You can try to talk to her if you want. Maybe she will calm down more around you." He nodded and walked towards the door and tapped on it lightly while Mrs. Takenouchi left the hallway.
"Hey. Is everything alright, Sora?" There was no answer.
"Sora?"
"Go away. I'm not in the mood for talking."
"Come on; please tell me what is going on?" Again, there wasn't an answer. But he heard footsteps coming towards the bedroom door and it being unlocked. Taichi knew this was the un-social way of saying 'Fine, you can come in.' He slowly opened the door and crept inside. Sora had returned to her bed, her face buried in a pillow. Taichi leaned against the wall. "Um…One of the teachers said you weren't going to be around for a while. I just came by to see why." Taichi sat down on the edge of her bed and shook her arm gently. "Is everything alright?" Sora pulled the pillow away from her face and shook her head. Sora's eyes were red and surrounded with black smudges from eye makeup most likely. And on her end table and saw tissues with the same kind of black smudges. Taichi stared at her.
"You have been crying, haven't you?" Sora looked blankly at him, then smiled cheerfully at him, to cover up the fact that she had been crying.
"No. What makes you say that?" Taichi grabbed a used tissue with the wiped off eye make up on it and a mirror, which was under the tissue mountain. Sora sat up and took the tissue in her hand, the mirror in the other. She took a glance at her self, then pulled it away quickly. Her eyes began to look watery.
"Oh," was the only thing she managed to croak out. Taichi put his hand on her shoulder and stared with concerned eyes.
"Tell me, what's going on?" Sora hugged her pillow tightly and didn't look at him.
"I'm just not feeling well at all." She muttered. Taichi nodded, but he was convinced that wasn't the whole truth. He looked at her again, and noticed a beanie she was wearing snuggly on her head.
"Isn't that the beanie I got you on your 14th birthday?" he asked. She looked a little shocked.
"Yes…it is."
"Wow I didn't think you'd everywhere it. Can I see it?" he said, his hand reaching out for it. Sora turned at him quickly and pulled her beanie down tightly.
"Oh c'mon! I want to try it on!" he said, trying to grab for it again. Sora blocked his arm from coming any closer and the other hand onto of her head.
"Knock it off, Tai!"
"What's the big deal? You got a bad haircut or something?" Sora's eyes now looked enraged with anger.
"Taichi I said stop!" she screamed. Taichi immediately pulled his hands away. Sora's eyes began to soften and she put her fingers over her lips. "I'm sorry, Taichi…I didn't mean to scream out at you like that. I…I just…" Tears started to roll down her cheek. Taichi didn't know what to say. He reached his arms out to her, and slowly pulled her into a hug. Sora stopped crying and he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Please, Sora…Tell me what is upsetting you…" Sora looked down and pulled herself out of his arms. She clenched her eyes.
"Okay…I'll show you." She took a deep breath and pulled the beanie off her head. The brown haired boy couldn't believe what he saw once she had removed her cap. All of her hair, her short auburn hair, was now gone. Sora felt tears trying to leave her eyes.
"How…How did this happen?" Sora looked away from him.
"My hair fell out." She bit her lip. "The chemo…made it fall out." Taichi felt as if his heart just stopped.
"…Chemo?" Sora nodded her head. She turned back to Taichi, her eyes now flowing with tears again. She leaned over and hugged Taichi tightly and sobbed onto his shoulder. "What am I going to do, Taichi-kun?" she cried. "I am so scared…I may still die." She gripped onto his shirt and began to cry harder. Taichi rubbed her back to calm her down. He then hugged his best friend back tightly. Everything she just said was so surprising to him. And seeing her, depressed and afraid for her life; it was very new to him. Sora always seemed to be such a cheerful and brave girl, not afraid of anything. Even 10 or 11 years ago, she wasn't afraid of monsters in her closet or being sucked down the drain when she took a bath, things most five-year-olds are afraid of. But his classmate, his best friend, the girl who always challenged him to a soccer match, the same girl who he has known since they were both in high chairs and diapers, had been diagnosed with cancer. And even if she started taking chemo, she still has a chance of dying. The thought of it made him uneasy.
"I don't want you to die, Sora…" he whispered. He held her closer to him. Sora felt a few wet drops that had fallen on her head. She glanced up, only to see that Taichi was crying too.
"Taichi…" she muttered, beginning to sob harder. He rested his head on hers and let his tears flow down and fall onto her. This isn't fair, he thought to himself. Why is she being taken away from me?
They sat without a sound, clinging together for support. Taichi didn't need to give her comforting words of advice or tell her to be strong, this moment they shared filled in the blanks. Sora wiped the tears trickling down her cheek and pulled herself out of Taichi's arms. She gave a soft smile.
"You should probably go home now," she whispered. He stared deep into her red eyes and nodded.
"Okay. But if you ever need me to talk and stuff…Y'know, call," Taichi said. Sora nodded too.
"I will." Taichi stood up from her bed and left her small bedroom, gently shutting the door behind him.
Minutes later, he stepped inside his own house, taking off his shoes and heading up to his room. His mother was in the kitchen cooking dinner and humming a tune while she stirred water in the pot. She gave him a glance the moment after she heard the front door slam shut.
"You're home later than usual. What have you been up to?" she asked him.
"Nothing. I just went to visit a friend."
"Hm…Sora I'm guessing?"
"Yeah. She wasn't in school today."
"Is she sick?"
Taichi didn't respond at first. "Yeah," he choked out. "Really sick."
"Oh that's too bad. Next time you see her tell her I hope she gets better. Maybe you can go over and give her some of my homemade soup."
"It's not the stomach flu, mom."
"Oh, then what does she have?" Taichi stared down at the floor.
"…I have to go and do homework…" Taichi walked out of the living room and down the hallway. Mrs. Yagami shrugged and resumed to cooking. As soon as Taichi entered his room, he went over and flopped onto his soft bed. His mind became busy with thoughts a memories. All of them about Sora. But one memory was most distinct to him.
They were about four years old at the time. They had been brought to the park together and were running around the swing area. Mrs. Yagami and Mrs. Takenouchi were sitting on a bench near by, watching the little Hikari incase she did something cute. Taichi was begin a gentleman and pushing Sora on the swings and Sora kept asking him to make her go higher. When he did though, he pushed on her back too hard, making her stumble forward and fall flat on her face in the sand. She didn't start crying. Sora just lifted herself from the sand and dusted off her hands and knees, still as happy as ever. She was used to it by now. You could tell by looking at her. She had peeling off band aids on her face and elbows, her knees scrapped up, hands and knees dirtied up. She wasn't exactly a graceful little girl.
"Are you okay?" Taichi asked, frantically looking back and forth between Sora and the bench where their mothers were chatting and hoping he wouldn't get in trouble. Sora gave a wide grin and gave a big nod.
"Yup! I'm fine!" she shrieked. Taichi gave a sigh of relief.
"But how could ya be? You just fell."
"I know, but I just am," she answered, starting to spin around in circles to entertain herself.
"Isn't it scary though?"
"Nope! I'm not scared of anything."
"Really? Nothing?" Taichi asked in amazement. Sora crossed her arms and smirked, proud of herself.
"Thas right. I'm not scared of anything!"
Taichi gasped. "Well, what about spiders?"
"Nope, not afraid of 'em."
"Whatta 'bout monsters?"
"Not afraid of those either." Sora gave a wide grin at Taichi.
"I know! What about broccoli?" Taichi asked.
"Nope, I even like it." Taichi began to think of more scary things.
"Well…what about dying?" Sora thought for a moment then looked and him, smiling still.
"Not even dying. 'Cause I know I'm going to go to a bewtiful place in the clouds when I die. I just have to be good. Well, that's what my mommy says."
"Wow…" Taichi said in astonishment. "You really aren't afraid of anything."
"And I never will be. I'm the bravest girl in the world!" Sora yelled, then giggling after. She ran back up to the swings and climbed on. "Now start pushing me again!" Taichi nodded and ran up behind her to give her a push.
Her words raced through his mind. I am so scared…I may still die... When did she become so afraid? Why did everything have to change, and become so terribly wrong? He missed those days they shared. Playing in the grass, being so carefree. But they didn't know about the evils that lay ahead. Taichi curled his hand up into a fist and punched his pillow hard. A single tear rolled down his soft cheek.
Please…be strong Sora… Be strong and be brave…
