chapter 4
Me-Hey! On behalf of Dennie and myself I would like to thank those who reviewed!
Ken-Takerus Lost Angel and Dennie do not own digimon or it's characters all they own is the plot!
Dennie nad me-On with the show! -----------*******---------*******----------******--------*****
The Troubles Of Life
Sora picked up the phone and dialed Tai's phone number.
Kari answered. "Hello, Kamiya residence." she said.
"Hey, Kari." said Sora. "May I speak with Tai?"
"Sure, I'll get him, just a sec." Sora heard Kari cover the mouth piece and call for her brother. A moment later, Tai picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey!"
"Oh, hey Sora! What's up"
"Nothing. You?"
"Same."
"So...you know what?
"What?"
"Matt emailed me, and appologized, and everything's ok, and oh my god, you're never going to believe this!"
"What!?"
"He and Mimi are going out!"
Tai laughed. "Really...interesting...well, that's nice. Good for them, seriously."
"Yeah. I'm happy for them. But you know what? I think people are starting to catch onto me..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, everybody heard about how I fainted, well, probably, I mean, Matt did and I don't know how the hell he would know...and he was asking me in the email like if I was ok and what was going on with me and stuff."
"Well how are you doing...you seem to be ok...aside form what happened...are you eating?"
Sora could not lie to him. "No..."she whispered.
"Why not?" Tai demanded.
"Because...Tai let's not get into this, I don't wanna fight!" Sora whined.
"Sora, I'm not fighting! I'm just so damn worried about you! Why are you doing this to yourself!? Don't tell me you think you're fat!"
Sora didn't reply.
"Sora?" Tai asked.
"What?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Do you think you're fat?" Tai repeated.
"Do you think I'm fat?" Sora challenged. She heard Tai sigh on the other end of the line.
"Not at all." he replied. "Sora, you are so not fat! Ok, like when I say this, don't take it bad, but you've got a great body, you're in shape!"
"Thanks..."
"Hey, I'm only stating the truth!"
"Sure, whatever goggle head. Wanna go to a movie on Friday?"
"Sure!"
"What movie?"
"Oh, crap. Listen we'll talk about that tomorrow, k? I've gotta go..."
"Aw...do ya?"
"Yeah, talk to ya tomorrow, k?"
"Yeah, see ya!"
"Later"
And they hung up.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********----------
"Hunnie, hurry up and eat your food is getting cold!" Her mother scolded. "And this time you can't make any excuses, because you used them all up!"
"Mom! I'm not hungry! I will tell you when I'm hungry, and until that time comes just but out! She screamed at her mother.
"Sora Takenouchi! It's bad enough your not eating, but now your yelling at me! Sora I love you, and don't want to see you get hurt! Without you eating, you're hurting yourself! Her mother said in a stern voice.
"I am eating, just when you're not around! She lied. "Mom, I'm old enough to take care of myself, I don't need you running it for me!" She yelled.
(A/N Man. My mom's heard that excuse so many times lol!)
"Sora, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to have to start a schedule when you are to eat. "I'll have to prepare servings and you'll have to eat all of it. If that doesn't work then you won't be able to go anywhere! I also think that I should be taking you down to the doctors, so you can get a check-up." Her mother said flatly.
"Mom! I'm sorry that I yelled at you, but this is insane! Making me a schedule when to eat? Let me say this one more time. I-don't-need-you- running-my-life-I-am-doing-fine-on-my-own." She said slowly. "If you need me I will be in my room!"
"But Sora you still haven't eaten anything!" Her mother yelled as her daughter stormed out of the room.
I can't believe it! I actually lied to my mom, this is getting way to, complicated! I hate lying to my friends and my family! Why do I have to be so fat! She thought to herself. It just isn't fair!
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~The Next Morning~*~
Sora had gone to bed without supper last night. When she woke up the next morning, she was extremely weak. She sat up, and felt very lightheaded. What day is it? she thought. Is it a school day? Probably... Then she looked at her alarm clock. 9:56. Nine fifty-six?! What?! She knew it wasn't the weekend...she was 100% sure it was a school day. So why wasn't she at school? She jumped out of bed but lost her ballance and fell over. She also got really dizzy, and realized how weak she was. So she crawled back into bed and called her mom.
"MOM!!" she yelled. A few seconds later, Mrs. Takenouchi burst into the room. "My alarm didn't go off and now I'll be late for school! Why didn't you wake me up! You're always up before me!"
"I shut your alarm off." her mother replied calmly.
"Why?" her daughter demanded.
"I'm keeping you off school today." she replied.
"What? Mom, I'm not in elementary school anymore, work isn't so easy to make up!"
"What's more important? Your health or your school?"
"Well, when you're in perfect health, your school is a lot more important!" Sora snapped, beginning to lose her patience.
"And you're not in perfect health!" he mother snapped back. "Sora, look, I know that you have a problem, you can't hide it from me any longer."
Sora decided to play dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about..." she said.
"You know pretty darn well what I'm talking about!" her mother retorted. "And it must stop! I don't want anything to happen to you!"
Sora laughed. "What, do you think I'm dying from cancer or something?!"
"No!" Her mother's tone took her by surprise. Her mom was usually always so calm about things. But now, Sora knew that her mom was very serious. "Enough, Sora. This is NOT a joke."
"But what do you think is wrong with me?" Sora asked.
"I know that you've been skipping meals, and fainting, and you've been exercising a lot. I think that you have...I think you're-that you have...an eating disorder..." her mom replied.
Tears stung in Sora's eyes. Hearing her mother say that broke her heart. She already knew it, but just to hear her very own mom say it really got to her. And then she realized how hard it must be for her mom to sit back and watch her daughter slowly kill herself. She must feel so helpless. Mom always tries so hard... thought Sora. Even though I refused to eat, she still made me meals and tried to get me to eat them. And I've been nothing but a bitch to her. She loves me, and she only cares...so why don't I care?
"Sora, get dressed, we're going to the doctor's." Mrs. Takenouchi said.
Sora panicked. "No!" she cried. "Mama, please, no! I'm going to have breakfast and go to school, ok?! Please, I wanna go to school! I'm gonna have breakfast!" Tears were running down Sora's pale cheeks now. That broke her mother's heart. Mrs. Takenouchi sighed and gave in. "Fine." she said in a barely audible whisper. Sora pulled herself out of bed but as soon as she got up, everything went black.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~About 15 mins later~*~
"Oh my god, Sora!" Mrs. Takenouchi cried, as Sora open her eyes.
"Mama?" asked Sora, weakly.
"Can you get up? I have some toast and eggs ready on the table." her mother said.
"Did I faint?" Sora inquired. Her mother nodded. "Well, I think I can get up."
"No, wait" her mother said suddenly. "I'll bring the food to you." Her mother left and came back a few moments later with a tray of food. The ravenous Sora ate it all. She ate slowly, but she cleared the plate. She still didn't feel like her old self, but she felt a lot better.
"Thanks, mom. That was very good." said Sora to her mother. Her mom smiled.
"Doesn't it feel good to not be starving?" asked her mom. Sora nodded in reply. "Now get dressed and bush your teeth. I'll make you a lunch then I'll take you to school."
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~At lunch in the cafeteria~*~
"Sora!" Tai called from their usual lunch table. Sora joined Matt and Tai and their other friends. "Hey! What happened to you this morning?" Tai asked he when she sat down. "When you didn't come out, I went to your apartment and you're mom said you were taking the day off."
"Oh, I'll talk to you later, k, Tai?" Sora said. Tai nodded and took a bit of his bologna sandwich. Matt was eyeing Sora with concern.
"Is everything ok with you, Sora?" he asked her.
Sora looked at her friend and smiled. "Yup" she replied.
"Sora, why aren't you eating lunch?" Matt questioned her.
Well, I had a really late breakfast!" Sora replied. Matt nodded.
"I still know that something's going on with you..." Matt said. "And Tai seems to know a lot, too. Why won't you tell me anything?"
"Because, it's none of your business." Tai replied for Sora.
"I was asking Sora, not you!" Matt snapped to his wild haired friend.
"Well, I'm sure her answer would have been the same, I just made it easier for her."
"Hey, let the girl speak for herself!" Matt glared at Tai and then turned to Sora. "I thought I was one of your best friends, too!"
"You are..." Sora started but Tai interrupted her.
"Don't be such a baby Matt! She has her reasons!"
"Stop being a mother, Tai! Sora knows how to speak for herself, and no one's talking to you anyways!!"
"Both of you's SHUT-UP!" Sora yelled at her bickering friends. "Matt, you're right, I can speak for myself, but Tai's just trying to help me and that's ok. You two are acting like a couple of 3 year olds! Matt, yes Tai knows what's going on, and don't feel dejected that I didn't tell you, ok?"
"Yeah, that's right, take your lover boy's side. You always see it Tai's way!" Matt growled.
"You're so immature!" cried Sora. "I can't believe you!"
"No one ever tells me anything." Matt mumbled. And with that, he got up and left.
Tai shook his head and Sora put her head in her hands.
"Hey Sora, lighten up." Tai said putting a gentle hand on Sora's shoulder. "That's Matt for ya, I mean he always acts like an ass!"
"I know that's just his way...but I'm starting to think all this is more trouble than it's worth..." Sora said, looking up at her boyfriend. Tears her forming in her eyes.
"Well, yeah!" Tai said. "I mean, just to lose a bit of weight, you starve yourself, get your loved ones upset, even cause them to fight with you or amongst each other, you're slowly damaging yourself, and for what? To become a weak little stick who's unable to fight of colds or even hold herself up at times to pass out, and lose hair, and get dark circles under her eyes.
"But I don't have a cold..." Sora protested.
"But you'll get one, because you're immune system will weaken. And you won't be able to ditch it!" Tai said.
"How do you know so much?" Sora inquired.
Tai could feel his face growing hot. "Well, I've been reading up on it..." he said quietly. Sora smiled. "I just want to...I wanna know about it, so I can help you. And the more I read, the more desperate I become! You just don't know how awful it is!"
"Hey, news flash Tai, I think I do! I'm only going through it, here!"
"Good point. But so, you know how it feels. And you must feel awful. You don' look good, like I mean, I MEAN, like you look sick...don't get the wrong idea!"
"I know, I know."
"So, why don't you stop?"
"I can't...I think now, I want to...but I can't. I've lost over 10 pounds in like two weeks, ya know...is it evident?"
"Oh yeah, it shows. You have lost a lot of weight. Sora, I really think you should stop!"
"I told you, I can't! It's like an obsession!"
"I know...that's what they say. But Sora, do you want to die? If you keep going on like this, you're gonna get weaker, and sicker...to the point where you just...whither to nothing and parish!"
"What?"
"Anorexia can kill you!"
"What? Oh my God...I honestly didn't know that...and I never even thought of it...but yeah that does make sense...oh my God, I don't wanna die!" Sora was crying now. People were starting to look at them. She quickly wiped her face.
"You'd better quit now then." Tai said sternly. Then he got up and left. Before Sora had a chance to chase after him, the bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch period.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- After School
'Hey, Sora! Wait up." Yelled Matt. "I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry for blowing up like that, it just seems your leaving me out. I'm your best friend and all and I really do care a lot about you. Even, though we aren't going out I still love you, and I just want to know what's going on!"
"Uhhh.It's all right Matt really. I really should be telling everyone, they all should know! I'm just no ready yet, you understand right?" Sora said calmly to her friend. Trying to make him believe in her.
"Hi, Sora! Hi sexy!" Mimi shrieked, while walking towards her friend and boyfriend. "Sora, you look so, what's the word different! Mimi said eyeing her friend up and down. "It looks like you have lost some weight, I don't see why because you always looked great! Even though you lost some weight, you don't look so great. You seem less.am I babbling on again?
Matt and Sora looked at each other then Mimi and burst into a fit of laughter. "Did I miss something?" Tai asks his friends as he just walking up to the group.
"Of course Mimi, and that's why we love you! Sora said trying to contain her giggles.
"O.k. I still don't see what's so funny!" Tai said dumbfounded. "Seeing as we are all here, let's all go to my house and chill! It is Friday and all!
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- At Tai's Apartment
"Hey, Mom I'm home!" Tai shouted into the empty house. "I take it my mom's not home, no problem I think we would all prefer Matt's cooking over my mom's!
"Tai, why are you home so early? You are usually at soccer practice." Kari asked
"I think I should be asking you the same question! I get off of school before you, and its Friday no soccer practice. I'm going to as you one more time, why are you home so early?"
"The flu is going around at school, and lucky me caught it!" Kari said sarcastically.
"Well in that case, go to your room, and don't come out! We don't want Sora getting sick now!" Tai ordered.
"What is she pregnant or something?" Kari asks casually.
"No! She's uhhh..ummm.she's-just.." Tai stuttered
"I'm waiting for an answer!" She boomed.
"Nothing! I was kidding!" Tai yelled at his sister. "None of us wanna get sick! It's gross!"
"Maybe we should go to my place..." Matt said, trying to make things easier.
"Yeah..." Mimi and Sora agreed in unison. And the four of them headed over to Matt's before Kari could say another word.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~At Matt's place~*~
"Ok, I'm ravenous!" announced Matt once they entered his apartement. "Who wants...I dunno, what do you people want?"
Mimi giggled. Sora looked around nervously. She was starting to feel really uneasy. She tried to think of some excuse other than 'I'm not hungry'.Tai sensed Sora's anxiety and tried to think of something.
"I'll have...do you have any ice cream, babe?" Mimi asked.
"Yup! What do you guys want?" He asked Tai and Sora. "We have a lot of ice cream, actually...I dunno why...but we have vanilla and strawberry, I know that. And I think maybe a few others."
"You know what!?" Tai said suddenly. "I totally forgot that I promised to help Sora and her mom in the flower shop tonight! And Sora seems to have forgotten, too!" He turned to the redhead and winked.
Sora breathed a sigh of gratitude and relief. She could always count on Tai. "Oh my God! You're right! I'm such and idiot!" she played along. "And we're gonna be late!"
"See you guys later!" Tai cried as the couple threw on their shoes and left.
Once they were out of the building, Sora grabbed Tai and gave him a huge hug. "Thanks, sooooooo much!" she cried. "I was starting to freak out! I had no excuse!"
"Yeah, I know..." Tai said quietly.
Sora stared him in the eyes for a moment. She saw a look of deep concern and regret. "What?" she asked him.
"Sora, I-I shouldn't have done that...like that was like encouraging you...I didn't mean it like that, it was just to get you out of a sticky situation!" Tai said. He began walking down the street.
Sora followed. "Thanks anyways..." she whispered. She reached for his hand and they continued on their way.
They walked in silence for a few blocks. Sore was beginning to feel very tired. "Tai?" she said weakly.
"Um-hmm?"
"Can we go back to my place or something, I'm really tired."
"Oh God, yeah! I'm so sorry Sora!" he pulled her in the direction of her house.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- "Sora, you're late..." said Mrs. Takenouchi when she heard the door open.
"Sorry mom." Sora said breathlessly.
"We took a little detour" Tai added.
"Oh, hello, Tai!" Sora's mom greeted the brown haired boy with a smile.
"Hi Mrs. Takenouchi!" Tai replied.
"We're just gonna do homework in my room, k mom? And you know you can trust us!" Sora grabbed Tai's arm and they went to her room.
"So what do you want to do first?" Tai questioned. "We could do..french, or geography?"
"How about geography, it's really simple! We just have to name all the provinces and territories, and their capitals." Stated Sora.
"That's easy?" Tai whined. "Let's see, so far we have.."
(This is going to take a while, me naming all of Canada, ya right!)
"On the west coast we have: Victoria British Columbia, Whitehorse Yukon, Yellowknife Northwest Territories, Iqulait Nunvuat, Edmonton Alberta, and Regina Saskatchewan." Tai listed off.
"Man, who new naming all of Canada was so hard!" Sora whined.
"See I told you, it wasn't easy! Why did Mr. Ambra have to assign it! How many people do you really think are going to do it?" Tai pondered.
"Kids, you have been working so hard, I thought you could all use a snack!" Ms. Takenouchi cheerfully said.
Oh God... thought Sora. "And ruin supper?" It's almost 4:00, Mom. Supper is in like an hour!" Sora debated.
"Not mine..." Tai put in.
"Ok...Sora you don't have to have one then, you'll wait until supper..." said Mrs. Takenouchi, giving her daughter a funny look. "But you would like one, Tai?"
"Yes please!" said Tai enthusiastically. Mrs. Takenouchi smiled and left the room to prepare Tai a snack. Sora sighed out loud. Tai gave her a look of concern. "Sora," he said. "You can keep going on like this! You're gonna get really sick! You're already not the way you used to be!"
"Oh, so now you're gonna be on my back, too?" asked Sora, her temper rising.
"Sora, you know how much I care about you! That's why! Now, I'm not gonna say anything else right now, cause I don't wanna fight and I know that you're going to get mad at me if I don't shut up."
"Damn straight!"
"But why? Don't you care about yourself?"
"Yes..."
"Then why the hell are you killing yourself?" Tai demanded angrily.
"I would never take it that far I'll stop before it gets..." Sora stopped when her mom walked in the room.
"Here you go, Tai" said Mrs. Takenouchi handing Tai a plate of tortilla chips and salsa. "I hope that's ok..."
"Oh, that's great! Thanks very much!" Tai said appriciatively.
"No problem. Are you sure you don't want anything, Sora?" ask her mom.
"No thank you!" said Sora, losing her patience.
"Ok..." and her mom left.
"So, as you were saying?" Tai said as he dipped a chip in the salsa.
"Huh? Oh, I would never let myself die!" Sora said.
"You say that, and yeah, I'm sure you mean it but it's like, beyond your control!"
Sora looked down. "Oh well..." she mumbled.
Tai almost choked. "Oh well!?" he repeated. Sora just shrugged. "Sora, listen I care to much about you to let you kill yourself! I can't just sit on the sidelines and watch you hurt yourself without doing anything! Your smarter then that! You've seen movies, and heard teachers talking about it, you know the consequences, but why?" Tai yelled.
"You just don't understand! Have you ever looked at the mirror and noticed how fat you looked?" Her eyes watering. "Have you looked in magazines or watched the television, and only seen thin people!" Sora cried out. "Well have you?"
"Well not exactly, but I still know what you're going through." He replied thoughtfully.
"No, Tai you don't! You don't know what it feels like to be fat! You have a perfect body, like all those models on T.V. and in magazines." Sora sobbed.
"Sora you're wrong, everyone at one time or another wants to change something about themselves. I remember this one time when Kari was about 3 and wanted to change her arms into wings, so that way she could fly." Tai joked.
"Tai, this isn't funny!" Sora scolded, breaking into a smile.
"Hey I'm being serious, she really wanted to fly!" Tai said, also grinning. "Sora you had a perfect body, before you started not eating. No, offense but you look worse now than you did before." He said in a serious tone.
"Then why do I feel so fat?" She questioned.
Me-Hey! On behalf of Dennie and myself I would like to thank those who reviewed!
Ken-Takerus Lost Angel and Dennie do not own digimon or it's characters all they own is the plot!
Dennie nad me-On with the show! -----------*******---------*******----------******--------*****
The Troubles Of Life
Sora picked up the phone and dialed Tai's phone number.
Kari answered. "Hello, Kamiya residence." she said.
"Hey, Kari." said Sora. "May I speak with Tai?"
"Sure, I'll get him, just a sec." Sora heard Kari cover the mouth piece and call for her brother. A moment later, Tai picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey!"
"Oh, hey Sora! What's up"
"Nothing. You?"
"Same."
"So...you know what?
"What?"
"Matt emailed me, and appologized, and everything's ok, and oh my god, you're never going to believe this!"
"What!?"
"He and Mimi are going out!"
Tai laughed. "Really...interesting...well, that's nice. Good for them, seriously."
"Yeah. I'm happy for them. But you know what? I think people are starting to catch onto me..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, everybody heard about how I fainted, well, probably, I mean, Matt did and I don't know how the hell he would know...and he was asking me in the email like if I was ok and what was going on with me and stuff."
"Well how are you doing...you seem to be ok...aside form what happened...are you eating?"
Sora could not lie to him. "No..."she whispered.
"Why not?" Tai demanded.
"Because...Tai let's not get into this, I don't wanna fight!" Sora whined.
"Sora, I'm not fighting! I'm just so damn worried about you! Why are you doing this to yourself!? Don't tell me you think you're fat!"
Sora didn't reply.
"Sora?" Tai asked.
"What?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Do you think you're fat?" Tai repeated.
"Do you think I'm fat?" Sora challenged. She heard Tai sigh on the other end of the line.
"Not at all." he replied. "Sora, you are so not fat! Ok, like when I say this, don't take it bad, but you've got a great body, you're in shape!"
"Thanks..."
"Hey, I'm only stating the truth!"
"Sure, whatever goggle head. Wanna go to a movie on Friday?"
"Sure!"
"What movie?"
"Oh, crap. Listen we'll talk about that tomorrow, k? I've gotta go..."
"Aw...do ya?"
"Yeah, talk to ya tomorrow, k?"
"Yeah, see ya!"
"Later"
And they hung up.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********----------
"Hunnie, hurry up and eat your food is getting cold!" Her mother scolded. "And this time you can't make any excuses, because you used them all up!"
"Mom! I'm not hungry! I will tell you when I'm hungry, and until that time comes just but out! She screamed at her mother.
"Sora Takenouchi! It's bad enough your not eating, but now your yelling at me! Sora I love you, and don't want to see you get hurt! Without you eating, you're hurting yourself! Her mother said in a stern voice.
"I am eating, just when you're not around! She lied. "Mom, I'm old enough to take care of myself, I don't need you running it for me!" She yelled.
(A/N Man. My mom's heard that excuse so many times lol!)
"Sora, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to have to start a schedule when you are to eat. "I'll have to prepare servings and you'll have to eat all of it. If that doesn't work then you won't be able to go anywhere! I also think that I should be taking you down to the doctors, so you can get a check-up." Her mother said flatly.
"Mom! I'm sorry that I yelled at you, but this is insane! Making me a schedule when to eat? Let me say this one more time. I-don't-need-you- running-my-life-I-am-doing-fine-on-my-own." She said slowly. "If you need me I will be in my room!"
"But Sora you still haven't eaten anything!" Her mother yelled as her daughter stormed out of the room.
I can't believe it! I actually lied to my mom, this is getting way to, complicated! I hate lying to my friends and my family! Why do I have to be so fat! She thought to herself. It just isn't fair!
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~The Next Morning~*~
Sora had gone to bed without supper last night. When she woke up the next morning, she was extremely weak. She sat up, and felt very lightheaded. What day is it? she thought. Is it a school day? Probably... Then she looked at her alarm clock. 9:56. Nine fifty-six?! What?! She knew it wasn't the weekend...she was 100% sure it was a school day. So why wasn't she at school? She jumped out of bed but lost her ballance and fell over. She also got really dizzy, and realized how weak she was. So she crawled back into bed and called her mom.
"MOM!!" she yelled. A few seconds later, Mrs. Takenouchi burst into the room. "My alarm didn't go off and now I'll be late for school! Why didn't you wake me up! You're always up before me!"
"I shut your alarm off." her mother replied calmly.
"Why?" her daughter demanded.
"I'm keeping you off school today." she replied.
"What? Mom, I'm not in elementary school anymore, work isn't so easy to make up!"
"What's more important? Your health or your school?"
"Well, when you're in perfect health, your school is a lot more important!" Sora snapped, beginning to lose her patience.
"And you're not in perfect health!" he mother snapped back. "Sora, look, I know that you have a problem, you can't hide it from me any longer."
Sora decided to play dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about..." she said.
"You know pretty darn well what I'm talking about!" her mother retorted. "And it must stop! I don't want anything to happen to you!"
Sora laughed. "What, do you think I'm dying from cancer or something?!"
"No!" Her mother's tone took her by surprise. Her mom was usually always so calm about things. But now, Sora knew that her mom was very serious. "Enough, Sora. This is NOT a joke."
"But what do you think is wrong with me?" Sora asked.
"I know that you've been skipping meals, and fainting, and you've been exercising a lot. I think that you have...I think you're-that you have...an eating disorder..." her mom replied.
Tears stung in Sora's eyes. Hearing her mother say that broke her heart. She already knew it, but just to hear her very own mom say it really got to her. And then she realized how hard it must be for her mom to sit back and watch her daughter slowly kill herself. She must feel so helpless. Mom always tries so hard... thought Sora. Even though I refused to eat, she still made me meals and tried to get me to eat them. And I've been nothing but a bitch to her. She loves me, and she only cares...so why don't I care?
"Sora, get dressed, we're going to the doctor's." Mrs. Takenouchi said.
Sora panicked. "No!" she cried. "Mama, please, no! I'm going to have breakfast and go to school, ok?! Please, I wanna go to school! I'm gonna have breakfast!" Tears were running down Sora's pale cheeks now. That broke her mother's heart. Mrs. Takenouchi sighed and gave in. "Fine." she said in a barely audible whisper. Sora pulled herself out of bed but as soon as she got up, everything went black.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~About 15 mins later~*~
"Oh my god, Sora!" Mrs. Takenouchi cried, as Sora open her eyes.
"Mama?" asked Sora, weakly.
"Can you get up? I have some toast and eggs ready on the table." her mother said.
"Did I faint?" Sora inquired. Her mother nodded. "Well, I think I can get up."
"No, wait" her mother said suddenly. "I'll bring the food to you." Her mother left and came back a few moments later with a tray of food. The ravenous Sora ate it all. She ate slowly, but she cleared the plate. She still didn't feel like her old self, but she felt a lot better.
"Thanks, mom. That was very good." said Sora to her mother. Her mom smiled.
"Doesn't it feel good to not be starving?" asked her mom. Sora nodded in reply. "Now get dressed and bush your teeth. I'll make you a lunch then I'll take you to school."
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~At lunch in the cafeteria~*~
"Sora!" Tai called from their usual lunch table. Sora joined Matt and Tai and their other friends. "Hey! What happened to you this morning?" Tai asked he when she sat down. "When you didn't come out, I went to your apartment and you're mom said you were taking the day off."
"Oh, I'll talk to you later, k, Tai?" Sora said. Tai nodded and took a bit of his bologna sandwich. Matt was eyeing Sora with concern.
"Is everything ok with you, Sora?" he asked her.
Sora looked at her friend and smiled. "Yup" she replied.
"Sora, why aren't you eating lunch?" Matt questioned her.
Well, I had a really late breakfast!" Sora replied. Matt nodded.
"I still know that something's going on with you..." Matt said. "And Tai seems to know a lot, too. Why won't you tell me anything?"
"Because, it's none of your business." Tai replied for Sora.
"I was asking Sora, not you!" Matt snapped to his wild haired friend.
"Well, I'm sure her answer would have been the same, I just made it easier for her."
"Hey, let the girl speak for herself!" Matt glared at Tai and then turned to Sora. "I thought I was one of your best friends, too!"
"You are..." Sora started but Tai interrupted her.
"Don't be such a baby Matt! She has her reasons!"
"Stop being a mother, Tai! Sora knows how to speak for herself, and no one's talking to you anyways!!"
"Both of you's SHUT-UP!" Sora yelled at her bickering friends. "Matt, you're right, I can speak for myself, but Tai's just trying to help me and that's ok. You two are acting like a couple of 3 year olds! Matt, yes Tai knows what's going on, and don't feel dejected that I didn't tell you, ok?"
"Yeah, that's right, take your lover boy's side. You always see it Tai's way!" Matt growled.
"You're so immature!" cried Sora. "I can't believe you!"
"No one ever tells me anything." Matt mumbled. And with that, he got up and left.
Tai shook his head and Sora put her head in her hands.
"Hey Sora, lighten up." Tai said putting a gentle hand on Sora's shoulder. "That's Matt for ya, I mean he always acts like an ass!"
"I know that's just his way...but I'm starting to think all this is more trouble than it's worth..." Sora said, looking up at her boyfriend. Tears her forming in her eyes.
"Well, yeah!" Tai said. "I mean, just to lose a bit of weight, you starve yourself, get your loved ones upset, even cause them to fight with you or amongst each other, you're slowly damaging yourself, and for what? To become a weak little stick who's unable to fight of colds or even hold herself up at times to pass out, and lose hair, and get dark circles under her eyes.
"But I don't have a cold..." Sora protested.
"But you'll get one, because you're immune system will weaken. And you won't be able to ditch it!" Tai said.
"How do you know so much?" Sora inquired.
Tai could feel his face growing hot. "Well, I've been reading up on it..." he said quietly. Sora smiled. "I just want to...I wanna know about it, so I can help you. And the more I read, the more desperate I become! You just don't know how awful it is!"
"Hey, news flash Tai, I think I do! I'm only going through it, here!"
"Good point. But so, you know how it feels. And you must feel awful. You don' look good, like I mean, I MEAN, like you look sick...don't get the wrong idea!"
"I know, I know."
"So, why don't you stop?"
"I can't...I think now, I want to...but I can't. I've lost over 10 pounds in like two weeks, ya know...is it evident?"
"Oh yeah, it shows. You have lost a lot of weight. Sora, I really think you should stop!"
"I told you, I can't! It's like an obsession!"
"I know...that's what they say. But Sora, do you want to die? If you keep going on like this, you're gonna get weaker, and sicker...to the point where you just...whither to nothing and parish!"
"What?"
"Anorexia can kill you!"
"What? Oh my God...I honestly didn't know that...and I never even thought of it...but yeah that does make sense...oh my God, I don't wanna die!" Sora was crying now. People were starting to look at them. She quickly wiped her face.
"You'd better quit now then." Tai said sternly. Then he got up and left. Before Sora had a chance to chase after him, the bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch period.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- After School
'Hey, Sora! Wait up." Yelled Matt. "I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry for blowing up like that, it just seems your leaving me out. I'm your best friend and all and I really do care a lot about you. Even, though we aren't going out I still love you, and I just want to know what's going on!"
"Uhhh.It's all right Matt really. I really should be telling everyone, they all should know! I'm just no ready yet, you understand right?" Sora said calmly to her friend. Trying to make him believe in her.
"Hi, Sora! Hi sexy!" Mimi shrieked, while walking towards her friend and boyfriend. "Sora, you look so, what's the word different! Mimi said eyeing her friend up and down. "It looks like you have lost some weight, I don't see why because you always looked great! Even though you lost some weight, you don't look so great. You seem less.am I babbling on again?
Matt and Sora looked at each other then Mimi and burst into a fit of laughter. "Did I miss something?" Tai asks his friends as he just walking up to the group.
"Of course Mimi, and that's why we love you! Sora said trying to contain her giggles.
"O.k. I still don't see what's so funny!" Tai said dumbfounded. "Seeing as we are all here, let's all go to my house and chill! It is Friday and all!
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- At Tai's Apartment
"Hey, Mom I'm home!" Tai shouted into the empty house. "I take it my mom's not home, no problem I think we would all prefer Matt's cooking over my mom's!
"Tai, why are you home so early? You are usually at soccer practice." Kari asked
"I think I should be asking you the same question! I get off of school before you, and its Friday no soccer practice. I'm going to as you one more time, why are you home so early?"
"The flu is going around at school, and lucky me caught it!" Kari said sarcastically.
"Well in that case, go to your room, and don't come out! We don't want Sora getting sick now!" Tai ordered.
"What is she pregnant or something?" Kari asks casually.
"No! She's uhhh..ummm.she's-just.." Tai stuttered
"I'm waiting for an answer!" She boomed.
"Nothing! I was kidding!" Tai yelled at his sister. "None of us wanna get sick! It's gross!"
"Maybe we should go to my place..." Matt said, trying to make things easier.
"Yeah..." Mimi and Sora agreed in unison. And the four of them headed over to Matt's before Kari could say another word.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- ~*~At Matt's place~*~
"Ok, I'm ravenous!" announced Matt once they entered his apartement. "Who wants...I dunno, what do you people want?"
Mimi giggled. Sora looked around nervously. She was starting to feel really uneasy. She tried to think of some excuse other than 'I'm not hungry'.Tai sensed Sora's anxiety and tried to think of something.
"I'll have...do you have any ice cream, babe?" Mimi asked.
"Yup! What do you guys want?" He asked Tai and Sora. "We have a lot of ice cream, actually...I dunno why...but we have vanilla and strawberry, I know that. And I think maybe a few others."
"You know what!?" Tai said suddenly. "I totally forgot that I promised to help Sora and her mom in the flower shop tonight! And Sora seems to have forgotten, too!" He turned to the redhead and winked.
Sora breathed a sigh of gratitude and relief. She could always count on Tai. "Oh my God! You're right! I'm such and idiot!" she played along. "And we're gonna be late!"
"See you guys later!" Tai cried as the couple threw on their shoes and left.
Once they were out of the building, Sora grabbed Tai and gave him a huge hug. "Thanks, sooooooo much!" she cried. "I was starting to freak out! I had no excuse!"
"Yeah, I know..." Tai said quietly.
Sora stared him in the eyes for a moment. She saw a look of deep concern and regret. "What?" she asked him.
"Sora, I-I shouldn't have done that...like that was like encouraging you...I didn't mean it like that, it was just to get you out of a sticky situation!" Tai said. He began walking down the street.
Sora followed. "Thanks anyways..." she whispered. She reached for his hand and they continued on their way.
They walked in silence for a few blocks. Sore was beginning to feel very tired. "Tai?" she said weakly.
"Um-hmm?"
"Can we go back to my place or something, I'm really tired."
"Oh God, yeah! I'm so sorry Sora!" he pulled her in the direction of her house.
------------********------------------------********------------------------ ********---------- "Sora, you're late..." said Mrs. Takenouchi when she heard the door open.
"Sorry mom." Sora said breathlessly.
"We took a little detour" Tai added.
"Oh, hello, Tai!" Sora's mom greeted the brown haired boy with a smile.
"Hi Mrs. Takenouchi!" Tai replied.
"We're just gonna do homework in my room, k mom? And you know you can trust us!" Sora grabbed Tai's arm and they went to her room.
"So what do you want to do first?" Tai questioned. "We could do..french, or geography?"
"How about geography, it's really simple! We just have to name all the provinces and territories, and their capitals." Stated Sora.
"That's easy?" Tai whined. "Let's see, so far we have.."
(This is going to take a while, me naming all of Canada, ya right!)
"On the west coast we have: Victoria British Columbia, Whitehorse Yukon, Yellowknife Northwest Territories, Iqulait Nunvuat, Edmonton Alberta, and Regina Saskatchewan." Tai listed off.
"Man, who new naming all of Canada was so hard!" Sora whined.
"See I told you, it wasn't easy! Why did Mr. Ambra have to assign it! How many people do you really think are going to do it?" Tai pondered.
"Kids, you have been working so hard, I thought you could all use a snack!" Ms. Takenouchi cheerfully said.
Oh God... thought Sora. "And ruin supper?" It's almost 4:00, Mom. Supper is in like an hour!" Sora debated.
"Not mine..." Tai put in.
"Ok...Sora you don't have to have one then, you'll wait until supper..." said Mrs. Takenouchi, giving her daughter a funny look. "But you would like one, Tai?"
"Yes please!" said Tai enthusiastically. Mrs. Takenouchi smiled and left the room to prepare Tai a snack. Sora sighed out loud. Tai gave her a look of concern. "Sora," he said. "You can keep going on like this! You're gonna get really sick! You're already not the way you used to be!"
"Oh, so now you're gonna be on my back, too?" asked Sora, her temper rising.
"Sora, you know how much I care about you! That's why! Now, I'm not gonna say anything else right now, cause I don't wanna fight and I know that you're going to get mad at me if I don't shut up."
"Damn straight!"
"But why? Don't you care about yourself?"
"Yes..."
"Then why the hell are you killing yourself?" Tai demanded angrily.
"I would never take it that far I'll stop before it gets..." Sora stopped when her mom walked in the room.
"Here you go, Tai" said Mrs. Takenouchi handing Tai a plate of tortilla chips and salsa. "I hope that's ok..."
"Oh, that's great! Thanks very much!" Tai said appriciatively.
"No problem. Are you sure you don't want anything, Sora?" ask her mom.
"No thank you!" said Sora, losing her patience.
"Ok..." and her mom left.
"So, as you were saying?" Tai said as he dipped a chip in the salsa.
"Huh? Oh, I would never let myself die!" Sora said.
"You say that, and yeah, I'm sure you mean it but it's like, beyond your control!"
Sora looked down. "Oh well..." she mumbled.
Tai almost choked. "Oh well!?" he repeated. Sora just shrugged. "Sora, listen I care to much about you to let you kill yourself! I can't just sit on the sidelines and watch you hurt yourself without doing anything! Your smarter then that! You've seen movies, and heard teachers talking about it, you know the consequences, but why?" Tai yelled.
"You just don't understand! Have you ever looked at the mirror and noticed how fat you looked?" Her eyes watering. "Have you looked in magazines or watched the television, and only seen thin people!" Sora cried out. "Well have you?"
"Well not exactly, but I still know what you're going through." He replied thoughtfully.
"No, Tai you don't! You don't know what it feels like to be fat! You have a perfect body, like all those models on T.V. and in magazines." Sora sobbed.
"Sora you're wrong, everyone at one time or another wants to change something about themselves. I remember this one time when Kari was about 3 and wanted to change her arms into wings, so that way she could fly." Tai joked.
"Tai, this isn't funny!" Sora scolded, breaking into a smile.
"Hey I'm being serious, she really wanted to fly!" Tai said, also grinning. "Sora you had a perfect body, before you started not eating. No, offense but you look worse now than you did before." He said in a serious tone.
"Then why do I feel so fat?" She questioned.