The Big Day
Wednesday…
Taichi was at his locker he was suddenly blinded by someone who put their hands over his eyes, "Guess who?" Mimi said.
"It's Sarah from next door," he said smiling smartly.
"No silly it me," she took her hands off his eyes, "This is great now we can take our relationship to the next level," Mimi said eusatiaslily.
"Yeah," Taichi agreed closing his locker door. "Why are you so eager to take our relationship to the next level," Taichi asked.
"Because you're my boyfriend and we should do things together," she explained.
Taichi raised an eyebrow then turned away from her, "Yeah…maybe," he said.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Mimi said startled.
"ah, nothing don't get so uptight," Taichi said.
Yamato and Sora come walking up the hall hand in hand. Taichi having seen them then turns around quick in the opposite direction.
Yamato had already seen them and turned to Sora, "I'm going down stairs to the cafeteria you can come if you want," Yamato said.
"No it's okay Yamato, I have to go my locker first then maybe I'll come down or I'll see you in biology class," She said giving him a kiss then he left going down the stairs to the cafeteria.
Taichi who was hidden the square pillar watching Sora while Mimi was at her locker exchanging books then Mimi poked him after she had finished, "Taichi hello?" she said.
"Yeah I'm listening what is it?" he said still watching Sora from behind the pillar.
"I'm going to go for the day. Do you want to come?" Mimi asked.
"Huh? You mean play hookie?" Taichi asked slightly annoyed.
"Well yeah, do you want to come?" Mimi asked again.
"How about this; I'll join you there in a little while there is something I got to do first," Taichi said to her then kissed her goodbye. He made sure Mimi had disappeared behind the doors and went to find Sora who was just around the corner at her locker sitting by it and reading a one of her text books.
"Hey Sora," he called.
She looked up, "Hi Taichi, I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday with Yamato." She packed the book she was holding in her bag and got up.
Taichi rolled his eyes," Yeah what about it?" he asked a bit annoyed.
"You hurt his feeling Taichi, he was trying to help you," Sora said.
"Well I don't need his help," he turned around his back facing her.
"Taichi you do need help, if you drink alcohol all the time it not good for you."
Taichi turned around quickly, "Who told that? Yamato did didn't he?" he questioned.
"It doesn't matter who told me. What matters is that we want to help you," Sora said concerned.
"I don't need help Sora I'm fine nothing is going to happen to me at all," Taichi said.
"Okay I trust you, I don't want to fight about this okay," Sora said smiling at him.
Taichi lighted up a bit, "Okay I'm fine with it I appreciated it but I don't need it. Can you tell Yamato that I'm sorry about the fight and I didn't mean to say all those things to him?"
Sora smiled politely, "Okay I will," She walked to her class. Taichi watched her leave.
Lunch Time…
The bells rang signaling lunchtime.
Yamato had caught up with Sora, "Hey Yamato, I spoke with Taichi this morning when you left for the cafeteria and he said that he is sorry about the fight and all the things he said to you," she said.
Yamato just shrugged, "What's wrong, Yamato?" she asked looking at him worried.
"I have a bad feeling about today, I don't know why," he confessed.
Sora was confused by this "What do you mean?"
"Never mind about it," he said brushing it off what ever it is it probably about the test next week and failing it, He thought.
Taichi walked in the Express he looked for Mimi, spotting her on the patio under the glass with her friend Deanna, "Hi girls," he said sitting next to Mimi.
"Hi Taichi we were just talking," Mimi said as the two just continued to go on about make up and clothing. "Hey how about a smoothie?' he asked them the two nodded.
"I'll have strawberry," Mimi replied.
"I'll have a blueberry," Deanna said quickly.
"Okay I'll be back in a second," Taichi said getting up and walking over to the counter.
"See look how cute he is," Mimi said to Deanna.
"Yeah, he's cute but Jeff is even more cute," Deanna commented and continued to exchange small comments back and forth.
Evening…
"Check it out it looks wicked," Yamato said as he looked around the Midnight Express and the decorations that were put up.
"Yeah," Sora said a little awe struck.
"Well come on lets get some beverages," Sora said dragging him over to the refreshment table where they met with some of Sora's teammates.
Taichi and Mimi arrived, "This place in nicely decorated," Mimi said.
"Too bad Deanna didn't want to come," Mimi said.
"Can you just stay for a few more hours then we can leave," Taichi said to her firmly.
"Oh okay, I'll just make use of my free time," she said then walked away from him and toward Yamato and Sora and Sora's teammates. "Hi guys we are here," Mimi said giving Sora a hug.
Taichi followed Mimi then standing beside her he said, "Hi."
"I'm glad you came," Sora said smiling at the both of them.
"Yeah my dad allowed me to come," he smiled.
"That's good then how about we start dancing instead of talking?" Yamato said.
"Good idea," Sora said the two walked on to the dance floor, the tables were moved out of the way to form one, and started dancing to a slow song that had just begun. Taichi and Mimi joined them and four danced with others joining.
"Sora, I have that nagging feeling again," Yamato said whispering to her as they danced.
"Yamato come on just forget about it and enjoy the party," she said.
"That's the thing I can't," Yamato stressed.
Sora pulled away from the embrace she kissed him. Taichi watched the whole exchanged then turning his attention back to Mimi who was watching him look at Sora.
"Taichi is there something I should know about?" she asked.
"No," he said.
The music finished he guided her off the dance floor. Sora has left Yamato while he went to the restroom and looked over to see where Taichi was. She saw him and Mimi over by the door talking intently. Sora looked around to see if anyone saw her and snuck up and listened to the conversation.
"Taichi let's go to Jeff's party now. You are obvious distracted about something and you need to loosen up," Mimi said a little annoyed.
"We'll go just as soon as the way is clear," he said.
Sora heard the whole thing was furious, the nerve he has to do that, she though angrily.
"Fine I'll be at the refreshment table come and get me when you're done thinking or what ever you are doing," Mimi said still a little angry with him. She waited by the refreshments helping herself to some more punch.
Sora came out from her hiding spot and confronted him, "How dare you pretend to come to this party! If you want to leave now Taichi, go ahead, it won't bother me at all. The Jeff's party is much better isn't it why don't you go!" she shouted harshly at him then walked way to where Yamato was chatting with some of her teammates.
Taichi was slightly hurt by her words then angrily walked over to Mimi grabbing her by the arm "We are going now!" Taichi said to her.
"Okay just let go of my arm," she said and the two exited the express.
"Sora what's the matter?" Yamato asked.
"Taichi was just using this party to go to Jeff's. He never really wanted to be here," she said angry.
"Are you going to stay angry at him forever because of this?" he asked with a sigh.
"Yeah, Just maybe if he matured long enough to understand my feelings then I wouldn't stay angry at him," she said.
Jeff's House Party…
Taichi and Mimi arrived Deanna met them at the door, "It's so cold out," Mimi said coming into the front entrance.
"Yeah and I need a drink to warm me up," Taichi said as he had already filled up a glass of beer and chugged it down in one gulp then went to get another one.
"Could you hand one to me Taichi?" Mimi asked. "Just a little bit," she added.
"Yeah," he replied coming back to her then handing a plastic cup to her they sat down on the couch.
Mimi moved closed to him, "Taichi, come on let go up stairs," she suggested quietly.
"No, I'm still feeling like I had enough," he said brushing her off.
"Fine," Mimi said snapping at him.
"Look at Jeff he's trying to hit on every girl here," Deanna said as she too was angry with her boyfriend.
"Come on Deanna let go some where quite and no jerk boyfriend are around," Mimi said bitterly and the two girls left.
After about five glasses Taichi began to feel sick, he went to the bathroom but the door was lock and some one was already in there. He went back and sat on couch when Jeff came up to him "Are you okay man?" he asked.
"No," Taichi managed to say.
"Don't make a mess of this carpet it's white I won't be able to get it out afterwards," he said as he help Taichi up and they walked to the patio door where Jeff nudged him out into the winter cold air.
Stumbling a little he staggered falling to his knees and grabbing a hold of the side of the small raised square garden that he ended up throwing up into it several times. Still even after that he wasn't feeling too good he went to get up when he felt shivers. Moving away from the little garden he crawled toward the patio doors but stopped after only a few steps forward, when he just dropped onto the snow-covered ground, "I need to rest a little…" he said softly to himself then passed out.
Kevin looked at the clock it reached ten o'clock and he grew curious where or not Taichi was still at Sora's party as he said he was. On top of that Anna had not called him at all.
Yamato and Sora were dancing then they stopped and went to the refreshment table to get a drink, "So are you angry still?" he asked.
"Yeah I am," she said.
"Maybe I should go there and make sure nothing happens to him you know Taichi right," Yamato said.
Sora looked at him as if he betrayed her, "Fine, if you want to go so bad then go and stay there!" she said.
"I'm sorry Sora," Yamato told her but his apologize didn't seem to be getting through to her then he left. Sora sighed as she went over to the tables to sit down.
Deanna and Mimi both started to search for Taichi but instead they run into Jeff who tried to put moves on Mimi she pushed him away, "Ew…get away" she said.
"Come on lets look up stairs Deanna," she said to her friend the two girls went up stairs looking for Taichi.
Meanwhile outside on the patio Taichi lay with a layer of snow already accumulating on him.
"Sora?" Kevin said approaching her.
"Mr. Yagami what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm looking for Taichi did you see him?" he asked.
Sora shook her head, "Sorry" she said.
"It's okay I'll look for him myself would you tell me if you see him though," he asked.
"Yeah I will." she said as she watched him leave. Sora didn't know why she was covering for him especially after he didn't want to be at this party at all.
After minutes of looking around he couldn't find him he took his cell phone out and called home, "Anna he's not here," he said.
Yamato arrived at the house where the party was being held he walked into the house as soon as he did he bumped into a frantic Mimi, "Yamato did you see where Taichi went!" she asked quickly.
"I just got here Mimi what happened to Taichi?" Yamato asked.
"I don't know he's been gone for a while now. We looked up stairs but he isn't there," she said scared that something might have happened to him.
"Okay Lets look again we will all split up and cover every inch of this house," Yamato said ordering them both.
Meanwhile it's been almost fifteen minutes; out in the cold Taichi still lying on the ground snow layering up on top of him.
Sora walked around the closing festivities the band was packing all there instruments, everyone was cleaning.
"Sora your still here why?" Rose her friend said coming up to her.
"Yeah well I got ditched sort of," Sora said rather sadly.
Rose looked at her confused.
"Oh never mind Rose, I wasn't ditched Yamato went to go find Taichi, " she said.
"Oh so that's why he left early I thought you guys had a fight," Rose said explaining.
"Here let me help you guys clean up," she said starting to gather various clothes off the tabletops.
"Okay sure," Rose said.
Ten minutes later...
"Anything?" he called to Mimi who just came from her search.
"Who are you guys looking for? If it's Taichi the last time I saw him is when he was feeling sick so I helped him outside to get a little fresh air," Jeff said.
Yamato quickly ran to the patio doors opening them Mimi followed him, "Taichi! Where are you...? Taichi!" Yamato said calling out again. He frowns then looking to his left; he sees someone in the snow and runs over to the body in the snow.
Yamato he turned the body over gently so he is on his back and notices that it is Taichi, who was unconscious his skin had a blue tint, "Taichi! Wake up Taichi!" he said trying to get him to talk.
Mimi looked at Taichi in shock and stood frozen to one spot.
"Taichi!" he shouted but nothing came from his friend. Yamato placed his middle finger and index finger together and pressed up against Taichi's neck looking for a pulse.
Yamato looked at Mimi gravely, "Yamato what's wrong?" she said.
"I can't find a pulse," he replied.
"OH MY GOD! NO," she gasped horrified.
To Be Continued...