Hey everyone! So let me just start by saying Happy New Year! I hope you all had a good one.

OMG I'M SO FREAKING HAPPY RIGHT NOW!! 13 reviews for the last chapter. I'm basking in that glory!! =D
You people are the bestest! =)

Back on topic...here is chapter 4 of the Taming of Sora...Please read, enjoy, and don't forget to REVIEW! XD


The Taming of Sora

Sora used to be fun and outgoing, she used to like talking and being bubbly, but then it all stopped. Maybe it had to do with the loss of her mother, maybe the reality that she had to play mom to her younger sister, maybe just teenage life. Whatever it was, it changed her. Mimi changed too, though she remained kind and slightly air-headed, but gained one thing she didn't need before, popularity. She wanted to date boys, it wasn't like there was a lack of possibilities but it was a common known fact that the Tachikawa girls weren't allowed to date. Their father was Mr. Over-Protective, come with in ten feet of either one of his daughters and you won yourself a one way ticket to the grave.


Chapter Four: Friends or Fake?

"This can't be happening… this can't be happening… this can't be happening…"

"How long do you think she's going to be like that?" Kari Kamiya asked as she sat on the couch next to Sora. She was Sora's best friend, even though she was the same age as Mimi. The petite brunette munched intently on chips as she and the redhead stared at Sora's younger sister.

Mimi was in a catatonic state. There was no shaking her out of this… trauma. Inside Mimi was fuming. Who in their right mind would go out with SORA!? Sora was a man hating, khaki wearing, heinous bitch! She was unkind, sarcastic, and downright rude. Mimi was screwed.

"I have no idea," Sora replied standing up. She poked Mimi with her finger, "Earth to Drama Queen, come in Drama Queen. Kari, I think we lost her," Sora said sadly. Kari laughed and held her stomach as Sora dropped to her knees and draped herself over her sister. "No! Please! Mimi, wake up! Not my sister! Please!"

Mimi snapped her eyes to Sora and glared. "Get off of me, you cow!"

"Kari! It's a miracle, she's alive." Sora hugged Mimi tightly. "Thank the heavens!"

"Ha-ha-ha, you're such a spaz you know that!" Mimi snorted. "Sora, you're my sister, please, please just go out with one guy! Once, I just want one night of happiness."

"You just called me a cow and a spaz. Uh, let me think about that…" Sora tapped her chin thoughtfully. "… NO!"

"Ugh! I hate you!" Mimi wailed getting up from the couch. She walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Sora followed after her, with Kari right behind. "Aw Meems, but I love you!"

"HA!" Mimi huffed. "RaRa…"

"Don't 'RaRa' me!" Sora said, ignoring the nickname Mimi had given her when they were little. She couldn't say Sora, so instead Mimi christened her RaRa.

"Well if you love me, you'll do this," Mimi implored. She fell to her knees in front of Sora, her hands gripped her sister's tightly. "I'm begging you! Please."

"Get off the floor," Sora snapped.

Mimi's eyes grew large and her bottom lip pushed out. "Please."

Sora rolled her eyes and sighed, "I'll consider it."

"THANK YOU!" Mimi screamed jumping up and hugging Sora. She pushed her away and walked out of the room. "Oh, by the way, nice top, Kari."

She made her way upstairs, with her mind lost in thought. There was no way any sane guy would go out with her over baring sister. He'd have to be psychotic. And that's when it hit her.


"Didn't I tell you those cancer sticks are going to kill you?"

"Why don't you mind your own business?"

"I'm just saying, Tai," a seventeen year old with dark blue almost black hair said to the guy who was sitting on the roof next to him. "And don't answer a question with another question. I hate when you do that!"

"Ken, shut up! You're a freaking pothead and you're on my case about smoking."

Ken pulled the joint from his lips and smiled, "I'm a genius, and I need to relax once in a while." Tai blew a cloud of smoke in Ken's face, the latter choked. "Dick!"

"You want it?" Tai asked cocking an eyebrow.

Ken took a deep drag from his own version of cancer stick, his lavender eyes stared at Tai in a 'screw you' manner, "You wish."

Tai ignored him and looked out at the school's landscape below them. Akira Odaiba High was Taichi Kamiya's own personal hell. There was only a few months left in the year and only one month after that he'd be eighteen. That meant freedom; that was the moment Tai was waiting for. He hated this superficial school, he couldn't stand his parents, his little sister was alright, but Tai didn't really care about being close to anyone. He had to admit that now he only had one friend.

He turned his head and examined the teen sitting next to him. He'd met Ken Ichijouji when he was fourteen. Ken was getting jumped by that asshole Kido and his rich preppy friends. Ken was very thin, not short, but lacked muscle. Tai happened to walk by and witness the event. Instead of walking away like any punk sissy would, Tai went to the pale boy's aid. He managed to break Joe's nose that day.

Tai smiled to himself at the memory.

Yes, Ken was by far Tai only friend, nowadays. But he wasn't Tai's best friend. The honor went to a girl who only talked to him when people weren't around to judge her. She was a year younger than him but she cared too much about what people thought.

Mimi Tachikawa was a people pleaser, but when she started her freshmen year at the school no one talked to her. The only people who gave her the time of day were Tai and Ken. At the time they were sophomores and she didn't look the way she did now. She always had a pretty face, but she wore no makeup, she didn't talk to people, she dressed in baggy clothes, and her hair was always pulled into a messy pony tail. Fourteen-year-old Mimi was nothing like her fifteen-year-old sister.

Tai growled to himself as he remembered the dumb crush he'd had on Sora Tachikawa. Sora was Ms. Popularity and to Tai's horror, Sora secretly dated Joe. Tai would have given anything to be with Sora but she only laughed in his face when he asked her out. Instead, it was Mimi who hugged him and told him to forget about Sora. Sora was just shallow and full of herself. It was Mimi who sat up on the phone with him all night, helping him get over a broken heart. Those phone calls made him feel like he knew the most about her, and she probably knew him more than his own family.

"Hey!" Ken yelled kicking Tai with the tip of his steel toe boot. "Let's go to class."

"I don't feel like it," Tai responded, still caught up in his memories. The summer that he turned sixteen, she turned fifteen and discovered that makeup and clothes made her feel better about herself. When Tai came back for his junior year of school, the Tachikawa sisters had both changed… for the worse.

"I don't give a shit what you feel like. Get up."

Tai reluctantly let Ken pull him to his feet and they walked to class.

They took their seats at the lab table. This was Biology. A meaningless class that Tai didn't even want to take but Ken had forced him. He had to admit, if it weren't for Ken, he wouldn't be graduating in June.

"Hey," Izzy said as he sat down at a lab table next to Matt.

"What's up?" Matt replied with a nod of the head.

"Not much. So there's a new rumor going around school," Izzy piped up.

"Izzy, to be honest, I didn't take you for a rumor mongrel," Matt whispered as he took notes.

"I'm not," Izzy replied. "But for you, my friend, I listened to Miyako Inoue talk for a half an hour."

"Oh, this ought to be good." Matt chuckled quietly.

Izzy moaned into his palms as he rubbed his face. "It was utter torment, but this is what I found out. Remember your little girlfriend problem?"

Matt stared at him strangely, "I don't have a girlfriend."

"I'm talking about the junior twit that you're all ga-ga over."

"Her name is Mimi," Matt chided.

"Whatever, anyway from what Miyako was saying… there is a new rule in the Tachikawa home. Mimi can date now."

Matt's face brightened so much that Izzy had to suppress a laugh. "That's perfect."

"Not so fast, Romeo. There's a catch."

Matt's smile fell, "Isn't there always?"

Izzy nodded. "Yeah, well Mimi can date, when Sora does."

"Sora can't be that bad. I've seen her, she's pretty."

"I don't know if you've noticed or not but Sora Tachikawa isn't a people person. She's very, how do I put this nicely?" Izzy paused and scratched his forehead, "She's like the damn Ice Queen."

"That's nicely?" Matt asked humored.

"It's nicer than calling her an atrocious bitch."

"Ah, well put then."

Izzy shrugged. Matt looked thoughtful for a moment, "What the hell am I supposed to do then? I mean if nobody wants to go out with Sora then I can't go out with Mimi!"

"Looks that way," Izzy agreed. "Someone would have to be seriously off their rocker to go out with Sora."

"Tai! Damn it, not in class! I told you about that already!"

Ken's voice carried over to Izzy and Matt. They both turned their heads toward the source of the commotion. Tai was lighting a cigarette using the Bunsen burner and stabbing holes into the frogs they were supposed to be dissecting.

"How off?" Matt pondered aloud.

"I think we may have found our guy!" Izzy smiled.


The bell rang shrilly signaling the end of the school day. Mimi picked up her folder, and shouldered her large BCBG purse. Her mind had been in overdrive since last night. There was a possibility that she could now date, so that deserved a major YAY! But the damper on the situation, as always, was Sora. No matter how hard Mimi tried, Sora never failed to ruin her plans. The answer to all her problems was so simple that Mimi actually hit herself in head when it popped into her mind. The task now was getting him to say yes.

It would be pointless to just walk up to him and start a conversation, evident by the other day when she'd told him "hi." No, this had to be carefully planned out. It had to be at just the right moment. The possibility of him actually agreeing was preposterous. He would no doubt laugh in her face. She wouldn't have blamed him if that was what he did. Mimi knew deep down she deserved such treatment from him.

Sighing dejectedly, she turned the dial on her lock. 15 right, 33 left, 11 right. There was a rustle of paper and Mimi looked to her right first to see if anyone was near. Turning her head she yelped in surprise as her caramel eyes met deep gray. She took a startled step backwards, her bare shoulders coming in contact with the cold metal made her shiver.

"Hey there, Hottie," he said in a smooth voice, clearly trying way too hard to sound sexy.

"Uh, hi Joe," Mimi greeted, pushing him away from her.

"So Mimi, Miyako told me a little secret," Joe noted as he leaned against the next locker.

"Did she?" Mimi asked as she reapplied a coat of lip gloss.

"She sure did," he replied. "She said that your psycho dad finally changed his stupid rule."

Mimi turned to look at him, "What did you say about my father?"

"Mimi, babe, I was joking."

Mimi looked over Joe's shoulder and seen Tai walking down the hallway. "Whatever. Joe, can I call you later?"

"Sure, do you need a ride home?"

Mimi shook her head no.

"But I do."

They both turned to see Miyako standing next to them.

"Alright, Miya."

Mimi looked at Miyako and was about to say something when Miyako interjected, "Let's go, Joe. Bye Meems." They walked away, Joe's arm draped over Miyako's shoulder.

"Wow, I'm appalled, even you're new friends are fake. I guess you got everything you wanted and more, eh, Mi?"

Mimi whipped around, the frill of her wavy navy blue strapless dress and her honey curls swayed. Tai stood a mere three feet away in all his disheveled glory. Black muscle shirt, black cargo pants, his signature combat boots, a silver chain dangling from a belt loop and extending to his wallet tucked securely in his back pocket.

For a second she wanted to hug him. She could lie all she wanted and claim Miyako was her best friend but that was a lie. "Chi…"

Tai winced. Mimi had been the only one to ever call him that. The sound disgusted him. "Don't waste your phoniness on me, please. I'm not really in the mood."

"Could you give me a ride home?" Mimi asked quietly.

"And why should I do anything for you?" Tai asked, his chocolate brown eyes glaring at her.

"I just though that… you know… we… we could talk?" Mimi replied sheepishly.

"Talk? Why would I want to talk to you?"

"You're the one who started this conversation!" Mimi shot back.

Tai stared at her. "I only did that because I was proving a point." With that he turned on his heel and left Mimi standing alone in the hallway.

Matt walked out of the guy's restroom to see his dream girl standing by herself, tears falling down her cheeks. He stood still for a few seconds trying to figure out whether he should talk to her or not. He sighed, aggravated that he couldn't think of a single thing to say.

She turned and looked at him. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Matt shook his head. "You didn't do anything. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for asking," she said quietly. She wiped the moisture from her eyes. "I must look like such a mess, huh?"

"I think you look perfect," Matt said breathlessly.

Mimi giggled. "Quite the charmer aren't you, um…"

"Matt!" Matt replied, a little giddy that he was finally talking to her. When she giggled at him, he blushed and quickly amended his words, "I'm Matt Ishida. You're Mimi, right?"

Mimi nodded, "Yup, that's me. Uh, Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a car?" Mimi asked.

Matt silently thanked his father for letting him use the car today. "Yeah, do you need a ride?"

Mimi blushed a light pink; she could feel the heat in her cheeks and put her head down. She nodded and Matt smiled as her head bobbed up and down.

"Come on," Matt said taking her bag and guiding her out of the school to the parking lot.


Sora sat in the comfort of her own car. She watched as Miyako left with Joe Kido. The conceited blue haired cretin had the nerve to wink at her and blow a kiss, Sora gagged. Kari waved as she got into her boyfriend Takeru's car and they went to her house. Tai, Kari's older brother, stomped his way over to his street bike, angrily shoved his arms into a leather jacket and sped out of the parking lot.

When Sora saw Joe leave with Mimi's best friend, something inside of her compelled her to wait for Mimi. It had been a full half an hour and Mimi still hadn't come out of the school. Sora pulled out her cell phone and started texting an urgent message to her sister. But then the doors opened.

The blond guy who she'd seen on Monday in the counselor's office was walking next to her sister, and if Sora hadn't seen it she would never have believed it. Mimi was blushing! Mimi never blushed. This had to be hardcore.

A smile played on Sora's lips as she watched the guy open the door to his car and let Mimi in. Sora heard him tell her to 'watch her head' and 'don't forget to put her seat belt on.'

She started the engine to her car and drove away before they did. She decided not to bring this up to their father.


Well?

Please Review...next chapter will be Frienemies with Benefits. (Not what you're probably thinking.)

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Hearts and Daggers by Sincere Friendship
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*These are my own recommendations... stories that I've read and liked. The author's did NOT ask me to do this!