Isn't It Romantic???

    Tai walked out of the bathroom, and Kari had a hard time recognizing him:
    His hair was nicely combed and without goggles, but it still resembled
its former likeness to a shrub, he wore a white collared shirt with a blue
and reddish tie and black slacks with a matching jacket and shoes.
    "Well?" he asked, half afraid.
    Kari's reply was full of awe, "Tai, you're what Sora and Mimi would call
'hot stuff'!"
    Tai turned a deep shade of crimson.
    The parents were throwing a little prom-like high school seniors dance
for the graduates, Sora was his date, and NOW was his chance to impress her.
    Unlike Matt, he thought, I can't just throw a girl a look and make her
legs melt into jello.
    He had worked very6 hard on this night and now it was going to pay off.
    The phone rang.
    "Hello, Tai- Chi here," he answered cheerfully.
    "Hi, Tai, it's <sniffle> Sora-chan."
    "Sora!? You OK?"
    "Not really, Tai, that's what I'm calling about, you see I'll be able to
go to the real prom just not the one that the parents are throwing for us.
I'm sick with the stomach flu, I think it was some-. Never mind, but you
understand, your not mad, right?"
    Tai sat in stunned silence. This kinda thing only happens in the movies.
He thought. "Tai?" Sora asked.
    "Um," he said, snapping back to reality, "Yeah Sora I'll be fine, you get
your rest."
    Kari watched as her older brother took his jacket off and threw it on the
couch, and then loosened his tie, he sat on the couch. "Anything I can do?"
he asked concerned.
    "No, I'll <cough> be fine. Bye Tai-Chi."
    "Bye, Sora-Chan"
    He hung up the phone and felt a felling of both sorrow and pity for both
himself and Sora.
    "What's wrong?" Kari asked quietly.
    "Nothing, just Sora's sick." He sighed. "I don't have a date." His
shoulders fell in defeat and agony.
    "Take me." Kari offered.
    Tai chuckled. "No way, sorry Kar," he said.
    Kari's face brightened. "Well then," she stated, "we'll just have to take
Sora's 'hot stuff' to her." Kari replied, giggling.
    He looked at her questioningly.
    The now thirteen-year-old Kari proceeded to trim a red rose from a rose
bush she was growing, de thorn it, and with white ribbon tie a bow around it.
    Tai stared with a quizzical look as Kari took a package of chicken soup
(one that you add water to) and put the package in a handkerchief, followed
by two packs of tea and some money which she handed to him.
    Tying the handkerchief to make a sack, she said, "You Tai, go to her
house and make her a nice chicken soup dinner, because nothing says 'hope you
get over your cold' like chicken soup, and then buy her some chocolates with
that money."
    Kari dashed out of the room as Tai stood up to thank her. She returned
with a CD. "And don't forget this," she said, handing the CD to Tai. He
flipped it over, "41 Great Loves Songs" it read.
    Kari smiled.
    "Thanks, Kari!" He said as Kari began to giggle again, then she got
serious, "Don't thank me, just go!"
    Tai ran.
    "I have got to tell Mimi," she said out of earshot of Tai.

^~^~^~^~^~^

    After Tai bought the chocolates, surprised Sora, looked at her and made
her legs turn to jello (although he didn't realize how charming he was), made
her dinner, and had a little dance of their own, even Sora was feeling better.
    Tai left Sora's with a BIG grin on his face.
   
^~^~^~^~^~^

    When he found Kari he thanked her, and the only thing she could say is
"what are little sisters for?"
    "THAT!" he replied.
    "Exactly," Kari said, matter- of - factly.