Remember when I said I was changing this chapter? It won't be horribly different… just written better and minus the mental illnesses. It'll be much easier for me to write and I might actually update more often.
Also, just in case you were concerned, Ren isn't a butthead tumblrite. So yay.
Disclaimer- I do not own Yugioh. It should be obvious by now that Kazuki Takashi is the rightful owner, yes? At least, he's the creator. Then he sold it to someone and thus GX was born. That's what I was told anyway. I could be wrong. Ack.
"Hey, check this out, Ren!" a voice behind me called. I turned my head ever so slightly to see my closest American friend, Austin, leaning over a magazine shelf that the grocery store owners had so conveniently placed in the front of the store. His face was glowing with excitement as he picked up the magazine, and I could have sworn I saw him drooling. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't resist the smile that found its way onto my face.
"What is it now, drool face?" I asked lightly, re-shelfing a book that I'd begun to browse. He turned his head and glared playfully at me before focusing his attention on the magazine once more.
"Just come over here, it's really cool!" he exclaimed.
"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a wad," I muttered as I made my way to his side. When I bent over to view the cover, I frowned a bit, not sure what I was looking at.
"… So?" I asked.
Austin looked at me with what seemed to be horror.
"So? So? Ren, are you seriously my friend? Why do I even know you?" he ranted melodramatically.
"Because you love me and my good looks," I joked coolly as I turned back to the magazine, ignoring the snort I heard from Austin. On the front was a picture of a teenage boy holding what looked to be a deck of cards in one hand and a trophy in the other. He seemed like a pretty goofy kid, but at the same time there was an innocence that made him cute.
"Nice hair," I commented dryly. How does someone even manage something like that anyway? I doubt that it's real. It looked like a freakin' starfish for crying out loud! Where do people get those kind of wigs?
… Unless he used lots of gel and dye.
Austin rolled his eyes. "You're such a girl. Of course you'd pay attention to his hair!"
"That's sexist."
"Have you even read it yet?"
"…No. His hair's in the way."
"His-! No, never mind, I'm not even going to bother."
I chuckled at his response as I glanced at the headline.
YUGI MUTOU WINS DUELIST KINGDOM TOURNAMENT AND TAKES THE CROWN AS THE KING OF GAMES!
"King of Games?" I repeated. "That's a little dramatic, don't you think?"
"Always the critic, aren't you?" Austin groaned.
"It's a gift," I stuck my tongue out.
"Look," he said, flipping through the pages until he found the article and read it aloud. "'Yugi Mutou, 15, beats Maximillion Pegasus, owner of Industrial Illusions and creator of the increasingly popular game of Duel Monsters, in the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. Reporters say that the only reason that Mutou was invited to the tournament in the first place was due to the fact that he attracted the attention of Pegasus when he beat Seto Kaiba, 16, in a duel prior to the tournament. Seto Kaiba was well known for his talent in Duel Monsters, and his defeat was only the first of Mutou's almost spotless record of wins in the following tournament.' Are you going to tell me that that's dramatic?"
"…Yes," I replied. "On a side note, that article isn't very well written."
"You-! … Ok, I see your point, but aren't you at least impressed?" Austin demanded.
"Have I ever mentioned to you that I'm an Otaku, not a Gamer?" I inquired.
He sighed. "Many a time…"
"Then shut your trap."
"Yes ma'am."
"But I have to admit," I said, glancing back at the article. "Beating an old man at his own game isn't something to sneeze at."
"That's what-! Dammit girl, you really know how to press my buttons," Austin muttered, pressing his finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose.
"It's what I do."
Austin placed the magazine back on the shelf before we turned and headed toward the rest of the aisles of Kroger (K-ROGER!).
"What are we getting again?" Austin asked, pointing to the list in my hand.
I looked over this list before reading it out. "Tea, fruit, bread, milk, cereal, bakery needs, and my meds."
"Oh, you're out already?"
"Of my meds? Yes."
"Didn't you just get some last week?"
"They have a habit of disappearing and never coming back."
"Right…" Austin ran a hand through his short, brown and blonde hair. "How are you going to get them a month from now? Those were custom-made by your dad, right?"
"I don't know... and I'd really rather not talk about it," I mumbled, raising a weary eyebrow at him.
"Right. Sorry."
"S'okay,"
We split up and gathered the different groceries. He went to the produce and dairy while I went to the bakery and the Pharmacy. Ignoring the odd looks I received from the clerk, I moved on with my shopping.
Austin and I met back up at the front of the store after we bought everything and headed outside to walk to the few blocks back to my house. As I walked, slowly and steadily, I took my time to notice the shape of the oak leaves and the fresh pine needles that hung over the streets. I'd known these trees for nearly ten years. I'd known these old houses that looked to be right out of a story book. I'd known these pothole-filled streets and the many cracks in the sidewalk. I'd even memorized how many of my steps it took to get from my house to the playground just a few blocks away.
I was really going to miss them.
"So when are you going back to Japan?" Austin asked.
Dammit, am I that readable?
"In about a month," I replied sadly. "Just in time for the school to start."
"You'd better email me every day."
"I will, I promise."
"How's your mom doing?"
I hesitated. "She's fine," I said a little forcefully. "Just… getting on."
Austin nodded knowingly.
The rest of the trip was fairly silent. The cool, gentle breeze blew through my long, dark brown hair that I'd wrestled into a ponytail earlier. The sunlight shone through the leaves of the trees, creating patterns of light across the streets and assorted yards. I sighed and let my thoughts take me to a month from now. It had been so long since I'd lived in Japan. What was it like now? Had anything changed? Did I have to relearn everything I knew about life?
"-en… Ren. Hey, Ren! Where'd you go?"
I looked over at Austin, who was squinting at me in confusion.
"My bad," I apologized. "I was just thinking."
"Right. I forget that you do that."
"Shut it. What do you want?"
"We're at your house."
"…Oh. So we are."
It wouldn't be my house for long.
It wasn't a large house, nor was it too small. It had red brick as the exterior, and a white garage door blinding me with reflected sunlight. It was a one-story, something that I rejoiced for. You know, less floors to clean.
I turned to Austin. "Would you like to come in?"
"Nah, I gotta get home. There's a pile of homework that's not very happy with my epic procrastination skills, and it has my name on it!" he replied cheerfully.
"Good luck with that, slacker," I called after him after he took off. Not turning around, he raised a hand in the air to acknowledge my statement. I smiled after him.
To hell with everything else, I was going to miss him the most.
I breathed in deeply, suppressing the sudden pressure behind my eyes. I'd cried enough, and there wasn't going to be time for it anymore. I opened the front door and took my shoes off in the foyer before heading to the living room. There, I found my adopted mother sitting in her chair, gazing out the window.
"Hey Mom," I greeted softly.
"Hmm," she replied, not looking away from the window. I winced. Was there ever going to be a time when I could simply get an actual, worded response from her again? Ever? I glanced at the window. On the glass, someone had placed a picture of my adopted father. It had been his favorite window, although how a window can be your favorite, I had never been able to find out.
With a sigh and a shake of the head to clear my thoughts, I put away the groceries and heading to my room, my bubble, my sanctuary. Here, I could think peacefully. I could listen to music, read a book, and write a story, you name it. I'd customized it down the last poster on the wall. And they'd all be coming down soon.
In a pitiful attempt to cheer myself up, I went through all of the memories I had of Austin. When we first met, I'd punched him in the face for making fun of me when I was talking to people that weren't actually there- every kid had an imaginary friend at least once in their life. I'd started to cry when my hand hurt from contact with his abnormally hard skull, and he apologized by giving me his chocolate pudding while still rubbing his bruising temple. That was about eight years ago, just a few years after my parents brought me here from Japan.
Glancing over at my desk, I saw that Austin's old jacket was still hanging over the back of the chair. With a chortle I heaved myself up to fetch it. When had he left this here? Last week? It all kind of ran together. I picked it up and sniffed it out of curiosity. It still smelled like his cologne, and I wrinkled my nose in distaste. He'd always used the cheap kind, even after I'd given him some of my dad's for Christmas one year. And then he wouldn't even bother with a shower for at least a week because the cologne would "make him smell heavenly".
I wondered if he would let me take the jacket with me.
Tossing the jacket in the dirty clothes hamper, I plopped on my bed, hugged my teddy bear close to me and sighed. This was going to the shortest month of my life.
The next day, Mom didn't get out of bed. This was becoming more of a routine now. It used to be that she would take me school every morning so I wouldn't miss early morning tutoring, but now she couldn't even bother to wake up anymore. I would drag myself up when my alarm sounded, and then I'd peer down the hallway to see if her light was on. If it wasn't, I'd sigh and continue getting myself ready to catch the bus.
Breakfast was simple; tea, cereal, toast, and my everyday smoothie (I had to get my nutrients somehow). I dressed in my boyish clothing that consisted of a black, button down shirt with rolled up sleeves, ripped up jeans, and old converse. Screw high fashion, I want to be comfortable.
I met up with Austin at the bus stop. He raised his fist, and I bumped it with mine as our greeting. We stood in silence, waiting for the bus to pick us up. I ran through the mental list of homework that I'd have to turn in today. Satisfied that I hadn't forgotten anything, I sat down on the curb, ready to doze off.
Sadly, the bus came before that could happen. Austin nudged me with his foot, and I groaned before standing up with my backpack and boarding the yellow bus.
When we arrived at school, I took a long look at the old building. It was a smaller structure, made mostly of bricks and stone. There was a hill behind it where the students went to eat lunch under the shady trees or play basketball down the hill on the cemented section. I loved this school, but there were many people who didn't truly appreciate my 'oddness'- I'm not odd, really, and there are thousands of girls on a certain social media involving presidential shoelaces that can vouch for that.
I refuse to go into detail, but I actually used to be bullied nearly every day due to my incessant rambling of the latest book I was reading. That is, until I broke someone's arm in self-defense.
Heheh, that was a fun day.
School was relatively normal. I went through all of my classes, not really paying attention in some, and paying close attention in others, like History.
Lunch was the same as always. The cafeteria would be way too crowded to even get a mouthful of healthy oxygen, so Austin and I made our way outside to sit under a tree. A couple of other students, who were friends, thankfully, followed us.
"Reni!" a female voice nearly screeched. Hearing my annoying nickname, I looked up to see a rather tall, blonde, angry girl with a pixie cut standing before me with her hands on her hips. After smiling at her Doctor Who shirt, I smirked and readied myself for a yelling session.
"What is it, Kat?" I asked sweetly.
Scowling, she replied, "Why the hell did you not tell me you were moving to Japan?"
Prepared, I answered, "I didn't want to worry you."
"Bullshit!"
"Young ladies should watch their mouths, you know," Austin dryly commented, popping a piece of my sandwich into his mouth. Glaring at him, I moved my sandwich away from his greedy hands.
"Shut up, Austin," Kat snapped.
"What she's trying to say," another girl with Asian features and wavy, black hair and a non-caring demeanor interrupted. "Is that she wants to know why you're leaving."
"Hey there, Audi," I greeted.
Audi gave me a quick smile before taking on a serious expression and crossing her arms. "Well?" she prompted.
I sighed, took a swig of water, and launched into an explanation. "Listen, you're aware of how my mom has been acting, right? Or, rather, not acting."
When everyone nodded, I continued. "Before… that, she called her brother, who lives in Japan. I overheard them talking, and it turns out my mom can't stay here where my father's memory is strongest. And apparently my uncle owns an apartment complex, so we've got that part covered. We hope that she can heal more efficiently if she's back where her family is. Unfortunately, I have to go with her." I vaguely wondered if anyone noticed how recited and formal I'd sounded. If they did, nobody commented.
"But you need to finish school!" Kat protested.
"I'll finish it in Japan, apparently," I replied. "There's a high school there that's pretty decent."
Frustrated, Kat crossed her arms and plopped down in the grass. "You can't just leave us," she pouted.
I grimaced, glancing at Austin, who seemed to find his shoelaces rather interesting. "It's not like I want to go."
"You'd better email us," Audi stated.
"Every day," I promised. Kat sighed and decided to drop the subject.
After that, our conversation turned into one about the latest anime, or a book that just came out, and sometimes even the games that Austin loved so much. I was grateful that my friends had decided not to press the matter of my leaving, even if they were going to miss me. It was decided that there wouldn't be a going away party due to my hate of social gatherings. However, I couldn't persuade them to stay at home the day I was leaving. Instead, they would come and see me off at the airport. Austin was already going to be there, so I guess his presence would help me deal with the goodbyes I was so horrible at.
"Oh!" Kat suddenly exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts. "Did you hear about the Duelist Kingdom Tournament?"
"The who?" I inquired through a mouthful of sandwich.
"The Duelist Kingdom Tournament," Austin repeated. "Remember the magazine I showed you yesterday?"
"Oh yeah, you mean the one Mr. Starfish won?"
"His name's Yugi Mutou," Austin pouted.
"Anyway," Kat interjected. "Apparently, right after the tournament ended, Maximillion Pegasus collapsed and was found missing that weird eyeball of his." She pointed to her left eye.
"Did someone steal it?" Audi asked.
"Dunno, but fans of Pegasus are actually starting to blame Yugi Mutou for it!"
"Now why would someone want to steal an eyeball after winning a tournament?" I asked incredulously.
"I highly doubt he did," Austin stated, leaning against the tree. "From the reports I've read on him, he's a pretty trustworthy guy."
I eyed both Kat and Austin suspiciously. "Exactly how are you getting so much info about stuff going on in Japan?"
"We have our ways."
"Are they illegal?"
"Possibly."
"Fantastic."
Austin grinned cheekily at me as Kat and Audi began a discussion on some guy named Seto Kaiba… oh yeah, the guy that Yugo- Yagu- uh, Yugi beat. These weird names were going to be the death of me when I went to Japan. I can barely even remember American names straight for crying out loud! Well, it doesn't help much that there are actually names like La-la, pronounced Ladashla.
Welcome to America, e'rbody.
When the bus driver dropped us off at our stop that afternoon, Austin and I walked in silence for a little while. This was pretty normal; however I could sense that something was different. I decided to glance over at my best friend, and I saw that his face was clouded with some emotion I rarely saw.
"Stop being sad," I demanded. Austin looked up and gave me a quizzical look.
"I know you," I told him. "I can tell your emotions, remember? However, I'm supposed to be the sad one, not you."
"You're not the one that's getting left behind," he muttered. I groaned in exasperation.
"Like I said, it's not like I want to," I tightened my grip on my shoulder straps.
"Doesn't matter. You're leaving."
I glared at him for a moment, and he held my gaze. After a short period of time, I rolled my eyes before I stopped walking and pulled him into a tight hug. Only slightly surprised, he wrapped his arms around me.
"Close your eyes and I'll kiss you," I sang. "Tomorrow, I'll miss you. Remember I'll always be true."
"Dammit, why the Beatles?" Austin mumbled.
"And then while I'm away, I'll write home every day," I continued. "And I'll send all my loving to you."
"You'd better."
I smirked and pulled away, satisfied when I saw a small smile on his face.
"See?" I said brightly. "I cheered you up."
"No, the Beatles did," Austin argued. I replied by punching him in the arm.
"Shut up you moron."
"I'll miss you too."
Hope it wasn't too bad for you! And, if I have any new readers, I hope you enjoy my story! I have a lot of fun writing it, so maybe you'll have fun reading it, eh?
Please review!
