Ryou Bakura was sat at his seat to the right hand side of the classroom, he was on the middle row and was almost behind a bit of wall, making him the perfect target for spit balls. The fact that he was short for his age, was generally considered a 'loner', as he didn't smoke like all the 'cool' kids did, and all in all was unpopular, didn't help his situation. He spent his lessons working, like a good boy, which didn't help his popularity, and counting the spitballs and other things that hit him on the back of the head, or anywhere else. He sometimes felt like he had a dartboard for a head, as people seemed to have a little game going where they gained points for where ever they hit him.

Two tables left was Marik Ishtar, and next to him was his boyfriend, Bakura, no one knew his first name, he went by his second, and their friend, Yami Mouto. These three were often to be found hanging around with Joey Wheeler and Tristen Taylor who were known smokers and belonged to one of the nastiest gangs in Domino. The two often skipped classes, so Ryou assumed that was where they were now, off smoking with the rest of the gang.

Ryou watched as Bakura pulled out a lighter and cigarette and lit it, beginning to smoke, even though there was a teacher in the room, but the teacher ignored this fact. Ryou saw her writing out a detention slip, but as she handed it to Bakura, he flicked his lighter again and set it on fire, dropping it on the desk and watching it burn with mild fascination.

"Bakura put that out now! Detention!" Came a sharp barked order from the door. Bakura stubbed out the cigarette with a scowl and instead began to doodle on the desk. Ryou could see some of what he was writing, and could only make out a small owl, so he assumed the other boy was puling his trick with writing in hieroglyphics again. Marik looked over his shoulder at the glyphs and bust out laughing, as did Yami when he saw them. Ryou was pretty sure it wasn't hieroglyphics, just a code the three used, but he couldn't be sure.

"Settle down please." The teacher said half-heartedly, knowing full well her words would have no affect.

"Do you three want a bill sent home for a new set of desks? Because if you do, you're going the right way about it!" The other teacher who was stood in the doorway yelled, storming over to Bakura and the others and saying something to him that made Bakura laugh. It sounded like a bark of some desert dog rather than a human cry of amusement, but Bakura was harsh in every way, so it didn't surprise him.

"This class will have two new students from today...!"

Ryou looked up with mild interest, wanting to see the face of his newest tormenters, but not really being interested, he'd get to know them after school when the came to beat him up.

"... This is Malik Ishtar, and this is Yugi Mouto."

Ryou could see Marik begin to choke on something, probably gum, and Yami looked like he was about to do the same, only he wasn't chewing; for once. He remembered his first day all too well, Bakura had done the exact same upon hearing his name, and had taken an instant disliking to him, saying he'd stolen his name, and looks, and by the looks of things, these two were going to get the same treatment. Although Malik didn't look the sort to let himself get pushed around, he looked like Marik, down to the last exact detail, though something about him looked softer, and his hair wasn't as spiky. Yugi looked like a shorter version of Yami. The fact that they had the same last name only made the situation worse for the two newbies.

"Looks like we've got two new targets then! Welcome to your new lives of hell!" Marik shouted, rocking back in his chair and laughing, Bakura, and Yami joining in.

"I got this back at my old school, and just like them, you're going to learn not to fuck with me!" Malik scowled back, stopping the three's fit of laughter in its track. Malik's eyes scanned the classroom and landed on him. He looked between Bakura and Ryou, frowning slightly, and then he made up his mind over whatever it was, and continued to watch the other students while the teacher began the introductions.

When it came to Malik's turn to say where he came from and his age and a bit about himself, like Yugi just had, Yugi had said something along the lines of his parents had died and he'd moved to live with his Grandpa so that's why he was here, Ryou hadn't really been listening, Malik said he'd just moved here from Egypt and liked to play Duel Monsters and 'play' with people.

The teacher seemed to decide he was a nice boy, but that was debatably by the way he was watching Marik, who had also come from Egypt, as had Bakura. Ryou hadn't missed the way he'd said 'play' and decided it was best to try and avoid him, as he looked like he wouldn't think twice about killing someone. Yugi, on the other hand, looked the sweet innocent type and looked like he had 'target' written all over him, even Ryou, the gentlest boy in the class, could see that a mile off.

"Yugi, why don't you go and sit with Ryou over there, and Malik, you can sit with... Seto Kaiba over there." The teacher said, pointing out two said boys.

Lunchtime rolled around and Ryou waited in the dinner queue, grateful Bakura and the others had been pre-occupied with Yugi, not that Ryou like seeing others in pain, but he really was starving.

"Hello." Said an unfamiliar voice from behind him. Ryou turned around, only to come face to face with Malik.

"Erm... Hi. Look, I'm really, really hungry! I'll give you double tomorrow if you leave me alone today, please." The smaller boy said, looking up to the other with teary eyes.

"What are you talking about? No, I was just going to say, aren't you supposed to be looking after him?" The boy said, gesturing to Yugi.

"Erm... Yes. I'll go see if I can do anything." Ryou said dejectedly, wondering if bribing the three boys would get them to leave Yugi alone.

"Excuse me." Ryou said gently, tapping Yami on the shoulder. He knew Yami was the mildest of the group and was sort of ok when he was on his own, which was almost never.

"What?! Can't you see I'm busy you little rat?! Or do you want to end up like him?!"

"No, I was just going to say, why don't you, erm... leave him alone? Please. He's new and I'm supposed to be looking after him." The white haired boy knew long before he'd finished his sentence that it was no good, he was going to regret this, but at least he'd tried.

"That's no way to talk to these low-lives! Manners are wasted on them!" Malik shouted, storming up behind him.

"Look you bastards! Leave this boy alone, unless you want to have me to deal with! Actually, lay off both of them! I'm sick and tired of living around people like you! So I'll remove you if you fuck me or my friends around!" Malik shouted, glaring heatedly at the three boys, namely Yami at this moment though, as he was closest.

"So, we finally found someone with the balls to stand up to us!" Bakura said as he turned from Yugi, who lay quivering and shaking on the floor.

"You won't have the balls to stand up to me for long if you keep on like this!"

Ryou decided that Malik had got this under control, or as under control as he could, and dodged around the other boys to Yugi. He lay a gentle hand on his shoulder and said,

"Yugi? Are you ok? I'm sorry I couldn't stop them."

Yugi looked up with teary eyes and replied,

"It's no problem, I'm used to it, I'd get it all the time in my old life."

Ryou wondered why he phrased his words like he did, but pushed it to the back of his mind for another time and gently helped Yugi sit up where said boy collapsed into his arms, crying hard.

"Go back to the whore's hole you came from you little fucker!" Marik yelled, glaring at his double.

"Funny, I was about to say the same to you." Malik said calmly. Bakura's temper was the first to snap, and he lunged at Malik, but the punch was easily dodged and Malik caught him with a well aimed punch in the middle of his face that sent him reeling backwards, landing with a thunk on top of Marik.

"You little bitch!" Marik yelled, aiming a punch at Malik's face also, but as said boy moved to duck to dodge it, he rammed his knee hard into the other boy's crotch.

Malik shouted in pain, but all it seemed to do was fuel the fire that now burned inside him. He was about to make the three boys wish they'd never been born, when a teacher walked in. Malik crouched down on the floor and moaned slightly, beginning to 'cry' gently as the teacher came up to them.

"What on earth is going on here?!" He yelled, looking from Malik on the floor, to Bakura, who was just getting up, to Marik who was standing over Malik panting hard, and finally to Yugi, wrapped up in Ryou's arms.

"Malik Ishtar! It is your first day and you're already fighting?! Detention! And you to Bakura, and Marik, I want to see you all after school in the main hall."

"It was self defense sir." Malik said, getting up and wincing.

"You have a license?"

"Yes." Malik said, pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket and showing it to the teacher.

"Very well, but just remember, this doesn't give you an excuse to be beating people up."

"I know sir. Am I still in detention?"

"No, I'll let you off as you've got a license." Malik could see this wasn't the only reason the teacher was letting him off. In most people's opinions, anyone who stood up to this type of people rarely deserved punishment.

"You three, my office now." Bakura, Marik, and Yami grumbled and traipsed off after the teacher, leaving Malik, Ryou, and Yugi in the middle of the canteen.