Disclaimer: Do not own the show, the characters, or YGO merchandise. If I did the world would be a better place now. (Just kidding.)

To Reader: I wanted to go in a different direction with my YGO stories. So, this story takes place after the Battle City Tournament. The gang is back in school, but they act differently with one another. (It's like the aftermath of Battle City.) The twist is, everyone has changed since Battle City. Tea's more into her studies rather than ballet, Joey's popular with the ladies as is Yami, Tristan's dating Miho, and Yugi is just doing his own thing. Anyway, it's mostly centered around Tea and Yami and how they gradually find feelings for one another after a couple of incidents that occur inside and outside of school.

~Some Notes~

*Yami does not have millenium puzzle anymore, but he does have his own body.

*Seto Kaiba is the nice guy in this story.

*Tea used to date Duke.

*They all have the same personalities as in the series.

*They wear the same things as they did in Battle City.

*Yami's currently dating Serenity.......not for long though.

Chapter One: The Meeting

"Okay class, open your books to chapter three." Tea heard the teacher say to the class.

Tea obeyed her instructor, sighing to herself as she did so. It had been a long class period. She couldn't concentrate today. Her mind was on their breakup. She always liked Duke, but when she saw him with that skinny blonde girl.......

"Would you like to read the first paragraph Tea?" Tea shook her head softly.

"Um...sure..." Tea looked down at her history book, trying not to panic.

That's when her friend, Tristan Taylor, pointed to the paragraph that they were supposed to read. Tea laughed nervously and read it slowly. She let out a sigh of relief once finished with it.

"Thank you, alright how about the next one.....Joey Wheeler...." Tea looked over to Joey.

"I forgot my book at home." Joey replied.

Tea rolled her eyes. Ever since Joey came back to school, he had a new attitude. She hated it. He didn't study, do his homework or anything. He just talked to girls.

"This is the third time this week..." The teacher said calmly.

"I'll remember next time...." Joey answered.

Tea sighed to herself again. She didn't realize that she was drawing a picture of a heart with the word "Duke" inscribed in it. She grunted loudly and erased it quickly. Tristan looked over to her.

"You alright?" He whispered.

Tea raised her head up and looked into her friend's brown eyes. Ever since the Battle City Tournament, Tristan and her have been very close, but not close enough to go out or anything of the sort.

"Yup." Tea responded as she tapped her pencil on the desk softly.

Finally, the bell rang for the period to end. Tea rose out of her seat and looked over to Tristan. He smiled and walked side by side with her out of the classroom. She cleared her throat softly and looked at him.

"Do you mind walking me home today, Tristan?" Tea asked polietly.

Tea tried not to cringe at the thought of Duke. She remembered them walking home together, laughing and holding hands as they walked to her house. She tightened her fist at the thought.

"Sorry Tea, but I'm staying after school with Miho....." Tristan responded. "What about Duke?"

Tea cleared her voice and gave him a blank stare. "What ABOUT Duke?" She said sarcastically.

"You guys used to walk home together, all the time." Tristan said.

"Not anymore, we........we....broke up." Tea forced out.

"Oh....." Tristan looked at her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No....thanks anyway." She said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, see ya later then." He said as he started walking away.

"Bye Tristan," she said softly as he turned around.

"Bye!" He yelled as she smiled and walked out the school.

That's when she saw Joey and Yami talking to each other on the bike rack with Serenity. She figured that they were too busy to talk to her, so she continued to walk. She stopped in her tracks once she felt a soft tap on the shoulder. She knew it was Duke. She turned around and looked into his green eyes.

"Listen, I have to get going." Tea said as she walked past him.

"Wait, I can explain..." Duke reasoned.

"There's nothing to explain." Tea said.

This little argument caught Yami and Joey's attention. They looked over and watched carefully. Serenity rolled her eyes and tried to get Yami's attention. Her attempt failed.

"Please Tea, I was just talking to her...." Duke said as he tried to touch her hand.

"Don't touch me. You're such a liar." Tea said.

"Be like that, but you'll be sorry." Duke said.

"I'm already sorry," Tea started. "Sorry I ever met YOU!"

"Oh really?" Duke remarked. "You'll soon BE sorry you ever met me!"

"Are you threatening me?" Tea stated.

"What if I am?" Duke responded.

*SMACK*

"You're such a freak!" Tea yelled as she stormed off.

Duke stood there watching her walk away as he held his hurt cheek. He looked around to see a crowd looking at him. He clenched his teeth and yelled, "Out of my way!"

~Meanwhile~

"TEA!" Joey yelled as Yami and him caught up to her.

"What?" She asked as Joey smiled.

"That was so cool!" Tea glared at him, holding back tears.

Yami gave him a serious look.

"I mean, that you told him how you really feel....." Joey said nervously.

"Oh yeah." Tea whispered as her house came into view.

"Well, if you ever need to talk.....Joey and I will always be there for you...." Yami said.

Tea smiled and looked at him.

"Just like old times..." Tea said softly.

Yami glanced at her and sighed. He missed those "old times," even though he never admitted it to the group. She smiled weakly and walked to her door with them.

"Well, I'll see you guys in school tomorrow." Tea said as they nodded their heads. "Yeah, if they're not surrounded by guys..." She said to herself.

She smiled as they walked away from her house. She was surprised they walked home with her. They never did that because they were too busy with their "other friends." She took a deep breath and started to search for her keys. Her thoughts started to drift upon what Yami told her. She never thought Yami would say something like that. She smiled at the thought. She sighed to herself and grabbed the loose set of keys in her bag and opened the door. She walked into the empty house to see a note on the fridge. It read:

Sorry we couldn't be here, your father and I had another important meeting to attend to. I'm sure you'll be fine on your own. I left some money on the table, use it wisely.

Love,

Mom

Tea read the note a couple of times until she could read it no more. She crumpled it up and threw it in the garbage. Just like her parents, they were never home. She pratically had to raise herself.

"I guess that's why I'm such an idiot..." She whispered as she thought of Duke again.

People didn't see the real Tea. If they did, she would probably be abandoned by her friends. The inside of Tea's mind was not pretty, but she never would show her true colors. She felt it was the only way to gain acceptance among her friends and family. She wished it wasn't this way. She didn't like to be always happy. It just wasn't healthy in the society she grew up in. She sighed and looked through her c.d. collection, trying to find a decent c.d. for the mood she was in. She found one.

"......and I am...whatever you say I am.....if I wasn't then why would I say I am....in the paper, the news, everyday I am.....radio won't even play my jam....." Tea sang loudly as she cooked something to eat. She didn't bother ordering out with her mom's money. Waste of time. {It was Eminem, if you guys didn't catch the song she was singing.}

The clock finally struck 11:oo. She yawned loudly and turned off her c.d. player. She changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, not wanting to wake up tomorrow. As she slowly closed her eyes, one thought stuck in her head......Duke. She opened her eyes again, mad at herself for even thinking of him. She sat up and covered her face with her hands.

"This is going to be a LONG night...." She whispered as she rested her head on the pillow again.

~To be continued.......~

To Reader: It gets better. Much better. I know it sounds like a Duke/Tea fic, but I promise it isn't. Tea is just having a problem getting over him. More Yami and Yugi in later chappies. See ya soon.