'Speechless': A 'Not a Normal Year'
Short Story
Part I
By: WritteroftheWest & Autumn-Angel-31
Hey! Ya, I know this should be Chapter 3 of 'Not a Normal Year', but I'm stuck, so here's a Short Story. It was going to be a One-shot, but I wanted to post something, so this will be in 2 parts.
It's based on the song 'Speechless" by Melissa O'Neil. It was going to be set to the song 'To You I Belong' by BWitched, but I heard this song at work, so I changed my mind.
It's dedicated to the following, in no particular order:
Koolkatdq – For her support and lending and me her OC for future chapters. Thank you so much! Torri will be in this story. If you, the readers, want to know what she looks like, visit koolkatdq's profile. I'm too lazy to describe her right now. I'll describe her in the upcoming chapter on 'Not a Normal Year'. I hope Torri's lines are OK!
JudaiHaou'sGirl – For all her help and encouragement and messages! You ROCK!
KolabyNikola – Thanks for editing 'Not a Normal Year'! I really appreciate it!
WritteroftheWest – For all the support and messages! And for writing about half (or more) of this! Props to you! Thanks a bunch! here's a cookie Make sure reviews are made out to both of us! She wrote a great deal of this fic. You also ROCK!
And to all my reviewers! You guys ROCK! You keep me going! This is for all of ya!
A note: This is after the Dark World fiasco and before 'Not a Normal Year 2: Second Semester'. Yes there will be a sequel. (I guess I should get this one done first! O.O) This is set during a dance that Sheppard threw to celebrate the return of Duel Academy and Jaden and Co. from the other dimension. This one-shot has no real importance to the plot of 'Not a Normal Year'; it's only a one-shot I felt like writing now. The main plot thing in this is that Ari finally tells Jim how she feels, through a song, because she isn't so good at putting her feelings into an actual sentence…. I hope you all like it!
Disclaimer: Doing the disclaimer is my OC Ari!
Ari: Autumn doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or the song. She only owns me, Ari and the plot. (Thankfully she doesn't own it or this show would be a crazy music filled soap opera.) Torri belongs to koolkatdq!
ME: Thank you Ari, I think. I'LL NEVER OWN GX! I must face that… :(
(#) Author's Note. The note will be at the end.
Enjoy! Please review! Cookies and GX Chibi Plushies to all that review!
P.S. I HOPE to have the next chapter of 'Not a Normal Year' up soon. But I'm in a rut and don't have a lot of time for writing due to work. O.O
P.S.S. No flames please and thank you. If there are errors in spelling, punctuation or layout, please let me know so I can fix it and keep that in mind for later fics.
-- (Insert line thingy) --
'Speechless'
Part I
"Finally, we're home. Maybe things can get back to normal." Ariana said to her friend Alexis as they were walking from their second class to the third one.
"Ari, there's no such thing as "normal" here at Duel Academy." the Obelisk Blue replied, using finger quotes.
"Can't a girl dream? It's not that getting sucked into another dimension umpteen times and watching all my friends 'die' before my eyes wasn't a thrill, but I'm just glad we're back." Ari replied in her usual offhanded, sarcastic way. But Alexis could see through her façade of sarcasm and fake smiles in an instant. Alexis knew what happened to Ari in that awful place from Axel. But, the funny thing was that there was a sweet side to it too. Of course Ari had to watch most of them 'die' before her very eyes, knowing that she couldn't stop it, but Ari finally came to terms with her feelings for Jim. Alexis smiled to herself.
"Alexis? You OK?" Alexis's friend asked as they arrived at their classroom.
"Ummm? Oh, I'm fine!" Alexis said with a smile. Ari raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else. They walked into the classroom and Jasmine and Mindy, Alexis's friends, or as Ari's friend Torri called them, "Alexis's Cronies", waved Alexis over. "See you later Ari." Alexis called over her shoulder. Ari waved back. Just then, the fore mentioned Ra Yellow girl and Alexis's brother's girlfriend waved at Ari from her seat toward the bottom of the classroom. Ari waved back and continued to her seat farther up, to where the other exchange students sat.
"Hey Jesse, Axel." she greeted as she sat down next to Axel and took out her books and PDA. Even though Adrian was sitting in the row in front of them, Ari totally ignored him. (1) "What's up?"
"Nothing much. Just so excited for Duel History." Axel remarked.
"Duel History is exciting. You can learn a lot from it, if you pay attention." Ari laughed. "Unlike you two."
"I think that you and Jim are the only ones who any attention in this class." Jesse said. Ari immediately went a lovely shade of red and suddenly became very interested in her boots. Jesse raised an eyebrow.
Axel leaned over towards Ari. "You didn't tell Jim how you feel yet?" he whispered it more like a statement than a question.
"I'm working on it!" Ari whispered back. "It's a plan in progress."
"When are you going to tell him?" Axel asked.
"Tell who what?" Jesse piped in. The other two exchange students ignored him.
"I was thinking a week from doomsday." Ari remarked. Axel sighed.
"Tell who what?" Jesse asked again.
"Ari wants to tell Jim that she's in love with him." Axel stated. Ari went a darker, lovelier shade of red.
"Finally! It took long enough." Jesse said.
"AXEL! I thought you weren't going to say anything! Who else did you tell?" Ari asked in horror.
"Just Alexis. No one else." Axel said in his defence. Ari's head hit her desk with a thud. Then a moment later, her head shot up and she had a mortified look on her face.
"Axel, if you told Alexis, then she would have told Atticus and Torri. And they are the two most romantic people in this school!" Ari realized in horror. She didn't even have it out of her mouth when her PDA started to beep. She answered it to see a message from Torri on it. It went kind of like this;
"YOU FINALLY ADMITTED IT! When are you going to tell him? Or did you tell him already? Anyway, doesn't matter! You two look so cute together! "
- Torri
Ari sighed and answered back;
"No, I didn't tell him. I don't know when or if I'll tell him."
- Ari --
Ari sighed and sank in to her chair. "What else could go wrong…?" she groaned as she put her PDA away.
-- With Torri--
Torri snickered to herself. "I finally caught Ari in a tight spot!" she whispered to herself with victory.
-- Back to where the Exchange students are. --
Class started. And what Ari had said was right, Duel History was exciting, only if you were the three who were actually listening… It seemed like all of the student's, besides Jim, Alexis and Ari, fell asleep during the class hour, even Axel was a sleep on his text book with a puddle of drool…
Ari shook her head as she had noticed this fact. She decided to let her eyes wander. They just so happened to fall on Jim who was sitting so attentively…
"Handsome…" was the first word that came into her mind.
Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of red as she thought about what she had just described Jim as being. She was right, in fact… Ari sighed and again sank into her seat and begun to mess around with her pencil.
"I guess that was a sign that I should tell him?" she thought.
--Back down where Torri, Alexis and others are. --
Alexis noticed Torri snickering and talking to herself. She heard Ari's name and looked up to where Ari was. Alexis had just so happened to catch her friend blushing. She smiled, knowing who it might be about…
--Back to Ari and Co. --
Ari spent the rest of the class thinking of when, where and how she was going to finally confess her love to Jim…
And it wasn't going too well.
Class ended and Ari was snapped out of her trance like state. All the students were waking up and high tailing it out of the building. Jesse stood up and stretched and yawned then gathered up his stuff.
Ari was gathering her things when her PDA started to beep, not even making Axel stir. She fished out her PDA to see a message from Torri. It was like this;
"I saw you during Duel History today…You blushed after you had "accidentally" looked Jim's way…"
- Torri
Ari sighed and replied back;
"Whatever Torri…And besides…It's not a crime is it? You forgot that I ACTUALLY LIKE THE GUY!"
- Ari --'
Ari put away her PDA again and tried to wake up Axel, who was still asleep. "Axel, class is over…You can wake up now…" Ari said, trying to wake the boy up. He woke up with a start; he looked around and spotted Jesse in the row in front of him and Ari beside him.
"What happened?" Axel asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"You fell asleep, like the rest of the class did." Ari explained.
"Did you fall asleep Jesse?" Axel asked the southern boy who smiled.
"You bet I did! I was never able to do that kind of stuff back home! If ya did, you'd get detention!" Jesse said, he had his eyes closed and smiled a toothy grin. Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry approached him and the others.
"Hey bro! Did you sleep well in class?" Jaden asked as he placed an arm over Jesse's shoulders.
Jesse chuckled. "You better believe it partner!"
"Sweetness! Now let's head to Red and get some grub! All that sleeping sure makes ya hungry!" Ari rolled her eyes at them.
"Alright Jay, I'll be there in a sec, you guys go, I'll catch up." Jesse said smiling as the three did so.
"You better not tell anyone else about Ari's crush." Axel said as he was gathering up his stuff.
"Yea Jess. I trust you…As a friend…" Ari said.
"I won't tell anyone… I promise" Jesse said as he had picked up his stuff and walked off. He added the last part after Ari shot him a warning glare.
Alexis walked up to Ari. "Hey Ari, wanna walk back to the dorms together?" she asked as Ari stood up in front of her holding her text books, note books and a lot of other stuff.
"Sure Alexis! See ya Axel." Ari said before she walked off with her friend.
"Hey Ari," Alexis said as the two walked side by side out of the main campus building. "Are you planning on going to the Duel Academy dance?"
"What? When is it?" Ari asked.
"You haven't heard? It's in a couple days. It says so on the posters posted in the hallways in the entire academy building." Alexis reminded her as she looked over at her friend.
"I-I…might…" Ari said as she looked down at her boots.
"Or are you going to wait until Jim asks you to the dance?" Alexis said with a teasing smile as she nudged her friend.
"Shut up!" Ari said with a playful smile.
The two girls laughed as they walked along to the Obelisk Girl's Dorm.
--Later on--
It was sunset. Ari sat alone on the soft sand on the beach, all by herself. She had her knees drawn up with her right arm wrapped around them and her left hand messing with the soft sand. She thought about Jim and at the same time the song "Speechless" was going through her head.
Ari sighed and started humming part of the song as she picked up sand and letting it slowly fall out of her hand.
"Why shouldn't I confess my love to Jim? After all we've been through in that other dimension…But, I know I'm gonna screw up with trying to say it! If I do tell him, and he doesn't feel thesame way about me,I could lose friendship with him…" she thought.
She rested her forehead against her knees and let out a frustrated sigh. She threw a handful of sand in to the water. She then looked up to see the setting sun, loving how it touched everything with an orange glow.
Just then, Ari's PDA started beeping. She fished it out of her pocket and read yet another message that was sent to her by Torri.
"If you don't get up and do something to prepare for "confessing your love" then I will for you!"
Ari sighed and replied;
"I'm kind of busy right now…"
Torri replied;
"Ha ha! I'm coming over tonight…"
Ari put her PDA back in her pocket and stood up and turned only to see Jim. She jumped as Jim chuckled upon seeing her jump.
"Jim! You scared me!" Ari said as her heart beat wildly in her chest. Jim stopped in front of her.
He smiled and let part of the brim of his cowboy hat cover up his bandaged eye. "Sorry mate…"Ari only took a few steps passed Jim only to be stopped by him.
"Uh…Ari?" He asked as he slightly turned to look back at her with his good eye. "Could I…um…ask you something?"
"Uh…" she said uncertainly as she thought.
"No worries mate. It can wait…" Jim said quickly with his good natured smile as he looked out amongst the ocean.
"Uh…OK…I guess I'll be seeing ya Jim…" Ari said as she turned and started to walk away.
--Later--
About 25 minutes later, she opened the door to her dorm room. She sighed as she turned on a light.
About 25 minutes more later on she was standing in front of her mirror in her room, practicing, if possible, how she would confess to Jim.
--Later Still O.O--
After the 39th screw up, she called it quits and sprawled out on her bed and heaved a long and frustrated sigh.
"This will never work…" Ari said to herself as she looked up at the ceiling. "I want to tell him but I just can't put it in words…" she placed an arm over her eyes and fell silent for a couple minutes. "Unless…" she said as she took her arm off her eyes.
She smiled to herself. "Ari, you are a genius!"
It seemed that a great weight had just been lifted from her shoulders…But there was always the possibility that her idea could go terribly wrong…That's the thought that stayed in the back of her mind.
Just then, there was a knock on the door to her dorm room. Ari got up and answered it. It was Torri, standing there with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Told ya I'd come!" she said as she took a step in to the room. Ari shut the door and walked over to her bed.
"So what are you going to preach to me about this time?" Ari asked as she sat down on the bed with her arms crossed. Torri just looked at her friend and opened her mouth to, supposedly, start her lecture, as if reading her mind, Ari said;
"I already found a way to tell him…" she said as she slightly bowed her head with her eyes closed with a smile on her face.
Torri let out her breath in surprise. "How are you going to??" she asked, really wanting to know the answer. Ari just sat there on her bed and smiled at her desperate friend.
"Tell me!" Torri said, getting a little too desperate. Ari still smiled and shook her head.
"Please??" Torri said as she was on her knees in front of her friend with her hands clasped, just dieing to know.
Ari giggled. "You'll find out soon…" Torri stopped and looked up at her friend.
"And don't you tell anyone… Got it?"
"Got it."
--The next day --
The next day at class, Sheppard made the formal announcement that he was going to throw a dance tomorrow night to celebrate the return of Duel Academy. All the students were chattering to one another about who they were or going to ask to the dance.
The only students who weren't were, Jesse, Ari, Alexis, Jim and Axel. Jesse looked like he was about ready to fall asleep. Again.
"I still think that Jim is going to ask you to the dance." Axel said with a smile, like he was having fun rubbing it in.
"Quiet!" Ari snapped at him, really wanting him to keep quiet now.
"Make me." he shot back.
"…….."
"OW!" Axel exclaimed while rubbing the spot on his head where Ari's text book made an acquaintance with his head. "What was that for?"
"You told me to make you shut up. And I did." Ari replied cheekily.
--Later (boy, I add a lot of that!)--
Classes continued on. And as always, all the students, except Ari, Alexis and Jim, were snoozin' away. Again.
"So Ari," Axel whispered to her. "Did you ever figure out how you're going to tell Jim?" Ari smiled and nodded.
"How?" he asked.
"You'll find out…" was all she offered.
And so, class drug on…
--After class, again--
Again, once class had ended, the students where waking up and making a dash for the door to see if they could find anyone to ask to the dance tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Jesse was sawing logs down in front and was continuing on doing such a great job with that. That was, until Jesse was woke up by Jaden, 13 minutes later after class ended.
Jim gathered up his things. Ari too, was gathering up her things while stealing a couple of glances at him.
"I'm gonna go hang out with Jim, after all, we are still friends…" she whispered to Alexis who, appeared beside her, who just nodded.
Ari met up with Jim in the aisle. "Hi Jim." she said casually as she walked along side him.
"G'day." Jim said smiling as he tipped his hat.
"Mind if I hang out with you?" Ari asked. "You know…as…friends?" she smiled as she laughed nervously.
"Why not?" Jim said with his good natured smile. "It's been a while since anyone has paled around with me … Guess they just lost interest in the old Australian boy…"
Ari looked over at Jim as he lowered his eyes to the ground.
"I haven't." she said as she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort the boy, making him feel like at least one person still cares that he's there on the island. Jim smiled as he felt Ari's hand on his shoulder; it made him feel better, indeed.
The two just took a walk around the campus for a while. At sunset, they stopped and relaxed on the sand bar. Jim leaned back with a gentle smile on his face. His fingers just happen to brush up with Ari's by complete accident. He placed his hand within 1 inch from Ari's and continued to enjoy the sunset.
There was silence for a few minutes. Then, it was broken. "Ari?" Jim asked innocently, almost as innocent as a small child would.
"Yea?" Ari replied as she looked over at the Australian teen boy.
"Would you mind if I asked you to go to the dance with me tomorrow?" Jim asked, almost bringing out the puppy dog eyes. (2)
"I wouldn't mind…In fact, I'd love to go with you to the dance tomorrow." Ari said smiling calmly at the boy.
"Alright!" Jim exclaimed as he fell back on his back, but then immediately sat back up again. "What time should I pick you up? 7?"
"Sure." Ari said with a smile, she enjoyed Jim's reaction to her agreeing.
Jim smiled happily and looked out amongst the ocean. His fingers touched Ari's again, and soon, he had placed his hand on top of hers, feeling how soft it was.
Ari was secretly blushing as Jim had done so. She loved it… She absolutely loved it…
After the two had watched the sunset, Jim walked Ari back to her dorm room under the star lit sky. The two walked side by side together, looking down at the ground, having not said a word for a while now.
The two made it to the Obelisk Girl's Dorm without saying a word to each other.
Alexis's friends Jasmine and Mindy happened to have spotted the two as the walked to the stair case. They glared at Jim.
"Relax girls…He's with me…" Ari said plainly as they passed by the two girls.
Jim looked over at her; he thought she sounded tired, or just really deep in thought.
The red-head and the brunette went back to whatever they were doing.
The two teens reached the bottom of the stair case. Ari looked up the stairs like she couldn't continue on any farther. "Are you tired mate?" Jim asked, concern hinted in his voice. He had placed a hand on the back of Ari's arm. The blonde girl nodded in response.
"Would you be alright if I carried you up to your room?" Jim asked, getting softer with his voice so that Jasmine and Mindy couldn't hear.
Ari nodded with an "Mm-hm" and allowed Jim to "sweep her off her feet." Which it was kind of like…
Jim picked Ari up in a bridle carry and carried her up the steps and to her room, which she gave him the key to unlock the door with. He used his foot to shut the door behind himself and carried Ari over to her bed and laid her down gently, having her head resting on her fluffy pillow.
"Thanks Jim…" Ari said as she looked up at the boy who smiled in return.
Her bed didn't have any blankets on it, because they were getting their annual wash. Jim had spotted a rack of blankets and decided to grab the one that looked best to suit the temperature of the room. He walked back up to the bed and spread the blanket out over the bed and the girl.
"G'night Ari." Jim said. "See ya tomorrow mate."
"Night Jim." Ari said as she closed her eyes and he left the room.
--Another day later. Day of the dance--
The next day, the campus was filled with buzz and excited chatter, mainly students getting ready for the dance that night, and partly because they had to ready the gym for the dance. There was one girl who didn't seem too excited at the present moment.
Actually, she was having a freak-out.
Ari was going through her wardrobe seeing if she already had something that would be both appealing and stylish. Rejected outfits laid strewn about the girl's bedroom.
"Purple or blue? Orange or red? Yellow? Long or short? Heels or flats? Maybe even this navy blue…" Ari had a hold on a navy blue, long dress. She smiled. "Huh…reminds me of Jim…" She shrugged and continued searching.
In the end, she found nothing.
Ari sighed. "I might as well join Alexis, Jasmine and Mindy when they go shopping. Cause nothing here fits me or even suits me…"she sighed as she closed her wardrobe. It was lucky that the Chancellor gave the students the day off to get ready or go to the mainland to go shopping. "Maybe Torri will go with me." She picked up her PDA and messaged the Ra Yellow girl.
"Hey Torri! Will you come with me to the mainland shopping?"
-Ari
The answer was;
"Are Alexis and her Cronies going?"
-Torri
"Ya. Please? I could sure use your help for picking out an outfit. Please?"
- Ari
"sigh I guess so. We must have you looking your best for tonight!"
- Torri
"Ok. See you at the docks in about 10 minutes."
-Ari
Ari shut off her PDA and shoved it into her purse along with her wallet, complete with cash and emergency credit cards, her cell phone and Academy I.D. She grabbed her jacket and headed out the door, locking it behind her and headed to the docks.
--10 minutes later the docks--
Ari arrived at the docks 10 minutes later, right before Torri. Alexis and the other 2 girls were already there, talking about the dance. Ari heard Torri mutter something along the line of 'Twitter-heads." Ari just rolled her eyes. The ferry sounded its warning whistle and Ari looked at the ferry with dread. The truth was that Ari wasn't too fond of boats. Little boats on a pond, fine. But bigger boats on the ocean, not so much. (3) But, she took a deep breath and walked onto the ramp and onto the ferry.
--On the boat--
Ari was leaning up against the railing of the ferry and trying not to think about tonight. But she couldn't help it. Torri woke her out of her thoughts.
"So, what happens if this brilliant plan of yours doesn't work?" the Ra student asked.
"I heard that Antarctica is quite lovely this time of year." Ari quipped. "To tell you the truth Torri, I don't know. What happens if I make a total idiot of myself?" Ari turned to one of her most trusted friends, with almost tear filled eyes.
"I'm sure it'll go fine." the other girl replied.
"I hope you're right Torri. I so hope you're right."
--Let's fast forward to the Mainland, shall we? --
Our crew of shoppers wandered from store to store, without much luck. Ari couldn't find anything that 'fit' for the occasion. They wandered into another store to try their luck.
While Ari browsed the racks, occasionally picking up an outfit, looking at it, then putting it back. "I'm never going to find anything at this rate!" she sighed.
Just then, a commotion interpreted her browsing. "OH HECK NO! I'M NOT WEARING THAT! ARI, HELP ME!" Ari turned around to see Torri being pulled into a dressing room by Jasmine and Mindy, while Alexis followed carrying what looked like a mass of pink bows and frills. This was followed by much racket and noise, then Torri emerged from the dressing room, wearing what looked like bridesmaid dress gone terribly wrong. It was this huge pink…thing. It was made out of a mass of pick material with a huge crinoline (4) underneath that made it puff out. And it was covered from head to toe with half the world's supply of bows. Jasmine and Mindy even stuck a pink bow on her head. Poor Torri was ready to murder someone.
Ari couldn't help herself, she burst out laughing, forgetting about the impending evening for a minute. "It becomes you Torri!" she said in between laughing fits. Torri frowned and threw a shoe at Ari, just missing her head. This made Ari laugh harder.
"Get me outta this thing! Pronto!" Torri fumed.
"Let's see if we can find you something else. Maybe something less…..big and gaudy." Ari suggested with a final chuckle.
After much looking and fighting with Torri to try stuff on, they finally found an outfit that Torri liked. It was a black silky, v-neck (not too low) flowing, to the floor dress. The edges of the dress are dark purple, with black sequins on it in a sort of line pattern. Torri then found the accessories; a silver necklace with a single oval, opal pendant and matching stud earrings.
"OK. We found my outfit. Now what about yours Ari?" Torri asked.
"I have no idea what to get! What does one wear for an occasion like this?" Ari asked as she rummaged through a rack.
Then, there it was. The dress that Ari knew would be perfect. It was a medium colour blue, silky, to the knee strapless dress with black sparkly edging around the top of the dress and around the bottom of the skirt, with a black ribbon that tied around the waist. The skirt was kind of flowing, so if she twirled around, it twirled with her. Ari ran into the dressing room and tried it on and it fit! "Yes! Now, I just got to find shoes and accessories!" she said in triumph as she put back on her other clothes and threw the dress over her arm and walked out of the dressing room to complete her outfit.
-- (Line thing of DOOM!) --
OK! There's Part I! Next part will be coming ASAP! Just waiting on my co-author. Plus I work… O.O
Author Notes:
1 – Adrian was a jerk in The Dark World, so the rest aren't really bothering with him. I wouldn't either.
2 – Puppy dog eyes! I can't resist those! They're too cute! I'm OK. Really. Hahaha….
3- You'll find out why Ari doesn't like boats and the deep water later on!
4- A crinoline is something that makes a dress's skirt fuller. In case you don't know.
That's all for now! Please make reviews to both of us! Part II is in the works!
Autumn and West signing out for now!