You'd think I'd be used to public speaking. I have stood on platform, 20 feet in the air, with thousands of cheering fans around he, millions more cheering on at home, all watching me, transfixed with my every word. But in a small room, twenty-three of my peers looking at me, I freeze.
"Um… Hello." They snicker. Bunch of jerks. If they had any idea how hard this was, they would not laugh, they would be understanding, they would care. "Is this really needed?" I ask the teacher.
"Well of cores it is dear, you need to let the class know who you are." I roll my eyes. As if they don't already know who I am. This is the underlining issue with kids these days, excluding myself of course. They are perfectly fine with going to my parks, riding the rides, dueling the duels and what not. Hell, the girls might even have a poster of my big brother, hanging over there beds, so he's the last thing they will see before they drift off to sleep. But when it comes to me, being my fried, or even showing me an ounce of respect, it's a whole nother ball game.
"My name is Mokuba Kaiba. But I'm sure you already knew that." More laughs. "What am I saying that you all find so humorous?" They narrow there eyes at me, not sure what to make of my shortness.
"It's alright dear, go on." What the hell do they pay these people to do? Sit on their asses at tell shy students to talk to a room full of people that they don't know? To think that there parents pay taxes.
"Um… I'm 15 years old, I have one brother."
"That one dude on the TV right?" Some jack ass in the back says. He knows that's who I'm talking about. He just needs yet another reason to make me feel out of place. Thank you, unknown bastard.
"Yes, that 'one dude' is my brother. I um… like to play games and am pretty good at computers and things like that." I turn to the teacher, for her approval. She nods that dopey looking head of hers at me,
"You should all feel very lucky to have a celebrity like Mr. Kaiba in your class. We can all learn a thing or two from him about how to be a success story." God Damn. Make me feel three inches tall why don't you? "You may take your seat Mr. Kaiba." As I walk to my seat I think, I'm sure she calls the other students buy there first names, or there last's without the added pre-fix. But like she said, I'm a 'celebrity' so I have to be treated special. A bunch of crap. I'm no better than anyone else. Just because I'm rich, just because I'm a Kaiba, people think I'm better. I don't think I'm better, so why should they.
So I take my seat, at the back of the class. People have stopped looking at me with there jeering eyes. They have grown weary of my face, of the inside joke that is now only known as 'That Kaiba Kid'. I slide down in my seat. It my brother's entire damn fault.
Two Days Earlier…
"Can't we compromise on this?" I already knew the answer, there is no compromising when it comes to Seto Kaiba, it's either a yeas or a no. Not even really that, more like a low-pitched moan or a lower pitched one. To some people, he can be so hard to read, but I of cores, being the only one who really understands him, understand him. "Seto, I'm going to be miserable."
"Deal with it." I was surprised to hear him in a speaking mood, sometimes; I will have entire conversations with him, not uttering a word. This must have been different, he must have been in a good mood.
"Lets think about this rationally. I have never been in a public school, my entire life. So how can you plug me into one, mid term at my age? Are you insane?" Of cores he is, who am I joking? I have no idea what runs through his mind half of the time. He's like a gold fish in a bowl. You reach in trying to catch it, as soon as your skin meats it, it squirms out of your hands, and its gone. That may have been a bad analogy, but you get the idea. Whenever you think you are close to figuring him out, his thoughts and what not, he just swims away, afraid of you and your course skin.
"It was the same way with me. I transferred to a public school for the first time at your age."
"Yea, and we all know how that ended now don't we?" My brother, in all of his success, is a complete failure. He'll be the first to admit it, and I'll be the first to back him up, I am the best thing he has ever done as a human being. He may be the greatest CEO of his age, and a brilliant mind, but he is a horrible excuse for a human being. He went to school, from age 15 on, never been in a public school ever before. What hope he had at that point in time was lost to the public education system.
"I don't appreciate that Mokuba." I'd like to see him do anything about it though. In theory and in action, his parenting skills very slightly. The man cant say 'no' to me, never has been able to, never will be able to. There is no groundings, there is no 'or else' there is only him carrying me to bed after I fall asleep on the sofa cause he wont force me to go to bed. This hasn't happened in a while, but it's a good literary analogy, you see.
"Well I don't appreciate being thrust into a school, an environment that is no good for me. God only knows what kind of common criminals are larking in the halls, looking for me to turn my back so they can kidnap me and use me to get to the company. Is that what you want?" Those icy blue eyes. I don't know what's it like to be on the bad side of them, I would be terrifying to be. Even now, as I see him looking at me like this, my spine tingles. I have a feeling I got myself into trouble.
"I've already hired a body guard to follow you around school."
"WHAT! NO!" As if I didn't need to feel more like a freak.
"He wont go in class with you, just wait outside of the class room and eat lunch with you."
"And somehow, that's better?" I know what he's gonna say, I swear, he's so predictable.
"Its could always b-"
"Be worse, yeah, I know. So tell me Seto, how could this current situation be any worse? Enlighten me if you will." There was a time, not to long ago, they my brother was smarter than I, that time is, to say the least, over. I'm smarter than my big brother. His IQ is 132. I know this off the top of my head, yes. It's qualified as 'very superior intellect', 'highly gifted'. I myself… well, I am at a remarkable 182. Einstein's was 160. I know that the only thing that he has is his intelligence, so I try to keep mine under wraps. But the point is, is that my brother can's talk down to me, like he used to be able to. He has to look me in the eye and give me the truth now. And he hates that.
"Mokuba, I have work to do, and you have school work to catch up on."
"Am I some kind of social experiment to you?" He plugs me into a school, completely vulnerable and what not, sees how I react and then writes a paper about it, and puts it in his file, for later use. I know, that Seto would not use me like this, but its just very convenient that he is doing this to me so frugally, with out concern for what I want.
"Why do you ask such stupid questions?
"Why do you put me in stupid situations to ask stupid questions?"
"Mokuba, go to your room." That bastard. His voice remains level, no emotions what so ever.
"Fine with me! I don't want to be around someone who uses me and my emotions for there own personal gain." I start to storm out, but stop just before I reach the door, looking back at him slightly.
"Good night Mokuba." That's all that I needed to hear. That's all I never need to hear from him.
Back at School
I'm smart right. So everything is supposed to be harder for me, but in all actuality, it's easier. I can't help but curse this mind of mine sometimes. So as I sit here in AP Calculus, I can't help but think that I am a complete moron.
"Mr. Kaiba, would you like to share with the class how you got the answer to problem number 17?" No, actually, I would not. But I'm a good kid, a good student, so I will. I walk to the board and pick of the sole piece of whit chalk, scribbling the equation on the board, and then solve it for the class to see. This group of people is slightly different. My first class was a general class, Computer something or other, these people are better. But that still doesn't make them all right in my book. "Thank you Mr. Kaiba." Again with the 'Mr. Kaiba'. I hate it, I'm not my brother. So I take my seat.
No one has talked to me yet. They all just look at me like I'm some kind of freak. Like I'm abnormal. The fact that I have this big ass African guy following me around doesn't help matters any. Apparently there is this school in like… Syria that is world renowned for training the best bodyguards. I tried to pick a conversation with my own person goon, but he hasn't said anything back, I don't even know his name. I'll find out at lunch. I can see the tip of his elbow outside the classroom from the door.
After this class is… Japanese History 4, then Lunch, then Language Development and Applications, then… I can't remember, and have no desire to get out my timetable to see. But the point is, school lets out at 4:30, then I get to go home, eat dinner, then lay on my bed and listen to music until Seto comes in and says good night to me, and then I'll go to sleep. That's my life… sad and pathetic. And you know what, this is an improvement. I used to be home 24 7.
The bell rings and everyone ruses out of the room. I slowly gather my things and head out. The less time I spend in the halls, with a big black man on my heels, the better. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it.