Kali: Yay! I got enough reviews to continue the story! And I'm soooo sorry I took so long to update!!! I cannot apologize enough for the long wait. I got really busy w/ school and holiday stuff and midterms, so I didn't get much time to sit down and write a good chapter. Anyways, I would like to thank all my lovely reviewers for their input:
shishu: Your words of encouragement mean so much to me! Thank you!
Emily10: Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of my story! And I think it's a great idea to use Serenity to help Seto out! I think I will give her an important role using that idea in later chapters. I was trying to come up with someone to fill a similar role, and I think Serenity will fit that role perfectly!
kikoken: Thank you for your confidence-boosting review! (I'm trying not to use the word, "encouraging" all the time, lol)
Mimiheart: I'm glad you liked the Sneak Preview. Thanks for the comments and for supporting my writing! I'm glad the preview had good spelling and grammar; I was worried when Spell Check didn't reveal any problems, lol! Thanx!
Skye Racer 1425: Thanks for your suggestion and review! Naming the MS after Kazuki Takahashi was an brilliant idea! Naming a school after him was a good proposal because I didn't wanna use "Domino MS;" after all, in this story, Seto has not yet moved to Domino.
Lightning Sage: Thx for the support, Destiny!
Elise: I can see that you are very hyper (lol), and you like the idea of Téa being kidnapped. This would definitely make an interesting twist to the story when she comes in later on. . .Thanks for your review!
Nari-chan SND: Thank you for both of your reviews. I'm happy to hear you like my story so far. I'm afraid that I can't use Domino MS for the name of the MS cuz our little Seto hasn't moved to Domino yet. Thanks for the idea. 'Domino HS' will be the name of the future HS.
Light Spirit Sage: Thx for your support!
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Disclaimer: The characters and names associated with Yu-Gi-Oh! are the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahshi. The lyrics to the song, Unwanted are the intellectual property of Avril Lavigne. Lyrics are displayed in bold. However, the plot, monologue, and dialogue in this story are the intellectual property of Dark Spirit Sage, unless otherwise specified.
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Here's the legend/key to my story, and you can look here for reference if you forget:
Ages--
Seto: 13 years old
Mokuba: 11 years old
I'll revise this if I add any other important characters, and/or notify readers at the beginning of chapters where new characters appear.
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Well, anyways, here's the real Chapter 1! I added some to the end, and revised some of the Sneak Preview. I wrote in big letters where the preview ends, so if you already read the preview, you can skip down to that if you like. As you may notice, I have discovered the beauties of html format. So, let's get this parti started! Yeah!
Warnings: Cussing, violence.
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Unwanted
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Chapter 1: That's How It Went
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As Seto awakened from the darkness of slumber, a new darkness bled through his eyelids; it was the darkness of the thick clouds that covered the sky.
It was another gloomy winter day. The clouds, as black as the night sky, were sound barriers against the beautiful light of the sun.
At last Seto got up, sliding off his bed. As he moved, he caught a glimpse of the numbering on his clock.
Seven o'clock?! he thought, feeling himself switch into a panicking state. The bus leaves in ten minutes!
Like lightning he dressed into his school uniform, then bolted downstairs to eat breakfast. When he reached the bottom he heard his younger brother, Mokuba, bidding his parents farewell.
"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Mokuba shouted. "See you tonight!"
"Mokuba, aren't you going to wait for me?" Seto asked.
"The bus is here now, Seto! I can't wait!" he replied.
"Hold the bus for me, so I can grab a granola bar or something."
"Okay."
Seto snatched a granola bar out of the cupboard, and ran through the front door, only to see the bus driving away.
Damn it! he thought angrily. Now Father will have to drive me to school…
Seto glumly walked up the stairs to locate his father. When he reached his father's room, he knocked softly before entering.
"Father? I missed the bus," he admitted. "Will you please drive me to school?"
"What?" Father sputtered. "Again?! This is the third time this year! I can't believe you, Seto. Why can't you be on time like Mokuba? He hasn't missed the bus, yet."
"I'm sorry, Father," he responded earnestly. "I overslept. I couldn't fall asleep last night, so I guess I slept late by accident. . ."
"Get in the car, you stupid child!" Father commanded. "Wait for me there. I can't even tolerate LOOKING at you." Father strode off, muttering curses and maledictions under his breath.
Seto obliged, getting into the car, with his father following close behind. Father engaged the car, continuing to grumble imprecations.
"Such a spoiled child. . .an idiot. . .what did I do to deserve this? Stupid child. . .why can't he just get it together and act normal?"
Seto sighed, and attempted to block out his father's discouraging words during the forty-minute drive to his school. He had no such luck; he heard most of it, anyway.
After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at Seto's school, Kazuki Takahashi Middle School [1]. Seto was about to exit the car when his father seized his wrist.
"You had better not miss your bus again. Is that understood?" he growled.
"Yes," Seto replied through clenched teeth.
After glancing at his watch, Seto determined that he had precisely ten minutes to get to his first class. He had all of the books he needed for the day in his backpack, since his locker didn't work. He decided it was best to go straight to his class; he didn't have any friends that he could talk to, and he didn't want to have any problems with the gangsters in the school.
Seto rounded the corner of what seemed like an empty hallway, and discovered a small boy with blond hair and green eyes kneeling on the ground, attempting to gather his fallen books. Seto kneeled down alongside the boy, helping him collect his books.
"Hi," Seto greeted the boy, his face forming a friendly smile. "It looks like you could use some help here."
The boy smiled gratefully. "My name is John. What's yours?"
"I'm Seto. Are you new here?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"No, I've been going here for a couple of years. So where's your first--"
A hard hand clamped over Seto's mouth. Seto felt himself being dragged into the boy's bathroom, where he was thrown roughly towards the ground. There were two burly boys looming over him, both dressed in dark blue, wearing dark blue bandanas with red specks of blood. The taller one forced Seto against the floor, driving his foot into Seto's neck.
"What--do you--want?" Seto managed to gasp.
"We want you ta take dat big math test tomorrow fer us," the smaller one proclaimed. "And if ya don't. . .not only will we beat the crap outta ya, but we'll tell da school what a nutcase you are; you spend all dat time working with computers. We'll say you cracked. And they'll believe us; we can convince da principal of anything, 'cuz they know we can hurt'em. Then you'll be thrown into some nut house where they'll 'help' you. So yer gonna have ta do it. Take da test fer us, I mean. Do we make ourselves clear?"
Seto remained silent. The pressure against his neck was so intense that he felt the air in his lungs being forced out. Please, he prayed silently. Don't let me pass out…I dunno how much longer I can hold on…
The smaller one kicked Seto in the ribs. Seto felt a crunching in his side, in addition to acute pain, causing him to scream in agony. Any air left in Seto's lungs left in a rush. He squirmed and writhed, which did not help his condition.
Seconds later, without warning, darkness overcame him, and he was sent spiraling into a black abyss.
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NOTE: THIS IS WHERE THE PREVIEW ENDS. BELOW IS THE REST OF CHAPTER 1:
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Seto woke up in a white room with a blinding light shining in his face.
"Where am I?" he murmured, pushing himself to a sitting position. He was halted, however, by an excruciating pain located on his right side. He felt his breath leave with a hiss, wincing as he collapsed back onto his pillow.
"Try not to move," ordered a gruff voice. "You're in the nurse's office."
"What happened?" Seto inquired, his voice raspy. He squinted in the direction of the voice, but couldn't make out the details due to his blurred vision.
"Somebody found you lying on the floor of the boy's bathroom," the voice explained. "You have two fractured ribs and your neck is bruised pretty badly."
"That's because of what those thugs did to me. . ." Seto began to mutter furiously.
"Thugs?" the voice repeated.
"Yeah. . .these two big gangsters pulled me into the bathroom and started beating on me." Seto hesitated before continuing, pondering whether or not he should tell this person about what those bullies wanted him to do. "They wanted me to take this math test for them tomorrow," he admitted, "probably so they wouldn't have to study for it…"
"Can you tell me what they looked like?" the voice continued.
Seto shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, sir. I don't remember."
"I wonder what a couple of punks would have against you. . . .?"
Seto's vision was slowly returning to him, and he could soon make out the face of the man seated beside him.
"Who are you?" Seto questioned the man. "I'm afraid I don't know your name…"
"My name is Mr. Hart; I am your school councilor."
"I see."
"Is there anything I should know about, Seto?" Mr. Hart asked.
"I don't believe so," Seto replied. "Can I go back to class?" He knew that sounded weird. After all, he had two fractured ribs and a bruised neck. Most people would find this to be the perfect way to get out of class. But Seto was not like that. He loved his classes; he loved school, and he loved learning. That's what made him Seto.
"You most certainly not! You are injured, Seto; I can't risk anything else happening to you."
He sighed inwardly, knowing that he wasn't going to convince the councilor that easily. "Does that mean I'm going to sit here doing nothing for the rest of the day?"
"No," Mr. Hart objected. "I just called your father; he's coming to pick you up."
Seto felt the blood drain out of his face. Father's coming?? Oh, my Ra, he is going to be so pissed off at me. He's already angry with me for missing the bus earlier. . .what will he say now??
"Are you all right, Seto?"
He nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Yep, F.I.N.E. Fucked-up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. Absolutely FINE!
Father arrived at school precisely twenty minutes later, his face red; he was obviously enraged.
"Come on, Seto. Let's go home," he grunted, seizing his son's arm.
Seto's father dragged him down the hallway and into the car, immediately stepping on the gas; it was as if he wanted to get away from school as quickly as possible.
"What the hell did you do, boy?" Father demanded.
"N-nothing," Seto stammered.
"Then why the hell did I get a call from school today saying that you had two fractured ribs and severe bruising of the neck?"
"W-well…"
"Stop stuttering, you stupid boy!" he thundered. "Just tell me what the fuck happened!"
"It was a couple of gangsters. . .they beat me up."
Father abruptly slammed on the brakes. "Gangsters?!" he reiterated.
"Yes," Seto squeaked.
"Why didn't you fight back?!" Father bellowed.
"I couldn't!" he protested. "I was outnumbered, and they were so much stronger than me."
"You need to toughen up, you worthless pig!"
Seto felt tears fill his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks.
No. He wouldn't give his father the satisfaction of knowing that Seto had cried. He wasn't going to let that bastard know that he had hurt him.
What have I ever done to Father to cause him to act so cruel towards me? Seto wondered.
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All I did was walk over
Start off by shaking your hand
That's how it went
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"Go to your room, you pathetic weakling!" Father roared, sending Seto scurrying towards his living quarters.
When Seto reached his bedroom, he threw himself onto his bed. In return, he felt pain shoot into his side, presumably where he had cracked his ribs.
"Damn it!" he muttered angrily.
Seto felt himself finally relax against the stiff mattress, which he'd grown accustomed to over the many years.
I don't get it. How come Mother and Father always treat Mokuba better than they treat me? he wondered. They give him about a million opportunities to do what he wants, and to succeed in whatever they wish for him to do well in. They always give him the benefit of a doubt. But our parents never cut me any slack whatsoever; I always get in trouble for even the smallest mistakes.
Seto expelled a sad and frustrated sigh. He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to drift into nothingness…
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[1] I'd like to give thanks to Skye Racer 1425 for suggesting that I use Kazuki Takahashi's name for the MS. Thanks again, Skye!
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Kali: It's finished; the official Chapter 1 of "Unwanted"! I'm so pleased to have gotten 10 reviews! Yay! does happy dance
Please, still continue to REVIEW! I love to hear [read, rather] all of your comments and suggestions! I promise I'm going to TRY to update more regularly, but I can't guarantee anything. I've already begun working on Chapter 2. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused all of you. And I'm really sorry that the chapter was so short, but I had to end it there, or else it would mess up the next few chapters.
Thanks so much for reading!
