A/N: Re-edited this story to hopefully make more sense. Andi and Jaden's duel was actually formatted from a 'real' duel I had with him on YuGiOh GX: Tag Force. (lol) It was the only way I could think to make it make sense and make sure I didn't miss anything. And it was surprisingly hard too, since I needed to wait for him to beat me. I kept beating him! :P (Too bad it wouldn't be that easy if he were a real person :P )
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh GX or any of the characters in this story besides Andi Anderson. Again, hope you like it!
"That's game!"
Andi blinked in silence as the rest of the crowd around her broke into deafening applause and screams - including Alexis, a good friend of hers, whom were sitting beside her.
"Whooo hoo! Go Jaden!"
Andi reached up to rub her ears as she tried to will back her hearing, not however, taking her eyes off of the brunette a ways below her. It wasn't until Jaden Yuki had finished his waves, winks and kiss blowing and left the dueling platform that she got the feeling that someone was watching her.
Turning to her left, she saw her very best friend, Chazz Princeton, starring at her with an unamused expression.
"What?" She asked defensively. Her black-haired friend raised an eyebrow at her.
"You know what." He replied with disgust. "You're pathetic you know that?"
Andi rolled her eyes and looked forward again.
"Oh don't start Chazz." She said in exasperation. "I'm so sick of it. Besides, you're one to talk. I don't see you jumping at the opportunity to-"
Chazz's hand clapped over her mouth as a bright flush spread across his cheeks.
"Shut-up idiot!" He hissed, looking past her at Alexis. "She'll hear you!"
Andi raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She then licked Chazz's hand, making him pull away in disgust.
"So who's pathetic?" She asked him in annoyance. Chazz scowled at her.
"You are." He replied. "At least she knows I like her. All you do is watch from afar. You don't even try!"
Andi scowled back at him.
"Why should I bother?" She snapped. "He likes Alexis and Alexis likes him. So we're both wasting our time aren't we?
Chazz's face dropped for a moment and Andi felt a pang of guilt. But she was telling the truth. Chazz's expression however soon returned to normal and a new determined expression crossed his face.
"Yea? Well we're going to change that. I've got a plan, one that will get you that slifer slacker and me my beautiful... you know who."
Ignoring Chazz's insult towards Jaden, and his momentary cheesiness, she scooted closer to him and raised an eyebrow.
"Alright Romeo, what's your foolproof plan? - And it better be foolproof."
Chazz looked around as if he was a spy on a top secret mission.
"Not here." He replied cryptically. "No one can know!"
Andi rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak but someone cut her off.
"What are you two whispering about over there?" Alexis asked with a smile. Chazz froze.
"Eh! Uh, nothing!"
Alexis raised an eyebrow at the two, then laughed and shook her head.
"You two are so strange sometimes." She said with a smile, turning then back to the next duel happening below.
Chazz frowned and Andi looked unamused.
"She thinks I'm strange?" He said, crestfallen, the same time Andi said something different.
"Strange? Don't lump me in the same category as him!"
The two friends looked at each other.
"OK genius, spill." Andi said with crossed arms and an annoyed expression.
Chazz smirked.
"Don't you worry, The Chazz has a plan. Meet me down by the Slifer dorms after classes."
Andi sat on the Slifer patio, absently skimming through her deck while she waited for Chazz. She wasn't waiting long because soon enough a door opened and Chazz emerged.
"C'mon, follow me."
Andi looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Why can't you just tell me here?"
Chazz smirked and crossed his arms.
"I can, I was just being thoughtful. I figured you'd be worried about the wrong people over-hearing our conversation."
Andi's face paled slightly and she jumped up and grabbed Chazz's wrist.
"Point proven! Let's go!"
Chazz fought back a smile as he actually allowed himself to be dragged along behind his best friend.
Andi stopped close to the cliffs around the Slifer dorms. She let go of Chazz and looked around to make sure no one was close by, then finally turned to the boy and spoke.
"OK, so what's your plan?"
Chazz grinned.
"Simple, we get Jaden and Alexis to fall for us instead of each other."
Andi considered this for a moment and nodded. She had to admit, it was a good idea. But she had a feeling it wasn't going to be as 'simple' as Chazz thought.
"OK, sounds good. So what's your plan?"
Chazz starred at her.
"That is my plan." He said in a 'duh' tone, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Andi gave him an unimpressed look.
"That's it?" She asked flatly. "That's your genius, fool-proof plan?"
Chazz smirked and nodded.
"Yep!" He replied confidently, crossing his arms across his chest.
Andi starred at him for a long time, then finally sighed in exasperation.
"God you're pathetic." She said, more to herself then to him. Chazz looked offended but Andi continued before he could speak.
"OK - not that I'm surprised - but your plan, while it doesn't totally suck, is extremely ... raw. Here's my take on it."
Andi sat down on the grass and patted the spot next to her. Chazz starred at her moodily for a moment before reluctantly sitting down.
"Alright, tell me your brilliant plan, Oh Wise One."
Andi rolled her eyes.
"Don't be such a baby Chazz. OK, here's the deal; you know there's a dance coming up this weekend right?"
Chazz nodded.
"Well, Jaden hasn't asked Alexis yet and Alexis hasn't even mentioned him... at all lately. So, I'm thinking that they aren't planning to go together, which means that they're probably both free right? So my plan is this; you and I have a duel. Whoever loses, asks Jaden or Alexis to the dance."
Chazz gave her a dull expression.
"That idea sucks. What if they say no or want someone else to ask them?"
Andi grinned.
"That's the beauty of it. Whoever loses has to take the risk of being turned down. But if they aren't, then that gives the winner an idea if they're safe to ask their crush or not. See, if you win and I have to ask Jaden out, and he says no, then we can both assume that Jaden is going to ask Alexis but just hasn't yet. Got it?"
Chazz still looked a little confused.
"I guess... sort of." He starred at Andi for a moment, then smirked. "But are you sure you wanna do this? I hate the idea of embarrassing my best friend, but don't think I won't."
Andi smirked back.
"Don't worry Chazzie. You won't embarrass me."
"Empress Judge! Attack him directly and end this duel!"
Chazz's mouth dropped open in shock and despair as Andi's monster destroyed the last of his life points. The duel had ended at 400 to 0.
Andi replaced her deck in the pouch strapped to her thigh and looked back up at Chazz with a warm smile."
"Sorry Chazzie." She said softly. "You were really close though."
Chazz starred at his cards for a long time before finally speaking.
"N-No way!... The Chazz can't loose... I-I can't..."
Andi sighed and walked up to stand in front of him.
"A deal's a deal Chazz." She said playfully, though she felt extremely guilty.
Chazz frowned deeply and opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off.
"That was some duel you guys!"
Both friends turned to see a tall blonde walking towards them with a smile. Andi smiled slightly while Chazz's face paled.
"Thanks Alexis." Andi said. "How long were you there for?"
Alexis shrugged.
"I came somewhere around the middle I think."
She then turned to Chazz, who still looked rather upset.
"Don't worry Chazz, we've both seen Andi duel before and you know how good she is. I think even Jaden would have a tough time against her."
Chazz looked up at her and seemed to be unable to decide whether to take it as an insult or a compliment. In the end he decided on neither.
"Thanks." He mumbled moodily. He then smirked wider than ever. "But I'm not so sure about that. I think Jaden would have no trouble beating Andi."
Andi was taken aback and looked appalled.
"Excuse me?" She replied in disbelief. "I don't think so. I'm not saying I could beat him, but I could definitely give Jaden Yuki a run for his money!"
Chazz's smirk widened.
"Really? Cause I think you're wrong."
Andi scowled at him.
"Well I think you suck. Don't forget who just beat who Chazz."
Chazz's smirk faded and turned into a scowl of his own.
"Whatever." He spat a little angrily. "I still think you wouldn't stand a chance. In fact, I don't think you'd even have the guts to challenge him."
Andi's eyes narrowed challengingly.
"Oh really? Is that what you think? Well I am more then willing to take that bet Chazzie! I will challenge Jaden Yuki and I will win!"
Chazz's smirk returned.
"Then by all means, go for it!"
"I will!"
Chazz stepped up to her until he was face to face with her.
"If you win, I'll do what I was supposed to, right in front of everyone. If you lose, you gotta take over and do it in front of everyone."
Andi leaned in until she was nose to nose with Chazz and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Deal." She replied confidently.
Nearby, Alexis sweat dropped as she watched the two with mild amusement.
"I honestly don't know how you two are friends." She said with a smile.
Andi pulled away from Chazz and turned to Alexis with a small laugh.
"We love each other, but life would be boring without a little playful banter."
Chazz couldn't help but smile a little as Andi threw an arm loosely over his shoulder. He put his around her waist and shrugged.
"Besides, she needs someone to boost her confidence. And being seen with The Chazz is all the confidence boost anyone needs."
Andi laughed and gave Chazz a playful push. Chazz laughed and Alexis smiled and shook her head.
"Anyway, I think the duel with Jaden is a good idea." Alexis said. "I'll ask him if you want. But I say you up the stakes a bit."
"What did you have in mind?" Andi asked curiously. Alexis smiled.
"You know there's a dance tomorrow night right? Well, if you win, you get to go with Jaden. If you don't you can never ask him out."
Andi chewed her cheek for a moment.
"Those are pretty high stakes..." She replied a little uncertainly.
"What's wrong Anderson? Not scared are you?"
Not taking the bait, Andi ignored Chazz and considered the stakes. There were Chazz's stakes, which were half cancelled out because of Alexis', and then there were Alexis' stakes. It was a lot to consider.
Alexis smiled and spoke again.
"Come on Andi! You can beat him! Besides, if he knows what the stakes are, Jaden might even let you win."
Andi looked up at Alexis curiously.
"I thought you liked Jaden? Why are you so bent on me dating him if he's your crush?"
Alexis shrugged indifferently.
"I'm not crushing on Jaden. I guess I kinda was at first, but things change. Besides, I can tell that what you feel for him is a lot more than a crush. You deserve the chance."
Chazz looked absolutely giddy with excitement and joy, but Andi gave a rare, deep blush.
"You can tell? Really? Is it that noticeable?"
Alexis smiled again.
"Yea, it is. At least to everyone besides Jaden. He's so clueless at times."
Andi gave a small smile and nodded.
"Yea, I've noticed." She said with a laugh. She then straightened. "OK, I'll do it."
"Atta girl! " Alexis said excitedly. "Show him what girl power can do!"
Chazz smirked yet again.
"This'll be good."
"Hey Jaden! Wait up!"
Jaden stopped in the hall and turned, smiling at Alexis when he saw her.
"Hey Lex! What's up?"
"Nothing much. I've got something to ask you."
"OK shoot."
Alexis smiled.
"I've got a challenge for you. A challenge from Andi Anderson."
An excited expression crossed Jaden's face.
"Sweet! Is it a duel?"
Alexis nodded.
"Only there are stakes involved. Chazz and Andi made a bet that if she wins, Chazz has to do something in front of everyone, and if she loses, she has to... I'm not sure what it is though, they wouldn't tell me..." Alexis thought about this for a minute, then shook her head and smiled. "Anyway, I wouldn't be too worried about winning this time though if I were you."
Jaden looked confused.
"Really? How come?"
Alexis opened her mouth to reply, but her PDA going off interrupted her.
"Oh, hang on a sec Jay."
Alexis answered her PDA and found that it was Mindy calling her.
"Alexis? You have to come to the dorms right away! It's an emergency!"
Alexis rolled her eyes at Mindy's stressed face.
"Let me guess? You can't find a dress to wear to the dance?"
"Worse!" Mindy's cried. "I can't find a matching necklace!"
Alexis sighed.
"I'll be right over." She replied boredly. She had just disconnected the call when Jaden's voice made her look back up at him.
"Well, I'm off! Wish me luck Alexis!"
A panicked look crossed Alexis' face.
"Jaden wait! You don't know-!"
"Don't worry Alexis, it'll turn out OK! You'll see!" Jaden turned then and ran down the hall to find his challenger.
"But Jaden-!" Alexis called after him, but he didn't stop.
"Gotta go Alexis! I've got a duel to win!"
"But-!"
But it was too late, Jaden had already left. Alexis frowned deeply. She couldn't chase him because she'd told Mindy she'd be right over.
"I'm sorry Andi." She thought guiltily. "Please win.."
"I feel like I'm gonna be sick." Andi muttered bluntly as she looked out over the sea. Chazz stood beside her with crossed arms.
"I uh... I'm sorry I got you into this." He said softly, feeling rather guilty. "Those stakes are pretty high..."
Andi frowned.
"I felt all kinds of confident before... but now, now that I think about it... there's no way I could beat Jaden Yuki in a duel. You couldn't even beat him! What was I thinking?"
Chazz heaved a heavy sigh.
"Look, if you ever tell anyone I said this, I'll deny it. But... you're every bit as good as me or anyone else, and you deserve your rank... you were put in Obelisk for a reason."
Chazz looked out over the water, arms crossed and a slightly irritated expression on his face, though Andi knew better. It was a serious blow to his ego, but Chazz had to admit that she was good. And although he'd never admit it to anyone else out loud, he couldn't deny to himself that there actually were people out there as good as him, even - though he was loathe to admit it - better.
"Thanks Chazz..." Andi said softly, feeling a great wave of affection for her best wash over her. "That means a whole lot coming from you."
She gave the raven-haired boy a hug, and though he tensed slightly, he awkwardly returned it.
"Maybe you'll win and maybe you won't." Chazz said surprisingly softly. "Just don't stress over it. No matter what happens... it'll all turn out OK in the end."
Andi pulled away from Chazz and smiled.
"Thanks Chazz. It's always a privilege to have you in my corner."
That made the other teen smirk again.
"That's right. And don't you forget it!"
Andi smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Hey! I heard there was someone here who wanted a duel."
Andi turned to her left and saw the most beautiful, yet at the same time frightening, sight she'd ever seen. Jaden Yuki was standing nearby with a smile on his face directed at her. She gave him a nervous smile in return, one masked with confidence.
"You heard right." She replied.
Jaden took out his duel disk and put it on his arm.
"Well what are we waiting for?"
"Just you." Andi said with a smile, and then it slipped a little. "Did Alexis tell you the stakes?"
Jaden nodded.
"Yep."
Andi blinked at the brunette.
"And... you're OK with them?" Andi asked uncertainly. Jaden grinned.
"Yep! But I still can't let you win though!"
Andi smiled, considering Jaden's smile, and brushed the comment aside.
"You won't have to let me." She replied with confidently now. "I expect you to give it your all. That way, I know I beat Jaden Yuki at the top of his game!"
Jaden's grin widened.
"Deal! Now get your game on!"
Andi's own smile widened as she slipped her duel disk on her arm and both teens activated theirs.
"Duel!" They said in unison.
"If you don't mind, I'll go first."
Andi smiled.
"I might just regret it but go ahead."
Jaden grinned and picked a card from his hand.
"You just might." He replied playfully, placing it onto his disk. "First I'll play pot of greed, which, I'm sure you know, lets me draw two cards. Next I'll play skyscraper. Then I'll set a card and monster face down and end my turn."
Andi's eyes darted from side to side as the massive city scene shot up around them. She was unable to resist a shiver as she starred up at the huge buildings. It had always seemed to cool when she watched Jaden's duels before, but staring at the forboding scene now and knowing what it could do, she had to admit it made her nervous.
Blinking herself out of her stupor, Andi forced a nervous smile at her opponent.
"Wow, that's a lot scarier in person." She teased. Jaden laughed and she looked down at her cards.
"Hm. Not the sort of opening hand I'd hope for going up against someone like Jaden, especially when I know my deck is capeable of so much more, but I guess I'll just have to work with what I've got and hope for the best. Let's see, I think I'll set pyramid of light, Solar Ray and Shrink."
Andi did just that before picking out the only monster in her hand and placing it onto her disk.
"OK, that's a start. Now I'll summon The Creator Incarnate in attack mode."
"I can't believe I'm this nervous over a battle, even if it is Jaden... then again, I think all that hoo-ha over the whole stakes thing has got my nerves in a bunch too. I could go ahead and attack that face-down but that card hiding on the side there makes me a little weary. Since I don't have anything else in my arsenal monster wise it wouldn't really be a good idea to risk it so I guess I'll just sit tight for now."
"Alright Jaden, that ends my turn for now."
"Not a bad start." The brunette said cheerfully. "But now it's my turn again! And I flip summon my monster cyber jar!"
Andi gasped loudly and her eyes widened.
"Damn it!" She cursed in her head. "Ugh! I hate that card!"
Jaden, smiled as he looked up at his opponent.
"From the sound of that gasp, I'm guessin' I don't need to tell ya what it does."
Andi frowned.
"Nope." She said with a sigh, looking up at the brunette with a small smile as both monsters were destroyed.
Both players picked up their five cards, thanks to Jaden's monster effect, and the brunette set Sparkman and Morphing Jar. Andi got Homunculus The Alchemic Being and Skelengel, setting the first in attack mode and the second face-down.
"Next I activate Dark Factory Of Mass Production and I pick Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix. I'll summon Avian in attack mode Now, I'll fuse together the Avian in my hand with Burstinatrix to create; Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! Wingman, attack her Homunculus!"
"Sorry Jaden, I activate shrink!"
Jaden grinned.
"Actually, I'm the one who's sorry. See, that won't work on my Wingman. So, as I was saying; destroy that Homunculus!"
Andi sweatdropped.
"Oh yea... forgot about that. Way to be careless, Andi. What a waste..."
Andi watched as her monster was destroyed, resisting the urge to slap her forehead.
"Good job pal! Now Avian, it's your turn! Attack the face-down and hope it's not a bad idea!"
Andi watched as her Skelengel was destroyed.
"Well that sucks." Andi said, making an attempt at playfulness she didn't really feel. "Thanks to my monster's effect, I get to draw one card before it goes bye bye."
"Fair enough." Jaden replied playfully himself. "That could have been a lot worse so I won't complain. Anyway, that ends my turn for now."
Andi drew and studied her hand carefully. After debating for a few moments, she picked a card from her hand and placed it down.
"Alright, allow me to introduce you to one of my personal favorites; Dunames Dark Witch! Now, I know she's not much of a match for the big boys on the other field, and I'd hate to see her go so quickly, so next I'll play this; Dark Core. I'll discard Ray of Hope from my hand and that allows me to pick a monster to remove from play. And, of course, I pick your Wingman. Sorry guy, but I will admit; you are by far one of my faves!"
Jaden grinned as Andi gave the Hero a mock salute before he disappeared.
"Mine too!" The brunette laughed. Andi laughed as well and continued.
"Next I'll play Giant Trunade, which, as I'm sure you know, means we call back all spell and trap cards on the field. Now that we know you're safe, Dark Witch, attack and destroy Mr. Avian!"
Andi felt positively giddy with delight as her monster destroyed one of Jaden's infamous Heroes, bringing his Life points down to thirty-two hundred. Sure, she still had a long way to go, but it was a start. Perhaps this wouldn't be quite as hard as she'd originally anticipated.
"Guess all that's left now is to set my two face-downs again and end my turn."
"Well that's why you're in obelisk!" Jaden praised with a wide grin as he drew. "Sweet moves Andi!"
Andi gave a mock bow.
"Why, thank you." She replied teasingly. Jaden laughed and looked at his cards.
"Alright, let's see. First I'll activate Skyscraper again. Then I'll play Fusion Sage which lets me add a polymerization card to my hand. Next I'll play Reinforcement Of The Army to add Clayman to my hand. I guess you know what comes next; Clayman and Burstinatrix fuse to create Rampart Blaster! Now I'll play pot of Avrice to take five cards from my graveyard, shuffle them back into my deck and draw two new ones. Time to summon my face-down monster!"
Andi cursed in her head as Jaden flipped his monster to reveal Morphing Jar. She sighed as Jaden explained something she already knew, then discarded her hand to the graveyard to summon five new ones, just like her opponent.
"OK, now that that's over with, Rampart Blaster, attack her Dark Witch!"
Andi lifted her arm to shield her eyes as Jaden's Hero destroyed her monster. When she lowered her arm again she starred sadly at the place her Witch had been.
"Sorry, girl." She said sadly. "I'll do my best to avenge you."
"But not before my Cyber Jar attacks you directly!" Jaden called.
Andi clenched her teeth as Jaden's pathetic little jar with a mere seven-hundred points attacked her, knocking her life points down to one-thousand and fifty.
"All that's left to do now is place one card face down and end my turn."
Andi frowned deeply as she starred at her nearly empty field. Jaden was actually putting up a good fight, better then she'd seen him in a long time. Did he have things mixed up? Did Alexis tell him exactly what the stakes were? Or maybe Jaden knew exactly what was at stake but he didn't want to go to the dance with her, he had simply accepted her challenge because he couldn't turn down a duel.
"Buck up, girl!" She thought confidently. "You can't let stupid thoughts like that distract you. What's meant to be will be and dwelling on it won't change a damn thing. Besides, even if I do loose, Jaden's not the kinda guy to think anything less of me so long as I try and have a good time right? Isn't that what he's always ranting about?"
Taking a deep, calming breath, Andi drew a card.
"I activate Pyramid of light. Thanks to it, I get to pay five-hundred life points to Special Summon Sphinx Teleia."
"Woah!" Jaden exclaimed, looking up at the rather large beast with an impressed expression. "What a sweet monster! I can tell you've been waiting a while for the chance to summon it."
Andi couldn't help but smile proudly.
"Good call." She confirmed. "I was actually. It's not every duel that I can. Anyway, because of that my life points are kinda low now but after I play this; Dian Keto The Cure Master, they get a one-thousand point boost, which brings me up to fifteen-hundred and fifty. Next I'll play banner of courage, then cost down which lets me lower the level of one monster by two levels for this turn only. After discarding one card to the graveyard, I'll summon Jack's knight to the field. My Sphinx can't attack the turn it was summoned by my Knight can. So, attack his Jar!"
"Too bad I have to but I activate Sakuretsu Armour!"
Andi's eyes widened as her knight was destroyed.
"Oh no! How stupid!" She thought in dismay. "I got so carried away that I forgot all about his face-down!"
Feeling rather discouraged now, Andi ended her turn. The words were barely out of her mouth when she remembered her own face-down.
"Ugh! Damn it!" She cursed in frustration. "If I'd played Solar Ray earlier I could have taken six-hundred of his lifepoints for every one of my monsters! That would have given me the upper hand!"
Noting the look on her face, Jaden gave his opponent a huge grin.
"Hey, cheer up!" He said encouragingly. "The duel isn't over until the last card is played! I'll tell you one thing; I sure wish that awesome monster was on my side right now!"
Andi gave him a small, lop-sided smile and Jaden returned it with a huge one of his own.
"OK, my turn." The brunette looked over his cards for a minute, then looked back up at his opponent and smiled again. "Well, this has been a sweet duel, Andi! But every duel must come to an end. I summon Elemental Hero Avian. Now Rampart Blaster, attack her Sphinx!"
Andi furrowed her brows.
"My monster is stronger..." She thought in confusion. The words had only crossed her mind when she remembered a serious flaw in her plan and her eyes widened. "No! That damn Skyscraper card!"
She watched in dismay as the Hero card gained a thousand points, giving her three thousand and easily destroying her monster.
"Now, Morphing Jar and Avian, attack her directly!"
Andi's hands dropped to her side, her eyes clenching against the monsters as they attacked her. When she opened them again, she frowned deeper then ever as her life points finally dropped to zero.
"Alright!" Jaden cheered. "And that's game!"
"I-I lost..."
Andi dropped to her knees and bowed her head.
Jaden starred at Andi, her knees in the dirt, and tried to figure out her reaction. He had won the duel with barely a dent in his life points - which he had to admit was strange, even for him. He'd won by a landslide and that was extremely surprising since he'd dueled one of Obelisk Blue's top students.
The brunette walked over to Andi and held a hand down to her.
"You were awesome Andi! What a sweet duel! One of the best battles I've had in a long time. No wonder you're considered one of the best!"
Jaden was shocked when he saw the girl's shoulder shake ever so slightly.
"I wish you'd just said no." She whispered, her voice cracking slightly.
Jaden was more confused than ever.
"Huh? C'mon, every one knows me better then that, I never back down from a duel!"
He blinked in slight shock when he heard her sniffle.
"H-hey! Don't cry! There are lots more duels, maybe you'll win next time."
Jaden placed a hand on her shoulder and frowned when he saw a pair of tears fall from her bowed face and dampen the dry earth. He blinked in surprise when Andi reached up and gently brushed his hand from her shoulder.
"That's not what- ... I'm not upset about losing the duel, Jaden." She replied thickly, getting to her feet now and turning away from him so as t hide her face. "I'm not that conceited... But if you didn't want to go with me you could have just said so. I didn't think I deserved that bad of a beating just for having feelings for someone."
Jaden was absolutely dumbfounded as he watched Andi walk swiftly away. He got the feeling he should say something or go after her but he was rooted in place, completely at a loss of what to do or say. Just what the heck was going on? And why did he get the feeling he was missing something?
"You could have just told her you didn't want to go with her."
Jaden blinked himself out of his stupor at the sound of Chazz's voice. He had completely forgotten the other boy was there. Turning to look at him, he saw Chazz staring at him with crossed arms and a slightly angry look on his face.
"I mean, what kinda jerk are you? Geeze, they say I'm bad. I've never seen you try so hard. The least you could have done is give her a close match."
Jaden was beyond confused.
"Huh?... What are you talking about Chazz?"
Chazz looked at Jaden as if he'd just said something incredibly stupid.
"What am I talking about? What do you mean what am I talking about? Are you really that dumb Slifer Slacker? The stakes! That's what I'm talking about!"
Jaden blinked at the other boy in confusion.
"Uh... was whatever it was she had to do really that bad?"
Now Chazz looked confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"The stakes." Jaden replied. "The bet or whatever. Alexis told me that if Andi lost she had to do something you two had agreed on."
Chazz stared at him.
"Is that all she told you?"
Jaden placed a finger to his lips thoughtfully.
"Well... she did tell me I shouldn't be too worried about winning this time. But.. Mindy called her and she had to leave, and I left to come find Andi, so she didn't really get a chance to tell me why."
Chazz smacked his forehead in exasperation.
"You idiot! The reason Alexis said that was because if you lost, you'd get to bring Andi to the dance tomorrow night; that was the deal. If she won, you went to the dance with her, if she lost, she was never allowed to ask you out."
Jaden was stunned.
"Really?" He asked dumbfounded. Chazz nodded in annoyance.
"Really. Loser."
Jaden starred off in the direction Andi had gone.
"Poor Andi... I was dueling my hardest to try and impress her. Maybe that's why she seemed so bummed."
Chazz rolled his eyes.
"Ya think?" He said sarcastically. "She could have beaten you ya know. I saw her cards. She was just too upset to realize it and play her cards right. That move with her Sphinx, it's pretty hard to do. She also had Andro Sphinx and Mystical Space Typhoon in her hand too but she didn't play it, she was too distracted over the fact that you were trying so hard. I know her, I know what she was thinking."
Jaden frowned.
"If that's true, she could have destroyed my Skyscraper and with her Sphinx's special abilities... she could have had me.."
He then turned back to Chazz.
"You think I should go find her?"
Chazz frowned.
"Depends. If you're gonna make her feel worse, then stay where you are Slifer Slacker."
Jaden shook his head.
"I won't... at least, I won't try to."
Chazz glared at him.
"You better not, or you'll pay big time!"
"OK Chazz. If I make things worse... well, you know where to find me."
With that said, Jaden turned and bolted in the direction Andi had gone.
Jaden had looked for Andi all over Duel Academy. He had checked all the dorms, asked everyone he was aware knew her where she was, and even asked Chazz where he thought she could be - though the boy merely told him if he wanted to find her bad enough, look for himself.
Eventually, Jaden had run out of ideas. He sighed heavily and plopped down to the ground.
"I'm sorry Andi." He said sadly. "I didn't know. I wish I could find you and tell you how sorry I am."
Jaden looked down and as if in answer to his wish, he spotted something nearby.
"Huh? What's that?" Crawling over to it, he realized it was a card and picked it up.
"Bright Castle? I wonder where this came from."
Jaden stood up and starred at the card for a while until something else caught his eye. He walked over to the item on the ground and picked it up, realizing it was another card.
"Hoshiningen. Who owns these cards? And what are they doing here on the ground?"
Jaden soon spotted another card and walked to pick it up too. This card was called Soul Of Purity And Light. He soon found another card, then another, and another, until he soon had half a deck's worth of cards. It wasn't until he found a familiar card that he finally realized who owned the cards he was finding.
"Andro Sphinx!" Jaden gasped. "These are Andi's cards!"
Jaden picked up his pace and hurriedly followed the trail of cards, getting the feeling somehow that that's not what they were meant to be. He ran a long ways until the deck was thick, and the finding of cards was less and less frequent. Finally he found three cards together and no more.
"Queen's Knight, King's Knight and Jack's Knight! Why would she throw these cards away?"
Jaden looked around but he saw no more cards. He sighed heavily, ready to give up, when he saw something a long ways away down the beach he was standing on. Taking a deep breath, he headed off in the direction of the person whom he was pretty sure he knew the identity of.
Another tear slipped down Andi's face as she starred at the card in her hands, the last card she had left. The card was Banner Of Courage and she'd kept it because it reminded her of Jaden. The rest she threw away, never wanting to see them again.
"Jaden... what is it about you that makes this hurt so much? And more importantly... why do I even like you?"
"Well, it's probably my incredibly good looks. Not to mention my winning personality."
Andi's head snapped to the side and her eyes widened.
"J-Jaden!" She exclaimed in shock. "How-how did you find me?"
Jaden smiled and sat beside her.
"Well, the trail of bread crumbs helped." He said playfully, holding up her deck. He then handed them back to her.
Andi starred at him with her mouth slightly agape. After a while, she shook her head and turned away from him.
"I don't want them anymore." She whispered painfully.
He wasn't sure what it was, but something told Jaden that that wasn't at all true. He'd seen the way she'd dueled and the kind of faith and trust Andi had in her cards. Even if she couldn't see duel spirits, he could tell she still had a strong connection with her cards.
"Alright, I guess I'll hang on to these." Jaden said, letting her know he wasn't planning on keeping them for himself.
Andi remained silent and starring out over the water. He could tell she was making a great effort to hold back tears and occasionally one or two would slip down her cheeks.
Jaden stayed silent for a while too until finally he couldn't anymore.
"Ya know, you really were awesome today. I'll bet if you weren't so upset, you would have beaten me. Chazz seems to think so."
Andi snorted humorlessly.
"Yea right. Thirty-two hundred to zero. Totally stellar." She replied with a slightly bitter sarcasm. "I suck."
Jaden looked up thoughtfully.
"Really? Huh. That's funny, and here I thought you were one of Obelisk's top duelists. Wonder why I thought that?"
Andi was silent again for a long time. Eventually she turned away from Jaden.
"I gotta go.." She said quietly, moving to stand up. Jaden took her hand.
"Please don't go." He said softly. Andi hesitated for a moment but eventually settled back down and starred out over the ocean again, considerably more uneasy this time - if the straight line of her back and the tenseness of her body were any indication.
Jaden looked down at the sand.
"Ya know, I really wish you would have made sure I knew about the bet."
Andi looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Jaden absently began to swirl his finger around in the sand.
"I mean, I didn't really know what we were dueling for. I just thought you and Chazz agreed to do something, but Alexis didn't get the chance to tell me the rest. So... I thought it would be a little more impressive if I won ya know? That's why I tried so hard. I'm really sorry Andi, I didn't mean to upset you."
Andi blinked at Jaden with a mix of shock and confusion.
"R-... really?"
Jaden looked at her and gave her a small, sheepish smile.
"Yea, really. If I'd have known, I think things would have turned out a little differently. I mean, you wouldn't have been so upset and I probably wouldn't have pushed quite as hard to win... who knows, you might even have beaten me. I guess we'll never know, but in any case, it definitely wasn't a fair duel."
Andi chewed her cheek.
"So... you didn't know about the whole dance agreement thing?"
Jaden shook his head and smiled.
"Not a clue... as usual."
Andi gave a small laugh and Jaden spoke again.
"I'm not so sure I'm up for another duel just yet - and I never thought I'd ever say that - and you did loose, so technically you're not allowed to ever ask me out right?"
Andi frowned and turned away from Jaden again.
"Yea. That's right."
Jaden watched as another tear rolled down her cheek, though Andi obviously tried very hard to hide it. He hesitated a moment, then reached out and gently wiped it away. This seemed to shock Andi a little and she turned back to him. Jaden gave her a smile.
"Well, a deals a deal. You're not allowed to ask me out, which means you can't ask me to the dance."
Jaden leaned back on his hands and starred up at the sky.
"I was just gonna go alone, it's not really a big deal to me. But since all of this went down, well things have changed a little. The deal was that you couldn't ask me to go with you but not that we couldn't go together. There's no rule against me asking you right?"
Andi was beyond shocked. The whole situation was a little unexpected to say the least. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?
After a silence that seemed to last forever, Andi finally blinked away her shock and confusion and tipped her head slightly to one side.
"Are you... saying, or rather asking, what I think you are?"
Jaden turned his head back to her with a smile.
"Depends. If you think I'm asking you to go to the dance with me, then yep. That's what I'm asking."
Andi and Jaden walked arm in arm into the crowded gymnasium. Jaden looked around with mild interest, obviously not quite as psyched as the girl on his arm, but Andi couldn't remember ever being so happy in her life. Looking around, the two could see many of their friends coupled up. The one that caught their eye the most however, was Chazz and Alexis. Of course, Alexis had insisted that they had just come as friends, but for now, Chazz was ecstatic with having just that. Hopefully things would change and Chazz would get his happy ending soon. For now though, he'd just have to be patient; this was a start.
Jaden looked down at Andi and smiled.
"Wanna dance?"
Andi smiled and nodded.
"Do you need to ask?"
The two danced for hours and neither could remember the last time they'd had so much fun. Finally they began to grow tired so Jaden took Andi's hand and lead her a little ways away from the music.
"Wanna go for a walk?" He said loudly, making sure she could hear him over the music. Andi nodded.
The two left the gym and school and snuck outside. They walked aimlessly for a while, simply talking and getting to know each other a little better, until eventually they ended up back at the each.
"This looks like a good spot to stop." Jaden said with a smile. Andi laughed and agreed. The two sat down in the sand and looked out over the water.
"You're a lot of fun." Jaden stated simply with a smile, still looking out over the water. "I never thought I'd meet an Obelisk who I liked being around this much - besides Alexis I guess."
Andi tried her best not to frown but she couldn't help but curl her lip anyway. Jaden continued.
"I just wish I would have known what you thought about me before now."
Andi looked at him.
"Why? What difference would it have made?"
Jaden looked at her.
"Lots. I would have taken the time to get to know you. I mean, I never really thought someone like you would notice me - well, you know what I mean."
Andi gave a small laugh and nodded. Jaden looked back out over the water and continued.
"I guess I find it a little weird that you would like someone like me... Looks like I am as clueless as the guys tell me I am."
Andi laughed again.
"Sometimes." She teased playfully. Jaden laughed too.
"But really, I really wish I would have known. I like you Andi."
Andi forced a small smile.
"I like you too Jaden." She said softly. Jaden looked back at her again.
"No, I mean... I really like you. I can't tell you I've liked you for a long time or anything, or that I've liked you since the first time I saw you - which I've heard is something girls like to hear - but I can tell you I like you now. I didn't know you for very long, I mean, I always knew who you were and stuff, but I never really knew you. Not until recently... like the last few months I guess? Right? Anyway, I'm really glad this whole thing happened yesterday... well, not the part about upsetting you... but you know what I mean."
Andi tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. Jaden was rambling. Jaden was rambling and not able to look at her. Jaden Yuki was nervous. Jaden Yuki was nervous because of her.
Andi beamed.
Obviously not hearing her thoughts, Jaden continued.
"So... I don't know if that's what you want to hear or not... but at least it's the truth right?"
"Right." Andi replied softly. Then she forced her smile to recede a little. "Jaden? What is it you're trying to say?"
Jaden chewed his cheek nervously and still refused to look at her.
"Uh... well, I guess what I'm trying to say is... ya know, if you want... I'd like to.. try to make this work..."
Andi bit her cheek to keep her smile back.
"Make what work?"
Jaden swallowed hard.
"Uh..mmmm... Us.. I guess. Ya know.. If you want to."
Andi bit her lip and leaned in close to him, watching the visible half of his face flush slightly.
"I think you already know what I want." She said softly. "But, just to clarify... are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"
Jaden's face brightened considerably.
"Um..."
Andi placed a hand on the side of his face and gently pressed, encouraging him to look at her. When he finally did, she gave him a warm smile.
"Cause if you are, then I say yes..." She whispered softly. Jaden smiled slightly.
"I'm asking." He replied playfully. Andi smiled again and leaned closer to him, but something pressing in her free hand stopped her.
Andi looked down and saw Jaden's hand covering hers. When he pulled it away, she saw a deck in her hand. Her deck. She knew it was her deck because she could feel it. Feel the energy, feel the connection.
Andi looked back up at Jaden and smiled, tears forming in her eyes.
"I think they missed you." Jaden said softly. Andi looked down at her cards, curled her fingers around them tightly and looked back up at Jaden again.
"I missed them too." She whispered softly. "Thank you."
Jaden nodded.
"So, how grateful are you?"
Andi's smile widened.
"Very." She replied. Jaden smiled and took her hand in his again, the naive, child-like side of him not really used to this sort of interaction of and what to do. Andi smiled, placed her deck down in the sand beside her, and placed his hand around her waist before leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Jaden blushed lightly but smiled and pulled her close, leaning in to her face. He hesitated for a moment, but finally pressed his lips to hers.
Andi's eyes fluttered close and a small flush of her own spread across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose as she sighed in content. Not exactly the way she'd planned things to go, but what did it matter how she got there so long as she did? Besides, it was the end result that really counted.