"You know, you could help me." A brunette girl looked at her lazy friend flicking through channels while on the couch.

"I thought you didn't like me helping cause I usually mess things up."

"Ok. Ok. But will you pick something, or do something else. I really doubt there's a show that has 'and next time… you should get… how could you… should be clear… santa's just… shipping and… ice cream sandwiches.' Cause if there is, I wanna know what the writers are on."

The lazy sloth smiled then frowned "I want ice cream sandwiches."

"Later."

"But…"

"No. We're having dinner soon."

"But…"

"Jaden."

"What?"

"Shut it."

"Fine fine." Jaden clicked off the tv and walked over to lean over the counter on the other side of his friend. "What could I do?"
"Jaden. I give this speech a million times a day. You live in a goddamn mansion with 3 bowling alleys, 5 dance floors, 2 movie theaters, 6 swimming pools, 3 of which that are indoors, 10 dueling arenas, 9 of which have computers you can duel and so so much more. Find something."

"You should get a job in commercials."

"Thanks, but I like my job."

"A lot of movie actors star in commercials."

"Jay, I had 5 lines in the last film I was in."

"You're slowly rising up."

"Yeah, yeah."

"So… Skye, what are you cooking? Fried shrimp?"

"You had that for dinner yesterday and lunch today."

"So?"

"So… you're gonna get sick of it."

"I haven't yet."

"We're having pasta."

"Fine. Can we…" But before Jaden could finish his sentence, the door banged open.

"Chazzy's home." The two muttered in unison.

After a few minutes, Chazz stormed into the kitchen/tv room Skye and Jaden had made so Jaden could talk with her while on the couch.

"Hey Princeton. You ok?"

Chazz glared at her. He thought turning 18 would break him free of his brothers, which it usually did, but every once in a while they would pop in on their 'sweet little brother and see how he's doing' which in reality was nitpicking every little thing he did wrong, which was few, and bugging the hell out of him.

All three housemates knew they were doing that because they were jealous that Chazz had bypassed them in less than a year, and is just getting better with each passing year. But, secretly, Chazz wanted his brothers to praise him. Or at least fear him.

"What do you think?"

"What was the damage this time?"

"Yelled at me for not firing a guy who 'looked at them funny'."

"You didn't fire anyone because of them. I'm so proud of you." Jaden tackled hugged the spiky haired boy.

"Well, duh. I learned that lesson when they made me fire Lauryn three years ago. She was really good."

"I think Jaden means that you would always pretend to fire them, and then hire them again when your brothers left. You're rebeling to their faces, and they deserve it."

"Uh… Skye?" Both boys looked at her.

"What?" She cocked her head in confusion. In response, both boys pointed to their heads, making her realize that her siren defense mechanism kicked in, and set her hair on fire. "Oh." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, making the flames die down, and her red angry eyes return to their hazelness. "Wow. That hasn't happened since your last meeting with your brothers. Either our lives are duller than high school, or I've calmed down a lot."

"Yes." Jaden said in response.

"It helps that alien dude isn't after your sister any more."

"Yeah I guess." Skye shrugged and grabbed dinner.

While the three were eating Skye asked "So how long will they be bugging this time."

"A week." Chazz stabbed his lettuce like it was it's fault.

"A whole week?" Jaden eyes got huge. "They usually stay for a couple of days.

"Guess I'm not lucky this time around."

"Well, maybe that means they'll leave you alone for a longer period of time."

"One can only hope."

While these three eat and it seems like they're having a good time, I'm gonna catch you up.

It's been over 5 years since the gang graduated high school. Chazz became a president for some dueling corporation. Most of the gang became pros. Jaden tried, but he'd only have true fun while dueling old friends, which was rare. All his managers were stuck up, and he got the title of king of games after a year, and sort of stopped dueling professionally. He and Chazz would duel a lot, so Chazz could try and steal his title. Before Jaden quit though, Chazz dueled him, and Chazz and Jaden kind of fell in love. It was kind of great, it was the thing that kept Alexis and Skye talking for a few more months. But Alexis had to go global, and Skye had to stay for a movie, so the two of them haven't really talked. It's rare to hang out with high school friends, but it's still kind of sad. Especially since Jaden's and Syrus's relationship stayed strong. Even though the short, who's not that short anymore, boy never really liked Chazz. Whenever Syrus and Chazz would start fighting, Skye would pop popcorn and she and Jaden would just watch and would bet for their best friends, loser got kernels dumped on their heads. Traditions are weird. Skye, breaking her curse of winning right before the end of the final year by a tag duel between her and Chazz and Jaden and Alexis, kind of liked the feeling of losing.

"Well, this has been fun, and kind of what I needed, but I've got to go to bed. I'm not a good president unless I'm there 2 hours early." Chazz rolled his eyes.

"Night sleepy head." Jaden petted his head.

"Night." And the boy left.

"Skye?"

Skye grabbed the dishes and walked into the kitchen. "What?"
"There's a big duel this week."

"You competing?"

"Too short of a notice."

"Then what?"
"I wanna watch. I rarely get to be in the audience, and duels don't come near here much."

"Why are you telling me?"

"Because I want you to take me."

"Why not Chazz? Sounds like a nice date for you two."

"I was going to, but his brothers will be here until the day after the last day it's here."

"He works for a dueling company."

"You think his brothers care."

"True." Skye started the dishwasher "Can't you take yourself? I know you're younger, but only by about 3 months."

"That's so sad. Watching a duel by yourself."

"Maybe. I have an audition tomorrow, so maybe later in the week."

"Yay!" Jaden tackle hugged her, which she fully accepted. She and Jaden were both very huggy people.

"We should probably go to bed."
"Or… we can compete in the arcade."
Skye shook her head then smiled "Ok. But just because I'm not cursed anymore doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."

"Bring it on Siren."

"Who's competing?" Skye asked out of the blue. She and Jaden played a lot longer than they thought they had, and just decided to crash on the humongous couch Jaden had made Chazz get for this very reason.

"Wha?" A sleepy Jaden mumbled.

"In the duel. Who's competing?"

"I don't know. I didn't read that far."

"It was probably in the subtitle."

"Yeah, I didn't read that far."

"Dear Lord Jaden." But Jaden had fallen asleep.

Skye rolled over, clinged to him, and had his steady breathing lull her to sleep.