AN: This is the first chapter request story from Strangers When We Meet for jadelioness. They will all be short stories between 3-5 chapters. Hope you enjoy!
CHAPTER ONE
"Oh please oh please please please!!!" Malik begged, desperately clinging onto Duke's arm.
Duke groaned, "But why does it have to be me??"
"Because you sit right next to him in class. It's the perfect opportunity! Plleeeeeeaaase!!!" he continued to whine.
Duke rolled his eyes, knowing that Malik would never give up until he gave in.
"Fine. But I am ONLY doing it this ONE time. Do you hear me?" Malik grinned like a buffoon, nodding his head enthusiastically.
Duke sighed, waving goodbye to Malik as the bell rang, the two parting ways.
He sat down in his class, shrinking back slightly as Marik sat in the row next to him, laughing with Bakura who would always sit in front of him. Why couldn't Malik just talk to Marik himself? This wasn't elementary school for God's sakes.
He'd never even said two words to Marik and now he was supposed to be all chummy with him and find out who he liked? Duke cringed at the idea, weighing out which was worse. Option One: ignoring Malik's wishes and being berated the rest of his life until insanity or…Option Two: looking like a complete idiot in front of Marik and Bakura.
He took a deep breath, waiting for a pause in their conversation to speak.
"Do you know what the assignment was?" He quickly spurted.
Marik continued to talk, the two obviously not hearing his question or choosing to ignore it.
"Um, excuse me?" He tried again, feeling his face burn up as two sets of eyes turned toward him.
"What?" Marik barked.
"Um..."
What was he going to ask?
"Um..."
How could anyone stare so hard and menacingly?
"Um…"
Marik was looking at him as if he an puss-oozing slug and Bakura just looked homicidal…although he kind of always looked like that.
"Um...do you know what the assignment was?" He finally repeated.
"No," Marik said, turning back to Bakura, "so then he decided..."
Duke sighed, burying his face in his book. Okay he'd try one more trick and then that was it. Malik couldn't say he didn't try.
He found the perfect opportunity when Bakura began talking to Ryou in front of him, Marik sitting there looking down at his notebook.
"So...that was some assignment huh?" Duke awkwardly laughed.
Marik looked at him a moment, before shaking his head, looking back at his notebook.
"Thought you didn't know what it was."
"Oh...yeah."
Yep, he was on his way to greatness.
"Um...that's...a great shirt!" He tried.
Marik put his notebook down, looking Duke up and down.
"Look, I'm not interested."
"Wh-What?!" Duke nervously laughed, "That's not—I'm not..." his arms flailed. "I just!"
Marik just shook his head, chuckling. "Sure."
"I'm serious!" Duke pled. This was not what he meant to happen. Just cause he says he likes his shirt, he thinks he's all hot and heavy for him?—how conceited. This man was infuriating!
Duke was cut off from trying to explain himself any farther as class was started. Forced to sit in silence knowing that the man next to him wrongly thought he was in love with him.
The minutes ticked by, Duke impatiently waiting for the bell to ring so he could correct the situation. As soon as it did, Duke opened his mouth to explain his intentions.
"I didn't mean to—" he turned to the empty seat next to him.
"He-Hey!" Marik was already heading out the door.
"Hey!" He called after him uselessly, already having turned the corner.
He sighed in defeat, begrudgingly throwing his books in his bag and trudging out the door. Stupid Malik making him look like an idiot just because he was too chicken to talk to Marik himself. He about ran into the nuisance who waited with wide, expectant eyes.
"So...what happened?!" He asked, following Duke.
Duke shook his head, stopping at his locker.
"He thought I liked him cause I kept trying to talk to him!"
"Duke! Why would you do that??" Malik asked in exasperation.
"I didn't mean to! It's your fault! Why can't you talk to him yourself?" Duke argued back, angrily throwing his books in the locker.
"I already told you! Duke—you have to try again! What if he starts liking you? He's supposed to like me remember?"
"I know." Duke gritted between his teeth.
Malik gasped, slapping Duke on the shoulder till he turned around, seeing Bakura and Marik walking down the hall towards them. Malik began hyperventilating, gripping Duke's arm.
"Would you stop it?" Duke hissed.
Duke's stomach dropped when Marik looked his way, elbowing Bakura and whispering something. Bakura's grin widened, looking Duke up and down. His face darkened, trying to busy himself with his books.
When they were about to pass the two, Marik stopped a moment, eyes traveling over Duke's body again.
"Tell you what, dice boy, I'll think about it." He smirked, continuing on.
Duke stared in horror at the two retreating forms, babbling incoherently.
"I—I—" He mumbled after them, Malik angrily glaring at him.
Matchmaking skills: 0.
AN: I should be posting chapters for this relatively fast.