The Start of Something New
Chapter 2
Malik sighed to himself as he entered the classroom. It had been a while since he had attended school. But the noise hadn't changed, classmates chatted amongst themselves, laughing and cracking jokes. A few were a bit louder then necessary.
In the corner of his eye he spotted a familiar group of people. The Pharaoh and his friends were gathered around Yugi's desk. They seemed to quiet down and glanced at him when he entered the room.
He found a desk near the back, it was empty and no one was sitting near it. So he sunk down into the chair. Malik rested his arms on his desk and buried his face within his arms. When the group could see that he wouldn't cause any trouble they returned to their happy chatter.
"…I can't believe he came too." Malik suddenly heard a voice say, he wasn't an idiot. He knew they were talking about him. "Isis should've just left him in Egypt," it was obvious that this was Joey talking.
"Joey, Malik's changed, he isn't evil anymore." Malik was surprised to hear the pharaoh's deep voice say.
"Yeah, he won't hurt us. He's a really nice person once you get to know him," said Ryou's British accent.
There was a disbelieving huff. "How can you think that? The guy tried to kill not only me, but you guys too," Joey protested.
"We should show him what will happen if he tries anything else." No doubt that was Tristan speaking.
He heard the scrape of chairs on the tile floor and the shuffle of feet. Malik's stomached turned over as he bit his lip. He was ready for the worst, a hard beating. He was of course expecting something like this, but who could really be prepared? If he fought back he would just prove their point. He would just show them all he was just as bad as they say he was.
Then for some reason it was suddenly quiet. Not just Joey and the pharaoh's gang, but the whole room.
Malik was suddenly aware of a presence in front of him and he looked up slightly, expecting to see a familiar boy school uniform, worn by either Tristan or Joey. But instead it was a uniform for a girl.
"Malik?" a familiar voice questioned.
His violet eyes gazed up into sky blue ones that sparkled like the sea. Long blond hair tumble over the girl's delicate shoulders, Malik blinked once, then twice, she was real.
"Carrie?" he wondered quietly, almost as if he were to say her name louder she would disappear.
But she didn't, the girl's confusion vanished into a smile, "So it is you!" she exclaimed happily. "I didn't know you were going to the same school as me. I'm glad to see a friendly face, I was so nervous," she announced and sat down in the desk beside the boy.
Malik stared at her in surprise and wonder as she chatted on in complete cheer, like this happened everyday. His lips curled into a smile; maybe the gods didn't hate him after all.
The room soon returned to the noise it had before. Though the presence of two new students, showing up on the same day, and at this time of year was unusual. But most didn't give it another thought.
"Who in the world is that?" Joey wondered as he watched the two carry on.
Tristan shrugged, "I don't know. But that chick is pretty cute," he commented studying the blond. "How did that creep score so well?" he inquired, but didn't expect an answer.
"Maybe she's under his control," Joey suddenly suggested.
Yami glared at his friend. "He doesn't have the Rod. So he can't, in any shape or form control anyone," he stated darkly.
Joey stared at his best friends darker half a little taken back. Why had he gotten so angry?
-----
"So will we walk to the club together?" Carrie asked the Egyptian curiously.
Malik blinked in confusion. "Club?" he wondered out loud, thinking back on the day before.
"You didn't forget did you?" she questioned looking a bit hurt.
He realized what she was talking about and looked at her apologetically. "No, it just slipped my mind for a second. We can walk together," he said, hoping she would forgive his small mistake.
"Great!" she said excitedly and hugged the tanned boy gently. She didn't notice his slight shock in his eyes. And she didn't see the disappointment when she let go either. "What's your last class, we can decide where to meet," she suggested and took out her time table.
Malik reached into his bag for his and held it up against hers. Surprisingly it was identical, except for the chosen classes. Hers was cooking and choir and his was mechanics and metal work.
"The choir room is right by the front doors of the school. I'll wait for you there okay?" she asked.
The violet eyed boy nodded, "Sure, but it looks like we have all our other classes together," he stated.
She laughed cheerily. "Yeah we do. I'm glad, I was nervous I'd be all alone," she told him. The bell of class suddenly rang and the teacher walked into the room not to far behind.
"Yeah, so was I," Malik said to himself and pulled out his notebook as class began.
The bell rang noisily signaling the end of the school day. Malik rushed to his locker and placed his school work in his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and shut the metal door locking it.
At a quick pace he headed off in the direction of the choir room. Malik turned a corner but was stopped by hand on his shoulder. He found that the hand was connected to none other than Joey Wheeler.
Joey sent the Egyptian a glare. "Look Ishtar, I don't know what you're planning. But if you hurt that girl I'll make sure that you'll live to regret it," he threatened.
Malik pulled away from the other boys grip. "I'm not going to hurt her," he told Joey.
"Yeah, right, I'm sure you aren't. Just don't forget what I said," Joey spat and shoved Malik into the wall roughly before going on his way.
Malik rubbed his now sore shoulder and stared after the blond as he left. I won't hurt her; he told himself determinedly, I won't. He stared off at Joey's retreating figure and sighed, he looked down at his feet, I won't…
The Egyptian arrived in the crowded foyer, it was emptying though as students started off for home. The choir room was off to the left down a wide hallway. A number of kids still filed out of the room, he searched the crowd. But he saw no blond. His gaze left the emptying room and landed on a small bench in the entrance hall. On the bench sat Carrie, her eyes scanned the crowd to, looking for him.
He swerved his way in and behind groups of friends and teachers. Finally he reached the bench and sat down and sighed in some relief.
"You made it," she giggled. Malik's eyes fell on hers and he smiled.
"Yeah, now let's get out of here. I'm growing tired with this crowd," he told her and stood up.
Carrie nodded and Malik lead her out of the crowded school. Once they hit the streets though it was her to turn to lead him. Much to Malik's surprise she grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him all the way to the club, he had to run to keep up. The whole way she was smiling, she even twirled in the middle of the side walk. When he asked why, her answer was that she felt like it.
-----
"Do we have to go?" Tristan and Joey whined in unison. The other men in the group didn't look to cheerful either.
"Yeah you do. It's going to be fun," Tea said cheerily as she and Serenity lead them to them down the street.
"I hate that kind of music," Bakura grumbled. "And I hate when people think they can sing, but instead they sound like a dying cat," he growled.
"Well there's no way in hell are you getting me up on that stage," Yami said seriously.
"Come on guys. Karaoke is really fun," Serenity insisted as they dragged the men inside the club.
------
Malik and Carrie found a comfortable booth near the stage. It was slightly darker in this part of the room, but neither seemed to mind. Carries back was to the door, but Malik nearly choked when he saw the familiar gang enter the club.
His eyes followed the group to a table, there sat his sister, Kaiba, Yugi, Ryou and Duke. Malik looked down at the table, crossed his arms and rested them on the table. He hoped they wouldn't notice that he was here too.
"Is something wrong?" Carrie asked and placed her peach skin colored hand on his tanned one.
He looked up at her. "No, everything's fine," he told her reassuringly and was glad when her bright smile returned to her lips.
Eventually they ordered a drink and a few snacking platters as they watched singers perform on stage. Malik had only been here for about an hour and a half, but Malik had to admit. He was having a good time. The singing wasn't too bad, some were actually pretty good and the music was nice to tap your foot to. He had nearly forgotten about Yugi and his friends. He focused his mind on Carrie, what she was saying, her eyes, her laugh, her smile.
"Do you want to go up?" she suddenly asked. "They're about to play my favorite song," she told him.
"Well…um, I don't know…" he began. He shifted his gaze from her face to the table and back again. Okay sure, he had sung before, and was told he was pretty good. But that was Odeon who had told him that. The elder Egyptian was his friend and was probably being nice. It had never occurred to Malik that he was actually a good singer.
"It's okay if you don't want to. But even if your not that good, at least we'll be up there together," she said. That hopeful look never left her eyes, no not hopeful; they were the evil puppy dog eyes.
Malik sighed as he caved and nodded hesitantly, "Alright, if you're with me. I guess it won't be that bad," he reasoned with himself.
"Oh Great!" she said happily and held out her hand to him.
The blond took it gladly and followed her up to the stage. They discussed with the Karaoke player what song they wanted and turned to the crowd.
The part of the club where the audience sat was darkened so they couldn't see the faces in the crowd, but they could see you. That was when Malik suddenly realized, who exactly was in the crowd, watching him. He grew nervous and his mouth felt suddenly dry he swallowed hard. Carrie seemed to have notice this and squeezed his hand gently.
Malik took a deep breath and calmed himself. I can do this; I shouldn't care what they think. Since they don't care about me, he told himself.
"We're singing 'Start of Something New' by: Zac Efron & Vanessa Anne Hudgens," Carrie said into the mike she held. Malik was handed a mike too, he gripped it tightly. His eyes focused on the words that were projected at the back of the room, as the music began.
(Piano plays an intro softly)
Malik:
Living
in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance
Malik sung smoothly into the mike. The words rolled off his tongue like he had sung this melody for years.
Carrie:
I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart
Carrie followed softly, her voice was beautiful, it took him by surprise and he stared at her a long while. Just like an angel, he thought and smiled at her. He opened his mouth again and let the words flow from him. This felt so right.
Malik: ohhh
Carrie: To all the possibilities ohhh
Both: I know
Carrie: That something has changed
Both: Never felt this way
Carrie: And right here tonight
Both:
This
could be the start
Of something new
Carrie: It feels so right
Both: To be here with you
Both:
ooohhhh
And now
looking in your eyes
Their eyes connected just then. Violet gazed into blue. Their hearts began to intertwine themselves in the silent melody.
This felt so right.
Carrie: I feel in my heart
Malik: Feel in my heart
Both: The start of something new
Malik: Ohhhh yeah now who'd of ever thought that
Both:
We'd both be here tonight
Malik:
ohhhhh
Carrie: yeah
Carrie: and the world looks so much brighter
Malik: Brighter, brighter
Carrie: ooohh With you by my side
Both:
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
Carrie: I know it for real
They looked back at the audience. Malik's eyes wandered bravely among the darkened faces. The crowd began to clap a rhythm to their song. Some couples had gotten up to dance.
Both:
This could be the
start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with
you ohhhh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
Their voices harmonized with each other perfectly and beautifully. Every note rose easily from their throats like they had sung together before. This felt so right.
Carrie: The start of something new
Malik:
I
never knew that it could happen
Till it happened to me ooohh,
yeah
Both:
I didn't know it before
But now it's easy to see ohhhh
That it's the start
It's
the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here
with you ohhh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
Of something new
It feels so
right
Malik: So right
Carrie: To be here with you
Both:
Ohhh and now looking
in your eyes
I feel in my heart
Malik: Feel in my heart
Carrie:
The start of something newMalik:
Start of something new
Both:
The start of something new...
They ended excellently as the last note floated off their lips. The audience got to their feet quickly and clapped their hands together in applause. There were a few whistles and hoots. "Good job!" was yelled. "You were great!" another compliment came. The applause grew louder as the two bowed gracefully.
Carrie's face was literally a glow, and so was Malik's. They smiled at each other. Carrie wrapped her arms around the Egyptian.
"That was so much fun," she whispered.
Malik returned her hug, a bit surprised. "Yeah, it was," he whispered back.
"Wow, they were really good," Yugi commented.
The rest of the gang watched in silent surprise and confusion as the two walked off the stage. Ryou smiled at Malik even though he knew the Egyptian probably didn't see him. He was glad that Malik seemed to be moving on with his life. Even if this meant it would take a while for Joey and the others to forgive him. Him, Yugi and their yami's both accepted and forgiven Malik for what he had done. They were ready to embrace him again and welcome him back. Malik was one of them anyway, a possessor of a millennium item, he had a darker side at one point too. It was unfortunate and wrong that the others despised him so much, and how it was so hard for them to finally see the good that was blooming in Malik's heart.
ACM: Alrighty the end of Chapter 2, I hope you enjoyed it and I apologize for taking so long to update. School…life…I hope you understand and I am currently working on and fixing up chapters 3 & 4. Anyway please R&R you will be loved!
