Another chapter for ya'll. Again, finals week(s). Be patient. :-)


Chapter 2

After checking that the dishes and trays were washed and put away, counters and floors clean, money in the register accounted for, it was time for Tea to turn off the lights, lock up the doors, and finally head home. It was 12:03am. Her Geography midterm was at 9 in the morning. She still had to study… and finish that biology homework.

"Guess I'll need a coffee," Tea groaned. "Or maybe three."

Luckily for her, Dominica Coffee & Tea was right across the street, and its doors were open until 1am. She sighed, having visited this coffee shop regularly enough so that most of the employees recognized her and memorized her order. A medium vanilla latte with a double shot of espresso.

Dominica was warm and quiet – no one present except for Adrian behind the counter, Tea's classmate in her English and Geography class. Adrian, a transfer student from Mérida, Venezuela, was perhaps one of the nicest people she'd ever known at Domino City College. Most students at DCC, aside from Adrian, Tea, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Bakura, were mainly the not-as-nice graduates of Domino High – the ones who weren't ambitious enough to apply to a 4-year university, though some of them could probably afford it.

"Hey Adrian," Tea greeted her Venezuelan friend, who was smiling back at her. His usually lively brown eyes were fatigued and blinking slowly.

"Hey Tea. What can I get ya?"

"The usual. Add an extra shot for me."

A grin spread across Adrian's face as he took a sharpie and scribbled something on a medium-sized coffee cup. "Have you studied for Hovak's midterm yet?"

"No…" she groaned. She handed him a five dollar bill.

"Me neither. It shouldn't be too bad, though. She likes to hype up her tests and then give us a break once we actually take them."

"Yeah, I'm sure if we just skim through the chapters, we'll be okay."

Adrian turned on the blender, and the two temporarily ceased their conversation. It was getting later, and Tea was getting more tired, but the night still wasn't over. And yet, even with the long night ahead of her, she couldn't get one thing out of her mind.

That mysterious man who talked to her earlier.

Or was he a man? She distinctly remembered her hand passing right through his body – air passing through her fingers where flesh should have been, though he looked as real as she was. It was a daunting possibility that a literal ghost was standing right in front of her.

It didn't seem possible to her. Supernatural things, like monsters coming to life, Millennium Items, super powers, and ancient pharaohs were a thing of the past. Ghosts were of the past.

Atem was technically a ghost. He didn't belong here, in the world of the living, other than to prevent the evil forces from conquering mankind in its relentless rampages. He wasn't here to find love.

He wasn't here to love her. He was of the past, just like everything else.

Tea felt her jaw shaking. Good lord, was she about to cry… again?

"Earth to Tea!"

Tea immediately snapped awake. Adrian was standing right in front of her, drink in hand.

"Here's what you ordered – a vanilla latte with not two, but three shots of espresso. Sure seems like you could use 'em." He set it on the table, and sat on the chair across from her.

"Thanks."

"You look really upset. Are you okay?"

Tea felt rather tired of being asked that today, but for some reason, because it was Adrian, it was alright.

"Today was just a long day, and I've just been thinking about stuff."

Adrian, despite looking dreadfully exhausted from his late shift, appeared interested in their conversation. "Like what?"

Tea didn't seem the harm in telling him some of it. If anything, Adrian would probably just try to help her feel better with uplifting words of encouragement, as Yugi would do.

"I just miss someone, is all. He's been gone for about two years."

"Aw, I'm sorry about that, Tea. Was he a good friend of yours?"

She nodded. She found herself again fighting the urges to cry, though she hid it well. Adrian looked away for a bit, seemingly struggling with his own emotions, which puzzled Tea. She had never seen him like this before.

"Seven years ago, before I moved here to Domino, my father fell gravely ill. For weeks my three brothers and I skipped school and helped my mother tend to him, but he died anyway. My brothers and I were sad, but my mother told us something very valuable:

'My sons, do not cry for your father. He is at peace and he will watch over you. He still loves you and will always be with you in your heart, and his spirit will live on in the heavens. Meanwhile, you must hear me when I say, do not mourn excessively for his death, because you will forget to appreciate what is still around you. When you lose touch with reality, that is when you have died as well.'

Thanks to our mother, we were able to go back to school very quickly and still keep up with our studies and our jobs. Most importantly, we still had our father in our hearts while we learned to appreciate everyone else while they are still here."

Silence followed his words, as Tea mulled over them in her head. She felt Adrian's hand cover her own, comforting her. She thought of her family, her mom and dad, and her dog, Charlie. She thought of her friends, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Bakura. She thought of Adrian, sitting right across from her, who has suffered pain unimaginable to her. She felt like she had neglected everyone in the midst of her sulking and moping.

"Thanks for telling me that, Adrian, I know that must be hard for you."

"Yeah, I miss my father. But I can't let my life slow down too much because he is gone, only because then we lose things that we still have, like the people we love that are alive today. It's like Mother said, we would die ourselves if we spent the rest of our lives mourning those who have already passed."

Tea squeezed his hand in appreciation. She had added one more thing on her to-do list for tonight.

"Thanks Adrian. I should go now, there's something I gotta do."

The Venezuelan boy gave her a small smile, eyes still full of emotion. "Yes, go do it, and don't forget to study!"

She smiled back, and exited the coffee shop as she pulled out her cell phone. Speed dial #2, Yugi's cell.

"Eh… hullo?"

"Yugi?"

"Tea? What's up?"

"Crap… sorry, did I wake you?"

"Nah, I'm still studying for Hovak's midterm tomorrow…. erm….. today."

"Oh okay, can I come over? Maybe we can study together?"

"Sure, I could definitely use the help."

"Ha… maybe we can help each other, I don't understand much about this crap either."

"Sure whatever. You on your way?"

"Yeah, I'm just leaving Dominica, I'll be there in five minutes."

"Okay, see ya soon."

"Bye."

The phone clicked. Tea threw her phone back in her purse, feeling excited to see Yugi again, even though she saw him every Monday and Wednesday for class. This was perhaps the first time in months she would get to see him outside of school.

The street lamps were loud, bright, and buzzing, which usually puts Tea on edge, but tonight she didn't care. They only seemed to light the way to the Game Shop, which was only a street away. She could see the front porch lights shining on the doorstep as she neared. Expecting her, Yugi must have turned them on.

The distant sound of reckless driving entered her ears. She however paid no mind to it, as it sounded distant and far away from where she was. As soon as a car's high beams flooded the side of her vision, she felt an enormous force strike her entire body with great velocity.

And then… she felt nothing, and all went dark.

-To Be Continued-