The Boy With the Scarf
Ch. III "Confrontation"
The following day Yuugi went to school normally. As did Yami, and when the bell rang for homeroom, nothing was more awkward than the looks that they kept giving each other. It wasn't until Yami started to talk that the feeling faded.
"Good morning Yuugi." He tried.
Yuugi looked up from the magazine he was reading, nodded, and turned back to it.
"What are you reading?" he asked, leaning over him to get a glimpse. Yuugi blushed.
"I-It's the new Medical Science Weekly. I just got it." He stuttered.
"Medical science, huh?"
Yuugi nodded.
"You want to be a doctor?" Yami asked.
Yuugi paused, looking at nothing for a moment.
"No, not really. I just like to keep up with the new discoveries, that's all."
"That's cool. So what's new in the medical world?"
"…Dr. Lehner from the CTCA (Cancer Treatment Centers of America) is working on a new form of chemotherapy. It's supposed to have less harmful after-effects."
"You mean like vomiting and hair loss? I always felt really sorry for the poor bastards who go through that kinda thing y'know?"
Yuugi nodded apprehensively.
"I mean, how ugly would it look to have all your hair falling out all the time? I'd imagine it's not a pretty sight at all. Don't those guys buy wigs or something to hide it? Or wear a hoodie all the time?"
Yuugi didn't respond, but Yami didn't seem to notice.
"It must be depressing, watching a loved one loose their health so rapidly. If I was going to die, I'd try to die with my hair intact."
"Y-Yeah."
"I mean, seriously, I saw some guy with cancer one time, and his head looked like a prune. Balding with weird spots on it, yuck!-Yuugi? What's wrong?" he asked as Yuugi got up and stormed out of the room.
Bakura poked at him grinning, "Hey Yami, real smooth!"
"Yeah, he looked really flattered, huh!" Marik smirked.
Yami found Yuugi sitting on the floor in the bathroom with his head in his knees.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked.
Yuugi looked up at him and glared. "I don't know, am I?"
"What did I do?"
"Nothing, nothing really. Its just…I know somebody with cancer. He's loosing all his hair, and he's real sick. I know you didn't mean it but it just upset me a little."
Yami scowled at himself. Great. He fully succeeded in pissing off the boy he desperately wanted to claim as his boyfriend.
He sat down beside Yuugi and slid an arm around his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Yuugi, I didn't mean to upset you…You forgive me?" he said with a small begging pout.
Yuugi giggled at the expression, "Yeah. Yeah I guess so."
They walked back to class together laughing off the previous events smiling.
(3 weeks later)
Yami and Yuugi had grown closer, bit by bit that week until the first three weeks of school had passed. They weren't in a relationship like Yami would've liked, but they were friends. That was a step considering Yuugi (for some reason Yami didn't understand) didn't really have any friends at all.
Yuugi took the leap of faith of sitting outside with Yami during lunch. He didn't usually sit outside, on account of how it made him more of a target. The bullying at Domino High had been brutal for him, and Yuugi wasn't about to let his guard down.
The conversation was a slow one, full of the arguments the Amarna Brothers had. Yuugi took to listening calmly, occasionally nodding or laughing.
These meetings continued for the next few days until…
Yuugi sat with Yami and his brothers as usual, smiling happily. It had been a relatively normal day, and Yuugi was content. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a few of his bullies snickering and pointing at him noisily.
"Yuugi, is something wrong?"
"No, I'm fine."
Yuugi wished he didn't just ignore it. But before he could brace himself one of the boys flew past him, yanking his scarf right off his head.
All he heard were a few gasps and then…laughter.
Yuugi felt tears well up in his eyes, and he grabbed his scarf off the ground and ran. He didn't know where, but he ran. He ran until he reached the office.
He faked ill for his grandfather to pick him up. It worked, and he didn't break down completely until he got to his room. He sobbed into his pillow for what felt like hours.
Yami wasn't sure what had happened. He'd just been sitting there, admiring the weather, when suddenly one of the jerks of their class yanked Yuugi's scarf off his head.
He expected to see hair, but surprise fell upon him as he got a good look at Yuugi.
He had very little hair, just a strand or two here or there. A few tufts of black strands hung limply at his shoulders. His bangs were thin and frail, and in reality they were only a few strands as well. His head was pale as well, with a few specs and spots from the chemo he'd had over the year.
Then his brothers started laughing. Yuugi's shock turned to horror, than shame and embarrassment as he began to cry, with that he took off running.
"Yuugi! Wait!" he called, but Yuugi didn't hear him.
"You idiots!" Yami shouted. Bakura and Marik ceased their laughter.
"So we cost you your latest conquest, big whoop."
"You don't get it! He's really upset about this!"
Yami hadn't seen him that upset since…no. No, no, no, it couldn't be true! No!
"It's just that…I know somebody who has cancer."
No!
"You idiots!" Yami shouted again! "It was him! He's the somebody!"
"Umm, what?" Bakura asked.
"He mentioned to me that he knew somebody with cancer, after I…"
"What?" Marik butted in.
"I made fun of people with cancer. Something stupid about the hair loss…Oh gods! Poor Yuugi!"
"Wait…Yuugi has cancer?" Marik asked.
The two deadpanned at their brother.
"I screwed up! Oh, dammit he must hate me!" Yami said frantically, quickly gathering his things and running off in the direction he saw Yuugi.
"I hope I'm not too late!" he yelled.
Yuugi laid curled up in a ball, still crying.
How? He was so nice, well, he tried so hard to be nice. How can they just laugh like that?
Yuugi held his pillow tightly. He felt alone again. Truly alone.
There it is!
Yami: You wench! Why'd you make me do bad things!"
Yuugi: Calm down Yami-kun, she doesn't mean it! Besides, it wasn't really you who laughed, so your still okay!
Yami: She better make up happy again, or she shall pay!
REVIEW OR SHE DIES!
