Guess who! Yep, another chapter just that fast. Think I need a life? Well, I do. Then again, I also need to get ready for next semester….

Well, onto the story then!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and never will, though I wish otherwise. However, I do own my OCs and anything I make up in here. Nor do I own Green Day or any of their songs or lyrics.

Chapter Three

Background Noise

000

A little something most people don't know about me is that I'm a "rocker chick". Bands like Green Day, Evanesance, Nine Inch Nails, Sirenia, and Disturbed are what I listen to, much to the surprise of my peers. Hearing this, you'd probably think that I'd get along with Sozoji from class C, but that's not the case.

And I'm not the only one with that opinion…

000

Selena yawned. Another all-nighter for an essay. The research wasn't a huge problem; it was just the procrastination that had killed her. At least I got the damn thing done, Selena thought. The bus stopped, allowing more people on. One more stop till the high school.

She scrolled down the music list on her MP3 player, Selena turned on "American Idiot" by Green Day. She hummed the tune, until the bus skidded to an emergency stop.

"Ouch!" Selena exclaimed. Her MP3 player skidded across the floor of the bus, getting lost in the tangle of feet. "Damn it, that thing cost $150…"

She got up and tried searching for the missing music player, noticing a throbbing…well, noise was the only way to describe it, though it was apparently someone's form of music, and it was coming from the back of the bus. Selena recognized the teenager listening to the pounding beat.

Sozoji takes this bus then, Selena thought. No wonder no one's back here. Neither is my iPod so I'd better scram.

She was almost to the rest of the crowded bus when she was stopped by an order from Sozoji. "Wait right there, Kuro!"

Selena stopped and sighed. He's gonna invite me to one of his "karaoke nights", I just know it. And he's going to hit on me. She thought in exasperation. Despite the urge to ignore the irritation, she turned to him, just to be polite.

"Hey, Kuro-chan—" Sozoji started, but Selena interrupted.

"Don't call me 'chan', dumbass." She said. "You're an idiot if you think I like you."

"Geez, calm down." Sozoji said. "One of my karaoke nights is this Friday, and I was about to invite you to come, free of charge, just because you're hot."

"I'm flattered." Selena said sarcastically, "But I've got better things to do that listen to you scream unintelligible sounds into a microphone. Like studying."

"You're too serious," Sozoji said, patting the seat next to him, inviting Selena to sit down next to him. "Let lose once in a while! You might even get a da—" he didn't get to finish his sentence, Selena interrupted him again, this time in English, just to piss him off and see if his brain was bigger than a peanut.

"No fucking way, moron." She snapped. "I'm not going. Like I said before, I've got better things to do with my weekends than nurse my eardrums back to health. I'm not going, and I'm not interested in getting a boyfriend."

Without bothering to hear Sozoji's response, Selena went back to her seat. It looks like it's going to rain today, she thought as she looked out the window. Damn it, I really hope that MP3 player didn't get crushed.

000

"Panty tank!"

Selena groaned. Jonouchi and Honda were at it again. The two morons had a T-square, and were sneaking up on Anzu. Why do I sense that this'll end badly for them? She thought. Sure enough, Anzu shrieked as Jonouchi lifted up her skirt with the T-square, earning both idiots a punch in the face. Selena sighed. Knew it, she thought.

She, Yugi Mutou, Anzu Mazaki, Katsuya Jonouchi, and Hiroto Honda were the only ones in the room. It was the break between world history and English, and most of the students were messing around outside. The sky was even darker than earlier that morning, supporting Selena's prediction of rain. And she still hadn't found her iPod. No doubt that it's gone by now. She thought. However, taking a better look, she noticed that a certain spiky-haired classmate had bigger problems.

Yugi was looking like he wanted to jump out of the window at the moment. Selena stretched, getting up from her desk. It's none of my business, she thought, even when some little voice in the back of her head was telling her to not be such an insensitive ass. Like always, she ignored it. Besides, those two morons are really starting to get on my nerves. I need to find someplace to read in peace.

Selena found an isolated landing and took out Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She was halfway through the fifth chapter when her watch beeped, signaling that it was five minutes to the bell. Somebody please remind me why I'm required to take English here? It's my first language! Japanese is what I'm having trouble with…

Despite the urge to skip class, Selena returned to the room. By now it had started to rain, causing the halls to become crowded with all the students coming back in to escape getting soaked. She spent the rest of the hour only vaguely paying attention to the lesson. One thing kept on intruding on her mind; why was Yugi acting so depressed?

000

"Aw, shit." Selena said when school got out. It was raining even harder now, and here she was without an umbrella. She stood in front of the door, glowering at the bad weather.

"Kuro-kun?" Someone asked. Selena looked around. It was Yugi. Selena responded in her usual way:

"What do you want?"

"Um," Yugi had his hand in his pocket, and he looked away nervously. "I, well…."

It was then that Selena knew what was wrong. "Sozoji's making you sell those stupid tickets to his karaoke night, isn't he?" she asked.

Yugi perked up. "How'd you know?" He asked.

Selena rummaged around in her back pocket for her wallet. She really shouldn't be doing this, as she was broke enough already, but the kid was in trouble and while Selena was an ass, she wasn't without a conscience. Sozoji was a jerk, and Yugi wasn't. And to be honest, she kinda liked the runt. "Well, you've been sulking around more than usual, you haven't been letting your mind into the gutter with that Jonouchi moron as much. Don't give me that look! Just because you look like you should be in elementary school doesn't mean you're not a guy, and you know it!" She snapped, seeing the incredulous look on Yugi's face, which was turning bright red. "Besides, Sozoji's an asshole and a bigger pervert that Jonouchi—and you on a bad day." She pulled out her wallet. "How much?"

Yugi gaped. "Uh, what?" He asked.

Selena rolled her eyes. "How much for a ticket, ding-dong? I'm doing this so you'll have at least someone with some common sense sticking it out with you." She said. "And to be honest, you really look like you could use the help of someone with some guts." She added, considering how pathetic the poor kid had been looking the entire day.

"Er…" Yugi started. He seemed to not be able to believe his ears. "Oh, 2,000 yen."

"Ok, 2,000 yen…" Selena said distractedly, searching her wallet for the right bill. "Here, and don't bother thanking me. Though you might have to hold me back from pounding Sozoji in the face every time he opens his stupid mouth."

Yugi handed Selena the ticket in exchange for the money with a relieved look on his face. "Thanks, Kuro-san—" Yugi started, but once again Selena interrupted.

"Just call me Selena." She said. "I'm still not used to all the honorifics."

Yugi beamed, looking relieved for the first time that day. "Thanks, Selena!" He said, bounding out the door.

Selena stood, staring after him with a hand on her hip. "Should I tell him that he's nuts for running out into rain like this?" she mused, the smallest ghost of a smile trying to get on her lips. She pulled her coat collar up and ran out into the rain to the bus stop. "This Friday night huh? Guess I'd better bring earplugs. And a book."

000

Selena stood in front of her mirror and studied herself. In short, she dressed like a guy going to a rock concert more than anything; she had on a black dress shirt, unbuttoned and untucked with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a Three Day's Grace T-shirt on underneath it, a pair of black jeans that she had bleached and cut holes into the knees of, as well as embroidered a complicated Celtic design along the cuffs and up the sides, as well as on the back pockets. She had an ankh necklace on that she'd gotten from a dollar store somewhere, her hair in a ponytail, and a pair of homemade denim wristbands that had once been on the cuffs of a pair of jeans that were now too small. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and her hair was up in its usual ponytail. She had on her usual pair of sneakers, complete with mismatched laces. If this turns that ass Sozoji on, I'll send him into orbit. She thought. No, scratch that; Uranus'll get a new moon if this turns him on. End of story.

Selena sighed, resigning herself the inevitable. She clipped her keys onto her belt loop and stuck them safely in her pocket. She glanced at the location on the ticket, already knowing where it was, and headed out to the high school. She glanced at her watch. 5:30 already. I know I'm gonna be late, but better late than never, right? That kid's gonna need all the help he can get tonight. She thought ruefully.

She got to the school in a little under twenty minutes, and made her way to the music room where Sozoji had set up his "karaoke lounge". It didn't take long for Selena to get crazy, freaky-ass vibes coming from the place. She even had to slap her hand over her right eye to keep it from activating. Damn! What the hell is going on? She thought, then she recognized the aura from a few weeks before; the same mysterious, young yet amazingly old and powerful. It was like it belonged to that of a king, or someone else of a high magical power.

It grew stronger as Selena reached the music room. As she got closer, something else became evident as well; a throbbing sound. A loud throbbing. It sounded like music beats, but definitely not the type of crap that Sozoji listened to. As she got closer (still holding her hand over her right eye, as that aura was still playing havoc with her sixth sense) she began to recognize the beats she was hearing as not those of music, but of a beating human heart. She was almost to the door when she saw it open, and a semi-familiar figure stepped out, carrying a prone boy in his arms.

The boy, another one of Selena's classmates (his name was Hanasaki, or something), and he'd had the crap beaten out of him. His glasses were broken, his face bruised, and what looked suspiciously like dried blood tracing a thin line from one corner of his mouth. As for the one carrying him, Selena thought she recognized the figure—the unmistakable spiky hair and out-of-control blonde fringe, coupled with the violet eyes immediately made Selena think he was Yugi, but when the aura hit her, she knew it was someone completely different right away. That, and seeing the height and confident stance, one that Yugi Mutou would never have.

"Who are you?" Selena asked. She knew she just had to look ridiculous, with one hand covering her right eye and glaring him down with her left one. Oh, she looked real threatening all right.

The stranger stopped, staring her in the face. "Why should I tell you?" He asked. His voice radiated strength on all wavelengths. This was not a man to piss off.

"For one you're carrying one of my classmates in your arms, and he's out cold." Selena replied evenly. "And for two, that aura of yours has managed to set this thing haywire." She let her hand drop, revealing what her right eye had changed into. The iris had changed from steel blue to crimson, the pupil slit like a snake's, with it and the cornea both pitch-black. "D'you know how long I've trained myself to keep this baby under control, and here you come along and set it flaring. Thanks."

The man narrowed his eyes. "The Demon Eye." He said grimly. "Why's a person like you coming to this school?"

Selena crossed her arms. "It's the first place where my life hasn't been in danger." She said coldly. "But that's going to change, isn't it? Tell me; are you one of the good guys or the bad guys? And why the hell do you look so damned much like Yugi Mutou?"

The man closed his eyes and chuckled a bit. "So you know the boy whose body I'm inhabiting now." He said.

"After a fashion. He's kinda hard to miss with that crazy, spiky hair of his." Selena replied. "So, I take it you're the one whose aura I sensed a few weeks ago. If you're sharing a body with Yugi, then I assume you're one of the good guys?"

The stranger didn't say anything, but simply swept past her. But as he did, he whispered something in her ear;

"That all depends on which side you chose, with that Demon's Eye you possess." He said in a soft baritone. And without waiting for a reply, he was gone down the hall with the unconscious Hanasaki in his arms.

Selena didn't bother looking in the music room, however tempting it was. There was just something about that stranger that set her on edge, she just didn't know what yet.

000

Selena yawned as she left class the following Monday. She'd lost too much sleep over the weekend puzzling over the stranger she'd met in the hall in front of the music room, and no amount of telling herself to stop worrying would put her mind at rest. She had to find out who this mystery man was, and why he was sharing the body of a runty, unimpressive kid.

Quit worrying about it. You've got enough troubles with trying to translate your homework assignments and everything your teachers are saying without wracking your brains about this weirdo. She thought, shaking her head. She was finally heading over to the lost and found to see if anyone had picked up her iPod and been nice enough to turn it in. Probably not, knowing my abysmal luck.

"Selena!" Yugi called. She was already at the counter, asking the woman if she'd found a purple iPod with the Japanese kanji for light drawn on the back of it as her stunted classmate caught up to her.

"What is it?" Selena asked grumpily. She was sleep-deprived, had a headache (which she was sure was turning into a migraine) , and had a lovely little boatload of homework to translate and do for the next day, and she wasn't feeling too keen on making small talk at the moment.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me on Friday." Yugi said as the woman looked for the missing music player. "But, I can't remember anything of what happened. I must've passed out when Sozoji blasted all that music in my ears."

Selena blinked, not sure what to say. "Uh, guess so." She said. As she spoke, she could've sworn she saw a flicker of the man she'd seen the past Friday behind Yugi, but the moment she blinked the spirit was gone. Must be my imagination. She thought, though in her gut she knew that assumption was wrong.

"Here you go," The woman said, handing Selena a purple iPod with her unmistakable "light" kanji on the back. She scrolled through the music library to be on the safe side and be positive it was hers. "Thanks," Selena said, giving the woman a small bow.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow, Yugi." Selena said, sticking the ear buds in her ears. She walked off without another look as she scrolled through the music selection, and turned on "American Idiot" by Green Day. Just how many secrets do you hold, Yugi Mutou? She thought as she hummed the tune.

"Don't wanna be an American idiot…"

000

So, that's when I first encountered the man who we—meaning the gang and me—came to know as "Yami", or "Pharaoh". Course, it would take a while before not only he made himself known to us, but also that Yugi fully realized what was going on. As you can tell from this, I was a bit suspicious of him at first, and can you blame me? He'd sent my Demon Eye haywire, something that hadn't happened in almost eight years! Apart from this was something that I didn't know was happening at the time; I was letting my cold outer shell fall a bit and let someone in. And, while I hated the thought at the time, it allowed me to open up enough to make close friends who I'd use my power to protect.

But, like all things, that's another story for another day. I'll see you…well, whenever.

And there it is! The longest chapter I've written yet. TAKE THAT YOU FRIGGIN' SEVEN-PAGE DEMON! *screams bloody murder at her curse for writing*

*ahem* Please excuse the crazy outburst. I was writing this at 2330 (11:30 pm for all you civilians out there), and my brain is beginning to melt. Yet another reason I hate the cursed plot bunnies and my urge to write! Anyway, other than my crazed, half-asleep ramblings, I hope you all liked my latest chapter. Oh, and feel free to tell me by clicking the pretty little button on the bottom of the page if you please….

Ah, it's getting late, and I need to sleep. Gute Nacht! (German for "Good night!")

~Hikari Hellion