CHAPTER 4
Kami entered the kitchen not expecting to see her parents sitting at the small table in their breakfast nook. Her mother's brown hair in a tight ponytail hung down around her shoulders; her violet eyes surveyed the paperwork in front of her, and absentmindedly sipped coffee. Her father sat across from her mother in his gray and red business suit, his black hair combed precisely as ever, his blue eyes skimming the morning newspaper.
Kami groaned inwardly as her mother turned to look at her with a large smile. Her mother didn't eat breakfast and certainly didn't smile like that. Her violet eyes flashed with intentions.
"Hi, honey, how is your new school working out?"
"Oh, uh ya know fine and stuff," Kami turned to the refrigerator, hoping the conversation would end there.
"That's good to hear. So, Kami I wanted to talk to you before you went to school today," her mother continued, turning back to her paperwork. As soon as the words left her mouth, Kami's face twisted into a look of horrible agony with a splash of gagging. Her mother continued fully aware of the face her daughter was making behind her back.
"Kami, stop it," her mother said disapprovingly. Kami's face fell into a small frown, she hated when her mother did that.
"Hmrrm," Kami answered and poured herself a glass of orange juice.
"We are having a soiree next week for our business partners and possible investors. I think you know one of them, Mr. Seto Kaiba," her mother continued. Kami's eyes widened as she choked on the air and juice that had been inhaled down the wrong pipe, and sputtered a response "I-don't know-mom—no."
Turning her mother realized just then her daughter was possibly choking. In a very patient tone, she added, "Kami, stop being dramatic. You will go to this particular party next week and make friends with Mr. Kaiba." She turned back around not even giving her daughter a chance to respond.
Mr. Kaiba? Who was this guy that her mother referred to him as Mister? Seeing that it was useless to argue with her mother, she went to her father, who had been quiet. "Daddy pleeaasse," She begged, " Please-don't-make-me-do-this,-I don't-even-know –the-guy-and you-know- I just can't-make-friends.." Her father looked up from his newspaper to cut her off.
"Kaminari, you will show up and entertain our guests from now on; it's time you started contributing to the business that finances our lives. You are not a child anymore, so stop your pouting and get ready for school," her father used his manager voice as if he were directing an employee. Kami knew she had lost and stared at her parents in silent rage. They had gone back to their silent breakfast, completely unaware of their angry teenage daughter. Clenching her jaw, she grabbed her books off the kitchen counter and stomped out the front door slamming it behind her.
O
"What gives," Tea turned to Kami during their first class. She had only known the new student for a few days, but she seemed pretty upset about something.
"My parents are so impossible," Kami snapped, making Tea slightly cringe. Sighing heavily, Kami explained, "My parents are having this party and they're inviting," she gestured to the middle of the room, towards the silent CEO who was working with a scowl on his laptop.
"WHAT?!" Tea shouted, making everyone in the room including the new teacher turn and stare at her. Kami's face turned red as she motioned for Tea to stop talking." YOU HAVE TO GO TO A PARTY WITH SETO KAIBA!" Tea continued, completely ignoring the pleading gaze from Kami. As the words reached everyone's ears, Kami could feel the students including Seto staring at her. She sunk further into her seat and tried unsuccessfully to hide her face behind her calculus book.
Risking a quick look to her right, Kami could see the CEO's eyes narrow to slits as he focused on her. She attempted a half smile and a fake laugh to cover up the extreme embarrassment that she felt. His lip curled in a threatening growl, making her duck behind her mather book again. She wanted to crawl into the deepest darkest hole and die there.
O
"It.. was... horrible...," Kami croaked to Joey, Tristan, Serenity, and Yugi, at lunch as she huddled furthest out of everyone's eyesight. The news had spread like wildfire around the school. It started as Kami was going to a party Kaiba was also going to be at, then Kami and Kaiba were going to a party together, and then it was Kami and Kaiba are going party this weekend because they're dating.
"Hey aren't you Kami" asked a red-headed boy with giant green eyes and freckles, who had tapped Kami on the shoulder.
"I—Uh…" Kami looked around mortified other people would hear.
"You are! Hey is it true that you and Kaiba are a couple now and are meeting each other's parents this weekend," he grinned expectantly at her.
"WHAT?! GOD NO," she screeched at him. The boy fell back, shocked momentarily, and then winked, and giving a knowing smile.
"Oh I see, you're just embarrassed about dating the most popular guy here," he responded.
"NO, no, no that's not it-"Kami held up her hands frantically trying to make the boy stop talking.
"It's ok," he assured her, "I won't tell a soul!" he gave her a thumbs up and walked away.
O
By the time she reached art class with Yugi, everyone in the school was firmly convinced that Kami was Kaiba's girlfriend. She ducked around corners and hid her face from the gawking kids who passed her. She practically ran to her class and slammed the door behind her.
"Gee Kami, You ok?" Yugi asked as he watched the new girl stare dejectedly at her easel.
"No, not even a little bit," she answered miserably, "everyone now thinks that I'm dating Seto Kaiba."
"Well, I'm sure not everyone thinks you're dating-" Yugi started to console her until the teacher entered the classroom.
"Ooo Kami! I heard you're dating that handsome CEO Seto," the kooky art teacher's singsong voice carried over the talking children. Yugi turned and looked at Kami apologetically. Kami closed her eyes as if to say 'I told you so.' Grabbing her stuff she headed out of the classroom to her locker.
She didn't care if she was going to get in trouble for leaving early; she was just done listening to whispers and avoiding questions about a ridiculous rumor. She found more than one threatening note from girls in her locker and one even stating she would take any means necessary to stop her from being with Seto. Kami couldn't take it seriously since she wasn't even dating Seto. She crumpled the note and tossed it behind her, like all the other ones she had found throughout the day. She had only one concern—getting out of the school. If she had been paying attention she might have noticed there was no sound from the crumpled note hitting the floor. It had, in fact, hit a person in the face and they caught it.
Seto Kaiba read the note and the look on his face was a mixture of hatred and repulsion."You have only been here for only four days," his icy voice carried loudly in the empty hallway, making Kami pause and swallow hard. She could feel the sweat starting to collect on her forehead as she turned around to face her accuser. Seto Kaiba towered in front of her, arms crossed, his face hard.
"I—"Kami tried to speak but the irate CEO fiercely cut her off
"You're what," he dared her to answer, his cobalt eyes flashing.
"Trying to enhance your popularity by pretending to be dating me!" he growled.
"No—that's not-"Kami tried to interject.
"Listen carefully, you pathetic excuse for a person," he cut each word fiercely in her face as he leaned in so she could hear him. " You are NOT remotely worthy to be dating me, let alone my friend. You had better fix this or I will make you regret the day you ever crossed me." He slammed his hand against the locker next to Kami's head for emphasis, before turning around to leave.
"Ha!" Kami yelled to Kaiba's back.
He spun around and eyed her menacingly, "what did you just say," he snarled.
"I said- HA! Who would want to date such an unpleasant, narcissistic jerk like you- let alone be your friend?! Not me!" Kami spat at him.
She was angry with Seto for trying to blame her for a misunderstanding, angry with her parents for trying to make her befriend such a horrible person, angry for having to deal with this too. She would fix it, right here, right now!
Before Kaiba could even walk back to the locker, the bell rang and students piled into the hallway.
"Yeah! Sorry Kaiba," Kami yelled even louder this time, hoping everyone in the damn school heard her, "I'm just not into you and I'd like to keep my options open. So I'm really sorry but this isn't going to work out between us."
The hall had gone deathly quiet at Kami's fake break up scene with Seto Kaiba.
Seto could only stare mystified at the girl who just simultaneously insulted him, broke up with him, and fixed the problem of their pretend dating status. She even made it seem like she was the one at fault in their pretend relationship. He would have been angry if hadn't been mildly impressed.
Not waiting for his reply or to see how the rest of the kids in school reacted, Kami turned, slammed her locker, and rushed outside, thankful that she had called Jackson to pick her up earlier.
She could already hear the buzzing that went around the school, "the new girl just dumped the Seto Kaiba!"