GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Chapter Three
Bakura had always enjoyed school.
Yes, Ryou had been surprised at first too. He hadn't thought that the tomb robber would have the patience to sit for half the day since the spirit wouldn't even sit for a half an hour while watching TV.
Of course Bakura had always insisted that TV was evil since it had sucked humans into it and wouldn't let them out and forced them to sell useless products against their will.
Ryou, in turn, had always insisted that Bakura needed to stop listening to the lies of certain Egyptian mortals who came to visit every so often.
But school was something the tomb robber highly enjoyed. He wanted to learn about the world he would reside in for whoever knew how long a time. He was, by instinct, a tomb robber and a survivor. To survive one must learn to adapt and because he was a tomb robber adapting was like second nature.
Having Bakura to learn with made class fun and Ryou took secret joy in being able to talk any time to his other during class and not get in trouble for disrupting the other students. Not to say Bakura was completely without a mischievous streak. Many times Ryou found himself being reprimanded for something he didn't remember doing, though he didn't mind much. He knew enough of Bakura's time from his father and a lot of the spirit's stories. This was like Bakura's second chance at a life.
But now the only voice in Ryou's mind was his own as he tried to make himself concentrate on a book he was to do a report on at the end of the week. He was vaguely aware of the voices around him, talking amongst themselves and he wondered if he were the only one doing any work.
Or was it just that he was the only one with nobody to talk to?
His mind drifted away from the boring and useless story in his hands. Instead his thoughts focused around the main voices sitting closest to him. His friends.
Once, Bakura had mentioned how he was left out a lot.
Ryou had just shrugged it off. He had been the last to 'join'. The others had been through more together; it wasn't surprising that they were closer to each other than to him. Having an evil spirit out to get them probably didn't win Ryou any favours either. But since Ryou felt more comfortable around the thief, he didn't mind much. Even now, months after and without their spirits, Ryou was no closer to them than he was when it all first began.
Sadly enough, they were the only people Ryou had and though he didn't like to depend on anybody but himself, he'd already made the mistake of depending on an ancient spirit. Without that support, Ryou had been forced to lean back on the group of friends. They hadn't seemed to mind and Ryou had accepted it instead of fighting it.
He sighed forlornly, thinking about Bakura always made him depressed. It was no wonder he was always depressed.
I don't want to forget you, but I wish the pain would lessen a little. He sighed again and closed his eyes, giving up on his book. Folding his arms on the desk, he rested his head against them. I wish I could share your memory with other people, but the only people who'd believe me thought you were evil. An idea began to form within the pale boy's mind and he smiled to himself.
Maybe he could share the memory of the old thief and show his friends that Bakura hadn't been evil…well, not completely evil anyway. He had been a tomb robber after all.
Glancing up, Ryou watched his friends. Yugi was in the middle of teaching Tea how to duel. Personally, Ryou had lost all interest in the game, but not just Duel Monsters, but most games. Everything reminded him of his other…
Joey was currently 'helping' Tea with her strategy while Tristan kept saying that the blonde should help Yugi, that way Tea would at least have a chance.
How was he going to show them the different side of the tomb robber?
"So, are we still on for studying Friday for the midterm?" Tea wondered, mumbling something about Joey's grades.
Giving his friend a mock-glare, Joey sniffed, "'Course we are! If I don't pass this midterm I get two weeks worth of detentions!" He muttered.
Yugi chuckled teasingly at his friend's misfortune as he noticed that Ryou had finally put the book away and was paying attention, "You wanna come Ryou? I doubt you need to study but we could probably use the extra help and after we were planning on movies and video games!" He grinned.
Ryou smiled, the situation presence itself. "Sure, sounds like fun." He nodded.
Suddenly warning alarms sounded in Ryou's head. How was he going to show them the thief's 'softer' side without giving away the truth about their relationship? Yugi had shipped his other off to the after world heartbroken because Yami had harboured the same kind of feelings.
Things always had to be so damned complicated.