Ha! Finally bludgeoned writer's block to death! Anyway, here is the sixth installment of the Novel. I hope you guys enjoy! I couldn't help but add in a special character, as you'll soon see, because I enjoy strange twists in plots. I'll just go ahead and warn you that there will be other special characters that will pop up in the story as it goes along, but not very often. Well, we'll see.

Anyway, tell me how you like it! If you don't agree with the character I chose for this chapter or if you think it's a bad idea swing it by me and if enough people bash about it, I'll remove the poor guy. Besides that, tell me if you're enjoying the story and all and fav/follow/review! You know you want to!

Stay awesome!

-Twinkies

V:OO:O:OO:V:OO:O:OO:V Chapter 6 : Running Loose V:OO:O:OO:V:OO:O:OO:V

Peter launched himself at Nicolla and tackled her to the ground with a harsh clunk as the chair slid out from out of her. She hit her head on the tiled floor and yelled incoherently. She was momentarily disoriented until Peter slapped her and she quickly reanimated, pushing him off with her foot on his gut. Peter clung to her hair and pulled at it, ripping it from her skull and the bewildered onlookers gasped and backed away as Nicolla kicked Peter off of her.

"Child abuse!" Someone in the back yelled.

"Shut the hell up—it's getting good!" Another shouted.

Peter rolled into a nearby table, pulled off a shoe, and threw it at Nicolla. She shielded her eyes with an arm and shakily stood, her fists trembling with fury. Then, Peter lunged at her again and caught her around the waist, bringing them both back down onto the floor.

"No, Peter!" Arthur shouted, pacing fast circles nearby as he had no clue what to do. He was too frightened to intervene; he didn't want to get hit.

Antonio bent over, grabbing Peter by the back of his shirt while he repeatedly slapped Nicolla. Grunting, Antonio braced a foot against one of the fallen stools and pulled. But Peter was stuck like glue and dragged Nicolla halfway up with him. Several seconds passed before the stool finally slipped out from under Antonio and he collapsed onto his ass. Peter crawled back onto Nicolla.

"No!" Nicolla cried, pushing him away with her feet again. "Get the hell off me!"

"No one insults Peter Kirkland and lives!" The kid screamed, kicking Nicolla onto her back. He straddled her and pulled her hair as hard as he could. Nicolla howled in pain.

Finally, the manager rushed out from the back room with a straw filled with cocaine still in his hand, and he pried Peter off Nicolla, hurling him into a nearby table. The entire store was silent. It took a minute for Arthur's legs to work again and, trembling badly, he stepped over to Peter and picked him up off the ground. Peter batted his hand away and huffed smugly, sneering at Nicolla. Nicolla scowled.

"Ma'am," the manager said, his chin jutting out as he spoke, "Sir. I'm gonna ask you bastards to leave." And then, he stuck the straw up his nose and sniffed deeply.

Kiku and Antonio each grabbed one of Nicolla's arms and heaved her onto her feet. Nicolla smashed her lips together, attempting to control her temper, but decided she wouldn't be able to hold back if she looked at Peter a last time, and stormed outside. Kiku paused to swipe Lovino Jr. off the table and he and Antonio trailed within safe distance behind Nicolla.

"The manager looked like Jim Carrey," Antonio noted as he stepped out.

Nicolla stormed off down the street, wallowing in self-pity and furious at herself for acting the way she had. Peter has swung first but she was still guilty for provoking him. Now she would never win the café job—it wasn't fair!

"Ah, Miss Vargas."

She stopped and gulped. This was it; Arthur was going to tell her off and she would bask in misery for the next five minutes until she was over it. Slowly, she turned and met Arthur's vibrant emerald eyes. Sighing, she muttered, "What?"

"Peter apologizes for the way he acted," Arthur said, stopping before her. "It wasn't your fault, Nicolla. Peter's been…slightly out of sorts since his mother dropped him off."

Behind him, Nicolla noticed Peter leaning against a parking coin dispenser, gazing intently at the street. "Oh." Dropped him off? Why? "I don't get it—what happened to him?"

Arthur frowned sadly, his eyes reflecting the pain in his heart. "Well, it was quite a while ago. His mother, Marcie—my sister—married a rich zoologist, Duncan. They were happy with their marriage. Until…" Arthur shivered. "That day."

"That day?" Nicolla echoed.

"That day," Arthur confirmed. Nicolla stole another glance and saw Antonio crouching before Peter, smiling and obviously trying to cheer him. Peter kicked him in the gut and Antonio fell onto his back. Kiku stared in horror and took four steps back from the coin dispenser. "My sister, Marcie, and Duncan and Peter went to Africa on safari. But Duncan was careless. Very careless." Arthur shuddered. "He stepped out of the bus for a minute—a minute—and was…"

"Was?" Nicolla prompted.

"…He was…run over by…a water buffalo." Arthur all but whispered.

"A water buffalo?" Nicolla echoed incredulously.

"A water buffalo," Arthur confirmed, his face taut and lips hard. His eyes averted towards something past Nicolla's head. She turned to look and saw nothing. "Marcie wasn't the same since. She started holding blank papers against glass and doing invisible math problems, and she would sometimes drive over the speed limit. It was horrible. Every morning she'd wake up and skip around the house three times with a sombrero and she started wearing overalls—but only on Saturdays."

Nicolla's head reared back, horrified. "No, not Saturdays!"

Arthur nodded grimly, his eyes darkening with distraught. "Yes, Saturdays."

"Why, that's horrible!"

Arthur opened his mouth to say something, then he closed it quickly and gave Nicolla a hard stare. "Well, anyway, the bloody doctors sent her to a ward. Peter was devastated, pacing around in circles until he finally locked himself away inside his room. She was there for an hour and was then released. Then, she simply snapped one day…"

Arthur's eyes became distant and glazed, as if the memories reeling behind his eyes had declared atomic warfare on him. Nicolla shook his shoulder, knocking him out of his trance. "Hey, Arthur, dude. Hey, come on, man!" He stared at her, marveling at her strong grip. She slapped him. "Arthur! Wake up, man!"

"I am awake, wanker!" Arthur shouted. Sheepishly, he cleared his throat. "Er, forgive me, Miss Vargas. It's just…hard to talk about it. Well, Marcie ended up drunk at a fraternity party and was dragged off to jail after the police found her running repeatedly into a chainlink fence. They dropped Peter off with me and I've had him since."

Nicolla frowned, pitying him for the loss of a sister and incredibly stupid nephew. "Wow, Arthur…That's heavy. I'm sorry about that."

Arthur's gaze dropped to the ground. "Yes, well…it was unfortunate, but it's in the past. Two years ago, to be exact." He met Nicolla's eyes again. "I've got to be strong for Peter. I can't let him down."

Nicolla understood him and nodded. "Yeah, I wish you luck. Oh, by the way, is the demo still on?"

Arthur smiled subtly. "Indeed it is. I suppose I'll take Peter home now." He shook Nicolla's hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Vargas."

Nicolla smiled warmly back. "Yeah, nice to meet you, too. Good luck."

After Peter and Arthur had departed, Antonio and Kiku and Nicolla began the long walk back to the parking lot three blocks outback the Outback Steakhouse. As they walked they laughed about old memories and mulled over days they'd spent in sun and days they'd spent skateboarding through the malls and getting arrested.

After a while, Nicolla changed subjects; "So, this ring thing." She fumbled with it. "What the hell is this thing?"

Kiku took a long, hard look at it, pondering over every possibility. "¡No sé!" Antonio exclaimed happily.

"I berieve it has something to do with Twilight," Kiku suggested.

"Oh," Antonio gasped. "Maybe it sparkles!"

Nicolla shrugged at the idea and blurted out one of her own: "Hey, have you guys ever seen that old show Yu-Gi-Oh?" Kiku shook his head and Antonio nodded. He noticed Kiku shaking his head and shook his, too. "Well, it was this old show I used to watch when I was a kid—I was maybe five—and it was my favorite show! I used to watch it every Saturday and my favorite character was the psycho guy, Akefi Bakura. Anyway—" She gazed back down at the ring. "—this looks just like the ring he had. He was a badass, I tell you, a badass!"

Realization clicked with Kiku and his jaw dropped with the epiphany. "Oh! Bakura! Hai, I remember him. He was arso my favorite character. He was the most interesting of them arr, as was his wardrobe."

"Yeah, I love his past self!" Nicolla laughed. "He was a badass in the past. And hot!"

"Was he the chico with the golden ticket?" Antonio asked.

"No, that was Charlie Chaplin," Nicolla replied almost immediately.

"You mean Charlie from the chocorate factory," Kiku corrected.

"Same person." Nicolla itched her scalp. "Anyway, I always thought it would be awesome to have, like, a souvenir or whatever from Yu-Gi-Oh since I was never into the games; I just liked the show."

Kiku smiled at his own memories. "Hai, it was very rovery."

"Wasn't it!" Nicolla skipped along the sidewalk, the power of nostalgia lightening her steps. "It was so awesome! I miss that show—I'm gonna watch it when I get home. You know, I think Peter would be a much happier kid if he watched Yu-Gi—"

A tall boy, maybe Nicolla's age, with wild white hair and onyx brown eyes, abruptly stormed right up to Nicolla and pulled the ring over her head. It got stuck on her ponytail.

"Hell!" She exclaimed, bent over forward. "Hang on, hang on, be careful! My head!" Her shaky hands grabbed part of the chain and helped him lift it over her head, but one of the miniature triangles caught in her hair, ripping out tangled strands. "Ouch! Dammit!"

"Give me the damn ring!" The guy exclaimed. He kneed her in the stomach and the ring tore free. Then he rushed off down the sidewalk, never glancing back.

Nicolla heaved on the ground, the air knocked out of her. "What the hell!"

"N-N-Nicorra-san!" Kiku exclaimed, totally shocked. "Are you arr right? Nicorra-san!"

"That…was…" Nicolla took a deep intake of air. "Awesome!" She looked up, gazing after the wild haired boy. "That was Baura! Hey! Hey, dude!" Jumping to her feet, she started sprinting after him. "Hey! You're a lethal son-of-a-bitch! Teach me your ways!"

"Damn you!" Akefi shouted. "Leave me be!"

"N-Nicorra-san!" Kiku exclaimed, hesitating. What if Bakura was armed? He certainly was in the show—well, not exactly armed, but he was, as Nicolla had said: a lethal badass.

Lighthearted Antonio chuckled with excitement and chased after them. Kiku had no choice but to follow.

"Whatever you do, don't touch him!" Kiku warned. "He may kill you!"

V:OO:O:OO:V:OO:O:OO:V

Dear Bastard Who Locked Me Up,

You think this is a good idea, you bastard? I'M RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE DAMN SORORITY GIRLS AND YOU THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA?! What the hell is WRONG with you?! They're standing RIGHT THERE BEHIND ME. They keep whispering my name and they're rubbing against the glass. THIS IS NOT A FUCKING GOOD IDEA!

Get me the hell out of here, bastard! They won't leave me alone! Their parents had them, what, seventeen years ago and they STILL haven't locked them the hell up? What the hell kind of parents ARE THEY?! Do something, you bastard! Move me! Lock me up somewhere else! DO SOMETHING, DAMMIT!

Lovino Vargas

PS: Donuts are fucking Cheerios! I'm getting so damn sick of those!

Lovino sat in the top right corner of the glass cage, as far away as he could be from the sorority girls. They knocked on the cheap glass behind him, calling his name, yelling 'Pick me! Pick me!' and no one noticed a thing. The news on the TV seriously could not be that loud!

Officer Brady, or whatever the hell his name was—Lovino was too pissed to really care—was leaning back in his seat, feet propped on an old, creaky, wooden table with a box of donuts lying by his right foot. The TV blared above him, cycling through everything unimportant that had happened that day, like Dog Walk in the Park and Chuck E. Cheese's new pizza—with sprinkles!

Folding the paper tenfold, Lovino slipped it under the large glass door and grunted at his reflection as he did so. His hair was now a mohawk and there were dark purple bags under his eyes. They vaguely reminded him of Nicolla's glazed eyes and a wave of nausea came over him.

He bend over, and the officer fumbled with the remote and switched Fox News for 5 News. Tom Tucker's voice carried through the glass, screaming, "Well, it is finally Antonio Herr-Herr-Herr Stick—" Lovino grimaced. "—Whatever the hell it is—Carriedo's twenty-fifth birthday today!"

"Oh, lovely!" The newest forecast anchor, Double A Annie, exclaimed. "He is one of the top bachelor's in our country, you know!"

Tom glared sideways at Annie. "Annie, I'd like you to keep your negatory comments to yourself. Thank you. Anyway, we have heard from a very unreliable source, Francis Bonnefoy, that Antonio has just arrived in Miami as of tonight. Francis said he saw Antonio outside Ben & Jerry's, but no one really cares because we have visual footage of Antonio attempting to break up a fight on some collage kid's IPhone. Evidently, as you will see, Carriedo is trying to pull a small boy with a very ugly hat off of a girl with a very nice wristwatch."

Lovino slumped against the glass, resting his forehead carelessly against the glass, and watched intently as the footage began. It was Nicolla—being assaulted by that Kirkland kid! The little shit deserved it. Arthur, the prissy Englishman who lived down the street from Lovino, was standing off to the side—the coward—and Kiku was beside himself, observing the fight with an astonished grimaced. Peter jumped Nicolla and began slapping her, tearing at her sunset-stripped shirt. Abruptly, the video stopped and a small, red circle appeared over Nicolla's left wrist. Indeed, there was a very nice black watch that looked like it had come straight out of Tron.

"That's it, ladies and gentlemen," Tom announced triumphantly. "That is the best damn watch I think I've seen in years. I wanted to see Tron. Didn't get to."

"It's very lovely, Tom!"

"Oh, shut up, Annie. Roll the clip."

The clip continued and Lovino's jaw hit the ground when Antonio—sleek, handsome, irresistible Antonio Carriedo—appeared from the right corner and grabbed Peter by the back of his neck, pulling him up along with a mussed Nicolla.

The tape paused and another circle appeared around Antonio.

"See him?" Tom said. "See where the circle is? You see that red—"

"I think they see it fine, Tom—"

Tom swerved abruptly in his seat to face Annie. "Hey, hey, I'm talking. I'm talking, Annie, just shut up. That circle is circling Antonio, a wealthy Spanish company investor, pulling some kid off a teenager at a Ben & Jerry's right down the main drag. They're not there anymore, of course, but we've just gotten word they're chasing a rather long haired boy down 88th."

"Ooh, sounds—"

"Annie, shut the hell up! Are you talking? No! This is my story! Just shut up!"

Lovino's shoulders slouched. Antonio—the guy who was 'head-over-heels' for Lovino; the guy who sulked when Lovino didn't comply when he asked him to dinner; the guy who once told reporters, on live TV, that he was going to 'win my true love's heart one way or another' and won the world's support (besides his disappointed and furious fangirls)—was back in town and was probably going to stay at his mommy's house with his brother for the week or month he was there. How was Lovino going to handle this? Maybe he could talk Soo into letting him stay at the station a while longer.

"This isn't fucking happening," Lovino chanted, rocking on his bottom. "This isn't fucking happening."

Honestly, Lovino wasn't too sure why he resented Antonio. He was a great guy with many skills and a blinding smile, however flirtatious and oblivious he was. Lovino had met him ten years ago when he and Feliciano had vacationed in Spain for several weeks. It was really just to keep Feliciano's mind off of an old, German boyfriend who had disappeared some time back. While ordering food at a café, Lovino had bumped into Antonio, completely on accident, and it had been unpractical love at first sight.

Antonio had pursued Lovino relentlessly, following him around Madrid and flirting outrageously with him—once, he had even gone as far as slapping his bottom in public. Lovino rationalized with himself; he would only be there in Spain for another week. Surely he could survive until then.

But—somehow—Antonio had kept up with him. Feliciano took an instant liking to him the moment they'd met, and that irritated the hell out of Lovino. There was no way he was going to survive that hell.

When the week had ended, Lovino was anxious to leave. He didn't think about Antonio on the bus ride to the airport, at the airport, on the plane, or at the Venice Airport. He thought he was doing well until night arrived. He and Feliciano had decided to bunk at a nearby hotel overnight. Feliciano slept like a log, but Lovino didn't get a wink of sleep. His head was clouded with memories he had spent with Antonio.

Since he had moved to Miami and was reunited with Antonio and his family, Lovino's skin had not stopped itching. When Antonio was near, his heart constricted, he developed a headache, and sometimes waves of nasea overcame him. For every day Antonio visited, Lovino's insomnia became worse.

He was usually gone this time of year—in the summer—because his branch kept him busy with the difficult work, but when he returned, he always made sure to visit Lovino first.

"Deputy Soo!" Someone shouted back upstairs. "Deputy—oh, there you are."

"Miss Elizabeta!" Lovino shuddered again; Elizabeta Héderváry didn't like him very much. Not since he had pushed her one-sided lover, Roderich, into a fountain during Mardi Gra Week. "What can I do for—"

"The girls, Deputy, I'm here for my girls."

"Ah…Miss Elizabeta, they very troubled, da-ze. You know?"

"Ye-yes, Deputy. I know they are. I'm going to have a long talk with them. Marshal Joey told me he's going to shut the sorority down—"

"You think they will listen?" Lovino shivered at Deputy Soo's dark laugh. "Da-ze, you know they keep it in mind for only minute. They won't remember what you say by the end of the week."

There was a long pause. Finally, Elizabeta answered, "I know, Deputy. I know. I'm not sure what to do! They're so damn stubborn! They're making my life hell!"

Feeling brave, Lovino decided to steal a quick glance at the girls behind him. Slowly, he turned his head. They grinned darkly at him, pupils dilated and teeth visible, as if their mouths were watering with the scent of his blood. They clawed at the glass and wailed, "Lovino, pick me! Pick me now!"

Lili was standing in the very back, her wide, anxious eyes mirroring the fear in her small heart. Honestly, Lovino pitied her. She was the newest girl in the sorority as well as the youngest at 15. She was extremely intelligent for her age and exceedingly kind, as well as beautiful and skilled. But the Miami Sorority did worse things for her than eating roadkill could.

On another note, Lovino heard she had a brother who was a fan of guns and chocolate. Apparently, he was a real badass that kept all the chicks swooning.

Sounded like a hardass to Lovino.

He quickly turned away and pretended he hadn't seen them. Elizabeta was down several seconds later with the Deputy and he unlocked the girls' cell. They filed out but stood near the front of the cage Lovino sat in, shouting at him, demanding he miss them terribly. He scooted as far away as he could to the opposite wall and shuddered when they tried to push past Elizabeta and the Deputy towards him. Soo and Elizabeta linked arms and herded the girls upstairs. Brady turned to Lovino with a sly smirk.

"They sure do love you don't they—thief." He bit into a cherry filled donut that smeared his lips and face.

Lovino felt nauseous again but swallowed it down. "You're a damn dirty bastard."

"In other news, thirty-one-year-old NASA scientist James Bark was found dead in his Miami home this morning," Tom continued. "There's no real evidence of a homicide, but the CIA is looking into it. The possibilities are as follows: lead poisoning, rabies, old age, or lethal injection. Will we uncover the truth? Time will tell. Back to you, Cheryl. And get this whiny double A bitch off my set!"

V:OO:O:OO:V:OO:O:OO:V

"I do not berieve you are pure evir," Kiku confessed to Bakura as they sat on a park bench, watching Nicolla and Antonio take turns catching a Frisbee they had grabbed from some grumpy old men. Lovino Jr. was wandering on top the netted park table beside Kiku, his legs occasionally slipping through the holes. "I wourd want revenge for my virrage as werr, if it were destroyed."

Bakura hmphed. "Glad you see it that way. Those fools believe I simply woke one day with world domination on my mind. They didn't even stop to ponder why I would want to murder the Pharaoh."

Kiku nodded and winced when Nicolla collided against a tree. "I'm okay!" she yelled. "I am OK!"

"We are the way we are with reason," Kiku said. "Less seem to understand that these days."

Bakura nodded. "Interesting way to put it, but exactly so. I can't decide who's more of the fool these days. There are those who wonder and those who jump to solutions. Neither truly understand the soul or the pain in one's heart."

Kiku frowned sadly. "Hai. I am sorry for your misfortune, Bakura-san." His expression suddenly became serious. "I don't berieve the way you're pursuing your vengeance is correct, but I wish you luck."

Bakura's lips curled into a cheeky grin. "How considerate of you, Kiku Honda. I'll think of you when I've finally conquered and received what I want." He stood to leave.

Nicolla looked up and ran over. "Hey! You're leaving already?"

Shrugging, Bakura answered, "I am. I have revenge to plot, you know—people to duel, people to crush."

"Oh," Nicolla murmured, missing him already. "Well, all right. I hope you find who it is you're supposed to find for information about the past. They can't be too far away."

"Indeed, they can't be," Bakura agreed. He kind of liked these three. They were entertaining.

Nicolla extended a hand. Bakura stared at it, astonished. "It's a handshake."

"I know what it is," Bakura snapped softly.

Smiling, Nicolla wiggled her arm. "Then shake it, dude. This means we part on a friend's basis."

Bakura scoffed. "Friends? I don't need—"

Antonio extended his arm, too, and grinned. "Come on, we part on good terms, amigo! Shake my hand!"

Even Kiku extended an arm, just to be extra polite. Bakura glanced from one person to the next, shocked and amused. "What…good terms?" After some hesitation, he finally shook each hand with his own, each embrace relieving him of something he couldn't name. "All right. It can't hurt."

Antonio laughed and patted his shoulder.

"We'll see you later, Bakura," Nicolla said. "You're a pretty cool guy."

"Ah, yes!" Antonio chuckled. "You are not at bad as you seem, yeah?"

Bakura suddenly felt disoriented, as if the world were tilting under his feet. "Uh…sure." When he pulled away, he felt rather cold. It was something new and dizzying. "Goodbye." And with that said, he walked away towards downtown again, continuing his search for the Millennium Items.

"¡Adios!" Antonio shouted, waving him off. "¡Hasta luego!"

Kiku sighed softly, missing his new friend already. Glancing at Nicolla and Antonio, he saw the same distant expressions on their own faces. "Hai. On good terms."

They stood for a while in silence, bathed in twilight, while they fought off that feeling of well-known lonliness. Hope glimmered in their hearts but there was an empty space, one any friend would feel after watching another walk away. All they had to cling to was the hope that they would one day see dear Akefi Bakura again.

He really wasn't as wretched as he sounded. He seemed rather wronged.

"Bueno," Antonio finally said, "Shall we head to the car?"

Kiku and Nicolla nodded wearily, grabbed Lovino Jr., and they walked two blocks back into the city until they had reached the parking lot.

Antonio parked the car out front his mother's house and opened the door for Kiku, who stumbled out drowsily. Antonio found Nicolla snoozing and heaved her up into his arms. Then he glanced at what was left of Lovino's house.

"Hmm," Antonio murmured. "Doesn't look like Lovino is home, Nicolla."

Kiku fidgeted. "Er, I'd invite her to my home, but I wourd have to inform Yao ahead of time."

Antonio smiled at him. "That's all right, Kiku. Nicolla can bunk at la case de mi madre."

Kiku left for home and Antonio carried Nicolla up his mother's porch. When she answered she smiled and hugged him but frowned at Nicolla's crumpled form disapprovingly.

"Well…" Mrs. Knight murmured. "I supposed Jerald won't mind. Come on in, she can sleep in the living room."

"That's all right, madre," Antonio said as he stepped through the door. "She can have my old room. I'll sleep in the living room."

His mother gaped at him. "Y-you? In the living room? Ha! Come, darling, set her on the couch."

Antonio beamed and carried Nicolla up the steps.

"Antonio!" Mrs. Knight hissed. "She'll soil your bed!"

"Madre," Antonio said, turning to her. "You worry too much!" His mother glared as he carried Nicolla up the staircase. Humming softly, Antonio tucked Nicolla into his old bed. Lovino Jr. wriggled in her pocket and was still. "Goodnight," Antonio whispered. "Boy, I sure hope Lovino doesn't kill me for this! Why, he'll be so jealous if he finds out! He must love his cousin as much as I love mine!"

V:OO:O:OO:V:OO:O:OO:V