I just saw Mockingjay pt 2. It was Awesome! I do not own Yugioh or any of the songs used in this story, enjoy!
Chapter 7
Yugi stared with hard eyes at his track mates. He had long since put in headphones, trying to blow them up it would seem like, with how loud they were turned up. Still, it was better than listening to their pathetic whining. They sounded like a bunch of girls. No, worse than girls. He wasn't sure what was worse than a girl, but he was going to find out.
It was Friday, and if the week hadn't been bad enough, well, today was like the cherry on top of it. He met up with Atem on Tuesday to get his CD back, only to find it broken in half. His Aunt had been over, called it Satan's sound and broke the CD in half. He had apparently asked his Dad for advice, and he said to bury the remains and act like he had no idea what Yugi was talking about.
Atem seemed to be more intelligent than that, and handed over the pieces to Yugi that morning. He apologized profusely, and when Yugi raised his hands to take the CD back from him, flinched. Yugi was in too much shock to smack him though, he told him he'd get to that later. Atem said he looked forward to it.
He came in Wednesday with a new Ungrateful CD by Escape the Fate. He'd talked to Sampson, against his Father's wishes, and he bought another one from him. Yugi took the new CD and smacked him over the head. Not with the CD, he didn't want to risk damaging the case. He asked what that was for, and he simply replied by saying yesterday.
That day he had worked his team mates to the bone, they couldn't even walk home. Had to get rides. Bunch of pussies. All he had them do was some warm up exercises. If they couldn't even take those, well, he really needed to toughen up his team. Like Penny said, she didn't know anything about Cross Country. She was just a counselor after all.
So today, he'd had them stretch and do a couple of the exercises he had them do Wednesday. Then he took them off campus and they were running a couple of miles. After two he had looked behind him to find no one there. So he had gone back, to find them all resting a mile and a half back. He had yelled his aggravations at them. That's when the whining had started. It had been five minutes now, and they were still going at it. He ripped out his headphones.
"ENOUGH! I didn't put this team together to lose. I put you together, because I believed you to be the best Domino High had to offer. Don't you get it? Running is more than just breaking records. It's about going the distance, running that one more mile because you feel like you can't, flying, and being free. Honestly, if I knew you were going to be such complainers I wouldn't have even bothered. You can stay here if you want, but I'm going on to the tree line."
"What tree line?" Akeifa asked.
"The forest."
"THE FOREST!?" Penny screeched.
"Yes."
"No." she said firmly. "You've been forbidden to go within five miles of that place unless you-"
"Have company," Yugi finished for her motioning at his track mates.
"No, we need to build up to that distance first. I know you can run for two days straight, Yugi. We've seen you do it. But they're not used to that. They don't have that kind of stamina. We need to work up to that."
"Fine, then what do you suggest? They can't even run a mile. They need to be able to run at least 3.5 before November. We're never going to make it. We'll be some big joke!" he paused before adding on, "and your wrong, I can run for three."
"I honestly don't know."
"Well, that's just great!"
"Come on, get up," Yami said standing to his feet. Yugi cocked an eyebrow at him.
"No, we're too tired," Akeifa complained.
"Yeah, maybe if we had just stretched and then started running, it would be fine. But he had us do some of those warmups from the other day again," Marik added.
"So?" McCinney asked jumping to his feet. "We're a track team! We should be able to handle long distances. And I know you two are just high jumpers, but that takes endurance too!"
"Yeah, can't we at least run one mile?" Mahad jumped in.
"One mile out, one mile back," Yami nodded.
"Well, you're halfway there," Yugi muttered. "Alright," he raised his voice, "Everyone who actually wants to do this, follow me. The rest of you can limp home. You'll be replaced by tomorrow. Make no mistake about that. I have no use for deadweights, and if that's what you're going to be, you're better off just kicked off the team. You don't have to be here, you chose to show up. Let's go!"
Yugi started to run down the road again. He didn't turn around to see who was following, and who wasn't. He'd find out when they made the one mile mark. One out and one back. It was more of a jaunt than a run, but whatever. Maybe he did need to loosen up or something? Clearly drill sergeant wasn't working. Maybe a different approach? But what? That was the question. Maybe, he could ask the male for some tips. They'd been running every night together so far. It was different, but acceptable. Maybe he could get some tips on a different approach though. He had a feeling he was going to need one.
Yugi ran to the point of where he knew the mile ended, and stopped. Alright, so he stopped at 1.3, but they would never know the difference. As long as he kept his mouth shut. He turned around, and saw…his entire team. Amazing, you get the weak things to stand up, and the strong follow. It was stunning, to a point.
"See, that wasn't so bad, right? Now come, let's go back."
"Can't we breathe first?" Atem asked.
"You are breathing. Now come on, there's no rest for the weary."
He took off running back to the school. Whether they were following or not was their business. He'd be lying if he said it didn't matter to him either way. He'd been bluffing when he said he'd find replacements. There wasn't any, but they didn't need to know that. Not once glancing back he made his way to the school, and over to where the community drinking fountain was. Six faucets, he'd drink last. It didn't matter to him though, he'd gone two days without water once.
They were panting as they walked over to the fountain, and drank the water, guzzling it. Yugi made a sound of disapproval, and Marik looked over at him in annoyance. He stopped drinking and straightened up, wiping his hand across his mouth. "What?"
"You shouldn't guzzle the water. Guzzling it only makes you thirstier. Here, try this." He leaned down and turned the faucet back on. He took three slow and steady gulps of the water before pulling away. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he motioned for Marik to drink. He narrowed his eyes at him, before drinking like Yugi had shown him. He pulled away five steady gulps later, a look of surprise on his face.
"How…?"
"It's a hard lesson for anyone to learn, but it really does work. One of my foster brothers taught me that once. I sometimes genuinely miss them."
"Him," Marik corrected.
"Hm?"
"You miss him. You said them."
"Heh, I had more than one foster sibling, Crayzee. I miss them."
"So why'd you leave?"
"I…doesn't matter." He started to walk off.
"Why not?" Marik persisted following him.
"It's in the past. The past never matters once it's become history."
"Who told you that? The past always matter, especially when it's our own."
"I wish I could believe that, but I don't."
"So, what's next?"
"Heh, you want more?"
"Not really, but you do have us until 5:00, and it's only 4:30."
"Okay, how about some weight lifting? Building up those muscles you don't use on a daily basis."
"Thanks, Marik!" Akeifa said.
"Anytime, buddy, anytime."
"Come on you lot, back into the building."
Yugi led them inside and to the weight room. He removed his shirt, and threw it in the corner before heading over to one of the weight bars. He hadn't thought anything of it really, before there was a collective gasp. He turned to look at them over his shoulder.
"One of you want to spot for me?"
"Yugi, is that a cattle mark on your back?" Atem asked.
"Huh?" he looked down his shoulder, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to see it. "Oh, that. Yeah, it is. It's been there for longer than I can remember. It's still says 1NM right?"
"Yes," Mahad answered.
"Alright, then let's get started."
"Yugi, you've been branded," Atem pointed out.
"No kidding."
"How can you take that so lightly?"
"Like I said, it's been there from before I can remember. It's hard to get upset over something you can't even remember how you got. Spot for me?"
"Sure."
He put 100 pound weights on each side, and slid underneath the bar. Atem took the position over him, standing behind the weights. His eyes widened at Yugi's toned front. He had a six pack, and pectorals. Yugi smirked, "See something you like?"
His eyes snapped away from his body and to his face. He shook his head, looking back over his shoulder at something. Yugi assumed it was boyfriend. Probably trying to see if he had been caught staring at something that wasn't him.
"You're a…pretty fit," Atem got out turning back to him. Helping him lift the weights slightly back onto the bar. Yugi lifted them off again.
"Yeah, beating you up, it helps to keep me toned," Yugi answered as Atem was helping him again. But at his answer he let them fall again on his chest, before walking away. Yugi chuckled, lifting the bar up himself, and putting it back onto its holder. He lifted six more without any help, before getting up, and moving towards the sandbags. He put on some gloves, before laying into the bag.
By the time he was done, his muscles were sore, he was dripping in sweat, and two hours had passed. He turned back to the room expecting to find it empty. He was therefore shocked when he saw everyone else still working out. Even the little weak things were doing crunches.
"Uh, it's been two hours. You guys should have left hours ago," Yugi said. There was a collective pause, before everyone looked over at the clock. They all started to laugh, which baffled Yugi. He just shrugged it off though, grabbed his shirt, and wiped the sweat from his face with it. He discarded the gloves, and walked towards his locker two floors down. He needed to grab his books, and get home. He wondered briefly what was for dinner, what he female had made.
"That was actually kind of fun," Yami said coming up behind him.
"Hm," Yugi responded.
"We should do it again every time we practice!"
"Sure."
"But Yugi, that mark on your back. It looks like it grew with you, it looks stretched I mean."
"What's the point, Sennen?"
"I don't know. I guess…why would someone do that?"
"This world isn't all about Princes and Princesses. It has villains too. I've met more than my fair share of them. A villain did this, Yami. That's all there is to it."
He explained it in the best way he could before walking at a faster pace away from him. Princes and Princesses? What the hell? What had made him use that analogy? He grabbed his books from his locker before going back to his temp home. He didn't see any of his track mates on the way, probably stopped to shower at school first.
He walked in the door, and the female, who was pacing the area in front of it, placed her hand over her nose. Yugi laughed as he approached her. "What's the matter? Don't you think I smell like roses?"
"No, go shower," she ordered pushing him away.
He laughed loudly as he went to his room to do that. He took a quick shower before heading to the kitchen. The female ate with him again. This was actually becoming a regular thing. She would have two hot plates for when he came home late, and eat with him. Tonight it was barbecue chicken, with extra barbecue sauce. They had peas and carrots along with fresh rolls. Still hot too, as if they just came from the oven only seconds ago.
They did small talk. School, weather, how the team was coming, easy conversations. Then came the question he was expecting.
"Yugi…"
"Hm?"
"I noticed when you came in there was a scar on your back. A 1NM, what does that stand for?"
"I wish I knew, but I'm just as clueless as you."
"Was it painful?"
He shrugged, "it's hard to describe an amount of pain for something you can't even remember."
"I'm sorry that happened to you," she said sadly reaching for his hand. He took it off the table. There she went, full Mother mode. It was making him uncomfortable, and was therefore a little relived when she backed off. "I think maybe you and my husband should go on your run now."
Yugi nodded, getting up. He cleaned his plate of his 3/4 eaten food. He walked into the living room, where the male was already getting his shoes on. Yugi said he'd meet him outside. He grabbed his own shoes and put them on outside. He reached his hand up his back towards the middle, between his shoulder blades. His fingers barely brushed over the ridges of the mark in his skin. A hand clapped his shoulder, and he looked up, dropping his hand.
They took off running, the two of them. Yugi dwelling on the mark on his back, something he hadn't thought about in years. After a while, the male broke the silence. Talking about his work day. He knew he was trying to distract him, and he had to admit it was working. This man, he knew his past though. He probably knew what it meant too.
"So I told George that maybe he should-"
"What does it mean?" Yugi asked cutting across him.
"We could never figure it out."
"Did my parents tell you? You know, when you guys took me from them?"
"No, they never said a word."
He nodded. Dropping the subject and asking what he told Officer Kodai to do. He smiled, sadly, and continued his story. By the time they got back to the house, neither was in really high spirits. But that was to be expected, with the subject they had discussed on their run. Yugi said goodnight to the rest of the household, before heading into his room.
He yanked his shirt over his head, and opened the closet door to look in the mirror. He flexed, the muscles rippling beneath his skin. He looked down at his body, disgusted with what he saw. See something you like?
Yugi rushed to the bathroom, and got sick. He couldn't believe he had actually said that. He began to dry retch, even though there was clearly nothing else coming up. He stumbled to the sink and rinsed out his mouth. He grabbed the soap, washing it out. He rinsed his mouth out until the last traces of the soapy suds were gone. He sunk to the floor, laying down on the cool tiled surface. His cheek pressed against it. He let a few tears loose from his eyes.
Disgusting, he was disgusting. A little nobody born in a world of nobodies would always remain a nobody. He pounded his fist into the ground once, before pushing off of it. Walking back into the room, he laid down on the bed, and almost promptly went asleep.
[Time skip]
Yugi ignored everything as he filed away the CDs on the shelf. Even when Sampson tried to talk to him, trying to pass the time, he turned his head away. He wasn't really in the mood for talking. He gave up after a third attempt, and instead turned up the music. He worked the day away, way past what Sampson told him he had to. When he figured he was done, he left, walking away. He didn't head home, he headed in the opposite direction.
His walk slowly turned into a run, as he just kept going. Running, it was what he did. When something bothered him, he ran from it. He kept going, running further and further away from the subdivisions, the people, the civilization as a whole. Until he was among trees, that were both familiar and strange to him. A love and a hatred. He stopped at the bottom of hill, collapsing to his knees. Curling up into a fetal position.
Yugi raked his hands down his face, his blunt nails scraping at the skin. Leaving red marks going vertically down. He screamed. Yelling all of his frustrations to the high heavens. He knew, knew, he was breaking his four year patrol just by being here, but didn't care. He ripped grass from the hill, throwing it behind him.
What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just be normal? Why couldn't he have been born into a real family? One that hadn't abused him. You could call him many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He knew that they had abused him in some way. Physically definitely, mentally came from that first abuse. Where else was the disgust, not just with other's bodies but his own as well, supposed to come from. If not from that? He started to shake, trembling all over, why him? Why!?
"Yugi." The voice was so quiet behind him.
He turned to see Officer Kodai with the male lingering behind him. Neither were looking at him though. He turned back around.
"I don't want to," he said wrapping his arms around himself.
"You're not supposed to be here, come on," he was using that same soft voice.
"I feel safer here."
"I know. But we need to go back."
"I promise to attend school."
"No. You need to come with us."
"But…"
"Please, I don't want to put you out," there was a slight under tone of begging in his voice.
"I…five more minutes?"
"Okay, but then you need to move."
He nodded. Looking over his shoulder he saw them both walk away, but not out of sight. He turned back to the hill, placing his hands on it, trying to draw courage from the nature around him. The courage to walk back into hell's open arms.
He hated socializing. There was only one time that he could recall actually putting up with it. He did it for Kitty-Kat and Twins. Even that had failed though. It had failed, and he had come here. Safety, home, better to be alone. Safer…better…alone. Safer…better…alone. He slowly stood up. Safer…better…alone. He walked towards the officers. Safer…better…alone. They walked back to one of their Police cars. Safer…better…alone. Mr. Freshalls got in the driver seat, and pulled away, driving him back to either the temp home or the Orphanage. Safer…better…alone.
He was on autopilot. Walking up the steps and into the building. Soft hands guided him to a chair, where he was forced to sit. There was a meal in front of him. He ate it. Soft hands guided him again to a different area. They helped him to put on some pajamas, and then tucked him into a bed. They handed him some tablets and a glass of water. He took them without question. A few minutes later he was out like a light. Sleeping pills. Safer…better…alone.
[Time skip]
Yugi woke up, wanting to beat his head against a wall. Any wall. He just couldn't believe he had broken down like that yesterday. He paused before hopping onto his computer. He checked the date, yeah, yesterday. He looked at the time. 6:41 am, he groaned, running a hand down his face.
He sighed, picked up his iPod and plugged in to some 12 Stones. Only Human. It was an easy tempo. The words easy to relate to. He put it on repeat and lost himself to it. He began to get ready for the day. Slipping out the window, instead of going through the door. He left a note on the bed though. A ripped sheet from one of his notebooks. At Sampson's it said. The male would know what he meant. Hopefully.
Yugi showed up at the same time Sampson did. He paused, in opening up the store before shrugging and waving him inside. It was silent between them, before Yugi spoke up.
"I'm sorry."
"You were upset, anyone could clearly see that," he waved off.
"Did you call them?"
"Are you mad?"
He shook his head, "No. They would have figured it out on their own even if you hadn't told them. Might have taken them longer though…"
"I see," he nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. I just want to push it behind me. Forget all about it."
"Okay, so how about those Cardinals? They're doing pretty well this year, right?"
Yugi laughed, just right out laughed at him. "Football? Is that seriously the first thing that popped into your head?"
"Is that a problem?"
"No, just a little odd from you. I was expecting an inappropriate question to be honest."
"I can supply that."
"I know, that's a problem. So they're at what 7-3 this year?"
"Actually, it's 8-2."
"Ooo, they're moving up in the world."
"So are the Bengals and Panthers. They're doing really well for mediocre teams at best. I mean usually, those two teams are the teams you send players to when they're trying to learn how to play football. This year though, they actually seemed to have recruited real players."
"Why? What are they at?"
"Well the Bengals are 8-2 too, and the Panthers are 10-0. They're definitely teams to watch."
"Dang, where did all the talent come from?"
"Don't know, but they scored more than their fair share of it."
"I'll say," he whistled low as the door opened behind him.
"Out!" Sampson ordered before he could even turn around.
"What?" he heard Akeifa ask.
"Out, all of you, now!"
"Look we're just here to-"
"I don't care what you're here for, get out of my establishment right now," he growled.
The door dinged again as they left. Yugi let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. A hand clapped on his shoulder.
"You good?" Sampson asked.
Yugi nodded muttering a thank you. Sampson gave him a lot of work after that. Anything to keep him busy, and his mind distracted. When the day was done though, his thoughts were only on one thing. The CD he was about to get. He was very twitchy as Sampson handed him the CD. He clutched it his chest, it was his, his!
"I'll come back Thursday to tell you about every song!" he yelled running out the door.
He ran all the way back to the Freshalls, where he burst into the living room. He jumped around, spinning, he was so giddy. "Look, look, it's mine, it's finally mine! Hate Me deluxe edition by Escape the Fate!" he stopped spinning to present the CD to them. It was then that he discovered they had visitors. Some of which were trying not to laugh. "Uh, I mean check it, I got the new CD. Cool right?" he tried to play it off, knowing already that he had failed. "Well, I'm just gonna be in my room listening to it." he started to walk back towards his room.
"Oh, where's a camera when you need one?" he heard Atem ask.
He shut his door and put the CD into his new boom box, waiting for the first song to come on. According to the CD it was called…Just a Memory. Slow start. Guitar, and drums. Screaming throat singing. Some yelling and swearing. There, they started to actually sing, but with some deep throaty growls thrown in too. He started to focus on the words, not really feeling a connection with them though.
Live for Today came on. Another slow start. Guitar and drums, with a little bit of keyboard added in. Singing. Hmm, now this one, he could feel a connection forming. If only a small one. He nodded his head with the music slightly. It flowed flawlessly into the next song.
The singing started right off. He leaned in towards the boom box. He words pulling him in, drawing him closer. He looked down at the CD, Remember Every Scar. He was going to listen to the rest later. Right now he needed to get some proper sleep. He felt that maybe Sampson had overworked him a little today. Eh, it was worth it. Still if he listened to every song today, there would be nothing to look forward to tomorrow.
With that thought in mind, he turned off the boom box, and started to get ready for bed. Basically just putting on some sweats and taking off his shirt. He lay down across the bed, hands behind his head, he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be hell.
No questions. Sorry if I offended anyone's football teams. Thank you to everyone who are/have following/favorited this story. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed Guest and User alike. Please review. Midnight ;p
