Author: Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a short chapter. I couldn't really get any good ideas in my head for this chapter, but I do know that the next two chapters will be a lot better!

Yami: And how do you know that?

Author: Cause that's when the story's ending.

Yami and Yugi: *Gasp*

Author: I KNOW! It'll be the first actual STORY I've finished on this site! *Does a happy dance*

Yami: *Sweatdrops* Didn't think you'd be THAT happy about it…I'll say it again: You have no life.

Author: *Stops dancing and eyebrow twitches* Do I need to put Yugi in the box again?

Yami: *eyes widen* NOT THE BOX!!!

Yugi: *rolls eyes* She just lets me go to my room Yami…

Yami: And then she locks the door! *Glares at Author*

Yugi: *Looks annoyed* Are you more upset 'cause you can't see me or because you can't do me you sex fiend!! *Pulls out pillow and chases Yami around*

Author: And they think I'm weird… *Shakes head and pulls out chocolate ice cream* YUM! ENJOY THE CHAPTER! R&R!!

Chapter 7: On the Road

"So, Ryou, your guitar is upstairs?" Yugi asked, not remembering seeing the teen carry it there earlier. Everyone else had left at about 8:30, two hours before, to get ready for the next day's events.

"Yeah, it's tuned and everything. I just hope that I'll be not too out of practice for tomorrow's showing," Ryou sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Ry. Even on your bad days you're still better than most professionals," Yugi soothed, taking another bite of the Chinese takeout in front of him.

"You think so?" He asked, not all that convinced.

"You betcha," Yugi gave an over exaggerated wink, "In fact, you can pick the song that we start with if you want,"

"Really?" Ryou's eyes widened. Usually, Yugi was the one who did that, having worked with the piece tirelessly before wanting to practice it with the group. When Yugi nodded, his mouth full of fried noodles, Ryou perked up and said, "Then I want to play 'Piece of Heaven',"

Yugi nearly chocked. His eyes bulged slightly and when he regained his breath he managed to say, "Mou, why does everyone love that song so much? I still can't believe I wrote it,"

"I think that is because it's so diverse and everyone gets to sing in it, and, to tell the truth Yugi," Ryou waited until Yugi looked to him, "Its gotta be the song you sing the best,"

Yugi raised his eyebrows at that comment.

"I know everyone would agree with me on that one; no one seen you sing that passionately or get so into a song before," Ryou added.

"It's probably because I need to get in the mood for that one. It's a freakin' dark as hell song," Yugi mulled over another bite.

Ryou set his finished carton aside on the coffee table. "Well, since none of us are going to school tomorrow due to the fact that we need to be at the studio, how about we watch a few scary movies to get you into said 'mood'?" Ryou made a face at the last word and Yugi threw a dark blue (ironically) throw pillow at him.

"AHH! Someone save me from the wrath of the evil cushy pillows!! They attack without mercy!" Ryou dodged a second attempt.

"I know who you want to save you from them," Yugi smirked as he got up to pick out a movie from the shelf.

Ryou nailed his ass with a pillow projectile of his own. "Shut up!" he growled.

"Bakura and Ryou, sittin' in a tree, F-U-C--" Yugi started to sing as he jumped to the side to avoid an empty soda can attack.

"YUGI!" Ryou wailed out pathetically, as Yugi could only laugh at his distress.

XXXXXXXXX

The practice had gone better than anyone had expected, so the company manager had said. Everything about the day had been perfect. No school, practice for hours, joking around with new friends, lunch at Marlo's, the restaurant across the street from the studio with the best pizza anywhere… With everything that had happened with his grandpa, it seemed like a dream; that Yugi would be able to live with Ryou, play with the best band in the country, making nice with the lead singer and the ending of his senior year at high school.

Stop there. Yugi thought. That was the only thing wrong with anything at the moment. He knew that not everyone would be staying with the band after high school. It was more than a little depressing. Ryou, Joey, and Seto would be staying, but Tristan was all set to go to University in Kansas, and Tea was going to Julliard in New York. Although he hadn't been sure about what he was going to do after high school, Yugi now knew that he would be a part of the RMAX studio as either a singer or song writer. It was certainly a dream come true, he knew that it was what he wanted to do with his life.

So it was with bittersweet thoughts that he bid goodnight to Ryou and slid into his double bed. Tomorrow he would sign himself out of school for Friday, Monday, and Tuesday to for the concert date. At ten o'clock, Yami and the others would pick Ryou and him up at his house and drive to the airport. He checked his clock, and saw it was 11:20. Ten hours and forty minutes to liftoff. Yugi smiled. He knew that his friends were counting down, much like the launch of a space shuttle, just like him.

It was scary with how well things were turning out for all of them, but Yugi hoped that with all the sad times in his past would only be building him to this point. This place where he was able to make decisions for himself, have these incredible friends and opportunities, and form a relationship with someone who understood his pain and loved to be with him. If there was a custom made Yugi-heaven, this sure as hell was it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ryou, come down already!" Yugi called up the stairs. "They're waiting outside and the plane leaves in twenty minutes!"

"I said I was coming!" Ryou shouted back down.

"Yeah, ten minutes ago!"

"Stop rushing me," Ryou stomped down the stairs, "I don't work well under pressure," He pretended to whine dramatically.

"Sorry for disturbing your royal Queenlyness. I just figured that you actually wanted to play on stage tomorrow…but if you don't want to, by all means, take your time," Yugi smirked.

"Yeah, screw you too," Ryou glared before trekking his suitcase outside to the car.

Yugi's smile widened as he followed Ryou and hopped into the back seat with him. The car of choice this time was a silver jaguar with black and red leather. Bakura was driving, and Yugi was glad to see that the GPS was working. That didn't help his driving… 'style' all that much, though. The radio was turned up loud enough in the back to drown out Yami and Bakura's argument on that point. Ryou and Yugi shared a smile as they sang along to System of a Down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There wasn't much incident getting onto their first class plane ride. This was, of course, not counting Joey, Bakura, Yami, and Yugi's metal accessories. That had been a little more than embarrassing, but the sunglasses disguise had held and none of the guards were die hard rocker fans. At least the plane accommodations made up for it. No one from the small town of Milagro (with the exception of Seto) had ever been on a first class flight before.

Everyone was enjoying the private flight, but Yugi couldn't relax with thoughts of the concert looming over his head. He stayed quiet as his friends all joked and talked around him, trying to forget about it all by listening to them chatter.

"You're oddly silent," Yami commented, appearing by his side.

Yugi was surprised that he hadn't jumped out of his skin when Yami suddenly spoke.

"I know. Sorry for being such a spoil sport but…" Yugi didn't want to say what was bugging him, thinking that Yami might laugh at his nervousness.

"You're wondering if the concert is going to blow up in your face." Yami guessed accurately. Yugi sheepishly nodded.

"You shouldn't worry, they will go ballistic when you guys stop playing, and probably start begging for an encore." Yami encouraged him.

"It's just that…well, I wrote these songs, and my friends and I have slaved over our music for so long, I just hope that people love it as much as we love making it. Don't even get me started about how scared I am that my voice isn't going to cut it…" Yugi raked his hands through his hair in pent up anxiety.

Yami chuckled a little. "If they hate your voice, then they would have to hate mine. You only had to sing one song to catch the TOP music talent searchers to drool over you. You don't have to even think about that possibility."

"What if I screw up?" Yugi couldn't seem to calm himself down.

"You're over thinking this, Yugi. There are too many what ifs to worry about right now. Just be happy that you're here, that you have this chance." Yami placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi smiled at his gesture. He did feel a little better after Yami's support of him. "You're right. I'm glad that it you that I'm opening for and not just some other band."

Yami returned the smile.

Tristan and Ryou, who decided to put ice down the back Yugi's shirt, rudely interrupted their small moment of peace. Yami and the others could only laugh at the look on Yugi's face as the freezing cube slid down his back. It wasn't long before Yugi had them both dosed in soda spray and everyone was laughing. This was definitely one of those good and strangely slow-going times of life. But as slowly as everything seemed to pass for the group of rambunctious teens, the plane ride was over before anyone knew it.

There was a limo waiting for them once they got to the pick up area outside the airport. As crowed as the interior of the terminal had been, no one seemed to know that the large group was in any way related to the countrywide sensation known as Pharaoh's Resurrection.

The managing company must be very prepared to have this news not leaked to the media, Yugi thought as they rode to the five star hotel. The group shared three presidential sweets with three bedrooms each. Everyone was comfortable and very pleased to know that the mini fridge, room service, and Cable/Movie access was totally paid for. Yugi and his friends scrambled around like maniacs for the first few minutes, ecstatic that this was actually happening.

After they had calmed down some, everyone hung around the 50" Plasma and goofed off for about four hours until 11:30 when Mai threatened to tranquilizer and tie them all to their beds if they did no go to sleep right away.

"Seto, Marik, and Bakura might do the second part anyway," Yugi said under his breath, and Tea and Tristan laughed because they had heard it. He smiled sheepishly at all the weird looks it earned them and ran off before anyone could question him further. By 12:00, everyone was situated and resting peacefully, ready somehow to face whatever was thrown their way the next day.