Title: Intoxication
Part: Chapter 09
Author: Svelte Rose
Disclaimer: I don't own them.

A loud groan echoed through the room as the occupant flipped slowly to her side. Cursing the rising sun for disturbing her peaceful slumber, she threw a hand over her eyes and was awarded with the awareness of muscles too sore to move. The other hand pulled at the covers as hard as it could manage but not before a hiss of pain was heard.

Blinking wearily from underneath a palm and through two fingers, Anzu surveyed the unfamiliar room with sleep weary eyes. With very little energy, she peered underneath the covers and to her great relief, saw that she was fully clothed. Relief quickly turned into outrage as she saw that the clothes she wore were not her own. Thousands of possibilities pounded through her head at the moment and none were pretty at all.

It didn't make sense though; if she had been taken advantage of (Anzu shuddered at this), why would the person dress her up again? Then again just because she was clothed fully didn't mean that nothing happened. Her breath hitched and she realized the beginnings of hyperventilation as her control started to shatter while the realization of the possibility sank in. She needed to think and recall what she could of the night before. Maybe it would explain why she was currently disposed in a room she'd never seen before. Slowly breathing in and out of her nose calmly, she tried willing the pounding headache away but found it only served to lessen the pain a tiny bit. Her muscles were screaming as though she'd run a marathon the night before.

She definitely didn't do that, she knew for sure.

Gritting her teeth, she painfully threw one leg from the bed and rolled off the bed with a loud 'thump.'

Not good. She thought to herself as she held her head in her hands while her body screamed with pain.

"Oh God, Anzu!" An all-too-familiar voice gasped before gentle hands were around her arms and dragging her back to the bed.

"Mai?" She questioned in a hoarse whisper. "Is that you?" When her senses were assaulted with the familiar perfume her closest female friend always wore, an insurmountable feeling of relief engulfed her as she clenched tightly to Mai.

"Yeah," The blond answered quickly before lifting her legs up onto the bed and running over to the window to close the curtains.

"Thanks." Anzu smiled with relief as the room was dimmed.

Mai glared at the brunette before another body came rushing in through the door.

"How's her body temperature?" He quickly asked before hurrying to Anzu and pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Better." She quipped, settling herself into a nearby chair.

"Where am I?" Anzu asked in another hoarse whisper.

"My house. I'm renting it for a couple of months while I do business here." Otogi explained quickly as he fished out a remote control from a nearby nightstand and turned on the air conditioner. "You're probably not feeling the best right now so you should probably get more rest."

Anzu shook her head but winced when the slight motion intensified the throbbing pain in her head, "Where's the others?" She gritted out, her voice still raspy and dry.

Otogi pulled the covers over her body, "Yugi, Jounouchi, and Honda are all passed out in the living room. Don't worry, we've been taking care of you all night."

That apparently wasn't the best thing to say to Anzu as she groaned and covered her face with both hands. "I'm so sorry Otogi, I don't know what got into me. I don't even remember drinking that much."

"You didn't." Mai quipped from across the room as she watched her with a troubled eye.

Anzu winced. "It certainly feels like it..."

"It's alright, don't worry." Otogi said with a grin as he patted her head gently, the ministration calming her.

"Mmm." The brunette murmured before succumbing to sleep.

Once they knew she'd fallen deep asleep, both stood up and quickly exited the room, a pair of violet eyes boring deep into a pair of emerald green ones.

Otogi felt immensely guilty but was severely relieved that nothing had happened to the four high school students. Especially Anzu.

"Her drink was laced with something, wasn't it?" Mai questioned with the authority of a mother.

Otogi combed a hand through his unruly hair and nodded, "Everyone's drink was laced with something. I'm guessing Anzu got something extra along with the extra."

"Meaning…" Mai trailed off, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm going to kill the bastard who slipped it in her drink." Otogi said quietly as he glared at the floor as though it were at fault.

"You mean date rape?" She questioned, shock evident in her voice.

"Worse," He murmured before meeting her violet eyes once more, "Someone slipped Speed in her drink. I don't know who and I don't know when, all I know is that last night, when we were running her body under that cold shower, had the dosage been any higher, we would've had to bring her to the emergency room. Thank goodness her parents are out of town. I would hate to explain this to them."

Mai clenched her jaw, "Yeah, me too."

"And I'm glad we don't know who did it." Otogi said, a bit of his boyish mischief apparent in his eyes once more.

At this, Mai jerked back and glared accusingly at him, "What!? How could you say that?" She practically hissed.

He grinned, which only served to incense the blond even more, "Because we'd have an even harder time explaining why you killed the son of a bitch that slipped her the drug."

"We wouldn't have to explain anything," Mai headed down the stairs. "They wouldn't know about it because they wouldn't find the body."

Anzu awoke, light-headed and fuzzy before catching sight of two violet orbs staring at her with a look she wasn't particularly fond of.

"Drink this."

A glass of water was placed in Anzu's hands and she murmured a grateful thanks before drinking large gulps to quench her parched throat. Peering around the room, her sensitive eyes caused her to wince when she caught the source of light from a small bedside lamp, "Where's Otogi?" She asked, memories coming back slowly but surely.

"He's gone to take care of the boys. Honda's hangover is a bit tough to deal with." Came the clipped tones.

Anzu noticed her entire body felt like lead and the sensation of a hammer pounding at her skull was growing, intensifying when she shook it a little, "Oh god, did anything happen?"

"You were drugged." Mai succinctly answered, her defensive posture belying her concern and worry.

"What!?" Was the harsh whisper before a hiss of pain was heard as she slowly laid back down into the bed.

"Yep. Speed." The blond said, pursing her lips while looking away.

Anzu drew back at the anger in her eyes, "I wouldn't take something like that! Are you sure it was speed?"

"I know you wouldn't!" Came the harsh answer as Mai jerked forward making Anzu shrink into her covers. "But somebody slipped that drug into your system."

Anzu gulped, "Why are you so angry?" She asked, rather hurt at the accusatory tone.

Mai licked her lips as though it was a habit of keeping herself in check, "I'm not accusing you, honey," She groaned. "But what happened to our talk of keeping yourself safe and watching out for those taking advantage of you?"

"I didn't know, am I the only one it happened to?" She feebly responded.

Mai shrugged, "Otogi found out the drug was being sold near the garden shed in the back. He went to get you guys out of there in case the cops came. Unfortunately, Honda and Jou were caught in a fist fight while you were no where to be found."

"Where was I found then?" She asked as small flashes of memories containing kisses and roaming hands assaulted her. Did something happen last night before Otogi found her? If so, what?

"Upstairs, in a room by yourself. Otogi swears he saw someone disappear into the wall but he couldn't be sure. The guy was long gone by then after he turned on the lights."

Anzu gasped. So it wasn't a dream. Her countenance grew even paler as she looked down at the covers, "I only had a few drinks. That's all."

"Did you get them yourself or were they handed to you?" Mai asked, a frown marring her beautiful features.

"Yugi and Jou got me some drinks, I got a couple myself and some school friends handed me a few glasses- it was just spiked punch." Anzu answered as she licked her dry lips.

"Yours was spiked punch laced with drugs, babe." Mai sighed. Throwing her arms around the startled brunette, she hugged the slender girl tightly, "I am so glad nothing happened to you though."

Anzu hugged her back just as tight, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, "Me too. Me too."

After hugging Otogi tightly through the car window, she whispered a quick thanks in his ear and kissed him on the cheek.

A roguish grin was thrown her way accompanied by a wink, "That's all I get?"

"Lunch on me, wherever you want." She grinned, eager to pay back for all the trouble.

Otogi waved it off with his hand. Then as if thinking about it, he stopped and smirked, "Lunch and dinner, your treat of course."

"Of course!" She chirped. Her happy countenance quickly turned grim, however, as she leaned in towards the car window, "Listen Otogi, thank you so much for finding me. I don't know what got into me and I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble."

He patted her cheek, "Anzu, we're friends, friends are there for you when they're needed, am I not right?" At her nod, he continued, "Look, nothing happened. You're allowed to let loose once in a while. Lord knows you hardly go out aside from that dance training of yours, your home, and school. Besides, I'm getting two free meals out of this. I don't see anything worth complaining about."

She chuckled, "So easy to please."

"I'm a simple man, what can I say?" He flashed another flirtatious grin before waving goodbye and zooming off.

Anzu watched until the car turned out of sight before heading towards her porch, hand searching her bag for her house keys. Thankfully, her parents were out of the country on a business trip. Otherwise, her disappearance last night would've been a hard one to explain.

Making her way up the stairs, head poking into her bag for the missing keys, she didn't noticed the innocent bundle lying on the 'welcome' mat until it was too late. With a surprised gasp and wide eyes, she felt her legs tangle up in one another as she stumbled towards the door, hitting it with a smack.

It did nothing to help her already aching muscles.

"What the heck was that?" She spoke to no one in particular, looking down. Her embarrassment at the slight mishap quickly turned into one of quick amazement.

There, in layers of cellophane and ribbons laid a large bouquet of perfectly stemmed, orchids, baby's breath lacing between each stem all topped off with a bed of ferns. She could smell the flowers' perfume from where she stood. The effect was nothing short of the most amazing bouquet she'd ever seen…in fact, she'd never received a bouquet before.

And she knew it was hers immediately. Swimming in ribbons and cellophane poked out a single, white envelope. Inscribed on the front was her name, the all-too familiar penmanship following the script: For Anzu Mazaki.