Soo, I know these chapters are coming out super fast, one after the other, but I just want to get them all published as soon as I can, so I can focus on writing some new ones and getting to the serious business!

Also, don't expect a dead serious, detailed duel here. I couldn't be bothered to write one out tbh . Basically, make up your own duel, through in a dark magician and there you go, Yami wins ;)

Chapter Eleven. Pressured Decisions

Layan heard footsteps from behind her. She spun round to see Tea, Joey and Tristan running towards them.

"What's going on?" Tea called, slightly breathless.

"Bakura, of course!" Layan called back.

"Of course!" Tristan said back, as they skidded to a halt.

"He challenged Yugi to a duel?" Joey frowned, as he took in the two guys stances and their duel disks, which had slipped to life.

"Yeah," Layan rolled her eyes, she still didn't see the point in these be all and end all duels.

The duel began. Layan soon found herself rather mesmerised. The school hall was not very large, yet suddenly, before her, were large monsters, animated by the duel disks on their left arms. As the moments passed, the duel seemed tied, neither of them able to pull out any strong cards or decent combo's. Layan shielded her face as another one of Yami's monsters perished. It wasn't real, yet there was a definite force every time something was dramatically destroyed. Bakura began to laugh, his score was considerately higher. Time was passing rapidly and Layan knew it was only a matter of time before someone would come and throw them out.

"Atem, come on!" She called to him, she had moved to the sidelines to watch with the others, "Just destroy him already!"

Atem turned to look at her, then grinned.

Layan smiled, at last, maybe he was going to turn things around. Yet, she still wondered idly, what would happen if they didn't? What would that mean? Why would Atem beating Bakura in a game possibly stop him from doing anything…

And indeed, Yami had drawn the cards he needed. The game now totally turned round, Yami destroyed everyone of Bakura's monsters, raining down upon him like a curse. Bakura shrunk back, crying out in anger. Yami dominated; he was in control. It didn't take long after that for him to win. Bakura fell to the floor and hissed angrily.

"Let's get out of here!" Tea sighed.

Yami still had his eyes on Bakura. He raised his hand, silent. Bakura's eyes widened, then he fell limp.

"What did you do to him?" Layan asked, shocked.

"He's going to be fine," Yami assured her, and as he spoke, Bakura began to stir, "Get him, Tristan,"

Tristan nodded, then lifted Bakura up, swinging one of his limp arms around his shoulder. Joey quickly grabbed the other side and then lugged him down the corridor. Layan realised by Bakura's mumblings that he was back to normal, his evil side banished. For now.

Yami smiled at Layan. Her heart skipped what seemed like several beats. Yet she calmed herself, knowing she couldn't be with him. She glanced back over her shoulder to Joey, who was moaning about the weight of Bakura. She sighed.

"So, what's going on with you and Mr Wheeler?" Yami asked, his voice low.

"We're friends," Layan said quickly.

"He doesn't see it like that, you know," Yami told her, putting his hands into his pockets.

"Mm," Layan looked down at her feet.

"Are you going out with him again to night?" Yami asked, staring straight ahead.

"Perhaps," Layan replied.

"Right," Yami nodded, then he let Yugi come back. Yugi nodded at Layan, an apologetic look on his face. Layan just smiled back, though she suddenly felt miserable.

Layan found herself walking along as the sun slowly began to set and the sky turned a deep red, the clouds a soft purple as they drifted across the sky. She had agreed to come out again with Joey, simply because he had been so consistent in asking her. Also, it was a good way to get Atem from her mind. Seeing him again earlier that day had reopened the wounds. She sighed. Herself and Joey had just been wandering about the town in almost silence. It seemed both of them had a few things to think about.

"Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?" Joey asked her, braking the silence for the first time in a while,

"Was there anywhere in particular you had in mind when you asked me here?" Layan answered his question with one of her own.

"Not really," Joey shrugged, sighing.

"Why don't we go get a drink somewhere then," Layan suggested, gesturing to a café.

"Alright," Joey nodded, pushing the door open. It was the same small, red and white café they had sat in together the first night. This night they took a seat by the window wall, Layan rested her chin on her hands and gazed out of the window and up at the sky.

"You're not as chatty as usual," Joey commented, leaning back in his own chair, "Is something up?"

"Just thinking things through," Layan answered, "You're awfully quite this evening too,"

"Just thinking things through," he shot back, smiling. Layan tore her eyes away from the beautiful colours of the sky and smiled at him.

"Well, I'm listening," Layan smiled again, still resting her chin on her hand.

"Hm," Joey sighed, running his hand though his blonde hair before carrying on, "I'm just wondering how you're feeling,"

"I'm fine," Layan said instantly.

"No, I mean, how you're feeling about me," he looked into her eyes pointedly. Layan blushed and looked down.

"Oh."

"You've happily come out with me every night, even though we've just gone to lame places like the park,"

"We went to that restaurant last night," Layan remembered, "That was cute,"

"Yeah, it was," Joey agreed, nodding, loosing track of his previous thought momentarily. He had taken her for a real meal last night, in a new Chinese resturant at the outskirts of the town. It had been nice, a small secluded place with rounded tables and any Chinese meal you could think of. Although it had been a little weird, going out for dinner with him, Layan couldn't deny she had enjoyed herself. She smiled at the memory. They had attempted to use chopsticks, but failed. Joey had given up and threw them down in annoyance, making Layan laugh. Yes, she did have fun whilst out with Joey.

"But then you're just friendly," Joey now continued on from before Layan's interruption, "At the end of the night, we hug goodbye, and that's all fine, don't get me wrong, but I wonder what you see this as,"

Layan stayed silent.

"Do you just want to be friends?" Joey now asked, when he realised Layan wasn't going to comment.

"Maybe, Joey, I don't know," she admitted, "We've only been going out together for a few days,"

"Going out.." Joey mulled over the phrase.

"Like we are now," Layan set him straight, "I wouldn't say we were together, like an item. Would you?"

"Not officially." Joey shook his head, "But maybe. People surely think we're together though, we've been going on dates,"

"This is that weird part, isn't it," Layan smiled, "Where no-one else would dare to make a move on either me or you as they know we're together, yet we're not official, there's no saying tying us to one another."

"We could change that?" Joey offered, "We could make it official,"

Layan thought about this for a moment. She liked Joey, of course she did. She just wasn't sure if she liked him that much right now.

"Allow me to ponder it, Joey," Layan smiled.

Joey sighed, but nodded.

It could almost be said that Joey kept his distance the next day at school. Almost. He still walked her to and from class, he still sat with her at lunch. The only difference was he didn't insist on sitting next to her in every lesson and he didn't pointedly make conversation whenever possible. It seemed like he was actually giving her some space, to think, to decide.

"Layan,"

Layan looked up. It was lunch and all of them were sitting together at their usual table. Layan had been playing with her food, thinking. She now turned to Yugi, who had addressed her.

"Yeah?"

As she looked up she also realised that Joey was no longer sitting in the chair on her left side; it was now vacant.

"I know you're probably fed up of hearing this," Yugi said, now that he had her attention. He was sitting on her right side, and so lowered his voice so that only she could hear.

"But, if you don't mind me asking - tell me to shut up if you do! - but, what exactly is going on between Joey and yourself?"

Layan sighed.


What would you do in Layan's position ??