Sorry if this chapter is updated a little bit too late (it's Tuesday now ah!) Well, here you go anyway!

Chapter 11

Bonfire Night

"I-I uh.... You see I really....er...." I was finding it extremely hard to say it and I was beginning to squirm and sweat in my seat.

Yami looked at me and I shrank back. "I....I.....I...." I wanted to faint in his arms and pass out, then later wake up back at home or in a hospital bed, instead I said: "Can I help you carry those books?"

He paused, before frowning a little. "Yes, of course... I'm heading to Yugi's locker with them."

"Oh.. uh.. okay... here I'll take this one." We both stood up and I reached down beside Yami for a huge, fat book about Egyptian Civilisation, until –

"No, don't. It's too heavy for you!" He took the book back before it broke my arms and just for a tiny split second his warm and strong fingers touch my cold, clammy ones and I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. I think he felt the same as I did. My hair stood on end – and his?? Well, it's all styled into its normal wild self so I'm not very sure..... but I did notice that his hair had more touches of gold – or was it always like that?? My eyeballs stopped swivelling in every direction and I shook my head vigorously to get my vision back together.

We let go immediately of each other's hand – and the book went flying to the floor. We both stared at each other, for a looooooong, looooooong, looooooong time before I broke the stare away and went to the aid of the poor book which had been thrown on the dirty floor and waiting for one of us to pick it back up. I crouched down and picked it up.

"Poor book...." I mumbled while I stood up holding it with my hands as I fingered the dirt – filled pages, which had splattered, over the floor. "I'll make it up to you, Yami, I promise." I apologised, thinking how angry the librarian would be when she found out about this book.

Yami nodded, I bet he was also puzzled by what happened just 5 minutes ago because he was staring at his hand now and then and I burned to the ground with embarrassment. We both walked up to Yugi's locker in silence and then I shoved the book inside and left without saying anything.

ooooooo

Back at home I scrubbed the makeup off my face. Tea said I looked pretty but I didn't like it. I looked at my scrawny and boring self at the mirror and sighed, before going back to my room and flinging off my uniform and dressing into a plain white shirt and jeans. I sat back on my chair, looking at my diary and also the outside world from my window. I opened my diary, picked up my pen and was about to write something until my door opened and Callista came in. I shut the diary fast. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" I said.

"Charybdis, I was knocking but you didn't hear." She replied.

I looked away. "Sorry...."

She looked at me carefully. "Did something happen? How did your attempts to flirt work out?"

I groaned. "Oh terrible!! He isn't those kinds to be seduced easily, and I can't flirt anyway!! I'm hopeless at it, I'm a loser!!!!!" I wailed and I hugged Callista before she could protest and fling me back.

But she didn't.

She hugged me back. "Don't worry little sis. I'll teach you another technique of getting your man."

I sat back, my nose dribbling and waterworks on. "H-How??" I snorted.

"The 67 techniques of kissing!" She exclaimed.

I sniffled. "Huh??" I gave her a blank look.

"Wait here." She ran out from my room and back into her own, I heard some cupboards opening and closing and several stuff being flung around and then she finally came back holding a small pocket-sized book in her hands.

I gaped at the kissing lips on the pink cover. 'The 67 Techniques of Kissing and How to Master Them' it said in bold, red love heart shaped letters. I snorted with laughter. "What is this stuff??!!"

Callista cringed. "It's mine. I bought it secretly when I was about 17 or 18."

I gaped at her, remembering to bring my open jaw when she handed me it. I flipped through it mercilessly; part giggling madly and part interested. It told you how to French kiss properly. I looked back at my older sis. "Why did you get it?"

She shrugged. "Try it out. You could learn something from there."

I raised my eyebrows while grinning. "Does that mean that you also learned something from this book??"

She blushed. "Just read it and you'll know." And she left me in my room to explore the contents. "But I'll tell you this, when you kiss, you may feel hot and your partner may feel cold, and you might not be able to breathe so breathe through your nose, not your mouth, got that?"

"Ooh, so it's like fire kiss and ice kiss??" I giggled. She didn't reply.

o

The book told me to try kissing with lipstick on a tissue first or on your hand. So I did. I gaped horrendously at my lip print on the tissue. God, I hadn't noticed how big my lips looked like before. I stared at the print of the long and thick lipstick. The feeling of embarrassment and awkwardness swept over me again and I scrunched the tissue up, and ripped it into tiny pieces into the bin. I wiped the lipstick off and washed my face.

That was it. I'll never get a boy in my whole life. I'd probably stay single in my life too..... Touch wood!! I hugged the wooden doorway and didn't let go for a glorious 5 minutes. I let go of it finally and waddled back into my room, I stared at the book. It was a load of bogus, crap and full of lousy stuff that I'd never master properly. I scowled at it, who wants to learn how to kiss properly anyway? I'd rather experience the real thing, and learn it by kissing with someone....

Immediately my thoughts ventured back over to Yami and I slapped myself. He probably just finds me as a friend anyway, I could kiss my love goodbye, but I could still have a crush on him though. I pounced on my bed and dug out my diary again. I just remembered that I hadn't put in a description for my newest character in this 'book'.

Yami, the good spirit who dwells inside Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, totally the opposite of Bakura and is probably 100 good. He's hot, manly, hot, attractive, kind, hot, gentle, and did I mention hot? Yeah, I did – about 5 or 10 times. Just watching him wants me want to start slobbering over my Sloppy Joe or whatever unfortunate object that I am holding when he appears. But who am I kidding? I'm lucky enough that no other girl apart from Tea (I think) fancies him (or does she like Yugi?) and go down to his house to propose or something. I could start stalking him, I pictured myself in my mind, placing flowers on his doorstep before running off secretly, sending him love letters and chocolates and stuff I like, like my beanie babies and chocolate bars. I had slapped myself hard, really hard this time. I'm starting to sound rather – mental now.

He is perfect, I suppose in every way. Totally your Mr Right. His chiselled and rugged features on his smooth and rough face makes me want to kiss him. His flashing, glowing violet orbs in his eyes makes me want to melt and his posture... ooh – the way he keeps his hands in his pockets.....Sighs...

I'm also quite lucky that I can see him both in and out of spirit form. Thank you Grandma for bestowing this power to me! Oh yeah, I'll never ever even think of exorcising him!

I slammed my book shut. Apparently I've been getting far too carried away with writing that it's dinnertime.

ooooooo

The next day at school, we were in art for last period and I was busy doodling with my colouring pencils on an A3 piece of paper. It took ages to do, since my pencils could only colour one ounce on it every second. Now, to add some blue...lalalala.....some red...hum dee dooo daa....some yellow...ooh la la....

When I had finished, which was donkey years ago, I marvelled at my work. I had drawn and coloured in a blended sun setting and darkening sky filled with rich colours of yellow, red, black and orange perfectly, and a bluey - greeny sea and then a couple in the middle, coloured messily and black because I can't draw people's silhouette. They were both kissing in front of the sun, with teensy words, which were the names 'Yami' on the male and 'Charybdis' on the female. I giggled after marvelling gloriously at my picture and picked it up, and ventured over to Joey who was standing on the floor painting a picture which stood on a stand a couple of centimetres in front of him. He had a paint palette in his hand, the other holding a thick brush and his cheeks had some paint on. I stood behind him, watching him tap his chin and think while going 'hmmmm' and peered over his shoulder (on tiptoe since I ain't tall enough) and stared at the portrait.

A mass bridge of yellow covered his whole sheet, and a slap of pink paint was in the middle between the bridges of yellow. What I assumed to be a 'human' in the picture, had uneven eyes that squinted opposite each other, a long vertical, U - shaped thing in between the eyes and a long, red horizontal line quavered its way below the U –shape. I raised an eyebrow and stifled a giggle. "What's that? Some sort of mutated banana monster?" I said, causing Joey to leapt up with fright when he heard my voice in his ear. He landed back in the art department on his feet back on earth after jumping 1 centimetre high in the air, before turning around facing me angrily.

"Gurlie, don't sneak up on people like dat!" he roared furiously. I stepped back, scratching my ear and smiled nervously. "S-Sorry."

His face returned back to its normal colour and he softened a little when I shrank back. "Whatcha' doing here anyway? Finished already?"

I nodded, grinning again once the fierce Joey had calmed down and I shoved my finished piece of art into his face. He sniggered and I clutched it tightly when I brought it back in front of my chest. "What's so funny?" I asked questioningly.

"Dose things, what are dey?" he snickered, pointing to the 'Yami' and 'Charybdis' on the picture. I glanced at the coloured couple. "Why people, of course."

He let out a roar of his boisterous chuckling. "Dey look more like a banana."

"Well what is THAT supposed to be?" I snapped back, pointing back to his picture.

"That's Mai." He said proudly.

"The mutated banana?" I sniggered a little.

He growled. "That'd no monster, it's Mai? Have ya get your eyes tested yet, Gurlie?" I blinked back at him.

After 5 more minutes of debating, I decided to rest this case and let Joey finish his masterpiece and waddled over to Ryou who was sitting beside the light tables opposite me. "Hey Ryou!" I said as I pulled an empty seat over to him. He seemed to have taken quite a shock that he knocked over his tub of black paint beside him on the floor (not my side) and immediately all girls from every corner of the room zoomed up to his aid and pushed me away. They were asking him 'Are you okay, Ryou?' and 'Did you get any paint on yourself, Ryou?' while the real casualty right now was me.

I think I pulled a muscle when I was rudely pulled away, I glared angrily at the girl who had seated herself on MY chair and then I glared at the bunch of other girls bombarding poor Ryou with their hankies and scrubbing at his face where invisible paint were. My lip trembled a little when my picture floated over my face. I pulled it off and made an attempt to stand up, before Ryou managed to push his way through the girls and he looked worriedly at me. "Are you alright, Charybdis?" he asked me, as he helped me back onto my chair when I pushed the girl off by 'accident'. I nodded in reply.

Lucky him, man, he gets female idols everywhere, just like Duke who is a babe magnet. Which is why I sort of wonder whether Yami gets a fan club either. I knew I thought about this last time, but I'm honestly not sure. What about Tea? Who is the real person she likes??

The rest of the art lesson, I spent it talking to Ryou and doing portraits of each other. I hadn't noticed how good Ryou was in drawing, complimented him and he blushed a little. Then I tried drawing Ryou, but it ended up looking like a tub of ice cream. I had also made his skin too pale so it looked like strawberry ice cream with vanilla ice cream.

I also did a picture of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle at home on A4. I used paints from home so it didn't look really great. I tried to make a gold colour but it went rather orange instead and I went over the rims, but I manage to cover it up because I painted a black background. I used a black pen and traced the outlines of the puzzle, including the funny eye and even the edges. When I had finished I noticed that I had used up about 3 hours trying to make it perfect, to be honest, it looked sort of okay.

Boy, wouldn't he be happy?

ooooooooooo

It's Bonfire Night today. I arrived at Joey's house at 6:01pm and knocked on the door. No one was there. I knocked again. Still no reply. I blinked. The house seemed empty, and I looked around the parts, it was rather cold, and I tightened myself into my jacket to become warmer. I gripped the bags of food I had brought with me for this party and sighed. I wasn't that late now, was I?

"Charybdis?" I turned to face Tristan who was at the foot of the stairs. I blinked again. "What are you doing here?? Everyone's upstairs." He led me up and I blinked once more. "Um.... I thought we were holding the party in Joey's house." I said as I followed him up stairs. He took my bags once we reached to the top, and opened a door there, where we were at the rooftops.

"Guys?? There you are!" I said as I pranced over to them.

Everyone was here, standing or sitting in the rooftops. They were several picnic tables and chairs, with bags of stuff on top. I spotted Yugi talking to Tea, and I felt a wave of jealousy pass over me.... I shook my head and looked at Joey who had taken the bags off from Tristan, who returned back to the table. Duke was drinking a root beer watching from the edge and I saw Ryou sitting down with Tristan. And then I saw a girl, with long, light brown hair beside her brother....

"Serenity!" I cried and I bobbed over to her.

"Charybdis! I'm glad you could make it!" She said, as she turned round. We both smiled at each other. "Long time no see." I added.

"You said it." She replied, and Joey sauntered back over to the tables to leave us two girls alone.

"So how are you? Are Duke and Tristan giving you a hard time again?" I asked as we both sat down on an empty table away from the boys. Serenity shook her head. "They're fine, Charybdis. How are you?"

"Me? ... I guess I'm alright." I replied, looking at the table.

"Is your leg getting better?" She asked timidly.

"Yeah, I can move it freely now. It doesn't hurt nae (no) more either."

And we spent only about 10 minutes talking until it was time to eat; Duke and Tristan began fighting to sit beside Serenity. I felt rather ignored, and confused. But felt better when Tea and Ryou sat beside me. I spotted Yami sitting in spirit form at the spare seat next Yugi, and he waved at me. I didn't do anything but I returned a secret smile. Then once again, the table was filled with loud chatting and plates of food that everyone went to dig in and battle over.

BOOM!!

I screamed the loudest and stopped abruptly in embarrassment when everyone had started laughing. It was only a firework. I cringed when everyone left their seats when they had finished to watch the firework display. I remembered my picture I had done this afternoon and went back to the table to retrieve it. I found it, just rolled up gently under my jacket and I unravelled it and beamed, then returned back to the gang who were still watching the display. A blue firework sailed into the dark sky ad cracked, revealing a ball of blue light shaping into the form of Blue Eyes White Dragon. I swooned when it began to fade away slowly.

"Hey, aren't those Kaiba Corp's fireworks?" I asked.

"How'd you know?" Duke asked as he glanced over at my direction, with an eyebrow raised.

"I spotted the Copyright symbol which appeared on the dragon." I replied, pointing to it; a tiny circle with an invisible 'C' in the middle and itty bitty writing on when the next firework had flew up into the form of Monster Reborn and Swords of Revealing Light. "Hey, look! They also have fireworks the shape of magic cards and trap cards."

Joey snorted, and I remembered that he didn't like the president of Kaiba Corp, and I also thought about Mokie, I wondered how he was. Soon, when the fireworks no longer came back on, everyone returned to the table.

"What are we going to do now? There's still a lot of time left, and we've eaten everything." Ryou asked as he stared at the empty plates.

"I know, let's square dance!" I suggested cheerfully.

Everyone raised his or her eyebrow at me. "Honestly Gurlie, I don't know where you get these crazy ideas, but what the heck – ?!"Joey said and he looped my arm and we began dancing in circles. They all shrugged and began following our actions. Duke and Tristan fought again but then Ryou came over to Serenity and they both began dancing.

We only danced for several minutes before the next firework came up and we stopped. Watching the others focusing back onto the fireworks, I hunted around for Yugi and Yami. Eh?? I glanced at every corner of the rooftops, but I couldn't find them, even Tea was gone too...

I sneaked away from the group without them even noticing and prowled over to the darker regions where it was also quiet from the loud bangs from the fireworks. I spotted two figures ahead.

Tea and Yugi.

They were performing fire and ice!!