OOOOH, AN EARLY UPDATE?! WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?!

Nah I'm just kidding. It helps that it's Spring Break and all. But anyway let's skip this and get to YUGIOH!

Straight from the start, I knew this was going to be a bad idea. I had half a mind to drag these boys out of here by their ears but regretfully stayed my hand. Curiosity was an extremely hard thing to kill as much as an idea. Or hope. Unfortunately, that died for me after Tristan and Miho hopped onto the employment bus and ran me over after throwing me under it.

How fitting. My stalker and her stalker. Very poetic.

Yuugi tilts his head in wonder. "Why in the world would they come here?"

Then the idiot goes and says, "Do you think the place has a secret back room or somethin' for," his eyes darts side to side and leans in with his hand cupping the side of his mouth, "...sexy time?"

Yuugi's face bursts as dark as sunsets. "Joey!" he squeals brokenly.

I punch the back of his head, more out of the fact he sounded like he was serious. 'Stop defiling his innocent, little brain, you brat!' He growls at me madly, nursing his bulging bruise. I ignore him and turn away, not caring as I inspected my nails. Yuugi comes in between before anything can finish.

I scoff unbelievably at the punk. 'Honestly, is perversion the only thing this boy thinks of?' Well, he was a teenager...

"Maybe they just came here to eat." Yuugi helpfully inputs.

My mood sours. 'Oh, how I wish that were it.'

"But dint Tea tell us not to com'ere?" Joey pointed out in a rare moment of intelligence to my dismay.

If I wasn't who I was, just imagining about dealing with (a feral) Tea would have me biting my fingernails until they were mere stubs (who, I must remind you, is taller than me). Instead, I scrap out a sheet and write, 'Let's say that Wheeler is right (which is unlikely)' I get an angry 'Hey!' from said boy, 'and we bump into them, we'll say that we wanted to try out the burgers despite Tea's warning. It might just be our saving grace.' (i.e. mostly for myself.)

Yuugi's hand acts as a gavel as it 'poks' it into his open hand. "Great idea!" he walks on ahead, a smile on his face like he wasn't worried in the least. He probably wasn't. "Alright let's go."

Joey shrugs, hand in his pocket as we followed from behind to the entrance, my pulse accelerating nervously. Steeling myself, I hold my breath as the glass door slides open like the gates to my personal hell. And as I expected, there the three culprits posed, welcoming us without knowing who we were. "Welcome to Burger World! Where the-" There were halfway through the greeting when it clicked in their minds who we were, and just how busted they were going to be.

And with those matching uniforms? Yeah, there was no getting out of it.

I tip my hat down and look away, staying in the back behind the two. 'Oh boy.' This is going to get interesting.

Yuugi and Joey stare blankly at the three showed their backs to us, the latter clearly panicking.

"What's...going on here?" Joey asks the million dollar question of the day. "Come on you guys! Say somethin'!

Tristan was first up to answer. "Isn't it obvious? We're working," he admits hotly.

"But why...?"

"Why?" he repeats dramatically. "Because there's nothing wrong with working to make a living!"

"...Buddy, you do know that part-time jobs are banned right?" the blonde drawls. His friend lost some composure at the reminder of the well-known rule. "And here you were supposed to be the squeaky clean one. Such a hypocrite."

I secretly saved that little comeback in my notebook for later...

The neon green part-timer fumbled as tears pooled in his eyes at the end. "Sh-shut up! When it came down to it, I had no other choice! Because...BECAUSE-!"

Miho suddenly cuts in. "There are so many things I want to buy!"

All of us shared blank looks so empty, a sheet of white paper was colorful.

This...wasn't surprising actually. For Miho and Tristan, it's always a cause and effect. Anything to do with her, and he is sure to follow behind waiting on her hand and foot, using every opportunity to display his masculinity and bachelor status. But then there was Tea...

My breath caught as brown locked on brown. Uh-oh...she saw me.

The beast inside her rears its ugly little head as she advanced on me, barreling past her two coworkers. "You!" Tea nearly stabs at my chest with an accusing finger.

Frantic beneath the surface, I wrestled to keep my cool and my expression bored as I walked out of the shadows. 'Yes, me. Can I help you?'

She grinds her teeth and her face twisted. Her two associates smartly take a step away. The two were scared, but for whom was questionable. "I knew I couldn't trust you." her words bite out and I almost flinch.

Her anger. I could taste it, and man was it bitter. Like a triple shot of espresso, or someone dropping said espresso on a complete stranger for the fun of it.

"Eh? What you talkin' about Tea?"

She falters as she blinks, looking to Joey's dumbfounded face. I looked at him surprised as well. "What do you mean? Didn't he tell you about my part-time job? That's why you're here isn't?"

I take a step back, bunching a fist full of my shirt from behind. 'Oops. Looks like the cat's out of the bag.'

Joey turns to me, "What?! You knew about this?!" all while spraying spit all over the side of my face.

Everyone stopped dead, saved for the blonde. Joey seemed blind to what he had done, probably still reeling from my secret knowledge. Calmly, I wipe the disgusting saliva off like it was nothing...

...then ferociously slapped his face with it.

"AH! My face!" he cries indignantly, cheek blazing like a furnace as he fell back and held onto Yuugi like a pitiful maiden. "He slapped me on the face Yuugi!" he blinks and pulls away his hand to look at it, "And with spit!"

I roll my eyes at the sorry sight as I wiped the rest of his liquid cooties off on my jacket. It was getting a wash tonight anyway.

Yuugi, shocked at first, laughs nervously in the end, "Carter..."

I sigh. 'Hai hai wakatta.' I step over to them, Joey cringing away with angry, watery puppy eyes. Smirking to myself, I pat him on the head like a dog.

(Trans: Yeah, yeah I get it.)

"Hey!" He swipes at my arm but I pull away in time, face still neutral. He scours his head, most likely checking to see if I rubbed any leftover spit that was in his hair. "You punk! I ain't a mutt so stop treating me like one!"

Ignoring the foaming blonde, I smirk evilly, eyes shifting into a lighter shade for a breath. 'I know someone who does though.'

Then suddenly, something malicious and chilling touches my heart, sending my mind in a whirl. I turn my back and press against my chest, eyes wide and confused. 'What the-'

"You three, what's going on?"

I look over my shoulder and a man donning a similar uniform appeared on the scene, probably another employee or their boss. His shoulder-length hair was tied up that looked to be dyed red but was fading into a dull pink. Why he didn't fix it eluded me. That is if I had been thinking.

But I wasn't, my mind was completely jilted of anything, my heart pacing shallowly and my breath quick, low, and uneven. I shut my eyes. 'Calm down dang it.' I mentally berated myself. All these panic attacks keep happening at the weirdest of times. Was there something wrong with me?

"Aren't you going to show them to their seats." the nameless man finished and walked away toward the kitchen. Soon the anxiety fell away and my heartbeat once again thumped quietly in my chest. I sigh in relief.

All three employees replied loudly at his retreating back, "Yes sir!"

And so we were seated at a booth on the front side of the restaurant, Joey on one end, me and Yuugi in the other. Miho and Tristan had their own set of tables assigned to them so they had to leave us to Tea (of all people) who had a number of empty tables. She slammed a stack of menus on the table and we flinch in our seats, wondering if this was a bad idea.

"Can you get you anything to drink?" she hissed between clenched teeth. I half expected a snake tongue to flicker in and out with all that venom she injected in every word.

The boys were quick to bob their scared little heads and scour the menus, picking out the first thing on the list which was the signature burger with a soda on the side. Yuugi passes a menu to me but I rejected it. I lost my appetite long before we got here.

Not waiting to see if I would change my mind, she snatches them out of our hands and marches away.

I lean back in a slouch, angled so I was up against Yuugi for support. I close my eyes. 'That was pleasant.'

"Um, Carter..." Yuugi shyly begins. I wink one eye open before shutting it again. I softly bop his head with mine and went back to rest. It had been a long day (that I somehow survived) and I didn't care how intimate this looked to anyone. He was very comfortable. I just needed a few minutes.

A small 'flower boy' comment my way later and the tranquility was lost, the icy cold front moving on against Wheeler. He miffed a yelp and glares nervously somewhere else.

That's when I caught Yuugi shuffling uncomfortably in his seat beneath me and I poke him to ask why, my rest abandoned. "I-I don't think we should have come here you guys. Tea looks really upset with us."

However, the blonde wasn't having it, head in his hand as he couldn't care less as ever. Psh, yeah, like he wasn't freaking out enough to scan the menu properly a minute ago. He scoffs. "Whatever, it's their fault for keepin' it under wraps in da the first place."

As I was about to roll my eyes at how dumb that statement was, a sudden image of a rather close up look of Tea's uniform crammed into my brain like a semi trying to fit in a house garage. I recoil from the disturbingly provocative image and sat ramrod straight, scooted away to face the window, and wiped my eyes furiously, embarrassment staining my cheeks.

'What the hell was that?!' The way that projection was going, it was like I was checking her out! 'Dang it I know I kept saying I wasn't gay but what the halibut was that?!' I may slightly fear and respect her but that was a far cry from saying I felt more than admiration for the girl.

"Hey what's wrong?"

Yuugi was staring at me worriedly and my embarrassment melted.

It was really sweet of him to- hold on, was his cheeks red? I lean in to inspect him and he curves away from me a little, his red cheeks glowing brighter. 'Could he have been thinking of...?' I banished the thought and shake my head, 'Nah, he wouldn't.' I thought as I fixed on an unsteady thin line on my lips. 'I'm fine.' I tried to convey to him then looked away, chills burning my mind.

The idea of Yuugi harboring such dirty thoughts was unheard of (or I still in denial since he's also a teen but would never admit to it) but it also brought up the time Yuugi claimed to hear my thoughts (which I also denied being true). Thinking of such an odd thing reminded me of-

My sight slid to the goings on outside the burger joint, hoping to keep my mind off the idea before it would fully form. But now my thoughts trailed to the jumpy feeling in my chest that wouldn't rest after we got the misunderstanding cleared. It had nothing to do with Tea whatsoever and that worried me. Just what was causing this unease with myself?

A faint image of blood red eyes wormed its way back into my memory and I take a sharp intake. 'Why would I remember that now?' I had concluded with myself quite some time ago that it couldn't have been real. I didn't have any proof or explanation for anything that night.

The only probability I could fabricate was that I fainted in the middle of being dragged away, then some vigilante comes flying out of nowhere, beats him up, then escapes into the night. I know, crazy, but the game sequence dream made absolutely no sense either!

It didn't help that the boys were out of commission during my fainting spell, so no one could confirm my theory. They were curious to know who saved my backside but not motivated enough to go with the actual search and eventually chocked it up to good luck. Done, that's it.

A migraine sprouts in my head and I rub at it until it blots away. 'I gotta stop thinking about this too much. There can't be such a thing as Millennium spirits.' Even my daydreams had become void of those sinful orbs.

Uh huh. That's why you still remember him even now. Face it, you're in denial.

That annoying little piece of consciousness kept pressing and prodding but I refused to acknowledge it. Having to deal with this current dilemma was a headache enough for one day and I had no time to deal with wishful fantasies.

But...

I wipe at my face, shielding my eyes as I tried to shake off the emerging sadness, the clear blue skies mocking me with it's light and cheery hues.

It didn't stop the useless sense of longing I had to speak with him again. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful or anything to have someone like Yuugi who treats me like I can talk.

But he heard everything I was saying and he responded in kind, something that will never happen in real life so long as I'm a mute. I'd laugh at myself if I could. It was pathetic of me really, wanting to talk to a person from a dream just because I could hold a normal conversation (odd topics and origins aside anyway).

After waking from that dream, I never thought too much about it, but there he remained in the back of my mind like a wisp of smoke from dying embers that refused to go away.

I scraped my hand across my face again, feigning it to be exhaustion when it caught Yuugi's concerning face. If I could run from my thoughts, I'd borrow Sonic's speed to do it in an instant. 'Damn it.'

"Sorry for the wait."

'...that'll work.'

For once I was thankful that Tea interrupted with our food at hand, diminishing any remnants of memories of him that disturbed me for the time being. But she definitely was not happy with us.

Like the menus, she smacks down the tray of food (miraculous without spilling the burgers or the drinks) and expertly spins out a bottle of ketchup in her hand, a nightmarish shadow contorting her smile into a sadistic smirk. "Here, allow me to spread some ketchup on your burgers for you."

But what she did was pure paganism as she sprayed 'You blab, you die.' in one full squirt. Honestly, the threat sounded more me than her and couldn't help but feel a bit of pride like she were my child. (She might even follow in my footsteps and become the successor to the Ice King's name hehe)

"My burger! Tea what's the big idea?!" Joey cried as he agonized over the one meal he can afford to buy outside school once a month. Yuugi fared no better but smartly held his tongue.

A hand on her hip, she saunters away a few steps before she stops. "Well since you found out about my job I might as well fess up why I'm doing this."

I perk up my ears. I was curious as well. Money was an obvious factor, but we never heard what the reason behind the money was.

She twists to us and to our relief she was smiling, meaning she bared no ill will against us anymore, including me.

"It was to earn enough so I could support myself, but now I'm using this time to save up for when I go to America."

This caught Joey's attention as he and Yuugi gawk at her reason. "America?" I rest my chin on my fist as I listened.

She nods and her eyes fade into the distance, images of colorful neons of a city nightlife coming to mind. "I want to go to New York to study dancing." her eyes glistened. "And maybe, one day, I will get to perform on Broadway."

'A dancer?' I tilt my head, giver her body a once over (all while heavily blocking out that strange perverted image earlier). Judging by the tone of her muscles and possible flexibility from her figure's shape, I could see it. From what I could remember of my general knowledge about the entertainment business, you'd have to be wow-the-crowd spontaneous and insanely talented to get a spot on the big stage. Knowing a person or two in the business usually helps to get a one-up too. (Admittedly it's a bit underhanded but sometimes necessary in order to get noticed at least)

"Now you know. And if any of you laugh I won't forgive you."

"We won't laugh! It's a great dream to have, right Joey?"

"Heh, you betcha. Your secret's safe with us Tea. And if I spill, I'll buy ten thousand of your burgers to make up for it." He playfully pouts as he scoops up a bloody-looking burger. "Although I might have to file a complaint about the type for food you're serving."

I had my best sarcastic 'Are you kidding me?' face on. 'With what money? You can't even afford the Stamina Lunch you were lording about before, let alone ten thousand burgers.' I wanted to point it out so badly but I didn't want to spoil the good mood. So I let the moment be...after I swiped Wheeler's drink. His attention was still on Tea who replied that the food was on her. Good thing too otherwise I'd owe Wheeler.

Speaking of, "My drink!" He pounds his hands on the table when he realized the crime done unto him, the scene faintly reminding me of Phoenix Wright. I kept sucking away, making it as loud as possible just to spite him. (I was still a little sore from the entrance about him spraying instead of saying his accusations)

He reaches over so far he was basically on the table. Every time he lunged for it, I moved away, still drinking all the while. Yuugi watches our playful bully game helplessly from the sidelines, noticing the several pairs of eyes watching us in annoyance for the noise we were causing. "Guys..." I hadn't heard him as I was currently avoiding Wheeler's Swiper swiping attempts.

"Give!" Swipe, miss.

"Me!" Swipe, miss.

"Back!" Swipe, miss.

"My!" Swipe, wide miss.

"Dri-ahh!" Somehow he throws off his momentum, landing face first between me and Yuugi and his legs twitching in the air before falling flat on the table top.

"Joey!" A familiar cry rings out.

I winced, knowing I had taken the joke too far and sigh in regret for causing such a scene. 'You clown.' Out of goodwill (and hope we wouldn't get kicked out), I helped Yuugi bring him back to his seat with much difficulty. But, the blonde shrugged off our efforts - well mine - and childishly sat his butt back down on his side, face sideways and nose turned up.

'Oh great.' I thought bitterly with a peeved expression on my face. That last dodge from our squabble popped the lid a bit and some of the drink got on my jacket. I shrugged it off, now only wearing my long sleeve shirt. Why in this weather? I had washed my t-shirts before doing my pants but I forgot to properly dry them since the battle took up so much of my time. Though it was my own doing, I turned up my nose as well from Joey like he was to blame.

But then Yuugi activates and casts the puppy dog eyes in my direction. I shielded too late, the 'guilt' and 'obedience' effect getting to me like massive heat on a sweltering summer day. I glare lightly at him without a hint of malice. 'You're soooo lucky I can't say no to you.' I wipe off the tip of the straw (no indirect kisses thank you) and push it back to its own with a finger.

Joey glares at the offered peace offering, but notices the folded note I also slipped underneath it. Curious, he moves the drink, picks up the note, and unfurls it. His glare completely disappears and a look of awe takes its place. I didn't look to see as I was facing away myself, but I did take some of the napkins and sopped up the excess ketchup staining the top of their buns.

He grins my way and I settle the truce with a fun smirk.

Appeased and pleased, Yuugi thanks me for the fixing up the food and digs into his burger as did Wheeler.

It was bouts like these that reminded me so much of Inuyasha and Shippo. Joey certainly matches the little fox demon in many ways, but he can be such a bratty delinquent like the white-haired half demon. Like Inuyasha, I may have threatened him before but it mostly empty words like how siblings are with each other. I probably wouldn't have been able to really hurt him even if I wanted.

Never mind the fact that the Kagome in this mix is partial to blame for that.

Thinking about Kagome also reminded me of Kikyo and the sadness returned as my earlier thoughts returned too soon. I sigh, annoyed. 'That didn't take long to come back.'

I steal a glance at my dear friend, traces of guilt clawing at me. Though it was difficult since he and Yuugi looked so much alike, I never tried to see the dream Yuugi in real Yuugi like the way Inuyasha did with Kagome and Kikyo. (Just the thought of it had me scowling at myself).

I didn't see an older version of Yuugi, nor a self-projection of what he would look like as my shining knight in armor. (Wannabe damsel in distress much?).

Just two completely different human beings.

Looks aside, there was nothing the two had in common with each other.

I clench my hands as I fondly remembered what they did for me.

No, that wasn't true. Both of them were kind-hearted people, but they expressed it in ways that differed from the other. Yuugi was the kind of person that encourages and comforts people, a true friend anyone should have. Dream Yuugi I wasn't sure of since I only met him once, but from how he handled Ushio (as a theoretical example) I could see him as the type that takes matters into his own hands in order to protect what he wanted. What that meant for me as I was the one in need...I didn't look too deeply into it.

Besides those other excuses why I couldn't walk home with him, deep down it was partially why I didn't go out with him as much as I used to before the Ushio incident. The little shorty was my first real friend. It wasn't fair to replace his identity with someone who didn't exist, but at the same time, I didn't want to deny he never existed at all like Inuyasha with Kikyo.

But I wasn't going to follow his mistakes. I knew what was in front of me and what wasn't. I was going to put it all behind me someway, somehow, and treat Yuugi as he deserved.

Satisfied, I turn back to the window to wait them out, thinking back to Tea's dream to cross the sea to my home country and see her name in lights. The idea about it stuck as it fascinated me.

I wondered about what I would do in the future. All I ever occupied myself with was my friends and getting through school. Anything else I never pondered about because it never took precedent (and yes that included my odd amnesia. I made my bed with that and have come to terms with it). Then again, didn't almost everyone here have some foresight to what they want to do when they grow up? It's only natural right after all.

'Dreams...what would my dream be?'

Red eyes. Mentally I face plant the tabletop with a long 'DONK!' but I groan and squeeze my eyes shut. 'I didn't mean THAT kind of dream dang it!' Even my forbidden thoughts are stubborn as I am...

When I reopen my eyes, a man in a suit walks by and stops some distance away, glaring at the restaurant. 'Huh?' I get closer to the window and stick my face close to the clear barrier for a better look. It was a curious thing to see someone making such an expression in public (I'd know, people have looked at me strangely for the same purpose).

Curiouser and curiouser, he appeared to have been running despite wearing formal clothes. And in this hot weather? Not to mention he didn't exactly look like a spring chicken either. And when he entered the building, my curiosity doubled, and I wasn't the only one.

I look over our booth and saw the man was speaking with our three friends and the strange guy from before. "What's going on?"

I stiffened, my hand over my mouth thinking I had said that out loud, but then I remembered that it couldn't have been me, nor did I believe my voice would sound that deep. I turn to Joey and he was looking in the same direction as the newcomer. Yuugi looks up as well, barely halfway through his burger. "Looks like somethin' is going down." then a playful gleam lit his eye. "You wanna check it out?"

To his surprise, I was the first to raise my hand to join in this mission. I had an overwhelming need to snoop at the secret meeting. It just occurred to me that men with fierce expressions and in a suit no less, this guy could mean business. If it's something dangerous, I needed to know before it went downhill and gets all of us caught in the crossfire.

I will NOT put Yuugi through something like that again.

Not sure what else to do, Yuugi gave in and joined our little troupe. We left our food behind as we sneaked up to the corner. But as we got closer, a small attack was coming back. It wasn't as bad but just enough to keep me alert for any circumstance. We crouch low and listen in.

"A criminal?!" Miho exclaims but was instantly shut by Tea.

My eyes lower angrily. '...I knew it.' Trouble was afoot, and it was only the beginning.

Okay, I'll see you guys next month ^w^

.

.

.

*snorts*