Music Lover's Alert: "Use Me" by Bill Withers and/or "Sweet Dreams" - Eurythmics version, depending on what you like better. I'm not too fond on the Marylin Manson version of "Sweet Dreams," but if any of you are, enjoy!

Author's Note: I'd Like to thank China Smith for winning my contest earlier and naming the OC in this chapter Cynthia Donahue. Since China Smith suggested that Cynthia would look somewhat like Ellie Goulding, I would have worked in an Ellie Goulding song if I thought it would have worked with this chapter, but I think I've already got some reserved for a Timothy Saunders chapter.

I would also like to thank everyone who participated in the June 23 blackout. I only got twelve hits on my stories that day, and no e-mail alerts, so I would call that a success. A bunch of us also made it into an event on Facebook and had a lot of fun doing some roleplay, discussing which Yu-Gi-Oh! characters were hotter, and making new friends. If you would like to meet this awesome group of people, you can join the blackout reunion group on Facebook. It is called "Fanfiction authors of the World, UNITE!"

Chapter 29 SERENITY!

When Serenity returned to school for her 11th year, she was keenly aware of how all social interaction with her peers suddenly seemed so trivial. The students would gossip about who was wearing the latest trends and whose clothes were "so two weeks ago." Unfortunately, some of the gossip was about her as well.

A reporter had published an article about Samuel Wheeler's funeral which featured a photograph of "the Wheeler children mourning with their significant others." Since Seto Kaiba's white trench coat distinctively identified him in the photograph and he had graduated from Domino High School only a few years ago, everyone paid attention. Some of the nicer students offered their condolences to her, but most of them whispered behind her back. They said things along the lines of, "I bet she conned him into being her boyfriend," or, "He's probably going to dump her as soon as she gets over her loss."

Mokuba experienced similar, more blatant comments from the guys in his class. They tended to say things like, "Dude! Your older brother is dating someone your age and you like, have nobody." Since pretty much all of the brave individuals who once attended their school had been incinerated the previous year and Mokuba had nobody to stand up for him, he had to develop his own responses to their comments. Most of the time, he just imitated his older brother by saying flatly, "your point?"

After a few months of school, the rumors abated and the students turned their attention to other matters. However, since Serenity and Mokuba did not make any lasting friendships with other people, they became much closer and developed some good habits. On most days, they would go to Kaiba Corporation to study until Seto got off work. On other days, they would go to Mokuba's favorite gym to get exercise. Mokuba's already firm muscles developed even more as his testosterone levels naturally increased. Within a very short time, the whispers and giggles about the handsome older Kaiba brother stopped and girls started flirting with Mokuba instead.

One day after school, Mokuba met Serenity with a cute blonde hanging onto one of his bulging biceps with both of her skinny, spray tanned arms, which were covered with gold and silver bracelets. Although the school bell had only rung two minutes ago, she had already changed out of her uniform and into a hot pink halter top with a pair of denim shorts that barely covered her firm, round buttocks. On her feet were a pair of gold gladiator sandals and on her face were a pair of large black oval sunglasses with brown lenses. "Serenity, this is Cynthia Donahue. Is it OK if she studies with us?"

Before Serenity could answer, Cynthia burst out with, "Oh my God! You're the chick who picked that stuck-up CEO for a boyfriend instead of Mokuba! How could you do such a thing when Mokuba is way cuter? Oh well. I guess I should be thanking you because Mokuba is all mine now."

Serenity coughed slightly. "That stuck-up CEO happens to be Mokuba's older brother."

Cynthia took off her big black oval sunglasses and rested them on top of her waist length bleached blond hair. Her brown eyes widened when she got a better look at Serenity and connected her face with the photograph from the funeral. Poor girl! She doesn't even have real clothes to change into after school. She's still in her school uniform. Why doesn't she hit up her boyfriend for money? Cynthia thought. "Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. I'm so sorry!" Cynthia said in a tone of forced sympathy.

Serenity gave Mokuba a quizzical look, but did not comment further on his choice of companions. She just couldn't figure out what Mokuba saw in her. "Thanks. Um… let's go study," she said.

Serenity led the group to Kaiba Corporation, walking just in front of Mokuba and Cynthia. Cynthia kept a firm grip on Mokuba's arm with one hand and held used her other hand to check her Blackberry for the latest gossip. "So, there's this one slut named in our history class who slept with two guys in the same night and now she doesn't know who the father is."

Serenity turned around briefly. "Did she have an ultrasound yet?"

"No. She just took a pregnancy test. She's probably going to have an abortion instead of having the baby, but the thing is that she doesn't know which guy to hit up for the money. Isn't that disgusting?" Cynthia gabbed.

"What if both of the guys are fathers?" Serenity asked.

Cynthia looked at Serenity as if she was from another planet. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Mokuba said that you were smart, but I didn't believe him. After all, you're going out with-"

"—Cynthia, stop it. Serenity read medical textbooks all summer long. She knows what she's talking about," Mokuba interjected.

Cynthia fell silent and stayed that way for the rest of the walk. She focused all her attention on her smart phone, completely ignoring Serenity and Mokuba. However, by the time they got to Kaiba Corporation and settled into their studies, she seemed to have forgotten Mokuba's harsh words to her. She sat as close as she possibly could to him and took out a pink mechanical pencil with a fluffy ball on the end to do her homework.

A few minutes after they arrived, Seto poked his head into Mokuba's office and said. "Good, you're here. Serenity, I want your opinion on the Duel Academy uniforms."

"Sure," Serenity said, putting down her books and joining Seto in his office.

While Serenity was gone, Cynthia slid closer to Mokuba and slowly started climbing into his lap. "What are you doing?" Mokuba asked nervously.

"I just want to get to know my handsome hunk better," she said in a tone that one would normally use to address an infant.

"Cynthia, get off me. This isn't going to work."

"But you never even gave me a chance! Come on, let me show you what I can do for you," she pleaded. Her hand went to the buckle on his pants and started to undo it.

Mokuba gently took her hand and moved it away from his nether region. "Cynthia, I appreciate how you told Serenity that I'm the better man, but you can't go insulting my brother like that."

Cynthia pouted, "But I just want you to know how special you are. I'll never insult him again, I promise." Cynthia leaned into Mokuba and tried to kiss him, but Mokuba avoided her lips. In the process, he leaned so far back in his chair that it topped backwards onto the floor. Cynthia landed on top of him. "Hey! Your desk has a lot of space under it. I bet we could do all kinds of things under here."

"Cynthia, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I brought you here to see if Serenity…" Mokuba gulped, "Serenity…"

Cynthia looked down at him with venom in her usually sweet and starry brown eyes, grabbing him roughly by the collar of his school uniform. The ruby pendant on her gold necklace swung off her cleavage and dangled above his neck. He had the ghostly sensation that it was a dagger pointed at his throat and would cut him at any moment.

"SERENITY!" Mokuba screamed desperately.

Just when he thought his life was about to end, Seto and Serenity poked their heads over the edge of his desk and looked down at him. An amused smirk played across Seto's lips, but Serenity looked more worried. "Are you OK? Is somebody hurt?" Serenity asked.

Seto examined the scene. Cynthia was straddling Mokuba, and the tiny denim jean shorts she wore rode several centimeters up her smooth, tanned buttocks. It reminded him of an incident several years ago when Mai Valentine had come into his office demanding payment for testing his virtual reality game, and wound up testing a few other things he owned as well. Unfortunately, she had not come back for a second trial. "Mokuba, next time you orgasm, try to scream the right name," he said to his brother. "Come on Serenity, let's leave these two alone."

"Wait, Seto! Don't go! She's trying to kill me!" Mokuba begged, squirming under his female assailant. Although he could have easily escaped her grasp, he couldn't figure out how to do so without hurting her. He just wanted her to leave him alone.

Cynthia looked up at the two people staring down at her with her big, doe-like brown eyes. "Kill him? I thought he loved me, but it turns out that he was just using me to make Serenity jealous. This worm is unworthy." Cynthia stood up, straightened her shorts, and walked out of the office with her nose in the air.

"I never said that!" Mokuba called after her, but deep inside he knew that it was true.

Seto and Serenity stared at him for a few moments, speechless. Then, Seto put a hand on Serenity's shoulder and said, "I don't have time for this teenage drama. I'm going back to work." Then, he left the room.

Mokuba and Serenity stared at each other awkwardly for a few more moments, and then got back to work on their homework as if the incident had never happened.