Author: Hey Everyone,
How crazy is the world right now? Everyone's all in a state of panic with this Corona Virus around. I hope that you guys are staying safe. It absolutely breaks my heart to see how everyone is reacting towards this. In Australia, we are running out of basic nessessities such as toliet paper and soap because people are stockpiling thinking its the end of the world.
I know it's hard not to feel down and caught up in the panic and anxiety. Please take time to spread love and support to those around you. Call a family member and a friend and tell them how much they mean to you. Even though there has been a lot of focus on physical concequences, not many realise the impact it has on mental health.
So please be considerate to those around you. If you are unwell or showing symptoms avoid going to public places like schools, universities, shopping malls and restaurants. When at the supermaket only buy what you need (You do not need a pasta supply for 10 years)
Remember we can get through this together x
Chapter 20 - Car rides and Duelist Kingdom
The car ride to school wasn't as she expected. She was dreading an ominous silence, but it was just the opposite. They talked, actually talked. Thank god for Duel Monsters!
Their equal interest in the card game was a life-saver, they spoke about everything in the Duelling world. They talked about monsters, magic cards, and trap cards. Although Kaiba was a professional and she was an amateur he was still interested to hear about her. The two had a lot in common as in the past Kaiba's deck mainly consisted of dark attribute monsters.
Kaiba spoke about Duelist Kingdom and the development of his latest duel disk. He even shared the fact that Pegasus wasn't the biggest fan of his first prototype. Rebecca couldn't believe that the Duel Monsters Creator had ridiculed Kaiba's design and refused to use it during his tournament.
"No, I'm not discussing my strategies with you," Kaiba said jokingly as they pulled up in the school parking lot.
"C'mon please,"
"Nice try Carter, but I'm seriously not falling for that one," he repeated sternly. "I know you're friends with Muto."
"I promise I won't say a word," Rebecca vowed sincerely. "I won't tell Yugi or Joey..."
"Wheeler couldn't duel his way out of a paper bag." he laughed as if the thought of Joey beating him in a duel was hysterical.
"What are you talking about?" she asked confusedly. "He told me that he was a finalist in Duelist Kingdom."
"The only way he made it that far in the tournament was with Yugi holding his hand." Kaiba scoffed, thinking about how dependant the mutt was.
"Don't be so mean!"
"It's not mean if it's true," he replied, refusing to be the slightest bit apologetic.
Their conversation was cut short as Rebecca gasped at the sight of Joey near an opposite building. She was well aware that her friendship with Kaiba was a conflict of interest, but heck he couldn't see her like this. Not on the passenger side of his freaking car. Without a second of thought, she ducked down. Her head was now resting on Kaiba's lap...
"What the hell are you doing?" he growled, feeling uneasy that her head was very close to a certain part of him.
"Shut up," she instructed in a hushed tone. "I can't let him see me."
"Why are you avoiding Joey Wheeler?" Kaiba asked in a hoarse tone whilst suspiciously eyeing the blonde.
"It's complicated," she explained with a sigh. "I just don't want this to look bad."
"You're bent over my lap in the school parking lot." he pointed out harshly. "How does this not look bad?"
"God, you're disgusting!" Rebecca exclaimed pulling a face. "What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" Kaiba protested with a shocked expression etched across his face. "You're the one who decided to face plant in my lap!"
It didn't take long for Rebecca to realize that the brunette was right. She was making things look much worse then they were. Raising her head wearily, she peered through the car window. Joey was nowhere to be seen.
"He's gone, Kaiba said easing the anxiety within her.
He studied her body language and something just didn't add up. Why was the sight of Wheeler enough to send her into a state of panic? His mind couldn't shake the thoughts running through his head. Was it possible that Rebecca was ashamed to be seen with him?
"Thanks for the ride," she said abruptly, quickly unfastening her seatbelt.
Before Kaiba could say anything, he heard the slam of a car door. Kaiba's eyes silently followed her as he watched her pace away. Soon after he felt something sink deep in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know why he cared about what she thought of him. Gozaburro was right, his emotions were making him weak.
Rebecca rushed into homeroom, fearing to make an entrance with the steely-eyed brunette. She couldn't make her friends believe that there were any more coincidences because honestly there were none. If Joey had seen them before he would have surely lost the plot.
"You're here," Téa gave an enthusiastic whisper. "We weren't sure if you were even coming oday. Did you walk to school?"
"I'm surprised rich-boy didn't offer you a ride in his fancy car," Joey remarked comically. "How much do you reckon that thing costs anyway?"
"You could've bought a nice car with the prize money," Duke pointed out.
"Well some of us like to put family first." Joey retorted, looking at his friend with narrowed eyes. "All of that money is going towards my sister's eye operation."
"When's that happening?" Tristan questioned.
"There isn't an exact date yet," Joey explained rubbing the back of his neck. "Mom and Serenity are flying to Domino next week to talk to the surgeon."
"That's great Joey," Yugi smiled.
"If it weren't for Yug, I would have never one that prize money," Joey recalled, feeling nothing but immense gratitude. "I owe you bud!"
The American had always been curious about the events of Duelist Kingdom. It would have been a great honor and privilege to compete in such a huge tournament. If anyone were given that kind of opportunity she knew it would be hard to stop the boasting and bragging, yet it was something her friends hardly talked about.
"You guys don't talk much about the tournament," Rebecca mentioned, watching as the others exchanged looks. "Why is that?"
"I'll never forget it," Yugi said, his tone suddenly turning serious.
"None of us will, that's for sure." Téa agreed, shuddering slightly.
"Just a word of advice, Bec." Joey said turning towards Rebecca. "Never ever trust Pegasus, the guy is nothing but trouble. He steals peoples soul's!"
"He's speaking metaphorically of course." Tristan interrupted giving a nervous laugh. "What Joey means is Pegasus is ruthless when it comes to dueling."
"Ruthless?" Joey repeated with a raised eyebrow. "The guy had Kaiba ready to jump off the edge of his gigantic castle!"
"That entitled punk was relying on Yugi's compassion. He knew Yugi would never put his life in danager." Tristan scowled as if the memory were still fresh in his mind.
"Kaiba did that for Mokuba!" Yugi argued in his defense. "He'll do anything for the someone he loves."
"Well you should have seen yourself after that duel, that defeat left you broken." Téa reminded crossly. "You thought you were never going to see gramps again."
Rebecca listened intently as her friends recounted one of the world's biggest dueling tournaments. She couldn't believe some of the things that she had heard. According to her friends, her childhood idol Maximillion Pegasus was not who he claimed to be. He was willing to put people's lives at risk to fulfill his own selfish motives. She couldn't help but wonder when did something as innocent as card games become life or death?
There you have it, Chapter 20! It was a bit of a filler, but the content in the next few chapters are absolute gold. You will love them, I promise.
Thoughts, predictions and reviews are appreciated as always :)
