**Hello readers, I just got inspired to write a Yugioh Gx story.
The duel spirit Yubel triggered my inspiration.
This story will take place in seasons two and three.
I do not own Yugioh Gx.
Only my original characters belong to me.**
Today is the day of my eighth grade graduation.
I woke up to the loud beeping sound of my alarm clock.
My eyes shot wide open as I jolted out of a peaceful dream.
I reached over to a small bedside table to my right and pressed a round button on the electronic device.
My room was completely silent once the noise had stopped.
The screen on my alarm clock read 7:00 AM.
Sunlight shined through the window above my bed.
I stretched and let out a yawn.
After waking myself up, I stepped onto the fluffy carpet.
I then walked over to my closet door and slid it open.
My graduation uniform was neatly laid out on top of a wooden dresser.
It contained flat, black dress shoes, black pants,a white dress shirt, and a white cover.
After changing my clothes, I folded my purple Pj's before placing them inside a drawer.
Afterward, I walked over to the vanity and sat down on a stool.
I then brushed my long, curly hair in front of a circular mirror.
Instead of pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I decided to leave it down.
Luckily, my hair didn't get frizzy like it normally would.
I grabbed my bag off the vanity and walked back to my bedside table.
I then put on my favorite necklace.
A silver jewel hung down from the gold chain.
"Sioku," called a feemale voice.
I quickly exited my room and ran down the stairs.
The sweet scent of pancakes filled the air as I entered the kitchen.
I saw Mother standing in front of the hot stove.
She was dressed in blue jeans and a green T-shirt.
"Good morning Mother," I said as I approached her.
"Hello Sioku," she warmly replied.
I walked over to the dishwasher and opened a wooden cabinet above it.
"Something smells fabulous in here," I said while grabbing a glass from the middle shelf.
"Thank you Sioku," she happily replied.
I then carried my glass over to the fridge and filled it up with ice water.
"Sioku, will you please set the table? Your sisters should be down here in a few minutes," said Mother.
"I'm on it," I answered.
After setting my cup down, I hurried over to another wooden cabinet across the room and carefully pulled out a stack of four glass plates.
I slowly carried the plates to the stove and placed them on a counter beside it.
"I appreciate your help Sioku," Mother said with a grateful smile.
"You're welcome," I replied before walking away.
I filled up three more cups with ice water and carried them into the dining room.
After setting the cups down, I pulled silverware out of a drawer and laid it out neatly on a few napkins.
I heard the sound of a big dog running down the wooden staircase.
The dog panted as he bolted through the kitchen while wagging his long tail.
I giggled atthe sound of his nails tapping on the hardwood floor.
"Trooper! Come here," I hollered in excitement.
Trooper is a Rottweiler with black and white fur and long, floppy ears.
I wrapped my arms around Trooper as he rested his front paws on my shoulders.
"Good boy," I whispered as I softly petted his head.
"Let the dog out Sioku. I don't want him in here during breakfast," said Mother.
"Okay," I replied as I gently lowered him to the floor.
Trooper started to growl and ran to the back door.
I chuckled to myself as I followed him.
"Let's go out Trooper," I said while opening the sliding glass door.
Trooper immediately rushed outside while barking loudly.
"I love that dog," I said before laughing.
I closed the back door before returning to the dining room.
I lost myself in deep thought while sitting on one of the leather chairs.
A few minutes later, I heard the sounds of footsteps coming from behind me.
I turned around to see Lynn and Melody entering the dining room.
Lynn had on blue flats and a blue dress.
Melody also wore flat shoes and a red dress.
They had different hair styles as well.
Lynn's hair was pulled back into two long braids.
Melody's hair was pulled up into a bun.
"Good morning, you girls look very pretty," I said with a bright smile.
"Thank you Sioku," replied Lynn.
"You look beautiful Sioku," added Melody.
Melody took a seat beside me, and Lynn sat down across from us.
I stared down at the table and sighed.
Lynn gave me a concerned look. "Why are you so down Sioku?"
"I'm not really excited about my graduation," I answered nervously.
"Why?" asked Melody.
I turned to her with a worried expression. I had an argument with my science teacher yesterday."
Lynn stared at me confused. "Sioku, how will that effect your graduation? This is supposed to be a big day for you."
"Julie just had to stick her nose in it," I answered in frustration.
Mother entered the room carrying two plates of hot food.
She carefully set them down in front of Melody and me.
She then pointed at me and smiled. "The table looks great Sioku."
"Thank you Mother," I replied.
"Good morning you two," she said while pointing at my sisters.
"Good morning Mother," they replied in unison.
Mother turned around and walked toward the kitchen. "I'll be back with the other plates."
I watched as she exited the room.
Melody decided to continue our conversation. "Sioku, what were you saying about Julie?"
"I'm upset because she is walking to the bleachers with me," I answered sadly.
"You can always keep to yourself," said Lynn.
"Julie can't make you talk to her Sioku," added Melody.
"Good point," I replied with a small smile.
There was a brief moment of silence between the three of us.
"Hello girls," said Mother as she entered the room a second time.
She set the other two plates down on the table before sitting on a chair beside Lynn.
The room was almost completely silent as we ate.
I looked out the window and watched Trooper as he rolled around in the grass.
"This dog is so cute," I thought while smiling to myself.
Lynn decided to break the silence and spoke up. "Hey Sioku, what did you and your teacher argue about?
Her question instantly caused my smile to fade.
I sighed as the argument flashed through my mind.
"All eyes were on me as I straightened up in my chair.
I took a deep breath to relax my nerves.
My eyes shifted from the window to meet hers.
"It all started after lunch at the beginning of science class. I asked my teacher for permission to go get my laptop out of the computer classroom. She said no, so I quietly returned to my seat. Ariel and I had a friendly conversation about Duel Monsters. Julie heard us and assumed that I was talking bad about the teacher. Ariel and I heard them whispering untrue things about me. The teacher pulled me aside and yelled at me for no reason. Luckily, Ariel was there to back me up. I would have been an emotional wreck if Ariel wasn't with me," I explained.
"Sioku, were you able to retrieve your computer?" asked Lynn.
"Yes, I quickly grabbed it after class," I answered with a relieved smile.
"That's good," replied Melody.
Mother raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What did you hear them say?"
I felt the anger build up inside me as I remembered their conversation.
"According to Julie, I called our teacher every bad name I could think of. She also accused me of crying until class was over. Do you want to know why that's not true? First, I never use bad words. Second, our conversation had nothing to do with them. Third, Ariel and I were laughing about funny memories. To make matters worse, they shamed me for watching Veggietales and other cartoons at my age! That made me so mad," I answered angrily.
"Calm down Sioku," Mother said softly, "I'm still okay with you watching cartoons. Julie had no right to dig into your home life."
"This lady overhears me talking to Ariel about enjoying my favorite characters. I was wrong to believe that Julie would take the time to understand my disability. She just uses my enjoyment as a punchline whenever I make even the smallest mistake in class," I replied in irritation.
"Sioku, I'm glad you're telling me all of this. I had no idea that Julie had been making you feel this way. You never show those emotions whenever you come home from school," Mother said calmly.
"That's because I didn't want to make you worry," I sadly replied.
"I appreciate you wanting to be thoughtful Sioku, but you need to be more open minded with me. I would have dealt with this problem a lot sooner if you had told me when Julie first started treating you that way," she said seriously.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I lowered my head. "I'm really sorry Mother, but Julie knows how to manipulate people into believing that I'm always on the wrong side of the page. She even accused me of faking my disability once."
Melody and Lynn gasped in unison at my last statement.
I would have yelled at Julie if she did that to you in front of me. Don't worry about it Sioku. I'm not mad at you," she softly replied.
Thanks Mother," I whispered.
I breathed a sigh of relief knowing a ton of weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
"That woman sounds terrible Sioku! I always thought Julie was a great assistant to you," exclaimed Melody with a look of shock.
"I really liked her too. Julie has no respect for people who have autism," added Lynn with concern.
"You could say that again," I replied in agreement.
Mother changed her facial expression from confusion to one of seriousness. "Girls, settle down before one of you says something out of line. Your teacher shouldn't have had a problem with that since there wasn't anything going on in class. If the story you just told me is true Sioku, I'm going to have a talk with Julie this afternoon."
I lowered my head in fear. "Wait, what will happen if Julie comes after me?"
"I'm sure she won't do that," Mother assured.
"I hope not," I said nervously.
I then rose from my chair and carried my dishes to the kitchen sink.
Afterward, I kept to myself while getting ready to go.
Once I was ready, I walked over to the window and watched for the school bus.
Melody and Lynn joined me a few minutes later with Trooper following behind them.
Trooper's panting made me smile.
He stared at me and wagged his tail against my leg.
"Hey Sioku," said Melody.
I just waved at her in response.
Trooper turned around and started to sniff the front of my shirt.
"I thought Trooper would cheer you up," said Melody.
"Thank you," I replied while petting Trooper behind his ears.
The dog sat down and let out a sigh.
There was a brief moment of silence in the room.
"The bus is here," said Lynn as she pointed to the window.
Trooper began to bark loudly as we heard the bus pull into our driveway.
I couldn't help but chuckle at that.
His bark always amused me.
"I'll see you girls at school," said Mother.
"Good bye," my sisters and I replied in unison.
I gave Trooper a hug before walking toward the front door. "I'll be back soon Boy."
He licked my face in response.
Lynn smiled and tapped on my shoulder. "Sioku, I'll race you to the bus."
I suddenly felt a surge of hyper energy flow through my body.
"Oh you're on," I replied competitively.
"Be careful," called Melody.
I happily raced after Lynn as she took off outside.
My hair floated in the wind as I kept running.
"I'm going to win," Lynn hollered.
"You wish," I shouted back.
Lynn and I finally reached the bus stop after five minutes.
I leaned against the chain-link fence and tried to catch my breath.
Melody caught up to us while smiling. "Wow, you two are fast runners."
"It looks like this race is a draw," I said.
"I guess you're right," Lynn replied.
The bus was parked in the driveway outside our gate.
Lynn and I exited the yard with Melody following behind us.
She then locked the gate.
I looked up and saw Ariel waving at me from inside.
Seeing her cheerful face again made me smile.
"You two can get on first," I said to Melody.
"Thanks big sis," Lynn replied.
I happily walked up the steps once the doors had opened.
"Sioku! Over here," called Ariel.
I joyfully rushed over to the front seat and plopped down beside her.
Ariel wore pink, sparkly flats, a pink, frilly dress, and a thin, purple cover.
Her straight, brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.
"I love the outfit you are wearing. Someone looks happy today," she said before laughing.
"Thanks Ariel, you look beautiful. I'm just excited to see you again," I replied with a grin.
There was a brief moment of silence between us.
I stared at the floor lost in thought as I listened to the constant chatter around me.
The happiness I was feeling a moment ago suddenly vanished.
Memories of that argument clouded my mind.
I couldn't shake away those bad thoughts.
Ariel noticed this and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey Sioku, aren't you excited about graduating? We're finally moving on to high school!"
I ignored the happiness in her voice and just nodded in response.
She looked at me with a concerned expression. "You don't look happy anymore Sioku, is something bothering you?"
I looked up at her and let out a disappointed sigh. "Yes Ariel, Julie is meeting us in the quad so she could help me get situated at the field. I'm betting that she hasn't forgotten about that unnecessary incident from yesterday."
Ariel stared at me confused. "How do you know?"
"Julie never lets anything go! She brings up all of my incidents from the past every time she confronts me! I've had enough of her nonsense," I said in irritation.
I took a few deep breaths to pull myself together.
My best friend lowered her eyes and frowned. "I'm sorry Sioku, that sounds terrible! I've never seen Julie do it to you before."
"That's because she waits until you're not around to back me up," I sadly replied.
Ariel's facial expression changed into one of seriousness. "You don't have to worry anymore Sioku. I'll be right by your side this time. Julie doesn't scare me at all. If she tells me to leave, I simply won't listen."
I smiled at her in admiration. "I wish I had your bravery. You're the best friend I ever had."
"Thanks," she replied.
I decided to stay quiet for the remainder of our bus ride.
The nerves in my right arm began to tence up as the school bus came to a complete stop.
I rubbed that spot to ease the pressure.
Ariel noticed my anxiety and put her arm around me.
"Don't be afraid Sioku. Everything is going to be okay," she softly assured.
I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Ariel, I don't know where I would be emotionally without you."
"That's what friends are for," she replied before standing up.
I stood up and stretched my legs.
Once the coast was clear, Ariel and I stepped off the bus.
The fresh air calmed my nerves almost instantly.
We then walked over to the quad.
The quad is a large sitting area for people to hang out.
Ariel and I sat down at a picnic table near a group of tall trees.
I grinned at her as a joyful thought crossed my mind. "Hey Ariel, do you want to duel me after school?"
"I was just thinking the same thing," she cheerfully replied.
"This should be our celebration duel," I suggested.
"Great idea Sioku," she replied in excitement.
Our joyful conversation came to an abrupt end when I spotted a familiar woman walking toward us.
"Julie is coming," I said sadly.
"I know," Ariel whispered back.
Ariel and I remained silent as Julie slowly approached us.
"She doesn't have to be creepy," said Ariel annoyed.
I just nodded in agreement.
My body started to shake as I looked up at the glare on Julie's face.
Julie had on red tennis shoes, blue, striped yoga pants, a blue T-shirt, and a thin, red sweater.
Ariel stared at Julie's outfit confused. "Why in the world are you dressed like that? This is a graduation ceremony, not a sporting event."
"Mind your own business," Julie snapped back.
Ariel just brushed it off and smirked at Julie.
I couldn't help but chuckle at my friend's hilarious comment.
"Get up Sioku, let's go to the bleachers! We need to have a talk," said Julie in her usual angry tone.
I ignored her and stared at Ariel who was glaring back at Julie.
"You were right about her Sioku. She hasn't dropped yesterday's incident," Ariel whispered in my ear.
I let out a disappointed sigh in response.
"This is going to be a long morning," I thought.
"I've got this," Ariel assured with a cheerful smile.
I watched silently as Ariel pulled her phone out of a pocket on her bag.
She inconspicuously turned on the video camera.
Julie grabbed the collar of my shirt and tugged it upward as if I was her dog on its leash.
I gasped as I jumped in fear.
"Now Sioku," she yelled impatiently.
"All right," I groaned in annoyance.
"Julie has never acted violent toward Sioku. She doesn't know that I'm recording her every move," Ariel thought as she frowned.
I brushed the grass off my pant legs and stood up.
Julie let go of my shirt and started walking beside me.
I was relieved to be free from her grasp.
Little did Julie know, Ariel was following behind us like a shadow.
I tried to stay quiet as long as possible to avoid having a conversation with her.
However, that didn't work at all.
Julie decided to start the dreaded conversation. "Sioku, are you satisfied with your behavior this year?"
I could tell that she was trying to reel me in.
Taking a deep breath, I finally gave into Julie's stupid little mind game.
"Yes," I answered plainly.
Julie gave me an unsure look. "So, you wouldn't change a thing?"
"There's nothing to change," I argued.
This lady was really trying to get under my skin.
I fought back the urge to let my anger flare up.
Julie noticed my calm demeanor and spoke up again. "You wouldn't apologize for throwing your science teacher under the bus?"
Her last question broke the restraints holding back my rising anger.
"I threw nobody under the bus for anything! You know that," I retorted with a piercing glare toward her.
"You brought your mother into this silly conflict as well! Sioku, you have no respect for anybody," she continued.
I shook my head to suppress the anger caused by her last comment.
"I don't know where you got that rediculous idea Julie. She just wanted to know what happened," I replied.
"Yeah right," she grumbled.
I stopped myself from arguing with her.
Doing so would only make my situation worse.
I was surprised that my will to fight against Julie's insults was still going strong.
The three of us finally arrived at the bleachers after five minutes of walking.
There were already hundreds of people gathered around us.
Julie dragged me closer to her before I could try to situate myself.
I slapped her hand off of my shirt in frustration. "Julie, you have no right to grab me like that! You've done it twice now! What is your problem?"
The furious look in her eyes told me that she still had more to say.
"Listen to me Sioku," she demanded.
I froze in terror at the harsh tone in her voice.
Chills covered my body as Julie continued. "I want you to hear what you've done Sioku! You threw a babyish fit because the teacher wouldn't let you go get your computer! I overheard you talking to another girl about not being able to download your VeggieTales music! You called your teacher every bad name in the book! That music is meant for five-year-olds!"
"That's not true," said Ariel who sat to my left.
Julie's accusations made my blood boil inside.
I just couldn't let this crazy woman boss me around anymore.
"First of all, my conversation with Ariel had nothing to do with you or my science teacher! Second of all, we didn't talk about any type of music either! Third of all, I grabbed my computer at the end of class yesterday! You two are making everything up for negative attention," I argued back.
"What were you two talking about then?" Julie asked with an impatient glare.
"That's none of your business," I shouted.
Ariel gave me an encouraging look before turning her attention back to her phone.
I smiled at her knowing that she still had my back.
However, Julie wasn't going to let up until she had her way.
"That's how I know you're lying Sioku! I bet you manipulated that girl into believing you by spewing out negative emotions like you usually do! I knew that you would be up to no good if the teacher denied your request," she yelled.
I felt Julie's anger toward me grow stronger by the second.
Fortunately, Ariel's encouragement gave me the strength to fight back once again.
I straightened up and faced Julie with burning hatred in my eyes. "Oh really? I'm the one spewing out negativity? What did you do to me every time I made a mistake in class?"
"Julie crossed her arms over her chest. "I only tried to give you important information! I went above and beyond, but you didn't appreciate any of it! You acted like a little baby in class yesterday because you couldn't have your children's music downloaded! All you care about is getting revenge on people if things don't go your way! The next time you listen to that VeggieTales music, I hope you think about how much you hurt me, your science teacher, and your mother!"
Julie's final accusation pushed me to my breaking point.
Those painful words cut deep into my mind like sharp knives.
She has created another mental wound.
Tears of sadness and defeat poured from my eyes like endless waterfalls.
My heart began to race as my breathing increased.
I wiped my tears away and faced her one last time. "You're the only person who has hurt me! All of the horrible things you said to me just now and in the past were nothing but harassment! I'm glad you're not coming with me to high school!"
"I don't want to hear another word from you Sioku," Julie grumbled.
I looked away from Julie to see many people staring at us from all directions.
My anxiety was beginning to take over.
The shaking in my body intensified as I cried into the fabric of my cover.
My mind wandered off to bad situations from the past, and I had no way to bring it back.
Ariel leaned over to me and tapped on my shoulder. "Everything is going to be all right Sioku, try to calm down. Think about something that makes you happy."
I just sat still and continued to shake uncontrollably.
Unfortunately, Ariel's words didn't get through to me.
I was too overcome by anger and anxiety.
Ariel sighed in disappointment knowing she couldn't help me at the moment.
I felt my face heat up in embarrassment as I turned my attention back to Julie.
She was talking cheerfully to another person beside her as if nothing ever happened.
Hearing the sudden change in Julie's voice caused my blood to boil inside once again.
"This woman is the fakest person I've met in my life," whispered Ariel.
"You can say that again," I replied in agreement.
I unzipped my bag and pulled out my duel disc along with a deck of cards.
"I challenge you to a duel Julie," I called out.
Julie turned to me with an annoyed look on her face. "You're out of luck Sioku! I don't play stupid games like that!"
"You automatically lose," I replied before turning my back to her.
I then gathered up the strength to slowly move closer to Ariel's side.
She comfortingly put her arm around me as I laid my head on her shoulder.
"Ariel, I have to cancel our duel. I don't feel well," I said sadly.
"I understand Sioku, your health is more important to me anyway. My mission is to help you feel better," she softly replied.
More tears stung the corners of my eyes as I closed them to block out those bad thoughts for a moment.
I tried to think about my favorite songs from VeggieTales, but it only made me feel more frightened.
Ariel kept a sharp eye on Julie.
Luckily, Julie was still preoccupied by that other person.
"We need to get seated at the field now. Let's go Sioku," Ariel whispered in my ear.
Without a word, I followed Ariel to a row of chairs in the grass.
I let out a dejected sigh as I plopped down in the chair next to Ariel.
Just when I was about to give up hope, I noticed a strange-looking card floating down to me.
The card landed in my lap.
I gasped as I looked down at it. "Wo, where did this thing come from?"
A bright red light emitted from my necklace as I picked up the card.
Yubel was written at the top.
I stared attentively at this mysterious duel monster's demonic appearance.
Ariel curiously looked over at the card in my hand. "Sioku, where did you get that card?"
"I don't know," I answered in shock.
"That card looks really creepy Sioku. I don't think you should be messing with it," she replied fearfully.
"Oh don't be silly Ariel," I said before giggling.
"I'm just glad to see you perking up," she replied with a small smile.
Ariel was right, seeing that new card really did take my mind off of Julie.
I took a deep, relaxing breath.
My mind wandered back to Yubel's image as a breeze cleared away the bad thoughts.
Still holding the card, I gently rubbed the picture with my thumb.
"Thank you for saving my sanity Yubel," I said softly.
I smiled brightly as all of my worries began to disappear one by one.
Ariel noticed my smile and giggled playfully. "That mysterious new card of yours must be the miracle you've been waiting for."
"She truely is," I gently replied.
I let myself slip back into pleasant thoughts about dueling.
A female voice brought me back to reality.
"Hi Sioku," Mother's voice happily called out from the audience.
"Hello Mother," I called back.
Julie's painful words echoed in my mind.
I frowned as I lowered my head in shame.
"Oh no, Julie must have told her everything. Now I'll really get busted for her lies," I whispered while tightening my grasp on the card.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I imagined Mother yelling at me.
"It's all over," I said sadly.
Ariel pulled me into a comforting hug. "Don't worry Sioku, I'll send the video to your mom. She and I will set Julie straight."
My best friend's words of reassurance calmed me down quite a bit.
I took a deep breath and stared at Yubel's image.
Suddenly, a bright light shined in front of me.
"This is strange," I said.
I quickly placed my hands over my eyes to shield them from the intense brightness.
The glowing light swirled around me several times before it stopped at my right side.
"What's happening?" I asked frantically.
I uncovered my eyes and looked up to see a circular portal opening up above.
To my surprise, Yubel came floating down from the portal's opening and looked right at me.
I gasped quietly as I studied her features.
"She looks exactly like her picture on my new card," I whispered.
Yubel had sickly-pink skin and large, black wings.
She also had two heterochromatic eyes and a third vertically placed eye in the middle of them.
Yubel's lips were blue, and she had pointed teeth.
She was covered in black clothing.
Seeing Yubel up close and personal made me forget that Julie was still watching me in the bleachers.
"Hello Yubel, my name is Sioku. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said politely.
"I'm glad to meet you as well Sioku. You seem to be stuck in a serious situation," she replied.
Yubel's mystical voice immediately had a calming effect on me.
It temporarily drowned out the horrible sound of Julie's low voice.
I relaxed while staring into her eyes. "Yes Yubel, I am in a tough situation. My former academic assistant has just accused me of horrible things that I've never done in my life. She also made me cry in front of over 1,000 people. I can never watch VeggieTales again because she permanently ruined it for me."
Yubel gave me a sympathetic look. "I know Sioku, I heard everything she said. You do want revenge on her, don't you? If you do, we could help each other make the people who hurt us feel the same pain."
Her offer sounded convincing, but I felt unsure about it.
I didn't know if my heart would allow all of that darkness to enter it.
"I don't know Yubel," I answered hesitantly.
"Sioku, I can clearly see the mental scars that vile woman had just inflicted on you. Please let me help you," she pleeded.
"I just don't think that getting revenge would be a good idea Yubel. I would rather forget about her instead. Getting to know each other should be our first priority right now," I softly replied.
Yubel and I stared at each other in a brief moment of silence.
She let out a sigh before speaking again. "You're right, Sioku, we should become friends first. I'm sorry for jumping ahead like that. I didn't mean to make your situation worse."
"It's okay Yubel, I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong," I assured.
She leaned against my side. "Sioku, I forgot to tell you something very important."
I smiled as I looked down at her. "I love your voice Yubel, what would you like to tell me?"
"Sioku, I came to you for a reason. You and I will be together until I reunite with my old best friend. The last time I ever saw him was when he was a small child," she answered.
"I'm so sorry Yubel, that must have been rough. I promise to help you find him," I replied sympathetically.
"Sioku, the ceremony is about to start. Who are you talking to?" asked Ariel.
Ariel acted as if she was unable to see Yubel hovering by my right side.
"Maybe I'm the only person who can see and hear her," I thought.
My face began to heat up as I jumped in surprise.
I quickly turned around to face my best friend. "Hold on Ariel, are you telling me that you can't see her?"
"I just met a new friend Silly. She's right over here," I said while pointing at Yubel.
Ariel stared at the spot to my right
"Who? I don't see anybody," she replied in confusion.
I blushed and laughed nervously. "Sorry about that, thank you for telling me. I'll give you all the details later."
"Sounds good," she replied.
I turned my attention back to Yubel who seemed confused. "Sorry Yubel, my best friend Ariel needed to tell me that our graduation ceremony is about to begin. You're welcome to watch it."
"Sioku, I would be honored to watch you graduate. I could tell that your friend Ariel
Is a nice person," she replied.
I placed Yubel's card into my deck box before turning my attention to our school principal who stood proudly at the podium.
She began the ceremony with an opening speech.
Afterward, a few students took turns singing a song.
Then we heard graduation speeches from the top three students in our grade.
Lastly, the principal called each person up to the stage one by one.
The audience cheered loudly as each student passed by the bleachers.
The assistant principal handed a certificate to each student before they returned to their seats.
Ariel and I were seated in the last row, so our names didn't get called for a while.
I glanced over at Yubel who silently watched the activity in front of her.
She seemed to be interested in the ceremony.
A few minutes later, it was finally my turn.
"Sioku Marie," the principal called out.
"I'll be right back Yubel," I whispered.
She gave me a friendly nod in response.
I happily stood up and walked gracefully over to the stage.
Everybody but Julie cheered when they saw me.
However, I wasn't mad or surprised.
I waved at Mother as I passed by the bleachers.
She smiled and waved back.
"Yay Sioku," hollered Ariel as I stepped onto the stage.
The assistant principal placed the certificate in my left hand and then shook my right hand.
"Congratulations," he said.
"Thank you sir," I replied with a bright smile.
I then returned to my seat.
"I'm back Yubel," I said as she looked up at me.
I was relieved to be by her side again.
It was Ariel's turn to walk up there now.
"Go Ariel," I hollered.
Ariel waved at me in response.
Yubel and I watched as she ran back to her seat.
I joyfully threw my arms around her. "Congratulations besty!"
"Thank you so much Sioku," she replied while returning the hug.
I heard Yubel talking to herself as she looked at Ariel and me.
"So this is what a friendship looks like," she said.
"Poor Yubel," I sadly thought.
I quickly releaced Ariel. "Hold on, I need to take care of something."
"Okay," she replied before turning away.
Yubel seemed to be bothered by something.
I looked down at Yubel with a worried expression. "Yubel, are you okay?"
"No Sioku, I'm just thinking about the friend I lost a long time ago. He meant so much to me," she answered.
My heart sank a little as I listened to her.
I knew exactly how she was feeling.
Being alone is no fun at all.
"Don't worry Yubel, I'm one of your friends now. You and I will find this person together. Nothing will stand in our way," I said reassuringly.
Yubel lifted her head and smiled. "Do you really mean that Sioku?"
"Of course I do Yubel! I would never lie to you," I answered with a big smile of my own.
"Thank you Sioku, you have no idea how much this means to me. I finally won't be alone anymore," she replied.
A huge grin of relief appeared on her face.
Yubel's last sentence lit a spark in my mind.
My relation to her became clear as day.
"Yubel, I was in your position once. I didn't have any friends until I met Ariel," I explained.
"That is why you and I are destined to be friends. Both of us were very lonely," she replied.
I gave her a friendly nod in agreement.
Our ceremony concluded with every student holding up their certificate for all of the adults to take pictures.