Mai had come visit, and the visit had made Téa feel so much better. Serenity too visited her a week later, and Serentity's visit was a different form of therapy. While Mai kept Téa's mind elsewhere with visits to the mall, trips to the beach, and fun activities, Serenity helped Téa expel her emotions. They cried together, they ate ice cream together, they did each others's nails, face masks, basically all the girly things they could think of. Truth was, it was helping Serenity almost as much as it was helping Téa.

Mai's and Serenity's approaches reflected their personalities. Mai sadly was used to pain and loss, so she tried to toss it to the corner of her mind and focus on the things she had that could make her happy. Serenity was more sentimental, and hadn't known quite a great loss as this.

Téa had been thankful to both of them; each of them helped lift some of the weight her heart held. Now that they were gone, she realized some days were easier than others. It'd been getting easier, that was true. She focused on her dancing and school work, Atem and her went on "friend dates", and Téa was trying new activities to keep her occupied.

But, some days were worse. She had been feeling especially gloomy these past couple of weeks since the girls had visited. Téa felt she needed to break free. A classmate of hers recently invited her to a party... she hoped it could cheer her up, but she didn't feel in the mood today.

But seeing it as her only option to do something. She forced herself to get up and go.

Téa told her parents that she'd be back late; she was going to a party at Mary's—a girl from school. Usually this wouldn't have flown well with her parents, but they were so happy to see her engage in an activity, they let her go, just this one time, as long as Atem would go with her to keep her safe.

The party was loud and alcohol was plentiful. Téa peered at the drinks on the table as Atem and her entered.

"Téa!" Téa saw Mary dash over to her and throw her arms around the girl. "I'm so happy you could make it!" Mary smiled, and Téa returned it. "You too, Yugi!" Mary looked to him. Atem merely nodded as Mary dashed back to say hello to someone else.

Téa hesitated. "I'm going to go hang out with Sarah and some of the other girls there." She pointed. "Why don't you go hang out with some of the guys from our class over there?" She tilt her head to a circle of guys in the corner.

Atem blinked. She was leaving him? "What… do I talk about?" He stuttered nervously.

Téa breathed, feeling a bit guilty after hearing his question. But she needed some space to be away from anything and anyone who reminded her of her past. "They all love Duel Monsters! You could talk about that!" She smiled. "Go have fun!" She gently pushed him. This would be good for him. He needed to get out more and interact with people that weren't her.

The alcohol burned in her throat, but she didn't stop. She needed to forget. Forget everything that happened. Forget that Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Bakura was dead. Forget she was the one who made it out alive and had to suffer.

She drank more and she couldn't stop. She laughed at what the girls were saying—something about a teacher's embarrassing moment. "Woah, Téa aren't you drinking a bit too much?" Hazel eyes stared at her.

"Mm?" Téa murmured at the girl whose name she couldn't remember at the moment. "No. No." She screeched. "I have a high tolerance." She lied, slurring a bit. The girls around her didn't seem to believe her, but she wasn't plastered drunk...

Green-eyed girl left. Probably to get Atem or something. The other girls gave a nervous laugh and tried to carry on. Téa chugged from bottle. If they were going to stop her, she might as well carry on as much as she could before then. She walked away mumbling "I'll be right back." Téa didn't care to look at them behind her, as she went to find something else to drink.

She instantly stared at the hard liquor on the table and the red Solo shot glasses and smiled. Pouring herself a shot, Téa poured it down her throat. But she felt dizzy now. Téa had to sit down. She maneuvered through the crowd finding an empty spot on the sofa, and plunking down. Her head was spinning.

"Téa!" She heard. "Téa! There you are!" The voice sounded fuzzy.

"Yugi!" She smiled back at him, her vision a bit blurry. Atem visibly flinched, but she couldn't tell. Téa yanked at his arm. "Sit with me Yugi!" Atem fell next to her. "Put your arm around me." She giggled. Atem didn't know what to do, but he obliged.

"Téa…" Atem began.

"Shhh…" Téa whispered, placing her hand on his chest. "Yugi." She murmured. "I like you." She confessed. "Like you like you. Joey told me…" she slurred. "that you like me like me too."

This was getting out of hand. Téa thought Atem was Yugi and she was confessing her feelings for him. Pain shot through Atem. When he had been with Yugi, he would have been overjoyed by this confession. He always thought that Yugi and Téa would be the perfect couple. They deserved each other. But now Yugi was dead.

"Téa." Atem said sternly and Téa stiffened. "Let me get you some water." He said softly. "Don't move!"

Téa bit her lip and when Atem walked away, she saw Atem, not Yugi this time. She started crying. It took a moment for her to realize what reality she was in and what was real. The loud music hurt her ears, but it was the heartbreak that hurt the most.

She closed her eyes as tears slipped through her lids and she thought about Joey now. He'd know what to say or do to make her laugh. Tristan would go and get her some of her favorite foods and then say something serious that would make her feel insanely better. Yugi would hesitantly hug her and offer comfort.

But they couldn't help her now. They were dead.

"Here, drink this." Téa looked up at Atem's eyes and shook her head. Maybe she should suffer for making it out alive. Atem sighed, frustrated, putting the cup to her lips. "Drink." He commanded. "Please…"

So Téa did, the water didn't burn her throat like the alcohol did, and she let Atem help her drink the entire cup.

"I want to go home." She cried, tears coming back down again. Atem pulled her up, and hugged her to him.

"Let's go." He said softly, as he led her outside, secure with his arms around her waist.

He led them to his car, but he didn't help Téa into the passenger seat, but the back seat which he followed her into.

"I wanted to forget." Téa sobbed onto his shoulder. "I wanted to forget and I did, a little. But then I ended up remembering even more." She sniffed. Atem reached out and wiped her tears with his fingers. All her mascara was smeared. Her makeup smudging across her face. His heart hurt. He knew the very feelings Téa was feeling.

Atem almost nearly lost himself to alcohol at the end of a duelist banquet he attended. He wouldn't have gone, but Yugi had signed a contract promising his attendance before he passed away. Luckily Mai had been there to stop Atem from his own accidental destruction.

Atem took out a few napkins from his jacket. Carefully, with the water bottle he had grabbed, her poured very little on the napkin. Gently, he held Téa's chin and wiped away at the makeup with the napkin, clearing her face of any residue, but the tears that continued to fall.

"There," He whispered. "All better. But you need to stop your tears now, ok?" He squeezed her tighter, trying to comfort her, staring into her eyes.

"I'll try." She replied softly.

"Good." He said back, wiping some more of her tears. "Can I see your cell phone?" Téa blinked before passing it over to him. "Please unlock it for me?" He asked, Téa obliged immediately as he took it from her.

Atem started typing. 'Going to stay over at Atem's place tonight. See you in the morning!' He clicked send and sent it to her parents. It would be better if her parents didn't see her now. He didn't know if they would check on her when they came back, but they didn't need to get worried.

Helping Téa into the passenger seat, he went to sit in the driver's seat as he drove to Yugi's house.

As soon as they arrived, suddenly Téa felt sick and she ran to the bathroom throwing up in the toilet. Atem ran there, but Téa yelled at him to get out. She quickly flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth with water. Grabbing the spare toothbrush she kept here, she brushed her mouth for longer than usual. She suddenly felt really awake.

Atem handed Téa aspirin and more water to drink. Then Atem gave her some leftovers, and he was surprised she silently did everything he told her. Atem was tired, but he was glad Téa seemed to be sobering up now. "I'll get you some of your clothes." He changed first and then went to look in his room. He was surprised when he couldn't find any of the PJs or clothes she usually left for when they slept over here. "Téa," he called out. "Where are you clothes that you usually keep here?"

Téa bit her lip. "I took them home to do laundry."

He silently cursed. He couldn't have her sleep in those clothes… and she couldn't sleep naked as appealing or unappealing, he couldn't really tell, as that that sounded.

He scourged through his closet. A large T-shirt could probably work. He knew some girls liked to slept in T-shirts. He grabbed the largest one he could find, and handed it to her. "Will this work?"

"Ok." Was her flat reply.

He gave her privacy to change and when she said he could come back in, she was already on his bed. Atem turned of the light and laid down next to her, pulling the covers up. Téa turned and snuggled up to him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her eyes staring at the ceiling avoiding his eyes.

"It's ok." He said quietly back.

"I wanted to forget." She repeated from before.

"I know."

"But, we won't ever, will we?" She looked at him now.

"No." He sighed softly.

"I thought so." She closed her eyes. Atem gently shifted his head to kiss her temple.

"Good night Téa." He murmured, but Téa had already fallen asleep.

Starting next chapter, the story will probably shift a bit. I think we've explored how this is affecting them all enough, no? Time to hopefully get to other stuff. Also, this whole 'different reality' than what she thought is really messing with Téa.

Would love to hear your thoughts in a review!

~Startistica