Disclaimer: Still don't own anything pertaining to Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 3

Poolside Conversations

Serenity stared up at the green and white curtains eyes wide in shock. How was she supposed to answer that question. Of course she found Ryou a little cute but he was just a friend. Though she had to admit something about him kept drawing her curiosity like a moth to a flame. Serenity swallowed trying to find an answer when Clarissa cut her off.

"I'm just teasing you. If he's just a friend to you that's cool. You really don't have to answer if you don't want to. I have fun making people squirm when it comes to questions like that. So, how about you and I head down to the pool for a swim? We can change down there in the locker rooms, swim, and then grab something to eat." Clarissa stated as she pulled out a two piece bathing suit from a drawer. The top was a dark blue that had two sets of strings, one to tie around the back and the other to tie up and around the neck. The bottom was black and looked like a pair of very short shorts.

"Okay, sounds like a lot of fun." Serenity smiled gratefully as she pulled out her red one piece swimsuit. Snatching her wallet off the dresser top she checked to make sure her room key was inside before proceeding to follow her roommate out the door. The auburn haired girl nearly collided with the ebony haired girl's back as the latter had stopped herself from slamming into a third person.

"Damn Ryou, you looked pissed. Something wrong?" Clarissa stated as the male slammed his room door shut. He glared angrily at the door he had just closed as he answered.

"My roommate is what is wrong with me. I cannot stand being in there at the moment or I'll kill him." Yami Bakura made his way towards the elevator a pair of white and black swim shorts in his hand. Clarissa shrugged as she followed him Serenity trailing behind.

"What did he do?" Serenity piped up as the three waited on the elevator.

"What he did is no concern of yours." Yami Bakura snapped back with more anger than necessary. This caused Clarissa to glare at him to which he responded with his own glare.

"Listen here Ryou. I don't know what bug crawled up your ass and quite frankly I don't care but I'll tell you this. Don't you ever get that tone with Serenity when she is trying to be helpful. Do you understand me? She's trying to be nice so don't take your attitude out on her. Got that?"

Clarissa jabbed her finger into the slightly taller male's shoulder eyes smoldering with a challenge. Yami Bakura was about to answer when the elevator doors open and the two girls walked in. Serenity kept her gaze to the floor as the other two were locked in a glaring match as the compartment made its way to the first floor. As the doors opened Clarissa shoved her way past the male nearly throwing him into a wall. Serenity chewed on her bottom lip in worry as they entered the women's locker room.

"Was that really necessary Clarissa?" Serenity questioned as she began to take off her shoes.

"Well, maybe not all of it." Clarissa responded as she too began stripping away her clothes. "The shove may have been a bit overboard but I couldn't just stand there and let him snap at you like that. He had absolutely no right. Then again, maybe I should've let you handle it first. I'm sorry Serenity."

"I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing too." Serenity said with a small smile as she fixed her swimsuit strap.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you saying you want me to apologize to that ass?" Clarissa exclaimed picking up a towel from a nearby bin. "He's the one that should apologize."

"Yes, he should too. However, try to be the bigger person in this situation. Ryou, well, he sometimes doesn't like to apologize for anything. It depends on the mood he's in." Serenity picked up one of the white fluffy towels and made her way out of the locker room and towards the pool. What caught her attention next had her face turning a pretty shade of pink. Yami Bakura had just walked out of the men's locker room his bare lean, yet muscular chest, showing off very well thanks to his swim shorts.

"Guess this is my chance. Wish me luck." Clarissa stated as she walked towards the teen. "Ryou."

Yami Bakura turned hearing his other side's name being called out. Seeing the girl who he'd gotten into a fight with walking towards him caused him to scowl. When were people going to learn that he wanted to be left alone? This one was starting to become as much of a pest as his roommate.

"Hey, look, I just want to apologize for earlier. While I meant some of the things I said I guess I got a little out of line at a few points." Clarissa said locking eyes with the teen.

"A little out of line?" Yami Bakura questioned as he crossed his arms across his chest. He looked past the girl and saw Serenity watching them both with a hopeful look as she bit her bottom lip. Realizing that he was looking at her the girl turned her head away a shade of red coloring her cheeks.

"Don't push it. I'm trying to be the bigger person here. If you don't want my apology then fine I'll walk away. I just don't want Serenity to be caught up in a fight between the both of us okay?" Clarissa held out her hand silently praying in her head that he would take it.

"I guess I'm sorry as well." Yami Bakura sighed placing his hand in Clarissa's. Shaking it twice he released her and glanced over to Serenity. The girl smiled and let out a sigh of relief. A mischievous grin spread across the white haired boy's face as he looked to Clarissa.

"What's that look-" The question was cut off by a short scream as the ebony haired girl was shoved into the water. Serenity let out a short shriek and ran over to where her roommate and disappeared before rounding on Yami Bakura.

"Ryou! How could you do that? She apologized to you and you shove her in the pool!" Serenity shouted as Yami Bakura did all he could to not laugh. The third member reemerged from the water sputtering before grabbing onto the side of the pool.

"That was a cruel prank Ryou. I like your style." Clarissa remarked as she wiped away a few stray hairs that clung to her face. "However, paybacks are a bitch."

Serenity laughed as she became soaked with water while Yami Bakura threw his arms in front of his face to defend himself from the onslaught of splashes. Once the splashing had stopped the two girls began to laugh while Yami Bakura let out a small chuckle. Serenity jumped into the pool as Yami Bakura made his way to the diving board. Taking a running leap the albino curled himself into a ball before landing in the middle of the water. The two girls laughed as he resurfaced his hair now completely flat and sticking to his face and chest. As he some of the strands away from his eyes Yami Bakura caught Serenity's gaze before she broke it off quickly.

An hour later the three found themselves sitting around a table exhausted. The splashing had turned into a game of Marco Polo which then changed into dunking one another at random. Serenity was now playing with the straw to her cup of Sprite while Clarissa wrung out her hair one more time and Yami Bakura leaned back in his chair eyes closed relaxing. All three were waiting on their pepperoni and sausage pizza to arrive as they agreed it would be cheaper to split it.

"So, let's get a conversation started here. Ryou, I was told you took part in the Battle City Tournament. What was it like?" Clarissa asked flipping her hair back over her shoulder. A dark look came and left Yami Bakura's face which did not go unnoticed by the red head sitting across from him. Serenity froze hands clasped in her lap as memories flooded into her mind.

"Well, I didn't really get to duel a whole lot. I passed out after my first duel with Yugi due to an injury I had. I didn't get to see the rest of the tournament." Yami Bakura replied slipping into Ryou's voice as easily as one puts on their socks in the morning.

"That sucks. Do you at least remember what the blimp was like?" Clarissa questioned before taking a sip of her root beer.

"I don't remember much of it. It was fairly large on the inside much like our rooms except their was only one bed not two. Oh and the food was amazing. It seemed Kaiba spared no expense on that tournament at all." Yami Bakura hoped that this would stop the girl's questions of the tournament. He hated thinking back on it and by the look in the girl's eyes across from him, so did she.

"Huh, well I'll be right back. I have to use the bathroom." Clarissa stood and made her way behind Serenity. She stopped and whispered in her roommates ear. "Careful, if you keep staring and blushing at him, you'll pop a blood vessel."

Serenity's face turned a dark shade of red as her roommate walked off laughing. Yami Bakura watched the thin girl vanish around the corner before turning to Serenity with a raised eyebrow. His look was met with a scowl as the red head crossed her arms and leaned over the table.

"What game are you playing at, Ryou?" Serenity questioned the name coming off as sarcasm.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Serenity." Yami Bakura responded trying to play innocent.

"You lie. Who are you and what are you playing at?" Serenity demanded her eyes burning with anger.

"Guess I can't fool you now can I? How long have you known that I wasn't dear Ryou anymore?" Yami Bakura asked leaning forward as well a smug look on his face.

"When you had us separate from the others on the bus I knew something was off. I wasn't entirely sure until I thought back to what you asked me at school and then the way you were acting in the hall. I'm not the innocent girl everyone thinks I am that hides behind her brother all the time. You're not the only one that can put up a convincing act."

"Well, well, well. You were the last person I would've thought to know about me. So, who told you about me being the spirit of the Millennium Ring? Surely not your brother." Yami Bakura asked his grin widening.

"As I said before I can act just as well as you. I overheard Yugi and the others talking about you when they thought I was sleeping. How long are you planning to control Ryou's body and what are you doing here?"

"That, my dear, I am not telling you. However, if you tell anyone-" Yami Bakura was cut off as Serenity held up her hand.

"I know the drill. You'll either kill me or send me to the Shadow Realm. Don't take me for a fool."

"So when did you become all grown up?" Yami Bakura asked. Serenity was about to answer when Clarissa came around the corner she had disappeared around earlier.

"I'm glad to see you two are getting along nicely. Oh pizza's here." Clarissa smiled as she sat down as the waiter walked out the glass doors with a tray. After the food was set in the middle of the square table the three occupants each took a slice and began eating.

The dinner conversation then turned to school. As soon as their meal was over the three split off into the locker rooms. It was around seven in the evening when the two females made their way into their room after showering in the locker room. Serenity fell onto her bed with a sigh as she stared up at the light blue ceiling. What was she supposed to do now that she knew Ryou wasn't really Ryou?

"Something the matter Serenity?" Clarissa asked as she changed into a pair of green gym shorts and a light gray t-shirt.

"Hm, oh sorry. I just found out a secret during dinner that I can't tell anyone and I don't know what to do with the information I was told." Serenity stood up and started to change into a set of light blue pajamas.

"Damn, that sucks. I'm sorry. Well, you'll have time to think about it tomorrow during the hike I guess. The fresh air may help along with a good nights rest." Clarissa crawled under her blankets flicking the switch next to her bed to turn the lamp off.

"I hope so." Serenity muttered as she tucked herself in as well before turning off the lights. It would be a good half hour later before she fell asleep and found herself dreaming about the demon in the room next door.

Yami Bakura had waited until the girl's had disappeared into the hotel before making his way inside. Now that his hiking partner knew who he really was he had to be extra careful to make sure the rest didn't find out. As he entered his room he nearly shouted in annoyance. Aaron hadn't been joking when he said that he had to have a light on. However, every single light being on was a bit of an overkill. Yami Bakura went around turning off all the lights, Aaron was now asleep in his bed, except the bathroom light.

Nearly tripping over two of the bags that his roommate left in the middle of the room, Yami Bakura stripped down to his boxers and crawled into his bed. Staring up at the dark ceiling he thought over what had happened earlier at the dinner table. He chuckled darkly as he recalled the amount of blushing Serenity did whenever he looked her way. This was going to get interesting. Closing his eyes Yami Bakura fell instantly into a dreamless sleep.