* * *
The next day, I almost forgot it was my birthday until Yami stopped me in the halls the next morning while I took a drink from the water fountain.
"Hey, Mai," he said.
"Uh-hi."
"Today's your birthday, right?"
"Um, yeah. How do you know?"
He ignored my question," I got you a present." He handed me a large box. I unwrapped it to find a large, floppy straw hat.
"Er, it's nice, really Yami, but do you honestly expect me to wear this?"
He rolled his eyes," Of course not! I expect you to wear it when we ditch school."
"Ditch?"
" I have the afternoon all planned, Mai, First, we go to Burger King to get some burgers and stop by the lake to eat them and then the arcade-"
" I am not ditching! I missed enough school already!"
"8 days isn't the end of the world, Mai."
" No, thanks."
"Come on! Haven't you ever did something crazy on the spur of the moment?"
I had to really think on that one. When Joey was around, I did plenty of crazy things and unplanned things. It had been a long time. Too long maybe.
"Oh, all right!" I sighed.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Dump your books in our locker and let's get out of here before some rats try to stop us."
I opened my locker and tossed my books in. "What happens?" I said," I mean what happens when the teachers find out?"
"A couple of hours in detention. Big deal. You'll love it. It'll be like a party."
"Okay, Yami, okay," I said, "But this better be one hell of an afternoon if I'm going to pay for it by spending Saturday in detention."
* * *
We bought some burgers and a bunch of fries at Burger King and walked to the park by the lake.
"Let's sit on the swings and eat," said Yami," Wait a sec, here." He took one of the burgers, unwrapped it, and gave it to me. "Hold on, we have to do this properly." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a blue candle and a book of matches.
"I don't believe this." I said.
"Believe it. This is your official birthday burger." He stuck the candle in the middle and lit it," Make a wish."
I shut my eyes and blew out the candle. I didn't make a wish; wishing for something I couldn't have seemed like a waste of time.
"Don't tell me what you wished for," cautioned Yami," Or it won't come true."
I smiled. A long time ago, I used to think that Yami was a stiff who was more interested in duel monsters than anything else. Now, I could see that under that dueling maniac, he was really a sweet dueling maniac.
"Are you still acting?" he asked as he took a huge bite from his Whopper.
"I'm not sure I want to anymore." I sighed, dragging a fry through a mound of ketchup.
"Why not?"
" I don't know. It's like my wanting to do it was all tied up with Joey. I just don't know if I want to do this anymore."
"So what are you going to do?" he took a long swig from a coke.
"I wish I knew."
" You should stick with it, Mai. The theatre, I mean. You'll be mad someday if you don't."
"Yeah," I said smiling," Maybe you're right."
We just sat and talked when it occurred to me that maybe I had a best friend now. Not a best friend like Joey, maybe, but a best friend any ways. It was nice.
"Here," Yami said," Give me your garbage." He held out the bag and I stuffed our hamburger wrappers and French fry bags in it. He took it over to a green metal trashcan. "Let's see who can get the highest on the swings," he said. "We'll make it a contest, okay?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Yea, I'm crazy and so are you. Come on. You're 20 now. An adult. Who knows when you'll get another chance to be in a contest like this?"
"Okay, Yami, all right as long as you put it that way."
Side by side, we swung, like little kids do, our legs pumping. My hat flew off and sailed to the ground like a straw Frisbee. We got so high on the swings; I had to hang on for dear life.
"Hey Yami!" I yelled," This has been a really great afternoon!"
"Yeah?" he hollered back," Worth detention?"
"Absolutely!"
"I'm glad you feel that way, Mai!"
I started laughing. I was getting back to my old self, where I could laugh easily. I just couldn't stop laughing. It was strange and wonderful, rediscovering the power of uncontrolled laughter. I pumped the swing as hard as I could. I threw my head back. I felt like maybe I could touch the trees. Inside, I was ten years old again. I felt silly.
Giddy.
Free.
* * *
We stopped after about 15 minutes, panting and sweaty. So far, this was the best day ever since Joey died. I glanced at Yami. He looked at me and smiled shyly from his swing. For a second there, I thought he was extremely cute, then I remembered Joey and felt guilty. I felt like I was somehow unfaithful to Joey as if I was his widow or something. I forced myself to look away and thought I saw Yami face flash with disappointment. "Let's go to the arcade now," he suggested," There's a really cool game I wan to show you." I barely nodded as he led the way.
We arrived a few minutes later at the entrance when Yami suddenly steered me to the jewelry store across from it.
"Why are we going here?" I questioned, frowning.
Yami arched a brow," I still have to get you a proper gift."
"Oh no-" I moaned," Yami are you kidding? That store has jewels that cost more than the down payment on my apartment!"
He once again ignored me and dragged me into the store. I tried to run away, but he had his hands clamped tightly on my shoulders.
" See anything you like?" he asked.
"Do you know how expensive this stuff is?"
" More than the down payment on your apartment, yeah, yeah, yeah-"
"Look-can we just forget this and just go back to the arcade?"
"No, we cannot."
"But you can't afford-"
"Shut up, Mai." He pointed to a gorgeous ring that had something that looked like the eye on Yugi's Puzzle in the middle but way smaller that came with similar earrings," How about these? Do you like them?"
"How much are they?"
"Do you LIKE them?
"How much ARE they?"
"Miss?" Yami called up the salesclerk," We'd like this ring, please."
"Cash or charge?"
"Cash."
"Let's see, that one? An odd engagement ring and earrings, those are."
I blushed fiercely," We're not getting married." I explained," My friend here wants to buy me a birthday present but he changed his mind, RIGHT?" I gave Yami a meaningful look.
"She's kidding, of course.," said Yami quickly as he took out his wallet," How much is that?"
"Let's see, that's 432.00 plus tax-"
"Yami!" I said," I will not allow you to spend that much money on me!"
"I want to do this. After all, it's not every day you turn 20."
"I can't let you do this."
"Didn't anyone ever tell you to just smile and say "Thank You"?"
"I don't want you to spend that much money on me! I don't want-"
"Too late," announced Yami as he shoved the money into the clerk's hand. "They're as good as bought."
I sighed and couldn't help but to smile as the clerk put the ring into a box," Yami-how could I ever pay you back?"
He stared at me seriously," Date me."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hey, sorry this was SO short, but I can't think right now! I'm not good at this romance stuff-but it was okay, right? I still need more ideas and stuff for this ending, so please send me a review. Thanks!
The next day, I almost forgot it was my birthday until Yami stopped me in the halls the next morning while I took a drink from the water fountain.
"Hey, Mai," he said.
"Uh-hi."
"Today's your birthday, right?"
"Um, yeah. How do you know?"
He ignored my question," I got you a present." He handed me a large box. I unwrapped it to find a large, floppy straw hat.
"Er, it's nice, really Yami, but do you honestly expect me to wear this?"
He rolled his eyes," Of course not! I expect you to wear it when we ditch school."
"Ditch?"
" I have the afternoon all planned, Mai, First, we go to Burger King to get some burgers and stop by the lake to eat them and then the arcade-"
" I am not ditching! I missed enough school already!"
"8 days isn't the end of the world, Mai."
" No, thanks."
"Come on! Haven't you ever did something crazy on the spur of the moment?"
I had to really think on that one. When Joey was around, I did plenty of crazy things and unplanned things. It had been a long time. Too long maybe.
"Oh, all right!" I sighed.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Dump your books in our locker and let's get out of here before some rats try to stop us."
I opened my locker and tossed my books in. "What happens?" I said," I mean what happens when the teachers find out?"
"A couple of hours in detention. Big deal. You'll love it. It'll be like a party."
"Okay, Yami, okay," I said, "But this better be one hell of an afternoon if I'm going to pay for it by spending Saturday in detention."
* * *
We bought some burgers and a bunch of fries at Burger King and walked to the park by the lake.
"Let's sit on the swings and eat," said Yami," Wait a sec, here." He took one of the burgers, unwrapped it, and gave it to me. "Hold on, we have to do this properly." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a blue candle and a book of matches.
"I don't believe this." I said.
"Believe it. This is your official birthday burger." He stuck the candle in the middle and lit it," Make a wish."
I shut my eyes and blew out the candle. I didn't make a wish; wishing for something I couldn't have seemed like a waste of time.
"Don't tell me what you wished for," cautioned Yami," Or it won't come true."
I smiled. A long time ago, I used to think that Yami was a stiff who was more interested in duel monsters than anything else. Now, I could see that under that dueling maniac, he was really a sweet dueling maniac.
"Are you still acting?" he asked as he took a huge bite from his Whopper.
"I'm not sure I want to anymore." I sighed, dragging a fry through a mound of ketchup.
"Why not?"
" I don't know. It's like my wanting to do it was all tied up with Joey. I just don't know if I want to do this anymore."
"So what are you going to do?" he took a long swig from a coke.
"I wish I knew."
" You should stick with it, Mai. The theatre, I mean. You'll be mad someday if you don't."
"Yeah," I said smiling," Maybe you're right."
We just sat and talked when it occurred to me that maybe I had a best friend now. Not a best friend like Joey, maybe, but a best friend any ways. It was nice.
"Here," Yami said," Give me your garbage." He held out the bag and I stuffed our hamburger wrappers and French fry bags in it. He took it over to a green metal trashcan. "Let's see who can get the highest on the swings," he said. "We'll make it a contest, okay?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Yea, I'm crazy and so are you. Come on. You're 20 now. An adult. Who knows when you'll get another chance to be in a contest like this?"
"Okay, Yami, all right as long as you put it that way."
Side by side, we swung, like little kids do, our legs pumping. My hat flew off and sailed to the ground like a straw Frisbee. We got so high on the swings; I had to hang on for dear life.
"Hey Yami!" I yelled," This has been a really great afternoon!"
"Yeah?" he hollered back," Worth detention?"
"Absolutely!"
"I'm glad you feel that way, Mai!"
I started laughing. I was getting back to my old self, where I could laugh easily. I just couldn't stop laughing. It was strange and wonderful, rediscovering the power of uncontrolled laughter. I pumped the swing as hard as I could. I threw my head back. I felt like maybe I could touch the trees. Inside, I was ten years old again. I felt silly.
Giddy.
Free.
* * *
We stopped after about 15 minutes, panting and sweaty. So far, this was the best day ever since Joey died. I glanced at Yami. He looked at me and smiled shyly from his swing. For a second there, I thought he was extremely cute, then I remembered Joey and felt guilty. I felt like I was somehow unfaithful to Joey as if I was his widow or something. I forced myself to look away and thought I saw Yami face flash with disappointment. "Let's go to the arcade now," he suggested," There's a really cool game I wan to show you." I barely nodded as he led the way.
We arrived a few minutes later at the entrance when Yami suddenly steered me to the jewelry store across from it.
"Why are we going here?" I questioned, frowning.
Yami arched a brow," I still have to get you a proper gift."
"Oh no-" I moaned," Yami are you kidding? That store has jewels that cost more than the down payment on my apartment!"
He once again ignored me and dragged me into the store. I tried to run away, but he had his hands clamped tightly on my shoulders.
" See anything you like?" he asked.
"Do you know how expensive this stuff is?"
" More than the down payment on your apartment, yeah, yeah, yeah-"
"Look-can we just forget this and just go back to the arcade?"
"No, we cannot."
"But you can't afford-"
"Shut up, Mai." He pointed to a gorgeous ring that had something that looked like the eye on Yugi's Puzzle in the middle but way smaller that came with similar earrings," How about these? Do you like them?"
"How much are they?"
"Do you LIKE them?
"How much ARE they?"
"Miss?" Yami called up the salesclerk," We'd like this ring, please."
"Cash or charge?"
"Cash."
"Let's see, that one? An odd engagement ring and earrings, those are."
I blushed fiercely," We're not getting married." I explained," My friend here wants to buy me a birthday present but he changed his mind, RIGHT?" I gave Yami a meaningful look.
"She's kidding, of course.," said Yami quickly as he took out his wallet," How much is that?"
"Let's see, that's 432.00 plus tax-"
"Yami!" I said," I will not allow you to spend that much money on me!"
"I want to do this. After all, it's not every day you turn 20."
"I can't let you do this."
"Didn't anyone ever tell you to just smile and say "Thank You"?"
"I don't want you to spend that much money on me! I don't want-"
"Too late," announced Yami as he shoved the money into the clerk's hand. "They're as good as bought."
I sighed and couldn't help but to smile as the clerk put the ring into a box," Yami-how could I ever pay you back?"
He stared at me seriously," Date me."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hey, sorry this was SO short, but I can't think right now! I'm not good at this romance stuff-but it was okay, right? I still need more ideas and stuff for this ending, so please send me a review. Thanks!