Sorry it took so long...^^;;; I'm splitting this into two parts, since I think it's far too long.
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Chapter Three-Pt. 1
" I can't. My mother has this executive party that everyone's going to Friday..." Alecia said, rolling her eyes. She looked up from her project at Yugi, who was asking her if she wanted to go to the movies with them that week. Out of the corner of her eye, she was surprised to see her completely silent partner glance up. Mokuba's brother. It was a shame such a sweet and talented kid at video games could have HIM for a brother, who had chips of ice for eyes. She frowned. Where had she seen this guy before? Going back to her work, she spent the whole period trying to figure out who he was.
Alecia dropped her backpack off at the doorway, just as Kestrel came out of the kitchen. " Hey Liccy. Ready?" Alecia scowled. " You know, I could be going to the movies," she answered. Kestrel ignored her. " Here," she sounded almost giddy, Alecia noted. Grabbing her wrist, she dragged Alecia to the seldom-used dinner table. There was a pile of body care items on it. " Kestrel..." Alecia said, frowning, " You don't have any makeup stuff except for lip gloss..." " Exactly!" Kestrel crowed, " You see, all those idiotic wannabes who've been drilling me for my 'formula' never know that I don't HAVE one! It depends all on how nature gives you your face!" Shrugging off her mother's outburst, Alecia gazed at the items on the table. Tea Leaf Shampoo...Lemon Verbena Soap...Hydrating Body Wash...Pomegranate Face Mask...Cucumber Elastin Stress Gel... " Seriously, Kestrel, all your body care products are from nature too."
As Alecia ran the shower, rubbing the lemon-scented soap against her skin, she racked her brain from where she had seen Mokuba's brother before. God, she didn't even know his NAME after working with him for a day. She smeared on the pomegranate pore cleanser, and closed her eyes, leaning against the cool tiled wall of the bathroom. Sighing, she peeled off the mask and dried herself, then jumped into a robe. " Eh?" the words escaped her mouth as she stared at the huge sheath of soft dark blue silk on her bed. " What?" Kestrel came in, drying her hair with a towel. " Oh-that's mine. Yours should be somewhere around here-oh yeah, here we are." She reached for a golden-copper silk dress, which had a V-neckline and long slender sleeves that ended with an angled fashion near her wrists. " Matches your eyes," Kestrel smiled. " Go on."
Alecia braided her thick hair into a single, long plait, tied with a matching ribbon. Gazing dully at her reflection, she turned back to watch Kestrel enter the room. Her eyes widened in amazement. Kestrel at least looked ten times better then she did-dark black hair gathered into a bun, a few wispy strands left hanging, and sparkling cerulean eyes that matched the strapless silk dress she wore. Regaining her mind again, she whistled. Kestrel's face broke into a mischievous smile. " If I wasn't wearing this, you would be going DOWN."
" Here," Alecia handed Kestrel her flute case as she sat down slowly on the plush leather seats in the limo. She heard Kestrel give a faint groan as a huge house came into sight, and Alecia grew pale when she saw the crowds of people with cameras and microphones waiting for them to get out. " Be happy," whispered Kestrel as she elegantly lifted a side of her skirt and planted her high-heeled feet on the ground. Alecia followed, a small smile on her face. Flashing cameras immediately bombarded Kestrel, as she pasted an almost-real grin on her face. Alecia caught the sound of the numerous reporters talking to their cameras as they walked down the path to the house. " And here's Kestrel Riese, United States Ambassador..." " Today, the gorgeous Seto Kaiba is hosting a party for his business executives..." " Business partners from all over the world will be attending, including a special musical feature..." As they approached the doorway, Alecia saw the man hosting the party. Her mouth dropped open.
His smile was almost as real as Kestrel's. She pursed her lips, the puzzle pieces suddenly clicking together. Of course, she was such an idiot-not noticing the great teenage business prodigy of the century! She had done a project with him! Her mother was dealing business with him! What a FOOL she was! Cursing her stupidity, she never realized they had reached the front steps until Kestrel said, " Mr. Kaiba. Pleasure to see you again." She held out a hand, a fake smile still plastered on her pretty face as Kaiba shook it. " Good evening, Miss. Riese," he answered glancing over harshly at the reddening Alecia. Alecia mumbled back something, and then was interrupted when a familiar voice piped up, " Alecia! Whatcha doing here?"
She turned abruptly to the figure next to his brother. " Mokuba!" She smiled weakly. The boy practically hopped over to join her, as Kestrel walked off to talk with a fellow socialite. " So what ARE you doing here?" he asked, cobalt eyes sparkling. Alecia wrinkled her nose. " My mother," she jerked her head toward the elegant lady chattering over a glass of white wine, " She's here on a business trip. I'm stuck here too. Your brother made you come?" Mokuba nodded gloomily, then his face brightened. " Want to go play video games?" Alecia nearly jumped at the offer, but remembered the flute case she had just given to one of the servants. " Sorry kid. You know that music thing? I'm playing in it..." Mokuba groaned. " I hate these stupid party affairs..." Alecia heard him mumble. She grinned. " Let's go meet the others, shall we?"
Her silk dress rustling, she and Mokuba made their way to where a bunch of other children ages eight to eighteen were milling around, hands in their pockets (if they had any). Most of them looked extremely nervous, some fingering their instrument cases that were lined neatly on a stand. Others were actually talking brightly to each other, and Alecia noticed a girl who was flirting coyly to a tall boy in Russian, but was quickly interrupted when she heard a loud 'oof' and a pressure on her shoulder. Glancing back at Mokuba (who had managed to start arguing with a girl in a velvet dress), she turned to the person. It was a girl-American, seemingly, with a white spaghetti strap dress on and pearls laced through her tawny hair, which was piled on top of her head. " Gomen nasai?" said Alecia, unsure if the girl understood. The other looked up, embarrassed. " Sorry I bumped into you...I'm not very good with Japanese yet..." Alecia smiled faintly in return. " You're an American?" she asked in a friendly tone. The girl looked even more surprised. " Yeah...you speak English?" Alecia nodded, " I'm from America. My mother's over there-by the punch bowl." She held out a slim hand to the other girl's gloved one. " Really? That's the ambassador!" " Yeah. My name's Alecia." " Ceri." Ceri glanced at Kestrel. " She's calling for you."
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Chapter Three-Pt. 1
" I can't. My mother has this executive party that everyone's going to Friday..." Alecia said, rolling her eyes. She looked up from her project at Yugi, who was asking her if she wanted to go to the movies with them that week. Out of the corner of her eye, she was surprised to see her completely silent partner glance up. Mokuba's brother. It was a shame such a sweet and talented kid at video games could have HIM for a brother, who had chips of ice for eyes. She frowned. Where had she seen this guy before? Going back to her work, she spent the whole period trying to figure out who he was.
Alecia dropped her backpack off at the doorway, just as Kestrel came out of the kitchen. " Hey Liccy. Ready?" Alecia scowled. " You know, I could be going to the movies," she answered. Kestrel ignored her. " Here," she sounded almost giddy, Alecia noted. Grabbing her wrist, she dragged Alecia to the seldom-used dinner table. There was a pile of body care items on it. " Kestrel..." Alecia said, frowning, " You don't have any makeup stuff except for lip gloss..." " Exactly!" Kestrel crowed, " You see, all those idiotic wannabes who've been drilling me for my 'formula' never know that I don't HAVE one! It depends all on how nature gives you your face!" Shrugging off her mother's outburst, Alecia gazed at the items on the table. Tea Leaf Shampoo...Lemon Verbena Soap...Hydrating Body Wash...Pomegranate Face Mask...Cucumber Elastin Stress Gel... " Seriously, Kestrel, all your body care products are from nature too."
As Alecia ran the shower, rubbing the lemon-scented soap against her skin, she racked her brain from where she had seen Mokuba's brother before. God, she didn't even know his NAME after working with him for a day. She smeared on the pomegranate pore cleanser, and closed her eyes, leaning against the cool tiled wall of the bathroom. Sighing, she peeled off the mask and dried herself, then jumped into a robe. " Eh?" the words escaped her mouth as she stared at the huge sheath of soft dark blue silk on her bed. " What?" Kestrel came in, drying her hair with a towel. " Oh-that's mine. Yours should be somewhere around here-oh yeah, here we are." She reached for a golden-copper silk dress, which had a V-neckline and long slender sleeves that ended with an angled fashion near her wrists. " Matches your eyes," Kestrel smiled. " Go on."
Alecia braided her thick hair into a single, long plait, tied with a matching ribbon. Gazing dully at her reflection, she turned back to watch Kestrel enter the room. Her eyes widened in amazement. Kestrel at least looked ten times better then she did-dark black hair gathered into a bun, a few wispy strands left hanging, and sparkling cerulean eyes that matched the strapless silk dress she wore. Regaining her mind again, she whistled. Kestrel's face broke into a mischievous smile. " If I wasn't wearing this, you would be going DOWN."
" Here," Alecia handed Kestrel her flute case as she sat down slowly on the plush leather seats in the limo. She heard Kestrel give a faint groan as a huge house came into sight, and Alecia grew pale when she saw the crowds of people with cameras and microphones waiting for them to get out. " Be happy," whispered Kestrel as she elegantly lifted a side of her skirt and planted her high-heeled feet on the ground. Alecia followed, a small smile on her face. Flashing cameras immediately bombarded Kestrel, as she pasted an almost-real grin on her face. Alecia caught the sound of the numerous reporters talking to their cameras as they walked down the path to the house. " And here's Kestrel Riese, United States Ambassador..." " Today, the gorgeous Seto Kaiba is hosting a party for his business executives..." " Business partners from all over the world will be attending, including a special musical feature..." As they approached the doorway, Alecia saw the man hosting the party. Her mouth dropped open.
His smile was almost as real as Kestrel's. She pursed her lips, the puzzle pieces suddenly clicking together. Of course, she was such an idiot-not noticing the great teenage business prodigy of the century! She had done a project with him! Her mother was dealing business with him! What a FOOL she was! Cursing her stupidity, she never realized they had reached the front steps until Kestrel said, " Mr. Kaiba. Pleasure to see you again." She held out a hand, a fake smile still plastered on her pretty face as Kaiba shook it. " Good evening, Miss. Riese," he answered glancing over harshly at the reddening Alecia. Alecia mumbled back something, and then was interrupted when a familiar voice piped up, " Alecia! Whatcha doing here?"
She turned abruptly to the figure next to his brother. " Mokuba!" She smiled weakly. The boy practically hopped over to join her, as Kestrel walked off to talk with a fellow socialite. " So what ARE you doing here?" he asked, cobalt eyes sparkling. Alecia wrinkled her nose. " My mother," she jerked her head toward the elegant lady chattering over a glass of white wine, " She's here on a business trip. I'm stuck here too. Your brother made you come?" Mokuba nodded gloomily, then his face brightened. " Want to go play video games?" Alecia nearly jumped at the offer, but remembered the flute case she had just given to one of the servants. " Sorry kid. You know that music thing? I'm playing in it..." Mokuba groaned. " I hate these stupid party affairs..." Alecia heard him mumble. She grinned. " Let's go meet the others, shall we?"
Her silk dress rustling, she and Mokuba made their way to where a bunch of other children ages eight to eighteen were milling around, hands in their pockets (if they had any). Most of them looked extremely nervous, some fingering their instrument cases that were lined neatly on a stand. Others were actually talking brightly to each other, and Alecia noticed a girl who was flirting coyly to a tall boy in Russian, but was quickly interrupted when she heard a loud 'oof' and a pressure on her shoulder. Glancing back at Mokuba (who had managed to start arguing with a girl in a velvet dress), she turned to the person. It was a girl-American, seemingly, with a white spaghetti strap dress on and pearls laced through her tawny hair, which was piled on top of her head. " Gomen nasai?" said Alecia, unsure if the girl understood. The other looked up, embarrassed. " Sorry I bumped into you...I'm not very good with Japanese yet..." Alecia smiled faintly in return. " You're an American?" she asked in a friendly tone. The girl looked even more surprised. " Yeah...you speak English?" Alecia nodded, " I'm from America. My mother's over there-by the punch bowl." She held out a slim hand to the other girl's gloved one. " Really? That's the ambassador!" " Yeah. My name's Alecia." " Ceri." Ceri glanced at Kestrel. " She's calling for you."