Moon Shadow: Hey, dudes and dudettes, thanks for all the reviews!
Endless Myth: Oh my god. 'Dudes and dudettes'? Guess you'll always be a Ninja Turtle fan at heart, won't you?
Moon Shadow: You shut up.
Endless Myth: Fine. Okay guys, here's chapter four...I hope you like it!
Moon Shadow: That's 'we'. WE hope you like it.
*** Chapter Four
"No. No! Listen, Ben Caraway, I cannot ice-skate and don't intend to try!"
"Oh, come on! Why'd you come, if not to skate?"
"Because Tim invited me!"
"Yeah. To ice-skate!"
"I can't!"
"Why don't you learn?"
They were standing by the wall of the Downtown Domino Year Long Skate Dream Ice Skating Rink. Lee was clinging to the side of the rink, wobbly and unsure on her skates, with Ben besides her.
"Lee. Let go of the wall."
"Never."
"Oh, lord." the tall senior brushed his wiry red hair out of his face. "Lee..."
"Don't even go there."
"Fine, fine." Ben gave her a remorseful look and skated away gracefully. They were the only people on the rink. Matt and Tim were down at the other end, racing back and forth. Lee slowly let go of the wall, teetering back and forth on her skates.
I wouldn't do this.
But no one ever called Lee Kaiba a wuss.
And no one ever will.
She started moving, gradually picking up speed as she glided along the ice, still close to the wall. She was moving quickly now, though somewhat choppily, and she guessed she had gotten the hang of it.
But then she lost her balance, and the ice was rushing up to meet her face, and-
She felt a strong hand catch her and pull her up. She regained her balance and realized she was looking straight into the light blue eyes of Matt Delacorte. He had caught her by the waist, and was still holding her, pulling her over to the wall.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. She looked over towards Ben, Tim, and Sara at the other side of the rink. They hadn't noticed her fall, and were still talking and laughing with each other.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, leaning against the wall. "Thanks." He shrugged. "I guess I'm just not to good at ice-skating," she continued, blushing. Now that the shock and fear was gone, she was starting to feel embarrassed that these obviously superb skaters had seen her fault.
"No, no, you're fine," Matt protested, letting go of her waist and backing up. "You just need practice!" He cocked his head. "Here, give me your hands and I'll show you." He grasped her hands and pulled her gently away from the wall, skating backwards across the ice, pulling her along.
Lee bit her lip and squeezed his hands; he smiled. "It's okay, Lee, I've got you." He pulled her around the rink, skating backwards, and she was leaning on him, and her heart was beating almost as fast as his was.
"Hey Lee."
"Yeah?"
"Does anyone ever call you 'Lea' or something like that?"
"Not really. Why?"
"Oh, I don't know, it's just that 'Lee' seems like more of a guy's name." The five of them were walking through downtown Domino, all of them squashed onto one small part of the sidewalk, side by side.
"It is." Lee said. "It's easier to sneak into Duel Monster's tournaments if I register with a boys name."
"Hang on. How do you not get arrested?"
"People used to think I was a boy."
"What?" Ben has finally tuned into Matt and Lee's conversation. "You have such long hair..."
"It used to be cut short." Lee touched the side of her head and laughed. "My uncle's friend, Tea Gardner, she got cancer a few years back. She lost her hair because of the chemotherapy, so I shaved my head to make her feel better."
"Did it work?"
"I don't know. She was always a pretty cheerful person, so it was hard to tell."
"What happened to her?"
Lee smiled wistfully. "She died. When I was in seventh grade."
"I'm sorry." Matt looked down at her. "Yeah, I'm really sorry."
"It's fine. We've sort of...moved on."
"So, you had short hair?" Ben asked impatiently. "That was all? And you were able to sneak into Duel Monster's tournaments?"
"Yup. And when I stopped, I was used to being called Lee. So I still am."
"Cool." Ben said. Matt dodged in front of Lee, who was walking next to Tim. "You know..." he said, holding up his hands, "With short hair, you must've looked exactly like Tim."
"I actually don't think we look that much alike." Tim put in.
"Nope. Identical. Seriously, you two could pass as twins!" Matt laughed.
"Ha. You're a funny guy, Matt, you know that?"
"Yeah. That's me. A real riot." Matt said happily, dodging the punch that Tim had playfully thrown at him. Tim looked back at Lee.
"I think you owe me a rematch, Lee."
The tone was different, but the words were the same that Dan had used. They sent a shiver up her spine and a wave of fear passed through her mind. But she fought it back.
He doesn't mean it the way Dan did.
He would never be like that.
No, Tim would never do that.
"Fine." She crossed her arms. "You don't ever give up, do you?"
"Not often."
They had reached Joey's house and Lee stopped at the walk, turning to face them. "I'll see you guys around, I guess."
"Yeah. Tomorrow at school."
"Cool."
"Later, Lee."
"Bye." She skipped up the front step and into the house, letting the door swing shut behind her. She walked into the kitchen and found a note on the counter.
Hey girl- (the note read)
I went out to get some food and Yugi's out with Marie; he should be back around two. I don't know when I'll be back, should be a little after then.
Take care of yourself
-Joey
"Ha." Lee said, and walked through the open door into the living room. She sat down at the table, and felt something rub against her legs. She bent down to pick up the tabby cat and set him on her lap. She took her dueling deck out from her purse and flipped through it.
"De-Spell, Dark Hole, Komori Dragon, Mystical Elf, Skull Dice, Wingweaver..." Lee paused and looked at the card a moment longer. It was her favorite, and one of her strongest, and she studied the fairy for a second before continuing. She had only gotten halfway through her deck when the soft sound of the cat combined with the repetitive murmur of her own voice lulled her to sleep.
Yugi stepped into the house, his keys jingling on their ring. "Lee?" He called. She was obviously here; the kitchen light was on, and her shoes were lying in the front hall. "Lebecca?" Still no answer. He frowned and made his way through the house. When he entered the living room, he saw her sitting on the floor with Gus the cat on her lap. Her head was lying on the table, with her cards strewn around her face. He smiled walked over to her, lifting her up gently and laying her on the couch. Yugi brushed her hair out of her face and walked quietly out of the room, shutting the door so softly that at first, he couldn't tell if it was really closed.
*** " "Gentlemen...we are here to discuss the issue of Mai Valentine." The spokesman, Mr. Oliver Kimble, turned and gestured to the side. "Before we begin, I'd like to take a minute to welcome Mr. Yugi Moto...the world Duel Monster's champion...as I'm sure you all know." A shiver ran through the people sitting at the table as Yugi stood up.
Yami?"
Here.
I can't do this. Can you-
All right.
They switched, and now it was Yami standing at the head of the table. "Thank you, Mr. Kimble...I would just like to say that I would have had nothing to do with this, and I think you're all a bunch of fools." He glanced across at Mai, who was sitting with her head down at the opposite end of the table. "I hope you all know what a foolish thing it is that you intend to do. Thank you." He sat down, and the representatives whispered among themselves.
You're not afraid to speak your mind, are you?
It's our mind. And no, I'm not.
Mr. Kimble stood again. "Uh-thank you, Mr. Moto. He glanced down at the paper sitting in front of him. "Mr. Degan, perhaps you would like to begin."
"Thank you." The new man cleared his throat before saying, "Mr. Kimble, gentlemen. I am the representative from Industrial Illusions, and after hearing about Ms. Valentine's offense, we have voted to-" Mai looked up suddenly and clutched the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white. "-We have voted to ban women from dueling until further change." He sat down to applause, and Yami silently shook his head.
"It's absolutely ridiculous! It was an unfair vote, and furthermore-"
"Mai. Calm down." Yami said exasperatedly. They were in Mai's apartment, after the meeting.
"I will not calm down!"
"You're overreacting-"
"And I am not overreacting!" She yelled.
"Well you should remember that you got yourself into this mess, and there's no need to yell at a well-meaning friend!" he yelled back. They stared at each other, but they were broken off by a baby's cries from another room. Mai backed into a chair.
"That's Lebecca-" She said wearily, and started to get up, but Yami stopped her.
"I'll get her," he said, and Mai didn't argue. When he came back with the two month old baby girl in his arms, Mai reached up to take her. As she rocked her daughter back and forth, Yami sat down across from her.
"Mai..." he said. "You never did tell me the entire story."
Mai looked up sharply, and then softened. "No. I didn't."
"Tell me." He said gently.
Mai gazed at her daughter as Lebecca caught her mother's finger and clasped it tightly. "It's amazing how much she looks like her father," she said, and Yami leaned forward so he could hear the entire thing.
*** Endless Myth: It's amazing how much less time we have since school started up again.
Moon Shadow: Duh. Uh, Stephen? If you're reading this, I DO NOT LOOK LIKE TEA GARDNER!!!!!
Endless Myth: Whoa. Moving on.... we're going to have trouble posting chapter's, due to an unavoidable conflict-
Moon Shadow: * cough * book report you haven't done yet * cough *
Endless Myth: * beating friend over head with frying pan * We probably won't have the next chapter posted for a long time. Sooooo...hope you liked it, and please read and review!!!
Endless Myth: Oh my god. 'Dudes and dudettes'? Guess you'll always be a Ninja Turtle fan at heart, won't you?
Moon Shadow: You shut up.
Endless Myth: Fine. Okay guys, here's chapter four...I hope you like it!
Moon Shadow: That's 'we'. WE hope you like it.
*** Chapter Four
"No. No! Listen, Ben Caraway, I cannot ice-skate and don't intend to try!"
"Oh, come on! Why'd you come, if not to skate?"
"Because Tim invited me!"
"Yeah. To ice-skate!"
"I can't!"
"Why don't you learn?"
They were standing by the wall of the Downtown Domino Year Long Skate Dream Ice Skating Rink. Lee was clinging to the side of the rink, wobbly and unsure on her skates, with Ben besides her.
"Lee. Let go of the wall."
"Never."
"Oh, lord." the tall senior brushed his wiry red hair out of his face. "Lee..."
"Don't even go there."
"Fine, fine." Ben gave her a remorseful look and skated away gracefully. They were the only people on the rink. Matt and Tim were down at the other end, racing back and forth. Lee slowly let go of the wall, teetering back and forth on her skates.
I wouldn't do this.
But no one ever called Lee Kaiba a wuss.
And no one ever will.
She started moving, gradually picking up speed as she glided along the ice, still close to the wall. She was moving quickly now, though somewhat choppily, and she guessed she had gotten the hang of it.
But then she lost her balance, and the ice was rushing up to meet her face, and-
She felt a strong hand catch her and pull her up. She regained her balance and realized she was looking straight into the light blue eyes of Matt Delacorte. He had caught her by the waist, and was still holding her, pulling her over to the wall.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. She looked over towards Ben, Tim, and Sara at the other side of the rink. They hadn't noticed her fall, and were still talking and laughing with each other.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, leaning against the wall. "Thanks." He shrugged. "I guess I'm just not to good at ice-skating," she continued, blushing. Now that the shock and fear was gone, she was starting to feel embarrassed that these obviously superb skaters had seen her fault.
"No, no, you're fine," Matt protested, letting go of her waist and backing up. "You just need practice!" He cocked his head. "Here, give me your hands and I'll show you." He grasped her hands and pulled her gently away from the wall, skating backwards across the ice, pulling her along.
Lee bit her lip and squeezed his hands; he smiled. "It's okay, Lee, I've got you." He pulled her around the rink, skating backwards, and she was leaning on him, and her heart was beating almost as fast as his was.
"Hey Lee."
"Yeah?"
"Does anyone ever call you 'Lea' or something like that?"
"Not really. Why?"
"Oh, I don't know, it's just that 'Lee' seems like more of a guy's name." The five of them were walking through downtown Domino, all of them squashed onto one small part of the sidewalk, side by side.
"It is." Lee said. "It's easier to sneak into Duel Monster's tournaments if I register with a boys name."
"Hang on. How do you not get arrested?"
"People used to think I was a boy."
"What?" Ben has finally tuned into Matt and Lee's conversation. "You have such long hair..."
"It used to be cut short." Lee touched the side of her head and laughed. "My uncle's friend, Tea Gardner, she got cancer a few years back. She lost her hair because of the chemotherapy, so I shaved my head to make her feel better."
"Did it work?"
"I don't know. She was always a pretty cheerful person, so it was hard to tell."
"What happened to her?"
Lee smiled wistfully. "She died. When I was in seventh grade."
"I'm sorry." Matt looked down at her. "Yeah, I'm really sorry."
"It's fine. We've sort of...moved on."
"So, you had short hair?" Ben asked impatiently. "That was all? And you were able to sneak into Duel Monster's tournaments?"
"Yup. And when I stopped, I was used to being called Lee. So I still am."
"Cool." Ben said. Matt dodged in front of Lee, who was walking next to Tim. "You know..." he said, holding up his hands, "With short hair, you must've looked exactly like Tim."
"I actually don't think we look that much alike." Tim put in.
"Nope. Identical. Seriously, you two could pass as twins!" Matt laughed.
"Ha. You're a funny guy, Matt, you know that?"
"Yeah. That's me. A real riot." Matt said happily, dodging the punch that Tim had playfully thrown at him. Tim looked back at Lee.
"I think you owe me a rematch, Lee."
The tone was different, but the words were the same that Dan had used. They sent a shiver up her spine and a wave of fear passed through her mind. But she fought it back.
He doesn't mean it the way Dan did.
He would never be like that.
No, Tim would never do that.
"Fine." She crossed her arms. "You don't ever give up, do you?"
"Not often."
They had reached Joey's house and Lee stopped at the walk, turning to face them. "I'll see you guys around, I guess."
"Yeah. Tomorrow at school."
"Cool."
"Later, Lee."
"Bye." She skipped up the front step and into the house, letting the door swing shut behind her. She walked into the kitchen and found a note on the counter.
Hey girl- (the note read)
I went out to get some food and Yugi's out with Marie; he should be back around two. I don't know when I'll be back, should be a little after then.
Take care of yourself
-Joey
"Ha." Lee said, and walked through the open door into the living room. She sat down at the table, and felt something rub against her legs. She bent down to pick up the tabby cat and set him on her lap. She took her dueling deck out from her purse and flipped through it.
"De-Spell, Dark Hole, Komori Dragon, Mystical Elf, Skull Dice, Wingweaver..." Lee paused and looked at the card a moment longer. It was her favorite, and one of her strongest, and she studied the fairy for a second before continuing. She had only gotten halfway through her deck when the soft sound of the cat combined with the repetitive murmur of her own voice lulled her to sleep.
Yugi stepped into the house, his keys jingling on their ring. "Lee?" He called. She was obviously here; the kitchen light was on, and her shoes were lying in the front hall. "Lebecca?" Still no answer. He frowned and made his way through the house. When he entered the living room, he saw her sitting on the floor with Gus the cat on her lap. Her head was lying on the table, with her cards strewn around her face. He smiled walked over to her, lifting her up gently and laying her on the couch. Yugi brushed her hair out of her face and walked quietly out of the room, shutting the door so softly that at first, he couldn't tell if it was really closed.
*** " "Gentlemen...we are here to discuss the issue of Mai Valentine." The spokesman, Mr. Oliver Kimble, turned and gestured to the side. "Before we begin, I'd like to take a minute to welcome Mr. Yugi Moto...the world Duel Monster's champion...as I'm sure you all know." A shiver ran through the people sitting at the table as Yugi stood up.
Yami?"
Here.
I can't do this. Can you-
All right.
They switched, and now it was Yami standing at the head of the table. "Thank you, Mr. Kimble...I would just like to say that I would have had nothing to do with this, and I think you're all a bunch of fools." He glanced across at Mai, who was sitting with her head down at the opposite end of the table. "I hope you all know what a foolish thing it is that you intend to do. Thank you." He sat down, and the representatives whispered among themselves.
You're not afraid to speak your mind, are you?
It's our mind. And no, I'm not.
Mr. Kimble stood again. "Uh-thank you, Mr. Moto. He glanced down at the paper sitting in front of him. "Mr. Degan, perhaps you would like to begin."
"Thank you." The new man cleared his throat before saying, "Mr. Kimble, gentlemen. I am the representative from Industrial Illusions, and after hearing about Ms. Valentine's offense, we have voted to-" Mai looked up suddenly and clutched the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white. "-We have voted to ban women from dueling until further change." He sat down to applause, and Yami silently shook his head.
"It's absolutely ridiculous! It was an unfair vote, and furthermore-"
"Mai. Calm down." Yami said exasperatedly. They were in Mai's apartment, after the meeting.
"I will not calm down!"
"You're overreacting-"
"And I am not overreacting!" She yelled.
"Well you should remember that you got yourself into this mess, and there's no need to yell at a well-meaning friend!" he yelled back. They stared at each other, but they were broken off by a baby's cries from another room. Mai backed into a chair.
"That's Lebecca-" She said wearily, and started to get up, but Yami stopped her.
"I'll get her," he said, and Mai didn't argue. When he came back with the two month old baby girl in his arms, Mai reached up to take her. As she rocked her daughter back and forth, Yami sat down across from her.
"Mai..." he said. "You never did tell me the entire story."
Mai looked up sharply, and then softened. "No. I didn't."
"Tell me." He said gently.
Mai gazed at her daughter as Lebecca caught her mother's finger and clasped it tightly. "It's amazing how much she looks like her father," she said, and Yami leaned forward so he could hear the entire thing.
*** Endless Myth: It's amazing how much less time we have since school started up again.
Moon Shadow: Duh. Uh, Stephen? If you're reading this, I DO NOT LOOK LIKE TEA GARDNER!!!!!
Endless Myth: Whoa. Moving on.... we're going to have trouble posting chapter's, due to an unavoidable conflict-
Moon Shadow: * cough * book report you haven't done yet * cough *
Endless Myth: * beating friend over head with frying pan * We probably won't have the next chapter posted for a long time. Sooooo...hope you liked it, and please read and review!!!