Memo to Self: Cut Back on the Caffeine

Chapter Two

Why one should not sing Vanilla loudly.

Note: If you don't know the translated lyrics, go to senshigakuen.com/translations/lyrics/gackt/vanilla.htm *cough, hack* And it's a great song. Gackt is teh r0xx0rz.

"Kimi wa seijitsu na moralist, kirei na yubi de boku o nazoru. Boku wa junsui na terrorist, kimi no omou ga mama ni kakumei ga okiru," I was singing loudly and off-key as I walked. It had begun to get a little too quiet for my tastes and, as there was no other way to make noise, I was singing. Although if anyone else had been around, I probably would have promptly been told to shut the hell up. But, as there was no one around. . . . "Koi ni shibarareta specialist, nagai tsume o taterareta boku. Ai o tashikametai egoist, kimi no oku made tadoritsukitai. Kimi no kao ga toozakaru. Ah, boku wa boku de nakunaru mae ni!"

I picked up speed as I walked, mentally viewing the live performance of 'Vanilla' in my head. Damn, the fanservice was great in it! "Aishite mo ii kai? Yureru yoru ni arugamama de ii yo! Motto, fukaku! Kuruoshii kurai ni nareta kuchibiru ga, tokeau hodo ni. Boku wa. . . kimi no. . . Vanilla!"

"You know, it's very strange to hear a girl singing that song," a voice interjected.

I yelped and spun around. I very muchly dislike people sneaking up on me. Which is why my glare was turned on the person who had interupted my loud singing.

"And you're very off-key," the person added.

I scowled at the girl who had interupted my singing. "And I believe that I did not ask your opinion, did I?"

The girl looked rather taken aback at the nasty tone that had crept into my voice. "Well, someone's rather bitchy today."

I rolled my eyes. "That's an understatement. By the way, I'm Melody."

"I'm Miraino Hikari," the girl said.

At her name, I did a double take. My eyes narrowed as I looked carefully at her. She had long, black curly hair, large violet eyes and looked like she had just stepped off of the pages of a fashion magazine. This, and her name made something in my brain click.

"You're one of the ones being punished?" I inquired. Inside, I was shaking my head. Miraino Hikari. Light of the Future. Mein Gott, I was cringing at the obviously fangirl-ish name.

"Haaaiii~" Hikari nodded, smiling gleefully. "You too?"

"Uhh . . . " I began to inch away.

"I mean, this doesn't seem like a punishment at ALL!" The over-enthusiastic girl continued. "I was able to pick my name, what I look like and any special abilities I have. I'm now a top-rank duelist and have telekinesis!"

"That's nice," I nodded, looking around wildly for an escape route. Alas, there was none.

"And I'll let you in on a little secret," Hikari said, still grinning like a mad thing.

"Oh, really?" Unfortunately, she didn't notice the obvious lack-of-interest in my voice and on my face.

"I'm going to make Kaiba Seto-chan fall in love with me!" Hikari finished, waiting expectantly.

I raised an eyebrow. "If you call Kaiba-boy 'Seto-chan' to his face, he'll probably shoot you."

Hikari seemed to pout.

"As for me, I'm going somewhere. Away from you." I said, turning and walking off.

"Not so fast!" The hyperactive fangirl's voice had turned hard and cold.

"Oh, don't tell me she has an other half, too." I mumbled, stopping and turning around. "What now?"

"I challenge you to a duel!" Hikari said, pointing dramatically.

"Good for you," I said in a tone that one would use with a small child. "Regretfully, I must decline, for I am meeting Pegasus for tea this afternoon."

With that as my final statement, I began to walk away from Hikari fast. As I walked, I shuddered and made a mental note to myself to NOT run into any more people being punished here. They were living out Mary Sue fantasies. Which meant, in a way, I was. Even though I don't write Mary Sues.

I stopped, puzzled. Then I shook my fist up at the sky. "Curse you, cruel world!"

"Why are you cursing the cruel world?"

My eye twitched as I turned around, fully expecting to give this new person a piece of my mind. Especially if they were another one like Hikari. However, I froze with my mouth hanging open.

Bakura Ryou was standing in front of me, looking slightly confused and concerned.

"B-wah-g . . . Guh?" I finally managed to spit out and make myself look like a complete moron. Then I coughed, swallowed and pulled myself together. "You're Bakura Ryou," I stated.

Way to be a moron, self. That was what my inner voice was mocking me with.

"Yes, I am," Bakura looked somewhat confused. His eyes then narrowed slightly. I flinched, half-expecting his other, more homocidal half to jump out. "And you're Melody Crawford."

Imagine my surprise at that. I swore that I heard Pegasus's gleeful giggles from the castle. I stopped and stared at Bakura. "What?"

"That's right," the white-haired boy looked slightly proud. "Your Pegasus's niece, aren't you? I've seen you on television."

My left eye was beginning to twitch again. Pegasus had some explaining to do. I did not request to be any bizarre relative. An awful thought occured to me then. Slowly, I pulled a few locks of hair into view.

They were silver. A growl escaped my throat. He had messed with my appearance when I had said I liked the way I looked.

"Excuse me, will you?" I inquired of Bakura. Before he had a chance to answer, I was all but running back in the direction of the castle.

Oh, there was going to be pain. Lots of pain, inflicted on the inventor of the Duel Monsters game. Pain via hot pokers.

As I walked, I wasn't really paying attention to anything. Which was probably why I was so surprised to bump into someone.

"Ow!" Yelled 'Insector' Haga, the notorious Bug duelist.

Once more, I glared at the sky.

"Curse you, cruel world." I muttered again.

"Hey, want to duel?" Haga's over-large, spectacle-covered eyes landed on the glove that I wore. I sighed.

"Fine."