Chapter 10: Criminal
"HELP!" Tea screamed as the hand tightened around her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist. She felt her body being dragged back against another body and was slightly relieved to realize her attacker was a woman.
'At least they won't rape me.' Tea told herself.
"Shut up, Bitch!" Another, female, voice hissed. "Just give us all your money. Now!"
Struggling against the other woman, Tea suddenly felt a hand smack her face.
"Bitch!" The voice hissed again. "It may just be me, my friend and you, bitch, but I'm fully prepared to beat your sorry ass. Now give us your money and we'll let you go with only a small beating!"
Kicking the girl restraining her, Tea waited till the hand had been removed from her mouth before letting out a scream.
"HELP!" Tea yelled. "Anyone, help me!"
The talker smacked Tea again and the other girl tightened her grip. Suddenly, Tea heard Ryu's voice coming towards her.
"Tea? Are you all right?" He asked, as he saw Tea's attackers. "Who are you two? What's going on?"
"Look buddy, just leave us alone and you don't get hurt." The girl holding Tea growled.
"Let her go!" He demanded.
"Go away!" The talker yelled as she swung at his face. Catching her fist, he pulled her over his hip and flipped her into a corner. Swinging his other leg around, he smashed it into the other girl's stomach, causing her to loosen her grip on Tea. Running over to his side, Tea grabbed his shirt and clung to him.
"Now go away before I have to beat you again." He threatened. There was the brief sound of running feet before he and Tea was alone. "Are you all right? I came out here to go home and heard you screaming."
"I'm fine, thanks to you, Ryu. It was just those two girls after my money." Tea whispered.
"Do you want me to walk you…...... home?" He asked softly.
"Would you?" Tea asked. She was glad he had asked, because she knew her air of calmness was only a mask and that inside she was shaking.
"Just lead the way." He bowed, causing Tea to giggle. They went on in silence for a few minutes, Tea, walking in the light of the street lamps, and her savior, just a few feet off, hiding in the shadows. They finally reached a large apartment complex and Tea stopped.
"Well. Here we are." Tea told him, before pointing to the tenth floor. "That's my apartment."
"I'm sure it's nice." He said, his voice coming from the shadows behind her.
"Do you want to come up?" Tea asked suddenly.
"No, I mean, I'd love to, but I can't." He stammered.
"I understand." Tea smiled.
"Maybe, but I doubt you could." He shrugged, thankful she hadn't recognized him or dragged him into the light. Suddenly, acting on impulse, he grabbed her shoulders, pulled her further into the shadows and kissed her on the lips. About to pull away, he felt Tea pressed her lips against his and deepened the kiss. After a minute, she pulled away and they stood there, quietly gasping for breath.
"See you next week, Ryu." Tea smiled before walking into her apartment building. Standing in the shadows, he watched as she got into the elevator and went up to her apartment.
Turning away, he walked down the street, mulling over his brief conversation with Tea.
'She still doesn't understand that's I am Seto? Why doesn't my voice tip her off? I could understand in the club because the music is so loud, but here? Perhaps it some sort of face-association thing. Well, as long as she doesn't figure it out…...... I might well have a bit of fun, ne?'
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"Are you okay, though?" Yugi asked as he stood outside the door to his homeroom with Tea.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Tristan asked coming up behind Tea with Joey. Seto walked down the hall and shot Tea a glance before opening his locker.
"Tea was almost mugged Saturday night." Yugi explained.
"But I'm fine. A friend of mine, Ryu, saved me." Tea said quickly before anyone jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"Ya shoul' be more careful." Joey told Tea, as she stepped out of the way to let Seto pass. "Why didntcha wait for me? I woul' 'ave walked ya home."
"I had to leave early." Tea shrugged as the first warning bell rang and everyone hurried off to his or her own homerooms. A bit over an hour later, Tea walked down the hallway to her second period class. Sitting down in her seat, she took out a pen and began working on her drill. A few seconds before the late bell, Seto walked in and took his seat next to her. Taking out his own pen, he began to write on his drill paper, which he pushed towards Tea a bit later. Glancing down at it, Tea saw that the drill was completed but he had also scribbled down a note to her.
'Are you ok?' Tea read, before scribbling down a response and pushing it back towards Seto. 'Why wouldn't I be?'
Seto quickly read her message before taking out another piece of paper and his homework. Folding the blank piece of paper in half, Seto quickly wrote a reply to Tea's question before shoving it at her.
'I heard you got mugged Sat.' Tea read.
'From who?'
'Heard you and your friends talking.'
'I'm fine. Ryu helped me.'
'Muggers don't grab people w/ other people.'
'I wasn't with him at first.'
'He's your stalker?'
'Ha. Ha. Ryu's my friend.'
'But he was just out late in your part of town?'
'We were at the same club.'
'Aren't you too young?'
'I know owner. Ryu's old enough.'
'So your stalker is an older male?'
'He's not a stalker!'
'Bet he's you met him at the club. Bet you don't know anything about him! Bet he's a criminal.'
'Shut up.' Tea wrote quickly and flashed the note at Seto. Grabbing the note away from his waiting hands, Tea torn the note into pieces and shoved them into her pocket as Ms. Young came into the room and began to teach.
AN: Chapter title by Eminem.
