Oh my, I didn't suspect that so much good news would appear from such a contrasting chapter from the rest of the known YGO world. I'm very thankful for everyone's support; as I, just like any other writer out there, am fuled by sheer conquest and positive words.

Thank you very much, it made me decide to continue this to the bitter end.

However, I must warn you that it will just get more depressing, and oddly disturbing.

I hope you will all stick with me until I pause it for good. Oh, and in case you were wondering, this IS a side-story to "The Sanctuary".

Pleasant time to you all!

giggle

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"All right! We have all of the same classes, so this'll work out great."

Yugi Moto, the latest student on the attendance records of Bridge Junior High, followed beside his new "friend" that the principal had recommended. She was blonde and tan enough to be a model, with sparkling blue eyes that were constantly immersed in an aura of happiness, and a jaunty gate that threw her pony-tail about wildly.

In actuality, he found her quite disconcerting; no one could be that happy, and it was a sign of a very ignorant mind if they were.

Despite her coldness, and obvious discomfort, he was wishing to himself that he could have toured the humble school with the girl he had met in the office. She was hurting inside so bitterly that Yugi ~knew~ he could help her somehow, before she destroyed herself in spite of neglect.

Her hurt, hurt him. It was always odd, but then again, Yugi was amazingly attuned to his surroundings in an unnaturally empathetic way.

He sighed, following obediently into a classroom with a murky window encased into the door, and trying not to look conspicuous to the handful of students skulking around. However, his guide (Annie), snatched his right wrist in a painfully tight grip and immediately led him over to what appeared to be a group of her friends.

Yugi could tell they were friends; they all looked the same.

"Hey Chicas!" she called exuberantly into their click "This is Yugi! He's new!"

They muttered hellos with giant smiles on their glossed lips, and their eyes nearly closed. He felt the insincere emotion behind those smiles, but he returned the gesture politely, and fell back behind Annie to take a seat on the other side of their group.

It was amazing how grippingly they gossiped, as Yugi was quite certain nothing of importance or relevancy came up during the full five minutes of conversation. Still, they seemed sincere enough, even if they had proven themselves quite shallow.

The teacher was late; dragging his feet so that his movements matched the state of his unkempt hair and obvious headache. He gripped a decrepit old briefcase like a lifeline, carefully placing the old and frayed thing on his old and frayed wooden desk. With a cough, he looked up around the class slightly fondly (or was he?). Annie and her friends were still chattering.

After convinced that there was nothing he could do to stop them, the teacher's gaze fell on Yugi for an extended time. The boy shifted in his chair nervously.

"Ah," he said "you must be Yugi. Come up here please, and introduce yourself to the class."

~*~*~*~

Tea kept her head lowered as she ignored the rude jostles and phrases snapped at her. Lunch was always horrible; because all of the teachers were happily marking "F"s into their grade-book, calmly ignorant of anything outside the teacher's lounge.

"Hey loser! Where'd ya get ~that~ outfit?! The gutter?"

Oh yes, she despised these thirty minutes of hell.

Normally she could find hiding places besides the loud and cafeteria, but unfortunately, the bathroom on that hall was flooded, the gym host to a large dodge-ball game, and the band room closed due to a scheduled remodel. So she was now stuck with the jeering, sneering crowd that was overwhelming her sanity at that moment, and trying so very hard not to break out on a mad rampage.

She found a seat in the most distant corner possible, sitting down without much fuss so that her baggy pants slipped up past the ankles of her gangly legs. Food didn't seem so appetizing to her at that moment, as she would be forced to venture into a crowded lunch-line to get it, so she simply pulled out a frayed fantasy novel from her old and worn backpack, and vainly attempted to lose herself in the perfect world, where all one had to worry about was the king's favor, taxes, and angry dragons . . .

"Whatsamatter? Don't you have any ~friends~?!" laughter.

Her nose was in danger of smearing the cheaply printed font, but she didn't really notice. /" . . . her eyes shone with the brilliance of healthy juniper, gazing adoringly at the entity that brought him there. To her. The most lovely thing he had ever seen in his life; . . . "/

They were still laughing, though if it was directly meant to shatter her feelings still, she was unsure. The book was horribly cliché, but it gave her something to do with her eyes and hands, while she slumped from the chair as her hood and posture hid the humiliation of her shaking. To the students watching her as if she were going to unexpectedly pounce, her long eyelashes obscured the telling view of her watering eyes.

She just couldn't hold them back now. So many years of being the resident target finally began catching up with her at that sad moment; she was so lonely.

But Tea did not sob loudly, or wipe her hands on her face to make it go all blotchy and obvious. A few droplets of salty hate escaped, violating the slight curve of her cheek, and ruined page 457 before she halted it all easily. Crying was simply instinct, and never really helped anything in her life, so why waste the energy?

She was so helpless behind the dispassionate mask . . . how disgusting.

Carefully placing her book back into the small pocket of her oversized backpack, the zipper stuck enough to make her struggle for a while, before she forcefully slung it over her shoulder in a practiced motion. There was no need to stay any longer.

One of the dangers of keeping your eyes downcast was that you couldn't really see where you are going as well as you should. It was this simple fact that was placed into affect when Tea smashed squarely into another person, forcing him to stumble back to the linoleum with a hiss of startling surprise.

Judging by the absurd hairstyle she could glimpse through her hair, it was the same boy she had met earlier.

"Oh! Hello . . . " he said shyly, shifting on the ground, expecting her to offer a hand up.

Stupid boy. He could lose everything by talking to a worthless nobody such as herself, didn't he understand that?

After a few moments of her cold stare, Yugi understood the idea as he hoisted himself up with the brace of a nearby table, dusted off his backside, and smiled generously. He loved to smile, but she didn't seem to. Straightened up, he could see little pain lines in-between her eyes, and his cheer faltered a moment to concern; she was in 8th grade, so why did she already have wrinkles?

She was more frighteningly lost and depressed than he previously suspected.

"I'm sorry, but I never had a chance to learn your name." he smiled, his eyes almost closed in a blissful expression. /Come on, just talk to me . . . /

The brunette pursed her lips, examining the back of her hand. "Tea."

It was strange, but his friendliness was astounding. Tea yearned to talk back, to converse about little nothings and just . . . she didn't know. But that would be a selfish response, and it wouldn't be long before he would be alone to her misery, blaming her for everything because it was all her fault . . .

No, better to push him away before his mistake cost him more than he knew.

"I'm Yugi," he introduced kindly "would you like to have lunch with us?"

He pointed to a table that everyone in the room knew well to be a place to avoid unless you had a pristine record, pristine appearance, and an acceptation from the most popular of people around the school. Judging by the way one of the girls was calling out Yugi's name, he had every right to join them, but Tea didn't, nor did she ever wish to join the "blue table gang" under her own free will.

Besides, she didn't want to spoil this new kid, just because he was new and therefore, naive.

"I wouldn't touch that table with a fifteen-foot pole." She replied, frankly and turning to leave.

"How about tomorrow then?"

She made the mistake of looking back at him, and his god-blessed inhuman eyes. Yugi looked so hopeful and anxious, but even his most tender look couldn't melt away Tea's barrier of self-lies.

"I doubt it."

With that, she walked out.

~*~*~*~

"So, do you know why you're here?"

"Pretty much."

"You sound somewhat sarcastic, I have noticed. Do you think you should be here right now?"

"You're asking my opinion?"

"Of course. A compromise is the best way to agree."

"No one else asks for my opinion."

"Their loss then. Now, for an answer to my question earlier . . . ?"

"Honestly, this is a complete waste of my time."

"Hmm, you seem fairly certain then." Scribble scribble.

"I don't need anyone else to tell me I have issues; I've already figured that out for myself, actually."

Scribble, scratch ~cross~.

"You think you have issues? What kinds?"

"I guess I was giving you too much credit, my problems should be obvious if you open your eyes to reality."

"That was very philosophical--"

"Thanks."

"--but I'm afraid we're not connecting. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Oh, just general information. You know . . . well, ~my~ name is Suzanne, and I like sunshine, pancakes and squash. I have a wonderful daughter who is off studying in America right now, a loving husband, and am very content with my life."

/Obviously./

"I sure hope your daughter hasn't picked up that smiling habit of yours, because your excessive use is quite irritating."

"Tell me about yourself."

" . . . my name's Tea, Suzanne, and I wish it were a pleasure meeting you, but that would leave us rather spoiled if we were happy all of the time, don't you agree? I don't like going outside, I don't like food, and I don't like people. I live with my single dad who is going through a rough (previously romantic) relationship with my aunt right now, though he's not home very often. I usually read when I don't have homework to pass the time."

"Do you enjoy your schoolwork?"

"Not in particularly."

Scribble.

"Do you like anything?"

"I dance. I have practice every night."

"Oh? What kind of dance?"

"Ballet."

"I used to dance ballet . . . I remember when I was picked for Clara in the annual Nutcracker; and I was so excited when I saw that nightgown, I--"

"That's nice. Sounds dandy."

"Alright. You seem to be in a crabby mood today, Tea--"

"Don't call me Tea. Call me 'Miss Gardener' again, because that's too informal for a person like you. And it freaks me out."

"~Fine~. Miss Gardener, have you been feeling weary lately, unnaturally so?"

"I wish I was tired all the time, because when I sleep I don't have to talk to people, and in particular, I don't have to make unnecessary trips to the councilor every day."

"Miss Gardener, send Mr Benson in after you."

"Have a nice day."

She was glad to leave the achingly stuffy room that was oddly plastered with self-esteem and anti-drug posters, so that you could no longer make out the chipped walls in between each message. The room was smaller than a closet; barely squeezed with enough room for an ominously dull lamp, a sparsely decorated desk, and a shifty wooden chair. Mrs Suzanne Smith was a slight-framed witch with frizzy curls that shocked from her thin face, and had a constant smile that appeared strangely as psychotic as she really was behind her cheery façade. Maybe the janitor's choice was purposeful; he was a shady looking guy too.

Bumping the door open to unexpected light, Tea found herself looking into the same quiet waiting room that she had carelessly occupied earlier that morning, along with the unexpected arrival who she still worried about, deep within the darkest, dankest recesses of her mind. However, innocent little Yugi was long gone, and in his place loitered a rather unpleasant bunch that Tea was quite certain needed more help than just a third-rate- school-councilor.

Without hesitation she sauntered emotionlessly to a particular boy dressed in baggy clothes and dark dreadlocks.

"The Scare is out for your hide." She relayed.

He looked up slowly, fixing her a pale stare with his disconcerting pale eyes. Benson was a creep.

But he was as close as a friend as either of them had.

"Shit, sweetheart, what did you do?"

"Piss her off enough to listen to me."

"Oh really," he gave her a feral grin, revealing slightly yellowed teeth and a questionable aroma "that seems unlikely."

"It did seem unlikely. Then I got in a bad mood."

He heaved himself up with incredible effort shown apparent on his face. Giving the girl a sliding little motion with his arms, he said one thing before making his own expedition to the little "Happy Room of Particular Happiness".

"Meet me by the tree at lunch tomorrow. You look like you need to see what I've discovered long ago."

Thinking it would be relatively harmless, she nodded and made a mental note to comply.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Any sort of truthful feedback *cough*review*cough* would be very much appreciated *bows*

Thank you for your time so far! ^^