Disclaimer: Do not own the show, the characters, or YGO merchandise. If I did the world would be a better place now. (Just kidding.)

Italic : means that the person is thinking to him or herself.

P.S.- Italic is for a song too.

To Reader: Sorry for the MAJOR delay!!! Again, thanks for reviews!!! BTW, this chapter is going to be kinda sad because it's sort of in Yami's perspective instead of Tea's line of thinking. Ohhh...and I also wanted to make a couple of points before I begin.............

~No Duke/Tea, Serenity/Yami, or Tristan/Tea ending in this fic.

~I'm not sure if I still want to put Seto Kaiba in this story, if I do...he will be portrayed as a nice dude.

~Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting! WAAAH! Those cats were fast as lightning....ohh...sorry!!

Chapter Four: Overcoming Loneliness

'Heaven is with you, hell is without you.....'

Yami closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back his thoughts of Serenity. He couldn't understand why she left him. He knew that going to live with her mother wasn't the real reason. It was just an excuse.

'An excuse to get away from me....'

Yami sighed sadly and rolled over on his back. As he examined his pale-white ceiling, the thoughts of her delicate brown hair, her soft green eyes, and her smooth white skin would not obliterate from his mind. He sighed again and sat up, only to meet the eyes of his roommate, Yugi Moto.

"Why aren't you ready for school?" Yugi asked as he slid his backpack onto his shoulder.

Yami shook his head slowly and responded, "I'm not going."

At this remark, Yugi's eyes sprang open. He couldn't believe the loss of Serenity would put him in a mental slump. Yugi walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "It was for the best."

"No." Yami answered as he put his head back on the pillow. "You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?" Yugi asked as he put his hands on his hips. {A/N: Yes, I know it's not a typical guy thing....sorry!!!!! *_*}

"Serenity was my first love....." Yami answered slowly.

"....and probably not your only.." Yugi butted in as Yami shook his head.

"I experienced true happiness and love for the first time with Serenity," Yami added, "it was not like in ancient Egypt where you were forced to select a woman you never knew....or never get to know."

"I'm sorry." Yugi lamented as Yami smiled weakly, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Don't be.....it's not your fault." Yami said as he looked at his watch. "You're going to be late."

"We're going to be late..." Yugi said as Yami sighed.

"Not today Yugi, please forgive me." Yami said as Yugi nodded sympathetically.

"You're forgiven." Yugi said as he touched Yami's hand and made his way out the door.

"Thank you." Yami whispered as he looked out the window at Yugi's hasty movements out the Game Shop toward the school building. He smiled at Yugi's clumsiness.

He sighed as thoughts of Serenity re-flooded his mind. 'Why now?'

*Flashback Mode: Yesterday*

"Why now?" Yami asked Serenity as she looked down at the ground. "Why are you leaving?"

"I must tend to my sick Mother." She said as tears started forming on her eyelids.

"When are you leaving?" Yami asked as she looked up at him.

"Tonight." She said as Yami gasped.

"Tonight?" She nodded slowly. "What about....us?"

Yami's voice went from a sense of calmness to utter terror. He felt like his throat was closing up on him. He couldn't speak or really embellish the anger that was inside of him right now. Why hadn't she told him sooner?

"You are making this more difficult than it already is Yami." Serenity said.

"How so?" Yami asked as he folded his arms in an angry gesture.

"Our relationship is like a roller coaster, Yami," Serenity looked away, "and I want the ride to stop."

Yami's heart shattered. It was worse than seeing his friends under mind control in Battle City.

"We're breaking up?" Yami asked as she looked back into his violet eyes.

"Yes." She said as she took off the ring that he bought her for Christmas. "Yes." She repeated as she handed him the ring and turned away from him.

Yami looked at the ring and then back at Serenity with a sense of confusion in his eyes.

"You can't just give up on us." Yami stated as she turned around slightly. "What we have is special."

"What we had was special." Serenity corrected as Yami clutched the ring in his hand.

"Please Serenity....." Yami said as he looked down at the ring. "I love-"

"Don't," she interrupted, "I made up my mind."

"But, I really do love you.....that will never change." Yami said.

Serenity gave him a pleading look. He looked away, feeling betrayed.

"Listen Yami, you're what any woman would want in a man.....you're smart, talented, and handsome...." Serenity said softly. "Please...share your blessing with someone who.....loves you back."

Yami felt like he was on the verge of tears. He had to stay strong. For BOTH their sakes.

"If that's how it's going to be.....I will respect your decision." Yami spat out sadly.

Serenity smiled sadly and walked over to him slowly. "Take care."

"You too." Yami forced out as she kissed his cheek one last time.

Serenity smiled and started walking away slowly.

"I'll keep your Mother in my prayers." Yami said softly as she turned around.

"Thank you." She said.

*End Flashback Mode*

'She has moved on....' Yami thought to himself. 'I need to do the same.'

~At Tea's House~

"Come on Tristan," Tea added hesitantly, "maybe if you studied for tests they wouldn't be so hard!"

Tristan rolled his eyes and opened the front door to her house. Tea followed, sliding her backpack onto her shoulder. As they walked outside into the midst of spring, Tea admired the cool breeze that swept past them. She sighed heavenly and turned around to lock the front door to her house. Once she did so, she turned around to see Tristan waiting patiently for her. She smiled and signaled him to move along. He did as told and walked forward toward a large building that every student feared. School.

"I wonder what is awaiting us today....." Tea said sarcastically as Tristan turned toward her.

"I know!" He said excitedly.

Before he could answer, Tea gave him a comical expression and inquired, "detention?"

"Better than that!" Tristan said enthusiastically. "All-girls track meeting today!"

Tea sighed and hastened her pace from the young pervert. She slowed down when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She looked on ahead to see her childhood friend, Yugi.

"Good morning to you," Yugi said as Tea smiled and waved to them.

"Hello, long time no see." She said dryly as Tristan caught up to her.

"Hey Yugi, where's Yami?" Tristan asked as Yugi frowned.

"Oh he's....sick." Yugi replied quickly.

"That's weird, Yami's never sick." Tristan commented as he stroked his chin with his fingers.

Tea shrugged her shoulders and said, "there's a first time for everything....."

Yugi smiled and walked into the school, holding the door for Tea and Tristan. They followed shortly and walked down the hallway to their lockers in a rapid pace, knowing that detention would whisper in their ears if they were late. After Tea grabbed the rest of her books, she looked at the other two boys. They all smiled and ran down the hallway toward their homeroom. Once they reached their room, the bell sounded loudly. They all crammed in the room, only to receive awkward glances from their fellow students. Tea, Yugi, and Tristan smiled all the way to their seats.....knowing that it was just like old times.

~During English Class~

"Alright class, as usual, we will begin the day with a journal entry. please get started on that now."

Tea's eyes broke away from the teacher once she finished her lecture. Tea sighed and opened her notebook to a clean page. She put her pen to the paper, hoping that an idea would come to her. One did.

Friday.

Definition: Heaven

Ask any student nowadays. Friday is a day to relax and allow the week-end that followed to wash you away from all your troubles, like school and....school. Why can't everyday be Friday, you ask? The answer is quite simple. Adults are evil. Period.

Tea chuckled softly at what she wrote. She didn't know why she wrote it, she just thought it was a change from all her other entries. As she flipped back at the other pages, she grew angry. They were all about Duke. Tea slowly whispered a few inappropriate words and closed the book slowly, awaiting the teacher to continue her lesson.

~After School~

"TEA!" Yugi yelled as he walked ran toward her.

"Yugi? What's the matter?" Tea asked as Yugi handed her a stack of books.

"Do you mind bringing these to the Game Shop for Yami?" He asked.

"Sure, but why can't-"

"I have to tutor someone in French," Yugi continued, "I won't be home until 6...."

Tea nodded and said, "no problem.....have fun."

"Thank you so much, Tea." Yugi said as Tea smiled innocently.

He waved a goodbye and ran back into the school. Tea sighed and made her way to the Game Shop accompanied by a stack of books as tall as Yugi's hair. She smiled at the thought and made her way to a brown building, also known as the Game Shop. She took a deep breath and entered quietly to find Grandpa at the counter, beaming his genuine smile.

"Good Afternoon, Mr. Moto." She said politely as Grandpa smiled.

"Hello Tea, nice to see you again." He said as Tea smiled.

"You too," she added in slowly, "have you seen Yami?"

Grandpa pointed a finger toward the upstairs.

"Thanks," she said as she walked up the stairs toward his room.

As she made it toward a small door, she knocked twice. After hearing a muffled noise she decided to enter the room. As she entered she saw Yami's back toward her. He was facing the window, holding a gold ring in his hand. Tea walked forward, but stopped once she heard him speak.

"How was school Yu-" He turned around to see Tea standing there. "Tea?"

~To be continued.......~

Sorry I stopped it here!! Don't worry....I'm hoping that the next chappie will be up Thursday or Friday. Again, sorry for the delay....and thank you for being patient.

Jellybob 15