Contra Ipsum
Thanks to all who reviewed! I really appreciate it! I am sorry for making you wait for so long, but here is chapter three! Unfortunately, after this, this fic will be on hiatus for a bit; I have writer's block, and I can't think up anything.
Review Responses!!! ^___^
Brownie666 – Um…not that much…thank you ^_^. And yes...when I get ideas, that is...
Bast4 - *shudders* Please! I'm squeamish! But yes, you smarty-pants, that's what's going to happen. ^_~ Shhh!
Lady Ann Kenobi - …you're saying you don't have a little voice? Aren't you normal? Then WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A LITTLE VOICE?! *winks* Just kidding.
Dagger5 – Of course we love Yugi as he is! He's YUGI! ^___^ BTW, your stories rock on J
Elis – Um…*blush* because I get ideas? Me sorry! It'll get better…I promise…(but not before it gets worse…)
Mittens no Hikari – ROTFLMAO!!!! Cheering isn't necessary, please…*is on the floor laughing* *evil grin* Yes…you have no idea of the torment little Yugi will undergo…Yugi: *sweatdrop* Me: ^____^
Me: Okay. Okay. I am officially undeserving of all you lovely reviewers. Because I haven't updated in five hundred years.
Yugi: You can say THAT again...
Me: You're not turning into your yami on me, are you?
Yugi; *laughs*
Yami; I should hope not...
Me: Anyways. You all have my sincere apologies for taking so long. I even had some ideas way back when...just...I work. And work means less time at home, which means less time on my computer. Also, I got a bad virus recently that we just cleared up -_-; damn people who shove these viruses out there...
Well I'll be quick so that you can all read the chapter ^_^.
Yami: *dryly* I don't see why they would...
Me and Yugi: You wouldn't...
Me: *grins* Okay. You're not your yami. Your yami would never agree with me.
Yami: *smirks* I agree with that one.
Me: ...
Yugi: *giggles*
Me: Okay, fine. But whatever. On to the fic!
/Yugi to Yami/ //Yami to Yugi// \Private thoughts OR Yugi arguing with himself\
======
Two weeks had passed, and Yugi was feeling a bit better about himself. He had gone up to an hour of exercise daily, and had cut down on his eating.
Yugi surveyed himself in the mirror. He was getting thinner, he could tell. He felt stronger, he felt powerful because he could control how much he ate. He felt good.
Yugi walked downstairs, the good feeling disappearing when he saw Yami and his grandfather engaged in conversation. \They still haven't noticed me,\ he thought sadly. \Maybe I'm not doing enough. Maybe I'm not thinner after all, maybe I'm just the same as before!\
He reached for a small fruit cup that had become his customary breakfast. He stopped mid-reach.
\You can't eat that.\ His nagging 'conscience' was back. \You're going too slow, why do you think they haven't noticed your new habits? You need to cut back on all that eating you do.\
Yugi stopped for a moment, thinking. Certainly, nothing had changed between him and his family. If anything, things had gotten worse. \Maybe…maybe I could just not eat today...\ he thought. He considered it for a moment and brightened a bit. \Yeah, that's what I'll do! And Gramps is sure to notice and he and Yami will be so proud of me!\ He let his hand drop from the counter.
During his musings, Yami had finished his breakfast and was gathering his things for school. Yugi noticed the five dollars his grandfather had left on the table for lunch. \But I'm not having lunch today. Besides...it saves Gramps some money.\ Yugi took the money, but when his grandfather's back was turned, he slipped it back into his wallet.
\Good. Forget the money. And get going, or you'll be late.\
Yugi, feeling better, walked out the door.
~*~*~
Yugi walked behind his yami as they made their way to school. He was hungry, but not much. He'd become used to small amounts of food over the past two weeks.
He stopped at an intersection. His yami had gone on ahead of him, but the 'Don't Walk' sign was flashing, so he stopped. \Great,\ he thought, \just great.\
Sighing, he turned to look at the people around him as he waited for the walk light to change. His eyes fell on two large, beefy boys who were some distance away, but heading in his direction. \Oh, no,\ he thought. \Them again! I'll bet they think I owe them money! Why did I leave my lunch money home?\
The walk light changed, and Yugi walked quickly across the street. He would've run, but that would have attracted the boys' attention. \Easy, Yugi...they probably haven't noticed you...don't panic...\
\Fat chance with that hair...\
\Thanks an AWFUL lot.\ The boys were gaining. \Easy, now...they may just go right by you...\
Any hopes he had of being passed by were dashed when he looked over his shoulder...right up into the face of Risaku, the biggest senior in Domino High and Yugi's least favorite acquaintance.
"Well, well, well...look who we have here;" the 7-foot senior sneered, looming above Yugi. Yugi gulped. Now was a good time to run, except...
"Why, 'Saku, it looks like you found our friend." Washi, Risaku's twin when it came to nastiness and bad temper (not to mention bad looks), had reached them.
"Yeah, the one who owes us some dough," Risaku glared at Yugi, who tried to run. "Ah, ah, none of that, now," he said, grabbing Yugi's arm and yanking him back. "You have a debt to pay."
Yugi stared up at the pair of them with frightened eyes. \What am I going to do...I don't have any money on me at all…I can't run...\ He just stood there, motionless, paralyzed with fear.
"Hey, runt," growled Washi, grabbing Yugi's other arm and giving it a shake. "What are you waiting for? We don't like people who won't pay up..."
Yugi said the only thing he could think of. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered, "b-but I h-have no m-money on me t-today."
\Oh, brilliant move, genius...\
The voice was cut off as Yugi realized he was being dragged into a narrow alley between two stores. Knowing what was coming, he struggled vainly to free himself, but was only rewarded by a punch in the gut. He collapsed, gasping; the punch had knocked all his air out of him. As though that was a sign, both boys pounced, hitting Yugi in every place they could see.
\Help…someone help…please…God, let this stop…it hurts…it hurts…\ Yugi couldn't see anymore; it was like someone had shone a bright light into his eyes that intensified with each punch or kick. \Please…please…stop…\ He moaned, his body was on fire from the pain. Any second now…any second now he'd pass out…any second now…
"Hey, leave him alone, you big meanies!" A young, high voice pierced the haze of pain and Yugi felt the blows stop. He managed to turn his head to see who had said that.
A little girl with brown curly pigtails stood in the entrance to the alleyway, her hands on her hips, looking angry. Where had he seen her before? He tried to think, but his head was hurting.
"What'd you say?" growled Risaku, dropping Yugi unceremoniously on the ground.
"I said to leave him alone," shouted the little girl, undaunted by the huge teen, "what's he done to you?"
"That's none of your business, girl," Washi glared, advancing menacingly. "Now clear out of here."
"Not until you leave him alone!" \Mai,\ thought Yugi vaguely, \her name's Mai. Yami signed her notebook awhile back.\
Risaku started walking threateningly towards Mai, and Yugi's eyes shot open. \He wouldn't...she's only five...\
\He would.\
Yugi dragged himself up and threw himself in front of the little girl. "Stop," he rasped, dropping down to his knees in front of her, unable to stand the pain. "Stop...she's just a kid...leave her alone...don't hurt her..." He could feel the girl's worried eyes on him; couldn't she just run for it? She'd be safe if she ran away...
Risaku lifted Yugi by the collar of his shirt. "And what," he snarled, "are you going to do about it?"
Washi, though, had other ideas. "Aw, 'Saku, let 'em be. We can get the runt later...but the girl's just a kid."
"Fine," his cohort growled, dropping Yugi once again. This time, he fell painfully on his side. "Was getting bored, anyway." And, grumbling, the two seniors shuffled off down the sidewalk.
Mai immediately ran around to Yugi and knelt in front of him. "Are you okay?" she asked, "you don't look so good." She wrapped her arms around Yugi's chest and tried to pull him up.
Groaning, Yugi managed to get himself into a sitting position. He looked at the worried face of the child in front of him and managed a weak smile. "I've seen worse," he rasped.
She didn't look convinced. "Does this happen a lot to you?" she questioned, as Yugi dragged himself to his feet, using the wall. He hurt everywhere; his left eye was throbbing.
"Kinda," Yugi admitted, offering her a hand, which she took to help herself up. She came up to Yugi's stomach. "Why'd you try and help me, anyway?"
"Well," she said, sounding a bit sheepish. "I was looking for you. I wanted to ask you..." she trailed off, rummaging in her book-bag for something. "I wanted to ask you," she continued, pulling out a light blue notebook, "if you could sign my backup notebook. Yami took up most of the room on my other one, but I wanted yours too, so...could you?"
Yugi smiled a genuine smile for the first time in a long time. "Sure," he said, taking out a marker. Taking the notebook, he thought for a minute, then wrote, 'Always believe in yourself. Best of luck, Mai. ~Yugi Motou'
He handed the book back to her, and she read what he'd written. She looked up, and, giving him a huge smile, hugged him around the middle. "Thank you, Yugi! You're so nice!"
Yugi winced a bit in pain, but hugged the girl back. "Thank you, Mai."
She stepped away from him, giving him a serious look. "You have to start telling those meanies to get lost, or they'll just keep coming back and making you weak and hurt."
Yugi didn't quite know what to say to that. \'Thanks a bunch for the advice, I'll try to remember that next time a guy over two feet taller than me gets in my face.'\ Even in his head the words sounded dumb.
Mai obviously wasn't expecting a reply, because she hugged Yugi again and said, "Thanks so much for signing my notebook, Yugi! I wanted to get yours last time, but we were late, and anyway, my brother likes Yami better, so he wouldn't let me, and yeah he's awesome, but you're okay too..."
"That's okay, Mai," Yugi said, smiling although her innocent words hurt him. "It means a lot to me that you even asked."
Mai smiled. "I gotta go, Yugi, or I'll be late," she said, hurrying away. "Thanks for signing my book!" she called back as she ran. Yugi looked after her, smiling slightly. She was so cute.
\Take the girl's advice and go, because you're late.\ his 'conscience' nagged. Yugi took its advice and managed a slow jog to school, though every step was painful.
Mai's words kept coming back to Yugi as he ran.
"I wanted to get yours last time..."
"My brother likes Yami better..."
"Yami's awesome, but you're okay too..."
"Yami took up most of the room on my main notebook, so can you sign my backup one?"
Yugi knew she hadn't meant to hurt him, but the words stung. \Yami's name just keeps popping up, wherever I go...\
\It wasn't even her main notebook you signed, it was her other one...she had Yami sign hers first,\ the oh-so-helpful voice put in.
Feeling even more downcast, he managed to drag himself into class three seconds before the bell rang.
~*~*~
The day passed fairly quickly for Yugi. The one benefit to being insignificant and overlooked all the time was that no one asked embarrassing questions about the bruises and cuts Yugi had acquired.
That thought didn't hold much comfort.
Yugi walked the halls after the bell rang, looking for Yami. He was beginning to feel rather tired (probably from the lack of food, but he didn't think of that) and he was seriously considering asking Yami to walk him home so he wouldn't have any more run-ins with Risaku and Washi.
He'd skipped lunch like he'd planned, feeling very proud of himself for doing so, although he had been hungry. No one had bothered him for money, either, probably because he hadn't gotten anything. \I should have thought of this before,\ he thought to himself as he turned the corner. He found himself outside the gym doors. Shrugging, he was about to turn away when something caught his eye.
Immediately, he stopped. And stared.
His yami was all the way down the hall, leaning against the wall. What was startling was that three burly football players were surrounding him, and, by the look of it, none of them looked friendly. Yugi ducked behind a classroom door to watch.
"I really don't see what the problem is," Yami was saying, sounding rather bored.
"The problem," snarled one, "is that you're stealin' our girlfriends!"
"I'm what?!"
"You heard him," growled another. "I see the way my girl looks at you."
"And I overheard a couple of her friends talkin' about how hot you was, and all that," the third chimed in, glaring at Yami.
Yami smirked. "Ah. So just because your girlfriend takes her eyes away from you for a moment, you flare up in jealousy, is that it? Sounds like pure cowardice to me." Yugi was amazed at his yami's courage. There was no way he would be that calm in a situation like that.
\But, then again, I'd never be in a situation like that, because no girl would ever look at me like that.\
"I'm just warnin' you to stay away from our girls or ELSE!" the first boy was shouting.
"Yeah, and I think this runt could use a warning," threatened the second. Yugi sucked in his breath. Yami was going to get it, he was going to get pounded into the dirt...
\I've got to help him!\
\Are you NUTS?! This is the guy who's been ignoring you for WEEKS!\
\He's my yami! I have to do something!\
The 'voice' didn't get a chance to reply, because at that moment the guy to Yami's left shouted, "Get 'im!"
All three boys pounced and Yugi started to run forward in Yami's defense. Then he stopped.
Yami was moving. He socked the nearest guy in the face and ducked under the next one so fast that he seemed to be a blue, black and gold blur. The burly teen couldn't stop in time, and slammed into his friend, knocking them both to the floor, each looking dazed.
The last one, who hadn't charged with the other two, caught Yami by the back of his jacket. \Oh, no, it's all over! Yami!\
But Yami was prepared. He landed on his left foot and immediately went into a rapid spin that caused his aggressor to let him go for fear of breaking his wrist. He was caught off guard as Yami's foot connected with his chin, sending him reeling back into the wall. By the time he'd gotten up, Yami was already gone.
Yugi backed slowly into the classroom, ducking down behind the door so as not to be seen. He was in shock, his brain still processing all that had happened in the space of about thirty seconds. Yami was so fast. The way he'd moved…Yugi had never known he could do that.
One thing was for sure, he couldn't do that even if he practiced for years.
\Well, of course. Yami's the better you, isn't he? Everything you can do, he can do, and more. Not to mention he does everything better, from looks to clothes to dueling...\
Yugi closed his eyes, not wanting to hear any more, not wanting to think along that track anymore, but the voice just wouldn't give up.
\No wonder everyone likes him better. He looks better than you do, and he doesn't have to try.\
Yugi trudged out of the classroom, his eyes on the floor. The three burly football players had long since gone, and the hallway was deserted. There was no way he was walking home with Yami now, even if he found him.
\It's no wonder he doesn't want me around anymore, there isn't anything I can do for him. He can take care of himself...it would be a waste of his time to protect me all the time. I'm only a burden to him...that's all I have been...I should just keep out of his way. He doesn't need me there to tarnish his reputation.\ Yugi felt tears come to his eyes as he exited the building.
\Don't you cry. Don't you dare cry. You're a big boy, not a kid. Suck it up and deal.\
Head bowed low, making a valiant effort to stop the tears from falling, Yugi slowly made his way home. There was work to be done. Then he'd go to the gym.
He'd work out until he dropped if he had to.
======
Me: Well...I hope this met your expectations, folks. I am trying. And for those of you who are dying for me to update 'Angelus Fletus Est'…I have severe Writer's Block for that. So...I'm working on it. I just have no ideas ^.^.
Yugi: *sighs* you just can't give me a break, can you? Will I get better or will you kill me off?
Me: I'd NEVER kill you, Yugi. I love you too much *huggles*
Yugi: *smiles slightly* thanks…
Me: Well, R&R people! I can't thank you enough for putting up with me and my slow updates!