The next day went fast, consisted of Nadina worrying and fussing about her first day at school. Kaiba, who was not up to comforting her anxiety, escaped to his office right after breakfast, leaving Mokuba to reassure Nadina that everything's going to be all right.
And when Nadina's big day finally arrived…
"Nadina, when are you going to come out?!" Kaiba demanded, pounding on the door with Mokuba dancing at his side. Both Kaiba brothers had dressed in their school uniform and were waiting for the last member. But the last member seemed reluctant to emerge from her room.
"Kaiba, I'm not going!" The willowy brunette heard the girl shout from inside the room. "Have you seen how short this skirt is?!"
"I don't care!" Kaiba yelled back. "All I care about is getting to school on time."
"Like I said, I'm not going!"
"Don't make me go in there." He threatened, growling in his most dangerous voice.
The door flung open, almost causing Kaiba to loose his balance, and Nadina swept out, scowling more fierce than anything he's ever seen.
"I'm going to kill you, Kaiba." She threatened. "I'm going to kill you, I don't care whether you like it or not, I don't care if I saved you before, I don't care if I'm living in your house, as long as you make me wear this to school, I'll kill you."
"Feel free to try." He said simply, looking bored. "It's not like I'll kick you out just because you're trying to kill me." He added sarcastically. Nadina stomped her feet.
"What kind of school is school?" She exclaimed. "Why would school make you wear this sort of clothing if you're there to learn?!"
"I don't know and I can't change the policy, now hurry up." Kaiba ordered, hustling his brother and Nadina to the limo that's waiting for them outside the front doors of Kaiba Mansion.
"But I look like a prostitué." She moaned as she slid into the seats of the limo after Mokuba.
"A what?" Kaiba was confused as he sat down next to her.
"A prostitute!" She snapped. "If Marik saw me right now…" She trailed off. "Never mind." Kaiba looked over and saw tears misting over her eyes. He cleared his throat.
"So, do you remember everything I've told you?" He picked up a small backpack and handed it to her. "Your books are in here and so is everything else you'll need." She nodded demurely, then gave him a weak smile as she played with a strand of her hair.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this. This is way better than to marry Blake Malone when I'm eighteen."
"But remember," Kaiba warned. "Some guys are very bold at school and since you've never been at a school before, you have to be careful. You don't have your bodyguards with you and you won't be protected. With your fine beauty, you can't afford to be naïve . It's dangerous and stupid."
"I'll try to remember not to be naïve." Nadina promised, nodding her head, her promise seemed almost comical, it was so ridiculously put.
"If you have any trouble, I'll be there."
"Okay."
They dropped Mokuba off first, then reached their own school. Eyes turned as the piercing ocean blue-eyed billionaire and the ethereal beauty beside him walked through the crowds at school. Whispers began to spread and soon, everyone was talking about the young girl with hair of sunshine gold and lips red as the crimson rose that had been seen walking with Seto Kaiba.
"Here's the classroom, I need to go to the office for a second to take care of some things for you. Go on in and ask for the teacher." Without waiting for Nadina to say anything, Kaiba took off on his long legs for the school's main office.
"Here goes nothing." Nadina took a deep breath, adjusted her uniform, then walked into the classroom.
She froze as soon as she stepped into the room and stared at all the activities with amazement and bewildered confusion. There were students, kids her age, sprawled all over the place. There were boys that were laughing and roaring boisterously. There were girls that giggle and flirted with a group of guys that had hairs Nadina couldn't begin to identify. There were the nerds and geeks, who surrounded one boys staring at his laptop. Then, there were the girls who talk quietly among themselves. Scattered about there and there were loners that sat reading or looking out the window.
Nadina was biting her lips, wondering what she should do when she spotted the last group over by the windows. They were concentrated on something held in their hands as the group was consisting of six members. One girl and five boys. Once in a while, one of the two holding some objects in their hand would say something. Cheers, teases, and encouragement were passed during every turn.
The groups seemed to be focusing on the two holding what looked like…cards, in their hands. One was a boy with tri-colored spiky hair, while the other one was a sandy blonde. And unlike other groups, the friendship from this group seemed to be tight and the boys were not as rambunctious as the others.
Nadina made up her mind and crossed over to them hesitantly, hoping to get somewhat of an idea or clue of what to do from them. She was so focused on what to say to them that she didn't notice she was already standing next to the girl.
"Excuse me?" She finally managed to squeeze out of her tightened throat. The girl turned. She was a brunette with a fine figure and bright blue eyes. "Can you tell me where the teacher is?" The girl studied her and smiled warmly.
"The teacher's not in yet, but my name is Téa." She held out her hands. Nadina gratefully shook the friendly girl's hand.
"I'm Nadina."
"You must be new here." Téa began good-naturally. "Which school did you go to before?"
"I've never been to a school before. I've always had a tutor." Talking about Edward brought forth a new wave of sadness for Nadina. But if Téa was surprised or saw her sadness, she didn't say anything. Instead, she brightened up.
"Hey, let me introduce you to the boys." She turned over to the group and called a time out. The sandy blonde seemed reluctant to put a hold on his game.
"Aw, Téa," he complained. "I just got this super killer idea that might actually crush Yug. Ya sure picked a fine time to stop the game."
"Who's this?" A fine, refined voice came from the white-haired boy. Nadina was delighted to hear the slight British accent that accompanied his words.
"Guys, I want you to meet Nadina." Téa introduced. "She's new at our school. Nadina," she turned back to the girl. "These are my best friends."
"Hiya, Nadina." The sandy blonde grinned and stood up. "I'm Joey Wheeler and—"
"I'm Tristan." One of the tallest guys in the group winked. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Ryou Bakura, but everyone just calls me Bakura." The white-haired boy with the accent introduced, offering his hands.
"I'm Duke Devlin." The guy that spoke was toying with a dice. His piercing green eyes were emerald green and his charm was as quick as lightening. "I own a game shop just down the block."
"And last but not least…" Téa motioned to the tri-colored hair boy.
"I'm Yugi Muto." He was a bit on the short side, but doesn't seem to be self-conscious about it. He was just as independent as the others as they horsed around.
"Hi," Nadina flushed with shyness. Her words lilting and melodic and her accent softened the words. "I'm Nadina. Pleasure to meet you all."
"You're accent is entirely too charming," Duke made his move. "Where did you come from?"
"Actually, I came from England, several miles away from London." Nadina told him.
"So, Nadina," Yugi started in cheerfully. "What brings you here to Domino City?"
"Visiting." the heiress of the Ishtar family was quick to say, remembering what Kaiba had told her. "Meanwhile, I thought I'd check out what schools are like here."
"Geez, ya mean ya actually wanted to come to school?" Joey drawled, his Brooklyn accent thick and lazy. "I'd do anything to switch places with ya."
"You wish." Tristan gave him a playful punch in the arm. Joey tagged him back, and the male sporting ritual began. Nadina watched as the two competitive, well-over-five-foot-tall "little boys" sparred with each other in front of her. She immediately spotted the strong bond of friendship between them. Through their rough exteriors, Nadina could see that those two friends held their friendship high, though both unwilling to show it.
No, Joey, Nadina thought silently. You wouldn't want to take my place. Not for anything. Out loud, she asked,
"So when does class start?"
The tagging stopped and was followed by a rustle of boys looking at their watches. The bell promptly rang as soon as Joey opened his mouth.
"Right now," Duke sighed.
"Perhaps I better go find the teacher then," Nadina gave a nervous laugh.
"Yeah," Yugi nodded.
"Let's hang out together at break!" Téa added, giving her a friendly wave.
Students quickly settled down as the teacher entered the room. Nadina was quickly called upon to the front of the class.
"Wow, who's that mysterious frosty blonde?" Kaiba lifted his eyes from his book and glowered silently at the guy who made the remark to his friend.
"Hey, man," his friend pointed out. "Check out her killer legs." Kaiba willed himself not to jump up and kill the guy at the very moment.
"Class," the teacher started once Nadina was standing in the front. "Today, we have a new student. Please introduce yourself, Nadina, and tell us a little about yourself."
"Hello," Nadina gave a smile and waved. "My name is Nadina. Nadina Ishtar."
Ishtar! Yugi's head snapped up from his desk and stared at the girl with shock. Is she by any chance related to Marik Ishtar? What could she be doing here?
Ishtar? Joey grunted as he heard the familiar name. Oh yeah…isn't he that crazy creep that appeared during the Battle City? Yeah, I think that's what he name was… He made a mental note to ask Yugi about it later.
Ishtar… Téa's brain was whirling with thoughts. Wait! Isn't he the guy that took over people's minds? Even at one point Joey's? Is that his sister?
"—I was just transferred to Domino City from England."
"Sweet, England." The first guy grinned wolfishly. Kaiba was silently beginning to fume. "I wonder if all girls there are like that."
"I heard that babes there are just as hot." His friend whispered back.
"Dude, let's transfer there!"
"You're on. I'm with you!"
Idiots…Kaiba's eye twitched. He sighed. In every class, there are always a few idiots like that.
"Alright Nadina, thank you. You may take your seat next to Joey Wheeler. Okay class, enough excitement for the day. Please open your book to page 169…"
Everyone sighed. Class has started.
"What? Not a trace found?! Are you sure you checked through every database possible?" Marik demanded.
"Yes, Master Marik." Clark said lowly, dropping his gaze.
"That can't be! She has to be around somewhere!" Unless…she's… "NO!" Marik's eyes flashed. "She's alive around here somewhere! Fools! I want you to find her and bring her back to me!!!"
"Yes, sir." Without looking back, Clark turned and left the room. Marik sank back down in his chair and sighed, burying his face into the palm of his hands.
Nadina…oh, sister…where are you?
"So Nadina, what do you think of our school?" Yugi asked as he took a big bite of his lunch at lunchtime.
"It's wonderful!" Nadina said enthusiastically. "Everything is so new for me, so cool!"
"What were your lessons like before?"
"Well…" Nadina's expression looked pained. "It wasn't like this." She finally replied simply, her voice closing the subject.
"Hey, Nadina," Joey spoke up, staring at her thoughtfully with his dark eyes. "I don't know if this has anything to do with you, but do you happen to know a guy named Marik Ishtar?"
Nadina gasped and the whole table blanched.
"Joey!" Téa hissed as Tristan rammed his elbow through his friend's ribs.
"Nice going, bonehead." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Nadina, what Joey was trying to say is that there was a guy named Marik that we met during the Battle City."
"Battle City?" Nadina echoed curiously, wondering what her brother was doing in Domino City on one of his "business trips."
"Yeah, it's the big tournament that Kaiba was hosting." Speaking of Kaiba, Yugi thought to himself as he stared at the back of his arrogant classmate, sitting at the next table back to back with Nadina. Why is he sitting so close to us today? He usually sits at the other end of the cafeteria or he doesn't bother showing up at all. What is he doing?
"Really?" Nadina's voice brought his back.
"Yeah, and Marik was there. Man, was he creepy!" Joey sighed and took a swig of his soda. Nadina turned her face away, hiding the tears the misted over her eyes.
"We were right, weren't we, Nadina?" Yugi's voice was grim now. "Marik's your brother!"
"Her brother!" Duke looked stunned. "But how can that be? How can that coward Marik have a sister as sweet and as divine as Nadina?"
"Why, Nadina? Why are you here? Why—" Yugi was interrupted by an angry voice.
"Why don't you mind your business for once, Yugi?!" Kaiba's tall, angry shadow all of a sudden loomed over their table. "Why don't you and your little cronies leave her alone." His face was pale with rage and his voice was low and dangerous.
"Kaiba…" They watched silently as Kaiba helped Nadina over to his table.
"Something is going on between these two." Tristan frowned at the two figures with their heads bowed and talking in low voice. After listening to Kaiba's deep soothing voice, they watched as Nadina nodded and brushed her tears away.
"Yeah," Bakura added. "What does Kaiba have to do with all of this? How does he fit in?"
"It almost seemed like they know each other." Joey drawled lazily. Everyone sweatdropped.
"Wow, did you figure out all by yourself, Sherlock?" Duke asked sarcastically.
"This is so weird." Téa pursed her lips. "First, Kaiba was absent at school for almost a month for unknown reason, now Marik's sister appears and seems to know Kaiba."
"Hmm…"
Later that day, during the break in the hallway, Duke approached Nadina.
"Hey, Nadina." He smiled broadly as he came up to her.
"Hello, Duke." Nadina turned to him before turning back to her locker, where she was gathering her books.
"I don't know if Kaiba had told you this, but did you know there is a Christmas dance coming up?"
"No, no I don't."
"Would you—I mean, well," Duke ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. "What I meant to say is that I'd really be honored if you'd let me escort you the dance."
Nadina looked up at him steadily with her dark indigo eyes, before looking back down uncomfortably, "I'll have to ask Kaiba." She said the first thing that automatically popped to her mind.
Duke looked shocked and hurt at the same time, "Why? Is he taking you? What does he have to do with anything? Why do you have to ask him for his permission?"
The questions startled Nadina. No, of course Kaiba wasn't taking her. It's just that being with her brother so long and having to ask permission for everything became a habit. And when she moved in with Kaiba, Kaiba habitually replaced Marik's role in Nadina's mind. She had promptly forgotten that Duke knows nothing about her own situation with Kaiba and tried to explain as best as she could, though leaving Duke confused and more confused.
"No, of course he's not taking me. It's just that it would be the right thing to ask for his permission first." She brushed a lock of her curl away from her face and shut her locker, still wondering with amazement at the concept of Kaiba taking her to a dance. In the girl's innocent mind, Kaiba was older than she was and had some sort of connection with her own brother, therefore, besides a sibling relationship, nothing more could go on between them. She walked off to class, leaving Duke with a frown of confusion on his face staring at her retreating figure.
Nadina meant to ask Kaiba about the dance immediately, but had to put it off until that afternoon.
"Kaiba?" Kaiba looked up from his computer and managed to soften his stern face at the figure that just stepped into his office.
"Yeah, Nadina, what can I do for you? Is Mokuba getting on your nerves?" He smiled wryly.
"Oh no, he is a perfectly sweet kid, but what I want to talk to you about is…" She hesitated.
"Go on."
"About the dance that's coming up," she finally said. "I knew nothing of it until Duke asked me to go with him today. And since I'm sure you have no other plans for me, perhaps I should accept—"
"Don't be silly, Nadina." Kaiba interrupted. "Of course you're not going to with Duke. You're going with me."
"I am?"
"Of course," Kaiba faked an incredulous look, as if it had been obvious. Instead, inside, he felt like fainting. He had made the instant decision after seeing the soft shine in Nadina's eyes as she glowed at the fact that a guy had asked to be her escort. No doubt that her brother had never let her participate in any social event such as Christmas dances. Going with Duke was too dangerous and his instinct had immediately offered himself as a safe escort. A part of him moaned at the decision he's made, but the bigger part of him wanted to see her happy this Christmas. Too see her laugh and smile her radiant smile as she had done that day he gave her the flowers.
"Okay!" She gave him a small smile, not as radiant, but almost.
Almost…
And for now, that was enough.
