a/n: Okay, um, this is one of my better connecter chapters. I think it's kinda' cute actually. ^_^ Hope you think so too!
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
"Yo."
Bakura turned to see Alex come up beside him at their lockers.
"Hi," he said as they simultaneously kicked their lockers open. He grinned at her, but she didn't notice.
"School sucks," Alex grumbled as they headed toward Geometry.
"It's not that bad," he said. - It helps that I get to see you every day. -
She looked at him like he was nuts. "You're crazy. But then, I already knew that."
He laughed and playfully shoved her. Her eyes widened and she shoved him much harder, causing him to stumble backwards slightly. They both laughed and continued to class.
#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
Bakura was leaning over his paper, tapping his pencil on the table as he thought about one of the questions. He hated pop quizzes. He glanced over at Alex, who was scowling at the paper in front of her. Every time she'd put her pencil to the paper, her hair would fall in her face. She'd push it over her shoulder, only to repeat the process.
- For crying out loud, - she thought, finally tucking her hair behind her ear. That worked better, though it still wasn't perfect. - Next time, tell us when you're going to give us a pop quiz. Then I can put my hair up! -
Bakura watched her shove her hair behind her ear and he felt himself start to soar. She was wearing the earrings he had given her two days ago. He was only able to tear his eyes away from her when the teacher turned around. He was grinning through the rest of the class though. When the teacher took his paper from him at the end, he gave Bakura an odd look as the teen smiled at him.
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
"How do you think you did on your quiz?" Alex grumbled as they left the class.
"Um..." he said, trying to remember. In truth, his subconscious had been doing the test. He didn't even remember completing it. "I think I'll get a pretty good grade. What about you?"
She snorted. "Most definitely not. I usually sleep through that class. You know that."
He laughed, knowing it was true. He was constantly prodding her awake when the teacher came by so she didn't get in trouble. She usually slept through all her morning classes.
"The best part of school is lunch. And even that's not so hot 'cause what they serve doesn't qualify as food," she grumbled.
He laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he followed her to the cafeteria. Her hair had fallen back over her ear again, but he was still grinning.
"Hey, Bakura!"
He turned to see Tea pushing through the crowd of students. He waved as Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Look, I'll meet you there, all right?" Alex said to him, heading into the cafeteria before he could say anything.
"All... all right," he said, confused as he watched her go.
"Why don't you and Alex eat with us? It's been a while since you've sat with us," Tea said.
"I'm... not sure Alex will go for that," he said, feeling uncomfortable.
"You can't just hang out with her all the time. We're your friends too," Tea said.
"I know," Bakura said, trying to think of something. "I want to hang out with both of you, really, but... at the moment I'm her /only/ friend. I think she kind of... needs me... sort of," he said, feeling his face flush.
Tea studied him for a moment and Bakura felt himself go a brighter shade of scarlet. "Well, all right. I'll tell the gang," she said finally.
"Thanks," he said, trying to drain the color from his face.
She nodded in response. "What'd you do for her birthday?"
"Oh, we went to see a movie that turned out to be a waste of time. You should have heard the way she complained about it afterwards!" he said and they both laughed. "We had dinner and... um... that's pretty much it," he said, blushing.
"It sounds like you had fun," she said.
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Why doesn't she like us?" Tea asked.
"Um... I'm not sure. I'll ask her," he said.
"Okay. Are you coming to the game shop later?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said.
"Okay, see you then I guess," she said, entering the cafeteria.
Bakura sighed and followed her in. This could prove to be slightly complicated if Alex didn't like his friends. He sat down across from Alex and she glanced up.
"What took so long?" she asked.
"Um, we were arranging to meet at the game shop later," he said.
Alex raised her eyebrow and he blushed.
"Uh, no, with the gang. As friends," he said quickly.
"Ah," she said simply. "You're quick to say that," she said, stirring her spoon through her mashed potatoes.
He felt his face flush a deeper shade. "N-no, we're really not going out," he said.
She looked up at him and studied his eyes a moment, making him envy the turtle and it's nice cozy shell to hide in. "All right," she said finally, dropping her gaze back down to the mashed potatoes she was playing with.
He watched her swirl the potatoes around for a minute. "You like stirring things around. Is there any particular reason why?"
"Nah, not really," she said. "It's a habit I guess."
"But not a nervous habit?" he asked, grinning.
She looked up at him and glared. "No, not a /nervous/ habit. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. It's just a habit."
"All right," he said, unable to take his eyes off her. "Um, can I ask you something?"
"You just did," she said, glancing up at him, making him blush. "Yeah, go ahead."
"Why don't you like the gang?" he asked.
She stared at him. "I dunno', they're just not my crowd I guess."
"Would you say I'm your crowd?" he asked.
She blinked at him. "Erm... not really," she said slowly, trying to figure out where he was going with this.
"So, why do you hang out with me and not with them?" he asked.
She stared at him. "Does it matter?" she asked.
"Well, yeah, sort of," he said.
She sighed and leaned her chin in her hand, going back to stirring her mashed potatoes. "Erm... I don't know," she said. She thought about it a minute. - I suppose because he was the only one that came over to me and tried to be nice. - She glanced up and saw him studying her. "What?"
"There has to be a reason," he said, tilting his head slightly to the side.
She sighed. "All right, fine. The only reason I even bothered with you is 'cause you're the only one who tried to be nice to me."
His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "...Oh," he said, feeling his face flush again. He hadn't expected that answer. "They're nice too," he said.
She raised her eyebrow. "Look. I don't hang out with geeks. You're the only exception to that rule, all right?"
Fighting not to blush, he nodded. "All right," he said.
"So you're gonna' chill with them today?" she asked.
He nodded, feeling very self conscious. "Yeah."
"That's cool. You have been ditching them a bit," she said and he went bright red.
"Um..." he tried. He'd have given anything at that moment to be the turtle.
She grinned at his embarrassment. "You're blushing," she said, knowing it would embarrass him more.
She was right. He felt like he was probably radiating heat. "Um..." he stuttered, making her laugh. He leaned his elbow on the table and put his forehead in his hand in an attempt to hide his face.
"Oh how /cute/," she said, grinning evilly and making him want to go hide under a rock.
He heard her get up from the table and took his face out of his hand to watch her dump her tray and hitch her backpack onto her shoulder. She turned back to him and he fought not to blush again.
"Are you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said, getting up and grabbing his backpack. He didn't get a good hold on it and it slipped from his hand and he looked like an idiot trying to catch it. He heard Alex cracking up and he didn't dare look at her as he managed to hitch his backpack onto his shoulders.
"Smooth, real smooth," she laughed as he passed her.
"Shut up," he said, his face beet red.
"I wish I had that on film," she said, grinning.
He gave a nervous laugh and avoided looking at her.
"Eh, come on," she said, elbowing him. "I bet you're used to making an idiot out of yourself by now."
He looked at her and elbowed her back. "No, not really," he said defiantly. Then he added, "You never really get /used/ to it."
She cracked up and had to stop a minute to catch her breath. Bakura stopped and looked at her, grinning as well. It seemed worth the embarrassment to hear her laugh.
"All right, it wasn't /that/ funny," he said, grinning.
"Yeah, right," she said. "Come on, we gotta' get to class."
He nodded and followed her, a grin still on his face.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
a/n: Okay, the next chapter will take place when Bakura hangs out with the gang... I think... heh heh, just review and I'll post... er... something, okay?
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
"Yo."
Bakura turned to see Alex come up beside him at their lockers.
"Hi," he said as they simultaneously kicked their lockers open. He grinned at her, but she didn't notice.
"School sucks," Alex grumbled as they headed toward Geometry.
"It's not that bad," he said. - It helps that I get to see you every day. -
She looked at him like he was nuts. "You're crazy. But then, I already knew that."
He laughed and playfully shoved her. Her eyes widened and she shoved him much harder, causing him to stumble backwards slightly. They both laughed and continued to class.
#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
Bakura was leaning over his paper, tapping his pencil on the table as he thought about one of the questions. He hated pop quizzes. He glanced over at Alex, who was scowling at the paper in front of her. Every time she'd put her pencil to the paper, her hair would fall in her face. She'd push it over her shoulder, only to repeat the process.
- For crying out loud, - she thought, finally tucking her hair behind her ear. That worked better, though it still wasn't perfect. - Next time, tell us when you're going to give us a pop quiz. Then I can put my hair up! -
Bakura watched her shove her hair behind her ear and he felt himself start to soar. She was wearing the earrings he had given her two days ago. He was only able to tear his eyes away from her when the teacher turned around. He was grinning through the rest of the class though. When the teacher took his paper from him at the end, he gave Bakura an odd look as the teen smiled at him.
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
"How do you think you did on your quiz?" Alex grumbled as they left the class.
"Um..." he said, trying to remember. In truth, his subconscious had been doing the test. He didn't even remember completing it. "I think I'll get a pretty good grade. What about you?"
She snorted. "Most definitely not. I usually sleep through that class. You know that."
He laughed, knowing it was true. He was constantly prodding her awake when the teacher came by so she didn't get in trouble. She usually slept through all her morning classes.
"The best part of school is lunch. And even that's not so hot 'cause what they serve doesn't qualify as food," she grumbled.
He laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he followed her to the cafeteria. Her hair had fallen back over her ear again, but he was still grinning.
"Hey, Bakura!"
He turned to see Tea pushing through the crowd of students. He waved as Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Look, I'll meet you there, all right?" Alex said to him, heading into the cafeteria before he could say anything.
"All... all right," he said, confused as he watched her go.
"Why don't you and Alex eat with us? It's been a while since you've sat with us," Tea said.
"I'm... not sure Alex will go for that," he said, feeling uncomfortable.
"You can't just hang out with her all the time. We're your friends too," Tea said.
"I know," Bakura said, trying to think of something. "I want to hang out with both of you, really, but... at the moment I'm her /only/ friend. I think she kind of... needs me... sort of," he said, feeling his face flush.
Tea studied him for a moment and Bakura felt himself go a brighter shade of scarlet. "Well, all right. I'll tell the gang," she said finally.
"Thanks," he said, trying to drain the color from his face.
She nodded in response. "What'd you do for her birthday?"
"Oh, we went to see a movie that turned out to be a waste of time. You should have heard the way she complained about it afterwards!" he said and they both laughed. "We had dinner and... um... that's pretty much it," he said, blushing.
"It sounds like you had fun," she said.
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Why doesn't she like us?" Tea asked.
"Um... I'm not sure. I'll ask her," he said.
"Okay. Are you coming to the game shop later?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said.
"Okay, see you then I guess," she said, entering the cafeteria.
Bakura sighed and followed her in. This could prove to be slightly complicated if Alex didn't like his friends. He sat down across from Alex and she glanced up.
"What took so long?" she asked.
"Um, we were arranging to meet at the game shop later," he said.
Alex raised her eyebrow and he blushed.
"Uh, no, with the gang. As friends," he said quickly.
"Ah," she said simply. "You're quick to say that," she said, stirring her spoon through her mashed potatoes.
He felt his face flush a deeper shade. "N-no, we're really not going out," he said.
She looked up at him and studied his eyes a moment, making him envy the turtle and it's nice cozy shell to hide in. "All right," she said finally, dropping her gaze back down to the mashed potatoes she was playing with.
He watched her swirl the potatoes around for a minute. "You like stirring things around. Is there any particular reason why?"
"Nah, not really," she said. "It's a habit I guess."
"But not a nervous habit?" he asked, grinning.
She looked up at him and glared. "No, not a /nervous/ habit. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. It's just a habit."
"All right," he said, unable to take his eyes off her. "Um, can I ask you something?"
"You just did," she said, glancing up at him, making him blush. "Yeah, go ahead."
"Why don't you like the gang?" he asked.
She stared at him. "I dunno', they're just not my crowd I guess."
"Would you say I'm your crowd?" he asked.
She blinked at him. "Erm... not really," she said slowly, trying to figure out where he was going with this.
"So, why do you hang out with me and not with them?" he asked.
She stared at him. "Does it matter?" she asked.
"Well, yeah, sort of," he said.
She sighed and leaned her chin in her hand, going back to stirring her mashed potatoes. "Erm... I don't know," she said. She thought about it a minute. - I suppose because he was the only one that came over to me and tried to be nice. - She glanced up and saw him studying her. "What?"
"There has to be a reason," he said, tilting his head slightly to the side.
She sighed. "All right, fine. The only reason I even bothered with you is 'cause you're the only one who tried to be nice to me."
His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "...Oh," he said, feeling his face flush again. He hadn't expected that answer. "They're nice too," he said.
She raised her eyebrow. "Look. I don't hang out with geeks. You're the only exception to that rule, all right?"
Fighting not to blush, he nodded. "All right," he said.
"So you're gonna' chill with them today?" she asked.
He nodded, feeling very self conscious. "Yeah."
"That's cool. You have been ditching them a bit," she said and he went bright red.
"Um..." he tried. He'd have given anything at that moment to be the turtle.
She grinned at his embarrassment. "You're blushing," she said, knowing it would embarrass him more.
She was right. He felt like he was probably radiating heat. "Um..." he stuttered, making her laugh. He leaned his elbow on the table and put his forehead in his hand in an attempt to hide his face.
"Oh how /cute/," she said, grinning evilly and making him want to go hide under a rock.
He heard her get up from the table and took his face out of his hand to watch her dump her tray and hitch her backpack onto her shoulder. She turned back to him and he fought not to blush again.
"Are you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said, getting up and grabbing his backpack. He didn't get a good hold on it and it slipped from his hand and he looked like an idiot trying to catch it. He heard Alex cracking up and he didn't dare look at her as he managed to hitch his backpack onto his shoulders.
"Smooth, real smooth," she laughed as he passed her.
"Shut up," he said, his face beet red.
"I wish I had that on film," she said, grinning.
He gave a nervous laugh and avoided looking at her.
"Eh, come on," she said, elbowing him. "I bet you're used to making an idiot out of yourself by now."
He looked at her and elbowed her back. "No, not really," he said defiantly. Then he added, "You never really get /used/ to it."
She cracked up and had to stop a minute to catch her breath. Bakura stopped and looked at her, grinning as well. It seemed worth the embarrassment to hear her laugh.
"All right, it wasn't /that/ funny," he said, grinning.
"Yeah, right," she said. "Come on, we gotta' get to class."
He nodded and followed her, a grin still on his face.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
a/n: Okay, the next chapter will take place when Bakura hangs out with the gang... I think... heh heh, just review and I'll post... er... something, okay?