By: Suchan and SDSI
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Chapter 1: There's a First Time For Everything
They talked, the people, that's what they did when they thought Malik wasn't listening. But he could hear them, every single comment, every single "poor thing" and he could hear them snickering at him.
They thought he was insane. They thought it was therapy or something that had helped him. They were wrong. It had nothing to do with that. Malik could remember what had happened. He had gone to the Battle City finals, but everything had gone wrong at the worst possible moment. Everything.
The arena had blown up, nearly everyone had been injured in the explosion, and Malik's dark half had been banished into the shadow realm for all eternity. Not that that was a bad thing. Malik thought that Marik was gone for good, as well as Bakura, Ryou's yami.
So he thought.
Marik was there, alright. He hadn't let go fully of his hikari, so they couldn't drag him away. He was still there, watching everything, doing nothing. He saw all the things that had happened to Malik since Marik had been somewhat banished.
Malik was a happier boy, more cheerful and not as cloistered. His sister, Ishizu, had taken him back in. Marik couldn't say that he liked her, but as long as she didn't hurt Malik, she was safe. They lived in a house about a block over from the bakery that Ryou's mom ran.
The house was secluded, but not hidden. It had a good sized lawn, a wraparound porch, and it was painted white with deep purple shutters. The roof shingles were a tawny grey. Trees surrounded the property, and a flower bed containing petunias and ferns and daisies lined the front side of the porch. Needless to say, it was a very inspiring setting. It seemed sit-comishly fake, but it held an air of reality that was hard to shake.
Marik watched without a sound as Malik picked up the book he had been reading and sat up on the swing. He downed the rest of his iced tea and went back inside. His sister was in the kitchen, fixing them both their lunches. A neighbor boy she baby-sat, Tohru Ichizuro, sat at the kitchen table with sticky jelly-covered fingers and mouth. He smiled at Malik as he walked in.
Malik smiled back, said hello to Ishizu and went upstairs to his room. He opened his window and sat down on the bed, grabbing a stuffed turtle into his arms. He sighed. A pleasant breeze blew in through the window.
Everything seemed perfect. Yugi and everyone had forgiven him after the Battle City finals incident, seeing as he was being controlled by his yami and not acting of his own free will. Everything was going to be all right, after all.
Ishizu had told him he was going to be starting school in the fall. September was only a few weeks away. The dog days of summer had arrived, and everything was hot as a grill.
Except for today. This was the only day that had been slightly under eighty degrees Fahrenheit. It was paradise to the residents of Domino who had survived through the baking heat of the past week.
Malik hoped the weather would stay this cool until school started again. He hugged his turtle tighter. He hoped everything would stay like this forever. Only, nothing ever turns out the way you want it to.....
Marik looked at Malik's reflection in the mirror. He looked okay, except that the school uniform looked a bit tacky on him. He was only wearing one small ball-shaped earring in his left ear instead of the usual pointy dangly ones.
Malik sighed nervously. "I guess I'm ready." He didn't know who he was talking to. He talked to himself to make himself feel better, instead of feeling like he was lonely all the time. Ever since Marik had been banished, he had felt lonely, like he had lost his best friend or something, but Marik wasn't exactly what you'd call a friend.
What Malik didn't know was that Marik hadn't really been banished. But Marik knew he had to keep a low profile for a long, long time. The BC finals thing had gotten him in gianormous trouble. He couldn't help but feel that somehow, someone had betrayed him, let him down....
Of course! Bakura, that sleazy little rat! Marik growled silently and clenched his fists. That a-hole was really gonna get it once he... did something... so that no one would see him beating up Bakura. But then again, Bakura WAS awful strong... he might not be able to beat him.
Marik held his head in his hand. What was he thinking? That was almost a month ago already. Bakura had been banished to the shadow realm as well. Marik didn't think he made it at all. He was probably still there, being eaten away at the guilt that he had let Marik down.
Marik beat a fist against his forehead. Bakura wouldn't feel guilty for anything because he'd never take the blame for anything. But still, Bakura had tried his best...
Marik shook his head. Why was he thinking about Bakura all of a sudden? He should be focusing on more practical matters. Like school. Keeping Malik from falling asleep in class. Stuff. Anything, except for Bakura.
Malik was already out the door and on the bus before Marik brought himself back to reality. Rain poured down in sheets and the bus' windshield wipers were sloshing back and forth, sweeping rain to both sides off the glass. Malik was staring out the window. Marik forced him to look up. Seat 15. Odd.
Malik's gaze swept back to the wettened landscape about him. An older boy and a couple of girls sat in different seats, but no one was talking. The bus driver was humming gruffly to himself, something Marik was trying to pick up with Malik's excellent hearing, but he wasn't making any sense out of it, until the song started playing in Malik's head. It was as good as surround sound.
"Big Yellow Taxi" by the Counting Crows and Michelle Branch. Great. His least favorite song. [AN: And MY second-most favorite!! ^__^] The bus picked up more and more kids, and children found their friends and started chatting amiably.
A boy about Malik's age looked around for a seat, then sat down next to him. "You don't mind if I sit here?" Malik shook his head and smiled. The boy smiled back.
He's awfully nice. Malik thought subconsciously. "Do you live around here?" the boy asked him.
Malik nodded. "My sister and I live more on the outskirts of town...." The boy nodded.
"Is this your first year at Domino?" Malik blinked.
"Yes..." The boy looked so familiar it was driving Malik crazy. "What's your name?"
"My name is Ryou. You're Malik, am I right?" Malik nodded. "I think I've heard about you. Your sister comes into our bakery a lot."
"She does?" Ryou nodded. Marik wasn't paying attention. Ryou... Bakura's hikari... Marik studied his face. Nothing jumped out at him. Bakura must have been sealed away in the Shadow Realm. Ryou was still all smiles.
The bus stopped, and all the elementary children and primary students got off the bus with shrieks and laughter. The bus went for another block and dropped off the students going to the middle school. A few minutes and varied conversations later, the school bus stopped in front of the high school and all the remaining students stood up to get off.
Malik stepped nervously off and looked around. Everything was wet, but the sun was coming out again. Ryou stood next to him, still smiling. Ra, does that kid ever NOT smile?! Marik thought contemptuously.
Malik had Ms. Honey for homeroom, then Algebra 1 with Mr. Uchida, then Language Arts, then.... Ra, his schedule was jam-packed full of classes. He and Ryou had the same first class together, and the same teacher for homeroom.
Even being as intelligent as he was, this was going to be hard.
"Malik, would you like to tell us something about yourself?" Malik looked up and saw mostly everybody staring at him. He felt all hot, nervous and sweaty at once.
"W-well, I lived in Egypt for the first five years of my life, and then my sister and I traveled a lot until now. I hope she's finally gonna stay put this time."
Everybody laughed. Malik smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be so hard after all.
Mrs. Honey smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Malik. You may sit next to Yugi, behind Mizumo."
Malik went to his assigned seat, and Yugi grinned at him. He smiled back, but it was a nervous smile.
They were dismissed for their first class, and everybody was out of there in a rush. Malik picked up his books and watched everyone run out of the classroom with such energy, he had to blink.
As Malik sat down in a seat in the middle in Mr. Uchida's room, he noticed there were a bunch of people giving him wary glances as they passed. Ryou and the kid with the unicorn hair-do (1) from his homeroom were also in this class.
Mr. Uchida was in right after the bell, and he swept over the class with an opprobrious glare. Malik gulped. "I hope you all remember what was taught to you last year... and I hope that everyone else who wasn't in my class last year know enough to keep up." He stared directly at Malik when he said this. Malik gulped.
"Alright, we're going to have you..." He pointed at Malik, "and you..." He pointed at a guy with black and green striped hair with a mohawk and a pierced nose, "pass out textbooks to everyone. then turn to page fifteen and study the problems."
The guy with the mohawk rolled his eyes and got up out of his seat. Malik followed the guy to where the books were stacked and helped pass one out to everyone.
When he got back to his seat, someone had swiped his book. He looked at his empty desk confusedly and looked all over.
The girl next to him sneered, "Lookin' fer somethin' kid?" She held up his book with a dangerous smile. He nodded.
"I'd like to have my book back, if you don't mind," he said politely.
"You know, you're kinda cute, so I guess I'll let ya have it back... today." She grinned evilly and turned back to her own book.
Malik sighed. People could be so mean.
End chapter 1
(1) LOL! We all know this guy... it's... *pulls up a curtain to reveal... a monkey eating cheesy curly fries?!* ... um... that's not Tristan. (oka.... (otherwise known as)..Honda... I think I shall be using their true names for this fic..... o_o; *looks around shiftily*) n___oUU
Suchan: YAYNESS! I like this already! I should really be working on my other fic right now, but... *looks around innocently* it seems to have been misplaced!
SDSI: I'm working on it right now. C'mon, kiddo, we have work to do. *drags Suchan away*
Suchan: Pwease R&R? *gets dragged away*