~*Chapter 3: Step One- To Ask Or Not To Ask?*~

            Weeks passed by. Tea seems happy to everyone else but is still emotionally confused with Yami still in her mind. She was sitting in the park writing her diary.

            August 15:

            I guess I seem to be okay. Everything's fine. School's okay so far though Joey usually gets in trouble from the teacher…

            Ok, I lie. Everything's not okay. For me that is. I still can't get over Yami. You know…Yugi's shadow that lives within his millennium puzzle. I can't explain why or how I fell for him. I'm one of those type of girls that like guys who are dark and mysterious. And also the quiet type. Heh.

            Sometimes, I can't bear to look at Yugi. At my own friend. Something is wrong with me. I know it's not going to work out between me and Yami but…

            "Tea?"

            Tea looked up, a bit surprised to see Yugi standing right in front of her. He didn't have his jacket on, just a black top and pants, the millennium puzzle wrapped around his neck. The same attire he had worn during the Battle City tournament. Quickly, she slammed her diary shut, stuffing it into her bag smiling and laughing nervously. "Oh…hey Yugi. What brings you here?"

            Yugi sat beside her, placing his bag next to him. "Bakura told me you'd be here."

            "Bakura?" That idiot, she said in her head.

            "In fact, a few weeks ago he called me and he too was worried." He noticed how she reacted when he showed up, then smiled. "Don't worry, I didn't read anything from your diary."

            Tea smiled glancing up at him before turning her gaze towards the ground.

            "So…" Yugi looked up at Tea, perhaps watching her. "What's up? What's going on?"

            "Well…" Tea started off, her voice shaking. "I was wondering…if…well…"

            "Yeah. Go on." Yugi kept his eyes on her.

            Breathing deeply, she then replied. "I was wondering if we could go out."

            You mean…me and you?" Yugi pointed to himself, then to her.

            "Not exactly." Tea answered, her face flushed. "I was wondering if I could go out with Yami?"

            Yugi was bewildered. "Yami?!?" Tea nodded, blushing…embarrassed to have asked that but relieved at the same time at the fact that she finally gotten over it.

            "Well…" she started to say. "If it's all right with him and you."

            "I guess it's okay. Depending on the time and where to meet."

            "Well, how about at the café by the school? Say about 5:00…5:30 perhaps?"

            "5:00 sounds good." Yugi then hopped off the bench. "Oh well, hope you have a good time."

            "Uh…yeah, sure." Tea forced a smile, waving goodbye to Yugi. Glancing at her watch, it was already 3:30.

            Hmm…Guess I should go home and get ready.

            Time seems to fly by quickly. It was already 4:30. Tea had already dressed up in a white spaghetti strap, a white knitted sweater and a beige short skirt. Placing on her sandals, she got her purse and brushed her hair.

            Could I really go through this? She wondered gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

            "Tea did what?"

            Yugi and Joey were talking on the phone that afternoon. Yugi was just finished getting ready, sitting on his bed.

            "Yeah, it's kinda weird that she wanted to ask Yami out."

            "Ah, the pharaoh dude. Whoa, bullseye. You're kinda lucky Yugi. Well, you know what I mean. It's like you and Yami are one."

            "What do you think I should do?"

            "I'd say go for it. Let Yami have a little fun. Get the picture?"

            "Yeah, I see what you mean?"

            "Oh well man. Good luck." Joey then hung up.

            "Yeah…" Yugi muttered to himself setting the phone back to its cradle. Looking at the clock up on his wall. Seeing that it's about 4:45, he then gazed out the window watching other kids running around, smiling.

            "So…" a deep voice called out. What's the occasion Yugi?"

            Looking up, Yugi saw the pharaoh sitting beside him. "Well…uh…" he smiled nervously. "You see, you're going out tonight."

            "Going out?" Yami gazed at Yugi, confused at what the phrase meant.

            "Well…" Yugi tried to figure out a way to put two and two together. "Tea wanted to get together with you tonight."

            "Whatever for?" Yami wondered glancing at Yugi.

            "To tell the truth, I don't know." Yugi replied putting on his shoes. "I thought it was kinda strange that she would want to get together wit h you."

            "I don't see what's strange about this 'going out' with Tea." Yami replied, leaning against the wall. "I don't think it would be so bad."

            "Oh well." Yugi smiled placing the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. "It's almost 5:00. We should get going."

            Yami smiled as Yugi was just standing there. Minutes tick by as he just stood there.

            "Well," Yami gazed at Yugi for a long time. "Aren't you going?"  

            "But she doesn't want to go with me. She wants to go with you." Yugi looked up at Yami.

            "Oh yeah." Yami smiled. "Forget what I just said." He then vanished.

            Yugi smiled to himself looking into his reflection for one last time. He then summoned Yami from the millennium puzzle, changing into his other self.

~*To Be Continued in Ch.4*~