Yami: um..(nod nod)
A/n: had to turn her down for a date, huh? next time some girl asks you out, u GO! - -## I ougtha hit u with my CRUTCH! (light bulb) I know, I'll makes you suffer in this chappie instead mwa hahaha! Does 'stood up' mean anything? :D
Yami: - -;;;; ohhhhh Tea she's over her-re! :/
A/n: O.O your so evil! Cue the chap, quick.! X-x
%%%%%%Tea's POV %%%%%%
I was a mess before the dance! My hands were shaking so hard while I was writing up my final English paper, that I doubt Mrs. Vezzibi would be able to decipher it. Not even Ishizu, who works at Domino Museum, would be able to, and she decrypts hieroglyphics all day!
As well as mummies…..
I wasn't bitter about finding out that Yami had asked her to the same dance. Though, I found it interesting that he'd asked her right after he'd sawn me in the department store at the mall yesterday. What did that mean? Not that I was interested….
Clunk. My pen hit the paper and I got up. Mai was totally making a big deal out of this, I thought as I grabbed my jacket and raced out of the front door. It's just a date! No biggie. So don't act like it! She was waiting for me outside in her expensive convertible car.
"Ready?"
Driving down the road in her usual manic way, (she wasn't psycho, though she does drive like one) I squinted against the oncoming wind. "Where are we going……?"
"I'm going to treat you to a full body treatment at the health spa," she said with a grin underneath her sunglasses. "Your reward for doing the impossible: asking out the Seto Kaiba. The Seto Kaiba," she added, as if I weren't intimidated already.
"Mai, uh…..you really don't have to do this…." I said, unsure. She had already paid for my dress and shoes, and I was broke so I couldn't pay her back.
"Just go and have a good time," she sniffed, and I was relieved at her sincerity. I thanked her for all her help and she said, "What are friends for?"
Then I got suspicious.
%%%%
It was wonderful. The spa treatment, I mean. I barely could afford one--like, every two years--- and being pampered all over hit the spot. "I can see what you like about this," I said over to her as we got massages by guys with very strong hands. She wasn't going to the dance, but she decided to get one, too, 'just in case,' as she put it.
"Tell me all the juicy details, and we'll call it even," she said innocently, as we got slathered over for facials. I couldn't see her face because of the cucumber strips over my eyes, but rolled them (my eyes) underneath the fruit.
"So at last you tell me of why you really did all of this for me," I said as the hair dryer blew loudly.
"I'm waiiiting," she said, in a sing song.
"Alright, what do you want to know?" I muttered, looking down at the manicurist working at my fingers.
"How you got over…." She lowered her voice, but I heard. "Yugi's brother so fast!"
I would've given anything to speed right out of that salon right then. Screw the pedicures……I'm not answering THAT! Even I didn't know the answer…..
So I said, "I don't know….."
"You don't know……what?" she said. When I didn't answer, she went on, "That if you ever got over him, or you don't know how?"
I blushed. "Both…."
"Aw, poor Tea," she said in a sympathetic voice. "In love with two men. Dreamy men, to be sure. And damn sexy, too."
"I am NOT I'm love with them!" I made sure I sounded certain, at least. "Quit over-exaggerating….!"
We got rinsed off, my hair was washed with scented shampoo, and my skin over lathered with sweet smelling lotions. Plus, perfume was splashed all over. "Do we really need all this……smelly stuff?" I questioned.
"Oh, Tea, you're such a tomboy sometimes," she sniffed, scoffing. "Do you really want to smell like some old dirty ox with dancing with the Seto Kaiba?"
"You don't have to make him sound like he's the Pope of something," I muttered, feeling like I'd been in a car wash. And when they showed me a full length mirror of myself, I really didn't see any difference. Though I kept my mouth shut, so not to hurt her feelings. She was even scarier than me when angry.
Anyway, I really appreciated it and told her so in my sincerest voice. She smiled slyly and gave me a knowing wink as we left the spa. "You're not getting out of it! Tell me more."
%%%%%
Mai brought me back home and did my hair, being none too gentle. She pulled and brushed it, it felt, to pieces. I cringed when she set hot curlers in my hair with the iron. "So?"
"All right, all right." I thought of a story that might interest her. "When I went to the school, I felt really embarrassed because----" here I stopped abruptly. Because I spent the night at his house…..
"Because?" she prompted, studying my scarlet face in the mirror. "Ooh……" she said in a way to make me feel all shivery. "It's something juicy, isn't it? Isn't it?!"
"It's not important," I fibbed. "I, uh…..just spent the night at his house….but it's not what you're thinking!" I hastily added as she gave a crow.
Mai suddenly turned serious, tilting my face this way and that to do my makeup. "Oh, I think it is, the way you're practically blushing your head off," she scoffed. "But generously, I'll let you keep it to yourself and say it was a romantic thing. So then what happened?"
"Well, I was really embarrassed about….." I decided to tell her anyway. I need to talk to somebody about it….. "and I really didn't know what to do; I felt so awkward."
"Understandable."
"And uh, I guess I was pretty mean, 'cause the next day he brought me a rose and I sort of smushed it and embarrassed him, I guess."
"You didn't!" Her painted mouth dropped open.
"Hey don't put too much makeup on me!" I warned. She nodded, not taking any offense. Thankfully. "So anyway, I brought him one the next day, er, I mean that afternoon….."
"Mm hmmm….."
"And we ended up…..kissing…" Sort of. "Sort of……"
"What do you mean, sort of?" she wondered. "Either you did, or, you didn't!"
I told her what happened and she practically rolled around; laughing her head off. "It's. Not. THAT. Funny!" I spat tightly, my face turning red with anger as she whooped up a storm, tears streaming.
"What's not funny?" My dad inquired, coming into my room, hands in pockets. Mai got up.
"Oh…tee hee…..thanks goodness I put on waterproof mascara this morning….." she wiped her eyes. I winced, it wasn't THAT waterproof….. turns out.
My dad didn't notice, or if he did, he is too polite. "Hi, you must be one of my daughter's many friends." They shook hands and he turned to me. "You're looking mighty pretty, young lady….is it for a boy?" I nodded, reluctantly, and he asked who. I didn't want to say….so Mai said it for me, to my chagrin.
"The Seto Kaiba." she said grandly, patting my sulking head gentlylike if I were her pet and pinching my cheek. "Aren't you SO proud of your daughter, Mr. Gardener?"
My dad's eyes widened into saucers. "You mean, the one that saved your life that night in the restaur---"
"That one," I said sourly, not liking the why-didn't-you-tell-me, that's-so-sweet! grin on Mai's face. I don't have to tell you everything! Humph.
"Well, ahem." Dad broke the short silence. "Is he picking you up, sweetheart? I'd like to shake his hand again and thank him a million times over again! Whee!"
I cringed. "No, we're meeting at the dance at school, Dad." Thank God….. "Now, we're very busy, so…." He got the hint, finally, and put up his hands in surrender and beat it.
"Aren't we crabby?" Mai said, ignoring my scowls directing straight at her. "There, all you need to do is get dressed, and that's all, we're done." She looked at me critically, twisting her mouth this way and that. "Perfect."
I donned the dress--the pearly white one from the mall-- and slid on the shoes, white strappy sandals to match the dress's color. I looked into my mirror on my closet door, and profoundly gasped. I could hardly recognize myself: my skin, which had been the same at the spa, was glowing with a luminescent shine, nearly the same color as the dress, except with a peachy tinge. Mai had done something to my limp, stick-straight hair so it seemed fuller, thicker, and shinier. I actually started to get emotional.
"Aw, there, there," she said, patting my shoulder. "See, miracles do happen. You can look like a girl." I shot her a look at her smirk.
"I think you've been hanging around Joey too much; you sound exactly like him," I said, pulling on my wrap. She looked deeply offended and I laughed as we headed outside again..
%%%%%%
The decorations were spectacular, white roses all over the dimmer darkened gym, with matching streamers. Everyone gaped at me, but I was too busy gaping at it. Ryou, on the decorations committee, had done a great job, I thought.
I don't long how long I stood there, gawking, until I heard a voice behind me.
"Hi, Tea."
I turned and there was Yami with the rest of the gang. Except for Joey and Tristan, who were probably stuffing their faces at the punch bowl, and Yugi, who was a freshman and not allowed to go yet.
Let's see, Tea…..yup, that counts for everyone…..
"Hi, Yami, you look very handsome," I complimented him, which he did; this was a formal dance and all the guys were to wear dark suits and ties. Being the sort of rebel he was, he was wearing the suit, but with no tie, just a shirt underneath. Still…..I didn't feel the fluttering in my stomach like I did with Kaiba.
"Thank you," he said in answer, as I looked around, sort of anxious to be left alone with him. "My date isn't here yet either."
"Oh, who did you ask?" I said innocently. "Ishizu?" He nodded and I smiled. "Congratulations. I know you really liked her, I could tell."
"Yes…." He agreed, and then seemed to hesitate. I wondered why and he explained, "I haven't really been to a dance before…..and I'm sort of nervous…."
"Oh, it's nothing, just shuffle your feet around with your partner in circle," I said, as we went to sit down with the other still-waiting-for-their-dates-to-arrive people.
"I think there's more to it than that, right?" he smiled, and I laughed, agreeing. Just then, Joey and Tristan came over.
"Wow, Taye, is dat you?" They both gaped, annoyingly. "Usually you look all…..frumpy…."
"Gee, thanks." I smiled sweetly. "Tristan, where's YOUR date, huh?" I knew perfectly well it was Serenity, Joey's sister. And that Joey would have a cow.
Tristan looked awkward all the sudden. "Uh, she's..... uh," he rubbed his head. "Powdering her nose."
"Oh, really?" I said as he glared at me. "I think I'll go get her. Excuse me, boys." I got up and headed for the women's restroom.
Sure enough, Serenity was there, brushing her long brown locks and critically straightening her pale yellow dress. She looked very pretty and innocent. "Hey, " she greeted me. "Waiting for your date like Yami is?"
"Yeah….." I fussed over myself very uncharacteristically. "Still waiting…."
"I'm sure he'll be here soon." She didn't have to ask who.
"Yeah…." I cast a troubled look at the door. Where was he?
We left the restroom, and I promptly forgot that I was going to show her to the boys. What if he doesn't know what time it's at? I fretted. I should've called and made sure! So deep I was in thought while I walked across the dance floor, I didn't notice Serenity spotting Tristan and waving; I didn't notice Joey practically spraying his Coke all over the floor; I didn't notice that the whole room had suddenly gotten quiet (well, except for Joey's angry muffled shouting) and that everyone was staring wide-eyed at the door. I looked up, absently, to see who they were staring at.
Kaiba.....
My throat clenched and my stomach dropped to my shoes.
Boy, was my first thought. Can you make an entrance..... He was dressed in a long dark coat tailored in his trademark way, reaching the floor, with the lapels half hiding his face, giving him a mysterious are. A matching shirt and hugging pants completed the look, but my stomach really did turn a flip at the look in his eyes. It was so penetrating, I felt like he was looking past my soul.....my mouth went dry and I started to sway; my knees actually went weak. ....
Damn....he fine!
TBC
A/n understandable.....& apologies for the cliffie! But want to get Kaiba's POV in here, too. I'm startin' to miss 3rd person POV somethin' bad……but I wanna challenge myself! I c'n do it! (insert encouraging speech here) Huh!
Next: which song will they dance to first? I think it'll be kevin little's 'turn me on;' i luv dat song! Will be a fistfight? (rowr) then, will the sprinklers 'accidentally' turn on? Lol oh, if ya want to see how kaiba looks this is where i was inspired, (w/o the spaces) : http:www. janime.net / images / FanArt / kaiba / 01 / 05. jpg ( don't really look like 'im ,but i luv da pic ) :p R&R