Author's note: Hey, everyone! I'm still here. Man, it's been crazy, though. I've had so many people spending the night here I think I might start charging a fee. That and I've been sick as a dog for about a week. I haven't written a thing lately! But I know I left you all hanging so I figured I'd better update! Hope you enjoy!
The Heart of Eternity by Shelly
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next morning Shari decided to sleep in late since it was Saturday, and she finally rolled out of bed around noon, bleary-eyed with her neck aching. Last night she had suffered from more of Makare's memories at first, but she solved that problem by removing her necklace and setting it by the table. After that she had slept like a dead person. If a tornado had decided to rip through town she wouldn't have known it.
Stretching carefully, she decided to soak away her neck ache with a hot bath and dragged herself towards the bathroom, thankful that neither Mokuba nor Seto passed by. Soon she was up to her neck in hot water frothing with bubbles, her wet hair piled atop her head as her chin rested against her chest. The water was so warm that before long she was drifting off again towards sleep.
The sound of someone knocking softly upon the door reached her ears and she asked who it was without opening her eyes. There was no reply but she heard the door open and looked to see someone step inside, and it just happened to be the last person she wanted to see right now. "What do you want, Kaiba?" she groaned.
He closed the door behind him, and she was surprised to see that he was dressed casually in a black shirt and denim jeans. She tried to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor since the change in attire made him appear more...well...approachable. "I had actually planned to use the shower," he began in a soft voice that sent chills through her, a feat in itself since she was surrounded by hot water.
"Well, as you can see it's being used, so I guess you'll just have to wait your turn," she managed to say. But instead of leaving like she thought he would, he stepped further inside, and her eyes widened at his audacity.
He sat down on the edge of the tub and leaned down far enough to dip his fingers into the water as he caught her eyes with his own. "Hmm, I actually had something else in mind," he purred in her ear.
She swallowed deeply as she clutched tightly at the edges of the tub. What was going on here? Was he crazy? Apparently he was as with one smooth motion he disposed of his shirt, and she was faced with the sight of his bare chest, sending her heartbeat racing a million miles an hour. Was this a dream?
She suddenly awoke, spluttering and coughing from the water that she had nearly swallowed. "Oh my God," she breathed as she covered her face with her hands and tried to get her breathing under control.
"Have a nice dream?" a voice asked nearby.
She looked up to see Makare sitting on the counter with a most peculiar smile on her face. "I don't suppose you had anything to do with that dream I just had, did you?" she snarled, rising from the water and quickly throwing a towel around herself.
"Me?" the spirit asked innocently, but she was also smiling. "Now would I do anything like that?"
"Somehow I think you would," Shari replied. "You're still trying to make me admit my feelings for Kaiba. I can tell you right now that it won't work, so stop trying."
"All right, if you say so," she agreed, but deep down inside she knew that Shari had it bad for Seto, and that Seto himself wanted her just as badly. It was just a matter of making them both see it. Problem was, they were both so stubborn that they refused to give in to it.
Shari finished drying off and slipped into cleaner clothes, deciding to try and find something to eat. After raiding the kitchen, she decided on an apple and happened to spot a sheet of paper lying on the table while she was eating. It was written in Seto's neat handwriting, saying that Joey had called earlier for her. To her surprise he didn't even use his favorite nickname that he usually reserved for him, and she wondered where he was. But then she realized that he had a company to run and was no doubtedly there working hard as usual.
Picking up the phone, she dialed Yugi's number since she knew that Joey was usually there, and his grandfather picked up on the third ring, telling her that Joey was there. Joey soon came on the phone and wanted to know if she would like to go to the mall with Yugi, Tristen, Tea, and Bakura. She replied that she would and told him that she would try and borrow a limo so they all wouldn't have to walk.
To her surprise, she was allowed use of a limo and soon pulled up in front of Yugi's house, the friends spilling out excitedly. "Wow, I can't believe I'm gonna get ta ride in a limo!" Joey exclaimed.
"It's just a car, Joey," Tea pointed out dryly.
"I know dat," he replied. "I've nevah ridden in one though, so dat's why I'm excited."
Shari couldn't help but smile at Joey. No matter how bad a mood she was in, he could always make her smile, and she wondered if maybe she should forget about Kaiba and pursue a relationship with Joey instead. He was far more fun to be around, and she knew that he liked her as well. Kaiba was always so moody and withdrawn, his only priority his business. Joey was always full of life and laughter, and always enjoyed being with his friends.
But no matter how much she liked Joey, she didn't feel the same way about him like she did for Kaiba.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she focused instead on the present, determined to have a good time today. After saying goodbye to Yugi's grandfather, they all piled inside the limo and took off towards their destination. On the way there, Joey and Tristan argued over who would get to open the sunroof, which ended up in one of their famous wrestling matches. She ended up having to bash them both to get them to behave, telling them that it was too cold to have it open anyway.
The mall was busy since it was Saturday, and they all took turns browsing through the different stores, Tea heading for the shoe and clothing stores. The guys ducked inside the video game stores and the card shops. No matter how much she tried, Shari couldn't share in their enthusiasm, and she often browsed around for a few minutes before going outside and waiting for them to finish.
She missed Seto. That much she had to admit. She was used to seeing him everyday, and to not see him was tearing her apart. Eventually Tea noticed that she seemed down in the dumps and asked her what was wrong. "Oh, it's nothing," she replied with a forced smile. "I guess I'm still tired, that's all. I didn't sleep very well last night."
Tea regarded her with a critical eye. "No, it's not that. There's definitely something wrong with you."
"No, I'm fine, really," she objected a little too fiercely.
Tea crossed her arms across her chest, unwilling to give up so easily. "If there's something bothering you, just tell me. That's what friends are for after all, right?"
Shari sighed. "Oh, all right, since you insist," she finally gave in. "It's just that I've got these feelings for someone and I don't know what to do about them. We're two totally different people, but there's something about him that...draws me to him. I can't stop thinking about him."
"Does he feel the same way?" Tea asked.
"That's just it, I don't know," she replied. "He hides his feelings behind this facade that he shows to everyone else, but I know deep down inside he's a different person."
Tea thought a moment, the description seeming to ring a bell. Then her eyes widened. "You're not talking about Kaiba, are you? How could you?" she asked when she saw Shari's guilty expression.
"You think I wanted it to happen?" she demanded. "He's the last person I thought I'd be feeling this way about."
"But Kaiba?" Tea continued. "All he wants to do is beat Yugi in a duel just to save his sick, twisted sense of honor."
"You don't know anything about him, Tea!" she fired back. "Have you even bothered to try and find out? I think that deep down he's got a good heart, he's just afraid to let anyone in to find out who he truly is."
"He has no heart," Tea sniffed in disdain. "You didn't see him duel at Duelist Kingdom."
"I've had enough of this," she said as she walked away from the girl. "I can't believe that you would be so one-sided."
"You didn't see what he did to Yugi either, Shari!" Tea shot back.
Shari didn't care where she went as she walked off into the crowd of shoppers, her eyes moist with tears that she refused to shed. Tea's words had hurt, and she tried to shut them out of her mind. Kaiba was better than this, she knew it deep in her heart. She just wished that she could find it, but was unsure as to whether she wanted to try.
Ryou was the first to emerge from the card shop, and he looked around until he found Tea sitting on a bench alone looking as if she was upset about something. He also noticed that Shari was nowhere to be found. "Tea, are you all right?" he asked as he sat down beside her.
She nodded. "I'm all right."
He glanced around for Shari. "Where has Shari gone off to?"
Tea sighed heavily. "She walked off somewhere," she replied. "I don't know where she went."
He looked down at his Millennium Ring, smiling slightly when he saw one of the pointers directing him towards Shari's Item. "Perhaps I will go look for her," he offered generously, his Ring gleaming as he rose to his feet and melted into the milling crowd of shoppers.
*******************
Uh-oh, it looks like Bakura's up to no good! Better tie him up and ship him off to Schala's so he'll behave. Although I can't vouch for what she might do to him.... And is there a chance that Shari might choose Joey over Seto? You'll have to keep reading to find out!
Anyway, thanks so much for reading! C-ya!
The Heart of Eternity by Shelly
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next morning Shari decided to sleep in late since it was Saturday, and she finally rolled out of bed around noon, bleary-eyed with her neck aching. Last night she had suffered from more of Makare's memories at first, but she solved that problem by removing her necklace and setting it by the table. After that she had slept like a dead person. If a tornado had decided to rip through town she wouldn't have known it.
Stretching carefully, she decided to soak away her neck ache with a hot bath and dragged herself towards the bathroom, thankful that neither Mokuba nor Seto passed by. Soon she was up to her neck in hot water frothing with bubbles, her wet hair piled atop her head as her chin rested against her chest. The water was so warm that before long she was drifting off again towards sleep.
The sound of someone knocking softly upon the door reached her ears and she asked who it was without opening her eyes. There was no reply but she heard the door open and looked to see someone step inside, and it just happened to be the last person she wanted to see right now. "What do you want, Kaiba?" she groaned.
He closed the door behind him, and she was surprised to see that he was dressed casually in a black shirt and denim jeans. She tried to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor since the change in attire made him appear more...well...approachable. "I had actually planned to use the shower," he began in a soft voice that sent chills through her, a feat in itself since she was surrounded by hot water.
"Well, as you can see it's being used, so I guess you'll just have to wait your turn," she managed to say. But instead of leaving like she thought he would, he stepped further inside, and her eyes widened at his audacity.
He sat down on the edge of the tub and leaned down far enough to dip his fingers into the water as he caught her eyes with his own. "Hmm, I actually had something else in mind," he purred in her ear.
She swallowed deeply as she clutched tightly at the edges of the tub. What was going on here? Was he crazy? Apparently he was as with one smooth motion he disposed of his shirt, and she was faced with the sight of his bare chest, sending her heartbeat racing a million miles an hour. Was this a dream?
She suddenly awoke, spluttering and coughing from the water that she had nearly swallowed. "Oh my God," she breathed as she covered her face with her hands and tried to get her breathing under control.
"Have a nice dream?" a voice asked nearby.
She looked up to see Makare sitting on the counter with a most peculiar smile on her face. "I don't suppose you had anything to do with that dream I just had, did you?" she snarled, rising from the water and quickly throwing a towel around herself.
"Me?" the spirit asked innocently, but she was also smiling. "Now would I do anything like that?"
"Somehow I think you would," Shari replied. "You're still trying to make me admit my feelings for Kaiba. I can tell you right now that it won't work, so stop trying."
"All right, if you say so," she agreed, but deep down inside she knew that Shari had it bad for Seto, and that Seto himself wanted her just as badly. It was just a matter of making them both see it. Problem was, they were both so stubborn that they refused to give in to it.
Shari finished drying off and slipped into cleaner clothes, deciding to try and find something to eat. After raiding the kitchen, she decided on an apple and happened to spot a sheet of paper lying on the table while she was eating. It was written in Seto's neat handwriting, saying that Joey had called earlier for her. To her surprise he didn't even use his favorite nickname that he usually reserved for him, and she wondered where he was. But then she realized that he had a company to run and was no doubtedly there working hard as usual.
Picking up the phone, she dialed Yugi's number since she knew that Joey was usually there, and his grandfather picked up on the third ring, telling her that Joey was there. Joey soon came on the phone and wanted to know if she would like to go to the mall with Yugi, Tristen, Tea, and Bakura. She replied that she would and told him that she would try and borrow a limo so they all wouldn't have to walk.
To her surprise, she was allowed use of a limo and soon pulled up in front of Yugi's house, the friends spilling out excitedly. "Wow, I can't believe I'm gonna get ta ride in a limo!" Joey exclaimed.
"It's just a car, Joey," Tea pointed out dryly.
"I know dat," he replied. "I've nevah ridden in one though, so dat's why I'm excited."
Shari couldn't help but smile at Joey. No matter how bad a mood she was in, he could always make her smile, and she wondered if maybe she should forget about Kaiba and pursue a relationship with Joey instead. He was far more fun to be around, and she knew that he liked her as well. Kaiba was always so moody and withdrawn, his only priority his business. Joey was always full of life and laughter, and always enjoyed being with his friends.
But no matter how much she liked Joey, she didn't feel the same way about him like she did for Kaiba.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she focused instead on the present, determined to have a good time today. After saying goodbye to Yugi's grandfather, they all piled inside the limo and took off towards their destination. On the way there, Joey and Tristan argued over who would get to open the sunroof, which ended up in one of their famous wrestling matches. She ended up having to bash them both to get them to behave, telling them that it was too cold to have it open anyway.
The mall was busy since it was Saturday, and they all took turns browsing through the different stores, Tea heading for the shoe and clothing stores. The guys ducked inside the video game stores and the card shops. No matter how much she tried, Shari couldn't share in their enthusiasm, and she often browsed around for a few minutes before going outside and waiting for them to finish.
She missed Seto. That much she had to admit. She was used to seeing him everyday, and to not see him was tearing her apart. Eventually Tea noticed that she seemed down in the dumps and asked her what was wrong. "Oh, it's nothing," she replied with a forced smile. "I guess I'm still tired, that's all. I didn't sleep very well last night."
Tea regarded her with a critical eye. "No, it's not that. There's definitely something wrong with you."
"No, I'm fine, really," she objected a little too fiercely.
Tea crossed her arms across her chest, unwilling to give up so easily. "If there's something bothering you, just tell me. That's what friends are for after all, right?"
Shari sighed. "Oh, all right, since you insist," she finally gave in. "It's just that I've got these feelings for someone and I don't know what to do about them. We're two totally different people, but there's something about him that...draws me to him. I can't stop thinking about him."
"Does he feel the same way?" Tea asked.
"That's just it, I don't know," she replied. "He hides his feelings behind this facade that he shows to everyone else, but I know deep down inside he's a different person."
Tea thought a moment, the description seeming to ring a bell. Then her eyes widened. "You're not talking about Kaiba, are you? How could you?" she asked when she saw Shari's guilty expression.
"You think I wanted it to happen?" she demanded. "He's the last person I thought I'd be feeling this way about."
"But Kaiba?" Tea continued. "All he wants to do is beat Yugi in a duel just to save his sick, twisted sense of honor."
"You don't know anything about him, Tea!" she fired back. "Have you even bothered to try and find out? I think that deep down he's got a good heart, he's just afraid to let anyone in to find out who he truly is."
"He has no heart," Tea sniffed in disdain. "You didn't see him duel at Duelist Kingdom."
"I've had enough of this," she said as she walked away from the girl. "I can't believe that you would be so one-sided."
"You didn't see what he did to Yugi either, Shari!" Tea shot back.
Shari didn't care where she went as she walked off into the crowd of shoppers, her eyes moist with tears that she refused to shed. Tea's words had hurt, and she tried to shut them out of her mind. Kaiba was better than this, she knew it deep in her heart. She just wished that she could find it, but was unsure as to whether she wanted to try.
Ryou was the first to emerge from the card shop, and he looked around until he found Tea sitting on a bench alone looking as if she was upset about something. He also noticed that Shari was nowhere to be found. "Tea, are you all right?" he asked as he sat down beside her.
She nodded. "I'm all right."
He glanced around for Shari. "Where has Shari gone off to?"
Tea sighed heavily. "She walked off somewhere," she replied. "I don't know where she went."
He looked down at his Millennium Ring, smiling slightly when he saw one of the pointers directing him towards Shari's Item. "Perhaps I will go look for her," he offered generously, his Ring gleaming as he rose to his feet and melted into the milling crowd of shoppers.
*******************
Uh-oh, it looks like Bakura's up to no good! Better tie him up and ship him off to Schala's so he'll behave. Although I can't vouch for what she might do to him.... And is there a chance that Shari might choose Joey over Seto? You'll have to keep reading to find out!
Anyway, thanks so much for reading! C-ya!