Angel: I'm back!!!!!!!!!!

Meiko: Shocking, she got reviews

Angel: Three! Let's count them again!

Yuu: One . . .

Ginta: Two . . .

Miwa: Three!

Meiko: ALL RIGHT! I GET IT!!

Angel: good, I think I've made my point . . .

Miwa: (Picking his nose)

Angel: Huh? (Cocking one eyebrow at the screen)

Meiko: What's this? (looking behind everyone, an evil look on her face)

Angel: (turns around, then glares) YAMI! GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!!!

Yami: =D

Meiko: Damn pharaoh... (growls low in her throat)

Angel: YAMI GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!!!!

Meiko: Of course I'm growling, I thinking of which of the many ways I'm going to wring your neck!!!!

Angel: (runs forward) UGH! (Grabs Yami and throws him across the room)

Meiko: (Yami flies right into her) Oh, now your dead.

Angel: Hey, I have nine reviews! YEAH!

Yuu: Good counting. -.-

Meiko: Could just type the next damn chapter!!!!

Angel: Whatever . . .

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Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! (cries softly to herself) But I do own Malik's casino!

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Chapter 2

"I don't really see what your problem is," Duke told Ryou. It was about 9:30 on Monday night at 'The Hideout' and only around 75 people were there, not counting the employees. Most were in the casino and public bar playing pool anyway. Duke was sitting next to Malik at the bar in the dance room. He was on brake and talking with Ryou while he worked. "They said they weren't going to go."

"Yeah, but you know Joey," Ryou protested. "He might try to convince them. They were all talking when I met them at lunch." Ryou was cleaning glasses that hadn't even been used yet he was so nervous. (Not paying attention at all)

"Listen, if it will make you feel better, I'll ask Brittany to switch with you tomorrow night," Malik told him. "Her show is at 1:00, but I doubt that will help you any when you explain to Bakura why you were out later than usual." Ryou sighed, he was right.

"But it's better than Yugi or the others telling him I strip-dance, and at your casino too. Won't help you with the good side of them you have recently got on."

Malik scowled, he just had to put that in his face.

"Ryou, just talk to them tomorrow," Duke told him. "If what you think this true, say something to make them feel guilty about doing it. You're good at that."

"Like what?"

"I don't know you'll think of something."

---

The next day at school

---

The four were sitting together at lunch again, all talking, and Ryou couldn't hear a word they said. Straining to hear even a hint as to what they were talking about (the casino that night no doubt) he was nearly knocked to the ground by a passing group of girls (not paying attention again) Giving up, he headed over towards them, and they all stopped talking immediately.

"Hey guys," he said, sitting down next to Tea.

He got a series of "Hey Ryou"s and then more silence. "What were you guys doing."

"Nothing." They all said in unison. For the first time in a long time, Ryou felt like he wasn't supposed to be there. "oh." Like they didn't want him there; uncomfortable, an outsider. I should probably say what I came to say and then go, he thought sadly to himself.

Standing up and looking at the ground, Ryou tried to speak, but ended up stuttering a little. This always happened when he either felt embarrassed or like he was in trouble. Right now that would be both. "uh . . . I just wanted to say I'm sorry, about bailing out on you guys tonight. And I . . uh . . . I-I thought about it and, maybe we could all go on a different night instead, when I'm not working." It was true, he had thought about it; Duke had a meeting all day on Saturday, ending at about 4:30 in the afternoon, so he got the day and the night off on Saturday. So Ryou could ask Malik if he could have the night off too on Saturday, and they all return as customers instead of employees. "We could go on Saturday, Duke says he can go too; that is, if you still want us to." His voice faded off, looking at the ground.

Guilt city.

With the way they were just acting towards him it all fitted perfectly. The cheery face Yugi had on when Ryou came over dropped, and Tea was looking at her hands. Oh yeah, they were feeling it. Joey was trying to find something to stare at, (which ended up being a hole in the table), and Tristan was fidgeting.

Perfect.

"Of course we do Ryou," Yugi finally perked up.

"Oh, I just wasn't sure if you guys were going without us or . . . something." The last few words were once again softened, slowed, and directed at the ground.

Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Falling on them like rain-drops and soaking in. No one had anything to say to that. Ryou shifted his feet nervously, and suddenly tried to speak up. But once again his voice was soft, slowed, and directed at the ground. "I . . . uh . . . I-I guess I'd better g-get going, then. See you later." And with that he turned around, walking over to where he saw Duke at a different table.

Sitting down across from him, he looked around before kicking him under the table. Hard. "OW! What was that for!"

"Next time, you get to talk to them," Ryou muttered, crossing his arms, and burying his face in them.

---

Once Ryou was out of sight, Tea reached across the table a smacked Joey upside the head. "Thanks a lot Joey, Ryou probably thinks we hate him now!"

"Hey, you didn't say anythin' either!"

"Well what was I supposed to say to that!"

"We really shouldn't go Joey, just wait till Saturday," Yugi added. "Besides, you know how much Ryou is working now that his father passed away, we never get to see him, we could have lots of fun with Ryou and Duke there."

"Well, maybe not with Duke-"

"Shut it Tristan!"

"Come, one Joey! It's only a few days away."

"Well, why don't we just go twice?" Every shut up.

Blink.

Blink.

"We could do that."

---

That night

---

Dealing out two cards face up to the two business-like men on either side of the table, Ryou once again looked up towards the door, still worried that Joey and the others might come in. Joey shouldn't be underestimated, he will find someway to convince the others to come, Ryou just knew it.

"hit me." Coming back to reality, Ryou dealed another card to the man next to him, giving him an even 21.

"Blackjack." Ryou was just picking up the cards, when Malik came over and tapped on his shoulder.

"One more game then come and find me," he muttered into his ear. Nodding, Ryou noticed two new people were already there. Back to his punch-line.

"The game is Blackjack, gentleman, you now how to play I presume? Good let's get going . . . then." Ryou hesitated when he saw only a minor version of his worst nightmare sitting to his right. Seto Kaiba. An he was smirking with all his glory. Ryou forced a smile, and dealed out two cards each, face up.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" For the first time in all his life, Ryou wanted to punch someone's face in, and that someone happened to be Kaiba. Ryou forced back on his smile after a moment's hesitation, and put another card face up to a response from the "hit me" the other man had said.

"Maybe. Have you ever been here before." Kaiba was smirking again, loving every minute of this.

"Can't say that I have." He wasn't going to play along. "Hit me." You have no idea how much I would love too. Ryou thought to himself, dealing Kaiba another card. Kaiba won, he left without another word, Ryou just glaring after him, suddenly noticing Malik right behind him.

"I hate Kaiba," he muttered.

"Welcome to the club, I'll order you a membership card now come one!" Ryou followed Malik to the other side of the casino.

His nightmare had only begun.

---

On the other side of town

---

"Why are we here again?" Joey asked, drumming his fingers on the wheel of Tristan's car. They were in front of Ryou's house, Yugi and Yami had gone up to the door.

"Don't ask me, Ryou said he was working," Tea told him, leaning on the car door.

-

Yami rang the doorbell and a shuffling was heard inside. "I thought Ryou was working?" Yami asked his hikari, Yugi just sighed.

"So did I, he told me where he worked, and I called them this afternoon. They said they never heard of him."

"So, Ryou lied?"

"Yeah, hard to believe." Getting impatient, Yami rang the doorbell again, more shuffling, and a couple loud sounds were heard, soon followed by -

"STOP RINGING THE FRICKEN' BELL I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE!" That wasn't Ryou.

Bakura opened the door, looking drowsy and his hair was messed up. He might have been sleeping or something. But he was never expecting to see the pharaoh and his hikari standing at his door.

"Is Ryou home?" Yugi asked.

"No. He's working, why?" It was a demand, not a question.

"Where does he work?"

"Some restaurant, why?" Once again it was a demand. That's not what Ryou told me.

"He was going to come to the casino with us is all-"

"You're such a bad liar." Bakura interrupted Yugi. "Where is this casino?" Bakura asked, crossing his arms.

"Uh, corner of 123rd and birchwood, why?" Bakura uncrossed his arms, a pen in one hand.

"No reason," and he went back into the house, leaving the door open. Two minutes later, Bakura came back out, hair normal (or as normal as it gets) black trench coat on, keys in one hand and what looked like Ryou's wallet in the other. Shutting the door behind him, he brushed past the two and made his way over to his motorcycle (that he stole from Malik.)

"What are you doing?" Yami asked, following him, Yugi right behind him.

"A casino means a bar, and casino's are crowded and I know you hate crowds so I'm coming along to get drunk and see you in all your misery," Bakura taunted.

"We aren't giving you a ride," Yami informed him. Bakura jiggled the keys in response and climbed onto the motorcycle. "How will you find it?"

"With this," Bakura pulled back his sleeve to reveal an address he wrote down on his arm when Yugi had told him at the door. Starting it up he rode out of the drive way, missing Tristan's car by inches and took off down the street.

Yugi sighed, this was not supposed to happen.

TBC . . . .

---

Angel: How was that?

Meiko: (singing) Ryou's gonna get busted . . . .

Yuu: The chapter sucked, but ya left a cliffhanger.

Angel: Oh, and thank you all my wonderful reviewers!

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Miwa: So review and tell her how much it sucked.

Ginta: And how evil she is for leaving it there.

Meiko: And how short it was.

Angel: REVIEW! (flames not accepted)