Chapter 2
Explanation
The next day at school, Yugi tried to avoid Sheperd's eyes. During class, he talked to Yami.
/Yami, I know I've seen him some place before, but I can't place where/
Around town, maybe? the pharaoh suggested.
/No, it wasn't local/
On TV?
Yugi thought about it, then remembered the night that they watched Star Search.
You're, right! It was on TV! Star Search I believe. He was the 14 year old, pro piano player, named Menno, I think
So why is he going by Sheperd here? Yami pondered.
/I don't know. Maybe he's trying to hide his identity/
Why would he do that?
/Hmmmm.../ was the spiky haired teen's reply as he went into thought.
The bell rang for lunch and everyone flooded out of the classroom. Yugi was the last out as he walked slowly so he could think. At lunch, he got his meal and sat down with his friends. Then he noticed Sheperd sitting out under the same tree he did yesterday, a lone.
"Hey guys, I'm going to sit somewhere else today," Yugi said all of a sudden.
His friends looked at him in shock.
"Why?" Joey asked.
"It's, um, to help some one else," Yugi replied. "See you in class."
And with that, Yugi got up and walked out of the lunchroom.
"That's our Yugi, always thinking of someone else besides himself," Tristan stated.
Yugi walked out onto the grass of the courtyard. He saw Sheperd sitting under the tree, reading the same black book as he was yesterday.
"Um, hello," Yugi said timidly, looking down at Sheperd.
"What do you want?" Sheperd asked dryly.
"I was, um, wondering if I could sit by you," Yugi stammered.
"Sure, why not? My life couldn't get any worse," Sheperd replied.
Yugi sat down. He ate in silence while Sheperd read.
"I, um, saw you on Star Search like, what was it, two, three months ago?" Yugi broke the silence. "Didn't they call you Menno?"
At this, Sheperd jumped up and grabbed Yugi by the collar and shoved him up against the tree like he did the other guy yesterday. He looked hard into Yugi's eyes, at though he were searching for something. Then, as if he had found it, he slowly relaxed. His grip loosened and he let go of little Yugi. Yugi sat wide eyed and shaken up. He was actually shaking. Now he understood why the other guy was so afraid of him. Sheperd was like a ticking time bomb that could blow any second.
"What did you do that for?" Yugi asked after his heart had gotten back to its usual steady beat.
Sheperd looked around.
"I can't explain here," Sheperd told him quietly. "I need a more secure place to talk."
"Um, if you don't mind my friends and my grandfather listening, then you could come to my house," Yugi told him.
"How many friends do you have?" Sheperd growled.
Yugi thought for a second.
"Three," he replied.
"Fine, I'll meet you in front of the school after school," Sheperd told him.
Then, Sheperd got up and walked off. Yugi watched him for a second and finished his lunch and went back to class. He wrote a note before class and left a copy on each of his friend's desks. It read:
I talked to Sheperd at lunch today. He was the 14-year-old pro piano player we saw on Star Search a couple of months ago. I asked him why he, um, almost hurt me. I'll explain after class. He said that he would explain in the Game Shop after school. Talk to you after class.
Yugi
After class, in the hall, Yugi explained what had happened at lunch.
"Man, he looks mellow, but he's not," Joey stated.
The group walked out of the front doors. They saw Sheperd leaning up against a tree, reading the same black book as before.
"Would he give that book a rest?" Joey grumbled.
"Hey, just because you can't read doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to," Tristan teased.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Joey fought back.
"Okay guys, break it up," Tea butted in.
They walked over to Sheperd.
"Hey Sheperd," Yugi greeted.
Sheperd looked up.
"Hello," he answered in a low tone.
"I don't think we got properly introduced," Yugi stated. "You kind of startled me at lunch today."
"Sorry," Sheperd apologized.
"It's okay. Anyway, I'm Yugi," Yugi told him. "These are my friends Joey, Tea, and Tristan," Yugi said, pointing to each of his friends in turn.
"It's nice to meet all of you," Sheperd nodded his head politely.
"And if you're ready, let's go to the Kame Game shop, which is also my house," Yugi stated.
They all walked in silence. The gang felt uneasy around Sheperd, and Sheperd felt uneasy around the gang. It was sort of like there was a barrier between them. And they all knew what it was. They finally got to the Game Shop and went to Yugi's room.
"Okay Sheperd, tell us why you're here," Joey told him.
Sheperd sat down on the bed and held his head in his hands.
He sighed and began, "It all started about two months ago, when I went onto Star Search. It's true, I won the whole thing. But it did more harm than good. These strange scientists found where I live and they came for me. They caught me, but barely, and took me to this lab. I managed to escape before they could do anything, but then they captured my little brother, Eric. They want to do these dangerous experiments on me. They say that if I don't come to them, my brother'll be harmed. I've been running for a couple of weeks now. I came to Domino because it seemed like an unusual place for me to be. It probably won't be long before they find me. I'm only going to be here temporarly. But death is catching up with my brother, and me. What worries me most is they'll kill him before long. I'm sorry about what I did at lunch, Yugi. It's just, if anyone calls me by my first name right now, I think they're working for the lab. And if some one that is working for the lab is listening, they'll find me faster than you can say, Menno Sheperd."
"Sounds sort of like Kaiba," Joey mumbled. "With the brother and all. Even the smart factor," he added.
"Well, do you need a place to stay?" Yugi asked.
"Yes," Sheperd replied.
"You could stay here until you're ready to go," Yugi suggested.
"Thank you," Sheperd told him.
"So, where are you from?" Tristan asked.
"Wolf Valley," Sheperd replied.
"That sounds interesting, could you tell us a little bit about it?" Tea told Sheperd.
Sheperd and Yugi's friends migrated to the living room as Yugi stayed behind.
/Yami/
Yes?
/I need your advice/
Okay
/What should I do about Sheperd? I mean, he seems like he's in a lot of trouble/
What does your heart tell you to do?
/It tells me, that I need to help him in anyway I can/
Then do that
/But I sense that it will get me, and my friends, in a lot of trouble/
However... Yami knew he had more to say.
/However I'm willing to take that risk/