Disclamer: 'bout time I put one of these in this story. So how 'bout I word it this way? Among the scribblings in my notebook there is a page where Mai states that if I owned them, she would kill herself. And while I don't think Mai will be making an appearence this story, I'm certian the feeling holds mutial for the rest of the Yu-Gi-Oh population. Unfortuntly for them, however, I DO hold the right to tourture them, then return them to their previous state. Where, unless I'm mistaken, the producers of the show have worse already in mind.

Authors note: I baised Domino High school off of my own. YHS. (go Miners!) including some basic design of the place. Basicly, both gyms are outside...and fairly far appart. (I'm thinking opposite ends of the football feild for this one) and the music room is right next to the big (or main) gym. Just a note for future refrence. Same with the way dance class (espically first day of the semester) works at my school. Trust me, I endured this tourture for an entire year. And while I may have had the advantage of being female...Kaiba has it easy time-wise.

Now on to what you came here for...

Serenity squealed. "I've got dance with you this time!"

Tea' grinned at her friend as they compared schedules. "It looks like we've got computer skills together too."

"Huh?" Serenity asked, looking at the other paper more carefully. "I thought that was just a freshman class."

Tea' shook her head. "No. It's for any grade, but it's preferred to take it freshman year."

Serenity could barley contain her excitement. She had one whole semester of high school under her belt and couldn't wait to get started on this new semester! Despite how most older students treated freshmen, she was having a blast. Except for having to wake up so early in the morning, that is.

Just then, Yugi approached an odd expression on his face. Serenity didn't notice at first, instead, she just asked "Want to compare classes with me, Yugi?" It seemed for a moment that Yugi couldn't hear her over the hundreds of similar conversations taking place in this room. He kept glancing quizzically behind him, towards the table marked clearly "K-M" where he'd gotten his semester class list. Serenity realized there must be something else wrong, but she didn't say anything. "Yugi? Want to compare schedules?"

Yugi shook his head, as though snapping out of a trance. "Huh? Oh, sure Serenity." He held out his slip of paper, and all three leaned in to look.

Serenity sighed and said "too bad. We don't have any classes together."

"Looks like we've got a math together again this year, Yugi." Tea' said "Geometry this time."

"Yeah." Yugi responded, not really noticing. He looked over at the door, the same expression on his face.

"Yugi?" Tea' had finally had enough of this. "What's wrong?"

Something clicked in Serenity's memory and she found herself saying "K through M. He must've run into Kaiba."

Yugi nodded, completly unsurprised at how quickly Serenity had reached that conclusion. Tea' spoke next, concerned and confused. "What? That's all? Yugi, he's never affected you like this before."

"He's never acted like that before ether." Yugi commented, sounding relieved someone had figured it out before he'd had to come right out and say. "I mean...Kaiba's always a little curt, but he was acting like he was scared of something."

"That's defiantly weird." Tea' responded.

Even as she spoke Joey approched, stride just short of a run. "Hey! Have any of you seen Kaiba this morning?"

"That's a weird question coming from you." Tea' commented, not really meaning to answer.

It was Yugi who actually responded to Joey's question. "Yeah...a few minutes ago."

"Is it my imagination or did he seem weirder then usual?" At the odd glances of his friends, Joey explained "I ran into him outside, almost litterally, and he just told me to watch it. No dog cracks to be heard."

"When I ran into him, he acted like he was afraid of something." Yugi added.

Before any more could be said, the bell rang. With waves all around and a quick hug between the sibbilings, everyone went their separate ways for their first class of the second semester.

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The first three periods of the day had gone off without a hitch. Yes, he had a chemestry class with Wheeler, who had almost seemed relieved when Seto had insulted him after accidentally sitting directly across the labtable from him. Other then that, things were fine. But now, dance class was about to start.

A glance at his schedule reminded him he wasn't going up to the big gym where PE was held. No...this was the small gym, put there especially for Dance class and Dance class only. Well, he knew from experience that PE would merge with dance class occasionally for the PE's dance and gymnastics units...an experience Seto remembered all too well and wasn't looking forward to repeating. He was only glad that had happened before he'd met Yugi...or the experence would've been far more humilating. Much like this one.

As he entered the gym, he found it already buzzing with girls. Seto inwardly winced. He'd suspected he'd be the only male in the class, but now...it seemed so much more real of a concept. It didn't take long to resolve to just wait things out until class got underway. Seto hurried, staying close to the wall ether by a conscious desire to remain unseen, or because it was simply the quickest way to the only unpopulated corner of the gym. He suspected both. Settling in the corner, back to one wall shoulder against the other, Seto elected to wait until a teacher entered and called the class to order.

It never happened. Seto sat in the corner for almost an hour. He dozed out at least twice, and the chatter of everyone around him, not to mention at least half a dozen basketballs being played with all at once, had given him a headache. It was five minutes before the class ended when Seto finally grew uncomfortable with his position. Standing up to stretch, he looked around impatiently. He'd been board for forty minutes...now he was beyond board...and he still had five more minutes left to waste.

May as well just take the long way back to the door...hopefully that would take up at least three of those minutes.

--- ---

"Is that Seto Kaiba?" Serenity asked, staring across the room.

Tea's mouth dropped open. "What's he doing here?" she asked, shocked.

The two girls had been talking and playing basketball, and generally just relaxing for the entire period. They hadn't even looked towards the other side of the room except to fetch their ball when it went stray or when someone shouted for them to watch out...a common occurrence. Serenity debated inwardly for a moment, then said "Let's go find out."

Tea nodded in agreement, and the two girls sprinted across the gym.

Six possible periods for dance class...and he happened to land the same class as not just Yugi's friend, but the Mutt's little sister too. For an instant, Seto felt like ether bolting from the building or knocking his head against the nearest wall. Instead, he gritted his teeth together and responded to their warm greeting with a simple nod.

"What are you doing in dance class?" Tea' asked, lacking on the tact as always.

Deciding that, for the sake of peace, he should answer honestly, Seto responded "Last-minute fine arts credit."

For a moment, all three stood there awkwardly. Tea' and Serenity were obviously searching for something to say. Seto decided not to give them the opportunity, and brushed past them, walking quickly to the other wall of the gym.

It was a big class. With luck, this would be the only time he'd see them all semester.

Of course, something buried deep in the back of his mind reminded him that when it came to friends of Yugi Moto, his luck simply didn't run that way.