Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

This cut-out-all-html-text editing system no longer allows me to put Bakura's internal comments in the triangular brackets I typically use. This annoys me even more than the removal of extra spaces.
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#2: The High Priestess

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He woke up on the couch, and nothing had changed.

Ryou didn't go to school that day. He didn't go the next day, either.

By that afternoon, Bakura was beginning to grow annoyed with him, since Ryou was breaking the routines that helped keep the spirit hidden. He threatened to just take over Ryou's body and drop it off in the classroom so that the teenager wouldn't have a choice but to be there.

He might have had to follow through with that threat the next day, had Anzu not shown up a few hours later with copies of the notes and the homework Ryou had missed.

"Thank you, Anzu-chan," Ryou said with a strained smile as he accepted the papers.

"No problem," Anzu replied. She gave him a worried look. "Do you feel okay? What's wrong?"

"I just . . . I don't know," Ryou said. "I just felt a bit down for the past few days."

"Ah," Anzu replied. "It's not flu season, but you might have caught something else. . . . If you're not feeling well tomorrow, do you want me to make you something when I bring over the homework? You shouldn't be on your feet if you're sick."

Ryou shook his head. "No, I . . . I think I'll be in class tomorrow. Can't afford to stay out, what with exams coming up, right?" He gave her a faint smile.

Anzu only gave him a critical look. "I hope you'll be better, but don't push yourself, okay? You really don't look good, Bakura."

His smile became a little wry. "Thank you."

Anzu shook her head and smiled. "No, I didn't mean it like that. Just . . . take care of yourself, okay?" She gave him a look of strange, intuitive concern.

Ryou nodded. "I will. Thank you again for the notes."

Anzu waved off the gratitude. "That's what friends are for." She took a step away from the door and smiled. "I hope we'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Ryou replied. "Goodbye!"

Anzu waved over her shoulder, heading for the stairs. "Bye!" she called.

Ryou waited until she had disappeared down the flight of steps before shutting and locking the door.

He completed the homework in place of eating dinner that night.