Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.
This is one of the few chapters that are based solely on one set of traits for a card (in this case, the positive).
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#3: The Empress
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"I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm late," Anzu chanted under her breath as she yanked the laces of her shoe into a sloppy knot.
Honda glanced over with a raised eyebrow. "You gonna turn into a rabbit anytime soon?"
Anzu yanked her bag over her shoulder, slammed her locker shut, and then turned around and pointed a finger at Jounouchi. "If I get demoted from this class, or lose my part in the recital, I'm going to kill you," she stated before turning and running out the door.
"Good luck!" Yuugi called after her.
"Geez," Jounouchi grumbled, "it's not like I knew we were all gonna get detention. . . ."
"What did you think would happen?" Honda asked sarcastically.
"Watanabe-sensei would continue looking in the other direction?" Jounouchi answered.
"Idiot," Honda muttered under his breath. Jounouchi's reply began an insult war between the two.
Ryou finished tying his shoes and snapped his case shut quietly, hoping to make a quick and silent exit. His hopes died when Yuugi pushed his locker shut and whined, "I'm huuuungry. Let's go get hamburgers!" He glanced over at Ryou. "Do you feel well enough to go out, Bakura-kun?"
"I . . . guess so," he said slowly, noting that Honda had cut off the argument and was watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"Actually, I can't," Jounouchi said. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone."
Honda snorted. "This 'someone' wouldn't happen to be blonde, stacked, and a lot older than you, would they?"
Jounouchi eloquently punched him in the arm.
"Oh," Yuugi said, sounding a little disappointed. Then he added, almost off-hand, "I wondered why Mai-san's car was sitting outside."
Jounouchi stared at the doors with a look that resembled horror. "Oh, shit," he mumbled.
Ryou blinked. "When were you supposed to meet her?"
"Right after school. . . ."
Honda smothered a laugh.
Jounouchi huffed, then rolled his shoulders back and strode out the exit like a man knowingly headed toward his doom. Yuugi and Honda followed, with Ryou trailing slightly behind them.
Jounouchi walked up to the sleek dark blue car parked illegally against the curb and flashed a smile. "Hey ya, Mai!"
"Jounouchi Katsuya," Mai said, pushing up her sunglasses and giving him a flat glare, "what did you do this time?"
"It wasn't all my fault!" Jounouchi said defensively.
Mai made a noise too delicate to be called a snort. "I'm so sure."
"It wasn't! Watanabe-sensei just hates me, I swear!"
"She held us all after," Honda mentioned. "And you're the one who threw the--"
"Shuddup," Jounouchi interrupted.
Mai shook her head and let her shades fall back into place. "Well, get in," she said with a smile, starting the engine. "We'll just be getting there later."
"Yeah, sorry," Jounouchi mumbled, opening the door. He turned around slightly. "I'll see you guys later!"
"See ya," Honda replied.
"Have fun!" Yuugi added.
"Bye," Ryou said with a little wave, taking a step away from the other two.
Jounouchi slid into the seat and slammed the door shut, and Mai peeled out as soon as he'd put on his seatbelt.
Once they were gone, Honda slid his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Yuugi, I'll take a raincheck on the burgers. I've gotta run some errands for my mom."
Yuugi nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow!"
Honda turned and walked off, waving an arm in farewell. Yuugi watched him go with a slightly crestfallen look, before sighing and letting his shoulders drop. He glanced over at Ryou. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow too?"
Ryou shifted slightly, twisting his fingers around the handle of his case. The scar near his hip still itched, but everything today had been so normal. . . . He couldn't really be dead, could he? He could feel his heart beating. . . .
Ryou smiled. "Actually, I'm still up for a hamburger. Unless you have somewhere to be," he added.
Yuugi perked up. "No, no, I'm good! Where do you want to go?"
Ryou bit his lip. "I don't really eat a lot of burgers. . ." he answered. "Where do you suggest?"
Yuugi pondered. "Well, there's a place just a few blocks over that's pretty cheap and good. How 'bout there?"
"Sure!" Ryou agreed, and Yuugi gave him another grin before heading off to the left. Ryou loosened his grip on the handle and followed.