"Bakura? You're up?" Ryou questioned noticing Bakura perched up on the windowsill. Bakura didn't look over as Ryou got up.
"I was never down," he mumbled. Ryou pulled a shirt on and started to button it.
"Couldn't sleep? Is something wrong?"
"Yes." Bakura's tone made Ryou stop halfway through putting his pants on.
"What's wrong?" he asked concerned. Bakura finally looked over and smirked at Ryou's condition. Ryou blushed and finished pulling his pants on. "So what is it?"
"Nothing here... It's something outside... A force... You're not going to school," he said suddenly. He hopped down from the window and sat down on the bed.
"What?" Ryou said disbelieving. He grabbed his jacket from the desk chair and put it on.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere," Bakura continued grabbing his arm. Ryou made a face of protest and met his eyes.
"Bakura, what's going on? You're scaring me. What do you know that's going on?" Bakura released him and crossed his arms.
"Nothing. I just don't want to see those stupid friends of yours. I need a break every now and then. Is that okay?" He said harshly. Ryou sat down on the floor by his shoes.
"Not if you're going to act like that it's not. You do this everyday. I told you before that you don't have to go."
"I know. And now, I'm telling you that I'm not."
"What do you want me to do, praise your performance?" Ryou said sarcastically, pulling on his first shoe.
"I already told you what I want."
"I'm not skipping school Bakura." He pulled the other one on and stood up.
"Come on, what's one day? I'm sure nobody will miss you."
"Thanks," Ryou rolled his eyes. "Bye Bakura." He waved playfully and exited the room.
"Ryou! Get back here! You didn't even give me time to get dressed!" He heard Bakura scrambling around and smiled. Then he tripped on something and crashed to the ground. Bakura rushed out to see what happened.
"I'm alright... I just...fell..." Ryou said rubbing his knee. Bakura shook his head annoyed and went back into the bedroom to finish getting ready. Ryou flipped himself over to look at what he'd tripped on. It was a box made out of metal. He picked it up and shook it, hearing something rattling inside, but when he tried to open it he found the lid to be stuck. He put it to the side and stood up, assuming it was Bakura's and that he'd get in trouble for wondering anyway. He continued on to the kitchen.
"Hey! I told you to wait!" Bakura ran out behind him. A knock came to the front door.
"Ryou! It's us!" Yugi called out happily. Bakura rolled his eyes and shrunk to the floor.
"I'm not going."
"Okay. Then clean up the house. You're the reason why I'm always in the hospital." Bakura frowned.
"It's not my fault you don't look where you're going," he grumbled then disappeared into the millennium ring.
"Whatever." Ryou opened the door for Yugi and Yami.
"You ready!" Yugi asked enthusiastically.
"Yeah. You do realize that we're just going to school?" Ryou asked unsure. He looked to Yami.
"Coffee," Yami responded. Ryou nodded.
"Understood." They started off toward school. They met up with Tea and Tristan at the corner of their street.
"Hey guys! How's everything going?!" Yugi smiled cheerfully. Yami sighed.
"Where's Joey? We have something for him?" he asked Tristan. Tristan shrugged and started to reply when a car pulled up behind them.
"Kaiba? What does he want?" Tea asked looking over the limo. The window rolled down.
"Do you guys want a ride?" Kaiba asked sounding as if he were being forced to ask. Yami eyed him suspiciously but before anyone could say anything Yugi was already at the door.
"Sure! How nice of you to ask!" He pulled Yami into the car. The rest of them hesitated but Tristan gave out a 'why not' look and they climbed in behind Yugi and Yami. The car started moving toward school.
"So, how's everyone doing?" Kaiba asked crossing his arms. Even Mokuba gave him a confused look but Yugi still didn't seem to notice that this was all that unusual.
"We're all great! We're going to school and it's such a nice day out and...I don't know what else but whatever... It's great! Why do I still feel tired? Yami, you said I wouldn't feel tired." Yami didn't know how to respond so he kept quiet.
"Is he going to be okay?" Tristan asked.
"He'll be fine," Ryou reassured them when Yami didn't answer.
"So how's everyone else?" Kaiba asked, distastefully watching Yugi snuggle up next to Yami and closing his eyes. Kaiba looked to the others.
"I'm fine."
"Yeah great."
"Just wonderful." The three of them answered in tandem. An uncomfortable silence sunk in.
' He must be using us to try and get at Joey again, but do you think his intentions are good or bad?' Yugi thought as he drifted in and out of consciousness unwillingly.
"Did anyone else find last night's history assignment to be rather interesting?" Ryou asked suddenly.
' It's hard to tell at this point,' Yami responded to Yugi's question as Kaiba began to answer Ryou.
"I think that the..."
"But Kaiba seemed to..." Yami covered Yugi's mouth as Kaiba stopped talking and everyone looked over. The touch of Yami's hand made Yugi open his eyes and when he remembered where he was and who was with him, he blushed.
"I..." he tried to think of a good explanation or finish to the earlier statement but nothing came to mind. The limo pulled up in front of the school, saving him, and everyone got out without a word. Mokuba ran into the school.
"Well thanks Kai..." Tea started, but Kaiba was already inside as well. "He still a jerk even when you think he's being nice. I don't see how Joey can like him." She rolled her eyes and started off toward the school.
"Since when did you guys start palling around with Kaiba?" Joey asked coming up to the rest of them.
"I don't know, ask Yugi," Tristan shrugged.
"Well he was just offering us a ride. It's not like we agreed to marry him or anything," Ryou added. Joey looked at him but said nothing, then just simply walked inside.
"Hey wait! I have something to give you..." Yugi sighed.
"Well we're all going to the same place anyway. It's not like he can go far," Tristan said and then started inside himself. The rest of them followed.