Warnings: cussing, some OOCness

We'll Be There

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Part IV

I need to get to school! Ryou realized suddenly, tearing himself from Bakura's arms.

"I have to go, Bakura," he told him. "We'll talk later, right?"

His yami nodded slowly.

Ryou rushed out the door, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He just barely caught the bus, and the bus driver yelled at him for being late. Ryou simply stuck up his middle finger in response.

Why am I doing this? he wondered. It's like I can't control my actions anymore…

The bus arrived at Domino High School within minutes, and Ryou was the first to disembark the bus. He immediately made his way towards his locker, only to be greeted by the last people he wanted to see.

"Hello, Ryou!" Yugi cried enthusiastically. "How are you today?"

How the hell does he always have this happy high? Is he on Speed or something? Ryou wondered. Wow…where did those thoughts come from?

"I'm fine, Yugi. And you?" Again: fucked-up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional.

"I'm very well, actually!" Yugi replied cheerfully. "It's another wonderful day!"

Another wonderfully fucked-up day!

"Hey, are you all right, Ryou?" he asked worriedly. "You seem a bit pale. And tired."

"I'm fine, Yugi," he repeated.

"Heya, Yuge!"

Oh, great. Dumb Blonde #2.

"Oh, hi, Ryou," Jonouchi added hastily. "How's it going, you guys?"

"Great!" Yugi exclaimed. "Hey, Ryou, you wanna hang out with us at lunch? I mean, I feel terrible; you always sit by yourself!"

"No, that's quite all right, Yugi."

"Aw, c'mon," Jou insisted. "It's gotta be lonely where you sit."

"Yeah," Yugi agreed.

"Look, I clearly don't want to hang out with you or your idiot friends!" Ryou shouted. "Why can't you freaks just leave me alone?!"

Jonouchi stared at me with wide eyes, while Yugi turned away; Ryou could see tears forming in his eyes, threatening to spill any moment.

"Hey, look, Ryou--we were just being nice when we asked you to sit with us. You don't need to be such an asshole about it!" Jonouchi roared.

"I've had enough," Ryou declared, walking away from Jonouchi's shaking fist and Yugi's quivering form.

"Finally got the guts to tell them off?" a cold voice behind him sneered.

Ryou whirled around. It was none other than Kaiba Seto, CEO of a multi-billion dollar international company.

"I've had the guts all along," he retorted. "I just never had the heart--or lack thereof."

Kaiba strode towards Ryou, so that he was positioned at his side. They began their walk down the hallway towards their first period class. "They're quite a group," he commented.

"You mean Idiots Incorporated?" Ryou asked disbelievingly. "They're just a bunch of phony bastards on Speed."

Kaiba chuckled. "Yugi may act like he's on a constant high, but I think he just has an unnaturally high level of serotonin." Ryou glared darkly. "Besides," Kaiba continued, "happiness, especially in Yugi's case, is infectious. He makes everyone around him feel happier."

"He doesn't make me feel any happier," Ryou pointed out. "Or you. He just pisses me off to no conceivable end."

"Maybe," Kaiba responded. "Or maybe you just don't want to be happy."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Likewise."

Ryou sighed. What the hell is he getting at?

"Anyway," Kaiba remarked, "my weekly dosage of social contact is over. I can't ruin my reputation of antisocialism. You should talk to Yami; I think he might be able to help you out."

"I don't need help," Ryou spat. "Is 'antisocialism' even a word?"

He received no response. Kaiba had disappeared.

serotonin: a hormone that induces euphoria.