Big Games

Ch5

She made her way down the normal path she took for school, cursing to herself as she walked. "Stupid, stupid Anzu what were you thinking!" She was quite upset over the fact that she couldn't help but wear her brand new shoes toady, even if she knew the forecast called for a chance rain. "Now you're going to ruin them stupid, all for what? Just to impress him? He has to much on his mind he's not going to notice your shoes!"

Speaking of him she looked up to see the small Game Shop quickly coming into view. Anzu wondered if Yugi was really going to come to school today, after what he's gone through its bound to be an extremely awkward day. She wouldn't be able to face all those people if something weird like that suddenly happened to her.

She began to suspect that Yugi really wasn't going to come, as he wasn't outside waiting for her as he normally does. That suspicion however was erased as she walked up the driveway towards the front door to the shop. The door was open and there was poor Yugi standing there taking up most of the doorframe, shoulders slouched and pouting. He was wearing his normal attire, but mostly everything was new, bought the night before by his grandfather so he had something that actually fit, though everything seemed to be just half a size too small.

Anzu let out a dreamy sigh as she looked over him; his navy blue pants clung to his legs, showing off lines of definition. His school jacket fit him well except around his upper arms as it fit snuggly around the large knots that threatened to stretch the fabric to its limit. He wore the jacket open exposing a black undershirt that appeared just a bit tight around his chest. Anzu would never admit that she was glad for it, trying not to fall into another daydream that would only have her turning red.

"I can't do this!" Yugi said to his grandfather who was barely visible behind the teen. He was trying his hardest to push him out the door but was having little or no success.

"You have to go to school Yugi!" Solomon argued while trying his best to move his grandson out the doorframe. "You will probably get less attention by going anyway. What will people think when you suddenly stop showing up everyday?"

"Problems?" Anzu said as she approached. She returned a small smile as Solomon Mutou greeted her warmly between breaths of exhaustion.

"Anzu please help me talk some sense into the boy. He has to accept what he has become and move on with his life." Solomon grunted as he attempted to push his large grandson again. "Muscle bound or not, you have to go to school!"

Anzu laughed as she observed the scene. As much as she agreed with Solomon she couldn't help but feel for Yugi, its not like this had happened a month ago or he really did join a gym and made himself this way, this was something that happened only twenty-four hours ago, out of the blue. Who in their right mind would want to leave the house let alone face hundreds of high school students?

"Come on Yugi." She said, braving her face turning bright red as she locked one of her arms around his. "How about I stick with you today and help fend off all the weirdoes who would ask to many questions, how's that sound?" She looked up at him and noticed his pout fading. It seems he liked her idea as he started to stand up straighter.

"Okay." He squeaked. As he forced his legs to move, taking that first step into the unknown. One could almost here the famous moon landing quote playing in the background, only this time suited for this situation. One small step for Yugi. The other foot followed and soon they were on their way. Yugi was trembling nervously and hoped that Anzu wouldn't notice. He also found it odd she was clinging to his arm rather tightly, and found it equally odd that Yami kept chanting the words "captain oblivious" through their link.

"Nice shoes by the way, they new?" Yugi commented shakily, tying to make some sort of conversation to get his mind off things.

"Oh my! He noticed." She said to herself with glee. She nodded in reply as they continued to walk.She tried her hardest to fight the urge to lean her head against him, anything to be closer. She instead opted to steal a squeeze of his arm every now and then. She didn't want this walk to end.

The principal of Domino High looked from the two resume papers he held in his hand to the two men sitting across from him. He thought it strange that these two suddenly appeared at the same time for the same job, and the bigger man even offered to take up cafeteria work if two Janitors were not needed. He leaned back in his leather chair, as he looked the two over. Their papers were in order, you don't need many credentials to become a janitor for a high school, and they looked friendly enough. He found that they seemed desperate for these jobs, he liked that idea though, because if they want them they'll work hard to keep them.

"So." The principal said leaning on his desk. "Why do you really want these jobs? And why a high school of all places?" He eyed the smaller man; his eyes seemed sharp and cold. He would make the perfect creepy janitor type, maybe even keep some of the kids in line. The bigger man looked more like the type to get along with the students perhaps he could level off some of the scary lunch-lady factor and actually get the kids to eat the cafeteria food

"Well you see, we've only just moved here." The smaller man said trying to sound as polite as possible. "So we're in need of income to get us started. This seemed like a good place to start"

"You two are living together?" The principal said cocking a brow at the two of them implying something else.

"Roommates only." The larger man blurted out quickly. "We're cousins actually." He lied.

The principal looked at their papers one last time, then raised to shake both their hands. "Very well, you're hired. You can start as soon as possible, and I'll have one of the secretaries show you around the school."

"Thank you sir." They both said in unison then exited his office. Two grins crossed their faces as they accomplished something important to their mission.

"I didn't like what he was implying when you told him we lived together." Strife said to Zane. "I think he thought we were ga…"

"Shut up, it doesn't matter." Zane interrupted as some students passed by. "We're not really here to work. After you had to walk into the boss's presence holding that burger this is the only way to redeem ourselves." He went silent for a moment as a few more students passed by. "Anyway, after I explained about the kid we're after she seemed to gain more interest in him, and wants us to find out what is exactly is going on here."

"Something weird that's for sure." Strife said as he looked over the students, hoping that their target would maybe pass by as well. "Don't tell anyone but when you said that big guy was the small kid from Ruze's game… I was kinda freaked out."

"Your telling me, I'm not one to believe in magic n stuff but…" Zane said with a sigh. "…It makes me wonder why I even fell into this gig."

"The money?" Strife said plainly.

"Oh yes. That was it." A smile crossed Zane's cold features as he remembered. Money made the world go round and it seems people will do anything to get it.

"All right Joey, what's this big news you have for me that I had to get here early?" Honda said, not liking how Jounouchi had seemed a bit too excited for the first day of school. Honda was another of Yugi's close friends and the tallest of the group; his most distinguishing feature however was his hair, dark brown and styled into a single point near the front sort of like a shark's fin. No where near as shocking as Yugi's tricolor spikes and gravity defying golden bangs however, but still strange none the less.

"Yes, I too would like to know what's going on that you had to include me as well." Ryou Bakura said as he approached rubbing his sleepy eyes with one hand while smoothing down his long white hair with another. Bakura was another friend of the group, though he didn't hang out as much and just usually followed the group around at random. He too held a millennium item, though the spirit it contained was not always so friendly as Yami. Bakura had assured his friends that the spirit the ring around his neck contained had been dormant for the most part, as it had not appeared for quite a while now. "I'm not usually on your list of best friends to call about something unless it's urgent."

"Oh you'll see." Jou said grinning. "Just keep an eye out for Yugi, he should be really hard to miss, haha!" Laughing as he pulled the other two away from the growing crowd of high school students whom started to gather around the school grounds. He led them back to the schools front entrance and kept an eye down the road. He saw them coming, but kept quiet waiting for Bakura and Honda to notice on their own.

"Hey look, I think I see Anzu." Bakura said, as Anzu drew closer to the school gates. "Who is that she is holding on too, did she meet someone over the…. Bloody hell its Yugi!" Bakura said stunned. Honda soon joined him by his side, wondering what was so strange about Yugi and Anzu, until he saw them that is.

"What the crap!" Honda shouted out, causing a few other students to turn some heads. Soon someone else had recognized the spiked head teen and wondered if they were seeing things, this student signaled to his friends to come see, and their friends signaled for others, until there was a small crowd at the front gates of the school. "Joey, you know something about this… explain." Honda said, only to see his friend grinning like a cheshire cat.

"All in due time my friend." Joey let out another smug laugh as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "But first… I have plans."

Anzu still held onto Yugi as if he were a life preserver. She promised to herself that she would never let him go no matter what happened or who saw. Too bad she didn't keep that promise for more then thirty seconds as she looked up when she noticed Yugi had stopped. She saw that worried look return to his face again, then suddenly pulled away from his arm as if it burned her.

Up ahead at the school gates, about three dozen people were waiting wide-eyed and obviously fascinated by Yugi's appearance. Anzu sneered when she saw Jou appear at the head of the mob. "Damn it Joey you better not be responsible for this." She growled to herself.

"Can we go home now?" Yugi asked shakily not being able to move his legs any further.

"Yugi, the sooner you get it over with the easier it will become" Yami spoke from within the puzzle. "I don't think it's so bad. We've faced much worse then this."

"You want to take over for me then?" Yugi asked.

"Hell no."

"Come Yugi, we cant stand here all day now." Anzu broke the conversation between he and the Pharaoh, tying to give back whatever confidence Yugi had just lost. It seemed to work as he began walking again. Closer and closer they got to the group, everyone parted to let the two pass, all eyes on the spiked tricolor haired teen. Murmurs where heard from the guys, giggles and faint laughter from the girls. Yugi tried to block it out, block it all out, all he wanted to do was reach the door and get to class and get the day over with.

Jou jumped out in front of him, smiling and smirking. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Anzu anticipated this, grabbing him from behind placing a hand over his mouth and dragging off to the side. Yugi mentally thanked Anzu for whatever Jou was about to do, it probably wouldn't have been pleasant and most likely embarrassing.

The murmurs were getting louder now as more people noticed him, it was getting harder to block them out, all he could do was keep walking. "Almost there." Yugi told himself, though the inside would be no different, at least he could rest on the fact that when the classes start the students would have to concentrate on something else other then him. "Almost…" He was sweating he felt so nervous, just a few more feet and he would be inside, away from all the prying eyes away from….

"Yugi-kun!"

"Oh no." Yugi knew that voice.

"It is you Yugi-kun!" A deep voice rang out, silencing all the whispers. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you."

"Ushio." Yugi said as he turned, only to see the biggest guy in the school right behind him. Even in Yugi's state, Ushio towered above him. "What do you want Ushio?" Yugi hissed at him. If there was anyone in the world that Yugi truly disliked Ushio was that person; in fact nearly everyone hated the giant man mostly for his bullying ring disguised as a bodyguard service. Yugi was involved with him a year ago, when he tried to take his money for 'protecting' him from Jou and Honda. Yugi thinks Yami had something to do with the outcome of that scene, as he couldn't remember a thing and Ushio wasn't fit to return to school for the rest of the semester. Now that he's back, he's obviously forgotten whatever had transpired a year ago.

"I've only come to see how my friend is doing, seems you've grown stronger Yugi-kun." He walked closer as her spoke, his menacing eyes locking onto Yugi's lavender orbs. Yugi returned the stare two fold, as anger began to boil deep within him.

"Anyway, don't want to be late for class. I expect to see you with us at 4:30 sharp, don't be late."

"What are you talking about? And I'm definitely not your friend." Yugi said through clenched teeth, never blinking. Everyone continued to look on in silence.

"Come on, a strong looking guy like you, it's your duty now to protect the weak." He let out a deep sinister laugh. "I expect you'd be joining the elite group."

"I'd never join your gang of bullies Ushio, now leave me alone." Yugi said, turning away heading into the school trying to push down the growing hatred he felt towards his tormentor.

"Heh-heh, hey Yugi-kun, one last thing." Ushio grinned again as Yugi stopped, his back facing the larger 'student'. "I'm glad you've finally become a man." He laughed loud this time. Yugi continued again into the school his friends following shortly along with everyone else who just witnessed this confrontation. No one saw the look on Yugi's face however, very few times would someone see this much emotion spread across his innocent features, for it was full of rage the likes no one had ever seen before.

"Yugi, are you alright?" Yami asked feeling the emotions welling up inside his partner.

"I'm fine." Yugi replied coldly, the tone of his voice told Yami not to question it further. His partner was angry; he left it at that.

Jou and Anzu rushed to Yugi's side as he entered the halls of Domino High. They noticed the tension the teen was keeping inside him as his face revealed just how he was actually feeling. Anzu placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him that his friends were by his side no matter what.

"Don't pay that creep no mind Yug', he's just testing the waters with you now that you're a threat." Jou said, clenching a fist back in the direction they had just came from. "You just ignore him."

"I know Joey its just." Yugi sighed, curling his hand into fist. "Its just he makes me so... angry!" He was talking through clenched teeth now. "Just thinking about the past, what he did to you and Honda, what he tried to do to me, I could just... I could just…!" Yugi roared as he let his fist finish what he was going to say as it collided hard with a nearby locker, the clashing metal sound ringing sending loud echoes down the halls. He didn't even seem aware of what he had done as he continued to get his class schedule; Anzu and Jou hesitated a bit before following amazed at the giant dent he left in the now unusable locker. They each shared a concerned glance at one another; sure they've seen Yugi mad before but never like this.

It wasn't like him at all, and that's what worried them the most.

((Next chapter hopefully will be more entertaining as we finally get to the classes.. and Phys Ed. ....two words.... DODGE BALL))