a/n: Hello. Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own YuGiOh characters.

%Tea the Felon%

Maybe I shouldn't have done it. Tea thought. I really don't want to ruin the friendship. Even though it was so he wouldn't get beat up, I still shouldn't have. Now this complicates stuff.

Tea walked down the hall, head down, deep in thought. Unlike her, Joey up ahead seemed to be less concerned, softly whistling by like usual. She felt very nervous about what to say, because she knew she had to handle this carefully and with care, or the whole thing could lead to a disaster

Easier said than done.

"Hey."

"Oh hey."

"About last Saturday," she rushed, getting straight to the point. "Well, you know why I did it, right?'

"Did what?"

What, did he forget? I wouldn't be surprised! "You know . . ." she said in hushed whisper.

"Oh." He stuffed something s in his pack, real casual like. "You mean when you threw yourself at me?"

"I did what---?!" her voice rose an octave much higher than needed, since he was right in front of her; and the neighbors were starting to stare. Tea shot them a mind your own business glare. "I SO did NOT !!!!"

"Really?" he looked skeptical.

"Yes! I-I threw you at me," she corrected. "There is a difference," she said, not really knowing what the difference was.

"I guess," he said with a shrug, like it didn't really matter one way or the other. But it mattered. To her!

"Anyway . . . you didn't TELL anyone ABOUT it, right?"

"Why, should I?"

"No!" Tea said immediately, looking around again. No one was in earshot. Good! " Don't tell anyone, not ever Tristan, or Yugi, or even Serenity! 'Cause it could mess up your chances, okay?!" she said all in one breath.

"Chances?" He blinked.

"You know . .. .the prom? Mai?" she said peevishly that he'd forgotten. Where was his head today!?

"Ohh . . . ." he scratched his thick head of hair, which was 'magically' starting to grow out again. "Right. . . but how--?"

"Never mind! There's no time to explain," said Tea. "Just trust me on that! Anyway, you know that I did what I did to save you from getting beat up, right? And that's all!"

She was talking very fast and it took a minute to get it all. "Oh, yeah, I know dat!" he grinned at her at from he was stuffing his books in his locker.

"Good." That's a world of my shoulders!

"What I don't know . . . " he folded his gym uniform over neatly, something unusual to do. "Is why ya ran like a squirrel aftawards."

"I did what--?" Tea said again, in the same high pitched octave Now that had been uncalled for. "And who are YOU calling a 'squirrel'?"

"Well, 's true! You just kiss me and left me dere."

"Keep. Your. voice down!!" She was glad his back was turned at the moment so he couldn't see her face.

But he didn't listen. He put back his uniform in his locker after just taking it out. "Even though it was a nice thing to do for me, but dat wasn't very nice."

Tea was speechless, her hands tied at fist at her sides. . . . . the only thing that kept her form strangulation was that it would do no good for Domino High to have dead King. Meanwhile, Tristan and Duke had already spotted them, and were about say hi, stopping short when they saw the look on her face. "Looks like Monster Tea is about to show her wrath," comment Duke, his fan club saying oh no! "let beat it, or were bound to get caught in it." They hightailed it out of there.

But she had recovered, miraculously, by counting to ten. Still, she made a point to say, "I did not run . . . . " she said, albeit through gritted teeth. "I was, uh, LATE for something! Okay?! ANYWAY---"

"I'm sorta surprised dat you're not in jail," he said obstinately, still not looking at her. out of caution or stubbornness, it was hard to tell. "Sence it was jest like . . . . . a hit an' run!" he mumbled.

"A what--? ANYWAY--!" Tea said very irritated like, "As I said, don't ever mention it to no one-I mean, anyone. EVER! Okay?! I don't want you to even THINK about it!" she added insistently.

"Why, did YOU dink about it?"

"Who, me?! NO! and I told you--stop mentioning it!"

" 'Cause I have," he said with a faraway dreamy kind of look. "About how ya swooped in--"

"Stop that!" She hit his side hard with her fist. "I told you not to think about IT!" since he was looking away, she allowed herself to turn red-faced.

"And then you JUST couldn't keep your hands off me---"

"OH whatever! Stop exaggerating; it stopped being funny."

"Den why are you smilin'!?"

"Who---?!" This could've gone for ages, but just then a teacher came over and disciplined them both for yelling in the halls. Truth be told, Tea had been doing most of the yelling, so she felt bad for getting him into trouble, since it would be counted aganist the campaign. She felt angry at herself for losing it and let him goad her, now it might cost him the crown. This was SO not the way I'd planned! Groan . . . .

%%%%%%%

Near the end of the school day, Tea was ready to give up, though. Joey had received one more detention for fighting, again, plus a referral for getting too much detentions. One more, and he would be suspended. She sighed, walking along the pathway between her home and her school, feet dragging uselessly. A blue convertible beeped cheerily and stopped.

"Hey, girl," Mai said, taking off her expensive sunglasses. "Hop in."

Tea hesitated a bit, knowing Mai was Probably going to gloat about how she was winning, at everything in general, and she didn't want to hear it now. But she got in anyway, sighing She's my friend, probably wants to go shopping.

"So," said Mai casually, as they headed for the shopping mall, "how's it going?"

Tea knew what she was referring to. And judging by her cat-like grin on her perfect face, Mai thought she was winning their 'bet'. "Fine." She said coolly.

"Oh really, then why do you look so, um . . . shall we say, defeated?" Mai cackled, while Tea scowled.

"Hey, it ain't over till it's over. Got that?!" Tea said defensively, meaning she would die before she'd let Mai win their bet.

Mai wrinkled her small, perfect nose. "You sound just like him, just now," she accused, then broke into loud peals of laughter. "Ha! Ha! Imagine! That, I never thought would happen."

"Oh, shut up." Tea grumbled grumpily, folding her arms over her thin chest. Mai, looking gorgeous as usual, always made her feel ugly in comparison, even in just her school uniform. That, added to her teasing, fueled Tea's annoyance even more. "I'm still going to win," she stated huffily. Just a few setbacks, that's all!

That's Tea, thought Mai. The eternal optimist. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Mai added casually, studying her nails, "You know, a funny thing happened when I was at the Domino Cineplex the other day . . . . . "

She let the sentence dangle. Tea froze solid. Then her eyes swiveled over to the blonde's.

"You don't know anything," Tea accused with her finger, though her voice was shaky.

"And you were with Joseph. Imagine my surprise!" Mai went on, taking pleasure from her torture. "Especially when you---"

"All right! All right!" Tea exploded, feeling her face flame up in shame, not wanting to hear the rest especially from her. Knowing her, she'd twist what happened ever worse. "But it's not what you think," she added hastily. "So stop grinning at me like that!"

"Ooh, Tea's got a crushy-mushy," Mai sang, just teasing, not really believing it, dodging the brunette's claws. "Ow! Jeez, I'm just teasing." She nursed a scratch on her shoulder.

"Now YOU sound like him," Tea said triumphantly with a false laugh. "Ha. Ha."

Mai looked deeply appalled. "I do not speak in his uneducated way." She said haughtily. "He could use some grammar school, if you know what I mean!"

"There's nothing wrong with the way he talks!" Tea protested hotly, knowing her defending him would only ensure Mai's theory.

"Oh, sooooo defending him are we?" Mai grinned smirkingly.

"I always defend all of my friends!" Tea said self-righteously.

Mai became serious. "So, would YOU defend me against HIM?"

"Of course." Tea said automatically, frowning. "We're friends, right?"

"Right, kiddo." Mai turned her attention to the road. "And nothing is supposed get in the way."

Tea nodded, finally. Riiight. . . . .

TBC

A/n: Except a boy, that is ! I thought it interesting for the girls to be good friends. Well, Joey seems pretty casual about the whole thing. Seems. Anyway, review for more, pretty please with cherries ! Hoped you liked.