Three
Malik and I decided to postpone on our decorating until after the Christmas break a little more than a month awayyes, it took us a while to find what we wanted. I guess, you could say we were friends... almost. Malik was still too mouthy, too haughty, and too flirty for me.
"Hello? Oh, hang on..." I held the receiver out to Malik. "Malik, it's for you."
"Hello? Malik speaking... Mmm, hey, baby!" he sounded overjoyed to be talking to his girlfriend. Twirling the phone cord around his index finger, the Egyptian sank onto his now-lavender bed. "You know I am... she said that! Really?"
I smiled, deciding to be nosy, and cocking one ear in Malik's direction.
"It's strange being here without you, baby. It feels, I dunno... weird..." They chatted about this and that for about ten more minutes, and then, "Uh-huh. I've gotta go, darling. See you then. I love you... 'bye..." And Malik hung up, sighing and hanging his head. Heaving a sigh that seemed to come from the toes of his black biker boots, he said, "You're lucky you don't love anyone, Ryou."
I looked up, startled. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I mean, I'd do anything for hereven die for herand it's strange, not being by her side. For five years we were inseparable, and now I'm in Japan and she's still in Egypt." Sounding like he felt really miserable, Malik said, "I'm going out."
Watching him leave the dorm room, I sighed, too, and turned back to my laptop, trying to make the Malik in my story sound more full of himself.
Two hours later, wondering where in the world Malik could have gone for that amount of time, I walked out to the parking lot. "Malik?"
He was seated on his motorcycle, which was supported by its kick-stand, leaning back a bit for balance, feet propped up on the handlebars, a rock guitar in his lap, helmet on his head, and a pair of black sunglasses pulled down his elegant nose. Looking up over the rims of his dark glasses at me, Malik grinned mischievously.
I jogged over to him. "Since when have you played the guitar?" I asked, looking him over.
"Since forever! Listen." Lithe, slender fingers skipping over the strings, Malik played a quick, rocky-sounding song for me, smirking at my surprise. "I'm an aspiring musician, Ryou."
The guitar was black with purple flames of two colors dancing up the sides. I frowned at his position. "You've got your feet on the handlebars," I said, stating the obvious.
The purple eyes were blazing at me over the sunglasses. "So? You got a problem with that?"
"No! It's just that it looks rather strange, that's all."
Gaze flickering back down to the guitar, he replied, "I'm not a very normal person, Ryou."
"You can say that again," I whispered, shoving my hands into my deep pockets and looking around at the scenery.
"What was that?" Came the snapped demand.
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Look, I'm just going to be over there..." And I waltzed away, hearing the motorcycle roar to life, and watched Malik pull out of the parking lot.
For Christmas break, Malik was going to go back to Egypt to visit his girlfriend and sister for a while, and hearing that I didn't have anything planned, the Egyptian teen asked if I would like to come, too. I said I would, and we went to class.
After class, I was walking back to the dorm, when I spotted Malik flirting with Serenity Wheeler, looking her up and down. "Malik!" I scolded as Serenity flounced away down the hall, boasting about how the "hottest guy of the year" was actually talking to her.
"What?" He flipped his platinum blond hair over his shoulder.
"You've already got a girlfriend, baka!"
"Don't you call me a baka, BAKA!" Malik yelled, making people in the hall stop and stare. "Besides, just because I'm on a diet, doesn't mean I can't look at the menuwhich reminds me of my motto: Look, but don't touch."
I looked at him sharply. "I should sic your girlfriend on you!"
"I'd like to see you try."
"All right, then. I will!" I spun around and stormed off to our dorm. "...baka..." I whispered, already concocting a letter to write to his girlfriend.
Back in the dorm, I sat down at my laptop, ready to write the letter of Malik's demisenot to sound like my yami. I cracked my knuckles and, hands poised above the keyboard, began to think of my first sentence.
Finally, after three hours and skipping lunch, the letter was finished. I looked it over once more.
Dear , (I forgot his girlfriend's name. I'll look in his photo album.)
I have been observing your boyfriend, Malik Ishtar, and would like to inform you that he is flirting with and leading on other girls, behind your back. I am only telling you this so you will be aware of Malik's behavior, and will not be disappointed if he begins to exhibit the same performance in Egypt.
I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused your blossoming relationship. But I feel we must stop Malik before he causes any emotional or physical damage to these women. To put it bluntly, your boyfriend is a perverted jerk.
Once again I apologize for any inconvenience.
Signed,
Ryou Bakura
Yes. I think it was as close to being perfect as possible. One more thing and it would be done.
I got up and walked to Malik's half of the new shelves we bought, and looked over his books until I came to "Photos". Sliding it off the shelf, I carried the album over to my bed and, laying on my stomach, began to thumb through Malik's life.
First came the pictures of him as a young boy, always smiling and looking adorable. Next came his younger teen yearsa brown-haired girl, about his age, began showing up around here. Then the more recent pictures.
Malik and the girlnow a young womanwere together in almost every photo in this section.
"What's her name?" I whispered, picking up the pace of my page turning.
I paused as one picture caught my eye. Malik was standing in front of his motorcycle, grinning up a storm, holding the girl, bridal-style, with her arms around his neck. They actually looked kind of cute together.
"What are you doing!"
I froze, my hand resting on a photo of Malik and his girlfriend kissing. "N-nothing."
Malik snatched the book from me, snapping it shut. "How dare you go through my things!" he yelled, voice trembling with rage, and another emotion I just couldn't put my finger on. "This is my life you're thumbing through, bakabakashii otoko-no-ko!"
"I'm sorry. Now you know how it feelslike, when you read my stories."
"That's different! They're here with you. Get out before I kill you." He put one hand to his forehead, grimacing.
I hurried out of the door, leaving it gapped behind me so I could eavesdrop on him. Peeking through the crack, I watched Malik sink onto the bed, dropping his blonde head into his artistic hands and sighing.
"Oh, Amber." I heard him moan. "I miss you so much. Here, people don't know how it feels to be apart from the one you lovetruly love. I can't wat until Christmas, when I can come back to you..."
Is Malik crying I wondered when I heard the unmistakable sound of sobbing. Poor guy...
The sound of a phone being picked up, then, "Ishtar, Ishizu, please. Thank you."
He's calling her. I pressed my ear to the crack, eager to hear his conversation. I wish I could hear her response...
"Hello?"
That's not Malik's voice!
"Hey, sweetheart. I've gotcha on speaker-hone so if I sound a little weird..." Malik explained, scooting to the edge of his bed.
I could hear the smile in her voice when she said, "I don't carejust as long as I can hear you, akutenshi."
Malik had shivered delightedly at this nickname. "Same here."
"Have you been crying again? Your voice sounds kinda funny."
'Again'? So this wasn't the first time. Poor Malik. I really felt sorry for him. I mean, here he was, miles away from his home, his sister, and his girlfriend.
Malik used to live in Cairo, Egypt, and transferred to Tokyo, so he had to learn Japanese. I know he was fluent in Arabic, German, Chinese, Latin, Greek, Spanish, and French in addition to Japanese and English. Also, the Egyptian had been homeschooled his entire life. So, for him, coming to college had changed his life.
"I miss you, Malik," his girlfriend was saying. "I really do. You're coming home for Christmas, right?"
"You know I am."
"I can't wait."
He smiled, laying on his back, looking up at the ceiling. "I know. The first thing I'm going to do is embarass the crap out of you by kissing you in the airport," he said, rolling onto his stomach and thumbing through his photo album.
"I'd love every minute of it, koi," she answered smoothly. "I watch our movie before I go to bed every night."
"Really?"
"Mmm-hmmwait, hold on..."
A muffled voice asked, "Who is it? Is it Malik? Can I talk to him?"
"Hey, Malik?" The girl was talking into her phone again.
"Yeah, baby?"
"Would you mind talking to Odion? He's sitting right here annoying me to death!"
Malik smiled, his purple eyes almost closing in his joy. "No, I wouldn't mind. Go ahead and put him on."
There were noises like someone wrestling the phone away from someone else, a few muffled curses thrown by Malik's girlfriend, and then a new person was talking. A man. Odion.
"Master Malik!"
"Hey, Odion. Haven't heard from you for a while." The young Egyptian's smile widened.
They talked for quite a while. Then Malik hung up, and I left.
Note: Okay, peoples. This is NOT a yaoi ficI don't write those. I even gave Malik a girlfriend for all of you dubious people out there, 'kay? Please review... And I wouldn't mind a few favorite author/stories... winkwinknudgenudge
