Hi! I took out the prologue, as the story is going to go a completely different way from how I originally planned it. I don't own any of the characters; this will hold true from now till the end of the story. And after that too, but that doesn't count.

So you don't get too confused:

Yami, Yugi, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, Marik, Serenity, Mai, Jou, Honda, Otogi, Kaiba, etc., and of course Anzu are all popular (at least for now)

They're mostly juniors. Serenity's a sophomore, Otogi and Kaiba are seniors; if anyone else is not a junior, I'll decide later.

I'll try to keep them as in character as possible.

The story's angsty. But, unlike my other stories, reality-based. That means I'll try to keep it as real as possible- no magic, no Mary-sue, and no love at first sight either. Actually, not much love at all. If you're waiting for a fluffy piece where Kaiba sweeps Anzu off her feet and carries her away to his magical kingdom, stop. I know it says romance. The romance will come. It'll be twisted, but it'll come.

That's about it. Now, onto the story! I hope you like it.

The Not Beginning

Anzu walked towards school with Yugi, her best friends since she was a baby and her parents met his at their preschool parent gathering. They had been together when Yugi was bullied at school, when he solved the puzzle, when he had grown to celebrity status. She (and the others), in turn, had benefited from his success- she had become popular. Now, it was the fall of their junior year in high school. Who were upperclassmen? They were upperclassmen! She, along with Jou and Honda, had used and abused all the privileges that came with being large and in charge. Well, at least figuratively speaking. She had grown, and filled out some as well- filled out, but in the wrong places. Still as flat-chested as she was when she decided to become a dancer and then cheerleader, she had nonetheless gained a good twenty pounds. Leaving her weighing the average teen girl weight, but to the salad-consuming, diet drink-inhaling cross-country-running female population at Ohtori Academy, that was well above the norm. 'Well, what could I have expected,' she thought, 'hanging around with these MacDonald's-loving oafs?'

Jou and Honda, according to class poles, were two of the hottest guys on campus, regardless of their disastrous eating habits. They were buff, they were tough, and they were, well, nice. Leaving them exposed to fan-clubs, love letters, and the jealousy of their possessive girlfriends- Mai and Serenity, respectively. Although Jou did seem to have somewhat of a sister complex as often as not, which drove Honda up the wall as often as not, leading to full-out fist fights that Yami, as often as not, could break apart. And when the case for the latter was not, well, then the girls had to take action.

"Jou?" Serenity would look pleadingly, through misty eyes, up at her brother. "Please, Jou, let him go!" The class beauty would then place a delicate hand on her brother's arm, lovingly caress his (most likely bleeding) cheek with the other, and, leaving the scent of flowery perfume in her wake, gently escort him into a deserted hallway. From which he would emerge, several minutes later, shame-faced and apologetic. No one knew what went on behind those closed doors, and no one was brave enough to bring up the question to hot tempered Jou. No one except for Seto Kaiba.

… Who would mock him for all he was worth. Jou, however, had learned enough self control (according to the school's cognitive psychiatrists) or had been classically conditioned (according to the behaviorists) to avoid a fight with Kaiba at all costs. Kaiba, who could beat him into a pulp without breaking a sweat. Kaiba, who was number one in looks, smarts and money. Kaiba, who no girl could resist. Kaiba, with his piercing eyes, soft hair, firm body, icy exterior, large sex… Yes, every girl on campus, except maybe some extraordinarily out-of-it freshman, and every boy (from their dreamy-eyed girlfriend's), had learned the talents of the senior in bed. Of course, Kaiba was not just a playboy- he chose whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and he only picked from the elite. Anzu, being among the elite, had experienced him first hand. So had Serenity. But unlike the rest of the Chosen, who bragged about it as a sign of their superiority, they chose to remain quiet about it. 'There's nothing special about loosing your virginity in a one-night stand,' they had confided to one another. 'But it sure was… amazing."

Serenity loved Honda, but would choose Kaiba above him any day. Anzu loved Yam-

…Had a very secret crush on "Dark-kun", her mysterious, well, crush. No one, as of yet, had made the connection between "Dark-kun" and "Yami-chan"; no one except for the genius Kaiba, who had decided long ago it was not worth his time to interfere with a little girl's silly love games and code names. So, as long as she kept quiet about it, no one would have to know that she was, like the rest of the world, in love with the card master.

Who said that you couldn't crush on two people at once? 'Seto… Yami… Seto… Yami… Seto… Yami…"

"Anzu!"

She jolted out of her reverie to find they were in front of the school gates, and Yugi was looking at her annoyed. "What?" she snapped. Like it was her fault that the midget's other half and arch nemesis were drool-worthy!

"Want to skip today? I want to go to the amusement park- they have this new roller coaster open, and it's supposed to be so cool!"

'Who would have ever believed that fame and fortune would turn innocent little Yugi into a rule-breaking nymphomaniac?' Anzu thought. "Sorry Yug-chan, I can't. Long block bio, and the test's coming up on Friday. Sorry!" It had nothing to do with Kaiba sitting in front of her, and Yami next to her! Nothing at all!

"Right, OK, whatever. Suit yourself, looser!"

'Ouch, Yugi, that hurt. I'm not that big a looser- you just don't understand' "Whatever. Flunk if you want to, I'm not planning on being a drop-out."

"Pissy pissy today, Anzu!" Yami came striding up to join in the argument. Siding, as always, with Yugi. All it took was an instant for her mood to swing from dreamy to hateful. It wasn't fair- it was always two against one, her against the marvelous duo. The others usually stayed out of their "lovers spats."

Flushing red, Anzu refused to voice her thoughts. 'It's wrong. We're all friends, all three of us. It's not like Yami's playing favorites or anything.' "You're going too, Yami?"

"Yep. Let me borrow your notes, kay? Thanks, you're a life saver."

"No problem," she replied grinning. 'Fuck you, Yami, you think you can just walk over me? Like hell I'm lending you my notes. Go borrow one of your whore's.'

"Great. See you tomorrow then!"

"Bye, Zu-chan!" Yugi called over his shoulder as he and Yami walked past the school's entrance, leaving Anzu to pick her own way through the early morning crowd flocking the courtyard. 'Bye, bastards!' she wanted to call, but refrained, knowing how unfair it was for her to feel left out. It was she, after all, who refused the invite. Was she expecting them to plead with her to go or something? 'Well, it would have been nice. But whatever. I'm strong and independent!'

Plastering a smile on her made-up face, she sauntered over to the other cheerleaders, gossiping amongst themselves and flirting with the surrounding jocks. To her disappointment, neither Jou nor Honda were among them. 'Whatever,' she repeated. 'It's not like I care.'

'That's a lie, though. I do care. We're all best friends, right? But Yami has Yugi, Jou had Mai, Honda has Serenity. So where do I fit in?' Keeping the smile on her face, she melted into the comfort and security of her dimwitted companion's gossip. They accepted her despite her overblown figure and dorky intelligence. She was, after all, their captain, and they respected her and loved her. 'This. This is where I belong, then.'

"Hey, Anzu, baby." She looked up at the familiar voice, a welcoming look in her eyes. Otogi smiled, coming up behind her and wrapping strong arms around her waist. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, nothing. You know, same old things." She relaxed against his chest, allowing him to lift her up and set her on the stone wall that served for their bench. The "cool group's" hangout.

He moved away, and she regretted the loss of his warmth on her back, until he sat down next to her. She moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Come on. Something's bothering you." He smiled down at her, a genuin smile.

'This is so definitely where I belong,' Anzu thought smiling back. "Well, something was bothering me, but then a tall, dark knite in shining armour came and lifted me up, and chased it away!" she flirted.

"Oh? And who could this daring man be, that he would dare do battle agianst such a horrific opponent?" Anzu giggled at his overdramatism, cuddling yet closer when he wrapped an arm over her shoulder. It was no secret that they slept together; rumors even had it that they were dating. The truth was that they were simply friends, allbeit with special privileges.

"I missed you," Anzu whispered.

"It was only a weekend, honey."

"I know. I missed you anyways." 'You don't understand! You're the only one who I can talk to!' she wanted to scream. She wanted to make him understand how important he was to her. Now more than ever, he was like the brother she never had, the best friend she had somehow lost.

"Oh come on, cheer up. Come to the cafe with me; I'll get you an ice cream cone."

"Otogi, you tease, you know I can't!"

"I don't remember why."

"I'm on a diet!"

"I don't remember why."

Anzu grinned. Her weight never bothered her raven-haired lover. "Well,

I do. It's hard to throw a 130 pound sack!"

"Whatever you say," he whispered, nuzzling her neck. "I like you the way you are."

"Thanks, hon. You have no idea how much I needed to hear you say that."

"Oh, I think I do." A moment of friendly silence was interupted by the bell. "Come over my place after school?" he asked as they jumped off their stony perch.

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll kidnap you!"

"You're that desprerate for a fuck?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it that, per say."

Anzu laughed. "Well then, I'll come."

"Great. So, see you after class!" With a chaste kiss he was gone for the senior classrooms, leaving Anzu to mount the junior staircase. It was so unfair how the grades were entirely seperated!

She looked away from Otogi's retreating back to find Kaiba stalking up the stairs to his homeroom. 'Well, maybe it isn't so bad,' she thought, hurrying to keep up with her crush's long strides, keeping him in sight until he disappeared into his classroom. 'No, not so bad,' she decided, as she headed for her own homeroom, and the start of another school day.