Poor, poor Yami. *sighs* He's kind of losing it in more than one way. And Malik is just going through hell. And Yoshima is a random OC. *thinks a minute* Yeah, Malik really is having a horrid time this chapter. I pity him -.-
*doesn't remember if she edited this* Err…let's just assume I did….
Warnings: Same slash from before. Angst still. And violence -.-;;
Northern Sky Dragon: As you could probably tell, my ability to update soon is very horrible XD Eh, whoops? Couldn't think though. Can't write if you can't think ;; I blame school. That always works.
Black-skull-dragon: Voosh! An update! *waves hands in a magical way*
"Something wrong with every plan of my life, I didn't really notice that you've been here."
-Heaven's A Lie: Lacuna Coil
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Chapter Three: Snapping
The boy sat low to the ground, eyes blank and hollowed out. Yami, the school's now most feared student, had been there for at least fifteen minutes…and no one probably noticed he was even gone. How could they? He sat in the back of the room with Bakura…away from everyone. Away from any possible threat.
Bakura… Would at least one of his best friends have noticed? He understood Yami the most out of anyone, though it took ages to let the other see him. No, no that isn't true. Yami had been displayed out in the open before, mentally at least. He used to be the bottom chain of others at school, the punching bag passed around between others who assumed they were tough.
But his theatre class…he could change there. And he used that to his advantage; all those characters he played…he became them, and twisted them, and made a new him at the start of the year. It was perfect, he was safe. But now some are trying to take that away from him…he couldn't allow it! Not after all his effort! Not after all his victories and achievements as the false him!
"Yami…?"
His body didn't register anyone was there until a hand was placed on his shoulder and he jumped, eyes wild as they stared over to the opposing form. "B-Bakura?"
"Hey, you ok?"
"Does it look like I'm ok?" Yami nearly snapped, eyes flashing over in the other's direction, but Bakura seemed unfazed and simply stood there.
"What did Ms. Terca want with you anyway?"
"Doesn't matter," he whispered, putting his head down to rest on his arms.
"Mr. Hodei was wondering where you were. History isn't the same without you in the room, you know? So I came here. Didn't know I'd find you," Bakura gave a shrug before sitting down by the other, carefully looking over him. "Now, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Yami…" Bakura nearly growled, "you know you can't pull that off with me, so why are you bothering?" he blinked when Yami's head fell onto his shoulder, the other shaking considerably. Bakura put an arm around his shoulders for support. "Just keep in mind that we'll both be in detention tomorrow for…skipping," Bakura informed, but knew that Yami simply didn't care.
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"It's a masterpiece!"
"Jou, I hate you."
"Oh, come on, Seto! You just need to get into your project! Feel the clay slowly and then begin to shape it…" the blonde spoke passionately while Seto's eyes glared at him. He pouted a bit, almost crossing his arms, but quickly stopped himself and looked around the art room, photos and paintings - all done by students, covered the walls. He adjusted how he sat near his pottery wheel, dipping his hands into clay filled water and went back to shaping his vase, casting a look towards Seto.
The brunette mumbled something darkly, staring at his so called "vase" with agitation. It seemed all his piece of work was just a lump of clay spinning on the machine's surface. "I'm only here because of you."
Jounouchi blinked at the comment, looking towards the other yet still paid attention to his work at the same time. "I thought you said you wanted to be here too though."
"I lied," Seto mumbled, prodding the drying clay with his thumb. "I hate this class."
"Well, you have to live with it," Jou stuck his tongue out at the other, mocking Seto. "Ms. Leanne isn't afraid to fail anyone, and that includes you, pal," the blonde snickered.
"You've been officially deprived of any intimate contact with me for the rest of the day, Katsuya," the grim other muttered loud enough for Jounouchi to hear.
"What?!" Jou almost ruined his whole project right then and there out of shock, "Seto! That's not fair!"
"Hn."
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"Tome hacia fuera sus libros de texto y haga las asignaciones en las páginas doscientos trece y catorce*," the Spanish teacher drawled on, too tired to do much teaching for the day. The sad thing was - it was only third period. …Sometimes she hated coming to school. Maybe she should have just stayed home. She stepped away from the front of the room, moving for her desk…waiting…waiting…someone would ask, it was just taking them a moment…
A hand shot up, the question not even lingering, "What page did you say, Mrs. Sanson?"
Of course. Always needed to repeat, always. It wouldn't be a Spanish class if she never had to repeat herself. "Doscientos trece y catorce."
"What page is that?" the same person whispered to his neighbor, who happened to be Malik.
"Why don't you just pay attention?" Malik mumbled back, but gave the other an answer anyway, "she said pages 213 and 214."
"Thanks a bunch!" the boy went right to work. Malik just rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Ryou," Mahle bounced an eraser off the back off the silver haired boy's head to gain his attention, causing him to look behind him with annoyance pointed directly for her. She just shrugged it off. "Your brother called you 'impossible' during improv."
"And…? Does this really surprise you?" he chuckled a bit, "Please, Mahle, you're going to have to try harder if you want me to 'side' with you."
"Silencio, por favor!"
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"I'm sorry," Malik said hurriedly as he managed to catch up with Yami in the hallway after the bell rang.
"Excuse me?" Yami just growled in return.
"I never apologized yesterday…a…about my sister. She can be nice, really…sometimes anyway…I'm just, really sorry…We'll have to work on the project at your house…unless…that's a problem…?" when he mentioned about his sister he caught sight of Yami's shoulders tensing and blinked, but tried to show that he hadn't noticed. And when Yami finally met his gaze he shrunk back at the fire within them, threatening to almost destroy him.
"I don't need apologies from the likes of you, Ishtar. My place is fine, now scamper off. I'd rather not socialize with the school rats - I could become poisoned," he bit out, adding a twist of drama to the last part. Malik's gaze hardened.
"How the hell could I have been paired with you?! Can't you ever just hold some respect to people? No, I don't suppose you can. We're just specks to your superiority," Malik growled and started to turn away, but was jerked back as Yami grabbed his arm roughly and spun him around so his back hit a wall. Fear now danced through the lavender pupils. Yami was shaking, with rage towards me, most likely…was the thought crossing through Malik's mind.
"Don't you dare try to tell me about how I see things! Sure, you are just a speck - but that's because you make yourself into one the minute your enter my school. I don't make anyone into anything, they create themselves and they become their creation - it isn't my damn fault if you mistakenly became the new school's rat, so get the hell away from me right now, abomination!" Yami shouted viciously at the other but his body hadn't been shaking in rage…it was hard enough to have left the bathroom to get to his next class as it was…and then he had to show up and reopen his wounds. No, he was in no mood to deal with this! And he wouldn't…he just had to make the other more afraid than ever and through words and perhaps violence - he would be able to hide in the back of his mind for the rest of the day.
"R-Right…" Malik somehow managed to speak, sliding across the wall and side-stepping away from Yami, holding his backpack for a sense of security. Yami watched him like a hawk until he finally tore away, running down the hallway as if escaping a predator that was playing a deadly game of tag.
And Malik felt like the small rodent…running from the cheetah which mocked his every pathetic attempt.
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"You're late. Sit down, now."
Malik gave a weak, but quick nod as he entered the room, head then hanging low as he went in search of a seat.
"Your name?"
The hard voice of the teacher startled him once again and he struggled with his response, fumbling over the letters, "M-Malik….Ish…tar…"
"Well, if it isn't the runt," a voice chided darkly and Malik felt a strap of his bag being pulled and he was forced into a seat, his eyes looking at his tormenter - Jounouchi Katsuya. Great, more trouble for me to get myself into… Malik gave a sigh, his eyes scanning the room…well…it was his writing class…but no one seemed to be doing any…writing.
Jounouchi was already in a bad mood from Seto's earlier declaration of Jou's depravation…but now Malik was here…and he could simply take out some of his extra energy on the new kid. "Hey, Yoshima, this is the kid I was tellin' you about. The one who tried t'beat me up," Jou tapped the person with the desk besides him, the room's desks being set up in a large square, a smaller one in the center. Yet it was a small class.
Almost to be what Jou would consider an older looking and more snake like version of Mokuba, Yoshima's eyes darkened and snapped to look over at Malik. "Him? You're joking with me, Katsuya. He's too scrawny looking - couldn't possibly hurt a fly no matter how hard he tried."
"Hey, hey! I said he tried to beat me up, he didn't succeed!" Jou stood up for a moment as he waved an arm wildly in Malik's direction, "But he didn't lay a finger on me!" the teacher looked over in his direction and Jou quickly planted himself back into his chair.
"Only because your boyfriend stepped in to defend your pathetic soul," Malik spoke clearly, biting his tongue afterwards. I can never learn…can I?
"Why you good for nothing -" again Jou was out of his seat, but this time he meant business and no teacher was going to stop him, but Malik had hoped when Mr. Wistei did speak up that it would be in his defense…But then again, he was Malik Ishtar - the boy who no one cared to defend.
"Katsuya! Don't you even lay a fist on that boy in my classroom! I will not tolerate violence in here!" his voice bellowed before more quietly, he added, "take it outside."
"Wait a second -" Malik began as he saw Yoshima stand now as well. Some of the class sent glances towards them, but many simply slept.
"What's wrong now? You said the only reason you didn't lay a scratch on me was because my boyfriend stepped in. But see, he's not here now, is he?" Jou snickered, reaching down to start to pull Malik up, but the boy broke away and got up on his own, taking his bag with him. Jounouchi gave him a false smile, "So of course you can hurt me just so much."
"Of course," Malik growled, following the Katsuya boy out of the room, Yoshima behind him.
This…was going to be bad.
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"Oh no…" Merle looked up from her flute to catch a glance out the window. The band teacher was in the back of the room trying to get the drummers to play the right piece, leaving the rest of the class in boredom or to practice. Most chose the boredom.
"What is it?" Yuugi leant forward from where he sat behind her with his clarinet, raising a brow as she signaled out the window. "Hey, it's Jou…"
"Yeah, with Malik…"
"So?"
"It's…nothing, I guess. Just a bad feeling, that's all," the freshman girl sighed, watching out until they left her viewing range. Please don't do anything Jounouchi…please…please… she thought desperately, quickly shaking her head and looking at her sheet music for the song Imperium. No matter how much she thought about it, she knew something would still happen to Malik anyway.
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"Down already, runt? Only took three hits and you're down there trembling? And how many have you landed on me?" Jou smirked when the boy didn't respond, only proceeded in trying to clean the blood from his arm.
"I believe he hasn't gotten a single one, Katsuya," Yoshima answered for Malik, crossing his arms and watching from not too far away.
"Right! Not a single one! Come on your cocky brat, get on your feet and fight me!" Jou yelled, waiting as Malik got halfway into standing again before kicking him forcefully onto his back. "Go home already why don't'cha? You don't belong in this school - so long as Yami and Bakura have their charge!" Ah, Jounouchi was right about this - it was a perfect way to waste all his access energy! Their teacher had a point not to fight in the classroom with how the pavement was stained…just think if it had been the carpet! Mr. Wistei would have had a fit and most likely fail them.
Why can't I…why can't…I… Malik's vision blurred when he tried to move for the blonde, managing to strike him in the chest and finally get his chance to beat down on the mutt…but no one played fair in these fights… Yoshima pulled him back and grabbed his wrists, holding the struggling Malik steady. No, no, no, no…this isn't fair! Why the bloody hell do I have to be here?! Why?! It's all my sister's fault! If only Mariku were here…why can't he be…? Why…this…isn't…fair…
"You see, runt? You can't beat me, can't hurt a fly - just remember that. Keep it fresh in your mind," Jou scuffed his feet against the ground. His energy was wearing. He wanted to go to lunch already. "Hn, don't worry about it…we'll drop ya off at the nurse."
"Thanks," Malik spat weakly, angered.
"Oh, don't thank me yet…I still have some energy left in me and…" he glanced at his watch, "…a bit longer until lunch. So…"
Yoshima chuckled slowly.
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"Hey! You! Come on already, we have a project to work on!" Yami yelled at Malik's back, walking the other walk in the direction of his own apartment. Yami for the most part regained control of himself fro the second half of the day, keeping his cool and settling his exterior mask back into place. This, however, did not mean he would not become annoyed when he was ignored. "Pay attention, Ishtar, I said we have a project to work on! And as I'm not allowed back at your apartment or whatever - you're going the wrong way!"
Malik whipped around smoothly, silence falling around his body. His eyes were hollow, yet somehow swirled with defeat, arms bruised, the side of his face blackened. His stance seemed off, like he was forcing himself to remain even standing with his arms at his sides, hands shaking, backpack not with him.
Yami was taken aback, to say the least of his thoughts.
"You know what?" came Malik's monotone voice at last. "I don't care about science. Therefore, I do not care for this project you speak of. So I will gladly fail it and you can fail too, if you wish."
"What…?" Yami blinked before straightened, hands clenching into fists, "I can't afford to fail! If I fail this, I fail that damn class and I refuse to have that happen and if that means I have to work with you to pass - than I have no other choice!" Yami growled, stepping forward. Malik took twice as many steps back.
"I told you, I don't care. I don't. I have no reason to," he slowly laughed; a dark, empty laugh. "What's the point of it? To get along in a meaningless life? But I don't want to. I don't…don't. I do not want to get by in life. Have fun on your fun, little project. I refuse to be apart of it. So…meaningless…everything…life…this school…" he laughed again, turning away and continuing on his way.
Yami stood there, his own voice from last year echoing into his mind, a scar again reopening: "Leave me alone already! I give up, ok?! Are you happy now, Otogi?! Are you happy that you've made me miserable?! What more is there for you to do to me, anything, nothing?! It'll be nothing because I give up with this! It's funny…so funny…very, very funny…come on, Otogi, why are you staring at me like that? Just laugh! Embrace the amusement with me! The stupidity of people living this life on and on, trying to succeed and the failures being left in the garbage…ah yes…failing…I enjoy…failing. I. Give. Up."
He shook his head to clear the memory, holding his arm where he knew right where a true scar hid beneath his jacket's sleeve. He took a breath before yelling towards the other, "I'll do it all on my own! But you will not get any credit for my work! You don't deserve it!"
"Good. I want to fail," Malik called back without turning. All he wanted was to get home and hide away in his room. The corner of it, one of the darkest parts - that's where he belonged. Hidden away where no one can toy with his soul and little by little tear him to shreds.
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"Hey, Yami."
"Hola, Yami."
The sophomore stepped into the house, eyes seeking out the bodies of the two voices, seeing his younger sibling, Yuugi, and his friend, Merle. He mumbled a brief hello to them, moving to sit at the kitchen table as he always did.
"I thought you and Malik were going to work on that weird science project of yours?" Yuugi blinked when he made certain that the other boy wasn't going to suddenly appear in the doorway.
"He went home," Yami growled. "Bastard. Refuses to help with the project."
"Is…is he ok…? You saw him, right? Please tell me he looked ok!" Merle jumped into the conversation worriedly, causing the two to glance at her.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Yami eyed her narrowly. He only briefly thought of the bruises he had seen on his science partner. "They're nothing serious…r-really, Bakura…I'm…I'm fine…No! Please, don't say anything! They'll heal, I know they will…the skin and bruises will heal at least… Mentally? What do you mean will I 'heal mentally?' Of course I will! I told you I'll be fine, dammit! Now leave me the hell alone!" Yami rubbed a hand against his temples. Heal mentally…he remembered Bakura asking him if he could one time…and he said yes. What a lie that was.
"…Well, I saw him outside during fourth period with Jounouchi and someone else…and I just had a bad feeling that they were going to do something to him…that's all…"
So it was Jounouchi who gave him those injuries…
"…And he never showed at lunch…"
"Tsh…He got what he deserved," Yami muttered darkly, drawing lines on the table with his finger. He felt his brother staring at him and shook his head to himself. I can't change who I am now, Yuugi. You'll just have to make do with it.
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"Malik?" Isis stepped into the apartment calmly, happily shutting the door as she had gotten out of work early for once. Most of the lights were off as she stepped past the living room and kitchen, noting a crack of her brother's bedroom door open. She rose a brow, tapping it open more slowly, hearing the hinges creak and looked around the dark room for Malik. "Malik?" she repeated.
"….What?" he whispered and her eyes followed the voice, seeing his body's outline sitting crouched in the corner nearest to the window.
"Are you all right, brother?"
"No. Just leave me alone."
"Malik -"
"Leave me be, Isis," he sounded about ready to cry. "Leave me be and don't talk to me tomorrow either…I'm not going to school. I can't…I'm not…" he mumbled brokenly, scaring her almost. "I don't want to go back there." She closed the door and shook her head without a word, glancing towards the phone and then to the dining table where the letter Malik received yesterday from his brother still lay.
Not forgotten. She was certain that it never could be forgotten…They say a picture was worth a thousand words, but that letter…not even half a page long…meant the world to Malik. Was it the only thing keeping him here in this place? Shaadi must let him come here…or Malik won't be existing by the time he finally can make it…Rishid may be able to get Mariku here within a week of time… She slowly strode towards the table, picking up the letter carefully and glancing towards Malik's room. "Please, my brother, hold onto your mind just a few more days…you can't cave in now…" she whispered to no one but the air.
"I will get our other brother here."
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Um….no comment? *sweat drops* I'm seriously destroying characters' wills here…eheh…sorry? Not really. I did this in a single sitting…be happy! I just started to write…and it all flowed together…
I know Jounouchi was being horribly cruel to Malik, but he was using Malik as a venting tool. Wasting his time. The teachers are awful, the writing teacher especially for letting them go fight outside. There's really only really two good teachers, as in nice and respected and whatever: Ms. Terca (the Impov/Theatre studies teacher) and Mrs. Ridge (math teacher yet to be introduced). Everyone else is basically evil XD Not really…but they're the best two.
Oh, and translation of the Spanish: *Take out your text books and do the assignments on pages 213 and 214.
Ta-da. Updates soon? I have absolutely no idea.