A/N: What's up peeps? Here is yet another chappie for y'all (translation: you guys). I hear it's going to be severely cold around the northeastern U.S. for the next few days so if you're in that area, be safe (I don't have anything to worry about, it never gets below 20 here in Louisiana!). Anyway, I want to take a sec to thank all of those who have taken time to review thus far:
Egyptian Rose (thanks for your continuing support)
Anime-Ruthless V1: (good luck to your Eagles in the Super Bowl…they're going to need every bit of it.. and you probably may win the Arena Name contest because no one has put in anything else)
Snow Weaver: (I appreciate the review, I hope you enjoy the rest of this fic.)
Chii576: (Hope you enjoy, you've missed a couple of chapters.)
RoseGoddess874: (Much love for your review.)
Zelda-Jewel: (You're one of my favorite authors on this site and I enjoy a lot of your work. UPDATE "MY WAY" SOON!!!!)
Autumn Oak: (I appreciate you're review, but please don't waste too much time reading this…you've gotta update Blind Sky!!!)
Shyly in the dark: (No apologies needed, you certainly weren't a bother to me. I appreciate your review and will be looking for that update..)
Also…this fic mourns the passing of a comedic legend, Johnny Carson. I'm not old enough to remember him from his TV days, but through clips of footage that I was fortunate to view and the stories my mom and dad would share about him, I was able to capture a glimpse of who he was and what he meant to so many people across the country and globe. Rest in Peace Johnny…
Well, that's all for the thank you-s. No shameless self-promotion this chapter… so with out further wasted time on my part…here's the next chapter!
Chapter Five: Seto's Resolution, Nathan's Way
After Seto had taken Serenity back to her dorm, he decided to go into a restaurant on campus that was open twenty-four hours a day. He went there to think about his decision to quit the team, what it meant for him, and his growing infatuation with Serenity.
Kaiba slouched down into his seat, next to a blonde woman that he instantly recognized. "Mai…what are you doing here? I thought you would be calling the dog catcher for your mutt of a boyfriend."
"I'm eating here, thank you, and my boyfriend is not a mutt, Kaiba." Mai looked over at him with a playful smile on his face. She and Kaiba had gone to a high school across town together and despite their differences (especially their opinions of one Joey Wheeler) managed to become friends.
"You could have fooled me. What are you doing these days anyway?" Seto's eyes were fixed on a piece of pepperoni pizza, which was starting to get cold.
"I've been studying here so that I can go to medical school later on. Seto…you look a little worried about something." Mai had a frown her face and her hands on her hips. "Seto…spit it out. You can't hide it from me whatever it is."
Kaiba continued to play with his now cold pizza with a fork, seemingly ignoring Mai.
"I know you can hear me, Seto." Mai said, glaring at the blue eyed young man.
"Mai…I think…I think I may be in love." Seto kept his eyes on his food, refusing to look up at Mai.
Mai was nearly hyperventilating. "Seto Kaiba…THE SETO KAIBA…in love?" She burst into a giggle fit as she pictured the image of Kaiba being nice to someone, let alone in love. "I'd never thought I would see the day…who's the lucky girl Seto? I have to know!"
Kaiba gave her one of his trademark smirks. "What for, so you can blab off to the entire University about a relationship that doesn't exist? Oh wait, I forgot, you did that already back in High School!"
Mai again burst into giggles. "Come on, Seto. You still remember that? You ticked me off that day when you kept on saying how you were going to knock Joey's teeth out the next time you saw him on a basketball court!"
"Did I knock them out?" Seto asked.
"No, you didn't." Mai went back to drinking her tea, which she had made sure was extra sweet. She decided not to try to find out who exactly Seto's love interest was. If he really wanted her to know, he would simply say so.
"I also quit the basketball team here today."
Mai nearly broke the cup she was drinking out of when she slammed it onto the table.
"You did what? Why?"
"Two reasons mainly…our new coach is a moron from Kansas and he wanted me to room with the.."
Mai cast stern eyes on Seto, as if she knew whom he was about to refer to. "Ok. Your boyfriend Joey was my new room assignment and I wanted no part of it…I don't love basketball that much." Seto sighed as he picked up his pepsi to take a drink of it.
"Seto Kaiba, if you were a woman, I would slap some sense into you. You love this game so much…even through the bull that Gozaburo put you through, even though we lost to Yugi's school in the State Finals, even though your ankles hurt so much you could barely stand on some nights. You kept playing, and don't give me that I'm-doing-it-for-Mokuba's Sake crap excuse because deep down inside, I don't know how deep, but somewhere in that heart of yours…you want to keep playing the game that you love. And don't you dare sit here and say you don't love it because I've watched you play, and believe me, no one would play with that much passion and energy if they didn't love the game."
Seto gave her a blank look as she continued. "I also never thought I would see Seto Kaiba quit at something. Back in high school, you weren't the most liked person on campus, but no one could ever call you a quitter. You gave your all at everything, especially academics and basketball. You never quit before, so why start now?"
Seto finally decided to reply to her. "Maybe you're right…"
"There's no maybe to it, I'm right about this and you know it."
Seto laughed internally at her. You would think she's my mother the way she gets riled up sometimes. "Fine…I'll go talk to Coach Colby."
Mai had her eyes fixed on Kaiba. "And what else?"
Seto looked at her as if she was from another planet. "What do you mean?"
"Aren't you going to apologize to the team? I'll bet my life that it's them you let down the most by quitting than the coach."
"Humph! I don't think I owe it to the freshman, but I probably owe it at least to Yugi, Yami, and even the mutt." He smirked at her with the last part, knowing it would probably bring her wrath down upon him.
"STOP CALLING JOEY THAT!" Mai wailed as she hit Kaiba hard on his shoulder with a small fist.
Ouch! For a woman Mai can hit pretty hard. Maybe I should stop referring to Wheeler as the "mutt" around her.
"Whatever, I gotta go." Seto dropped change for the tip on the table and prepared to walk out before Mai called for him.
"Tell Mokuba I said hello, won't you?" Seto nodded his head and walked out into the cool autumn night.
A week later:
Nathan was looking over some old newspaper articles in his office. They were mainly some of his highlights back in high school and college. Most of them he looked back on had fond memories for him such as championships, milestones, and the like. But one clipping from nearly a decade ago he held for another reason, to motivate.
Duke wins National Title Over Kansas, 65-63 Colby's shot falls short as time expiresThis caption was above a picture of him on the floor bawling, unable to rise to his feet. It was a day he wanted to forget, but would be cursed to remember.
Flashback1997 National Championship Game
Duke vs. Kansas
10 seconds remaining as the Kansas Jayhawks push the ball into the frontcourt, they trail by two.
The coach had trusted him with the ball, an entire team's national title dreams with it.
Colby dribbles, gets out of a double team, and passes the ball to Rodriguez.
It was the situation he had worked hard so hard to be in. Countless hours of practice in the gym. Countless games between friends on the sand-made courts of his hometown. Countless injuries that pushed his mental toughness to the limit, all for this chance, this moment.
Rodriguez gets the ball back to Colby. Colby pump fakes, shoots….NO GOOD! Rebound goes to Duke…THAT'S IT! DUKE HAS WON THE NATIONAL TITLE!!!! Colby, who has been so reliable in this situation in the past can't come through on this day, and the Blue Devils beat the Jayhawks 65-63. What a game this has been!
Nathan fell to the floor, pounding on it with his fists, tears welling up in his eyes. He thought he heard a fight song playing. He thought he heard the cheers of the Duke fans and players. He thought he heard some of his friends trying to help him up, saying that everything would be fine…it was just a game.
Nathan knew however, with that missed shot he would never get another chance. It was his senior season, and with that cruel ending, his moment was gone…. The one moment he worked so hard to have was taken from him so mercilessly.
End of flashback.
Just then, Nathan heard a knock on his door.
"Come in. Oh, so it's you, Kaiba?" Nathan put down the articles he was reading over and stat down at his desk. "I thought you quit the team. You shouldn't have any more business with me, should you?"
"Actually, I do. I want to come back. I realize now that I've made a mistake…and I want a chance to correct it." Seto had taken a seat near Nathan's desk, and was looking him directly in the eyes.
"Alright. Against my better judgment, I'll let you back on the squad, under three conditions."
"Which are?" Kaiba was starting to get a little worried.
"You serve a three-game suspension instead of one."
Kaiba balked at his coach. "THREE GAMES? The original suspension was ONE!"
Nathan smiled. "I know, but I have to take into account that you disrupted a team practice, told me to go to hell, then quit on your teammates. So I tacked on a couple of extra games, sue me."
Humph! Doesn't sound like a bad idea right now.
"Alright, what are the other two conditions."?
"You move into the room I assigned you immediately. Don't worry about your brother, he can move in as well."
Great! I have to room with that idiot Wheeler…oh well…Wait a second! How does he know who the hell my brother is?
"You know about my brother?"
"Yes…Tristan told me about your past last week before our first practice. I know all about your…situation."
"Seriously…you expect me to room with that mutt?"
Nathan looked up from something that he had been writing and glared with an intensity Kaiba had never seen before.
"That mutt, as you call him, is a human being and happens to be named Joey Wheeler. If you don't want to address him by his given name, get the hell out of my office."
Kaiba clenched his fist, all but ready to start a fistfight with his coach, but something was holding him back.
"Ok…I'll room with Joey. What's the third condition?"
"You work your way back up the depth chart. You start at the bottom of the barrel. Fine?"
"Fine." Seto was not happy about losing his starting job, but decided to accept things as they were…for now.
"Good. The depth chart and starting lineup has been posted online…you can look at it on our website." Nathan extended his hand to Kaiba, but it wasn't reciprocated.
"Remember this Seto, you only have one opportunity to get this right…not everyone gets a second chance to make amends."
Seto merely grunted at this, and walked out of the office.
Believe me Seto…I know what its like to live with something you can't change…don't screw up this opportunity I'm giving you.
Domino City Computer Lab:
Yugi, Yami and the rest of the team were huddled around a computer screen as they decided to look up their depth chart together.
First Team:
Shooting Guard: Yami Mutou
Point Guard: Yugi Mutou
Third Guard: Duke Devlin
Power Forward: Mako Tsunami
Small Forward: Malik Ishtar
"YES! Start printing out those Duke Devlin posters, Ladies and Gentleman! I have arrived!" Duke proclaimed as he saw he was starting.
"Do you ever shut up, man?" Malik said laughing at his new teammate. "You haven't played a game of college basketball yet, and you already think you're the greatest of all time!"
"Our coach is playing a three guard set…interesting." Yugi said as he scrolled down the
rest of the depth chart."
Second Team:
Shooting Guard: Bakura Lloreda Point Guard: Timmy FlowersThird Guard: Joseph Wheeler
Power Forward: Jacob Chang
Small Forward: Justin Fairchild
"More bullshit…" Bakura lamented as he looked at the depth chart. "I should be starting, not that wannabe Yami over there."
"Bakura, stop wastin ya breath, you know this thing is pretty much set in stone." Joey said as Bakura turned his back to the team in a huff.
"Hold on here shipmates…look in the reserves….look who's name is still there!" Mako looked at the screen with eyes the size of saucers.
"Kaiba? But…that's a misprint or something, he quit last week!" Yugi said as he looked over the reserve list.
"That doesn't make any sense…why would his name be on the list if he isn't on the team?" A lanky young man by the name of Jacob asked.
"Because…I'm back..and this time to stay."
"KAIBA!" The entire team turned to see Seto Kaiba, trenchcoat and all, standing before them.
"I suggest that you boys stop staring at that depth chart as if it were some woman and prepare yourselves for Duke." With that, Kaiba turned to leave, heading back to his apartment to pack his things.
"Wait a second…if Kaiba's back on da team…den dat means…." Joey fainted as he came to the realization that Seto Kaiba was going to be his roommate….and there wasn't anything he could do about it.
Next time: The team travels to Cameron Indoor Stadium to battle the Duke Blue Devils in their first game of the season! Can the Saints pull the upset, or will Duke prove too much to handle? Also…Ishizu decides to find an old friend to help her..but will he be willing to help when he finds out her situation?
About Bakura's name…I decided to give Ryou and Bakura the last name Lloreda…don't worry…It's just a name, people. Also…All you Anzu/Tea lovers get ready, she'll be in the next chapter!
Tea Lover #1: YAY! SHE'S FINALLY GOING TO BE IN THIS FIC!
Tea Lover #2: I can hardly wait!
Also, it's not too late to put up your name for the Domino City team's arena, so feel free to give me suggestion if you are so moved.
Until next time:
BIGLOS OUT!