Oi! Sorry it took me so long to update! Reviews!
SukiLovesAnime—Yami and Devlin are certainly worth considering :) nice choices! Here's chapter 12 for you!
panmotto—Har; you weren't the only one debating… this wasn't exactly asap… more like as late as possible. Gomen!
SirisAnkh—Hee hee… Seto needs to be a perv! It makes the story interesting! Well, for me, anyway. Where would the drama be if he were just a romantic or just slightly flirting with her, ne? ;P
Slifer02—A cherry on top? …I don't like cherries XP; maybe if you put some pochy on top, I'll make her slap him –grin-
XXXkIkOkEnxXx—Seto's freaking out a lot of people, I'm starting to find out. Your version of Seto is weirder! –raises eyebrow higher- And you changed your penname! Coolies!
SladesDaughter—You're on vacation, you weirdo! I sent you a funny picture, too! Well, I guess that means you won't be able to read this for a week! Hah! Enjoy your beach!
ssp—Har, another anti-creepy Seto. She's having a hard time fighting back and hating him simply because she was so in love with him before; it's hard to just change such a strong opinion. I'm glad you're enjoying Darwinism, too; thanks for reading!
Chibi neko doll—That happened in the 7th grade! Wow, kids are getting more and more mature these days… What am I saying? I'm only 16! Well, good for you, standing up for yourself like that!
tyrantyoshi—Hey, no problem :) I actually just bought the first YGO Uncut DVD last week! It's so cool!
Skitty 2004—Ah, it's fine. As long as you're still reading! And… it would be funny if she went for Jonouchi? Hm…
twilight eyes 8120—Wow… that was really thought out; one of the longest reviews, actually :) and you can't decide. Ironic, eh? Well, hopefully you'll be able to decide soon!
Aoi Dragon—A love V… that's a new one XD.
Mariku's-heart64—I haven't been keeping up with your stories recently; gomen! I'll read this week!
YamiServant—Sure I'll read it! I haven't seen Blade Trinity, though… I'm sure I'll still like it!
ShibiChicken—Heh, as usual, the longest review ever :) I'm glad you're getting so worked up over a story you claimed did not particularly catch your interest. Har. And I read your story, but forgot to review… I will, don't worry.
FalsE FortunE—So… that's one for Jonouchi, then:) I don't think there's a such thing as a personality transplant… though that would be funny. Poor Kumi-chan would be so confused if Seto showed up and gave her chocolates and a rose… -starts laughing-
XxMadeInChinaxX—Huh… Jonouchi and Shinobu… that's a new one. Well! Keep reading :).
Arabella Silverbell—Ah! Someone asked about what happened with Shinobu's sister! No one else seemed to have caught that :) you made me happy. It's not vital to the story, sadly, but you'll find out. And my grades aren't suffering… too much…
Arrna—Me? Evil? … -hides horns-
Rakuen No Tobira—Jo-chi! Kawaii desu! Hee… Well! Keep loving the story XP arigato! (was that too much Japanese? …)
Cobra Strife—Yes! Another Shinobu's sister worryer! …was that even a word? Ah, I dunno. I'm gonna email you when I get back from work!
AllisonWalker—I'm sure you would! Don't doubt it at all :) swear at him all you want in your head!
Kristen—Wow… thanks so much for all the reviews! Don't worry, I'm not mad at you not being on for a while :) I hope you keep reading!
Wow… well! I'm gonna be late for work soon, so I'd better make this quick. Results for the polls!
Jonouchi- 12 votes; 52
Seto- 5 votes; 22
Undecided- 3 votes; 13
Shinobu(!)- 3 votes (including my mom); 13
Chapter 12
"You don't have to walk behind me, you know."
"You walk too fast."
"So sue me. You walk too slow."
I didn't change my pace, but he soon fell back to walk beside me with his hands in his pockets. I wanted to stare at him for some reason; he looked like what he should have looked like when he was little: awkward, pouty, and bored. I couldn't really look at him, though, 'cause it seemed like whenever I even glanced in his general vicinity, he would immediately notice and purposefully look in a different direction. It got a little annoying after a while.
"So… Shinobu's gonna meet us there soon, right?" I asked, trying to break the ice a little bit.
"Yeah."
Well, that was successful, I thought ruefully. Silence followed us like a stalker all the way there, and even when we sat down, we talked once to tell the waiter what we wanted to drink. I got myself some iced tea, and he got a Pepsi. I had my legs and arms crossed, staring out the window in hopes that Shinobu would show up soon. I didn't feel nervous or anything, but time was dragging on like a slug stuck on fly paper, and I was bored out of my mind. I stared at the clock on the wall and saw that only five minutes had gone by.
"We should probably order something," Katsuya murmured. "Ya know, so Shinbin won't have to wait too long."
I think I felt a vein throbbing in my temple when he said that name again. I swear, it sounds like a pet name or something… almost like a name you'd give to someone you're dating—I dropped the train of thought, picking up my menu. "Well, I know that Shinobu likes pineapple and pepperoni on his—"
"Pineapple and pepperoni?" he repeated incredulously, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "What the hell kind of combination is that?"
"You asking me like I know why his taste buds act funny."
Katsuya shrugged and rubbed his nose a little. "And what do you usually get?"
"I like pineapple as well; he and I usually share a pizza with just that on it," I replied, not looking at the menu anymore because I had been there way too many times before.
"That's disgusting."
"Hey! You're the one who brought me here!" I said defensively. "Do you have the only say in what we get, or what? What do you like on pizza, anyway?"
"Nothing."
"Huh?"
"Just cheese and sauce. It's fine that way," he answered haughtily.
"Ugh, that's so plain; where does the flavor come from?"
"The cheese and the sauce!"
"Those are basics! How bland!"
"Yeah, well pineapple is a sweet fruit! Sweet and fried stuff aren't meant to be together!"
"Uhm, shall I come back?"
Katsuya and I halted and looked at the slightly smiling waiter with our drinks. "N-no, sorry," I muttered, looking down at my drink and taking a sip.
"We can do half and half, if you can't decide," he replied kindly, taking out his note pad. I scowled slightly, realizing how dumb we were. "So I'll put you down for half plain, half pineapple, then?"
"Yeah, we'll do that," Katsuya said. "And do you guys have those little bags of chips here, or anything?"
"There's a rack with them behind the counter, if you'd like to pick one. Your pizza should be ready in about fifteen minutes." He swung the large serving tray under his arm and walked back to the kitchens.
I stood up, heading towards the rows of chips, leaning over the counter slightly to see them all. I asked the guy behind there to get me a small bag of potato chips; I thanked him and was just about to go back, when Katsuya's voice drifted out from our table.
"Grab me one too, will ya?"
I bristled. How the hell can he be so rude? At least say please, or something! I'm not his servant! I paused, taking a deep breath and grudgingly asking for another one. He was starting to annoy me a lot, and I didn't know how much longer I could stand him without Shinobu there with me. I sat down across from him and put his chips on the seat beside me.
"Can I have my chips?" he inquired, holding out his hand.
"What, these?" I picked them up and dangled them just within reach of his fingertips.
"Yes, those; give 'em!" He snatched at the bag, but I dropped it on the table and smashed it with a fist, then daintily pushed it towards him.
"Hey!" He opened the top and frowned at the now fragmented chips, darkly starting to eat them. He jumped when I crushed my bag as well.
"What the hell are you doing that for?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Hm? Oh, that," I replied, staring down into the bag. "I hate whole chips, so I smash them before I start eating."
"Other people's, too? You're really weird."
"Like you're not, getting nothing on your pizza," I retorted coldly.
Choosing not to respond, he rook our a whole chip and crunched noisily into, probably just to annoy me. It worked really well.
"You're so immature; I can't believe I let someone like you bully me around," I muttered darkly, taking a drink from my glass.
"You're still worked up about that?" I was surprised at the question, not because he did a poor job at trying to make it sound harsh, but it almost sounded…
"Am I supposed to forget all the bad things that happen to me?"
"I just think it's a bit immature of you to still feel that way," he said smoothly, and I immediately told myself I had imagined his regretful tone of voice. "Honestly, I thought you were gonna faint when I saw you for the first time in the hallway."
"Well, I hadn't seen you in a really long time; who's to say you weren't twice as bad as you used to be?"
He shook his head, making me realize how long his hair had gotten; I wondered vaguely how it stood up in a point at the front. "People change, Ikari-chan," he said philosophically. I clenched my fist.
"You're so annoying!" I yelled, standing up. I had had enough; I yanked my bag off the seat and started out, not paying attention to the stares I was getting. A couple of old, large women were near the door and whispering behind their hands; as I passed, one raised her voice purposefully. "They're smitten in love, how sweet!"
I huffed and shoved open the door. How stupid! Smitten? Pah! He's just so annoying I could kill him! I wanted to screech in frustration, something I hadn't felt like doing in a long time. My face was flushed, I knew that much. It was out of anger!
"Good thing I was here to pick you up; you look troubled."
I stumbled slightly on the ground as the words reached my ears; my eyes traveled slowly up to lock with the sneering blue ones now staring me down, a small chuckle escaping Seto's lips as I let out a small squeak.