Guardians

Note: Alright everyone, here we are at chapter thirty-nine, one away from forty. Aren't you proud of me for sticking with it this long? Review, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or pop-tarts.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Gossip

The next morning, which also happened to be the last day of school before they got out for spring break, Karmina woke feeling groggy and drenched. She'd fallen asleep on the asphalt outside her window, in the rain, and Joey, who'd fallen asleep into a box of donuts, had not gotten a chance to carry her into bed as he normally would have. Her head was pounding as she climbed into the house, looked at the clock, and then ran down the hall into the bathroom to take a hot shower.

When she emerged several minutes later, refreshed and wrapped in a towel, with another one around her head, she noticed Joey, his face still in the donut box. She normally would have found this funny, but right now was hardly in the mood for laughter. She hadn't really been since she'd seen Seto that day in the park. Instead, she snuck into her room and yanked on her uniform, glad that Joey was still asleep.

Although it was early still, she packed her backpack, made a few finishing touches to last night's homework, and headed out the door, a pop-tart in her hand. She ate the whole thing without ever tasting a hint of cinnamon or brown sugar, since she was so busy brooding over her loss and stupidity.

Why didn't I just tell him I accepted his apology… I mean, Seto Kaiba, apologizing to me, the zero. I should have seen it for the miracle it was. Instead, I had to be insecure and ruin everything. He hates me now… and I can't see this broken heart healing anytime soon, not when I know that we were meant to be. I mean… in so many ways we're different, but in so many more, we're the same.

The sky was dark, exactly the way she felt inside, when she finally ambled up the drive, by now so upset that she hardly saw where she was going. It was either that she was trapped in thought or that the tears, with clumps of eye shadow and eyeliner trapped in them were blocking her view which caused her to run into someone who'd been emerging from a car in the drive.

"How many times do I have to tell you to watch where you're going!" Seto Kaiba snapped.

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, she saw that the car was, in fact, a limousine. She hastened to wipe her eyes.

"Don't bother, I've already seen it. You're just as weak as ever."

At least he's talking to me, she thought sadly, feeling her tears start up with a vengeance. "J-just leave me alone, S-Seto… you don't have to b-be so m-mean to m-me…" But he hadn't heard. He was already gone, taking his cold stare with him.

"That went well," she muttered, wiping her eyes and heading straight for the bathroom to wash the smeared makeup off her face. After all, the last thing she needed was to be ridiculed by the few people who knew she was there. And though she nearly turned around when she saw a trench coat tail disappearing around the corner, she was determined enough to keep going.

In the bathroom, several friends were laughing and giggling, and, not surprisingly, kept on doing so when she entered.

"Did you hear that stuff on the radio they keep playing about Seto Kaiba?"

Giggles. "Yeah, of course I have… the real question is who hasn't… they play it like seven times a day."

More giggling. "That Karen girl's a real nutcase… of course everyone knows that isn't her real name."

Even more giggling. "I never thought I'd be saying this… but I think she's Kaiba's girlfriend, or his ex."

Silence. "You really think he's hiding a girlfriend in that building of his?"

"She can't go to our school… we'd know for sure if someone here had gotten that close to him."

Karmina shifted uncomfortably and ripped off a paper towel, which was when the girls noticed her.

"Um, excuse me, but it's rude to- What happened to you, did you get run over?"

"No… I'm fine. Nothing's happened." The fact that her stupid tears had started back up from the mention of the new scandal she'd inadvertently caused didn't help that statement.

"Your boyfriend broke up with you, didn't he?" one of the girls said knowingly.

Karmina jumped a little. "No…" she bit back the 'I wish' that was on the tip of her tongue. Because she did wish. She wished a lot that he was her boyfriend, or that he had been once.

"Right," she said, rolling her eyes. "Denial. It's cute, but utterly useless."

Karmina shrugged, wiped her eyes, and watched sadly as they went back to their conversation from before, unaware that they'd stumbled upon the very girl they were gossiping about.

Trying to pay attention in class was about as easy as trying to speak up in front of celebrities would have been. She just couldn't focus. The one time she snapped into reality, the teacher was assigning them an essay on their thoughts about love and tragedy to tie in to the various love stories and poems they'd read lately. An inward groan was all she got before she saw Seto's face and fell into thoughts of him again.

Bet he's not happy about that mushy essay, is he? Probably going to pay her to give him a good grade or something. Well, I, for one, actually do my school work.

Lunchtime came, she ate a few bites of salad, and then she shuffled back into class to pretend to pay attention, and to try as hard as could to actually do so.

Finally, the day ended and she packed up her things, shoving the long ignored novel in with the rest of it despite the fact that she knew she wouldn't read it at all over spring break. She'd probably work at the Pizza Palace and then mope around the house.

Her head was hung as she walked slowly back to Joey's house, wondering vaguely if the box of donuts was still on the counter with a Joey's head shaped indent in it. Probably was.

Ah, spring break, a time to dwell upon the past and waste a large part of my salary on painkillers that will never numb my broken heart. Hey, that was poetic… hmm… well, there's one plus to depression, then.

The box was indeed still on the counter, and her apron was still on her bed where she'd left it. She pulled it on, tucked her wallet, now much more precious cargo, into her purse and headed off to take a long, long walk to Pizza Palace.

End note: I wonder what mysterious events spring break will hold for our love triangle? Review and you'll find out sooner!