Disclaimers: I don't own Yu-gi-Oh.
A/N: Hey! Sorry for the late update. Exams… ugh… By the way, there are some surprises in store in this chapter! Someone acts strangely… Anyways, here's the update!
Replies:
VeryShortMidget: Hey! Yup, cliffies… but sometimes I'm not fond of cliffies… :) hehe!
Luna Princess of the Shadows: Sure! Romance cooking up! Hehehe! I'm a big fan of Seto and Serenity too! K, see ya:) please review this chap!
Freak09: Hehe! Anger moments, huh:) here's the update:) please review! Thankees!
Cecilia DevilAngel: That's okay! Better late than never, right:) Me too, I've been offline for like… months! Glad I was able to update today… hehe… :)
RiterAnonymous: Yup! S/S forever:)
KatrinaKaiba: Thanks! Please read and review this chapter too:)
Starwolf4: Hey, thanks for the review! Wow that's late… 1:00? I can't even stay up until 12! Hehe:)
Cute Peridot 816: Eii! How's the PT's going? So hard! You got past math a while ago? Really hard… hehe! Anyways, yeah, new personalities! Even this chapter… hehe! God bless on the PT's!
ChaosPanicDisorder-myjobisdone: Hey cool pen name:) Really? Thanks! Please review this chap… thanks!
A week later…
"So, what are you going to wear to the party?" Tea asked, injecting it in her conversation with Serenity.
"What?" Serenity blurted, "What party?"
"The ball. You know, the winter ball."
"Um, I don't even know if I'm going."
"Oh come on, whom are you going with?"
"No one. Why?"
Tea sighed. "Oh come on, Serenity, don't tell me that you forgot all about your big crush on Seto Kaiba."
"He's NOT my crush! Will you please stop that? He's just my former friend. I don't know how he could turn out like that. I didn't even believe it myself. But I guess I have to accept it. After all…" Serenity trailed off and sighed.
"Ok." Tea said. She sort of felt sorry for Serenity-losing a very special friend was torture. But there was just something that Serenity didn't want to tell her. Especially why Serenity had yelled at Kaiba in the library, if that was true.
"Hey girls," called a voice as he entered the room. They were all at Yugi's house, and Duke was the one who entered.
"Hey Duke," Tea said.
"Hi," Serenity said in a small voice.
Tea glanced suspiciously at Serenity. She had seemed shy all of a sudden.
"So," Duke said, sitting down on the couch, getting the remote, "whom are you going with to the ball?"
Serenity grimaced. She was sick of all the talk about the winter ball. Who cares about who's going with whom?
"No one yet," Tea answered promptly. Serenity didn't answer.
"What about you, Serenity?" Duke asked.
"I don't know. No one, I guess. Besides, it's still a long time off." She said.
"Would you like to come with me?" Duke asked quietly.
She avoided his gaze. "Um," she said. 'Come on Serenity, say yes! After all, what's there to lose?' whispered a voice in her head.
'But… I don't like him that way! If I say yes, he's gonna think that I like him… and I can't let that happen! Then there'll be rumors all over the school…' Serenity thought miserably.
"Um… I still have to think about it… I don't even know if I'm going yet…" she blurted.
"Okay…" Duke said, looking really disappointed. "Well… um, if you can go, just tell me, okay?" he managed a small smile before leaving the room.
He shut the door subtly and Tea shot her a strange look. "Girl, what's with you refusing Duke like that? He's just a friend, there's nothing to lose…"
"It's just that… I don't like him that way! I like a guy that I can share a special occasion with… you know…" Serenity sighed.
"I know what you mean… but sometimes you find the guy you want when you're much older."
Serenity sighed again. "Yeah, I know… I guess I just have to accept. I'll tell him right now." She said.
Later that evening…
Serenity locked herself in her room. 'What on earth am I doing? Am I just hiding out like a coward? Why can't I face Duke and tell him that I can't go with him to the ball?' She slumped against the wall, looking around her tidy room and furnishings.
She needed to return a book back to the library. She looked at her watch. 'Good it's not yet closed.' She thought thankfully, and grabbed her knapsack. She slipped out into the cold night, the night breeze whipping her hair.
She reached the library just in time. There were still several students there, checking out books and researching. She caught sight of Seto Kaiba. 'What on earth is he doing here?' Serenity thought furiously.
'Hold your temper, will you. Remember what happened the last time?' said the voice in her head.
'Yeah, I know.' Serenity answered it sarcastically. Of course she remembered the catastrophe at the library last week. It had everyone talking and teasing her, especially those who didn't have the guts to stand up to Kaiba.
He caught her looking at him, and he looked away, without saying anything.
Serenity was surprised. He usually sent a smirk in her direction. He did not usually look away from her, since he took every chance he got to torture her mercilessly.
'Perhaps he remembered…' She thought reproachfully. She was hoping that he remembered that she was part of his past… Like he was always part of hers.
With these thoughts ringing in her head, she returned the book back to the librarian.
"It's glad to see you again, Serenity. But it shocks me to see you fly in a rage like that." Mrs. Kelly said quietly.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry, Mrs. Kelly. Really, I am." She apologized.
"It's no problem, Serenity. I know you wouldn't do anything like that again." Mrs. Kelly said, giving her a smile.
"Okay. Thanks." She said, and as she was leaving the line, she stole a look at Kaiba. He was already getting up, and leaving the library. He had returned the book he was reading and strode briskly to the door.
She thought that he was acting strangely. First of all, he didn't have that infernal laptop, and he was not wearing any sinister smirk on his face. He wasn't smiling either. He was looking serious and all, like a normal person. Kaiba was really a mystery.
As he walked past her, her heartbeat quickened. "Um, hi." She said shyly. She felt like kicking herself. 'Why did you have to say that? You could simply ignore him! And he's probably mad about last week, remember?'
"Hi. Serenity." He said, acknowledging her like any normal person.
What was happening to this world? Kaiba was acting SO strangely. He didn't seem like his usual self. 'What, don't tell me he had a brain transplant, or maybe he was kidnapped by aliens from outer space!' she thought, purely amazed.
"Listen, I just… I just want to apologize. That's all." He stammered, like he was unsure of what he was saying.
Serenity couldn't take it anymore, so she blurted it out. "Are you okay, Kaiba? You kind of… seem not like yourself." She murmured.
"I know I'm not." He shrugged. "Bye." He muttered and walked out the doorway.
Serenity couldn't remember walking out of the library, but the next thing she knew, she was home.
In the school hallway, the next morning…
"Hey! So are you going with Duke?" Tea asked Serenity.
"… Um… no. I really don't feel comfortable." She said.
"Geez, you're lucky you already got asked. I still have to find myself one. But if you don't like to go with Duke, why don't I find you a date?"
"Um… I don't know," Serenity murmured honestly.
"Trust me on this! The guy will be cute, I promise. You'll look so cute together!"
"Sure, I trust you, Tea. Um… okay." She said in an unsure voice.
"He-ey, Serenity, don't worry, you won't regret this. I promise. Okay?" Tea assured her.
"Um… okay. Thanks, Tea."
Serenity and Tea parted ways and went to their classrooms.
Tea's classroom…
Tea Gardner sat in class, knowing that this wouldn't be a dull class. She glanced at her teacher who was busy droning in front. When she was positive that he wasn't looking her way, she opened her bag and took out their yearbook.
'No, not him… definitely NOT him… gosh, this was harder than I thought.' Tea thought, looking through the pages and shaking her head. She was determined to find Serenity the perfect date.
But she was unsuccessful. When the class ended, she was still stumped. But then, Katrina, who was part of her class, and one of the most-obsessed-about-Kaiba-girls on campus. She was so eager about something.
"Hey girls, look what I have!" she said excitedly as her friends gathered around her.
"What is it, Katrina?" asked one of her friends.
"I have a picture of my one true love!" she gushed, taking a small Polaroid out of her pocket to show her friends. "I was out at the library last night to research on that project we were working on, and it was a good thing I brought my camera! I was so shocked to see Seto there! Oh, you should have been there! He was sooo handsome, and he was reading a book back there. But I got his picture as he was leaving the library." She said. "He was talking to that really weird girl, that Serenity Wheeler, the one who shouted at him in the library last week." She informed them.
"Hey Katrina, can I see your picture?" Tea asked politely.
"Yeah! Sure." She smiled and told her friends more about Kaiba.
Tea was interested in the photograph. How could Serenity have been at the library last night?
She looked at the picture. The picture depicted Seto Kaiba talking to Serenity Wheeler. 'But how could that be? They positively screamed at each other that day.' She thought logically.
But still, she had to admit, they looked great together. Suddenly Tea felt inspired to match Serenity up with him. Then she remembered: 'Oh no! They're obviously mad at each other. Why of all people, she choose to have a grudge on the guy who looked really great next to her?' Tea thought disappointedly.
'I guess I just have to get them to like each other, in that case. There's no one as nice looking enough as Kaiba to be matched up with her.' Tea began to forget the fact that Serenity might be furious to know who her date was, and instead she focused on how to get them together.
Kaiba Mansion, after school at Domino High…
Kaiba came home in his expensive limousine, and he intentionally came home early so that he could ponder what was on his mind.
'Why… why of all problems to plague my head… this has to be the largest?' he thought, frowning, deep in thought.
Mokuba Kaiba was there to welcome him in the living room. "Hey, bro!" he called to his elder brother cheerfully. Kaiba paused his thoughts for a moment and smiled at his angelic brother.
"Mokuba, what are you doing here? You should be doing your assignments." Kaiba told his younger brother.
Mokuba smiled broadly. "I'm done. What have you been doing lately?"
"Just work… kills me. And schoolwork, of course." He thought guiltily of the dissecting frogs project with Joey Wheeler. He had not been talking with the mutt for days. He knew he had to be getting to work on that project.
"You need any help?"
"No thanks, Mokuba. I can do them by myself."
"Okay." Mokuba smiled one last time and went up to Seto. He was holding something in his hand, a photo album Seto kept personally in his bedside table. Seto smiled. Only Mokuba could get away with getting something personal of his. He got it from Mokuba. "Where did you get this?", pretending he did not know.
"Where else would I get it? In your room, of course." Mokuba grinned. Seto flipped through it, reproachfully recalling his past memories. He had never wanted his picture to be taken, but somehow, somebody had to force him into the class picture. Now he had the choice whether to appear in the picture or not.
"Ooh, who's this, Seto?" Mokuba said eagerly, pointing to a picture, showing him in his preschool days with a little girl, younger than him and could have passed for his little sister.
"That's…" he hesitated. "That's Serenity Wheeler."
"The sister of Joey Wheeler? Oh! So that's her!" Mokuba said. "She's pretty! How'd you meet her?"
"She's my… sort of friend in preschool." He said, wanting to skip the subject. He didn't want to answer anything about Serenity Wheeler, especially to his brother. He needed to change the subject quickly.
"Hey Mokuba, I'm going upstairs. I need to work on my… project." He lied and positively ran up the stairs.
'I wonder if he's hiding anything from me?' Mokuba thought dumbfoundedly, watching his brother, thinking that he was just trying to escape from Mokuba's questions.
In the CEO's vast room…
'This is getting so strange. I'm suddenly thinking of something that I don't want to think about…' Kaiba pondered, his head aching from all that thinking. He had been thinking of the same subject ever since yesterday. This was the only time in his whole life that he had thought so very hard about something. It figures, because when you're really smart, you don't need to think that much, unless you are taking a test that you're not mentally prepared for.
The subject was: Serenity Wheeler. 'Why do I even give a damn on what she's doing? I have no concern in her life… until yesterday. I don't know what brought me to say sorry to her! And I haven't even smirked once in her direction. What's happening to me?' Kaiba slumped on his bed.
'And I'm starting to dwell on the memories of my childhood with her. I remember everything so vividly now… she was a really special friend to me, and I didn't want to forget her. But somehow… I did. I distanced myself from everything…'
He buried his face in his hands. Now he was really confused. 'Could I possibly be… in love with her? No, no, no! I'm not! She's the brother of that mutt!' He thought heatedly. He determined not to think about her.
'Why are you stopping yourself from thinking about her? You know you want to. You're attracted to her. She's been your childhood friend. Face it, even if she's the sister of your mortal enemy, you can't help but think about her!' a voice in his head whispered viciously.
'That's NOT true! All lies!' he thought. But deep inside, he knew that the voice was right—He had been thinking about her, and he just couldn't stop. What was this complicated emotion? It felt strange to him. It was like he wanted to approach Serenity and tell her that he had changed, and he wanted to be her friend. But there was something holding him back—his attitude. His image at school was a cool, intelligent guy who seemed to have everything that everyone wanted in life. A rich, cynical, independent guy who didn't need anyone's help. How would that look if he did approach the mutt's sister? It was total ruin. And the mutt would fry him for life. Imagine—his mortal enemy seeing him talk to his sister? Not a very good scenario, he had to admit.
'I just want to forget about her…' he groaned.
'Talk to her! It won't do you any harm.'
'No, it will. Everyone will get the news—Kaiba approaches his worst enemy's sister. How very appealing.' Kaiba thought sarcastically.
'You are so stubborn. Trust me, it will do you good. It will keep you from the suspense in your heart.'
'My HEART? What the hell are you talking about? This has got nothing to do with liking that girl!'
'Then ask yourself, why are you thinking about her so much? Face it, you have a CRUSH.'
'I DO NOT! SHUT THE HELL UP!'
'Suit yourself. But it's your problem now.'
Kaiba furiously gritted his teeth. 'LEAVE ME ALONE!'
And the voice was silent, leaving Kaiba alone to his thoughts once more.
A/N: So how was it? Kinda dramatic, for me… sorta! Any comments? Suggestions? Questions? Violent Reactions? Please review! Thank you so much. –cheerful angel57 :)