Woot! 4 reviews in 2 days. Pretty good for a fic I thought I was going to discontinue just a month or two ago. Now I have enough written out so that I could basically post a chapter every day until next week, but where would be the fun in that? Unless you review, of course. :P I got 3 reviews in one day! Woot! That sure cheered me up after the math exam. ) So... maybe you're wondering... is there are reason they're divided into parts made up of three chapters each? ...Nah, not really. After chapter 20 I think I'll just continue with one long part for awhile. At least that's what I'm planning. ...Yeah, I've got up to chapter 20. Uh... I think I'll update again after I get 5 reviews. :)

Part 4

Searching for Peace

"One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands. Lasting peace comes not from force." -David Borenstein

Chapter 10: Yes

"Miho?" I twirl the cord of the phone around my index finger. I really ought to stop doing that, but I can't help it. Is it a nervous habit? I guess I do feel nervous... of the fact that I'm calling a girl other than Tea, whom I'd much rather be calling, but I'm also nervous because I'm using a payphone. Why that makes me nervous... I guess it is because pay phones just give you a sense of urgency. Every second counts, it seems.

"Why are you using a payphone? Just go home and call her from your regular phone."

"I suppose I should do that... but I don't feel like it. Besides, I already--"

"Hello?"

"Miho? This is Yugi."

"Yeah, hi. What's up?"

"Nothing much" comes rolling off my tongue as a conditioned reflex. "I was calling to tell you that I can go to the movies tomorrow. I just need to ask my Grandpa."

"That sounds lame," Yami muses. I try to squelch the "shut up" that's rising in my throat.

"Ok... That's great. Actually, I don't even think I asked my mom whether or not I could go yet. I'm grounded," she explains. "In fact, could we move it to next Saturday? Or maybe Friday. I won't be grounded anymore on Tuesday, but I have club things to do on Wednesday and Thursday."

She's in clubs?

"Oh. Ok."

"Well, talk to you later then. And tell your other self I said hi!"

There's a click, and she hangs up. I had completely forgotten that she, too, knew of my other self. Of course she did! She'd met him when we were playing that Tabletop RPG game with the darker Bakura. That seemed so, so long ago.

For some reason, that makes me want to shy away from her. For a day. For a few weeks. For a lifetime. To just disappear from her life and never see her again.

Why does knowing that make me feel that way?

In another way, it makes me angry. I want to throw something. I slam the door to the phone booth shut.

"Watch it! You almost hit my hand!" I turn to apologize to the person whose hand I almost harmed in my stupid inner storm of whim and idiocy. Why am I upset?

I find myself looking into the surprised eyes of Duke Devlin. He blinks in surprise. "Yugi?" he says, as if he can hardly believe I'm there. I feel like a ghost.

I turn and run, too embarrassed to talk to him. Duke shouts after me, but I try not to hear what he's saying.