Chapter 17

I Look Around And See Numb Empty Faces

"It's just...I can't." Yugi stumbled trying to find the right words. Yami smiled gently at him.

"It's ok if don't right now. We can work on some things that will help you trust me and others.-"

"I don't want to trust others!" The boy shot up and stood next to the table. "I trusted her and she left me! There is no point in trusting anyone!" 'Her? Who is her?' Yami thought trying to process what was just said.

"What about me?" Putting up his deadly glare he tried to make the man before him cringe. Yami didn't falter under his intense gaze. 'I can't trust him. It's too hard.' Yugi thought turned to leave. "Yugi wait!" Walking to the door Yugi pushed it open. Yami got up and walked out after him. He watched his student walk down the street. Getting into his car he followed him down the street. "Yugi get in." The boy didn't even look up as Yami drove slowly next to him. "Please Yugi. I don't want you on the street. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't care." The child muttered walking down an alley. "I can take care of myself! Go away!" Yami sped up and pulled in front of the boy. Startled the boy quickly stepped back and tripped over a clump of trash. Landing backwards on the ground he hissed in pain. He quickly pulled up his sleeve and what Yami saw was horrifying. Bruises and lacerating ran up his arm along with glaring scars. "What the fuck! Why the hell did you do that!" Yugi yelled standing up and hastily covering his arm.

"I...what happened?"

"Nothing, except you trying to kill me!" Yami sighed sadly.

"Are you going to get in?"

"Hell no! You are probably just trying to get ride of me! Damn it!"

"Yugi I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just really don't want you to get hurt again."

"Stop worrying and mind your own fucking business!" His teacher had already realized he had angered him. He mentally slapped himself at being so foolish to pull something like that. He didn't even notice the boy slip away as he berated himself. Sighing in defeat he drove home, but carefully watched the streets for the boy.

The next day they had a new student. A shy little boy with the name of Ryou. Yami smiled and gestured for the child to enter. Placing his hands on the child's shoulders he announced, "We have a new student today class. Please help Ryou feel right at home." Some students greeted the new student and others weren't even paying attention. Yami knew not to place him near Yugi. "Please take a seat right here in the front." It was in the front like Yugi's but 4 desks over. Ryou nodded and slowly walked over. His tri haired student didn't seem to have any interest in the new student, much to Yami's relief.

During recess Yugi was up to his old tricks. Mostly he picked a few good rocks and climbed up a tree. Waiting for a right moment he would chuck a rock, with enough force to cause a bruise to form almost immediately. Once Yami found where the boy was up in the tree he dragged him down and watched as Yugi snorted and walked away to find something else entertaining. He walked inside and around the building, after slipping away from Yami.

"Please stop." The tri haired boy heard a muffled cry. Turning around he noticed no one heard it. Walking towards the cries he saw the new student being taunted by another 5th grade class. Two medium sized boys were pushing Ryou around and mocking him. Ryou had already begun crying and he also had a split lip. Yugi, himself, heard himself pleading for his tormenter to stop so many times, memories he wished he'd forget. Smirking Yugi walked over pulling out his knife he then charged one of the bigger boys. Jumping on his back Yugi slammed the boy's head into the ground 3 times before he felt some one trying to pull him off. Whipping around he noticed it was the other boy. Jumping up he bared his knife. He held it out to the older boy's neck and his smirk grew as he whimpered.

"You like picking on those younger than you? I know it's fun in all but he's mine." The boy nodded nervously and ran over to his friend helping him up. They both ran to a teacher. Sighing Yugi looked down at Ryou. 'What have I gotten myself into?' Ryou shakily stood up and slowly walked over to Yugi.

"Th-thank you." He said softly. Yugi closed his knife and placed it in his pocket. Ryou was slightly shorter then Yugi, maybe by an inch or two. Nodding he turned to leave. The albino leaned over and wrapped his arms around Yugi. "Please stay. I'm so scared." Yugi was startled when he felt a body touching him and tensed. He almost turned and pushed the boy away but remembered he was probably younger and for some reason had the same sense that his sister had. He was so innocent...just like her. 'I can't do this. If I try to protect him he'll get hurt.' He didn't notice Ryou shyly taking Yugi's small calloused hand. "What to be friends? I-I'm Ryou." 'I'll try.' Yugi thought heaving a sigh. 'If others are going to hurt him because he's young they have another thing coming.' Yugi had never hurt any children younger than him, unless provoked.

"Yugi." Grasping the boy's hand he walked over to the bathrooms. Walking inside he lifted the boy and sat him on the counter. Reaching over he grabbed a paper towel and soaked it. Ringing it out he looked up at Ryou's tender split lip. He gently dabbed it and watched as Ryou winced. He forced an expressionless face as he continued to check over the boy for other injuries, and wipe away his dried tears. He noticed the boy grow nervous. "How old are you, Ryou?" He asked trying to ease him.

"9." Ryou said softly. Yugi nodded.

"You're young. Are you smart or something?"

"I-I guess." Lifting him up he sat the albino on the ground. Taking his hand he walked out of the bathroom. "You're in m-my class?" Yugi nodded and walked into the class room. Ryou sat down at his desk in the empty room. Yugi walked over and sat in the desk next to his. "M-my dad moved here with me after m-mum got s-sick and d-di-died." Ryou chocked pulling a picture out of his backpack. "This is u-us in Disney Land." Taking the picture he looked it over. 'Wow his dad looks exactly like him...' "Is y-your dad the t-teacher?" Startled the boy tore his eyes from the picture to the smaller boy next to him. Shaking his head he handed his picture back.

"Will Yugi Jikari and Ryou Takehito (Ta-key-he-toe I made it up but it is Ryou Bakura. I just thought that his dad would be Bakura Bakura and that sounded weird...so I made up one ok? ) please come down to the office!" A shout rang through the building, over the intercom. Ryou looked nervous as he fumbled with his picture and placed it in his backpack.

"What did w-we do?" Yugi just stood up and held out his hand to Ryou. Shaking he walked around and grasped it. By the time they were to the door Yugi noticed Ryou didn't look to good and his legs might not hold him up for another second. Turning he placed his hands under his armpits and lifted him.

"No need to be nervous. You did nothing." Ryou just hid his face in Yugi's shirt. Holding him close he walked down to the office. Opening the door he saw Ryou's father, his uncle, Yami, looking nervous at his uncle, and the two boys' and their parents. Setting Ryou down he helped him over to his dad. Bakura quickly lifted his son and held him close. The front lady looked please at these turn of events.

I am so evil! . The next chappie will be longer...skool starts in 2 days OO nooo...but i get to dye my hair blue (well highlights) on monday soo i'm happy for that.

Anaru-Minime

Nekosune

Seigyoku Kiryou

Moon'sHope

kameeko

blue-soljah

Kuramalovergirl

Sara

ya i have soming like that planned out. but...i'm evil and making everyone wait...cause i can...and i'm lazy in an evil way...ya...lol

Padfoot13

lol. nice. I wish i had a dog. i have a cat and at our old house she use to carry in small mice cause we lived next to a field...but now the fields gone and we moved so no more rat problem. and in our old house we use to have mice living there and i found one exploded! from rat poisoning behind a door in the basement... . I wouldn't go near it.

suekosa

lol. yep I was stuck in the worm hole for a while but there was a de-worm hole at the end and well...ya. got out so i could write more for ya guys. well i guess i better not walk into ur room but i might want to ask him how he tortured ur friends...i could use those ideas