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Here goes it:

It's all in the eyes

Chapter 2

"Hey, Sahara was it? I'm Tea, Tea Gardener. Where are you from?"

"Why do you care?" asked Sahara, blinking slowly and pointedly at Tea.

"I care because… um… I want you to feel welcome in our class! So, where do you come from?"

"You've probably never heard of it." Sahara smiled insincerely and muttered, "Probably never been out of this hick town."

Tea didn't hear, and the insincere-ness of the smile completely went over her head. "Oh, I've been around. Go on, try me!"

"I used to work in New York. Ring a bell?" Sahara turned away from Tea.

"New York! Oh, I've been there! What was it like to live there? Where did you live?"

Tea's ears suddenly caught up with her brain. "What do you mean, ring a bell? Do you think I'm stupid or something?"

"Yes, actually. Now, leave me alone."

Tea gasped. Most people pretended they had to be somewhere else, or some other excuse, but no one had ever told her to her face that they thought she was stupid. Her eyes filled with tears. Sahara, recognising the warning signs, played pacifist.

"Okay, okay. I don't think you're stupid, okay? Come on, Tea, I don't know you I can't make an accurate assessment of you! You're probably a wonderful girl!" Sahara said, switching to slick and smooth immediately, correctly assessing Tea, despite her statement.

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure, believe it. You're the only one who will." Sahara turned away from the mollified Tea, who felt as though she'd been short-changed but couldn't figure out why.

"That wasn't nice."

"So?" Sahara raised an eyebrow at the spiky-haired midget before her.

"Um… hi, I'm Yugi."

"Great."

"And… you should care about being nice because you want to, er, make a good impression." There was a flash of light, and Yugi suddenly became taller, and his spikes, spikier. His eyes narrowed, and lost their innocence.

"Great, good impression, sure. This ain't a job, kid. I don't care what you think of me. I'm only here because the government says I have to be."

"Just like Kaiba," said Yami under his breath.

"Like who?" demanded Sahara pleasantly.

"No one."

"Really. Excuse me, midget; places to be, people to see, you know the rest." Sahara got up and walked out of the classroom.

"MIDGET?" asked Yami.

/Yami, not now, please don't embarrass me/

\ All right. But I have a bad feeling about that girl. And not just about that. Didn't you get the sensation that you were talking – \

/ To Seto Kaiba. YES. It's weird. She has the same don't-care thing going on. They REALLY shouldn't meet. /

\ Why not? I think it would be… educational for both of them. \

/ If you say so. Hey, should we set them up/
\ Do you want an angry Kaiba on your hands? \

/ No. Didn't think of that. Okay, just let them meet naturally. We just have to be nearby to catch the action/

\ What, stalk Kaiba? No fear. I value my life. \

/ No, silly, just sort of… be there. /

\ Okay. Do you want to take over now? \

/ Done. /

There was another flash of light, and Yugi regained control.

Sahara prowled the corridor. Don't they have toilets in this place? Strains of The Beatles drifted out of a classroom.

Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been,
Lives in a dream.
Waits at the window, wearing a face she keeps in a jar by the door,
Who is it for?

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Excuse me? I'll go where I want to, thanks."

"Who died and made you queen?"

"What, don't you think a girl can make it?"

"What, don't you think I have an IQ?" Seto mimicked.

"I do. It just isn't very high."

"Higher than yours, anyway."

"Want to bet?"

"I'm not a betting man. Excuse me." Kaiba walked around Sahara.

She blocked him. "And where are you going?"

"Away from you."

All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie, writing the words of a sermon that no-one will hear,
No-one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there,
What does he care?
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?

"Why? Am I intimidating the big tall strong man?"

"Yeah, sure. Look, I have a class to get to, if you don't mind."

"Who do you think you are?"

"I don't think. I know."

"Hey, come back here!" Sahara found herself resisting the urge to run after the tall young man.

Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name.
Nobody came.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave.
No one was saved.
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?

"Who is he?" she wondered, re-entering the classroom. She almost crashed right into the boy standing in front of her.

"Careful. You could hurt yourself." The tall youth stopped her just in time.

"Who, may I ask, are you?" asked Sahara, jolted back to reality.

"Tristan. You're that new girl, aren't you?"

"The name is Sahara," said Sahara, suddenly liking Tristan. She scrutinised him and found him suiting her needs. "Pity. I liked this one," she thought with regret, and then said, "Can you show me around, Tristan?"

"Sure. Come, I'll introduce you to all my friends."

"Okay."

Tristan led her over to a group standing in the corner of the class. With dread, Sahara recognised Tea.

"Hey guys, this is Sahara!"

"Yeah, I know, we've met!" said Tea. "This, Sahara, is Joey, Yugi, Duke, and… you know me and Tristan!"

"Hey," said Joey, who was lounging on a chair. Sahara's heart started beating faster. All thoughts of the young man from before melted away. This guy was the real deal, she knew instinctively. Yugi just gave her a friendly wave, and the one called Duke gave a winning smile. Sahara forced herself to smile back.

"So, Sahara, who else have you met?" asked Yugi.

Sahara stopped her biting retort just in time. "Oh, no one. Besides you, that is."

Yugi nodded and looked satisfied, for some reason.

"So, what's a girl like you doing in a dump like this?" asked Duke, flashing the smile again.

"Learning useless facts. I already own my own company, Heran Corp. I am only here because of the law."

"Jus' like Kaiba!" exclaimed Joey.

"Who's Kaiba?" asked Sahara, unable to take her eyes off of his face.

"Huh, da biggest jerk in da school, dat's who!"

"He's the CEO of Kaiba Corp.!" added Tea. Sahara tore her eyes away from Joey's face to look at Tea as she asked, "Point him out to me, would you?"

"That guy over there, the tall brown haired one. There, in the seat next to…. Oh, dear."

"What?"

"Um, you sit next to him… you can ask the teacher to move you, she won't mind – it was probably a mistake anyway!"

"What's so bad about sitting next to him?"

"He's kinda… a jerk."

"An arrogant, too big for his boots snob, dat's more accurate."

"I take it you don't like him. Oh!" exclaimed Sahara when she saw Kaiba.

"What?"

"Oh, it's just that we had… a run in… earlier."

"Ah."

"Teacher's coming! Get to your seats, you guys. Sahara, at break I'll show you around, okay?"

"Sure, honey."

"Honey?" asked Tristan to empty air – Sahara was already on her way to her seat.

Oh… pot stirring! The author's best friend! –laughs evilly- So... what're you waitin' for? Review already!