Me- Hey everyone…I'm so sorry this took so long…I just got my computer running again yesterday!

Melody-she's not lying either…you haven't seen anything until you've seen a hikari with computer withdrawals

Me- it was terrible! Oh and I wanted you to know that Ryou's last name and Yami's last name are made up…just something I threw together.

Melody- anyways…without further ado

A Piece of My Heart

Chapter 2…The Seniors

Yugi got up the next morning and to put it simply, feeling like shit. He went and put on his school uniform which consisted of a white t-shirt with an equally white sweater over it along with a pair of blue pants. He quickly grabbed a change of clothes for later on then went downstairs. Grabbing something to eat, he went outside and started walking to school.

He walked about half a block when he bumped into someone making them both fall down. It was a boy with flaxen-blonde hair that went to his shoulders and he had very tan skin. Just like Yugi he had amethyst colored eyes. Picking himself up off of the ground Yugi laughed a little and helped the other person up.

"Hey Malik, Isis yell at you again?" Yugi asked giggling while looking at one of his best friends who at the moment was very disgruntled.

"Let's just say Isis is at her 'time of the month' and it is not pretty." Malik replied grinning. He never got over how short Yugi was and standing face to face made it even more noticeable.

"Well, I ran into Ushio last night." Yugi said conversationally watching the expression on Malik's face turn dark.

"Did he get you?" He asked angrily.

"No. I made it into the shop before he got to me, but I don't think he'll be happy knowing I got away." Yugi responded.

"Yugi I swear I'll try my hardest to protect you and Ryou." Malik said passionately. The worst feeling at all for someone like Malik Ishtar was feeling vulnerable. He hated that feeling.

"I know it's just that even you get ganged up on. It's like there's no hope sometimes." Yugi replied and Malik sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Don't let Ryou hear you say that. He'll have a freaking canary." he said and by that time they had both made it to the school. Standing by the gates was another boy with snowy white hair that was a little past shoulder length and light brown eyes. He was extremely pale and sickly skinny looking but he had a huge grin on his face. Both returned his smile walking up to him.

"Hi Yugi, Malik, are you ready for the test today?" Ryou asked in his British accent, the smile never leaving his face. Yugi nodded and Malik groaned slapping a hand to his forehead.

"I didn't even know we had a test today, great, Miss Rinsha is going to give me another detention for not having my notes," Malik whined.

"Malik when is there a day you do have your notes?" Yugi asked smiling.

"Good point."

"How about you? Are you ready for the concert tomorrow, Ryou" Yugi asked as they started walking inside. This time it was Ryou's turn to groan.

"Yeah but everybody always thinks I'm a girl. It's really not fair. I mean I don't have any boobs hanging out now do I?" he looked at them with a question in his eyes before sulking.

"Well you know…nah Ryou I'm just kidding don't give me that look. But think of all those hot guys you'll attract." Malik teased licking his lips and watching Ryou blush.

"Malik." he moaned and Yugi started laughing before looking around.

"C'mon before people start to come." Yugi said.

"Alright," Malik replied and they went to their homeroom. All three boys were top notch juniors who attended Domino High School.

All three boys took their seats in the back of the class, happy that it was deserted. The last thing they needed was to get picked on by bullies this early in the morning. Yugi pulled out his textbook opening to chapter three getting ready to study.

"Yugi please don't start. You don't even need to study," complained Malik who had his head leaned back with his eyes shut.

"I don't just magically know the answers to the test Malik. Even I need to study." Malik opened one eye to try and glare at his shorter friend.

"On a different note, would you two like to spend the night at my place since no one will be home?" Ryou asked from his seat in front of Malik.

"Yeah I'm up for it as long as their will be pizza." Malik said and Ryou nodded biting his lip a little. 'I'm so not looking forward to dinner.'

"Yeah I can to." Yugi agreed and any other words were cut off by the bell ringing and all other students piling into the classroom.

"Okay class, settle down. Today where going to be having the Chapter Three test and if you do not have your notes for that chapter Please come up to my desk and sign this sheet of paper so I know who to give detention." Miss Rinsha stated and shook her head when half of the class got up from their seats. Though Malik, Ryou, and Yugi were the top in their classes Malik still always forgot his notes for the chapter tests.

After the teacher handed out the tests the door burst open revealing a boy with blond hair and brown eyes who came in smirking. His name was Katsuya Jounouchi but Jou for short. He was the only person in the 10th grade that hung out with the most popular kids in school.

He nodded to the teacher and she smiled as he went to the seat in front of Yugi. He turned around and smiled at some of his only friends in the 10th grade. An hour later the class was over and the four went into the hall.

"Hey Yug, Ryou, Malik." he greeted them smiling as they headed to their next class.

"Hi Jou," Yugi said in a hyper voice.

"Yeah um..." Jou started grinning sheepishly, "Do you think one of you could tutor me in math? Miss Rinsha has really been on my case." he asked.

"Yeah I'm sure one of us has time." Ryou said smiling sweetly.

"Thanks well I have to go see the guys…um…Just come by my table at lunch and tell me okay? Thanks." he said and walked off easily getting lost in the crowd of hormonal teenagers.

"It's a pity that he hangs out with the popular kids." Malik said, "I heard they're all stuck up and just a bunch of bullies." All of the sudden Ryou shuddered.

"What's wrong Ryou?" Yugi asked concerned for his friend's behavior.

"Doesn't Ushio sit at that table?" He questioned his friends quietly.

"Well I'm sure Jou wouldn't let him touch us and he wouldn't do anything during school hours…I hope." Yugi said more than a little unsure of himself.

"Yeah, Yugi's right we'll be fine I mean I could beat him up any day if he didn't have his stupid little gang following him everywhere."

"But guys Jou goes to lunch when the seniors do. Doesn't that mean skipping Mr. Simons' class?" Ryou asked.

"It doesn't matter; we're ahead in Mister Simons' class anyways." Malik replied dragging a hand through his hair.

"Alright," Ryou said sounding a little uneasy about skipping a class.

"Yeah it'll be fine." Yugi smiled at his friend who in turn grinned back.

"Ok so we'll meet up here when our next class is over?" Malik questioned his friends who nodded their heads and agreed before splitting up.

---

The halls were empty and no one was around when Ryou left his second period class to go to the bathroom. He looked around careful not to run into some unwanted attention that he'd be sure to get. Counting slowly he was taking deep breaths to try and control himself. Ryou's steps were a little wobbly and he swayed back and forth. His head was pounding so bad that he didn't know if he could make it to the bathroom on time before falling over.

When the door came into view he sighed in relief and straightened up a little before going in. To his delight no one was in the bathroom and he rushed into a stall before falling to his knees and holding his head.

Once the wave of dizziness was gone he pulled out a bag of five crackers from his pocket taking one out. After a deep breath he took one bite of the cracker, swallowing it, and then taking three deep breaths before taking another small bite. Ryou repeated the process until the cracker was gone and stood up returning the bag of crackers to his pocket. 'Five saltine crackers a day is 60 calories. Even if I wasn't planning on eating them today I'll need them for tonight at supper.'

---

"Now where's Jou" Yugi asked scanning the huge crowd of third lunch with wide eyes.

"Right there where all the other popular kids are" Malik said. They turned and looked over where Malik was pointing out and their eyes widened simultaneously.

"He's sits at the same table as our look a-likes, I can't believe we forgot!" Ryou exclaimed.

"Oh joy…" Malik said dryly before they pushed their way through the lunch crowd and to the popular table, which was by the way, conveniently placed in the center of the lunch room. Jou spotted them easily and waved his peers over excitedly. As they neared the table they could hear arguing between a brown-haired boy with blue eyes and a guy who looked just like Ryou. These two boys in particular were known as Seto Kaiba and Bakura Akefia or to the three juniors as 'Iceheart' and 'Creepy-Thief-Guy-who- looks-like-Ryou'. Across from the bickering friends, (could they be considered as such wondered the younger boys) were two other boys known as Atemu Mahli and Marik Ishtal or 'Pharaoh-of-the-school-who-looks-like-Yugi' and 'the-Resident-Assassin-who-looks-like-Malik'. Mai, the only female of the group, was applying nail polish to her finger nails looking very bored. Of course Ushio and his gang were a few seats over at the end of the table.

"Listen Seto, I wouldn't touch the lunch Mokuba made with a ten-foot pole!" Bakura growled out looking very annoyed.

"Then please give me a good explanation to why my chips are gone!" Seto gave a growl of his own and both stopped talking when they saw the three boys approach the table.

"What the hell is going on?" Marik asked eyeing the juniors.

"Shut up Marik. They're here to talk to me." Jou rolled his eyes and then grinned at his friends who all looked very nervous considering the circumstances.

"Why don't you introduce the Jou?" Yami said but even though he smiled it did not reach his crimson eyes.

"Oh that's right…this is Yugi, Ryou, and Malik," Jou said pointing at the boys, "And this is-"

"We know who they are Jou." Malik looked at the upper-class men with unease and fingered the strap holding his papers together.

"So what are they here for?" Bakura asked purposely making his voice sound rougher than usual.

"I need them to tutor me…speaking of which can you guys do it tonight?" Jou questioned the boys who before that moment all had their eyes on the ground peeking looks at their copies.

"Um…yeah sure…but where do you want to do it?" Ryou questioned and Mai, who had been silent the whole time, smirked and pointed a manicure fingered at Seto's chest.

"We'll do it at Seto's house. I mean, we were all supposed to meet up there anyways so why not?" Mai said with glee and Seto glared but did not protest.

"That's a great idea Mai." Jou nodded enthusiastically almost bouncing in his seat. "I'll pick you up after school in Seto's limo. Be waiting at the front gates okay."

"Yeah, no problem." Yugi said and they started walking off and would have made it out of the cafeteria peacefully if Ushio hadn't stuck his foot out and tripped the tri-colored haired boy making him land flat on his face. The surrounding tables burst out in laughter as Yugi picked himself off the floor with Malik and Ryou's help.

"That was for last night bitch." Ushio sneered and Yugi just continued out of the lunch room with his two friends close behind.

"What are you up to Mai?" Seto asked once they were out of earshot.

"Oh nothing much…I'm just curious about the little dweebs. That's all." She said with an air of arrogance before returning to her nails.

"They do seem like interesting characters." Yami murmured picking at his food, bored. Jou nodded his head in agreement.

"They're really cool guys."

"Yeah well maybe if that kid didn't try and steal my fucking style I'd get to know him." Bakura said glaring at where the boy's exited.

"Oh poor Bakura…it must be dreadful to like yourself." Marik said in a low voice so no one heard. The maniacal look in his eyes made it seem like he said something completely different.

"Fuck you, like you don't like the other kid." Bakura replied finishing off his plate and tossing it in the garbage to his left.

"Shut up." Yami said softly and they all started a different conversation.

Me- Thank you for your previous reviews! I hope you liked this chapter!