Chapter 1: Enter the Jerk

(Nicole's POV)

The last box.

I looked down at the small cardboard cube filled with clothes and trinkets. How many times had I done this now over the past couple years? How many times did I think it was the last box I'd unpack? Looking around the small room, I was trying to get used to this abrupt culture change. When mom said she had found a place where we wouldn't have to worry about being found, moving to freaking Japan was the last place I would have guessed. She could have at least taken us to Europe or something?

Your father's family is all over Europe remember? she had told me.

I could only sigh at the memory as I reached into the box and grabbed some of the clothes and went to put them away in the small closet. The house came furnished, so I surveyed the small twin bed and the old wooden desk in the corner. There was a small dresser tucked away in the closet and a medium bookcase near the door. With so little furniture, I was shocked at the minimal floor space available.

That's how things are here sweetheart. Normal houses aren't as big as you're used to. My mother had told me when we arrived yesterday.

"Nikki, where are you?" I heard my mother ask from the ground floor breaking me from my own thoughts.

"Up here mom. I'm unpacking my last few boxes." I called back slipping the small pile into one of the dresser drawers.

There was the sound of footsteps as she came up the stairs and down the hallway before she opened my door. She gave a quick glance around the room before her eyes fell on me and she just stared. I was a little unnerved about her blank gaze, but I walked back to my box grabbing some more clothes and putting them away.

"Mom, what's the look for?" I asked as I realized she was still staring. She blinked standing strait.

"What look?" she asked coming from her thoughts.

"The look you're giving me now, Mom" I pointed out. I had never seen that look before. It was empty, no emotion, as if she were in La La land.

"It's nothing dear. You sure unpacked quick." She observed changing the subject.

"When I don't pack much to begin with, it's pretty easy." I shrugged.

"So.. I thought I would let you know that I start work tomorrow. You won't mind if you have to stay home alone during the day until we finish getting your school stuff situated?" She asked.

"No mom, I'm sixteen, this country is known for their mass public transit, I have cash, & I have the nifty translator you bought. I do believe I can take care of myself for a couple days. Besides, if I could take care of dad while he was blackout drunk, I'm sure I can take care of myself." I pointed out taking some more things out of my box.

"Don't remind me about that." my mother sighed. She turned to leave, but suddenly stopped setting a hand on the door frame, "Oh, by the way I picked up some uniforms for that school we're zoned for. They're lying on the coffee table that is buried under the living room boxes. I want you to try them on in case I need to get you another size."

"OK I'll go get them once I'm done." I nodded.

"Speaking of, you think you can start the living room boxes when you're done here? I'm almost done with the kitchen and should probably start my own room." She asked.

"Y-yeah. Sure thing." I agreed.

With that, she left me alone. Some people would consider my mother and I close, but she was your textbook work-a-holic. I wasn't sure if it was caused by the recent marital stress or the fact that it was just her and I now. I just knew mom always worked late but still managed to find time every once in awhile to make up for it. That's why hearing that she was reporting to work only days after arriving in a new country wasn't a shocker to me. I tossed the small box aside and made my way down to the living area.

I was able to spot the bright pink duffel bag on top of the pile of boxes, grabbed it, and took up to my room. I tossed the duffel onto my bed and opened it up. I pulled out the contents sorting them out on my small bed. I couldn't help but shudder as I pulled out one of five blue skirts. I hated skirts. "Looks like I'm investing in some good razors" I muttered to myself as I continued to organize the uniform pieces. I had gotten most of it, when I revealed the cherry on top of the sundae. "Pink?! Seriously?!" I cringed to myself as I held up the blazer jacket that was at the bag's bottom.

I took a survey of what all my mom had grabbed. Five skirts, five blouses, three blazers, ten pairs of socks, five t-shirts, five pairs of athletic shorts, two pairs of brown formal shoes, and what looked like three blue ascot tie things. It was pretty easy to discern that one was normal school and one was gym wear. I didn't bother with the gym wear seeing it was just a simple t-shirt and shorts.

I put on the main uniform and silently cursed to myself as I looked at myself in the mirror hanging on the closet door. "Hooker school girl aisle one..." I muttered as I noted that the school skirt, though fit on my waist, came to only my mid-thigh showing off my pale legs. My father's Eastern European tan seemed to only like to show up on me during the summer months and that had faded the past month. Like the skirt, the blazer fit everywhere but one spot making me think the fit was intended. The only thing weird about the jacket was how it seemed to squish my chest in making my sub-par rack seem bigger. "Well at least I look like I have huge boobs." I sighed trying to adjust the blazer some to maybe lessen the attention. At least the ascot was pre-tied to where all I had to do was snap it on behind my neck.

As if I have to worry about this long. I thought to myself. Looking myself over again in the mirror. Dad's not stupid. He'll catch on to our move eventually and maybe I might find a school with a better dress code.

"Well don't you look cute!" I heard my mother exclaim startling me a bit.

"The hell mom!?" I gasped quickly turning around.

"Don't use that kind of language with me young lady!" She warned, but her stern glare quickly faded, "So? I assume it fits?"

"Sorry. Y-yeah... just not a fan of the skirt or the pink, but I'll live." I sighed running my hands over the front of the skirt nervously.

"When will you listen to me? You have the figure for skirts if you'd just wear them." She tried to joke.

"How about when Hell freezes over? I'll take a good pair of jeans over this any day." I replied.

"Fine. Now that we know it fits, why don't you get started on unpacking the living room? If you can get it cleaned up enough, I might see about doing dinner and maybe that movie you had me buy before we left." She stated with a small grin.

"You don't have to say anymore." I nodded slipping the blazer off. It only made my mother lightly laugh as she walked down the hall to her room to unpack her things.

*Week Later*

I woke up early seeing my mother had finalized my enrolment for one of the schools. I double checked the bag I had packed for school making sure I had all my translation aids and other supplies.

"Translator? Check. Recording device? Check. Extra batteries? Check and check. Notebooks? Check. Pens? Check. Pencils? Check." I surveyed.

With everything verified, I went downstairs not surprised to find my mother long gone and a post-it-note stuck to the fridge's dry erase board.

Hey girl, I'll be home late tonight. There are some leftovers in the fridge. Have a great first day of school.

P.S. TRY to make some friends today. Love you!

-MOM-

I frowned at her little P.S. comment. So maybe I wasn't one to make friends quickly when we got to a new place. Could she blame me? The past year alone, we had moved probably seven times. I was getting a little tired of the goodbyes and having to give people 'the speech' as to why I wouldn't stay in contact. I had recently found the best way to avoid that would be to avoid people in the first place and just focus on my solo pass times.

I crumpled the note in my hand and tossed it into the trash bin nearby as I started grabbing something for breakfast. After munching on a bowl of cereal and putting my dishes away, I glanced at the time.

7:30. Crap! I'm going to be late at this rate. I franticly thought to myself.

I quickly grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder and pulled out my phone and headphones getting some music going. I unlocked my bike and took off in the direction I had mapped out the past week while I waited on the enrollment to be finalized. I arrived at the school ten minutes later and stopped at my assigned shoe locker to take off my sneakers. Who would have thought this wasn't just a thing on TV? I thought to myself as I closed the small space. With my stuff put away, I started looking around to see if I could find where I needed to be. Sadly, I seemed to look in every direction but forward, because all of a sudden I found myself falling backward after walking right into someone and landing right on my butt. To my surprise, the stranger didn't even seem to take into consideration that I fell.

He only spoke in a growly voice in English surprisingly, "Watch where you're going."

'Asshole!' I thought with a sigh. That's when I realized I was still on the floor with a couple eyes peering my way. As I began to push myself up, I noticed a hand was suspended in front of my face. I continued to look up to see the hand belonged to a short guy with red spiked hair and three blond spike-like streaks in front. I was hesitant at first, but he had a kind looking face.

His first words were obviously not English. Making me go red in the face in embarrassment. What would I do? What should I do? My translator was in my bag and I didn't want to insult the guy.

"E-English?" I hesitantly asked feeling my face go a deeper red.

"Sorry, I'm Yugi Moto. You need some help?" he asked in English this time.

"Umm Thanks." I nodded taking his hand and getting to my feet, "Nicole Silvers. Nikki if you want."

"Sorry about him. That was Seto Kaiba. He is what you would call a big shot here." Yugi noted nodding in the direction the crabby stranger went.

"Thought so. Excuse me" I spoke as I turned to face where Kaiba went so I could probably give him a piece of my mind. I spotted him and started walking briskly in his direction. "Hey...Hey!..." I spoke up trying to get his attention, but of course he just continued to walk. I just let out a frustrated sigh as I quickened my pace to catch up to him. Right as I got close enough to guarantee he couldn't ignore me, I snapped again. "Seto! Turn around and face me you jerk!"

Now all the eyes from earlier were joined by the others in the hall looking right in my direction. The sound of that last remark made Seto turn around and acknowledge my presence. Though I did run into him, this was the first good look I was getting at the guy. I probably stood so my nose was right at his chin. So much for believing Asian guys were short. I mentally slapped myself. His hair was a dark brown like mine but his eyes were blue like my dad's. The glare he seemed to have beamed in my direction only seemed to just work to piss me off in return

"What did you just call me?" he spoke with the growl in his voice, but it was his tone that set me off. Big guy on campus my ass! Of course, it took more than a grouchy voice to scare me off. Hell! He was probably only half my dad's size by the look of his uniform cut, and I had managed my own just fine against dad a time or two. I just swallowed my anger enough to match his tone and keep it there.

"You just heard me you're a jerk! J-E-R-K Jerk! Only a jerk would run into a person, knock them down, then not even ask them if they're O.K. or help them back up. I guess that's to be expected. I mean I hear you're the big guy on campus. But do acknowledge there are other students who have the same rights as you do to the hallway you jerk!" At that last syllable, I didn't realize it, but my hand started moving on its own. I was about to slap him, but just before my hand cracked his cheek, his hand shot up and grabbed my wrist pulling me close so I could hear him whisper

"I would watch your tone if I were you," He spoke seeming angered clinching my wrist harder almost making me winch, "You don't know me. That being said, it's Kaiba not Seto got it." He stepped back shoving my wrist back toward me before turning and walking off. I just stood there watching him leave as I rubbed my wrist to relieve the small pain there was as it continued to pulsate as if he was still gripping it tight.