Chapter 7: Out of Bounds
The burns healed more slowly than expected, so I was forced to take the next Monday off, which I didn't mind as it let me skip Crowler's class.
Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley came by on Sunday morning, each of them carrying some munchies (approved by the hospital staff, of course) with them. With a start, I realized that I hadn't seen them since the day I dueled Chazz...which was about a week ago. Between the initiation into Obelisk Blue and my duel with Jinzo, it felt like several months had passed since then.
They each showed varying degrees of surprise when they had heard of the fight with Jinzo. Chumley was oddly contemplative, and I couldn't figure out why until I remembered that he had a duel spirit as well- the Des Koala monster. I had completely forgotten that fact earlier, and I couldn't help but wonder if Chumley had hidden abilities similar to the ones Jaden displayed in canon. The thought itself was somewhat humorous, that this pudgy comic relief side character had similar potential to the protagonist of the story.
"Crazy…I never would have imagined that duel spirits could be so vicious." Jaden murmured.
"We'll have to be careful from now on…it seems like anything can trigger the summoning of these spirits. And to think that they might be coming more frequently now! It's all so frightening…" Syrus moaned.
"They seem strong…so I guess we'll just have to make ourselves stronger! Unfortunately, it's going to be hard to do that if we're wasting time on the damn tennis unit in gym class…" Jaden replied, sighing dramatically.
"You seemed to enjoy the game on Saturday." I pointed out blandly, my mind swimming through a haze of painkillers.
"It's not bad. I mainly did it because Alexis wanted to." Jaden said.
"Got you whipped already, huh?" I chuckled haphazardly. Chumley snorted at that, while Jaden merely laughed in that zen way of his, not fazed at all by the implications of my comment. He definitely was an unusual kid for his age; most adults never developed such a detached, confident demeanor, but he wore it like a second skin.
"Speaking of tennis, we better get going to class if we're going to get changed in time." Syrus, ever conscientious, reminded the group.
Glancing at his watch, Jaden nodded. "See ya later, Jamie! I hope you feel better soon! We'll tell you if anything funny happens in gym!" With that, the Slifer trio departed. With a chuckle, I laid my head back into my soft pillow and drifted off to a dreamless, hazy sleep.
As it turned out, something funny did happen in gym class, or at least I found it to be funny. I wheezed with laughter as Alexis complained nonstop for nearly thirty minutes about the advances of one Harrington Rosewood, an Obelisk Blue who seemed to be less interested in Duel Monsters than he was in other games, such as tennis and courtship.
"Ugh, first Jaden acts like an idiot all day, getting another detention from Crowler…honestly, does he have any sense at all!? Then, that smarmy prick Rosewood tries to be smooth with me, as if I can't see what he's doing from sixteen miles away. God, I would rather deal with ten vengeful duel spirits than the stupidity of boys sometimes…" She ranted and raved, before realizing that she was speaking to a boy. "Sorry." She said in a way that suggested she wasn't really sorry at all. I could tell she was angry- the lofty ice queen of Obelisk Blue was rarely so foul-mouthed.
"Apology accepted." I replied, equally sarcastic. "Well, why don't you try your luck with this tennis prodigy? He's good-looking, romantic, and most importantly, rich. Unless he has a poor attitude to rival John McEnroe, I'm sure the other girls in Obelisk Blue are practically salivating to snatch him up." Normally, I would be annoyed by her whining, but since I had relatively little entertainment in the hospital outside of Wheel of Fortune reruns, I decided to roll with it.
Alexis snorted, turning to gaze out the window above my bed. Outside, white sheets hung on clotheslines, and the fresh smell of clean linen was carried in alongside the breeze. "They are. And most are after his money, although I'm sure his looks help. If they studied with the same intensity as they looked for a rich man, they'd all be the finest scholars the world had ever seen."
I knew Alexis was highly conscientious and ambitious herself, but I never imagined she would be so hostile towards gold diggers. I suppose the idea of living off another person's accomplishments was intolerable to someone as driven as her. "I take it you aren't interested in his advances, then?"
"No… it's hard to describe, but I just get this feeling like there's nothing there, underneath the clothes, the body, the expensive things." She murmured. I stayed silent, beckoning her to elaborate.
"It's already so difficult to meet genuine people…ever since I was a kid. Back then, we just played games, and that was enough. Then…as I got older, the boys wanted to play different games. The girls soon wanted little to do with me, such was the extent of their jealousy. I was lucky to have my brother, and Zane. They never asked for anything from me, they were just glad to be with me. And I was glad to be with them. That's what I want, really. I wish people wouldn't scheme and lie so much- what does it amount to in the end? The simple things in life are so much more meaningful."
This must have been stewing in her for a long time- that's the only reason I could think of for why this all came pouring out in an ordinary conversation. Hers was the struggle of many beautiful girls I had come across in my life. She had scarcely known honest interaction with her peers- the boys only humored her because they desired her, while the girls schemed and plotted behind honeyed words. It was easy to become cold and detached after a lifetime of such dishonest social interaction. This must be the reason why she was so enamored with Jaden. A guy so genuine and spontaneous must be a breath of fresh air to her. Unfortunately, I felt old wounds from my past life, long crusted over with time, beginning to resurface. Hastily, I suppressed them. "The past is gone."
Coming to herself, Alexis scratched her head bashfully. "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump all that on you. You've got your own problems to deal with." She nodded at the bandages covering my upper body.
"It's nothing to worry about." I said quickly, all too glad to latch onto a new subject. "The nurses just told me I should be released on Wednesday afternoon." I paused, before adding, "and I know how you feel. My door is open to you if you ever want to talk."
She smiled wanly. "Yeah…thanks for listening. I'll come by later with your homework. Rest easy, Jamie." She glanced at me curiously before she left, on the verge of giving voice to a half-formed thought.
I couldn't stand the sight of the infirmary by the time Wednesday rolled around. After Fontaine had me perform a series of stretches and checked any of my previously burned areas for tenderness, I practically skipped out of there. Without the bandages, I felt wonderfully light and free, although a slight wobbliness lingered.
I managed to get caught up on the schoolwork I missed, although this was no great feat. In my past life, I was a reasonably well-educated individual, and I was more than capable of completing what was the equivalent of high school coursework. I nearly burst out laughing as I waded through the piles of papers Alexis brought me- organic chemistry and algebra sitting alongside the ever so complex mechanics of field spells was certainly amusing. Still, it was a relief to know that Kaiba included academic subjects as well as the stupid card game in his curriculum. At first, I wondered why such a cold and ruthless man would be interested in educating children, but then I remembered that Kaiba was established as having a soft spot for kids. Hell, just thinking of Seto Kaiba as a real, living person instead of a fictional character was still bizarre.
As classes were over for the day, I decided to return to my dorm. I would take a nice, long shower before heading off to the card shop to spend what meager currency I had. The shop always received a new shipment on the first Tuesday of the month at around five-thirty in the morning of that day. The new cards for the month of October would have come in while I was bedridden. I'm sure the ultra-competitive types had already bought most of the good cards, with Bastion and Erin leading the way. Still, at the very least it wouldn't hurt to see the new cards offered; that way, I could anticipate what my future competition would be using.
The new cards weren't particularly impressive; most of the cards were dragon support, with a few niche archetype support cards thrown in. A great many of the boys here played dragon themed decks, most likely because of the aesthetic appeal. Boys liked dragons, it was simply a fact of life. Lucky for them, dragon decks were also quite effective due to the ease in which most of them could special summon high level monsters. I expect many of them wished to emulate Kaiba as well, and I couldn't blame them. I anticipated facing more of them in the future.
To my surprise, there was also an influx of support for spellcasters- a much more unorthodox foe than dragons. I mentally noted to look out for those as well.
A cute clerk stood vigil at the counter, a bored expression on her face as she lazily did homework. Her straight brown hair was tied back in a ponytail behind a visor branded with the card shop logo. She wore a pink shirt tucked into high-waisted jeans. As I entered, she immediately snapped to attention. In the back of the shop, I caught sight of Dorothy recording inventory.
"Sorry, we don't have any of the new packs. We might have more tomorrow, but I don't know for sure…" The cashier said, predicting my request.
"That's fine. I just need an updated price catalog with all the new cards." I leaned against the counter, still feeling a bit ill. Behind the counter, I saw that Dorothy and a few other employees were unpacking some banners and card boxes. The sweet old lady caught my eye, and swiftly approached me.
"Hey, you're Jamie Lancaster, right?" She asked. I nodded hesitantly, wondering where she had heard of me before. At my expression, she chortled softly. "You're not in trouble or anything. I just wanted to let you know that Bastion Misawa was looking for you. I think he's back at the Ra Yellow dorm now."
"Ah, thank you." I said distractedly. I wondered whether or not Jaden did as I said and informed Bastion of the supernatural fights to come. Only one way to find out, really. "Have you seen Jaden Yuki in here today? Sorry to keep you playing telephone, but I have a pressing matter to discuss with him."
At this, she and the other girl at the counter starting laughing. "Apparently Doctor Crowler gave Jaden detention for the week for hitting him with a tennis ball during gym class. I hear he's a ball boy for Harrington Rosewood now. Isn't that rich?!" Dorothy explained.
"I'm sure he's the envy of many girls in that class right now." I grinned.
"Oh, he sure is." The counter girl said with a blush as she handed me the card catalog.
"Well, thank you both. I think I know what I'm doing this afternoon." On the way out, I picked up a Rosewood Sporting Goods magazine as well.
I thumbed through the catalog while my feet took me to the Ra Yellow dorms. It still astounded me that these cards were so expensive, and I played competitively! People call this a children's card game, but there's no way a kid could afford good cards at the prices listed in this magazine. Hell, there was no way I could pay for them!
Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had no money to my name. I suppose I could write my "parents" and ask them for some extra spending money, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. They're already paying for me to go to this school, I didn't want to squeeze their coffers too tightly. Just thinking of them made me uncomfortable- looks like the holidays are going to be a blast this year!
Perhaps there part-time jobs I could apply for on the island. I know that the girl at the card shop was a student, and there were a few shops on the island that could most likely use some extra help. I thought about applying to the coffee shop, have a go at being a sassy barista. I would consider my options later. Maybe Crowler could point me in the right direction- as my head of house, it was his job to consult me on any questions I might have.
Bastion was home, luckily. As per usual, he was scribbling away on a notebook, doing math homework this time. I wondered idly how many seconds it took him to power through an average calc assignment. I'd be willing to bet the guy spends more money on notebooks than he does cards with the way he burns through paper!
"Sorry to interrupt your homework. I know how you get when you build up a head of steam." I chuckled.
"It's no problem, Jamie." Bastion rose from his chair and gave me a solid handshake. "You look strong."
"Thank you. The burns healed quickly- you should see the other guy!" I joked weakly, knowing that it was time to tell him the news.
"So I've heard…you fought the duel spirit of Jinzo in that library." Bastion said gravely, his arms tightly crossed.
"Jaden told you?" I said. He silently nodded, his expression inscrutable. "Do you believe me?"
"You have no reason to lie…that I know of. Something gave you those electrical burns, and you don't seem the type to play around in a fuse box without knowing what you're doing. But to suggest that duel spirits really exist…I'm not sure about that." Bastion said. His uncertainty was characteristic of a scientist, as was his skepticism. I would have had a hard time believing it as well, were I in his position. It was frustrating, but not unmanageable.
"Look, all I want to tell you is to be careful. Carry your best deck around at all times and be ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice. You don't have to believe my talk about spirits and ghosts- you'll see the truth soon enough. I just want you to have fair warning." I say shortly.
"Look, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that this all seems so bizarre. There's little evidence regarding the existence of duel spirits, and one just shows up out of the blue here? Surely you can agree with me that this a bit much to take in." Bastion argued.
"Think about it. The supernatural has always bubbled beneath the surface of this world. Yugi Moto didn't wear the Millennium Puzzle around for kicks- he did it because it had the soul of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh within it." I retort.
"Don't tell me you believe that rubbish. Yugi is the greatest duelist this world has ever seen, but it's not because of some ancient spirit inhabiting his body. Your claiming of such a thing undermines his accomplishments." Bastion said while arching an eyebrow. Oh, if only he knew…
"What about the god cards, then? Don't you remember how powerful they were in the Battle City tournament? They were even inscribed on an Egyptian stone tablet!" At this point, I was growing desperate.
"Pegasus was inspired to create the cards based on the Egyptian tablets, everyone knows this. It is odd that he only created one copy of each one and they haven't been sighted in ten years…but I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for that." Bastion said dismissively. At this point I'm pretty sure that he was fucking with me.
Giving him a wry look, I decided to let the matter rest. The bastard would know how real I was soon enough. "Alrighty then. Just store your damn deck on you at all times, ok? And while you're at it, keep your head on a swivel. Call it a favor."
Giving me an annoyingly skeptical look, he finally assented. "I'll stay vigilant, out of favor to you." He said carefully.
"It's your own safety that's at risk!" I thought with no small amount of frustration. "Thanks." Was all I said out loud. It would seem that Bastion would remain unconvinced on this matter. I thought intellectual types like him were all about keeping an open mind, but whatever. Moving the conversation to safer waters, I brought up the upcoming school duel.
"Yes, I've heard rumblings about it as well. I hear a delegate from North Academy will be traveling here at the end of term to duel our school's best student. The winning school sees a year's worth of good publicity, and usually higher enrollment rates as well." Bastion always sounded like a wikipedia article given flesh.
"Everyone loves a winner, I suppose." I say with a shrug.
"They certainly do, but it only makes sense. The parents are the ones tuned in the most- they want to know the best school to send their child to." He replied.
"Who usually wins the matchup?" I ask out of sheer curiosity.
"North Academy has only beaten Central Duel Academy once since this school has been created. You see, we rotate which school we're facing each year. Last year, Zane Truesdale beat a representative from South Academy named Axel Brodie. The year before that he prevailed against North Academy in swift fashion. I expect Zane will defeat whomever North Academy sends our way this time- you of all people should know how good of a duelist he is." Bastion said.
"Don't remind me." I grumble. "So you don't think anyone else has a shot of playing in the school duel?"
"There's no logical reason why Sheppard wouldn't bet on his winning horse. This is a fierce matter of pride to him- I hear he has quite the little rivalry with the Chancellor of North Academy."
"Oh, does he? Why?" I asked for the hell of it.
At this, Bastion struggled to keep his laughter under control. "Rumor has it they both are in love with Miss Dorothy."
I burst out laughing- I didn't remember that little tidbit from canon. I forgot how funny the series was in the early episodes due to the rather pervading darkness of Season 3, but there's no doubt it was. "You've gotta be kidding me! The Miss Dorothy at the card shop? Who told you that?"
The Ra Yellow prodigy shrugged. "I have my sources. And yes, it is that same Dorothy. Anyways, why do you ask? Were you thinking of trying to compete?"
"Hell no. I don't need any media attention." Or any undue jealousy from other students. Torrey apparently attempted to resurrect Jinzo as a way of getting a leg up on me. Since then, it's occurred to me that I should start flying under the radar a little more now that I've achieved my goal of rising to Obelisk Blue. Jaden or Zane could handle Chazz just as they could have in canon.
I hadn't thought about the Princeton heir much since his departure from the island. I always assumed that he would return to the academy for the inter-school duel, and would stay after his inevitable defeat. But I suppose things didn't necessarily have to happen as they did in the anime. I wouldn't know until I saw him again. I hoped he wouldn't hold too terrible of a grudge, but this is Chazz I'm talking about. That guy never forgot a slight.
"I thought perhaps you or Jaden would want to." I finished after some thought.
Bastion leaned against his freshly painted walls. "I suppose I could…it would be a good way of distinguishing myself and perhaps get into Obelisk Blue while I'm at it. I fear I wouldn't be able to compete with Zane for the representative position."
"Just ask him about it, or Sheppard. I think it would be great for you." I knew I wouldn't have to convince him that much since he decided to go for it in canon as well. I had to admit, I really didn't have to make that many changes to the timeline so far, but I knew that would change soon once the real evils began descending from the shadows. For now, I was content just living in this world and taking it all in. It was really starting to become comfortable.
My main message delivered, I made my way to the tennis courts. Along the way, I looked through the Rosewood sporting goods magazine. Their products looked well-made, but they were far too expensive. These were the sorts of things that rich kids would buy purely for the sake of fashion. Looking at the back of the catalog, I saw that they had a location at Duel Academy…an idea began forming in my head as I absentmindedly leapt the gate and entered the courts. Sure enough, Jaden was still serving his detention with Harrington Rosewood. It must have been rather annoying- for all his calm normally, Jaden appeared to be nearing his wits end.
Meanwhile, Harrington looked completely unruffled- he wasn't even sweating! Good lord Jaden, at least make him try! I awkwardly walked over to the court, but neither of them was paying me any attention.
Suddenly, a stray hit by Harrington sent a tennis ball my way. "Watch out!" I heard him call. I caught the ball with both hands before it went flying over my head.
"Woah, nice catch!" Harrington said, scratching his auburn hair. Wow, he really did sound like Sonic the Hedgehog. "Hey, you're the new Obelisk Blue! Your name's Jim, right?"
"It's Jamie." I say while throwing the ball back to him. "You're Harrington Rosewood, correct?"
"The one and only! But my friends call me Harry." He said, flashing a twinkling smile. "Now if you don't mind, I'm just overseeing this Slifer's detention. Thanks for catching the ball." And just like that, he was ready to serve again. Jaden groaned, white-knuckling his racket.
"How's it going, Jaden? Alexis told me the whole story." I ask. Man, Jaden didn't look so hot. His eyes were unfocused, and there were noticeable bags under his eyes. The guy probably didn't get enough sleep last night.
"Well-" Jaden began before Harrington cut him off. "Wait, you know Alexis Rhodes?!" He exclaimed, his eyes alight with suspicion.
"That's right." I replied. "We know each other very well. She stayed by my bedside while I was in the infirmary." I added with a smirk, wanting to rile him up.
"What exactly do you mean by that?! Are you two going out?!" He roared, throwing his racket to the ground and getting right up in my face.
"No, we aren't. As far as I know, she's currently single, although the only way to know for sure is to ask her yourself…" I said calmly. The triggered tennis player cast a paranoid glance to Jaden and then to me. For what it was worth, Jaden just looked happy to have a break.
"You should ask her for me. I need to finish putting this Slifer Slacker through his paces, ya know?" He demanded.
I decided then and there that I didn't particularly like Harrington Rosewood. But whether or not I liked him was irrelevant. If I played this right, I could get a pretty lucrative part-time job out of this, and that meant money to buy good cards down the road.
"Since you asked so nicely, I will ask her for you…as long as you do something for me in return." My voice was icy cold, and some trepidation could be seen in his grey eyes as he slowly nodded. I had no doubt that Alexis would be pissed at me later, but hey it wouldn't be the first time a girl's been pissed at me by a long shot.
"Don't look at me like that, I was just wondering if Rosewood Sporting Goods had any entry level positions open. You know, stocking, inventory, cashier, or something like that. I'd really like to get a part-time job around here." I chirped, enjoying watching him deflate.
"Oh, that's all? Uh, I can check with one of the managers for you tonight, once he clocks out." Harrington answered with bluster, relieved that my demands were modest.
"Excellent. Let's exchange numbers so that you can update me when you find out." I whipped out my phone and pulled up the contacts menu. Harrington quickly entered in his number and I sent a verification text. For his sake, I hoped he didn't pull any "enter in the wrong number by 'mistake'" or "just add me on facebook" bullshit. If I had a nickel for every time a girl did that to me…I'd have ten cents. Still, twice was a pattern, and I was suspicious of him nonetheless.
"Sure thing. I'll expect you to let me know when Alexis wants to go out with me." The cocky tennis player replied. I smirked- how dense could he be? Even Jaden, with his inconsistent social skills, could tell that Alexis disdained Harrington. I suppose love tends to be blinding like that- lust even more so.
"I'm only going to speak on your behalf after a job interview date is confirmed." I amend.
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just put in a good word for me, alright man? We Obelisk boys have to stick together, am I right?" He said, affecting a chumminess I certainly did not feel.
"Right. Now if you don't mind, I need to talk to Yuki." I said shortly, having grown tired of this conversation.
Luckily, Harrington's interest in punishing Jaden seemed to have waned now that he knew Alexis was unattached. "You can have him." He said dismissively. "I'll let you know about the job as soon as I can!"
"Pleasure doing business with you, Harry!" I shook his sweaty hand and he left, presumably to go to Rosewood Sporting Goods. I prayed that he would shower before he talked to the manager.
Jaden dropped the racket like it had just come out of the oven. "Thanks, Jamie. Man, that guy was really starting to get on my nerves…I don't get what his problem is with me!" He complained.
"It seems he thought you and Miss Rhodes were romantically involved." I reply.
"What? No way! Alexis and I aren't going out, that's obvious!" He said, frustrated.
"I don't know, man. Look at it this way, the semester will be over in about a month, and you might not have gym with him next term. Then, you won't ever have to deal with him again."
"I'm not gonna lie, I want to duel him, just to knock him down a peg." Jaden said aggressively.
"I've seen his deck, it's pretty bad. He uses tennis themed cards, long story short. You would beat him no problem. But still, there's no reason to pick at small wounds. Ignoring him is the best revenge." I say as we walk out of the complex.
Jaden nodded in agreement. "I suppose there's no reason to sweat the small stuff. So, why do you want to work at Rosewood Sporting Goods?" His casual demeanor appeared to have returned, although he still seemed really exhausted for some reason.
"Just wanna get some extra money for cards." I shrug.
"Yeah, you seem like the kinda guy who's always got an eye on the market. Not my style, but it's worked for you so far." The Slifer Red prodigy said with a yawn. He looked thoughtful for a moment, before saying, "I wonder why all the guys here want Alexis so badly."
Giving a sideways glance, I responded, "Come on dude, even you have to admit she's quite the beauty. Frankly, I'm surprised you two aren't an item."
Jaden shook his head. "I don't know…just never felt that way. Part of me knows that I should be attracted to her…but I'm just not. She's a good friend, I love her…but not that way. Love's weird." He looked as though he had never really pondered this before- the words seemed to tumble off his tongue as half-formed thoughts.
"Have you ever felt that way towards…anyone else?" I ask hesitantly. Maybe the Spiritshipping fangirls were right all along and he is gay. Man, this conversation took a turn!
"No…never." He nearly whispered, his brown eyes murky with confusion. He was looking really on edge- the subject of love seemed to make him uncomfortable. Just seeing him like this was strange- I wondered why he was acting this way. Hopefully he was just in a bad mood because of the detentions, but I decided to cut this off before things got ugly.
"Hey, no need to feel bad about it. I was just curious. Seriously, don't worry about it." I said quickly. I was a bit of a hypocrite for telling him not to worry, because inwardly I was worrying my ass off.
Perhaps it wasn't that Jaden didn't fell that way towards anyone, but that he couldn't feel that way towards anyone…except for one. My eyes widened as the hated name rose to the forefront of my brain- Yubel. Just the thought of the demon disgusted me. On some level, I realized that her crusade against the light of destruction was necessary and even just- I fully intended to destroy that particular abomination as well. I also realized that Yubel was corrupted to a degree by the light's influence. But her obsession with Jaden caused him pain. The people who came between Yubel and her prized prince tended to come down with a bad case of death, and this was long before she ever felt the Light's influence. Jaden grew up a lonely boy because she couldn't stand anything less than his fullest affections...how dare she! There wasn't enough evidence that Yubel was a truly benevolent force for me to trust her…or perhaps the proper pronoun was them? I wasn't sure. Who knows, perhaps she only loves him in a completely platonic way, like brother and sister. Pssh, yeah right! Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
Besides, it wasn't fair that Jaden's desires were influenced by the feelings of his past…reincarnation, I guess? The idea bothered me. Jaden wasn't the same as the Supreme King, they were raised in two different worlds and their personalities diverged accordingly. Then again…if Yubel was destroyed, perhaps Jaden would be freed from the shackles of the past.
"I think that Erin's into you, though." Jaden said, snapping me out of my brooding. Barking out a laugh, I said, "Yeah…I still have to see where we stand. She's a cutie though." Mentally, I decided to devote more thought to Yubel and how to deal with her later.
"Well, here's your chance- I see her over by the beach again." Jaden pointed over to the coast. With a start, I realized that we had walked all the way to the Slifer Red dorms. My thinking had distracted me completely from my surroundings.
"I think you're right. I'll catch you later, Jaden." I said with a two-fingered wave.
"Best of luck, Jamie." Jaden replied with a smirk before he made his way to the showers. Again, I was left to wonder just how clueless that boy was. How much did he really know about these matters? Jaden was proving to be a more layered person than even I could have expected.
Then I saw Erin, and Jaden Yuki was the furthest thing from my mind. I was starting to think she looked her best after a surf, when her hair was windswept and her cheeks flushed. Taking a deep breath, I locked eyes with her and advanced.
With a toothy grin, Erin Reid wasted no time in kissing me as soon as she was within reach. She seemed to have a bit more confidence than Alexis, at least! Or perhaps it was recklessness, madness, stupidity.
"I thought you would never come see me." She whispered as we embraced.
"Well, I just got out of the infirmary this afternoon." I said with a wry laugh.
"Excuses, excuses…" She said with a similar giggle. After a moment, she added, "I can tell you're back at full strength; you have that look about you again."
"What look is that, exactly?"
"Like a cat that caught the canary."
Sighing, I scratched the back of my head and prepared to tell the story. "It's nothing major. I made a deal with Harrington Rosewood today."
"Ha! I can't imagine the two of you getting along; you're too similar." She jibed.
"In that case, why don't you go bother him?" I couldn't resist the opportunity to spar with her before continuing on with my story.
"I like men who can actually compete with me, in duels and…other endeavors. I'm pretty sure my pet dog back home could beat Harrington in a duel. He's a Golden Retriever in case you're curious."
"Basic. Anyways, he's going to be clinching me a position stocking shelves at Rosewood Sporting Goods. Apparently it pays pretty well for an entry-level part time job, so I can continue funding my addiction to good cards." I said.
"And what are you giving him in return? Sexual favors?"
"Well, he wants me to set him up with Alexis, so in a roundabout way yes. I've never seen a man rush headlong to the gallows before, but this has to be the modern equivalent." I said with another chuckle. Erin was a lot smarter than she seemed.
"Took the words right out of my mouth, Jamie. I just hope she doesn't kill the messenger. Alexis can be a cold bitch when it comes to shooting down guys. I still haven't gotten her to duel me yet, but I bet I'm tougher than her!"
Erin's using the word cold forcibly brought images of the White Queen to the forefront of my mind. Those soulless, blank hazel eyes…I could never allow the image in my mind's eye to become real. Never. Shuddering, I told her "You have no idea how cold she can be."
"Still, it sounds like you got the better end of the deal. Come on, let's go eat. I'm sure you're tired of hospital food." Erin suddenly grabbed my hand and we were off. Chuckling, I couldn't help but think that she was more than I could handle. I guess there was only one way to find out though…
The next day, Harrington told me that a stockboy position was in fact needed over at the department store. It was good news, and as long as Alexis didn't kill me, I stood to gain much from it.
The whole day, I went through my classes feeling as though the task before me was following me around, never giving me a moment's peace. At four in the afternoon, I sought out Alexis immediately, knowing that she was out of class for the day.
I didn't find her at first, but a quick word from Professor Banner (the shifty bastard- there's another one to keep an eye on) told me that she was in the Obelisk Arena completing a practice duel against Mindy, or was it Jasmine? Whatever, it was one of those two girls.
As anyone with a brain could have guessed, Alexis soundly defeated her opponent (who turned out to be Jasmine). She was a proud queen in victory, her expression haughty even towards a girl who was supposedly her friend. The match was proctored by Fontaine, who gave me a glowing smile when she saw me walking good as new. Alexis did the same. Jasmine, on the other hand, seemed to regard me with some level of suspicion- I idly wondered why that was.
"How are you, Jamie?" Alexis said in that calm, caring way.
"I'm fine at the moment, Alexis…are you busy? I'd like a word in private." I said as clinically as I could. It didn't stop Fontaine from giggling and Jasmine's frown from deepening.
Alexis, for her part, shrugged. "Sure. I'll catch you later, Jasmine." She put her cards away and we began walking downstairs to the front entrance of the main class building. Most of the students were either leaving or were soon to leave, and the hallways were crowded. I tried to find a relatively empty area, but there were none to be found. I could tell she was beginning to grow impatient, so I grabbed her arm and guided her into an empty classroom.
"You know, if someone sees the two of us in an empty classroom, they might get ideas." She said, sounding surprised but not altogether displeased. I set my backpack down on one of the student desks, readying myself to drop the bomb. Oops, probably shouldn't be using idioms like that in a school building!
"Let them have their ideas. The lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of the sheep." Of course, considering that I was currently worrying greatly about Alexis' opinion in this instance, I was a bit of a hypocrite. Still, it's a damn good quote.
"Who said that? I know you didn't come up with it yourself." She said inquisitively.
"I believe it was some king or noble back in medieval times, read it in a history book once." I say evasively. "Anyways, I have something important to tell you, and you have to promise not to get mad at me, ok?"
She arched an eyebrow, sitting cross-legged on the edge of one of the desks. "Hey, the lion still cares about the opinions of other lions." I cover my tracks less gracefully than I would have hoped. Then and there, I decide to let the cat out of the bag.
"Harrington Rosewood wants me to put in a good word. Well, actually he really wants to go on a date with you, and he wants me to ask you on his behalf." I spew out in one breath.
Her dry expression remains unchanged. "Did you lose a duel against him, or…?"
"No, of course not. He's getting me a well-paying job at Rosewood Sporting Goods, and in exchange I have to ask you on a date. I mean, I have to ask for him to go on a date with you." What the hell is going on? This ridiculous situation is making me act like a nervous schoolboy! "I also got Jaden out of detention."
"I wonder why he thought that was a good idea. Also, this really isn't worth all the secrecy. You made it sound like you were about to tell me you were a vampire, or a time-traveler or something." She said, getting a bit too close to the truth.
"I don't know, for some reason he thought we were going out because you visited me while I was in the ward."
"Really, I can't visit a guy in the hospital unless we're dating, is that it?!" Her voice rose, and she stood up in indignation. "God, I hate it when rumors spread around like this! I'm here to learn, not to be part of some childish gossip! Why do guys always think there's some kind of romantic intrigue going on with me!?"
"It's because you're beautiful." I said without thinking. Her eyes snapped to mine, alight with anger.
"There's no use denying it. You try to hide it, but you're a natural beauty. You said it yourself, it causes others to be jealous because they're not as beautiful as you, or they're not with you." I add. What a foolish thing to say! Alexis hates it when others see her only for her looks. "It's their fault, they're shortsighted. They'll only see what they want to see, no matter what you do. The people that really matter know that you're so much more than that."
"I can't just ignore them….you don't understand. It's not that easy."
I sigh and smile. "You have good friends, people who are really in your corner. You have Zane, Jaden, Syrus…they want to see you happy and successful." I say. Man, I really didn't expect the conversation to get so deep. Then again, I think I've made enough bad predictions to conclude that maybe I'm just not very smart.
"You're right…" She suddenly grabbed my hands, and I felt frozen.
"I'm lucky to have good friends like Jaden…and you. You're two are so brave. And neither of you have ever let silly gossip affect you. I won't let it affect me again." She said, but I doubted her resolve was true judging by the way her voice trembled and her grip on my hands tightened. "Sorry for venting, Jamie. You're just trying get a job and here I am, dumping my problems on you again."
It is weird that she's gotten into these personal talks with me twice now in the same week. Then again, it didn't seem like most of her friends were very good with emotions. Mindy and Jasmine were too frivolous to ever really be serious about anything, whereas Zane had the opposite problem- the man was an emotional desert. Jaden was a good guy, but he didn't really "get" why people did things the way they did sometimes. Some part of his past as the Supreme King probably had something to do with how "off" he could be at times.
I do not claim to be good with heart-to-heart talks, but with competition like this, it looks like I was going to be that guy, whether I liked it or not. "So that's a no on the date then?"
Alexis looked confused for a second before remembering. "Oh, Harrington. Yeah, no. Tell him to leave me alone."
"Come on, can't you just grab coffee with him one time? It would be a big help." I ribbed as we walked out of the now mostly empty academy building.
Giving me a devious look, she went below the belt. "Speaking of dates, I hear you and Erin are starting to look a bit like a couple. Care to give me the official story?"
"I don't know what the hell I did, she's just into me for some reason. Not that I'm complaining, Erin seems like a really great girl…she could probably do better, to be honest." I say with a helpless shrug. I didn't plan on getting entangled with any relationships…I had some misfortune with those back in my first life. But I guess now's as good a time as any to try again- I'm technically not the same person I was back then, although I kinda was. Whatever, it was enough for a new beginning!
Alexis laughed. "You know, for someone so cocky in a duel, you sell yourself short. I think you two would look great together." She said, raking her eyes up my form. I felt my cheeks flush. Was she into me, or was she just teasing? This was definitely not my area of conversational expertise.
"What about you? Who do you think you'd look great with?" I couldn't resist the opportunity to mess with her, even though I knew damn well she didn't have a boyfriend.
"Umm…I don't know….I'm really more interested in dueling right now…" She said less than gracefully.
"Hmm, who is 'dueling'? He sounds like a real tough guy. I hope 'dueling' doesn't mind me talking to you alone like this." I say facetiously.
"You know what I mean, you goof!" She laughed, hitting my arm. As we approached the dorms, I bid her goodbye and prepared to call Harrington. Her gaze lingered on me for a moment- I could feel it behind me. Again, she wanted to say something, but the right words weren't there. If she kept waiting for the right thing to say, she would wait forever.
Despite being the bearer of bad news, I strangely didn't feel particularly sad for Harrington. He picked up on the first ring. The image of him staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring was so hilarious that I was sorely tempted to burst out laughing when he answered. Struggling mightily, I made my voice somber.
"Rest in peace, bro. Alexis is really not into you. She actually got pissed at me just for bringing up the idea." I said, not able to suppress my smile. Good thing we weren't talking face-to-face.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Harrington yelled. "I knew that I should have asked her myself!"
"She was very clear that she wanted nothing to do with you for the rest of her days on Earth. Those were her exact words. I'm not joking." I had to quickly obscure a stray giggle by pretending to cough.
"Fuck!" He roared again. "What did I do wrong?! We started out as Romeo and Juliet, only to end up in tragedy."
"Well, tis better to have loved and lost and all that bullshit. Anyways, it's not really that you did anything wrong." Although he actually did almost everything wrong. "She's just not interested, that's all. There's plenty of hot girls out there, plenty hotter than her." Ah, that was a bit of a lie, but oh well.
There was a long silence on the other end. For a moment, I thought that perhaps he had hung up. Then, he said, "Alright. Alright. This is fine. This is honestly fine. I never even liked her to begin with."
"That's the spirit, bro!" I stupidly gave him a thumbs up even though we were talking over the phone.
"You're right…there's plenty of fish in the sea. Alright, well thanks Jamie!"
"Just a second, asshole- I mean Harry. You said you would get me that job." I quickly interjected before the conniving little dick could hang up.
"Haha, oh right, I just forgot, that's all." Harrington said with a false chumminess. Yeah, sure you did pal. "I set up an interview for you on Saturday. You know where the shop is, right? To the northwest, right by the docks. Remember, you owe me big for this, Jamie!" He claimed.
"No, I don't. I agreed to ask Alexis on a date for you in exchange for you clinching me the interview. Those were the terms we agreed upon. By all accounts, we're even." I reminded him sternly.
"Huh? Oh, now that you mention it, that does sound familiar. I guess you're off the hook this time." He had the gall to respond with. God, I couldn't wait to stop talking to this asshole.
"Ok, great. Better luck next time, Harry."
"Wait, one more thing-" He attempted to get the last word, but his plan was foiled by my hanging up on him. Later, douche.
Jaden Yuki POV
He tossed and turned beneath the thin sheets, his mind uncharacteristically unsettled. Normally, Jaden had no trouble getting a good night's sleep, but something had changed lately. Before, he could simply let his mind go blissfully blank, and drift off.
But now, he found that his mind was occupied by something else. Sounds. An other. In the twilight moments between sleeping and waking, he heard it call to him.
"Jaden…my love…it pains me to see you sleeping alone. You deserve someone who can be with you…someone to love you."
With his eyes as wide as dinner plates, Jaden peered around the room wondering where the voice had come from. Syrus and Chumley were not here- where had they gone? Surely this had to be a dream. It just had to be.
"Who said that?" He whispered as softly as he could.
"Why don't you remember me? Why won't you return my love?"
"There's nothing there…it's not real...I'm just having a bad dream, that's all." Jaden said to himself. He thought that if he spoke his desperate hope aloud, that the fear would go away. He was wrong.
"You cannot hide, my king. It is your destiny to be with me. Just as the planets spin, it is inevitable. One day, you shall sit upon a throne of darkness atop the bodies of our enemies, and you will know my words are true."
Suddenly, images flashed unbidden in Jaden's mind. He saw Alexis Rhodes at the helm of a white-clad army, her hazel eyes soulless and cold as her snowy cape fluttered in the wind. Then he saw Jamie Lancaster, cutting someone down with an unknown group of monsters. Were those…idol singers? Jaden had never seen cards like those before. It was somewhat humorous to see his friend using such seemingly nonthreatening monsters, but the fierce look on Jamie's face was deadly serious.
Finally, there was someone he didn't recognize, a handsome boy with wild blue hair. His eyes were warm, as was his smile. Jaden immediately felt a kinship with him that he couldn't explain. And yet, he also felt fear. Behind the boy was an awe-inspiring dragon encrusted with jewels and diamonds. The dragon roared in his face, and Jaden knew that it was a duel monster with incredible power.
"Our enemies will do anything to keep us apart. Some are loathsome thieves who wish to steal away your love. They are unworthy swine who claim to be deserving of a king's affections." More images of Alexis and the teal-haired boy assaulted Jaden's consciousness. "Crystal and ice… they are disgusting worms to be sure, but dealt with easily enough."
"And then…there is him…" The voice was sickly sweet and cloying before, but now, Jaden noted with horror, the voice had darkened, twisted with raw hatred. Another image of Jamie appeared, his green eyes hard and unfeeling. Jaden was utterly frozen, sweat rolling down his forehead as he bravely tried to ward off whatever force was trying to invade his mind. It was painful…why was the pain real?
"Beware the lion!" The dark voice shrieked. "The interloper from another dimension. He is a demon, intent on destroying us! I have seen his mind, and he will not rest until he has usurped your rightful place as ruler of the universe! Even now, he views the future as his alone to shape! He wants to control your every move!"
Jaden couldn't take it anymore- he clutched the sides of his head and screamed. Maybe, if he screamed loudly enough, he would be able to drown out the poisonous words of this creature. Again, his hopes were in vain.
"No, they're my friends, I love them! And who's that blue-haired guy? I don't even know him!" Jaden thought in a flurry of confusion.
When Jaden thought the word 'love', he suddenly felt a twist of pain in his mind. "Such a lonely boy…oh yes, I remember it clearly. You have such a large group of friends now, but it wasn't always that way, was it? I can almost forgive your foolish willingness to love, for you are ignorant of what true love is…as your loyal servant, it is my duty to show you."
"You will love no one else but me, Jaden. It is fate."
Jaden had fallen off his bed, having curled up in the fetal position on the floor some time ago. He was utterly alone- where had his roommates gone? No, he couldn't stand it…he couldn't be alone again.
"Please go away…I'll do anything…" Jaden whimpered. The spirit of Winged Kuriboh appeared, trying to fight off the unknown assailant. He took in the appearance of his faithful spirit like a drowning man took in water.
"So brave…" The voice whispered, seemingly in his ears. "Worry not, my king, I do not have the ability to love you properly yet…but I will soon. When the promised day comes, and darkness floods the realm, you will fall willingly into my arms. Alas, this is the end of our time together for now. The summoning of the duel spirit Jinzo has allowed me to reach you from beyond the stars…but the duel energy brought about by that spirit is fading quickly. We will meet again." The prophecy was spoken, and like a faucet being plugged, Jaden felt his mind mercifully clear again.
Suddenly, he awoke with a curdling scream.
"Jaden, what the hell was that!?" Syrus normally didn't swear, but hearing his friend shriek startled him greatly. Even Chumley was awoken by the noise.
As his breathing slowed and his hands stopped twitching, Jaden felt himself return to some sense of normalcy. "It's nothing, just a bad dream. Weird, I normally don't get those…" Jaden said shakily, a cold sweat on his skin.
"Must have been a really bad dream." Chumley said with a nervous chuckle. Syrus looked unconvinced.
"Yeah, honestly, that's it…must have been something like that." Jaden said. "Go back to sleep, you guys. There's nothing to worry about."
Slowly, they did, although Syrus looked at Jaden for a long time before finally assenting. Jaden was utterly exhausted, and fell asleep again as soon as he rolled back into bed. The spirit of Winged Kuriboh purred gently, trying to soothe him.
The following morning, he remembered nothing of his night terror, but for three words…
Beware the lion.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed.
How's that for a bit of mood whiplash, eh? For most of the chapter, you have romantic hijinks, cute dialogue, and overall a rather trivial day in the lives of our characters. Really, this was a bit of a breather chapter to catch up with everyone. Then, boom! Horrifying nightmare sequence out of nowhere with the literary equivalent of an RKO! Fun stuff.
Jaden does not remember specifically Yubel's warning- it was a message communicated in a dream after all, and most dreams are forgotten within a few minutes of waking, even ones charged with duel energy like this one. I decided to take a liberty here and bring this scene about as a result of Jinzo's summoning, with the duel energy allowing Yubel to briefly reach Jaden from beyond the stars. I thought it would be a good way to have the Jinzo fight bring about some more lasting consequences for the cast. Hope you all found the explanation sufficient- the full extent of what duel energy is and what it can do was never explored fully in the series. Although Jaden does not remember the words Yubel spoke to him, besides that last warning: "Beware the Lion". Still, the dream will affect him in subtler ways. But what do those words mean? I'm really looking forward to developing Jaden's storyline as we go on. For a shonen protagonist, he's such a mysterious character in many ways.
Otherwise, we see Harrington "Harry" Rosewood introduced in this chapter. He's not gonna be a major character in this story or anything, but he will make a few appearances in the future as a "friend" of Jamie's. I know people in real life just like this dude, so getting his personality down was a breeze...ugh. Anyways, I thought this would be a good plotline to get Jamie a part-time job to explain how he gets money for cards. Anyone who's played this ridiculous game in real life knows that good decks are not cheap, haha. Beyond that, this job might lead its way to plotlines in the future...I know it seems like a lot's going on, but I'm just trying to lay some groundwork. There's so much awesome stuff to happen later on...I can't wait for you all to see it! Anyways, I know that these Author's Notes are getting damn long...just skip em if you feel like.
Next chapter, Jamie starts his new job, disguises are seen through, and new friendships are formed.