Chapter 8: Loli Patrol
Sighing, I heaved another box off the end of the ship, making my way down the galley and setting it in the back of Harrington's truck. Rosewood sporting goods was receiving a new shipment of polo shirts- in red, yellow, and blue! We also were unloading a palette of sod to put down around the shop, as well as some potted plants. Imagine the joy I felt upon hearing that that we did our own landscaping, although I suppose it's not exactly easy to hire the service out, being on an island and all.
I was handling the clothes shipment while a coworker by the name of Adam Sugihara was helping one of the deck workers load the sod onto a skid steer. He was a Ra Yellow sophomore who actually attended the same elementary school as Erin, although his family was originally from China. He was fluent in Chinese, Japanese and English, which I found quite impressive considering he was only sixteen. When I was sixteen (the first time around, that is) I was spending my spare time chasing skirts and playing video games, meanwhile this kid was trilingual.
Like me, Adam started working at Rosewood Sporting Goods in order to afford new cards, as he was planning to take his dueling skills as far as he could. He wasn't terrible; his problem was that he insisted on using cards with coin flip effects for reasons I could not fathom. A Gambling Duelist, he calls himself. Why one would make Duel Monsters even more luck-based is beyond me. In my opinion, he certainly had a ways to go as far as dueling was concerned. It's like he thought this was some kind of game or something!
Adam liked to make a lot of stupid bets, but I guess I couldn't really call him stupid because he tended to make a lot of money off of said bets. Duels, sports games, class rankings, elections- you name it, this guy has probably made a couple hundred off of the outcome. Even still, his winnings weren't enough to finance his habits of buying expensive cards and clothes. Perhaps one, but certainly not the other. He had good luck in duels as well, but it wasn't enough to beat me when we dueled a few days ago. Turns out a consistent strategy beats relying on coin flips! In other news, bears shit in the woods and water is wet!
"Adam!" I called. "I'm taking the shirts back. You guys got that sod?"
"Yeah, we got it Jamie. Let's lay this shit quick when we get back so we can get off early." He yelled down from the bow of the ship. Giving him a thumbs-up, I hopped in the truck and drove it up the hill with my cargo in tow. It was about a ten mile dirt road up to Rosewood Sporting Goods, so I imagined it wouldn't take too long to unload this stuff, lay the sod, then clock out. It was a Saturday afternoon, and I expected there would be many festivities occurring across the island as the sun went down.
The shop was usually pretty busy on Saturdays, but luckily I usually worked in the back, only ringing up customers when it was really busy. I only worked about fifteen hours a week here, wanting to hold on to a bit of freedom. So far, the manager was pretty cool with me setting my own hours for the most part. Adam and I were the only guys who consistently did inventory, so we got to know each other pretty well.
I got back, unloaded and hung up the shirts on a rack to be wheeled out to the storefront tomorrow. Then, I quickly went to the restroom and changed out of my normal work uniform- a black polo shirt with khaki pants- and donned a ratty cutoff shirt and gym shorts. Laying the grass was going to be dirty work and so different clothes were needed.
I waited about five minutes in the back of the store, enjoying a peaceful moment before Adam and the dock workers came up the hill.
Although it was rather unchallenging, menial work, I enjoyed it, or at the very least I enjoyed getting out of my head for a bit. I found that whenever I slowed down too much, my mind started to turn back to my old life, and from there it was all too easy to get lost in a haze of memories. Thinking about regrets long ago did nothing for anyone. I knew that no matter what, I could never reveal my secrets to anyone in this world. A lot of unusual things happen in the world of Yugioh, but my case might be a little beyond the pale. Besides, I wanted to be treated like anyone else would and forge my path here uninfluenced from my old life.
Soon enough, my colleague returned with a few guys who worked on the ship. They unloaded the sod and left us to unroll it. I suppose they were busy to the point where they had to sail again as soon as possible. I didn't envy them.
"Wanna bet how fast we can finish this up?" Adam said cheekily. He was around my height, with a runner's build and a rapper's fashion sense, often wearing extravagant shoes, expensive sport coats and vibrant hats- basically anything but the Ra uniform, which we both agreed looked terrible. I had only ever seen him wear it at official academy functions. His black hair was longer than mine, parted to the right so that his long bangs framed his angular face.
"That's not really a good bet." I reply. "It's both in our best interest to complete the job as quickly and efficiently as possible so we can leave. We'll both be going as fast as we can anyway, so there's no reason to make a game out of it."
"You Obelisks with your logic and your reasoning." He said as we both began to unroll the grass around the edges of the shop foundation.
"Ha! Most Obelisk Blues aren't big fans of logic. They tend to be led around by their egos more than anything. Really, it's the Ra Yellows who actually have their heads on straight." Looking at him, I add, "with some exceptions, of course."
"What can I say? Life's more fun when you win big!" He laughed, causing his already narrow eyes to crinkle. In about an hour, we laid the sod and made the necessary cuts with utility knives so it looked good.
We looked upon our work with pride. Sure, it was a bit outside the scope of a normal stockboy's duties, but it was no big deal. The manager let us go after he inspected the job for himself, and soon enough, Adam and I were walking along the gravel path to the Ra Yellow dorms, where we would part ways.
"So, have you heard about the school duel?" Drew asked making small talk.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Truesdale's calling it quits. Apparently he doesn't wanna do it anymore because North Academy is sending a freshman as their representative. No idea why Sheppard's alright with it, but whatever. I guess Bastion Misawa and Jaden Yuki will be dueling to see who represents the academy. Man, you freshman sure have some talented duelists in your ranks!" Adam was meandering his way to his real point, and I figured I'd beat him to the punch.
"I'll bet fifty dollars on Yuki." I clap him on the shoulder with a sharp grin.
He did a double take. "What? Are you serious?"
"I'm friends with both of them. I know the matchup, and Jaden is going to win." I say firmly.
"You're right, Obelisk Blues really don't know how to use logic! You're telling me Bastion Misawa, the guy who spends all day mathematically organizing his strategies and fine-tuning his deck is going to get beat by a Slifer? Get real!"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. If that's the hill you're willing to die on, then so be it. I'm telling your right now Jaden will win the match, even though Bastion will have prepared his deck to counter him." I repeat.
My certainty seemed to impress upon Adam, but unfortunately for him that only made him sure of his decision. "Imagine that, a Slifer representing the school…no way. I gotta go with my gut on this one." We shook hands and the deal was made. I felt a bit guilty about using my foreknowledge of canon to make money…but not that guilty. I wondered what I should spend my extra fifty dollars on as I made my way back to the Obelisk Blue dorm.
After showering off and switching into a coral t-shirt and khaki shorts, I made my way to the student union for a bite to eat. The dorm cafeterias were closed on the weekends, so a smaller one in the main academy hall opened up to service the students.
Of course, Saturdays were the ever so famous "sandwich draw" days.
As usual, a horde of students huddled around the cooler in which the famous "Sandwich Day" packages were. For a giggle, the kitchen staff decided every Saturday to make a variety of random sandwiches, throw them in some unlabeled wrappers, and throw them in the large cooler for the students to draw. Gizzard, liver, and other unmentionables somehow made their way into the sandwiches, much to the disgust of the masses. If the rumors were to be believed, one poor bastard actually managed to eat a sandwich with a raw snake heart on rye. Personally, I thought perhaps a flatbread would bring out the flavor better, but oh well.
I normally didn't bother with this stupid sandwich drawing, but I felt like giving it a whirl today. I heard there was a spot of trouble with someone stealing the famous golden egg sandwiches out of the cooler without even opening the packaging first. Sounds a bit hard to believe, but apparently the thief was tracked down by a group of Slifer Reds as well as one Obelisk Blue girl. The golden eggs were returned shortly thereafter. What a silly story, am I right?
I quickly snatched a sandwich out of the top of the pile. Without looking at the contents, I opened it up and took a bite. The other students looked at me with curiosity for a moment as they rifled through the cooler.
It was nothing too crazy, just ham and swiss with a dollop of mustard. Pretty good luck, all things considered. Smiling, I made my way down to the Slifer Red dorm. Jaden was holding a bonfire tonight, and I heard that Chumley's dad shipped him a stash of Svedka for his birthday as well as a cute bottle of Crystal Head on the low. It promised to be a good time.
The sun had fully set by the time I made it down to the coast. On the way, I picked up a few two-liter bottles of soda to use as mixers. Sure enough, the Slifer Reds were already getting rowdy by the time I arrived. Many Ra Yellow students and even a rare Obelisk were there as well, and there was music and dancing aplenty.
I spotted Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley sitting by the fire, kicking back and enjoying life. It looked like Jaden was seemingly back to normal after his somewhat odd behavior last week. Idly, I wondered what had changed. Hopefully his quality of sleep improved.
"What's good, guys?" I grinned as I took a seat next to Chumley, who gave a clap on the back as greeting, as did Syrus. Jaden, on the other hand, stared blankly at me for a moment, as if he were seeing me, but not really seeing me, if that makes sense. His eyes narrowed for only a moment before his usual cheerfulness returned.
"Good to see you, Jamie!" He grinned. "How's that new job going?"
"Can't complain. Are you ready to win that school duel?" I reply as he handed me a red solo cup.
"You bet!" He responded with a thumbs up. "I can't wait to finally duel Bastion!"
"Don't underestimate him, Jaden. I know for a fact he's got a plan in place to counter your deck." I cautioned.
"In that case, I'll just plan to be unpredictable!" He laughs it off, as he always does. "Say, have you met the new Slifer transfer student yet?"
I shook my head, not remembering who this transfer student was supposed to be again.
"Hey Blair, come here!" Jaden called from across the field.
Oh, for fuck's sake. I audibly groaned as I saw Blair approach. She was even shorter than Syrus, which made sense as I believed she was what, twelve years old at this time? A large pageboy hat covered up her long violet locks. Why she didn't simply cut her hair if she wanted to masquerade as a boy was beyond me.
"Hello, my name is Blair. It's really nice to meet you!" She shook my hand, and I just looked right at her with a bland look on my face.
"Nice to meet you, man." I said, struggling not to laugh. This show was really too much sometimes! I mean, her plan was completely unsustainable. Sooner or later, the hat is going to fall off and people are going to realize that you are a girl, bro. Really brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "you activated my trap card"! Good luck going swimming or showering as well! The fact that a twelve year old girl could still be a trap is pretty astounding in and of itself, but it would be two years max before puberty hit and this jig was up. I mean, I didn't expect any House of Cards level planning from her, but this wasn't even a feasible strategy in the immediate short term. Come to think of it, how did she even get to the island without her parents knowing? They must be worried sick about her. Man, the more I thought about this, the more confusing it became!
However, my musings on Blair halted as I caught of something more interesting; Erin Reid wearing a white halter top with cutoff jean shorts. She easily moved Blair aside as sat down between Syrus and myself. Poor Syrus looked red as a tomato!
"I'm surprised you're up this late. Don't you want to catch the waves tomorrow morning?" I ask as I lean back and gaze at the fire. She threw her arm around me and downed a drink in one gulp before pulling a flask out of her back pocket.
"I'll do both, then sleep tomorrow afternoon." She said cheekily.
"Well, as long as you have a plan…" I say dryly.
"Say, Erin, have you checked out those new water cards from the new set? I bet your deck is gonna look sick after you've opened up a few packs!' Jaden called over.
"You know it, and you'll see em in action during our rematch, Jaden!" She declared, equally enthused.
"Rematch? When did this happen?" I ask lazily.
"Just a few days ago. Jaden ended up winning…Slifer slacker." She teased.
"You did well- I hardly ever get to bring out Shining Flare Wingman like that!" The Slfier prodigy exclaimed.
"And I hardly get to play Neo Daedalus." She responded. They laughed about it until Blair interjected, introducing "himself" to the Obelisk water duelist.
"Nice to meet you, dude. My name is Erin Reid, I'm an Obelisk Blue student." Erin said as she gave me a knowing look, which I returned.
"Wow! That's great! Are you an Obelisk as well, Jamie?" Blair asked.
"That's right." I grinned, knowing where she was going with this.
"Do either of you know Zane Truesdale?" Blair blurted with excitement. Idly, I wondered why she knew who Zane was in the first place. Did they meet at some point in the past? I forget if it was ever mentioned. That's usually how it worked in anime, was it not? The protagonist makes a lasting impression on a girl he met as a child, and ten years, boom another member of the harem. Perhaps Zane was the real protagonist and harem king of Yugioh GX all along! How's that for a plot twist?
Noticing that I had been blanking out for about twenty seconds, I finally said, "Yeah, I know him. I've actually dueled him once."
Erin nodded and said, "I know him, but not very well."
Blair was rapt. "Are you friends with him?" She asked giddily to me.
"I mean, kind of…. maybe?" I shrugged. I guess I wasn't really sure. Neither Zane nor I were really the warm and fuzzy types.
She glomped my arm, causing Erin to giggle. The Slifers didn't seem to think any of this behavior was strange. Just how dense were they? "Zane's amazing, isn't he? I bet he totally destroyed you when you dueled him, isn't that right?"
Why am I suddenly the main source of information on Zane when his younger brother was literally sitting right next me, not saying a word!? "Umm, we tied actually."
"You're lying, I bet he stomped you!" Well, I had to commend her. Not many would so fervently argue on behalf of someone they've never met before.
"Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we walk around and see if Zane's here? Maybe then you can ask him yourself!" I suggest deviously, and Erin now burst out laughing.
"I don't think Zane would go to a Slifer Red party-" Syrus began before I cut off.
"Silence! Anyways," I turned to Blair. "What do you say we check at the Obelisk dorms first and see if he's there. Erin, do you want to come with?"
"Certainly, Jamie." She said after her giggles subsided. "Come on, Blair." She grabbed Blair by the arm and dragged her along without even waiting for me. Always aggressive, that one. "Haha, I'll catch you guys later!" I waved at the Slifers as I left, although before I left the party I filled my cup one last time.
I ran to catch up with Erin and Blair. Erin and I both knew that campus law enforcement would be sniffing about on the main pathways, so we decided to go through some lesser known routes to the Obelisk dorms, weaving through forest and taking a detour around the lake. It was fully nighttime now, but luckily it became easier to see as we approached the Obelisk dorms, due to the increased lighting.
"Wait!" Erin whispered harshly before diving behind a shrub. "Woah!" Blair squeaked as she was drug to the ground, Erin still holding onto her arm. I followed suit, although I spilled the rest of my drink as I did so. Grumbling, I had half a mind to throw the empty cup away, but this was too beautiful of an island to litter.
"What's up?" I muttered to Erin. "Cop." She whispered. Peeking between the leaves of the bush, I saw that there was one watchman out, his flashlight lighting the path while also allowing him to see potential miscreants like ourselves.
I was sure we wouldn't get into any serious trouble if we got caught, but Erin was probably right to be cautious. After a few horribly tense moments, the policeman passed us by. Blair wanted to keep moving, but Erin restrained her, knowing the cop would hear us if we moved this soon. To Blair's credit, she didn't seem deterred at all from her mission. Somehow, I doubted Zane would appreciate her single-mindedness.
After a few more minutes of uneasy silence, Erin gave us the go-ahead and we kept moving. I deferred to her leadership here; this clearly wasn't the first time she's had to sneak around campus. Before we made it to the doors, I had my keys at the ready. Hastily, I unlocked a side door and let the girls in.
Normally, sneaking into my dorms with two girls would bring back fond memories of my first year at college. However, the fact that one of those girls was a twelve-year-old Zane fangirl disguised as a boy considerably dampened the mood.
"Do you know where Crowler normally is around this time?" Erin asked. Now that we were inside, we slowed our pace to a leisurely walk. The idea was that if we looked like we were supposed to be here, people would assume that we were in fact supposed to be here.
"He'll be asleep by now. He always retires before ten in order to get his beauty sleep." I chuckled.
"I think he probably doesn't need any." Erin said. Blair giggled, and I looked at her. Another devious idea entered my mind.
"Hey, that's a really cool hat, bro. Do you mind if I see it? I promise I'll give it right back." I asked.
Her cheeks flushed. "Uhh…. I'm sorry, I really can't….this hat is really important to me, so I can't take it off…" She stammered. Hilariously, the way she refused to remove her hat reminded me of Luffy from One Piece, although her excuse for wearing it was far less cool than his. Erin and I glanced at each other again, almost not believing that something this ridiculous was really happening.
"Oh, my bad. Anyways, Zane's room should be just up ahead." I highly doubted that Zane would be in his room this evening, unless he was holding a small gathering in there; lord knows the Obelisk rooms were big enough for a group of friends to blaze up- I mean play card games together. Still, couldn't hurt to check.
I knocked three times, and heard the telltale sounds of someone frantically hiding something on the other side before a long stretch of silence. A cobalt blue eye peered through the peephole.
"Hello?" Zane's voice sounded a bit odd, but I dismissed it.
"Zane, what are you doing in there? You know practically everyone's throwing a party tonight, right?" I asked, genuinely bewildered.
"Hey, I can enjoy a night in every once in a while, don't judge me." The normally cool and collected Kaiser said quickly. On second thought, I decided not to inquire further into whatever the senior Obelisk was doing. I suppose every man was allowed his secrets- I certainly couldn't throw any stones in that regard.
"We have a problem that requires your attention." Erin piped up.
Sighing, he opened the door. He appeared to be ready for bed, although it was ten at night on a Friday. He was wearing a navy-blue bathrobe and comfy-looking plaid pajama pants. At this point, I'm pretty sure Blair was about to faint from embarrassment.
"We have brought you a fangirl." I say, and in one swift motion I yank the hat off the top of Blair's head, causing her indigo hair to cascade down her shoulders and back.
"No way! How was my perfect disguise foiled?!" Blair squealed, attempting to steal the hat back from me. With a cackle, I held it over her head. She jumped and clawed attempting to reach it, but to no avail as I pitched the cap over to Erin, who caught it with a laugh.
"Why are you two bullying this poor Slifer girl? Wait a minute, girls shouldn't even be in here! You know that, Jamie!" Zane admonished.
"Well hurry up and let us in then, we do actually have a problem here." I said, sobering slightly. Erin handed Blair her hat back, and the cute little stalker seemed none too fond of either of us as we stepped into Zane's room.
I couldn't believe it, but the Kaiser's personal chambers were far nicer than my own. His floors were made of polished hardwood, and next to his four-poster king bed was a kitchen and bar with a granite-topped island. Behind the counter, I saw that Zane had a fairly extensive selection of drinks, even though obviously students were not allowed to possess alcohol under academy bylaws. Not only did Crowler and Sheppard turn a blind eye in his case, but I'd be willing to bet they bought him a few bottles on the low! Crazy stuff!
Translucent curtains adorned a large picture window, outside of which was a white balcony with a direct view of the lake. Looks like the title of "Kaiser" came with more than a few perks!
Gob smacked by the décor (I'll admit I've watched a few episodes of House Hunters in my day), I turned back to Erin, Zane, and Blair. Blair seemed equally as wowed by the room as I was, while Erin didn't seem particularly interested.
"So, just what is going on?" Zane said as he closed the window, not wanting others to hear.
"Well, I wasn't kidding when I said you had a fangirl. Blair, go on and tell him everything." I said. She looked confused.
"What do you mean by everything?" She asked.
"I mean why did you go to the length of sneaking onto campus, disguising your age and gender, and why you wish to speak to Zane so fervently, to start." I said, my tone brooking no argument. Zane's eyebrows rose by the second, until soon enough they were obscured by his bangs.
"Zane…I wish I could have told you this under different circumstances, but…I'm in love with you! I have been ever since the day we first met, and I won't the silly rules of this academy stop us from being together~!" Her brown eyes teared up as she let out a flood of emotions, her impassioned plea suddenly making me feel like a bit of an asshole.
"The first day we met…" Zane muttered, clearly not remembering when that was.
"I remember it like it was yesterday, it was when you won the Junior Duel Monsters league in Domino city three years ago! You defeated every challenger that came your way effortlessly…I couldn't take my eyes off you! When I heard you were studying at Central Duel Academy, I made up my mind that I would come here and be with you!" The words tumbled out from her, and Zane was very much off balance. Ah, that's where they met!
"Wait…how old are you, exactly?" The Kaiser asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.
"Twelve and a half! I'll be thirteen soon!" She squeaked.
"Blair…" Erin leaned down, trying to be consoling. Come to think of it, I probably should have brought along Alexis for this. She was much better when it came to the delicate matters of the heart.
"I know that you think you're in love, and I'm not asking you outright disregard those feelings. But think about it, what do you really know about Zane? This is your first time ever speaking to the guy! For all you knew, he could have been completely unlike your expectations." Erin said.
"That can't be true! He is my prince!" Blair wailed. Zane looked even more surprised at a proclamation like that. If this didn't stop, his ego was going to swell to untold levels.
"Wait, why did you disguise your gender then? Seems kinda pointless if you were going to reveal yourself eventually." I suddenly say, the realization just occurring to me.
"If I masqueraded as a boy, it would be easier to get into the boys dorms." Blair hotly responded, clearly not in the mood for any more of my lip.
"So, have you been going to classes, then? Do you actually understand the curriculum?" I ask, now just for the sake of satisfying my curiosity.
"Umm…well, not really. I don't understand how everyone else was grasping it so easily…math and chemistry, history, it's all so hard! But that stuff doesn't matter- love conquers all!" She exclaimed.
"Well, you're probably struggling because you're two years behind the material. Blair, I'm very flattered by your affections, but the last thing I want is for you to fail out of school because you don't understand what's being taught. Besides, your parents must be extremely concerned about you. It's time for you to go home." Zane said as gently as he could.
She nodded immediately, wiping her tears. I'd like to believe that she simply recognized the truth behind his words. But in actuality, I'd be willing to bet that if I said those same words, I'd be a big jerk, whereas Zane was a perfect prince who was merely looking out for the wellbeing of his lady.
She sighed in defeat. "You're right, Zane…I'm sorry I caused you any trouble. My parents think I'm on a field trip right now…I really don't want them to know what's really going on."
"Our lips are sealed." I said, trying to be kind.
She looked at me with suspicion. "I don't believe you! You're mean! In fact-" She brought out a duel disk from nowhere. "I challenge you to a duel right now! If a win, I get to stay!" She declared.
"Challenge declined. Blair, we literally just outlined the reasons why you can't stay here. If this goes on any longer, you could get into serious trouble. What I want to know is how you got your paws on the paperwork to even register here as a student in the first place?" I continued on, unaffected.
She sighed. "Was my disguise really that obvious?" She asked, putting away the duel disk. Wait, answer my question, you weasel!
"Yes, it was plain as day. The only reason the Slifers didn't notice is because, well, they're not exactly the brightest crayons in the shed. Now how did you get the paperwork?" I insisted.
"You're mixing metaphors again, Jamie." Erin noted with a giggle.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you get home safely." Zane said in fatherly tone. Why does the universe conspire against me? Oh well, I guess it will remain a riddle for the ages.
Luckily for us, a passenger ferry was heading back to Domino City the next morning, where Blair lived. When the boat docked, Zane pulled aside the captain and had a few words with him. Just like that, Blair had essentially free passage to the city. Made me wonder just how much sway the Kaiser really had…
Unlike in canon, there was no need to duel Blair in order to make her see reason, so that was good. However, the rest of our friends still found about the situation. Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, Bastion, and Alexis accompanied Zane, Erin, and I to the docks to see the girl off.
"So, how did you know about her crush on Zane? I mean, the fact that he was really a girl was obvious, but that…" Erin asked me discreetly.
"Syrus mentioned that Blair made some weird comments about Zane at the assembly. I took one look at her and I could just tell what she was doing, and why she was here. At the very least, I just wanted to see if my intuitions were correct." I lied clumsily.
"You have a pretty good intuition, don't you? You always seem to win those outlandish bets you and Sugihara set up, and that guy's got quite a brain for odds and numbers." Erin said casually. I suddenly felt nervous. One of these days, I was going to let something slip around her. She was going to discover my secrets if I wasn't more careful.
"What can I say? It's a natural talent." I say as lightly as I can.
"Yeah, no kidding. I never would have figured Blair was a girl!" Jaden cut in, and I was actually quite glad for his intervention. Everyone laughed at the Slifer boy's silliness.
"You should watch out, Zane. It'll only be two short years before your princess will return." Alexis said with a sly grin.
"I'll be long gone before then, by the grace of Ra. Unfortunately, it looks like I've lost my coveted status as prince…" The Kaiser said blandly, giving Jaden a nudge.
"Goodbye, Jaden, my sweet prince! Thank you being such a sweetheart! I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove you~!" Blair hollered down from the bow as the ferry set off from the pier.
Jaden paled. "No way! I thought she was supposed to like Zane! Heck, I barely even know this girl!"
"She does like Zane, but it seems that she loves you!" Alexis laughed.
"The affections of girls are so illogical…there should be classes on that subject if you ask me." Bastion said with a shake of the head. Oh, if only he knew what was coming down the pipe…a crazy tiger lady with a penchant for domination. I could barely resist the urge to darkly chuckle.
"Ah, she'll find her prince one day. Who knows if it'll be Jaden…as long as she doesn't start making eyes at you, it doesn't matter." Erin laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulder. I still have no idea what she likes about me- I'll have to ask her soon.
The boat grew smaller and smaller on the horizon, until eventually it disappeared in the endless blue. Erin, Bastion, and I walked to the cafeteria together, the rest of the group breaking off to do their own thing.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Erin. I'm Jamie's old roommate, Bastion Misawa." The Ra Yellow introduced himself cordially to my…. girlfriend, I guess. I kinda just fell into this whole relationship thing, but something tells me actually maintaining it is going to be the hard part. Something tells me things with Alexis weren't so cut and dry either.
"Best of luck in your match next week against Yuki. He's no joke- the guy always seems to pull a lucky draw at the last minute." She advised.
"I think you're right. But I'm not the type to let luck enter the equation. My calculations are exact as can be. I look forward to checking my math against him." Bastion said with certainty.
Scratching my chin, I wondered what would happen if Bastion actually managed to beat Jaden this time around. That would mean that Bastion would face Chazz in the School Duel. As handily as Bastion defeated Chazz the first time in canon, I had my doubts that he would be able to handle him as easily in this circumstance, especially since he theoretically had no way of predicting what cards Chazz would use in the duel.
I supposed that Chazz had already ascended to the rank of Czar up at North Academy, and was probably preparing for the school duel as of right now. I wondered if he held a grudge against me for the way I beat him- oh who I am I kidding, the guy probably has a picture of my face tacked onto a dartboard somewhere. I knew Chazz wasn't that bad of a guy, but man, he can be relentless with his enemies. I had a feeling I would be facing him again down the line. Maybe if we were alone, I would whip out the Melodious deck and put this little argument of ours to bed for good.
"I have to wonder just who this freshman is that North Academy is sending south for us. They must be an amazing duelist to rise in the ranks quickly as he has. To surpass the upperclassman is exceptional as well. Then again, this freshman class is pretty good as far as dueling goes." Erin said idly.
"No one knows anything about him, other than his nickname." Bastion said portentously.
"Oh? And what's that?" I ask.
"They call him the Black Thunderbolt."
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed.
Eh, had to get this one out of the way, as it is technically a canon episode. Struggled to get through it though. I dislike running through the stations of the canon, so I hope this take on the Blair episode was suitably unique. I'm much more excited for the next few chapters, where the plot really starts to derail. Introduced a minor OC in the chapter in the form of the gambling duelist Adam Sugihara- he'll have some plot importance down the road, not as much as Erin though. He's sort of meant to be a foil for Jamie- while Jamie aims to win using whatever means are most efficient, Adam gets a thrill out of taking chances and risks. The game itself is fun- winning is just a bonus. He's also meant to contrast Bastion in the Ra Yellow student body.
Next chapter we will explore the perspective of Chazz Princeton up at North Academy.