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Recap:

"Haven't you ever heard that quitters never win, and winners never quit?" Duke asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't want to win any longer! So quitting is just fine with me!" Max said putting the paper in her bag.

"I bet you still carry a Duel Deck around!" Duke said crossing his arms, Max looked at him and frowned.

"This conversation is over!" Max said picking up her bag and walking out leaving a smiling Duke behind her.

"Ha! You do!" Max heard Duke shout behind her, she just ignored him and kept walking.

F.F To After School

The bell rang for Max's last class. She only rolled her eyes and stayed seated until most of the kids had left, the only ones remaining were Kaiba who was reading. And Yugi's group. Max only stayed so she could meet with the teacher like she had asked her to.

"So Max?" Yugi asked walking up to Max's desk. Max looked up at him from her picture she was finishing of the Blue Eye's White Dragon.

"What?" Max asked shortly.

"Did you want to hang with us?" Tristan asked.

"Hn, No! I have other plans." Max said going back to her picture.

"Aww, come on! What could be better than hanging out with us?" Joey asked.

"Umm, I don't know?" Max pondered thoughtfully as she got up and put her stuff back in the bag "I think torture would be better, but I could be wrong!" Max said lifting her bag. She got an amused 'Hn' from Kaiba, Yugi's group just looked at her like she had suddenly sprouted heads.

"Jeez, What's your problem? Were only trying to be your friends!" Joey said getting annoyed. Max looked at him emotionlessly.

"Thanks But, One: I didn't ask you to be my friends, and Two: Friends are only a crutch for the weak! I don't need them." Max said starting to walk away.

"You're wrong!" Tea said stepping forward "Friends only make you stronger!" She argued Max turned a bit to look at her.

"Tell me... What does if feel like to live in a constant haze of stupidity?" She looked at Max for a second, then starting to tear up she turned away.

"Why did you have to do that?" Yugi asked Max sadly turning to talk to Tea. Joey turned to Kaiba who watched the whole thing.

"Yo, Kaiba! I think I found ya a girlfriend! Or is she to nice?" Kaiba sent a glare at Joey and opened his mouth, but he was not fast enough. Max crossed the room in seconds and stood inches away from Joey's face.

"Listen Mutt!" Max growled a dangerous glint in her eye's "Mind your manners when you talk about me! Or will I have to teach you some!" Joey backed up a step before standing up to Max.

"You want a piece of me girl?" He said baling his hands into fists. Max only looked at him in disgust.

"A piece of you?" Max asked with a sneer "Hn, not unless it was disinfected! And then I'd still use rubber gloves!" Max said and turned away from Joey as he looked at her angrily. "I'd love to stay and continue this verbal spar, but frankly I have gotten bored." Max said as she walked out of the room and down a few halls to the first class room she had entered.

"Ahh, Miss Harper! Please come in." The teacher said from behind her desk. Max dipped her head in thanks and walked forward.

"You wanted to see me?" Max asked as she sat at the desk in the first row directly in front of the teachers desk.

"How is it that you are that good at Algebra?" The teacher asked folding her hands in front of her on the desk.

"If you read my file you will know! Just remember to keep the information in it confidential!" Max said "And in answer to your unspoken question. No I did not cheat!" The teacher looked at Max surprised that she found out why she wanted to see her.

"Alright then, You're free to go Miss Harper!" Max got up and gave her a small bow before she left the room. Max walked down to her locker and changed her shoes then walked out the door. Max looked across the dark courtyard since it was late October it got dark early, the only thing there was a limo, she ignored it and walked down the side walk as she reached into her bag and brought out a cell phone. She hit 'talk' twice since George was the last person that she had called.

"How was school Miss Max?" George's voice said when it came on.

"It sucked!"

"Want to talk about it?"

"No!"

"So you have a different reason for calling?"

"Yes, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not coming straight home." Max said walking down the side walk the opposite way of her new house.

"Where are you going?"

"Just into the city for a bit. I wanted to visit the book store."

"Did you want me to send you a limo?"

"No need, what time is it now?" Max asked as she saw the city looming over head.

"It's just a little after five thirty."

"Hn, I will try and be back before ten. I'll call if my plans change."

"Ok, Good-bye Miss Max!"

"Bye George!" Max said and hung up the cell phone and put it back in her bag. She looked up at the city, It wasn't that big, but it looked like it should have a few book stores. Max walked around the city for a little more than an hour just mapping it out, she noted two book stores that she decided to go back and visit. After another half an hour of walking Max was back at the first book store, she walked in, and walked out an hour later with two bags. Max looked at her watch, it was 8:42 pm.

'Hmm, nothing else to do, I'll just go home.' Max thought with a shrug as she tied the book bags shut. Max started walking the way she had come earlier, walking out of the city and down the sidewalk. Max had walked past the school and down a block when she heard a shout. She picked her head up and looked around. There was an Alley to her left where she heard the shout again. Max walked to the alley and looked in.

"Just give it to us kid!" Growled a man that was over six feet tall and wearing a black suit, there were four other guys surrounding a little boy with long black hair that was carrying a case that was a bit too big for him.

"No! It's not yours!" The little boy said near tears. The man who had spoken before leaned down and pulled the boy up by his shirt collar slapped him and threw him against the wall, his hand holding his throat. Max stepped forward and swung her bag of books and let it sail towards the guys head. It hit him in the side of his face making him drop the kid. He turned angrily on Max, an obvious anger written across his face.