Tea's Snappy Come-Back

Tea laughed a lot. She laughed at her friends, she laughed at birds and squirrels playing outside the window, she laughed in English class when Bottom was transformed into a donkey.

When she laughed, she closed her eyes and tilted her head to one side. When something was funny enough, she threw her arms around herself, just like Seto's mother. When Tea laughed, Kaiba turned away, his guts a coil of steel wire being rolled around a spool.

Right now, Tea was giggling about how badly Yugi was beating Joey. Kaiba sat and read Nietzsche's Icce Homo for the second time. He loved Nietzsche. After all, he was the uberkind, and he was becoming the ubermensch. He never paid attention in school, because he truly could see no point in his being there except to be a positive influence for Mokuba, just in case he didn't want anything to do with Kaiba Corp. Most days Kaiba just bided his time, seeing it as a break from the demands of being a CEO, as a time to catch up on reading, and, most importantly, to observe Yugi's technique.

He loved watching Yugi duel. He loved LISTENING to Yugi duel. Yugi was brilliant, and that's what made Kaiba nearly insane. He had to defeat Yugi, and not just defeat him, but make him cry in self-pity over Kaiba's superiority, or beg him to teach him his tricks, at which Kaiba would smirk and say that it would be a waste of time, throw in another cutting remark, and then turn smoothly away. The little dwarf with the freaky hair should be so easy to destroy, he thought. Really, he was so goofy looking. He was so small. Sure, Yugi beat everybody else, but he couldn't beat Kaiba. It was ludicrous to think so.

The game was ended. Yugi was the winner, of course. Kaiba had been taking mental notes, an easy thing to do as Yugi was explaining to Tristan and Joey his every move, and Tea, of course, felt the need to put Yugi's explanation in her own words. Her legs were slender and sleek under her skirt, tapering in her knee socks into her school shoes. Her skirt was loose around the small of her back and then draped from the slope of her ass in an elegant fall of fabric. Tristan, the kid with the hair that could double as a railroad spike, put his hand on Tea's shoulder and guided her to a corner of the room away from Yugi and Joey. The spot he chose to have his tête-à-tête with Tea was right near where Kaiba was sitting. Kaiba clenched his teeth and buried his nose further into Icce Homo. Was she wearing perfume? Orange scented perfume? How perfectly childish.

"Have you gotten Joey's present yet, Tea?"

"Almost," Tea's voice sounded discouraged. How unusual. "I'm still short a few dollars."

"How much? Maybe I can spot you."

"No, no, Tristan. I'll just pick up some extra chores around the house and a couple more hours at the diner."

"Tea, you don't get paid until next Friday. The party is this Saturday. Just let me spot you. You can pay me back, or we can make it a joint gift or something."

"Thanks, Tristan, but I never borrow money from friends. Besides, you already have your gift for Joey. I kind of want to give him one of my own."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. Jesus Christ, just let him loan you the money, he thought. You can always fuck for it later. The thought made him snort with mirth. He could feel Tea and Tristan's eyes turn to him.

"Anyway," Tea said after a little pause, "I'll manage, Tristan. Don't worry. I don't want you to have to spend any more money. You need to start saving, too, you know."

Kaiba turned in his chair. "Gardner, do you mind meddling at a lower volume? I'm trying to read, and it's really distracting."

Tea looked taken aback for a moment, then she smirked right back at Kaiba.

"That's a real bitch, Kaiba. Why don't you buy some gold-plated ear plugs?"

Everyone heard her and stared. Tristan doubled over, as much from shock as paroxysms of laughter. .

Joey Wheeler, the mutt, walked over, his hand in his pocket. He pulled something out and flipped it at Kaiba. It landed on his desk with a rattling tinkle. It was a shiny quarter.

"A little something for the ear plugs, rich boy. Don't spend it all in one place."

Everyone lost it then, even Bakura, the white haired weakling. Barely suppressed snorts and chortles bounced throughout the room. Their joy at seeing him humiliated outshone their fear of him.

Kaiba calmly picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room, already plotting his revenge against Wheeler, Gardner, Taylor, and Yugi too, for good measure. Just as he put his hand on the knob to leave the classroom, he glanced back at Gardner. She wasn't laughing anymore. She was biting her lip, her eyes large and pleading and moist with guilt. The corner of Kaiba's lip twitched and she flinched slightly. An idea was fertilized and quickened in Kaiba's head. He raised his head and gazed down at her over his nose. Then he turned and left.

He felt like he was stepping off a cliff.