Over The Rainbow

12

A/N For anyone who is reading/has read "Spirit Caller"

YES. This story is canon to Connar's story!

"Over The Rainbow" is a side story that takes place about 3 years BEFORE she started Duel Academy. It places itself during the summers and time she spent at Duel Prep School. As such: IT CONTAINS SPOILERS.

So. Spoiler Warning. Enjoy^^

-Jesse-

Summer will always be ours.

...That was the last text she got from him.

It was the first fall of the last term. She only had one summer ahead of her before her life at Duel Academy would begin. Things were already busy. right at the start of the final year everything became about graduation, what school to apply to, weather they got into those schools and of course...exams. It was full of work and very busy. Connar barely had time to get a text out she was busy doing this, that or something else either involving school, classes, exams, or her family as Kaiba.

Of course it was the same for Jesse too. He was also preparing for his graduation and starting at whatever school of his choice. If he got in. She was lucky to get a text from him. Just as she was lucky to be able to send one.

Even during lunch hour she was greeted with radio silence more often than not. She would let out a heavy sigh, sitting away from everyone and eating alone. Chazz would watch her from a distance and sigh. He and his passe of fans sat together though they spent more time expressing his praises than they did actually talking to him personally. They were so absorbed in it, that they didn't even notice that he had left.

"Room for another?" Chazz asked softly from behind, startling her out of her funk.

"Oh, Princeton..." she said softly, glancing over at his previous table,"Won't your fan club miss you~?" she chuckled lightly trying to remain light hearted, but he could tell she was struggling with that. The two fo them often spent a lot of time together within these got along pretty well now, anyone outside looking in would think and see them as pretty good friends at this point. He began to get to know her emotions and actions better than anyone else. More so than he hoped to admit...

Yet...it didn't bother him anymore like it initially did before. In fact, he felt strange imagining her not there anymore...

"...Eh." he shrugged,"I left them forever ago and they still haven't noticed I'm even gone." he huffed and sat himself right down next to her, continuing to enjoy his meal in a comfortable silence. Careful not to push any buttons. She'd tell him whatever she wanted to tell him...

And he'd listen to whatever she had to say. He wasn't any good at understanding, or empathy. But he could atleast offer this much. And she appreciated the comfort in his company.

He held a sideways glance on her as he chewed, scanning her every emotion on her face as she stared at a blank screen on her cell phone.

"...To think we'll be starting at the Academy next year." he stated.

"...Yeah." she blinked as though she had just realized this herself,"I guess we will be,huh?"

"Hmm..." he hummed in acknowledgement while he swallowed his morsel.

"You worked really hard." he said gently,"Studied a long time for the past 3 years...if anyone is ready for the Academy, it's definitely you."

"...You helped with a lot of that, Princeton." she chuckled.

"No duh." he huffed,"That's how I know we'll get in." he grinned,"Of course I helped you...I need my competition you know~" he teased and gave her a playful nudge in the arm. This didn't seem to raise her spirits any though. She did give him a warm smile, but the sadness behind her blue eyes was far more noticable. It stung him a bit to watch but he didn't want to have to say anything about it...He thought it best to keep quiet and let her speak on her own. If she wanted to share...she would.

Still though...

I wonder if she had a fight with her boyfriend...?

Concerns and curiosity ran through his mind.

They walked back together in silence. Her mind still clearly elsewhere. He wtched her the enture time.

What can I say?

What can I do?

He thought to himself.

What SHOULD I do in this situation...?

Nothing would come to mind. All he could do was watch and he wasn't sure if he felt hurt, bothered or relieved by it all.

"Hey...Connar-" He reached his hand out to her, not sure of what he would actually say if he managed to make contact and summon her attention. Though he needn't not worry, as she walked right by without notice that he had stopped. His fingers barely brushed her shoulder and he didn't manage to grasp her in time. He stood frozen in the hall alone, watching as she left not only him, but everything behind her.

Each passing day that neared her to the soon to come ceremony were full of thoughts of Jesse. Who he was and what he was to her. Everything he meant and represented...and she often thought of her place in his life too. It's not that their relationship was bad or strained. It was solid, and good..but if nothing else, lonely. She thought a lot of where they were now, and where they were going, if their path was the same and growing, or if it split apart in different directions. Images them and every intimate moment they shared in passion played across her memory like motion pictures across her eyes. What she once saw vibrantly in rainbow colors was dulling now...into tones of grey...and she couldn't stop it. She tried, she found herself reaching out to the memories that seemed to slowly fade away.

My hands...

She blinked.

They can't touch him...

She sighed pulling in her palm and zoning out into the center of its empty grasp, now cold where the warmth of his palm once held.

My voice...

she sighed.

It can't reach him...

she could feel the tears sting the corners of her eyes as she curled into herself, wrapping her own arms around her in an embrace of his that she just couldn't mimic.

I can't...hold him...

The tear drops fell like droplets of rain against the dirty tile she sat on alone in the school hall while the last bell rang out to end the day.

XXXXX

"Congratulations on graduating Connar~!" Her uncle and Father pulled blue eyes white poppers that shot confetti all over the girl's pink hair and she giggled trying to swish it away.

"I technically haven't graduated yet..." she chuckled,"The ceremony isn't until early summer..."

"Which will be here faster than you think!" Mokuba stated.

They had taken her to her favorite seafood place to celebrate her passing the final exams. Which guaranteed her graduation.

"This is an early celebration in case something comes up and we can't do it after the actual ceremony." he stated.

"You mean you might not be able to make it?"

"Oh you better believe we're gonna make it!" Mokuba huffed,"I meant after wards."

"I see..."

It's true they were often busy. She was lucky when they did have the time to spend like this and cherished these moments. Seeing as her father doesn't get to cut loose often, it was funny to watch him have fun teasing her with a party popper. Though light the conversation between them was, Connar was anywhere but in the present moment.

This place...

She thought to herself as she took in the scene.

This was where be broght me that night...

She blinked and ran her fingers across the table cloth.

If I remember correctly...this was even where we sat.

"Earth to Connar~" Mokuba sang out as he tossed a cocktail shrimp at her face.

"Ahh! Hey that's a waste of good food!"

"There she is!" he sighed in relief,"You seemed lost in space there. kiddo."

"Oh...sorry I..." She sighed as she glanced at her wallpaper, which happened to be the first selfie she and Jesse ever took together,"...I have a lot on my mind."

Mokuba blinked and stared for a while with a heavy heart as he sighed.

"It's about Jesse, isn't it?" he asked gently.

"Did he break your heart?" Kaiba blinked as he sipped his wine,"Because...I can take care of that..."

"Seto!" Mokuba hissed.

"Kidding!" he said defensively,"I'm kidding...kind of."

"Dad..." Connar scoffed and gave a light chuckle as he shrugged, showing no remorse."No...he didn't break my heart." she sighed.

"You haven't seen him for a while huh?" Mokuba blinked.

"I thought he was here last summer?"

"That's not what I mean Seto...besides only spending summers together still makes for a long wait between visits." Mokuba sighed as he swiped her phone,"I mean they haven't had much time to talk lately."

"He's graduating too, you know." she chuckled softly,"He messages me when he can and so do I."

Though...it was beginning to feel like not enough.

"...Long distance relationships are hard, Connie." Mokuba said softly,"It's impressive you lasted this long." he chuckled.

"I miss him..." she whimpered softly and Kaiba gasped nearly choking on his wine. The emotions of a teenage girl in love was not something he was ready to handle, and he was very under prepared.

"I'm sure you do." said Mokuba,"And I'm sure he misses you too."

"...Things...don't always work out the way you hope." Seto coughed.

"...Dad?" she blinked.

"Wh-What I mean is..." he sighed, leaning forward to place his glass on the table and fold his hands over to make a rest for his chin.

"Sometimes...things don't always work out." he said softly,"Seconds become minutes." he blinked,"Minutes into hours, hours to days, days into months..." He sighed,"Months into seasons which become years that make...life." he sighed. "Time causes change Connar... things don't always stay the same no matter how much we wish they could." he stated,"This applies to people too. They change with the passing time...as such, their feelings and emotions change as well."

"..."

"This includes love." he stated,"I'm not saying your love isn't valid, nor am I saying it doesn't matter...but despite what the romantics believe...even love is not eternal." he shrugged,"And that's just the truth of fact." he sighed,"Love changes too. It changes people and changes with people. It changes with you...and with Jesse too."

Connar blinked, listening intently to her father's words.

"More often than not sweetheart...one's 'first love' never lasts." he said softly,"But it's an important milestone in your growth as a person." he explained,"It helps shape you into the person you're meant to be, and open your eyes, your mind, and your horizons to the person you will become." he sighed and took her hand in his,"I know it feels like it's disappearing...and you're scared that if it goes away, you will never have that feeling again." he said softly,"But I assure you...you will." he blinked,"It won't be the same exact feeling, like I said, love changes. And the people you love will change too." he said,"But it will be the same familiarity you held with it before." he smiled,"There are plenty of fish in the sea Connar and this certainly won't be your last...Besides you will be starting at the academy soon...there will be far more...elite fish to choose from your net that you tie with every part of you that makes you someone worth loving." he said softly,"I promise you that."

"Wow, Seto." Mokuba blinked,"I'm impressed...you know...you're getting pretty good at this being a dad thing~." he snickered.

"Thank you." He said gruffly before taking up his glass of wine,"I've had about ten years of practice so far..."

"HaHaHa." Mokuba laughed lightly and let out a gentle sigh.

"Listen Connar." he said softly,"We can;t tell you what to do about your situation here..." he blinked,"All we can do in this particular situation is advise you not to hold on to an anchor." he said,"Anchors weigh you down, that's what they're built for and that's not always a bad thing." he said,"But if you remain still...you could become too focused on the person you're trying to be, rather than opening your flexibility to the person you're meant to be, and remaining blind to who you could become." he said,"It's like that for Jesse too." he gave her a pained and broken smile that held a warmth and tenderness she knew ws just.

"I understand..." she said softly,"And I think...I know what I can do, too..."

To Be Continued