Chapter 3

Lol, the first flame. Well, I hope you are glad to know that it warmed my early morning pepsi :p. seriously, why take the time to post a review that was clearly meant to hurt someone? (since it only made me laugh) Jeesh, I'd like everyone to know that flaming people is meant only to hurt someone and therefore is just an underhanded deceitful thing to do (since you're not saying to someone's face.)

Now that we're out of the 'The author needs a few minutes alone with the readers' portion of the program, let's get on with the story!

Emara was at homeroom early the next day. She sat by herself, reading her novel.

Honda arrived and sat next to her. He asked her which novel she was reading.

'This one isn't in mass production yet,' she said. 'It's called Frozen Petals Fall and Burn.'

'Sounds interesting,' said Honda nicely.

Emara closed the novel. 'It is. It's about a boy who can't make up his mind and forms a wall around himself to ward off any pain.'

'Let me guess, and there's a girl who loves him and she breaks down his wall and they get together?' said Honda.

'Yes,' said Emara. 'But then the boy falls into an untreatable coma. Did I mention that this book is a true story?'

Honda shook his head.

'Well, it is. And I happen to know the author.'

'Oh,' said Honda. 'Do you know the ch-'

'Hey, Honda,' said Jonouchi, cuffing Honda over the head. 'Don't bore Bakeshii.'

'I'm not!'

'Did Honda tell you he rides a motorcycle?' asked Jonouchi.

'No, he didn't,' said Emara.

Honda shrugged modestly. 'I don't like to brag.'

'Then I will,' said Jonouchi. 'I was on a game show once. I won the jackpot.'

'How much did you win?' asked Emara.

'Uh,' Jonouchi blushed. 'The company went bust. I never got anything.'

'Too bad, Jonouchi,' said Emara.

Jonouchi entertained his friends with a boastful story about how he beat up a group of thugs with killer yo-yos until Anzu arrived. She declared to all that Bakura would not be attending school that day because he had to spend more time with is father.

Yugi arrived late to homeroom because his mother forgot to wake him.

Anzu had the same classes as Emara all day and so she talked with her and they became fast friends. The boys still followed Emara like a cloud of stinging gnats, but Emara didn't seem to mind. Again, she awed her history class with her fact recall. She did the same in science class where biology was the topic for the semester.

At ten to three, the bell to end school tolled. Emara walked with Yugi's group down to the front gate.

'Oh!' exclaimed Anzu. 'Emara hasn't met Yugi yet!'

Emara turned to Yugi and Jonouchi introduced them. 'Emara, this here's Yugi.'

'Yugi?' asked Emara. Her voice was lower than usual and her eyes were narrowed. 'Yugi Mutou?

Yugi nodded. 'Yup, that's me.'

Emara did nothing for a moment and then she drew back her arm and struck Yugi in the face with her right hand. Yugi reeled back from the punch and fell to the turf.

'Yugi!' shrieked Anzu and she flew down to him and fell to his side, lifting his head onto her lap.

Honda and Jonouchi tensed up.

'What was that for?' cried Jonouchi.

Emara turned her back to them. 'My reasons are just and my own. My apologies, Yugi, I forgive you now for what you have done. You had no choice. It was the right thing to do. But the consequences of your actions are more terrible than you could even imagine.'

Yugi croaked on the ground and Anzu held him down. He tried to speak again but his head spun so quickly that he simply slid into Anzu's arms.

A limousine pulled up to the school gates. Emara walked measuredly towards it and a huge man in a black suit leapt out of the driver's seat and opened the rear side door for her. The shadow of an existing passenger could be seen until Emara slid into the limousine. The suit closed the door and jumped back into the driver's seat. The car took off.

'Hey, Yuug, are you all right, bud?' asked Jonouchi. He helped Yugi to his feet and then Anzu.

'I think so,' Yugi grimaced and felt his swelling cheek gingerly. 'I've never been punched by a girl before.'

'You must be a magnet for physical attacks,' said Anzu worriedly. 'There was the arcade guy, the guy who stole monster fighters and then sold them on the black market… and Kaiba, of course.'

'That's different,' spat Jonouchi. 'Kaiba isn't man enough to fight hand to hand: he hit Yugi over the head with his stinkin' briefcase!'

'This really isn't helping, guys,' said Yugi plaintively. 'You'll back me up, won't you, Honda?'

Yugi, Anzu and Jonouchi looked around.

'Honda?'

But Honda was gone.