NOTE: I know…this was the one I just updated. Sorry for you people who are waiting for other fics. I tried to do them in the order they must be done, but I just can't get into moods sometimes. Please bear with me. I'm trying my best. But I knew I needed to write something, and this felt like the right something.

PS: Uhm…some of you expressed some interests not to see this go into the whole "sex" thing. I'm not going to say that it isn't…but it doesn't delve that deeply. And for now, it's only this chapter that really deals with it (I think). It may come back later to haunt. But yeah: don't stop reading just because of that! It comes in a more-funny-and-not-serious type of situation. …Yeah.

Disclaimers: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 2:

Lesson One: A Three-Letter Word

Okay, Syrus has seriously been bugging the heck out of me lately.

And I use the word "heck" lightly.

It's nonstop I tell you! "Alexis this" and "Alexis that" and "tell her how you feel" and "I always knew you felt that way" and GAH! WHY IS HE CONSTANTLY HOVERING!

Hovering….

Hovering…. …Hiss.

I feel strangely void of personal space as of late. I mean, does he have proof that I feel anything for Alexis? What proof does he have?

So we were in the computer labs today, and I asked him. I couldn't wait to hear his lame "I just had a feeling" answer and crap like that.

I sat next to him at a station and smugly asked the question.

Syrus looked at me strangely for a second as if I was missing something big. He then took off his glasses and began to clean them with the end of his blazer.

"Well for starters, it all began when you were talking in your sleep about her that one day in class a couple weeks ago. And then, get this, when I come over to wake you up in the morning, seven out of ten times you're muttering more stuff about her."

I blushed. Since when? I had no recollections of dreaming about Alexis! None whatsoever!

Well…there was that one with the really skimpy bikini she was flouncing about in-

Okay. Bad territory again. I pounded my head, trying to get some sense into my brain and rid myself of that gosh-darn beaut- I mean…terrible image.

My actions must have been none too discreet. Syrus cocked his head to the side, "Something wrong Jay?"

"Nothing!" I put out my hands. "But…if that's all, then you really have no proof. I mean, only I know what was going on in my head…. It was just...dueling dreams. You know?"

"Sure they were," Syrus rolled his eyes and replaced his glasses, "So then what about the picture of her you have stashed in your desk?"

"Hey, that is a school photo! …I have yours and Bastion's in there too…. Friends, you know? I get 'em and I put them…in the most vacant spot I can…."

"Uh huh," Sy looked at me shrewdly. I got the feeling he was trying to think up something really tough that I wouldn't be able to counter.

Fat chance. Everything he had said as of yet amounted to nothing! Nothing could change my mind that I thought of Alexis on a pure friendship basis.

"You stare at her in class when you're not sleeping."

"She…sits in front of me."

"Not all the time."

"Would you rather watch Crowler?"

"No, but there are plenty of other girls to look at."

"What's your point?"

"Never mind. Hmmm…. Really, Jay, I can't think up anything big. All I can say is that your making-a big-deal-about-it proves that you like her. Denial is the first step towards love. Acceptance is step two. Revelation is the third step. Three easy steps my friend: they will get you everywhere in life."

"I heard that Acceptance was the first step to…."

"Recovery. Acceptance is the first step to mental recovery. Trust me: I would know."

"…Then how do you know about the three steps to love?"

"…Ask no questions and you shall receive no answers."

"It has nothing to do with the fact that Zane has a girlfriend now and you were looking for pointers?"

Syrus tensed up and hesitated, "O-Of course not! What are you thinking?" he laughed nervously. I sighed. Same old Syrus.

"So," Syrus leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Do you deny liking Alexis?"

I was about to answer yes, when I remembered that denial was the first step. …But if I said I didn't deny it, then I would be saying I liked her. …But I don't. …But is that denying it? Or is that the truth?

I am so confused!

"Ack, leave me alone, Sy! …My feeble brain can't handle these puzzles!"

Syrus leaned back and laughed, "You know, there was once a time where I said to myself, "If a second Millennium Puzzle came into the world, Jaden Yuki would be the one to solve it.""

I looked up, "Why did you say that?"

"…I don't remember. I just remember saying it. It was sometime during the Sacred Beasts fiasco."

"Oh." I thought about it. Nope, I couldn't think up anything I would have done to deserve such a comment.

"Come on then," Syrus turned back to his computer, "We had better continue looking up these dueling term definitions. Honestly though, we're in our final year, and we're stilling looking up definitions? That's first year work."

"Hey, I don't mind the easy homework," I replied, opening up the online dictionary. In no time, I was done. How simple was looking stuff up in a dictionary? Even I knew how to use one!

I rested my head on my hand and leaned on the table, staring at the screen. Was there anything else I wanted to look up? Anything that I wanted to know?

Something suddenly hit me. I hadn't thought about it in years, and it just hit me like Monday morning.

"Hey Sy," I started out slowly, "How do you spell fiancé?"

Syrus looked over at me, trying to hold back laughter, I was sure, "Why?"

"No reason, I just want to know. I mean…it sounds like one of those weird French words that you can't ever tell how to spell phonetically."

"Well you're right about that. And I know you're a hopeless speller. Well, it's F-I-A-N-C-E with one of those accents over the E. But I think computers automatically put those in."

"I see," I nodded, trying to remember how to spell it. "Well, thanks."

"No problem. You staying here?" he asked, getting out of his chair.

"Yeah. I'll be in later, I just want to check on some stuff."

"Okay. Later," he left.

Finally.

I quickly typed the word in before I forgot how to spell it in its Frenchiness. And then the definition popped up.

"A man engaged to be married," I read quietly to myself. I tried to remember why that word had come up. Ah, that's right. That tennis dude came here and dueled me to find out who would be…Alexis'…fian…ce….

…

…

Was I REALLY that naïve! I actually believed Alexis when she said it meant "friends?" Well…she did say "for now." But still! He was dueling me to marry her? How old was the guy? Eighteen! What is going on in this world, I ask you!

…And I actually said I was her fiancé? I made more of a fool of myself than I had thought!

I put my hands over my head and rested my forehead on the table. What a complete and utter fool I was. I wondered what else I was innocent about? There must be a whole other world out there that I have no knowledge of.

All these dreams I've been having, for example. To the Jaden that is me, they seem terribly wrong and…they shouldn't be in my head. But to my subconscious…my innate Jaden…they are very pleasing and…yeah. There was something about seeing Alexis half-naked….

Shoot me now; what was I getting myself into?

I refused to believe that these…feelings…these desires were natural. I refused it!

But…if they were happening to me, a person knowing nothing about what was going on, who was to say that it didn't happen to everyone? Maybe I really was just an innocent fool.

But isn't being innocent always the best way to go?

Maybe in some cases. In others, I wasn't so sure.

I was about to exit out of the window when Chazz Princeton suddenly pushed down on my head, looking over it at the screen.

"What the heck or you doing, slacker?" he asked me, highly confused.

"Nothing…just typing in random words to look up."

"You must be pretty bored," he stared hard. He suddenly smirked, "Or the words aren't very random at all."

I blinked slowly, trying to get out from under his hands, "What could you be talking about?"

He pulled back and crossed his arms, looking down evilly at me. I wanted to punch the look right through his face, it was creeping me out so badly.

"I heard a story a while ago. …Something about you dueling some tennis geek to be Alexis's fiancé. Turned out you won. The interesting thing I heard though was that you were completely clueless."

I stood up, pointing a finger at him, "Hey now, don't go believing every rumor you hear!"

He looked past me at the computer screen, "I don't really think it's a rumor Jaden. I had my doubts before, but I never really dismissed the idea that you really were that naïve. You're a good duelist and all but…I think you're missing a few facts in the ways of life."

"What are you talking about?" I lowered my finger.

He smirked again, "I knew it! You are clueless, aren't you?"

"I'm not clueless!" I crossed my arms defiantly.

"Sure you're not. That's why you've never told Alexis how you feel: because you don't know how to do it."

I stared at him. Just who was Syrus talking to!

"What the heck are you talking about? I don't feel…anything for Alexis!" I retorted angrily. Was no one going to give me a break about that?

"Syrus doesn't think so. And the more I think about it, the more I don't think so either."

"Why is Sy spreading all these lies!" I tore at my hair. Was privacy not sacred anymore?

"He needed someone to…talk to about all this. He just happened to come across the person who had…expressed…emotions for Alexis beforehand."

I got a bit of curiosity wedged in me, "And…this means you don't like her anymore?"

Chazz laughed, "As a friend, totally. As a babe, heck no. I was over her fast. Mindy's a bit more…intriguing, if you get my drift."

I watched him closely, "No…I don't speak French."

Chazz blew a gasket, "It's not French, you idiot! It's suggestive talk!"

"Suggestive…about what?"

"Oh my God, were you brought up in a hole!"

I furrowed my brows, not seeing where any of this was going, "No…I lived in an orphanage. Why would you think I lived in a hole, Chazz?"

Something seemed to stop him from his continual rants, "Wait…you lived in an orphanage?"

I cocked my head, "Well yeah. I thought all my friends knew that. I mean, it's not like I have any siblings like the rest of you do. Or if I did, my parents never told me before they died," I gave a small laugh.

Chazz looked at me seriously, "Do you not miss your parents at all then?"

This took me by surprise. I scratched the back of my head, "Well, yeah, I guess I miss 'em. I just…never really gave too much thought to them. They died when I was five, so I never really knew them all that well."

"Oh," he muttered, looking at the floor. "Well, I guess some stuff makes sense now. …But still," she looked back up at me, narrowing his eyes, "You need some serious education. I'll start you off, but I'll have no part to play in this afterwards. Go talk to him for further knowledge."

"What are you talking about? What do I need to know?" I turned around as Chazz swept by me and landed at my computer. He began typing things into the computer.

He stopped typing and turned around to face me directly, "Okay, tell me now, guy-to-guy, if you've been…feeling weird lately."

I stood back, "Maybe…. Why?"

He grinned again, "Uh huh. Please tell me you know why you feel this way."

"Because…ummm…." I didn't want to say that thinking about Alexis made me this way. It was way too embarrassing, and wasn't I supposed to be denying that I liked her?

"I take that as the response, "I feel like this because I like Alexis,"" he mimicked in a high voice. Just hearing it made my throat it, and my hand instinctively flew up to my own neck.

"My voice isn't that high-"

"Pay attention, slacker! This is hard enough to say without you getting off track!" Chazz looked back at the computer, hovering over the keyboard.

"Why? What's so hard about telling me what point you say I'm obviously missing?"

"Because…it's just not that easy!" his hands pounded on the table. I looked around. Good thing we were the last people in the lab. "I don't even know what you know anymore! This stuff is common knowledge to people our age, and yet you're acting as if you've never heard of these terms before in your life! I mean, come on! Two years ago, you didn't know the term "fiancé" which is as…tame as it can get! I'm sure you're clueless about everything now!"

"Well, what's this everything I'm supposed to know about?" I shot back. Would he just come out and say it already! Golly, this was getting annoying!

"Alright, alright, fine," Chazz took a deep breath and put his fingers to his forehead, trying to calm himself. He kept his eyes closed. Slowly, but surely, he asked me, "Tell me…tell me you know…what…sex is."

I rolled my eyes. Was that all? He was having a cow about that?

"Chazz, what are you trying to pull-?"

"Do you or do you not!"

I groaned, "Well of course! What kind of an idiot do you take me for? Even I know what that is!"

Chazz opened his eyes, "Alright…maybe you're not as sheltered as I thou-"

"I mean, it's just another word for "gender," right? Is that all I need to know? Geez, Chazz-"

"I have heard…of sheltered kids. But this…this crosses the line! Lord in Heaven, help me now! Jaden, where have you been? Did you grow up that isolated?"

I flinched away from the terrifiyingness that was Chazz. He was pretty darn scary when he was angry.

Chazz cracked his knuckles.

Okay, my bad. REALLY scary.

"D-Did I say something wrong? Is that not the right definition?"

"Oh, it's right all right…it's just the wrong one!" He was up in my face now, seriously looking like he was about to strangle me.

Hmm…strangle…as to wring…as to…. Hmm…would Chazz be worthy of wringing Zane's neck? You know, I'm never going to let that go until I find the answer! Before I die, I will come up with that answer!

But back to the ever increasingly scary situation at hand.

"What? There are two definitions?"

"Good Lord!" Chazz threw his hands up into the air. "I give up! I give up! Smite me down now, because I. Give. Up!" He turned around and both glared and advised me well at the same time.

Freaky.

"Jaden Yuki, if you ever want to reclaim the dignity of…any manhood you've got, so help you God and go read a dictionary! If I have to force your face into a screen to make you look up the other definition, I will! I'm sorry, but a guy your age should just…know! It's just…wrong not to!" And with that, he stormed out of the room, clearly very, very angry.

I slowly looked back at the blinking computer screen. Was my ignorance really that bad? Well, if it would get me off Chazz's death list, then so be it.

I sat down at the computer and raised my hands to type in the word.

I don't know, but even thinking about what Chazz said sent an involuntary trigger to my mind. Something about that word just…didn't ring right. Call me crazy, but I was seriously debating over looking up that word.

But then, what could be so bad about looking up a single word? I mean, what's so bad about a word? Sure, I know there are cuss words and all that, but something told me this wasn't the same. Besides, Chazz didn't cuss. If he did, it would be just like…Syrus passing as the number one student in our year of the academy.

Sorry Sy, but it was never going to happen.

I took a deep breath. All intuition was going bonkers in my head about now. But what had to be done, had to be done.

I typed in the simple three-letter word and pressed ENTER.

I was going to murder Chazz Boniface Princeton.

Don't ask me about that middle name. It freaked me out the first time I read it too (no way in heck Chazz would actually say it aloud).

But I swear…he was a dead man already as far as I was concerned. Far before I had staggered out of the lab had he been a marked man.

I promised myself that if I hurled, it would be all over that…that….

Okay, no insult was good enough for that.

Why.

That's all I want to know.

Why did he make me read that? Why! It was…inhumane! You know…the things we found out people can do everyday just make the world a stranger and scarier place.

I mean come on. That was just…sick. Bodies should never be used like that!

Did he say everyone my age knew about this? He talked about it like it was almost a good thing!

Where was my knife? I needed to get it sharpened for the dawn kill.

Under other circumstances, say…had the matron back home told me what was going on, I would have dismissed it as some sick lie. Maybe I'd have thought I misheard what she said.

But this…this was proof. The best dictionary site online…along with rereading that definition seven times to make sure I hadn't misread it the past six!...was enough to make me say that it must be true.

As the old saying goes: sometimes, the truth hurts.

Oh, did it hurt.

Well…it really just made me kinda nauseous, but you get the picture.

Still, what relevance was there in reading that! We were talking about nothing of the kind! What did Chazz have to bring it up for? What was the point? A few more years of not knowing wouldn't have done anything terrible!

In fact…going my whole life without knowing would have been a better route! That was just…I don't even have anymore words to describe it! …That's a condition that seems to be pouncing up on me everywhere. Come on, we can't all be the Bastion's Edition Pocket-Dictionary.

I meandered back to my room in the Ra Yellow Dorms, and was planning on going to take a cold shower and go straight to bed. I was pretty sure that a shower might rid me of the thoughts, but a warm shower would just make them worse. Shock equals brain lapse. …Let's go with that theory.

I unlocked my door and thrust it open, suddenly freezing in the threshold.

"…What are you doing, Sy?"

Syrus looked up from my desk. He was holding something in his hand. "Oh, hey Jay. Just waiting for you to get back is all. I was tiding over by looking at this great picture. Geez man, why are you holding out? Where did you get this?"

"What is it?" I asked, walking over to stand behind him. He showed it to me and I gulped.

"Only the sexiest picture around of Alexis. I knew you had something for her, but stashing this in your desk? Man, Jaden." Alright, so she was in a really great and nicely fitting…kinda low-cut…dress from that dance last year….

If I recall, I slept through it back in my dorm. …Best night of sleep that year, that was.

Hold it. Sexiest? Oh man, I had totally forgotten in just two minutes about all that crap until now! SYRUS! I barely remember groaning and going over to fall on my bed. Syrus was over in a flash wondering what was wrong.

"Sy…just let me be for the night. My head's a mess with…well, it's just on overload. I need sleep or something."

"I doubt you'll get any with it on overload," Syrus crossed his arms.

"You're right," I sighed. It was possible for me to fall asleep during class and at night (I never had anything on my mind at night except sleep) but this was completely different.

He suddenly snapped his fingers, "I know! Where's your Chemistry book?"

I blinked, "In my backpack. Where it shall stay for eternity and rot."

"Right," he nodded, going to my sack. He pulled out the chemistry book and flipped it open.

"Just read what we'll need to read in a couple days and knowing you, you'll be bored out of your wits and fall asleep right then and there."

I nodded slowly and took the book. It made perfect sense. Many a time had I fallen asleep atop a book trying to decipher the vast amounts of text that was written only because some people with no lives whatsoever decided to write something in the spare time that they called Life.

"Thanks," I said.

Syrus nodded, "No problem. …Though I never thought I'd be telling you to use homework to go to sleep with. Oh well. Maybe we can talk about what's bothering you tomorrow. Night!"

My face fell. I had forgotten, yet again, about what was bothering me, and Sy had brought it up, yet again! What was wrong with the little guy!

"Bye Sy…" I gave a feeble wave.

"Now, can anyone tell me what the molarity of a solution is?" Dr. Crowler looked around his classroom the next day. No one was raising his hand.

"No one? Really?" He looked around again. His eyes suddenly widened and asked hesitantly, "…Jaden…?"

I recited in a bored voice, "The molarity of a solution is the moles of the solute over the amount of solvent in liters. It is symbolized with a capital M so as not to confuse it with molality –which has a little m- and refers to the moles of solute over the mass in kilograms of solvent."

Next thing I knew, Crowler was on the floor having a heart attack.

Just kidding.

But really, I think if he could have self-induced one, he would have. His eyes were wide open and his mouth practically hit the floor.

"Jaden Yuki…reading a section ahead of time! It's unheard of! …Who are you and what have you done with Slacker?"

"It's me, Teach," I answered, fiddling with a pencil, "I just…read."

"Kill me now," Crowler shook his head. "But yes, Jaden's…right. Savor the word, you won't hear it again, I'm sure."

"Thanks," I muttered, though a small smile crossed my lips. Crowler continued with the lesson I already knew, and Syrus stared at me, dumbstruck.

"…Did you actually read it?"

"I had nothing better to do all night."

"You didn't fall asleep!"

"I couldn't. Every time I tried…visions came into my head. So I tried concentrating on reading. I read two whole dang chapters overnight."

"And you're not tired?"

I yawned, "Of course I am! Who wouldn't be after reading the most boring book in the world all night long? I just…couldn't fall asleep is all."

"We need to talk," Syrus declared.

"Whatever."

Syrus and I decided to have lunch outside. Or rather, Syrus decided and dragged me along. He sat me down on the grass and plopped right across from me.

"Okay, Jay, what's up? You've been acting weird since last night, and I want to know what's bugging you."

"It's…nothing really, Sy. Just some normal thing that everyone…knows about at some point." Insert inward cringe here.

"Come on, Jaden! I'm your best friend! Well, at least I hope-"

I sat up straight, "Well of course you are, Sy! Whatever gave you the idea you weren't?"

Syrus shrugged, "I dunno…. You just…haven't talked to me about anything major lately. Remember how we always used to tell everything to each other? It seems that…we haven't really done that. I don't know if we're just too busy or whatnot, or if-"

I sighed. Should I really tell him? Would he laugh? Would he be "disgusted," kind of like Chazz seemed last night?

I let my eyes wander around the courtyard. I stopped. Speak of the devil himself.

I suddenly forgot about Syrus sitting there, and my one-track mind was in full gear. I stood up, clenched my fists, and began walking over there heavily.

I barely heard Syrus behind me, asking me what the heck I was doing. All I knew was that when I reached Chazz –who was with Mindy at the time- I just stood there and glared at him.

Now that I reflect upon this moment, it seemed like a very, very stupid way to get my point across.

He seemed to notice me after a moment, "What do you want?"

I continued to glare, "You…are so dead."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "And why would this be?"

"I bet you can guess. It's only a simple three letter word, after all."

It took Chazz a moment, but then recognition stumbled all over his face. He actually looked…surprised. "You mean you read it? You actually did something I told you and read it?"

"What did you expect me to do? Feel like a fool for the rest of my life!" my hands flew up into the air.

"Well you would have been if I hadn't made you read it."

"Well, I'm really wishing you didn't!"

"Why? Everyone-"

"Screw everyone! It was…vile!"

Chazz snorted and looked like he was about to choke. Mindy looked back and forth at us, "Umm…what was vile?"

"Jaden, what's going on?" Syrus came up beside me, "I can hear you argument a mile away."

Chazz suddenly burst out laughing, "I bet…haha! I bet you don't even…even get the connotation…of what…you just said!" He looked like his spleen was going to pop out.

I say spleen, because that seems to be the random organ that everyone likes to say they've lost when they "bust a gut." …What does a spleen even do?

It didn't look like Chazz was going to let up anytime soon, so I took my leave and left. Of course, with this little commotion, Syrus wanted some explaining done.

"He made you read what?"

"You heard me," I turned my head away, feeling my cheeks grow warm, "I'm not saying it again."

"Wow…what a way for someone to learn," Syrus scrunched up his eyebrows and stared hard at the floor. "Then again, I'm kinda surprised you didn't already know. Ev-"

"Everyone knows by this age, I know! He told me that too," I crossed my arms and lay against the wall on my bed.

"So that's why you've been acting strange today. I get ya. I understand. It freaked me out when I first heard about it too. Then we actually had a class about it," he shivered visibly. "It was embarrassing enough to be in the class, but to read about everything! I mean…guys had to learn about girls, and girls had to learn about guys-"

"Say what now?" I looked at him.

"Never mind!" Syrus shot up from the chair, "You don't want to know and I don't want to tell you. Frankly, I've been trying to erase those lessons from my mind for years now. Anywho, I'm going to go to bed now." He walked over to my door and stopped.

"Say Jaden…was it really that random that Chazz told you to read that?"

"I was kinda looking up other stuff that…relates, I suppose. In an off sort of way."

"Oh. Well, goodnight then," he opened the door. Just as he stepped out and was about to close it, he stopped. "And Jay? You really shouldn't keep stuff in like that. And I'm not just talking about what happened last night. There are…other obvious problems you're having and you should really settle them."

I looked at him strangely, "What are you talking about?"

He turned back to look at me, "Really, Jaden, it's obvious you like her, so just…settle everything out in your head and get a move on! Otherwise, it'll be too late. And I just don't want to see you hurt is all. We're all graduating this year, and she's had a number of people already asking to date her."

"Who are you ta-"

"Oh, don't even start, Jaden!" Syrus yelled. I jumped. I had never heard Syrus yell like that before. "I'm just trying to help you! But…I know I can't do everything, so I'd recommend going to the guy who knows her best."

Before I could ask anything, Syrus slammed the door shut, and the windows rattled.

I fell back onto my bed.

Was it really that obvious to everyone except me that I…dare I say it, liked Alexis? Syrus seemed pretty heck-bent on the idea, and I think Chazz was getting the drift too.

But what about all this, "Going to the guy who knew her best?" What did that mean?

And then it hit me.

Not only was it practically obligatory that I go see him, it was…a rule. An unwritten rule, but a rule nonetheless. Anyone, anyone, who wanted to even just date Alexis, or ask her to a dance, had to go see him first. If he deemed you worthy, you were safe. If he didn't, and he saw you around her anyway, well…let's just say your name was already on one of the hospital beds.

Alright, so maybe he could help me sort out what I was feeling. I wasn't necessarily in love, but he would know, wouldn't he? He's been there, done that…I think. I mean, he's old enough to have gone through the same thing, right? He could help me. I mean, he had helped Chazz last time…although that came out really scary.

Note to self: make sure to burn the ukulele and flower wreath before ever setting step near Alexis.

It was decided. Tomorrow was Saturday: a good day to think about things and talk to people.

Tomorrow, I would go see Atticus Rhodes.

And there you have it! Sorry again for the bits of…yeah. But I hope I had enough humor in there to balance it out! Hope you all liked it! It was quite fun to write! Except…the ending wasn't quite as good as I wanted, but I tried my best to end it as well as possible and leave it where I needed. And yes, from now on, the chapters are "Lessons." Anywho, I have more plans for this, so just stay tuned! And PLEASE REVIEW:-D