A/N: OK so, this one is a little longer, thankfully, and the next one is almost done, I'm hoping to get it out later on tonight. The last one, if I'm lucky will be out either tonight or tomorrow. I'm gonna try really hard! In the meantime, I hope you like this one! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh GX or any of the characters.
.....::::: Two months later :::::.....
Jodi laughed at Jaden's antics as they all sat on the grass outside the Slifer dorms. It was a beautiful day and everyone was enjoying their lunch break together as they laughed and talked about whatever came to their minds.
"Hey, has anybody ever seen a card called Chaos Crystal before?"
Most shook their heads or answered no except Alexis and Chazz.
"I have." Alexis said. "I saw it on display once at a show I want to. That was a few years ago now, and it was when Pegasus was displaying his new duel monster card releases."
"Yea, I saw it there too." Chazz added. "They're supposed to be pretty rare, my brothers spent a fortune to get one."
"Why did you ask about it anyway?" Alexis asked, looking at Jodi questioningly.
Jodi's bright green eyes turned up to the sky thoughtfully.
"Well, I was asking cause it's the last one I need to complete my deck. When it was giv-"
Jodi suddenly halted in her sentence and cleared her throat as a deep blush crossed her cheeks.
"Uh- I mean... when I first got the deck.... it was almost complete, I just had to get a few other cards to finish it. I got a few pretty good fillers in the mean time, but I really wanted to have all that cards that were supposed to be in there. My God-father told me to keep trying and that I'd get them all eventually. He refused to help me and made sure no one else did either, he wanted me to do it for myself, as a lesson I guess.
Looking back now, I'm glad he did that, it taught me to be resourceful and independent and to learn to fend for myself. That and a lot more.
Some cards I got through trade -- having found people who had been looking for the fillers I had, nearly as much as I had been looking for the ones they had. Some I won, and some I was really lucky to find in random packs of cards. In any case, it wasn't easy but I managed to get them all.... all except Chaos Crystal. And I'm guessing I'll be waiting for a long time still if Chazz's brothers spent so much money to get it."
Everyone looked at Jodi thoughtfully, and all agreed to keep their eyes out. She thanked them and when she brought her gaze down from the sky, most of them smiled at her. Jaden grinned wide.
"Well, I'm gonna look extra hard, cause if I find it, you and I can have a rematch with the full-potential of your deck!"
Jodi laughed heartily.
"Yea! And next time I'll beat you! Then I'll be able to say I beat the top duelist DA had to offer!"
Jaden laughed and stuck his two fingers out in his trademark pose.
"You're on!"
"Now, why would you brag about beating the top duelist here when you've only beaten Jaden?"
Jodi gave the Australian bred boy a look of utter confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Jim smiled.
"Well, you haven't beaten me yet have you?"
Jodi smiled and rolled her eyes. Jim knew as well as everyone did that Jaden was considered the best and he wasn't about to argue, not seriously anyway. He simply had to tease the girl about it. Besides, everyone knew it was all in good fun.
"Oh, and I suppose you think just because I can beat Jaden, doesn't mean I can beat you do you?"
Jim laughed and nodded.
"That's right Sheila, that's exactly what I'm saying. I know Jaden's the only one who's managed to beat you yet, but like I said you haven't dueled me. Besides, with a deck like mine, along with my charm and good looks, how can I not win?"
Jim produced a playful, winning smile for effect and everyone laughed, including Jodi.
"Well hot shot, looks like I'll have to take you up on that."
Jim laughed and gave her a cheeky grin.
"Yea, well, I dunno if you wanna do that. Wouldn't want a repeat of your duel with Jaden. That was embarrassing mate!"
Everyone laughed again at Jim's comment and Jodi shook her head as she gave the boy a confident smile.
"Don't worry about me mate, I can handle myself against a pile of bones."
Once again, everyone chuckled lightly, including Jim, and Jodi playfully stuck out her tongue at the boy. Before she could withdraw it however, Jim had it between his thumb and forefinger and didn't let go.
"Hey!" Jodi protested thickly around his fingers. " 'At oo oo 'hink oor ooin?"
Jim laughed lightly but didn't remove his fingers.
"Someones got to hold your tongue for you." Jim said playfully. "Otherwise it'll get too carried away."
Everyone laughed again, a little more then the other times, as Jodi gave the boy an unamused look. Suddenly something flickered in the girl's eyes and her lips turned up in a cheeky grin. Instead of whining or resisting or trying to pull her fingers away, Jodi closed her lips around Jim's fingers and sucked on them, coating them in her saliva.
Jim's eyes opened wide in shock and surprise as he immediately let go of Jodi's tongue, a deep flush painting itself across his cheeks.
"I thought that might work." Jodi said with a grin.
"Ewww...." The others cooed through their heavy laughter.
Jim looked down at his fingers, slick and wet from Jodi's saliva. He starred at them for a moment before his face heated up further and he pulled a cloth from his pocket.
Ignoring his friends, all laughing at his expense, Jim wiped his hand and looked over at Jodi, who was biting the side of her cheek to keep her smile from letting out her laughter as well.
"Sorry." She said in amusement. "But you were the one who grabbed my tongue. Maybe next time you'll think before you act?"
Jim gave her a small smile, his flush as bright as ever.
Soon after, the others all calmed down and moved on, talking again about whatever came to their minds. Everyone had gotten over the moment between Jodi and Jim rather quickly, but Jim barely said another word and his face didn't seem to loose it's flush until long after lunch was over.
Jodi walked up the steps to the Slifer dorms and walked until she got to Jaden's room. Like all transfer students, she had been placed there when she'd first arrived, but had soon moved up to Ra yellow and eventually to Obelisk blue due to her skill and intelligence. She had to admit, she liked being in the top-ranking spot and liked all the perks and such that came with it, but she didn't like having to walk so far to see her friends.
This particular night she'd finished her homework early and had decided to go and see what Jaden and the others were doing. Tannish-skinned fingers lifted to knock on the door but a voice stopped her from knocking.
"What about Jodi?"
Jodi froze in surprise and looked around. Where had the voice come from? She spotted the open window almost immediately and crept over to it, kneeling down to peer inside Jaden's dorm room at all the people gathered inside.
"Yea, what about Jodi?" She thought curiously. Even before scanning all the faces, Jodi didn't have to think to know who'd spoken. Inside, sat around in various places around the room, were six boys; Jaden, Jesse, Jim, Syrus, Hassleberry and Chazz. Jesse was the one who'd asked the question.
Voicing the same question she'd thought, Jim spoke up, a look of indifference on his face.
"What about her?"
"Aw come on, who are you trying to fool?" Jesse said. "I know you like her, it's not that hard to tell."
Jim's face heated up immediately and once again the others playfully teased him for it.
"I do like her." Jim said softly, making Jodi's heart flutter almost sickeningly. "Just not like that."
Jodi's heart stopped fluttering and instead sank.
"Why not?" Syrus asked interestedly. "She's really pretty, smart, sweet and really nice. She's a great duelist and a good friend too. Plus I think she likes you Jim. So how come you don't like her?"
This time, from her spy spot outside the window, Jodi's face flushed heavily. Was it that obvious? Sure, she had a crush on Jim, but she'd thought she'd done a pretty good job of hiding it.
Snapping her out of her thoughts, Jim spoke again, causing Jodi to look back in at him expectantly.
"It's not that I don't agree with you, those thing are all true, but I just..."
Jim's voice trailed off and it didn't seem like he was planning on finishing his sentence. Hassleberry spoke instead.
"Well, how about playful. She's definitely playful. That's always a good quality isn't it? I like someone who's fun, it makes them easier to be around."
Jim looked up at the ceiling, an arm rested on a raised knee while the other arm and leg laid straight before him.
"Yea, maybe too playful.." He said thoughtfully. "I'm just.. not sure she's my type."
Jodi's heart jumped and she couldn't help but feel stung. After contemplating Jim's words for a few moments however, she decided that this was Jim's decision and if he didn't like her there was nothing she could do about it. Plain and simple.
Crawling slowly and carefully over to the door again, Jodi ignored the rest of the conversation inside and stood to her feet once more. She raised her fist to knock but was stopped a second time by a voice from inside, this time it was Jim's.
"That's true. But... she's a bit ... strange sometimes, I don't understand her."
Jodi's heart stopped and her eyes blurred with tears as a voice she never wanted to hear again rang out in her head.
"You're so strange! Who would ever want to be friends with you? Why don't you just go away and don't bother to come back."
Jodi fought for breath as a pair of tears rolled down her cheeks. She never wanted to hear that voice again, and to hear those words, anything that resembled them, come from someone she had grown so fond of, from someone who was supposed to be part of her new life... it tore her apart.
With tears in her eyes and a few on her cheeks, Jodi carefully took a few steps backwards, trying to feel for the steps as she fought herself not to break down. She'd made it to the top of the stairs and went to turn around but froze when a board below her creaked loudly.
Her eyes slowly lifting to the window, her heart wrenched again as she saw the occupants of Jaden's room starring at her with sad faces. They knew she'd heard everything and Jim's face was one of utter guilt and sympathy. He got to his feet and starred back at her, his eyes shinning with something she didn't have the strength or want at the moment to identify.
"Jo..." He said softly, knowing she could hear him.
Jim took a step towards the door but Jodi turned on her heels and jumped on the railing of the stairs. Sliding down them and nearly stumbling when her feet hit the ground, Jodi ignored the multiple people shouting her name and bolted for the forest as fast as her feet could carry her.
The further and faster she ran, the more Jodi felt like just stopping and dropping to her knees. For someone who had always loved and was good at running, she felt like a tiny child who'd been running for days. Jodi knew she couldn't run for much longer, and from the sounds coming from behind her, she knew she was being followed. It didn't take her imagination long to guess who that person likely was.
"I've got to hide." Jodi thought desperately. With nothing but trees around her, the forest didn't give her many options, but it did give her many choices. Finding a huge tree with wide, thick branches, Jodi jumped for a high, strong limb and hauled herself up. Climbing up a few limbs so she was concealed by the branches, Jodi panted quietly as she waited, looking down through the leafy cover at the ground below. Only moments later, just as she'd thought, Jim raced by her tree at top speed, totally oblivious to the fact that he had just passed the person he'd spent so long pursuing.
Once Jim was gone, Jodi leaned back against the trunk of the tree and panted heavily until she caught her breath, suddenly very grateful for the tree's support and comfort. The branches seemed to close her in and gave her the feelings of protection, safety, and comfort all of which she felt extremely grateful for.
Tears streamed down from emerald eyes as Jodi's mind whirled with past images and painful words, words spoken by voices and people she never wanted to remember again, memories she'd locked away forever and had almost convinced herself wasn't real. But now, thanks to one simple, nosy moment, they'd all come back stronger then ever.
Jodi snorted to herself humorlessly. She supposed it was her own damned fault, her just desserts for spying and being nosy. She should have just knocked when she'd first arrived, regardless of what the boys had been saying. If they wanted to talk about her then there was nothing that could be done about it. If they wanted to talk then they would, if not when she's around then sometime when she wasn't. That was that, simply put, all there was to it.
After what seemed like hours, Jodi finally decided to get down from her spot in the tree and head back to her dorm. She knew it was late and she knew Jim and the others must have given up on her long ago. It was obvious she wouldn't have to deal with them tonight but she would have to deal with them eventually, even if she did manage to avoid them for a while. With a heavy sigh and after laying an affection touch on the tree's trunk, Jodi left the woods and headed in direction of her dorm.
Jodi hugged herself as she walked, protection from a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature.
"This was a stupid idea." She mumbled to herself. "Why did I think this place would be any different? I should have just kept to myself and not talked to anyone.... I'm not meant to have friends and be liked, that's all there is to it."
Jodi frowned deeply as she continued to walk, not bothering to look around her in case she might get caught. Students weren't allowed out so late and by the time on her PDA, watching for security might have been a very good idea.
"Maybe I have to pay for being a terrible person in a past life." She mumbled miserably.
"I doubt it."
Jodi gasped and jumped at hearing the new voice. Looking around, she immediately spotted Jim leaning with crossed arms against a building she didn't recognize in the dark.
"What are you doing here?" She asked in a whisper. Jim gave her a small smile, one that was barely visible in the limited light the moon was giving off.
"Waiting for you." He said simply, no malice or sarcasm involved, despite the fact that the answer had been quite obvious.
Jodi frowned again and looked away from the boy, her eyes sparkling with new, un-shed tears. She'd always hated crying but it had always come naturally, despite how hard she'd fought it or bit them back. She even remembered times when she'd bit her cheeks or lips so hard with the effort that she'd actually made them bleed.
"It's late," Jodi whispered. "you should go back to your dorm."
Ignoring her words, Jim straightened and walked to stand in front of her. His expression was soft and gentle, as was his touch when he placed one hand on Jodi's shoulder and placed a finger from the other under her chin to encourage her to look at him.
"I know you heard us talking earlier." He said softly. "I'm not really sure why it upset you so much but it was obvious it did, any bloke could have seen that."
Jodi's eyes flooded with tears and she looked down, unable to look at Jim.
"I-I wasn't... I mean, it..." Jodi chewed her cheek for a moment until she gathered her words and thoughts together enough to be able to speak.
"It.. bothered me because.... something you said... they used to- people used to-... someone from my past used to say it to me and... and it-"
Jodi stopped, unable to say anymore. The sentence was choppy, but Jim had gathered enough of it together to understand.
"I'm so sorry Sheila...." He whispered guiltily. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, tell me what it was I said that got to you so much."
"Strange..." Jodi choked out in a strangled voice.
Jim gave her a confused look until finally it came to him and his heart lurched painfully.
"Jodi..." He said sympathetically. "I.. didn't mean it in a bad way, especially not how you obviously took it. I meant.. you're so complicated and cryptic sometimes, it's hard to understand you, to figure you out. I'm so sorry! I didn't meant to upset you! I never would have... I never would have said that if I...."
Jim frowned, fighting for words to express himself. Eventually Jodi rescued him.
"It's alright Jim." She whispered softly. "I know you didn't mean anything by it. It wasn't your fault, it's theirs- I mean, you're not the one who hurt me."
Jim's frown deepened. There it was again, what was that supposed to mean, how was he supposed to take a comment like that? Brushing it aside for the time being, he forced a small, empty smile.
"Well I'm glad I know what bothered you so much at least. I thought at first that...."
Jim paused for a moment, trying to build up enough courage and will power to say what he wanted.
"I thought at first that you were upset because I said you... because I said-"
"That I wasn't your type?" Jodi asked, cutting the boy off.
Looking into her face with surprise, Jim's expression grew bewildered as he noticed Jodi's bright flush, visible even through the near-darkness.
"That's right." He said softly. Jodi's flush deepened.
"I... I have to say that that stung a little too.... well, maybe more then a little, but I brushed it aside. You can't help how you feel and I know that, so don't worry, I'm not upset."
Jim tilted his head to the side slightly as he starred at the girl.
"Why would that hurt you?" He asked softly, not daring to complete the answer for himself. Jodi looked away from him again.
"Well, I... I mean, I- no one likes to hear that kinda thing you know? That they're simply 'not someones type.' It just stung a little, that's all."
Jim watched Jodi for a moment, then moved until he was in front of her and could see her face again.
"You're sure that's all?" He asked suggestively. Jodi bit the side of her lip but still refused to look up at the boy.
"No." She whispered softly. "I..."
Unable to say what she wanted, Jim spoke again.
"Do you consider me a friend?"
Jodi finally looked up at the boy, a look of slight confusion and surprise on her face.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
Ignoring the question, Jim took a step towards Jodi until they were almost touching.
"Do you ever think of us being more?"
Jodi blinked up at him as her flush returned.
"S-sometimes....." She whispered, barely audible.
Jim felt his heart jump unexpectedly at this as he gave Jodi a small smile.
"I've thought of being more then just your friend too.... but I've never really bothered with relationships before and never really felt like I wanted one before you.... This is all new to me Jo, feeling anything but friendship towards someone. I didn't want to admit it to myself so I couldn't admit it to the guys earlier. I don't really have a right to say who is or isn't my type because I'm not sure I really have one; I either like someone or I don't.... you I'm just not sure of.. not yet."
Jodi starred up at Jim, utterly stunned, as she processed everything he was saying. Eventually she blinked a few times and swallowed.
"So, you're telling me you might like me.. maybe a little... but you're not really sure just yet? Is that what you're saying?"
Jim laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head absently.
"Yea, something like that I guess. I know it sounds kinda wonky but-"
"I sounds good." Jodi interrupted with a small smile of her own. "I'm not asking you to be my lover or anything, and I'm not really sure I'm ready for a relationship either just yet. It's all new to me too and I'd be happier then you could ever imagine with nothing but your friendship."
Jim smiled and reached out to pull Jodi into a tight embrace.
"You've got my friendship mate." He said softly. "Maybe more. But whatever happens, I'll be here whenever you need me, whatever you need me for. I dunno what kinda troubles you've got laying behind you, but you've got lots of friends now to help you get over it and fix 'em."
Jodi closed her eyes and hugged Jim back happily as a wide smile graced her face. She'd never been hugged or held by anyone who wasn't family before and she couldn't help but love the way that it felt.
"Thank you Jim." She said gratefully.
"No worries mate. But there's one thing we've got to get straight; if we're gonna be friends, you've got to try and trust me. I want to get to know you better Jodi, and the only way I can do that is if you let me. I know it'll probably be hard, but all I'm asking is for you to try. Deal?"
Jodi sighed quietly and nodded against Jim's chest.
"Deal." She said with a small laugh. "I think I can manage that."
