Hey everyone, the Rouge has returned! I'm so sorry that it took so long to update, school has been a beast. Anyway, I'm sure that you're all ready to start reading, so I won't take up much of your time.
My prayers go out to all of those in coastal Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama who were affected and displaced by Hurricane Katrina. I've lived through a lot of hurricanes and have seen what they can do, but have never encountered one so intense or devastating. My family moved only a few months before Andrew hit, and we've managed to make it through many other storms. I am sure that some of our own authors and readers have been affected by Katrina – for those that have, while you might not be able to read this, I hope you're able to come back soon, and safely. We miss you.
Nii-san: To forget you would be sin. Or trouble. Anyway, here it is, I've updated. Good things come to those that wait. Remember that. Oh, and I made it eeexxttrrraa along. Just the way you like it.
Like the Rain, By Revolutionnaire Rouge
Chapter Nine – Dance Lessons
Mokuba padded quickly through the halls of the Kaiba Mansion, the sick feeling of worry penetrating his gut. His anxiety had grown with each step, having started from when he found out Anzu had been coming from – and where his brother was. The feeling of nervousness had nothing to do with the lone hallway that surrounded him – the paint on the walls was different from the rest of the mansion, and it was a little dusty, but beyond that, it was a hallway.
Mokuba pushed open the door at the end of the hall. A hallway was a hallway as a room was a room. The sound of the driving rain that pounded on the roof was louder in the room that it had been out in the hallway. Mokuba hoped that Anzu had gotten home alright, or at least relatively dry.
The light in the room was on. Seto sat in a plush chair with his back to Mokuba and the door. Mokuba saw that his brother made no sign of recognizing his entrance - Seto was too fixated on the large portrait that hung in front of him. All of Mokuba's fears were confirmed.
Slowly, Mokuba crept to the chair that Seto sat in, allowing himself to see his older brother in full view. His face was paler than normal, but as blank as a slate that had been wiped clean, and his eyes were as expansive, dark, and distant as the starless night sky. The only sign that Mokuba could see of the conflict he knew was distressing his brother was his hands- they clutched the leather arms of the chair so tightly that Mokuba feared they would never let go.
He thought about stirring his brother from whatever painful reverie he seemed to be entangled in, but quickly reconsidered. Even though he had never fully understood the gravity of demons that plagued his brother for the past seven years of his life, Mokuba had been able to gather enough to know that Seto needed to face and fight them in order to be free. A weak hope surfaced in Mokuba's heart and mind – maybe his brother was fighting them right now. Maybe he would win.
Mokuba sat down in a chair besides Seto. He focused on the same thing his brother was – the looming portrait of their step father, Gozaburo Kaiba. A jolt of cold fear streaked through Mokuba's body – it was all he could do not to shiver. He couldn't even begin to imagine how his brother was feeling, how seeing their provider and captor again affected him. As the adopted heir to Kaiba Corp., Seto had been through living hell many times over. All because of a man who now existed only in portrait and memory. That's all he was – a memory. One that Mokuba was sure plagued his brother every day.
"Mokuba?"
The voice startled Mokuba out of his thoughts; it crackled with an age and pain that he had only heard amongst the elderly. He turned to his brother, who, at seventeen, already had the soul of an old man.
"Yes, nii-san?"
Seto stared at him with haunted eyes. They were still dark and distant – Mokuba got the impression that he was not being looked at but rather looked through.
"Has Anzu already left?"
Mokuba nodded, and bit his lip. He could feel questions and chastisement bubbling up from within him, but he kept it down. To Mokuba, it seemed, Seto already had enough on his mind; he didn't need Mokuba ragging on him about Anzu on top of everything else. But that would come soon enough. Seto sighed and rested his forehead in his hands, an air of defeat thickening in the room. It was one of those rare moments in which his brother looked human. For a few seconds, the only sound was the still driving rain pounding on the roof.
Seto lifted his head up, and looked at the portrait one last time. He stood up.
"I'm going for a walk."
"Ah, Miss Mazaki, it's good to see you back in class, on task, and learning!"
Anzu forced a smile on her face as Mr. Rupp dropped a stack of papers in her arms. They bent slightly – partially under the weight of the papers but mostly due to the long cut that lay hidden underneath her overly pink school jacket. Despite the fact that Kaiba had rewrapped it the night before, the cut still sent hot flames of pain up her arm whenever she so much as thought about moving it. Anzu's back didn't hurt as badly as her arm, but Anzu was partially convinced that that was because her back had hurt so much that the nerves eventually just gave up. Now, her back was just numb. She turned and made her way back to her desk, her smile twitching slightly and then finally dropping. At the moment, Anzu was too tired and in too much pain to deal with illusions.
Anzu was beginning to realize what a lack of sleep could do to a body. Ever since the rainy season had kicked into full gear, she had had trouble clinging onto what hours of sleep she could manage. It wasn't until she had gotten attacked that Anzu had been able to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep, the consequences of that being she wasn't able to sleep a wink once she got home from the Kaiba Mansion. Today, she was tired, slow witted, and foul tempered. Anzu had, however, made a promise to herself to act as if everything were perfectly normal – it was just easier that way.
"Thank goodness you're here!"
At the sound of a blessedly familiar voice, Anzu turned and slapped her smile on again. Ryou had just strolled into the classroom, his briefcase slung over his shoulder and his jacket unbuttoned. Immediately, she noticed that Ryou's hair was even messier that normal, and that he still looked somewhat dazed and foggy, as if he had just woken up.
"What happened?" she asked, skipping the formalities.
Ryou chuckled and sat down in his desk," Why hello to you too, Anzu. It's lovely to see you back in school, and I'm doing fine, thank you."
Anzu rolled her eyes, a real, albeit small, smile crossing her features. Yes, it was good to be back. Before she could say another word, Yami walked in the classroom, looking less than happy.
Scratch that whole…"it's good to be back thing…." Anzu thought, seeing the storm that was brewing in her… friend's eyes. That's right. Friend.
"I have something important to tell you at lunch," Ryou whispered to her, glancing at Yami slightly. Anzu raised a single eyebrow, and couldn't help but think back… Where have I heard a phrase like that before…?
Yami sat down on Anzu's other side, with a scowl.
Oh yea, she thought, finding herself unable to stop being cynical, from him.
"Hi Yami!" Anzu said cheerfully, even thought she felt as if her intestines were slowly being ripped out and stomped on. Ryou uttered a more formal but definitely less enthusiastic greeting. Yami nodded slightly, the mark of an agitated recognition. He tapped his fingers on his desk for a second, before unzipping his backpack and restlessly searching through it. After a few moments of digging through his bag, Yami managed to pull out his English binder, his textbook, and a mechanical pencil. His fingers raced across the surface of the desk again, and suddenly Yami let out a sigh of frustration.
"Good morning Anzu," he said dourly. Without waiting for her to respond, he spoke again," Did you know Shizuka and Marik are going out now?"
Ryou stopped pretending and instead allowed himself to focus intently on the conversation. Anzu bit her lip slightly. How could she go about this? She knew that Yami wouldn't be pleased with Marik and Shizuka dating… Anzu wished now that she had told Shizuka to wait for a whle to start dating. Yami looked upset, no, more than upset – angry.
"Well…" Anzu started, her mind slowly plodding forward, trying to think of something reasonable to say that would get them in the least amount of trouble possible," I had kind of gotten the feeling that… maybe they possibly had a slight interest in each other…" There ya go Anz', lots of vague words will do it…
"Hmph." Yami crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat a bit," I don't know, I just don't like it…"
"Why not?" Anzu asked, widening her eyes a little to give herself the appearance of innocence, even thought she was pretty sure that she already knew.
"Well, it's just that… after Battle City… can we really trust him…?"
Anzu blinked. She hadn't expected Yami to be so open about it. However, he looked away from her slightly as she spoke, as if he believed that she wouldn't be able to see how unsure he really was. Suddenly, a thought came to mind… one that she just couldn't resist.
"Oh, I don't know Yami, I think that we should give it a chance, they might be good for each other." Yami knitted his brows, but didn't say anything. "Besides, if you don't think that we can't fully trust Marik, than I guess that means we can't fully trust Isis either."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryou in his desk, trying hard not to laugh and failing miserably. Yami's face sunk, looking much like a chastised child.
"You…" he started, fighting for words. Anzu blinked and gave him a look of innocent interest.
"You know what I mean!" he finally spat out. He then turned away from Anzu, slammed open his textbook, and started reading. Anzu spun around in her seat to face Ryou, and winced as her back twinged painfully. Ryou was half out of his seat, doubled over, laughing silently. Anzu smiled, her own body starting to shake slightly in laughter. This time, icy numbness spread through the rest of her back. Anzu thanked God that Ryou didn't notice the brief look of pain that crossed her face. He was too busy trying to get himself under control.
"Get out of the aisle Bakura. Some people are trying to get to their desks."
Ryou blinked, and looked up, but Anzu had already seen, and was now studying her stack of worksheets very intently. Ryou straightened in his seat and allowed Seto Kaiba to pass and sit in his own desk. Cautiously, Anzu glanced back at Kaiba, and then quickly looked away again. He was staring at her, unabashedly.
"Well," Ryou muttered, laying his head on the desk and looking at her," Some people are in a pissy mood today."
Anzu laughed, not even trying to be discrete. Ryou had hit the nail on the head. From behind them, there was the sound of a text book being slammed onto a desk and pages being flipped loudly. Anzu and Ryou burst out into another fit of laughter. After a few minutes, they calmed down, only a few chuckles escaping as Ryou went over the work that Anzu had missed from the day before.
For Ryou, the first part of the day couldn't have been longer. English stretched on for what seemed like millennia, followed by Biology III, which involved a difficult and time consuming lab. The only advantage to that was that he and Anzu had been able to "accidentally" spill fresh cat innards all over Seto Kaiba's lab data and, of course, Seto Kaiba himself. The whole class, which consisted of juniors, seniors, and one sophomore, burst out into applause as Kaiba stormed out. Anzu and Ryou took a bow, and the teacher, while trying to hold back her own laughter, mildly chastised them. It was worth it, and they got an A+ on the lab.
It was good to have Anzu back.
Ryou had been worried for Anzu, for quite a while. Of course, his worry had kicked into high gear when he and Anzu had found out that Isis had come back to town. But his worry had started much before that – maybe about the beginning of the rainy season. Ryou had quickly noticed the small bags forming under her eyes, and her less enthusiastic than usual personality. Nowadays, the only time that he ever saw her back to her usual self was when she was arguing with Kaiba.
That was another concern, Kaiba. He seemed to be around a lot more lately. It was as if he was almost hovering over Anzu, like a dark rain cloud. That night at the museum, when he had come to pick her up, Kaiba had been there. And then, the day after that… when Kaiba had come over to Anzu's apartment to drop off her umbrella… what had he said?
"She left it on the sidewalk yesterday, when we were… together…"
And then, Kaiba had made the mention of knowing about Anzu's problems with Yami. How did he know? Was Ryou's nightmare coming true? Were Kaiba and Anzu getting… closer? He remembered that nightmare he had had the morning after the museum fiasco.
Seto Kaiba didn't deserve to be with Anzu.
"Look lover boy, I'm not disagreeing with you. Anzu is a beautiful, considerate person, even when she is angry, which believe it or not, she gets often. Contrary to what you might believe, I didn't come here to raise Cain and insult Mazaki. I just came here to return her dumb umbrella…"
"Ryou?"
Ryou looked up from History text book that he had lost focus on a long time ago. His eyes met Anzu's beautiful crystal blue eyes, filled with joy, concern and…something else. Ryou shook his head slightly, clearing his head of his previous thoughts.
"Sorry Anz', I was just caught up in my reading." He pointed to his book, as if trying to prove what he was saying. Anzu rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Yea right, because the reading is absolutely enthralling. Come on Ryou, the lunch bell rang like, two minutes ago."
"Oh…" Ryou muttered sheepishly. Anzu broke out into a fit of laughter, her voice striking a chord deep inside of him. She offered him a hand, which he gladly took, and helped him up out of his desk. He held on for just a moment longer, and then let go and gathered his books, praying that Anzu hadn't noticed his delay in letting go. She hadn't, or if she had, didn't make any mention of it.
"Let's go!" Anzu said," I'm starving!" she put a hand on her stomach and she raised her eyes to the ceiling, eyelashes fluttering," I didn't have anything to eat this morning, because you weren't there to fix me cereal!"
Ryou rolled his eyes," Ah yes, Lord forbid I don't come over and slave in your kitchen to prepare your meals!" …I'd be your slave any day… Ryou's eyes widened slightly, and he shook his head again to clear himself of that thought.
They both laughed, and walked out of the classroom. Anzu's stomach grumbled loudly, and they burst out into another fit of laughter.
"Oh, by the way Ryou," Anzu said, sounding serious," I hope you brought enough food for the both of us."
"What?" Ryou exclaimed," No way! You're not mooching any food off of me!"
Anzu pouted and widened her eyes," But Ryyooouuuu" she whined, dragging out his name pathetically," I'm hhhhuuuuunnngggrrrrryyyyy!"
Ryou snorted," Well too bad," he teased," You're just going to have to get a school lunch!"
"NOOOOOO!" Anzu shouted dramatically, raising her hands to the sky. The few people remaining in the hall stared at her strangely," Not the school lunch!" She crossed her arms and pouted again," Well fine then. I'll just become anorexic."
He shrugged," Alright. Suit yourself." He started walking down the hall towards the double doors that led to the courtyard.
"Ryyyooouuuuu!" Anzu exclaimed. He heard footsteps running down the hall, and let out a short gasp of surprise as she grabbed his arm and clung onto it. They walked down the hall together, Anzu attached to his arm and complaining, and Ryou smiling, quite content.
Just as they reached the double doors, they flew open, and Kaiba stormed through. He glanced towards Ryou and Anzu, then did a double take. Anzu quickly let go of Ryou's arm, and scowled at Kaiba. Kaiba said nothing, but walked past, and as he did, bumped Anzu's arm slightly. Anzu doubled over instantly, clutching her arm and glaring. Ryou blinked, and then remembered. He wrapped his arm around her, and she let out a slight whimper – he moved his arm down a little more towards his waist, cursing himself for having forgotten that injury too. Kaiba was smirking openly.
"Bastard." Anzu muttered as he walked by, and Ryou nodded.
"Come on Anzu," Ryou said, glaring daggers at Kaiba. If looks could kill…
Anzu nodded, and slowly let go of her arm. She bit her lip, and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I think I'm alright," she muttered. Ryou nodded, and reluctantly unwound his arm from around her waist. Anzu kept her hand on his shoulder as they walked through the double doors and out into the courtyard.
Ryou couldn't believe how dumb he had been. He had fallen under another one of Anzu's deceptions. She was acting cheerful, happy, playful, but of course she wasn't. He had just been so happy that she was acting like her old self again, and hadn't even considered the fact that maybe she wasn't being so truthful. Ryou was pulled away by another thought – it had seemed as if Kaiba had bumped Anzu's arm intentionally. But there was no way he could know that she was injured – was there?
"Hey Shizuka, Hey Marik!" Anzu yelled, waving cheerfully. Ryou turned to where she was waving, and saw Shizuka and Marik standing with a group of students that he imagined were in their Spanish class. The two were holding hands and smiling – a vast contrast from the group that sat on the other side of the courtyard, some members sitting and staring morosely at the happy couple. Shizuka smiled, and pulled Marik over with her to come and talk to Anzu.
"Hey Anzu!" Shizuka said, her voice bubbling over with an uncontrollable happiness," Welcome back!"
Anzu grinned," Thanks, good to be here. So, I see you guys finally decided to make it official!"
"Mm-hmm," Marik said, squeezing Shizuka's hand a little tighter," We couldn't wait any longer."
"Thank you so much for your advice Anzu!" Shizuka said, lowering her voice slightly. Anzu nodded, and smiled, although to Ryou it seemed that her smile was a little weak.
"Yea, we finally decided to publicize it… Yami and the others aren't all that pleased though," Marik said with a sigh, glancing over to their old table.
Anzu looked a bit sick.
"Jou was alright with it, actually. When we told him he just kind of nodded and smiled a little. He didn't explode on either of us. Now Yami on the other hand…" Shizuka frowned a little," I guess that was to be expected."
Anzu and Ryou nodded.
"Come on, let's not think about that right now," Marik said, looking a little angry," It'll just bring us down."
Shizuka nodded," True. You guys should probably go, lest they think that you've been associating with the traitors."
Everyone laughed, but there was a tone of truth to Shizuka's statement. They said their goodbyes and Ryou and Anzu gave congratulations, and then the two made their way over to the table.
Jou was sitting with his back towards Anzu and Ryou as they walked up, supporting his head in his hand. In fact, almost everyone at the table was about the same as Jou – the only one of the group that wasn't sulking was little Yugi, who was trying to talk Duel Monsters with a pathetic looking Honda, and looking a little perplexed with the whole situation.
"Hey guys," Anzu said cheerfully," What's up?"
On cue, everyone looked up at her and Ryou. They reminded Ryou of a crowd of over exuberant rocks. Right. Anzu sat down on the bench next to Duke, and Ryou next to Honda, across from Anzu. Yami averted his eyes from Shizuka and Marik to cast a long glance in Ryou and Anzu's direction.
"Not much," he said, not sounding as agitated as he had in English class. Ryou guessed that Anzu's comment about Isis had probably pacified him some on the whole matter of Shizuka and Marik.
"Anzu," Yugi said, now joining the conversation," Are you still going to dance today, even with your injuries?"
Ryou watched as Anzu's lips drew into a tight smile. She sighed slightly," Yea, I still have to. The auditions for our big recital are coming up, and I can't afford to miss a class, with or without a few cuts."
"Oh…" Yugi said, still trying to smile," Well, that's cool. Shows that you're dedicated."
Anzu nodded," Yea. Dedicated…" Her shoulders slumped slightly, making her look just as dejected as the other people at the table. She clutched her stomach and looked over at Jou's lunch tray, which had, from the looks of it, barely been touched.
"Hey, Jou, are you going to eat that?" Anzu asked. Ryou smirked slightly – that was Anzu, representing one of her favorite mottos, bad food is better than no food at all. Jou mumbled something incomprehensible and slid his tray over to Anzu.
"Thanks…" Anzu said, a little thrown off by his behavior. She dug in immediately, and Ryou couldn't help but laugh at her facial expressions as she forced down the slimy, indescribable cafeteria food. For a few moments, the only sound at the table was Anzu eating, the rest all watched with half hearted interest. Ryou's eyes drifted around the courtyard – the sight of Kaiba coming out of the double doors, talking animatedly on his cell phone made him stop. Ryou scowled, feeling an immense hatred for the boy that was causing Anzu so much trouble. Well, one of the boys. Ryou turned back to face one of the people on the opposite side of the table. Yami.
"So Ryou, what was it you were going to tell me?"
Ryou blinked, and faced Anzu. She had finished her meal in record time, and was now staring at him questioningly. As a matter of fact, now everyone at the table was staring at him. He tried to stop from blushing, but failed, and instead looked down to his own uneaten lunch. Smiles, the first of the day, broke out on Duke and Jou's face. Yugi and Honda saw their faces and looked a little confused, and Yami stared at him, his eyes revealing nothing. Ryou lifted his head again, and met Anzu's smiling, but slightly perplexed face.
"W-well…" he started. Is this really the right place to tell her? How's she going to react?
"Um, maybe later…"
"Aw comm'on man! Spit it ou, you c'n tell us!" Jou said, laughing.
"Yea Ryou," Yami said, a little more emotion in his voice," You're amongst friends."
Jou and Honda's grins widened even more as Ryou stuttered some. Anzu looked curious and confused, her eyebrows raised slightly. Ryou could feel his heart beating harder as he stared at her face.
Anzu, I… I…
"I got a job. "
(AN: Waahhh! Ha, tricked ya'll, didn't I? Sorry, couldn't resist…)
Anzu blinked, and Jou and Duke's faces melted into looks of confused shock. Anzu broke out into a smile and half leapt across the table to embrace him.
"That's awesome Ryou, congratulations!"
Ryou turned red, and tried to ignore Jou and Duke's snickers as he finished what he had to tell her.
"-At the museum."
He felt Anzu's hug go limp. Slowly, she slid back into her seat, and stared at him with a look of mixed horror and confusion.
Kaiba's phone buzzed angrily in his pant pocket, like a bee that had just been swat at. Fortunately, he had turned it back to its normal ring, so loud rap music didn't fill the empty halls of Domino High school as it rang, but the vibration of the phone was enough to carry down the hall and echo back at him.
"It it's that woman, I swear…" Kaiba trailed off as he looked at the number. Mokie. Immediately, he flipped the phone open and answered.
"Mokuba, is everything alright?"
Normally, Mokuba only called when there was an emergency. Normally.
"Hey Nii-san. Everything's fine. What's up?"
Seto scowled, but was relieved that nothing was wrong with his brother.
"Mokuba, you know not to call when I'm at school!" he hissed. Seto paused, and thought for a moment," And I know that you're not allowed to call when you're at school! You had better not be skipping, because if you've been caught, I'm not going to be the one bailing you out!"
"Relax Seto, I'm not skipping. The teacher thinks that I'm in the bathroom, which I am. I just have a quick question to ask. Don't say you can't talk right now, I know you're on lunch break."
Seto sighed, and wondered silently where he had gone wrong in his parenting skills," Fine Mokuba, what is it?"
"Geez, don't sound so tense, it's a question, not a verdict. Well, anyway, Becky told me today that she was starting up dancing lessons again, and was wondering if maybe I could come after school and watch her. So, you know, I was wondering- "
"Absolutely not." Seto said, rubbing one of his temples with his free hand. He turned on his heel and started back down the hall, towards the double doors.
"But Niiii-ssaaaannnn, why nnnnoooottt?" Mokuba whined.
He pushed open the doors and walked out into the courtyard, where all around him teens were eating their lunches. A group of girls giggled as he passed them on the way to his normal lunch spot. He rolled his eyes, Sophomores…
"I can't Mokuba. You know I have a lot to do."
"Like what? Kaiba Corp will run fine on its own, and you've already been working a ton lately. You know we need to spend more time together as a family, and I think that this would be a great way to do it. Come on Seto!"
"Mokuba, no."
From the other side of the courtyard, he felt eyes focused intently on him. Kaiba glanced over to their source, expecting another one of those pathetic fan girls, and instead found Bakura Ryou staring at him and scowling. Stupid lover-boy…
"You have to Seto! For me, please?" Seto couldn't see him, but he knew that Mokuba was giving him the puppy eyes.
Seto sighed. He wondered if, when he had bumped into Mazaki, he had bumped too hard. Then he wondered why exactly he even cared.
"Fine, I'll come. But why do you even care that much?"
Mokuba chuckled in a way that made Seto very suspicious.
"Well, first of all, I wanted to spend some time with you, maybe get an appreciation of the arts or something like that, and second of all, Rebecca asked me to come, so I've got to."
"Well, if Rebecca asked "Well, if Rebecca asked you to come, then why do I have to?"
"Because I thought that it would be nice for her to get to know you better."
"And why again is that?"
"Because she wants to be able to better associate with her brother-in-law."
Seto stopped dead, his eyes widening to the size of small saucers.
"WHAT?" he yelled. The tight group of freshmen that had been standing nearby jumped and scattered in all directions away from him, like startled birds often do.
"MOKUBA WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? BROTHER-IN-LAW?"
Mokuba burst out into laughter on the other end of the phone, but for some reason, Seto didn't find it that amusing.
"I'm just joking Nii-san, calm down. Rebecca and I aren't going to run off and elope anytime soon, well, at least not until she's out of college…"
"Mokuba…" Seto growled dangerously.
"Just kidding, just kidding," Mokuba said quickly," But seriously, you need to get to know Rebecca better. Just because we're not getting married doesn't mean that we're not dating."
"You're what?" Seto's voice was low now, and clear indication to Mokuba that he was about to explode at any moment.
"We're dating Seto, alright?" Not only did Mokuba sound serious, he sounded slightly annoyed," Rebecca and I are dating, and you're just going to have to get used to it. You know that we're both responsible, and you know that Rebecca wouldn't do anything stupid. All I'm asking right now is if you would come to one or two measly dance lessons, just to watch. Maybe it would do you some good to get out of the office and out of the rain."
Seto sighed. He should have expected this. "Okay Mokuba, I'll come. Where is the place that Rebecca is taking dance lessons?"
"It's called Mademoiselle Sarcelle Dugin's School of Dance. I'm sure you've passed it before, it's at the intersection South Broadway and Hooker, the building number is 2607."
Seto nodded, he couldn't picture the place in his mind, but he knew his way around Domino from all of his rain walks," I'll be there."
"Thank you Nii-san! I love you, bye."
" Love you, Bye."
Mokuba hung up.
"Great," Kaiba muttered to himself," Just great."
"What?"
To Ryou, Anzu looked as if she had suddenly been hit by a train. Something in his gut told him that she probably felt like it to. Ryou sighed and scowled, looking away from her.
"It was my father's idea. Lately he's been telling me that if I ever want to be an archeologist, I need to start getting experience now. I asked him how in the world he expected me to get archeological experience in one of the most high-tech, modern cities in west Japan, and he found a solution. Three days ago, without me even knowing, he called the museum and got me a job there, through some of the people he knows. I just found out this morning, I start working today."
He turned back to Anzu, to see she had laid her head on the table, supported by her crossed arms. She was looking sideways up at him with wide, stunned eyes.
"So…" she started, in almost a whisper," You'll be working with Isis."
Ryou gulped, and nodded.
"Really?"
Ryou and Anzu both turned to Yami, who was following the conversation intently.
"Maybe I could work at the museum also – I need the experience and it would be great to be around all of the Egyptian artifacts…"
Yami was smiling now, considering the possibilities. Yugi frowned and shook his head.
"No way Yami. Duel Monsters sales have been soaring, and we're having enough trouble keeping the store in order even with you, me and Grandpa working constantly – there is no way you can go gallivanting off and leave us. The store's just been way too busy."
Yami sighed, again looking like a chastised toddler," I know, but still…"
Anzu let out a sharp growl of frustration and looked away from Yami – an action that only Ryou noticed.
"Look, Anz'" Ryou started," I didn't want this job, I still don't, but my father's making me."
"I know."
He lowered his voice, even though everyone else was focused on teasing Yami about Isis," I know that you really dislike Isis, but, well, there's nothing I can do about it. I won't make you come and visit me or anything. And you know that I don't like her."
Anzu turned to him and propped her head up in a hand," I know." she said quietly," It's just… a shock. I guess I can't ask you to walk me home from dance, huh?"
Ryou blinked, taken aback. "What?"
Anzu sighed," I don't want to walk home alone, especially after having been attacked…"
"Well then that settles it, I'll quit my job!" Ryou said, completely serious. Anzu jumped up, waving her hands in the air frantically," No no no Ryou, don't quit your job for me. Don't worry; I'll be fine, I swear. I can probably have Mai come by and pick me up anyway, don't quit. A job is a job is a job, even if the boss is the witchiest woman on earth!"
Ryou laughed," Alright, I won't quit, at least now right this moment. But you're sure you're going to be okay?"
Anzu nodded," I'll survive."
Seto stopped, the feelings of dread and anger leaping up in his gut as he stared at the building before him.
"No. This can't be-"
He looked down at the scrap of paper on which he had hurriedly scrawled the address of Rebecca's dance studio. 2607, Intersection of S. Broadway and Hooker. He looked back up at the building intently, as if trying to make the numbers written clearly on the front disappear, or change. Mademoiselle Sarcelle Dugin's School of Dance. There could be no doubts about it.
What he couldn't believe was that he had been so stupid. Seto had come to this place, for what, three days in a row, and argued with Mazaki, and he couldn't even remember the address. He didn't even recognize it when it was given to him. So much for his astounding powers of observation. If only he had known, he would have told Mokuba no, and kept it that way.
Seto was positive that the fates, or whatever might lie out there, were against him. He abruptly turned on his heel, and began to walk away from the building. There was no way that he would enter that building.
"Seto!" a voice barked out.
He stopped but didn't turn around, only clenched his fists. He heard someone running towards him, and was suddenly confronted with Mokuba's angry face.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mokuba hissed, looking furious.
Seto sighed and put on his best scowl. Two could play this game.
"As far away from this place as I can," Seto said sourly, already fortifying his will, so as not to be tricked by Mokuba into staying. He knew that he had been tricked by Mokuba into coming in the first place. Mokuba blinked.
"What's wrong with it?" his younger brother asked, furrowing his brows intently," Not nice enough of a place for you? Too common. too lowly? What does it need, some more money, some more class?"
"I don't know what you're implying Mokuba, b-"
"Of course you know what I'm implying Seto! Don't be such a stuck up snob all the time – there's a real world all around you, but you just trap yourself in your own little bubble of 'Seto Reality' and pretend the rest of it doesn't exist!"
Seto scowled, more angered than surprised – he had been expecting something like this eventually. "Mokuba, you should know better than to think I would leave a place just because it 'wasn't rich enough' or whatever the crap you think the reason is. I have a specific reason for leaving, and I'm positive that you already know what it is!"
Mokuba opened his mouth, closed it again, and then looked at him, taken aback.
"No Nii-san…I…don't… How could you accuse me of something like that?"
Seto let out a growl, he wasn't going to fall for one of Mokuba's little innocent acts – the kid was too smart and too clever to not to know exactly what was going on. "Don't play around Mokuba – you know that Mazaki takes dance lessons here in the afternoon!"
His younger brother stood there in front of him, looking for a few moments, confused, before bursting out into a wide smile. "I didn't before, but now I do! What is it then Seto – don't want her to think that you're stalking her or something?"
He glared at his brother, and broke out into a string of curses he had picked up from various clientele over the years. Great job Seto – make your brother think that you're obsessed with Mazaki…
"I am not stalking her Mokuba, and you know that! You also know how much I dislike her, an, more importantly, how much we argue! Those should be reasons enough for not wanting to come here!"
Mokuba shrugged," I guess that makes sense…" suddenly, his eyes lit up," Nii-san… if you hate Anzu so much, how did you know that she takes dance lessons here?"
Seto broke out into another long bout of violent cursing, broken off only by a new voice.
"Seto, it's you! I thought I recognized the angry voice!"
Seto spun around to face the smiling visage of Rebecca Hawkins. Mokuba, openly laughing, came up to take her hand in his own.
"Hello Rebecca," Seto said, suddenly feeling rather awkward. Rebecca sighed.
"So formal, so formal. I'd like it better if you called me Becky, unless of course it's against your moral dictum or something…"
Seto looked at her strangely. The two had talked occasionally at various functions before, mainly the ones that Isis dragged him to, but it had never been on such an informal basis. When he had first heard that Mokuba and Rebecca were… dating… he hadn't seen how they could possibly get along. Now, he understood.
"O…k…" Rebecca said, ending the awkward silence that had descended upon them," Anyway, Seto – is it alright if I call you Seto, or would you prefer Kaiba? - thank you so much for taking time out of your day to come," she sent him puppy eyes similar to those Mokuba possessed," It means a lot to me."
He sighed. They're perfect for each other… he thought, trying to enforce it into his mind that Mokuba was actually dating Rebecca.
"The lesson is about to start," Rebecca announced, still wearing those puppy eyes. They were almost as irresistible as Mokuba's," Would you like to come in?"
"Of course," Seto said resignedly," I suppose I have some time."
"Wonderful!" Rebecca exclaimed, clapping her hand together. Seto walked ahead of them, making his way into the dance studio, despite all of the trouble he could feel coming. Mokuba looked at his brother, shocked, then turned to Rebecca, who smiled proudly. The two high-fived exuberantly, and then ran to catch up.
Had it not been for the fact that Rebecca and Mokuba were right behind him, Seto would have turned around and left, without another word. He had walked all the way up the stairs to the dance studio loft, and entered in a small viewer's area; complete a small bench and one over stuffed armchair. Strains of soft classical music filled the loft, along with the poignant smell of vanilla and spicy French perfume. There were already about ten students in the loft, some stretching, and others quietly chatting. Opposite of the viewer's area was Anzu Mazaki, who was warming up at the barre – and from the looks of it, not having an easy time. She had her leg up on the barre, and was slowly, very slowly, stretching towards it, barely touching her toe with her hand. She then slowly straightened back up, and placed a hand lightly on her back. Seto noticed that she did not use her injured arm while stretching, and wore a thin, fitted long sleeve jacket over her leotard.
Rebecca brushed past him, and made her way out onto the floor. She found a woman, who looked to be about thirty, and spoke to her in hushed tones. Mokuba sat down in the over stuffed chair.
Absentmindedly, Anzu placed a hand on her injured arm, lightly tracing the area where he knew her cut was. He wondered if maybe her wound had reopened when he had bumped it – then asked himself again why he even cared. This was getting to be too much for him – first, walking her home, then treating her wounds, now, what? Caring for her? No…no. Seto shook his head, and instead turned his focus to Rebecca – the real reason he had come to Anzu's – no, the – dance studio. The older woman was nodding slightly and smiling. Suddenly, she clapped her hands together, drawing the attention of all of the students.
"Alright class, we ah going to start with ze lesson!" she announced, her words accented heavily with French. The students all moved from their various places and formed two straight lines in front of where the teacher stood, spaced so that all could see the short French woman. Rebecca stood next to her, looking nervous despite the easy smile on the woman's face and the inviting atmosphere of the loft.
"'Owever, before we start today, I would like to introduce our newest dancer, Mademoiselle Rebecca Hawkins. Tell us some about yourself Rebecca."
Rebecca smiled shyly," Well, um, my name is Rebecca. I'm a sophomore in college, and I took ballet for three years in Russia while my father was working on an excavation outside of St. Petersburg. I haven't danced in half a year, so I might be a little rusty, but hopefully I can get back on track and catch up with the class. Thank you, Mademoiselle Dugin, for allowing me to enter in so late into the year." She bowed slightly to the teacher.
"Ah, pas du probleme, ma cheree. Now, eef you would, please stand next to Mademoiselle Mazaki, she ees-" Mlle. Dugin cut off as Rebecca began to head towards Anzu, who was on the middle of the back row. Mlle. Dugin smiled," Ah, bien, I see that you ah already acquainted. Superb! Now, allons-y! We will begin with ze most important thing for all dancers – warm-ups!"
The teacher led all of the students into the basic warm ups, each getting a little more complex as they went on. After warm ups, Mlle. began to teach the class a few new steps of a dance for the recital coming up. The class divided up into pairs, and practiced the steps together. Rebecca paired with Anzu, who was smiling and laughing happily with the newest addition to the class.
Rebecca turned out to be good – very good. She picked up on the steps quickly, and performed them with an almost flawless exaction that seemed to carry over from her academic performance and into her physical creativity. As she danced, Seto turned to Mokuba, who was watching her intent, absorbing eyes. Mokuba was obviously fascinated, and obviously infatuated.
Seto, on the other hand, was bored. He had never understood the concept of dance – to him it seemed like a bunch of over dramatic, over dressed actors flaunting their bodies and hurling their masses wildly across the stage in an incomprehensible way, and what he was seeing now did nothing to change his view of that. Seto preferred the mathematical solidity of music, which, unlike dance, made sense in his logical mind, with its easily ordered and understood notes, concepts, and techniques.
So far, Seto had been doing a good job at keeping his focus on Rebecca and the rest of the class – everyone but Anzu.
"Okay class, dat ees enough of dat!" Mlle. barked out about fifteen minutes later. The class stopped their dancing and reformed into the two lines. "Now, I would like to go over what we have already learned for ze recital. We will start with the opening song, and then move through what we know. Rebecca, eef you wish, you can stand by and watch. Eet might be beneficial for you to come in some extra days to learn what you 'ave missed."
Rebecca nodded and moved off of the floor. She came to the viewers area, and plopped down into the over stuffed chair next to Mokuba. Seto tried no listen to their quiet conversation, but the older brother in him prevailed.
"You're all sweaty Becky," Mokuba whispered, wrapping his arm around her nonetheless.
"Hm, and here I thought you might like seeing me all sweaty and hot…" Rebecca said, putting a pondering finger to her lip.
"I never said I didn't…"
The two laughed, and then became silent as the other students began to go through what that had previously learned. Seto shook his head, and also focused back on the dancers, hoping that maybe this would sate his boredom. The song that they danced to was one that sounded familiar to Seto, but he couldn't place it, which agitated him immensely. Maybe Mokuba was right – he was getting old, and now couldn't remember the name of one measly song. Seto looked to the clock that hung at the front of the loft – the class was already three-fourths through. For being so bored… he thought the class has passed relatively quickly…
Suddenly, the music stopped. Seto looked back to the class, and realized now that he had missed what Mlle. had said – he had no idea what was going on. On girl had come to the front of the room, and was stretching slightly. The rest of the class had sat down on the loft floor, and were now watching her intently. The music started again, a different song this time, and she began to dance, for almost a whole minute. After that minute, the music stopped, and another girl stepped up, replacing the first, who had taken her place on the floor with the rest of the class. The process was repeated through with the whole class – the same song, the same dance. Each student danced it slightly different, and it was easy to see who had practiced, who hadn't, and who was just an over all better dancer. Seto realized that they were practicing for a solo in the recital. Anzu came to the front of the class.
The music started.
Seto tried to look away, but it was too late.
Slowly, with the music, Anzu spread her arms and began to turn, resembling a blooming flower. Her steps were light and airy as they increased in speed, and she began to turn faster as the music picked up, drawing her arms closer in to her body. Her spin became faster, and then suddenly, she broke from it and burst into a leap. She landed oddly, and was pitched slightly off balance, but caught herself and continued. The song progressed into something that seemed to have almost Eastern European origins, influenced possibly by Tchaikovsky.
Seto could tell that Anzu was one of the better dancers of the class, but he wasn't particularly impressed. Her movements, while accurate to the music, were jerky and abrupt, much different from the more flowing steps that he had seen from the other dancers. He chanced to glance to Mlle. Dugin, who was watching Anzu intently and looking rather bothered. Despite the fact that Anzu was not as impressive as a dancer as he had expected, he couldn't tear himself away from her moving body. Maybe it was just the fact that she wasn't doing well – he now had something to use against her. At least, Seto tried to convince himself so. Anzu went into a twisting spin, and winced.
It hit him then.
Three days after, and Mokuba was still limping slightly. While his ugly bruises had begun to fade, his cuts hadn't even come close to healing up, and unless Anzu had miraculously healed overnight, she was still in a lot of pain. That would account for her jerky movements – Seto could see now that beneath them there was the gleam of an experienced and talented dancer. The minute was up, and Anzu stopped dancing.
And that was when she saw him.
For the entire class, he had managed to go unnoticed by her, but now, their eyes were locked in an intense staring contest. Seto saw how pale her face was, how tightly she had pursed her lips, and how angry and shocked her eyes revealed her to be. She also looked as if she was going to be sick. Anzu suddenly clutched her injured arm, and sat back down in her row. Mlle. Dugin came back to the front of the class, and announced the end of the lesson. All of the students of the class stood up and begin to gather their possessions. Some entered the bathroom on the other side of the loft, while some simply left. Rebecca got up from the chair and moved over to her new teacher. The two began to converse quickly, and in French.
Seto watched as Anzu slowly stood up from her sitting position and padded over to where all of the students kept their belongings. She grabbed her bag, pulled out a pair of sweatpants, and quickly put them on. He could tell that she was trying with all of her might not to look over at him. She then removed her ballet shoes, replaced them with a pair of beaten up sneakers, and pulled the hair tie that had been holding her hair away from her face out. Her hair fell down across her face in a billow – she ran her fingers through it once or twice to set it back in place. Anzu zipped up her bag, and slung it over the shoulder of her good arm, being careful not to let it bump the bad part of her back. She looked down at her feet, her hair making it impossible to see her face, and began to make her way towards the only exit of the loft, which was subsequently located in the viewer's area. Seto still hadn't moved from his place on the bench.
However, as Anzu passed Rebecca and Dugin, the French woman reached out and out a hand on Anzu's shoulder. Anzu stopped, and Mlle. Dugin said a quick au revoir to Rebecca before turning to her other student. Unconsciously, Seto strained to hear what the two were saying.
"Anzu, quel est le problème?" Dugin asked in a hushed tone. Anzu shook her head, and replied.
"C'est rien Mademoiselle, il n'y a pas un problème."
"Anzu… ne ments pas…"
Seto didn't exactly understand what was going on – his French was limited to a few greetings and some cooking terms – but from the look on Anzu's face, he could tell that she was forcing herself into another lie. Why is she so ashamed of the truth…?
"Eh, bien Mademoiselle… j'ai une malade, mais c'est toute."
"Tu est positive que c'est toute ?"
"Oui."
"Alright den," Dugin said, switching back to her accented Japanese," Let's 'ope that you recover soon. I was very concerned with your performance today. I know dat you 'ave been practicing, and I also know dat being sick can affect a dancer in many ways. Please, get some rest Anzu."
Anzu smiled grimly," I'll try Mademoiselle."
"Au revoir, Anzu,"
"Au revoir."
Anzu turned away from her teacher, and again began to make her way towards the exit. Rebecca too had gathered her belongings, and came up besides Anzu. The two began to talk, and Anzu's face brightened slightly.
Hey Anzu!" Mokuba said exuberantly. Anzu looked to Mokuba, and smiled weakly," Hey Mokuba. I saw your brother here; I didn't realize that you were here also."
Mokuba rolled his eyes," Of course, because Seto loves to come on his own and watch a class full of almost all complete strangers dance. Actually, we all came to watch Rebecca."
Anzu nodded, and turned to Rebecca," You did great today – it's amazing to believe that you haven't danced in half a year. Dancing isn't like riding a bike, it's a hard skill to pick back up again."
Seto noticed how specifically she was avoiding him – and was glad for it. Rebecca laughed slightly.
"Thanks," she said, beaming," I actually started practicing a little about a week ago, just to refresh myself on what I've learned and get my body used to dancing again. Let me tell you, a week ago, I was dancing a lot worse than I did today."
"Anzu," Mokuba said. Seto noticed how Mokuba glanced over to Rebecca, who smirked and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Could we walk home with us? Please?"
Anzu blinked, looking surprised. "Um, well, I kind of live on in the other direction of the mansion, and I don't want you guys to have to go out of the way for me and…"
"Nonsense!" Mokuba exclaimed, and never before in his live had Seto wished to strangle his younger brother like he did now. "Rebecca actually lives only a few neighborhoods down fron yours – we're going that way anyway!"
"We are?" Seto mumbled, but Mokuba heard.
"Of course we are Nii-san," he said, turning to his brother and narrowing his eyes slightly. Rebecca saw the sparks that were starting to clash, and squeezed Mokuba's hand tightly, bringing him back to the matter at hand.
"But wait" Anzu said, looking a little perplexed," How do you know where I live? I don't think you've ever been to my apartment…"
Mokuba smirked," Seto told me…"
Anzu's head whipped to Seto, who was openly and fiercely glaring at Mokuba.
"I. Did. No. Such. Thing." he muttered between clenched teeth.
"Sure ya did Nii-san!" Mokuba said," Now let's go! I heard on the radio that there was a good chance of rain, and I really don't feel like getting wet today…" he glanced over to his girlfriend," I mean, unless…"
"Mokuba…" Seto growled, not wanting know exactly where his younger sibling's train of thought was headed, or where it was going to crash. Despite herself, Anzu giggled, causing Seto to glance back at her. Their eyes met again, and she scowled. Her eyes flashed with a quick stubbornness that he hadn't seen in quite a while. Seto turned and walked down the stairs, the others following behind him.
Outside, it had just started to cloud over – the rain was a little late, but it would come soon nonetheless. Seto hadn't brought an umbrella, not as though he would use it, and Anzu's had yet to be replaced. Seto strongly doubted that Mokuba or Rebecca had one, and he really did not feel like getting wet that day. Anzu spoke again.
"Are you sure that you want to walk me home, I mean well-"
"Look Anzu," Mokuba said," I already told you, Rebecca lives in the same direction as you, so it isn't as if we're going out of the way."
"But-"
"No buts!" Rebecca said, shaking a finger," Come on, let's go."
They all began to walk, Rebecca and Mokuba leading, holding hands, and happily chatting, Anzu following them, looking rather sulky and displeased, and Seto trailing, looking like, well, Seto.
The rain came in soon enough, slowly but surely. Large, slow drops plopped on the streets and the people on the sidewalks. Anzu stopped walking, and looked back at Seto, almost expectantly. He smirked, and showed her his empty hands.
"You're just going to have to get your own umbrella Mazaki," he said, sneering," Stop forgetting yours."
Anzu crossed her arms across her chest," Wow Seto, you must be getting old if you don't remember. I suppose I need to remind you of the fact that my umbrella is now in pieces at the bottom of some landfill?"
Rebecca and Mokuba had stopped walking, and were now staring at the two bickering teens, looking worried.
"You're the one that's getting old Mazaki," Kaiba said," You dance like a jerky old woman!"
Had it not been for Mokuba and Rebecca latching on to Anzu's good arm in the nick of time, she would have jumped him. Instead, she lunged forward, and was pulled back with such a force that she continued to stumble back, taking the two younger teens down with her. Anzu jumped back up, quickly helped Mokuba and Rebecca up, and then turned back to glare at Kaiba, water trickling down the material of her sweatpants. Without another word, Anzu spun around and started walking in the direction of her apartment complex. Mokuba and Rebecca followed, quietly whispering about something that Kaiba was sure was no good. Kaiba stood for a moment, and then also began to walk, knowing that if he turned around now and headed to the mansion, there would be another fight with Mokuba in his future. Seto would do almost anything to avoid another one of those, even if it meant being within a four block radius of Mazaki for more than thirty seconds. Suddenly, Anzu turned around, not looking sad or sick or any of that, but curious and confused.
They walked in almost complete silence the whole way, the only sound being the rain hitting the pavement and the occasional whispers between Mokuba and Rebecca. Seto walked more slowly behind the others, staring at his feet and thinking.
Maybe… I shouldn't treat her like that… all it does is make Mokuba angry and make things more difficult for me. Besides, she saved Mokuba's life…
Seto glanced up, and observed Anzu's short but lean form.
And it isn't like she's unattractive…
Seto almost screamed as the thought drifted through his mind, but settled instead for shaking his head violently. Now was not the time for thoughts like that, especially about her. In fact, it was never the time… but still…
He shook his head again, and tried to focus on something else, something more appropriate – like his own girlfriend. She would be leaving in a week and a half, going back to Egypt for who knew how long. Seto knew that it wasn't right, but he couldn't wait until she left. He didn't understand it, but this trip he just couldn't seem to stand her. Seto had never had that problem before, but now, any moment that he could be away from her was a moment celebrated. Even, although it pained him to think it, a moment with Anzu was better than having to spend time with Isis. At least Anzu showed some common sense every once and a while, and she wasn't controlling, compulsive, or overly whiny. Why am I thinking about this?
Seto stopped walking just in time to narrowly avoid running into Mokuba and Rebecca. They had reached Anzu's apartment complex, and stopped. Anzu smiled slightly and said her good byes to Rebecca and Mokuba, and then looked to Kaiba. Impulsively, he smirked, causing her to give him a look that wasn't angry, annoyed or any of that, but curious and confused.
"You Know Kaiba, I just don't understand you."
"Join the club," Mokuba muttered.
Six fifty-five, Mai burst through the door. She made her way to the small dinner table and upended the single bag of groceries onto it, its contents including some yogurt, a container of peanut butter, a few apples and two boxes of macaroni and cheese.
"Anz', I'm home!" she shouted, but got no reply. Mai called out again, and frowned slightly at the silence of the apartment, not being able to help but feel worried. She walked down the hall to Anzu's room, and knocked on the door softly. When no one answered, Mai turned the door knob – it wasn't locked – and pushed it open.
Anzu had collapsed onto her bed and fallen asleep, not even under the covers. Her dance bag lay on the floor, still packed, and she was still hadn't changed out of her dance clothes. She was breathing softly but deeply, and Mai got the impression that the entire apartment could fall in around Anzu and she wouldn't eve twitch. Mai sighed and smiled grimly. Poor girl, she works herself way too hard… Mai closed the door and walked back to the kitchen area. Slowly, she began to put up the groceries, or, more accurately, shove them wherever in the panty or fridge that they would fit.
That task being complete, Mai looked over to the phone. The light indicating that they had messages was flashing. Mai pressed the "Play" button, and listened to what the answering machine had to offer.
"Hello, this is a message to Miss Mai Valentine from World Wing Modeling Agency. Our agency was wondering if you would be interested in starti-"
Mai scowled and pressed the "erase" button, cutting off her newest offer. She made it clear to all other agencies that she was loyal to the agency she was currently employed to – it was the only agency she had ever been employed to – but competing companies still continued to call her and waste her time. The next message started to play.
"Hey Anz," a crisp but friendly British accent filled the apartment," It's about six o'clock and I just got off work. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go get some pizza or something – I know you're not all to excited about my new job, and honestly I was hoping to bribe you with food but anyway…well… call me back if you can, bye."
"Sorry hun," Mai muttered, looking at the clock. It was now seven. "I don't think Anzu can go out with you tonight."
The next message came on.
"Anzu, sweety, it's me," at the sound of the over syrupy female voice, Mai frowned. "I guess you're not home, but I've got to talk to you tonight. We wer-"
Mai pressed the "erase" button, bringing an end to the annoying voice. If only Mai could do the same to its owner. Anzu wasn't going to be happy just knowing, but Mai knew for a fact that hearing that would be even worse for her. Mai would wait to tell Anzu until Anzu was awake and fully conscious. Mai made a mental note to remember to tell Anzu, and then went into her bathroom to take a shower. It had been a long day.
Dun dun daaaa! Who called? Why won't Anzu be happy? And why has Seto been thinking about Anzu more? Not all will be revealed in the next chapter of Like the Rain! SO stay tuned!
Ok. Again, I'm so sorry about how long it took me to update. School has been so busy and time consuming, it's difficult for me just to get more than five hours of sleep a night with all of my studies, so I have to work on writing on the weekends, which are also becoming increasingly busy so yea… please don't jump me or yell at me for how long it's taking! I'm quite aware that it was nearly a month, and I'm also quite aware that, while not desirable, it might take a month for me to get the next chapter posted.
Now, onto a happier subject! THANK YOU ALL OF MY REVIEWERS! Over 130 reviews, you guys are awesome! I don't have time for personal responses (It's 4:10 in the morning and I'm rather lazy/tired), but I want you all to know how much I appreciate your input, encouragement, and enthusiasm! You all keep me going! A brief response to one of my reviewers – you know who you are – thank you for pointing out my age discrepancies. Sometimes I just can't keep track of what I'm doing. Seto and Mokuba are five years apart, not three or whatever I might have had it as later. My ages might be slightly different than the ones in the series, but they serve the purposes of my story.
Also! Be on the look out for a one-shot, which should be coming out soon! It will be a brief SetoXAnzu (brief meaning more like implied), based in the winter! It will be titled Chocolat Chaud, so like I said, be on the look out. Once again, I can't promise a release date. I don't want to promise something and then let you guys down.
Alright, I really need to get some sleep. Thanks again, R&R
RR
P.S. If you can't read French… Anzu told Mlle. Dugin that she was sick, but that was all. She's like, a compulsive liar or something. Oy.
P.P.S – sorry for any glaring grammatical errors. I have no desire right now to go back through and look for them.