Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or 'At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum'

Chapter 12

Tailor's Sorrow

The next morning was sunny and warm and everything that was the opposite of Jaden Yuki's mood. He would have looked more in place in a gloomy setting such as a stormy day in the country or a neglected pig sty. His brown eyes were dull with fearful anticipation as he slowly made his way to Mapleside Manor. The previous day, someone had died in the house, and he'd been there when it had happened. He and Jesse had both froze when they'd heard the scream, and then Jesse had told him to get away before the death cart arrived. Today, he was going back to see Jesse again and find out who had died, for that scream had been haunting him all night and he had barely slept. Consequentially, neither had Aster, who was less than happy with him and had told him that he wasn't leaving the bakery for a week. Jaden had argued of course, and Aster relented when Jaden agreed to go to the tailor's and pick out a new silver suit for him. He had denied Jaden his freedom to go out only to get that suit - there was no point in telling Jaden he couldn't see Jesse. He'd find a way.

Jaden now walked into the tailor's run by the Princeton family. He saw two older men in the back room, and the younger Chazz Princeton in the front, cutting up fabric with a scowl on his face. Jaden was about to ask what he was so grumpy about when he noticed that Chazz had something wet on his cheeks and that his eyes were red and puffy. He'd been crying and was now masking it with a frown. Jaden had met with Chazz here at the tailor's - he kind of liked the shop, for some reason - enough times to realise that the black haired male would talk to him about it, though he'd be begrudging about it.

"Hey, Chazz, what's up?" Jaden called.

"Huh?" Chazz looked up, and scowled again. "What do you want, Yuki?"

"Silver suit in Aster's usual size and material" Jaden recited. He'd done this before - Aster often bought from this place, since it was well priced and high quality. "So what's up with you, then?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, you can tell me."

"Nothing!" Chazz growled, and he stuck his head into the back of the shop. "Hey, I need a suit from shelf sixteen, space four. Silver" he called. Then he turned around. "I have things to do, slacker."

Why Chazz called him that, he'd never know. Maybe because he liked an excuse to get out of working at the bakery.

"So do I. I have to see Jesse …"

Chazz froze on the spot and stared at Jaden.

"Jesse Andersen?"

"Yeah."

"You stupid slacker" Chazz hissed. "You can't talk to him. He's shut up for a reason, you idiot!"

"He's not sick!"

"He might be now. He could be sick today, or tomorrow, or two weeks from now. He'll be sick soon enough, just as she is …" Here, Chazz stopped and a tear escaped his eye. He brushed it away furiously.

"You mean Blair?" Jaden asked softly.

Jaden remembered Adrian, the one who'd told him about Mapleside Manor being shut up. He'd not only told Jaden that news, but also that Blair's sweetheart was indeed Chazz Princeton. Adrian had been going to tell Chazz of the news, too.

Chazz glanced up at Jaden angrily, but he nodded.

"Blair and I have been together two years, Jaden" Chazz muttered, for once calling the brunette by his first name. "We were thinking about maybe getting married before all this started, and then we decided to wait until the plague had left … now we'll never see that day. She'll not get out of that house alive."

"Chazz, don't say that!" Jaden said encouragingly. "Blair's probably fine. She's …"

"I saw her yesterday, slacker!" Chazz hissed, turning away. "She's not just shut up, she's actually sick."

This was news to Jaden. News which made his blood run cold.

"Blair's … Blair's got the plague?"

Chazz nodded once, not turning around.

"She's not going to make it. I can tell."

Jaden didn't reply to this. His mouth wouldn't work properly, nothing would, except his legs. He ignored Aster's silver suit and ran out the door and in the direction of Mapleside Manor, knowing his way by heart without having to think about it.

Blair was on the same floor as Jesse. She looked after the other Truesdale child.

If Blair had contracted the sickness, there was every chance that she wasn't the only one. The thought of him contracting the plague was enough to make Jaden fly to the house at what he was certain was the speed of light.

"Jesse! Jesse, come on, answer me!" Jaden called worriedly, having arrived a second earlier. "You've got to be okay, Jess, come on!"

The room was in darkness, only the sunlight partially showing the room's features. Jaden pictured Jesse alone in the dark room.

"Come on, you've got to be okay!" he shouted. "Jesse!"

"I'm coming, Jay" came a voice. Jesse.

Jaden waited impatiently for his friend to come up to the window. Jesse had answered almost immediately, that was a good sign. He'd said he was coming to speak to him, another good sign. The waiting period, not a good sign. But if Jesse was putting the baby to bed or something, that would take him a minute…

Jaden fidgeted while he waited for his bluenette to come to the window. He eventually saw the figure moving slowly - really slowly, so much so that it was hardly natural - towards the window. He recognised the shadowy outline of the person and closed his eyes in relief.

"Jaden …"

The brunette opened his eyes.

He saw his friend clearly.

He gasped.

"Jesse?"

Please R&R