I'm not the kinda girl to get messed up with you, hello

I'ma let you try to convince me to, hello

Martin Sloveig & Dragonette – Hello

*Flashback*

She didn't know how she'd let her friends convince her that going to this party was a good idea. Mika was sitting in the corner of what had – at some point at the start of this evening – been a very well put together living room. The TV was on but couldn't be heard over the blaring music.

She was staring down at her phone, scrolling through the same status updates that had been there when she had checked five minutes ago. She looked down at her black slip-on shoes and felt a bit underdressed. The girls at the party were dressed-up … well the high school version of dressed up. They were all wearing mini-skirts and platforms or tight dresses. The few that were wearing jeans were wearing obscene shirts called "crop tops" that were barely enough to cover their bras.

Mika's friends, unfortunately, fell into that particular category of girl. Mika, on the other hand, had dressed herself in black jeggings that her mother had gotten her for her birthday and a lavender tank top which was mostly hidden beneath a grey hoodie; the most provocative thing about her outfit was the deep v-neck of the sweater and the shoulder cut outs.

Mika spotted her friend Minako in the corner, holding herself against the wall as some guy she'd very likely just met gyrated on her. She couldn't help but sigh and shake her head, standing up she decided to walk out to the front yard for some fresh air.

She had taken all of three steps when some guy reached out and grabbed her. She tried to pull away without making a scene, but she heard Yuka's laughter and stopped resisting for the moment. "Where have you been hiding all night Mika?"

Yuka was very obviously drunk – or maybe high, one of the two for sure. Her skirt was pulled up and her hair was ruffled. Her boyfriend (the one who'd invited them to the party) had an arm draped around her waist and was wearing a satisfied grin on his face.

"I wanted you to meet Chiharu's new friend, his name is uh … Marik," Yuka smiled at Mika and made a suggestive look with her eyebrows.

Mika sighed, but turned to look at the boy attached to the hand that was holding her hostage. She was expecting him to be somewhat similar to Chiharu – ridiculous and a party-boy. She couldn't be sure just yet, but he looked like he might match the description.

"Hello there," he said, his amethyst colored eyes glittering down at her. Mika was trying to figure out if he was playing it cool or if he just thought that he was hot shit.

When Mika didn't reply after a moment, Yuka spoke up again, "He goes to Domino Prep, our high school's rival school."

She nodded and smiled, her navy blue eyes searching for an easy exit. "Look Marik, I'm sure you're a great guy, but I was just trying to go outside to get some fresh air – "

"Oh, that's no problem. I'll take you to the back yard. The party is going on out there too." Mika sighed, but followed him as he was still holding her wrist with his big, tan hand. She caught sight of her friend Ami on her way out and received a big grin and a wink from the girl.

Once they had reached the patio Mika took a deep breath, the house was too hot from being packed with raging teens. "Before we chat, you want me to get us something to drink?" He was being oddly polite, but Mika couldn't fault him for it, "Sure," she replied as she watched him head over to a cooler.

He'd been gone for no more than a millisecond when someone placed their hand over hers. She was leaning up against the rail of the porch because she wanted to keep her distance from the group of kids smoking pot in the middle of the patio at the picnic table. The hand had begun slowly trailing up her arm when a certain velvety voice was added to the mix.

"Hello there, Mika."

Her body stiffened momentarily, he was really close to her and she couldn't help the way that her hair stood on end. "Hello, Bakura."

"Aw, come on now Mika, don't be so cruel," she could hear the smirk in his voice. She could feel his lips brushing her ear. "Come now, is that any way to greet a friend?"

His question prompted her to turn around to face him, her navy blue eyes made to be even darker in the dim moonlight. His arms were spread wide and she found herself involuntarily submitting, hugging him stiffly. One could say that things between them had been very awkward (well, things for Mika) since her unexpected birthday "gift."

"The fuck is going on here? Get your own chick, bro."

Bakura turned slowly, his arm resting around her neck, "Excuse me?" Mika wanted to slink away – this was humiliating.

"I said, back off my girl." Deep inside she felt that any other girl would be happy to have these two boys seemingly arguing over who was going to – well going to do whatever it was that they seemed to think that she was going to do with them.

"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" Bakura looked anything but sorry as he tauntingly played with the ends of Mika's hair.

Marik shoved the two drinks in Mika's unsuspecting hands and she spilled half of the liquid on the floor before she realized that these two were apparently really riled up over this.

"I'm obviously the better of the two of us."

"Really – by who's standards?"

Marik snarled and got closer to Bakura, they were inches from being chest to chest; it was obvious that they were each trying to intimidate the other. They looked like moose to her or maybe rams; whatever stupid animal that felt the need to beat a comrade senseless to impress a female.

"Oh, I know who you are now," Bakura rolled his shoulders, obviously feeling smug. "You're that loser midfielder that couldn't stop me in today's game."

Obviously this struck a nerve and Mika saw that Marik was ready to throw a punch and she wasn't drunk enough to stand on the sidelines as they beat one another senseless.

Apparently, she was drunk enough to intervene.

She haphazardly placed the two beers on the railing she had been leaning against and pushed her way between the two boys. "Hey, hey – stop it you two!"

She saw that Bakura was trembling and was about ready to think less of him when he broke out in laughter. Although this laugh was much harsher than the one that they had shared a few days ago, it still sent pleasant tingles down her spine. She desperately tried to blame the alcohol on that sensation.

It took her half a moment more to realize that Marik was laughing, too.

"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" She stepped back and peered into their faces, they were completely the opposite of what they had been just a short moment ago.

Marik reached to grab a beer from the railing, while asking Bakura, "So, do you wanna tell her, or should I?"

Mika narrowed her gaze at Bakura, who was still chuckling to himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but more laughter came bursting forth.

"Fuck you. Are you high again? Is this what boys do? God, I'm leaving."

She was about to take a step when Marik caught her under his arm, he leaned down to look at her face. His beer-soaked breath caressed her face as he explained, "Well, you see, Bakura and I have known one another for quite a few years now. I'd even go as far as to say that we're thick as thieves."

Bakura grabbed the other beer and chugged it while rolling his eyes. Marik continued his explanation, "So anyway, a week and half ago he comes and tells me about this "really cool chick" and that we should all totally hang out sometime."

He made some dramatic hand gestures while explaining and had since let go of Mika, "Anyway, we're proud subscribers to "bros before hoes" and so we wanted to make sure that you weren't just some home wrecking bitch. We decided that the best way to test it was to see how you'd react to us fighting over you."

Bakura, who'd finished his beer, decided to pipe up now, "I told him that you were totally cool and that you wouldn't be aroused by the fact that two sex beasts were about to kill one another over you. So he promised that if you passed the test you could hang out with us this weekend. He also promised that he'd supply the necessary ingredients for fun."

Marik rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Any girl who'd stand up for Bakura – "

"And keep Marik from getting into belligerent fights – "

"- is cool in my book."

Mika stared at them both in disbelief. Mostly it was disbelief aimed at herself, because these two idiots sort of made sense.

"See, I told you that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Bakura quipped, smiling self assuredly, "So, what do you say?"

She narrowed her eyes, but turned her head when she saw her friends lining up to do a keg stand – well Ami was shouting that there needed to be a wet t-shirt contest, stat. Suddenly Marik and Bakura didn't seem half bad. She offered them a tentative smile and nodded her head, "I'd say I'm about ready for shots – who's with me?"

Marik whooped and Bakura grinned as they both threw their arms around her, "What did I tell you Marik? This girl is one cool chick."

*Present Day*

"SHOTS!"

Marik drunkenly lined up the shot glasses in front of them. They were pre-gaming for the going away party that they were throwing at Bakura's house (mostly because they didn't give a fuck what Bakura's father would say – even Ryou felt this way, surprisingly).

Not surprisingly, the three of them were already buzzed from the three shots that had preceded this one. They were playing what was now their favorite pre-party game – take a short every time their cell phones rang. Thanks to Ryou's girlfriend they were lining up their fourth shot in a matter of thirty minutes.

"A toast – to going off to college and spending my last few days with you losers," Bakura said, because he almost never yelled – especially when he was drunk.

"To the best friends in the world," Marik seconded, his speech already wavering on the line between slurred and acceptable.

"To the two coolest guys a girl could ever want in her life – and Ryou, too!" Mika giggled, her voice high pitched – the way it always got when she started drinking.

They had just knocked their shots back with another cell phone went off. They all looked at one another, grinning from ear to ear – "SHOTS!"

I think we can go ahead and officially say that I'm on a FF binge ... I'm sure y'all don't mind too much though :)

Shout out to CraftyLion!