~XxX~
Two weeks passed in a flash, made to go all the more fast by Teá and I hitting it off nicely. She seemed to know that I wasn't meaning to offend when I seemed disinterested, it was just my default setting. Nor did she judge my social stumbles and dry humour. In turn, I was both a homework aid, and a female friend. Something she had been sorely lacking.
We did find a common ground though, both of us loving DDR. Unfortunately, only one of us was any good at it though. About three days after I met her and her friends, she showed me the arcade where they actually had DDR, I attempted it, but after several steps it proved too much for my lack of any form of dance co-ordination and I fell on my arse, laughing as I picked myself up from the hard floor by the handrail. I did however, spend the rest of the week humming the opening theme song and annoying my classmates greatly.
Speaking of classmates, or rather, one in particular, I had encountered Kaiba every day for the past two weeks. It was never such a locking of horns as the first time though, just frosty and vague civility displayed on both sides, we didn't have to interact much, so were saved the annoyance of each other's company. I had learnt my lesson, next time I wouldn't come to such a battle of wits so unarmed. I had been pleasantly surprised by gaining a social life at the same time though, so that kept me busy. Yugi and Joey were the main culprits, having taken it upon themselves to teach me every rule and move in Duel Monsters during our periods of time spent at the game store. I wasn't complaining though, technically I was being taught by the best and second-best duelists in the world, I just didn't seem to have the knack. I kept mixing up my Traps with my Magic and saying 'I Fold', a lot in utter exasperation. I had resolved to mainly watch the duels than attempt them myself, at least, not until I got some more practice in.
Teá had reminded me the week beforehand that the Faire tickets were for sale, unfortunately, one of my largest downfalls occurs around groups of people that number over twenty, so I didn't attend. I think it hurt her feelings, but I did my best to explain my awkwardness to her and we reached an understanding over smoothies, once more thankful that I had gained such a friend.
~XxX~
First Day Of Summer Break
5:30am; wake up, brush teeth, get dressed, run downstairs, realise that it's Summer Break, go back upstairs, get changed into something different, out anyway by 6:00am.
That was my morning, and the rest of my family hadn't even woken up yet. To fill the void school had left I had decided to fix my major problem in my life: its distinct lack of coffee. I was in the supermarket's coffee and tea aisle when my mobile vibrated in my pocket. I placed a Japanese brand of coffee down on the shelves again and picked up the Kenco beside it before I flipping my phone open and answering.
"Ja?" I replied in the only other language I was fluent in, knowing that only three people had this number and I didn't have to act business-like around any of them, Teá answered back on the other line.
"Sophie, I have a problem." She stated, not sounding too troubled, but a little muffled. Almost as though she was in a broom cupboard.
"Well, you know I'm not the best at helping people with problems, Teá, seriously-" I chinked the Kenco down in favour of Nescafé, "-I doubt I can help you at all. Unless it's with your Trig homework."
"Yes, I know that, but you're the only girl I know and I need to tell someone." The laugh was clear in her voice as I sighed and made my way to the checkout with one large jar of Nescafé. I shifted my weight and waited for the queue to lessen.
"Well?" I answered, trying my best to sound interested, it seemed to work, or maybe she didn't care.
"What would you wear if your best friend asked you out on a date?" Teá asked eventually as I snickered inside. So Yugi had finally asked her out? Good for him, but I still couldn't help her. It had already been stated that my social skills weren't exactly stellar. Dates were firmly outside the Venn diagram of my experiences.
"Clothing?" I questioned hopefully, paying for the coffee and leaving the store, walking home. I heard an exasperated sigh-and-laugh on the other side.
"Okay, maybe you weren't the best person to phone under the circumstances." I nodded vigorously before remembering that she couldn't see me over the phone and answered 'yep' instead.
"Well," I sighed, attempting to make an effort at least, "wear something appropriate to wherever it is that you're going." I could hear the cogs turning in her brain, "Where are you anyway?" I asked, opening the door to Sandra's house and walking inside.
"I'm...in my closet, look, I've got to go. I'll see you later." The line went dead. I made my way to the kitchen and looked at my mobile with a frown. She'd sounded like she'd reached an answer just before she hung up. I wondered if she was annoyed with me? Was I being self-centred and paranoid? Was there sugar in that jar or was it salt? These questions buzzed around my head for a few more minutes as I waited for the kettle to boil and I taste-tested the granular substance.
"Aaack."
Salt.
~XxX~
I hadn't realised just how dependent I had become on school for taking up time in my day. Mum was at her work, currently selling a three-bedroomed maisonette to a couple who were concerned it was out of their price range. If anyone could seal that deal, it would be my Mother. Sandra was out with the kids at their nursery/hothouse for young genii.
I sat in my swivel chair in my bedroom, spinning left to right, trying to think of what to do without anyone around.
"I could read a little."
Spin.
"But it's a nice day outside."
Spin.
"I could have a look around the shops."
Spin.
"But there's nothing I really need."
Spin.
"I could just sit here and spin in my chair for half an hour before I get dizzy."
Spin spin spin spin.
"I'm booored..." I moaned to no-one before slamming both my palms on my desk, levering myself out of my chair, and walking downstairs to grab my coat. I knew exactly where I was going.
~XxX~
"Come on Sasha! Come on! Sasha! Sasha!" I whistled at my black and white Great Dane through the mesh of the quarantine cage, she had already spent her three months in British quarantine and one here so far, now she just had to spend two more months here before I had my best friend back. She threw her weight at the mesh and attempted to snuffle her nose through the small spaces. I tapped her nose with my clladagh ring and reached three fingers through one space to scratch her behind one ear. Sasha 'woofed' happily as I crouched down to the ground to talk to her. I tended to talk to animals more freely than humans but they've never talked back. That's probably part of their charm.
"One of my new friends phoned me today, she asked what I would wear if my best friend asked me out on a date," I laughed and woke up a calico cat in the next cage, he looked at me lazily before going back to sleep, "My first thought was, 'that's kind of illegal' considering you're mine..." I trailed off, I'd never had the patience or the drive to keep a diary, instead my dog knows all my problems, but I didn't feel comfortable talking about the subject I wanted to broach in a warehouse full of other animals and three staff.
"I'm bored Sash," I said, sitting now and dropping my voice to a quieter volume. I had my back against the cage, guiding Sasha to sit too, "I'm not seeing Mum as much, which I know is fine for some people my age, but I'm feeling like I'm missing something during the day. I've made a few friends, but we haven't known each other that long and we'll probably drift apart. There's a guy I dislike. Sandra's nice but I don't really like her and to top it all off?" I looked over my shoulder at Sasha, splayed out on the floor of her cage, panting after exertion. "I've realised just how bad I am around people. I told a kid to 'screw off' the other day and he was only nine..." I trailed off and sighed. It hadn't been the best week. Getting up and brushing my jeans off from fur and dust, I patted the mesh of the cage once and left without another word, feeling a little sorry for myself but also resolving to work on my social skills. Stepping out of the warehouse I shivered and snuggled slightly into my green coat, I had obviously been playing with Sasha for a few hours considering it was almost dark, taking the main streets I reached the plaza a few streets from home in half an hour, knowing that I could easily get to Sandra's from there. That was until I saw Teá and a guy that looked a hell of a lot like Yugi along with a blonde and busty woman. Remembering my resolvement to be more social I steeled myself and walked up to them.
"Hey Teá...what're you doing here?" I asked, looking at her and then at her company, she turned away from staring at a screen on the side of a building to look at me, seeming a little shocked. I glanced around the plaza quickly, noticing something that had passed me by when I was otherwise occupied self-pitying, everyone seemed to have been looking at the screen. My guess was that I had missed something. No shit Sherlock. My brain scolded me for stating the obvious before looking back at Teá and her current company. Yes, the man did look eerily like Yugi, but his eyes were different and he was taller by perhaps a full foot and a half. I opened my mouth to say something but was drowned out by the sound of a-
"Chopper?" I yelled. The sound of the blades drowning out part of my words so it sounded more like, "Cho-er?" A vigorous nod from the Kinda!Yugi. I choked on my next words as I saw who was hanging out of it, proclaiming that a new Tournament would be starting tomorrow, a new Tournament with new rules, new Duel Disks and only the best competitors.
Kaiba.
"W-ll th-s is jus- ne-lessl- THEATRIC!" I yelled at him from my position on the ground, he didn't hear me and I hadn't expected him to, it just made me feel better to yell at him for a moment, a vaguely cowardly move since he couldn't retaliate. The chopper roared away and the near-whirlwind the plaza was in slowed before finally disappearing, I turned to Teá as she started talking to the Kinda!Yugi and the other woman.
"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" I shouted the last part, taking all my insecurities, fears and mixed emotions of the past two weeks and turning it into anger. "What the hell was that about?" I gestured at the sky, "Who is he?" I jabbed a finger in the direction of the Kinda!Yugi, "Who is she?" I pointed at the blonde woman, feeling more than a little inferior about my bra size in her presence. I calmed down a bit while Teá looked at me in something akin to sympathy, I narrowed my eyes a little, what was there to be sympathetic about?
"Sophie, I don't think we can tell you all that you want to know just yet, but this is Mai Valentine. She's a duelist. She came here for the Tournament Kaiba's holding this Summer." Teá said placatingly, as if I was a spooked horse. I huffed like a petulant child and turned on my heel before massaging the bridge of my nose with my hand, squinting my eyes shut and regaining my composure.
"You can't tell me, all." I stressed the last word sarcastically before catching myself and repeating my previous exercise, "You mean you can't tell me why he looks like Yugi? Or why you're on a date with him?" I asked between controlled breaths, Teá shifted her eyes over to the man in question and winced a little. "No. No, it's fine, you don't have to tell me. I've just...had a bad day. I guess I took it out on you. I apologise." I sighed again and looked at the, now empty, sky.
"You're a bundle of fun aren't you, honey?" The blonde woman said, strangely enough I had anticipated her American accent just from her look, what I hadn't anticipated was the condescending tone to it. It didn't feel right being on the receiving end of patronisation, but I decided to let it slide for the sake of the moment
"Hmm." Was my lacklustre answer before I walked away without a backwards glace at my friends, only pausing to yell that I'd see them later, I wanted my Mother. And some coffee. And my emergency chocolate.
It had been a long day.
~XxX~