The rain outside fell harder and harder in thick walls of water as the hours passed and the heavy clouds refused to leave. A thunderous groan fell down to Earth after a crack of lightning struck the gray sky, signaling that lunchtime would again be spent inside.
Kaiba sat on a bench located near the entrance typing away on his laptop, looking up every now and then, making sure he wasn't disturbed. He could hear the incoherent screams of the few who had ventured outside and the nonstop chatter of the teens that spent their lunchtime inside.
A girl with long black hair rushed by him and evoked the thought of the new girl, his senses alerted for another encounter, although after close inspection it was evident it hadn't been her.
His eyes traveled back down to the gleam of his laptop screen, stock numbers crowding his view. As he studied the flock of shifting numbers, he remembered the subject the new girl had brought up, mentioning that her dad had ben working with Kaiba before being let go at the end of his contract. It seemed unfortunate that someone who had entered his life so fastidiously had formerly been linked to his company, though surely he had a very good reason not to have renewed the man's contract.
He tucked away the conversation into a pit full of unimportant equals that had been presented unto him in the course of his life, one swift finger shutting of his laptop.
He looked up to the pale white wall, resting his eyes on the ticking clock that sat lonely upon it. He had ten minutes before the herd of animals came stomping in, wet smell and all.
With a creak of the bench he stood up and traced the familiar path to his locker, taking in the deep smell of pure rain as it poured in through the slits of the partially open windows. A fresh breeze swept throughout the hallway playing with strands of his chocolate stained hair, swaying it in and out of his eyes. The floors were lightly littered with notes and exams people had carelessly dropped, the janitor quickly making use of the time he had to sweep it all away.
He arrived at his locker and expertly turned the knob until he heard the familiar click. He packed his laptop back into his suitcase, reaching down to collect the utensils required for Art class.
The bell rang followed almost immediately by the squeaking of wet shoes against the tile and lockers opening and closing. He looked up to see Silver making her way to her locker, a serious expression on her face as was often the result of spending lunch alone. She took short quick steps and again avoided anyone's direct gaze. Her thick hair gathered around her face like a veil that danced in the wind, celebrating a cause unknown to the outer world.
Kaiba was quick to shut his locker, turning to avoid her gaze and rushing past her, another encounter not within his immediate desires.
He turned unto a lonely hallway then into a room tucked far into the corner, wincing at the bright lights positioned above as he made his way to the last counter. He set his things down, pausing to rub away the headache that had been lingering in the back of his head for the better half of the day.
He sat down on the wooden stoll and waited as the large room started to fill with teens who looked as eager as a puppy getting neutered.
They settled in as the rain weakened and the mood in the classroom dulled. Few were listening to the teacher and even fewer were awake.
Kaiba let his attention drift first unto the blank page beneath his pencil then to the blank skies outside.
The wind crashed against the trees and dispersed the leaves into a mad frenzy until they fell to the ground in colorful heaps. The rain splashed noisily on the gravel and formed small streams along the border of the road like miniature rushing rivers.
Immediately his attention was drawn to a peculiar splash that was neither black nor gray, but a bright red that belonged to a raincoat. His eyes narrowed as he made out the figure of a young blonde girl clutching her raincoat to her slim body and taking hesitant steps along the road.
"Mr. Kaiba, if what is outside is more interesting than what's in here, you're welcome to leave." He heard the teacher say, her toad like voice interrupting his thoughts.
Stools creaked as the pupils turned to face the CEO.
He turned his attention back to the painting at the front of the room and remained still, ignoring the questioning glares of the others, taking a peek every now and then at the girl outside.
Minutes that seemed hours passed while the rain finally slowed to a stop.
Kaiba's eyes drifted to the clock on the wall, searching its numbers for a sign of rendition before turning again to the girl.
She stood at the entrance of the school, soaking wet. Her emerald green eyes scanned the building, until she reached the classroom Kaiba was in. She caught his eyes in hers and the moment seemed to stretch into years, her gaze sending chills up Kaiba's spine until they erupted into a silent shiver.
Her head suddenly jerked to the side and she ran off, her long legs carrying her further and further away until she completely disappeared behind a corner.
The bell rang, snapping Kaiba out of his thoughts and returning his attention to the classroom. The last of the students were leaving the room with Kaiba rushing behind them, his mind still straining to comprehend the odd feeling the girl had provoked in him.
The rest of the day followed the same dull pattern. Teachers that droned on and on about non interesting subjects, pupils who's brained never seemed to have evolved at all, common happenings in his everyday school life.
If the board weren't so adamant about his education being certified he would have been long gone into the confines of his company, never taking another look back at the institute that represented hours of his life spent.
The only novelty in his day was that Silver was in two more of Kaiba's classes, much to his dismay.
The hallway gradually emptied as the yelling and shouting reduced to faint footsteps and a few low whispers. Kaiba stood at his locker packing the last of his books into his suitcase. His limbs felt weak with exhaustion and his headache was beginning to drown out his thoughts, like a damn that prevented his mind from flowing its course. His body was aching for a warm bath and a mug of steaming hot black coffee.
He tilted his head back and shut his eyes, groaning in exhaustion and desperation.
After glorified seconds he forced his eyes open and shut his locker, the loud noise echoing off the walls and seeping painfully into his ears. His tired legs led him to the main entrance as he fought to keep his every step dignified despite the fatigue.
He twisted his features in dismay upon arriving at the front entrance and spying that his scheduled ride hadn't yet arrived, yet his exhaustion seemed to overrule his anger.
He slowly sat on the bench were he had spent his lunch hour and positioned his elbows on his knees, hands covering his face.
How much time he had spent in that position was unknown to him. Exhaustion had its keen hands wrapped around his focus when he heard footsteps, getting louder and louder until they stopped followed by a small sigh. Kaiba looked up to see Silver sitting on the bench opposite him, also searching the road.
She hadn't seemed to notice him, eyes fixed on outside world. She held the same black notebook in her lap, still twisting her fingers anxiously through the spiral. Kaiba found her habit creeping up his nerves, could she not simply sit still?
His eyes stuck onto her face for minutes longer, his mind pondering what in the world would have impulsed her to think he would have cordially accepted her greeting.
She must have felt him staring because she turned her head in his direction, instantly locking her eyes onto his. Seconds of Kaiba's cold gaze were enough to send her eyes back to the road outside.
An awkward silence filled the air, the tension between them loud.
"You could have at least insulted me." She finally said with her eyes still on the road, the words seemingly murmured between pursed lips.
Kaiba looked up, an exasperated look upon his face.
"That would have taken a millisecond of my time. A millisecond I wasn't willing to waste." He said, the harsh tone in his voice breaking the tension and shattering it into mere disinterest.
She simply heaved out a heavy breath as silence filled the air again and wore Kaiba's patience.
Minutes continued to drip from the clock on the wall, sliding down the wall in the slowest of descents. Cars pulled up to the yard, peaking their interest then evaporating it when realization sunk in that it wasn't theirs.
Silver felt her eyes tugging in his direction, curiosity pounding into them.
He was notorious for his disinterest in people, his harsh dismissals known to the world, including herself.
Her father often spoke of injustice and discrimination when he brought up KaibaCorp. He spoke of the way he had been mistreated then fired upon reaching the end of his contract, flaming words spewing from his mouth when mentioning the CEO himself and his reluctance to let talent grow within the company.
Fear, he'd say, fear of becoming overruled. A cowardly, insecure little boy that lived inside the shell of a glacier, pretending to be a man. A little boy who ran off to play games instead of sitting on the throne of the empire, listening to his people.
According to her father, the company had never seen a better stage then when commanded by Gozaburo. Times of success, times of striving to reach the quarterly goals without the threats or leering presence of a sneaky figure.
She'd heard dinner time stories of appalling behavior exhibited by him towards his employees, although how much of it was true and how much of it was made up by her father, she never knew.
She couldn't help but wonder what it was he was trying so hard to conceal, to hide from the rest of the world. She knew there had to be more to him than he let on, that no human being could possibly be that distant from humanity without a valid reason.
A car honked twice before its flashing lights flooded her eyes and commanded her towards it.
Her thoughts ran with the wind outside when she stepped through the sliding doors, deciding she was going to find out, whether he wanted her to or not.
I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it! Please feel free to review :)