JC: I'm doing COMMISSIONS at reasonable prices. If interested, just visit my DeviantArt page for more info. My user name is jczala. Oh, by the way, I also did a fanart of Carly Carmine (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds), which is now up on DeviantArt if you guys wanna check it out. I drew her in the Duel Academy uniform, the same uniform as Akiza's with minor alternations. I've been busy the last few days, and I'm so sorry for the late update. I was also having a hard trying to put the scenes here together. But I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

White Vow

Turn 14: A Thorn from the Past

The ballroom in the mansion glittered under the light reflected from several large golden chandeliers filled with the best diamonds. The room, with guests over a hundred, had such flair and elegance. Jaden, allured by his surroundings, felt like he was in one of those old, Victorian-styled parties in Europe. High-class ladies were dressed in their extravagant gowns, sporting the finest jewelries and stones, while the gentlemen were in suits and ties, which made them look very sophisticated. Jaden was wearing the suit Mrs. Rhodes gave him, but he wasn't sure if it was enough to make him fit in. Nevertheless, he felt confident and proud because of the woman by his side.

Alexis was wearing a strapless blue silk chiffon dress with a shimmery poly satin bodice and asymmetrical pleats. The dress itself was beautiful enough, but Jaden told himself that Alexis only made the dress look fantastic. She simply blew his mind away, a sight to behold. And Jaden could see that he wasn't the only male that feasted his eyes on her.

"You nervous?" Alexis asked, hooking his arm with hers, as she drew herself closer to him.

"A bit," he answered, glancing around the ballroom. He spotted Mr. Rhodes speaking with men his age, which were possibly his business partners. "It's nerve-wrecking that I'll be criticized by your dad."

"It's gonna be fine," she said, squeezing his hand.

He wasn't completely comforted, but it sure felt nice to get this kind of love and attention from Alexis. He knew people would have questions. After all, Alexis was the heiress of a rich company. Her status was completely different from his. Still, he knew Alexis loved him, and their feelings for each other were strong.

Alexis' warm hand was reassuring as he faced Mrs. Rhodes and her friends. They were all standing next to the table where they would be seated for dinner in a short while. Alexis' mother was beautiful in her pure white evening gown. Her hair was swept up, and she had a white, translucent shawl nestled on arms, round her back. Her youthful appearance made her stood out from her friends there.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Rhodes," Jaden greeted, taking the woman's hand and planting a soft, sweet kiss on the back of her palm. He had a crash course on how to be the perfect gentleman with Atticus a few hours before the party. He wanted to make sure not to embarrass Alexis in front of an audience during the party.

"Happy Birthday, mom," Alexis greeted.

"Why, thank you, Alexis, Jaden," Mrs. Rhodes replied, smiling elegantly. She then turned to her friends. "Oh, ladies, this is Jaden Yuki, my daughter's fiancé."

"She mentioned you were one of the Top Duelists when you graduated from Duel Academy," a woman, whose auburn hair was tinged with gray, said.

"But he was a Slifer Red," another woman added. Her green eyes were stern and scrutinizing. "It must have been challenging to start at the bottom and still graduate with the same rank."

Jaden could tell that this woman was looking down on him. "Yes, but rewarding," he responded. "I'm a little bit unorthodox when it comes to Dueling, but I always duel with my heart and soul." He was speaking fluently and confidently, despite feeling those anxiety bugs fluttering inside his chest, and he was happy about it. He made a mental note to thank Atticus later for the lessons.

"He's the living proof that rank doesn't define your skills as a Duelist," Alexis explained, gracing Jaden with a smile.

"Jaden is such a fine young man, who's sweet and caring towards my daughter," Mrs. Rhodes said. "I could not have asked for a better man for Alexis."

Jaden was relieved Mrs. Rhodes approved of him one hundred percent. Her friends were another story though. Can't please everyone…

"Jaden, mind if we steal your fiancée away for a moment?" Mindy asked later, when they had come to the dinner table of their old gang. "Pretty please?" She batted her eyes adoringly. Mindy was clad in a pink strapless empire-waist dress with a front oversized bow detail. The chiffon, A-line skirt featured elegant pleats.

Jasmine, who was standing next to Mindy, was wearing a sea green silk dress with a sweetheart neckline. The dress also featured ruffled trims along the center of the front and a finely detailed ruched bodice.

"As long its okay with her," Jaden replied, looking at Alexis for confirmation.

"Not a problem," Alexis said.

As Jasmine and Mindy whisked Alexis away, the boys around the table started giving him strange looks. Jaden knew they were itching to tease him.

"You sure are having a good time with Alexis." Syrus said. He was dressed finely in a navy blue suit with a bowtie to match.

"It's been SWEET, man," Jaden responded, flushing a little red, as he smiled.

"I'll be damned," Hassleberry said, placing Jaden in a headlock. He was wearing a black suit minus the tie. "Sergeant Yuki got himself a keeper. Now don't go messing it up, you hear me." He ruffled his hair up, grinning mischievously yet smugly.

"Hey, don't go messing me up. I've gotta look the part, you know," Jaden said, slightly chuckling, as he pulled away from his Dino-muscled friend. "Everyone here looks like a million bucks."

Jesse sighed, absentmindedly twirling the champagne in his glass. He wore a light-green suit that matched his eyes. "So, Alexis is no longer in the market…Bet a lot of guys are heartbroken now."

Jaden opened his eyes wide. "Wait…Does that include you?"

"It was pretty obvious, ya know. The way I look at Alexis…Everyone knew. I fell for the fair lady at first sight." Jesse sipped his champagne before directing a pair of sharp eyes at Jaden. "I wanted her for myself."

Syrus and Hassleberry stifled a chuckle.

Abruptly, Jaden stood up and slammed both palms on the table. "She's off the market, so she's off limits, Jesse," he warned, making a mental note to stay in control. Then Jesse, Syrus, and Hassleberry broke into laughter. All Jaden could give them was a look of curiosity and confusion. "Okay, what's so funny?"

Syrus pointed a finger at him. "Man, J, I didn't know you were the jealous type," he said. "Alexis is your date, your fiancée, and we know how much you dig her."

"Yeah, Jaden! Look, I admit that Alexis is hot and real pretty, but I'm not interested," Jesse explained. "I was only kidding, so chill."

Jaden sighed in relief. "Okay, you guys got me there."

"She's been your fiancée for so long. And I bet you only realized what the word meant recently, huh?" Syrus said, nudging him on the arm.

Jaden felt himself heat. "Can you blame a guy for having limited vocabulary?"

Hassleberry spoke up next. "Sarge, even an eight-year old would know the meaning of the word."

Jaden wanted to be swallowed by the ground at that moment.

Later, on the dance floor, Jaden mentioned the little joke Jesse, Syrus and Hassleberry played on him, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "They're my pals…What are you gonna do?" He shrugged his shoulder. "But they're happy for us, Lex."

"Same thing with Jasmine and Mindy," Alexis said.

"But not all of our friends are oh-so-happy about us…And I'm talking about Chazz, by the way. Guess it's tough to deal with a broken heart."" He tilted his head as they made their way past Atticus and Mac on the dance floor. He saw Jasmine and Mindy dancing with Jesse and Syrus across them. He smothered a laugh when he saw Hassleberry at the buffet table, eating his heart out. He also found Zane dancing with the birthday celebrant, much to his surprise.

"Chazz…Hmm…I want to talk to him," she said, struggling to find the right words to say in order not to rouse any misunderstanding between them. "He's still a friend, after all…"

The youngest Princeton had been missing from the party after showing his face to the birthday celebrant. He had greeted Mrs. Rhodes very politely and even talked with her about their family's business for a while. It had seemed like a pleasant and intelligent conversion. After that, Chazz just disappeared, leaving an empty seat at the dinner table of their gang.

Jaden grimaced. "But Lex…" He then quickly realized that Alexis may help smooth things between him and Chazz. And he trusted Alexis, so there shouldn't be any doubts. "Okay…You're right." His face changed then, acquiring a warm smile. "Chazz is still a friend and I want things to be okay with him. I know you can talk things over with him."

Alexis raised a hand to his cheek. His skin felt warm against her fingertips. "Not worried he might steal me away?"

His eyes creased a bit. "Hmm…Now why should I worry?" He placed a light kiss on her temple and said, "Let me remind you who stole your heart in the first place."

Though she felt swept away with his words, she couldn't help letting out a little laugh. "You've been listening to Atticus way too much."

"Well, I am his NO. 1 student."

Alexis raised a blonde brow. "And you're actually proud of it?" She rolled her eyes. "Wow…"

It was a wonderful night so far, Alexis thought. She felt so blessed and happy to have Jaden by her side. Her father was still bitter about her relationship with Jaden. She could tell by the way he looked at him at the party. She and Atticus did not give him the chance to humiliate Jaden, and Mrs. Rhodes also made sure to keep her husband in control as well.

In the garden, Jaden and Alexis sat on a bench and gazed at the bright full moon in the sky. The party was far from over though, because her mom had something planned out before the evening's end. The idea intrigued her somehow, but she was having second thoughts about it.

"Is it okay for us to be out here?" Jaden asked, glancing back at the ballroom.

"Yeah…And I bet you wanted to escape from the party too," Alexis said with a giggle.

"I get the whole rich socializing thing, but it's exhausting for someone like me," he said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I can't wait to get out of this suit." He tugged on his collar and loosened his tie.

A smile rose to her lips, and in the next second froze there. It took a moment for her mind to catch up with her senses. "No way…" She hadn't seen him in years, but now he was striding through the garden path toward them. "Not him…" She stood up, tugging Jaden's hand. "Let's go."

"Alexis?" Following the direction of her gaze, Jaden saw a blonde guy approaching. "Who's he?"

A blonde, an American no doubt, and he was tall, muscular with blue eyes that seemed to glow. He looked like an exceptional model in his white suit.

The man stopped when he was face to face with them. "Well, this is a surprise," he drawled.

"David," Alexis acknowledged as she squeezed Jaden's hand.

David's mouth curved into an unpleasant smile. "I'd heard from some guests that you two were engaged, but there's nothing like seeing it for myself." He eyed Jaden from head to toe and scoffed. "Alexis, you have such poor taste in guys."

Jaden's lip curled into a frown. "Are you trying to pick a fight, man?"

"I wasn't talking to you," David said, glaring at Jaden.

Alexis stood in between them. "Your opinion doesn't matter, David." She almost hissed as she mentioned his name. "So leave us."

"Why so bitter? I thought we had something special, Alexis."

Jaden stared at him puzzlingly. Something special? Is this guy for real?

Alexis smirked. "Special? Don't make me laugh. You were such a thorn on my side."

Those were harsh words, and Jaden knew it.

David fisted his hands. An indescribable rage filled his blue eyes. "It's all that Zane's fault! He was the one who talked me into calling off my engagement to you!" he exclaimed, grasping her shoulders. "I never wanted to let you go in the first place. I loved you and I still do, Alexis!" His fingers dug into her skin, making her wince in pain.

Jaden then sprinted forward, pushing the guy away from Alexis. "Don't you dare touch her again!" he warned.

"First it was Zane…Now you…" David muttered grimly. "You have some nerve!" He then threw a punch at Jaden's face.

It was chaos after that. The two men slammed into each other.

Alexis couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe the cheerful and friendly Jaden Yuki was fighting. She couldn't believe he and David were fighting because of her. "Jaden, David, stop this now!" she yelled.

David delivered a blow that knocked Jaden off his feet. Alexis had almost forgotten how skilled David was in kickboxing. He had been trained since a young age. She knew Jaden wouldn't stand a chance against him in close-combat. But Jaden wasn't ready to give up.

"Just stop it! Both of you!" She grabbed Jaden's arm as he got back up on his feet. She noticed a couple of bruises on his face and his bloody lip. His chest was rising and falling with every breath. The fire in his eyes still burned brightly.

David's words flashed through Jaden's mind. He tried to digest the facts. He and Alexis…Were they…?

David and Jaden were still itching to punch the living daylights out of each other. Fortunately for Alexis, Zane, Atticus and Mac arrived.

Mac and Atticus grabbed David before he could pounce on Jaden again, while Zane put a restraining arm in front of Jaden's chest.

"I'm not through with him yet!" David yelled. "I'll make him sorry!"

"Are you trying to hurt her again?" Zane questioned, looking at David with unwavering eyes.

David stopped, clenching his teeth. He briefly glanced at Alexis and said nothing.

"You've already done enough damage in the past," Zane continued. "So don't even try anything funny with Jaden."

"You don't scare me, Truesdale. You still owe me big time."

Mac took a step back and punched David across the face. "I would have slapped you instead, but you were getting on my last nerve, dear brother," she said, massaging her knuckles.

Jaden couldn't help himself from smiling. Way to go, Mac!

"I don't expect you to understand," David said curtly.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever… You're going inside. Atticus, help me drag him." She gripped David's bicep tightly, digging her nails into his skin. "You're going to come with me and you're going to be fine with it." She threw him a deadly glare.

Atticus promptly took David's other arm. "Come on, man."

When Mac, David, and Atticus were out of sight, Jaden wiped his lip with the back of his hand. "So…That was Mac's brother. First impression of David…All talk."

"I'm sorry," Alexis muttered as she released his arm.

"What's with the apology? It wasn't your fault," he said. "He was the one who threw the first punch."

"Jaden, don't go messing with him again," Zane said, crossing his arms. "He can be a real threat, believe me."

"I don't want any trouble too. But if that guy touches Alexis again—" Jaden cut himself off when Alexis placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, noting the sad expression in her eyes. "Alexis? Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and said nothing.

Jaden sighed and turned to Zane once more. "Hey, Zane, why was David accusing you? He said it was your fault for talking him into calling off his engagement to Alexis."

Alexis' heart skipped a beat. "Jaden, we'll talk about this later."

But it was a serious matter to Jaden. He had been wondering all this time about Mac's brother and his past with Alexis. He wanted answers. "The guy's still in love with you," he said with slight bitterness in his tone. "It was as plain as day. Did you and David…"

She backed away, shaking her head vigorously. "David and I were nothing!" she exclaimed, turning on a heel.

"Alexis, wait!"

Jaden's voice sounded behind her, but she kept going. She knew Zane would stop him from following her, though she was also sure Jaden would ask him questions.

She got into the pool area, and as she took a seat on one of the foldable chairs, a knot of dread lodged itself in her throat. She leaned back and lowered her gaze to the tiled floor. So much for a wonderful night, she thought. She wasn't able to spot David around the party. She thought he didn't make it. She didn't expect him to show up all of a sudden and get in trouble with Jaden. Obviously, she had learned that David was still in love with her. She'd been so wrong to think he'd move on and forget about her.

Things were such a mess. Later on, Jaden would be asking questions. He had the right to know, but she didn't want to talk about it. She felt like weeping.

"Alexis?"

She turned at the sound of a familiar voice, and her heart leaped. "Chazz…" She watched him walk over to her from the door. Chazz was the least person she expected to see, but she was glad it wasn't Jaden or Zane. She was an emotional wreck at the moment. She struggled to hold back her tears.

"Need someone to talk to?" he said, sitting down on the chair beside her. "I'm all ears."

The look on Chazz's face told her how concerned he was. Chazz was considerably arrogant and proud in front of others, but he always seemed different around her. Of course, she knew he had a soft spot for her. "Shouldn't you still be mad at me?" she asked.

"For rejecting me?" Chazz shrugged. "No use moping around because of it. It's a lot to take, but I've gotta keep my chin up and move on. You're happy with Jaden, right?"

She nodded.

"Then there's no reason for me to interfere, even though that Slacker pisses me off. Plus, I don't want you to hate me."

That was pretty mature of Chazz, and Alexis was glad to see this side of him. "Thank you, Chazz. It means a lot to me. And sorry again…"

"Well, it did hurt a lot, but don't worry about it."

"I know you'll find the right girl for you someday."

"Maybe…But there will never be a girl like you again," Chazz said. The smile on his face was sincere and beautiful.

It was so unlikely of Chazz to be this considerate and gentle. He really did treat her differently from the rest. She felt kind of lucky.

But she wasn't so lucky with David around.

To be continued…

JC: Wow! I enjoyed writing the little brawl between Jaden and David. As much as I want Jaden to beat David to a pulp, I know it would be out of place. Everything was going smoothly for Alexis until David showed up. I bet you guys are curious about what happened between them, huh? Zane's also involved. Things will get a whole lot interesting. Please review! No Flames!