Chapter IX: What Did I Do to Deserve This?!
Hello, again, GX fans and fans of the universe 15animefreak15 and Peach Wookiee have created. Sorry for the delay, everyone, but this was Peach's fault. She is pleased to announce the arrival of the newest member of her family, her niece, Chloe Alise, born on Mother's Day. So Peach's home life has been a little bit chaotic. Anyway, thanks for all your reviews. Rainwalker, darling, you simply must get an account so we can send you communiqués! We'd love to! As for our anonymous reviewer, we would love for you to get an account as well, so we could send you communiqués as well. We respond to all our mail, good, bad or indifferent. So thanks for sending and reading! And onto the story!
Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Darkness Falls… Peach loads the DVD player and a clip from Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds Part II" plays while LittleKuriboh does the voices of the crew… Darn! How did the clip from Episode 32 of The Abridged Series get in here?!
15animefreak15 walks in with a hammer. I say we hit it with a hammer until it works! 15animefreak15 aka Ani pulls out a giant hammer...
Peach quickly gets between her co-author and the DVD player… No!! Peach reloads the DVD player… Okay… Let's try this again… Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Darkness Falls, Annie and Sy enjoyed a quiet dinner for two and the other couples enjoyed dinner together. Later, Annie and Sy had a bit of a make-out session, as did Bastion and Violet. Bastion apparently channeled Harrison Ford, which was a bit weird, but Violet didn't seem to mind. The two couples went to bed after the hormonal insanity. So what will the morning bring? Read on!
Disclaimer: Peach and 15animefreak15 don't own GX, Yu-Gi-Oh TAS, or anything else. They just own their OCs, this version of the Yugi-verse and this story. Thanks!
Ani gets a curious look on her face… Can I still smash the player?
Peach sighs… No, but I'll let you smash this copy of "Duel Academy Gone Wild: Teachers Party Down."
Ani freaks out and beats the copy of the "Gone Wild" DVD with the hammer and Peach uses a flamethrower. This moment of insanity brought to you by sugar, high fructose corn syrup and anything else that just might make you hyper. On with the story.
The next morning, Annie, Syrus, Bastion and Violet awoke feeling well rested despite their hormonal insanity of the night before. Annie attempted to get out of bed, forgetting that she had hurt her ankle; that is, until she tried to put weight on it. "AAAAAAAUGGGGGH!!!" she screamed, feeling fire shoot through her injured limb. Her face went chalk-white with the pain
Syrus, being the closest to Annie, instantly snapped awake and fell off of their bed. "Huh?! What?? Who?!" he stammered, dazed.
In the next room, Violet had been teetering close to the edge of the bed half the night. At Annie's scream, she instantly awoke and flailed about for a moment before falling as well. "Ow... not again," she groaned.
Bastion was up like a shot. "Oh, my, who screamed?" he exclaimed, eyes wide, thinking that somehow they might've just been invaded by some evil force.
"I don't know...but I landed on my head," Violet replied, upside down with her lower half still on the bed.
Annie, meanwhile, was whimpering on the edge of her and Sy's bed. "Sy," she moaned weakly, trying to hold back the tears of pain.
When Syrus realized it had been Annie who screamed, he quickly got back on the bed and crawled over to her. "Annie, what's wrong? What happened??" he asked, worry etched on his features.
"I forgot...and tried to put weight on my foot," she moaned, shaking now.
He pulled her into a hug to try and comfort her. "Should I call Miss Fontaine??" Before she could answer, Annie turned a very brilliant shade of green and started to gag, the pain was so intense. Syrus noticed this and quickly jumped off of the bed, running to grab the wastebasket by the desk. He returned and held it for her, just in case she had to throw up. And she did. Spectacularly. He winced, pulling her hair back and trying to comfort her by rubbing her back in a circular motion.
"Ooh," she moaned when she was through, feeling rotten as one does when one vomits and that Sy had to again take care of her. "Sorry, honey."
"Don't apologize, Annie. It's not your fault. Just take some deep breaths," he replied soothingly. He knew that Annie would feel terrible that again, he had to take care of her. 'But I don't care,' he thought.
She did and then lay back weakly in the bed. "Ooh..." Her skin had returned to an ivory pallor, albeit without the green tinge.
"Do you want me to call Miss Fontaine, Annie?" Sy asked, setting down the wastebasket. She nodded, weakly.
Meanwhile, Bastion helped Violet up and said, "That sounded like Annie..."
Violet started to nod, but then stopped as a headache pounded on her skull. "Yea-ow. Now I've got a headache, great...could you go check on her for me, Bastion-baby? And maybe get some Advil while you're up??" she asked, holding her sore head.
"Of course," he answered, reaching into the nightstand where there was a bottle of Advil and a bottle of water. "Here you are, darling...I'll be right back..." He left their bedroom and walked across the suite to Annie and Sy's room. The door was open. "Syrus? Is everything all right? I thought I heard Annie scream," the tall Ra genius said, voice and expression showing his concern.
"Annie accidentally put pressure on her foot, Bastion. She's in a lot of pain...you think you could call Miss Fontaine? I'm trying to keep her mind off of it." Syrus explained, holding Annie's hand comfortingly.
"Yes, of course..." And Bastion wrinkled his nose, smelling the wastebasket/ barf bucket. "Shall I clean that wastebasket out for you as well?" he asked.
"Er, yeah, that'd be helpful. Thanks, Bastion," Sy replied, sighing in exhaustion and worry.
"Annie...mind if I take a look at your foot?" Bastion added.
Annie just managed to lift her head up. "Yeah...go ahead." Syrus had moved Annie's foot back to its previous position on the pile of pillows, and now moved over a little to give Bastion some room.
Bastion took a look, and his eyes narrowed slightly in worry. The foot was already badly bruised and was swollen to nearly twice its normal size. 'She's probably broken it,' he thought. "Annie, can you wiggle your toes?" She tried and it obviously hurt. "Okay...don't worry, you did fine."
"Thanks," she answered, wincing.
"Has it gotten worse, Bastion?" Syrus asked, wishing for the thousandth time he had checked the doors carefully last night.
"Syrus, a word outside, if I may? Violet, darling, could you come in with Annie for a moment?" Bastion called, not wanting to worry Annie.
Violet, having taken an Advil, came into the room and sat on the bed. "Sure, Bastion-baby," she replied. Syrus blinked and stood, following Bastion nervously.
"Hey, Violet," Annie greeted as the boys left.
Bastion stepped into the bathroom and quickly cleaned out the barf bucket. "There we are...Syrus, my guess is that Annie has sustained either a nasty sprain or quite possibly a break. That's why her foot is so swollen and bruised. She'll be all right, but she'll have to remain off the foot," he explained, bending slightly so he could meet his roommate's eyes.
"Oh, man. And just when she was getting better and might be able to go to class again," Sy groaned.
"She'll have to be on crutches. And she'll probably be able to attend class. If she can't...perhaps the teachers would be willing to give her the lecture notes and you two could study together. We could all have a study group as well," the tall young man offered, seeing the guilt on his friend's face.
Syrus sighed again. "If only I hadn't made that one, stupid mistake..."
"Syrus...get a hold of yourself! It. Was. An. Accident. It isn't your fault, man!" Bastion exclaimed quietly. He wasn't about to allow his friend to beat himself up.
Sy blinked in surprise at Bastion's tone. "I-I guess you're right..."
Bastion looked at the smaller teen clearly. "I had to stop blaming myself in Cleveland. If I hadn't, I would've gone mad," he explained in a kind tone.
Syrus realized Bastion had a good point, and that he really should stop blaming himself. "Okay...I'll stop..."
"All right...I'll call Miss Fontaine...you and Violet keep Annie happy," Bastion answered, relief in his face.
He nodded. "All right." The two left the bathroom, and Syrus went back over to sit on the bed with the girls. Bastion dialed Miss Fontaine's number and got her to come up immediately with a wheelchair.
Meanwhile, in Annie's room... "So, did we miss anything good last night?" Annie asked, curious about the other three couples' dinner.
"Well, Jay accidentally flung his mashed potatoes at Alexis," Violet stated, grinning.
Annie looked at Sy as if to say, "Why am I not surprised?" "How...did that happen?" she asked, just suppressing her laughter.
"Well...if I remember correctly, Bastion-baby told a joke and Jaden was laughing. He was also holding a spoonful of mashed potatoes, and the spoon accidentally slipped out of his hand and bounced off of Alexis' head," the purple-headed young woman explained.
Annie started to laugh a little bit. "And then what happened?"
"She shoved some of her own mashed potatoes onto his face and they called it even. It was pretty fun to watch," Violet grinned.
"Anything else?" Annie asked, managing a weak smile.
"Hmm... well, Tyson dropped a fry down Rosa's shirt," Violet stated.
Annie and Sy sweat-dropped. "Uh...do we dare ask how that happened?" Annie queried.
"Jaden dared Tyson to try and juggle three of his fries, and one went down Rosa's shirt. It took a while for her to get it out, too," Violet chuckled.
"And...Rosa's reaction was?" Annie asked, picturing Tyson getting hit.
A split second later, Violet confirmed her suspicions. "I believe her exact words were...'Dios mio! Chico tonto!!' and she punched Tyson on the head."
Annie giggled, and then winced slightly at the pain in her ankle. "Some things never change...And...what about you and Bastion? I didn't hear you come in last night..." She noticed Violet's pensive expression and said, "Uh, Sy? You might want to step out for a minute..."
Syrus blinked. "Huh? Why, Annie??" he asked, confused.
"Girl talk...you wouldn't want me and Violet listening in on your locker room conversations, now would you?" she pointed out with as naughty of a grin as she could muster under the circumstances.
Sy blushed a little and sweat-dropped. "Oh, right, okay..." He quickly stood and left the room, deciding to see if Bastion had called Miss Fontaine yet.
Bastion was sitting on the couch when Sy came out of the room. "She's coming, Syrus..." he assured the smaller young man.
Meanwhile, back in the room, Annie smiled, trying to focus on something other than the pain. "So, what happened with you and Bastion last night since we know about the other two couples?"
"Well, nothing happened while we were out. It was more of...what happened when we...got back," Violet began, blushing.
Annie looked at Violet curiously. "I wonder if it was anything like what happened with me and Sy..."
"Well...did you guys...take off each other's shirts...?"
"Uh...does him undressing me for my bath and carrying me around naked count?"
"Um....well, he kind of had to do that..."
Annie sighed. "True...we were getting into things when my ankle had other plans. Did you two..?"
Violet's face went beet red. "N-No, of course we didn't do that! We...came close, though...."she stammered.
"That's what I figured...Must've been something last night...I think Sy and I both wanted to..."
"Maybe it was because we went swimming?" Violet offered.
"Something in the water," Annie agreed, laughing lightly. "He had chocolate on his face..."
"Bastion-baby kind of fell off the bed....and I kissed his boo-boos....then he kissed mine...."
Annie started cracking up. "Boo-boos?!"
Violet grinned. "You should have heard HIM say it!"
Annie grinned and did Bastion's accent. "Boo-boos!"
Violet snorted and started laughing, since Annie did a VERY good impression. "That's exactly what it sounded like!!"
"And...he did better than Harrison Ford, though he's the last one I'd suspect of doing that," Annie commented thoughtfully.
Violet blinked. "Who??"
"Harrison Ford. He played Indiana Jones and did the boo-boo kissing thing in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.'"
"Ooh...see, I've never watched an Indiana Jones movie, believe it or not."
Annie's eyes widened. "What? You haven't?"
"Uhhh...nope. Is it really that strange?"
"No...I'm just really surprised," Annie answered. "It's a huge movie franchise."
"It's kind of like how I haven't seen the Star Wars movies..."
"I still have to make you do that...Bastion's seen all six..."
"Oh boy. We're just going to have a sci-fi movie night, aren't we?"
"You mean a week...So...uh..." Annie blushed and giggled.
Violet blinked. "You're kidding."
"Six Star Wars movies, 12 Star Trek movies... maybe a week..."
Violet sighed, rolling her eyes. "We're gonna need a lot of soda."
"Yeah," Annie grinned, feeling a little better.
Outside the room, the boys talked a little bit about their evening, omitting certain details. And then there was a knock at the door. "That's probably Miss Fontaine." Syrus stated, getting up to answer the door.
Sure enough, the nurse was outside with the wheelchair. "Hello, boys, I came as soon as I could. How's the patient?"
"Violet's been keeping her company and her mind off of her ankle. She's in the bedroom," Syrus explained. He and Miss Fontaine went to Annie's bedroom, where the girls had just finished talking.
"Hello, Annie, hi, Violet," Miss Fontaine greeted.
"Hi, Miss Fontaine!" Violet greeted cheerfully, waving.
"Okay, I need to check your ankle, Annie. Need someone to hold your hand while I check?"
Annie nodded. "Guys..."
Violet smiled and took Annie's hand, while Syrus took her other hand. "We're here for you, Annie," he stated encouragingly.
Bastion put his hand on Annie's shoulder. "It's all right."
Annie braced herself. "Okay, deep breath," Miss Fontaine said.
"Ouch...ouch!" Annie whimpered as the teacher/nurse touched her ankle. Even though Miss Fontaine was being very gentle, even that gentle touch was like fire to the young woman's body.
"It's okay, Annie," Syrus soothed, squeezing her hand, and hoping that this wasn't a sign of bad damage.
"Just think about something else! Like uh, um...Sy in a Gyroid costume!!" Violet stated, grinning.
"Or...us streaking last year?" Bastion tried, flushing. Annie kept whimpering though.
"Oh, dear...Annie, I'm afraid we're going to have to take you to the infirmary. I'm a little concerned," Miss Fontaine said gently.
"Miss Fontaine...if I'm off my foot...can I have some homework...please?" Annie begged softly.
Violet blinked. "Annie, you're the only person I know-besides Bastion-baby-who'd want to do homework."
"Sy needs to catch up too," Annie explained, turning really pale and feeling the room begin to spin. "Ooooh..."
"Annie? Are you okay??" Syrus asked worriedly.
"Uh oh..." Bastion and Miss Fontaine said at the same time. Annie, overcome by pain, passed out.
Violet blinked in surprise. "Miss Fontaine, what happened? Is Annie all right??" she asked nervously. After so many times of Annie passing out and it being life-threatening, it was second nature to Violet to worry about her best friend.
Miss Fontaine, however, wasn't worried. "She's all right. Syrus, go get a cold washcloth, will you?" she asked, checking Annie's now-steady pulse.
"O-Okay." Syrus went into the bathroom and wet a washcloth with cold water, then came back and handed it to Miss Fontaine.
Fortunately, Annie was already coming around. "It's okay, Annie," Miss Fontaine soothed. "You just passed out..."
Annie sighed. "What...what happened?"
"You just passed out from the pain, honey...your heart rate's normal..."
"Should I help her into the wheelchair, Miss Fontaine?" Syrus asked, remembering how he was able to lift her last night.
Miss Fontaine checked Annie again and nodded. "Just be really careful."
"Syrus," Bastion said in shock, "Can you?"
Sy blushed a little. "Uh, yeah..." The small Obelisk gathered Annie into his arms, and then lifted her up from the bed. He was still a little shaky, but was able to set her down in the wheelchair.
"Thanks, Sy," Annie said tiredly, still pale but getting some color back in her cheeks.
"Syrus...how in the world?" Bastion asked, stunned. If someone had told him that warp drive had just been achieved, he couldn't have been more stunned as he was seeing Syrus lift Annie.
'I probably should tell Bastion what I've been doing,' Syrus thought. "Well, I, um...have been working out a little. I wanted to be stronger for Annie," he explained.
Violet reached over and squeezed his bicep, grinning. "I feel some muscle!"
"That's my man of mystery," Annie said groggily.
"Man of mystery?" Miss Fontaine wondered, sweat-dropping.
Syrus blushed again. "She called me that last night, too..."
"You surprised me," Annie explained softly, laying her head on the wheelchair headrest.
"Let's get you to the infirmary, Annie," Miss Fontaine said. "Are you three coming?" she asked. Bastion nodded.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Syrus added.
"You're not leaving me here!" Violet stated.
"Okay, let's go, then..." Once Annie was secure in the chair, they left the room.
"Here we go again," Annie sighed, frustrated. 'If I've broken something, I am so yelling,' she thought.
"Annie, it's okay. It's nothing too bad or serious, like it was before," Syrus reminded her encouragingly. "You can't die from this…"
"Yeah...At least I made it a few more weeks before I had to see a doctor again," she sighed, the frustration staying in her tone.
"Well, maybe since you've been to the hospital so much BEFORE you're married, you'll hardly ever have to go AFTER you're married." Violet offered, smiling.
"I hope you're right," Annie smiled, still worn out from the pain.
The party of five headed down the hall to the elevator and rode down to the first floor. Jaden, Alexis, Tyson and Rosa were dressed and heading to breakfast when they saw the other two couples with Miss Fontaine. "Hey, guys!" Jaden called.
"Hiya, Jay! I see you were able to wash the mashed potatoes out of your hair!!" Violet greeted, grinning.
Alexis laughed a little, blushing, but it wasn't at the teasing comment. "Yeah, I helped him. Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Not exactly," Bastion sighed. "Annie's collision with the wall may have resulted in a sprain or a possible fracture."
Tyson looked seriously at Annie. "Private Annie...I think we need to invest in some protective gear for you..." Annie sighed for what seemed like the millionth time.
Violet blinked. "That's exactly what my parents used to tell me, Tyson," she stated.
Syrus sweat-dropped. "Well, Violet, Annie's a little more, uh...er..." He didn't want to say Annie was less tough, or that Violet had a harder head, or something else that could be considered insulting.
Annie groaned, laughing a little. "My brother once said I should have 'Fragile' tattooed on me somewhere..."
Violet's eyes widened. "Your brother actually wanted you to get a tattoo??" she asked, completely missing the point.
"Uh...Violet darling, the point is that Bobby thinks Annie is a bit delicate," Bastion explained.
Violet blinked yet again, stunned. "Ooh....well, you just have to be more careful, then."
"Yeah...I should watch for wet floors," Annie answered.
"Man, Annie...your foot looks messed up," Jaden marveled. "Uh..." Then he whispered to Alexis, "Have uniforms changed overnight?"
Alexis blinked, then sweat-dropped when she realized what Jaden meant. All four were still in their pajamas. "Uhhh...guys? I think you forgot to do something this morning," she stated, grinning sheepishly.
Bastion realized he was standing in the Obelisk common area dressed in his gray pajamas. "Er..."
Annie blushed, realizing she was in her white nightie, also in front of everyone. "Oops..."
Syrus was also blushing. "Oh, man," he muttered.
Violet blinked, tilting her head. "Uh, someone mind filling me in?"
"Violet, darling..." Bastion said gently, "We are in our pajamas..."
"You soldiers are seriously out of uniform," Tyson grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
Violet blinked again, and glanced down. "Oh. Well, it's like if we were back home, then, isn't it? I don't see the big deal." And she gave a simple shrug.
Syrus sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to have that much confidence..."
"Uh...Violet," Annie beckoned her best friend close.
Violet stepped closer and leaned down so that she was eye-level with Annie. "Yeah??"
Annie whispered, "Violet, it's cool outside..." Her face was red.
The purple-headed young woman blinked. "What?"
"We're not wearing bras," the dark-haired girl whispered, thinking of a rather embarrassing situation that might happen.
Violet blushed. "Uh...Miss Fontaine? Could I run upstairs and get some clothes for us?? Maybe we can change in the bathrooms?" she asked, grinning sheepishly.
Miss Fontaine nodded, understanding why Annie was blushing. "All right. We'll wait for you..."
And then, a familiar Obelisk walked close to the group and muttered to one of his comrades, "Aw, great...I still can't believe ketchup and mustard students are allowed in here." It was Terry Rogers, one of Chazz's former lackeys. He had dark teal hair and glasses with rectangular frames. He also had, despite the school's best efforts, held onto the prejudice that Obelisks were automatically better than Slifer and Ra students.
"And I can't believe that boys that have to rely on Daddy's money to get them into this school are allowed in Obelisk," Annie countered loud enough for Terry to hear. "Unlike some people...the ketchup and mustard students, as you call them, could whip your butt in a duel!"
Violet and Rosa each sent him a menacing grin, cracking their knuckles. "And out of a duel!" they added threateningly.
"What did you say?" Terry growled, advancing on the group.
"We said, soldier, that you aren't as good as you think you are!" Tyson growled.
"And we are the Elite of Ra Yellow... I chose not to accept promotion," Bastion said, eyes set and narrow.
"Yeah, me too...I'm a Slifer and proud of it!" Jaden grinned in his usual cheery manner.
"And I'm an Obelisk now, but I don't see what the difference is between the duelists in blue and the ones in yellow and red. Some in blue are worse, some are better. The same goes for the other two dorms," Syrus explained, more than a little upset that Terry had insulted his friends.
Alexis smirked. "I agree. I'm an Obelisk and have felt the same way all three years I've been here."
"Yeah... Well, you should talk, Alexis. You became a Slifer XXXX," Terry said, saying something about Alexis that made the all the boys in the room turn the same red shade as Jaden's red blazer.
"Take that back! You just insulted my fiancée!" Jaden growled, fleetingly thinking of siccing Yubel on the stuck up Obelisk.
"Apologize to the lady or else..." Bastion added, his gray eyes snapping.
"Why should I?" Terry countered.
"Because," Miss Fontaine began, her eyes snapping angrily.
"That is unacceptable behavior, Terry and I will not have it any longer in this dorm!" Vellian Crowler concluded. He had walked into the room and heard the entire exchange. His blue eyes flashed like fire, and it was one of those occasions where the students knew why they feared him. Alexis' eyes had gone wide from the insult, and Violet and Rosa had been ready to pound Terry for saying such a thing. Syrus was glad the two teachers stepped in, or things could have gotten ugly.
It could have gotten very ugly because at that moment, Chazz and Atticus Rhodes came storming across the room, flanked by Jesse Anderson, Adrian Gecko, Axel Brody and Jim Cook, along with Shirley the crocodile. "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MY SISTER?!" Chazz yelled.
"Private Chazz, I'd stand down," Tyson said, attempting to calm the situation.
"Yeah...stand down. The teachers are handling this," Axel added, his own military training coming into play.
Atticus was fuming, and it was one of the rare moments he was actually angry. "He's lucky the teachers are. Otherwise, I may not be held responsible for my actions," he growled, sounding scarily like one Zane Truesdale. 'He's lucky I don't have my surfboard,' he thought, imagining how satisfying it might be to whack Terry over the head.
And Dr. Crowler wasn't done with his fury. "Terry, you have earned yourself one week's detention for this...And I will be emailing your family about this and informing Chancellor Shepherd."
"What?!" the teal-haired Obelisk shouted, shocked that the once-favoring instructor was actually disciplining him.
"Yes. What you just called Alexis is also sexual harassment, and that is treated very seriously at this school. We're going straight to the chancellor and you will be very lucky if he doesn't choose to suspend you!" The blonde teacher grabbed Terry by the shoulder and walked him out of the room.
Jaden put his arm around Alexis. "You okay, babe? He's wrong...and he's no gentleman..."
Alexis sighed. "Yeah, I'm all right. Thanks for defending me, guys," she stated, smiling.
"Hey, Terry had it coming to him since year one!" Violet replied.
"No way I'd let my sister be called...that," Chazz growled, while Atticus punched his hand in his fist.
Jesse's eyes were flashing and Jaden noticed. "Uh...Jess? You okay, pal?"
Jesse crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. His Southern upbringing had instilled in him a very strong sense of how to and how not to treat a lady. 'If this were a different decade, one of us just might be duelin' him, but not with cards,' he thought. "No fella should be talkin' to a lady like that. He deserves suspension!" he asserted.
"No way he deserves anything less," Tyson added, clenching his fists.
Annie suddenly smiled wolfishly. "I guess Terry didn't get the memo, girls..."
The other three girls blinked, and Violet decided to ask, "What do you mean, Annie?"
"Remember what you three did to Mary Sue? She didn't come back this year," Annie reminded her friends, still smirking.
The three grinned, glancing at each other. "I see," Alexis replied, a devilish grin on her face.
"Las Chicas Enchufan!" Rosa exclaimed eagerly.
"I'm guessing that translates to 'Girl Power!!'" Violet shouted happily.
Miss Fontaine was, thankfully, out of earshot so she didn't hear that exchange. "So...what are you doing back in the chair, Annie?" Adrian asked, kneeling at her level.
"I had a little accident in the locker room last night," Annie explained. "I think I'm going to be off my foot for a while..."
Violet suddenly remembered what she was going to do before Terry showed up. "Oh! The clothes!!" she exclaimed. Violet tore off back to the elevator, and they could almost see a trail of smoke in her wake.
Jim sweat-dropped. "So, why are you blokes in your pajamas, anyway?" he asked.
"Well," Annie explained, "I woke up this morning and tried to put my weight on my foot and I screamed and I woke everybody up and then I threw up and Miss Fontaine came and we all needed to head to the infirmary..."
Syrus blinked. "Uh, that was kind of fast for an explanation, Annie," he replied, sweat-dropping.
Speaking of fast, they heard footsteps, and Violet screeched to a halt by them. "I'm…back…with…the…clothes," she panted, a pile of clothes in her arms.
"Thanks, Violet!" Annie said happily.
"Thanks, darling," Bastion added, grateful he could change into his uniform.
"Well," Miss Fontaine said, coming back from chatting with Professor Viper, "do we have an entourage?" The kids nodded. "Okay, then let's head to the infirmary. It's 7:15 and none of you have class until 8:30..."
"Uh, Miss Fontaine? Can we change real fast??" Violet asked.
"Oh, of course...Annie, you're going to need some help...girls, can you handle it?" the nurse asked.
Alexis nodded. "I'll help."
"So will I," Rosa added. Violet took the handles of the wheelchair, and the four girls went into the nearby bathroom.
Meanwhile, Bastion and Sy charged into the guys' bathroom. "Oh, bugger," Bastion said, laughing in an embarrassed way. "Violet packed her favorite pair of my boxer shorts..."
Syrus grinned, taking a glance at them. "Hydrogeddon boxers??"
"Yeah...what did Violet pick for you?" Bastion wondered curiously.
Syrus sighed, blushing a little. "Apparently, Violet likes boxers with duel monsters on them," he stated, holding up a pair of white boxers with mini-Gyroids printed on them.
"I'll bet Annie likes those," Bastion grinned.
Syrus' blush reddened slightly. "Yeah..."
"They love us and our shorts," Bastion said, flushing slightly thinking of last night.
"Y-Yeah...so, did you and Violet do anything last night?" the blue-headed young man asked curiously.
Bastion looked at him. "Annie sent you out of the room, correct when she and Violet talked?"
Syrus nodded. "Yeah..."
"Then it's safe to assume that they talked," the bigger young man said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Syrus's eyes widened. "Bastion, did you and Violet...?"
Bastion flushed. "Er...no...but we came bloody close...I assume you and Annie almost did..."
Syrus blushed this time. "Yeah...but her ankle stopped us..."
"I came to my senses, fortunately," Bastion admitted.
"It looks like we both have to be a little more...careful. At least, until after we're married," Syrus sighed for the umpteenth time.
"Yeah...definitely...er...Syrus?"
"Yeah, Bastion?"
"Do you suppose Jaden and Tyson are having this sort of...trouble?"
"Probably. I mean, they're in the same sort of situation as us, right? Only thing is...they aren't rooming with anyone else like we are."
"Perhaps we should ask...set up a soon-to-be-married guys' night out..."
"That might be a good idea. What day is it today again?"
"Thursday..."
"Maybe we could have one on Saturday?"
"Good idea..." And they got on their uniforms and headed back outside. The girls hadn't emerged from the bathroom quite yet.
In the women's restroom, Alexis and Rosa were almost finished getting Annie dressed, and Violet had just finished getting ready herself. "Hey, Annie, you're gonna love the boxers I picked out for Sy," she stated, grinning.
"Which ones?" Annie asked, smiling.
"The Gyroid-print ones. And, of course, I got Bastion-baby his Hydrogeddon-print boxers," she explained.
Alexis and Rosa giggled. "They actually have boxers like that??" Alexis asked.
"What? Jaden and Tyson don't have things on their boxers?" Annie asked, grinning.
"Well, Jay DOES have a pair of Winged Kuriboh boxers," Alexis replied, smirking, thinking of him wandering around the room in the morning in them.
"Ty-Ty has dinosaur boxers," added Rosa.
"Thought so," Annie smiled. "Yeah, Sy has Gyroid, Stealthroid, Cycroid and UFO-roid...and a couple more..."
Violet giggled. "Bastion-baby also has ones with test tubes on them and another pair with math problems."
"Jaden has a few with Elemental Heroes, like Bubbleman and Sparkman," Alexis added.
"Ty-Ty has a pair of camouflage boxers," Rosa stated, grinning.
"Just as I thought," Annie smiled. "Now...hold on! We need a soon-to-be-married girls' night!"
"Yeah! It's Thursday, right? Why don't we have it on Saturday??" Violet offered, grinning.
"I don't have any plans." Alexis replied. Rosa nodded in agreement.
"Cool! We can talk about the guys and what it's like and...what we're dealing with," Annie said, blushing.
The other three girls blushed almost at the exact same time, and glanced at each other. "Looks like we all know what we're talking about," Violet stated, her face brick red.
"Good...then that's out of the way," Annie said in relief, now in her uniform for the first time since the nightmares had left her too weak to go to class. "Well, let's get outside. They're probably wondering what we're doing..."
"Rightio!" Violet cheered, and the four girls exited the restroom.
"Hey, we were just about to send Miss Fontaine in there!" Jaden said as the four emerged. "Everything all right?" he asked, giving his fiancée a kiss on the cheek.
Alexis smiled. "Yeah, everything's fine. We had an idea, though. We wanted to ask you four if it'd be all right," she began as they started walking.
"Sure, Lex...what's up?"
"Well, we wanted to have a "soon-to-be-married girls' night out" this Saturday. You four guys think you can handle being alone for a night?" she asked teasingly.
"Funny you should mention that, Alexis," Bastion said. "We all were thinking the same thing..."
"Yeah. Like a 'soon-to-be-married guys' night out' on the same night," Syrus explained.
"That sound okay, Spanish Rose?" Tyson asked.
She nodded. "Si. Sounds fair to me."
"Then, we're on!" Jaden grinned.
"Uh...kids, let's go!" Miss Fontaine said and took them all to the infirmary. "Okay...Annie's going to need to have a few X-rays," she explained when they were at their destination.
"You mean that thing that prints a black and white picture of your bones?" Violet asked.
"Yeah, that thing, Violet. Annie...you're going to have to be in the room alone, okay?" Annie nodded, but looked at Sy a little nervous.
"It's okay, Annie. You'll be fine, I promise. And I'll be here when you come back out," Syrus stated encouragingly, giving her a smile.
Annie nodded. Miss Fontaine got everything done in a few minutes and Annie was rolled back outside. "I'm done...she just has to develop the films..."
"Did it feel weird, Annie?" Violet asked curiously.
"No...except for wearing the lead apron..."
"Was it pretty heavy?" Alexis asked.
"Not bad," Annie answered. "It definitely wasn't as bad as some of the tests I went through for my heart.
"Well, let's hope it's not broken," Syrus stated, taking her hand.
"Yeah...it isn't any fun havin' a broken bone," Tyson said. "I know my situation's different, but it still wasn't fun..."
"You guys might find this a little hard to believe, but I've never gotten any serious injuries. Well, before this summer, I mean. Even though I'm really clumsy, I never hurt myself that badly," Violet explained with a shrug.
"I can believe it," Annie said. "You're a little like my brother, Bobby...he can be a klutz, but he knows how to fall..."
Violet blinked. "You mean falling on your face?" She couldn't exactly remember falling any other way...except maybe onto her butt.
"I can't explain it," Annie sighed. "Have you ever broken anything, guys?"
"My arm, once," Syrus replied, remembering a fall he took.
"I fractured my shin bone," Alexis added, thinking of one of her most memorable soccer games.
Rosa did some counting in her head. "I've broken both of my arms, my right wrist, my left ankle twice and my right leg."
Annie looked back at the boys from the other academies. Adrian grinned sheepishly. "I broke my nose when a friend of mine socked me in the nose. I wasn't paying attention and Echo whacked me." That wasn't the truth. He'd actually asked Echo about something she'd bought at Victoria's Secret and she hadn't taken to the query kindly.
Axel sighed. "I tripped in the woods while out with my dad. I didn't break anything, but I did tear some muscle..."
"Broke my leg when I fell out of a tree in the backyard," Jesse stated, grinning sheepishly.
"Well, I've never broken anything. But...well, I am missin' an eye," Jim stated, motioning towards the bandaged side of his face.
"Uh...Jim...is it too personal to ask how it happened?" Annie asked the Australian.
"Well, I was walkin' through the forest with Shirley, lookin' for poachers' traps. I noticed Shirley headed for one, and jumped to move her outta the way. It worked, but we ended up fallin' over the side of a cliff and into a spring. I'm not exactly sure what made me lose my eye, but then I woke up on the shore with Shirley by my side. And...you blokes probably aren't going to believe most of this next bit," he explained, glancing over his shoulder at Shirley.
The group of Duel Academy Central students looked at each other. "Try us," Jaden said.
"Yes...we're a great deal less skeptical than most people," Bastion added, cocking his right eyebrow.
"I suppose you have a point. Well, it turns out this Aboriginal guru fixed up my eye while I was out. He replaced it with an 'Orichalcum' one instead. He said that when the time was right, I could use the eye to create a miracle and save a friend. I can't take it off until the prophecy is fulfilled," Jim finished.
Violet's own eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in awe. "Whoa! That's SO COOL!!!"
Jaden looked at the bandaged side of Jim's face. "Wow! Sweet!"
"Not sure if what he said was true, though," Jim stated, patting that side of his face.
Annie looked at the Australian naturalist, tracker and duelist thoughtfully. "It could be...the Millennium Items were real..."
Alexis frowned thoughtfully. "But if it is...then maybe that means we're not out of the woods yet..."
"Well," Bastion said thoughtfully, "perhaps we should remember what was said in 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...' Not every prophecy is meant to come true..."
Violet, the point once again flying right over her head, grinned. "I love those books!" she stated.
Just then, Miss Fontaine came out from the X-ray room, looking serious. "Kids...I have the X-rays..."
"So...is it broken, Miss Fontaine?" Syrus asked nervously.
"Well...Annie...is it all right if everyone hears this?" she asked. Annie nodded, and so the teacher and nurse continued, "You do have a small fracture, but it's not bad. You'll get to wear a strap-on boot."
In other circumstances, Annie might've just been relieved that she wasn't going to be airlifted out of the academy and to the mainland for some huge surgery. However, today, she had somehow had more than she could take. She looked upward to Heaven and shouted, "COME FREAKING ON!"
All over the room, jaws dropped and eyes bugged in shock. Could this be the calm and cool Annie that had made it through her heart condition and even fought Camula? "Uh… Annie?" Jaden asked. "Are you okay?"
Anger marks were visible on Annie's face now, also a stunning sight. "Jaden, I'm frustrated. You get hit in the head with a meteor, Violet, Rosa and Alexis each had brushes with death, Atticus was turned to the shadows, and now, I have a broken ankle!" she exclaimed.
Violet looked at her best friend and understood what was going through Annie's mind. "She has a good point… And that's not even half of it."
"Sooo… what's the point?" Jaden wanted to know.
"The point is that we all seem to keep getting hurt and it's frustrating, Jay," Sy explained, holding Annie's hand and wishing it hadn't been so.
Jaden moved over to Annie, sympathy in his face. The summer had helped him grow up in ways he couldn't explain. He'd retained his cheerfulness and innocence, but had gained knowledge that helped him in situations like this. He might be clueless sometimes, but now that he knew what was going on, he might be able to sooth his friend. "Annie, I know it's frustrating. You're right; we have gone through a lot of stuff. We may or may not be done with all of it, but we're going through it together. Whatever happens, I've gotta believe we've been through too much to be defeated now. So let's get through one thing at a time, okay?"
Annie had to admit to herself that she was surprised. 'Jaden really grew up,' she thought. 'He's still the same guy, but he's changed a bit. And…he's right.' "I guess you're right, Jaden," she said, managing a smile. "So what now, Miss Fontaine?"
"You need to take it very easy," Miss Fontaine answered. "In fact, you'll need to stay off your foot for two weeks. I'll give you crutches for in your room, but you'll need the wheelchair for classes. But you aren't going back until next week. The swelling will be down enough by then that you can be comfortable in the seats."
"I can push you around to get to classes, Annie," Syrus stated.
"And I can do that for the classes he doesn't have with you," Violet offered.
"I still want homework so we can catch up," Annie requested. "Can I do that so I'm ready on Monday?"
"Is that all right, Miss Fontaine?" Sy asked, concern etched on his features.
Miss Fontaine looked at Annie appraisingly, cocking her head as she did. "Well, Annie, as long as you don't overdo, that'll be fine. I know the professors have missed you two in class..."
Syrus blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah," Miss Fontaine smiled, remembering conversations in the faculty lounge. "Dr. Crowler misses you, Sy and I know I do. Even Professor Stein misses you."
"But...all I ever did was sleep in Professor Stein's classes," Sy admitted, self-consciously.
"Syrus...nearly everyone does," Bastion pointed out, also a bit embarrassed.
"I guess you have a point there," the bluenette grinned sheepishly.
"Well, he said you might sleep, but he knows you've been helping Annie," Miss Fontaine smiled.
Syrus sweat-dropped. "So then he knows almost everyone sleeps during his classes?"
"Yes, he does, and since Jaden wasn't in the class for part of this semester, he had to reevaluate himself a bit," the nurse answered.
Violet blinked and asked the question this time. "What do you mean, Miss Fontaine?"
"That means...he's trying to make class a little more interesting."
"Oh, yes...bringing in the archaeological samples," Bastion said, remembering yesterday's class, examining things found at a dig in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.
"Well, it wouldn't really be so bad if his voice wasn't so, er...monotone," Alexis stated, grinning sheepishly.
"Yeah...that is a problem," Annie sighed. She loved history, but Professor Stein's way of teaching just wasn't exciting enough for the subject matter.
Violet giggled as an idea popped into her head. "Maybe if he had a megaphone..."
"Okay, then," Miss Fontaine said, "I'll tell him you're ready for some work, Syrus and Annie. We'll have it to you this afternoon..."
"Looks like it's back to work, Annie," Syrus stated cheerfully.
"Yeah," Annie answered and blushed a bit, returning her fiancé's eagerness.
You're probably all saying what Annie said, we know. Come on! How much more injury can these guys take? Well, at least it's normal instead of life-threatening. And no villain has shown up yet. Will the villains show up? Definitely. Will it be soon? Well, you'll just have to keep tuning in, won't you? So next time, the guys and gals have a segregated night out. What chaos will occur? What secrets will be revealed? Find out in "The Big Night Out!" So until then, please read, review and stay tuned! Thank you for reading, reviewing and your patience!