So, long car rides suck ASS. Seriously. But, they're perfect for writing, so here we go!
xxxx
The bell above the door jingled as Alissa walked in.
"Welcome to Burger World," a young woman with dirty blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail greeted kindly.
"Hey. My name's Alissa, I'm here for the audition."
"Nice to meet you, Alissa, I'm Cara. You can just go sit up at the bar and we'll call you into the back when we're ready for you."
"Okay. Thank you." Alissa pulled out one of the barstools and sat. She rested her chin on one of her hands and let her mind wander. Her mind quickly traveled to a certain blue-eyed CEO. Ever since the night that they spent together on the deck of the ship he'd been acting odd. She had thought that they patched things up, but now she could feel him pushing her away. She knew that he said that they weren't back together, though she didn't know why, but she didn't understand why they couldn't at least be friends. Even though he had said that they weren't getting back together, she was unconvinced that staying broken up was what he really wanted. She could sense that, like her, he still had feelings for her. That's why she didn't understand why he was pushing her away.
"Alissa." Alissa sat up and turned her gaze to Cara. "We're ready for you back here." Alissa grabbed her guitar that she had rested against the bar and entered through the door that Cara held open. The room was much like an office, with a desk and a few shelves filled with books and binders. A young man and woman sat behind the desk with friendly smiles.
"Hi, I'm Alissa." Alissa approached the desk and stuck her hand out for a shake.
"It's nice to meet you, Alissa," the dark haired man said. "I'm Scott, I'm the manager. This is Heather, the assistant manager."
"It's nice to meet you both."
"Well, why don't you sit in the chair there and show us what ya got. Good luck."
"Thank you." Alissa sat in the chair that was sitting in the middle of the room. "I'll be doing an acoustic cover of Faithfully by Journey." She strummed the strings and began to sing. When she finished, she strummed the final chords then looked up at them.
"Will you give us one second?" Scott asked.
"Um, sure." Scott leaned into Heather and whispered something into her ear. Was I bad? Heather nodded at what Scott said.
"We'd like to hear another song if you have one." Well fuck; I knew I should've prepared another song! Now what? Think Alissa, think! What's a song you know really well?
"Okay. I'll do Back to December by Taylor Swift if that's okay with you."
"Of course. Go on." She strummed a few times and began to sing.
"I'm so glad you made time to see me.
How's life? Tell me how's your family?
I haven't seen them in a while.
You've been good, busier than ever.
We small talk, work and the weather,
Your guard is up and I know why.
Because the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind.
You gave me roses and I left them there to die.
So this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying, 'I'm sorry for that night,'
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I go back to December all the time.
These days, I haven't been sleeping.
Staying up late, playing back myself leavin'.
When your birthday passed and I didn't call.
And I think about summer and the beautiful times,
I watched you laughing from he passenger side.
Realized I loved you, in the fall.
And then the cold came, the dark days when fear crept into my mind
You gave me all your love and all I gave you was 'Goodbye.'
So this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying, 'I'm sorry for that night,'
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I go back to December all the time.
I miss your tanned skin, your sweet smell,
So good to me, so right
And how you held me in your arms that September night
The first time you ever saw me cry.
Maybe this is wishful thinking,
Probably mindless dreaming,
But if we loved again, I swear I'd love you right.
I'd go back in time to change it but I can't.
So if the chain is on your door, I understand.
But this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying, 'I'm sorry for that night,'
And I go back to December…
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind.
I go back to December all the time.
All the time."
"Thank you, Alissa. We'll be calling within the week to let you know."
"Okay, thank you."
"Have a good rest of you day, Alissa."
"Thanks, you too."
"Bye."
xxx
"Come on, come on, come on!" Alissa begged, staring at her cell phone.
"Is she still screamin' at her phone?" Joey asked as he returned from Yugi's kitchen with a huge bowl of popcorn. The gang was all at Yugi's for their monthly movie night. It had been exactly one week since Alissa's audition and she was still waiting to hear from Scott or Heather.
"Shove it, Brooklyn," Alissa snapped.
"Give her a break, Joey. She's just nervous."
"Thank you. See, Tea understands. I have to get this job. It pays and everything so if I get it I can start saving up for when I want to transfer to NYU."
"They'd be stupid not ta hire ya, Alissa."
"Well they might not. I didn't hear anyone else audition. It's likely that there were people who did better than I did."
"Just stop worryin' and have some popcorn."
"Fine." She grabbed a huge handful of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth. "What movie are we watching?"
"I brought The Avengers," Tristan answered, holding up the DVD.
"Balls on!"
"Uh, Alissa, what does dat even mean?"
"It means awesome." The movie had barely begun when Alissa's phone rang. She quickly picked it up and pressed it her ear.
"Hello." She paused as the other person talked. "Hey, Heather." She got up and excused herself to the kitchen.
"Do you think she got it?" Yugi asked.
"I can't imagine dat she wouldn't. She's great." A few moments later, Alissa re-entered the room.
"Well, what did they say? Did you get the job?" Tea asked anxiously. Alissa smiled.
"You're looking at the new Tuesday night performer for Burger World."
xxx
Alissa stared at Seto's sleeping form next to her. She had another nightmare and he had agreed to stay with her for the night. Her gaze danced across the many scars that littered his back and she frowned. She wished Gozaburo were still alive so she could kill him herself for all he did to his older, adopted son. Gozaburo was the reason that Seto was the way that he was. He was the reason why Seto hated showing how he felt. He was the reason Seto worked so hard and would go days at a time without sleep or a real meal. He was the reason that Seto was never able to truly be a child. She hated Gozaburo for what he did to Seto.
"You're staring at them." His voice made her jump slightly. How long had he been awake?
"What?"
"My scars. I know you're staring at them." He rolled over to face her. "So stop."
"I like your scars."
"That can't possibly be the truth. They're ugly," he said in his usual, matter of fact tone.
"No they aren't. They're a mark of character and I love them."
"Stop saying such embarrassing things," he grumbled before rolling over again.
"Old and damaged books are a lot more interesting than new, unmarked ones."
"I'm not a book, Alissa."
"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying, people are a lot more interesting when they have stories to tell."
"I'm sorry I can't be a good boyfriend."
"What do you mean?"
"I should cuddle you or hold your hand but I just…can't."
"If I really wanted a boyfriend who'd do all that then I would've left you by now. I don't care about any of that stuff." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "I like you for you."
"We should get to sleep. We have school tomorrow."
"You're right. Goodnight, Seto."
"Goodnight, Alissa." He rolled over to place a kiss on her lips.
"See you in the morning."
xxx
The next day, Alissa stood outside the Kaiba Manor. Her dream from the previous night had made her finally come to the conclusion that she and Seto needed to talk. She didn't want them to stay broken up, and she sensed that he felt the same way. He had to. He had loved her hadn't he? I mean sure, he never said that he did, but that was just Seto. He hardly even said the 'L word' to Mokuba. She swallowed around the nervous lump in her throat and knocked. A minute or two later, the door opened to reveal the brunet himself.
"Alissa? What are you doing here?"
"Um, can we talk?" Shit. He knew this day was coming eventually. He just wished it could've been a bit later when he had figured out what he was going to say.
"Make it quick." She stepped in through the door and then made her way to the living room. He followed her as soon as he'd shut the door.
"I don't know how else to say it, so I'm just going to come out and say it. I don't think we should stay broken up." He was afraid that was why she was here.
"Why not?"
"I've just been thinking about it a lot. After everything we went through in Egypt and all the things Ishizu told me, I think that it's the right thing. I think we're supposed to be together."
"You have to be joking. Do you even hear yourself right now? Why would you believe anything that woman says?"
"Because we saw it ourselves."
"No."
"I know the things I said that night were awful, but I can't get over you. I don't want to. I still love you."
"Well you shouldn't."
"But I do."
"Why? Don't you realize that we'll never be a normal couple? I'm the President of a major gaming corporation. They'll be days when I don't even come home from work. The Papparattzi will never truly leave us alone. I'll never be able to even hold your hand in public and I'll never be able to say that I love you; I hardly even say it to Mokuba. Why doesn't that bother you?"
"Because I don't care about any of that stuff! I don't care if sometimes your work will be your first priority! I don't care if you aren't comfortable holding hands in public! I don't care about the Papparattzi and I don't care if you never tell me that you love me! You've proven a thousand times over that you do. It doesn't matter that you're rich and famous. I don't care that you're Seto Kaiba. I love you because you're Seto. Not Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corp, but just Seto."
"I don't feel the same way." His response shocked her. She could feel tears starting to prickle at the back of her eyes.
"You really fell out of love with me that quickly?"
"I never loved you."
"W-what?"
"I thought I did, but I didn't. The several months we spent together meant nothing to me. You were just an infatuation." By now the tears were falling down her cheeks.
"Fuck you," she said coldly before leaving in tears. As soon as the front door slammed shut, he slid down the wall and put his head in his hands. I'm sorry, Alissa. I'm so sorry.
xxxx
Well…there we go. Next chapter done. Did you guys see this coming? It isn't going to be that easy for these two to get back together. Apparently I REALLY like torturing characters that I care about (both my own and not). Oh well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter:)