Chapter Forty-Eight

48

The Making Of A True Friend

The North Academy crowd didn't hold back a single cheer.

With that...Chazz can destroy all of Jaden's monsters once again!

Connar gasped as the duel played out, and Armed Dragon's ability ridded the field of Jaden's Hero Kids.

His life points now were down to 300.

And Chazz was on top of the world.

"Tell you what, Jaden!" he smirked,"If you surrender now, I promise not to humiliate you on global tv!" he blinked,"Oh wait-Oops~" he smirked,"I already did!"

"Don't give up Jaden!" The Duel Academy supporters called out.

"Who's giving up!?" Jaden laughed,"I'm having way too much fun to give up...win or lose!" he grinned,"Because if you're having fun, you win every time!"

"Gag me." Chazz scoffed

"But it's true!" said Jaden."If I can stand here and have fun, losing...shouldn't you be able to have fun winning?" he chuckled,"It's not that hard you know...despite what your brothers may want you to believe."

"What do you know about my brothers!?" Chazz snapped.

"Well for starters..." Jaden blinked,"I know they're the ones you're dueling for." he said,"And the ones putting all that pressure on you too..."

Chazz let out a low growl.

"Come on, Chazz~" Jaden chuckled,"Don't you remember when you dueled for the fun of it?"

Chazz took a moment in silence as the flashes of his time with Connar back in Duel prep school played into his memories.

When she challenged him...

When he teased her...

And when they used to smile and laugh together...

...But those days were gone.

"...I only play to win."

"Welp." Jaden shrugged,"Let's see where that gets ya~!" he said as he drew and activated his spell card The Warrior Returning Alive.

With it, he brought back Avian which he then fused with Burstinatrix, bringing back the Jaden Yuki Classic: Flamed Wingman.

"So what!?" Chazz huffed,"He doesn't stand a chance against my monster." he said,"My Dragon has 2800 attack points! You're out matched."

"Not for long~" Jaden smirked," Because I am inviting my hero kids to come out and play~" he grinned,"With his points!"

"What!?" Chazz snapped.

"I play Mericle Kids!" he claimed,"And here's how it works- for every Hero Kid I have in my grave, your dragon loses 400 attack points," he stated,"And since I have 3, that means your monster loses 1200 points!"

This move brought the beast down to an attack of 1600, which was just enough under Wingman's attack for Jaden to take the win.

"Quick cut the transmitions!" the film crew demanded,"Cut it now!"

"Noooooo!" Chazz huffed as he fell to his knees in defeat and the Academy crowd cheered. It was a celebration worthy match, but there's no way his brothers would stand for that...

"You loser!"

"You Dog!"

They spat out insult after insult as they approached their youngest brother who now groveled on the floor in bitter defeat.

"You've disgraced yourself!" Slade huffed,"You've disgraced the Princeton name!"

"...You are no brother of ours, anymore." said Jagger.

"Please...just give me another chance..."

"Another chance!?" Jagger huffed,"Do you know how much we spent on this duel!?"

"The Cameras!? The rare cards!?" Slade huffed,"None of which you used, by the way!"

"I'm...sorry..." Chazz said softly,"I thought I could win on my own..."

"On your own!?" Jagger huffed as he gripped his younger brother by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.

"Since when could you do anything by yourself, Chazz!?" said Slade.

"Put him down!" Connar's voice shouted from the audience and suddenly a white headband came flying out of no where making contact with an audible smack against Jagger's shoulder, to which he winced from its sting and glanced at the direction it flew from, being met with a pink haired girl- flying all around her as she ran fearlessly ready to jump in.

"Connar!?" Chazz gasped, shocked by this bold move from the normally so timid girl.

It seems Chazz wasn't the only one who's been going through changes...

He had never seen such a fierce look in her pure blue eyes. Not to mention the bravery she showed to even dare hit Jagger with anything at all.

"Why you pink haired little brat-"

"Connar, stay back!" Chazz cried out, and Jaden stopped her with his arm to keep her back behind him.

"Let him go!" he demanded this quite boldly himself with clear defensive anger in his tone,"Yeah he lost." he stated,"How can he not though, with you jerks breathing down his neck!?"

"Jerks...?" Jagger growled,"Do you have any idea who we are!?" he huffed,"We could have you crushed."

"Try it." Connar snipped and the group that gathered all gasped at her sudden bold demand,"No really..." she said as her eyes became a few shades darker,"I dare you."

"Connar!" Zane hissed as he pulled her back nearer to him and Alexis who all joined in on the intervention along with Bastion and Jaden's friends and room mates. It was clear to the older Truesdale however, that Connar was not acting as herself so he felt the need to hold her in place, for fear she might actually come at the Princeton Brothers swinging.

Connar!?

Chazz gasped. He had never seen this type of shift in her personality ever in their time together.

Just what happened to her while I was gone...!?

"Oh, don't you worry, little girl." Jagger hissed,"Yours is coming~" he shot a notifying glare at Chazz who gulped and clenched his teeth.

"Why defend Chazz anyway!?" asked Slade,"He's a nobody! Disowned by us and by the whole world!" he scoffed,"I mean...the cameras caught enough of it! " he stated,"He got schooled and mopped up!"

"That's right!" said Jagger as his grip tightened,"Worst of all...he got beat!"

"I will ALWAYS stand beside him!" Connar declared, and the rest of the group gasped as she stepped forward.

"Because he's my friend."

Chazz's eyes widened slowly and he turned toward the girl who stood bravely before the two men who towered over her.

Connar...

He blinked.

"Oh, is that what you think?" Jagger smirked.

"Who knows?" said Connar,"Maybe...he's not." she shrugged,"But I am his." she looked up, giving him a warm smile,"...And I always have been."

Chazz blinked.

"...Connar..." he whispered her name softly and returned a smaller, softer smile.

I know that now...

It just took me so long to see it...

When I should have seen it all along.

"Connar's right." said Jaden as he smiled at her while placing a supportive hand on her shoulder,"And you're wrong." he hissed at them,"You see...there's one fight he did win." he stated,"The fight against you." he glared,"It's true...he didn't win the duel...but he fought it on his own terms! He used his cards...not what your money could buy!"

Connar smiled and nodded in agreement.

With no words left to say the Older brothers huffed in a grunt and tossed Chazz back to his feet.

"That was a tight duel, Chazz." said Jaden,"And call me cheesy...but the truth of the matter is, we both won here."

"You're just saying that!" Chazz huffed holding his clenched fists to his sides, as he hung his head down,"I mean...it's not like anyone else believes that..."

With a warming hum, Connar smiled and took his fist gently and held it up in both her hands.

"...I do, Princeton..."

"Huh!?" Chazz blinked, darting his head around as he met with her flushed cheeked gaze.

"We do too!" said the crowd, and soon, all stood, Duel Academy and North Academy alike, chanting:

"Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!"

"Grrh...I don't have time for this garbage!" Slade huffed over the roaring crowd taking his leave with his brother. Chazz looked down and saw Connar's "deadly weapon" on the ground and chuckled, picking it up gently and slipping it into his Jacket for safe keeping.

XXXXX

Chazz stood watch over the cliff side as his family's chopper flew away with his brothers inside and he sighed.

Now...there's just one last matter to settle...

Everyone gathered at the docks, waiting to see him off.

"Well, Chazz...Guess this is good bye." said Jaden.

"It was good to see you again." Connar said sweetly while her long pink hair flowed freely around her with the sea breeze.

"Just don't forget to write Connar, okay? She really missed you!" Jaden teased.

She twitched and gave him a subtle punch in the arm as she blushed.

"Heh...don't worry...I won't have to." Chazz said with a chuckle,"Because...I'm not going back."

His North Academy Followers gasped in shock, where as Connar, shared hers privately with relief.

"Look guys..." he said to them,"I don't belong with you." he said,"I belong right here." He glannced over toward the pinkette and smiled before returning his attention to them,"Duel Academy was always my home."

"But you're our best duelist, Chazz!" said one of the North Academy students,"Are you sure?"

"I am." said Chazz,"If Chancellor Sheppard will have me back that is."

"Well, Chazz..." Sheppard smiled,"You were one of the best duelists we had...How could I say no?" he chuckled,"But there is one thing Chazz..."

"What's that?" Chazz blinked.

"Oh Banner~"

"Well Chazz...since you dropped out of Duel Academy and are now coming back...you're technically a new student." Professor Banner stated,"And therefore must start from the bottom." he said,"At Slifer Red."

"Slifer!?"

"That's right!" Banner chuckled,"Welcome!"

"NOOOOO!" Chazz cried out,"I don't want iiiiiiiiiit~!"

"We'll be sure to find you a room mate." said Professor Banner.

"Room mate!?" Chazz huffed,"Listen up! Chazz Princeton rooms alone got that!?"

"Alone, huh?" Connar giggled,"Then maybe we can stay up late and exchange private messages~"

"Huh?" Chazz blinked,"Oh, that's right...you're also in the Slifer Dorm..." he said softly and smirked,"You know..." he chuckled and folded his arms,"Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

"Uhm I actually have to room alone...for obvious reasons." she giggled.

"Yeah...no duh-AHHH!" Chazz cried as he was suddenly pulled away by the large crowd of the Slifer students who tossed him around in a celebratory welcome. Connar giggled as she watched, but large crowds like this often made her uncomofortable. She was glad to see that Princeton was back-

And since they were in the same dorm now, it meant she'd probably get a chance to spend time with him once again... But as the ruckus worked for a worthy distraction, she soon ducked away from the crowd, and scampered off.

"Man...my new family is already dysfunctional~!" Chazz huffed as he ducked for cover.

"Haha...maybe so." said Jaden as he kneeled down beside him and nudged his head to motion toward the direction Connar was running off to.

"You know...you really should talk to her Chazz." he said softly,"She defneded you." he stated,"And she kept defending you... Even while you were gone."

"Hm?" Chazz blinked,"...Really?"

Jaden gave him a smile and said nothing more, rising back to his feet and retreating to his dorm with his room mates.

"Hmmm..." Chazz blinked, and averted his gaze in the direction Jaden said she had gone...

But really...he didn't even have to look far, to no exactly where she was going to be.

XXXXX

Her hair blew wildly around her as the closer to the shore, the stronger the winds seemed to be. She had to use both hands to keep the long waving strands at bay.

"Yeah...I thought I'd find you here." a familiar voice startled her from behind and she turned to be greeted by a pouty faced Chazz Princeton, "I can't believe you left me all alone with those nut jobs." He huffed as he took his place beside her while his black tail coats fluttered with the breeze.

"Heh...sorry..." she chuckled awkwardly,"it was...starting to get to be too much for me." she said,"But...I really am glad you're back, Princeton." She blinked as she blushed and exchanged a smile with him,"I mean it."

"Yeah..." he said as he returned her gesture,"I know you do."

A long comfortable and familiar silence fell between them, cradled by the sound of the waves.

"I owe you an apology..." he said softly.

"Hm? What for Princeton?" she blinked.

"I always used to think I deserved praise and admiration. " he blinked,"Constant approval from everyone. All of my so called friends." he stated,"But it took being away from you...to realize that I didn't need all those fake friends...when I already had one real one." He smiled and let out a gentle sigh."...I wasn't a very good friend to you Connar." he said softly, "To be honest...it's pretty clear now that I never really was your friend...but...I'd like to be." he said to her,"That is...if you'd be willing to have me?"

"Princeton..." she blinked and blushed softly as she gave him a gentle smile,"Of course!"

"Heh..." he chuckled lightly, fidgeting with something in his jacket, pulling out Connar's deadly assault weapon of a white headband, "You...uh...dropped this." he chucked as he offered it to her with both hands,"...May I?"

She blushed silently and nodded with bright eyes.

He chuckled softly as he moved closer to her, reaching a hand toward her ears and tucking strands of her soft pink hair behind them. He then gently slid the band back into its proper place on her head, while he used this opportunity to lean in close to her and whisper in her ear.

"...Thank you for everything...Connie."

To Be Continued