Chapter Forty-Nine
49
Alone Together
In the passing days things soon began to settle down since Chazz's return to Duel Academy. Meeting him in the mornings and walking to class together soon became a common occurance for Connar. In fact so did sitting together during class times.
Come on Connar...seriously!?
Chazz huffed to himself as he tried to support the pink haired girl's dead weight as she snored away so peacefully against his shoulder.
My arm is going numb...!
Syrus blinked as he glanced over to the scene and leaned in close to his friends to whisper.
"Those two seem rather cozy lately...don't they?"
"No joke." said Chumley,"They seem more attached to eachother than two slices of bread with melted cheese in the middle."
"I think they are trying to rekindle their previous friendship." whispered Alexis,"Best not to get involved."
"What do you think, Jaden" Syrus blinked,"Jaden?"
Of course the brunette was snoring away yet another day's lesson and Syrus couldn't help but sigh. Jaden's sleeping in class however wasn't the only thing bothering him after having over heard a conversation the previous night about burying him in a tomb...
He let out a panicked cry as another explosion occured once again during Professor Banner's lesson, waking Jaden from his peaceful sleep to a scene of everyone ducking behind their desks.
"What's up guys?" Jaden asked,"So, learn anything good today!?"
"Yeah." said Syrus,"To Duck!"
"Huh?" Jaden blinked.
"Translation..." said Connar, who had also been woken up from the blast and was now ducked down behind her desk next to Princeton,"Location! Location! Location!"
"HA~!" Chazz laughed which led Jaden only to blink in his own confusion.
"Oh, I forgot, students!" Profassor Banner called for their attention,"I am planning a little field trip." he said,"It will be a 10 mile hike to the ruins! Saturday, at 7am, don't be late~!"
XXXXX
"7am!? On a Saturday!?" Chazz huffed as he waved around the information sheet for the trip,"No thanks!"
"But Princeton..." spoke up as she kept pace with him on their way back to their dorm. Jaden and his room mates decided to go grab a bite so it left Chazz and Connar to walk back alone.
"Yeah? What is it?" he blinked.
"...I'm pretty sure Professor Banner plans to have an exam on the material..."
"Puh-leze." Chazz scoffed as he shrugged his shoulder," If Connar Rose can sleep through a class lesson knowing there's gonna be an exam on it~ I'm sure Chazz Princeton will do fine!"
Connar blushed looking away awkwardly.
It's true...I fell asleep again...
She blinked.
It's been happening more and more lately...I don't know why...
She sighed.
I'm just...so exhausted lately...
"But didn't Professor Banner threaten to give us detention if we don't go?" she asked.
"I'll take that risk." Chazz shrugged,"Besides, we both have top marks in the class so, I doubt he will actually pull through on that threat."
"Well..." she blinked while letting out a gentle sigh,"I did go ahead and study ahead on the lesson." she said softly,"I already took notes and everything so...I guess maybe I will be okay if I don't go..."
"Connie...you're an angel~!" Chazz beamed,"So then you won't mind if I come over to your room that day then?" he asked,"You know... for a little...study session~"
"What!?" Connar gasped."Ah...Princeton I...I dunno.."
"Awe, come on!" he pouted," I'll bring food~" he grinned,"And not any of that lay people's food either~ I mean the good stuff!" he stated,"I'll have it imported!"
"Well..." she blinked,"it has been a while since I've had the good stuff..."
"Great! Then it's settled!" said Chazz,"Study session in your room on Saturday!"
Man...why do I feel like I just got conned?
She pouted.
"Hi Connie~ It's been a long time!" The ojama beamed after popping up out of no where once again,"Remember me?"
"Huh?" Connar blinked,"You're an Ojama...the yellow one!" she stated,"Um...am I supposed to remember you?"
"Ouch...that's real hurtful little Connar!" he cried.
"Don't talk to her as though you know her, you little bug!" Chazz snipped,
"But Boss...I really DO know her~!"
"Wait..." he blinked,"Connar...you can see him!?"
Connar nodded.
"...Turns out, I've been able to see Duel Spirits for a very long time..."
"Huh...so you can see and hear Duel Spirits..." he pondered for a moment,"Wait...could that have been your big secret you were hiding back in prep school!?" he asked,"You know back when you wouldn't duel me with your full potential..." he stated," You seemed afraid or something." he thought," Was this why!? Because you could talk to Duel Spirits!?"
"Secret's out~" Connar chuckled awkwardly.
Suddenly it all made sense to him now.
"Try not to hold it against , Yellow." said Kaibaman who appeared in and invisible form behind her,"Her memories are a bit scattered as of late..."
"Ooooh, I see." said Yellow,"But Kaibaman, why aren't you appearing for the Boss?"
"Hmph." Kaibaman huffed,"I do not wish to share my presence with...it." He leered over at Chazz who walked close to Connar, listening intently.
"Be nice!" Connar hissed to her Spirit Partner he seemed to be beahving more rather like her stubborn father-
"Who are you talking to?" Chazz asked as he looked to see the hidden presence that remained invisible to his eyes.
"Oh...just my stubborn spirit partner..." she stated,"I don't know what his problem is today...He doesn't feel like being seen for whatever reason...and he's being a grump!"She huffed, "But...what about you, Princeton?" she asked,"Since when could you talk to the duel spirits?"
"I picked up the ability pretty recently, actually." he stated,"I never really believed in Duel Spirits before." he said,"Thought they were just some made up myths...you know...Like the Millenium Items, and the Shadow Games."
"You know, Princeton..." Connar said softly as she thought back to the boy she met in her likeness at The Abandoned Dorm,"I'm not so sure The Shadow Games are a myth." she blinked,"I remember Professor Banner said something pretty interesting."
"What could that Quack have to say that could possibly be interesting?" Chazz asked with folded arms as they walked on.
"I remember he told us once, while we were messing around and telling ghost stories...that 'all stories generally need to have come from somewhere.' "
"Hmph. Whatever." said Chazz,"A quack is still a quack." he shrugged as they finally reached their destination,"I'm gonna go freshen up." he said.
Suddenly he beagan to chuckle.
"What's funny, Princeton?" Connar blinked. it seemed she was missing the joke.
"It's nothing." he said softly,"Just...this is the first time we've walked alone together since Duel Prep School." he stated.
"Oh...I guess you're right." Connar blinked and blushed shyly,"It must be kind of awkward, huh?"
"What's awkward about it?" Chazz asked,"We're hanging out! You know? It's that thing that friends do?" he chuckled,"It's just...kinda nice, you know? To be doing that again..."
"You and me, Princeton?" Connar blinked,"We're friends?"
"You dork!" Princeton huffed as he gaver her a playful knock on the noggin,"Of course we're friends!"
This time Connar giggled.
"What's funny about that!?"
"It's nothing!" she giggled,"Just...this is the first time you actually said it, you know?" she blushed softly,"You know...admitted to it...out loud and all."
"Oh...I guess you're right." Chazz blinked as he thought back. It's true they used to hang out quite often on school grounds back at Duel Prep. But not once did he ever refer to her as "friend." It just never occured to him to do so until recently.
"Whelp...there's a first time for everything I guess." He snickered as he offered his hand to help her up the first few steps like a gentleman,"See you on Saturday...Connie."
XXXXX
Saturday arrived quickly. The rest of the class was gone. Or rather Jaden, Chumley, Syrus and Alexis were. Since they were the only ones of the class that decided not to skip out on the supposed "field Trip" and Connar and Chazz decided to follow through on their plans for a study session in their absence. She stumbled around, scattered, making sure her room was presentable before welcomeing Chazz inside.
"Hey...not a bad spread out." he chuckled as he walked in with both hands carying a bag of fine foods.
"Well...it makes do for being maybe a fourth of the size of my closet." she joked. She had a few imports her father had sent her for personal 'home improvements'. He basically sent a gift every time she aced an exam. Nothing too big or too fancy, but absolutely nothing less than top quality. She even had a nice little tv with a couple game systems to entertain herself on the off days and breaks when she couldn't go home.
"Hey...whatever works." Chazz said as he began to spread out a fancy make shift picnic in the middle of her plush rug on the floor. It was a nice spread of imported food and snacks. Nothing as fancy as a 10 course meal...but a definite upgrade from the Slifer Cafeteria. They shared small talk and banter as they munched on fine dining and even played a few rounds on the game systems.
"HeHe, You know Princeton..." Connar giggled,"This is fun and all but...didn't we say we were going to study?"
"Yeah, Yeah." Chazz laughed putting down the game controller in order to pull out the course's textbook and materials,"Come on then." he chuckled,"Let's crack open some books."
It was a long session. It lasted hours and the light in the day soon began to turn orange to signify that the day was ending.
"Say Connie...did you understand this question at all?" Chazz asked. But her response was silent. "Connie?" He blinked and looked up, noticing that she had passed out peacefully against the wall with the open book on her lap.
"...You dork." he sighed as he closed his text book. It's not like they didn't get a lot of stdying done anyway,"A lack of sleep is a Duelist's worst enemy." he chuckled removing his jacket and draping it carefully over her as she rested while he cleaned up the room.
XXXXX
Night had fallen now and Jaden had snuck his way over into Connar's room for their nightly talks when neither one could sleep.
"Connar...Why didn't you come on the field? He asked, assuming she was awake since all of her lights were on. "You wouldn't believe the crazy day I had." he said,"See there were these ruins and-" he stopped frozen as he turned in face of what appeared to be a tender scene. Chazz and Connar were now leaned, resting against eachother in a peaceful slumber against the back wall by the window. The moonlight snone against their hair and it seemed to give them a peaceful glow while their breathing synched up as they slept soundly in this position. Jaden blinked and chuckled lightly as he watched,"...You know what? Never mind." he said softly as he took a blanket from one of the spare bunk beds in the room and draped it over both of them,"Looks like you were up to something more important." he said teasingly removing her headband to lay it on her imported night stand so that she didn't wake up with a headache from its pressure,"...So I'll tell you about it later." he chuckled and softly clicked off her dorm room lights before closing the door behind him with a subtle click.
To Be Continued