AN: I am very sorry this chapter took way too long to get posted. I had so much going on, from my Grandpa's passing to my mom ending up in the hospital a few times, and I had to find a new apartment to move into… It's been super crazy for me. Please forgive me and I hope you enjoy this longer chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters, I only own the OC and her parents.
Chapter 3: New And Old Friends
The rest of her first day was very eventful for Amber. She made not two but six new friends, and she was very glad for that fact! After meeting Téa and Joey first, the two friends introduced Amber to the rest of their group. Joey seemed to be hurt at first that she had never heard of him or Yugi but understood once she explained that she was actually not a duelist and that she always had a hard time understanding the game. Yugi promised to help her understand the game better when she felt up for it and she promised she would consider the offer.
However, school ended a little too quick for Amber and she couldn't wait to hang out with her new friends the next day. The gang said their goodbyes as they began walking in the direction of Yugi's home when Téa remembered she wanted to ask Amber something, so she told the guys she would catch up and ran back to the school parking lot. She found Amber sitting under a tree at the front of the building writing in a spiral notebook.
"Hey! Twilight!" Amber looked up at the mention of her nickname. Her golden eyes met azure eyes as she wondered what Téa wanted.
"I almost forgot but I wanted to see if you were free this weekend. The guys and I are hanging out at Kaiba Land with one of the park's owners. He's a friend who is giving us a discount, and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?"
Amber didn't know what to say. She could feel the excitement bubbling in her stomach like a volcano about to erupt. She drew in a deep breath to calm herself and half excitedly exclaimed, "Sure, I would love to hang out with you guys! I just have one question."
"Shoot." Téa urged.
"What is Kaiba Land?"
XxXxXxXxXx
For what felt like a hundred years, Saturday had finally arrived. Amber was checking herself over in her vanity mirror, making sure her outfit was fitting for a theme park. She remembered asking Téa about Kaiba Land and Téa had explained that it was a theme park based on the Duel Monsters game that Yugi and Joey were always playing. Téa also mentioned that there was a dueling arena there and Amber wondered if her new friends would be dueling today.
It would be interesting to see how the game is played, even if I still don't get it. And I'm sure Yugi will explain things to me if I ask.
She began thinking about her first day of school just a few days prior and remembered how she met the gang, starting with Téa, then Joey, then Seto, then… wait… that's right, she had seen Seto! She had caught him staring at her in her first class but he left very abruptly, just as soon as her own eyes met his.
The most beautiful, deep blue eyes I have ever seen.
She shook her head to halt her thoughts from going down a path that she was not yet ready for. She and Seto hadn't seen each other in over six years, and she was still puzzled as to why he left in the way that he did after appearing unhappy to be seeing her. She had been telling herself that he was just shocked at seeing her and that if she were to approach him he would be happy to talk to her. But a small part of her felt certain that would be a lie. Especially, after what her new friends had previously shared with her about Seto.
The day before…
"Hey Twilight, can I ask you a personal question?" Téa had asked while they were having lunch in the school cafeteria. They were all seated around a circular table. Amber was sitting between Tristan and Téa while Joey sat on the other side of Tristan and Yugi sat on the other side of Téa next to Joey.
Amber finished swallowing the bite of her sandwich and replied, "Ask away."
"How do you know Kaiba?" Everyone looked between Téa and Amber quizzically save Joey who looked disgusted. But Amber was dumbfounded.
"Who?"
The gang gave each other puzzled glances. Téa continued, "Kaiba. He's the president of Kaiba Corp. He stepped into our chemistry class a couple of days ago and you two were staring at each other as if you guys knew each other."
Amber had to open her most recent memory file to find the specifics of what Téa just described to her. 'Let's see, two days ago was my first day here. The only person I remember staring at was…' Realization dawned on her about whom Téa might be talking about.
"You mean Seto?" Everyone gasped. Joey decided to speak.
"So you do know rich boy." Amber felt uneasy at the way her friends were scrutinizing her. Téa intervened, "Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Amber sighed. "No, it's ok. I don't mind telling you. You see, six years ago my birth mother died in a car accident. It was raining and she lost control of her car and went off the overpass. Afterwards, I was sent to an orphanage. I was there for about five or six months, and during that time, I met Seto and his little brother, Mokuba. They were the only friends I had until I was adopted."
Everyone was quiet, the mood taking on a temporary somber note, when Yugi said, "I'm so sorry about what you've been through. I lost my father when I was very young too."
"Speaking of fathers, where was your father? You only mentioned your mother died." Tristan observed.
"He actually died when I was two, so I barely knew him. Actually, I have no memory of him at all." She could see the sincere sadness in each of her friend's eyes. Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she had just remembered what Téa had said about who Kaiba was.
"Oh my gosh!" The gang looked worried as Téa asked, "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"
Amber nodded and quickly said, "Yes, sorry about that. It's just I now know who my stepmom is working for. She just started a new job at Kaiba Corp. as the secretary to the company's CEO. This means she's working for my old friend, Seto!"
"Oh man, I feel bad for your mom." Joey said pitifully.
Now, Amber begin to feel slightly anxious. "Why do you say that, Joey?"
Téa kicked the shin across from her.
"Ow! What'd ya do that for?" The blonde complained, rubbing his now sore leg while Téa gave him her annoyed bossy look.
"You really need to think before you speak."
Joey turned to Amber sheepishly. "Hehe, my bad. Sorry about dat."
But golden met hazelnut as Amber stared deep into her blonde friend's eyes. "I want to know what you meant. Should I be worried about my mom?"
"Well, let us tell you what we know about Kaiba." And the gang proceeded with telling Amber everything they knew from what has been mentioned in the news to their experiences with the teen CEO.
Back in the present…
Amber just couldn't believe what they told her about Seto. It was like they were talking about someone entirely different. He was definitely not the Seto she remembered.
And love…
Whoa, where did that thought come from? Sure, she loved him and his brother as friends but that's the only reason, right? Well, come to think of it, ever since she saw him on her first day of school, she hasn't been able to stop thinking about him.
Namely, his sexy hair and gorgeous eyes…
"Ugh, let me have fun with my new friends without thinking about old ones!"
Knock, knock, knock
"Amber, hon, are you ok? I heard your voice raised. Who are you talking to?" The voice of her stepfather came from behind her bedroom door.
Great, thanks a lot… stupid mind.
"Uh, sorry dad, I was thinking out loud."
"Oh it's quite alright, I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Téa is out front waiting for you."
Amber nodded but remembered he couldn't see her. "Tell her I'll be down in five!" She hastily began brushing her hair and put on a orange headband to keep her hair out of her face. Then she put on a pair of blue sneakers and checked herself one more time in the mirror. She was wearing a short sleeved, frilly purple top with a high v-neck and denim capri pants. She had put on light makeup and light pink lip gloss. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed her beige cross-body handbag and grabbed her cell phone and ran down the stairs and out her front door.
"You look cute." Téa told her new friend as they climbed into Téa's yellow Honda Civic.
Amber beamed and replied, "Thanks, so do you, Téa." Suddenly, she smirked. "Trying to impress Yugi?" Téa was dressed in a yellow tank top with a red, light jacket and a short (but not too short) red skirt and black knee-high boots. Téa blushed at Amber's comment.
"N-no, I just wanted to dress nice today."
"Riiiight." Amber couldn't wipe the mischievous grin off her face. She knew Yugi had a crush on Téa and she wondered if Téa was feeling the same way. But Téa's next few words caught Amber off guard.
"And whom are you trying to impress?" Amber looked questioningly at her brunette friend. Not taking her eyes off the wheel, Téa continued, "Since we're going to Kaiba Land, I have to wonder if you're hoping to see Mr. You Know Who again."
This time it was Téa smirking while Amber blushed so hard you would have thought she had already been out in the sun for a long while.
This is not going my way.
"Okay, I had that coming." Amber gave in and the girls continued to laugh and make jokes until they were parking across the street from the park. The park was just about to open and there was a really long line. Soon after, Joey drove up and parked his beat down green truck near Téa's car. Tristan and Yugi got out of the backseats while Joey and an auburn haired girl got out of the front of the truck.
"C'mon Serenity, I really want you to meet Amber. She's very nice."
The auburn haired girl, whom Joey called Serenity, beamed with excitement. "I can't wait, Big Brother!"
Tristan walked alongside Serenity, much to Joey's chagrin and Yugi walked beside Joey. They soon caught up to Téa and Amber and introduced Amber to Serenity, Joey's little sister.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Amber. I'm Serenity. My big brother, Joey, has told me you are new to Domino City."
"It's an honor to meet you, Serenity. And, technically, I'm not new to Domino City. I'm originally from here but when I was adopted I lived with my new parents in Tokyo. We just recently moved back on account of my parents getting new jobs here."
Joey rubbed the back of his neck. "My bad, I assumed you were new to Domino City since you were new to our school."
"It's alright, I can see why you assumed that. And you're not completely wrong. I just never told y'all that I was born here and lived here until my adoption."
The group chatted some more, asking Amber questions like what life was like in Tokyo, how her American stepparents came to Japan, what her mom and her were like before she had to go to the orphanage, and of course what Seto and Mokuba were like at the orphanage. Amber happily obliged and told them things she could recall about her past.
"Man, I sure would have loved to see Kaiba back then. Now, he's just mean and throws insults around at everyone he comes into contact with."
Tristan slapped Joey on the back. "Like calling you a 'mutt'?"
Joey grabbed Tristan's shirt collar and got directly in his best friend's face. "Hey! Whose side are you on?!"
Suddenly, a new voice emerged, and Amber thought it sounded kind of familiar. "What did you say about my brother, Joey?"
Joey stiffened while Tristan sneered, and Yugi, Téa, and Serenity sweat dropped, hoping they weren't about to lose their discounts for gaining entry into the park. Walking up behind the gang was a boy of about twelve or thirteen with long unruly, raven-colored hair and violet gray eyes. He was escorted by a tall man with teal hair and a black mustache, wearing an all-black suit and black shades.
The boy noticed Amber standing next to Téa and wondered who this girl was. He had never seen her with Yugi and the others before, but something in the back of his mind told him she was very familiar.
Think, Mokuba, think; don't you know this girl from somewhere?
Mokuba focused on Amber's face, her long strawberry blonde hair blowing in the wind, when his eyes went wide with realization.
"Twilight? Is that you?"
"Uh, hi Mokuba. How a— oof." She couldn't finish her question because Mokuba had quickly ran to her and engulfed her in a big bearhug around her waist.
"I can't believe you're here! I've missed you, Twilight!"
In a somewhat strained voice Amber said, "I've missed you too. Um, Mokuba? You're hugging me too tight."
"Oh, sorry." Mokuba loosened his grip but did not let go for a few more seconds, almost as if he did then she would disappear from his life again. But alas he released her and asked, "What are you doing here? And how did you meet Yugi and the others?"
Amber quickly explained about her stepparents taking new jobs in Domino City and that she had transferred to Domino High and had a few classes with the gang. She told him Téa helped her figure out how to get around the school and that it was Téa who had introduced her to everyone else. She left off the part about seeing Seto on the first day for she didn't want to trouble Mokuba, or anyone for that matter, about how that silent interaction was still bothering her.
"I'm glad you're staying. We should get together more often. Now, whose ready for some fun?!"
"Yeah!" Joey and Tristan high-fived in the air and made a mad dash for the ticket booth with their coupons that Mokuba just gave them.
"Do you want to stay with us, Serenity, or are you going to catch up to your brother?" Serenity looked towards the direction Joey and Tristan ran off in as she pondered Téa's question. Finally, she turned her soft eyes unto Téa and answered, "I guess I'll hang with you guys. It would be nice to be with other females for a while."
Téa couldn't contain her squeal and she enveloped Serenity in her own bearhug. She finally let the younger girl go and turned to the others. "Come on guys, let's go find a ride to get on."
The rest of the group nodded and went their own direction. Eventually, they met back up with Joey and Tristan and rode more rides, this time everyone together, when Téa noticed the time on her phone.
"Hey guys, it's almost 4:00. I have to be home to help my parents make dinner at 5:00."
Amber wasn't ready for this day to end but she knew she had to be going home soon too. She definitely didn't like worrying her stepparents so she always made sure to be home when she said she would.
Everybody walked back to the cars they had rode in on when Mokuba tugged on the hem of Amber's shirt. The tugging brought back her favorite memories of hanging out with the brothers at the orphanage. She looked down at Mokuba and said, "What is it, Mokie?"
The mention of his former nickname caught Mokuba by surprise. He hadn't heard that name in several years. Seto had stopped calling him that the day they were adopted by Gozaburo. He had longed to hear that name again but knew deep down it would never happen and yet, Amber remembered. He fought the tears that threatened to rain down.
"Twilight, is it ok if Roland and I take you home?"
Amber looked to Téa to see how she would react but Téa just gave a knowing smile and said, "You should go, Twilight. You two probably have a lot of catching up to do. We'll see you at school on Monday."
Amber beamed and waved everyone goodbye. When the two vehicles disappeared from view down the road, Amber then noticed it was just her and Mokuba.
"Hey Mokuba, where is Roland?"
"He's bringing the limo around." At that moment, a long and sheen black car drove up and parked a few feet from them. Roland got out and walked to the rear passenger side, opened the door, and bowed respectfully. Amber's eyes became huge as she took in the incredible sight.
They have a limo?! I mean, yeah I know they own this theme park and a company but I hadn't thought about them riding in a limo!
"Are you ok, Twilight? You look a little pale." Amber then saw the worried look on her young, old friend's face. She took a deep breath.
"I-I'm f-fine. It's just I've never… um…"
"Been in a limo?" Mokuba finished for her. Amber only nodded and the boy laughed while he took her slightly bigger hand in his. "C'mon, it will be fun."
The seventeen year old nodded and let the young boy lead her into the extravagant vehicle. Roland closed the door and went around to get in on the driver's side and took off down the road.
"We just have to make one stop before we take you home." Mokuba said while typing something on his phone.
"That will be fine. Where are we going?"
Mokuba smiled mischievously. "You'll just have to wait and see."