Paradocs: Usual disclaimer here. I don't own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters in here. I do, however, own Saku and Rei and the scenarios used here. With a few exceptions, probably. -nods- Reviews are loved!
And, just for fun, I'll tell you this: I'm not a great Fanfic Author. This is just a way of...venting? Venting. I s'pose.

Sakurea sighed as she placed her hand on the door to the classroom. Being new to a school sucked. She'd be lucky if she made it through today without any interruptions.

And there was always an interruption. Always.

Pushing open the door, the golden haired girl took a cursory glance around the empty room. Good. No one was there yet. Which meant no interruptions.

Rare enough, Sakurea, or Saku, as she preferred to call herself, mused as she took a desk in the rear of the class. Maybe this time, it'll be different. Maybe. Pushing her backpack under the desk (one of the few without any apparent signs of life), she sat down in the hard wooden seat, ready to have a few minutes of peace to herself before all hell broke loose.

And then the bell rang.

Domino High School was big enough. It was bigger than the last school Saku'd gone to, at least, but smaller than the one before that. Saku found herself watching the students as they came through the door, searching for something, some tiny little detail that others would normally shrug off.

And then she found it. A small boy with a pyramid-shaped pendant hanging from his neck. There was definately something powerful in him, and the pendant, Saku decided before shoving her glasses up her face. There was always one kid in every school, and trust her to get put in the class with him.

Still... it couldn't just be chance, could it?

Saku's thoughts were cut off by the last kid to enter the class. He looked like an albino- pale skin, long, wild white hair, tall, thin- but with chocolate-brown eyes. He seemed nice enough. That wasn't what made Saku's heart race, though. She could feel it, a dark, powerful force inside the boy. She shuddered involuntarily, looking down at her desk. This was not good. Not at all. Two in one class? Gods, what sort of mess had she gotten herself into this time?

--Well, Saku, you could just, y'know...

No. There is no way I'm letting you out. Are you that ignorant?

--No, but if you like courting death, I s'pose I'll jus-

"Mind if I sit here?" A voice tinged with a British accent asked.

Saku glanced up, her inner conversation halted, to see the albino looking over her, gesturing towards the desk next to hers.

"Ah, no, no, take it," she said quickly, trying to look happy and failing miserably at it.

The boy sat down, elbows on desk and chin in hands. "I haven't met you yet. You must be new here." He smiled. "I'm Ryou."

Saku blinked owlishly. Well, so much for trying to avoid people! "I'm Saku. I just transferred here from America." She smiled slightly. Experience had taught her that a shy smile could either a, dispell the conversation, or b, make it go on. Saku liked option a best.

However, it seemed that Ryou had taken no knowledge of either option; he continued to talk with her.

"America? Really? That's..." He paused, taking stock of her. "That's neat. We hardly ever get anyone from America here." Ryou smiled, a grin bigger than Saku's, but still small enough to pass as shy. "I transferred here not too long ago myself. I suppose that makes us both the new ki-"

The albino was cut off abruptly as the teacher entered the room. He scowled, looking down at his class roster, then looked up at the students. "Class," He began, sounding to Saku like someone who probably could use a few mugs of coffee. "It seems we have a new student here today. Sakurea, would you care to introduce yourself?" He stared directly at Saku, as did the rest of the class (save Ryou, who was watching the scene and looking rather bored).

I'd rather not, Saku thought as she pushed her chair out and stood up. It was clear that the teacher wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Hi," she began, putting her hands behind her back. "I'm Sakurea Tou, and I just transferred here from America." She gave a slight bow and sat back down.

--Is that it, Saku? C'mon, there's a lot more to you than that! Why don't you tell them tha-

No. Is that clear enough for you this time?

Saku pulled out her math book from her backpack, then, for good measure, grabbed her notebook and pencil, too. The math was easy; it was all review from last year. She stole a glance at Ryou. She could still feel the darkness coming out of him, but it seemed... suppressed, as if Ryou wasn't going to let it out. Saku sighed as she redirected her focus back to the notepad. She almost felt sorry for Ryou: all that darkness trapped inside him, and having to suppress it...

Well, not like she could do anything right now. Smirking with relief, she started sketching Ryou as she saw him. It was, after all, her favorite hobby, and a useful one at that.

Saku closed her notebook as the bell rang to signal the end of the day. She'd made it; that was a blessing. Heaving a sigh of relief, the girl pushed her glasses back up her nose (bloody things were always falling down!) and tucked her pencil behind her ear, just as Ryou turned to her.

"Saku," the boy ruffled his already-untidy hair with one hand. "I was wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat? You seem thankful enough that the day's over; maybe we should celebra-"

She shook her head swiftly from side to side. "Sorry, Ryou. I've got... I have to do something at home. It's very important." She adjusted her glasses so that she was staring at him over the lens' tops; an austere look she was rather fond of. The albino shrugged.

"Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow?" Saku nodded, slinging her bag over one shoulder as she exited the room.

Well, alright, her excuse hadn't been a total lie. She did have something important to do at home. Mind, it wasn't something that anyone would consider 'important', but it was to her.

-- You just wanted to get away from him, didn't you, Saku? the little voice in her head asked in its mockingly sweet voice.

Shut up. Saku trudged down the street towards her apartment, scowling to herself as she studied the sketch she'd completed earlier.

-- You're scared of Ryou, aren't you? You don't want things to end up like last time, huh? The voice continued, completely unperturbed.

I'm never scared, Saku shot back mentally, climbing up the outside set of stairs to her apartment. Last time was a fluke. This time...

-- You only failed because you wouldn't let me out. Because you're scared of me. The voice giggled silently. -- And you know that's why, don't you? That's why you won't let me out again.

Saku unlocked the door, shoving it open. "I'm never scared, remember? And there's no way in all the hells on this earth that I'm letting you in control ever again." She threw her backpack onto the sofa, shoved her notebook into her pocket, hit the power switch on her laptop computer, and sat in the hard wooden chair she'd given over to being the computer chair.

It was an odd sensation, having an argument with yourself. Saku personally loathed it. The mocking voice, the inappropriate giggling, the urges to let something else control her actions: it was not something she was fond of, had never been fond of. But it was something she'd have to ignore for now.

Opening up the folder that contained her independent research, she selected the document that seemed bigger than all the rest. The words in bold at the top read Dark Spirits. Saku suppressed a yawn as she scrolled down her list. It was going to be a long night.