Hey!

Lately, or since I finished the last edition to the story "We're Not Meant To Be!", I had been contemplating on this sequel. Many thoughts are running in my head, but they are not clear enough to see a whole aspect to the story.

However, I needed to challenge myself and bring this new sequel since I had lots of PMs asking me to post it up. And just like the previous one captured your heart, I'll be doing my best to make this one as exciting as the first.

Special thanks goes to everyone that supported me through the previous story and waited for this new one.

A/N: This story is set eight years after "We're not meant to be!" so characters might be a little bit different than before. Physically and physiologically. Also, I believe that you know that you guys HAVE to read "We're not meant to be!" First to understand this.

Good evening again! There are many headlines to discuss today of course. But, probably the most important one of them is Atem Mutou's new hit album "Can't Remember To Forget You!" The irresistible hottie's album has already sold over one million copies in its first week of US release, and the album tour is visiting worldwide venues soon.

Atem wrote nine of the album's fourteen songs alone. The Times praised his "sublime" lyrics and particularly enjoyed watching him find his pony-footing on Great Songwriter Mountain!

As Tea stared at the Tv unfeelingly, she dug out her pack of Marlboro's and took a cigarette and lit it. She threw the lighter and cigarettes on the bed wearily, taking a drag from the latter. Her eyes shifted from the Tv to her cigarette idly, not the slightest careful of the program.

Tea Gardner was, if nothing else, a famous pop-star. She used to be addicted in watching those celebrity shows as she vaguely wondered what kind of stuff were said about her. Well, that was in the start of her career. Seriously, she remembered herself to be all naïve and enthusiastic when she released her first song, and she kept on going on YouTube to see what people were saying about her, as she literally camped beside the Tv screen watching celebrity shows. So, watching this now was out of habit, more than anything else. She was a well-known celebrity and she had dealt with lots of idiots, and she suffered from lots of things as well. To her, dealing with life was like dealing with a business transaction. The good memories were money, the bad memories was the debt that you accumulate.

The debt she had to pay in the last eight years, though, was more than she could take or wish for anyone to endure. She reflected upon this as she drank her coffee, deciding eventually to switch off the Tv, with a huge sigh.

XxxxxX

Meant To Be!

Chapter One

"An Awaited Call."

Tea woke up early and was drinking her morning coffee, after she had taken her shower. This was the last day she was spending in this house. The new owner will be moving here a couple of more days later. She wasn't the least sad about the departure, nor the farewell of the house that she grew up and had so much memories in.

Instead, it was a feeling of hate towards every single little thing in the house that stuck up her throat and she felt like she was going to throw up. This house brought unpleasant memories that she didn't want to risk remember. Every little thing in this house, the rooms, the walls, the cups and pans and plates even the curtains seemed to be suffocating her.

Tea sighed as she drained her cup of coffee and set it on the table. Checking the time, it was already past nine. They should be here soon.. Just as she thought of that, she heard the sound of horn and smiled flatly.

Tea went out the apartment seeing a guy with a feminine look. His hair was long and an odd color of white, his eyes wide and russet brown. His skin, too, was pale just like his hair. He hopped out of the truck he was driving, stretching his arms as he went to the back jerking the trunk open.

"Hey there." He greeted in his usual, friendly manner. "So, are we moving your stuff, miss?" He gently asked her, the british accent fascinating her.

"Yes." She replied briefly.

He smiled sheepishly, sensing the stiffness in the girl's shoulders . "Well, I was only asking because ladies are more picky when it comes to these things. So, don't worry I'll be extra careful with it." He winked at her teasingly but she ignored it, shrugging.

"Whatever. It's not like they worth a fortune." She noted the surprise within his soft eyes and shrugged off, jerking the front door open as she settled herself in.

The guy slightly raised his eyebrow, before getting in the driver seat, starting the truck. "What's the address?"

"15 Central Park." She replied hastily.

"My name is Ryou Bakura." He flashed a smile and she nodded impassively, looking away. Ryou turned his lips up in an unpleasant way and drove in silence. He cracked the front seats windows open to allow some fresh breeze to flow in the truck. His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel as his eyes were focused on the freeway signs. It was good enough for Tea that he he didn't say a thing for a while and she was grateful for his silence as she enjoyed the cold breeze hitting her face. Her eyes closed for a few moments drifting back on what happened.

It was early in March and the breeze was soft and tempting chilly. It had been a long time since she enjoyed the weather; the simple feeling of wind caressing her cheeks and the scent of morning arousing her body. The streets were slightly different now, there were a few new shops opened, some of the known shops disappeared. Some streets looked unfamiliar to her now, though she had memorized them before when she would go to her concerts, or just in her usual outings with her friends.

The pleasant moments didn't last for too long. The driver -or Ryou decided to break the silence, throwing quick glances at Tea. "You do realize that Central Park is one of the most expensive places in NewYork, don't you?"

Tea stared dumbly at him, thinking of a stupid enough answer to answer to his stupid question. "I wouldn't be moving if I didn't know."

"So, I take it that you're rich." As if he read her expression, he apologized for his indiscreet behavior, smiling sheepishly. "You're either too quiet or I'm just too hyper this morning."

"No, but I don't like people sticking their noses into unnecessary stuff." She answered briskly, averting her gaze to the window beside her watching the passing-by cars.

"Sorry." He mumbled, stopping at a traffic light. "You just looked like you had something to talk about but didn't find anyone so I thought that -"

"Do I look like I don't have any friends so that I would tell a truck driver about my problems?" Tea snapped at last, breathing through her nose angrily. This man was not receiving any tips from her today, she thought.

The guy didn't answer, instead he switched the radio on, and a song started up for someone that Tea barely had the will to know who. (A/N: For some reason I want to use this one. I know it's for a girl but bear with me)

I left a note on my bedpost
Said not to repeat
Yesterday's mistakes
What I tend to do
When it comes to you
I see only the good
Selective memory

She could not have mistaken the baritone voice of the only man that ever captured her heart. Her hand on the window started to wobble as she felt a wave of pain wash over her.

"He's Atem Mutou, you sure know him though. He's famous with the ladies!" He cooed. Tea slightly nodded to him, her eyes fixed on the radio as if she was looking straight into Atem's amethyst eyes. Her stomach started churning upon hearing his sweet, melting voice.

"You know, the look in your eyes tells that you like him." He said. This guy seemed to like minding people's business. Why the hell was he that inquisitive?

"Seriously you should have been a detective." Tea grumbled, fixing her long ponytail. Ryou pushed down the lever by his steering wheel to indicate that he was switching lanes to exit from the freeway.

He chuckled at her remark, making her smile a little bit. "If I had a more serious personality I would have gone for it." He kidded. "You know you remind me of someone I know that usually had this quick comebacks on the tip of her tongue."

"Her?" She questioned.

"Yes. A girl I once was in love with in high school. Her name was Miho, I used to have a crush on her and the way she always had an answer to anything amazed me." He grinned.

"I thought guys didn't like authoritative girls."

"We don't. But it was nice seeing a girl her type for a change."

"So what happened with you two?" Tea didn't want to start a conversation with this stranger; she didn't have the strength or will. But she asked him anyways.

He paused for a minute. "She died." He said with a crack in his voice.

"Oh.." Tea said as an afterthought. She felt distraught at asking him and eventually leading in knowing such sad event. It was as if she didn't have enough sad things to deal with in her personal life.

"Your blue eyes are fade and lifeless. They are the strangest shed of blue, though." He remarked, changing the topic of his crush. Tea shot her eyes up to meet his brown ones as she stifled a gasp.

"What makes you say that, Mr. Detective?" She mocked.

His face lightened at her question, smiling mischievously. "I can read people's eyes. Believe it or not."

Tea didn't answer, debating on what he said presently. She could believe him anyway. Even if he couldn't read people but she made her situation very obvious. She was like an open book, everyone told her that.

Ryou pulled up to a curb, telling the spaced Tea that they reached their destination. Looking up from the window, she was impressed by the mansion she would be living in. Ryou followed her gaze, admiring the house with a grin.

He got out the truck, opening the trunk to get her stuff out. "I'll have your stuff up in no time." He assured and she nodded to him.

Quick enough, everything was settled in the apartment. Tea paid him the price with a descent tip as he smiled brightly. "This is too much."

"Don't worry. You deserve for putting up with my swing moods." She confessed, a small smile tilting her lips. "I'm Tea by the way."

"Let's rewind our meeting.." He suggested with a soft chuckle, extracting his hand for her to shake. "I'm Ryou Bakura. Nice to meet you Tea..." He stopped waiting for her to complete her name. But, she only shook his hand briefly, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Let's keep this for me." She was unwilling to let him know her true identity. Although, it had been more than eight years since her jail, and probably people have forgotten all about her, but she was eager to hide that as much as she could.

Feeling that he would pressure her, he decided not to persist any further. "Alright Tea, this is my number." He handed her his business card. "Feel free to call me when you want to hang out. You don't look like you have much friends here."

Tea watched him blankly, taking the card with hesitation, as he waved goodbye to her, driving away his truck. "This is one strange guy." She thought to herself as she turned back, heading to her luxurious mansion.

XxxX

Two months passed after she got out of jail. She couldn't forget the feeling of unfeeling she had that day when they opened her cell; her home that she stayed in for eight years, telling her that she can leave it at last.

Unfeelingly, she said goodbye to the walls she had written on, to the window she had looked upon the moon through, and to the floor where she slept restlessly every single night. As she made her way out, she couldn't maintain the fear that crept through her spine, and went up to her throat, almost chocking her. How was she going to face the world now? She was locked up here for years away from camera flashes, people unstoppable chitchat, and she was in fact happy with that loneliness.

How was she going to react to having lots of people passing by her, looking into her eyes, sticking their noses in her life, asking stupid questions, greeting her or even saying goodbye, when the only person she's seen through these years was the officer that brought her food?

It seemed rather scary to have that thought, and she tried her best to think of other things whenever that thought crawled onto her mind. But it was useless.

For the first few days, she didn't even tell her parents that she got out. Or her father anyways considering that her mother was long dead. Another unpleasant thought to have on her mind. She couldn't stop herself from thinking that she had killed her mother, or was the reason of her death per-say.

Her daughter to be jailed for long years was something that a mother's heart could not bear with. It was too much, even for the strong father, so what about her weak mother?

Was she really responsible? She could not tell.

She seemed to have killed lots of people anyways, rather than just Duncin alone. She hurt so many people in the process. Her fans; the people that looked up for her, her friends, her parents, her boyfriend. She caused so much trouble to all of them. And it was just too hard to think that she had done such a thing. Every person dreamed of having a good impact on others and to leave a good memory when they would think of him, so how could she rest when her memory brought sadness to everyone she cared for.

That's why she drained herself with drinking and smoking. They seemed to have good affect on her, dismissing her disturbing thoughts away.

It took her a couple of months to adapt to the fact that she was back again in normal life, and that she was a normal citizen now and not a criminal. To be fair, she never actually adapted to that. It was just too hard to readapt... She tried anyways.

It was then when she decided to call her father, telling him about her release. He sounded emotionless when he congratulated her just as much as she was. Both of them seemed to have lost their cheerfulness and will of living by the passing years. It couldn't be helped. It wasn't an easy task to go through such thing and get out with the same unwounded spirit.

Now, as she was watching the celebrity show talking about Atem and remembering the song she heard with Ryuo, she stared blankly at her phone. A stupid idea jumped into her head, it was stupid, too stupid actually, but she was unable to stop herself from trying it.

Dialing the only number that the passing years couldn't have erased from her head, she extinguished the cigarette carelessly, sighing as she closed her eyes so she could close out the the sounds coming from her neighbors.

The ringing voice drove her crazy as a sad smile crossed her lips. He sure changed his numbers. It's been eight years since she called him, and he's a celebrity now -not that he wasn't a celebrity before. Still, this was a stupid, useless try all together.

She was about to press the 'end' button when the ringing stopped and she heard the deep, familiar voice on the other line. "Hey, this is Atem..."

A tiny shiver travelled up her spine at the familiar, anesthetic voice of her beloved as she rested a hand on her rapid heart to calm it down.

How such a short phrase with a mesmerizing voice could travel her to paradise. To the memories of happiness away from all the upsetting things that occurred in the past. It made tears prickle down her eyes, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, forgetting about any other outstanding matter.

"Hello?" Atem could hear the sound of Tv from the other line talking about him, as he figured it was another fan that wanted to try something with him.

Tea sighed lightly and pushed a hand through her thick, long hair. She wanted to say something, to tell him she was out, to tell him that she missed him so deeply and that she wanted to get everything off her chest only to him. She needed to speak to him about everything that happened in these long years, she felt like suffocating, sniffing back the tears silently as she heard him repeat "hello?" Over and over again, not knowing how his incredible rich voice was like drug to her, soothing and yet tormenting.

Her voice shook, she was unable to build up enough courage to say something. As she remembered clearly how she shook him off and forbade him to see her or visit her in jail. She was too cruel on him, she had broken his heart intently. But it was for purely honest intentions. She wanted him to move forward and not wait for her. Why was she calling him now then? She had no idea.

"Um..." She started up softly, too low for him to hear and he asked about the identity of the caller, sending her heart up her gorge with euphoria. But good moments didn't last for too long. She heard a girl asking him in the background about who was he talking to, identifying him with "honey". Tea bit her lower lip, feeling a rush of jealousy soaring up inside of her. Swallowing her pride, she ended the call, tossing the phone somewhere on the floor as she pressed her face in her hands holding back the tears of hurt and frustration that welled behind her lids, mentally cursing herself for doing such a childish behavior.

Everything has changed and she had to cope with that fact. No matter how hard it was.

POS: I hope the first chapter was good enough. Please let me hear what you think in your reviews!