Okay, it's been forever since I've written on here, and I've become obsessed with this show, so here goes!

I'll just begin now by saying that the summary definitely does not cover the entire plot of this story. I'll explain what I mean next chapter, after you've decided whether you'll give me a chance or not :)

Disclaimers: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters in the show. They belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I only own Erin, my OC.

Well, enjoy!

Chapter 1

The last thing I wanted to do on my first day at my new school was pick a fight with the school bully. I don't even know how it happened. One moment I had been standing on the sidelines as he tormented a freshman, and the next, I had gotten his attention with some stupid slip of my mouth.

"Wanna run that past me again, new girl?" He growled. The eyes of every other onlooker turned to me.

I bit my lip, my eyes wide. Great. Once again, I was in trouble because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "Nope. I think I'll just leave you to take your insecurities out on the unsuspecting underclassman who probably has nothing to do with any of it." People behind me gasped, and I again cursed myself for not thinking before I spoke.

The hulking boy in the oversize hockey jersey took a step in my direction. Though he kept his stance intimidating, I knew my words had hit him where it hurts. "Wanna be next, hotshot?"

"Not at all." I said, my voice quivering. I cleared my throat. "All you'd have to do is sit on me and I'd be dead." More gasps and some snickers from the audience.

He took another step towards me. The freshman he had been pummeling stood shakily and just watched as the bully made his way ever closer to me. "How about we take this outside, you and me?"

I took a step back. The crowd behind me parted to allow me to retreat. "How about no?"

By now, he was so close I could see the angry pimples scattered around his forehead. Some of them were in desperate need of acne cream. He glared down at me with a new audacity. "Then let's do this right here." When he got close enough, he shoved me. I stumbled a few steps back, but regained my balance and stood my ground. Behind him, the freshman still stared at me with horror in his eyes.

Boy, was I in deep poop.

The bully went to shove me again, but I moved out of the way of his hands. "Honestly, is being physical the only way you know how to solve problems?"

The crowd had formed a new circle around us. Whispers and low voices filled the hall. Like a bunch of idiots, they were again standing by and allowing this oaf to get the attention he wanted.

"No. But it feels good when I get to beat some sense into shrimps like you!" He took a swing at me, and I jumped back just in time.

Well, there was no way I was going to fight this guy. He was twice my size and could probably bench my weight. However, the crowd had become so tightly-knit around us that I could see no opening to walk away with a bit of my dignity still intact. "Forgive me, but I'm a lover, not a fighter." I said, narrowly escaping another attempt at a punch. "I'm obligated to not fight back."

"Makes things easier for me." His lips parted in an ugly, yellow-toothed grin.

Okay, seriously. Where were the teachers in this school? Did they not care what happened between the bells, as long as their students got to class on time?

In my desperate attempt to find someone else to break up the fight, the bully caught me off guard with a blow to the stomach. I doubled over, breath whooshing out of my lungs and not coming back. "Holy crap," I gasped.

Knuckles cracked. "I'm only getting started." With that, another shot was taken, this time at the side of my head, since it was vulnerable in the position I was standing. I collapsed, stars dancing in my vision. The beginnings of the worst headache of my life set in.

I couldn't just sit there and take the beating. If I did, my pride would never recover. Without looking up to check that he was lunging for me again, I used my leg to take a swipe at his feet. He hadn't been expecting me to retaliate, and he, too, fell to the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

I scooted far enough away from his surprised face that I could get up without worrying about being pulled back to the floor. My head spun, but I ignored it and steadied myself. "You know, if that hit had killed me, you could be in prison right now." The fight was over. I refused to let this guy have any more attention at my expense. One last look at him, and I turned away from his fuming profile and to the people behind me. "Let me through." They obeyed, giving me a clear path to the rest of the hallway.

Though my face throbbed and I could feel a nasty bruise blooming on it, I didn't put my hand to it. That would be a sign of weakness, and I didn't want anyone from the crowd of idiots following me and asking if I was okay. One foot fell in front of the other in my falsely-confident stride. I made a left turn at the end of the hallway and into the bathroom. Even this far away, I could hear the whispers and mutters. "Who is this girl?"

I put both hands on the sink to keep myself upright. The reflection staring back at me in the mirror was breathing heavily, having just remembered how to do so after having the wind knocked out of her. Tears were welling up in my eyes, and I wiped them away. I turned my head so I could assess the damage on my cheekbone. Sure enough, a light blue spot was making itself visible against my tan skin.

I was in the middle of searching for foundation in my purse to cover the bruise when a voice echoed in the bathroom. "Are you okay?"

Looking up, I saw a girl from my chemistry class in the mirror, with short brown hair and kind blue eyes, watching me with real concern. "I'm fine." All of the earlier confidence was gone from my voice, and it was all I could do to keep it from shaking.

"He hit you pretty hard."

Oh, really? I hadn't noticed when his fist connected with my face. "I'm fine." I repeated, finding my foundation and beginning to apply it to the now-larger blue area. I winced when the applicator brush touched my skin.

She was closer to me now. "You won't be able to hide it that way." She said.

I glared at her. "Well, this is kind of all I have to work with."

"Here," she said, pulling a small tube of concealer out of her pocket. "This will work better than powder."

I shook my head. "Thanks, but your complexion isn't the same as mine. It'll look worse."

She unscrewed the cap. "It works on all lighter skin tones." She held it out to me. "Just try it."

Refusal seemed futile, since the look in her eyes was much more determined than the defeated one in mine. I accepted the tube and put my foundation away. When I first touched the applicator to my skin, I clenched my teeth against the pain. After a few seconds, I rubbed the concealer into my skin. "Woah." I said, double-checking the bruise in the mirror. It was hardly visible this close.

She smiled as I handed it back to her. "Works wonders, doesn't it?" She asked.

"Thank you." I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.

She nodded to me. "That was really brave, what you did back there. Not a lot of people hold out for as long as you did, and even fewer refuse to take a hit."

I gave a half-smile at the praise. "Yeah, well, I've been through worse." Silence ensued as I again scanned my reflection.

"I'm Téa Gardner, by the way." She held out a hand.

"Erin Stephenson," I said, shaking it. "Thank you for the concealer, Téa."

She shrugged. "No problem."

Just then, the bell rang, signaling that we had one minute left to get to class. "Crap." I murmured.

"What do you have this hour?" Téa asked.

I racked my brain for the schedule I had memorized the night before. "Uh, history, I think."

"With Mr. Hauss?"

"Yup."

Her smile brightened her face, and I couldn't help but smile with her. Her happiness just seemed so contagious. "I have that class, too. It's just down the hall. I'll walk with you."

So that is the story of how I made my first friend in Domino High. We speed-walked together to our history classroom, stepping in just as the tardy bell rang. Both of us breathed a sigh of relief, and she sat in a desk with an empty one next to it, gesturing for me to sit in the vacant spot. I happily accepted.

"Welcome to Western History," began our tall, pig-nosed professor. He glanced at me, and I stiffened. Was he going to introduce me to the class like all of the others had done today? I couldn't stand one more "Please welcome miss Stephenson to your class." I would explode. Mr. Hauss seemed to take note of my action, because his gaze turned away from me, and to the board instead. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Yo, are you the new girl from the Midwest?" A Brooklyn-accented whisper inquired.

I turned to find a blond-haired boy looking at me in what I guessed was his version of seduction. Not knowing what to say, I just nodded and "mmhmm"ed.

"Joey, leave the poor girl alone." Téa whispered as she opened her book.

Joey gave her a fake glare. "I was just getting' to know her," he said innocently.

Right. Feeling that it was rude to just turn around and ignore him, I shrugged to show him that he hadn't offended me. "Nice to meet you, Joey. My name's Erin."

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second. I heard him mutter, "Wait a second," as he stared at me, his mouth slightly agape.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. He wasn't the first boy to hit on me that day, but he definitely had a strange way of going about it.

"Joey," Téa hissed, "not now."

The two shared a meaningful look between them, and I watched them with raised eyebrows. Seeming to come to a silent agreement with Téa, Joey nodded slightly and grinned at me. "Nice to meet you, too, Erin. The name's Joey Wheeler."

We already established this. "So –"

"Miss Stephenson?" Mr. Hauss said from the front of the classroom, where he had ceased writing in chalk. I whipped my head back around. Everyone in the class was staring at me.

"Yes, Mr. Hauss?" I asked innocently.

"I don't know what the protocol is in Missouri, but I can assure you that here, teachers like to see your face while they are teaching."

Snickers followed this comment. I slunk in my seat, my cheeks turning red. "Yes, Mr. Hauss. It won't happen again." I managed to say.

Losing interest in the lack of excitement, the other students turned back around. "Good," Mr. Hauss said. He returned to his lecture, glancing back at me every once in a while to ensure I was still paying attention. He may have been talking about something to do with Charlemagne and the Crusades, or he may have just been going into detail about the Bubonic Plague. Either way, I hardly paid attention to the notes I jotted down from the powerpoint. I was too busy wondering what had happened between Joey and Téa after he tried to flirt with me. I may have just been overthinking it, but when he had widened his eyes in surprise, I could've sworn I had seen a flash of recognition in them. And then there was Téa's warning, as if she already knew what he was thinking. Maybe I looked like someone they knew? An ex-girlfriend of Joey's, maybe?

I shook my head. Yeah, I was overthinking it. First-day jitters, I guess.

It seemed like no time at all had passed before the bell signaling lunch rang. I stood and gathered my books, trying to think about how I was going to ask if I could sit with Téa and Joey at lunch.

Turns out, I didn't have to ask. "Hey, Erin," Téa said as I shoved my history book into my bag. "Do you want to sit with us at lunch?"

I smiled. "Sure. Thanks."

Joey put an arm around my shoulder, and I tensed. "We'll introduce ya to the whole gang. In fact, I know someone in particular who'd love to –"

"Joey!" Téa said, smacking his arm. There it was again: that look between them.

I couldn't just stand by while these two silently argued over something having to do with me. "Seriously, guys. Is there something wrong?"

Téa's giggle was almost too fake. "No! Of course not. Joey's just being a guy." With one last glare at him, she grabbed my hand. "Come on. Lunch is a-calling." I allowed her to pull me out of Joey's reach. He followed behind us to the cafeteria, spouting jokes and random pieces of conversation as we wove our way through the halls. He actually was pretty funny, in a dorky, awkward kind of way. And he was friendly, so I wasn't complaining. I even laughed at a few of his jokes.

"See, Téa, Erin thinks I'm funny." Joey said as we entered the cafeteria.

"At least someone does," She said absentmindedly, searching for their table.

The place reminded me of the scene from Mean Girls. It seemed the tables around us were segregated by cliques. Granted, not any cliques that I knew, but there was obvious separation from table to table. Dread soaked through my veins. So it was one of those schools.

Back in Missouri, I had been friends with pretty much everyone. I played sports, I got good grades, and I didn't judge people at first sight. I considered everyone I met a friend, even if I only exchanged a few words with them. However, it seemed, this would not be the case at Domino. Some people glared at me if I so much as looked at them the wrong way when I passed. I ended up just reading the banners hanging on the walls and swinging from the ceiling until Téa and Joey stopped at a table near the back corner.

Six other teens sat there already, leaving two empty seats at the round eight-person table. I bit my lip. "Uh, Téa..." I said quietly.

"Got ya covered." Joey came up behind me with an extra chair in tow.

"Thanks." I smiled at him in gratitude, and he again gave me an expression of recognition.

I shook it off and pulled my chair next to Téa's to sit down. It wasn't until I got settled that I realized that every person at the table was staring at me.

I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but Téa beat me to it. "Guys, this is Erin. Erin, this is Tristan" – a boy with darker hair slicked to a point at his forehead waved and gave me a "Heya," – "Serenity, Joey's sister" – the only other girl at the table, a small auburn-haired one with big, compassionate eyes that reminded me of my own sister, smiled shyly – "Duke" – possibly one of the most weirdly-attractive guys I had ever met wiggled his dark eyebrows at me with a flirtatious grin – "Bakura" – a timid-looking boy with white hair gave me a shaky smile – "Yugi" – a shorter boy with strange, multicolored hair gelled into spikes at the back of his head with blond bangs fringing his face gave me a kind grin, one that reached his eyes, and I decided that I liked him the most – "and Atem." The last person at the table must have been related to Yugi. He looked almost exactly like him, except some of the blond fringe was gelled up into the spikes of his hair, he was taller and more confident in the way he held himself, and his eyes were narrower and held a determined look in them. It was his stare that made me uncomfortable, because unlike the others, he seemed unable to hide his surprise at my presence at the table for some unknown reason.

"Hey." I said, smiling at them with what I hoped was friendliness and not forced participation.

Duke leaned over the table and grinned at me. "Hello." He held his hand out. "Duke Devlin, creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters."

I bit back my reply of "Dungeon Dice What?" and took his hand, expecting a handshake. "Uh, nice to meet you." I replied. Before I knew what was going on, he had leaned even farther forward and put my hand to his lips like I was a princess.

"The pleasure is all mine." He said, green eyes hooded.

Across the table, I noticed Atem stiffen slightly.

When Duke released my hand, I cleared my throat, hoping to break up the awkwardness. Téa glared at Duke for being so forward, while I made a face.

"What's wrong, Erin?" Yugi asked, his voice higher-pitched than most guys our age.

I smiled at him. "Oh, nothing. I just remembered that I forgot to pack my lunch this morning." Which was probably for the best. With all the nerves of my first day, I didn't think I would be able to stomach much of anything.

"Do you want me to go up and get something with you?" Téa asked. "I was just about to go myself."

I shook my head. "No thanks. I'm not really that hungry right now anyway."

"Alright. Come on, Joey. Let's go get some lunch." She said, and the two of them stood and left. I resisted the urge to follow the only two people I was comfortable with at this table, instead resorting to staring at my hands resting on the hard chipwood, also resisting the urge to wipe the hand that Duke had kissed on my skirt. Cute guys were nice to look at, but I wasn't affected when they tried to hit on me. I guess it was just one of those things that came with having an older brother with older, ridiculously attractive friends over all the time. I was just used to the company of boys.

No one at the table seemed to know what to talk about with me there. Though they all shot curious glances my way more than once, I could feel one gaze threatening to bore a hole through my forehead. Atem hadn't looked away from me since the second I had showed up in front of the table with Joey and Téa.

Thankfully, Tristan broke the silence. "So, I heard you're from Missouri." He said, trying to ease the tension.

I acknowledged his attempt at conversation with a nod. "Yeah. My hometown is Columbia. Word really does spread quick here, doesn't it?"

"You've got that right." Duke chimed in. "When I was new last year, it seemed like the entire female portion of the student body instantly sniffed me out."

I'll bet. You're modern-day gorgeous. "You were new last year?" I inquired.

"Yup. Been there, done that. This place sorta grows on you after a while." He winked at me. "Trust me, you'll fit right in."

I didn't know whether to be flattered or offended by this statement.

Tristan scoffed. "You've still got a crazy fan-club chasing you around, Duke. That's not fitting in – that's standing out."

"Like a nose on a face." Duke retorted, apparently agreeing with Tristan. "I never said that I fit in here. I just said that Erin would."

We all laughed awkwardly at their back-and-forth jabs, but much sooner than I would have liked, the conversation died down again.

Pretty soon, Joey and Téa returned, Téa with a slice of pizza and a water, and Joey with a monster-sized sub sandwich with what appeared to be everything but the kitchen sink loaded between the buns and a soda.

"What did we miss?" Joey asked, digging in to his sandwich with a ferocity I had never seen someone devour food with before.

Yugi shrugged. "Nothing much. Hey, Erin, do you play Duel Monsters?"

Oh, right. That was that one card game from the eighties that had been making a comeback in the last ten years or so. My brother was an enthusiast, but I had never really gotten into it. He had even given me a few cards to start my own deck. When mom and dad divorced, I had found the cards being used as bookmarks in some of my unfinished books and tried to figure out from the information written on them how the game was even played. They were my only connection to Landon now that we weren't living in the same state anymore. "My brother gave me a few cards, but I can't say I've ever played before. I don't really know how it works, to be honest."

"Never played Duel Monsters?!" Joey exclaimed. "How do you live?!"

A new batch of surprised and curious stares erupted around the table, all directed at me again. Atem looked mildly shocked and disappointed.

Why did I care so much about his facial expressions?

"Well, it's not really a big thing where I'm from." I tried as an excuse. "I didn't live in the city, so competitions and people to duel with were pretty hard to find."

Something seemed to occur to Tristan just then. "Have I met you before?"

"What?" I asked, dubious. No. There was no way he was using that pick-up line on me. That thing was old as time.

"You just, you look so familiar."

Téa butted into our conversation before I could respond. "No, Tristan. You haven't."

If she gave one more person that behind-the-curtain look, I was going to snap. Luckily, Yugi steered the conversation back towards the original topic. "We could teach you how to play."

"Really?" I asked. Maybe then I could finally understand what Landon was talking about next time I saw him.

"Sure." Yugi smiled broadly, and his large violet eyes glittered. "Are you doing anything after school today?"

I contemplated my schedule. Miri wouldn't be out of school for another hour after we were, and Mom had offered to pick her up for me. Hanging out with new friends after school wouldn't be all that bad. "Nope."

"Good!" His smile grew brighter. "You could come to my grandpa's game shop with us. We could help you build your own deck and everything."

Like Téa's, his smile was contagious. I grinned back at him. "That would be great, Yugi. Thanks."

Joey pumped his fist in the air. "We've converted another!"

Téa rolled her eyes. Tristan gave me a thumbs-up, and Duke ran a hand through his hair in a last effort to win my affections when I glanced at him. My eyes darted from him to Atem. Atem was still watching me, but instead of the initial surprise on his face, this time his expression was guarded.

"Bakura, do you want to come with us?" Yugi asked the boy sitting next to him, who I realized hadn't spoken the entire time.

The white-haired boy shook his head. "I think I'll pass this time, Yugi." He said, his British accent soft. "But thanks."

"Okay," Yugi said, looking a little disappointed, but still cheery. "Maybe next time."

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang, and everyone stood up. "Yugi, before I forget," I said, stopping him and Atem, "where's your grandpa's game shop at?"

"You can meet us on the sidewalk outside school and we could walk there together if you want." He suggested.

I looked down at my school uniform in disgust. "Thanks, but I think I'm going to stop by my house after school to change. Could I maybe have an address?"

He nodded. "The shop's called Kame Games. It's just two blocks away from here, on twelfth street. You can't miss it."

"Alright. I'll get there as soon as I can. Thanks again."

He smiled. "No problem."

Téa grabbed my arm, and with one last goodbye to everyone at the table, she showed me to my next class. "Pre-Calculus, here you are." She said at the door. "See you after school!"

"Thanks. Bye!" I waved as she disappeared into the crowd, then took a deep breath. Now that I had friends, I felt like my day wasn't such a total bust after all. In fact, the rest of the day flew by pretty quickly.

As I closed the door of my silver Ford Fusion behind me, there was only one thing that still made me uneasy about this school, and it had nothing to do with my classes and everything to do with the fact that one of my new friends wouldn't stop looking at me like I was a ghost. When I drove past Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Joey, and Atem, I honked and waved. They all waved back, but I felt one of their stares lingering on my car much longer than the others had.

Atem's mysterious violet eyes reflected in my rear view mirror until I turned a corner.

Somehow, I felt like he and I hadn't just met for the first time today.

A/N

Welp, that's chapter one!

Hope you all liked it. Let me know if you want more! Please review to tell me how I did.

Also, if anybody finds any continuity errors or has questions, just put it in your review or PM me. I'm trying to make this as accurate as possible!

Until next time!