Tick

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Tock

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Tick

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Tock

She watched as time ticked past achingly slowly, on the analogue clock hanging on the wall opposite her desk.

The hands silently mocked her as they moved slower with every passing second.

At one point she swore they'd moved backwards.

Currently residing in her Japanese class, Tea stared blankly at the clock ahead; occasionally sparing a glance at Joey's sleeping form beside her.

To say that her morning had been boring and uneventful would have been a major understatement. She classified it as being tedious and monotonous. Going back to school after all of the events in the holidays had dragged Tea's mood right down, and sitting listening to a teacher droning about information she had already learnt during her past years of school wasn't helping.

Even the P.E. class she had just attended hadn't sparked her interest. No that was the wrong thing to say, the P.E. class she had attended didn't even involve her. Her doctor had sent a note to the school forbidding Tea to take part in any physical activities; that had gotten her blood boiling.

It was now barley five minutes until the start of lunch, and Tea was really interested to see how Yami's first day of modern day school was going, Malik's as well she guessed, and Bakura's... she was curious.

Duke and Kaiba had been in her Drama class earlier that day and then there was Joey sleeping beside her, so she hadn't seen many of her friends since the beginning of school and she really wanted to catch up with them, even though she had just seen them barely three hours ago.

Tea decided to make a deal with herself; not to look at the clock until the bell rung; staring at it hopefully wasn't going to make it tick any faster. So she glanced down to her blank, note-free book and started doodling on the page until the bell rung.

It didn't ring.

It must be broken. She thought. Maybe I should check to see it the second hand has stopped movi- NO! That is just what it wants you to do. So Tea sat glaring at the paper inwardly arguing about looking at the clock.

She lost the battle, and as soon as she looked up at the clock, the second and minute hand hit the 12 and the bell rung throughout the school.

XxX

"It's amazing! I've been given my own books to keep and write things down in. Here take a look," He through one of his books at Tea, Tristan and Joey. "They've given me pencils and pens and other writing things." He brought out a standard pencil case that he had been given by the school, but didn't through it at anyone.

"That's wonderful Yami," Tea said, as if congratulating a five-year-old child.

"Whoa, you actually filled your book with something." Joey remarked looking over Tristan's should at Yami's science book.

"Yeah, it's fascinating at how much humans know about the world, and atoms and alkalis and-"

"Yeah, but I but bet it's a load of bullshit. Scientists making up a load of crap to fool people into thinking they know what they are talking about." Bakura said, announcing his presence taking a seat opposite Yami, beside his light, on a picnic bench out on the school field.

"And I suppose you know better then, thief?" Yami challenged.

"Maybe not about that sort of stuff, but scientists are just a bunch of stuck up people pretending they know about stuff that isn't there to be known."

"You don't believe in gravity then?"

Bakura glared at him, "I never said I didn't,"

"So you do believe in science."

Bakura slammed his fist on the bench that it shook slightly, "Listen, Pharaoh-!"

"Already fighting and it hasn't even been ten minutes into lunch?" Malik said approaching the table, "and you might want to drop that name if you don't want to be getting strange looks from other people."

Bakura let the argument go as Malik took a seat next to him. Tea, Joey and Tristan sat on the grass eating their lunches while Yugi, Yami, Bakura, Ryou and Malik sat on the bench.

"How's ya first day gone so far, Malik?" Joey asked, his mouth currently full with food, Tea gave him a slightly disgusted look.

"Hm?" Malik look down at Joey. "Fine I guess nothing special."

"Nothing Special?!" Yami asked astounded. "Haven't you gotten any books or pens?"

Malik gave him a strange look, "Well, yeah..." He trailed off reaching into his bag and brought out his books placing them in the table.

"We all got them." Bakura announced waving his books in front of the ex-pharaoh's face.

Yami's face dropped slightly and his lips turned down into a slight pout. "Bet you didn't bother writing anything in it."

He was met with a book straight in his face. "Check it yourself." Bakura said snickering before turning to Ryou and demanding food.

Yami through the book on the ground glaring at the ex-tomb robber feeling slightly embarrassed, but his attention was dragged away from him when he heard a bunch of giggles coming from a group of young girls all looking at them.

"What're they staring at?" Yami asked.

"Urgh, just ignore them," Malik said, seeming slightly disgusted. "That's what I've been doing all day." The only females that Malik really knew was his sister and Tea, so being surround by hormonal girls suddenly wasn't something he was entirely comfortable with.

"How comes you guys always seem to get the girls attention? I'm just as gook-looking as you all are." Joey complained standing up and leaning on the bench, Tristan agreed in the background and Bakura snorted.

"It's because they're unique." Tea exclaimed. Joey gave her a confused look.

"They are all very handsome and different in their own way." She continued. Bakura, Malik and Yami all looked interested in what she had to say and Ryou and Yugi blushed slightly. "For instance, Yugi may not be as tall as the preferred guy but being the King of Card Games defiantly helps. Yami, he's all of a sudden joined the school and looks just like Yugi only taller and slightly more mature, and that right there attracts attention. Ryou and Bakura's looks speak for themselves, plus Bakura is new to the school and then there is Malik who is also new to the school and has a very unique look." Tea stopped her little rant and took a bite of food leaving Ryou and Yugi blushing harder, Malik and Bakura somewhat shocked, Yami feeling pretty full of himself and Joey and Tristan slightly speechless.

"Didn't realise you'd been paying that close attention to us." Bakura said.

Tea swallowed her food, "It's just something you pick up on as a girl."

"B-but I can be those things too," Joey almost whined. Tea just smiled sympathetically.

XxX

The rest of lunch was spent with useless conversation, Joey whining and Bakura teasing the pharaoh until the bell rung.

"Tristan and Yugi are in my last two classes, so I guess I'll see everybody tomorrow then." Tea announced to the group, beginning to leave.

"Wai' a minu'e," Joey said, stopping her.

Tea turned to look at him.

"Aren' ya walkin' home with Yugi and Yami?" He asked her.

"Er, no; I walk to school with them, but we normally go home our own ways." Joey seemed troubled by this.

"You've got Tristan and Yug in your last classes with ya in case summin' goes wrong, but what if summin' 'appens on da way home?"

Tea gave a short laugh, "Come one Joey, I don't need to be kept an eye on twenty-four seven. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

Joey didn't look convinced.

"Actually I think he may be right." Malik interjected. "You've always had someone with you every time you've fainted. What if something did happen to you on your way home?"

"Not you too," Tea exclaimed slightly miffed.

"Come on Tea, at least until the docta figures out what's wrong with ya." Joey persuaded.

"'Wrong with me'? Joey, you make it sound like I've got some sort of unknown disease."

"Well, ya might 'ave, but please Tea?" He attempted 'puppy eyes'.

Tea scoffed, "Please Joey, you look ridiculous," He didn't stop, "Okay, fine!" Tea caved in, "but only for a while. It's not like I'm dying."

"What a shame," someone mumbled in the background; Tea ignored the comment.

"Great, thanks Tea." Joey actually looked pleased.

Tea turned towards Yami and Yugi, who were chucking their rubbish away, "So, can I walk home with you?"

Yugi looked at Yami, who shrugged, he smiled, "Sure Tea."

Joey finished stuffing his school bag with loose bits and pieces. "Great, just make sure she gets to 'er door safely."

"They have to walk all the way to my house and back to theirs? I don't think so, that's not fair on them. I can just walk the other half of the journey to my house on my own."

"But what if summin' happens?"

"Joey, it is highly unlikely that anything is going to happen to me."

"But what if-"

"Stop trying to control my life!" Tea shouted.

Everyone was staring at the couple now; they could sense a fight beginning to breakout between the two. Both too stubborn and hot-headed to back down, this was going to end badly if something didn't stop them soon.

"I just wanna to keep ya safe; friends look out for each other don't they?!"

"Yea, but not lik-"

"I'll walk you home myself if I have to."

"But your house is the complete opposi-"

"We could walk Tea the rest of her way home. It'd just be a little detour off of our way home."

Every seemed to freeze at that sentence. Tea and Joey shut up, and Bakura stared wide eyed at his light.

"It'd be no trouble, just a little detour from the unusual way home." Ryou said.

Tea blinked, "No, its fine, Ryou. I don't need to be watched over."

"Na, it's perfect. You could walk with Ryou after Yami and Yugi." Tea glared at him, "At least until things improve."

She turned her gaze back to Ryou, "But I don't want to be an inconvenience."

He smiled lightly at her, "It'd be no problem."

"There you go, sorted." Joey seemed satisfied.

"Sorted?! You mean I'm going to have to walk a long way home just because of this wench?!"

"You should have put your opinion in earlier if you had an objection,"

Bakura growled at Yami before turning to look at his light. Instantly he could tell that Ryou wanted to do this for the girl. "Fine," he huffed, it'd be only a slight inconvenience, right?

"Come one guys, we're late already," Yugi called as he headed towards the school.

Everyone followed him, apart from Tristan and Joey, who pulled Ryou's arm back and told him, "Don't let him hurt her," then catching up to everybody else leaving Ryou temporarily shocked.

XxX XxX XxX

Author's Notes: Short chapter, but my laptop was broken and had to be fixed and I wanted to update as soon as possible. I hoped that this chapter would make up for the wait, but I doubt it. I've noticed that Kaiba is the preferred pair with Tea, he isn't my fav but he will be having more of an appearance in the story soon. Plus, what do you think of Joey's speech, it's hard to type and I'm not sure what I should do with it, any suggestions would be nice.

Abbie x