Yin and Yang

PRIDE

Pride is a great thing to have. It helps you in life.
But pride also blinds the beholder.

"Hey Carly. What's wrong?" Crow asked, noticing the young reporter crying infront of the cafe she and Jack would drink coffee at.

"What? Oh! Nothing. I'm fine." Carly said quickly, bowing her head to where you could no longer see her face. His patience was short today, but Crow was curious.

"It's obvious something's up. So..." Crow inquired. He went to go sit with the girl, who sat now with her arms blocking her face, laying down on the table.

"I'm fine." Carly muttered, the voice muffled by her arms.

"Come on." Crow urked.

"Okay..." Carly sniffed lifting her head. Crow couldn't see her eyes through the thick glasses, but he knew they were tear ridden.

"Well... I was supposed to meet Jack here, but I saw him walking off with Stephanie. She knows I like him, and part of me thinks she wants him because I want him. And, he just went with her! It took me forever to do that!" Carly tried to stay below a whisper. Crow rolled his eyes and crossed his muscular arms.

"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" Crow muttered.

"B-But what if he enjoys being with her and he forgets all about me? What if they-" Carly went on babbling about the worst case scenario. Crow thought of an idea.

"So, you want to make him jelous?" Crow asked, and Carly stopped short.

"Wh-what? Of course not! I would never do that!" Carly squealed, standing up, grasping her orange pouch that hung loosly around her waist.

"Well, you want to see if he likes you, don't you?" Crow asked with a wave of his hand. Carly looked at him, stunned.

"O-Of course I do!... But who? No one really likes me. Especially not guys." Carly said selfconciously.

"I will. I love mess'n with Jack's head." Crow said with a smirk. He usually filled his extra time messing with Jack. If this didn't mess with him, he could abort the mission.

"Wh-what? No... it's fine! You don't have to..." Carly stuttered, her cheeks flushing red, irritating Crow.

"Caly! We're 'dating' and that's final!" Crow said, getting up and walking away before the young reporter could say anything.

"My name's Carly." the girl replied, bewildered at what had just happened.

"I will. I love mess'n with Jack's head." at the sound of his name, the blond duelist paused. He was walking from the back of the cafe and was turning from the alley to reach the front of the building. He spotted a orange haired twit that was obviously trying to suck him into something.

Crow.

His blood pressure spiked.

He was about to shout after the teen when he caught sight of who he was talking to.

Carly?

He hid behind the jutting corner, watching the two in shocked silence. Since when did Crow give the time of day about Carly?

"Wh-what? No... it's fine! You don't have to..." he heard her mutter. What were they talking about? His curiosity almost brought him out of the shadows, when Crow continued with an irritated voice.

"Caly! We're dating and that's final!" he barked roughly to the innocent girl, making her jump back slightly in her chair. Jack's fist tightened, making the knuckles crack loudly. Crow pushed away from the table, and started heading back to the Poppo Time Clock. Jack felt like going after the carrot top, but something was holding him back.

That's when it donned on him.

Carly and him were dating.

Crow and Carly were dating.

Why did this make his blood boil so?

What made him want to beat something into a bloody pulp?

Who did Crow think she was? Some little pawn he could toss around? Yell at?

"My name's Carly." she said in a hushed tone, folding her hnds in her lap.

That's when he took a moment to ponder.

What did this matter to him?

Carly and Crow were dating. He'd have to get used to not being the only guy in Carly's life.

He could talk to her how ever he wanted. Carly could defend herself.

At least that was what he was telling himself as he stalked darkly back down the alley way, fists clenched, jaw clenched, and rage blowing like a tornadoe in his mind.

How was it?

Well, please read and review!

Thank you, your fellow author,

~ILJA~