Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Nightmare ❯ Bethany ( Chapter 8 )

(*is jumping around, hyper* I've had nothing but caffeine and sugar for the past, like, 12 hours, and absolutely NO SLEEP, and I just happen to be bored out of my mind *kicks sites behind pile of dust* and I am waiting for this clip to finish downloading so I can stop dying. Once I learn to understand Japanese, it will all be goodness... *glares at download* ....only 49% done.... ass....)

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"Swimming!" Mokuba laughs as we all walk down to the pool.

Chichiue smiles at Mokuba, who is hanging off Seto's arm, then he glances over at me. I am pouting. He slides up next to me. "Smile, Noa-chan."

"No, thanks. I prefer pouting." I grumble.

"Want me to teach you how not to pout?"

"Like that will work."

"Noa." Chichiue's voice is sharp.

"Chichiue." I mimic. I really don't care what he does right now. I'm tired, and I don't feel much like swimming.

Chichiue grabs my arm sharply, stopping me, and forces me to look at him. "You are getting out of line, Noa."

"I'm always out of line with you, Chichiue." I reply sharply. "Let me go." I add, trying to pull away.

Seto walks over, Mokuba gone. "Gozaburo-sama, let him be, onegai. Mokuba-chan was asking questions." Seto says calmly.

Chichiue looks at Seto for a quick second, then brings his hand across my face, letting go of my arm. I stumble backwards, but Seto catches me. "Go to your room, and stay there." Chichiue orders, then turns and continues on to the pool.

"Noa...?" Seto whispers, still holding me up.

"Go on. I didn't feel like going to the pool anyway..." I sigh, pulling away from him. I turn and head back to our rooms. On the elevator, I decide to go up to the roof, so hit that button instead. When it reaches the roof, I get out and walk outside, onto the patio.

The view is beautiful. Some of the skylines overtake the height of the hotel, but I can see the Statue of Liberty, and I smile. I sigh, relaxing against the patio's short wall.

A girl, about my age, comes up next to me. "Hi." She mumbles, looking out.

~English.~ I figure. "Hi there."

"So, what's your name? Mine's Bethany." The girl says.

I pause for a second, translating all this, then reply. "I'm Noa."

She glances at me. "English isn't your first language, is it?"

I sigh. "No. I'm Japanese."

"Oh. You've mastered English pretty well though, it sounds like."

"Don't give me any hard words, though. I'll screw up." I reply, smiling slightly. "Why aren't you in the pool, like everyone else?"

"I can't swim."

I blink. "Oh..."

"Why aren't you in the pool?"

"My father told me I couldn't go."

"Why?"

"I pissed him off."

She frowns. "I piss my father off and he just yells at me."

"Lucky." I sigh, looking back at the Statue of Liberty. "That statue, it stands for the freedom that is so well loved in this country, doesn't it?" I inquire.

She looks at the statue. "Yeah. We got it from the French in 1885."

"Long time ago..." I sigh. "I wanna go there."

"Why?"

"I wanna see if I can feel this thing called freedom, even if it is only for a few minutes."

"You've never been free?" I shake my head. "What are you a slave to?"

"My father, the Japanese public." I roll my eyes.

"How can you be a slave to people like yourself?" Bethany asks, obviously confused.

"My father is one of the richest people in Japan, at least. I'm always under pressure."

"Who is your father, Noa?" Bethany frowns at me.

"Kaiba Gozaburo." I reply, then remember where I am. "Or Gozaburo Kaiba, since we're in America."

"Oh," She sighs. "I've always heard he was really cold and rough on his staff."

"He is. They fear him." I nod.

"Do you fear him?"

"I have no choice." I glance at her. Her eyes are sad. "Do you fear your father?"

"No. He is always kind to me." Bethany whispers.

"Lucky." I mumble again.

"Noa!" Seto's voice calls from behind us.

I turn around and smile. "Seto. Hey."

"Gozaburo-sama is headed back to the rooms. I recall him saying something about a `lesson'." Seto gasps.

I shrug. "Do I look like I care?"

"I care! What if he takes away all that stuff?" Seto complains.

"He can't. I ripped up the receipts."

"You're one slick asshole, you know that." Seto growls, walking over to us. He looks at Bethany. "Made a new friend?"

I smirk. "This is Bethany." I tell Seto, then look at Bethany. "Bethany, this is Seto, my brother."

Bethany giggles. "He's dripping."

Seto makes a face. "Now this just isn't fair. I can't understand English, Noa!"

I snicker. "Where Mokuba-chan?"

"In the pool."

"You left him there by himself?!" I exclaim.

"No, no. He's made a couple of new friends. A couple of twins. Their parents promised to bring them back up, or, that's what Gozaburo-sama says they said..." He makes a face.

"You should go back down. I don't want you here if Chichiue gets smart enough to look up here." I tell him quietly.

"Would you stop worrying about me?"

"Who said I was worrying about you?"

"You've already said you don't care you're getting one `lesson'. I figured two wouldn't do you much harm." Seto shrugs.

I snort. "Three. I'm already gonna get a second one for being up here to begin with."

Seto sighs. "Onegai, Noa, go downstairs."

"No! Let him find me! I don't care!"

"He's gonna kill you!"

I point at the Statue of Liberty. "That statue stands for freedom here in America. For once in my life, just once, I want to be free. If I can have just a few more moments of freedom, before that yaro decides I'm his toy again, I will be happy! You don't understand, Seto! He's trapped me my whole life!" I turn away from Seto. "I've never been happy before. Never."

"Noa." Bethany tugs on my shirt's sleeve, pointing at the door to the patio. I look up.

"Chichiue!" Seto's head snaps up too, and he places himself between Chichiue and me.

"Noa, my room, now." Chichiue orders, his voice chilled.

I turn to Bethany. "See ya."

She frowns. "Be safe."

I smile slightly. "I'll try.... Thank you." Then I turn and walk over to Chichiue. Seto follows me quietly.

Chichiue's hand falls down over my shoulders and I flinch. "Where did I tell you to go?" He asks as we get into the elevator.

"Oh, I dunno." I attempt to shrug, but his hand on my shoulders forces me to be still.

"Does `your room' ring any bells?" Chichiue hisses.

I blink, all innocence. "Should it?"

He slaps me across the face. I see Seto bite his lip. "You need to start thinking, Noa." Chichiue warns coldly. "I have just the lesson this time."

"Blood still stains the carpet." I grumble.

"Who said anything about blood?" Chichiue smirks.

My head snaps up and I choke. ~SHIT!!~

~~~

A/N: Ooh... CLIFFY!!! *snickers*

Noa: *dies*

Seto: *gasps* What have you done?!

KK: I dunno. Ask them. *points at Seiji, Pugio, and Kam, who are all plotting in a corner*

Seto: Hey, baka, what are you doing to my Noa-chan?!

S, P, & K: Would you really like to know?

Seto: YES!

S, P, & K: Then you shall have to read the next chapter!

Seto: KK!!!!

KK: *whistles innocently*

And now Blood has reviewed!! YAY!! *bashes Blood on the head for no obvious reason* And he's still mine!! *snickers*

*goes to die of boredom*

~KK