Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ A Figure from the Past ❯ You Must Lose To Keep ( Chapter 8 )

A Figure from the Past

Chapter 8: You Must Lose To Keep

Heaven Sent Tenshi

 

Lea opened her eyes slowly. Her head throbbed as she carefully lifted herself into a sitting position. She was lying in her bed and the blankets had been pulled up and tucked under her body. She squinted her eyes until things came into better focus. Her head ached more after looking over at the spot in front of the vanity where she had fainted.

 

Carefully, she slid her legs over the edge of the bed and rose to her feet. Padding over to the dresser, she retrieved her bag. Placing it on the table of the vanity, she began to empty it, placing most of the contents on the vanity itself. From it, she withdrew the outfit she had worn her first Saturday in Domino, a small brush she had “found” a few years ago, a tooth brush she had had for too long, deodorant, and a small bottle of body spray that she had miraculously been able to use for a few months now. She sighed, sinking down into the small chair beside the vanity.

 

As she lifted the hairbrush to her brown, knotted locks, she spied the torn picture at the bottom of her bag. She gasped, forgetting it had been in there. Reaching down, she retrieved the picture. She bit her lip. The photograph was of a woman, a man, and a child. She shut her eyes, slamming her hand and the picture down on the table. Turning away from the picture, she fell down onto her bed.

 

“Lea?” She looked up, startled. Seto stood at the door, looking confused. “What was that about?”

 

“I…. Nothing….” She turned away.

 

Seto strode toward the vanity, reaching down to the upside-down photo.

 

“Please, Seto…. Don't…”

 

But he ignored her, turning the picture over. He gazed down at it for moment.

 

“Is this… you?”

 

“And my parents…”

 

Silence filled the air for a moment. “You never told us what happened to them…”

 

“… They were killed…” Lea took a deep breath. “After I was… given my jewel and my parents found out, they became afraid… People naturally fear what they have no understanding of… and they couldn't understand… One day, somehow, I exploded… I don't remember much… only that there was a lot of purple light… My parents were so frightened that they left; I have no idea where they were going… probably to find help… but they both left… and…” Lea's voice faded away as she refused to look at Seto. “As they pulled out into an intersection… some moron swerved… and they collided. I was told it was a head-on… and that they didn't stand a chance…” Seto sat in silence, watching her as she stared at the floor. To his surprise, Lea had no tears falling from her pain-stricken eyes. “I was sent to the orphanage a few days later… My only relatives, my father's family, had died by that time… I was a child alone in a world where the only people close to me were killed… And then I met you and Mokuba…”

 

Lea rose from the bed then turned and looked back at Seto. “So… how did I end up back in bed?”

 

“Oh, I found you there last night. Someone walked by after I had gone, saw a purple light, told me, and I knew right away it was you. I came in here and found you on the floor. So, I picked you up and put you back in bed. I came in to check on you when I saw that you were… upset.”

 

“Oh… I'm sorry…”

 

“What were you doing last night?”

 

“… Nothing…”

 

“Lea.”

 

“Just… looking for something… It just backfired… I guess it wasn't something I was supposed to see… I should have known better…”

 

“Wait, backfired? It'll backfire?”

 

“Sometimes… only when I try to see something I'm not supposed to…”

 

“Then why did you do it?”

 

“I don't know…” Lea turned away and back toward the vanity. She picked up the photograph and shoved it back into her bag. After this, she turned to her dresser and extracted her old school uniform.

 

“I wouldn't bother with that…” Seto murmured, standing up as well. Lea looked back at him again. “I ordered another uniform for you; it should be at the school.”

 

“What? Really?”

 

“Well, I couldn't let you run around in that old thing, could I?”

 

Lea smiled. “I suppose not.”

 

“I suggest you dress in something a bit more… presentable until then.” With that said, he headed for the door. As his hand reached for the knob, he paused. “Oh, and breakfast is waiting for you downstairs.”

 

Lea nodded as he left. She smiled again and pulled out her “everyday outfit”. Strangely enough, these clothes, her only other garments, were in somewhat better condition. For now, these would be sufficient. Pulling off her night clothes, she dressed in her odd outfit and readied herself to go down to breakfast; her first decent breakfast and her second decent meal.

 

*****

 

“I still can't believe you guys dragged me outta there!” Joey whined, folding his arms over his chest as he sunk down in his desk.

 

“You're still freakin' out over that?” Tristan asked, a sour look on his face.

 

“Whadd'you think?” Joey spat back.

 

“I'm sure she's fine, Joey,” Téa murmured as she, Tristan, and Yugi took their seats.

 

“Yeah, but what if she's with Kaiba?” the blonde inquired.

 

“I'm sure she's fine,” she repeated, rolling her eyes.

 

“They have known each other for a while,” Yugi added, “at least, that's what Kaiba told us…”

 

“What if he was lying to us?” Joey hissed.

 

“Why would he lie to us?” Téa retorted.

 

“To get us to leave!”

 

Just as Joey said this, the door to the classroom opened.

 

“Lea!” Joey cried, leaping to his feet, “You're alive!”

 

Lea laughed as she moved from the doorway. “Of course I'm alive, Joey.” She smiled broadly. Joey ran over to her and made to… well, it seemed as if he was about to tackle her; but that was before he noticed that Kaiba was standing right behind her.

 

“What are you doing, Wheeler?” he growled. Joey paused, staring at the pair as the CEO took Lea's shoulder in his hand and steered her toward his desk. “We need to talk…” he whispered as she shoved his hand away.

 

“What are you talking about, Seto?”

 

He looked back at Joey, who was standing by the door watching them, then back at the rest of the group as they sat watching them from the other side of the room. “I need to talk to you about them…”

 

“This is hardly the time or the place,” she murmured. “I'm gonna go sit down.” She turned away from him and made toward Joey, who was near the front of the isle. As she took a step, Seto reached out and took her arm his hand. “Seto!” she hissed, turning to look at him again.

 

“Lea, I'm not joking.”

 

Lea frowned, watching him for a moment. “Why are you acting like this? This isn't like you.”

 

“Yeah it is,” Joey whispered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

 

Lea looked back at the blonde, then over at Seto again. He stood there, glaring at Joey and doing nothing else. Shaking her head, Lea thrust her arm away and continued toward her desk with Joey beside her. Lea sighed as she sunk down into her desk beside her friends.

 

“So, what's up with you and Kaiba?” Joey asked, taking his seat as well.

 

“Oh, yeah… you weren't informed, really, were you?” The others shook their heads. Lea sighed. This would mark the second time she would tell this story. With Seto watching them like a hawk, she began to relay her past to her friends.

 

As she finished, she smiled. “Seto's insisted that I stay with him… It's like we're a family again…” She closed her eyes. “Things seem like they might go back to the way they were… at least, I hope they will….” Lea looked up and away. “This time, though, I don't have to worry about being torn from them…”

 

“Wai-wai-wait…” Joey murmured, holding up a hand, “So you're staying with him, even though I offered you a place to stay first?”

 

Lea paused. “I…” She blinked several times, not knowing what to say.

 

Téa frowned, looking over at Lea and then at Joey. She then hit Joey in the arm, hissing his name. Joey yelped, looking back at her. The look on her face, though, told him not to say anything. Lea looked away from the four, sighing again. She knew he was right… and she still had to figure out what she was going to do about Joey in the first place. She bit her lip then hid her face in her arms as she folded them atop her desk.

 

“Lea?” Yugi asked, worried, just as the others were.

 

“I didn't mean it,” Joey tried, “Really, it doesn't bother me.” He placed a hand on her back. As he did this, he could have sworn he heard Seto growl.

 

“Yes you did; it does bother you… and it should… I….” She looked up. “I'm sorry Joey…” He paused again, watching her as she turned to look out the window. “Things are just… confusing right now…”

 

“Don't worry about it.” Lea looked back at him. Joey was smiling slightly. This, in turn, caused her to smile too. And then the bell rang.

 

*****

 

When the lunch bell rang, Lea sighed. Somehow she had survived half of the day. She prayed she would survive the rest of the day too. The group began to sift through backpacks and pull out their lunch, just as usual. And, as usual, Joey pulled out a bag of chips and tossed them to Lea. She took them, smiling, and thanked him just as Seto stalked down the isle.

 

“Lea,” he growled, glaring at the others. Lea looked back, opening the bag.

 

“Yes, Seto?” she asked, now avoiding his gaze and looking down at her chips.

 

“You have your own lunch, and we still need to talk.”

 

Lea sighed, standing up and handing the chips to Joey. “I almost forgot…” She waved to her friends, an apologetic look on her face and followed Seto back to his desk.

 

“I don't want you conversing with them,” he announced suddenly when they were out of ear-shot. Lea paused.

 

“… What?”

 

Seto lowered himself down into his desk and folded his hands over the tabletop. “I don't want you hanging out with them.”

 

“Why?” Lea looked back and forth between her friends and her childhood crush. But Seto refused to answer her, merely glaring at the group. “Seto… I…” She took a deep breath. “You cannot deny me my friends.”

 

“And you cannot keep company with people who I can't stomach. Do you understand?”

 

“Then… perhaps I cannot stay with you… I want to, Seto, but… they're my friends!” She turned, ready to go to her friends.

 

“Lea,” he took her arm again, “I've given you a home, food, clothing… is this how you're going to repay me?” Lea froze.

 

“I…”

 

“And what about Mokuba?”

 

Lea slowly looked back at him. “Promise you won't leave again,” rang in her mind.

 

“You swore to him, Lea.”

 

“That hardly seems fair…” She turned, sinking to her knees. “Fine…” Seto took her chin in his hand. “I… I'm sorry, Seto…”

 

“Good… I'll speak with the teachers; you'll sit on this side of the classroom from now on.” Lea nodded, tears lining her eyes. “Gather your things, this desk is empty.” He pointed to the desk behind him. Lea nodded again, rising to her feet.

 

“Lea, what was that all about?” Joey demanded as she approached them. She lifted her eyes to them, mouthed an apology, grabbed her things and returned to Seto. Joey sat, staring at her for a moment. Finally, he looked back at them. “Guys?”

 

“I think… she just blew us off,” Tristan murmured.

 

“She didn't blow us off,” Téa corrected, a nervous laugh hiding behind her words, “At least… I don't think she did….”

 

“No… I think she did.” Tristan frowned. “She chose him over us.”

 

The group looked over at the pair. Lea's eyes were pain-stricken, but otherwise empty. She sunk down into the desk behind Seto as he smiled.