Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Love ❯ The Ghost Come Alive ( Chapter 2 )

The Ghost Come Alive

 

“Finished.” Those were the magic words for Bakura. He sprang up from the couch to meet an accomplished Ryou who was putting away his books and binder for class tomorrow.

 

“So now we can go out to eat, right?” Bakura smiled.

 

“Yes, we can.” Ryou replied, taking his hand in his own. “But where do you want to go?”

 

“Well, that depends on where you want to go. This is all for you, as a way of apologizing for being late and,” Bakura stopped, lowering his voice, “for acting the way I have towards you lately.”

 

Ryou smiled, kissing his cheek, “It's okay, Bakura. I know it's something you'll work out. And maybe, when you feel comfortable enough, you can tell me about it all.”

“Yeah.” Bakura said, trailing off and looking away. Then, he turned back, smiling, “So where do you want to go tonight for dinner?”

 

“Well,” Ryou said, pondering, “I heard about a restaurant some of my classmates work at. They say the food is really good, so how about we go there?” He offered.

 

“Sure. What's the name of the place?” Bakura inquired, “I may have seen it before on one of my walks.”

 

“I think it's called the The Palace. If I remember right, it's over by where the coffee shop we go to is.” Ryou said, trying to recall one of the posters another classmate had posted in the school hallway to advertise the business.

 

“Yes, I think I remember seeing it.” Bakura said, “Yes, I do remember it. It looked good, and since we haven't been there before, it should be a nice surprise to see what kind of food they serve.”

 

“Okay, then let's go.” Ryou smiled, pulling Bakura out, both grabbing their jackets on the way. Then, they headed out, locking the door behind them, and laughing all the way there.

 

* * * *

The Palace was a large structure, sort of a rectangle with a circle in front of it. It sort of looked to been in the shape of the White House in Washington D.C. Over the top of the circle in front, “The Palace” was in large, golden neon letters. The doors were two revolving doors. Once inside, you could see the place was almost like a palace. The floor had a red carpet going from the doors to the front where one waited to be seated. The floors were marble and the tables were mahogany with chairs of the same wood. The bar was on the left, with an oak bar going all the way across from the front and curving around the side. The bar stools were black with backs and cushions. There were also a few booths made of mahogany with mahogany tables for two to four people to sit. And all around, there were obelisks made of white marble holding the ceiling up.

 

When Ryou and Bakura came through the revolving doors, their jaws dropped open in wonder. Ryou was amazed at the fine furniture and the refined aura the place seemed to emanate. Bakura felt almost as if he were seeing inside the Egyptian place all over again. The two walked aimlessly towards the front desk, also made of mahogany. A person was standing there, a boy of about 21 with short, tousled black hair and green eyes like emeralds. He smiled, immediately recognizing Ryou as the boy who had passed by his poster earlier that day. “Welcome to The Palace. How may I help you?”

 

“A seat for two, please.” Bakura said. Ryou nodded in agreement and the host grabbed two menus before leading them down the middle to a table on the left for two. The two sat down as he set down the menus and smiled. “Your waitress will be with you in a moment.” Then, he bowed and walked away to seat the next group.

 

Ryou picked up the menu and looked inside, where it was revealed to have all sorts of dishes from around the world. “This place has quite a variety. I'm sure a lot of people find exactly what they want here.”

 

“Seems that way. Some of these dishes are from countries an ocean away from us. I guess their chef must be very gifted to make all these different dishes.” Bakura replied.

 

“Excuse me.” The two were drawn away from their menus to hear someone scrambling, holding a platter full of dishes. She went right past them in such a blur and ended up a few ways behind them, bending over, pulling the plates off and setting them on the table in front of some customers. “So sorry for the wait. I was kept busy to where I couldn't get to your plates sooner. I hope it's all right.”

 

“Fine, fine. Everything looks hot and delicious.” The two heard a man say genially.

 

“Please let me know if anything's wrong.” She said. She stole a glance in what seemed to be Bakura and Ryou's direction, and then bowed, hurrying off with the empty platter towards the front. She whizzed past them and stopped in front of the front desk, where a couple were waiting to be seated. “Please, allow me to find you a seat.” She pulled out two menus and led them away to the right, seating them. “I'll be right with you.” She hurried off and stopped in front of Ryou and Bakura's table. “I'm so sorry to take so long. It's a busy night.” She smiled.

 

At that moment, Bakura's heart stopped. Standing over him was the ghost he claimed to have seen in the mirror earlier that morning. Same blood eyes, same braid, same skin. He almost fell out of his seat in shock. The girl looked at him, confused by his look. Ryou looked over and felt the same, “Bakura, is something the matter?”

 

Bakura struggled with words but managed a quick `no' to quell Ryou's worries. The girl smiled in relief and pulled out a notepad from her right pocket of her half apron. Pulling out a pen from her right her, she opened the pad and smiled.

 

“So what can I get for you two this evening? Drinks, appetizer….both?” She smiled, managing a quiet giggle.

 

Ryou smiled and glanced at his menu. “I would live some tea, no sugar.”

 

“And for you, sir?” she asked, turning in Bakura's direction. He sat in shock for a moment, just staring at her. “Sir, is something wrong?”

 

Bakura shook his head forcibly and managed a smile before looking down in his menu, “I'll have the…coffee. Yes, coffee please.” He said, looking up at her.

 

She jotted it down and smiled. “Right away. I'll return with your drinks in just a moment.” She smiled and hurried away, stopping in front of a table a few ways up across. She took up their plates on the platter she held and hurried away to the kitchen.

 

Ryou chuckled, “She seems to be very busy. I wonder where all the other waiters are. According to my classmates, a lot of them were working here, but I've only seen one.” He turned to Bakura and his smile dropped. Bakura was in mute shock, looking towards the kitchen door she had disappeared into. “Bakura, what's the matter?”

Bakura looked at him and shook his head, managing a weak smile, “Yes, you're right. She does seem to be quite busy.” He stole a glance over that way again and then his eyes narrowed. “And I think I know why.”

 

Ryou followed his gaze, and there at the bar, were what seemed to be all the other waiters and waitresses, enjoying a few drinks the bartender had provided. Ryou sighed, “I can't believe their manager lets them do that. Poor girl.”

 

At that moment, the girl who had taken their orders came crashing out of the kitchen, carrying their two drinks along with three plates of desserts and hurrying to serve them as fast as her legs could carry her. Her face showed desperation to be on time, and then suddenly, her eyes just glazed over and then everything went to pieces. She fell back, the bartender catching her in his arms as the drinks and the dessert plates crashed onto the floor, breaking into a million pieces and causing ice cream to cover the marble floor, mixed with the dark drinks. She was out cold, and the bartender was trying to rouse her while the other waiters and waitresses looked on in shock. The sound of the crashing plates sent everyone to look over in the bar's direction. “This doesn't look good.” Bakura said. Ryou nodded, worried.

 

Suddenly, from behind the kitchen, a man came out, hurried and worried. He kneeled next to the fallen girl, ignoring his soaked shoes from stepping in the mixture of melting ice cream and coffee. He was calling to the girl, trying to wake her up. He looked about 30 or 31, with brown hair tied back in a short ponytail. His full apron was black and covered his white dress shirt and black pants. His blue eyes looked frightened as he desperately called the girl's name to try and wake her. Slowly, she began to awaken from her trance and looked up at him, confused. Then, shooting up out of the bartender's arms, she looked around and surveyed the damage, “Oh no, the drinks…the desserts. What have I done?” She said, holding back tears of failure.

 

The man sighed and helped her to her feet, holding her against him, brushing his hand along her hair. “It's not your fault. You shouldn't have been working so hard by yourself.” He shot a cold glare at the lazy waiters and waitresses, “All of you, get to work. No breaks until midnight.” They all shot off, getting to work and not fighting the boss.

 

“But manager, they weren't being bad. I told them I would take care of their shifts. It's not their fault.” She said, pleading for the innocence.

 

“You shouldn't be doing all the work for them, especially with your condition. Now, go upstairs and lie down. You're done for the night.” He said, pointing to the kitchen door.

 

“Please, let me finish the last table I started serving. Then, I'll go to bed, I promise.” She pleaded, her blood eyes watching him with hope.

 

He sighed and patted her head, “Fine, go ahead. But then, straight up to bed.” He turned and walked over to the bartender, “Go get one of our janitors. I'll take over the bar until you get back.” The bartender nodded and went off to fetch someone to clean up the mess. The girl kneeled down to start cleaning, but he looked at her, “Reiko, go take care of your table. We'll get someone else to clean it up.”

 

She looked at him, disappointed, then turned towards the kitchen door to go get another set of drinks and desserts. Ryou watched her go and then turned back to Bakura, “She was doing the whole restaurant alone? I can't believe her fellow workers let her do that for them.”

 

Bakura watched the door, pondering, `She fainted because she was overworked. And it seems as if this hasn't been the first time she's had such a spill, according to the look on her manager's face. I wonder why she would work for everyone else.'

 

At that moment, she came shuffling out again, a bit slower, holding a new platter of desserts and drinks. She made her way to a table across the room, putting down the platters of dessert, her face drawn in disappointment and shame. One of the men at the table began speaking to her, holding out a 20 dollar bill. She argued against him for giving her the money, but he insisted and then finally slipped it in her right pocket. Looking ashamed, she nodded in compliance and walked away with the platter of two drinks. She came towards their table and slowly set down the drinks, “I apologize for the wait.”

 

“It's fine. You took quite a fall there. Are you sure you should be working?” Ryou asked, sympathetically.

 

“I need to earn my keep around here. And besides, I want to help everyone else. But it looks like I can't do that without causing trouble.” She sighed, leaning back and leaning the platter against her leg.

 

“You shouldn't be doing everyone else's work. They need to earn their own keep, not laze off while you make their money for them.” Bakura said gruffly.

 

“I did it because I wanted to help. I want people to know I'm there to help them if they needed it. And tonight, my other workers looked really tired, so I took their shifts for them.” She replied, “But it seems that I'm just not strong enough to do it all. Some helper I am.”

 

“They were taking advantage of you. Look at them,” Bakura swept his hand around the room, where the other ones had begun taking over their usual tables, “They seem fit enough to take care of their own work.”

 

“Bakura, please.” Ryou tried to quell Bakura's rising anger. He knew how much Bakura hated weak people who couldn't stand up for themselves. He had been given that same gruffness when they had first met. But this girl didn't need it right now.

 

Bakura ignored Ryou's pleas for him to be silent, “You shouldn't let people take advantage of you so much. Think about fighting for yourself once why don't you?”

 

She sighed and smiled, “No, you misunderstand. These people didn't take advantage of me at all. I wanted to help them, and they didn't convince me to do it for them. I convinced them to let me do it. I thought I could handle it all by myself, but it seems I was wrong.”

 

At that moment, one of the waiters who had been sent to work came over, touching her shoulder, “Reiko, you go ahead and hit the hay. I'll take care of these guys. Get some rest, okay? We don't want to see you fall again.” He said sympathetically.

 

She nodded and turned away. Ryou began to find a connection between her name and something else. He turned, “Um, excuse me? Could I ask you something?” She turned and looked back at him, listening with an ashamed look. “You're Reiko Kaya, right?”

 

She looked at him, perplexed by him knowing her name. “Yes, that's right. How, by chance, do you know me? I don't believe we've ever met before.” She turned, looking at him.

 

“You're the one who's in charge of the drama club at Domino University. You're also the person who goes in on days you don't even have classes to help out. Everyone at school knows about how much you help out. I thought you looked familiar.” Ryou said, fully understanding who he was talking to.

 

She looked at him, embarrassed, “Yes, that's me, but you're making me out to be so much more than I am. I just help out whenever I'm needed. It's not that big a deal. I didn't know I was so famous for doing something so…normal.” She giggled, and then looked at Ryou, “I think I've seen you before. Ryou…Itemri, isn't it?”

 

Ryou nodded, “Yes. I believe you and I might have passed each other in the hallway once or twice.”

 

“That's right. You're the one I hear about being the cutest one in school, the one who hangs out with two other really cute people. The three hotties, as I recall.” She said, giggling at remembering the trio's nickname.

 

Ryou blushed, “Well, I wouldn't say we're that well-known.”

 

She laughed, “I beg to differ. I hear about the three of you all the time in class. The girls and some of the guys find you three to be the most attractive people at school. I hear about you all non-stop. And now I can see why they found you so cute.”

 

Ryou was blushing dark red by this point. Bakura chuckled and looked at her, “How about you? You must be popular at school for things besides the drama club and your helping nature?”

 

Ryou nodded in total agreement, “Yes I hear loads about you. You take care of everything in the drama club. All you allow the other members to do is act.”

 

“That would be Reiko through and through.” The waiter taking her place smiled, nodding, “Always the one who has to take care of everything. I can remember our last play, Julius Caesar. She made all the costumes, barely let us help her decorate the stage, and when it came time for the play, she was running around, worried that something was wrong even though she'd spent countless hours going over everything.”

 

“Yes, I remember that play.” Another waiter came up, “When I played Julius and it came time for my death scene, Reiko handed me a paper telling me a good way to fall to make the fake blood look perfect. She was sitting on the side the whole time, worrying that the blood wouldn't work right.”

 

“Are we talking about the play again?” A waitress came up by this time, “I remember playing Calphurnia, and Reiko spent hours with me, helping to learn each and every part and make it all look real. I swear she was more tired from saying the lines over and over again by the end of our practice.” They all were laughing and joking and Reiko was turning redder by the moment.

 

They were all interrupted when the manager came over and gave them all an inquirning stare, “Is there a reason three people are serving a group of two rather than the groups of 4 or 6 on the other side?”

 

The waitress sighed, “Sorry manager. We were just telling these two how hard Reiko works at school and everything.”

 

“Well, I'm sure you can wait to continue that conversation at school or sometime after your work hours are finished. Now, get to work. And I expect a firm apology from all of you for letting Reiko do all this work by herself.” He said sternly. They all nodded, even though Reiko tried to insist they didn't have to.

 

“Sorry about throwing it all on you, Rei.” The second waiter said, patting her shoulder.

 

“We didn't mean to get you so sick from working our shifts. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again.” The waitress said, patting her cheek.

 

“You guys don't have to apologize. I wanted to do it, really I did!” She tried to stop them, but they only continued to apologize.

 

“Reiko, we'll take care of ya. That way, we can prevent you from falling again. You just go up and get some rest, okay?” the first waiter said, smiling and running his fingers through her hair.

 

“But-but,” Reiko tried to protest, but the manager laid his hands on her shoulders. He had a smile on his face, but his words were serious.

 

“Go to bed, Rachelle.” He said, not wavering from her gaze for an instant. She sighed and went to protest, but then thought against it.

 

“Yes, sir.” She replied dejectedly. He smiled and patted her shoulders, and then walked away to go observe everyone else's progress. She turned away and walked back towards the kitchen.

 

“Thank you for being such a good waitress.” Ryou said. She turned, startled, and then managed a weak smile, nodding in acceptance. Bakura watched her go, seeing her tread slowly through the door, it flapping back and forth behind her before coming to a stop. His mind was in a cluster.

 

`I know that girl. She was the one in the mirror, but was that her…or someone who looked just like her from my past? I don't understand.' He rubbed his temples with his hands. Ryou looked at him, perplexed.

 

“Are you okay, `Kura?” He asked, worriedly. Bakura looked up at him and nodded.

 

“Yea, just a little headache from starvation.” He chuckled. Ryou smiled, accepting his answer.

 

The waiter who had taken her place pulled out his own notepad and flipped it open, “So what can I get you guys?”

 

* * * *