Tell Me What You Want...

Surprise Reassurances

It had been days since she had heard anything from Kaiba, it now being the last day of school for the term before the holidays. So far, she hadn't heard anything in regards to exams from her teachers which presumably meant she was safe...for now. The avoiding of her friends though had stung her more than she thought it would, getting up earlier in the mornings so Tristan would miss her. It had worked for the most part but unfortunately it had been too good to be true.

"Tea please." Evangeline asked the tender behind the stall, beginning to count out the right amount of change when she felt someone standing behind her.

Now normally this would be expected - a customer in need of a hot drink to push off the chill of an early morning. But Eva could feel the eyes on the back of her head, the blonde collecting her drink before turning to meet those penetrating violet eyes - the one pair she didn't want to see.

"Yugi." She greeted, pushing a nervous smile to her lips. "I-uh...didn't realise you stopped here too."

"Eva. We need to talk." Came his no nonsense answer, his tone much more serious than the light hearted Yugi she knew...which was why she was dreading this.

The stories she'd heard of Yugis millennium puzzle from both himself and the others she had once disbelieved. That was until she met the spirit of the puzzle herself and his no nonsense personality, his piercing gaze having seen through her lies before and so there was a concern that he'd do so now. Sighing, she took a drink of her tea before holding it between her hands.

"Look, I know you mean well...truly I do. But this has nothing to do with any of you guys and I don't need to explain my actions of late." Eva looked to him apologetically, knowing better then to try and lie.

"Evangeline, we are your friends. After all we've stood by you through, all the pain you have endured by the hands of your mother...why can't you let us help you?" Yugi frowned, his arms folded across his chest.

"Because I can do this on my own!" 

Pushing past him and throwing her tea into the bin, she ignored his calling of her name as her hands lifted the dropping satchel back onto her shoulder. Sniffing softly, her eyes stayed heavily fixated on the ground, feeling as though her heart had dropped down into her stomach. It was only the chiming of her touch screen phone that made her stop in her walking, brushing away the stray tears that had escaped her so she may answer the phone.

"Hello?" Came her quiet and somewhat strained answer.

"Meet me at The Mall in the City Center."

No time was given to argue as the clicking sound of him hanging up followed his smooth voice, Evangeline swallowing hard before calling a taxi. From a distance, Atem watched while the spirit side of Yugi spoke to him now.

"Where is she going? It's almost as if she's just given up!"

"Perhaps. Evangeline is indefinitely hiding something but I'm afraid we may push her away should we get too intrusive."

"I know...I just wish I knew what we could do to help."

It took a little bit longer than expected to get to the Mall because of the work traffic, the time at least giving her the chance to calm herself down as well as tie her hair up like he requested last time. Stepping out of the taxi upon arrival, and after paying the driver, she wrapped the scarf around her neck some more and hurried inside to the warmth. Thankfully because it was early morning there weren't many people around, only two or three shops whose doors were open. The buzz of the phone interrupted her look around, pulling it from her pocket to read :