The Alternative

Chapter Eight

"MALIK BE CAREFUL FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!"

"I'M TRYING, DON'T YELL AT ME!"

The car began screeching, nearly auto piloting itself into a tight parking space causing everyone in the vehicle to scream. The moment he put the beast into park, deep breaths were taken amongst the passengers.

"Alright, everyone haul ass to their rooms!" Malik ordered nonchalantly. "We only have five minutes until roll call."

Otogi was already out of the car before Malik could finish his sentence, sprinting towards the dorm building and disappearing inside not long after.

Malik followed close behind, locking the door and zooming away, expecting that everyone else was taking his lead.

Yugi was prepared to start running as well, but the moment he tried, Ryou grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

The gamer almost fell at the resistance, not expecting that sharp jolt. He quickly turned to face his friend with eyes of confusion. "Ryou? We have to go!" He swung his arm to try to break loose, but Ryou simply held his grip.

"Yugi," his thick, chocolatey eyes glimmered with worry. "I'm frightened for you."

The muscles in Yugi's arms loosened, allowing Ryou to drop his hold and know that Yugi wouldn't run.

"Why?" Yugi stammered slowly, not finding solace in Ryou's fearful gaze.

"Because...," he took a couple of steps back, looking around the parking lot and watching as other students were fleeing towards their dorms. "I can't help but think this was Yami's doing."

"Don't worry," Yugi forced a smile, reaching out to tuck Ryou's thick, pale hair behind his ear. "Jonouchi and Honda will check all the rooms to make sure nothing weird has happened. I don't think Yami would do such a thing."

"But Yugi," Ryou rebutted, "You said it yourself, Kumi-Sensei told Yami off after class today....she...she's not supposed to do that." The fragile boy began shaking, trying his hardest to hide the fear that surfaced to his face. "No one is supposed to do that."

Yugi stumbled back, gulping down thick air in attempt to relieve himself of his newfound discomfort. He began picking at his skin to keep busy. "Well, I suppose---"

"---You did that."

Yugi immediately halted. Every thought he had stopped in its track as he observed his new situation. "Excuse me?"

"You did that," Ryou repeated regretfully. "You made Yami look like a fool in front of the class," he stuttered, shaking in distress. He lifted his head to stare at Yugi straight on. "What if what happened to Kumi-Sensei is a foretelling of what will happen to you?"

"Wh...what?"

"No one has ever confronted Yami like that. The only person who has is Kumi-Sensei, and she's missing! Yugi...I'm worried about you....you must be careful...."

Ryou's voice quivered, its texture was that of fog on a pitch-black night. Supposedly fitting, yet not wanted.

"Yami didn't do anything to Kumi-Sensei," Yugi refused. "Yami's all about respect. Everything I told him was real. I never accused him of anything he hasn't actually done. Kumi-Sensei automatically decided that Yami would be a menace without giving him a chance. That's where we're different."