A Series of Break up Fics

For Catti! I promise I am getting around to your happy Bakura/Ryou fic. As soon as I make them suffer some more.

WARNING: No Anzu bashing. While the friendship prattle is annoying she's a strong character. So bear with me because I know some people hate her.


Pairings: one sided Anzu/Yami, Yami/Yugi


I do not own Teardrops On My Guitar as sung by Taylor Swift.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


*Drew looks at me
I fake a smile so he won't see
That I want and I'm needing
everything that we should be*


Sometimes being one of the guys was a bad thing. Sometimes it was a good thing. And most of the time Anzu couldn't decide when it was which.


"Anzu!"

The brunette girl had been leaning over the counter of the mall shop she was working at. No one had come into the store for over an hour so she had been a bot surprised to hear her name being called.


A spiky haired bundle of energy bounced through the door. Decked out in leather and with his trademark collar firmly in place Yugi was the poster boy for the punk store he worked at. Or as he referred to it 'The Bubblegum Punk Store'. The other never did have the patience to deal with the teenagers who wore the look but didn't know the truth behind the fashion. But it was job.


Which was the reason that Anzu was wearing a bright pink lolita style dress. You had to earn a living somehow.

"Hi Yugi. What are you doing all the way down in my wing?"


Yugi made his way through the clothing packed store, letting his fingertips brush the silky material of the hanging dresses. "They have some lame ass band playing today. Something about helping them break out of the small town scene. I dunno. I got tired of hearing music-to-cut-yourself-by and decided to go on lunch...about an hour ago. My phone hasn't buzzed yet so I assume they don't miss me. I told them if they needed me just to scream real loud."

Anzu grinned and straightened up. She smoothed the dress down. "Lemme let Chelle know and I'll go on lunch too."


"Where is she anyway?"


"Who knows. She's shit worthless. Hold on." After finding her co-worker sitting in the back room reading some romance novel she had been told to not bring in anymore and informing her she was leaving Anzu went back to where she had left her friend standing. Only to find he had wandered off. A flash of blond and red outside the plate glass window caught her attention and she hurried out of the store.


"Look who I found!"


Anzu fought down as blush and tugged nervously at her skirt again. If they didn't make her wear the damn thing she's burn it. "I didn't know you were working today Yami."


The older boy smiled at her and she smiled back hoping the nervousness she felt didn't show through. Yami worked at the gym that was part of the mall without being actually in the mall so it wasn't unusual to see him. "Someone called in sick. I came in for a few hours. I was actually on my way home when I saw Yugi."


"I see." Anzu's store was next to the food court. Which was another one of those good but not good things. Yeah she had to smell food court food all day but she also got to people watch. Some people she watched more than others. Yami was one of them. They had been friends since third grade. She had loved him since well she wasn't sure how long. One day they had been sitting at lunch and she had caught herself leaning against him tracing patterns on the sleeve of his school jacket. Ever since then whenever she saw him her stomach would twist in a strangely pleasurable way.


"Yami's going to go to lunch with us." Yugi nodded towards the corner set of tables. "I'll meet you all over there. I'm craving soda."


Yami watched the shorter male walk away. When he had gotten a good distance away he reached out for his long time friend.


Anzu's breath caught in her throat when Yami's warm hand grasped hers. She could feel the restrained strength in his grip and used her free hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. "Yami..."


"I need to talk to you."


She nodded, still in a happy daze. Maybe he had finally decided to tell her he felt the same.


"I need your advice." He led her over to the tables. "I want to ask Yugi out."


*I'll bet she's beautiful
That girl he talks about
And she's got everything
That I have to live without*


"You-Yugi huh? That's...wow...I...o-okay." She turned slightly to have a better view of Yugi. Who was currently reaching over the divider of the pizza place to snag an extra straw while the manager was filling his cup. Everyone loved Yugi. It was hard not to. Even with the non-traditional choice in clothing the boy still radiated purity. He was fun, bouncy, loyal to a fault. It was no wonder Yami had fallen for him.


It wasn't fair. She had waited so long. She had been the one that Yami called when he had a problem or he was bored and just wanted to hang out. It was her floor he had crashed on when he had been too angry or embarrassed to go home. She had been there when his father had died. It had been her shoulder he had cried on. She had been standing next to him when his band had won the Battle of the Bands at...at Yugi's store.


Yugi had been the one to hand out the prizes. She remembered thinking to herself even then that he might be competition. After all Yami's gaze had lingered on him a few seconds longer than necessary. Back then she had chalked it up to the tight leather and chains but now she wondered.


"Anzu?"


"Sorry Yami." She tilted her head and pasted on the biggest fake smile of her life. "You just caught me off guard."

"Well," He crossed his arms on the table and rested his chin on them. Crimson eyes met blue. Pleading for assurance. "What do you think?"


"Whatever makes you happy Yami. You know that." I could make you happy she thought.


"I mean do you think he'll say yes."


I hope not. "I'm sure he will. After all you're smart, athletic, you're in a band and you're the hottest guy I know. Who would say no to that. I sure wouldn't turn you down if you asked me out."


He lifted his head. "Anzu, I...Shit."


Yugi maneuvered around the awful green and black chairs before sitting down with a plop. "Cherry. And three straws. Anyone who wants some can have some since I'm fairly sure no one at this table was any social diseases."

Anzu reached out for one of the plastic wrapped straws going over things in her mind. She dimly heard Yami and Yugi discussing the upcoming talent show the mall had decided to put on to try to bring in more foot traffic and tried to figure out where everything had gone wrong.


Yami wants Yugi. I want Yami. What does Yugi want? Judging by the way he was leaning towards the older boy as they wrote in the condensation on the soda cup she could take a wild guess.


His gaze was locked on the gym instructor. Once in a while he would reach up and fiddle with the collar around his neck before brushing his fingers through his unruly multi colored hair. Telling signs that Yugi felt the same way.

It really, really wasn't fair.


"Yugi I was wondering if-"


Yami was interrupted by Yugi's cell phone buzzing across the table. The other boy gave the device an annoyed glare before checking the caller ID and groaning. "Work. I've got to get back. Um if you want to come by later you could. Once the band leaves no one else will come in for the rest of the night. Tuesday isn't exactly a busy time."


Yami nodded. "Sure. I'll see you later then."


"Bye Yami. Bye Anzu."


The brunette waved as Yugi walked away. A disappointed sigh drew her attention back to Yami. He had slumped back down looking like a kicked puppy. "Oh come on. It's not like he's moving to Canada or something. He's right down the hall."


"He's beautiful."


"He's a guy. Guys aren't supposed to be beautiful."


"Careful Anzu," He ruffled her hair playfully, "Someone might think you're jealous."


I am.


*Drew talks to me
I laugh 'cause it's so damn funny
That I can't even see
Anyone when he's with me*


"I have a funny story for you. I was talking to the guy from the shoe store. Apparently some guy came in there yesterday with his girlfriend and they tried to steal. So one of the guys calls security."


Anzu snickered. "Did anyone tell him that was a waste of time? I don't know why we even have the rent a cops."


"Tell me about it. Anyway, the girl takes off running and the new guy comes in the door as she's going out and security yells at him to grab her so he tries but only gets hold of her shirt. She slips out of it and keeps going. Meanwhile the boyfriend grabbed one shoe off a display and tried to get out with it so the manager picks up the other one and throws it at him and yells at the guy 'Hey asshole you forgot one.' Meanwhile security calls the other rent a cops and tells them to find the girl. They'll know it's her because she should be the only person running around a public setting in just her bra."


Anzu laughed at the mental image. Working in the mall always gave you something to talk about at least. "What's wrong with people these days?"


"Tell me about it." Yami changed positions, tipping the chair back on two legs and putting his arms behind his head. "Yugi was telling me about the customer he had the other day who threatened to never shop with them again because they wouldn't take back the shirt she had bought a year ago and someone puked on at the party she went to. I always want to look at those people and tell them good because I don't feel like dealing with your dumb ass anymore anyway."


Yugi again. "You know I'm a bitch."


A sly look crossed his features. "I know."


"No!" She slapped at him playfully letting him dodge away without too much damage. "I mean I love it when pissy customers come in. I've figured out the calmer and happier I get the angrier they get."


"It serves them right. They need to fucking figure out we're just doing our job and we can only do what the fucking company tells us we can. It's not our fault they're fucking stupid." Yami let the chair fall.


"Gee Yami. Do you think you could work one more fuck in there" she asked in a sweetly fake voice. She didn't like it when his band mates bad habits rubbed off on him.


"Sure can." He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap not noticing the way she tensed up at the sudden move. His breath was warm against her neck when he spoke. "Fuck, Anzu. Fuck it all. Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck. Fucking need to just...Oh fuck."


She shivered as he let her go and pushed her to her feet. He was blushing and looking past her. It took her a moment to figure out why. She turned only to find bright purple eyes staring back at her. "Yugi? I thought you had to go back to work?"


"Forgot my soda. You two have fun." He snatched up the forgotten cup, walking away quickly.


Yami stood and took off after him. "Later Anzu."


"Bye." Sure he didn't hear her but it was the thought that counted. Right? She gathered up the empty straw wrappers to throw away as Yami caught up with Yugi. She watched silently as he pulled the other boy into one of the service halls.


She could take a wild guess of what it looked like to Yugi when he walked up on them. Buy Yami would soon set him straight. Maybe even ask him out while he was at it.


She made her way back to her store after tossing the wrappers in the trash. Maybe she'd stop by the Bubblegum store after she got off. Just to see how Yugi was. Make sure that Yami had explained that they were just playing.

After all they were only friends.


*He says he's so in love
He's finally got it right
I wonder if he knows
He's all I think about at night*


"I'm back Chelle." Anzu straightened a couple of dresses that were sticking out of the racks at odd angles.

The other girl wondered out of the back room. "Thank god. I swear if I had to hear one more person ask if we had this dress in any other colors I was going to quit. They don't pay me enough to put up with this."


Another dress was tucked back into place. "Well it's part of the job description and you know what Miku said. You signed on for the job either do it or get out."


Chelle huffed and turned back to the door she had just come out of. "One of these days I'm going to tell her exactly what I think of her little rules."


Sure you will


"So where did the walking twin fantasy go?"


"Back to work." Anzu sighed in relief when the breakroom door shut. She'd finally have a little peace. She hated working with Chelle. The girl hated the fact she was expected to do her job and would bitch about even the best customers.


After working at the same place for so long she could do the minor cleaning jobs without even thinking about them. Starting at the front racks she sorted the clothes by size and color. Red like Yami's eyes. Violet like Yugi's. Blue like her own. Yellow like the bangs that hung across their foreheads. Black like the clothes Yugi was so fond of. Grey like sign of the gym Yami worked at.


Yami was a great guy. Who ever he ended up with would be the luckiest person in the world. Yami lavished attention along with affection on whoever he was with. On more than one occasion she had watched him sacrifice his own wants to make sure his partner was content. It was time he was shown the same could be done for him. Anzu had tried.


There had been so many times when the words almost slipped from her lips. Late at night when he had his head resting in her lap and she twined her fingers in his hair. When he would playfully offer her his arm to escort her to or from work. When they were passing popcorn between them at the movies. When she was helping him pick out a present for his latest girlfriend.


Maybe Yugi would be like the rest of them. A few dates. Maybe even some hot and heavy moments but nothing lasting. Yami would grow bored or decide that he had to test to see how far Yugi would let him push the boundaries of their relationship and they'd be over.


Or maybe this time would be different. Maybe Yugi was the one. The person Yami could fall and stay in love with. Maybe he had chosen the right person this time. She was old enough to know that fairy tales didn't always come true. Sometimes the boy next door didn't realize that his best friend was so desperately, hopelessly, completely in love with him.


He's so thick headed!


"Um...Anzu you're going to tear that dress in half if you keep twisting it like that."


She glanced down at the bunched up white fabric in her hands. Blushing she unwound it and shook the wrinkles out. "Sorry."


Chelle tipped her head to the side. "You look stressed. Look it's a quiet night why don't you go ahead and go. I'll be fine until Yuki gets her."


"Thanks Chelle. I'll see you tomorrow."


After gathering her things Anzu left the store. She hesitated for a brief moment before turning deeper into the mall. Towards Yugi's store.


Telling herself she was just going to make sure they had worked out the misunderstanding from earlier she rounded the corner and froze.


Yami was standing behind Yugi. Pressed close to him. Whispering something in his ear that made the shorter boy blush and nod. Yami stepped closer. Yugis' hands pressed against the display case in front of them. His blush deepened. Yami grinned.


She knew that grin well. It meant that Yami had just gotten what he had been after. Yugi had agreed to go out with him.


Squaring her shoulders she walked through the doorway, smiling when the buzzing chime announced that someone had come in and Yugi squirmed out from under Yami's weight. "Now boys don't go scaring the customers away. You need all the business you can get after all."


"Don't sneak up on us like that." Yugi pressed a hand over his chest. "I thought you were my boss. He'd have kittens if he thought I was doing 'inappropriate things' while I was on the clock."


"Relax. I just came over to tell you all bye."


"I'll call you later." Yami called as she left.


*He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do*


"I didn't think he'd go for it to tell you the truth Yami." Anzu was sitting at home in comfortable clothes, also known as sweatpants and a tank top, talking to her friend on the phone while she cleaned up from her rushed breakfast that morning.


"Me either, the deep baritone replied. She shivered happily as she thought of ways to make that voice huskier. "But he agreed to give it a shot. He hasn't gone out with anyone in months. The last person he went out with was the blonde from the movie theatre."


"Which blonde?" Finishing up the stack of dishes she wiped her hands on a towel before heading into the other room to do her stretches. Just because she hadn't gotten into dance school yet didn't mean she should let herself get out of shape.


"The one with the flip." A fizzing noise was heard as he opened something. "Anyway, all he did was get taken to movies. It was free after all."


"So, no movies? Hold on I need to put the phone on speaker."


"No movies. Why do you need to put the phone on speaker? What are you doing?"


"Nothing entertaining. If movies are out then what else is there?" Movies had been Yami's prime first date material. Somewhere dark where no one cared what was going on around them as long as you weren't too loud. So no making out. Good.


"I haven't decided yet. Dinner and a movie is over done anyway. Maybe something fun."


"Like running from the cops? 'Cause that was my favorite part of my birthday."


Rich laughter rang across the lines. "I didn't run from them. I just turned down a couple of side roads. They could have followed me of they had wanted to."


"If you had stopped at the red light instead of just slowing down they wouldn't have looked at us in the first place."


"I swear I thought that at 11 at night the lights started flashing to yield."


Anzu rolled over onto her stomach and arched backwards until the tips of her toes touched her head. "Well that's my fond memory so I call all future running dates as mine. I'm invoking Best Friend Rights."


"Yes ma'am. I was thinking we'd go to the park or something. Maybe walk around the lake."


Anzu laid flat. Jealousy tried to flare up and she quickly stomped it to death and buried it a deep hole before throwing piles of stone on top of it. "Ohh a moonlight walk by the water. Sounds...sappy."


Yami sighed. "You have a better idea?"


"It's Yugi. You could just take him to the Twilight Festival downtown. Lots of bands will be there. He should love it."

Not to mention it was a public setting. On a Thursday night.


"I dunno Anzu. I mean yeah the bands are good but it's a yearly thing put on by the town. I'm sure he's gone before."


"Not with you." She stood up and crossed over to the wall. Bracing one foot on it she leaned down to hold her ackle.


"Yeah." He sounded doubtful. "I guess."


"Or you could just take him to dinner and a movie."


"So the Twilight Festival it is. Look I gotta go but do you mind coming over tomorrow and helping me get ready?"


She lost her balance suddenly and only with luck and the grace built from years of dancing was able to keep from falling into the wall. "Sure."


"Thanks. I'll see you around five-ish then?"


"Five-ish. It's a date. Goodbye my friend."


"Bye Yami."


*Drew walks by me
Can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly
The kind of flawless I wish I could be*


5:16 the next day found her flipping through Yami's clothes trying to find something that wasn't leather or gym clothes. "So work and clubbing is about the extent of your life huh?"


"Shut up and help me."


She held her breath as he scooted into the open doorway beside her. He always had the faint scent of honey and almonds which she could never figure out where it came from. In high school she had decided it was just a part of him. As uniquely Yami as the commanding personality and blood red eyes.


"I have real clothes in here somewhere." He reached above her head and pulled down a stack of folded jeans that had migrated to the upper shelf. "See."


She took the stack of offered clothes trying not to let the fact he was pressed into her side affect her. She shook her head slightly to clear it before going over to the bed.


She shifted through the pants, tossing jeans off the edge of the bed. "Holes, Stone washed, eww the nasty looks-like-I-was-attacked-by-rusty-bikes, flared...flared?"


Yami shrugged and pulled down a stack of t-shirts. "Ask me no secrets, I'll tell you no lies."


"...Okay...Black jeans, blue jeans, white jeans...Yami?"


"Don't ask," he sat down next to her still holding an armful of shirts.


"I'm beginning to think you're not telling your best friend in the whole wide world everything you should be telling her. Khakis...Here hold these."


"I don't wear Khakis. These still have the tags on them."


"We'll fix that. Gimme the shirts. No polos they're too work casual. No t-shirts they're too casual casual. Button down...no too easy of access."


"I like easy access." He looked amused by the flying piles of clothes littering his room.


"Get over it. Besides no one buys the cow if the milk is free."


For approximately five seconds they silently stared at each other.


Anzu broke first. She covered her mouth with her hands to try to stop the giggles pouring out.


"What the fuck Anzu?" Yami was laughing along with her. He pushed at her shoulder playfully. "What do cows have to do with anything? Oh gods, you aren't going to make me wear cow print are you?"


"Yes." She waved a shirt at him. "As punishment for being an asshole you will be forced to go out on your date with Yugi wearing faux cow. No leather does not count."


"Anything but that!" He bowed as best he could while sitting on a waterbed. "I promise it will never happen again."


*She better hold him tight
Give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes
And know she's lucky 'cause*


She stared down into the beautiful eyes looking up at her and wondered why she had never told him how she felt.

Yugi doesn't know you like I do. I can be whatever you want. Whatever you need. She turned back to the task of choosing clothes for his date. "I'll give you one more chance."


Several minutes later Anzu help up her final choice. "Go put this on."


"This one? But it's..."


"Cow print," she reminded him airily.


Yami was off the bed and out of the room before she had a chance to remind him of his vow not to be an ass anymore.


Picking up the scattered clothes, she waited none to patiently for him to come back. Hopefully she had chosen the right thing. It wasn't his normal style but then again you were supposed to show off for the first date. Besides she had wanted to see him in it since his mother had bought it for him three years previous. He had filled out in the shoulders some since then so it should look even better now than she had imagined it then.


"I look stupid," came the sullen voice from the doorway.


She turned and gasped.


The pale khakis she had known would stretch taunt over the the right place. What she hadn't realized was that the gray crew neck and half buttoned red short sleeve shirt would do the same.


"You're hot." She walked slowly towards him and smoothed out a few imaginary wrinkles just to feel the muscles tense and shift under her hands. "I'd do you."


He caught her hands against his chest, confusion and anxiety warring on his face. "Huh?"


"Relax. It's just an expression." She pulled her hands away from his warmth with a forced sigh. "Yugi's one lucky guy."


"I'm the lucky one." Yami spun his desk chair around and straddled it. Anzu was had pressed not to stare as the khakis settled even more firmly across his..."After all he could have told me no. We don't have much in common."


"Hmm? Oh. Doesn't matter." She turned her back so he couldn't see the blush staining her cheeks and her own gaze would stop wandering to the space between his legs. "Besides you both work in the mall. That's something you can talk about. You know the chick from Vicky's told me she saw a mouse in the food court yesterday. Swore up and down that it was green. That's something you can talk about."


"I don't think I can do this." Yami brushed blonde bangs back nervously. "I shouldn't have asked him out. Something bad is going to happen."


She dropped the clothes she had been picking up. Reminding herself she was there for moral support and nothing more she walked over to where he was sitting and leaned against the desk. His head rolled forward as she started to rub at the forming knots in his shoulders and neck. "You do this every time Yami. Everything will be fine. You'll go out. Buy him some junk food. Listen to some music. Then tonight when you take him home, if you had a good time, kiss him."


No, she wasn't happy telling Yami to kiss her only real rival but he would if she had told him to or not. At least this way he didn't hedge around telling her about it for three days before he blurted it out during one of their late night chat sessions. Even though she knew it was coming that particular habit of his always blindsided her. Yami could be so confident one minute and so insecure the next. She figured it was something to do with being a guy.


Several minutes later her hands started to cramp up. It wasn't such a bad thing though because Yami had started to doze off from her tender ministration. "Come on Lover Boy. You're going to be late for your date."


"Mmm." He rolled his shoulders back lazily. "That feels really good."


"I know." She grinned before picking up his keys and tossing them at him. "I'm a goddess. One day you'll realize just how much of one and you'll be bowing at my feet begging for me to shower you with my affection and attention."


"I know." He held the door open while she dug her own keys out of her purse. "Wish me luck."


"Good luck."


*He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do*


Halfway home and lost in her own thoughts Anzu squeaked when her cell phone suddenly started ringing. A quick glance at the caller ID showed her who had tried to scare her half to death. "Yami I think my heart stopped. It can't be healthy."


"I'm here."


"O-kay." A long silence met her. "Go knock on the door you idiot."


"Hey! I'm calling you for some friendly advice here."


"Yami. Go knock on his door or come over to my house and stand him up. Those are your only two options." She signaled and turned into an empty parking lot. Some things she could do while driving. Convincing her friend to open the car door was one of them. Another was saving the world from fire breathing dragons. Or talking to Chelle. Same difference really.


"That's not fair."


"Pick one now or I'm hanging up and I'll call Yugi and tell him that you're out in his driveway acting like a...a...pussy."


That was apparently all that was needed to kick him out of his funk. Yami laughed hard enough he started coughing. "Oh baby say it again."


"Shut up." Sure she had invented a new shade of red Anzu tapped her fingernail against the phone to get his attention. "Have fun."


"I'll call you when I get home," he promised.


"Don't worry about it. I'll talk to you tomorrow."


"We always talk after our dates."


You mean after your dates. I don't go out with anyone or have you not noticed. The last guy told me he could tell I had my mind on someone more important to me than him. Stupid Seto.


"Anzu?"


"Sorry. Thinking. Like I said call me tomorrow with all the details. I don't want you to rush your date because you suddenly realized it's getting late and you think I'm waiting for a phone call."


"Yeah. Thanks my friend."


Stop calling me that. "No prob. See ya."


She glanced around before pulling out of the parking lot.


She had watched Yami go through more boyfriends and girlfriends in the years since high school than she cared to remember. But none of them had put the thread of doubt in her mind the way Yugi had. With the others she had always known Yami would find someway to sabotage the relationship. This time something seemed different. Anzu was no longer sure of her place in his life.


And it scared her.


Not that she'd admit it. After all when you were one of the guys you didn't go around admitting that you had a crush on one of your buddies. You certainly didn't tell that person you had woken up several times over the years with their name on your lips and a throbbing emptiness inside.


Because that wasn't what guys did.


She had never really had any female friends. Sure there were her co-workers but they didn't count. She had no one she could giggle with or talk about how this boy was hot or that boy was the one she wanted to be with. When all of your friends were male you just did without that aspect of friendship. She had never envied it as much as she did when Yami had a new conquest at hand.


She could call one of the girls she had kept in touch with from school but they would find it odd to receive a phone call from her for no reason. Besides one or more of them had either had a crush on Yami or dated him at one point so she would find no solace there.


"I'll go home," she said nodding to herself. "Maybe I'll order something not healthy and just sit in front of the tv and relax tonight. Yami will call after his date. I'll worry about it then."


Mind made up she turned into her driveway and shut the car off.


*So I drive home alone
As I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down
And maybe get some sleep tonight*


After changing into a tank top and shorts, Anzu had ordered pizza. Canadian Bacon and pineapple. Yummy but so not good for someone supposedly on a dancers diet. She really should have stopped at the second piece but the box sitting on the coffee table had been taunting her. So she had one more.


Which meant she really shouldn't have had the ice cream when she curled up on the couch to watch her movie. But it was cherry limeaid. She needed it.


She watched one movie. Some lame B grade monster/horror flick that although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she adored. Yami hadn't called yet so she put in another. A light hearted love story where after a hour and a half of the two friends being with other people they realized they belonged together.


Yami still hadn't called.


10 wasn't late when you worked at the mall. Hell if you closed at your store you usually didn't even get out until 9:30. But since you didn't have to be at work until 9:00, at the earliest, you didn't go to bed until at least midnight.

But the Twilight Festival started to wind down by 8:00.


Even if he had taken Yugi home afterwards he should have been home by now. Things must have gone well.

She stood, turned off the tv and lights and, after a short debate with herself, picked up her cell phone. If Yami called he'd worry if she didn't answer.


Heading up to her room she snagged a book off the desk by the door. Setting her phone on the nightstand within easy reach she laid down on the bed and started reading. Even in her book the main characters ended up together. After some hardships of course. It wouldn't be a good story if it was easy for them. After all who wants to read something where it all falls into place with no conflict.


Boring.


When her phone started buzzing Anzu jerked awake. A quick glance around showed that her book had slipped off the bed and was laying half open on the carpet. Amazingly she hadn't heard it fall.


She scrambled for the phone and flipped it open without checking the caller id. "Yami?"


"Anzu?" Loud music was pounding in the background. "Can you hear me?"


"Barely." She sat up and looked at the clock. 2:00 a.m. glared back at her. "Where are you?"


"A Shattered. I just realized how late it was. I was going to text you but I figured you'd get pissed."


She shook her head then realized he couldn't see it. "I told you not to worry about calling. How's it going?"


"So good. I'll have to tell you about it tomorrow. I gotta go though. Yugi's back with the drinks. Be good."


"Shouldn't I be telling you that?"


He gave one of his heart stopping laughs. "I plan on it. I'll see ya. Bye."


The line went dead before she could answer. "Bye, my friend."


Sitting up Anzu put her phone down again in front of the picture taken about a year before. In it Yami was leaning over her shoulder with his arms wrapped around the top of her chest. They were both grinning. They looked good together. They always had.


But she wasn't the one for him. That much was obvious. If he cared about her, if he thought about her at all in the same way she thought about him he would have asked her out. After all they had known each other for a long time. They had gone through good times and bad together. No one understood her like Yami. But just maybe someone understood Yami better than she did. Because he never stayed out with someone after the initial date time. If he was taking Yugi to the Twilight Festival then they should have gone to it then went home. Date over by 8:30-ish.


But they were still together.


She reached over and flipped the picture face down on the table top.


Fighting back tears she curled up in the middle of her bed and tried to sleep.


*'Cuz he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do*


Once more tumbleweeds were all that were seen in the mall. Some days were just busier than others. Tuesday afternoons were not busy times.


She had fought with the register (there was a reason it was called a P.O.S), put up the new sales signs (all winter items now 50% off), cleaned up the mess Chelle had left from the night before (it wasn't that hard to put the papers in the envelope instead of on top of it), dusted everything she could reach (and some she couldn't really) and cleaned the mirriors (that someone had their mouth on, ewww) and she had only been at work for two hours. She had considered changing the burnt out light bulb in the corner but the maids outfit she had on was not made for climbing ladders. So instead she was at the counter stuffing coupons in the reciept envelopes


"I knew I should have brought a book with me."


"Girl you work too hard for minimum wage," came the saucy reply from at her feet.


Anzu grinned at her co-worker. Mio was shoulder deep under the counter trying to reach the printer cord. The screen had popped up with a message neither of them had seen before so the dark haired girl figured when it doubt a hard reboot would fix anything. If you could reach the cord. "Someone has to. Besides it was in my job description. I signed on for it."


Mio made a triumphant noise as the printer started up. "Still you work too damn hard. We should get out of here you know."


Anzu nodded. The other girl had said the same thing many times.


"There's nothing here for either of us. We move to a bigger city and girl think of the fun we could have." Mio spun and jumped up to sit on the counter. "We could even get better jobs. Or do the same job in a better place."


"Yeah..."


"What's wrong with you? You've been moping around her for the past month. You're not preggy or something are you?"


"No! Geez Mio how do you think of these things?" A blush colored her cheeks.


"Never know with you straight chicks. So seriously, what's wrong?" Warm brown eyes gazed at her in concern.


A sudden commotion in the hall made them both pause. An older man chased a teenage girl out of the mall and tackled her in the space between the door to the outside and the ones leading in.The whole time the girl was screaming 'You ain't my daddy.' Almost a full minute later security wandered out just as the girl swung at the store employee who had chased her down. Five minutes after that the locla police were leading both of them out in handcuffs.


Mio managed to last a whole 20 seconds before she broke down. "Oh my god! Weird shit happens in the mall."


"You're telling me" Anzu managed between gasping laughs.


When they had calmed down Mio poked her in the arm. "So what's up. You look broken hearted. Oh hell this isn't about that boy is it?"


She put down the coupons she had been holding with a sigh. "Yami's my best friend. Nothing more."


"Because he says so. I've seen the way you look at him."


"He has a boyfriend."


"Ohhh." Mio threw her arms around the other girl. "I feel for ya babe. Tell ya what forget about it. Come out with me and Hesta tonight. You can be honorary third wheel."


Anzu shook her head. "That doesn't sound like a position I want."


"It'll be good for you. We'll find you some cute little something that you can droll over or on or whatever." Mio grabbed her hand a nd scribbled a phone number down. "Call me when you get off. It'll be fun."


Looking out across the food court Anzu watched Yami and Yugi walking hand in hand. Heads close they looked like a couple in love. "You know what Mio? I think I'll take you up on that offer. There's this cute girl down at the punk store I thought was kindda cute. She has blue hair."


"I know her! Oh girl she's a handful."


Anzu smiled. "Oh I know all about those."


*He's the time taken up but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into
Drew looks at me
I fake a smile so he won't see*


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Sorry guys, I just found out at the end of June the Dr's office I work for is closing and I'm afraid I've been a pretty bummed about it and haven't felt like doing much of anything. My boss is trying to find us jobs within the same company but everyone has had to cut hours so odds aren't looking to good. And it's not just us. Everyone I've talked to about potential jobs have told me they're full. Everyone tells me the same thing "If a spot opens up Rave we'll give you a call. You know how quickly things happen." So wish me luck. I promise I will get to the rest of the fics and get my Ryou fic finished but until I find a job things are on hold. Don't give up on me. Hopefully this break won't be long but if you don't see me in June it's because closing this place will be a bitch.

Meanwhile those of you on gaia can look for me as rezpup.