-4-
School
By Shardy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And so the torture continued.

I walked throughout the halls of my school with my head hung down, staring desperately at my shoes. I could feel everyone staring at me. I wasn't sure if it was because of my school uniform, or if somehow they knew who I was. I trudged to my first period class, History, and slumped in my desk. Now I was more than grateful for designating my spot in the far back corner of the classroom where no one could see me. I arrived in class first and promptly hid my face behind a book. I pretended to read as the rest of the students arrived, but I couldn't see the words. I just kept praying that I would be unnoticed for the rest of the day.

I guess God is punishing me somehow.

"Uh, Seto, we are starting class now." Ain't that just like teachers? You can be the CEO of a major company and they still have no respect for you. I slowly lowered my book to my desk and heard everyone gasp. Shit. They did know who I was.

"Oh, it seems we have a new student in our class," Mr. White declared obviously surprised. "Come up front and tell us who you are."

Why couldn't I just do it at my desk? It's not like I'm going to lose any major calories walking up to the front. Surely these kids weren't lazy enough to not turn their heads around and look at me. With a small sigh, I forced my legs to carry me to the front of the room. All eyes were upon me now. I wanted to sink to the floor. "Your name, sweetie?" Mr. White inquired.

Call me 'sweetie' one more time and I'll bust your head open, I thought. "Melody," I snapped. Up until that point I had been so upset by being a girl that I did not realize that I completely forgotten to disguise my voice. Not that I needed to. Not only did I look like a girl, but I sounded like one. I realized that my voice was very soft, very feminine, kinda low for a girl and grown-up but still very much a chick. "Melody Kaiba."

More gasps.

"Are you related to Seto Kaiba?" some jock in the front row that I've never bothered to learn his name breathed as if he were in complete awe.

"He's my cousin," I growled. If I was going to a girl, I was still going to be a Kaiba, dammit. Keep acting the way I usually do and these nincompoops will leave me alone as they did if I were a boy.

Mr. White cleared his throat. "So...where are you from, Melody?"

"That's personal information."

The teacher seemed to pale.

"So what are you doing in a BOY'S uniform?" some rich bitch asked me as she did her nails, looking me over as if I just crawled out of a swamp.

I stepped toward her giving her my most menacing glare. "I had my cousin call the school and tell them to give me a boy's uniform. I don't need to flaunt my legs in a little skirt to boost my self-esteem."

Her mouth dropped open along with a couple other girls (I guess they were her groupies or something) and I smirked as I walked back to my seat.

The rest of the period went well. Everyone ignored me, just as I preferred. Of course, I had to speak when they asked me where "Seto" was and I simply replied that he was away on a business convention. No one questioned that. As CEO, I did it all the time. The school simply faxed my assignments to one of my secretaries and he or she in turn faxed them to where ever it was I was staying. It only meant more work for me.

After lunch, I had to go to the bathroom. A pretty major news flash there considering I NEVER go to the bathroom at school. I thought about waiting until I got home but after a few minutes I realized that it could not wait. Instinctively I was about to go into the boys' bathroom and probably would have waltzed right in had the door not opened and I bumped into someone.

"Howya doin', Melody?" an extremely familier voice inquired. I looked up.

It was Wheeler again! Jesus H. Christ!

I glared up at him with open loathing. "None of your business, puppy-dog!"

"Then why were you about to go into the boys' bathroom?"

I blushed and bit my lower lip searching for my mind for an excuse.

Any excuse.

Ah ha! Found one! "Well, at my old school the girl's bathroom was always on the right side. I guess I'm just so used to it being on the right that I didn't bother to look at the signs." Stupid sounding, but better than 'because I never use the damn bathrooms at school and even if I did, I'm so used to being a boy I had forgotten that I have to use the little girls' room now.'

"Glad I stopped you in time from totally embarrassing yourself, ain't ya?"

I shot Joey another glare, whirled around, and marched into the girls' restroom. Damn that Joey! Damn him, damn him, DAMN him! For once, just ONCE could he be serious? I stormed into a stall and slunked against the door. Suddenly, I didn't have to use the bathroom anymore. I didn't feel like it. It was as if my bladder suddenly announced, Hey, false alarm! We still got two inches left to fill so relax! You don't have to go yet!

I sat on the floor and buried my head in my knees. Could it get any worse?

"Hey did you see the new girl?" a voice inquired.

"Melody Kaiba?" a second asked.

"Yee-ah!"

My head shot up, my ears perked for better hearing. Damn it all, they were talking about me!

"What about her?" inquired a third.

"I asked her a simple question today in history and she got an attitude with me like I was not fit to lick her shoes!"

"Of course, she's a Kaiba, duh!"

"I think she's kinda pretty. She seems nice."

I seemed nice?

"That's cuz the chick never says more than three words unless snapping at someone," the first snarled. "Thinks she's all that just because she got her mega-hot cousin to tell the school she was too good for a girl's uniform and wanted to wear a boy's. You just wait. That bitch is going down! I am not going to have my popularity taken away from me by some cheap stuck-up slut!"

Every nerve, muscle, and bone in my body screamed for me to fling open the door and slam that girl's head into the wall and decorate the girl's bathroom red. But I couldn't move. It was as if I were paralyzed. I sat there glued to the floor. I didn't know what the heck was wrong with me. I heard myself behind talked about all the time behind my back and I never cared. But this was, this was different somehow.

The girls were long gone by the time I opened the stall door and stepped out. As I washed my hands I happened to look at my reflection in the mirror. I was pretty. My hair was perfectly straight in its almond-brown ponytail, sapphire eyes glittering in the light, face slightly flushed, lips fuller and more rosy. Okay, so I make a beautiful girl. So what? I couldn't contemplate on my looks now, nor my new enemies' move. I had to focus on getting myself back to normal as soon as possible.

As I walked out of the girl's bathroom I nearly screamed when I saw Joey leaning against the wall looking straight at me. "Joey-!"

"I just saw Sofia and her little entourage leave a couple seconds ago talking about taking down some new girl," he interrupted. He walked toward me, peering at me closely. For once, he was serious. "Are you all right?"

I was caught completely off-guard by his genuine concern, considering no one had ever been concerned about me before, and for a moment I couldn't speak. "Why, why shouldn't I be all right?" I finally managed to growl, trying to glare but too stunned to do so.

"I don't know what it is about you that draws me to you," he admitted softy. "I guess it's because you're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. And I have seen a lot."

I blushed again. Dammit, I had to stop doing that!

"Sofia and her groupies are big trouble," Wheeler continued. "One girl committed suicide because of them. Just be careful, okay, Melody?"

"They're the ones who should be careful."

"Melody, if you get those girls riled up, they'll come after you with claws in all despite whoever your related to."

Wheeler looked so worried about me that I couldn't help but feel sorry for the pup. Could it hurt, Seto? Just once, could it really hurt? He didn't know who I was after all. "Okay," I agreed in a quiet tone, giving him a small smile over my shoulder as I walked off to my next class. "I'll be careful."

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