Chilling In The Schoolyard 13

When the duel started, Alexis was both awed by Zane's starting tactics, and yet not really surprised. It was the kind of thing she expected from Zane.

On his first turn, he had a monster with thirty three hundred attack points, that was safe from Yarden's ace card, Revived Serpent Night Dragon. Not only that, it was capable of dealing the difference in damage from its attack points and a monsters defense points if it attacked a defense position monster.

She honestly thought it was already over. Zane was going all out. And then Yarden had his turn. And he surprised her again. Using a card like dark hole, just to get rid of a single equip monster? That was the kind of card used to turn an entire duel around, and he used it like any low level card.

And then he made an absolute monster...of well, a monster. She could count on both hands how many times she'd seen someone get a monster with over five thousand attack points on the field, and most of that was from watching Zane.

And he turned something as mocked as Metal Dragon, one of the first ever fusion monsters, and one of the worst at that, into a gargantuan best with sixty seven hundred attack points. It wasn't quite Cyber End Dragon summoned through Power Bond, but it wasn't far off either.

And then Zane was suddenly down to a a pitiful hundred life points. Alexis had never even seen him drop below two thousand. Yet, Zane showed why he was the best, and pulled out Chimeratech Over Dragon, a monster she'd never seen him play against someone before, and had a thirty seven hundred attack point wall of metal and teeth that could attack four times and was again, protected from Yarden's ace card and tactic.

Only, for the first time, Yarden switched his play around and targeted his own monster to use his favored tactic on with Revived Serpent Night Dragon, and to deal with it before Metal Dragon took the negative effect of Limiter Removal and was destroyed.

And then he revealed Nightmare Sonic Roar, and it was over. With an Ookazi of all things, Yarden used his ace cards. to just side step Zane's ungodly powerful monster.

Alexis stared at the two in a daze as the duel came to an end.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Jasmine shouted in shock, "No way, he actually beat Zane! This is insane.

"Huh..." Mindy blinked, looking a bit out of it herself, "Like, I know I said not to put him out before the duel even started and that he did have a chance, but...I like. was totes not expecting that all."

Alexis nodded numbly herself, yet a small smile tugged her lips not of her own volition, Yarden really was that good! That duel, was incredibly short, and lasted only a few minutes, yet, in just two turns, she'd seen such an absurd back and forth of plays that would have crushed others upfront from just one of them.

Zane made his way over to Yarden and whispered something in his ear, before pulling back with a smile as the younger boy responded and handed him what looked like a few cards. They exchanged a few more words, Zane actually outright laughing a bit. before he bid Yarden and herself goodbye and was gone like the wind.

"So, what was that about me not standing a chance?" Yarden turned to them, his eyes settling on her and grinning smugly at her as he made his way over.

Alexis snorted a bit, "Alright, I'm sorry," she conceded, "You're way better than I thought you were and way better than me." Most likely, Yarden was the strongest duelist in their year, by a wide margin.

He'd totally proven her wrong.

The only dark horse that could possibly prove that point wrong was Bastion Misawa. She'd dueled Jaden personally and knew, that he wasn't quite on the same level.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Yarden shrugged, "But I'll accept that praise anyway." he shamelessly added.

His grin turned wolfish and he turned it on her, "Now, about that prize for winning."

Really, overcoming Zane of all people and he wanted something as silly as a date with her? "Sure, I'm a woman of my word and it was me that ended up egging you into it in the first place," Alexis shrugged, she honestly didn't care either way, "You could have just asked me though."

"Probably," he chuckled, "But honestly weird as it is, that didn't even occur to me, after all, despite you're well youness, you're not exactly the type to enjoy that kind of thing." he gave a broad sweeping look over her body as he spoke, eyes lingering just a moment on her hips and chest, before rising up to her eyes.

Alexis nodded in agreement with his words. He was right. She was well aware of her beauty and the eyes her body attracted. But, she had no interest in romance or anything like that. It was why she also wasn't all that bothered at all about Yarden's blatant ogling of her. At least he was up front about it.

The only thing she was in love with. Was dueling.

"Honestly, it feels like something small and not worth it as a reward for beating Zane of all people," Alexis shook her head, and that sounded just so crazy to say out loud, "But sure, I'll go on a date with you. Just let me know when you want it.

Yarden's grin widened a bit, "Alright then, I suppose some time next week will work," he mused, "I've got stuff to do this weekend since I'll be moving on over to the Ra Yellow dorm."

"Wait, wait wait!" Jasmine jumped into the discussion, staring at them wide eyed, "What's this about a date?

"Ooooh, Lexi actually accepted a date!" Mindy clapped her hands together excitedly behind the redhead, "Are pigs gonna start flying or something?" the black haired girl giggled.

Alexis raised an eyebrow at her redhead friend, "Yarden wanted a date with me if he beat Zane, I accepted, that's all really," the blonde shrugged, before smirking a tiny bit at her friend, "You're the one always telling me to go on dates, what's the problem?"

Jasmine opened her mouth to respond, before pausing, her eyes flickering towards Yarden who was eyeing her with eyebrows raised in interest, "Nothing I suppose," she sighed and gave a shrug. The redhead sobered her expressions quickly and shot Yarden a look, "So all the flirting with me and Mindy. Yet you go for a date with Alexis as a prize?"

Yarden blinked, a confused look appearing on his face at her words, "Err, what?" the usually unflappable boy looked lost, "I was you know, expecting you to get mad at me or something, or even say Alexis is too good to go on a date with me."

Jasmine snorted, "A week ago I would have, Alexis is gonna go to the top, there's no way some actual Slifer could ever keep up with her," the redhead shook her head, "But, as annoying as it's been over the past week, there's no denying it. You really are that good, how you ended up in Slifer and not at least Ra first of all is beyond me."

Yarden raised an eyebrow, "Are you telling me the attitude was just because you thought I was a scrub?" he asked, a snort leaving him, "And now that I've proven how amazing I am, you're totally fine with it."

Jasmine gave an unashamed shrug, "Yes," she responded before raising a finger to point at the boy, "Look Odhar. Looks, compatibility, love and everything else. Of course I want that, what girl doesn't? But do you know what any girl not named Alexis Rhodes actually craves the most of all?"

"A big dick?" Yarden fired right back.

Mindy erupted into a furious flurry of giggles and even Alexis herself had to cover up a snort of amusement at his crude, instant reply. Yarden really was totally unashamed of who he was. It was an attractive trait, she wasn't fond of people pretending to be something they weren't. Like that annoying Frenchie cry baby who stole her mothers scarf from her.

Jasmine's mouth hung open at his answer, before she shook her head, "No, though that probably does help," the redhead recovered quickly and replied, "What we girls need above all else in a partner, is security. A boyfriend who can't provide that, is useless in the end."

And there it was. The reason why Jasmine was only interested in the rich and powerful men. Because, with those riches and power, they provided security.

"So you're a gold digger?" Yarden actually leaned forward in interest.

"Call it that if you want, but love and stuff, only goes so far when you're a poor nobody with barely a roof over your head and working day in day out until you're an exhausted mess," Jasmine shrugged back, unashamed herself and what she was looking for, "I want the good life when I've graduated. I want to enjoy all life has to offer, and some no name Slifer can't give me, or my friends any of that. Got a problem with that Odhar?"

While she didn't agree with it. Alexis couldn't fault her friend for what she wanted. It sounded shallow, and it partly was really. But most of that came from the fact that she sounded like she would go with the first rich guy who offered. And that just wasn't true. If it was, Jasmine would already have a boyfriend right now, there were plenty rich twits from the Obelisk Blue dorms that had asked her out after all.

"I actually don't," Yarden chuckled, shaking his head, he gave Jasmine an odd look that Alexis couldn't decipher, shooting the redhead a small, warm and..yet understanding smile. "I totally get it."

"..You do?" Jasmine gaped at the boy. It was as if she was expecting for the boy to totally reject her or mock her for her what she wanted. Which might have been something to expect actually, since quite a few people who she'd knocked back for those reasons, had turned angry and hateful, naming her a gold digging slut.

Yup," he shrugged, and smirked at the redhead, "And I notice you didn't say anything about not liking me or compatibility, only about me being a Slifer."

"Think what you want," Jasmine crossed her arms intentionally under her breasts and pushing them up, and then Alexis blinked when the girl actually smiled back at him softly, "Congratulations on your duel with Zane, you really impressed me there. I knew you were good, but I wasn't expecting that at all. Good on you."

"Cheers babe," he winked at her and flashed her a thumbs up. "Now though, as much fun as it would be to hang around with you three and get as much eye candy as I want, I've got things to do tonight, so I can't."

Before he could bid them goodbye, Alexis reached out and touched her hand to his shoulder, stopping him, "Before that, how about exchanging numbers with me? You can send me the information on our date when you decide what to do and when."

Yarden happily traded numbers with her, a big smile on his face as he did. And made no excuses when he quickly asked for Jasmine and Mindy's as well.

They parted ways with him not long later. Him returning to the Slifer Red dorm, and them to the Obelisk Blue girls dorm. Her friends excitedly discussed him, the duel and the fact he beat Zane all the way back.

Alexis was mostly silent though. Her mind raced a mile a minute as she thought on how she was going to reach the level of Yarden and Zane. Watching that amazing duel, left her body shaking with anticipation and the desire to duel anyone she saw and get better and better!