Disclaimer: Dirt poor. 

As usual:
//Yami to Hikari//
/Hikari to Yami/
Personal thoughts

Notes: 
I wanted to do a Yugi fic, but Ryou seems to suit the role so much better. ^_^ 
Ryou will be referred to as "Ryou".
Y. Bakura as "Bakura". 
Ryou, of course will call Y.B. "Yami".
I've been told it's polite to call a classmate that you're not quite familiar with "last name-kun" and I'm assuming that a teacher might do the same.
Give me feedback! Please? Liz_Hallington@hotmail.com

Chapter 1: Meeting Ryou Bakura

Tomodachi Hanako smiled reassuringly at the boy across the desk and was glad to receive a tentative smile back. 

Ryou would be attending Hokushin High for the next few months, apparently while his father was on some expedition in Egypt. She wasn't sure on the details. 

"Looks like everything is in order, Bakura-kun," she admitted, lining up the papers in her hand. "Welcome to Hokushin." 

Ryou fidgeted. 

"Arigato, Tomodachi-san," the white-haired boy said politely, although he still wouldn't meet her eyes. 

She fought a frown. 

I'm not that scary!

Brown haired and brown eyed, Hanako's features were kind. Being in her early thirties, she had no intention of pushing daisies anytime soon. 

"I'm sure you'll fit in fine, Bakura-kun." 

Ryou's eyes flashed up to her face for an instant, but it was enough for Hana to catch the doubt in his eyes. 

//She has no idea what she's talking about, does she?// Bakura scowled. 

/Shhh... Yami!/ 

Discretely, Hana eyed the boy again as he stood and shrugged on his backpack. 

Actually, Ryou wasn't one to blend in easily. His hair was white and spiky, almost luminescent as the sun filtered down on him from her window, a sharp contrast to his softly accented voice. His features were pale and delicate, except for a slight sharpness around the eyes. Definitely what girls would call "bishonen" material. 

Still, she was picking up something strange from this boy. Her instincts were usually quite accurate, which was why she made such a good school councilor, but from Ryou, it felt like she was getting double feedback. 

"Tomodachi-san!" a voice called softly. 

"Huh?" Hanako started and blinked, only to find a slightly amused transfer student staring back, leaning forward across the desk. 

Her eyebrows raised. 
His eyes were an ordinary hazel brown, but they were so piercing! As if they missed nothing. 

She pushed down a shudder. 

"My papers, Tomodachi-san?" he prompted gently, grinning and dropping his eyes again as if he was all too aware of her discomfort. 

"Oh! Sorry. I guess I... spaced out, huh?" 

Ryou shook his head. 

"Don't worry about it, Tomodachi-san, I do that too from time to time," he said, and smiled wistfully as if he was sharing a secret only he could understand. 

From what she could tell, he was honest and friendly, if a little shy. 

So what could possibly be setting off her internal alarms? 

I can puzzle over it later.

Laughing, she surrendered his papers. 

"Please, call me Hana-san. Everyone does. 'Tomodachi-san' is such a mouth full." 

Hokushin's newest student nodded and opened the door, papers tucked under one arm. 

"Need help finding your dorm room, Bakura-kun?" she offered, standing as well. 

"No, I should be fine, thanks," he replied. 

"Alright, one piece of advice though. Watch out for Kurokaze-san. He's... not in the best of moods." 

"He's never in the best of moods!" piped in a cheerful voice from the other side of the door. 

"Mizu-san! Ever hear of student-teacher confidence?" Hana scolded her secretary, raising her voice to be heard, more exasperated than angry. 

Ryou giggled quietly. "Kurokaze-san?" 

"He's somewhere between security and groundskeeper." 

"Ah. Thank you for the warning," Ryou smiled easily, bowing,then brushing back spiky white bangs away from his wide brown eyes. 

Hanako watched with slight amazement. 

Alright, I've got to ask.

Clearing her throat: "Bakura-kun... How exactly did you get your hair like that?" genuine curiosity lacing her voice. 

Ryou turned back, surprise flitting across his features, but then settling into something else. 

With deliberate slowness, the teen partially closed the door, eyes turning so unexpectedly serious that Hana had to fight the urge to step back in surprise as his gaze was pinned directly on her. 

He opened his mouth to speak and- 

"...That's a secret." 

-With a crooked smirk, he was gone. 

As the door swung gently, Hanako gave a scoff of disbelief, heart still racing, features puzzled. 

So many secrets... Maybe I'll discover a few of them, before you leave, ne?

Picking up her cold coffee with distaste, she stared into the murky water as more conflicting information surfaced in her brain. 

For an instant, she could've sworn his eyes flashed from gentle hazel to jaded, mischievous ruby. 

With a sigh she dumped the coffee carelessly on one of her poor potted plants and sat back down on her desk only to jump back up again. 

"Mizu-san!" the younger woman whined, clutching her chest. 

Mizu-san tucked a stray grey hair behind her ear and tsked lightly, somehow having entered the room without Hana noticing. 

"I keep telling you not to do that, dear. It'll either kill them or make them high from the caffeine!" 

"Plants don't get high, Mizu-san," the councilor refuted flatly. 

The elderly secretary just smiled serenely. "If you're sure, dear. What do you think of our latest addition?" 

"I'm not one to judge so soon." 

Mizu-san laughed. "But I'm sure you've formed an opinion anyway." 

Hana rolled her eyes. "I'm a bit worried. He's so different from everyone, and not just in looks. There's something else too." Hana's eyes dropped to her desk. 

Ah, damn, where has my mind gone today?!

With only a rushed excuse for the amused secretary, she tore off (as fast as teacher's dignity would allow) after the student whose schedule she'd forgotten to return. 

/Yami!/ Ryou cried, only to feel dry amusement wash over him from his other. 

//Just giving her something to chew on,// Bakura replied and Ryou could picture the carnal grin on his Yami's face. 

/It's called 'feeding the fire', Yami/ the light scolded as he walked away from the office. /I think you scared her./ 

//How can you be sure she isn't used to violent mood swings from hormonal teenagers?// 

Ryou sighed. 

/I'm trying to keep a low profile, Yami, and you're not helping. 'Schizophrenic' is not the kind of reputation I want to carry... and technically I haven't even started my first day of school./ 

//Maybe if they think you're insane the bullies will stay away from you for once,// the dark countered scathingly. 

The white haired boy shuddered, failing to notice the stares he was getting as he blindly wandered the school, engrossed in his inner conversation. 

It was no secret that Bakura resented his hikari's lack of ability to fight back. It was proven again and again every time he transferred. It stopped for a while, when he was at Domino High with Yugi-tachi, but now it was almost certain to start again. 

And every time he failed to defend himself, he could be sure to receive a follow up "lesson" from his Yami later. 

/Yami, please I-/ 

Ryou yelped as he was pulled by his hair from behind. 

//Speak of the devil,// his Yami purred dangerously in his mind. 

"Well, what do we have here?" 

Cold hard eyes stared down and Ryou fought to breathe. 

/Yami.../ he called hesitantly, but all he could hear was a resounding and empty click as the door to his other's soul room closed shut. 

Chapter 2 (School Life):
Students' reaction to the newest addition to Hokushin High. Details on what James Bakura is up to. Kurokaze's got poor Ryou in his sights and watch out for that cafeteria food! 

I need a beta-reader! E-maaaaiiill me! (Review review review!)