FLASHBACK

Something silver flew toward Atem. Pain shot through his bottom lip. Blood splattered on the wall and he gasped with pain.
Join the club, punk, someone laughed as pain shot through his left ear.
He span round. Skeletons!
His eyes widened.
BANG!
Atems eyes flickered open. He couldnt speak. It hurt. He gaped at Tea as she looked over him.
W-Where did you get your ear and lip pierced? she frowned.
Pierced?
Grandpa was going to kill him for that!
Seriously, youre too punk for your own good! Look, you cant even talk! Must have been a really bad place you went to have those done!
Atem took a trembling hand and felt his lip and then his ear.
You look awful. Why didnt you come home last night? Are you hurt? Tea asked.

END FLASHBACK

Atem sat at the back of the dining hall. Everyone except his friends bullied him for it. He stared at his lunch. He wasnt hungry. He never was, but his body needed the energy. He only ate breakfast and dinner. Nothing between.
Come on, Pharaoh, you need to eat something, Tristan said.
Two boys sitting on the opposite table laughed.
Watch it doesnt rip your mouth off!
Yeah! Tin can!
Atem had had enough. He threw the tray across the table and left.
Ooh! Skinny Tinnys got a bad mood! one of the boys called.
Shut up, Tristan grunted, getting up and also leaving.
Jerk, Tea added.
Idiot, Joey muttered.
Yugi followed silently.
When they got outside, Atem had climbed over the fence and was walking home!
Pharaoh! Yugi scrambled over the fence and ran after him. You cant just walk out of school in the middle of the day!
I just did, Yugi, Atem grunted.
Yugi followed his disgruntled older brother all the way back to the game shop.
Atem turned the key in the door. It clicked open.
You cant just- Yugi cut off as the door slammed in his face. He groaned and headed back to school.
Atem dropped his bag by the stairs and went up to his room. Grandpa was out, so he had the house to himself.
He flopped onto his bed and sighed.
He decided to take a shower, and steer clear of the mirror . . .