Chapter 2 - Something Unpleasent

Something unpleasent



The limousine stopped outside a huge building, which looked about 6 floors high and was complete with marble columns and stained glass windows.

`I thought it was going be at Kaiba's mansion, like all the other sit-downs,' Kaede said to her grandfather, as she gazed up at the huge building.

`So did I?' Her grandfather said in a puzzled voice. He picked up the phone connected to the driver's phone in the front. When the driver picked up, he almost yelled into the phone. `Where are we? I thought we were going to the mansion!'

`No sir, Mr Kaiba has arranged for the dinner to be here tonight. There has been no mistake.' The driver said before putting down the phone so that Kaede's grandfather couldn't argue any more.

As they pulled up at the front of the building, Kaede saw other limousines owned by Kaiba Corp pulling up in front of the marble steps to the front door. More puzzled Kaiba Corp workers were getting out of the limos and climbing the steps.

As Kaede got out of the limo, she heard a screech to her right and was almost knocked to the floor when Yuula glomped her, very hard.

`Get off me!' Kaede laughed, pushing her friend off. As she looked over Yuula's shoulder, she saw Takumi standing behind her, waiting to be noticed. `Hey Takumi, you okay?'

Takumi shrugged, and they began walking up the steps to the huge oak doors at the top of the steps. `Kaiba hasn't spared any expenses, has he?' Kaede said, half in awe, half grumpily. She hated how Kaiba just threw his money around and seemed to never run out of it.

They were almost at the top of the steps when they heard a shout behind them. Duke, their friend from school, was running up the steps towards them. `Hi, sorry about that. Anyway, how are you guys doing?'

`Great thanks, going to see everybody suck up to that rat Kaiba.' Kaede frowned. `What are you doing here anyway?'

`I sold Kaiba my Dungeon Dice Monsters game and he has made a more digitally advanced version of it. So I was invited to come too.' Duke said, offering Kaede his arm. `Don't worry about Kaiba, he won't be able to drag up the duel between you too because there will be too many other people there.'

`Thanks Duke.' Kaede said, and the five of them walked through the giant oak doors together.

Inside was the biggest ballroom any of them had ever seen. Huge chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling; dripping with diamonds and down another set of steps in front of them (this time they were carpeted) there was a giant table in the middle of the room. At the other end of the ballroom was another huge carpeted staircase leading to another ballroom on the other side of another oak doorway.

`Hang on; what are we going to do in there?' Yuula pointed through the doors at the other end of the room.

`Knowing Kaiba, something unpleasant.' Kaede grimaced. The memory of their duel was too painful.

From either side of the ballroom, trumpeters appeared and blew there trumpets as a signal of someone important arriving. Through the doors opposite them, Kaede, her grandfather, Yuula, Takumi and Duke watched as Seto Kaiba strutted down the steps with his little brother Mokuba following closely behind him.

`What an annoyingly huge entrance,' Kaede said, and she hurried down the stairs to the table. Seto Kaiba stood at the head of the table on the other side of the ballroom, so Kaede headed to the end of the table furthest away from Seto Kaiba.

`Kaede, don't sit down yet,' her grandfather came up behind her. `We probably have set seats.'

`Fine, just as long as I am nowhere near that rat.' Kaede glared at the said rat, then when he noticed she was glaring, she held his eye for just a second, as if to say to him “Make me sit next to you if you want to die”, then she turned her back to him, walking over to where her friends were standing.

`Kaede, don't worry, I think he doesn't want a row this evening, so you won't have to sit next to him.' Takumi said reassuringly.

Kaede crossed her arms in defiance. `Just let him try it. I wouldn't sit anywhere near him even if you paid me.'

The other three laughed at this. `Don't be so dramatic Kaede.' Duke laughed.

`You won't have to go anywhere near him, promise.' Yuula patted her on the shoulder.

`You'd better keep that promise,' Kaede muttered. Another trumpet sounded and everybody (except Kaede) turned around to face Kaiba.

`Your space at the table is reserved with your name by it. Sit where you see your name, and then dinner will be served.' Kaiba said shortly, before sitting at the head of the table. Mokuba sat next to him and they began talking, ignoring everyone around them. Well, almost. Kaiba's eyes followed Kaede as she walked around the table, trying to find her seat. Soon, everyone was sitting down except her, and there was only one more place left. Right next to Seto Kaiba.

Kaede shuddered, and then began walking slowly to her seat with her head held high. Fortunately, Duke was sitting on her other side and Yuula was sitting next to him, then Takumi next to her, so she could talk to them instead of that rat Kaiba.

As she sat down, Kaiba smirked at her, then turned back to his little brother, who sat opposite Kaede. She ignored them, telling herself not to rise to Kaiba's cheap scheme. Fine, he got her to sit next to him, but there was no way she would talk to him.

`The first course was served then. Hot tomato soup was placed in front of everybody. Kaede looked down at all the different knives, forks and spoons on either side of her bowl. Which one did she use? She didn't want to be made a fool of by Kaiba, so she quickly glanced at him to see which one he was using. He had picked up the spoon to the far right of his bowl of soup, so Kaede did the same, acting like knew what she was doing.

After the soup came a huge plate of toast and pate. Kaede shuddered; she hated pate. But, as she was determined not to be showed up by Kaiba, she spread the pate on the toast and took a bit. It was not as bad as she thought, so she took another bit and turned to talk to Duke.

`So, do you like the food?' said Kaiba, reaching over and taking hold of Kaede's hand.

Kaede shuddered and turned towards Kaiba. He smirked and caressed her hand. Kaede looked down in disgust at his hand, then pulled her hand away from him and rested it on her lap.

`The food is very nice, thank you,' Kaede sat formally before glaring at him to tell him to leave her alone, then turned back to her friends.

`It was good of you to come along. I trust the limousine ride was comfortable,' Kaiba continues, toying with her.

Kaede spun around in her chair and faced Kaiba. `Look, I didn't make a scene and refuse to sit next to you, even though I would rather drown in burning oil than go anywhere near you. Just give me a break, okay? I don't like you, and you don't like me. Can we just behave like sensible people, and stay away from each other?'

Kaiba smirked again. `As you wish, I won't talk to you.' Then he focused his attention on his plate again.

The meal was 5 courses long. Kaede decided that she shouldn't eat all of every course, so she made it until the end.

Kaiba kept to his word, and did not speak to her throughout. But as soon as the last of the plates were cleared away, her stood up and made an announcement.

`Thank you all very much for coming. Now that you have all finished your meal, can you please make your way up the steps behind me,' he indicated to the carpeted stairs behind him.

Everyone stood up and started walking up the stairs, many of them holding their stomachs because they were so full of food. Kaede waited with her friends for her grandfather to catch up with them, then they followed everyone else up the stairs and through the oak doors into the second ballroom.

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