Who I Thought You Were - Yusei Fudo/OC [COMPLETE]

Part Two - Chapter 1 - Nova

ONE YEAR LATER

Wow. New Domino City has changed so much. It's only been a year, yet I barely recognize the place. The roads aren't all cracked and the lines on them are bolder now. The grass is greener, the air is cleaner, and the sky is brighter somehow. It's not the place I grew up in. I can't easily tell the difference between the Satellite sector and the City; both look so much nicer, and there's now a bridge connecting the two. Most likely Yusei's work, if I knew any better. He's the only one I can think of who could get the City to connect with the Satellite.

I know I've changed too. A lot can happen to a girl in a year. I'm not that different physically, it's mentally that I've changed. But being back, some things feel like they used to.

My phone buzzes. I stare at the screen, expecting to see a text from Ally, but instead, it's Jonah, one of the friends I made during my astronomy course, asking how my flight was. My wallpaper on my phone is a picture of me and him at the Santa Cruz boardwalk. We spent a weekend there with a bunch of my other guy friends. I was one of the guys while I was there. I miss my boys. At least they weren't as complicated as things always were with my other guy squad, Yusei, Jack, and Crow. Mainly Yusei. That boy is complicated as hell. With Jonah, Peter, Sammy, and Evan, I always knew where I stood. I haven't really spoken with Jack in four years, since the Enforcers split like the Beatles, Crow and I lost connection over the past year, and I haven't heard a word from Yusei since I left. So much for "I love you so much." At least when my astronomy guys said it, they meant it. As a friend, though. The thought of dating any of them was too weird for all of us.

I text Jonah back as a message from Ally pops up on my phone, asking me where I am. I tell her to meet me by the luggage carousel, grab my carry on bag, and head to the carousel to wait for my sister. When I see her waiting for me, I want to cry. I run up to her and throw myself into her arms.

"Missed you, sis. Missed you so much," she whispers.

"Missed you too, Ally," I reply.

She stares at me and smiles. "You changed your hair," she says.

Yep. I did. My hair was now a neat bob that fell about an inch above my shoulders, and the green streak was now ocean blue, like the beach waves my friends and I used to hang out by during the weekend. Jonah taught me to surf on one of those weekends.

"Do you like it?" I ask.

"Like it? I love it! It's so cute," she gushes in reply. "They'll love it."

"Who's they?" I ask. "I'm confuzzled, sis." (Confuzzled is how my friends and I say confused.)

"Well, Duncan's here, because I asked him to bring his truck to haul your stuff to my apartment, and so I could drive your Runner, and there's some...old friends here to see you too." Damn you, Ally. I know exactly who's here.

Smiling awkwardly, I stare at the luggage carousel and watch for my bags. Ally grabs my bigger one and I grab my smaller one, and I follow her through New Domino City International Airport to where her boyfriend Duncan is waiting. I haven't met him in person yet, but Ally's talked a lot about him. Parked behind a white pickup truck I'm assuming is Duncan's are five duel runners, four of which have riders. The fifth one is mine, of course. I don't know the girl sitting on one of the other runners, but she looks familiar somehow. The other three, all of whom are male, are all very recognizable.