I took a deep breath as I reached down and drew one card from the top of my deck. A quick glance at the card told me all I needed to know. From the start of the duel my opponent had been holding me to the ropes. It had been a savage duel thus far, with neither of us gaining an inch on the other. Count-spell cards had been activated to counter spells, traps had been sprung, powerful monsters had been summoned and vanished to the graveyard. For every life point my opponent had drained from me, I'd taken the same amount from him.

“Come on.” My opponent said, taking a deep breath. “Make your move so I can wipe you out.” He said, folding her arms across his chest as he gave me a cock-eyed look.

I smiled a little and placed the card I just drew face down in the monster zone in defense mode and smiled a little. It was time to start my counter attack. And it all started with this card. A powerful 'Elf of Light' sure only had five hundred attack points. But it had a total of two thousand defense points.

“I end my turn.” I said smiling.

“Finally,” He said drawing his own card. “I use the spell card 'Monster Reborn'! To summon my 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' from the graveyard!” He said showing me the 'Monster Reborn' card he just used from his hand' a second latter 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' returned from the graveyard to his side of the field.

“That's not all!” He said, smirking. “I play the field card 'Battlefield' that card increases the attack and defense of all my warrior type monsters by two hundred points!”

I took a deep breath and nodded my head.

“Now, to end my turn and to clear the way for the move that will finish you, I order my Celtic warrior to atack your face down card!” He said pointing toward me.

“I was hoping you would do that, even though 'Battlefield' has increased your 'Celtic Warrior' attack from fourteen hundred to sixteen hundred. It's still four hundred points away from overcoming the defense of my 'Elf of Light' meaning you take four hundred points of damage.” I said, smirking.

“Cheap shot.” He muttered. “Fine I end my turn. But next turn I will send your elf to the graveyard with my 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' and attack your life points directly with my 'Celtic Warrior' and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

I just shook my head as I reached down and picked another card from the top of my deck.

“I'm afraid.” I said “I'm about to throw a wrench into your plan.” I said playing the powerful spell card 'Change of Hearts' this card allowed you to assume control over one enemy monster for one turn. And the one monster I wanted to control the most was his 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' a powerful card with twenty six hundred attack power and a twelve hundred defense power. Sure it could have smashed my elf the first turn it was played..but all monsters had to wait a turn after they were summoned to attack.

“I'm going to borrow your 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' for one turn. And now your 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' is going to attack your monster card 'Celtic Warrior'.” I said, smiling sweetly.

“You little..” My opponent clutched his cards tight in his hand.

“And since the difference between the two attacks is a thousand points that means you take a thousand points of damage.” I said, smirking a little.

“You little..” My opponent muttered.

“Fine, my next turn my 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' will be mine again, and he will still have more than enough power to attack your elf and send her to the graveyard! And then I can do an all out attack directly on your life points.” My opponent muttered under his breath.

“You won't get that chance.” I said smirking. “Because now I play the card 'Reset' that allows me to remove any and all field cards in play. Say good-bye to your 'Battlefield' card. And with that gone your 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' loses it bonus of two hundred attack points.”

“CHEAP SHOT!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.

“I then play the card 'Mystic Training ground' that increases the attack power of all spellcaster monsters by two hundred points but increase there defense by three hundred points.” I said smirking.

“Still not enough.” He muttered.

“I then play one card face down.” I said setting a card in the trap/magic zone. “And I end my turn.”

“Finally.” He said as he drew his card. “Enough dancing around. I'm ready to end this.” He said with a snear. “I summoned 'Celtic Swordsmen'” He muttered. “And I then I play equip magic card 'Sword and chainmail' this raises his attack and defense from fourteen hundred to nineteen hundred! Once 'Gaia the Mounted Knight' vanishes your elf. My 'Celtic Swordsmen' will cut you deep.”

“Go ahead.” I said, smirking.

“Fine.” He said, clutching his cards tightly. “I attack you elf with 'Gaia the Mounted Knight'.” He shouted.

“I'm afraid your attack just activated my trap card.” I said reaching down and quickly flipping the card I'd just place face down in the trap/magic zone. “This call is called 'Castle Walls' and it increases for just this one turn my elf a bonus five hundred a bonus of five hundred defense points.

“So!” He was almost shouting at this point.

“That gives myself just enough power to live to defend my life points for another turn. And plus you take another one hundred points of damage!" I said, smirking.

“It's just a hundred points,” He said, leering at me across the board. “All the shots you've gotten in are cheap shots that all! You're not a real duelist! You're just a rookie!”

“Those cheap shots are draining your life points.” I said smiling.

“I end my turn.” He muttered.

I smiled and then drew another card.

“I play the magical card 'Pot of Greed'” I paused. “This magical card allows me to draw two more cards from my deck.” I said drawing two more cards. My smirk grew wider.

“I then play the magical card 'Card Exchange' by discarding one card from one hand, I can bring one card back from my graveyard and place it in my hand. And the card I'm bringing back is my all time favorite. 'Change of Heart'.”

“...”

“And once more I'm going to take control of your knight.” I said, smirking. “But I'm not finished yet. Before I attack I'm going to summon 'Skilled Dark Magican'.” I said setting the card down.

“Summon all the monsters you want! I'm going to break you next turn with my knight!” His voice seemed to be rising to a fever pitch.

“Well see about that.” I said placing another card down in my Magic/Trap zone. “Now, before I attack, I'm going to use the magical card 'Despell' to remove that pesky 'Sword and Chainmail' card from your 'Celtic Warrior'.” I said, smiling sweetly.

“...”

“Now, I will attack your 'Celtic Warrior with your knight.”

“...” He dropped his cards and placed his hands on his head/

“Twelve hundred points of damage...” I said smirking even wider. “And if my math is correct, that means your life points are now in the negative.. and if I'm wrong, I'm going to play one more card 'Fire Bomb' it's a powerful magic card that directly inflicts five hundred points of damange to your life points.”

“You..”

“Hey, trash talk aside, it was a good duel. I enjoyed it.” I said offering him my hand across the board. It was kind of a tradition that before and after each duel you shook hands with your opponent. You know, it's a sign of good sportsmanship.

But instead of taking my hand he slapped it away.
“I only took it easy on you! Because you're a freaking girl! You're a freaking girl!” He shouted.

I sat stunned. Because while I was not a girl, I was a guy.. Sure I'd been often mistaken as a girl because of my oval-shaped face that was framed with long brown hair. And I have a slender frame, my pale porcelain skin, and sparkling blue eyes that my grandmother often said had no business belonging to a boy.

“I..”

“Shut it!” He said leering at me, he then raised his hand and pointed his finger at me, “There nothing more embrassing that getting beaten in a duel, double embrassing getting beaten by a freaking girl, who looks like she should hanging around the mall instead of being here”

“Dude! What are your trouble?!” I said blinking. Then it dawned on me, what thirteen year old boy would wear a tropical flower print teeshirt so long that it almost covered his shorts? And sandals on top of that? One look around and I'll notice that I was surrounded by boys who almost always wore faded jeans, graphic teeshirts, were a little on the biggish side, and smelled like a dirty Pizza-Hut, that to say greasy sliced meat, old cheese and stale bread.

“My trouble is that you cheated!” He said pointing his finger at me.

“Okay! That's enough you two!”

At that moment a girl who looked like she might have either been sixteen or seventeen entered onto the scene, she was holding two medals in her hand. It was then I'd noticed a small crowd had formed around us. I found myself whimpering under my breath. I hated being the center of attention. At that moment a fissure in the earth opened up and swallowed me whole. I would have counted it as a blessing from that big dude in the sky that Pastor Keith was always referring to as God during Wednesday night Youth Group.

“Welll!”

To be Continued.