Disclaimer: I do not own yugioh or any of it's characters/affiliates.
Serenity sighed, staring at the pages of newspaper that she held in her hands.
Her head hung in defeat. The classified sections were crossed out in big x's.
The petite auburn haired girl had no luck finding a job.
The ones she called were taken, and the one's she interviewed for told her she was
under qualified. There was never really a time needed for the eighteen year old girl
to find a job until now.
Once she graduated high school, she practically begged her mother to move in with joey.
Unfortunately, Joey and their mother had an estranged relationship since he used to hang
out with gang members and got into countless street fights, mostly for money and reputation.
Joey was kicked out of the house at 15, and has been on his own since then.
Luckily, their mother paid for the first month's rent on a two bedroom
apartment in Domino City, but he was on his own after that. Serenity shuddered
at the bitter memory.
"The money you make from doing that gang's dirty work
will take care of you. I don't want your hostility in my house!"
Their mother said to joey before throwing his bags out the door.
Five years later, Serenity finally got out of that cold household. Without her
brother around, she felt empty. Even after Joey got her the eye operation,
it didn't phase their mother one bit. It wasn't easy for their mother to accept
it, but after much convincing, she respected her daughter's wishes.
As a legal adult, she couldn't really stop Serenity if she tried.
Her and her brother had years to make up wasn't getting into fights
anymore, and had a real job. He was thrilled to finally live with his baby sister.
Serenity remembered that day so vividly. Joey carried every single box
and bag of her belongings with ease, loading them into Mai Valentine's car.
She soon found out that the busty blonde lived with her brother, and were
finally a couple.
"I'm sure you and Joey have SO much to catch up on, hun.
I'll order us some great Chinese food later and run you
a bath when we get home!" The busty blonde said with a feminine laugh.
Joey blushed for no particular reason, and Serenity couldn't help but giggle,
quickly growing attached to violet eyed woman. But as the months went by,
her life with the couple became anything but pleasant.
Frustrated, the auburn haired girl crumpled the newspaper into a ball,
tossing it to her tiny garbage can in the corner of the room.
Serenity suddenly flinched a bit at the sound of Mai's yelling. She could hear
their argument through the hollow wall that separated the two bedrooms. She could
see over the months that the two were drifting apart. Misunderstandings piled up,
and resentment surfaced.
"It's been TWO YEARS, Joey! You're still working at that stupid
warehouse and haven't even gotten me a promise ring!
Hell, I'm paying for most of the rent on top of my car payments!"
Mai yelled. The sound of a few things crashing on the floor followed.
"Well I told ya, my boss has been cuttin' my hours.
I'm been tryin' to find anotha job!"
Joey yelled back.
"Well I'm tired of your excuses! When I moved in you said
you'd take care of me! and with your sister here money
seems to have gotten even tighter! Ugh, I'm just so unhappy, Joseph."
Mai replied with a scoff.
"Don't drag my baby sistah into this.
And I know what I said, Alright?
I'm tryin', don't say that I'm not.."
Joey said softly.
"Well maybe I'm done trying. We need some time apart.
Call me when things are more stable, Joseph."
Mai said as she packed her things.
Serenity had heard the clacking of Mai's heeled boots
and the apartment door was it. Mai had left.
Joey came into Serenity's room, taking a seat on her bed before
he embraced his sister. She knew he needed her comfort. She stroked her
brother's blonde head in silence. The apartment felt cold and empty,
just as her mother's house had been when Joey left.
Her dark green eyes began to close when they shifted into a laying position.
As brother and sister, the two fell asleep. She knew from then on their lives
would be anything but easy.