Well, I just had to write this story. It's sad, so if you don't like sad stories, I suggest you do not read this. This is a two-shot story, meaning that there's only two chapters and it's also a songfic. The song is Who You'd Be Today By Kenny Chesney. This is personally one of my favorite songs and every time I listen to it, I start to cry.
Lisa: It's a cute song, you should go look it up!
Oh, And this is a Joey's POV. I always do either Yami/Atem or Yugi, so, I'm changing it up!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Kazuki Takahashi does.
Disclaimer: I do not own the song Who You'd Be Today. Kenny Chesney does.
I'll See You Again Someday
"You know, everyday I keep looking back a few years and I keep wonderin'; I wonder what it would have been like if we never became friends. How much my life would have changed." I admitted, my stomach squeezing as I released my thoughts. I looked over at my short pal, Yugi, to find him looking at me with thoughtful eyes. "I keep askin' myself, 'What would my life be like if Yugi had never stood up for me and Tristan and called us friends? Would my life still be the same; bulling kids for the hell of it?' Everyday, I always find myself askin', who would I be today?" I swallowed, finding the words come easier and easier to say. I continued, "You know, Yuge, I never realized it before, but, I owe you so much. You changed my life for the better. I went from being the school's bully and a gang member, to a proud guy who makes a change to everyone. I just... I don't know how to repay you."
Yugi looked away from me to watch where we were walking, "You want to know something, Joey? Your friendship is all the payment I need." He looked back to me with a honest smile.
I couldn't help but smile back, "Thanks, Yuge." The queasy feeling in my stomach lessened to nothing and in it's place, I felt joy and happiness.
He nodded and looked away once again. This time, I too, looked ahead of myself, still smiling.
A minute later and, "Joey?"
"Yeah?"
"You're my best friend and I have never regretted that." His voice was serious so you could tell he wasn't lying, but also, it was soft, like he was saying it with his normal voice.
I reached over and slung my arm around his small shoulders, "You're my best friend too, Yuge. Nothing can change that."
!
"No!" I yelled, punching the wall as hard as I could. I couldn't feel any pain that I knew was there. All of my senses were dull and useless as I squeezed my eyes shut and tuned everything around me out. "No, no, no!" Tears continued to pour down my face but I did nothing to wipe them away. "It's all my fault!" I choked on the words and punched the wall again, this time harder.
The sounds of the ambulance sirens and the sounds of those guns being shot kept echoing in my mind, haunting me forever.
My eyes flashed opened and I suddenly felt the need to take out all of my anger and depression out in the wall again.
The poor wall. It did nothing to me, but I was doing so much to it. I would have placed a bet that if Tristan hadn't pulled me away from it, the wall would have had a big hole in it.
"Dude, its not your fault!" My friend tried to say through his own tears. He was trying to be strong, but I could see just how much he was hurting. The pain in his eyes were unmistakeable.
I pushed him away and ignored the hurt look he gave me. He wasn't the only one hurting. "Yes it is!" I shouted. I felt like pulling my hair out of my scalp from my frustration. "It's all my fault he's in there! If I had stayed with him..." I trailed off, choking on the lump that formed in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut.
"If you had stayed with him," Tristan said, taking my shoulders with his hands and he gave me a firm shake, "then you'd be in there too, dying!" As he said that, more tears slid down his cheeks as the truth came out.
I opened my eyes and said with a cold voice, "He's not dying. He'll get through this, he always does!" Even as I said it, I knew the words were false. It was a lie I didn't want to believe so I kept telling myself he would live. Just like all of the other times he got hurt.
Tristan dropped his hands, understanding, "I don't think someone could live after being shot five times in the chest," he said as softly as he could, almost like he his lips were moving, but no sound coming out. He looked away, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
I resisted the urge to slug the brunette. He was just stating the facts whether or not I liked it. Instead, I turned away. I wished I didn't though. Gramps was sitting on one of the plastic waiting chairs, head in his hands and his whole frame shaking as he sobbed. Tea was next to him, whispering encouraging words and soothingly patting his back. She was also crying and her shakes were almost as bad as Gramps. The family pet, Iggi, was hiding under the old man's chair. No one could see the dog's face, but everyone knew how close he and Yugi were. They knew the dog could understand what was going on, and knew how he was feeling.
My head started to pound against my skull and my legs felt shaky. Before I could collapse to the ground, I left Tristan standing in the middle of the hall, and managed to stumble over to the chairs. I sat down on the other end and had two empty seats separating me from Tea and Gramps.
My shoulders hunched over and I crossed my hands in front of me. My vision was becoming less blurry as my body stopped the process of tears.
I started to think how today started out like any normal day. Me and Yugi and Iggi, we decided to just hang out, just the two of us. -Three-. We had gone to the park to play fetch and talk. We were talking about dueling and how tomorrow we were going to play a match with our duel disks. He wanted to see how far I progressed while I wanted to just duel him. We –
In the seat next to me, a soft golden light shone. It wasn't bright, nor was it dull, but it was like turning a flash light on in an already bright room. I slowly turned my head over in the direction, curious but not letting it show. To be honest, I didn't care what it was.
The golden glow had taken a shape of a human. It was just the outline at first and it was starting to sparkle. The figure was hunched over, looking down at the ground. From what I could make out, the figure was holding the sides of his head like he was trying to block out loud music. I didn't even gasp or change my reaction to shock as the figure started to fill out.
It was male and he was wearing the Domino High School's uniform. Hanging around his neck on a solid silver chain, was an upside down pyramid with a weird eye on the middle of it. His crimson eyes were tightly sealed shut as tears escaped from them. His golden bangs half hid his face in the shadows as the rest of his spiky, star shape hair defined gravity. His whole frame was shaking as he silently mourned for his lost aibou.
If possible, my eyes became more duller and I looked away from the heart shattering sight. All of this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't suggested we stop at the convenient store to grab something to eat.
Flash Back:
"Man, it's so hot!" I complained as a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. I quickly wiped it away with the back of my hand before crossing my arms behind my head in my usual stance.
Yugi nodded in agreement. "Even after staying in the shade for a few hours while playing fetch,I'm sweating up a storm."
His beagle, Iggi whined in agreement as his tongue hung out of his mouth while he panted.
I raised an eyebrow and started at my best friend, "You can sweat?" I joked, "I didn't know nerds could!" I faked a gasp and tried hard not to laugh.
Yugi slapped me in the arm and pouted, "Everyone can sweat! And I'm not a nerd!"
I rolled my eyes, "Sure, Yuge, whatever you say. ~Cough~ Nerd ~Cough~." I was set another frown from the King of Games but I returned it back with a knuckle sandwich.
"Ah!" he yelped, trying to get away, "You'll mess up my hair!" When I stopped, he was trying to fix it and make sure it still stuck up like it was supposed to.
I snorted, "You can be such a girl some times, Yuge."
"Am not!"
We continued walking down the street, careful to pass by by-standards who weren't paying attention. A lot of people were out today and the walkway was filled with 'em. To pass by slow walkers, I had to step into the street and avoid getting hit by a car.
"Man. I'm kind of hungry," I said, rubbing my rumbling stomach. Last time I ate was at Yugi's before we left and that was three hours ago.
Yugi nodded in agreement. "Same." He looked around the shopping area and noticed a cafe further down the street. "We can stop over there and rest for a while," he suggested.
When I looked over to where he was implying, I mentally groaned. I knew my eyes were deceiving me, but the shop looked miles and miles away when it was really only stores and across the street.
"Uh..." I quickly looked around, trying to locate something closer. It didn't take very long when I spotted it, since it was only three stores away from us and we were on the same side. "How 'bout there?" I pointed to a convenient store.
Both owner and pet looked over to the store I was pointing at,
"We can buy something cheap and keep walking," I continued when I saw Yugi think about it. "You said you had to be home at a certain time and it's getting close to that, If we stop by the cafe, we won't make it in time." Which was all true now that I think about it. Yugi had to get home to help his grandpa unload a new shipment of games and I offered to help.
Yugi looked down at his watch on his wrist and noticed we only had twenty minutes to get to the game shop and it was a ten minute walk from here to there.
"Alright," he agreed and looked away from his watch.
I smiled and we arrived at our destination in mere minutes. "How 'bout you wait out here while I go buy us something. Dr. Pepper for you, water for the Iggi-nator and a Sprite for me. And a bag of chips," I added, remembering my rumbling stomach. "I wish they would change the rule about letting dogs into stores."
"Same, but don't worry, we'll stay right here." He smiled and didn't mind. He started to reach for his wallet to pay for himself and his dog when I shook my head.
"Nah, don't worry 'bout it; my treat." I said.
Yugi stuffed his wallet back into his pocket and nodded his thanks, "Thanks, Joey."
"No prob." Before I entered the store, I saw Iggi crawl under the bench right in front of the store, trying to get away from the sun and stay cool. Both me and Yugi laughed and I excused myself to the store.
!
Yugi sat down on the bench, taking a breather. The sun was still blazing over head but he didn't mind all that much. At least it was a beautiful day. He looked around the shopping center just as Yami phased out, floating an inch above the bench.
'How's your day with Joey going, aibou?' He asked and he too, looked around, enjoying his time being out of the puzzle.
/Great!/ He responded in a cheerful voice. /It's been a while since the two of us just hung out with each other and it was really nice./ He saw a crowd of people a few stores down, talking with each other and looked like they were having a good time together. They couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve years old.
Yami nodded. 'You know, I think Joey was really touched when you told him he was your best friends. You should have seen his reaction.'
/Well, it's the truth,/ Yugi smiled from the earlier conversation he and Joey had about an hour ago. Even though he never detected any jealousy in his Dark's voice, he just wanted to make sure it was clear, /And don't worry, you're my best friend too. But, I also see you as an older brother I've always wanted./
'Same to you, aibou.' He lightly punched his Light on the shoulder. Most people wouldn't have felt it, well, scratch that, everyone wouldn't have been able to feel that since Yami was a transparent spirit. Yugi felt it though, since they were two of the same.
They sat for a minute in a comfortable silence before they heard a loud screeching noise. It sounded like a car turning the corner at high speed without bothering to even slow down.
Out of mere habit, both Yugi and Yami jump to their feet.
"What was that?" Yugi asked, his eyes wide.
To answer his question, a black van was speeding down the street. The side door was opened with someone hanging halfway out. He was dressed from head to toe in black, even his face was hidden in a black ski mask. Another person, dressed the same, sat in the passenger seat with his window all the way down. The windows were all tinted black so no one could see the driver. But, the two people you could see, they each held something in their hands. The objects were big and black and looked to be made out of metal.
By the time Yugi identified what they were, the guns were already taking fire. Worst thing about it, they started to shoot only a few stores down. And, judging by how fast they were driving, Yugi would have no time to duck, dodge, or get out of the way. Everything was moving too fast.
!
I walked down the chip isle and paused when I reach the bags. I scanned over the packages, deciding which one I was really craving. The potato chips sounded good, but I got those every time. I wanted something different.
After narrowing the many choices down to just two, I still couldn't decided which. I didn't have enough money for them both and the drinks, so I had to choose one.
I grabbed both bags and looked up and down the isle I was on. A little boy, looking the age of ten was looking at the candy, having the same problem I was having.
"Hey kid," I said loud enough for him to hear. The kid looked up with curious eyes. I showed him the bags and asked, "Which ones, Sunchips or Cheetos?"
I had to stop myself from laughing as the boy frowned and thought about it like it was the million dollar question. After a minute, he pointed to the Sunchip bag.
I smiled and placed the Cheetos back on the shelf. "Thanks," I said and he nodded, returning back to his on problem. Before I left, I looked over to which ones he was having trouble with and thought about it. "You get more out of the Skittles than you do Recces. And since they're the same price, might as go with the more. And also, if you bring chocolate outside, it'll melt." The boy looked up at me and then back to the bags. He then choose the Skittles and gave me a grin.
I walked towards the back of the store to the refrigerator section to grab the three drinks. After holding two drinks in one hand and the third and my chips in the other, I walked back towards the front of the store to the check out counter. I was in luck; no one else was there meaning I didn't have to wait.
I set the four items on the counter and waited for the cashier to start checking the items out. He was slow at his job and had a bored look to him.
"Slow day, huh?" I asked, trying to make small talk. I leaned casually against the counter and started to fiddle with a pen jar full of pens.
The man nodded. "Like you wouldn't believe. I swear, this job may be the boring-est one I ever had." He scanned the last item and brought up the bill. "Five thirty-two is your total." He said. "Do you want a bag?"
I shook my head and reached for my wallet in the back of my pocket when I heard it.
'Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang' and many more followed with those.
Out of instinct, me and the man and everyone else in the store shielded our heads and fell to the ground.
As I crouched down, wondering what idiot brought a gun and were shooting, I felt this tight squeeze in my gut. I wonder what it could be for when it dawned on me. I rushed to my feet and started to run for the door. The man at the counter yelled for me to come back but I ignored him and kept running. When a bullet made it to the shops window and shattered it, I flinched but kept going.
'No... please, let him be okay!' I thought, panicking. I reached the door and yanked it open. Luckily for me, I had just missed the spray of bullets and saw a black van speed away down the street. Someone in the car had closed the door but all I saw in there was someone dressed in all black.
A loud barking noise and people screaming caught my attention and I looked away from the streets to my best friend.
"Yuge?" I let out a sigh of relief that he was still standing. "Good, you didn't get –," I cut myself off as I noticed him start to collapse. "Yugi?" The panic was back and I rushed over to him. I managed to catch him in my arms before he could fall any further.
"Jo... ey?" I heard him say, though it was full of pain.
I lowered him to the ground and started to check him over for wounds. I caught my breath when five dark red spots appeared on his white shirt, getting bigger and bigger with each passing second.
"Yugi!" I cried out.
Around me, I could feel a crowd coming on. People were yelling and little kids crying. I could barely make out a few people shouting, 'Call 9-1-1!'
I pressed my hand against his a few of the wounds, trying to stop the bleeding like I've seen on TV. All that did though, was drench my hand in a warm liquid and add pain to my pal.
"Jo...ey..." Yugi managed to say again. I looked into his amethyst colored eyes and noticed that they were starting to lose that usual brightness to them.
"Y-yeah?" My eyes started to water.
Weakly, Yugi raised his hand up, his palm facing me and his fingers bent just a little.
I looked at it, not quite sure what he was trying to do, but I grabbed a hold of it with my bloodied hand. I felt him squeezed and I squeezed back.
"R-remember," he tried to smile and I felt the water slide down my cheeks and a lump form in my throat, "y-you're my b-best friends."
"Yuge? Please don't... it's not your time yet. You have to hold on till help gets here!" I cried.
He nodded but I could already see him losing the energy he needed to stay awake. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw tightly. "I'll... t-try, Jo...ey."
"Don't try, Yuge, just do it!" I squeezed his hand a little harder and held it against my chest. "Please..." I whispered and a few tears dripped off of my face and onto the concrete below us.
His eyes opened again. He looked over to his left and saw his dog, almost crying. I forgot Iggi was here.
"Be go-og... boy," he reached his hand out and laid it upon the beagle's head. Iggi whimpered and licked his masters hand.
I looked up when I heard the wailing of police cars and ambulances. When I did, I saw a few other people on the ground, some dying from the gun shot wounds form the Drive By and a few leaning against the wall injured. My eyes drifted back down to my friend and I had to stop myself from crying out in alarm. A puddle of blood was surrounding my friend, leaking out of him from the back. The puddle was slowly getting bigger and bigger. The front of Yugi's shirt was drenched of his life force and he was losing a lot of it.
"You're going to be alright, Yugi," I returned my gaze back to his.
He nodded. "I... believe y-you..." His breathing was now coming out in short pants and it was getting harder and harder for him to keep his eyes opened.
I kept talking to him, making sure he didn't close his eyes again or stop talking. Even when a paramedic came and loaded Yugi on the stretcher and into the back of one of the few ambulances, I never stopped talking, and I never let his hand go.
I remembered a lady saying something to me about Yugi's parents' and her needing the number to call them and tell them what was happening to their son. I must have given it to her without remembering moving my mouth.
All the way to the hospital, I kept saying, "Just wait, when this is all done, we'll be back to having a normal day and going back to the park and dueling." and "Nothing's gonna happen. You're gonna get through this, you're gonna be fine." I wasn't even paying attention to what the paramedics were doing around me. I was oblivious to my surroundings.
Yugi kept getting weaker and weaker. They had to put an oxygen mask on him to help him breathe as they went to work on trying to stop the bleeding.
"Don't... le-leave m-me... Jo...ey," Yugi said after a while of being quiet. He was finally looking scared. His eyes were wide with panic and fear and tears started to leak from them. It was suck a heart breaking sight.
I squeezed his hand again in mine. "I won't." I promised him. "I'll be by your side." I made sure I kept my eyes away from his wounds and only focused on him. "I'm sorry, Yuge." I suddenly blurted out.
He gave me the impression that he was frowning, "Why... you... s-sorry?"
"It's my fault you got hurt," I said through my tears, my head and stomach aching with guilt. "If we had gone to the cafe like you suggested, we wouldn't be in this mess! I... I..." I broke off crying and bowed my head in guilt and shame.
"S'not your... f-f-fault." I heard him say. "Don't blame... blame yourself. Not your... fault."
I shook my head in disagreement. "Yes it is! I'm... I'm so sorry, Yugi." I ignored the looks of pity I got from the paramedics and continued to look at the ground.
Yugi didn't get the chance to argue back as the vehicle came to a stop and the doors swung opened. I looked up in time to see nurses and a few doctors helping pull Yugi's stretcher out. Since I was still holding onto him, I got up and rushed out with them all.
They put Yugi on a bed with wheels and making sure the line was still attached to him, started to wheel him -and me- to the hospital.
I heard a bark somewhere among the shouts and looked away for a minute to see Iggi jump out of the ambulance we were just in and run after us.
My head turned back around and looked down to Yugi again. Alarms sounded in my head when I noticed him start to close his eyes.
"Yuge, please, stay awake!" I urged him. He slowly opened his eyes again and gave me a faint smile. I returned it, though it was a shaky one.
"Sir," A woman's voice sounded to my right. I looked over to her. "You need to let your friend go so we can go to surgery." She said. Her voice was patient, though it had a hint of urgency in it.
My eyes must have widened in alarm when she said, "If you don't release him now, there won't be anything for us to do because it'll be too late."
I gave a silent nod and looked back to my best friend. "I'll see you in a few, 'kay?"
Yugi's eyes widened in panic but I gave him an encouraging smile and squeezed his hand one last time before letting go.
I watched the nurses wheel my friend away to the door's marked 'ER'. I stood in the middle of the hallway for a while. I started to choke with tears still sliding down my face. I don't know how long I stood there, a couple of seconds? A few minutes? I don't remember. I just remember someone yelling my name and turned around to see Yugi's grandfather, Tristan, and Tea all running over to me, looking scared.
End Of Flashback:
I was aroused from my memories when a sudden 'ahem' sounded. I looked up with everyone else in the room -minus Yami- to see a doctor standing close by. His teal colored apron was stained with fresh blood. His mask was pulled down from his mouth and nose. And he was just pulling off his bloodied gloves.
"Mr. Mutou?" He called in a professional voice, masking away all emotion.
Grandpa flinched and slowly got to his feet. He didn't even bothered with trying to hide his tears as he walked over to the doctor.
I stayed sitting down, afraid that if I tried to rise to my feet, I would end up on the ground.
From where I was seated, I couldn't make out what the doctor was saying, he was talking softly like he was whispering the information, but, from what I could make out from the expression and from the sudden cry from Mr. Mutou, I already knew what had happened.
At five twenty-three pm, April twenty-fifth, my best friend, Yugi Mutou, died.
XxxxX
The next chapter will be the funeral. ^^ And you have to wait a week for that too! XD Tell me how you liked it please!
