Gentle Doom
Written: November 2003
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! nor Sonnet 145 because let's face it; that would be scary.
Author's note: This was actually an assignment in English class! I changed the names, of course. The assignment was to write a short story based off one of Shakespeare's sonnets. I had trouble not writing more than seven pages. Little does my teacher know, I used size 11.5 font rather than 12. Hah!
Dedication: To my mom. She actually liked this story because it made sense. That's probably because there are no crazy yamis or Millennium Items to reign chaos over the fic.
Sonnet 145 by William Shakespeare
Those lips that Love's own hand did make
Breathed forth the sound that said 'I hate'
To me that languish'd for her sake;
But when she saw my woeful state,
Straight in her heart did mercy come,
Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom,
And taught it thus anew to greet:
'I hate' she alter'd with an end,
That follow'd it as gentle day
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away;
'I hate' from hate away she threw,
And saved my life, saying 'not you.'
Gentle Doom
by Pedal
"Come on, yew dumbass. Let us out, ah'ready," Joey whispered harshly to the neck of his instrument. The scroll of a string bass loomed over his head. He attempted to suck in a sigh, but the temperature of his surroundings prevented him from doing so. Wiping the sweat from his brow and sandy gold bangs, he lifted his bow in synchronization with the arms of the director. Thinking only of the stifling heat in the orchestra classroom, Joey subconsciously played the Mozart piece with added fervor, as if to prove he didn't need the stretched rehearsal. He played every note perfectly.
The bell rang, eliciting a collective groan from the orchestra. Everyone immediately stopped playing and packed their things. The basses screwed their endpins in and waddled to the storage room with Joey tagging behind. "'Dey 'ad ta make da humidity room as far away from us as pos'ble..." he muttered. Indeed, the climate-controlled white-washed room was on the right side of the orchestra room, while the bass section traditionally resides to the far left, behind the cellos. Joey, being second chair and therefore second farthest left out of five bassists, growled in frustration.
Pieces of conversation flew at him as his put the sheet music away. "He never keeps us this long," and, "Aren't we supposed to be let out, like, five minutes before the end of class? This sucks," reached Joey's ears.
As he stepped into the hallway, Joey heard the rumbling of bus engines, and they were leaving. Several underclassmen that he recognized from orchestra ran after the buses, waving their arms. He smiled at them, glad he was getting a ride. He stopped walking.
Mai.
He wasn't getting a ride.
Mai was his ride home every day after school. Every day. Today she wouldn't come. Joey winced at yesterday's memory of overhearing her speaking while the three of them were at their friend Yugi's game shop. Joey had run upstairs to relieve himself while Mai stayed and talked to Yugi. As he had crept down the stairs, he had heard Mai's voice filling with anger.
"I know, but he's such a whiny brat! He doesn't need me to cart him around, and he treats me like a witch! I hate-"
As soon as Joey had come into her line of sight, her lips had frozen. Then they had left.
He checked for her. She wasn't there. She hates me. She's not going to pick me up today, thought Joey, who had resumed walking towards the cafeteria. His friends would be waiting for him, and they'd ask him millions of questions relating to his unusually dark disposition. Usually his face was bright and his bad jokes abundant, but today they'd attack him about the sudden mood change.
Dragging along, he began to get lost in trying to fathom the fact that Mai's lips, her sweet, red lips had screeched the words"I hate." Sure, she was an overly sassy witch but never cruel enough to falsely befriend someone.
"Joey!"
She must've despised Joey more than anyone else, especially by using so strong a word as 'hate.'
"Joey!"
Snapping his head down, Joey saw Yugi looking up at him.
"Wow, you were really spaced out there," came Yugi's concerned voice. The shorter boy held up a shining trumpet while pushing blonde bangs from his large eyes. "I need to get going soon to marching band practice... Is something wrong?"
"'Just don't 'ave a ride home. Da buses ah' gone and Mai's not comin'."
"Really? How come?" The kindness in Yugi's voice was already calming Joey. Still, his heart racked from fear and shock.
Joey's tone was shaky, emphasizing his nasal sound. "She ain't too thrilled with me right now. 'Guess I'm stuck heea." It was suddenly cold in the lunch room, Joey barely realized, choking back a wave of emotion. Yug's sure doing a good job of hiding Mai's phony friendship, realized Joey sardonically.
"I'm sorry. Unless you stick around for two hours during marching band, I can't really help you. Why don't you try calling someone? Do you have your phone?" suggested Yugi, sounding sincerely ashamed.
Joey nodded, pushing Yugi on his way. "'Guess you're right. I'll try dat. Thanks, Yug'. See ya later," Processing a false smile, he waved to his friend and started for the doors.
The cell phone remained in his backpack; Joey knew no one would be willing or able to drive him home. His mother lived miles upon miles away from her ex-husband, Joey's father, who Joey guessed would be either too drunk or hung-over to even realize he had a son living with him. The majority of his friends were in the band, while the rest took the bus. Still holding in tears, Joey found a dark table in the half lit, empty lunchroom and sat down.
-
A sleek purple convertible circled the parking lot once before parking. Where is Joseph? He's not waiting for me, thought the car's driver while she parked. Upon entering the building, she passed two boys who eyed her wolfishly. They could tell by her outfit that she did not attend their school; mini skirts and strapless shirts like corsets were not allowed. She pulled on a jean jacket, letting the male students know they didn't have a chance.
As she swept her long mane of blonde hair from under the jacket, she spotted Yugi walking into the auditorium. "Mai"
"Good, I caught you," laughed Mai. "Have you seen Joey? He wasn't waiting outside. It's pretty cloudy, but it's not raining."
Yugi anxiously bounced on his feet. "Yeah, but he said you weren't coming! He thinks you're mad at him, and he sounded really sad, dead almost."
"But why would he think" She covered her mouth suddenly, violet eyes going wide. "He must've thought I was talking about him when I told you about my nephew last night at the shop. He came in right in the middle of the conversation! I remember because when I drove him home after that, he kept acting like I had a bomb on me or something."
Yugi made a small noise, almost like a meow, as she spoke. "You're right! You better go find him before he does anything."
Does anything... "What do you mean?"
"Mai, don't you know? Joey would do anything for you, but he doesn't want to say anything. Hurry, go!" Yugi, already late for practice, scampered on stage without another word. Mai blinked.
Quickly turning on her heel, she bolted. Her boots clacked as she ran down the hall. "Joey!" she called. No answer.
-
Joey toyed with the blade of his sharpener. His sketching pencil sharpener happened to be an old Swiss Army Knife that he knew wasn't permitted on the grounds. Through the musty darkness, the blade winked at him. With a broken family, secret-keeping best friend, and lost love, Joey considered the feeling of the knife on his skin.
"Joseph!" Only old women called him that. Well, his mother and nineteen-year-old Mai, but they weren't there. Perhaps life does flash before one's eyes before death. It was a sign. Suddenly the clopping of thick shoes accompanied the cries of his full name.
Joey felt arms embrace him from behind and, dizzied, heard gasping pants in his ear. The breath and arms shifted as the person fell to her knees. Obviously, the shoes belonged to a woman. "You're so stupid," she whimpered, burying her face in the space between Joey's neck and shoulder. The knife clattered to the table's surface, crunching pencil shavings on a partly completed sketch.
"Mai..." Confused, he gingerly placed his hands on her arms.
"You're so stupid," repeated Mai, squeaking. Joey felt her defenses drop, and pulled her arm until she was kneeling in front of him. She was still clinging to his neck, and Joey was surprised not only by Mai's abrupt devotion to him but her softness. Her masks of toughness and apathy were gone. "Not you. I don't hate you, you idiot. Yesterday, at Yugi's, I was talking about my sister's kid. We were in a hurry to drop you off, remember?" Just as he thought it was impossible, Mai pulled Joey closer. He fell onto the floor. She didn't hate him. An overwhelming relief shown in his chocolate puppy eyes. A grateful smile graced his lips, and he hugged her tightly in return.
She let up her hold only to grab his face and kiss his cheek harshly but melded back into him right after. A familiar heat rose to Joey's face and ears, and a wonderfully sickening beat seemed like it was forcing Joey's heart up his esophagus. Joey held her, once again regaining hope in winning her. "I love you."
"I know."