Unfortunate Circumstances
"Yugi, you can't!" Téa yelled as she rushed toward the boy. "You can't take this risk!"
She awoke suddenly, knocking blankets to the floor as she gasped for air. When the initial shock wore off, sadness was what replaced it. A tear slowly made its way down her right cheek while she hugged herself with trembling arms.
'That dream again,' she thought. 'Why must I keep having it, night after night?'
As she sat there, not being able to make out anything in her dark room, a chill ran up her spine. 'What if Yugi's trying to tell me something?'
---
Téa started as the bell rang.
"You okay, Téa?" Joey asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
" 'Mm..." Téa muttered with a nod.
"You didn't have that dream again, did you?" Tristan asked, worry on his face.
Téa sighed as she shoved her right hand into her bangs, using the arm as a prop for her head. "I just can't seem to make it stop," she moaned.
"You really need ta get more sleep, Téa..." Joey told her, noticing that she wasn't worried about how she was messing up her hair.
"Joey's right... Why don't you try getting your mind off him?"
"Don't you think I've been trying to do that for the past week?!" Téa snapped, slamming both hands onto her desk. The classroom became silent as teens snapped their heads toward Téa.
A vein on Téa's forehead threatened to burst as Joey and Tristan backed away from the girl. "Whoa, man, that's not what I meant!" Tristan attempted to explain as he hastily waved his hands to negate the earlier sentence. "...I meant, maybe you could go shopping or something. You like shopping, right?"
Téa sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry guys... I've just been on edge these past few days..."
"That's okay... We've all been that way..." Joey told her with a smile as he and Tristan timidly returned to their seats. Téa smiled, but it quickly faded from her face as she realized something.
"Is it lunch already?"
Joey and Tristan snickered.
---
Joey absentmindedly moved his straw through the black liquid. A few little bubbles surfaced as he stirred and the remaining ice rattled with the movement. 'I wish there was some way ta bring 'im back... It's just hard ta believe he's really gone.' Joey picked up a cold french-fry and dipped it into the paper ketchup cup. 'Téa's not the only one havin' dreams... I'm just used ta not gettin' enough sleep, so it doesn't show. What I keep dreamin' 'bout is his duel with Pegasus - that five minutes when he was in that weird black thing and none 'a us could feel 'im... We all believed he almost died in that duel. At the end 'a the dream, I know he's gone and I run outta there. Every night it feels as though I'm losing 'im again.
'I know my dream's not as bad as Téa's, though. From what she tells me, hers is about that duel with Kaiba. But instead 'a Kaiba, Yuge's the one standing on the ledge. Kaiba's not even there. Téa begs 'im notta do it, but just before she can reach 'im, he slips.'
"Joey?"
Joey shook his head to get back to reality.
"I've never seen you eat so slowly before, big brother. - Is something wrong?"
"Nah. Nothin's wrong, Serenity. I just have a lot ta think about is all."
Serenity knitted her eyebrows as she drew some of her milkshake through the straw. "It's about Yugi, isn't it." Joey couldn't keep his eyes on his sister, deciding to stare at the table, instead. "Joey..." she reached over the table to put her hand on top of his. "It's okay to miss him... he was one of your best friends."
"I know, sis... It's just that, I know others should feel worse. Like Téa... She was in love with the guy. They were friends for years, and they just started goin' out with each other. - It's like, if I lost Mai as well as Yuge. See sis? I oughta be strong for the others..." Joey peeked up at his sister to see a sweet smile on her face. - For a minute there, he didn't think she would understand what he was saying.
"It's okay to be strong for your friends, Joey. But, just remember that you don't need to be strong for me."
Joey smiled weakly. 'Easier said than done, Serenity... You're the one I always try ta be strong for.'
---
That night, Joey sat cross-legged on his bed. His light was on and he was still in his clothes. The digital clock by his bed read 4:27am. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he didn't try. 'I wish Serenity didn't have ta go back home...' he thought. Glancing to his right to read his clock, he added, 'Not that she'd be awake at this hour ta talk, anyhow...'
Joey jumped when he heard the phone ring. Picking up the receiver, he said, " 'Lo?"
"Sorry to wake you, Joey, but I felt as though I needed someone to talk to..."
"No problem, Téa. What's up?"
"I-I just really miss Yugi right now..."
"Téa, why don't ya come on over... We could talk about this face ta face," Joey said into the phone.
"I-If you don't mind..."
"Nah. Come on over. - I'll leave the porch light on."
After hanging up the phone, Joey checked his father's bedroom to make sure he wouldn't bother them. The man was out cold, laying on top of the covers. An empty bottle was lying by the bed. Just to make sure, Joey twisted the lock on the doorknob and shut the door. Now if his father did wake up, he'd probably be too out of it to figure out how to unlock the door. Of course, the assumption could be wrong, but Joey felt as though he could get Téa to safety if anything happened.
---
Téa stepped up to the door. Tears were clouding her vision and she hoped she had the right place. She felt numb this January night - or morning - but she couldn't tell if it was the cold weather or if the numbness was inside her. She momentarily thought about backing out. She shouldn't bother Joey with her problems. But, he sounded so willing on the phone, so maybe he didn't mind... Why had she called Joey, anyhow? Why not Tristan, or someone else? 'I guess I just felt as though Joey would be the easiest to talk to... We've gotten so close recently... Well, here it goes,' Téa thought, reaching for the door. However, before she could knock, the door opened.
"There you are, Téa," Joey said with a soft smile.
"Uh... Yeah, I guess so..." Téa replied, a little surprised. She didn't notice that her hand was still outstretched, ready to knock on the door - which was no longer there to knock on.
"Oh! - Here," Joey said, putting a mug in her extended hand. "I made some hot chocolate."
"Oh..." Téa said, looking at the steaming brown liquid.
"C'mon in."
Téa blushed in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Joey..." she said as she stepped inside. "I don't know where my head is..."
"That's okay," Joey told her as he closed the door.
"It's not! I mean, here you are giving me hot chocolate and inviting me into your house, and all I do is stare blankly at you."
"Like I said - it's fine. You just miss Yugi. We all do, Téa... Nothin's wrong with that."
Téa smiled as she watched the thin layer of foam swirl in her cup.
"You can sit down if you want," Joey said, gesturing toward the couch.
"Thanks," Téa replied as she sat down. Joey sat in a chair next to the couch.
"So... what did ya wanna talk about?" he asked, trying to get rid of the awkwardness of the moment.
"Well... See, I couldn't get to sleep," Téa said as she took off her coat. "Yugi kept coming to my mind..." She set her mug on a coaster she found on the neglected coffee table. - The normally unused coaster was probably a remnant from an earlier time. "I know what you must be thinking. - It's been a week. I should be starting to get better, not worse. I shouldn't be thinking about him const-"
"No, Téa," Joey interrupted when noticing that her voice was starting to crack. "I wasn't thinking that."
"Oh..." Téa said, turning her eyes away from Joey as she tried to blink away the tears that started to form from her unfinished sentence.
Joey smiled. "Hey, Téa?" Téa curiously turned back toward Joey. "You remember that time me and Yuge ran inta you at Burger World? Afta the two 'a us sat down, I was tellin' Yuge about how nice ya seemed ta be. Then you walked up and poured ketchup all over our food."
Téa cracked a smile. "Yeah... I thought you two were there to blackmail me or something, but you were really nice about it. It's too bad about what happened next..."
"That guy with the camera?" Téa nodded. "It wasn't all bad, though, was it? Yuge was there ta rescue ya an' all."
"I have no idea how he found me, but it was so admirable to see Yugi attack that man. - He was over twice Yugi's size... He could be so brave at times."
"I know what ya mean," Joey said while nodding. "Around the time me an' Tristan first got ta know Yugi, he stood up ta the school bully for us. We were about ta be beat to a pulp, but Yugi stepped between 'im an' us and outstretched his arms."
Téa smiled as she took a sip from her hot chocolate. "Do you remember how-" Téa put a hand over her mouth as she yawned. "How good he was at giving dueling advice?"
"He was a lotta help at the beginnin' 'a Duelist Kingdom... That Time Wizard card really helped me outta some jams."
"And when I had to duel that creep in the virtual world, Yugi got there just in time to help me."
---
Joey apprehensively gazed toward the mysterious dark sphere separating him from the duel - and from Yugi. 'I still can't feel 'im...' His eyes widened. 'I don't think he's there anymore. He's... gone...'
"Yugi!" Joey yelled as tears built up beneath his eyes. His voice echoed from the walls of the castle, but there was no reply. When Joey looked toward the duel arena again, the black sphere was no longer there, but Yugi wasn't, either. Joey turned and ran, shoving the door open with his free hand as he wiped tears from his eyes with the other. Outside, birds chirped and the sun shone brightly, and Joey couldn't stand it. He wanted everything to be dark and gloomy. He wanted the whole world to mourn Yugi's death.
If he paid more attention to his surroundings, he may have recognized this place. He was running along the upper part of Pegasus's castle, high above the ground.
"Yugi, you can't!"
Joey widened his eyes and stopped, looking around. Somehow, those words seemed familiar - but that wasn't important. What he cared about was what was said. 'Yugi?' he thought.
"You can't take this risk!"
Joey noticed a staircase just a little ahead and to his right, connecting his walkway with a small wing of the castle. He went over the steps just in time to see Téa running toward little Yugi, who was standing on the ledge.
"...Téa, I-" Yugi began to say as she reached him, but he wasn't able to finish. A chunk of the battlement crumpled under his weight.
"Yugi!" she cried, reaching out to him as he fell backward. Yugi reached for her hand, as well, but only their fingers touched. Yugi plummeted downward. "Y-Yugi..." Téa sobbed.
Joey had been running as he watched the scene unfold before him, but he only just now reached the location. "Téa..." he whispered, not bothering to wipe the fresh tears from his eyes.
"Oh, Joey!" Téa said, turning to the blond. Without even looking up at him, she buried her tear-soaked face into his chest. Looking over her head, Joey glanced toward the edge of the castle with a frown, sadness in his eyes. Yugi was gone for good - he just couldn't reach him in time. - Why couldn't that have happened to Kaiba...? Joey snapped back to reality as he felt Téa's trembling hands latching onto the sides of his shirt.
"It's okay now, Téa..." he soothed, wrapping his arms around her protectively.
"Joey..."
"Yes, Téa?"
"Joey..."
'...Huh?' Joey wondered as he looked into Téa's eyes, realizing that something didn't make sense.
"Joey, wake up!" Téa exclaimed.
"Wh-what?! I'm up, I'm up! Shesh. Didja have ta wake me? I was right in the middle of a dream with..." Joey blushed as he realized what he was about to say.
Téa rolled her eyes. "The subject of my dream is probably much more interesting than that woman in yours, Joey." Joey's blush deepened a shade as he thought she may change her mind if she knew. "See, my dream was about Yugi. It was actually that same nightmare I've had since his funeral, but this time, it was different. Well, it all happened the same way, but this time, I didn't wake up right after he fell off the edge. No, this time "
Joey smiled as she explained it, although he wasn't really listening to her. - After all, he had the same dream. 'If only the circumstances were better...' he thought. 'Maybe then, this could'a amounted ta somethin'. But, as it is, I can't take away Yuge's girlfriend, only days afta he died...'
He trailed off just in time to hear Téa say, "-so, this may sound crazy, but, when I told you last night that I felt as though Yugi was trying to tell me something... Well... Maybe he was trying to say that he felt... we should... um..." Téa blushed.
'...can I...?' Joey questioned, finishing his thought.
--The End--
No, I didn't actually say how Yugi died. You can figure that out by yourselves. - It's not important. It's also not important about what happened to Yami. It's probably after he left, though, or else Téa wouldn't have started dating Yugi, right? Also... I didn't mention it in the story, but I'm getting the feeling that those two are going to be late for school unless it's Saturday, and Joey's dad may be upset about that door being locked...
This round of ComputerFreak's tournament seemed to fall right into place for me... Everything fit together without me having to do much editing... (after coming up with an idea) Unfortunately, I may have inadvertently copied a few things from the first round... Sorry, Darkrunner... Like you, I couldn't find any other way but to kill Yugi. I think it also sounded slightly like Angel's Nocturne's round one piece, which involved Yami/Atemu being gone. (Is it my fault that Téa's too tied up with Yugi and Yami?!)
See... I couldn't think of anything else, after running through a few scenarios. My thinking was kind'a like: what do they have in common? Yugi. Yugi likes Téa, so he wouldn't set them up. Maybe if they were alone together they'd notice each other for the first time. Perhaps Yugi's in a shadow duel with a guy that sends them both to the shadow realm and they talk about memories of the past. - couldn't get it to work out. But if Yugi's dead, they could talk about memories, and it'd be more angsty.
Then, I tried thinking of something else, but the line "You can't take this risk!" popped into my head... And after I wrote that first scene, the title popped into my head, too. After that, I figured it was destiny. (And at the moment, I feel as though it's one of my best and most in-character pieces)