Chapter One:
-Joey opened his eyes. It was dark out and cold. Joey pulled his blue jacket tighter around him, and looked at his watch. It was six o'clock in the morning and the sun was just starting to rise over the park. School would start in an hour and Joey still had to find some breakfast somewhere and go home to get his school stuff. Joey grumbled to himself. "Home" was not a very comforting word to Joey as it was to other kids. His father would be pissed that Joey hadn't come home last night. Joey grabbed his shoes off the ground under the big oak tree, and slipped them on. As Joey was walking home, he prepared himself for the wrath that he would surly get from his father.
Soon, Joey came to a broken down, old apartment building. He climbed the four flights of stairs, since the elevator didn't work, and walked down to room 413. Joey took a deep breath. "Common Joey. You have done this thousands of times before." Joey dug the house key out of his pocket and stuck it into the lock and turned. The lock clicked open and Joey uneasily opened the door. He peered inside to see if his father was waiting for him, but, to Joey's relief, he wasn't. Joey closed the door behind him and quietly walked into his room, grabbed his book-bag, and stuffed his dueling deck into his coat pocket. He quietly made his way to the door.
Well, so far so good- thought Joey, but he had thought too soon.
Joey heard a crash behind him and saw his father stumble in, holding an empty bottle of Bourbon, hard liquor in his hand.
"Where have ya been ya little punk?"
"I was at a friends house." Joey answered.
"Why you ungrateful little mutt!!!"
Joey's father through his liquor bottle at Joey. It hit him in the head and Joey yelped, dropping to the floor, clutching his head in pain. Joey saw blood spill over the dirty, gray, carpet.
"You filthy, good-for-nothing coward!"
Joey's dad kicked him a few times in the ribs. Joey felt a few break. Then he picked him up by his T-shirt and punched Joey in the eye. Joey was released from his clutches as his father passed out and landed with a thud on the floor. Joey winced as he stood up, grabbed his bag, and rushed out the door. Joey limped down the street and pulled his hood up over his head to hide the blood. Joey didn't want his friends to know how much of a coward he was, especially not Kaiba. That would be hell. As soon as Joey got to school, he ran to the bathroom and checked his reflection in the mirror. He had a black eye and blood was dripping down his ear. Joey wiped it off and pulled the hood even lower, so you could barely see his eyes. Joey went to his locker and got his books, then went to class. He sat down in the back, next to Yugi.
"Hey Joey!"
"Hey Yug."
"Joey, you alright?
Yeah Yug, just tired that's all."
Joey really didn't like lying to his best friend, but Joey shuddered to think about what Yugi would think of him if Joey told him his secrets. Seto Kaiba walked in and took a seat behind Joey.
"Morning mutt."
"I am not a dog Kaiba!" Joey growled.
Seto just chuckled. "You even growl like one."
Joey just ignored him. He took out a black notebook and started drawing in it. Besides his dueling deck, this was his most prized possession. He would draw in it whenever he got angry, or bored, or when he just wanted to get away from the world. Joey started drawing a beautiful woman in a white gown with long, flowing hair. Then he added white wings to her.
The angel of faith. If there was any left in his life.
"Mr. Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler!!!"
Joey snapped his head up. This whole class was looking at him.
"Mr. Wheeler, I have told you time and again not to draw in my class. One more time and you will spend your weekend in detention!"
Joey nodded.
"And would you PLEASE take your hood off! This is a classroom!"
Joey nervously looked around. If he took his hood off, everyone would see the blood. But he didn't want detention again. Last time Joey had gotten detention, his father made him pay dearly. He would take off his hood, and if anyone asked him about it, he would blame it on a street fight, like he always did. Joey nodded and reluctantly pulled down his hood. Thankfully, everyone was taking notes that the teacher had just put up on the board and didn't notice the blood dripping down the back of his neck. Everyone, except Seto Kaiba.
-Joey opened his eyes. It was dark out and cold. Joey pulled his blue jacket tighter around him, and looked at his watch. It was six o'clock in the morning and the sun was just starting to rise over the park. School would start in an hour and Joey still had to find some breakfast somewhere and go home to get his school stuff. Joey grumbled to himself. "Home" was not a very comforting word to Joey as it was to other kids. His father would be pissed that Joey hadn't come home last night. Joey grabbed his shoes off the ground under the big oak tree, and slipped them on. As Joey was walking home, he prepared himself for the wrath that he would surly get from his father.
Soon, Joey came to a broken down, old apartment building. He climbed the four flights of stairs, since the elevator didn't work, and walked down to room 413. Joey took a deep breath. "Common Joey. You have done this thousands of times before." Joey dug the house key out of his pocket and stuck it into the lock and turned. The lock clicked open and Joey uneasily opened the door. He peered inside to see if his father was waiting for him, but, to Joey's relief, he wasn't. Joey closed the door behind him and quietly walked into his room, grabbed his book-bag, and stuffed his dueling deck into his coat pocket. He quietly made his way to the door.
Well, so far so good- thought Joey, but he had thought too soon.
Joey heard a crash behind him and saw his father stumble in, holding an empty bottle of Bourbon, hard liquor in his hand.
"Where have ya been ya little punk?"
"I was at a friends house." Joey answered.
"Why you ungrateful little mutt!!!"
Joey's father through his liquor bottle at Joey. It hit him in the head and Joey yelped, dropping to the floor, clutching his head in pain. Joey saw blood spill over the dirty, gray, carpet.
"You filthy, good-for-nothing coward!"
Joey's dad kicked him a few times in the ribs. Joey felt a few break. Then he picked him up by his T-shirt and punched Joey in the eye. Joey was released from his clutches as his father passed out and landed with a thud on the floor. Joey winced as he stood up, grabbed his bag, and rushed out the door. Joey limped down the street and pulled his hood up over his head to hide the blood. Joey didn't want his friends to know how much of a coward he was, especially not Kaiba. That would be hell. As soon as Joey got to school, he ran to the bathroom and checked his reflection in the mirror. He had a black eye and blood was dripping down his ear. Joey wiped it off and pulled the hood even lower, so you could barely see his eyes. Joey went to his locker and got his books, then went to class. He sat down in the back, next to Yugi.
"Hey Joey!"
"Hey Yug."
"Joey, you alright?
Yeah Yug, just tired that's all."
Joey really didn't like lying to his best friend, but Joey shuddered to think about what Yugi would think of him if Joey told him his secrets. Seto Kaiba walked in and took a seat behind Joey.
"Morning mutt."
"I am not a dog Kaiba!" Joey growled.
Seto just chuckled. "You even growl like one."
Joey just ignored him. He took out a black notebook and started drawing in it. Besides his dueling deck, this was his most prized possession. He would draw in it whenever he got angry, or bored, or when he just wanted to get away from the world. Joey started drawing a beautiful woman in a white gown with long, flowing hair. Then he added white wings to her.
The angel of faith. If there was any left in his life.
"Mr. Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler!!!"
Joey snapped his head up. This whole class was looking at him.
"Mr. Wheeler, I have told you time and again not to draw in my class. One more time and you will spend your weekend in detention!"
Joey nodded.
"And would you PLEASE take your hood off! This is a classroom!"
Joey nervously looked around. If he took his hood off, everyone would see the blood. But he didn't want detention again. Last time Joey had gotten detention, his father made him pay dearly. He would take off his hood, and if anyone asked him about it, he would blame it on a street fight, like he always did. Joey nodded and reluctantly pulled down his hood. Thankfully, everyone was taking notes that the teacher had just put up on the board and didn't notice the blood dripping down the back of his neck. Everyone, except Seto Kaiba.