Chapter 4: Battle of the Blondes

June 2002

Joey and Luna were left to stare at each other. "Do you want to sit with me?" Luna asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, that would be great." Joey sat across from Luna, licking the dribble of ice cream that was threatening to sticky his hand.

"So you're Joey Wheeler. Fourth place in the regional championship. Going for the nationals, right?" Luna asked.

Joey was surprised. "Yeah, how do you know that?"

Luna shrugged as she took her backpack off. She dug through the backpack and produced a magazine. "I read it in a little magazine called 'Ultimate Duelist'." She tossed the magazine onto the table between them.

Joey stared at his own image on the cover. Yugi stood between Yami and Joey in the picture, his head bowed under Joey's arm. The arm was draped across Yugi's back and both Yami and Joey were leaning casually against Yugi. All three were laughing. The odd man out was a tall brunette male beside Yami, looking uncomfortable. A fake smile was plastered on his face. "I didn't know you liked Duel Monsters."

"Like it? I love it!" Luna exclaimed. "I'm kind of a big shot in California. Going to be in the World Championship when it happens next spring."

"You're a duelist? Want to have a duel right here?" Joey asked.

Luna giggled. "Your cards will stick together if you do."

Joey finally looked at his melting ice ream and fervently finished it. "I'll be right back."

Luna giggled again as Joey headed to the bathroom. He returned and sat down. "Sorry about that. So where were we?" he asked.

"You were about to lose a duel. America vs. Japan." Luna smirked.

"Bring it." Joey smirked, reaching for his deck.

Luna took out her own deck. They shuffled each other's decks and the duel began. Luna won by a close margin. "Ha, I told you."

"You're good, I'll admit it." Joey nodded.

"Second place in American Nationals after my sister." Luna answered proudly, returning her deck to her pocket. She slid her chair around to sit next to him. "So, where do we go from here?"

Joey leaned in, his face inches from her. He hesitated, looking into her clear blue eyes. She nodded slightly and he closed the distance, pressing his lips to hers. He put his hand to her neck, holding her head in place.

Luna put a hand to his chest and pushed gently, breaking the kiss. "I'm not that kind of girl." She murmured.

"What do you mean?" Joey asked.

"I want to wait until marriage." Luna told him, pulling away so there was distance between them. "If you have a problem with that, walk out that door right now. I won't change my mind and I won't waste my time."

Joey stayed put. "Do I look like I'm leaving? Because let me tell you something, Luna. I don't care if it's tomorrow or twenty years from now. If that's what it takes for me to have a chance with you, I'll do it. You are worth waiting for. Or at least I'm under that assumption."

Luna ducked her head, cheeks turning red. "You mean that?" she asked, looking up at him a little.

"Yes. I may have just met you, but I know when a woman is a catch." Joey grinned, turning Luna's cheeks a deeper red. "Do you want to see something really cool?"

"Heck yeah. Let's go." Luna got up as he did and followed him out. "What is it?" she asked, shouldering her backpack.

"You'll have to wait to find out. It's actually Yugi's, not mine. I call it my second home." Joey led her to the Game Shop. "Here we are."

"I think I've heard of this place. I didn't know you knew the owner." Luna turned to him. "Show me."

Joey waltzed into the shop like he owned the place. Yugi was working the cash register with Hailey beside him. Yami's spiky hair was visible over the top of the shelves and Tea and Yami were heard laughing. "Hey, Joey. Hey, um…" Yugi smiled apologetically at Luna. "Sorry, I forgot your name."

"Luna. It's okay. We just met. I didn't know your family owns this shop. Do your parents pay you well?" Luna asked.

A shadow fell across Yugi's face and the laughter behind the shelves died. "Our parents died." Yugi said quietly. "We're raised by our grandfather."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know." Hailey apologized before Luna could say it.

"Yeah, me too." Luna told him.

"It's okay." Yugi managed a smile for the girl beside him.

"That's something we have in common. Our parents died when we were five. Our aunt and uncle raised us since then."

"How old are you?" Joey asked.

"Almost sixteen. We're five minutes apart." Hailey explained.

"Twins? That's cool." Joey grinned.

Luna punched his arm. "Perv."

"Not like that." Joey rolled his eyes. "I just never met a set of twins before."

"Oh." Luna seemed at a loss as to what to say.

"Luna told me she's a duelist too." Joey piped up, grinning at Luna.

"Hailey's too. She beat me at a duel. "Yugi looked down, turning red. The other two boys laughed.

Yami went around the shelves as their parents came in. "Oh good, you're back." Cho said.

"Mom, this is Tea, Hailey and Luna. This is our mom and dad." He explained to Tea. "Hailey and Luna are from California for the tournament."

"Actually we moved here. My uncle opened a restaurant in town. The Golden Claw."

"Your uncle owns it? I'd love to try it. Can you get us a reservation?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yeah, just call and mention you're friends of Hailey and Luna Reynolds." Hailey told them.

"Nice to meet you. We better get a motel. We'll see you tomorrow?" Cho asked.

"Yes. Thanks for the car." Yami and Yugi went over and hugged their mother. "You won't stay for dinner?" Yugi asked.

"We better not. Looks like your grandfather isn't doing well financially." Cho mother turned up her nose a little.

Yugi bit back a retort, but Yami saw red. "Well, maybe if you contributed a little to your sons' raising, he wouldn't have to work himself raw!" he snapped.

Hiroshi, who had turned away, turned back. "What did you say, boy?" he demanded, going toe to toe with Yami. They were eye level.

"You heard me. I'm not scared anymore. Not since I realized all you would do is walk away as fast as you can for Egypt or Brazil or-"

"Yami!" Tea cried, as Hiroshi punched Yami in the face. Yami fell back, stunned. Tea knelt beside him. "How dare you hit your own son!" she glared at Hiroshi.

"Let's go before something else happens." Cho grabbed her husband's arm and led him out.

Yami sat up, rubbing his jaw. "I'm okay." He assured Tea. He accepted the ice bag Yugi handed him.

"What happened with your father?" Tea asked, holding the bag to Yami's jaw. Yami winced.

Yami sighed. "They began traveling as soon as Yugi was born. We'd get a card for our birthday and maybe a visit every couple of years. I acted out because of it. He let us struggle, never sending a dime to help with the bills." He answered bitterly.

"I'm sorry. Sounds like you're better off without them." Tea helped him to his feet and he held the ice bag.

"Financially, no. Emotionally, hell yes. They give gifts that are supposed to make it known they love us. I got a car for my birthday. It was just a not-so-subtle hint that they're rich. Yugi's not as damaged as I am." Yami looked away.

"Hey, I'm damaged. You had Mom and Dad all to yourself for two years. I had no time." Yugi pointed out.

"But I don't remember them at that time. Sorry, I brought down the party." Yami apologized.

Tea touched his unbruised cheek. "It's okay. Everyone's got baggage."

Yami looked at her, smiling faintly. "What's your baggage?" he asked.

"That's for another day. What will we learn about if we talk about it all on the first date?" Tea asked. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Yami thought a moment, a hand on her waist. "We need to settle on a date to go out." He told her.

"How about you call me." Tea took his phone and put her number in it. She then put his number in hers. She checked her watch. "I better go. I have a rehersal."

"Play?" Yami guessed.

"Dance. I love to dance." Tea smiled.

"Maybe I'll see you dance sometime." Yami kissed her again.

"I have a recital in a couple weeks." Tea grabbed her backpack and glanced back at him, winking. "By the way, happy birthday."

"Yami and Tea sitting in a tree. K-I-S-"

"Shut up." Yami shot a look at his younger brother, who grinned.

"I better go. Homework, then dinner. Nice meeting you. Here's my number." Hailey put her number in Yugi's phone and put his number in hers. "Call me. Happy birthday."

"Don't say it." Yugi warned as Yami opened his mouth.

Luna got up as well. "See you soon?" she asked, entering her number in Joey's phone. She entered his number in hers.

"Yeah, that would be great." Joey nodded.

"Happy birthday, you two." Luna kissed Joey and left.

"Don't." Joey scowled as Yugi and Yami opened their mouths. The boys just grinned.