A/N: Oh my goodness! Thank you all so much for reviewing. It makes me so happy. I can no longer give replies to reviews in my author's notes because FF has officially forbid it now I believe. They came up with something new (little reply thingies that go straight to your email! What fun! -shall spam you all!-) so I'll use that from now on - just so I don't get in trouble or anything.

I'm sorry this chapter is rather late...homework stuff and all. I've been trying to edit this chapter to the best of my ability. Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy it and stay as loyal reviewers. I love you all!

Please Read and Review. It would make me oh-so-happy. -smiles-

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! does not belong to me in any shape, way, or form. All credit should go to Kazuki Takahashi and...maybe all the other little people involved. ...That doesn't include me - just to get things clear.

Edit: This isn't the end. The end will not be for a while. I expect this story - from the rate it's going - to maybe twenty-ish chapters. I just changed the format of my author notes; that's all.

Also, for those on my alert list, expect every chapter to pop up twice. I have Dark Conscience read each chapter once I update it. It's like she's my "final" beta-reader I guess you can say. Thus, don't be surprised if chapters show up twice on your alert list. And they won't be in rapid succession either. It's mainly because I'm too lazy to edit something I just updated. -snickers- Procrastinators make the world go round.

Chapter 5: Eternal Bond

"Joey? There's a park down—"

"Sorry Sis, but I promised Mai I'd have some alone time with her down at the café," Joey explains to me over my cell phone, cutting right across my words. School had ended and I called Joey right after. I felt it more convenient by doing so than actually walking all the way over to…wherever he was.

My hand seems to wrap tighter around the small phone as he says these words. It had been just yesterday when he said we had the strongest bond ever… I nod just a little, my bangs bobbing up and down as I do so.

"Alright Joey," I say through the phone. "I'll see you later then." I hang up the phone, not even waiting for his response this time. Well, Joey did arrange that "date" with Mai… I sigh and decide not to think upon it much more. It's just a simple rendezvous; nothing too big to make out of this.

A few brown locks twirl about in the wind. Here I am; all alone, just standing here. My hand is limp across my cell phone held loosely at my side. I suppose the only thing I can do is to head home. I wanted to meet Joey at the park today but I had forgotten he had other plans.

Joey and I were brought together by that eye surgery and I want to make the most of it. We were seperated so harshly and for so long that I simply want to be with him every minute we have now. But it seems Joey has other plans; it seems he just about always has other plans.

I shake my head from side to side, my chestnut curls fliting across my face. Such trivial things I was thinking of; I really shouldn't be thinking of them at all! Joey'll be okay; Joey'll still spend time with me. Joey'll come through. I know he will; he always has.

I walk out of the school grounds and slowly made my way back home. Every step of the way, I wonder what Mai and Joey are doing. Are they having fun? Is Joey thinking about me at all? Question upon question courses through my head but I find myself unable to answer any of them, causing me to go in circles.

A sleek black limousine rolls by me, the shine and glimmer of it flashing off the simple brilliance of its sheen sides.

I stop walking and just stare at it while it drives past. It slows down and soon comes to a complete stop. "Hmph, what are you looking at Wheeler?" the cold voice drifts over to me as one of the back windows scrolls down to reveal the infamous CEO, Seto Kaiba. His head leans over the window just a little bit to get a better look at me while he drapes an arm over the side of the door. He's wearing his Battle City outfit; the one with the white jacket, which is red on the inside, that reaches down to his ankles and tends to flare out. Not only does the jacket spike at the shoulders but it also stops there. His black, long-sleeve shirt can thus be seen underneath and he is wearing black pants and shoes as well. On each arm and ankle lay two buckles, two straps. It gives him an overall superior look but it also makes him look, well, good, professional, classy.

I blush, embarrassed he had actually caught me staring at his limousine. "N-nothing!" I exclaim, fear installing through my body. One piercing, ice cold glare from his blue eyes was all it took to completely chill my body. My face pales and my hands clench a bit. I simply stand there, biting lightly upon my lower lip.

Kaiba snorts in contempt, his dark blue eyes hold a mock and his thin lips hold a sneer. "Didn't think so," he says curtly. He had stopped just to make fun of me and I wasn't holding him back; I simply wasn't resisting at all. I just stare at him dumbly as he flashes yet another sinister smirk toward me and then rolls up the window again, consuming my view of him in darkness, and orders the driver to go. The limousine soon speeds past me, ruffling my clothes, and I still stand there, staring. It is actually long, longer than most limousines anyway.

I don't know which one stuns me more: The fact that he had stopped purely to mock me or the fact that his limousine was so…grand. My hands relax a bit, my right one still loosely coiled around my backpack.

Seto Kaiba, duelist extraordinare and president of Kaiba Corporation, is one of the coldest people I've ever met. However, he still has a soft spot; he cares so much for his little brother Mokuba. I know; I saw. But he never shows the same compassion toward anyone else, even if they're at the brink of destruction. The only thing Kaiba obsesses with more than technology and business is the Duel. He shares passion for all of them but Duel Monsters is what he's most passionate about, virtually to the point where he's possessed.

My momentary paralysis ends shortly and I decide to shake it off. Kaiba had just taken his usual routine; he simply couldn't live without insulting people at least once per day. I continue on my short little walk. Of course, I could have taken some other means of transportation but I simply felt like walking today so that's exactly what I did. Besides, I didn't have anywhere to go. Joey was with Mai. What else could I do?

My feet return to their small shuffling and my gaze reverts back to the repetitive ground beneath them.

Strands of green grass shine in the sunlight, some strands standing straight and tall while others bent over from being stepped on. I pull some strands of hair from behind my ear, letting them crisply fall upon the side of my face. What was I to do now without Joey around? …I just hope he'll come back soon. In the meantime, I'll just be like I always am: silent and observant.

"Hey, Serenity," Tristan's voice pipes up beside me, catching up to me and walking in stride with my steps. I turn partially so that I can see him.

"Oh hi Tristan," I manage to murmur, each of my pale fingers clutched onto each strap of my backpack. I'd manage to last some thirty-six hours without Joey; without talking to him, without seeing him, without anything of a sort with him. …The only thing I forgot to do was to survive without thinking of him.

My mind stayed upon him like I was some obsessed fanatic who wanted to be his girlfriend or something, some crazed lover. But I wasn't; I was his sister…and it was only normal to think of him, right?

"Umm, Tristan, where's Joey?" I ask before he can say another word. I finger one of my backpack straps delicately, focusing my concentration on that as I listen closely for his answer.

I see Tristan shrug lightly. "I think he's out with Mai again. Seemed like they had so much fun last time, they decided to make another arrangement today," he comments, seeming to step closer to me for just a minute. "Speaking of which," Tristan continues, "About that date you promised…"

I halt in my tracks. Hearing about Joey and Mai going out again today was bad enough. Tristan pressuring me for something like that was simply too much to handle. "No," I speak coldly, a faint trace of anger actually able to be detected in it. "I didn't promise a date persay and never had I said it'd be so soon." I clench my fists a bit tighter around the straps. "I told you I needed time and this is just too soon." I continue walking, my pace faster now than before, my shoes clicking softly against the ground. My bangs shadow my face, hiding it from his view. I see his steps fall out of place with mine, backing off. I know he's hurt. But, you know, for once I'm the one who doesn't care.

Days had passed and I had not once seen Joey in those days. He never seems to have time for me now; he's always with Mai. I wring my hands anxiously as I stare out my window. I can't take it anymore! It's been about a week since we had last talked! I abruptly jump to a standing position from my chair. It simply wasn't fair.

Anger courses through me, my fingers twitching just slightly as they ball up into fists and tears spring to my eyes. "Joey…" I whisper softly. Why me?

Maybe, just maybe, I can call him. Yeah, and then we can talk and maybe arrange a day out or something, like Mai did.

I look at the cell phone sitting on my table, my desk actually; it's L-shaped and my computer sits right at the corner of it. Books lie on one end while a lampis placedon the other. My pink cell phone is next to that lamp. I pick myself up from my chair, whichis at the foot of my bed, and lightly walk over to my cell phone.

My hands clasp around its plastic covering and I wonder if Joey would even pick up. I don't want to be an annoyance and interrupt people either…but I can't bare thinking Joey doesn't caring about me anymore either.

Carefully, I turn the phone to face me and I just stare at it as if I'm trying to memorize its exact details. Numbly, my fingers dial Joey's cell phone number and I quickly put it to my ear.

The dial tone rings once, rings twice, rings a third time. …And then I begin to fear Joey won't pick up. It's unusual for Joey to not pick up but maybe he's just having a good time and…

Click. Laughing is heard in the background.

A wave of relief washes over me but an equal wave of anxiety comes back to me as I hear that laughter. Joey and Mai… "Hey big brother," I say as cheerily as I can, practically springing up in my chair as I say such. Once again, my fingers tighten around my phone. I fear I'll break it if I keep doing this.

"Oh, hey Sis," Joey says, a hearty chuckle in his voice. "Can you hold on for a minute? Yeah, thanks."

I open my mouth to say something but my brain fails to register any words to say at all. Joey had said those words in such rapid succession that I barely caught onto any of it. A few seconds pass and then it hits me like a brick wall. Joey has lost interest in my opinion. The same person who set aside everything for me, who stood by my side and comforted me when I was down, had lost interest in me for someone else. Joey's voice interrupts my thoughts again as he speaks rather loudly into the phone. It was quite obvious he and Mai were having a lot of fun.

"Hey, can I call you back? I don't want to keep you waiting so, you know, just do whatever you usually do. Don't wait for me because I may not call back for a while. I don't want you to spend all that time waiting for me. Take care, alright?"

Click.

Again, I'm left in paralysis. My hand is tightly clutched to my cell phone, my mouth is gaping open, my entire body is tense, and tears are threatening to overflow from my eyes. It is at this point that I realize: I'm not going to be able to get Joey back.

Joey and I may have the strongest bond ever. But even the strongest bonds get broken. What Joey and Mai have? They have an eternal bond.