Path towards Depression
Chapter Ten: Punishment
Kaiba arched an eyebrow when hearing the front door slam suddenly. He looked at the clock on his table and frowned. The digital read out read 2:15. Where did the time go?
Shrugging it off, he stood up. His original plan to labor Serenity was gone replaced with another one. After his devilish self planted the idea in his head, logic came next to his plan. She was still in college…which meant she wasn't a professional just yet. He had hired her because he was desperate. He concluded that To Rung hired her because they too were desperate.
Even if she was a professional, she would probably corrupt the food and he couldn't allow that.
He huffed. It was a good plan but it had absolutely no sense of logic in it. He shrugged it away and decided he would come up with something else. But for now, he would tediously scan his laptop, searching for things that might have been gone awry on the charity event he was hosting.
A knock interrupted his scanning.
"Come in"
Mokuba came over to his side, peering at his laptop. Kaiba looked at him in annoyance. "What is it Mokuba?" he asked gruffly.
"Looking for last minute things, huh" Mokuba asked.
Kaiba sighed. Obviously, his brother wasn't getting to the point. "Spill"
Mokuba groaned inwardly. "You know how you always just have some stupid ball? Why can't we do something different?"
"What did you do?" Kaiba asked. Mokuba flinched. His brother was good. Too good that it freaked him out sometimes.
"Well…"
"Mokuba…" Kaiba pressed, frowning.
"I think we should do an auction"
Kaiba frowned. "What sort of…auction?"
"A…bachelorette auction?"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "You…didn't"
Mokuba looked down while Kaiba flung his arms above him and emitted an angry cry.
"The dances are so booooooooring. And we do them every year. No one wants to do the same thing always you know! The auction might-no WILL be fun" Mokuba immediately protested.
"No Mokuba. Cancel it! Now!" Kaiba snapped.
"I already…send out the invites"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes.
"Please Seto! This will be a big hit! I promise you!"
Kaiba stared at the teen. Intelligent and obedient at a young age yet mischievous when older. He frowned, wasn't it suppose to be the other way around? What irony.
He had to admit though; Mokuba was mature and responsible for his actions, excluding today's stunt and etcetera. He huffed.
"Why do you want to do this?"
Mokuba blinked, not expecting him to ask that. "What?"
"You heard me. Why do you want to do this so much?"
"Nevermind that…just…can I do it?"
"Hm…" Kaiba pondered aloud. He didn't like how secretive Mokuba was becoming. He would find out later on of what he was up to. "Alright" he said reluctantly. Mokuba cheered while Kaiba smirked wryly at his antics.
Mokuba snatched Kaiba's laptop. "You won't regret it"
"I hope not" Kaiba muttered.
He started out the door. "Hey Seto?"
"Hm…"
"I was lying about the invites" Mokuba grinned before running. Kaiba frowned. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He ran after Mokuba.
"Mokuba!"
"Yeah?"
"How many women do you have down?"
Mai sighed as she looked around the baby store, rummaging through things. She had retreated here when her chat with Serenity was over.
Shopping had always made her feel better but today…it just caused even more pain.
'Might as well prepare'
She touched her stomach unconsciously. Retrieving some items she went up ahead to the register. The saleswomen smiled at her and started to ring up the prices. Mai leaned against the counter, looking around the store, seeing couples shopping…together. She looked away.
Even if Joey was still in contact with her in a surreal way…it didn't feel the same. She wished he could be here with her, shopping with her, taking care of the baby, taking care of her.
"That'll be $44.50 miss" the saleswomen informed with her cheery voice. Mai took out her credit card and handed it over to her. The women smiled at her brightly and slid it and then packed all of Mai's belongings.
The women reminded of Serenity and her cheer, at least before the accident occurred.
Her face fell. She regretted telling Serenity. She knew she would react this way, surprised and mad. Even if she told her earlier, she could imagine her; mournfull. If she couldn't handle Joey's death, then could she be able to handle Joey's baby? Knowing that there was a little Joey in the baby?
'I doubt it'
"Thank you. Come again!" the saleswomen chirped.
Kaiba Mansion…
Serenity wiped her brow. Painting was an art but it wasn't an easy job. But the classes she took in high school were enough to help her out. She smiled sardonically.
She dropped the brush and stood back, taking her masterpiece all in. It looked…serene. She loved the night and all its little lights. She smiled, loving what she did.
It might have looked childish but she didn't care. She believed there was a child in everyone, Mai having one literally.
She sulked. She lamented on leaving Mai alone like that. Mai need support, physically and emotionally. She couldn't just butt her out like that. Mai was feeling the same way she was…alone.
She snatched her cell phone and dialed her number. She groaned when her voicemail came on.
"Hey Mai. Um…I don't really know what to say but…can we meet again? Please? I'm sorry for just leaving like that. I really am. The last thing I want is for you to feel alone. I want to help you get through your pregnancy and other stuff. Call me back soon!"
She hung up and headed over to the door, feeling hungry suddenly even after she had a coffee and a banana muffin. She opened her door. Surprisingly, Kaiba was standing there.
"What?"
He entered her room, ignoring her protests about someone's privacy. He stared at her room and what became of it. "This is…"
"I don't care what you say! I'm leaving it how it is!"
Kaiba stared at her blankly, both soon locked eyes. Her serene atmosphere was overcome with uncomfortable ness radiating off of her. She didn't like how he was staring at her.
She looked away, Kaiba following suit, his eyes fixed on the art of night. Serenity stared at his back, confused by his sudden actions.
"You disobeyed my orders. You painted one of my rooms and you left in working hours" Kaiba now spoke. He was still looking at the walls, admiring it inwardly.
Serenity looked down, biting her lip from talking back, holding back her protests. Somehow she knew her punishment wouldn't be a pay cut.
"That's unacceptable" he said, turning around, blowing an invisible blast of air filled with intimidation. She looked up, arching an eyebrow. His eyes told him he was very serious yet she could see a thin layer of…glee. His growing smirk confirmed that. She frowned, just what was her punishment? All she could tell was she wasn't going to like it very much, that she was sure of.
"You're lucky you have the two year contract. It goes in your favor also otherwise I would have fired you immediately. I don't appreciate people who don't obey me"
She rolled her eyes. 'Pretty hard to fire me when you have no one else to hire Kaiba boy'
She smirked secretly, but unfortunately not secretly enough, he noticed.
"I assure you I can find a replacement. You're not the only chef I know"
"Very true…but I am the only one who'll work for you" Serenity replied, grinning. Kaiba grimaced.
"Hahaha, that's the Wheeler respect for you Kaiba!"
"Enough talk…" Kaiba snapped. Serenity stopped grinning, rolling her eyes instead. He crossed his arms. "We're having a charity ball –auction- next week—"
'Blah, blah, blah god you talk so much!'
"—you're going to be one of the bachelorette's there"
Serenity's comments of Kaiba halted when hearing the last of his words. She blinked and glared at him.
"You're nuts if you think I'm agreeing on that. Selling oneself to men…" she trailed off, muttering words.
"I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you"
She scoffed. "No way!"
He walked towards her. She felt uncomfortable again. He looked like a predator ready to hunt for his prey, her being his prey. She crossed her arms, trying desperately to distance herself with them but to no avail. His height gave him a huge advantage.
He bent down, close to her ear. "You will do it" he whispered harshly.
She looked up at him, narrowing her eyes at his aggressiveness and her short height.
"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTA RICH BOY!"
Joey's ghostly figure made a fist and charged down at Kaiba, thoughts of slugging him coming to mind, all sense of logic gone. "ARGH! I forgot! Damn this!" He cried out when he passed through Kaiba.He stood behind Kaiba, swearing rapidly.
Serenity looked past Kaiba, eyes widening when seeing a figure outlined into the shape of Joey. She blinked but the image wouldn't go away. Slowly the figure came into better view and truly it was Joey. Her eyes widened into the shape of saucers.
Kaiba looked at her questionably. He followed her eyes to the back of him. He cocked his head, finding nothing. "Wheeler!" he snapped.
Quickly she looked away and stared at Kaiba. "Hm…?" Serenity muttered ponderingly. Kaiba arched an eyebrow. She shook her head, thoughts of their conversation coming to view. "Oh yeah…" she mumbled quietly to herself. "I'm not doing it!"
Kaiba studied her face. She was acting beyond weird her normal strange behavior. Dismissing the thoughts, he reached into his coat pocket, taking out a folded piece of paper.
Her eyes widened and she immediately made a grab for it but failed, due to his superior height. She cursed, hating her inferior height. "Give it back!"
"Do it or else, this goes to shreds" he said, waving Joey's present to her in the air. She made a grab for it again and instantly he retracted his arm. He rolled his eyes and her continuous attempts but soon smirked. He had to admit, he liked the way she wasn't giving up. He savored the hatred she had for him in her eyes.
She huffed and balled her fists. "Give it back Kaiba!" she said, trying to reach for papers once more. He smirked as he raised his arm. She couldn't take it anymore. With a fist, she aimed it for his jaw. He immediately grabbed a hold of it. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
He was surprised she was going towards violence now. Narrowing his eyes, he flung the fist back down to her side. She looked down, biting her lip.
"Enough games. You will do it"
"No!"
He ripped a bit of the folded papers, her gasping in surprise. She looked at him venomously.
"I hate you" she seethed.
"I don't pay you to like me Wheeler" he drawled coldly. She narrowed her eyes.
He walked towards her door. "I'll return this after the charity auction"
A/n: Kaiba is cruel! Most of you figured it out in the last chapter that Mai was pregnant. :P Good for you. Please review!