Chapter 9 – Joey's Mystery Girl
Author's Note: Joey's Mystery Girl, Ayume, is a character made for the purposed for this fic.
Téa walked off the bus and saw Yugi and Joey waiting for her. "Yugi?"
"Hello, Téa," Yugi said with glee. The bus took off.
She gave Joey an angry look, "Then why am I here!?"
"I need your support too," Joey said with a nervous look on his face. "You're the one that told me to call her. You could at least give your own ideas a chance."
"My idea!? Joey! We're at Domino Pier in the middle of winter! You're such a jerk to bring her out like this."
"I'll take her out for coffee if I think she's cute."
"And, if she isn't?"
"We'll have to pretend that you're my girlfriend and you kiss me. She'll get the point." Téa and Yugi both looked mad. "Okay, Okay! No kiss." They crossed the street and out towards the piers. "There." They all stood next to a bench. After eighteen minutes, a girl with long dark hair, to midway down her thighs, got off a bus and started walking towards them. She had on glasses with large black frames.
Téa interrupted Joey's conversation with Yugi, by nudging him, "That's her."
Joey looked up and towards the girl's direction, "Nyeh?" She was bigger, then he expected. He turned to Yugi. "Yuge? What do you think?" The girl tripped on her pink scarf and fell face first. They three yelled and rushed over to her.
"Are you all right?" She got to her knees with her hands covering her face. "Let me see." She slowly uncovered her face. She had a freckle on the left side of the apex of her nose. "You don't look too bad. Just one of your eyes are a little red. What's this?"
"NO," she yelled. He had lifted her bang and saw a giant mole over her right eyebrow, towards the inside of her face. He quickly let go and took a step back. She could tell that he was not expecting that. "I…I poked myself in the eye too many times trying to put in my contacts, before I got off the bus. I thought you wouldn't like me if I had my glasses on." She took off the glasses and her mole was completely hidden under her hair. She looked down at the ground.
"Um, …Ayume?"
She looked up at him, "Yes, Joey?"
Joey smiled. He finally remembered her. She seemed sad and had her eyes on the bar. When he went over to hit on her, she barely looked up at him. He eventually got her to crack a smile. Once her eyes met his, he knew that he had to ask her to dance. He held out his hands, "Let me help you up." She took his hands and he helped her up.
"Thank you."
"Yugi? Téa? This is Ayume."
"How do, you do?" She shook hands with Yugi and Téa and they greeted her. Téa noticed that they were the same height, but Ayume was twice the size that Téa was, with the coat on. Ayume looked up and smiled at Joey. Her teeth were perfect. Joey started to blush.
"Guys? I think, I'm going to have coffee with Ayume, instead. I'll catch up with you, later. Bye."
"Bye."
"Bye," Yugi and Téa said in unison. They watched as Joey and Ayume walked off together.
"Thank God, that's over," Téa said.
"Not quite," Yugi said.
"Huh?"
"Joey wanted us to double date next time."
"WHAT!? When did this happen? No one could reach you after the birthday party."
"I finally took one of Joey's calls because he was calling me nonstop. He's afraid that if he goes out alone with her, then he'll say something stupid."
"And, he always says something stupid." She sighed, "Okay. But, I'm busy. It has to be next week. I'm working extra this week and I should really go, right now. Call me later, Yugi." They parted ways. Téa wanted to keep the auditions a secret from her friends and told them that she was working more hours for the week. That afternoon, she went on to the dance studio to audition the first ten people that she had chosen.
"You are such a show-off," Téa giggled at Alister.
Alister smiled, "No. I wasn't. You're such a good dancer that I just got carried away." There was silence between them as they starred each other in the eyes.
"So, um...what's next?"
He smirked at her, "How about desert?" He put his arm around her waist and started to walk out with her.
"Just desert? Why?" They exited the building and started walking up the street together.
"Life's too short and it deserves to be enjoyed."
"Who taught you that?"
"I learned it, myself. I grew up in a war zone."
"Huh?" Téa stopped smiling.
"I'm from Yugoslavia. Even though, there were many wars in my country, we made the best of the little things. Now, that the revolution is over, I was thinking about if I should settle down."
"Do you mean, marriage?"
"Not just that. I also wanted to see the world before deciding if I want to settle back down in my own country. Opportunity is something that can happen at anytime, but not everywhere. I was wondering if you would you stay in America, after college, or settle down here?"
"I'm not sure. I want to become a backup dancer and see the world. But, after that, I think I would settle down here. Maybe open up my own dance studio."
Alister stopped her and double checked the sign above the restaurant. He looked down at her, "If you do, then can I be your first lesson?"
"Sure!" He lead her inside of the restaurant.
They were standing on a train platform. Alister watched as Téa was rubbing her arms. "Aren't you cold? Come here." Alister wrapped his arms around her and started rubbing her back.
"Thanks, Alister." He started to sway from side to side and Téa started to giggle. Téa could see her train in the distance. "That's it! Thanks for waiting with me."
Alister stopped moving after he saw the train. He looked down at her, "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"
"No. I'm fine from here. I…I had a really good time." All of a sudden, Téa heard the train behind her. A minute went by already? "Al!" She pushed away from him and ran onto the train. "I'll call you, tomorrow!" The train's bell dinged and the doors closed. As the train left the station, Téa thought about how she could not wait to tell Miho how the date went. She looked at her phone and saw that Seto had sent her a text message, earlier: 'Dinner tomorrow?'. She smiled as she started to reply to him.