Joeys1andOnly: Act Two!  Ready…action!!  ^_^

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Both dueled long and hard.  Joey realized with horror five minutes into the duel how tough of an opponent Shay was.  She had as much wit and talent as Yugi, and Joey could feel himself digging farther and farther into a hole he couldn't get out of.  The match ended, Shay with 6500 Life Points and Joey with 0.  (In the card game Duel Monsters, each person starts with 8000 LP.)

Yugi stared in shock, as did Tea, Tristan, Bakura and, yes, Joey.  Finally Yugi spoke.  "Well, Joey, I guess you've got to give up your Red Eyes Black Dragon."  Joey nodded in dumb horror.  He hadn't figured on losing.

Shay laughed and shook her head.  "Keep it.  You just were a little hot-headed, that's all.  I wouldn't dream of taking your Red Eyes from you."  She put her deck in her pocket.  "Who wants to eat?"

The suggestion was met with happy cries.  "I'm starving!"  "Let's go!"

The group headed out the door.  However, Yugi hung in the back with Joey.  "Why on earth did you bet your Red Eyes?  Did you really feel that confident?"

Joey hung his head.  "I really did, Yug.  I really wanted to impress…" then he trailed off.

Yugi shook his head.  "You wanted to impress Shay with a big stake.  You really like her, don't you?  And you're jealous of Seto Kaiba."

Joey nodded miserably.  "You know me too well, Yug.  But I don't know what to do!  How can a Brooklyn bum like me compare with Mr. Big-Shot Millionaire Seto Kaiba?"

Yugi's expression grew serious.  "Maybe you can't.  Just be yourself.  You're very charming, you know."

Joey rolled his eyes and playfully shoved Yugi in the shoulder.  "Shut up."

On the way to the nearest pizza place, Shay rolled Joey's words over and over in her head.  'You win, I give you my Red Eyes Black Dragon.  I win, you go out with me on one date.  Could he really like me?  Maybe so, but I love Seto!'

They reached the pizza parlor, then walked in and plopped down in a large booth.  Yugi was careful to sit between Shay and Joey.  'I don't want to make things worse.'

After eating three whole pizza pies between them, Shay got up to leave.  "I have to go, guys.  I have a lot of unpacking left to do at home.  Thanks for a great day!"

They all grinned and waved.  "See you tomorrow, Shay!  Bye!"

She walked out the front doors, then uncertainly hung a left.  Halfway up the sidewalk, she referred to her crumpled napkin to find her way home.  'Oh, god.  I have no idea where I am!'

Suddenly, she was aware of sneakers hitting the pavement behind her.  She turned around and found Joey Wheeler running towards her.

She gasped inwardly.  'Oh, no.  What if he says something…about him and me…'

He slowed down to a stop when he reached her.  Breathing slightly, he straightened up.  "I realized after you left that you might not know the way back to your place.  I'll walk you home if you want."

Inside, she moaned.  She really liked this cutie, but she had already found someone.  This could complicate things.  However, not wishing to be rude, she smiled.  "Thanks, Joey.  I could use some help."

She noticed relief across his expression.  "Good.  Pay attention, so you know how to get around in the future."

They began to walk silently.  Joey's voice broke the silence.  "You really like Kaiba."

Shay looked up at him in slight confusion.  The words were a mix of both a question and a statement.  She had to be careful answering.  "Yes, I do."

He stared at his sneakers as he walked.  "I…I really…" Then he changed whatever he was going to say.  "I'm really glad…for you and Kaiba.  Glad that you found someone…"

She felt a wave of guilt and regret suddenly come crashing down on her.  'If only I had told Seto that I had other plans, period.  Right now Joey might have his arms around me…' then another voice in her mind butted in.  'But you didn't, and you've found another great guy.  Nothing wrong with that.'

But obviously she didn't speak these thoughts out loud.  "I'm glad too…at first I thought it would take me a while to find friends.  But you passed me that note in class and that's how I met all you guys…and I'm grateful.  Thank you, Joey."  She beamed up at him.

Joey's face turned crimson as he shoved his hands in his pockets.  "It was nothing, really.  I just wanted…to get to know you."

"Well, thank you for wanting to know me, then," she laughed.

They turned a corner.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black object lunged toward the two and began making strange noises.  It took them both a few moments to realize it was a huge Doberman, with no collar, teeth bared.  It began advancing slowly toward them.

Joey placed himself protectively in front of Shay.  "Stay there.  Don't move."

Shay panicked.  "Where are you going?  Don't go near that thing!  You could be hurt!"

Joey realized that she was actually worried about him, and his brown eyes locked with her blue ones.  He spoke.

"All right, then.  If you don't want me to go anywhere, I'll stay right here."  Upon these words he wrapped his arms around Shay and held her close.

Of course, at first, Shay was deadly frightened.  'I can't do this!  I can't be with another guy!  Seto is the only one for me!'

But, it felt so…so…right.  So, instead of fighting her mind, she drew her arms around Joey's waist and rested her head on his chest.  They stood there like that, just watching the Doberman growl.

Finally, a fat, red-faced man came crashing through a hedge holding a collar and a leash.  "Fluffy!  That's where you'd gotten off to!"  He fastened the collar around the dog's neck and then attached the leash to it.  With a firm grip on the dog, he turned to where Shay and Joey were still standing, holding each other.  He eyed them up dubiously then asked, "Fluffy didn't bite either of you, did he?"

Joey answered.  "No, he didn't.  We're fine."

The man nodded.  "It's a good thing you didn't move.  If you had started to run, Fluffy would have been after you like that."  On the word "that" he snapped his fingers with his free hand.

Shay looked up at Joey triumphantly.  He rolled his eyes and grinned.

The man crashed through the bushes the way he came and he and the dog were gone.

As soon as he was gone, both Shay and Joey began laughing hard.  Neither could speak for almost a minute.

"Fluffy?!" Shay hooted.  "What kind of guy names their Doberman Fluffy?"

Joey grabbed Shay for balance.  "Fluffy wasn't even a girl dog!"

Finally, the laughter subsided.  They began to walk again, this time with Joey's arm slung casually over Shay's shoulder.

She finally looked up at Joey.  "Joey, I'm…I'm so confused."

He looked straight ahead and kept a steady pace.  "If you're with Seto…it can never work."

She nodded and looked at the ground.  She suddenly stopped.  Joey eyed her.  "What's wrong?  Fluffy break loose again?"

She smiled and shook her head.  "No.  This is my house."

It was a normal house, yellow with green shutters, and a cheerful white fence around the yard.  Joey nodded pleasantly.  "I like it."

Shay grinned.  "I helped pick it out.  My parents were stuck on choosing."

Joey leaned one hand on the fence.  "You know what I like most about it?"

Shay turned.  "No.  What?"

Joey laughed and cocked a thumb to the house to the right of hers.  "I live right next door."

Her eyes widened.  "You don't!"

"I do.  104 Turner Drive."

She laughed happily.  "We can see each other so often!"

Joey's face grew serious.  Then he reached out his arms and pulled Shay into another embrace.  She buried her head into his shoulder.  She was perfectly happy with Joey.

They rested like that for a few moments, then Joey reached up with one hand.  He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted it up so that her eyes were looking into his.  He gently leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

She was so startled that she resisted for a moment.  But Joey was persistent and refused to be pushed away.  So Shay ignored any signals her mind was sending her about Seto Kaiba and gave in to the kiss.  She found herself in love – again – for the second time that day.  This kiss was much longer and heartfelt than the one she shared with Seto outside of the game shop.  She knew that there was something more pure in this relationship than there was in the one with Kaiba.

Finally, the kiss broke.  Instead of pulling away, as Joey thought she would do, Shay snuggled up against his chest.  "I love you, Joey."  It was so easy to say to him.  She wouldn't have dreamed of saying it to Kaiba.

Joey pulled her closer.  "I love you too…"

He rested his cheek against her fair hair.  "Never leave me.  Stay with me forever and ever…"

Shay sighed deeply, breathing him in.  Smiling, she recited the words he had said to her with dedication earlier.  "All right, then.  If you don't want me to go anywhere, I'll stay right here…"

Joey let out a strangled sob and pulled her closer.

'This is what I want,' Shay thought to herself.  'But what do I do about poor Seto?'

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Joeys1andOnly: What indeed?  ^_~ I have the rest of the story laid out in my mind, you just need to stay tuned!  Please R+R!  Byes!