Mai-Mai
(Chapter two: Joey's past)
"The only good thing about school starting again is soccer!" Joey grumbled to Yugi and Tristan. They sighed, "Yeah, I know" the two said at the same time. They laughed and Tea chimed in "Yeah, and the homecoming dance next weekend!" she was secretly hoping Yugi would ask her. "Ugh, why do girls like dances so much?" Joey complained, "You'd like them to if you had a girlfriend Joey" she replied smugly. Joey scowled at her. Suddenly Tea noticed a bruise on his cheek "How'd ya get that?" she inquired pointing at his cheek. Joey frowned more, not wanting to pursue this subject. All he said was "Mai". "Yes?" he heard a high feminine voice say. He turned around already knowing who it was. "Hi Mai-Mai!" he said cheerfully, wiping away his frown. She walked up to him and poked him in the chest, "first, don't call me that!" she said, the poking him again "And don't, I repeat don't talk about me behind my back!!!" She said this one very angrily. Then she noticed two things. One he was smiling throughout the whole thing, and two he had a good-sized bruise on his left cheek. "d-d- did I do that??" she stuttered, concern clear in her voice. He looked kinda solemn and his cute grin disappeared. "I'm sorry," she said kinda quietly. "S'okay!" Joey replied obviously happy again. He draped his arm over her shoulder, "but, I will let you make it up to me!" he teased. "Let me walk you home from school today!" "Don't you have soccer practice or something?" Mai said desperately, she didn't want to be seen with him ever, but his warm arm on her shoulder felt so good. "Doesn't start till tomorrow!" he said bringing her out of her trance. She new she had to go, someone was bound to see them, she looked into his big brown eyes and couldn't say no. "Alright" she said a little hesitantly. She heard her friends around the corner. She mumbled some excuse and eased her way out from under his arm and left quickly. Joey was sad to see her go, it had seemed so right, her under his arm, she needed to decide who were a better friend, he and Yuge, Tristan, and Tea, and even Bakura. Or that gossiping group of squabbling hens that just turned the corner, He saw them give him inviting glances, Then he saw Heather giggling mad and decided then, that he was late for geometry and ran down the hall.
After school Joey met Mai in the courtyard. As they walked, they talked about normal things. Joey found out Mai's cousin, Connor was visiting, and, It just so happened so was his sister, and they were the same age. They both agreed to get them together while they were visiting, which were all of October. "So do you mind just living with your Dad?" Mai asked. Joey's eyes became hard and he didn't say anything for a seconds. Then he simply said, "I live alone". He looked at her so see her reaction. She looked at him to, but didn't meet his eyes. "Where's you're Da-" He cut her off "they locked him up, for beating up on me" Joey said quietly. Mai couldn't say anything but she met his eyes, she saw a deep sadness in them she had never seen in his eyes, "god." she thought "If you know where to look (his eyes, duh), you can read him like a book, His eyes are like a biography of his life. All the happiness and sadness that had ever happened to him were locked up in there (feeeeeeeeew!!!!!, a lot of description). "Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to if you don't want to" she added in softly. "No." he sighed he eyes softening at the caring look in her eyes she was giving him "I don't mind talking about it, it ended when I was fourteen, ya know. When I was eight my mom and my sis just plain packed up and left, It wasn't like she didn't love me or anything" Joey said defensively " She was just scared for my sister, she didn't think he would hurt me again." Mai didn't quite agree, his mom sounded cruel, leaving her little son in the hands of a child abuser. Joey continued, "He came home drunk every night. I would find but he always found me" Joey felt cold at the memory "He would punch and kick me till I was bruised and bleeding and apologized for whatever he accused me of, usually driving my mother away." Joey made a fist "He would leave then, calling me a worthless dog, leaving me to take care of my cuts." Joey sighed, unclenching his fist "He actually enjoyed it." Mai lightly touched his shoulder and she saw the eyes of a scared little eight year old that cried himself to sleep every night" It scared her a lot, she had never gone through anything like that before and even at the thought of it she felt pain. She shuddered to think what it really must have been like. She respected Joey a lot more after hearing his story, he was always so innocent, carefree, and happy, when throughout his childhood he had barely been loved. Mai decided to change her approach. "I'm surprised your mom lets Serenity stay all alone with you!" She said cheerily. "Mai!" he snapped haven't you learned anything since the duelist kingdom!! Maybe I seem happy go luck at school, but I'm not really that irresponsible! I would never let anything hurt Serenity and my mom knows it!!" He ended kinda quietly. Mai had a shocked look on her face and her eyes were huge. He shouldn't have snapped at her like that, but he thought she had realized he had matured and that he would never let anything hurt his sister. "I'm sorry Joey, I, I, was just trying to change the subject," she said guiltily. "Once again, it's okay!!! I shouldn't have snapped at you, but I will let YOU repay me once again, I would just like to reserve a dance at homecoming with the popular Miss. Mai! Who I would like to add is also Mai-Mai, but" He said obviously teasing now "I must share my beloved Treasure!" Mai was giggling so hard she couldn't find words to tell him to stop with the pet name. He bowed and said once more "Bye Mai" before strolling down the street. My walked in the door, closed it, the leaned against it. She sighed loudly, she just hoped he wouldn't forget the promised dance; she would make sure she picked a slow song.
"The only good thing about school starting again is soccer!" Joey grumbled to Yugi and Tristan. They sighed, "Yeah, I know" the two said at the same time. They laughed and Tea chimed in "Yeah, and the homecoming dance next weekend!" she was secretly hoping Yugi would ask her. "Ugh, why do girls like dances so much?" Joey complained, "You'd like them to if you had a girlfriend Joey" she replied smugly. Joey scowled at her. Suddenly Tea noticed a bruise on his cheek "How'd ya get that?" she inquired pointing at his cheek. Joey frowned more, not wanting to pursue this subject. All he said was "Mai". "Yes?" he heard a high feminine voice say. He turned around already knowing who it was. "Hi Mai-Mai!" he said cheerfully, wiping away his frown. She walked up to him and poked him in the chest, "first, don't call me that!" she said, the poking him again "And don't, I repeat don't talk about me behind my back!!!" She said this one very angrily. Then she noticed two things. One he was smiling throughout the whole thing, and two he had a good-sized bruise on his left cheek. "d-d- did I do that??" she stuttered, concern clear in her voice. He looked kinda solemn and his cute grin disappeared. "I'm sorry," she said kinda quietly. "S'okay!" Joey replied obviously happy again. He draped his arm over her shoulder, "but, I will let you make it up to me!" he teased. "Let me walk you home from school today!" "Don't you have soccer practice or something?" Mai said desperately, she didn't want to be seen with him ever, but his warm arm on her shoulder felt so good. "Doesn't start till tomorrow!" he said bringing her out of her trance. She new she had to go, someone was bound to see them, she looked into his big brown eyes and couldn't say no. "Alright" she said a little hesitantly. She heard her friends around the corner. She mumbled some excuse and eased her way out from under his arm and left quickly. Joey was sad to see her go, it had seemed so right, her under his arm, she needed to decide who were a better friend, he and Yuge, Tristan, and Tea, and even Bakura. Or that gossiping group of squabbling hens that just turned the corner, He saw them give him inviting glances, Then he saw Heather giggling mad and decided then, that he was late for geometry and ran down the hall.
After school Joey met Mai in the courtyard. As they walked, they talked about normal things. Joey found out Mai's cousin, Connor was visiting, and, It just so happened so was his sister, and they were the same age. They both agreed to get them together while they were visiting, which were all of October. "So do you mind just living with your Dad?" Mai asked. Joey's eyes became hard and he didn't say anything for a seconds. Then he simply said, "I live alone". He looked at her so see her reaction. She looked at him to, but didn't meet his eyes. "Where's you're Da-" He cut her off "they locked him up, for beating up on me" Joey said quietly. Mai couldn't say anything but she met his eyes, she saw a deep sadness in them she had never seen in his eyes, "god." she thought "If you know where to look (his eyes, duh), you can read him like a book, His eyes are like a biography of his life. All the happiness and sadness that had ever happened to him were locked up in there (feeeeeeeeew!!!!!, a lot of description). "Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to if you don't want to" she added in softly. "No." he sighed he eyes softening at the caring look in her eyes she was giving him "I don't mind talking about it, it ended when I was fourteen, ya know. When I was eight my mom and my sis just plain packed up and left, It wasn't like she didn't love me or anything" Joey said defensively " She was just scared for my sister, she didn't think he would hurt me again." Mai didn't quite agree, his mom sounded cruel, leaving her little son in the hands of a child abuser. Joey continued, "He came home drunk every night. I would find but he always found me" Joey felt cold at the memory "He would punch and kick me till I was bruised and bleeding and apologized for whatever he accused me of, usually driving my mother away." Joey made a fist "He would leave then, calling me a worthless dog, leaving me to take care of my cuts." Joey sighed, unclenching his fist "He actually enjoyed it." Mai lightly touched his shoulder and she saw the eyes of a scared little eight year old that cried himself to sleep every night" It scared her a lot, she had never gone through anything like that before and even at the thought of it she felt pain. She shuddered to think what it really must have been like. She respected Joey a lot more after hearing his story, he was always so innocent, carefree, and happy, when throughout his childhood he had barely been loved. Mai decided to change her approach. "I'm surprised your mom lets Serenity stay all alone with you!" She said cheerily. "Mai!" he snapped haven't you learned anything since the duelist kingdom!! Maybe I seem happy go luck at school, but I'm not really that irresponsible! I would never let anything hurt Serenity and my mom knows it!!" He ended kinda quietly. Mai had a shocked look on her face and her eyes were huge. He shouldn't have snapped at her like that, but he thought she had realized he had matured and that he would never let anything hurt his sister. "I'm sorry Joey, I, I, was just trying to change the subject," she said guiltily. "Once again, it's okay!!! I shouldn't have snapped at you, but I will let YOU repay me once again, I would just like to reserve a dance at homecoming with the popular Miss. Mai! Who I would like to add is also Mai-Mai, but" He said obviously teasing now "I must share my beloved Treasure!" Mai was giggling so hard she couldn't find words to tell him to stop with the pet name. He bowed and said once more "Bye Mai" before strolling down the street. My walked in the door, closed it, the leaned against it. She sighed loudly, she just hoped he wouldn't forget the promised dance; she would make sure she picked a slow song.