Chapter one: The truth
Joey looked in the mirror, he knew he looked horrible, he had an ugly black eye and his cheeks were almost completely black and blue. He hoped they would be gone before the spring break week was over; he didn't want the kids at school asking questions. He knew the gang would all know what happened just by taking one look at him. He also knew Mai would try and be really nice to him because she was feeling guilty, he sighed, he didn't want any of their pity. Oh well they were his friends and he was meeting them at the park and if they talked about his face, he would change the subject. He glanced at the clock and walked out the door past his dad who he knew would be asleep on the couch all day. When he got to the park all his friends waved him over. He at between Mai and Yugi on the blanket and listened to their idle chatter only halfheartedly. Suddenly Tea spoke up, "Joey what happened!?!?!" Joey frowned and said simply " I was home late yesterday." They all ended that subject quickly, knowing what it meant. "Hey you guys, I have a great idea!" Yugi said indicating Joey and Mai "You guys want to come on a double date with me and Tea?!?!?" Joey smiled and looked at Mai "What'd you think?" he said obviously wanting to. Mai looked his bruised face; it was still so cute and innocent! No!!! She told herself, you have to tell him the truth! What that I'm scared of him?!?!?! What would he do??? He'd think I was crazy, and maybe I am, but who knows, his dad could easily have rubbed off on him right??? What if he hurts me?!?!?! I have to break up with him!!! But I love him!!!!! No you don't you just feel bad for him!!! And that was that, she convinced herself she felt nothing for Joey but pity and the feeling she had just found last night, fear. Deep in her heart she knew he would never hurt her and that she shouldn't judge him by his father, but she just couldn't help it, she was to scared she might have another abusive boyfriend. "Uhhh. Joey, can I talk to you in private for a second?" she asked. He was puzzled but got up and left with her. When they were behind a big oak tree he kissed her and nuzzled her cheek "What's wrong?" she pulled away from him feeling disgusted with herself for liking his touch, By this time she had convinced herself he was a girlfriend abuser and just a user (wow talk about insecure). "I'm breaking up with you, you are just a user!!!" Joey's mouth dropped and hurt and pain were clear in his big brown eyes "What?" "I'm not going to stick around and wait for you to hurt me so good bye!!!" She began to walk away and he grabbed her arm. She turned to him and slapped him "Don't touch me!!!" She looked into his eyes and saw anger, she thought it was towards her slapping him, but his mind hadn't even registered the pain, it was at the fact she hated his touch. Now she was scared (for no good reason!!! Wow is she insecure) "Please don't hurt me!!!" she begged. Joey let her go in shock. She thought he would hurt her? Was she crazy? Didn't she know how much he loved her? Wait, this had happened before with Heather when he lived in Brooklyn (He live there until he was 13) She had also seen his father hurt him. What was it she said? Like father, like son (I'm just saying Joey never hurt anyone, he is just picking very insecure people) Joey was more hurt than ever before yet he felt nothing. His body was numb from so many emotions; if someone threw a brick at him he doubted he would feel it. Mai walked back to the blanket feeling cold and empty, now her heart was speaking not her nerves. You fool!!!!! Why didn't you listen to me before!!!!!! Now it's to late!!!! Did you see the hurt in his eyes when you accused him of wanting to hurt you!?!?!?! Look at him now he looks like he's going to kill himself!!!! You fool, it's all because of you!!!! You loved him, but you judged him, now you lost him. Silent tears flowed down Mai's face as she watched Joey. He walked over to a bench and just sat there, watching the stream. She saw a silent tear course down his cheek and that's when she started to cry to. It was a minute before Yugi noticed it. "Mai what's wrong?" he asked sounding worried. "I broke up with Joey!!!" she sobbed. "Why?!?!" Yugi asked feeling very sorry for both of them "I didn't want him to hurt me!!!" she told him the tears getting worse "He hurt you?!?!?!" Yugi asked. Joey would never do that, would he? "No!!!" she said "Um, Mai why did you break up with him then?" now Yugi was confused and all he could hear was her crying "But he could of right?!?!?! Like father like son?!?!?" The others who had said nothing through out this sat there appalled. The same thought ran through all of there heads how could she say that about Joey? "Mai what have you done?" Yugi asked feeling really bad for her now "How could you have accused him of being like his father? Joey is the nicest most innocent person, I have ever known, and I'm sorry, but if you honestly believe that, you don't deserve him!" Yugi as really upset now "I know, I made a mistake!!! Yugi. I love him!!!!!!! It's just seeing abuse made me think of abuse and well, My old boyfriend abused me and I was scared!!!!" she said "Are you going to get back with him?" "Well, also I was breaking up with him because, well, my friends don't like him." "What!!! You are leaving the man you love for popularity?!?!?!" Yugi yelled at her "Maybe, it doesn't mean anything to you but it's important to me!!!" she said angry, she got up stormed off to her car and drove home. When she got there she ran to her room and cried herself to sleep. Back at the park Joey just sat on the bench not moving. He was numb to everything. All he saw in his head were her scared eyes and that line repeated over and over "Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!" How could she think that? I love her so much. I don't think I can live without her. Stop now, Joey you sound suicidal. But it's true I was hungry before but now I feel as if I ever ate anything again I would throw up, and before my ribs were hurting now I don't feel a thing. A single tear ran down his cheek as he stared at the stream. What could I have done differently? Then his fathers voice came to him " You are a worthless dog!!!" and he knew without a doubt the next few weeks would be the worst in his life.
Joey looked in the mirror, he knew he looked horrible, he had an ugly black eye and his cheeks were almost completely black and blue. He hoped they would be gone before the spring break week was over; he didn't want the kids at school asking questions. He knew the gang would all know what happened just by taking one look at him. He also knew Mai would try and be really nice to him because she was feeling guilty, he sighed, he didn't want any of their pity. Oh well they were his friends and he was meeting them at the park and if they talked about his face, he would change the subject. He glanced at the clock and walked out the door past his dad who he knew would be asleep on the couch all day. When he got to the park all his friends waved him over. He at between Mai and Yugi on the blanket and listened to their idle chatter only halfheartedly. Suddenly Tea spoke up, "Joey what happened!?!?!" Joey frowned and said simply " I was home late yesterday." They all ended that subject quickly, knowing what it meant. "Hey you guys, I have a great idea!" Yugi said indicating Joey and Mai "You guys want to come on a double date with me and Tea?!?!?" Joey smiled and looked at Mai "What'd you think?" he said obviously wanting to. Mai looked his bruised face; it was still so cute and innocent! No!!! She told herself, you have to tell him the truth! What that I'm scared of him?!?!?! What would he do??? He'd think I was crazy, and maybe I am, but who knows, his dad could easily have rubbed off on him right??? What if he hurts me?!?!?! I have to break up with him!!! But I love him!!!!! No you don't you just feel bad for him!!! And that was that, she convinced herself she felt nothing for Joey but pity and the feeling she had just found last night, fear. Deep in her heart she knew he would never hurt her and that she shouldn't judge him by his father, but she just couldn't help it, she was to scared she might have another abusive boyfriend. "Uhhh. Joey, can I talk to you in private for a second?" she asked. He was puzzled but got up and left with her. When they were behind a big oak tree he kissed her and nuzzled her cheek "What's wrong?" she pulled away from him feeling disgusted with herself for liking his touch, By this time she had convinced herself he was a girlfriend abuser and just a user (wow talk about insecure). "I'm breaking up with you, you are just a user!!!" Joey's mouth dropped and hurt and pain were clear in his big brown eyes "What?" "I'm not going to stick around and wait for you to hurt me so good bye!!!" She began to walk away and he grabbed her arm. She turned to him and slapped him "Don't touch me!!!" She looked into his eyes and saw anger, she thought it was towards her slapping him, but his mind hadn't even registered the pain, it was at the fact she hated his touch. Now she was scared (for no good reason!!! Wow is she insecure) "Please don't hurt me!!!" she begged. Joey let her go in shock. She thought he would hurt her? Was she crazy? Didn't she know how much he loved her? Wait, this had happened before with Heather when he lived in Brooklyn (He live there until he was 13) She had also seen his father hurt him. What was it she said? Like father, like son (I'm just saying Joey never hurt anyone, he is just picking very insecure people) Joey was more hurt than ever before yet he felt nothing. His body was numb from so many emotions; if someone threw a brick at him he doubted he would feel it. Mai walked back to the blanket feeling cold and empty, now her heart was speaking not her nerves. You fool!!!!! Why didn't you listen to me before!!!!!! Now it's to late!!!! Did you see the hurt in his eyes when you accused him of wanting to hurt you!?!?!?! Look at him now he looks like he's going to kill himself!!!! You fool, it's all because of you!!!! You loved him, but you judged him, now you lost him. Silent tears flowed down Mai's face as she watched Joey. He walked over to a bench and just sat there, watching the stream. She saw a silent tear course down his cheek and that's when she started to cry to. It was a minute before Yugi noticed it. "Mai what's wrong?" he asked sounding worried. "I broke up with Joey!!!" she sobbed. "Why?!?!" Yugi asked feeling very sorry for both of them "I didn't want him to hurt me!!!" she told him the tears getting worse "He hurt you?!?!?!" Yugi asked. Joey would never do that, would he? "No!!!" she said "Um, Mai why did you break up with him then?" now Yugi was confused and all he could hear was her crying "But he could of right?!?!?! Like father like son?!?!?" The others who had said nothing through out this sat there appalled. The same thought ran through all of there heads how could she say that about Joey? "Mai what have you done?" Yugi asked feeling really bad for her now "How could you have accused him of being like his father? Joey is the nicest most innocent person, I have ever known, and I'm sorry, but if you honestly believe that, you don't deserve him!" Yugi as really upset now "I know, I made a mistake!!! Yugi. I love him!!!!!!! It's just seeing abuse made me think of abuse and well, My old boyfriend abused me and I was scared!!!!" she said "Are you going to get back with him?" "Well, also I was breaking up with him because, well, my friends don't like him." "What!!! You are leaving the man you love for popularity?!?!?!" Yugi yelled at her "Maybe, it doesn't mean anything to you but it's important to me!!!" she said angry, she got up stormed off to her car and drove home. When she got there she ran to her room and cried herself to sleep. Back at the park Joey just sat on the bench not moving. He was numb to everything. All he saw in his head were her scared eyes and that line repeated over and over "Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!" How could she think that? I love her so much. I don't think I can live without her. Stop now, Joey you sound suicidal. But it's true I was hungry before but now I feel as if I ever ate anything again I would throw up, and before my ribs were hurting now I don't feel a thing. A single tear ran down his cheek as he stared at the stream. What could I have done differently? Then his fathers voice came to him " You are a worthless dog!!!" and he knew without a doubt the next few weeks would be the worst in his life.