Chapter 5: At Joey's house
Mai was excited. The gang and her had just found out that, upon Joey's request, he had been let home early. It was Friday, and the gang had all weekend to be with Joey, or so Mai hoped. When the bell rang she raced down the hall accidentally knocking into Kimber, coming out of the classroom with an arm full of books, "sorry kim!" she shouted over her shoulder, he waved bye but she was already gone around the corner. When she met up with the gang in the parking lot, they looked at her with curious glances. "What?" she asked. Yugi spoke up, "Aren't you nervous?" he asked quietly. "Naw" she said, not telling them of the plague of worries that had been threatening to drown her all day. They walked nervously to Joey's house not knowing what to expect. Mia Stepped up to his door and knocked. No one opened the door and she just stood there, her heart in her throat. She knocked again and she heard the gang shuffle behind her. She sighed; maybe he's not there? Then the door opened. She just stood there looking at him. He was wearing his white T-shirt with the blue design, and his blue jeans. He looked Pale and had dark rings under his eyes, and he was slightly trembling, but he smiled when he saw her. She knew something was weird, was he high? Or maybe drunk? "Hi Joey!!!" Yugi and the rest of the gang popped out behind him "Hi guys" he said never losing that strange high smile. No one else seemed to notice. He invited them in and she noticed that he still kept the house meticulously clean. She sighed; At least he doesn't have any bruises. He sat across from them fingering his bandages, not looking up, "What brings you guys here?" "Oh we just thought we'd drop by," Mai said sarcastically, hoping to get a reaction from him, but he just smiled "thanks, how nice" Everyone looked at him at his. "Uhhh, Joey are you high?" Mai asked nervously. Joey looked at her and chuckled slightly "They have me on so many pain killers, I can't even tell what's real anymore" Then his grin disappeared and he looked at his hand and just sat there. Yugi sat next to him and put his hand on his back "Don't worry Joey, your hand will be better soon." he trailed off "Why didn't they put it in a cast?" "Cause the cuts need there bandages changed everyday and if the put on a cast they would get infected " Yugi looked sick "But aren't you suffering!?!?!" "I told ya Yuge, the painkillers" He indicated the table and Yugi saw quite a few different bottles of pills. "Won't your hand heal crooked?" "Nawww, I use it to much, they make sure of that" He frowned, seeing their worried looks "Don't look at me like that!!!!" He yelled "I'm stopping the pain killers tomorrow" this he mumbled "What!!!" they yelled. "You think I like being high!!!! I'd rather feel horrible, grinding pain. than nothing" this last part he whispered. "Just.leave me alone" They all filed out leaving Joey on the couch looking like he was going to kill himself. Mai saw this and hung back a second longer to whisper in his ear "hang on just a little longer. for me" and left too, not knowing she had probably just saved his life.
Mai was excited. The gang and her had just found out that, upon Joey's request, he had been let home early. It was Friday, and the gang had all weekend to be with Joey, or so Mai hoped. When the bell rang she raced down the hall accidentally knocking into Kimber, coming out of the classroom with an arm full of books, "sorry kim!" she shouted over her shoulder, he waved bye but she was already gone around the corner. When she met up with the gang in the parking lot, they looked at her with curious glances. "What?" she asked. Yugi spoke up, "Aren't you nervous?" he asked quietly. "Naw" she said, not telling them of the plague of worries that had been threatening to drown her all day. They walked nervously to Joey's house not knowing what to expect. Mia Stepped up to his door and knocked. No one opened the door and she just stood there, her heart in her throat. She knocked again and she heard the gang shuffle behind her. She sighed; maybe he's not there? Then the door opened. She just stood there looking at him. He was wearing his white T-shirt with the blue design, and his blue jeans. He looked Pale and had dark rings under his eyes, and he was slightly trembling, but he smiled when he saw her. She knew something was weird, was he high? Or maybe drunk? "Hi Joey!!!" Yugi and the rest of the gang popped out behind him "Hi guys" he said never losing that strange high smile. No one else seemed to notice. He invited them in and she noticed that he still kept the house meticulously clean. She sighed; At least he doesn't have any bruises. He sat across from them fingering his bandages, not looking up, "What brings you guys here?" "Oh we just thought we'd drop by," Mai said sarcastically, hoping to get a reaction from him, but he just smiled "thanks, how nice" Everyone looked at him at his. "Uhhh, Joey are you high?" Mai asked nervously. Joey looked at her and chuckled slightly "They have me on so many pain killers, I can't even tell what's real anymore" Then his grin disappeared and he looked at his hand and just sat there. Yugi sat next to him and put his hand on his back "Don't worry Joey, your hand will be better soon." he trailed off "Why didn't they put it in a cast?" "Cause the cuts need there bandages changed everyday and if the put on a cast they would get infected " Yugi looked sick "But aren't you suffering!?!?!" "I told ya Yuge, the painkillers" He indicated the table and Yugi saw quite a few different bottles of pills. "Won't your hand heal crooked?" "Nawww, I use it to much, they make sure of that" He frowned, seeing their worried looks "Don't look at me like that!!!!" He yelled "I'm stopping the pain killers tomorrow" this he mumbled "What!!!" they yelled. "You think I like being high!!!! I'd rather feel horrible, grinding pain. than nothing" this last part he whispered. "Just.leave me alone" They all filed out leaving Joey on the couch looking like he was going to kill himself. Mai saw this and hung back a second longer to whisper in his ear "hang on just a little longer. for me" and left too, not knowing she had probably just saved his life.