chapter 2

            The band pulled onto bustling Sadako street in the city of Domino. Civilians traveled the streets going about their daily business.

            "I like this place." Mel decided. "It's nice! Ooh! Look! 345 Sadako! Right there!" She pointed to the building.

            "An Arcade???" Josie was dumb struck. "We've never played at an Arcade!"

            "Didn't you ask WHAT we were exactly playing at?" Val nearly shouted.

            "No! I was so psyched about getting the gig, I kind forgot. Oh well. A gigs a gig. Come on. Help me unload our equipment into the place."

            After checking in with the manager, The girls went to a cleared portion of the arcade and began to set up their instruments.

Meanwhile in another area of the arcade

            "Jou, did you honestly think you could beat me at Dance Dance Revolution?" Anzu laughed.

            "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jou grumbled.

            "Well I think-" Yugi started but was immediately cut off by a start of rock music. He and the rest of his friends ran to the area where the music came from.

            "Im'a punk rock prom queen!" Josie sang into the microphone as she strummed her guitar, accompanied by Val on bass and Mel on drums. "Ground paper magazine. Hotter than you've ever seen. In everywhere and in between. Im'a ten ticket thrill ride. Dontcha wanna come inside? A five star triple threat. Hardest of the hard to get. No ones lil red corvette. I am nothing what you bet."

            Then all three joined in singing. "It took six whole hours, and five long days, for all of your lies to come undone. And those three small words were way too late, 'cause you can't see that I'm the one."

            "Hey Honda, check out the blonde drumming'." Jou grinned and clicked his tongue. "What a hottie!"

            "I think the bass players a fox!" Honda responded with a cat purr. "What about you, Yuge?"

            Yugi said nothing but kept his eyes fixated on Josie.

            The girls finished their song with a bang, and received immense applause, especially from Yugi and Co. Most everyone in the arcade came to the area to hear their concert.

            "Wow! Thank you! We're Josie and the Pussycats! Thank you for coming to our gig! This next song is called "Pretend To be Nice!" We hope you like it." She began another song and sang, "Well he looks at me with those 'innocent eyes' and say 'you look  like your wearing some kinda disguise cause your hair sticks up,  your shoes are untied, and I hope that you bought that shirt at half price and every word I say falls right on the floor I try to tell a joke; he's heard it before and I don't think that I cam take it no more; he'd driving me right- out my front door!"

            She once again started the  chorus with the other band members "Why do  you do what you do to me baby? Shaking my confidence-driving  me  crazy! You know if I could I'd do anything for you! Please don't ignore me  cause you know I adore you!"

            The band members voices hushed as they began in hotter, more juicy voices, "Can't  you just pretend to be nice? Can you at least pretend to be nice? If you could just pretend to be nice..."

            During this time,  Josie acted out one of her favorite tricks of the trade. When talking in what was known in the music industry as 'The Voice' , she looked around the audience and just picked out a few guys, and stare at them for little more than 2 seconds. When just starting, Josie learned it made guys feel special to be looked at by the lead singer while singing in such a tone.

            After glancing at a few boys, her eyes fell on a tri- colored haired boy. Maybe it was because someone could give him the nickname 'MiniMe' with good reason to. Or maybe it was because he had hair sticking up in every which way as if he were hit by lightning. It also could've been because he had an absolutely cute face with large violet eyes. Whatever the reason, she stared at him probably a little too long, as both she and the boy turned bright scarlet.

            They ended this song with another roar of applause. Melody leaned up to Josie and spoke happily, "We never got this kinda applause without MegaSound! They really like us!"

            "Yeah, Mel, they really do!" Josie started another song again, and it ended with the same feedback from the audience: purely positive. After playing a few more songs, the girls ended their concert. The manager rushed up to them and spoke in a heavy osaka accent.

            "Thank you, Kittycats! You make me lot of business today! How about coming in tomorrow and playing?"

            Josie managed a fake grin and said, "Sorry, but we're booked for tomorrow.", knowing that the only way she and the other girls would play in a arcade again was if they had gone totally broke.

            "O OK then, but when you aren't booked, be sure to come here first! I be so happy to host Josie and tha' Kittycats again." he shook their hands and asked, "Would one of you come with me to discuss your pay?"

            "I will!" Melody jumped up and followed the manager to his desk. Josie packed her equipment, with Val's help.

            When Valerie left to find Mel, Josie hauled her equipment into the truck by herself, which was no simple task. She tried lifting a guitar amplifier into the truck but hurt her back in the process.

            "I'm too young to have back pain." She thought as she rubbed her back. She kneeled to the ground and tried again.

            "Here, let me help you." A voice said behind her. She turned around. It was the spike hair boy. He placed his grip on the amplifier and helped her Lift it into the Van.

            "Wow thanks!" Josie smiled at the boy. "I-I'm Josie McCoy! Who are you?"

            "Yugi Motou. These are my friends, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda." He pointed to the people behind him. "We loved your concert."

            "Thanks! We just moved here..."

            "From America?" He asked.

            "How did you know?"

            "You have the accent."

            "Oh. How old are you?"

            "17. Why?"

            It was kind of an awkward moment, considering their stature. Josie was over one foot taller than him and it was rather weird to look down at someone only one year younger than her, especially a guy.

            By now it was enough time between the question to consider rude without answering. "Uh, just wanted to know if you were still in high school! That's all." She said quickly.

            "Oh, okay."

            "Hey, wanna meet the other band members?"

            "Sure!"

            Josie locked the van and turned to lead them inside. Melody bounced over and shouted to Josie, "The man paid us 2,000 dollars!"

            "There you are!" Valerie shouted at Melody. "I looked all over the whole place for you!"

            "Um, guys this is Melody," Josie said gesturing to the blonde, who smiled and waved. "And this is Valerie!" Josie gestured to the girl on her right.

            "Yo." was all Val said.

            "Now Mel, What were you saying?" Josie asked.

            "The man paid us 2,000 dollars! It's soo cool!"

            "You're kidding!"

            "No way!"

            "Yep! Only he called it something different. He called it Yen."

            Josie stopped dead. "Yen?"

            "Yeah!" Melody kept her grin plastered to her face.

            "Mel, 2,000 yen is only 20 dollars in American money!"

            "Oh. Sorry Josie!"

            Josie put her hand on her forehead. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. Um, Yugi and co.? Could I have a moment alone with my friends?" They nodded and left.

            "Okay, let's talk about this." Valerie said taking a seat at a nearby booth, followed by the rest. "We got twenty dollars, plus the money we got from MegaSound."

            "Eh, no." Josie said. "When MegaSound failed, the company went bankrupt. We never got paid."

            "What about money from selling the house?"

            "We never bought the house Val, We rented it. And alot of the money from selling our belongings went to repaying the land owner for damages."

            "What about the rest of the money?" Val was beginning to get worried.

            "Plane Tickets."

            "So, how much money do we have left?"

            "Including what we were just paid," Josie winced, "About 27 dollars and 38 cents."

            "Wait. Your Telling me, we left with almost NO money?"

            "Yes."

            "What are we going to do?"

            Josie slouched in her seat and said, "Call our parents and ask for money to get us home." She sat back up. "Then camp out in the van until it gets here. If they decide to send it to us." She slouched again. "How degrading. We have to go home and eat our words about becoming famous in Japan."

            "No way! A voice shouted in the booth behind him. "You can't just leave!"

            Yugi sat up from the booth and looked over the top. "You guys are way too good! And you just got here!"

            "Sorry Yugi, but we have to." Josie said. "It's kinda hard to make it in a foreign country with no money. Nice to meet'chu guys, but we gotta go find a phone to call our parents." The girls got up from the booth and started toward the exit. "See you later."

            "No!....Uh..." Yugi tried to think fast. "You can stay with me and my grandpa!"

            "What?" Josie asked. "Look, Yugi , I appreciate the offer but, y'know, I met you, like, 10 minutes ago and going to your house and staying there, well..." Josie shuffled her feet. "Wouldn't that be kinda...weird? Plus so far, your grandpa hasn't had any say in this. I don't want to be imposing."

            "It would be no trouble. My grandpa is really nice! He wouldn't mind. Right guys?"

            Yugi turned around, but no one was there. Jou was too busy flirting with Melody,  and Honda was talking to Val. As for Anzu, she was too busy trying to break her own record at DDR.

            "I still dunno." Josie began but Yugi wouldn't take no for an answer.

            "Come on! I'll show you my house!" Yugi gestured for everyone to follow.

            "Wait. We have a van. You just point out the way and we'll give you a ride."

            Josie got in the van and sat behind the wheel. Yugi and Anzu sat beside her up front, while the rest piled into the extra space in back. Before starting the engine, Josie looked at Yugi and asked, "Hey Yugi, whats that thing around your neck?"

            "Oh, this?" He held up his puzzle. "This was a gift from my grandpa. I bet it looks kinda weird to you, huh?"

            "Oh, not at all! In fact, Large gold jewelry worn 'round the neck is considered VERY sexy in America, and It makes you look so, too."

            Yugi's face turned a brilliant red, hearing the words 'sexy' and 'you' in the same sentence. "Really?"

            "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." Josie smiled as she started the van. The van pulled out of its parked position and steadily drove down the street.

Ah I know that sucked…but ah well. Review time!