.Tammi: Here is the next chapter, onegai read.
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She stared long and hard at her reflection, and smiled in a dark way. She then, extended her arm outwards (towards the mirror), and pointed with her index finger. Sticking her thumb up in the air, and smiled weakly, "No more tears…" Anzu took a deep breath and cocked her hand back, and whispered, "Bang."
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CHAPTER: Pain Is Infinite
Joey lay in his bed, more bored than ever… 'Maybe what happened last night was some kind of sign? I mean, it is too much of a coincidence that something like that would happen now… What if it was tryin' to tell me something?' He thought to himself. He glanced at the small table in the living room, where the evictions notice lay… "Where am I supposed to go now? I will not bother Yugi or the others, and I don't want to be with mom…"
Joey sighed, and shut all the blinds; not letting any sunlight in. He sat on the run down sofa, and shut his eyes. But, before he could go back to sleep, there was a knock on his door. He didn't bother answering it at first, what was the point?
But, after they wouldn't go away, he got up and swung the door open. "Oh, uh… What are you doing here?" Joey asked, completely surprised to see him.
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///Mazaki Residence/Anzu's Room/9:35 a.m.///
Anzu brushed her short brown hair, and shook her head. "I wonder why people go and on about life being so great… Because everyone knows that's just a crock." She sighed, and left her room.
"Hey, honey, are you ok?"
Anzu stopped half way out the door, "Ohayo, mom. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well, when I came home last night, you were already in bed."
Anzu turned around and smiled that sweet smile everyone was so fond of, "Mom, I am just fine. How could I not be? I have the best mother in the world; I have my friends… my future…" Her voice sort of lowered on that last part.
"Speaking of which, have you gotten back your acceptance letter?" Her mother asked, with a smile.
Anzu had a hard time keeping up her smile, "No… I haven't yet, actually. But, you know what they say… no news is good news, right?"
"Yes, that's true."
"Of course, they might not pick me, you are aware of that, aren't you?"
"Aw, honey… Don't think like that. You are an excellent dancer. Anyone would be happy and lucky to have you."
'That's what you think, mom.' She laughed a little, "Thanks mom. Well, I hafta get going."
"And where are you going so early?"
"… I'm meeting with some friends…" She lied.
"Well, tell them I said hi."
"I will. See you later, mom." She waved and left out the door.
"Sorry mom, I hate lying to you… But, I can't tell you how I am feeling. I won't burden you anymore." She said quietly to herself, as she started her car.
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///Turtle Shop/Yugi's Room/9:46 a.m.///
He shook his head, "No, I don't believe you."
"It's true."
"No way, it can't be."
"I'm telling you right now, it is."
"Are you really telling me the truth?"
"I don't have any reason to lie. Look, Seto really does have every copy of Zombire. And, he let's me read them all the time."
"That has to be made up. Kaiba would never be interested in manga."
"He is too."
"He just doesn't strike me as the type who would actually go out and buy comics and stuff. No offense, but he behaves more like the 'I have no time to waste on fictional things'.
"Great imitations of him, but, he's not like that at all. My brother is kind, loving, and despite what people say, he's human. He makes mistakes, and he gets upset…" Mokuba trailed off.
"Something wrong, Mokuba?"
"No, it's nothing…"
Yugi gave him a worried stare, but kept quiet. "So, what do you want to do right now?"
Mokuba shrugged, "How about play some video games?"
"Sure, it's downstairs, I'll go down and get it."
"Ok." Yugi walked out of the room, Mokuba walked over and sat down on the bed, "Seto, isn't allowed to make mistakes, because, he has to be perfect. 'Smile for the camera'… It isn't fair. He shouldn't have to hide things from me." He whispered, shutting his eyes for a moment.
Mokuba didn't know how badly his older brother was, but he knew something was wrong. He could tell, by the way Kaiba was working extra hours and spending more time at work than usual. 'I wish he'd tell me… I know I can't really help him, but I could at least lend him support. Why doesn't he understand, that I'm here for him. I'm don't need to be protected…'
He snapped out of his thoughts, when he heard Yugi coming back up with the PS2. "Are you ready to play?"
Mokuba smiled, "You bet."
"So, what do you want to play, Mokuba?" And the two sat down to play their PS2 games.
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///Domino City/Mack's Diner/9:59 a.m.///
"Hey, Mai, what have you been up to?"
"Hey, Tristan… How have you been?" Mai asked a little dispirited.
"Good. What about you? Have you had any trouble or excitement in your life lately?" He asked sitting down beside her.
She laughed cynically, "More than you can imagine…" She stared down into her cup of coffee.
Tristan sat back and drank some of his. Both sat there in silence, at least for only the moment.
"So, I guess, they actually decided to drain the water today."
"Hmm..? Oh, yeah, I saw them doing that earlier… I was thinking of going back down there to look at the empty whole."
"You were, when?"
She shrugged, "I don't know… Just whenever…" Tristan turned his attention to outside, and finished the rest of his coffee.
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///Joey's Home/10:04 a.m.///
"So, uh… I don't understand… You came here to see me?" He repeated as they walked to the living room.
He felt kind of nervous, for one thing he has never seen his home, and second… He has never come just to see Joey.
"Is that so strange? You remember what happened just last night, don't you?"
"Y-Yeah… I do. Who could ever forget about someone dying like that? But, Kaiba, why are you here?"
Kaiba didn't answer him, instead he turned his attention to the chipped coffee table in the middle of the room. His face was blank, but hinted at… '…Pain..?' Joey thought, but mentally shook off those thoughts.
Joey cautiously sat down next to him, and also became silent. "What do you think about one taking their own life, Joey?"
Joey was startled by his question and didn't know what to say. "I… Uh, I don't know…"
"That hasn't been the first time, I've witnessed death, in fact, I've grown accustomed to it. But, you know, I don't blame anyone for committing suicide…"
Joey watched Kaiba carefully, as the brunette stood to his feet, and put his hands in his pockets. "And, why is that?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you not place blame?"
Kaiba smiled, "Because, who am I to judge? I don't know what they have gone through, or what they have seen… Life is an endless struggle for survival, that's how I see it. Sometimes, it's too much of a struggle and you just can't go on fighting…" His voice was dark, and cold.
Joey – who didn't see his face, for he was standing behind him – nodded to himself. "I know that. But, why are you saying all this… And to me, of all people?"
Kaiba turned around to face the slightly shorter teen, "I don't know. I think because, I know I can trust you, Joey." At those words, Joey's heart began to race.
"You can trust me..?" He recited.
They stared at one another, for a long moment… And then, they both started to lean in… However at the last moment, there was a knocking at the door. Both pulled away, and recomposed themselves.
Joey walked to the door, rage and frustration running through his body, he swung the door open, and there stood the bearer of bad news. "What do you want, Mrs. Fawnga?" His tone; was of the annoyed kind.
Kaiba came up right between the two, "I have to get going. Sorry for bothering you Joey."
Kaiba walked past the old shrew, "K-Kaiba, wait! I-" Mrs., Fawnga let herself in, she held a piece of paper. "Kaiba, I'll see you later?" He called out, but Kaiba didn't even look back. He went back inside, to deal with his bitch of a landlord.
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///Domino City/Mack's Diner/10:38 a.m.///
Mai sat slumped in her chair… 'Why does life have to be so boring, yet so unpredictable? I wish, all of this hurt would go away… I mean, I don't like feeling this way…' She pulled out some cash, and left it on the table.
She left the diner, and headed out to walk around. 'Why is my life always being sucker punched? I fell in love with a man, who ended up being a cheat. I also came back home and almost got raped… What's next for me? Walks around the city and ends up in the park, where she jumps off the bridge- ending her ridiculous life once and for all?'
She stopped walking and thought that last part over again, "Why would I think like that? I would never even consider doing something so drastic… I would never do that." She continued her walking.
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///Turtle Shop/Yugi's Room/10:54 a.m.///
"You still couldn't get a hold of him?"
Mokuba shook his head, "No… And, it's not like him to turn his phone off, like that. You don't think anything could be wrong, do you?"
Yugi's face filled with concern, "Maybe you're just reading too much into this. He probably forgot to turn it back on, or something."
Mokuba shook his head, "Still… I think I'm gonna go and look for him. Thanks for letting me stay over, Yugi."
Mokuba began to walk out of the room, "Wait, Mokuba… I'll help you look for him."
"You will?"
Yugi smiled, "Yeah. Come on, let's go."
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///Joey's Home/11:02 a.m.///
"So, are you telling me, I have to be out by tonight?"
"Yes, I'm sorry, but according to my records, you have until tonight."
Joey went over to the door, and opened it, "Well, thank you so much for lettin' me know. I'll be sure to remember that, when I'm sleeping on the damn streets tonight." She walked out, without saying anything, and he slammed the door, right behind her.
"Dammit! How can this happen to me?!" He punched a hole into the hallway wall, and headed back into the living room.
But, after ten minutes of swearing and hitting stuff, he all of a sudden froze. And then, gulped and walked over to the front door. He grabbed his jacket, and threw on his shoes and left his apartment just like that.
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End Chapter
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Tammi: Please review. I hoped you liked this chapter. Later!