Disclaimer: I do not own any Yugioh characters. I also don't own the song
that appears later on in this chap. Um.. Enjoy!
"Hi, Ryou," chirped a voice from across the table. I opened my eyes and shifted his gaze to the smaller, smiling boy.
"Hey, Yuugi," I greeted back.
"Haven't getting much sleep, lately?" the other stated more than asked.
"Yeah. I've been having these dreams lately. Actually, they are more like memories," I explained.
"I know," Yuugi whispered, his cheery face becoming serious. "Ryou, there is something you must know."
With a confused expression, I asked him, "What is it?"
"There is someone, someone here. They have come back. When you are not looking, they are watching. I am here to warn you, Ryou. He is someone that you know, he is - "
A loud crash sounded from across the empty cafeteria. I hadn't noticed before that Yuugi and I had been the only people here. Trying to find the source of the noise, I scanned the large area. There was no one else. But then I heard a curse and a growl.
"Hey, kid."
I looked back at Yuugi but found he wasn't there. Instead, I was met with darkness.
"Hey, kid!"
Ryou awakened in bewilderment as a hand had grabbed his shoulder and shook roughly.
"It's time to go to class. Actually, it was time to go to class three minutes ago," this man had informed him. The person opposite Ryou was wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt that read "Domino High Janitor Staff" across it in black letters. Although he was a janitor, this man looked too . . . frail for the job. Gazing up, Ryou saw the janitor was wearing a gas mask. It then struck him who the custodian was.
"You better get to class before you get detention," the man advised.
Not knowing what was going on, Ryou looked around him and noticed he and this janitor were the only ones here. Quickly turning his head to look at the clock, he finally realized that indeed, he was three minutes late for his fourth period class. "Oh no! I'm late for class!" he shouted, swiftly standing up from the lunch table and grabbing his backpack. Without turning back, he yelled his thanks to the janitor.
"Damn, teenagers." A rare small smile spread across the man's young face.
*~*~*
Ryou raced through the first floor's hallways until he got to the stairway that led to the second one. Dashing up the stairs and then jetting towards his classroom, Ryou felt like he was going to pass out from the sudden act of energy after a nap.
Room 237 . . . Room 239 . . . Room 241! Halting to a stop before he smacked into the door, Ryou peered through its window. A pang of familiarity struck through him as he scanned the classroom, he noticed that Joey and Tristan as always was sleeping in the back. Looking for a certain someone, his eyes drifted up the rows of tired students and rested on his ticket into the room.
Ryou frantically waved his arms in front of the glass, trying to get the oblivious girl's gaze. Hoping that she would miraculously hear him, he silently called, "Tea!" Her full attention was on something else. Glancing towards the front of the room, Ryou noticed the teacher was explaining something to the class. Patiently waiting for his chance, the exhausted boy took three deep breaths. He didn't have any tardies for this class, but since his teacher had a grudge against him for walking in on a 'private meeting', Ryou didn't want to take any chances.
There! It was his chance! Mr. Shirundou's back was turned towards the blackboard and Tea was glancing towards around the classroom. Lucky for Ryou, Tea was searching for him. With his spirits starting to rise, Ryou once again waved his arms back and forth. A look of relief crossed the female's face as she focused in on the frantic boy.
With one look at the busy teacher, Tea smiled at Ryou and signaled him to start the mission. Calming himself down, Ryou grasped the doorknob with his sweaty palms. Turning and pulling the door open without a sound was the hard part. Accomplishing this difficult task made the secret agent bask in pride.
The next step was to close the door without letting it click and alarming the whole class of an intruder. Praying to nothing in particular, Ryou slowly shut the heavy barrier and grimaced, expecting to hear that thunderous sound. Nothing sounded and his face grew into a grin. Controlling himself as not to celebrate so soon, Ryou took a deep breath.
When he looked around the classroom, he realized all his classmates were staring at him. Quickly glancing at Mr. Shirundou, Ryou sighed as the teacher continued writing information on the board. His next part of the mission is to safely make it to his desk without being noticed by said teacher.
One gulp led the nervous teen to his hands and knees. Everyone continued to watch him as he tentatively crawled across the tile floor. Not paying attention, the boy accidentally kicked someone's backpack, causing him to stop in his place. Heads turned to stare at their current mentor, relieved that he hadn't looked to see what had created the noise. Deciding now wasn't the time to apologize, Ryou continued on his operation that was similar to his earlier one.
Slowly, desk by desk, he had finally made it. The last part of his quest was to sit in his desk and pretend he wasn't late. Looking up at Tea, who sat next to him, Ryou saw the look of horror on her face. There went his heart and every other organ in his body. Yep, it was very similar to first period.
Panic and fear arose as the disappointed teen gazed up. There was Mr. Shirundou, still writing on his blackboard. The fear on Tea's face must've been from what he was writing, read pages 354 - 406 and write five thousand words on the development of America. It was as if a meteor hit him, his heart began to pound once again and he was able to breathe. Before he really got caught, Ryou quickly yet silently stood up from the floor and sat in his chair. Forgetting to shed his backpack, the boy quickly unequipped it and threw it on the ground.
His eyes grew in fear as the sound of the bag boomed throughout the room.
"So you decided to show up for class, Mr. Bakura." Ryou winced as he saw Mr. Shirundou set down his marker and turn around to face the class. "Nice entrance, but it would've been a lot easier if you came in like the rest of the students instead of crawling on the floor like a dog."
"I'm sorry, sensei," he sheepishly apologized.
"No need to be sorry, just don't do it again," the older man advised. /Ever since Ryou had interrupted Mr. Shirundou's meeting with the lunch lady, he's had a grudge against the innocent teen. /
"I won't."
"But to make sure you will not do it again, you will have after school detention with Mr. Jukodo," the teacher punished, a smirk on his middle- aged face.
Unable to speak, Ryou just gulped and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Mr. Jukodo was the new janitor; the one who had woken him up in the cafeteria. No one has seen his face since he always wore a gas mask. A lot of people said that he despised teenagers and had even killed a few at the previous school he used to work at.
"Ryou," someone whispered his name.
A note was resting in the palm of Tea's hand. He looked up at her and she pointed towards the back of the room. Turning around, Ryou saw Joey smile and do his trademark "V".
It was strange, Joey never wrote him a note. Actually, no one has ever written him a not. Cautiously taking the folded paper from Tea, Ryou set it gently on his desk hoping the teacher wouldn't see. He stared at it for a couple of moments, wondering what it said. With curiosity, the boy unfolded the parchment and read:
Hey man,
Haha! You have detention. I'll just go over to your house and wait for you there . . . you know, eat some food, watch TV, go through your diary . . . joking, I'll just be at the big tree. One more thing man, who's that creepy guy outside the room door who keeps staring in your direction?
Reading this last line alarmed Ryou. His head quickly shot towards the door. There was no one there. Wondering what Joey was talking about; he turned to the back of the room again. To signal that he was confused about this 'creepy guy', he looked at the door and then at Joey with what he thought was a confused expression. Obviously it wasn't, for Joey just smiled and gave him thumbs up.
In frustration of not getting his point across, Ryou opened his backpack and pulled out his class binder. After pulling out a sheet of paper, he pulled out a pencil and scribbled some words. Not caring if he was caught, Ryou threw the balled up paper back at Joey, successfully hitting him on the forehead. /Ha! I wish I hit him. / Instead, Joey's surprising quick reflexes reacted and he caught the paper ball before it even came close to his forehead.
Wondering what Mr. Shirundou was writing on the board while talking to the class, the boy tuned in. " . . . on July 4, 1776. That is why when you travel their, American flags can be seen everywhere on this day, because it . . ."
CLUNK!
Something hard collided into the back of Ryou's head. Knowing exactly who did this, his now injured head shot around to glare at a certain someone. There in the back of the room was Joey and Tristan laughing while hitting their hands on the desk. Ryou quickly turned back to the front of the room to see if the teacher had noticed. Strange how the man could notice when someone sneaks into a room so indiscreetly, yet be completely clueless on the disruption of shoe throwing, laughing boys in the back of the room.
DINK!
Another object had hit the pondering boy. Taking a deep breath as not to lash out (which he rarely did), Ryou slowly turned around in his seat and gave the two goons a sweet smile. He fluttered his eyelashes and mouthed, "Can I help you?"
They continued on laughing while pointing on the floor next to the feigning boy. A little curious as to what had hit him the second time, Ryou looked down on the floor next to him. Balled up was another piece of paper; he bent to pick it up. Slowly sitting into the upright position, he noticed something from the corner of his eye.
Swiftly staring up at what he had thought were familiar brown eyes, he was met with nothing. Pushing that eerily comforting vision from his mind, Ryou carefully uncrumpled the message.
Simmer down, man. Writing that hard can cause the paper to rip, wait a second, the paper did rip . . . hehe . . . beyond the point, wasn't that a nice hit? Who knew Tristan's big shoes were good for something? Now on the point, there's this guy outside the classroom door. Every now and then he looks in here with those creepy eyes. The freak stares right at you. I don't know what he wants, but man, you better watch your back. If I saw those eyes staring at me, I'd start whimpering like a puppy (damn that Kaiba). Anywho, yours truly,
Joey ^.O v
Realizing that his hands were shaking while finishing up the note, the startled boy set the parchment down. /Why am I so shaken up? It's only some guy. Besides, he could be staring at someone else, not me. Okay, Ryou, calm down. It's not him; it's only some stranger staring at you from the hallway, and every time you look he's gone. But why is my heart beating so fast? Why did those eyes seem so familiar? I must be hallucinating; it was only a part of my imagination. Right, that's it. Those piercing, brown eyes that I had easily melt into past times were only a part of my imagination. It couldn't be him. /
CLUNK!
Wincing from the third object that had now hit his growing bump, Ryou turned around. Tristan had his legs resting atop the desk, both his feet in socks. Ryou was very surprised that no one had complained to the teacher of flying paper and shoes.
"What are your needs now?" Ryou asked, trying to sound polite.
"Can you hand me my shoes? They have seem to run off next to your seat," Tristan smiled.
"Of course, my Princess," he responded, glaring at the relaxed teen. He bent down and gathered both of Tristan's lugs. With a small bubble of hope inside of him, Ryou slowly sat up like he did when he picked up the note. POP! His bubbled busted when nothing had appeared from the door. With disappointment, the deluded boy threw the pair of shoes at the two. He must've thrown them just a little too hard, for one smacked Tristan in the face before he could get his hands up and the other one rushed past Joey's own head, smacking into the wall behind him. The fear of almost getting his head chopped off caused Joey to fall out of his seat.
"Mr. Bakura," a voice loudly addressed from behind the now panicking boy. "Is there a reason that you are pelting shoes at my students?"
"Um - um," he stuttered facing his teacher. "I thought it'd be nice to give Tristan back his shoes."
"Well maybe you shouldn't think about being nice. I would hate to see you being too nice and sending someone to the hospital, especially these good boys who were minding their own business," and with those words of advice, more like warning of another detention, Mr. Shirundou turned around and continued on with his lecture.
If he wasn't so relieved that he didn't get detention, he would've come up with some smart remark or seethed. Instead, Ryou sunk lower in his seat and thanked the mighty power that saved him. Already choosing he didn't want to get detention, Ryou ignored the CLUNKS and DINKS that were shortly followed by laughter. His mind was too enveloped on thoughts about his dream while in the lunchroom. /Why was Yuugi in it and what was he trying to tell me? 'When you are not looking, they are watching . . . He is someone that you know, he is - ' Who is he? Wait! . . . Even Joey had mentioned those enticing eyes . . . /
*~*~*
The school bell finally rang. Ryou yawned from the wearing day. He had been given long reading assignments and two essays. His stomach was also rumbling from the lack of food. Not only that, but he had detention.
Walking throughout the students who were hurriedly trying to escape the building, Ryou finally came to the room his detention was to be held.
CUSTODIANS was imprinted upon the metal door in black letters. Hoping the Mr. Jukodo wasn't there and he could serve his punishment another day, Ryou tentatively knocked on the heavy door. No answer. With a relieved sigh, the exhausted boy began to walk away.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the familiar deep voice.
"Um . . . I was going to the, uh, office, to see if you were there by chance," Ryou stuttered, his heart pounding in his chest as he turned to face the slightly taller man.
"Chance? There is no such thing as chance. Everything happens according to plan, not chance. Like your plan is to help me clean the classrooms. That wouldn't be chance, now would it? Did you, by chance, earn yourself an afternoon with me?" Ryou could clearly see the janitor was a little riled up.
/Maybe he did murder a few teenagers. / He thought in horror.
"N-No, Mr. Jukodo," the frightened teenager croaked.
"Good, now lets get going if you want to make it home by dark." Without another word, the intimidating adult walked away, pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies.
"Joey, you're going to be out there for a long time."
*~*~
"What's taking you so long?" Joey questioned to Ryou who was currently somewhere inside the school. It had been almost an hour and there was no sign of life about the building.
Anxious to speak to Ryou about the many thoughts on his mind, Joey sighed then growled. /If he doesn't get his skinny ass out here soon, I'm going to go to his house and wait for him there. At least then I won't be freezing my own skinny ass. But then again, Yami must be at his house . . . Scratch that idea. /
Joey had noted that ever since he had received the Millenium Puzzle, Ryou hadn't worn it to school, or anywhere else for that matter. He wondered what Yami did while the boy was at school. Did he stay inside the puzzle or did he lounge about all day. It had been a year since the Pharaoh could perform complicated magic and had succeeded in separating all of the spirits from their vessels. Surely he had found the world boring now that he had experienced almost everything he could possibly do with his own body.
Sigh. /Come on, Joey. Stop thinking of him. I'm sure he's forgiven you . . . but what if he hasn't? That's why you're talking to Ryou. He should be able to help you with ALL of your problems. Yes, I'm talking about that problem . . ./
*~*~*
Closing his locker and hauling his backpack full of books, Ryou made his way out to the big tree. He knew it had been an hour and a half since school ended. Astonishing enough, Mr. Jukodo had let him leave early, realizing there was something Ryou needed to attend to. Currently, that something was casually leaning against the oak's trunk.
"Hey, Joey," the enervated boy weakly greeted.
"Took ya long enough," Joey slapped the tired boy's back and began to walk towards their destination.
"Sorry, I didn't know I'd be spending a lifetime cleaning the boards and sweeping the floor. Did you know there is twenty-four classrooms alone in the west hall on the second floor?" Ryou exclaimed with disgust.
A chuckle rose from the regaled Joey. "Actually, there's twenty-five if you include that unused one at the end of the hall. Yep, I admit it. I, Joey Wheeler, have cleaned every single classroom in that building. What's a guy to do when he gets fifty detentions a month?"
The two erupted into small laughter. It was nice for Ryou to hear a friendly voice after spending an eternity with the apathetic janitor.
As Joey and Ryou entered an amusing conversation of Joey's many detention adventures, they hadn't noticed the figure closely following them.
*~*~*
After unlocking the front foor when they reached Ryou's house, a rousing smell seeped into the two weary boys' nostrils.
"Food," Ryou mumbled, the exact time his stomach growled.
"Mm . . . Panda Pizza to be exact," Joey drooled.
"Oh! You're home early. Nice to see you, Joey," Yami cheerily greeted.
"Um . . . hi," Joey greeted back, his expression changing from bliss to agitation.
Seeing the awkwardness of Joey and the relaxed stance from Yami, Ryou wondered why the ancient Pharaoh wasn't upset about yesterday's sequence.
"You boys can eat, but don't stuff yourselves to much or you'll upset your stomach," advised said Pharaoh.
Another growl erupted from Ryou's hungry belly. "My stomach is already upset," he blushed.
"That's our signal!" Joey shouted, a smile spread upon his face.
The two boys with their rapacious appetite ran into the kitchen and opened one of the boxes of pizza.
"Yuck! Lamb on pizza?" Joey grimaced.
"Actually, it's gyros, fried lamb. Yami said this was a delicacy in Egypt," Ryou explained, utter disgust etched on his face.
"Next box!" the blonde boy demanded.
They closed Yami's box, which had a few missing slices. The contents in the other box were much more appetizing.
"Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. The classic!" Joey exclaimed, licking his lips.
With protests from Ryou, Joey ignored him and grabbed a slice of pizza with his hand. Yami watched with a small smile as Ryou got out two plates and snatched the pizza from Joey's hand with a disapproving look.
There was a certain atmosphere about them; one that hadn't forgotten their friend, but was still with holding a calm gaiety. He knew Ryou was emotionally strong enough to cope the loss of Yuugi; all those years of living without a mother and then those few years of being with his darker self. Joey, on the other hand, was surprising. The boy may have gone on a couple emotional roller coasters himself, but the recent passing hit him the hardest. The sight of seeing Joey so cheerful was almost eerie.
"-Chew-Chew-Yami-Chew-Chew," Joey had said, or at least tried to say, to the pondering Pharaoh.
The confused expression on Yami's face made Ryou giggle. "What he said was 'Thanks Yami for the pizza. It's just what I needed.'"
Amazed at how much Joey had said to him with those few sounds, Yami replied, "You're welcome." Content with their satisfaction, Yami gave them one last glance and left the kitchen.
*~*~*
BURP.
"Joey!" Ryou accused with a grin.
"Woops, it just came out," Joey snickered, but before Ryou could respond, he suggested with a more pensive air, "We should start on our homework while we talk."
The other's grin evaporated. "Okay."
After putting their plates in the sink, the two made their way up to Ryou's room with their backpacks. Upon entering the room, Joey picked up the CD case lying on his friend's desk.
"Got any good CD's?" he asked, searching through the small case.
"Um . . . it depends on what you consider good," Ryou answered, a little embarrassed at his CD collection.
A few more seconds passed with Joey flipping the flaps of discs. "Do you have anything else besides X Japan?" Ryou didn't answer this time. "Oh! Now that's what I'm talking about." With a triumphant smile, Joey removed his prize and inserted it into the stereo. He pressed a few buttons and the music rang throughout the room.
"Aa kogoeru kurai umi e
Nagasarete yuku rekishi no nami ni nomare Yagate maku wa agari
Hakanai yume wo tsurete arasoi ni hi wo tsukeru"
/He chose L'arc en Ciel. /
"So . . . you like guys with the name of Hyde, huh?" Joey inquired.
"Um . . ." It was true that he thought both Hide's of X Japan and L'arc en Ciel were hot, but Joey didn't need to know that. "I like their music."
Joey chortled at Ryou's response. "Sure, that's what they all say."
"Well, we should begin out homework," Ryou adverted the subject of his preferences.
"I don't even want to think of homework. Let's just forget about it for now and work on it later," the lazy teen suggested.
"Joey, we have a five thousand word essay due Friday! Today is Tuesday; we only have a few days to work on it!" The responsible one countered.
Joey didn't retort back like he usually would. The vocals filled the room as Joey listened to the song that described his life.
"Forbidden lover awai kioku
Tsuyoku daitemo kasanari aenu shikisai
Iki wo hisome chikau
Amai koi no hate wa yokisenu toki no itazura"
"Ryou, I really need to talk to you about something very important. Right now, you're the only one I can trust, since you've kind of gone through a lot. I was hoping that you could help me with something that has been bothering me since Yuugi died."
These words were spoken. Ryou was taken aback at first with what Joey had told him. "What is it, Joey? What's been bothering you?" he asked with concerned curiosity.
Before he replied, Joey took three deep breaths and closed his eyes, as if he was searching for the right words to explain his raging thoughts. "That night, when I went into Yuugi's hospital room, he requested a favor from me. Now I didn't want to turn down a last request from him, so I did it," the troubled boy started.
A little lost on the vagueness Ryou poked in, "What was the request?"
Joey hesitated. "Um, he asked me if I could kiss him. He had never kissed anyone before so he asked if I could give him his first, and his last."
Ryou wasn't surprised. "Continue on."
"Well, I already told you that I have feelings for him, and how I thought I could replace him with Yami. I don't know why I ever thought such a stupid thing. But, um, since I can't replace him with anyone, why not have the real Yuugi?"
More vagueness. "What do you mean, Joey? Why not have the REAL Yuugi?"
"Yeah. I want to be with the real Yuugi," Joey repeated.
"And how do you suppose you do that?" Ryou was dreading the answer that he feared would be Joey's solution.
"Ryou, you know what I'm trying to say. How else can I join someone who is dead?" The forwardness of Joey was a little unsettling.
"Do you mean to, um, to do that to yourself?" Ryou interrogated some more.
"Yeah." Such a simple answer created complicated emotions.
/Why would he do such a thing? There has to be another way. /
"Joey, I'm sure Yuugi wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. Just think about this for a moment - "
"I've already thought enough about it, Ryou," Joey's voice rose a bit.
The non-placid feelings inside of him boiled with anxiety. Sure, Ryou had thought about committing suicide, but this was different. He didn't have the control over Joey like he did to himself. His only chance was to choose the right words.
"Think about it more, Joey. Please. What would you do if you were Yuugi and he was in your place, thinking about killing himself!" Ryou tried to convince.
"Well if it meant that him and me could be together, then I'd be happy," Joey stated, almost in a stage of delirium.
"No, Joey. You wouldn't. You would want to see Yuugi grow up and live his life and join you when his time rightfully came. That's what Yuugi wants! He wants you to live on and enjoy life. He wants - "
"HE WANTS ME!" Joey shouted. "W-When I left his room that night, he said that he'd be waiting for when we meet again! I'm not going to make him wait for so long, okay. I-I want to be with him, Ryou," Joey confessed.
"How do you even know you'll end up with him? People who take their own lives away usually don't end up in the same place as people who were murdered," Ryou asserted coldly.
A few minutes passed with them in their current position. Joey standing up, lost in his own thoughts, and Ryou sitting on his bed, trying to cool down.
"Sora takaku maiagare kono kokoro
Uzumaita warui yume yori takaku
Tokihanatsu anata e no kono omoi
Tooi chi e kagayaki wo hanatte
Arata naru kuni ni
Yagatekuru hi ni mo
Onaji michi wo mata odoru darou ka"
These words weren't helping the situation at all.
"Ryou," the distressed boy finally spoke.
Afraid he might lash out on his friend, Ryou stayed silent and gave Joey an expectant stare.
"I'm sorry," Joey apologized. "I'm sorry for everything. Please forgive me, and then I'll leave."
A little dumbstruck by Joey's sincerity, Ryou could only reply, "I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did."
"No," the other disagreed. "I'm glad you said that. It made me realize what I was doing."
It felt as if all the raging waves disappeared and left a calm sea. "I forgive you, Joey. I'm also happy and relieved I made you finally see what you were going to do."
Ryou heard Joey mumble something, but couldn't understand him. "What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing. Well, um, I better go. It's getting late, and my pops might worry," Joey explained. He swiftly grabbed his backpack and rushed out of the room. Ryou listened to the thuds on the stairs and the opening and closing of the front door. The door opened again and Ryou could hear, "Bye, Yami! I'll see you later," and then the door was shut once again, except this time the door made a final sound, as if it'd never be opened again.
Another round of footsteps were heard, ascending the stairs.
"How's Joey?" Yami questioned.
"I don't know," Ryou truthfully answered.
A frown formed on the amethyst eyed one. Somehow, it felt as if Yami knew something. "He seemed . . . different."
"I know." Something inside of Ryou began to stir up. The previous feel of order began to spin. A foreboding sense overcame him, but he pushed it away. "Yami?"
"Yes, Ryou," the once before spirit responded, the same uneasiness inside him as well as Ryou.
"Where do you think Yuugi is?"
"Where Joey wants to be," Yami whispered, his gaze never leaving the opposing brown ones.
"I didn't hear you."
"I don't know, Ryou. I don't know."
TBC.
Did you like? I hope so.. I wanted my update to be long since it's been so long since I've last posted.
The song in this chapter is by L'arc en Ciel. It's called Forbidden Lover, in case you wanted to look up the translations to get a better idea of what Joey was feeling.
I'm sorry if this chapter was a disappointment to you. Sigh. I must go now, though. I'm so sleepy.
Please review!
"Hi, Ryou," chirped a voice from across the table. I opened my eyes and shifted his gaze to the smaller, smiling boy.
"Hey, Yuugi," I greeted back.
"Haven't getting much sleep, lately?" the other stated more than asked.
"Yeah. I've been having these dreams lately. Actually, they are more like memories," I explained.
"I know," Yuugi whispered, his cheery face becoming serious. "Ryou, there is something you must know."
With a confused expression, I asked him, "What is it?"
"There is someone, someone here. They have come back. When you are not looking, they are watching. I am here to warn you, Ryou. He is someone that you know, he is - "
A loud crash sounded from across the empty cafeteria. I hadn't noticed before that Yuugi and I had been the only people here. Trying to find the source of the noise, I scanned the large area. There was no one else. But then I heard a curse and a growl.
"Hey, kid."
I looked back at Yuugi but found he wasn't there. Instead, I was met with darkness.
"Hey, kid!"
Ryou awakened in bewilderment as a hand had grabbed his shoulder and shook roughly.
"It's time to go to class. Actually, it was time to go to class three minutes ago," this man had informed him. The person opposite Ryou was wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt that read "Domino High Janitor Staff" across it in black letters. Although he was a janitor, this man looked too . . . frail for the job. Gazing up, Ryou saw the janitor was wearing a gas mask. It then struck him who the custodian was.
"You better get to class before you get detention," the man advised.
Not knowing what was going on, Ryou looked around him and noticed he and this janitor were the only ones here. Quickly turning his head to look at the clock, he finally realized that indeed, he was three minutes late for his fourth period class. "Oh no! I'm late for class!" he shouted, swiftly standing up from the lunch table and grabbing his backpack. Without turning back, he yelled his thanks to the janitor.
"Damn, teenagers." A rare small smile spread across the man's young face.
*~*~*
Ryou raced through the first floor's hallways until he got to the stairway that led to the second one. Dashing up the stairs and then jetting towards his classroom, Ryou felt like he was going to pass out from the sudden act of energy after a nap.
Room 237 . . . Room 239 . . . Room 241! Halting to a stop before he smacked into the door, Ryou peered through its window. A pang of familiarity struck through him as he scanned the classroom, he noticed that Joey and Tristan as always was sleeping in the back. Looking for a certain someone, his eyes drifted up the rows of tired students and rested on his ticket into the room.
Ryou frantically waved his arms in front of the glass, trying to get the oblivious girl's gaze. Hoping that she would miraculously hear him, he silently called, "Tea!" Her full attention was on something else. Glancing towards the front of the room, Ryou noticed the teacher was explaining something to the class. Patiently waiting for his chance, the exhausted boy took three deep breaths. He didn't have any tardies for this class, but since his teacher had a grudge against him for walking in on a 'private meeting', Ryou didn't want to take any chances.
There! It was his chance! Mr. Shirundou's back was turned towards the blackboard and Tea was glancing towards around the classroom. Lucky for Ryou, Tea was searching for him. With his spirits starting to rise, Ryou once again waved his arms back and forth. A look of relief crossed the female's face as she focused in on the frantic boy.
With one look at the busy teacher, Tea smiled at Ryou and signaled him to start the mission. Calming himself down, Ryou grasped the doorknob with his sweaty palms. Turning and pulling the door open without a sound was the hard part. Accomplishing this difficult task made the secret agent bask in pride.
The next step was to close the door without letting it click and alarming the whole class of an intruder. Praying to nothing in particular, Ryou slowly shut the heavy barrier and grimaced, expecting to hear that thunderous sound. Nothing sounded and his face grew into a grin. Controlling himself as not to celebrate so soon, Ryou took a deep breath.
When he looked around the classroom, he realized all his classmates were staring at him. Quickly glancing at Mr. Shirundou, Ryou sighed as the teacher continued writing information on the board. His next part of the mission is to safely make it to his desk without being noticed by said teacher.
One gulp led the nervous teen to his hands and knees. Everyone continued to watch him as he tentatively crawled across the tile floor. Not paying attention, the boy accidentally kicked someone's backpack, causing him to stop in his place. Heads turned to stare at their current mentor, relieved that he hadn't looked to see what had created the noise. Deciding now wasn't the time to apologize, Ryou continued on his operation that was similar to his earlier one.
Slowly, desk by desk, he had finally made it. The last part of his quest was to sit in his desk and pretend he wasn't late. Looking up at Tea, who sat next to him, Ryou saw the look of horror on her face. There went his heart and every other organ in his body. Yep, it was very similar to first period.
Panic and fear arose as the disappointed teen gazed up. There was Mr. Shirundou, still writing on his blackboard. The fear on Tea's face must've been from what he was writing, read pages 354 - 406 and write five thousand words on the development of America. It was as if a meteor hit him, his heart began to pound once again and he was able to breathe. Before he really got caught, Ryou quickly yet silently stood up from the floor and sat in his chair. Forgetting to shed his backpack, the boy quickly unequipped it and threw it on the ground.
His eyes grew in fear as the sound of the bag boomed throughout the room.
"So you decided to show up for class, Mr. Bakura." Ryou winced as he saw Mr. Shirundou set down his marker and turn around to face the class. "Nice entrance, but it would've been a lot easier if you came in like the rest of the students instead of crawling on the floor like a dog."
"I'm sorry, sensei," he sheepishly apologized.
"No need to be sorry, just don't do it again," the older man advised. /Ever since Ryou had interrupted Mr. Shirundou's meeting with the lunch lady, he's had a grudge against the innocent teen. /
"I won't."
"But to make sure you will not do it again, you will have after school detention with Mr. Jukodo," the teacher punished, a smirk on his middle- aged face.
Unable to speak, Ryou just gulped and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Mr. Jukodo was the new janitor; the one who had woken him up in the cafeteria. No one has seen his face since he always wore a gas mask. A lot of people said that he despised teenagers and had even killed a few at the previous school he used to work at.
"Ryou," someone whispered his name.
A note was resting in the palm of Tea's hand. He looked up at her and she pointed towards the back of the room. Turning around, Ryou saw Joey smile and do his trademark "V".
It was strange, Joey never wrote him a note. Actually, no one has ever written him a not. Cautiously taking the folded paper from Tea, Ryou set it gently on his desk hoping the teacher wouldn't see. He stared at it for a couple of moments, wondering what it said. With curiosity, the boy unfolded the parchment and read:
Hey man,
Haha! You have detention. I'll just go over to your house and wait for you there . . . you know, eat some food, watch TV, go through your diary . . . joking, I'll just be at the big tree. One more thing man, who's that creepy guy outside the room door who keeps staring in your direction?
Reading this last line alarmed Ryou. His head quickly shot towards the door. There was no one there. Wondering what Joey was talking about; he turned to the back of the room again. To signal that he was confused about this 'creepy guy', he looked at the door and then at Joey with what he thought was a confused expression. Obviously it wasn't, for Joey just smiled and gave him thumbs up.
In frustration of not getting his point across, Ryou opened his backpack and pulled out his class binder. After pulling out a sheet of paper, he pulled out a pencil and scribbled some words. Not caring if he was caught, Ryou threw the balled up paper back at Joey, successfully hitting him on the forehead. /Ha! I wish I hit him. / Instead, Joey's surprising quick reflexes reacted and he caught the paper ball before it even came close to his forehead.
Wondering what Mr. Shirundou was writing on the board while talking to the class, the boy tuned in. " . . . on July 4, 1776. That is why when you travel their, American flags can be seen everywhere on this day, because it . . ."
CLUNK!
Something hard collided into the back of Ryou's head. Knowing exactly who did this, his now injured head shot around to glare at a certain someone. There in the back of the room was Joey and Tristan laughing while hitting their hands on the desk. Ryou quickly turned back to the front of the room to see if the teacher had noticed. Strange how the man could notice when someone sneaks into a room so indiscreetly, yet be completely clueless on the disruption of shoe throwing, laughing boys in the back of the room.
DINK!
Another object had hit the pondering boy. Taking a deep breath as not to lash out (which he rarely did), Ryou slowly turned around in his seat and gave the two goons a sweet smile. He fluttered his eyelashes and mouthed, "Can I help you?"
They continued on laughing while pointing on the floor next to the feigning boy. A little curious as to what had hit him the second time, Ryou looked down on the floor next to him. Balled up was another piece of paper; he bent to pick it up. Slowly sitting into the upright position, he noticed something from the corner of his eye.
Swiftly staring up at what he had thought were familiar brown eyes, he was met with nothing. Pushing that eerily comforting vision from his mind, Ryou carefully uncrumpled the message.
Simmer down, man. Writing that hard can cause the paper to rip, wait a second, the paper did rip . . . hehe . . . beyond the point, wasn't that a nice hit? Who knew Tristan's big shoes were good for something? Now on the point, there's this guy outside the classroom door. Every now and then he looks in here with those creepy eyes. The freak stares right at you. I don't know what he wants, but man, you better watch your back. If I saw those eyes staring at me, I'd start whimpering like a puppy (damn that Kaiba). Anywho, yours truly,
Joey ^.O v
Realizing that his hands were shaking while finishing up the note, the startled boy set the parchment down. /Why am I so shaken up? It's only some guy. Besides, he could be staring at someone else, not me. Okay, Ryou, calm down. It's not him; it's only some stranger staring at you from the hallway, and every time you look he's gone. But why is my heart beating so fast? Why did those eyes seem so familiar? I must be hallucinating; it was only a part of my imagination. Right, that's it. Those piercing, brown eyes that I had easily melt into past times were only a part of my imagination. It couldn't be him. /
CLUNK!
Wincing from the third object that had now hit his growing bump, Ryou turned around. Tristan had his legs resting atop the desk, both his feet in socks. Ryou was very surprised that no one had complained to the teacher of flying paper and shoes.
"What are your needs now?" Ryou asked, trying to sound polite.
"Can you hand me my shoes? They have seem to run off next to your seat," Tristan smiled.
"Of course, my Princess," he responded, glaring at the relaxed teen. He bent down and gathered both of Tristan's lugs. With a small bubble of hope inside of him, Ryou slowly sat up like he did when he picked up the note. POP! His bubbled busted when nothing had appeared from the door. With disappointment, the deluded boy threw the pair of shoes at the two. He must've thrown them just a little too hard, for one smacked Tristan in the face before he could get his hands up and the other one rushed past Joey's own head, smacking into the wall behind him. The fear of almost getting his head chopped off caused Joey to fall out of his seat.
"Mr. Bakura," a voice loudly addressed from behind the now panicking boy. "Is there a reason that you are pelting shoes at my students?"
"Um - um," he stuttered facing his teacher. "I thought it'd be nice to give Tristan back his shoes."
"Well maybe you shouldn't think about being nice. I would hate to see you being too nice and sending someone to the hospital, especially these good boys who were minding their own business," and with those words of advice, more like warning of another detention, Mr. Shirundou turned around and continued on with his lecture.
If he wasn't so relieved that he didn't get detention, he would've come up with some smart remark or seethed. Instead, Ryou sunk lower in his seat and thanked the mighty power that saved him. Already choosing he didn't want to get detention, Ryou ignored the CLUNKS and DINKS that were shortly followed by laughter. His mind was too enveloped on thoughts about his dream while in the lunchroom. /Why was Yuugi in it and what was he trying to tell me? 'When you are not looking, they are watching . . . He is someone that you know, he is - ' Who is he? Wait! . . . Even Joey had mentioned those enticing eyes . . . /
*~*~*
The school bell finally rang. Ryou yawned from the wearing day. He had been given long reading assignments and two essays. His stomach was also rumbling from the lack of food. Not only that, but he had detention.
Walking throughout the students who were hurriedly trying to escape the building, Ryou finally came to the room his detention was to be held.
CUSTODIANS was imprinted upon the metal door in black letters. Hoping the Mr. Jukodo wasn't there and he could serve his punishment another day, Ryou tentatively knocked on the heavy door. No answer. With a relieved sigh, the exhausted boy began to walk away.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the familiar deep voice.
"Um . . . I was going to the, uh, office, to see if you were there by chance," Ryou stuttered, his heart pounding in his chest as he turned to face the slightly taller man.
"Chance? There is no such thing as chance. Everything happens according to plan, not chance. Like your plan is to help me clean the classrooms. That wouldn't be chance, now would it? Did you, by chance, earn yourself an afternoon with me?" Ryou could clearly see the janitor was a little riled up.
/Maybe he did murder a few teenagers. / He thought in horror.
"N-No, Mr. Jukodo," the frightened teenager croaked.
"Good, now lets get going if you want to make it home by dark." Without another word, the intimidating adult walked away, pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies.
"Joey, you're going to be out there for a long time."
*~*~
"What's taking you so long?" Joey questioned to Ryou who was currently somewhere inside the school. It had been almost an hour and there was no sign of life about the building.
Anxious to speak to Ryou about the many thoughts on his mind, Joey sighed then growled. /If he doesn't get his skinny ass out here soon, I'm going to go to his house and wait for him there. At least then I won't be freezing my own skinny ass. But then again, Yami must be at his house . . . Scratch that idea. /
Joey had noted that ever since he had received the Millenium Puzzle, Ryou hadn't worn it to school, or anywhere else for that matter. He wondered what Yami did while the boy was at school. Did he stay inside the puzzle or did he lounge about all day. It had been a year since the Pharaoh could perform complicated magic and had succeeded in separating all of the spirits from their vessels. Surely he had found the world boring now that he had experienced almost everything he could possibly do with his own body.
Sigh. /Come on, Joey. Stop thinking of him. I'm sure he's forgiven you . . . but what if he hasn't? That's why you're talking to Ryou. He should be able to help you with ALL of your problems. Yes, I'm talking about that problem . . ./
*~*~*
Closing his locker and hauling his backpack full of books, Ryou made his way out to the big tree. He knew it had been an hour and a half since school ended. Astonishing enough, Mr. Jukodo had let him leave early, realizing there was something Ryou needed to attend to. Currently, that something was casually leaning against the oak's trunk.
"Hey, Joey," the enervated boy weakly greeted.
"Took ya long enough," Joey slapped the tired boy's back and began to walk towards their destination.
"Sorry, I didn't know I'd be spending a lifetime cleaning the boards and sweeping the floor. Did you know there is twenty-four classrooms alone in the west hall on the second floor?" Ryou exclaimed with disgust.
A chuckle rose from the regaled Joey. "Actually, there's twenty-five if you include that unused one at the end of the hall. Yep, I admit it. I, Joey Wheeler, have cleaned every single classroom in that building. What's a guy to do when he gets fifty detentions a month?"
The two erupted into small laughter. It was nice for Ryou to hear a friendly voice after spending an eternity with the apathetic janitor.
As Joey and Ryou entered an amusing conversation of Joey's many detention adventures, they hadn't noticed the figure closely following them.
*~*~*
After unlocking the front foor when they reached Ryou's house, a rousing smell seeped into the two weary boys' nostrils.
"Food," Ryou mumbled, the exact time his stomach growled.
"Mm . . . Panda Pizza to be exact," Joey drooled.
"Oh! You're home early. Nice to see you, Joey," Yami cheerily greeted.
"Um . . . hi," Joey greeted back, his expression changing from bliss to agitation.
Seeing the awkwardness of Joey and the relaxed stance from Yami, Ryou wondered why the ancient Pharaoh wasn't upset about yesterday's sequence.
"You boys can eat, but don't stuff yourselves to much or you'll upset your stomach," advised said Pharaoh.
Another growl erupted from Ryou's hungry belly. "My stomach is already upset," he blushed.
"That's our signal!" Joey shouted, a smile spread upon his face.
The two boys with their rapacious appetite ran into the kitchen and opened one of the boxes of pizza.
"Yuck! Lamb on pizza?" Joey grimaced.
"Actually, it's gyros, fried lamb. Yami said this was a delicacy in Egypt," Ryou explained, utter disgust etched on his face.
"Next box!" the blonde boy demanded.
They closed Yami's box, which had a few missing slices. The contents in the other box were much more appetizing.
"Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. The classic!" Joey exclaimed, licking his lips.
With protests from Ryou, Joey ignored him and grabbed a slice of pizza with his hand. Yami watched with a small smile as Ryou got out two plates and snatched the pizza from Joey's hand with a disapproving look.
There was a certain atmosphere about them; one that hadn't forgotten their friend, but was still with holding a calm gaiety. He knew Ryou was emotionally strong enough to cope the loss of Yuugi; all those years of living without a mother and then those few years of being with his darker self. Joey, on the other hand, was surprising. The boy may have gone on a couple emotional roller coasters himself, but the recent passing hit him the hardest. The sight of seeing Joey so cheerful was almost eerie.
"-Chew-Chew-Yami-Chew-Chew," Joey had said, or at least tried to say, to the pondering Pharaoh.
The confused expression on Yami's face made Ryou giggle. "What he said was 'Thanks Yami for the pizza. It's just what I needed.'"
Amazed at how much Joey had said to him with those few sounds, Yami replied, "You're welcome." Content with their satisfaction, Yami gave them one last glance and left the kitchen.
*~*~*
BURP.
"Joey!" Ryou accused with a grin.
"Woops, it just came out," Joey snickered, but before Ryou could respond, he suggested with a more pensive air, "We should start on our homework while we talk."
The other's grin evaporated. "Okay."
After putting their plates in the sink, the two made their way up to Ryou's room with their backpacks. Upon entering the room, Joey picked up the CD case lying on his friend's desk.
"Got any good CD's?" he asked, searching through the small case.
"Um . . . it depends on what you consider good," Ryou answered, a little embarrassed at his CD collection.
A few more seconds passed with Joey flipping the flaps of discs. "Do you have anything else besides X Japan?" Ryou didn't answer this time. "Oh! Now that's what I'm talking about." With a triumphant smile, Joey removed his prize and inserted it into the stereo. He pressed a few buttons and the music rang throughout the room.
"Aa kogoeru kurai umi e
Nagasarete yuku rekishi no nami ni nomare Yagate maku wa agari
Hakanai yume wo tsurete arasoi ni hi wo tsukeru"
/He chose L'arc en Ciel. /
"So . . . you like guys with the name of Hyde, huh?" Joey inquired.
"Um . . ." It was true that he thought both Hide's of X Japan and L'arc en Ciel were hot, but Joey didn't need to know that. "I like their music."
Joey chortled at Ryou's response. "Sure, that's what they all say."
"Well, we should begin out homework," Ryou adverted the subject of his preferences.
"I don't even want to think of homework. Let's just forget about it for now and work on it later," the lazy teen suggested.
"Joey, we have a five thousand word essay due Friday! Today is Tuesday; we only have a few days to work on it!" The responsible one countered.
Joey didn't retort back like he usually would. The vocals filled the room as Joey listened to the song that described his life.
"Forbidden lover awai kioku
Tsuyoku daitemo kasanari aenu shikisai
Iki wo hisome chikau
Amai koi no hate wa yokisenu toki no itazura"
"Ryou, I really need to talk to you about something very important. Right now, you're the only one I can trust, since you've kind of gone through a lot. I was hoping that you could help me with something that has been bothering me since Yuugi died."
These words were spoken. Ryou was taken aback at first with what Joey had told him. "What is it, Joey? What's been bothering you?" he asked with concerned curiosity.
Before he replied, Joey took three deep breaths and closed his eyes, as if he was searching for the right words to explain his raging thoughts. "That night, when I went into Yuugi's hospital room, he requested a favor from me. Now I didn't want to turn down a last request from him, so I did it," the troubled boy started.
A little lost on the vagueness Ryou poked in, "What was the request?"
Joey hesitated. "Um, he asked me if I could kiss him. He had never kissed anyone before so he asked if I could give him his first, and his last."
Ryou wasn't surprised. "Continue on."
"Well, I already told you that I have feelings for him, and how I thought I could replace him with Yami. I don't know why I ever thought such a stupid thing. But, um, since I can't replace him with anyone, why not have the real Yuugi?"
More vagueness. "What do you mean, Joey? Why not have the REAL Yuugi?"
"Yeah. I want to be with the real Yuugi," Joey repeated.
"And how do you suppose you do that?" Ryou was dreading the answer that he feared would be Joey's solution.
"Ryou, you know what I'm trying to say. How else can I join someone who is dead?" The forwardness of Joey was a little unsettling.
"Do you mean to, um, to do that to yourself?" Ryou interrogated some more.
"Yeah." Such a simple answer created complicated emotions.
/Why would he do such a thing? There has to be another way. /
"Joey, I'm sure Yuugi wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. Just think about this for a moment - "
"I've already thought enough about it, Ryou," Joey's voice rose a bit.
The non-placid feelings inside of him boiled with anxiety. Sure, Ryou had thought about committing suicide, but this was different. He didn't have the control over Joey like he did to himself. His only chance was to choose the right words.
"Think about it more, Joey. Please. What would you do if you were Yuugi and he was in your place, thinking about killing himself!" Ryou tried to convince.
"Well if it meant that him and me could be together, then I'd be happy," Joey stated, almost in a stage of delirium.
"No, Joey. You wouldn't. You would want to see Yuugi grow up and live his life and join you when his time rightfully came. That's what Yuugi wants! He wants you to live on and enjoy life. He wants - "
"HE WANTS ME!" Joey shouted. "W-When I left his room that night, he said that he'd be waiting for when we meet again! I'm not going to make him wait for so long, okay. I-I want to be with him, Ryou," Joey confessed.
"How do you even know you'll end up with him? People who take their own lives away usually don't end up in the same place as people who were murdered," Ryou asserted coldly.
A few minutes passed with them in their current position. Joey standing up, lost in his own thoughts, and Ryou sitting on his bed, trying to cool down.
"Sora takaku maiagare kono kokoro
Uzumaita warui yume yori takaku
Tokihanatsu anata e no kono omoi
Tooi chi e kagayaki wo hanatte
Arata naru kuni ni
Yagatekuru hi ni mo
Onaji michi wo mata odoru darou ka"
These words weren't helping the situation at all.
"Ryou," the distressed boy finally spoke.
Afraid he might lash out on his friend, Ryou stayed silent and gave Joey an expectant stare.
"I'm sorry," Joey apologized. "I'm sorry for everything. Please forgive me, and then I'll leave."
A little dumbstruck by Joey's sincerity, Ryou could only reply, "I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did."
"No," the other disagreed. "I'm glad you said that. It made me realize what I was doing."
It felt as if all the raging waves disappeared and left a calm sea. "I forgive you, Joey. I'm also happy and relieved I made you finally see what you were going to do."
Ryou heard Joey mumble something, but couldn't understand him. "What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing. Well, um, I better go. It's getting late, and my pops might worry," Joey explained. He swiftly grabbed his backpack and rushed out of the room. Ryou listened to the thuds on the stairs and the opening and closing of the front door. The door opened again and Ryou could hear, "Bye, Yami! I'll see you later," and then the door was shut once again, except this time the door made a final sound, as if it'd never be opened again.
Another round of footsteps were heard, ascending the stairs.
"How's Joey?" Yami questioned.
"I don't know," Ryou truthfully answered.
A frown formed on the amethyst eyed one. Somehow, it felt as if Yami knew something. "He seemed . . . different."
"I know." Something inside of Ryou began to stir up. The previous feel of order began to spin. A foreboding sense overcame him, but he pushed it away. "Yami?"
"Yes, Ryou," the once before spirit responded, the same uneasiness inside him as well as Ryou.
"Where do you think Yuugi is?"
"Where Joey wants to be," Yami whispered, his gaze never leaving the opposing brown ones.
"I didn't hear you."
"I don't know, Ryou. I don't know."
TBC.
Did you like? I hope so.. I wanted my update to be long since it's been so long since I've last posted.
The song in this chapter is by L'arc en Ciel. It's called Forbidden Lover, in case you wanted to look up the translations to get a better idea of what Joey was feeling.
I'm sorry if this chapter was a disappointment to you. Sigh. I must go now, though. I'm so sleepy.
Please review!