Chapter Five
Reunion
Roux woke early the next morning in her hotel room. She felt refreshed and comfortable. The sun came in bright through the windows and lit up the room. Roux sat up and stretched out her arms, and throwing the sheets to the side she got out of bed.
Upon showering and dressing, Roux wondered what she would do today. She remembered that she wanted to get in some practice duels but she also wanted to explore Domino City a bit. So after breakfast she left the hotel and began to walk down the street. It was a sunny day, and people walked and shopped as Roux passed them.
She would have liked to tour around Domino City with Max. She laughed at the thought. She knew he would turn on the obvious charm and make her laugh with every statement he spoke. But she knew he was a busy man, and he had already sacrificed an evening of his time so they could have dinner. Roux told herself not to push it and not to bother him too much.
She recalled their dinner the previous night. Roux had quite enjoyed herself, talking and laughing. She had forgotten how charming he was, and remembered exactly why she had found him so likable and friendly when her ex-husband had introduced them many years ago.
Roux had lied to Max though, and for it she felt terrible. She wasn't there in Domino because of her ring, even though she told the truth when she told him it wouldn't come off. She was there to duel and only to duel. The only reason she told him about the ring was that he was being so un-satisfying about her being in Domino City. What else could he have expected her to do while she was in Domino?
Roux almost had the urge to call him and clear that up. But she knew he would be busy. She decided to call him later.
The morning quickened into early afternoon. People were out having lunch and window-shopping and it wasn't until Roux passed a bagel shop that she suddenly remembered Joey Wheeler. She smiled to remember him. Before she lived in Osaka she had been good friends with the Wheelers. It was Joey himself who had introduced Roux to the game of duel monsters.
Roux wondered how they were, and wondered if they were still in Domino City. She thought they would be. If Joey still had his high regard for dueling, and Roux was certain he did, there would be absolutely no way that he'd miss the tournament.
Roux decided that she would call him, try to get in touch with him if she could. When she began her modeling career and moved to Osaka, she had really missed Joey. But as the years went on she met new people, Kale especially, and had forgotten about the Wheelers. It would be nice to talk to them and see them while she was in town.
Roux looked around for a phone booth. Since she didn't quite remember where the Wheelers lived, and she didn't want to drop by uninvited anyway, she decided she would call him first, just to see if he was home. And if he was, Roux would tell him that she was in town, and she'd like to see him sometime soon.
Roux turned a corner by a café and spotted a phone booth across the road. Roux grinned to herself and began to cross the street towards the phone booth. She watched for cars and skipped to the phone booth, and opened the phone book once it was secured in her arms. She flipped open the book to the W's, and with the tip of her fingernail she scanned down to Wheeler, Joey.
Roux grinned. She was glad the Wheelers still lived in Domino City. It was a relief to know she knew at least one or two people in a strange city, if one ever needed help. Roux dug some change out of her pocket and picked up the phone, and she dialed Joey's number as she read it on the page.
It was ringing and Roux waited. She tapped her fingers on the glass of the door, waiting. If Joey wasn't home, it wouldn't be a huge loss. She could always call him back. It rang a second time.
"Y'ello?" came a voice from the other side of the phone.
Roux grinned widely. She could recognize Joey's voice from a thousand miles around. She hadn't heard his voice since she was very little. "Joey?" she asked. Suddenly she was very nervous.
"Yea, speaking. Who's this?" Joey asked, he cleared his throat.
Roux swallowed very carefully. She was nervous, even though she knew him. "Umm.it's Roux. Roux Matuko."
There was silence. Roux wondered if the connection had been cut. But she could hear him breathing. "Roux.as in 'red lips Roux'?" came Joey's voice.
Roux would never forget the nickname Joey had given her when they were little. She let out a smile. "Yeah.it's me Jumbo Joey." She replied with the nickname that she had given him once.
Joey laughed on the other end, and then he breathed in a sigh. "So hi, how are ya, Roux?" he sounded beside himself to hear from her.
"I'm good, how are you? I haven't seen you since.forever." Roux claimed, she was laughing to herself slowly.
"Yea, I know." Joey said. "I've been good. I didn't know you was even in town." He said, rather confused.
"I flew in just last night," Roux explained, leaning against the glass door. "I'm competing in the Battle City Tournament. You are too, I presume?" she was positive Joey would never miss the Battle City tournament. But then again she hadn't spoken to him in years. Maybe he had changed.
"Yea, of course I'm taking part in it. I'm surprised you are though." Joey said. "Being a model and all, I didn't think ye'd have the time for a tournament." He sounded sincere enough.
Roux nodded. He was probably one of the many people who thought that. "Well I took some time off for the tournament so I'm in Domino City for a few weeks."
"Awright, awesome!" Joey cheered happily, and Roux let out a laugh. "Well I gotta see ya while ye're here!" Joey insisted.
"Well I was calling to see if you wanted to-" Roux started to speak but Joey interrupted excitedly.
"Yea, let's get together soon!" he said excitedly. "Are you busy this afternoon?" he asked urgently. "A bunch of us are goin' for pizza now, you wanna join us?"
Roux nodded. She thought it would be a good thing if she met more people within the city, in case she needed a place to stay, or if she needed help with something. "Yeah, that would be great, if you don't mind."
"Nah of course I don't mind." Joey said in a hurry. "It'd be great to see ya, we're meeting down at Robelli's Pizza. Do y'know where that is or should I come pick you up?"
Roux smiled. Joey was always a gentleman, even as a little boy he was a gentleman. "No, I know where it is." She had passed it on her walk. "I'll meet you there in, say ten minutes?" she asked, looking at her watch.
"Awright, I'll see ya then!" Joey exclaimed excitedly.
"Okay. Bye." Roux said, and then softly she hung up the phone. Stepping out of the booth, she started to walk down the road to where she had gone past Robelli's Pizza. She was happy to have the opportunity to see Joey. They were sure to have a lot to talk about. Roux hoped Joey's friends would like her. It would be great to have some friends in a different city that she could write to, when she was back in Osaka.
Roux walked briskly down the street. She moreless hoped she would get there before Joey and his friends. She wanted to see him first, to see how he had changed from the little boy in her mind. She came to the pizza place in no time at all.
She saw them right away. Joey was sitting among a large group of people. Roux smiled as she immediately spotted Joey, the tall bulky blonde boy who was, even though they hadn't ordered yet, stuffing his mouth with the week- old breadsticks that were sitting on the table. In her mind, he hadn't changed at all.
Roux studied the people he was with. They seemed like nice, friendly people. There was a whole bunch of them, three girls and four guys. She could see Serenity, and smiled to remember the little girl who always followed her brother around. Roux took in a deep breath and pushed her way through the door. Everyone at Joey's table looked up.
"Roux?" Joey asked, wide-eyed and smiling. He stood up slowly, his eyes were on her.
Roux grinned at him. "Joey!" she said uneasily.
Joey and Roux embraced lightly, there in the middle of the pizza parlor, with almost everyone watching. "It's so good to see you!" Roux told him.
"Yea well it's great to see you!" Joey told her, hugging her tightly. When they let go Joey examined Roux very quickly. She looked fabulous, and so much different than when he had seen her last, when they were little.
~ She's gorgeous! ~ Joey thought to himself, stunned. ~ And here I thought I'd only ever see her again at a fashion show or something! ~
"You look great!" Roux said instantly after they stopped hugging. "How have you been?"
"I'm great, how have you been, I haven't seen ya since you left Domino!" Joey said, sticking his thumbs in his pockets.
"I'm doing good," Roux said nodding.
Joey put his arm around Roux and gestured her to the group of people he was with. "Guys I want ya'll to meet Roux Matuko!"
Roux looked into the wide eyes of everyone at the table and she swallowed nervously and stifled a wave. "Hello." She said with a smile.
"Yowza!" said a black-haired boy with darting green eyes, and Roux went a shade of red as both Joey and a brown-haired boy smacked him upside the head.
Serenity didn't waste any time. She got up right away and looked at Roux with wide eyes. "Do you remember me, Roux?"
Roux let out a soft laugh. "Of course I remember you, Serenity!" Roux told her, and hugged Serenity tightly. It was like meeting a brother and a sister for the first time in a long time. That was how Roux felt about the Wheelers.
"So these are all the guys," Joey said, introducing Roux to everyone who was sitting at the table, beginning with a wide-eyed cute short boy with blonde/red hair. "This is Yugi, he's also a really big duelist guy, he owns one of the Egyptian god cards."
Roux grinned. She had never heard of the Egyptian god cards, but at this point in time no one really seemed to notice. She shook Yugi's hand, seeing him blush a little as she smiled at him. "Hi Yugi, it's nice to meet you."
Yugi swallowed. "It's nice to meet you too!" he said enthusiastically.
"This is Tristan and Bakura," Joey said, nodding to the brown-haired boy who was very tall and a boy with white hair and a cute face, who both smiled brightly and waved.
"And." Joey let out an exasperated sigh. "This is Duke." He said, coming to the black-haired boy from earlier.
The black-haired boy grinned at Roux and stood right up. "Hey, hey." he said, looking at her from head to toe very quickly. "You are f-I-n-e if I do say so myself!" he winked at her. "How about you and me get some dinner later tonight or something?"
Joey rolled his eyes. "She'll probably be busy tonight Duke." Joey told Duke, and whispered in Roux's ear: "He goes for all the beautiful girls."
Roux blushed softly, and then Joey turned to the other two girls who were there with them. "This is Tea." Joey said, nodding to the brown-haired girl, who grinned and shook Roux's hand. "And this is Mai."
Mai sat there with her jaw dropped open. "Ohmigosh I'm actually meeting thee Roux Matuko, a legend in women's latest fashions in Osaka." she seemed like a partially frozen mannequin as she shook Roux's hand. "This is such an honor.Miss Matuko!"
Roux smiled softly. "Please, call me Roux."
"I didn't even know you dueled!" Mai said, dumbstruck. "Ohmigosh, you have to sit with me, I have so much I want to talk to you about!"
"Yeah, and I'll sit with you too." Duke said, nudging her playfully. "I'm sure there's a lot I want to talk to you about too."
Joey rolled his eyes as they all sat down.
Reunion
Roux woke early the next morning in her hotel room. She felt refreshed and comfortable. The sun came in bright through the windows and lit up the room. Roux sat up and stretched out her arms, and throwing the sheets to the side she got out of bed.
Upon showering and dressing, Roux wondered what she would do today. She remembered that she wanted to get in some practice duels but she also wanted to explore Domino City a bit. So after breakfast she left the hotel and began to walk down the street. It was a sunny day, and people walked and shopped as Roux passed them.
She would have liked to tour around Domino City with Max. She laughed at the thought. She knew he would turn on the obvious charm and make her laugh with every statement he spoke. But she knew he was a busy man, and he had already sacrificed an evening of his time so they could have dinner. Roux told herself not to push it and not to bother him too much.
She recalled their dinner the previous night. Roux had quite enjoyed herself, talking and laughing. She had forgotten how charming he was, and remembered exactly why she had found him so likable and friendly when her ex-husband had introduced them many years ago.
Roux had lied to Max though, and for it she felt terrible. She wasn't there in Domino because of her ring, even though she told the truth when she told him it wouldn't come off. She was there to duel and only to duel. The only reason she told him about the ring was that he was being so un-satisfying about her being in Domino City. What else could he have expected her to do while she was in Domino?
Roux almost had the urge to call him and clear that up. But she knew he would be busy. She decided to call him later.
The morning quickened into early afternoon. People were out having lunch and window-shopping and it wasn't until Roux passed a bagel shop that she suddenly remembered Joey Wheeler. She smiled to remember him. Before she lived in Osaka she had been good friends with the Wheelers. It was Joey himself who had introduced Roux to the game of duel monsters.
Roux wondered how they were, and wondered if they were still in Domino City. She thought they would be. If Joey still had his high regard for dueling, and Roux was certain he did, there would be absolutely no way that he'd miss the tournament.
Roux decided that she would call him, try to get in touch with him if she could. When she began her modeling career and moved to Osaka, she had really missed Joey. But as the years went on she met new people, Kale especially, and had forgotten about the Wheelers. It would be nice to talk to them and see them while she was in town.
Roux looked around for a phone booth. Since she didn't quite remember where the Wheelers lived, and she didn't want to drop by uninvited anyway, she decided she would call him first, just to see if he was home. And if he was, Roux would tell him that she was in town, and she'd like to see him sometime soon.
Roux turned a corner by a café and spotted a phone booth across the road. Roux grinned to herself and began to cross the street towards the phone booth. She watched for cars and skipped to the phone booth, and opened the phone book once it was secured in her arms. She flipped open the book to the W's, and with the tip of her fingernail she scanned down to Wheeler, Joey.
Roux grinned. She was glad the Wheelers still lived in Domino City. It was a relief to know she knew at least one or two people in a strange city, if one ever needed help. Roux dug some change out of her pocket and picked up the phone, and she dialed Joey's number as she read it on the page.
It was ringing and Roux waited. She tapped her fingers on the glass of the door, waiting. If Joey wasn't home, it wouldn't be a huge loss. She could always call him back. It rang a second time.
"Y'ello?" came a voice from the other side of the phone.
Roux grinned widely. She could recognize Joey's voice from a thousand miles around. She hadn't heard his voice since she was very little. "Joey?" she asked. Suddenly she was very nervous.
"Yea, speaking. Who's this?" Joey asked, he cleared his throat.
Roux swallowed very carefully. She was nervous, even though she knew him. "Umm.it's Roux. Roux Matuko."
There was silence. Roux wondered if the connection had been cut. But she could hear him breathing. "Roux.as in 'red lips Roux'?" came Joey's voice.
Roux would never forget the nickname Joey had given her when they were little. She let out a smile. "Yeah.it's me Jumbo Joey." She replied with the nickname that she had given him once.
Joey laughed on the other end, and then he breathed in a sigh. "So hi, how are ya, Roux?" he sounded beside himself to hear from her.
"I'm good, how are you? I haven't seen you since.forever." Roux claimed, she was laughing to herself slowly.
"Yea, I know." Joey said. "I've been good. I didn't know you was even in town." He said, rather confused.
"I flew in just last night," Roux explained, leaning against the glass door. "I'm competing in the Battle City Tournament. You are too, I presume?" she was positive Joey would never miss the Battle City tournament. But then again she hadn't spoken to him in years. Maybe he had changed.
"Yea, of course I'm taking part in it. I'm surprised you are though." Joey said. "Being a model and all, I didn't think ye'd have the time for a tournament." He sounded sincere enough.
Roux nodded. He was probably one of the many people who thought that. "Well I took some time off for the tournament so I'm in Domino City for a few weeks."
"Awright, awesome!" Joey cheered happily, and Roux let out a laugh. "Well I gotta see ya while ye're here!" Joey insisted.
"Well I was calling to see if you wanted to-" Roux started to speak but Joey interrupted excitedly.
"Yea, let's get together soon!" he said excitedly. "Are you busy this afternoon?" he asked urgently. "A bunch of us are goin' for pizza now, you wanna join us?"
Roux nodded. She thought it would be a good thing if she met more people within the city, in case she needed a place to stay, or if she needed help with something. "Yeah, that would be great, if you don't mind."
"Nah of course I don't mind." Joey said in a hurry. "It'd be great to see ya, we're meeting down at Robelli's Pizza. Do y'know where that is or should I come pick you up?"
Roux smiled. Joey was always a gentleman, even as a little boy he was a gentleman. "No, I know where it is." She had passed it on her walk. "I'll meet you there in, say ten minutes?" she asked, looking at her watch.
"Awright, I'll see ya then!" Joey exclaimed excitedly.
"Okay. Bye." Roux said, and then softly she hung up the phone. Stepping out of the booth, she started to walk down the road to where she had gone past Robelli's Pizza. She was happy to have the opportunity to see Joey. They were sure to have a lot to talk about. Roux hoped Joey's friends would like her. It would be great to have some friends in a different city that she could write to, when she was back in Osaka.
Roux walked briskly down the street. She moreless hoped she would get there before Joey and his friends. She wanted to see him first, to see how he had changed from the little boy in her mind. She came to the pizza place in no time at all.
She saw them right away. Joey was sitting among a large group of people. Roux smiled as she immediately spotted Joey, the tall bulky blonde boy who was, even though they hadn't ordered yet, stuffing his mouth with the week- old breadsticks that were sitting on the table. In her mind, he hadn't changed at all.
Roux studied the people he was with. They seemed like nice, friendly people. There was a whole bunch of them, three girls and four guys. She could see Serenity, and smiled to remember the little girl who always followed her brother around. Roux took in a deep breath and pushed her way through the door. Everyone at Joey's table looked up.
"Roux?" Joey asked, wide-eyed and smiling. He stood up slowly, his eyes were on her.
Roux grinned at him. "Joey!" she said uneasily.
Joey and Roux embraced lightly, there in the middle of the pizza parlor, with almost everyone watching. "It's so good to see you!" Roux told him.
"Yea well it's great to see you!" Joey told her, hugging her tightly. When they let go Joey examined Roux very quickly. She looked fabulous, and so much different than when he had seen her last, when they were little.
~ She's gorgeous! ~ Joey thought to himself, stunned. ~ And here I thought I'd only ever see her again at a fashion show or something! ~
"You look great!" Roux said instantly after they stopped hugging. "How have you been?"
"I'm great, how have you been, I haven't seen ya since you left Domino!" Joey said, sticking his thumbs in his pockets.
"I'm doing good," Roux said nodding.
Joey put his arm around Roux and gestured her to the group of people he was with. "Guys I want ya'll to meet Roux Matuko!"
Roux looked into the wide eyes of everyone at the table and she swallowed nervously and stifled a wave. "Hello." She said with a smile.
"Yowza!" said a black-haired boy with darting green eyes, and Roux went a shade of red as both Joey and a brown-haired boy smacked him upside the head.
Serenity didn't waste any time. She got up right away and looked at Roux with wide eyes. "Do you remember me, Roux?"
Roux let out a soft laugh. "Of course I remember you, Serenity!" Roux told her, and hugged Serenity tightly. It was like meeting a brother and a sister for the first time in a long time. That was how Roux felt about the Wheelers.
"So these are all the guys," Joey said, introducing Roux to everyone who was sitting at the table, beginning with a wide-eyed cute short boy with blonde/red hair. "This is Yugi, he's also a really big duelist guy, he owns one of the Egyptian god cards."
Roux grinned. She had never heard of the Egyptian god cards, but at this point in time no one really seemed to notice. She shook Yugi's hand, seeing him blush a little as she smiled at him. "Hi Yugi, it's nice to meet you."
Yugi swallowed. "It's nice to meet you too!" he said enthusiastically.
"This is Tristan and Bakura," Joey said, nodding to the brown-haired boy who was very tall and a boy with white hair and a cute face, who both smiled brightly and waved.
"And." Joey let out an exasperated sigh. "This is Duke." He said, coming to the black-haired boy from earlier.
The black-haired boy grinned at Roux and stood right up. "Hey, hey." he said, looking at her from head to toe very quickly. "You are f-I-n-e if I do say so myself!" he winked at her. "How about you and me get some dinner later tonight or something?"
Joey rolled his eyes. "She'll probably be busy tonight Duke." Joey told Duke, and whispered in Roux's ear: "He goes for all the beautiful girls."
Roux blushed softly, and then Joey turned to the other two girls who were there with them. "This is Tea." Joey said, nodding to the brown-haired girl, who grinned and shook Roux's hand. "And this is Mai."
Mai sat there with her jaw dropped open. "Ohmigosh I'm actually meeting thee Roux Matuko, a legend in women's latest fashions in Osaka." she seemed like a partially frozen mannequin as she shook Roux's hand. "This is such an honor.Miss Matuko!"
Roux smiled softly. "Please, call me Roux."
"I didn't even know you dueled!" Mai said, dumbstruck. "Ohmigosh, you have to sit with me, I have so much I want to talk to you about!"
"Yeah, and I'll sit with you too." Duke said, nudging her playfully. "I'm sure there's a lot I want to talk to you about too."
Joey rolled his eyes as they all sat down.