Two

# CW: Hi! I'm back with more drama from Yu-Gi-Oh! #

'Hello?' Yugi rubbed his eyes wearily as he answered the phone. Calling late at night was one thing he had warned his friends against. For one thing, it woke both him and Téa up, and for another, it set Vicky off crying and caused a load of work for Téa to try and hush her up.

'Hi, Yugi.' It was Serenity. She seemed a little quiet. 'Sorry for calling you this late, but I have to talk to you.'

'It's Joey, isn't it?' Yugi could always tell when something was up with his buddy.

'Yeah. He's pretty much suicidal now.' Replied Serenity.

'What? Is he Ok? Are you Ok?' Yugi was seriously worried now.

'I'm not sure about anything.' Said Serenity. 'Could you please talk to him for me?'

'You two have had a problem, haven't you?' Yugi asked quietly. 'What happened?'

'Well, I... well it wasn't really... he didn't mean... well, he hit me.' Replied Serenity at last.

'What?!' Yugi was dumbstruck. 'Put him on the phone Serenity.'

'Ok.' Said Serenity, and in the next few seconds, Yugi heard her calling to Joey. There was a crackle as his friend picked up the receiver .

'Hey.' Grunted Joey.

'Joey, what happened?' asked Yugi.

'So she told you, huh?' said Joey. 'No need to tell me, I'm an asshole of a brother. I know. I'm an asshole of a friend too. I banged Tristan about and sent him running from the apartment. He didn't do nothing.'

'Joey, I'm genuinely worried.' Said Yugi. 'You've changed so much. You never smile. Your temper just explodes out for no reason at all. Your fuse is shorter than little Vicky's pinkie. You're a tyrant, buddy. Remember Seto Kaiba?'

'I know what you're gettin' at, buddy.' Joey didn't seem angry or annoyed, just blank. 'Go on then. Tell me about me.'

'Well, you hated Kaiba for the characteristics you've developed.' Said Yugi. 'Don't be Kaiba and lash out at people because they don't do what you want, and don't be Mai and hide away behind a barrier and not tell people what's on your mind.'

'That's what we was fightin' over before.' Said Joey. 'Mai. Serenity thinks I'm pining.'

'You are, buddy.' Said Yugi. 'It's taken over your life. You're twenty- four, Joey. Mai isn't the only one for you. Forget her, Joey. It's been eight years.'

'It's not Mai.' Protested Joey. 'It's my life. My job. Me. I'm just worthless.'

'No you're not.' Said Yugi. 'Listen. I'll help you. I'll try and get you a better job. Fix you up with a nice lady. I'll get you a life, huh buddy? How does that sound?'

'Ok.' Said Joey quietly. 'Ok, Yugi.'

'And don't try anything stupid.' Added Yugi with a smile.

'I won't, I promise.' Said Joey.

'Bye, Joey.'

'Later, buddy.'

Yugi hung up and turned to Téa.

'Is Vicky Ok?' he asked.

'Sound asleep, Yugi.' She smiled.

~

Joey put down the phone and closed his eyes.

'I'm not Kaiba.' He muttered to himself. 'I'm not Mai. I'm Joey.'

He thought of everything he used to love.

Duel Monsters, his friends, pizza, donuts, soda, going to the movies, playing basketball in Tristan's back yard, goofing off in front of the TV...

Joey opened his eyes again. He felt different. Light, bouncy, stupid.

Yep, ol' Joey Wheeler was back on da case!

Yugi was going to sort him out for good. He wouldn't need to worry again.

'SERENITY!' he bawled.

He heard his sister padding up to the door, yawning.

'What, Joey?' she asked as she entered. 'I was asleep.'

'I'm back, sis.' He said. 'Yugi's gettin' me a life!'

'Joey, could we talk about this in the morning?' yawned Serenity.

'Morning? What're you talking about?' laughed Joey. 'We got a whole apartment to ourselves! We could stay up all night if we wanted to.'

'Well, you might want to, but I don't.' said Serenity, wandering out of the door again.

~

'MOKUBA, WHAT IS THAT?!' Seto Kaiba stood in the doorway, dumbstruck. He pointed speechlessly at his younger brother's scowling features.

'My face?' Mokuba rolled his eyes.

'What have you done to it, kid?' Seto was still flabbergasted by Mokuba's transformation.

Mokuba ran a finger along the piercings in his eyebrow.

'Well, I thought it would look cool.' He said. 'I didn't ask for your opinion.'

'If it was just one earring, that might have been Ok.' Snapped Kaiba. 'But look! All up your ear and your eyebrow!'

Mokuba pointed at the side of his nose.

'Oh, one there too, huh?' Seto folded his arms in disapproval.

'I'm nineteen years old, Seto.' Said his younger brother. 'I wanna life too. It's legal for me to leave home now, and I would if I wasn't next in line for KaibaCorp. Tell you something, I bet I don't even get it. You'll have a kid with Hazel or something, and it'll go straight to them.'

Seto shook his head. Mokuba was taking hold of his own life now, and his older brother certainly wasn't prepared for it.

'Any other surprises, Mokuba? Like you're engaged to be married in two days or something?' he said sarcastically.

'No.' Said Mokuba simply. 'Can I go now?'

~

Téa flipped through her address book.

Yugi was out at the Game Shop, so she had time at home with Vicky.

Yugi had asked her to find someone she thought suited Joey, and that's exactly what she was doing.

She knew exactly the person.

She found C, and scanned down the page until she found the name 'Chance'.

Seska Chance, and old friend of hers from her dance class.

Sure, she may be a little mature for Joey, but then so was Mai. She picked up the phone and dialled the number she had found in the book.

It rang a few times, then a voice at the other end of the line crackled to life.

'Hello? Francesca Chance speaking.'

'Hey, Seska. It's Téa.' Said Téa with a small smile. Man, she was dropping Seska in the doggy-doo now. 'You're still single, aren't you?'

'Yeah, why?' Seska sounded puzzled. 'Oh, how're things with you and Yugi going along by the way?'

'Don't you know?' Téa giggled. 'We're getting married in January!'

'Oh my God! No way!' laughed Seska.

'Yeah.' Replied Téa. 'Oh, and about your being single, there's this guy in Domino City called Joey Wheeler, and he's just about desperate for a girlfriend. I was wondering if you'd like to come and meet him and see if you like him.'

'What's he like?' asked Seska seriously.

'Well, he's friendly, or at least he used to be.' Began Téa. 'He's really brave and he's got a heart of gold, but he can be pretty reckless and a bit of a hothead. I guess he's kinda good looking.'

'Well, Ok, I'll come and meet him.' Said Seska. 'I can't promise anything, though.' She added quickly.

'Great.' Said Téa. 'When can you manage to come?'

'Oh, I dunno.' Said Seska. 'My schedule isn't exactly definite. Did I tell you I was in modelling now?'

~

Another day, another set of problems to face.

Fix the drinking fountain, mop up that soda someone split in the restroom, pick up all that trash on the soccer field...

Joey was back to his grouchy self by lunchtime.

Maybe he just couldn't handle hard work.

As he was eating his sandwiches at the little desk in his closet, he heard a knock at the door.

'Joey, there's a call for you at reception.' Said Mr Hutton brusquely through the wood.

Joey pushed his chair back with a creak and set off out the door and down the hallway, leaving his lunch unmanned.

Joey picked up the receiver in the reception office.

'Hello?'

'Hey, Joey!' it was Téa. 'Look, I've got something that might make you real happy, but on the other hand, it may make you mad. Can I tell you in advance that I don't mean to upset you, Ok?'

'Look, I can't hurt ya on the other end of a phone.' Said Joey.

'Right.' Téa seemed less than comforted by this remark, but continued nonetheless. 'You know Yugi said we'd find you a nice girl?'

'Yeah?'

'Well I think I've found the perfect person for you. She's pretty and kind and stuff like that, but she's also a model.'

'So? Are you suggesting I like people just because of their looks?' Joey's temper was raw at the moment.

'Hello, Joey?' Téa was getting agitated. 'Is this getting through to you? M- O-D-E-L? For the Domino Dame's magazine?'

'Oh, you mean the one Tristan was teasing me about, huh?' Joey rolled his eyes at the phone.

'Yeah, and who was on the front cover of that magazine?' Téa sounded like she was talking to a little kid.

'Oh, so now you're at it too, huh?' snapped Joey. 'If this is some sort of conspired joke, it's not funny!'

'No, I was just thinking maybe Seska knows her.' Said Téa calmly.

'Who the hell's Seska?' Joey was still smouldering.

'She's the girl I've set you up with.' Replied Téa.

'Ok. Ok.' Joey leant back against the wall of the office. 'So you want me to use this poor girl, who might think the sun shines out of my ass when she meets me, to get to Mai?'

'Oh, don't sound all sensitive, Joey.' Said Téa. 'You just wanna make me feel like I'm in the wrong. I know you'd probably do it anyway when you figured out she was a model.'

'Right, Ok. I'll do it.' Said Joey with a grin.

'Great stuff, buddy.' Said Téa.

All of a sudden there was a squawking from the other end of the line.

'Oh, I have to go.' Said Téa hurriedly. 'Vicky's hungry.'

'Ok, later!' Joey put down the receiver and punched the air with a whoop.

The receptionists looked up irritably from their work, and looking around, Joey saw some kind of small mob clustered around the office.

Apparently, the students had heard a good deal of his conversation.

'Ok, half-pints. Gangway!' Joey pushed his way out of the office and through the crowd.

'Who were ya talkin' to, Mr Wheeler?' asked one of the kids cheekily.

'None o' yer business.' Grumbled Joey. 'Now throw that gum away before you get a detention, Ok?'

# CW: It's not getting anywhere, is it? BTW, I just put that Kaiba and Mokuba bit in so you can see how much everyone has changed, Ok? #