Author's Introduction:

Another interlude...I didn't mean to place them so close, but things have been so crazy lately that I haven't been able to update nearly as much as I would like to. Hopefully now that the semester's winding down, that will change. But at any rate, I am dedicating this interlude-chapter to my friends, who are my family not because I was born into them, but because we all love each other. ^smiles.^

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Second Interlude: Ship to Shore

**

I'm writing home to tell you

That I miss it all so terribly

In the way that makes your stomach ache

And your hands begin to shake

My hands still shake

I need to see my friends

And I want my family

Germany is beautiful

But I wanna go home



(Ship to Shore)

(The Movielife)

**

Joey Wheeler was an expert on the ceiling in his small apartment. He'd spent over half his life looking up at it.

Some of those times were from various floors throughout the rooms, usually after being belted by the ogre who ruled them. He would stay down there, eyes fixed on that ceiling, the shadows from water damage, the chunks of missing plaster like bald spots, feeling the bruises form and waiting for him to leave, hoping, praying it was over for now.

Some of those times were spent on the sofa, after the rare times he would follow his father's example and drink himself into a stupor. The ceiling would dance, the way the pretty girls always seemed to, eternally laughing and out of reach. It mocked and teased him until his eyes closed and vomit burned up his throat till he rolled off the sagging sofa to be sick.

The rest of the times, and the majority, were spent staring at the ceiling from the safety of his own bed, wondering what the hell it was all for. Wondering what he had done to deserve this, why he existed if it was just for this.

His gaze wandered from the ceiling towards the window, where late afternoon was shading into evening, the sky lion-colored outside. Everyone else would be sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner right about now, he reasoned. Spending time with their families, who cared about each other and weren't messed up like his.

Or were they?

Joey sat up, blinking. His blue uniform jacket was hanging on the the knob of his closed door. He'd given his old one to his best friend, Yami Motou, because she hadn't wanted to wear the girls' uniform jacket. Looking at his always reminded him of her now.

Yami's family was even smaller than Joey's—it was just her and her grandfather, who ran the Kame Game Shop and was always ready to greet any of Yami's friends with a smile. Yami adored the old man and he her, but Joey knew nothing about her parents. She never mentioned them, and he never asked. He knew better than anyone that sometimes you didn't want to talk about your family situation.

Joey had a feeling that there was a reason Yami was so attached to her grandfather—why she always hugged him so hard, as though she were afraid he might leave her.

Flopping back down to lay on the bed again, Joey wished for the millionth time that he were rich, so he could get out of this place...

...and go where?

If he leaned very far out his window, he could see a distant ghost of a mansion rising along the edge of Domino City. Everyone knew who lived there.

And yet, again, it only contained a small family, two brothers. What was Thanksgiving like in that house? Could the Kaiba brothers even talk to each other from opposite edges of their undoubtedly huge supper table? Was it more like family to have a multitude of servants filling the house with people?

Rolling over restlessly, Joey closed his eyes and prayed for sleep. Not for the last time.

But it was not to be. He was roused from his rest by a sound—a ringing telephone.

Sitting up quickly, Joey held his breath, hardly daring to hope. Could it be?

Timidly, he reached for the telephone on his nightstand, fingers shaking as he lifted it from the cradle. "H-hello?"

"Big brother?"

Joey let out his breath in a hiss. She didn't notice, only continued, cheerfully connected.

"It's me, Serenity! Happy Thanksgiving! How was your day?"

Joey grinned, unable to help it. "Getting better."

**

Author's Notes:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I mourn the fact that I never got to see the Movielife in concert before they broke up a few months ago. I know someone who saw them fourteen times and complained it wasn't enough. I don't want to hear it, emo kid! ^giggles.^ At any rate, "Ship to Shore" is one of my favorite songs by the Movielife, because I understand how certain places, whether geographic or metaphorical, can be beautiful, and yet you still want to go home.

Don't worry, Shadi and Yami haven't gone anywhere! They'll be back...^smiles.^