"Nah, I doubt it. She's been threatening me with military school fer as long as I c'n rememba," Joey answered, going over to the fridge and opening it for a snack.
"You? In military school? That's hard to believe!" She pictured him in an army uniform. "Wow……you sure would look weird! Still, I feel for your sister…… forbidden to be with the one she's loves; that's got to hurt."
"Hey, so was I! You sounded more broken up about her not being with Kaiba then you not being with me," he said suspiciously.
"Of course I am sad," she assured him. "Anyway, we can't have our pool party, until I go to the doctor to take my stitches out---" she gestured to the bandage on her arm "-and you can't go swimming with that cast."
"Doesn't matter. I don't care what Ma says, I'm still going to see you whether she likes it or not," he said stubbornly, opening a bottle of juice.
"I know. But maybe you should listen to her, just this once. The tension between you two….. isn't good for your sister, Joseph."
He made a face. "Don't call me dat. My ma calls me dat."
"Well, I don't know…….a joey is a baby kangaroo……" Mai smiled mischievously, rounding the counter to him. He gave her a twisty smirk that meant Very funny. "So I can't call you that---" She was interrupted by a sliding sound from upstairs. "What was that?" But he was already up and running to the stairs.
"Serenity?" he went up just in time to see her with one leg already out. "Where're you goin'?" he asked as if he saw this everyday. Immediately, Joey's face darkened. "Out to see him I'll bet!"
"I have to go, Joey. I can't stay." She had her coat on and was carrying a small duffel bag. "But I'll be back, I promise!"
"First, get in here, Ma's gone," he said, and she reluctantly came in and stood up. "Look, sis…..you can't leave us! Ma'll be heartbroken. You can't leave me alone wit 'er!" he pleaded, taking her by the shoulder.
Serenity closed her eyes as if trying to block out his words. "I have to. But I swear, I'll be back……someday……" she trailed off bleakly.
"Look, I'll even help ya---I can't believe I'm sayin' dis------I'll help ya to see 'im secretly so Ma doesn't know. Just don't go!"
"Sneaking around and disobeying Mom is what you'd do, Joey…..I'm not you. I couldn't--- I couldn't face myself…….and I'm tired of keeping secrets…….that's why I told you both. It's the only way to live." She shuffled her feet and looked nervously at the worn carpet.
Mai came in at the long silence between the two siblings, watching. "Serenity. You have to think about this real good, okay?" he said, his tone turning harsh. "Ya have to think if it's really worth tearing our family apart and if dat happens, I will never forgive you." She flinched at his words as they hit her hard. "Leave now, or not…….and if you do, you might as well stay. Whatever your choice is, ya have ta stick wit it."
"Joey!" Mai hissed at him, slapping his arm. "Don't put any more pressure on her! She's under enough stress already!"
"No, it's okay Mai." Serenity sighed lengthily and stared out the window. " Joey, you are right.........I can't put our family at risk…… for any reason." Voice quivering, she continued, "It's incredibly selfish of me to not think of others by my leaving……. And he's right…." Her mouth trembled, and she bit down hard on it. A long silence followed, as she stared unblinkingly in the night lit by street light, listening to her heart break. "That's why……" she gulped suddenly, unable to continue.
"Why what, sis?"
"Don't, Serenity!" Mai murmured in dread. A long shiny car rolled by.
"I have to tell him I can't see him anymore." Serenity stared unblinkingly at the limo that had just pullled up. But she didn't move to go.
"Serenity! You don't mean that," Mai shot a warning glance at Joey, expecting him to jump and crow in delight. Sometimes he's so insenstive! But he looked just as surprised as she felt.
"I don't! but I have to. I thought……I thought I could m-make this work," she worked up an effort to breathe slowly and evenly. "I wished…and hoped so badly…..but now I know it will never be!" Suddenly she whirled and ran down the steps, leaving them in stunned silence. I hope he'll understand......!
next day
"Whoa. Did you see Kaiba, man? He looked terrible." Duke slid up next to where Tristan and the rest sat in the Domino Mall cafeteria. "Did they really break up? Joey said they did."
"Yeah. poor Serenity. She must be feeling bad, too….." Tristan absently chewed on some popcorn untasting. "Poor Serenity……"
"Yeah! That means it time to 'swoop' in and give her some comfort!" Duke rubbed his hand together in anticipation. "I'll make her forget all about him in no time!" he nodded confidently.
Tristan growled. "You're the last person she'll want to see!"
"I told you it wouldn't last long!" Duke sang under his breath, opening a bottle of spritzer. "I think'll 'pop' in later this afternoon….you know, to 'check' on her……"
Tristan ignored him and watched the rest as they listened to a funny story from Ryou. a/n: yay he made an appearance! He too had seen Kaiba in the hallways…… snapping at a teacher! Even though with his power and prestige, the principal could've expelled him for such a thing. He looked like he hadn't washed and bathed in days.......
If this was because of Serenity, then he must have really cared for her. And if he had cared for her that much, then Serenity must've cared for him even more!
Tristan shot a sideways glance at his childhood friend. Joey was usually quiet that day even though he laughed at all the appropriate times with the others. Duke was still singing to himself. Just to hear it again, he asked him if it were true.
Tea gaped. "They did?! And I thought Kaiba was just being Kaiba again!"
"It was true, he had changed…" Yugi said sympathetically. "Poor guy…"
Joey said nothing, just stared stubbornly in the distance. He didn't want to think about how lifeless Serenity had looked that morning, but the image came to him unwillingly. "Sis is…..really hurting," he said finally. "Mom's taking her to a doctor tomorrow." He stabbed a fry into a cup of ketchup and left it there. "And it's all His fault!" he complained, looking slightly guilty and at unease.
"Poor Serenity……" they all murmured. No one added in Kaiba, whom they all had a grudge of some other. A loud noise jolted them back as they got up, continuing to talk about their day act a much slower pace.
Meanwhile, Mokuba sat a little far off, watching them. He was worried about his brother, who hadn't eaten anything yesterday or today. I can't let this happen! He thought clenching tiny fists. I have to get them back together! He scanned the crowd. But who could help me? I'll need help if I'm going to get them back together!
next day
If she didn't move or breathe, she found out it didn't hurt as much. Dr. Li took her blood pressure and pulse, scurrying around frantically. Yesterday, Duke had been at her house to see how she felt, and she was very polite and had answered woodenly that she was fine. Everyone had asked her that, and now only thing she said anymore was " I'm fine."
The truth was something different. Yesterday had gone from awful to worse.....she and Seto had had their first real fight. Other times, she had sometimes told him not to do something, or she always caved in.......but it had been the most horrible experience of her life.
Flashback
"…. I-I don't think we should see each other anymore."
"Are you breaking up with me?!"
"No, no." she had said hastily, knowing she sounded completely confusing. "We can't see each other anymore…..for now."
Stone silence. She could feel her heart give two, agonizingly slow thumps.
"It the same thing. Well, if that's what you want, you've got it!" He grabbed her wrist and yanked off the ring that he had given her. He looked so angry, but she knew him well enough the see the flashes of pain, the rippling muscle in his jaw when he was upset. "Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!"
"Seto…I-I….please don't be angry with me….." she'd pleaded, fighting back to urge to sob aloud. "I-I don't want this…….I still love you."
"You lied. You said that you wouldn't listen to your family's objections about us. And now you have." He said bitterly. "I told you that I had some sort of plan to get your mother to agree."
"What sort of plan….?"
"It's doesn't matter now," he said harshly. "You didn't trust me; didn't trust that everything would work out in the end. And now----"he paused and caught his breath. "It's over…….Serenity...... you're right......even though neither of us wants it......."
end flashback
"It's over."
Weakly, Serenity opened her eyes to the fluorescent light of the doctor's office. "Your exam is over," the doctor said kindly. "There's nothing wrong."
"But of course there is," he mother said desperately, wringing her hands. "She's so pale!"
"I could prescribe some valium, but that's about it." Dr. Li scribbled something down, but Serenity was barely aware. Soon this depression would fade, she consoled herself, closing her eyes for a quick nap. I made the right choice…. Mom was right……I need to concentrate on school first…..
Maybe eat something……