Zero: I kinda like this story...easy to write, even though I'm not sure
where it's going ^^;;
DISCLAIMER: don't own, wish I did
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'Dear Diary,
Why do I keep writing to this book? Well, that's not the point... After I nearly got ran over by that jerk, thanks to my dear old dad, he actually only yelled for a few minutes. I think I'm getting better at ignoring him. Then he drove off, just like that. Not like I care really. Maybe it'd have been better if he hadn't swerved at the last second... But then I wouldn't see Mai for a LONG time...or Yugi for that matter. At least I'd be ridda 'dat jerk.
I got pretty banged up. A bump appeared outta nowhere on my head! AND I was unconscious for a few hours! I hate having to be taken care of. Don't get me wrong, Duke's great and stuff...but still.
I still gotta go to school. Man, this ain't gonna be fun. Anyway, I'd better be off now...'
With that, Joey shut the diary and tucked it in its little crack. Duke had taken off an hour ago. As Joey walked up to Domino High, he couldn't keep his mind off of that incident with his father. Who had made that other lump in his bed? It didn't seem fair; Joey still lived there, and his dad was just taking over like that.
'If only Serenity was here....' Joey thought sadly. 'She always knew how to brighten a mood.' But, then he thought about that more. It would be better for her to be in a house, instead of on the streets.
He reached the school just as Yugi ran out to meet him.
"Joey!" He called anxiously.
Joey raised an eyebrow, and then noticed that Mai had followed him out. "What?"
"Joey! Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Joey began to worry that he'd been out longer than Duke had said, after he'd passed out on the way back to the alley that seemed to be his new home.
Mai caught up with him the same time Yugi did, both seeming breathless.
"Word throughout the school...is that you were nearly run over-" Mai started.
"By Kaiba!" Yugi finished.
Joey nodded slowly, relived that he wasn't behind on anything. "Yeah, but I'm here now." He grinned. "I survived it with barley a bump!"
Mai eyed his head, raising an eyebrow. Joey blushed.
"Ok, maybe ONE bump..."
"How's that head of yours, Puppy? Need some bandages?" Kaiba now walked toward him, followed by his little group. "Or how about a brain transplant? I hear you're failing in at least one class already."
Joey growled. He knew he was in trouble in English, even though the year had just started...was there more?
"Yes, Puppy. I've seen your grades." Kaiba smirked. Joey started toward him, his fists clenched on either side. Mai glanced at Yugi, who nodded quickly, and they each grabbed onto one of Joey's arms and tugged backwards. Joey kicked up a cloud of dust but couldn't move forward another inch. Kaiba laughed at his attempts and turned, his trench coat flowing behind him. Joey was fuming, so much so that there was nearly visible steam coming out both ears.
"Why do you let Kaiba get under your skin so easily, Joey?" Yugi asked, after Kaiba had disappeared into the school.
Joey sighed and calmed down somewhat. "I dunno, Yug. He just...ticks me off so much."
"With an attitude like that, it's a miracle the teachers can stand him," Mai said, agreeing with Joey.
"But they just let him do what he wants no questions asked!" Joey growled. He stormed up to his locker, Mai and Yugi following close behind. They were still intent on getting an answer out of him. They didn't get very far- Joey had shut them out, their voices not meaning anything in his mind. He was thinking about something. A way to get Kaiba back.
It may be childish, but Kaiba wouldn't expect that...this was HIGH school. Joey smirked evilly all the way to his homeroom. Yugi and Mai shared puzzled looks before heading off to their classes.
As Joey entered his History class, Kaiba was on his usual perch, ignoring the teacher at the board. Joey sat down in his seat, the furthest from Kaiba as he could get. He sighed as he thought about how this was only the beginning of the second quarter of the school year but it felt like it'd been half the year. The teacher turned and addressed the class.
"I know that most of you will think this a thing of the past, for elementary and jr. high, but I will assign you each a different seat each quarter. In other words, it happens to be seat-changing time."
Joey stiffened, but Kaiba seemed to be ignoring the teacher, staring off into his own little world. Joey jumped as the bell rang, then shook his head in attempt to rid himself of any tension.
"Mary Smith, over there," the teacher said, pointing. "Jay Jackson, next to her. William Davis, up here," and so forth. Soon, the moment came when he announced Kaiba's name. "Seto Kaiba, right here." He pointed to a seat in the middle row, three seats back. "Joseph Wheeler, right in front of him. Loren Moore, in front of Joseph, please."
Joey stood by his desk, staring at the person sitting calmly at the desk behind him. Slowly, Kaiba brought his eyes over to Joey and glared. Joey growled and sat down, glaring at the black board. Then he noticed Loren's soft brown hair and watched it swish as she moved. He began to think of Mai's blonde hair and how it moved, or stood on end when she was mad.
Suddenly, the door opened and in stepped a tall black-haired boy. He had a die hanging off of his left ear.
"Ah, Duke, how nice of you to join us..." the teacher said in his monotone voice. It was obvious the older man recognized the kid, for there was a frown on his face, a look of annoyance.
"Sorry I'm so late, I've been...busy," Duke said cheerfully, as if it might be normal for a teen to miss the first few days of school of school and then appear.
Joey stared at him and instantly wished Duke would be assigned the seat behind him, instead of that jerk. Kaiba smirked, seeing Joey's reaction. He'd seen them on the streets together and was pleased to torture his classmate further. Joey muttered curses as Duke was assigned a seat in the back corner.
"And now, on with the lesson...Can anyone tell me what Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was?"
Joey blinked; he didn't remember anything he'd read.
Kaiba and Duke glanced at each other and raised their hands at the same moment, but it was Loren that was called upon.
"Lincoln wanted to end the war and keep the states together, the North and the South. He figured that freeing slaves would hurt the South; especially since that was the reason those states had succeeded, so that was what the Proclamation was all about. However, the South released none of their slaves on the due date, but they would be free to join the Union as the North took conquered areas in the South," she replied slowly.
The teacher stood in front of her, appearing shocked. Loren tapped him with one of her black nails and tilted her head. "Am I wrong?"
He shook his head and refocused his eyes. He was obviously not used to many right answers, other than Kaiba's. "Great, now for the next question..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bell rang and Joey was the first on out of his History class. He shook his head and slowed, thinking of waiting for Duke. But instead, Loren walked up to him.
"You really need to study more," she said with a smile on her face. Joey took in her dark clothes, red lipstick, and black nail polish. She had a spiked choker around her neck and her light brown hair had blue tips, but her eyes seemed innocent enough.
Joey blinked and nodded. He couldn't remember if he'd seen her in Kaiba's group or not. She patted him on the head and turned back down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "I refuse to lead a failing row!"
Joey sighed and headed off to his locker. He didn't know what to make of the day, or the remains of his plan. He decided he'd need to rethink his plan and just forget about Loren. He'd study, of course, so Kaiba wouldn't have anything else on him.
He entered the lunchroom to find Kaiba and his crew lazily watching another kid and let out a sigh of relief. He got his lunch and walked over to Yugi's table. Mai was already there, chattering happily with Yugi. Joey settled down next to her and ate quietly, listening to her voice and forgetting the events of earlier. She glanced at him, but saw he had nothing to say, so went on about the latest fashion, or her new boyfriend. It was then that Joey realized just how popular she was. He felt a stab of jealousy, but dismissed it quickly. She was only a friend, he reminded himself.
"You're quiet again, Joey. What's up?"
Joey looked up from his try of finished food. "Nothin', Mai."
Mai raised an eyebrow. "What about earlier?"
"'Dat was nothin'."
Mai sighed. "I forgot how stubborn you can be, Joseph," she said teasingly.
Joey grinned, proud at least for that trait of his.
Suddenly, there was commotion over at Kaiba's end. Loren was standing in front of him, unmoving. He glared, and she returned it. Kids had gathered around them, hoping for a fight.
"Move," Kaiba said quietly, his voice filled with hatred and impatience.
"No," Loren replied simply. "I was here first, plus I have just as much right as you do to walk on these tiles." The crowd 'ooh-ed' and 'ah-ed.' Kaiba snarled something that even the closest people had to lean forward to hear, but Loren heard just fine. She shrugged and remained still. "Just you try it."
Before anyone could react, Kaiba's fist appeared out of nowhere and connected with her jaw. She staggered back, wiping the blood from her lip, but she still didn't move. "Stupid jerk."
"Get the hell away from me, bi-"
Before he could finish, she dropped to her hands and spun herself around, kicking his legs out from under him. He reacted quickly, performing one back flip and landing lightly on his feet.
"You'll live to regret that." She spat in his face at the words.
"As if!"
At amazing speed, his fist found her stomach, and then his knee found her back. He kicked her down to the floor and prepared to walk all over her when he himself was knocked over. He looked up, startled, to see Joey Wheeler standing over him. Mai was helping Loren up and Yugi was standing near her, ready to help.
"Can't help but pick on girls now, eh?" Joey snarled.
Kaiba glared. "This is none of your business, Dog. Now get lost if you value your life." Kaiba was up on his feet by now. Joey grabbed Kaiba's coat collar and slammed him against the wall. Anger was filling him now, for everything Kaiba had done to him. He recalled now the tall brunette slapping him around in that alleyway, not just sneering at the blonde, just for crossing his path. The two brought out the anger in each other; Kaiba just chose to not let it interfere. Kaiba smirked, thinking the blonde in front of him lacked the courage to slap him or anything but bluff.
Joey slammed him against the wall once more in frustration. Yugi was now at his back, tugging on his elbow and trying to pull him away. Joey wouldn't budge; he was determined to make Kaiba think something of him now. He lifted his fist and aimed to punch Kaiba, who blocked easily, but Joey dropped Kaiba and made a hit with his other fist. Blood trickled down Kaiba's chin, which he licked away.
"Not to bad, for a puppy."
"WHAT did you call me?!" Joey lashed out, being blocked once again. He kicked out at Kaiba, but the brunette boy caught his leg and flipped him onto his back. Joey reacted quickly and brought the taller boy down as well. Kaiba landed on Joey, knocking the breath out of him. Kaiba smirked and got up, brushing the dust and dirt from his trench coat.
"You surprised me, Wheeler, I'll give you that." He walked through the crowd before any teacher could be summoned.
Yugi was prodding Joey, calling his name over and over. Slowly, Joey sat up.
"Man, I feel like I just got run over...."
"You did," Mai replied. Loren was standing next to her, looking at Joey curiously.
"Why did you do that?" she asked.
Joey groaned as he stood at his full height. "I dunno..." he couldn't even come up with a reason why he took on Kaiba. By the looks of her, Loren could of held her own. He shook his head and stumbled back a step. His head hurt, but it was nothing like what living on the streets could do to you.
Joey walked back to his table and sat down. He tasted blood and figured his lip was bleeding more. He yawned and laid his head down. He soon fell asleep and Yugi had to drag him to his next class.
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After school let out, Joey was feeling almost normal. Except he had another bruise and the bump on his head was hurting more than it had that morning. Kaiba was nowhere in sight and that lifted Joey's spirits considerably.
"See, I knew he couldn't take me on!" He gloated as he walked out of the school, carrying his History and Math books for his homework.
Mai raised an eyebrow, amused, while Yugi grinned at his friend. Loren had disappeared after she thanked Joey, although she'd said she could've handled Kaiba herself. Joey half wished he could find her in the sea of kids heading home.
Duke walked up and slung his arm around Joey's shoulders. "Nice work, Joey!" he said. "You even escaped detention!" that was true; none of the teachers or police officers that usually roamed the school had caught him in his fight. Joey grinned.
Joey followed Yugi to his house instead of going back to his own to face his father or explore the streets. Here, he had a chance to wash up and eat a decent meal at least, although he hated having to accept even his friend's help.
Joey walked through the Motou's house and up to the bathroom. Yugi's grandfather was out, but Yugi assured him it'd be ok if he stayed for a while. He walked in and locked the door behind him. He undressed and stepped into the shower. After turning on the water and finding the perfect temperature, he just stood there, letting the warm water flow onto his lean body.
Before long, he found his thoughts drifting back to the school grounds. And of the cafeteria. Kaiba and his sneer, Kaiba with his intelligence, Kaiba and his richness. Then there was Loren. Why had Kaiba attacked her? Joey didn't know and he didn't care. He just wanted to hurt Kaiba the next time the two met.
Joey shook his head, the water flying from his bushy hair. He had to stop thinking like that. Yugi had said once that it only led to more stress.
He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, the water running down his face. The water was calming and Joey was soon relaxed. He washed his hair and his body, then grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off and changed into his street clothes and his green jacket. He walked back to the room with the TV and plopped down on the couch. Yugi walked in and leaned over the back of the couch, looking at Joey.
"Feel better?"
"Yup. Maybe I should stay here more often." Joey grinned.
"You're always welcome to, you know."
Joey sat up. "Yeah, I know...thanks Yug." Yugi nodded and turned, walking to the kitchen in search of some food. He soon returned with a plate of cookies and the two teens dug in; the cafeteria food was hardly filling for Joey and Yugi never ate all that much.
After a few hours, Joey yawned and stretched. "Guess I'd better get goin' back. Duke'll be waitin'."
Yugi looked up at Joey. His eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Joey! We could have a sleepover!"
Joey blinked. Yugi, of course, would be the first one to suggest that, but it had caught Joey completely off guard.
"C'mon, Joey! It's a Friday night. We can call Mai, Bakura, Malik, Tristan and Tea! And Duke can come too! It'll be fun!" Excitement glittered in Yugi's eyes at the thought.
"But, Yug...aren't Tea and Tristan-"
"They came back this morning, they called me and..." he trailed off. "I was supposed to tell you to call them back! Tristan couldn't get a hold of you...oops. Anyway, they're back."
Joey had just started to nod as Yugi picked up the phone and dialed everyone's number except Duke's. Joey, meanwhile, left to find him and run Yugi's idea past him. It'd beat sleeping in that alley.
Duke agreed and the two teens walked back to Yugi's place. Mai was already there along with Tristan and Tea out in the Motou's front yard. Bakura and Malik went to a totally different school so it'd take them a while longer, but knowing them, if there was a party going on, they'd be there. They were the life of the party most of the time, what with their 'other selves' and all. They were unpredictable and they always were found together.
Mai was the first to spot them and waved, following Tea and Tristan as they rushed over to greet their friends.
"Man, it seems like forever!" Tristan said to Joey, referring to the last time they'd seen each other.
Tea laughed. "It's only been a week!"
"A week, a year, all the same to me!" Joey exclaimed, thumping his friend on the back. Then Tristan asked if Serenity had been around. Joey shook his head. Tristan sighed, but clapped his hands together. "Is there a party going on here or what?"
Yugi bounced up, a grin on his face, and nodded. "As soon as everyone gets here!"
Tea looked curious, as she eyed the group. "Who else is coming? Just the two trouble-makers?" Yugi nodded.
They waited only a few minutes more before the sound of Malik's car reached their ears. Booming music shook the street and made their bones vibrate.
"Well, lookie who's here!" Tristan said, waving as a red sports car drove up with Bakura half way out over the side. Malik skidded to a stop and Bakura hopped out.
"Where's the blood?!" Bakura asked as soon as he entered the house. "It's not a party till there's blood!"
"Chill," Malik said softly.
"Who wants drinks?" Yugi asked, waving his arms to get the others' attention.
Bakura's eyes lit up. "What'cha got, lil Yugi?"
"Err...something that'll satisfy you, surely!" He said, flashing a grin. "This way!" he led Bakura, who grabbed Malik's arm and dragged him along.
"So...what'll we play? Truth or Dare? Spin the bottle?" Joey asked, ticking off sleepover games on his fingers.
"Not enough girls for Spin the Bottle..." Tristan pointed out. He sat on the couch in front of the TV, next to Joey.
Mai walked in. "Who says it has to have girls?"
Joey mumbled something about not being like that and that she was sick. Tristan nodded. "Girls are more fun!"
"Oh really?" Mai asked, teasingly. "You've tried both?" She giggled softly as Tristan turned red. "Actually, what about night games outside?"
Tristan and Joey looked at each other, then at her. "Believe me, Mai...you don' wanna be outside after dark in dis city."
"It's supposed to storm, anyway," Tristan added. Mai tutted.
"You're just chicken-"
"Pizza's ordered!" Yugi announced, striding back in. Joey's eyes lit up at the sound of food.
The pizza arrived at eight' o'clock, fifteen minutes too many for the ravenous blonde. Yugi had thought ahead and ordered five large pizzas with everything and one with pepperoni. Joey dove into the first one- an everything-pizza. Tristan helped him with the second, and Bakura joined in on the third, fourth, and fifth. Duke, who had been silent up until the food arrived, fought over a pepperoni pizza with Mailk while Mai and Yugi shared the last. The table was a mess, to say the least.
"Ah, 'dat was good!" Joey said, patting his still-slim stomach. "Never too much pizza, I always say!" The others all laughed, and Mai asked, poking his stomach,
"Where do you put it all, Joey?"
"...Dunno!" He shrugged.
"Games!" Yugi declared, moving to the center of the room. "How about we start with a bit of 'truth or dare?' Every party needs that!" The others agreed, moving to sit in a circle on the rug in front of the TV, after moving the couch back a few feet. They left the heap of boxes on the table, along with the dirty napkins and discarded toppings. Bakura left the room and returned with his arms full of bottles. He set them on the floor behind him, guarding them.
"Who first?" Tristan asked, glancing at Yugi.
"Go ahead, whoever," the short one replied.
Mai raised her hand. "Me! Ok, now...Duke. Truth or dare?"
Duke smirked. "Dare."
"I dare you to get up and do the chicken dance!" Mai said, smiling. She figured it best to start out with something funny.
Duke glared and stood up. He started clapping his hands and flapping his arms like a chicken, following the beat of the song he was ordered to dance to in his head. The group laughed, watching the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters strut around the room. Joey, thinking of the company Duke worked for and owned, was suddenly grateful for him to stay out on the streets with him.
Duke sat down, a blush rising on his cheeks. "Eh...Bakura. Truth or dare?"
Bakura thought on this. Should he choose dare and start his fun? Or truth and prolong it?
"Truth."
"Eh...you ever been kissed?"
Bakura blinked, startled at the question. "Err...y-err, no." He blushed a deep red.
"Poor Bakura!" Duke smirked. "Your turn."
The game continued until way past twelve' o'clock. It only ended when Yugi and the girls fell asleep. Duke stretched and curled up next to the couch, which was already occupied by Joey. Tristan was laying next to Yugi, as far away as possible from Bakura, who was acting weird due to the drink, and Duke, who never had gotten along with Tristan much. Mai and Tea were on the other side of the room.
Joey yawned and rolled over, nearly asleep, when Duke spoke.
"What're you going to do about your dad?" He asked softly.
Joey groaned. "I dunno...dat jerk don' wan' me around." Before Duke could reply, Joey waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Let's not talk about dat now..."
Duke nodded and fell silent. The lights were turned out at 2:30 and the gang fell asleep shortly after, worn out from the game and the hard day at school.
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Zero: eh...that was long. Tell me what you thought! I think the end kinda stunk, but hey! I couldn't do much on the wild side because Joey's got to stay the way he is!
R/r?
Please?
DISCLAIMER: don't own, wish I did
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'Dear Diary,
Why do I keep writing to this book? Well, that's not the point... After I nearly got ran over by that jerk, thanks to my dear old dad, he actually only yelled for a few minutes. I think I'm getting better at ignoring him. Then he drove off, just like that. Not like I care really. Maybe it'd have been better if he hadn't swerved at the last second... But then I wouldn't see Mai for a LONG time...or Yugi for that matter. At least I'd be ridda 'dat jerk.
I got pretty banged up. A bump appeared outta nowhere on my head! AND I was unconscious for a few hours! I hate having to be taken care of. Don't get me wrong, Duke's great and stuff...but still.
I still gotta go to school. Man, this ain't gonna be fun. Anyway, I'd better be off now...'
With that, Joey shut the diary and tucked it in its little crack. Duke had taken off an hour ago. As Joey walked up to Domino High, he couldn't keep his mind off of that incident with his father. Who had made that other lump in his bed? It didn't seem fair; Joey still lived there, and his dad was just taking over like that.
'If only Serenity was here....' Joey thought sadly. 'She always knew how to brighten a mood.' But, then he thought about that more. It would be better for her to be in a house, instead of on the streets.
He reached the school just as Yugi ran out to meet him.
"Joey!" He called anxiously.
Joey raised an eyebrow, and then noticed that Mai had followed him out. "What?"
"Joey! Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Joey began to worry that he'd been out longer than Duke had said, after he'd passed out on the way back to the alley that seemed to be his new home.
Mai caught up with him the same time Yugi did, both seeming breathless.
"Word throughout the school...is that you were nearly run over-" Mai started.
"By Kaiba!" Yugi finished.
Joey nodded slowly, relived that he wasn't behind on anything. "Yeah, but I'm here now." He grinned. "I survived it with barley a bump!"
Mai eyed his head, raising an eyebrow. Joey blushed.
"Ok, maybe ONE bump..."
"How's that head of yours, Puppy? Need some bandages?" Kaiba now walked toward him, followed by his little group. "Or how about a brain transplant? I hear you're failing in at least one class already."
Joey growled. He knew he was in trouble in English, even though the year had just started...was there more?
"Yes, Puppy. I've seen your grades." Kaiba smirked. Joey started toward him, his fists clenched on either side. Mai glanced at Yugi, who nodded quickly, and they each grabbed onto one of Joey's arms and tugged backwards. Joey kicked up a cloud of dust but couldn't move forward another inch. Kaiba laughed at his attempts and turned, his trench coat flowing behind him. Joey was fuming, so much so that there was nearly visible steam coming out both ears.
"Why do you let Kaiba get under your skin so easily, Joey?" Yugi asked, after Kaiba had disappeared into the school.
Joey sighed and calmed down somewhat. "I dunno, Yug. He just...ticks me off so much."
"With an attitude like that, it's a miracle the teachers can stand him," Mai said, agreeing with Joey.
"But they just let him do what he wants no questions asked!" Joey growled. He stormed up to his locker, Mai and Yugi following close behind. They were still intent on getting an answer out of him. They didn't get very far- Joey had shut them out, their voices not meaning anything in his mind. He was thinking about something. A way to get Kaiba back.
It may be childish, but Kaiba wouldn't expect that...this was HIGH school. Joey smirked evilly all the way to his homeroom. Yugi and Mai shared puzzled looks before heading off to their classes.
As Joey entered his History class, Kaiba was on his usual perch, ignoring the teacher at the board. Joey sat down in his seat, the furthest from Kaiba as he could get. He sighed as he thought about how this was only the beginning of the second quarter of the school year but it felt like it'd been half the year. The teacher turned and addressed the class.
"I know that most of you will think this a thing of the past, for elementary and jr. high, but I will assign you each a different seat each quarter. In other words, it happens to be seat-changing time."
Joey stiffened, but Kaiba seemed to be ignoring the teacher, staring off into his own little world. Joey jumped as the bell rang, then shook his head in attempt to rid himself of any tension.
"Mary Smith, over there," the teacher said, pointing. "Jay Jackson, next to her. William Davis, up here," and so forth. Soon, the moment came when he announced Kaiba's name. "Seto Kaiba, right here." He pointed to a seat in the middle row, three seats back. "Joseph Wheeler, right in front of him. Loren Moore, in front of Joseph, please."
Joey stood by his desk, staring at the person sitting calmly at the desk behind him. Slowly, Kaiba brought his eyes over to Joey and glared. Joey growled and sat down, glaring at the black board. Then he noticed Loren's soft brown hair and watched it swish as she moved. He began to think of Mai's blonde hair and how it moved, or stood on end when she was mad.
Suddenly, the door opened and in stepped a tall black-haired boy. He had a die hanging off of his left ear.
"Ah, Duke, how nice of you to join us..." the teacher said in his monotone voice. It was obvious the older man recognized the kid, for there was a frown on his face, a look of annoyance.
"Sorry I'm so late, I've been...busy," Duke said cheerfully, as if it might be normal for a teen to miss the first few days of school of school and then appear.
Joey stared at him and instantly wished Duke would be assigned the seat behind him, instead of that jerk. Kaiba smirked, seeing Joey's reaction. He'd seen them on the streets together and was pleased to torture his classmate further. Joey muttered curses as Duke was assigned a seat in the back corner.
"And now, on with the lesson...Can anyone tell me what Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was?"
Joey blinked; he didn't remember anything he'd read.
Kaiba and Duke glanced at each other and raised their hands at the same moment, but it was Loren that was called upon.
"Lincoln wanted to end the war and keep the states together, the North and the South. He figured that freeing slaves would hurt the South; especially since that was the reason those states had succeeded, so that was what the Proclamation was all about. However, the South released none of their slaves on the due date, but they would be free to join the Union as the North took conquered areas in the South," she replied slowly.
The teacher stood in front of her, appearing shocked. Loren tapped him with one of her black nails and tilted her head. "Am I wrong?"
He shook his head and refocused his eyes. He was obviously not used to many right answers, other than Kaiba's. "Great, now for the next question..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bell rang and Joey was the first on out of his History class. He shook his head and slowed, thinking of waiting for Duke. But instead, Loren walked up to him.
"You really need to study more," she said with a smile on her face. Joey took in her dark clothes, red lipstick, and black nail polish. She had a spiked choker around her neck and her light brown hair had blue tips, but her eyes seemed innocent enough.
Joey blinked and nodded. He couldn't remember if he'd seen her in Kaiba's group or not. She patted him on the head and turned back down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "I refuse to lead a failing row!"
Joey sighed and headed off to his locker. He didn't know what to make of the day, or the remains of his plan. He decided he'd need to rethink his plan and just forget about Loren. He'd study, of course, so Kaiba wouldn't have anything else on him.
He entered the lunchroom to find Kaiba and his crew lazily watching another kid and let out a sigh of relief. He got his lunch and walked over to Yugi's table. Mai was already there, chattering happily with Yugi. Joey settled down next to her and ate quietly, listening to her voice and forgetting the events of earlier. She glanced at him, but saw he had nothing to say, so went on about the latest fashion, or her new boyfriend. It was then that Joey realized just how popular she was. He felt a stab of jealousy, but dismissed it quickly. She was only a friend, he reminded himself.
"You're quiet again, Joey. What's up?"
Joey looked up from his try of finished food. "Nothin', Mai."
Mai raised an eyebrow. "What about earlier?"
"'Dat was nothin'."
Mai sighed. "I forgot how stubborn you can be, Joseph," she said teasingly.
Joey grinned, proud at least for that trait of his.
Suddenly, there was commotion over at Kaiba's end. Loren was standing in front of him, unmoving. He glared, and she returned it. Kids had gathered around them, hoping for a fight.
"Move," Kaiba said quietly, his voice filled with hatred and impatience.
"No," Loren replied simply. "I was here first, plus I have just as much right as you do to walk on these tiles." The crowd 'ooh-ed' and 'ah-ed.' Kaiba snarled something that even the closest people had to lean forward to hear, but Loren heard just fine. She shrugged and remained still. "Just you try it."
Before anyone could react, Kaiba's fist appeared out of nowhere and connected with her jaw. She staggered back, wiping the blood from her lip, but she still didn't move. "Stupid jerk."
"Get the hell away from me, bi-"
Before he could finish, she dropped to her hands and spun herself around, kicking his legs out from under him. He reacted quickly, performing one back flip and landing lightly on his feet.
"You'll live to regret that." She spat in his face at the words.
"As if!"
At amazing speed, his fist found her stomach, and then his knee found her back. He kicked her down to the floor and prepared to walk all over her when he himself was knocked over. He looked up, startled, to see Joey Wheeler standing over him. Mai was helping Loren up and Yugi was standing near her, ready to help.
"Can't help but pick on girls now, eh?" Joey snarled.
Kaiba glared. "This is none of your business, Dog. Now get lost if you value your life." Kaiba was up on his feet by now. Joey grabbed Kaiba's coat collar and slammed him against the wall. Anger was filling him now, for everything Kaiba had done to him. He recalled now the tall brunette slapping him around in that alleyway, not just sneering at the blonde, just for crossing his path. The two brought out the anger in each other; Kaiba just chose to not let it interfere. Kaiba smirked, thinking the blonde in front of him lacked the courage to slap him or anything but bluff.
Joey slammed him against the wall once more in frustration. Yugi was now at his back, tugging on his elbow and trying to pull him away. Joey wouldn't budge; he was determined to make Kaiba think something of him now. He lifted his fist and aimed to punch Kaiba, who blocked easily, but Joey dropped Kaiba and made a hit with his other fist. Blood trickled down Kaiba's chin, which he licked away.
"Not to bad, for a puppy."
"WHAT did you call me?!" Joey lashed out, being blocked once again. He kicked out at Kaiba, but the brunette boy caught his leg and flipped him onto his back. Joey reacted quickly and brought the taller boy down as well. Kaiba landed on Joey, knocking the breath out of him. Kaiba smirked and got up, brushing the dust and dirt from his trench coat.
"You surprised me, Wheeler, I'll give you that." He walked through the crowd before any teacher could be summoned.
Yugi was prodding Joey, calling his name over and over. Slowly, Joey sat up.
"Man, I feel like I just got run over...."
"You did," Mai replied. Loren was standing next to her, looking at Joey curiously.
"Why did you do that?" she asked.
Joey groaned as he stood at his full height. "I dunno..." he couldn't even come up with a reason why he took on Kaiba. By the looks of her, Loren could of held her own. He shook his head and stumbled back a step. His head hurt, but it was nothing like what living on the streets could do to you.
Joey walked back to his table and sat down. He tasted blood and figured his lip was bleeding more. He yawned and laid his head down. He soon fell asleep and Yugi had to drag him to his next class.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After school let out, Joey was feeling almost normal. Except he had another bruise and the bump on his head was hurting more than it had that morning. Kaiba was nowhere in sight and that lifted Joey's spirits considerably.
"See, I knew he couldn't take me on!" He gloated as he walked out of the school, carrying his History and Math books for his homework.
Mai raised an eyebrow, amused, while Yugi grinned at his friend. Loren had disappeared after she thanked Joey, although she'd said she could've handled Kaiba herself. Joey half wished he could find her in the sea of kids heading home.
Duke walked up and slung his arm around Joey's shoulders. "Nice work, Joey!" he said. "You even escaped detention!" that was true; none of the teachers or police officers that usually roamed the school had caught him in his fight. Joey grinned.
Joey followed Yugi to his house instead of going back to his own to face his father or explore the streets. Here, he had a chance to wash up and eat a decent meal at least, although he hated having to accept even his friend's help.
Joey walked through the Motou's house and up to the bathroom. Yugi's grandfather was out, but Yugi assured him it'd be ok if he stayed for a while. He walked in and locked the door behind him. He undressed and stepped into the shower. After turning on the water and finding the perfect temperature, he just stood there, letting the warm water flow onto his lean body.
Before long, he found his thoughts drifting back to the school grounds. And of the cafeteria. Kaiba and his sneer, Kaiba with his intelligence, Kaiba and his richness. Then there was Loren. Why had Kaiba attacked her? Joey didn't know and he didn't care. He just wanted to hurt Kaiba the next time the two met.
Joey shook his head, the water flying from his bushy hair. He had to stop thinking like that. Yugi had said once that it only led to more stress.
He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, the water running down his face. The water was calming and Joey was soon relaxed. He washed his hair and his body, then grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off and changed into his street clothes and his green jacket. He walked back to the room with the TV and plopped down on the couch. Yugi walked in and leaned over the back of the couch, looking at Joey.
"Feel better?"
"Yup. Maybe I should stay here more often." Joey grinned.
"You're always welcome to, you know."
Joey sat up. "Yeah, I know...thanks Yug." Yugi nodded and turned, walking to the kitchen in search of some food. He soon returned with a plate of cookies and the two teens dug in; the cafeteria food was hardly filling for Joey and Yugi never ate all that much.
After a few hours, Joey yawned and stretched. "Guess I'd better get goin' back. Duke'll be waitin'."
Yugi looked up at Joey. His eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Joey! We could have a sleepover!"
Joey blinked. Yugi, of course, would be the first one to suggest that, but it had caught Joey completely off guard.
"C'mon, Joey! It's a Friday night. We can call Mai, Bakura, Malik, Tristan and Tea! And Duke can come too! It'll be fun!" Excitement glittered in Yugi's eyes at the thought.
"But, Yug...aren't Tea and Tristan-"
"They came back this morning, they called me and..." he trailed off. "I was supposed to tell you to call them back! Tristan couldn't get a hold of you...oops. Anyway, they're back."
Joey had just started to nod as Yugi picked up the phone and dialed everyone's number except Duke's. Joey, meanwhile, left to find him and run Yugi's idea past him. It'd beat sleeping in that alley.
Duke agreed and the two teens walked back to Yugi's place. Mai was already there along with Tristan and Tea out in the Motou's front yard. Bakura and Malik went to a totally different school so it'd take them a while longer, but knowing them, if there was a party going on, they'd be there. They were the life of the party most of the time, what with their 'other selves' and all. They were unpredictable and they always were found together.
Mai was the first to spot them and waved, following Tea and Tristan as they rushed over to greet their friends.
"Man, it seems like forever!" Tristan said to Joey, referring to the last time they'd seen each other.
Tea laughed. "It's only been a week!"
"A week, a year, all the same to me!" Joey exclaimed, thumping his friend on the back. Then Tristan asked if Serenity had been around. Joey shook his head. Tristan sighed, but clapped his hands together. "Is there a party going on here or what?"
Yugi bounced up, a grin on his face, and nodded. "As soon as everyone gets here!"
Tea looked curious, as she eyed the group. "Who else is coming? Just the two trouble-makers?" Yugi nodded.
They waited only a few minutes more before the sound of Malik's car reached their ears. Booming music shook the street and made their bones vibrate.
"Well, lookie who's here!" Tristan said, waving as a red sports car drove up with Bakura half way out over the side. Malik skidded to a stop and Bakura hopped out.
"Where's the blood?!" Bakura asked as soon as he entered the house. "It's not a party till there's blood!"
"Chill," Malik said softly.
"Who wants drinks?" Yugi asked, waving his arms to get the others' attention.
Bakura's eyes lit up. "What'cha got, lil Yugi?"
"Err...something that'll satisfy you, surely!" He said, flashing a grin. "This way!" he led Bakura, who grabbed Malik's arm and dragged him along.
"So...what'll we play? Truth or Dare? Spin the bottle?" Joey asked, ticking off sleepover games on his fingers.
"Not enough girls for Spin the Bottle..." Tristan pointed out. He sat on the couch in front of the TV, next to Joey.
Mai walked in. "Who says it has to have girls?"
Joey mumbled something about not being like that and that she was sick. Tristan nodded. "Girls are more fun!"
"Oh really?" Mai asked, teasingly. "You've tried both?" She giggled softly as Tristan turned red. "Actually, what about night games outside?"
Tristan and Joey looked at each other, then at her. "Believe me, Mai...you don' wanna be outside after dark in dis city."
"It's supposed to storm, anyway," Tristan added. Mai tutted.
"You're just chicken-"
"Pizza's ordered!" Yugi announced, striding back in. Joey's eyes lit up at the sound of food.
The pizza arrived at eight' o'clock, fifteen minutes too many for the ravenous blonde. Yugi had thought ahead and ordered five large pizzas with everything and one with pepperoni. Joey dove into the first one- an everything-pizza. Tristan helped him with the second, and Bakura joined in on the third, fourth, and fifth. Duke, who had been silent up until the food arrived, fought over a pepperoni pizza with Mailk while Mai and Yugi shared the last. The table was a mess, to say the least.
"Ah, 'dat was good!" Joey said, patting his still-slim stomach. "Never too much pizza, I always say!" The others all laughed, and Mai asked, poking his stomach,
"Where do you put it all, Joey?"
"...Dunno!" He shrugged.
"Games!" Yugi declared, moving to the center of the room. "How about we start with a bit of 'truth or dare?' Every party needs that!" The others agreed, moving to sit in a circle on the rug in front of the TV, after moving the couch back a few feet. They left the heap of boxes on the table, along with the dirty napkins and discarded toppings. Bakura left the room and returned with his arms full of bottles. He set them on the floor behind him, guarding them.
"Who first?" Tristan asked, glancing at Yugi.
"Go ahead, whoever," the short one replied.
Mai raised her hand. "Me! Ok, now...Duke. Truth or dare?"
Duke smirked. "Dare."
"I dare you to get up and do the chicken dance!" Mai said, smiling. She figured it best to start out with something funny.
Duke glared and stood up. He started clapping his hands and flapping his arms like a chicken, following the beat of the song he was ordered to dance to in his head. The group laughed, watching the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters strut around the room. Joey, thinking of the company Duke worked for and owned, was suddenly grateful for him to stay out on the streets with him.
Duke sat down, a blush rising on his cheeks. "Eh...Bakura. Truth or dare?"
Bakura thought on this. Should he choose dare and start his fun? Or truth and prolong it?
"Truth."
"Eh...you ever been kissed?"
Bakura blinked, startled at the question. "Err...y-err, no." He blushed a deep red.
"Poor Bakura!" Duke smirked. "Your turn."
The game continued until way past twelve' o'clock. It only ended when Yugi and the girls fell asleep. Duke stretched and curled up next to the couch, which was already occupied by Joey. Tristan was laying next to Yugi, as far away as possible from Bakura, who was acting weird due to the drink, and Duke, who never had gotten along with Tristan much. Mai and Tea were on the other side of the room.
Joey yawned and rolled over, nearly asleep, when Duke spoke.
"What're you going to do about your dad?" He asked softly.
Joey groaned. "I dunno...dat jerk don' wan' me around." Before Duke could reply, Joey waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Let's not talk about dat now..."
Duke nodded and fell silent. The lights were turned out at 2:30 and the gang fell asleep shortly after, worn out from the game and the hard day at school.
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Zero: eh...that was long. Tell me what you thought! I think the end kinda stunk, but hey! I couldn't do much on the wild side because Joey's got to stay the way he is!
R/r?
Please?