Kaiba only heard the mirror smash, as he proceeded with Maranda carried in his arms, with the black marks that surrounded her one eye, and her body. " I'll make sure she won't lay a hand on you again. I promise you..." Kaiba thought as he just looked back to only see her on the ground, not to care if she was injured only to be concerned about the beautiful lady that laid securely in his arms. Kaiba walked past the crowds as he noticed Joey alone sitting at the bar as Joey curiously looked up concerned for Maranda, who had noticeable cuts and bruses indicating to Joey that she got banged up seriously. Joey placed his drink on the counter as Kaiba hatefully made contact with Joey, as he smiled.

"Maranda are you alrigh-"Joey got cut off as Kaiba's lifted his nose towards the air and looked at her who was wincing crying in pain from the wounds she gotten. "She's not yours to care about Wheeler. She's fine I can take care of her Joey, and she can handle herself." Kaiba was about to walk off as Joey had his hands grasped around his drink, "What happened to her Kaiba?!" Joey's hands grasped heavily into Kaiba's shoulder as he pushed his hands off of him. Kaiba's cold blue eyes looked at Joey's just shaking his head. "Maybe you should go ask that mysterious girl of yours. She'd answer your question. Mutt, listen to me right now. Don't try to make your foolish attempts to get her back think about it she never loved you in the first place. Sometimes I feel sorry for you Joey, to know that everything you have ever loved has gotten away from you somehow and you let Mai slip through your fingers. Don't you regret saying those mean words to her Joey? You believe she's going to come back don't you?" Kaiba paused as Joey looked dumbfounded unable to speak, he hoped for her to return and Kaiba just smiled from the useless hope Joey believed in. "Joey take it from me, your wasting your time. Knowing her she never goes back on her word, or her promise. The promise she'll never come back ever." Kaiba placed his jacket over one shoulder and still holding Maranda securely as they walked out the door and slowly disappeared.

Joey still felt his hurtful words as he shook his head and laid his head heavily on the bar counter. "Maybe Kaiba is right. Maybe I should give up on her coming back. It's hopeless now."

As Joey laid still Serenity was keeping a close eye on her brother, and she could see the torment he was already going through. She stayed close with Taya as Serenity stood quietly staring at her brother with his head down in anger and sadness at the bar. "Hey Serenity what's amatter?" Taya blinked curiously as she pointed out Joey in concern. "Joey hasn't been himself for days. He hasn't been around us lately and I'm concerned. I just saw Kaiba walk out with his girlfriend Maranda in his arms. I'm going to see Joey, alright?" Taya nodded, "Hey Serenity after your done talking to your brother I'll be in the bathroom."

Serenity walked in her small black Spanish dress, that Joey bought for her, for her 15th birthday, and proceeded over to her brother who looked like he was badly stressed out. "Umm Joey.. are you alright?" Serenity flipped her long orange hair and looked at her own big brother who was sulking underneath his blonde bangs. "Ya, I'm just fine Serenity.. Go with the others and have fun don't waste it on me." Serenity wouldn't back off, when she saw Kaiba and Maranda together she could hint and understand why Joey had his head down and sulking. Serenity lifted up his head as saw light tears stream down his face and it hurt to see her brother hurt. "Joey your not fine. Please tell me what's wrong.. Everyone has been worried about you lately. You hardly seen any of us in a couple of days or noticed us Joey. Please tell me what's happened." Joey smiled and removed his head from the bar table and looked at his young sister so concerned and trying to hide the tears. "Joey are you crying?" Joey just smiled,

"No I just got something in my eye that's all." The same line he had used with Mai along time ago... Joey explained every detail he could to Serenity as he finished his last hurtful sentence."Maranda never cared about me Serenity. That's all I can see and seeing her with Kaiba moments ago what was I suppose to do, forgive her?" Serenity placed her hands on Joey's back and for once she was speechless. All the times her brother had stuck up for her and it was time she had stuck up for Joey and decided to get the guts to talk to Kaiba herself. "Are you going to forgive that girl that watched it? I'm sure Joey she didn't mean to do that. I believe she was probably confused what to do. To tell you right away, or to watch and pretend it never happened." Joey dimly smiled, "Maybe I don't know Serenity right now I got to work things out. I know you want to help me but there's nothing you can really do. Have a fun time here with Taya, alright? I'm going home to clear my head. So don't be out too late... and Serenity?" Serenity turned around as Joey smiled he loved that dress on her, and the fact she cared about him so much. "Ya, Joey?" "Have fun and don't worry about me. I'll be fine I promise ya."

Joey laid still on his head trying to get everything bad that happened out of his head. Kaiba words just sunk into his head and he thought maybe for once he was right, and Joey should give up while he was ahead. "He's right. Mai won't come back here. Even if she did she wouldn't talk to me and probably still hold a grudge on me for saying all those nasty things to her." Joey grasped the bed sheets angered as he dug his face into the pillow. "It isn't fair! Mai disappears from me, I find out the girl I love hates me, and the next thing I know Kaiba walks away with her!! I was being such a bitch to that girl, when I shouldn't of.. she probably won't forgive me either... Could anything get worse?" Joey still buried his head into the soft pillow as something broke his silent thinking, as the phone rang hoping somehow it would be the punk girl, or maybe one of his friends to relieve his tension. Slowly he jumped from the bed and sprang to the phone in a second.

"Joey, speaking."

Joey listened fully to the other person and his jaw just dropped as he listened to the other person on the phone as she sounded saddened and shocked and what Joey had heard made him speechless. Joey quickly left the phone off the hook as he sped out of his bedroom.

"Joey, are you there..

Joey, Hello please answer!

Joey are you there? ..........................."

( What can I say? Read and Review..)