YUGIOH

Amnesia

Chapter 14.

"What are you talking about?" Kaiba asked.

"Listen Seto. We weren't completely honest with ya, and we should've been. In school.......we weren't exactly friends. We always saw you as a friend, but you....you always looked down on us. You were rich, you owned your own company, you were the champion Duel Monster king, and everyone else around you were garbage, because you felt you were better than them." Joey said.

"That....that's not true. I'm not like that." Kaiba said, refusing to believe this. 'Why is he saying these things to me?'

"But it is true." Joey said. "Yugi ended up beating you in the game, time and again, and you ended up hating him even more because of that, even though you still thought you wuz betta'. But you especially hated me, though I never figured out what it was about me you didn't like. You always picked on me and put me down. But I swear ta god, Seto....I never threw that baseball at you on purpose. No matta how much I didn't like ya, I'd never do that ta you. And when you came to school again....well, you were completely different. I figured maybe you originally acted like that cuz you never had any good friends. So I decided to try and be friendly with ya ta teach you what it was like to have real friends you could trust, you know? Then after being with ya like that, I realized that at any time you could become that guy we use ta know. Then I'd loose the new friend I just got...."

Kaiba just stood there, shocked from what he was hearing, not quite sure how to respond, or to even believe it.

"You see why I'm worried about you dating my sister, now? One moment you can be this really nice guy, that everyone trusts and cares about. But then the next moment, you might remember everything, then who knows how yer gonna act around my sister! And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, cuz I saw it, Seto. While we were fighting, and arguing a minute ago, the things you said, the way you acted.......it wasn't you anymore, it was him. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm saying, you had to feel it!"

'Those strange thoughts in my head........was that from my past?' He thought to himself, wondering. They weren't there, now. Those strange thoughts that came to him, he couldn't bring them back right now if he tried. "You're lying." He said. "I'm not like that."

"But you were!" Joey said.

"How am I supposed to believe you, Joey?" Kaiba asked. "You're telling me that all this time you've been lying and deceiving me......all of you. Why shouldn't I believe you're lying to me now, just as an excuse to keep me from your sister?"

"You can ask the others!" Joey said.

"You said, they 'all' have been lying to me. Why should I trust any of them??" He asked again.

"Fine, then you can ask my sister! You think she's lying to ya, too??" Joey snapped.

Kaiba paused, considering this before answering. "All right.....let's say it's true, and I was like that. I still have no idea about acting like this other me, like you said. Of course I was angry.....you punched me in the face a moment ago. That's hardly the way you're suppose to treat a friend." Kaiba pointed out.

"Yeah....well, maybe I over-reacted a little. But I'm telling you, I saw it in you." Joey said.

Kaiba smiled and said, "No, Joey.....you saw what you wanted to see. You wanted me to be this supposed horrible monster that you'd forbid to date your sister, so that's what your mind gave you. If I was that terrible, then from what you're saying, I probably would have been much worst to you, right? But who's the one here with the facial bruise....is it you, or is it me?"

'Maybe he's right', Joey thought. 'Maybe I don't want him to date my sister so much, that I made myself think I saw him being himself again. I guess it would make anyone pretty mad, after giving them a shiner, like I gave him. Maybe he's right....' "All right, I guess you gotta point, there. But still....what's going to keep you from being the way you were, once you start remembering again?"

"First of all, it's 'IF' I start remembering....which may never happen." Kaiba explained. "And secondly...." Kaiba sighed. "I don't remember how I was before. I only have my friends to count on telling me. The point is, I know I have good friends, and I know I wouldn't want to loose that for the world. I'd be crazy to turn on you guys like that, for no reason. Perhaps I was spoiled like you said. But no matter what I remember Joey, I'm not going to do something to loose that friendship. I swear to you, I wont be like that. I'll fight tooth and nail with those past memories, before I ever consider doing something like that to any of you."

Joey lowered his head. He wanted to believe that. "Well, that's easy to say when you're not remembering stuff. That don't mean it wont still happen, when....'if' you remember."

"Well Joey, you have two choices. You can take the chance to trust a friend to be a friend, or you can stand worrying for the rest of your life that your friends might back-stab you. But I'll tell you this....if you do that, you're going to loose this friend, and anyone else you decide is not worth trusting. So it's time you figure out what you want." Kaiba said.

Joey thought a long moment about what his friend Seto said to him, and then it finally dawned on him. It was almost like the rolls had been reversed. Maybe Kaiba was the same way in the past........so afraid of being hurt, that he shut the world out around him. Now Kaiba was the one telling him what friendship was like, while he was the one playing the coward, hiding behind fear of being hurt. "What am I doing??!?" Joey asked, disgusted that he might be acting anything like Kaiba, at all. He turned, and said, "You're right, man. I have been so wrong. I'm sitting here so worried about how you might act later, that I'm almost losing a good friend, now. You go ahead Seto, I give ya my blessing. I guarantee you it's farther than anyone ever got with me, before. But I warn you.......if I ever hear that you hurt my sister, you're gonna wish you never met any of my family.......you got that??"

Kaiba smiled, and grabbed Joey's shoulder, saying, "Thanks Joey....you wont regret it."