Chappie Four: What It Takes

At the Local Mall

Joey, Rowenna, Harpie and Serenity were all sitting in the food court, Serenity drooling over candy corn, Harpie obsessing over the new Kenshin DVD Rowenna had bought her, Rowenna drinking a coffee frappe and wincing at the elevator musack, and Joey looking rather glum.

"Joey, c'mon, cheer up." Serenity said, through a mouthful of candy corn. She was clutching the bag like it was her life-force. Rowenna sighed. Maybe it was her life force. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, Joe, what's the matter, anyway? You've been acting odd all day. Got in a fight with Bish, or something?" Harpie asked, looking up from her Kenshin DVD.

"I guess a fight is a light way to put it." Joey muttered.

"What, she didn't break up with you, or anything, did she?" Rowenna asked, offering Joey some of her frappe. He shook his head, and then nodded. "What?" She asked.

"No, I don't want the frappe, yes she dumped me." He muttered. He propped his head up on his elbow and sighed, looking away from them all. "It's okay guys, don't worry 'bout me. I'm fine. I swear."

Rowenna rolled her eyes, Serenity laughed, and Harpie muttered, "Yeah right."

"What?!" Joey exclaimed.

"You've been acting sad all week." Rowenna started, before Serenity and Harpie could offend him.

"You're heart broken."

"You fell hard for her, Joe-fess."

"Joe-fess?"

"I dunno. Thought of a new nickname." Harpie said, shrugging.

"Whatevah. Guys, I'm not…I'm not like, heart broken or anythin'. It's just I'm not used ta bein' single, y'know?"

"All you have to do is act like you did before, only now you won't have a guilty conscience." Rowenna said, laughing. Joey growled. "I'm just kidding, pup."

"When did she do it?" Harpie asked conversationally, looking back down at her anime. Rowenna jabbed her in the shoulder. Harpie glared at her, but Rowenna mouthed angrily, 'If you're going to ask, at least look interested! Be decent about it!' Harpie looked back up at Joey and sighed. "Well?"

"Almost a week ago." Joey muttered glumly, laying his head down on his arms again. "I'm over her, I swear." He sent them a player smile.

"That was weak."

"I don't believe you."

"Nope. You're still in love."

"Yep."

"I am not!" Joey exclaimed.

"Well, we can test that right now, can't we?" Harpie asked, smirking.

"How do you plan on doin' that?" Joey asked angrily.

"Well, Bishi's coming this way. With another guy." Serenity stated matter-of-factly. Joey looked up, and saw Bishi with…

"Marik?" He exclaimed angrily.

"Nope. Not over her."

"Nope."

"Not even close."

"We should get him help."

"Yeah. We shoul-"

"There goes my ol' girlfriend, there's another, diamond ring…" Joey muttered.

"Is he singing?" Rowenna asked, a bit scared.

"I think so…" Harpie said, disturbed.

"And all those late night promises, they don't mean a thing…"

"They made late night promises?" Serenity thought out loud.

"So baby what's the story? Did you find another man? Is it easy to sleep in the bed that we made? When you don't look back I guess the feelings start to fade away…"

"They made a bed together?" Rowenna said, confused.

"I used to feel your fire, but now it's cold inside, and you're back on the street like you didn't miss a beat, yeah." Joey then stood up, and began to sing very loudly. Bishi looked over, horrified. "Tell me what it takes to let you go! Tell me how the pain's supposed to go! Tell me how it is that you can sleep, in the night, without thinking you lost everything that was good in your life to the toss of the dice? Tell me what it takes to let you go!" Marik started pulling on Bishi's arm, trying to drag her away, but she was stuck to the spot, horror stricken.

"He was everything that was good in her life?" Harpie asked.

"Girl, before I met you, I was F. I. N. E. Fine."

"Joey can spell."

"Yay, pup."

"But your love made me a prisoner, yeah, and my heart's been doin' time! You spent me up like money, then you, hung me out to dry…"

"Spent his money's more like it…" Rowenna grumbled.

"It was easy to keep all your lies in disguise 'cause you had me in deep with the devil in your eyes!" Bishi took this as a direct insult, and glared at him, huffing. Marik glared at Joey, getting ready to walk over and beat the shit out of him. Apparently, this was ruining a very, very worthwhile date.

"Tell me what it takes to let you go! Tell me how the pain's supposed to go! Tell me how it is that you can sleep, in the night, without thinking you lost everything that was good in your life to the toss of the dice! Tell me what it takes to let you go? Guitar!"

"He thinks that there's actually going to be a-" However, Rowenna was interrupted, and proven wrong, by a back up band suddenly starting up and playing the guitar solo. The entire food court got up and started cheering and moshing.

"Are people doing back up vocals for him?"

"Yep."

"That's creepy."

"Yep."

"Tell me that you're happy that you're on your own, yeah, yeah, yeah, tell me that it's better when you're all alone."

"But she's not alone. She's got Marik, apparently."

"Tell me that your body doesn't miss my touch, tell me that my lovin' didn't mean that much! Tell me you ain't dyin' when you're cryin' for me!"

"I'm sure she will, as soon as you stop singing…"

"Tell me what it takes to let you go!" Weird, out of range for him but still hit, high note… "Tell me how the pain's supposed to go! Tell me how it is that you can sleep, in the night, without thinking you lost everything that was good in your life to the toss of the dice? Tell me who's to blame for thinking twice, no, no, no, no, no…'cause I don't wanna burn in paradise!"

Another freakishly high note that made all assembled wince, and then Joey began to do the random, "Let it go's" at the end, with the final, "I don't, I don't, I don't wanna burn in paradiedy…"

Joey ended by sliding forward on the floor, ending up on his knees in front of Bishi, his fist on his chest, in the close vicinity of his heart. He looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes, and said, "I love you, Bishi."

The food court oooohed and aaaaahed, and a few random fan girls shouted,

"Take him back!"

"If you don't want him, I'll have him!"

"I wish a guy would sing for me!"

However, apparently, Bishi was not impressed, but horrified, and she turned on her high-priced sweat-shop marketed heels and walked away from him. The food court booed and threw food at her, and Marik glared at them all as he followed his new girlfriend out of the mall.