Chapter 8
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"I didn't know they let dogs in the mall."
Joey spun around to see who it was talking to him, even though he really already knew who it was. No one else but Seto Kaiba called Joey a dog. But yet, for some reason, that didn't make Joey feel special.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, anoyyed to be interupted. He was deciding whether to get the purple wristband or the black one, and Joey Wheeler did not like to be interupted when making tough decisions like this one. Seto just shrugged, not realizing or perhaps not really caring that he was anoyying Joey.
"I just dropped Mokuba off at the movie theatre and decided I might as well hang around here. You did say I had to get out of the house."
"Never figured you to be the mall type person." Joey muttered now looking at a red wristband.
"Right back at you." Seto said, now looking at the wristbands also but not really getting why Joey was having such a hard time picking one.
"What are you doing here? Picking up some bracelets and some pink eye liner?" Seto smirked as Joey forgot about the wristbands and was now looking at the black nailpolish. Joey turned to stare at Seto.
"You can get pink eye liner?" The really scary thing was that Seto couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.
"Yeah, and why don't you get some pink nail polish to go with is?" Seto picked up a bottle of nail polish and looked at it. It had a skull on it and had the word 'Morbid' written on the top. This was one weird store...
They were in Hot Topic. You know, that sorta punk, gothic, just kinda wild store. Don't get me wrong, that store is awesome. It has cool jewlery and band T-shirts too. It just, the kind of people in the store are the kind that when you first see them the line 'are they on crack' tends to run through your head.
"Alright, alright." Joey gave up looking at anything. Seto was not going to leave him alone, that was clear by his overly sarcastic comments. Joey would never wear pink nail polish – it would clash with his wristbands.
"Actually I'm looking for a shirt. Just got distracted..." Joey started walking towards the T-shirts.
"Now that you're here, you might as well help me pick one." Seto's eyes widened. What did he just get himself into?
"So, should I get the Led Zepplin, or maybe the Shinedown one, or Story of the Year? Or the one with Metallica and Spongebob?" Joey just rambled on. Meanwhile Seto was completely lost.
"Well, actually um...I don't know any of those bands." Seto admitted.
Time almost froze over.
"You...don't....know....them?" The concept was almost to big for Joey to deal with.
"Jeez, and I though OCD was the worst of your problems. But now you're also musically handicapped!" It was really anoyying Seto the way Joey kept telling him that he had a lot a problems. Ever thought that might be true, perhaps he didn't care?
"That line is really getting really old." Seto said dryly.
"Yeah, but it's true." Joey shook his head sadly.
"But since you've got me to help you, everything will be ok-ay." For some reason Seto highly doubted that. It would be somewhat of a miracle if he got out of the mall alive.
"Well, Led Zepplin," Joey pointed to a shirt. "He's cool. He sings this really cool song called 'Stairway to Heaven'. I've got it on CD. You can borrow it if you like."
He pointed out a few other shirts.
"And this one is A.F.I. They're the awesomenessest!" He was pointing to a black shirt with a few guys on it and a red leaf on the back.
"Awesomenessest?" Seto questioned. Was that even a word?
"Yes. It's my new word." Joey said, seeming to be very proud of himself. Seto just rolled his eyes.
"Get that one then." Seto said. Even with Joey's commentary he really didn't know any of the bands.
"I've already got that one though." Joey said. "But you'd probably like them. Why don't you get it?" He held the shirt up against Seto.
"You could probably use a normal wardrobe anyway." Joey smirked.
"Whats wrong with the clothes I wear?" Seto frowned.
Joey sighed. "Nothing." He said in a way that meant that there obviously was something.
"It's just your purple capes...They're not conspicuous, nope not at all." Seto gave up trying to reason with him and went to pay for the shirt. It's not as if he was going to have to actually wear it or something.
They left the store. Joey decided not to get a shirt because he still couldn't decide which one. Decisions, decisions.
"C'mon, we're going to Spencers." Joey said. It seemed that poor Seto was going to be dragged along in this. Well, to look on the bright side, it could have been worse.
But be careful – you don't want to jinx it.
"And I'm just wondering Joey...what does A.F.I stand for exactly?" Seto tried to say casually. But alas, it didn't work.
Joey stared at Seto as if his head had opened up and half of his brain just fell out. Still, he didn't get the fact that Seto was really behind the times. Well, that's what too much work does to you.
"Well, I know it doesn't stand for Australian Ferrets Inside, right?" It seems Seto's sence of humor also has a few problems. Breathe, Joey breathe. But alas even something as simple as that he couldn't do. He burst out laughing right in Seto's face.
Which was something really not good for his ego.
"You've gotta be joking! Where the hell did you get that from?" Did I mention that Seto really does not like being laughed at. So that may be why he started walking away from Joey in a huff.
"Hey, Seto, wait. I didn't mean to make you mad!" Seto stopped, letting Joey catch up with him.
"A Fire Inside. That's what it stands for." Joey said breathlessly. "Now can we please just go to Spencers." Seto sighed.
"Oh alright." He said as if anoyyed, but then he didn't mind too much really. At least now he could pretend to be a normal teenager.
Well, almost.
He wasn't sure he wanted to be a normal teenager if he'd have to be stupid like Joey. But then he may be like that because he's a blonde, not because of his age. Seto sighed. Whatever it was he shouldn't make fun of him – it was mean to laugh at other peoples shortcomings.
Wait, Mean? Since when did Seto care about being mean?
They arrived at Spencers not even a few minutes later. Did I mention this really was a fairly small mall? Well, for Joey anyway. But that's because he knew his way around.
"You're not just going to stand there are you?" Joey dragged Seto inside the store, leading him to the posters. And let me tell you, they were some weird posters. Why would anybody in their right mind want a poster that said and I quote "Weed is a friend indeed"? Seto had no clue whatsoever.
Joey like always, was taking forever looking at the posters. It seemed that not only did he have to look at the poster but give it a psychological analyis also. Jeez, and I thought only girls took that long to go shopping.
(A/N: Is there something you aren't telling us Joey? heh heh... just kidding)
So, of course Seto got bored. Even though you'd think he isn't the type to get bored for he's been able to sit through bussiness meetings and not die of bordom. But then I guess shopping with a crazy, wacked-out teenager is a bit different than sitting through a bussiness meeting.
Well, at least the teenagers have a better sence of humor.
Seto wandered through the store. Another place that was kind of scary. Another place that Seto really didn't fit in.
Then he saw something.
The something was a piece of jewlery.
No, not for Seto!
Seto was not the kind of person who wore jewlery. Esspecially not jewlery clad with metal and sharp edges. Or anything that if he got in a car accident while wearing would kill or seriously hurt him. No, Seto didn't really care about such petty things.
But this...
It was too much.
Just so perfect. Who knew fate was so cruel?
Or perhaps fate just had a sence of humor.
One, that a certain Joey Wheeler would really dislike.
Which was why Seto wasn't going to let this chance slip out of his reach.
"Joey," Joey had a poster in his hand – and no it was not the weed one thankfully. Joey looked at Seto suspiciously for he had never seen the CEO smile before. Okay, so maybe smile is too strong of a word. More of a cross between a smirk and a smile.
"What?" Joey questioned.
"How would you like a necklace like that?" Seto – who was now smirking most definitely – asked, pointing at it. Joey looked at it, stared at it, then gave it a psychological analyis. Then he opened his mouth to respond.
"I'M NOT A DOG!"
Seto laughed. True he had promised not to call Joey a dog but he hadn't called Joey a dog. Not directly at least.
You see, the necklace Seto was pointing at wasn't much of a necklace. It was a collar. With spikes. A black plastic band filled with spikes, one short one big, in a repeating pattern.
"I never called you a dog," Seto said, acting almost innocent.
"But...you...you implied it!" Joey objected angerly.
"Me? Would I ever do such a thing?" Seto said in mock horror.
"You. Are. A. Idiot." Joey said, glaring at him with his arms crossed across his chest.
"Ahh, C'mon you don't mean that do you?" Seto persuaded.
"I will not wear that...that sorry excuse for a necklace!"
"Many other people wear them." Seto pointed out.
"YOU LISTEN AND YOU LISTEN GOOD! I AM NOT WEARING THAT NECKLACE SO YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT IT SETO..." Joey paused.
"What is your middle name?"
"Don't have one." Seto shrugged as if Joey hadn't just been in the middle of a screaming rampage.
"How about we make a deal? I wear the T-shirt, you wear the necklace. How does that sound?"
"I..." Another tough decision. Make Seto be normal – or at least as normal as possible for him - and wear a humiliating necklace or...
"But–" Joey started but Seto interupted him.
"Good, I'll get if for you." And with that Seto took the necklace and went to go pay for it. Seemed that Joey was going to be stuck wearing that necklace. It didn't seem that Seto was going to let him forget.
They left the store and wandered around the mall a bit more. Joey had to get some new shoelaces at Journeys even though Seto could not understand why he needed new shoelaces. Then of course Joey had to show Seto the CD store. But finally it was time for them to leave.
"You need a ride home?" Seto asked.
"Don't you have to pick Mokuba up?"
"No. He's spending the night at a friend's."
"Oh," Joey shrugged. "Yeah, that'll be nice."
They sat in the limo in silence, not really sure to what to say or not really having anything to say. But it wasn't a bad silence. Just that, I guess they didn't feel like talking.
"Stop here," Joey said as they stopped at his appartment. "Thanks for the ride." He climbed out of the limo.
"Hey, don't forget your necklace," Seto smirked at Joey's face as he handed him the bag with the necklace in it.
"Like you'd let me. You still have to wear the shirt you know."
"Yeah," Then Joey's eyes suddenly gleamed.
"Wait here. I'll be right back." Then he ran into hid appartment and a few seconds later came out holding something in his hands.
He handed it to Seto who looked confused.
"What's this?" He asked.
"A.F.I. CD. You didn't think I'd let you wear their shirt without listening to their music first?"
"Of course not," Seto said, his voice almost sarcastic.
"Yeah, well... Thanks for hangin' out with me. I had fun." Joey said. "See you at school." Then he walked back towards the appartment.
Seto looked at the CD in his hand. A.F.I – Sing the Sorrow. He looked back at Joey.
"I had fun too," He whispered to himself.
When he got home he went to the computer but instead of working he took the CD and put it in the disk drive. Then he opened up Winamp and pressed play. The sounds of A.F.I began to fill the room...
.
.
.
End of Chapter 8
.
.
.
Thanks for reading.
.
.
I do not own A.F.I. and the phase about Australian Ferrets Inside is not mine – it belongs to a friend.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"I didn't know they let dogs in the mall."
Joey spun around to see who it was talking to him, even though he really already knew who it was. No one else but Seto Kaiba called Joey a dog. But yet, for some reason, that didn't make Joey feel special.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, anoyyed to be interupted. He was deciding whether to get the purple wristband or the black one, and Joey Wheeler did not like to be interupted when making tough decisions like this one. Seto just shrugged, not realizing or perhaps not really caring that he was anoyying Joey.
"I just dropped Mokuba off at the movie theatre and decided I might as well hang around here. You did say I had to get out of the house."
"Never figured you to be the mall type person." Joey muttered now looking at a red wristband.
"Right back at you." Seto said, now looking at the wristbands also but not really getting why Joey was having such a hard time picking one.
"What are you doing here? Picking up some bracelets and some pink eye liner?" Seto smirked as Joey forgot about the wristbands and was now looking at the black nailpolish. Joey turned to stare at Seto.
"You can get pink eye liner?" The really scary thing was that Seto couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.
"Yeah, and why don't you get some pink nail polish to go with is?" Seto picked up a bottle of nail polish and looked at it. It had a skull on it and had the word 'Morbid' written on the top. This was one weird store...
They were in Hot Topic. You know, that sorta punk, gothic, just kinda wild store. Don't get me wrong, that store is awesome. It has cool jewlery and band T-shirts too. It just, the kind of people in the store are the kind that when you first see them the line 'are they on crack' tends to run through your head.
"Alright, alright." Joey gave up looking at anything. Seto was not going to leave him alone, that was clear by his overly sarcastic comments. Joey would never wear pink nail polish – it would clash with his wristbands.
"Actually I'm looking for a shirt. Just got distracted..." Joey started walking towards the T-shirts.
"Now that you're here, you might as well help me pick one." Seto's eyes widened. What did he just get himself into?
"So, should I get the Led Zepplin, or maybe the Shinedown one, or Story of the Year? Or the one with Metallica and Spongebob?" Joey just rambled on. Meanwhile Seto was completely lost.
"Well, actually um...I don't know any of those bands." Seto admitted.
Time almost froze over.
"You...don't....know....them?" The concept was almost to big for Joey to deal with.
"Jeez, and I though OCD was the worst of your problems. But now you're also musically handicapped!" It was really anoyying Seto the way Joey kept telling him that he had a lot a problems. Ever thought that might be true, perhaps he didn't care?
"That line is really getting really old." Seto said dryly.
"Yeah, but it's true." Joey shook his head sadly.
"But since you've got me to help you, everything will be ok-ay." For some reason Seto highly doubted that. It would be somewhat of a miracle if he got out of the mall alive.
"Well, Led Zepplin," Joey pointed to a shirt. "He's cool. He sings this really cool song called 'Stairway to Heaven'. I've got it on CD. You can borrow it if you like."
He pointed out a few other shirts.
"And this one is A.F.I. They're the awesomenessest!" He was pointing to a black shirt with a few guys on it and a red leaf on the back.
"Awesomenessest?" Seto questioned. Was that even a word?
"Yes. It's my new word." Joey said, seeming to be very proud of himself. Seto just rolled his eyes.
"Get that one then." Seto said. Even with Joey's commentary he really didn't know any of the bands.
"I've already got that one though." Joey said. "But you'd probably like them. Why don't you get it?" He held the shirt up against Seto.
"You could probably use a normal wardrobe anyway." Joey smirked.
"Whats wrong with the clothes I wear?" Seto frowned.
Joey sighed. "Nothing." He said in a way that meant that there obviously was something.
"It's just your purple capes...They're not conspicuous, nope not at all." Seto gave up trying to reason with him and went to pay for the shirt. It's not as if he was going to have to actually wear it or something.
They left the store. Joey decided not to get a shirt because he still couldn't decide which one. Decisions, decisions.
"C'mon, we're going to Spencers." Joey said. It seemed that poor Seto was going to be dragged along in this. Well, to look on the bright side, it could have been worse.
But be careful – you don't want to jinx it.
"And I'm just wondering Joey...what does A.F.I stand for exactly?" Seto tried to say casually. But alas, it didn't work.
Joey stared at Seto as if his head had opened up and half of his brain just fell out. Still, he didn't get the fact that Seto was really behind the times. Well, that's what too much work does to you.
"Well, I know it doesn't stand for Australian Ferrets Inside, right?" It seems Seto's sence of humor also has a few problems. Breathe, Joey breathe. But alas even something as simple as that he couldn't do. He burst out laughing right in Seto's face.
Which was something really not good for his ego.
"You've gotta be joking! Where the hell did you get that from?" Did I mention that Seto really does not like being laughed at. So that may be why he started walking away from Joey in a huff.
"Hey, Seto, wait. I didn't mean to make you mad!" Seto stopped, letting Joey catch up with him.
"A Fire Inside. That's what it stands for." Joey said breathlessly. "Now can we please just go to Spencers." Seto sighed.
"Oh alright." He said as if anoyyed, but then he didn't mind too much really. At least now he could pretend to be a normal teenager.
Well, almost.
He wasn't sure he wanted to be a normal teenager if he'd have to be stupid like Joey. But then he may be like that because he's a blonde, not because of his age. Seto sighed. Whatever it was he shouldn't make fun of him – it was mean to laugh at other peoples shortcomings.
Wait, Mean? Since when did Seto care about being mean?
They arrived at Spencers not even a few minutes later. Did I mention this really was a fairly small mall? Well, for Joey anyway. But that's because he knew his way around.
"You're not just going to stand there are you?" Joey dragged Seto inside the store, leading him to the posters. And let me tell you, they were some weird posters. Why would anybody in their right mind want a poster that said and I quote "Weed is a friend indeed"? Seto had no clue whatsoever.
Joey like always, was taking forever looking at the posters. It seemed that not only did he have to look at the poster but give it a psychological analyis also. Jeez, and I thought only girls took that long to go shopping.
(A/N: Is there something you aren't telling us Joey? heh heh... just kidding)
So, of course Seto got bored. Even though you'd think he isn't the type to get bored for he's been able to sit through bussiness meetings and not die of bordom. But then I guess shopping with a crazy, wacked-out teenager is a bit different than sitting through a bussiness meeting.
Well, at least the teenagers have a better sence of humor.
Seto wandered through the store. Another place that was kind of scary. Another place that Seto really didn't fit in.
Then he saw something.
The something was a piece of jewlery.
No, not for Seto!
Seto was not the kind of person who wore jewlery. Esspecially not jewlery clad with metal and sharp edges. Or anything that if he got in a car accident while wearing would kill or seriously hurt him. No, Seto didn't really care about such petty things.
But this...
It was too much.
Just so perfect. Who knew fate was so cruel?
Or perhaps fate just had a sence of humor.
One, that a certain Joey Wheeler would really dislike.
Which was why Seto wasn't going to let this chance slip out of his reach.
"Joey," Joey had a poster in his hand – and no it was not the weed one thankfully. Joey looked at Seto suspiciously for he had never seen the CEO smile before. Okay, so maybe smile is too strong of a word. More of a cross between a smirk and a smile.
"What?" Joey questioned.
"How would you like a necklace like that?" Seto – who was now smirking most definitely – asked, pointing at it. Joey looked at it, stared at it, then gave it a psychological analyis. Then he opened his mouth to respond.
"I'M NOT A DOG!"
Seto laughed. True he had promised not to call Joey a dog but he hadn't called Joey a dog. Not directly at least.
You see, the necklace Seto was pointing at wasn't much of a necklace. It was a collar. With spikes. A black plastic band filled with spikes, one short one big, in a repeating pattern.
"I never called you a dog," Seto said, acting almost innocent.
"But...you...you implied it!" Joey objected angerly.
"Me? Would I ever do such a thing?" Seto said in mock horror.
"You. Are. A. Idiot." Joey said, glaring at him with his arms crossed across his chest.
"Ahh, C'mon you don't mean that do you?" Seto persuaded.
"I will not wear that...that sorry excuse for a necklace!"
"Many other people wear them." Seto pointed out.
"YOU LISTEN AND YOU LISTEN GOOD! I AM NOT WEARING THAT NECKLACE SO YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT IT SETO..." Joey paused.
"What is your middle name?"
"Don't have one." Seto shrugged as if Joey hadn't just been in the middle of a screaming rampage.
"How about we make a deal? I wear the T-shirt, you wear the necklace. How does that sound?"
"I..." Another tough decision. Make Seto be normal – or at least as normal as possible for him - and wear a humiliating necklace or...
"But–" Joey started but Seto interupted him.
"Good, I'll get if for you." And with that Seto took the necklace and went to go pay for it. Seemed that Joey was going to be stuck wearing that necklace. It didn't seem that Seto was going to let him forget.
They left the store and wandered around the mall a bit more. Joey had to get some new shoelaces at Journeys even though Seto could not understand why he needed new shoelaces. Then of course Joey had to show Seto the CD store. But finally it was time for them to leave.
"You need a ride home?" Seto asked.
"Don't you have to pick Mokuba up?"
"No. He's spending the night at a friend's."
"Oh," Joey shrugged. "Yeah, that'll be nice."
They sat in the limo in silence, not really sure to what to say or not really having anything to say. But it wasn't a bad silence. Just that, I guess they didn't feel like talking.
"Stop here," Joey said as they stopped at his appartment. "Thanks for the ride." He climbed out of the limo.
"Hey, don't forget your necklace," Seto smirked at Joey's face as he handed him the bag with the necklace in it.
"Like you'd let me. You still have to wear the shirt you know."
"Yeah," Then Joey's eyes suddenly gleamed.
"Wait here. I'll be right back." Then he ran into hid appartment and a few seconds later came out holding something in his hands.
He handed it to Seto who looked confused.
"What's this?" He asked.
"A.F.I. CD. You didn't think I'd let you wear their shirt without listening to their music first?"
"Of course not," Seto said, his voice almost sarcastic.
"Yeah, well... Thanks for hangin' out with me. I had fun." Joey said. "See you at school." Then he walked back towards the appartment.
Seto looked at the CD in his hand. A.F.I – Sing the Sorrow. He looked back at Joey.
"I had fun too," He whispered to himself.
When he got home he went to the computer but instead of working he took the CD and put it in the disk drive. Then he opened up Winamp and pressed play. The sounds of A.F.I began to fill the room...
.
.
.
End of Chapter 8
.
.
.
Thanks for reading.
.
.
I do not own A.F.I. and the phase about Australian Ferrets Inside is not mine – it belongs to a friend.
.
.
.