The next day at school was uncomfortable for all of them. Tristan wasn't
talking to Joey and Joey wasn't talking to Yami...or Yugi, and Duke and Tea
were so out of the loop that they didn't know who to ask what was going on
first so they chose not to ask at all. Ryou, on the other hand, tried, and
got no response. When Kaiba entered the room, not only did Tristan's mood
seem to drop, the air seemed to thicken. Trying to ignore the glare from
Tristan, Kaiba approached Joey's desk. Joey looked up a little surprised.
"We're meeting after school," he said and then went to his desk. Tristan watched disapprovingly and Joey sighed knowing it had probably made things worse. He looked at Yugi who smiled warily.
"I'm sorry Yug'. I didn't mean to call you or Yami a liar. Things like this are hard to deal with when you don't understand them."
"It's okay Joey. I know you didn't mean it."
"So we're okay?"
"I never thought we weren't," Yugi smiled. Joey looked over at Kaiba for a second then back at Yugi.
"So do you think I should tell him?"
"Joey, it's a lost cause. He'll just use it against you later," he said. Joey looked at him and lowered his voice so Kaiba wouldn't over hear.
"You always sound so sure about that. I'm tired of people giving up on him so easily. Just because he talks big, doesn't make him any bigger then anyone else. I know it's hard to understand but I know what it feels like to be where he is and all I needed was to know that I had friends. Maybe that's all he needs too."
"As if he'd ever admit to having any," Tristan said contemptuously. Yugi and Joey both looked at him surprised. "What? I can't comment on the conversation?"
"No, you can...it's just that..." Tristan sighed.
"I'm sorry Joey. I shouldn't care about who you think you like or not. But just because you like him doesn't mean I have to and trust me, I don't." Joey smiled.
"Thanks Tristan."
Class started and the day went by as usual. When the final bell rang Joey said good-bye to his friends and walked over to Kaiba, who was still seated in the last row of the auditorium.
"Let me just change..."
"No need. We're here to practice," Kaiba said standing up. That's when Joey noticed the teacher watching them expectantly. Kaiba went into the changing room and Joey went over to the teacher.
"Practicing?" he asked.
"I had two of the boys bring out the coffin before they left. It's not done yet but it's finished enough to use. If you boys have been practicing as much as you should have, this won't take long." She pointed to a wooden box that was now sitting at center stage. Before Joey could say anything back, Kaiba came out of the dressing room wearing his Prince's costume. Joey fought the urge to burst out laughing and climbed up on stage.
"If you say anything to anyone, you die," Kaiba said as he approached.
"It doesn't matter. Everyone will see it in two days anyway. Unless you plan on changing your face or something, which I don't recommend. I would like to know what's going on."
"Are you that dumb that you can't figure it out?" Joey hesitated.
"Actually yeah. I think I am." Kaiba rolled his eyes.
"Just get in the box and play dead." Joey listened and the scene went as it was meant to. When it came time for the kiss, Kaiba leaned in close enough so that it looked like he was kissing the princess but never actually came anywhere near. Joey fought the urge to force it out of him but didn't want to risk making him uncomfortable. "Whatever you're thinking, stop," Kaiba whispered as he pulled back away. Joey sat up in the coffin and smiled a fake happy smile.
"Good heaven's, where am I?" he asked.
"You are with me," Kaiba responded. "I love you more then anything in the world. Come to my father's castle and you shall become my wife." He helped Joey out of the coffin. "And we can put an end to the woman who has been so cruel to you." Joey looked into his eyes and smiled again.
"I will be forever yours," he said. Kaiba looked away from him and took a few steps back.
"Okay. That was good. You boys really did your homework. I'll see you tomorrow in class." The teacher said. She headed for the exit. Kaiba started toward the changing room as if he couldn't get there fast enough. Joey followed.
"Hey wait. I want to say something to you..." he said. Kaiba turned around to look at him but couldn't make eye contact. Seeing that he had Kaiba's full attention, Joey withdrew having second thoughts. "You do a great job for someone who tried so hard not to be in this," he said instead. Kaiba met his eyes.
"You're not so bad yourself..." then decided that complimenting him wasn't that good of an idea. "...but if you mention any of this to anyone..."
"I know, I know, you'll kill me. What are you so worried about? I'm playing the girl. It's not as if your ego has been destroyed. It's a play and anyone who's smart will never see it as anything else."
"There aren't too many smart people in eighth grade," Kaiba said dully. Joey smiled.
"There aren't too many smart people in twelfth grade either but with the exception of Yugi, they all know it's just a play." Kaiba smiled on the inside but wouldn't let it show on his face. "But I think... In order to convince the audience that it really is acting, I think it would be more affective if you actually DID what's written down on the paper. Pretending just makes it seem like you have something to hide." Joey took a step closer to him almost in challenge. "And you don't, right? So...it shouldn't be that hard." Kaiba responded by entering the changing room.
"We're meeting after school," he said and then went to his desk. Tristan watched disapprovingly and Joey sighed knowing it had probably made things worse. He looked at Yugi who smiled warily.
"I'm sorry Yug'. I didn't mean to call you or Yami a liar. Things like this are hard to deal with when you don't understand them."
"It's okay Joey. I know you didn't mean it."
"So we're okay?"
"I never thought we weren't," Yugi smiled. Joey looked over at Kaiba for a second then back at Yugi.
"So do you think I should tell him?"
"Joey, it's a lost cause. He'll just use it against you later," he said. Joey looked at him and lowered his voice so Kaiba wouldn't over hear.
"You always sound so sure about that. I'm tired of people giving up on him so easily. Just because he talks big, doesn't make him any bigger then anyone else. I know it's hard to understand but I know what it feels like to be where he is and all I needed was to know that I had friends. Maybe that's all he needs too."
"As if he'd ever admit to having any," Tristan said contemptuously. Yugi and Joey both looked at him surprised. "What? I can't comment on the conversation?"
"No, you can...it's just that..." Tristan sighed.
"I'm sorry Joey. I shouldn't care about who you think you like or not. But just because you like him doesn't mean I have to and trust me, I don't." Joey smiled.
"Thanks Tristan."
Class started and the day went by as usual. When the final bell rang Joey said good-bye to his friends and walked over to Kaiba, who was still seated in the last row of the auditorium.
"Let me just change..."
"No need. We're here to practice," Kaiba said standing up. That's when Joey noticed the teacher watching them expectantly. Kaiba went into the changing room and Joey went over to the teacher.
"Practicing?" he asked.
"I had two of the boys bring out the coffin before they left. It's not done yet but it's finished enough to use. If you boys have been practicing as much as you should have, this won't take long." She pointed to a wooden box that was now sitting at center stage. Before Joey could say anything back, Kaiba came out of the dressing room wearing his Prince's costume. Joey fought the urge to burst out laughing and climbed up on stage.
"If you say anything to anyone, you die," Kaiba said as he approached.
"It doesn't matter. Everyone will see it in two days anyway. Unless you plan on changing your face or something, which I don't recommend. I would like to know what's going on."
"Are you that dumb that you can't figure it out?" Joey hesitated.
"Actually yeah. I think I am." Kaiba rolled his eyes.
"Just get in the box and play dead." Joey listened and the scene went as it was meant to. When it came time for the kiss, Kaiba leaned in close enough so that it looked like he was kissing the princess but never actually came anywhere near. Joey fought the urge to force it out of him but didn't want to risk making him uncomfortable. "Whatever you're thinking, stop," Kaiba whispered as he pulled back away. Joey sat up in the coffin and smiled a fake happy smile.
"Good heaven's, where am I?" he asked.
"You are with me," Kaiba responded. "I love you more then anything in the world. Come to my father's castle and you shall become my wife." He helped Joey out of the coffin. "And we can put an end to the woman who has been so cruel to you." Joey looked into his eyes and smiled again.
"I will be forever yours," he said. Kaiba looked away from him and took a few steps back.
"Okay. That was good. You boys really did your homework. I'll see you tomorrow in class." The teacher said. She headed for the exit. Kaiba started toward the changing room as if he couldn't get there fast enough. Joey followed.
"Hey wait. I want to say something to you..." he said. Kaiba turned around to look at him but couldn't make eye contact. Seeing that he had Kaiba's full attention, Joey withdrew having second thoughts. "You do a great job for someone who tried so hard not to be in this," he said instead. Kaiba met his eyes.
"You're not so bad yourself..." then decided that complimenting him wasn't that good of an idea. "...but if you mention any of this to anyone..."
"I know, I know, you'll kill me. What are you so worried about? I'm playing the girl. It's not as if your ego has been destroyed. It's a play and anyone who's smart will never see it as anything else."
"There aren't too many smart people in eighth grade," Kaiba said dully. Joey smiled.
"There aren't too many smart people in twelfth grade either but with the exception of Yugi, they all know it's just a play." Kaiba smiled on the inside but wouldn't let it show on his face. "But I think... In order to convince the audience that it really is acting, I think it would be more affective if you actually DID what's written down on the paper. Pretending just makes it seem like you have something to hide." Joey took a step closer to him almost in challenge. "And you don't, right? So...it shouldn't be that hard." Kaiba responded by entering the changing room.