Raine: I love the idea of a musical. That would be pretty funny but it's hard to write...and I really haven't found a good one yet. Although, My Fair Lady does happen to be my ALL TIME FAVORITE movie...musicals I guess, just seem a little too mature for a group of teenagers. Especially since half of them can't sit through one without falling asleep. But maybe that would make it more fun...hmmmmm.... Anyway, thanks for all the great ideas. I'm still debating (if you couldn't tell) but it'll be up soon. Thanks for your patience. And again, don't kill me.
------------
"Since a few of you decided that your improvisations were more suited for the story then what was written, I've decided to let you redeem yourselves by putting together another play. In Ten school days I expect every one of you to be out on the stage, in character, performing, for me and only me. And just to be sure you take this serious this time, this play will be worth fifty percent of your final reading grade. So if you decide that you don't like something about it, you fail." Noises of shock and displeasure passed through the room and a few angry looks made their way to Joey.
"Thanks a lot Joe. Remind me later that I hate you," Tristan grumbled. Kaiba looked at him sideways but quickly went back to ignoring them when Joey looked over.
"Hey, it wasn't ALL my fault," Joey said in his defense.
"Technically, you did provoke him," Yugi leaned over and whispered.
"Well yeah...then I guess it was. I already said I was sorry...didn't I?" Joey tried to remember. Tristan just rolled his eyes.
"And it's entirely up to you how it all turns out because once I assign parts, the rest of the play is up to you," the teacher continued. "I'll leave you class time but I won't contribute to anything that goes on in that time. So you better learn to work together to get this thing in order."
"What's the play?" A girl asked from the seat next to Ryou.
"I'll let you know when we reach that period after lunch. First we'll get all the other things that we need to do out of the way. So, take out your math books and we'll get started." Everyone else started to open their math books but Joey sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. Of course he wasn't even thinking about the play. The only thing he wanted to deal with right then, was Kaiba. He couldn't understand why one minute he was all over him and the next he was...well, not. Was Kaiba uncomfortable being seen with him in public? That wasn't like Kaiba at all. Kaiba was fearless. He did what he wanted to, when he wanted to, and he didn't care what other people thought. So did that mean that Kaiba didn't really want to be with Joey? But did that make sense?
Joey looked over at Kaiba again, the questions just growing more and more. Well he'd have to find out sooner or later. He wouldn't let anyone take advantage of him the way that Kaiba seemed to be.
He waited until the lunch bell rang and followed Kaiba down the hall. When it seemed that nobody was paying attention he pulled Kaiba into an empty classroom. Kaiba scowled and turned around angrily to face him.
"What's your problem?" he asked shaking himself from Joey's grip.
"What's my problem?" Joey asked dubiously. "What's yours? You're the one pretending to be a jerk. Oh wait, maybe you aren't pretending." Kaiba rolled his eyes and went to leave but Joey slipped between him and his exit.
"What do you want from me?" Kaiba asked.
"I want you to talk to me," Joey said. Kaiba took a step back involuntarily.
"Talk... About what?" he crossed his arms.
"About anything," Joey sighed and walked back into the room. "What's going on?" Kaiba dropped his arms.
"I talked to my brother," he said.
"And?"
"He asked me a simple question. And you know what?" Before Joey could answer he continued. "I couldn't answer it. Do you know what that told me?"
"No, but I suppose you're going to tell me."
"It told me that this, us, isn't going to work."
"So, you thought you'd...you'd...what? Ignore me until I went away. Things don't work like that. Seto, let me ask for something." Joey looked at him trying to keep the conversation calm. Kaiba stayed quiet to let him talk. "Why is this question so important?"
Silence. Joey could almost feel the tension that was building up.
"Because the answer...was no," Kaiba said closing his eyes. He was still trying to figure out how they'd gotten there. Now he couldn't figure out how to get out. It was like he had used Joey to appease some selfish desire that he couldn't explain but that he himself couldn't fill. But why Joey and why now?
"Oh. So you know now... Well what was the question?" Joey moved closer to him. Kaiba couldn't meet his eyes.
"It doesn't even matter now," he said. Joey withdrew and Kaiba watched him walk to the doorway.
"Well, if you think it means that I shouldn't be here...then, I won't be." Joey left, masking his hurt with the thought that maybe it wasn't real. That maybe it had never happened to begin with. That maybe...the past few days...was still a part of the play.
------------
"Since a few of you decided that your improvisations were more suited for the story then what was written, I've decided to let you redeem yourselves by putting together another play. In Ten school days I expect every one of you to be out on the stage, in character, performing, for me and only me. And just to be sure you take this serious this time, this play will be worth fifty percent of your final reading grade. So if you decide that you don't like something about it, you fail." Noises of shock and displeasure passed through the room and a few angry looks made their way to Joey.
"Thanks a lot Joe. Remind me later that I hate you," Tristan grumbled. Kaiba looked at him sideways but quickly went back to ignoring them when Joey looked over.
"Hey, it wasn't ALL my fault," Joey said in his defense.
"Technically, you did provoke him," Yugi leaned over and whispered.
"Well yeah...then I guess it was. I already said I was sorry...didn't I?" Joey tried to remember. Tristan just rolled his eyes.
"And it's entirely up to you how it all turns out because once I assign parts, the rest of the play is up to you," the teacher continued. "I'll leave you class time but I won't contribute to anything that goes on in that time. So you better learn to work together to get this thing in order."
"What's the play?" A girl asked from the seat next to Ryou.
"I'll let you know when we reach that period after lunch. First we'll get all the other things that we need to do out of the way. So, take out your math books and we'll get started." Everyone else started to open their math books but Joey sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. Of course he wasn't even thinking about the play. The only thing he wanted to deal with right then, was Kaiba. He couldn't understand why one minute he was all over him and the next he was...well, not. Was Kaiba uncomfortable being seen with him in public? That wasn't like Kaiba at all. Kaiba was fearless. He did what he wanted to, when he wanted to, and he didn't care what other people thought. So did that mean that Kaiba didn't really want to be with Joey? But did that make sense?
Joey looked over at Kaiba again, the questions just growing more and more. Well he'd have to find out sooner or later. He wouldn't let anyone take advantage of him the way that Kaiba seemed to be.
He waited until the lunch bell rang and followed Kaiba down the hall. When it seemed that nobody was paying attention he pulled Kaiba into an empty classroom. Kaiba scowled and turned around angrily to face him.
"What's your problem?" he asked shaking himself from Joey's grip.
"What's my problem?" Joey asked dubiously. "What's yours? You're the one pretending to be a jerk. Oh wait, maybe you aren't pretending." Kaiba rolled his eyes and went to leave but Joey slipped between him and his exit.
"What do you want from me?" Kaiba asked.
"I want you to talk to me," Joey said. Kaiba took a step back involuntarily.
"Talk... About what?" he crossed his arms.
"About anything," Joey sighed and walked back into the room. "What's going on?" Kaiba dropped his arms.
"I talked to my brother," he said.
"And?"
"He asked me a simple question. And you know what?" Before Joey could answer he continued. "I couldn't answer it. Do you know what that told me?"
"No, but I suppose you're going to tell me."
"It told me that this, us, isn't going to work."
"So, you thought you'd...you'd...what? Ignore me until I went away. Things don't work like that. Seto, let me ask for something." Joey looked at him trying to keep the conversation calm. Kaiba stayed quiet to let him talk. "Why is this question so important?"
Silence. Joey could almost feel the tension that was building up.
"Because the answer...was no," Kaiba said closing his eyes. He was still trying to figure out how they'd gotten there. Now he couldn't figure out how to get out. It was like he had used Joey to appease some selfish desire that he couldn't explain but that he himself couldn't fill. But why Joey and why now?
"Oh. So you know now... Well what was the question?" Joey moved closer to him. Kaiba couldn't meet his eyes.
"It doesn't even matter now," he said. Joey withdrew and Kaiba watched him walk to the doorway.
"Well, if you think it means that I shouldn't be here...then, I won't be." Joey left, masking his hurt with the thought that maybe it wasn't real. That maybe it had never happened to begin with. That maybe...the past few days...was still a part of the play.