I Cry Tears Of Blood

Chapter 7: Another One Down

Marik turned to Ryou angrily and pointed the Rod at him. Ryou gasped and backed away.

Marik suddenly grinned, "So now this is a sex toy!"

Ryou smiled feebily, "Like I said ... I'm sorry I ..."

Marik shook his head, "Nah, it's alright ... it does kinds look like one huh?"

Ryou blushed and nodded.

Marik hooked his arm through Ryou's, "You're so corrupt ..."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Am not!"

"Are toooooo!" Marik said in a singsong voice.

"Am not, am not, infinity!"

"Are too, are too, infinity squared! Oh, take THAT! Marik got mad skills!"

Ryou laughed, "So you do. You're finally getting it?"

Marik grinned, "Yes and no. Squared means ... multply by itself right ... ?"

Ryou nodded, "Yeah ... so ... we're going home now?"

"Alright. Let's go."

Together the two boys walked home, laughing and teasing at each other.

"No waaaaaaaaay! Only Joey Wheeler wins at this racing game!"

Yugi laughed, "Well, I think I just beat you!"

Ring. Ring.

Joey stood up, "I'll get it."

He picked up the receiver, "Yeah?"

A scratchy voice at the other end said, "Come to the rooftop of the school or else ... Yugi dies ..."

Then there was a click and a ring tone. Joey's hands trembled as he hung up, "Yugi ... "

Yugi frowned, "Joey ... something ... wrong?"

Joey wiped cold sweat from his forehead, "I have to go do this thing I have to go do ... I'll be back in a few ... kay?"

Yugi nodded as Joey ran out the door, but he knew something was wrong.

Joey ran up the stairs to the rooftop and slammed the door open, "Alright, what're you playing at!"

A familiar voice asked, "Playing at ...? I do not play Joseph Wheeler."

Joey's eyes widened as he recognized the person, "You! B-b-b-but ... why! Why do YOU want to hurt Yugi!"

The stranger laughed, "Joseph, Joseph, Joseph ... you do not understand ... I do not want to hurt Yugi ..."

The stranger walked up to Joey, who backed away and gritted his teeth, "Then ... you bastard!" He snarled at the stranger, "It was only bait! Alright then! I'm here! What do ya want from me you ... you, you traitor-"

Joey was cut off by the stranger who had grabbed his neck and was strangling him one-handedly.

"Joseph ... sometimes people do things ... like this ... for a variety of reasons ... love, anger, vengeance, or just to get you out of my way."

Joey grabbed his agressor's hand as he was pushed back, back ... to the edge of the building. His attacker had a strong grip, which surprised Joey. It was getting harder to breathe ... Joey barely managed to choke out:

"For what ...!"

"Because ... you ... my ..."

But Joey couldn't hear the response ... the last thing he saw was the stranger's lips moving, forming the word 'scream' and he was falling ... falling ... falling ...

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Yugi picked the receiver up, "Hello?"

The voce at the other end sounded clipped and formal, "Yes, hello. Is this Yugi Mouto residence?"

"Yeah ... this is he ..."

"Mr. Yugi, you friend Joseph Wheeler has had an accident."

"What! What happened!"

"We do not know if it was suicide, or someone attempted to murder him but ..."

"BUT WHAT!" Yugi was hysteric with worry.

"He fell from the roof of a three story building in Domino High School. A janitor found him and saw your phone number in his wallet ... that's how we reached you."

"Well, where is he!"

"He's here with us. In the hospital ..."

Yugi was aleady out the door, running to the hospital, "Joey ... please, please be okay!"

'Please ... don't be dead ...'

A/N: Hey, I'm sorry people. I took like a million years for this short itty bitty chaper. But it's almost my graduation from MS so ... loads of stuff to do! But when the vacation kicks in I'll work more on my fics!

Boom, boom bang! Everything's happening so fast! Can you keep track? Yes? Plz say yes!

So R&R plz!