Author note: I am SO SORRY that it took me so long to put this chapter up. Now that I'm back in school I NEVER get the chance to write anymore. Thanks for waiting! Hope you like it!

Chapter Seventeen: Guilty promises

The afternoon had finally come and 16-year-old brunette girl couldn't have been more nervous for anything. Joey had taken her apple red Mercedes for the afternoon to Tristan's so Tea could walk to Yugi's alone. She told him that she needed to talk to Yugi alone, but now Tea wished she had brought Joey along.

'C'mon, Tea! You can do this! You have to do this!' Tea said to herself, feeling more nervous than ever. 'Er...I don't think I can do this. There's so much I'm going to have to explain to Yugi and I can barely stand it. How am going to ever tell the others about me and Joey if I can't even get myself to tell Yugi the truth?'

A cold breeze of the early fall season suddenly whipped by and a shiver crept down Tea's spine. Rubbing her arms for some warmth, the brunette continued her walked down the road towards her friend's house.

(Meanwhile...)

"Yo, Tristan! Are ya here, man?" Joey called out to him from the front doorway of his house.

Footsteps came walking through the front room and Tristan came in, still wearing his blue and white school uniform. "Hey, Joey. What took ya so long to get here?"

"Oh, sorry, man. I was talkin' ta Tea 'bout somethin' and she let me borrow her car for da afternoon. I plan on pickin' her up at Yug's in two hours, den I'm goin' ta surprise her by takin' her ta dinner tonight when she's done talkin' ta Yugi, what do ya dink?"

Tristan looked at Joey in a slight grossed out look. "I think my best friend has finally lost it. You're really diggin' Tea, aren't ya?"

The blonde couldn't help but blush and smile a bit in embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Lazily falling on the dark brown leather couch, Tristan asked him, "so does Yugi know about you two yet?"

"No," Joey said flatly, sitting on the couch next to him. "Dat's why Tea's over dare right now. She's talkin' ta Yugi 'bout us."

Tristan raised his eyebrows in confusion and hidden worry. "And when you mean 'us' are ya talking about you and Tea?"

"Yeah," Joey replied back slightly annoyed. "What's da matter with dat?"

After finally warming up from her cold chills of the wind, Tea began to smile when she thought of her and Joey together.

FLASHBACK

Joey let out a long sigh while nodding his head to show that he agreed with her. "All right, I trust ya, but only because ya dink it's for da best. Just promise one thing. Promise me dat no matter how bad things could get— no matter what happens— in da end, we'll stay together and be together even if things don't turn out da way we want."

She smiled at him and kissed his lips again for reassurance and comfort. "I promise."

Joey smiled back, ready to kiss her again when the sound of the school bell rung in the air.

RINGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!

Tea hung her head down and giggled a little after that, amused at what he was trying to do before the bell rang. Raising it back up she said, "looks like we have to go to class now, huh?"

"Well not 'til I get another kiss we don't," he told her. Joey leaned in one more time, but then was stopped again when someone began banging on the door.

"Hey! Are you two coming of that classroom, or what?" Tristan yelled at them.

They started laughing while staring at each other and the door. "Yeah, we're coming!" Tea yelled back. "Just give us a sec."

She was just about to walk up to the door and unlock for her friends when Joey grabbed her arm, preventing her from moving forward. "Before we leave, Tea, remember dat you're not alone in dis and I'd be willingly ta help ya admit da truth if ya wanted me to."

"I know, and it's not that I don't want you there, Joey. It's that I feel things won't be as hard if I tell Yugi and everyone else about us by myself. But, soon all of this will be over and we'll find out how our friends feel once they found out the truth that we're going out— I just hope they do understand, because I would hate for them not to."

Joey walked closer to Tea and wrapped his arms around her waist, which cause him to pull her into a comforting hug. "No what matter happens I'm always gonna be here for ya. Always..."

Tea hugged him back and smiled to herself, feeling so wonderful to have someone like Joey to care about her as much as he did. "Thank you..."

FLASHBACK END

When Tea really thought about it she still couldn't believe that she and Joey were a couple. They were a team, just as Joey had said to her earlier this morning, and they were going to stay together no matter what.

But how Joey fell in love with her so quickly was still a mystery to Tea. The brunette couldn't forget that not too long ago he had a major crush on Mai. And that crush wasn't too hard to miss for his friends—everybody knew he did, especially Tea. Joey and Mai had really gotten close during Battle City, even when Mai's mind was in the Shadow Realm—maybe even closer. He had a thing for her ever since Mai helped him out at Duelist Kingdom when she gave her qualification card for the semi-finals, Tea remembered. And she couldn't forget.

But...Joey wasn't the only one who had a thing for someone else so quickly before him and it was Yami. The brunette couldn't deny to herself that her feelings for Yami had been there when Joey's was there for Mai. Yami had been such a great friend to her in the past, especially throughout Battle City, but lately he and Yugi both had been acting really weird—why? She had no idea. Whatever what was going on with them, Tea hoped that today might undo some of that weirdness. (A/N Yeah right!)

Back at Tristan's house

The shock and seriousness was completely written all over Tristan's face. "You seriously let Tea go and admit about your secret love life to Yugi by herself? What kind of uh idiot are you?"

"Whoa, Tristan! Cool your jets, okay? It's not uh 'secret love life', we're just goin' out. And for your information, Tea was da one dat wanted ta tell Yugi da truth, so just shut up 'bout it."

"Then why do I have such a bad feeling about this? You know what's going to happen, right? Yugi's gonna wanna kill you the second he finds the truth and there's nothing you'll be able to do or say to change his mind. He's had a crush on her since like forever and if he finds out that you were the reason he couldn't have her you guys will never be friends again."

That's when Tristan finally hit the last straw of Joey's patience. "I'm da reason he couldn't have her? What kind of game are ya playin' at? Tea's not Yugi's prize or trophy ta be won and I'm sick of you sayin' I can't have her as my girlfriend because of him. Newsflash, Tristan! She is my girlfriend and we're gonna stay together because we want to!"

No one spoke after that for about a minute until Tristan finally spoke up again, staring at him motionlessly. "Is it worth ruining a friendship over?"

5 minutes from Yugi's house

'Well...I guess this is it. There's really no turning back now—even if I wanted to, which I do. But even Kaiba practically blackmailed me into telling Yugi and the others the truth I know I need to. It wasn't right that I tried to hide the fact that Joey and I were dating.'

Tea gave out a long sigh and hung her head low while continuing to walk down the road, hearing the crackling sound of autumn leaves under her brown school shoes.

'I just have to remember that if Yugi's really my friend he'll eventually accept that Joey and I dating each other. And it's not like I planned on dating him, it just somehow happened. Yeah...Yugi'll understand, I know he will. He's my best friend and nothing has ever stopped us from being best friends and nothing ever will...at least I hope he will.'

Tristan's house (again)

"Yugi and I won't stop being friends, Tristan. He's my best friend and if he's really our friend he'll eventually learn ta accept me and Tea together. So I'm not gonna worry 'bout it."

Tristan looked at him like he was joking. "Says who? Kaiba?!"

"No, but he was da one who put Tea up to this," Joey briefly explained.

"What???" Tristan called out. "How does Kaiba know you guys are going out?"

"Well, you're not going ta believe this but he sort of saw us kissing Monday afternoon in dat empty classroom during lunch," telling Tristan this in almost a whisper the closer he got to the end of his statement.

Tristan listened intensely while trying to get more information off of his best friend. "So what happened after that?"

As calm as he could say it, Joey answered "all I got from Tea was dat Kaiba called her late last night and threatened ta expose what he knows 'bout me and Tea if she didn't do it herself by today. Dat's pretty much all I know."

"Oh...Now I get it. He blackmailed Tea into telling Yugi the truth about you two and because of that reason she didn't want you to go with her when she had to tell him because Tea was afraid Yugi might get upset with you more than her."

"Yeah, and da only problem is Tea doesn't know dat Yugi has feelin's and it's gonna crush him more den she dinks."

Tristan let out a long sigh and looked back up at his best friend again. "I know...and that's exactly why Kaiba wants Tea to do it."

Joey nodded, turning his head sideways and gazing outside the front window of the warm fall day. "I just hope Tea doesn't find dat out. It'd kill her if she knew dat Yug liked her as much as I do after she told him dat she loved me."

"So why ya go and tell Tea about all of this? Don't you think she deserves to know?"

Joey sighed, trying to let out everything that the two best friends had been discussing. "Of course Tea deserves ta know da truth, don't ya dink I've tried ta tell her?"

"I don't know, it's kinda hard to tell when you're best friend's been keeping a secret like this away from his girlfriend all this time."

Joey had the look which made him look like he was about to yell and scream at Tristan for saying that, but just as quickly calmed down and nodded in discomforting agreement. "I guess I deserved dat. But know, Tristan, I did try ta tell her da truth. I just couldn't—mostly because I knew it would make her feel guiltier and second because—."

"—you were afraid she'd dump you over that guilt," the brunette couldn't help but finish his best friend's thought.

Shaking his further thoughts on the subject away, Joey responded, "I made uh promise ta her dat I wouldn't interfere with her and Yugi dis afternoon. At least not until she was done talkin' with him, dat's why I wanted ta take her out tonight."

"To make her forget that Yugi might hate you both after tonight?" Tristan asked in complete loath and disgust.

"No!" Joey exclaimed harshly, his feelings for defense quickly began to surface again. "Ta show her how much I care 'bout her."

"That won't change the fact that Yugi has feelings for her, but since we're on the subject just what did you two talk about that made you decide to not interfere with her and Yugi?"

The blonde looked over at his friend for a minute, racking in his brain whether or not he should tell Tristan what happened earlier before they both went their separate ways, and decided what the hell, what could it hurt? Joey knew he'd probably have to be dragged out some time by Tristan anyway. "Okay, this is what happened."

FLASHBACK

The sound of the bell had just given out and everyone was racing out of Mr. Allen's class. Joey wanted one last chance to talk to Tea before she went over to Yugi's house; to see if she was really going to go through the whole thing. He couldn't catch her when trying to escape the classroom and she didn't stop at her locker like usual. 'She must really be in hurry ta get dis over with,' Joey had figured. Not that he could blame her, going through most of the day, wanting to tell Tea that everything would be all right; Joey didn't know what to say—because somehow he knew it wouldn't. And Joey knew nothing he'd say would help so he continued on the day as best as he could.

Joey was just about to walk over to Tristan's house to play some video games until tonight came when he spotted the short-haired brunette girl walking through the student parking lot to her car. (A/N Duh!) The blonde wasted no time and ran over there in a flash, practically hovering over his girlfriend when he finally stopped.

Tea turned around and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him standing right in front of her. Her face expressions looked plain and simple but somewhat saddened when you got a really good look at her. "What are doing here, Joey? I thought we weren't going to meet until tonight?" her voice was full of curiosity, probably trying to hide of her hidden emotions of fears and anxiety.

"I know, but I couldn't let ya go over ta Yugi's without talking' ta ya at least one more time," he replied rather quickly. Getting to the point of his presents, Joey asked her, "Are ya sure 'bout doin' dis, Tea? I mean, I know it's gonna come as quite da shock ta Yugi and he might get mad at ya if ya tell him. Maybe we should wait uh little while longer and see how things go. What do ya say?"

"Joey...we can't hide the truth forever, especially from Yugi. And you already know how I feel about this. I want to tell Yugi—I have to tell him, even if Kaiba practically forced me into this, I know this is what I have to do; as a honest friend to Yugi."

"But—."

"No more buts, no more hiding, and no more lies from Yugi. He's our friend, our best friend. And it's not right that we tried to keep this from him in the first place. I want to make things right for all of us by telling him and the others the truth—both now and before. But I'm glad that you wanted to see I was all right before I went over there; it really tells me that you care."

Joey smiled embarrassed, trying hard not to blush at his girlfriend. "Aw, c'mon, Tea...Ya know I care 'bout ya. I mean, we're together so...I'm gonna care 'bout ya, be worried 'bout ya, and want ta do things with ya, and ya know dat."

Tea couldn't but laugh at Joey's uneasy, embarrassed reply. "I know, but I'm hoping you'd still do the same for me even if we weren't going out. After all, I consider us friends more than anything else. And I would hate to see that you were only doing all of this because you were filling in the title as my boyfriend and only my boyfriend."

"Of course I'd still do da still thing if we were only friends, but dis whole thing with Yugi's really got me freaked," he replied speaking honestly. "Can ya blame me?"

"Not if you can't blame me," Tea admitted her worry in a calm voice. "I still feel the same way I did this morning—just without the whole crying thing going on. I feel like if I go over there this afternoon I'd tell Yugi the truth and he would hate me so much for lying to him that he'd never want to be my friend again...or something else...I still can't explain—let alone understand. Does any of this make any sense to you?"

'If only ya really knew da truth, Tea.' Joey said to himself. 'Den ya know dat Yugi's had feelings for you all this time and never had da guts ta admit until it was too late.'

"Um, Joey, did you hear me?" Tea snapped Joey back into reality.

"Uh...yeah! I was just dinking 'bout somethin'. But let's just forget 'bout dat last part. Hey, I got uh idea, wanna hear it? I dink it's somethin' you're gonna like," the blonde made his surprise offer very tempting, though Tea wasn't buying into much of it.

"Oh god...here we go again...Joey, I am going to tell you this for the last time, ok? I am not going to help you toilet paper Mrs. Hernandez's front yard so you can get your Twisted Metal 4 game back from her." (A/N I love that game by the way!)

"What?? No, no, no, it's not dat. Dis is not 'bout Mrs. Hernandez, Tristan and I will deal with her later. But I was tryin' ta tell ya if ya wanted ta go out with me tonight after you talk ta Yugi."

Tea laughed immediately after he said that. His flushed cheeks and embarrassing thoughts were written all over his face. "Joey Wheeler, did you just ask me on a date?"

"Well...yeah!" the blonde responded firmly, trying to defend himself. "I thought maybe I could take ya out after you're done talking ta Yugi. Do ya got uh problem with dat?"

"No, it just seems a little sudden is all. But sure, I guess I could go out with you after I talk to Yugi. Though, I have a favor to ask along with this offer, if you don't mind."

"What is it? Ya want me ta talk ta you're father before I take ya out and be like every other guy?"

"No, he won't care. My dad knows you're a good guy. What I want is for you wait about a block away from Yugi's so just in case he is upset with us he won't see you and try to kill you before you even get the chance to take me out."

"Uh, good idea. But when should I come and pick ya up? 6:00?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good time. Sure, 6:00 sounds fine."

"So with dat said, can I borrow you're car for dis afternoon? I promise I won't let anything happen to it. Please?" he asked, using his adorable puppy dog eyes with hope and sadness.

Tea rolled her eyes a few seconds later in annoyance and nodded her head. "Oh, all right!" she said, handing him her car keys. "You can take my car, but ONLY because I know you'll give it back the way it was and the fact that you're taking me out tonight. Plus, I still need to think some things over before I get to the game shop and talk things over with Yugi. Hm, maybe it is best that you take my car anyway."

Joey winked and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Danks, Tea. You're da best. I'll just go over ta Tristan for a few hours like I said I would ta him and pick ya up at 6:00, k?"

"Sounds fine to me, just remember to park a block away from Yugi's house and wait for me until I get there. I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

Tea reached up and settled her lips on his; enjoying the softness of kiss they were giving each other. Joey brought his hand up to her cheek and stroked ever so gently.

He broke the kiss and looked deep into her sapphire blue eyes, smiling with warmth for her. "I love you, Tea."

She smiled back and played with his hair for a moment. "I know you do...I love you too, Joey."

They should there for a few moments until Tea finally spoke up again, the uneasiness of her voice was too obvious. "Well...I guess I better get going now. I've got a lot to talk about with Yugi so I need to go. Thanks for coming to talk to me, Joey, I can tell it made us both feel at least a little bit better."

'If you only knew...' Joey said to himself in the back of his mind, the feeling of guilt was seeping through his defenses of not telling Tea the truth about Yugi.

"Tea, I dink there's somethin' ya need ta know 'bout Yugi..." he quietly admitted to his girlfriend.

Somewhat off guard in her own worries for the moment, Tea replied to him, "What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"He...he...he l-likes..." nothing else could escapes from his lips. 'God! Why can't I just tell her da truth! Tea deserves ta know 'bout Yugi.'

"He what? What about Yugi?" Tea tried getting her boyfriend to tell her what was bothering him so much.

Joey looked at the brunette girl and sighed, knowing it was hopeless. He knew if he couldn't tell Tea the truth before this, he wasn't going to be able to tell her the truth now. 'I'm sorry, Tea. I'm sorry I couldn't tell ya da truth...' "Forget 'bout it. It was nothin', Tea. I just wanna tell ya good luck with Yug and I hope everythin' turns out okay for ya."

She looked at him warily, unsure if Joey was really telling her the truth. A minute ago, he was about to tell her something about Yugi—and it sounded quite important—but know he looks sad, upset with the fact that he didn't tell her whatever he was going to say. "Joey, are you hiding something from me about Yugi? Because if you are I want to know what it is."

"No, I'm not," he lied. "I just wanted ta tell ya dat I know Yug, and he won't turn us because of dis. He's our friend and if he's really our friend den I know dat Yugi will eventually forgive us."

"Yeah, I've been trying to believe the same thing too...for all of our sakes."

"Just remember dat whatever happens I'll always be here for you."

FLASHBACK END

"Wow..." Tristan said almost speechless. "Talk about uh complicated situation. I didn't know you and Tea were going through such uh hard time with all of this. I'm sorry that I jumped on your back about everything. I guess I just got so caught up in Yugi's feelings for Tea that I completely forgot about yours. Sorry, man."

"It's okay, man, ya didn't know. Besides, it's not me dat you should be worried 'bout, it's Tea."

"Well, whatever happens I'll be here for ya. That's what best buds are for."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Tristan."

(Outside of Yugi's house)

'Well...here it goes...' Tea said to herself, gazing up at the front door of the game shop. 'There's no turning back now.'

Author note: Sorry but the chapter must end here, besides I was beginning to think that I was writing too much anyway. Thanks for reading my fic after not updating it for over two months. I'm sorry that I didn't update sooner, but school was always getting in my way. I promise that I'll try to make the next update happen before two months. Lol!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!