A/N: Hello all. Finding time to update has been a living nightmare, but I'm going to keep trying. Here's to those who reviewed:
Spacey Chic: Yeah the names are confusing. Just know that it's the "good" Marik and this takes place after the Battle City episodes. Thanks for the review and I hope you keep reading.
Linkin Phoenix: I don't want to give away anything, so I'm going to stay tight-lipped on the whole Yugi-Tea thing. Thanks for reading.
Lady Phoenix 99: I'm glad you agree with everything that's going on, slow and steady wins the race somebody said. Thanks for reviewing.
Alaskan Tiger: Sorry for the delay, but here is the next chapter! Hope ya like it. Thanks for reading.
Susie: Glad you love it and thanks for reading.
Stoopidphuk: I chuckle every time I read that name. Oh, the XX thing is just a thing I use to try and space with. Sorry if it bothers ya. Thanks for reading!
Animorphs17: Pardon me for asking, but is your name based on a book series from the 1990s? I never read them much but I heard nothing but good things about them. I would probably rate the fic the same as you, and I thank you for reading. I'll really try to make the chapters longer from now on, eh?
Cherry-star-aus: You left a lot of reviews since I've updated. Thanks. I hope you like the update.
Well, here it is. Enjoy people.
Test of Friendship
Chapter Ten
Mai brought her red convertible to a screeching hault in the parking lot next to the apartment complex that Joey and Serenity lived in together. She hoped that he would at least sit down and talk with her.
She hopped out of her vehicle and made a mad dash up the stairs, high heels be damned. When she finally made the ten story climb to the apartment, she began to pound on the door frantically.
Please be home Joey!
She heard someone approaching the door, and her heart began to race. She would finally be able to clear up the misunderstandings that they had with one another. She would forgive him, and he her. Everything would go back to the way it was before, if not even better!
She heard the door squeak loudly and a figure appeared to her. Suddenly, her heart sank to a depressing new low. The figure standing in the door way was not of her beloved. "Hello. Looking for someone, my dear?"
Mai face mirrored a myriad of emotions. Panic. Shock. Despair. Fear. Anger.
"K...K..Kaiba?" He stood in front of her, his trademark trench coat and pants replaced by a fine white suit with a blue tie. His smirk and surprisingly calm tone of voice concerned her deeply. "What are you doing here?"
She saw Serenity standing behind him, her head hung in great shame.
"Come inside, Mai. I think I owe you an explanation."
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Joey and Tea walked over to the girl's home in silence. They had been spending their time together ever since that fateful night, but did not know that if their newfound closeness was a result of their recent struggles or their long friendship together.
"Um...thanks for bringing me home, Joey. I appreciate it."
The blonde shrugged sheepishly as he avoided eye contact. "It's not a big deal."
Tea noticed the akwardness of the situation and nodded silenty. "See you tomorrow?"
Joey looked up at her and smiled. "Yeah. I guess so."
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"Serenity, what's Seto Kaiba doing here?" Mai's words were harsh, yet full of worry.
"Um...I think he wanted to tell you that." Serenity turned away. She couldn't even face her right now. Not after what she had done.
"Humph! Sit down, my dear. This will take a while to explain. Remember your little party about a week or so ago?"
Serenity sat alone in the corner, people dancing and having a good time around her. She knew that she shouldn't be moping around crying. Nothing was necessarily wrong with her. As a matter of fact, her life had never been better. She and her brother had just recently moved in together with her mother's blessing, and they were doing quite well. Her grades were excellent, her friends adored her. Hell...her life was almost perfect. Key word being almost. How could she ever be happy when the young man she had fallen so deeply for was so terribly sad? How could she enjoy her life and ignore his pain? She couldn't.
"The Wheelerette looked so weak, I couldn't help but notice her. When I saw her like this, I knew that she would be a perfect pawn for my scheme."
Mai looked over at the CEO with disgust. "What did you make her do, you monster?"
Serenity was already in tears as Kaiba laughed at the blonde's request. "I don't see the harm in telling you now..."
"What are you cring for?"
Serenity looked up, her tear-filled eyes looking up into the brunette's ice cold gaze.
"Kaiba? I didn't know that Mai invited you."
Kaiba grunted at her response, obviously not satisfied. "I said what are you crying for?" His voice was far more stern than what it was the first time.
"Yugi...he's hurting right now."
Kaiba's interest was peaked at this moment. "Hmmm...I saw the runt running out of here earlier. This could be most interesting." he thought to himself.
"What's wrong with Mutou?"
"Tea...she turned him down."
Kaiba smiled internally. Perfect...my chance to break up the geek patrol once and for all! I always knew that they wouldn't agree on EVERYTHING. "Why do you care?"
"Well, I want him to be happy. He' s my friend."
"Don't think you can fool me, little Wheeler. I see the way you look at him."
The young woman looked up at the tall man in front of her, her eyes full of surprise and worry. "You do?"
"Yes. And I seehow you've been looking at Gardener as of late. I see your anger, your rage, your bitterness towards her."
Serenity lowered her head. "That's not true."
"Isn't it? You KNOW that he loves her..."
"Stop it."
"... and that he hardly notices that you exist..."
"STOP IT."
"...and it makes you feel sick to your stomack, that your beloved has had his heart broken, while that friendship-babbling whore is getting hot and heavy with your own brother!"
"I SAID STOP IT!"
Before she could control herself, she had jumped up and slapped Kaiba hard across the face. When she saw the ugly red mark on his face, she gasped. Serenity literally feared for her life. When Kaiba turned to face her, however, he seemed to be...smiling?
"Good. Now you're ready for me to teach you."
Serenity stared at him, clearly confused. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're ready for me to teach you how to get what you want."
After Kaiba told her more or less what happened, Mai was in a total state of shock. "Serenity? How could you do something so cruel? To your own brother, too? What were you thinking?"
Serenity, her back turned, answered softly. "I did nothing...Weevil and Rex were responsible for them being drunk. I just made sure that they got home."
Kaiba laughed. "She practically helped them into the bedroom, they were so drunk!"
Mai was steaming now. She could take itthat she herself had been decieved by Kaiba's games, but to treat Joey and his sister this way? She was disgusted with herself now and had SERIOUS regrets about losing her virginity to this seemingly heartless human being.
"You were all so easy to manipulate, especially the Wheelerette and Mutou. And YOU, all I had to do was flash a little money and your legs parted like the Red Sea!"
Mai had finally had enough. With all the strength in her body, she balled her small hand into a fist and slammed Kaiba across the face. There was no turning back now. Her life had officially become a living hell.
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Yami had had enough. He had pratically barged into his hikari's soul room and demanded to speak with him.
"Yugi. You haven't been the same since Tea refused your affections. You haven't eaten a full meal in days. I don't recall the last time we went to...what is it called again?"
"The park." Yugi answered sheepishly.
"I may not be well-versed in matters of the heart, but I do know the bond between you and Tea is strong. Surely strong enough to survive what has occured."
"Yami, Tea had sex with Joey after turning me down. I really can't just turn a blind eye to that and say 'It's OK that you slept with my best friend AND rejected me in the same night, we can still be friends!'."
"Yugi. If you're going to shut them out of your world forever, at least TALK to them before you do."
Yugi turned to face his yami, a half-hearted smile on his face. "Maybe you're right."
Yami returned his smile. "You and I both know I am."
Well, that's it and that's all for now. I hope the juice was worth the squeeze. I may be biased, but I think that is probably the best chapter I've written for this fiction. Well, from an emotional standpoint anyway. Please leave a review on the way out in celebration of my one-year anniversary as a FF member! GO ME! Um...shameless self-promoting aside, I hope you all enjoyed it. Till next time.
BDB...out