A/N: WOW! It's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time hasn't it? I'm sorry but this has been on the back burner for a while. I've been on a MAJOR DBZ kick for months! Got some great fics there too! Check 'em out! But enough of that, let's get to the fic at hand!
Disclaimer: Still don't own anything…not a thing…:sigh: Oh yeah, I got a teeny scene in here from "My Best Friend's Wedding." See if you can guess which one…
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Summer Days, Driftin' Away
Chapter Two: You Were Meant for Me
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Tristan lay on his back watching the blades of the ceiling fan twirl lazily.
Plop.
The football landed back in his hand. He tossed it towards the moving fan, watching it flip about and plummet down into his waiting hands.
Plop.
As the ball flew high again, he turned what Joey and Mai had told him over in his head. How could it be? Those two…
Smack!
He yelped and grabbed his nose. The offending ball bounced off of the table and rolled onto the floor. He glared at the inanimate object, the white stitching on the brown dimpled skin looking like a big grin.
"Oh, very funny," he muttered, rubbing his now very sore nose, and went over the events of the last couple of days again.
He still found it hard to believe. Yesterday, Joey was solemn, depressed and single. Then out of nowhere, Mai shows up and his whole world turns around. Finding out that they'd been crazy about each other since the tournament was a big surprise to him. He'd never had a very positive view of Mai since they'd met. She just didn't seem like Joey's type at all. But people can change after all. And by the end of the tournament, Mai had changed surprisingly, but he hadn't realized it had happened because of Joey. The fact that Yugi knew all the time also blew his mind. He supposed that he'd had a reason for not saying anything. Maybe he thought it would keep anyone from getting hurt.
Tristan sat up with a sigh. It seemed Yugi had wasted his time. Because whether or not he kept or told his secret, he knew of someone who'd get hurt.
Tea.
She'd been head over heels for Joey ever since they got off the island. His sullen attitude had kept her at bay, but not a day went by when Tristan didn't hear her tell him and Yugi how much her feelings ate away at her. Yugi always looked a little uncomfortable while she talked about Joey, and now he finally knew why.
Well at least Joey was back to normal, and Mai certainly was happy. That was something he doubted he'd ever see. Yet another problem remained… how to tell Tea. It was a no-brainer that she would find out. Someone would have to tell her first.
He just hoped that he wouldn't have to be that someone.
--
Yugi sat anxiously in the diner, twisting his napkin to the point of confetti. God, sometimes he hated being the most responsible one out of his friends.
"I'm telling you Yugi, I can't take much more of this," Tea sighed, running one hand through her short brown hair. Her other hand tapped the glass of a sundae dish nervously. Yugi watched the light vibrations of the tapping ripple through the thick creamy remains of a Cherry Bomberry. "I need to tell him don't I? I mean, it's only fair that he knows, right?"
Yugi gulped and tried to think of something to say. He'd initially invited Tea out to the soda shop to tell her about Joey and Mai. Of course, the first words out of her mouth were about Joey, and Yugi--being so polite--had patiently listened to her pour her heart out yet again.
"Umm…about Joey…uh, you see Tea…do, uh, do you remember Mai Valentine?"
"Hmm? Mai? Sure I remember her. Figures she never attempts to contact us all year. Some friend, that brat," Tea said indignantly. Yugi frowned.
"Don't be like that Tea. Remember, Mai decided to give the match to Yami and me to help Grandpa. She's one of the reasons he's still here."
"Oh, come on Yugi. You know she didn't need to give up the match. You could've beaten her," she smiled, trying to take the edge off of her words by being Yugi's cheerleader.
Yugi tried to smile, but it only came out as a half-smile. Tea wasn't trying to be mean, she was only speaking her mind. Unfortunately, her mind had become quite depressed because of this unrequited love. He only hoped that what he would tell her wouldn't do too much damage.
"Alright now Yugi. Enough about Mai, we need to talk about me and Joey. What should--"
"Tea!" Yugi blurted, almost shouting. She snapped to attention and stared at him with wide blue eyes. "Uhh…" He lost a bit of confidence and turned to his inner counterpart.
This is hard Yami. Could you take over for me, please?
Sorry aibou, his double's deep voice said, I wish I could protect you from harm all of the time, but you need to do this. It will be better for her to hear it from you rather than me.
With that reassurance, Yugi took a deep breath and looked Tea in the eye.
"I brought up Mai because, well, she's in town for the summer and…hoo boy…"
"It's fine Yugi. She doesn't bother me that much. Go ahead."
"See, Tea. Back at Duelist Kingdom, she…she and Joey got pretty close. But nothing came of it, I don't know exactly why, but the two of them never saw each other this whole year. Well, now that Mai's finally back, Joey decided to…see they…um, they're together Tea."
There. He told her. He did it. It was out of his hands.
Now what?
He looked at Tea, trying to find out what she was thinking. He wished he could sense thoughts like Yami could.
Tea simply stared at him, her blue eyes trying to find any lies in his. Of course, she knew she wouldn't find any. Yugi couldn't lie, wouldn't lie to anyone. Especially her. But it was impossible to grasp or believe.
She got up stiffly and turned quickly, her hand accidentally sweeping the glass dish to the tiled floor. Sticky melting ice cream and cherry syrup splattered among shattered glass as the sharp clashing sounds of the fall echoed in the room, drawing eyes to their table. One of Tea's shoes stepped in a puddle of marbled stawberry cream and red syrup. A set of single footprints appeared in gooey pink on the green tiles leading out the door.
Yugi watched her disappear, his mind reeling a little bit. His eyes fell on the demolished sundae, the stem of the already eaten cherry sticking out of the mess like a surviving tree. Inside he felt Yami's steadying hand on him as he sat back against the cushions of the booth.
Are you alright aibou?
Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't know about Tea.
"I just don't know."
--
"You know, I haven't been on a real picnic since Duelist Kingdom," Mai said, smiling as Joey spread a blanket on the grass. She gazed at the old tree he'd chosen for shade and recognized it immediately; it was the tree where they found each other under at the Festival of Auras. The purple wildflowers waved lazily in the soft breeze. She hoped this would be the spot of many memories to come. Joey nodded and sat down, patting a spot on the blanket for her. Mai smiled at him and sat down, tucking her long legs under her. "I love you Joey Wheeler." Joey blushed and ducked his head. She giggled at his shyness and dipped her head down to kiss him. He brought his hand up and cupped her cheek. The kiss lasted many moments before they came away, glowing.
"God I love dat," Joey grinned. Mai laughed and threw her arms around him, knocking him on his back. He laughed and stroked her hair, his other arm wrapping around her waist. Her laughter died down and she nuzzled her head into his chest.
"Me too," she sighed, soaking in the warmth of the sun and the loving embrace she shared with him.
"JOEY!"
The sudden, loud voice made Mai nearly leap off of Joey. She looked up and met a familiar face. Involuntarily, her trademark smirk appeared and Joey began sitting up with her.
"Who's…Tea! What's up! Look who's back in town!" Joey grinned, holding Mai close to his side. Tea stared at them, shock slackening her jaw.
"See something green Tea?" Mai asked, trying her hand at making a joke. She did want to try to be amiable with the girl. They had never really gotten along.
"Joey? What are you…? You are with her?" She looked close to tears. Joey blinked and frowned a little.
"Um, yeah. Tea, are you okay?" Joey asked, standing up. He took a step towards his friend and she shrank away, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"No!" She whispered harshly. "No I'm not." Without another word or sound, she ran off, leaving a very puzzled couple behind her. Joey just stared at the place Tea no longer was. Mai stood up and linked her arm around his.
"Whaddya suppose dat was about?" He asked, looking to her for an inkling of an answer. Inside Mai's mind, she thought she knew the reason for Tea's sudden departure. A twinge of unease began to form in the pit of her stomach and it caused her to cling a little tighter to her new love's arm.
"I just hope it isn't what I think it might be," she whispered a little cryptically.
"Whaddya mean Mai?" Joey asked. Mai smiled. Sometime this guy was a little too clueless for his own good. But hey, she wasn't one to talk. It took over a year for her to get a clue.
And, she added to herself, I'll be damned if there's any chance I could lose him.
--
Tea buried her face into the fluffy pillow, trying to stifle her loud cries.
Mai. Mai. She could have anyone! Anyone in the world. But why Joey. Why Joey. Why her Joey. He couldn't be with that hussy!
"He shouldn't be with her," she sobbed quietly. "She's no good." New sadness welled up in her and she collapsed into the pillows again. "Joey…"
--
"I don't know what to tell you Mai. I mean, Tea had no idea about you and Joey on the island. I just wanted to make sure she knew before she did anything about her feelings."
"Yugi," Mai sighed, "I want to know from you. Not that I don't trust Joey, but you know the truth. Did she and Joey-"
"I know what you're asking Mai. No. Joey never dated Tea. After he got home, he went straight to Serenity. Then he came back, but he was too depressed to notice Tea. Too depressed for anyone, because of you probably. No offense."
"None taken," the pretty girl smiled. "I was pretty low about him too. My mom wasn't very happy about the way I was sulking; she didn't understand. See, I used to be…pretty popular with the guys. They'd always come around with their offers and their flowers, and I enjoyed it." A shameful look came over her and she sighed, leaning into the palm of her hand. "But I was never really happy about it. All they wanted was…well, you know…the one's who didn't want to sleep with me just wanted to make me a trophy girlfriend. But after I fell for Joey, I finally knew what real love felt like. I thought I'd lost him after the competition." The sadness left her and a beautiful smile graced her lips. "I waited a year for Joey. He did the same for me. Do you know that I'm happier than I've ever been?"
Yugi smiled back, feeling immensely happy to see this formerly cold girl warm and truly happy. "Don't worry too much Mai. Tea may have feelings for Joey, but she knows the truth now. She's always been a friend first. She'll understand in time.
--
"Tea, do you think we could do dis later? I'm supposed ta meet Mai at da movies in a few minutes."
Joey had run into Tea outside the Keno Arcade and she'd been doggedly delaying him from making his way to the movie house. She had to try to talk him ou of this mistake of a relationship.
"I'm sorry Joey. But you've been so sad all year; you hardly saw us the whole summer. I just wanted to talk to you," she said, a winning smile on her face.
Joey smiled back, glad to see the previous sadness he saw before was gone. "Yeah, ok, but we need ta walk and talk, 'cause I don't wanna be late."
Okay Tea, think! How are you going to start this? She racked her brain trying to figure out where to begin. "Uh Joey? Where is Mai? If she's with you, where is she now?" She asked, trying to undermine his faith in her.
"She said she hadda talk to Yugi about somethin'. Why?"
Tea frowned, deciding not to implicate Yugi in any scheme of her. "No reason, I was just thinking. Why are you suddenly with Mai anyway?"
At the mention of her name, a great big grin spread over Joey's face. "Well, I don't know if you know dis yet, but I fell for her at Duelist Kingdom, afta Yugi won back her starchips. I just thought she was so cool and beautiful."
Tea cheered inwardly, thinking he thought she was just a pretty face. "Joey, don't let a pretty façade fool you. Remember how mean she was, how she tricked you?" If she could get him to focus on her faults…
Joey frowned, not liking the way Tea seemed to be badmouthing her. "Yeah, she was Tea, but she changed. She helped Yugi, and she gave me da card I needed to get da money for Serenity's operation. She's a really good person," he said, his tone firm.
Tea felt like she was losing the battle. She had to do something. Joey turned and made a move to go and she panicked. "Joey, wait! I love you!" Joey stopped dead in his tracks and Tea froze. Oops…
He turned around to face her again, disbelief in his eyes. "Wh…what'd you say?"
Her heart began pounding hard and fast, sweat beading on her forehead. Swallowing hard, she took a step towards him. "I'm sorry to tell you like this, but I've loved you for a long time. Even before Duelist Kingdom. See, I've loved you more than her. She's not good enough for you Joey. Please, pick me. Love me. I can make you happier than Mai." Seeing he made no move to go, she smiled and felt a surge of warmth in her. "Oh, Joey," she whispered before throwing her arms around him, her lips closing over his in a kiss she'd longed to give for a long time.
Far down the street, Mai had been watching the scene in silent disbelief. She felt a mixture of anger, anguish and shock as she saw Tea throw herself into him, kissing his lips in a way that Mai alone was allowed to kiss him. Her head told her to run, to leave this painful scene, but her heavy heart somehow kept her rooted helplessly to the spot. Tears sprang to her eyes as she saw Joey pull away and raise his hands towards her face, the girl smiling dreamily. Mai's heart nearly died inside her.
What happened next brought the love in her heart back to life.
Joey, with a look of pity on his face, spread his arms apart, breaking their contact. Tea tried to step forward again, but Joey placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her away. He shook his head, hating to hurt his friend. "I don't love you Tea. I love Mai, and I've waited a year for her and me to be together. I'm sorry, but you spoke up too late."
Tea stared at him through teary eyes. She realized how final it was; he didn't kiss her back. It was over. "I…I just wanted…you to love me back. I don't want to lose you to her."
"Tea, we've been friends for a long time. You're not losin' me. I do still want us to be friends," Joey said, but his words stopped when she silently turned and walked away. "Tea…"
"I'm sorry, Joey. Really, I'm sorry," she murmured and disappeared down the street. Joey stood watching her and sighed, sad that he'd hurt her, but somehow happy that she knew just how he felt about Mai.
Mai! She was probably wondering where he was! He straightened his jacket and hurried towards the movie house.
--
Tea walked blindly down the street, pain in her heart making her careless. This was evident as she ran into something. With a startled yelp, she began falling backwards. A strong, slim hand caught her arm before she hit the pavement.
"Oh, thanks," she sniffed, getting her feet firmly on the ground. "Sorry I didn't—" Her voice died when she saw who'd caught her. "M-Mai."
The shapely blonde tightened her grip on her arm, making Tea frown a bit in discomfort. Her violet eyes were hard with anger. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" she hissed. Tea's eyes widened in fright. "Yes, I saw you with him. Did you think he would just drop everything and smother you with kisses?" she sneered, pushing her away from her. "He's with me, got it?"
"Yes, I know. He told me," Tea answered, sadness overtaking the scare Mai had thrown into her. "He loves you Mai. And I'm sorry, I tried to take him away from you. He deserves to be happy…and I hope you can do that."
The softness in the girl's voice made Mai's anger disappear a little. She was still plenty upset that she'd tried to steal Joey away, but she hadn't done it out of spite. She'd done it because she loved Joey. She sighed. "Okay, I won't kick your ass this time. But know this, he's mine, and he wants to be mine."
"I know Mai. I just hope you're the one for him, 'cause I don't ever want to see him hurt," Tea told her, a hint of warning in her voice. Mai smiled a little. She still had that spunk. "He's waiting for you Mai. Don't keep him waiting."
Joey! She'd almost forgotten about their date! Without a word, she quickly made her way to meet him. Tea watched her go, still feeling pretty sad. But, remembering the great smile she saw on his face when he talked about her eased her heartache slightly. He was right; they were friends. Friends need to support one another.
"Joey and Mai…" she said to herself, smiling a little. "That's going to take some getting used to." Resigned, she straightened up and pulled out her cell phone. "Yugi, hi it's Tea…I know…Don't worry, I'm…I'm gonna be okay. You doing anything?"
As she continued her conversation, a pair of eyes watched her from afar, wishing he had the privilege of walking beside her, making the sadness he saw in her go away completely.
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Wa-wa-wa-wa-WOW! Did THAT take a long time or WHAT! Jeez, I thought I'd never get it done! But there it is. I hope you enjoyed it. REVIEWS Please! And take a guess who the mystery man is…