Thank you to all of my reviewers, I'm sorry if you find this chapter lacking because I had a hard time writing it...it didn't flow that well...sigh!
Minij Akane- Thank you, you were my first reviewer for this story! I'm glad you liked it!
Cat rings- thanks for the offering of help for my writer's block!
Standard disclaimers apply
Chapter 4
(Joey)
"Hey Yug, can I hang at your house tonight? My Dad's not gonna be home." I slung an arm around Yugi's shoulders as we walked out of school.
"I don't know Joey, we'd have to check with Yami, Cassandra and Aggie, and it's up to them." Yugi told me, "It's no longer just me and my parents."
"Ok, well we can walk to your house and see and if they say no I'll just go home." I suggested to him, I really didn't want to go home, I was sick of my dad coming home drunk every night and yelling at me. I just wanted to have a normal family with my mom, my dad and Serenity.
"Alright, that sounds like a good plan." Yugi smiled up at me and I couldn't help but wonder at his innocence; sometimes it seemed like he'd grown up in a world separate from the one he was living in now.
"Thanks for waiting guys." Téa called jogging over to where we were standing, Tristan, Ryou and Duke close behind.
"No problem." I grinned at her as the rest of them caught up and we began the rather short walk to our homes.
"What's it like suddenly inheriting three older siblings?" Duke questioned, he had an almost morbid obsession with siblings because he was an only child with no cousins or close relatives.
"It's strange, I really don't know how to act. Yami's so reserved and withdrawn while Cassandra's in-your-face and to the death honest yet Aggie is petrified of her own shadow." Yugi shook his head, "It's going to take a lot of getting used to."
"Well if Cassandra wants to take any more dance lessons I can probably help her find a studio." Téa offered, "She's probably feeling so alienated in this new environment."
"They're always welcome to hang with us if they want to," Tristan added kind of off hand.
"I'll tell them, thanks so much for your support guys." Yugi grinned happily as we arrived at his apartment, "Talk to you later!" We boarded the elevator and headed up to his place talking about Duel Monsters and what I could do to improve my strategy. When we reached his floor we got off and he took me to his new apartment and we entered to find Aggie sitting at the counter working on her homework a pair of headphones on her ears. In the living room area Cassandra was sprawled on the floor looking at a map of the area muttering to herself about something in English. Yami was on the couch reading a book ignoring everything.
"Yugi," Cassandra switched to Japanese. "Where can I find a good arcade, this map sucks so bad."
"Hmmm, I like this one." Yugi pointed out our usual hang out spot, "But I've heard that this one is good, there's one here also and there's one in most every mall."
"Thanks." Cassandra pulled out a red marker and began circling things with it.
"Do you guys mind if Joey stays overnight?" Yug asked his family.
"I don't mind, he can have my bed, I'll take the couch." Yami replied turning the page in his book.
"Hmm?" Aggie pulled her headphones off and nervously looked at Yugi and me.
"Is it alright with you if Joey stays overnight?"
"S-sure, I-I'll make extra at d-dinner." She then put her headphones back on and went back to her homework.
"I don't care as long as he leaves me alone," Cassandra growled folding up her map. "After dinner I'm going out to see the sights, it's your turn to do dishes for supper, the schedule is posted on the wall."
"Ok." Yugi grinned from ear to ear, "Wanna see my room? I share it with Yami!"
"Sure." We retreated to his room and Yugi showed me every aspect of his room before pulling out his deck and sitting on his bed.
"Joey, I don't think they like me." Yugi seemed really concerned, "They're all so distant."
"Ahhh Yug, no one couldn't not like you," I told him reassuringly.
"Kaiba hates me as does Weevil, Rex, Keith, Malik and Bakura," Yugi listed them matter-of-factly.
"Well, they're all jerks, these guys seem nice, I think they like you just fine. I mean you are family anyways, right? Blood's thicker then water right?" I comforted him but I knew that in some cases it wasn't, like at my place. My father would beat me any day for just looking at him funny drunk or not, I still love him though. I miss my mom and sister but my mom doesn't want me, she only wants Serenity.
"Yeah, after dinner we can do our homework together and still have time to play a few games." Yugi brightened and I felt glad that I was able to ease his worries, I wasn't good for much but when I was able to help Yug I felt like I was a pretty decent person.
"So who do like the best so far?" I posed the question because I was curious about his family.
"Yami, he's really nice to me and I feel more comfortable around him." Yugi nodded, "Then it would be Aggie cause she's so sweet and then Cassandra, she locked me out of the bathroom this morning."
"Why?"
"Because she didn't like her school uniform, she said that pink was the worst color on the planet and it clashed with red," Yugi informed me solemnly.
"Time for dinner you boneheads!" Cassandra yelled sticking her head in the door, "Hurry it up, I wanna get out of here quick!" She then disappeared leaving the two of us to absorb what she had said. I was really glad I had a younger sister cause if that's what older sisters are like I didn't want one. We walked into the kitchenette in time to catch Yami pull out the stool for Aggie.
"Th-thank you." She got up on it and picked up the nearest dish, which contained rice, and put some on her plate. Yami pulled out another stool for Cassandra as she was reaching for it and instantly she stiffened. Without saying anything she went to the next stool and pulled it out and sat down.
"I don't need anyone to pull chairs out and open doors for me, I am perfectly capable of doing myself, unless you think other wise?" There was a dangerous edge to Cassandra's voice.
"Of course not I was just trying to be gentlemanly to my sister," Yami answered politely.
"Well shove it, I don't care for your womanizing ways," Cassandra snapped doling a small serving of rice onto her plate.
"If that is what you wish." Yami sat down and put some food on his plate.
"Yes that is what I wish." Cassandra glowered at him then turned to me, "What are you dumb? Pass the food!" It was the first time I had found myself in the direct path of her glare and it was a very scary thing. Quickly I handed her the next bowl and she began muttering under her breath about morons and stuck up pigs.
"How was your day Yugi?" Yami asked kindly, he was the only one making an effort to make conversation.
"It was great! I have classes with all my friends and a last period study hall with you guys! How was your day?" Yugi perked up now that they were finally acknowledging him.
"It was alright, do you know a senior named Kaiba?" Yami questioned and his eyes darkened slightly as my temper flared and something coiled deep within me.
"Yeah, we know that jackass," I told him. "He's the proud owner of Kaiba Corp. he's a jerk."
"He's good at Duel Monsters though," Yugi inserted turning to his favorite subject. "He has three Blue Eyes White Dragons, he's pretty awesome."
"But Yugi whoops his butt every single time they duel cause he's got all three of the God cards," I proudly stated.
"Really? That's cool, I'd like to duel you sometime," Cassandra said. "It'd be a great chance to try out my new cards. I've yet to have the chance since I am undefeated and no one wants to lose to a girl."
"What's your favorite card Yugi?" Yami asked.
"Dark Magician," Yugi stated immediately, he had always loved that card.
"Mine is the same," Yami informed us nodding his head.
"Red Eyes Black Dragon," I inserted my favorite card into the discussion.
"Loyal Servant and Thief's Mistress," Aggie whispered not raising her eyes from her plate.
"Orphan's Vendetta and The Abandoned One," Cassandra added shrugging.
"I've never heard of those cards before." Yugi frowned as he furrowed his brow to think.
"Their new ones, you can only get them through special order." Cassandra finished what was left on her plate and stood up, "Seeing as how it's Yugi's turn to wash I'm gone." With that she grabbed her jacket and left.
A few minutes later everyone had finished eating and Yugi and I were left to do the dishes. Yami had retreated to the couch with a book and Aggie to her room. There weren't that many dishes so we were done quickly and were doing our homework at the counter. All we had was some easy stuff that was basically busy work. After that we played a couple of Duel Monster games and were getting ready to go to bed when Cassandra came home.
"Yugi!" she shouted rapping on the door.
"Yeah?" Yugi asked.
"Thanks for the arcade information it came in real handy." With that she was gone leaving us to ponder Yugi's sister's odd behavior
"Do you think she was trying to pick up guys?" I suggested.
"Nah, I don't know…she's strange like that." Yugi lay back down and we went to sleep the threat of school tomorrow weighing heavily on my mind.
I hope you liked it...sigh...this chapter sucked...R&R