Chapter Six

Joey Knows

DISCLAMER: JAKE IS A CHARACTER I MADE UP. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT USE HIM IN ONE OF YOUR STORIES! THANK YOU!

Hey, it's me again! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Had some problem with writers' block. But here I am again, with the seventh chapter! I worn you now, the series will be ending soon.

Seto: you know it's better if you let them guess.

Rain: Shut up! You hurt puppy and now I'm mad at you!

Joey: So now it's puppy? I thought it was-

Rain: covers his mouth you can't tell them that yet!

With Joey…

I can't believe what I just heard! Seto and his secretary, and a baby on it's way? I must have heard wrong.

Joey was walking around the town aimlessly, trying to remember what it was Seto had said. Was it 'On my honor?' soon Joey found him self out side of a house that seemed familiar to him, but yet so strange.

He had remembered the house, but from where he couldn't quite remember, then it hit him. Like a wave of icy cold water down his back. This house, the house he was now standing in front of, was the house of his childhood friend Jake. Jake was his best friend. Since longer then he knew Yugi.

Jake and Joey were almost inseparable. Everywhere Jake went, Joey was sure to follow. Jake had had jet-black hair, and pail blue eyes. So light, that they seemed gray instead of blue. Jake was often made fun of because of his eyes. Joey could remember a time when Jake was being bullied at school. Joey had been sitting on the top of the monkey bars, looking at a large group of kids.

Some of them were laughing, but only one wasn't; Jake. Joey had climbed down from his perch and went over to the group to hear what they were saying.

"Why don't you go back to creeps-vile? Your probably not even wanted there!" one of the boys laughed as he pushed Jake. "Yeah, maybe that's why he's here!" a girl said, shoving him back at the boy. Then they began to make fun of his cloths. He always wore a black sweater and a pair of jeans, even when the school told him not to. Then, they said something about his mother.

"Your mother probably got fired from her old job Cuz' she's ugly!" the boy teased. Joey had seen Jake's mother before, and she was very beautiful. Her skin was as white as porcelain and her hair as black as Jake's, if not darker. The only difference between Jake and his mother was the fact that she had green eyes. And the fact that she was a girl.

"Alright, break it up!" Joey yelled making his way through the small crowd. One of the girls looked at Joey. "What's wrong mutt? Jealous that your not getting picked on today?"

Joey gave her the look. The one his father would give him before beating the shit out of him. Everyone stepped back. "If you ever pick on him again, I'll kill you, got it?" Joey said to the boy who had started it. The boy nodded and the kids ran away.

Jake tapped him on the shoulder. Joey turned around and looked down. Jake was slightly shorter back then. "Thank you. I was about to punch him." Jake said with a smile on.

"Then why didn't you?" Joey asked. Jake gave a simple reply. "I don't know how to." Joey's mouth had hit the floor in complete shock. "Wad' ja mean you don't know how?"

And thus was the start of a great friend ship.

By the time Joey was eleven, Jake had fallen very, very ill. He had somehow contracted cancer of the throught. One day, when Joey went to visit Jake, Jake's mother said that he couldn't. She was afraid that Joey would catch it. After that day, he never heard from them again.

Joey looked at the stone walkway he had once walked up so many times, and he wondered if he should, for one last time. Joey took a quick glance at his watch, and saw it was only twelve o'clock. He had skipped school to stay and keep Seto's company.

He looked at the walk way one more time before he began his walk up it. Would Jake be glad to see me after so many years? Joey asked himself as he reached to door. Joey rang the bell the way he did when he used to visit Jake. Three rings, the first two being as close to the same length, and the third being slightly longer. He heard a female voice call out 'one second.'

Joey stood there patiently, waiting for the door to open. The door opened slightly the face of Jake's mother appeared. Her skin was still as white as porcelain and her hair still as black with some grays.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Apparently she didn't recognize him.

"Hey Ms. M!" Joey said cheerfully. Ms. M. looked a little confused, then seemed to remember him.

"Joey? Joey Wheeler?" Joey nodded. Ms. M opened the door and hugged Joey. "Oh Joey, how long has it been since I last seen you?"

"Five years ma'am." Joey said hugging her back. She let go and looked at him. As if studying him.

"Oh! Where are my manners? Come in." she led Joey in to the living room. Everything looked like it had the last time Joey had been there. There where only some small changes like a different couch, some pictures of a boy that looked like Jake only older, and a shadow box. Joey gulped. The shadow box had a whole bunch of pink and brightly colored clothes and toys, and a picture of a beautiful baby girl.

"Ms. M?" Joey asked walking over to the wall where the shadow box hung. She looked at him.

"Oh, that. That's Evelyn's (pronounced Eve-a-lin) shadow box." She said standing next to Joey.

"How old was she?" Joey asked whipping a tear away from his eye. "Two months." She said. "-She died of a birth de-fect. So Jake is my only child." Joey's head snapped around.

"Jake's still alive?" she nodded. Joey turned so he was facing her. "But mamma M, why didn't you or Jake call when he got better?"

"You see Joey, he did get better, but he can't speak like he use to. He sat by the phone every day waiting for you're phone call that didn't come. He thought you had forgotten all about him. He still talk's about you though. And he still sits by the phone on most Saturdays waiting for you to call so you two could go to the park and play." She laughed lightly. "His step-father says that he looks like a watch dog, guarding that phone. And everytime a call comes in during that time, he picks it up and says 'Joey' thinking it's you. I could be his friend Allyssa on the other line, and he'll hang up after saying 'sorry, I have ta keep the line open."

Joey suddenly felt very guilty. He sat down on the couch, and for the first time since he had runaway from his father and went to live with his mother, had himself a good cry. This was just too much to take in. just too much. It seemed like a cruel joke, but he knew better.

Ms. M. sat next to him on the couch and petted his back. After Joey was done crying, Ms. M made him a nice cup of tea. They sat and talked for an hour or so before the sound of keys was heard in the door.

The lock unlocked and the door opened. In walked a boy about six feet dead, with jet-black hair and blue-gray eyes. He had a pair of head phones on, and was dressed in a pair of black pants and a black long sleeved shirt that said 'you've gotta love skateboarding.' With a picture of a guy on a stretcher. He had a skateboard in one hand, and in the other was a bottle of soda.

At first he walked right by mamma M, and Joey. He put his skateboard in the closet, turned off his headphones, and came and sat on the couch across from mamma M and Joey. No one dare speak. Except mamma M. (no surprise there.)

"Jake, dose this boy seem familiar?" she said pointing to Joey. Jake leaned forward and looked at Joey. He whispered, 'a little', but he didn't seem sure. Joey smirked slightly, leaned forward and said 'wad' ja mean you don't know how?'

Jake dropped his soda. "J-Joey?" he whispered. Joey nodded. Jake jumped up and the two old-time pals hugged. Joey knew it wasn't the manliest thing to do, but after sleeping with another man, this felt like puberty all over again.

"Joey, is that really you?" he whispered. Joey nodded.

"Momma M. is this what you ment by he can't speak like he use to?" Mamma M nodded.

"There was a problem when he had the operation, the doctor messed up, and now it hurts him to speak to loudly.

"Mamma M! Didn't you call a lawyer?" mamma M shook her head.

"We don't have the money."

"How long ago did he have the operation?"

"Less then a year ago." Joey shook his head. Then thought of Seto's friend. The lawyer.

"I might be able to help." Jake and Mamma M looked at Joey, as if he had a million heads.

"You don't have to Joey." Jake whispered.

"Yes I do. I should have called. I should have called everyday to see if you were doing better, but I didn't."

Momma M looked at the phone and it rang. She got up to get it. She answered it.

"Jake, don't worry. I'm going to make that doctor pay."

"Don't tell me your going to do what you did last time."

Joey knew the ti8me he was talking about. Jake had gone to the doctors to get the flu shot, and they gave him the wrong needle. Joey lost his temper and gave the doctor a couple doses' of amoxicilion (sp?) it was almost lethal. The two boys laughed.

"Jake, phone! It's Allyssa!" Jake got up.

"Please excuse me." Joey nodded and sat there while Jake went to answer the phone. A minute later Jake came over to Joey and asked if he would like to go out with him and a few of his friends. Joey agreed.

Jake went and hung up the phone. Jake grabbed his skateboard and an extra one and the two teens left the house. Only after telling Momma M that they were leaving.

Once they where out side, Jake got on his skateboard.

"Um, Jake?"

"Yes Joey?"

"Why did you bring Two skateboards with you?" Jake handed Joey the second one. "You always told me you knew how to ride it a little." Joey nodded and took the skateboard and the two boys road down to the pizza shop on the connor of fifth and third. Only two blocks away from Kaiba corp.

Jake and Joey entered the building and Jake went to a table with four people sitting at it. Jake pulled up two chairs and looked at Joey.

"Sit down Joey." Joey did. There were three other males and one female sitting at the table. Jake pointed to a boy with reddish hair and almost green eyes.

"This is Patrick." He then pointed to a boy with brown hair and brown eyes. "This is Pete." He pointed to a boy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. "And this is Antoine." The female cleared her throught.

"I'm Allyssa." She had blonde hair with black tips, and what appeared to be red contacts.

I looked at them. "S'up? I'm Joey." They all said hi.

"So, Jake?" Patrick started. We looked at him. "What's up with Joey? He your lover?" Allyssa, Jake, Antoine, Pete, and me spit out our soda.

"That's sick!" cried Allyssa. She had that 'OMG, I totally dig this Yaoi stuff' tone. "Mega gross!" Pete and Antoine said. Jake looked around at them.

He smirked. "I have nothing against the gays of society, but I am not one of them." He whispered.

Joey took a sip of his soda, and all eyes where on him. He decided to settle this with one word. "Undecided." Jake looked at him with confusion. Patrick held out his fist to Joey. (Not to punch, to give skin. If you're not a skateboarder you might find some problems understanding that. More at end of chapter.) Joey gave Patrick skin.

Allyssa was the next to speak. "Well, I'm straight. But I'm in love with yaoi. Two guys are awesome. Two females and I'm sick." She said laughing slightly. Pete was the next.

"Straight. Antoine and me. I'm not a big fan of either. Yaoi of Yuri. I think that's gross."

"Ditto." Antoine said. Jake looked over the menu.

"I don't have a problem with gay people. I've known a lot of gay people, and some of my friends or either gay or BI, and I don't have a problem with it." The waitress came over.

"Can I take your order?"

"Um… A large cheese. Joey?"

"I'm fine with that."

"Okay. The bill will be about $15.30. You can pay before you leave." Everyone nodded. She left, but before she did she looked at Joey with a sort of sexy glance.

About fifteen minutes later the pizza came and the six friends started eating. About half way through the meal, the door opened and Joey heard Yugi's voice.

"No, I didn't see Joey at school Tea." He said sort of worried.

"But, that's not like him to miss school unless he's been beaten senseless."

"I don't think you should be talking about Joey like that. I know everyone here knows about Joey's dad, but you don't have to broadcast it. And didn't Joey run away from his fathers' house?" it was Bakura's voice. He had a cool British accent.

"Yea, but what if he went back with out thinking? What if he went to go settle things? I can see the headlines now. 'Boy body found in gutter', or, 'Fathers? Do they all hate?', or what if it's something like 'Who am I?' and then his picture underneath?"

Jake and his friends where looking at Joey. Jake was the next to speak.

"Joey? You ran away from home?"

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN! The term 'Giving Skin' comes from skateboarders. They started it so that they would be able to pass by each other on a skateboard and give a high five. Honestly, have you ever tried that? So they give skin instead.

Rain: I hope you liked it! I've already started the eighth one!

Seto: how come I was only mentioned like, five times in this one?

Rain: CUZ YOU HURT JOEY! I will not tell you again!

Joey: But I'm fine.

Rain: Shoush!

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Next chapter: Friends, vs. Friends. And a lover?