Chapter 2
Ruia stared at the newspaper clippings on the bed. She read through them in shock. They told the story of her father Joey before she was born. She read about his arrest for obstructing the course of justice and about her uncle Yami.
Why hadn't they told her about it? She was old enough to understand wasn't she? Why keep such a thing a secret? She read about how Joey had been into drugs and stealing and was present when one of his friends had murdered a child.
She felt sick to the stomach. She loved her parents very much but how much did she really know about them and her uncle Yami? He had been an alcoholic and had almost killed her uncle Yugi.
She reeled from the revelations. Saw pictures of Joey on the front page of the press being led off to prison in handcuffs after he was convicted. The images tortured her. She had held her family on a pedestal all the while since becoming their daughter but with this news, her whole world came crashing down round her ears. Her perfect image of her father crushed into powder.
She decided to say nothing of her discoveries and hid the articles away in the bottom of a drawer. She would talk to her best friend tomorrow about it.
The following day at school, Ruia met up with her best friend Seirei.
"Hey Ruia." She said.
"Listen can I talk to you about something after school?"
"Sure why don't you come over to my house?"
"Yeah thanks Seirei."
"Is everything okay?"
"Not really, but I can't talk about it now, after school okay?"
"Sure." Seirei said wondering what on earth her friend wanted to talk about. She hoped she hadn't gone and done anything stupid on her birthday after all there had been a lot of boys at the party and she hoped Ruia hadn't given herself to any of them.
Unknown to both of them, a figure was watching from a distance. She smiled and went off to tell her uncle Ushio what she had seen. Judging by the look on Ruia's face, she knew that the clippings she had slipped into Ruia's room last night at the party, had been found and read.
Ruia ran home after school to fetch the clippings so she could show Seirei what they said. Shouting to her parents that she would be back later, she ran over to Seirei's house.
Joey heard her go and wondered what all the hurry was about. She had seemed a little strange that morning over breakfast, hardly saying two words to any of them and giving her uncle Yami sideways glances.
Normally she chatted nineteen to the dozen especially as she had had a party the night before. Maybe she was just tired after yesterday he mused before shrugging and going to join Yami, Yugi and Seto for dinner.
Ruia was out of breath when she got to Seirei's house.
"Go on up to my room I'll get us drinks." Seirei said when she opened the door.
Five minutes later, Ruia was showing her the newspaper clippings.
"Isn't that your dad?" Seirei said hardly able to believe that the kind and gentle man was once like that.
"And isn't that your uncle?" She asked even more shocked.
"Yeah, what sort of family have I got?" Ruia asked bitterly.
"But this was all years ago." Seirei pointed out.
"I know but it doesn't change the fact that they haven't ever said anything to me about It." She said angrily.
"Maybe they didn't think it would matter." Seirei said thoughtfully.
"But it does matter, it matters to me that they don't think they can trust me." She said and began to cry.
Seirei comforted her friend as best she could but she could tell she was deeply hurt by this.
"Ruia who sent these to you?" She asked suddenly. It was weird that suddenly on her birthday these had just turned up out of the blue like that.
"I don't know." Ruia sobbed. "When I went to bed last night they were on my bed."
"It's strange how they have just suddenly turned up." Seirei said.
"Well they have and now I know about my family's sordid past. Look it's getting late I should go she said looking at her watch and seeing the time.
"Okay I'll see you at school tomorrow." Seirei said giving her best friend a hug.
"Yeah." Ruia said drying her eyes and hugging her friend back. At least there was one person she could count on to tell her the truth she thought as she gathered up the clippings and put them back in the envelope.
She walked home slowly thinking. If her parents hid things like that from her, what else were they hiding? She suddenly wished she had a mother to talk to like most of the other kids at school. She was the only one with two fathers and now mother. It hurt her and for the first time in her life, she wished she were someone else.
Joey was talking to Seto when Ruia got home.
"I'm worried Seto, she seemed so strange this morning before she went to school. She usually gives us both a hug and a kiss before she goes but today there was nothing."
"She's growing up pup, try not to worry about it, maybe it's her thinking she doesn't need to do that any more, I…"
He was interrupted before he could say anymore by Ruia entering the room.
"Hey there sprout." Seto said using his old pet name for her.
"Don't call me that any more dad." She snapped and then looked apologetic when she saw Seto's shocked face. She never snapped.
"Sorry I guess I'm just tired, I'm going to bed I'll see you in the morning." She said and fled from the room.
"What was all that about?" Joey said. Ruia hadn't even looked at him properly.
"Nothing pup as she said, she's tired. Come on I think we should go to bed too."
Joey curled up in Seto's arms when they were in bed. Seto began to kiss his neck but he stopped him.
"Please not tonight Seto, I'm not in the mood."
"Aww puppy not wanting to howl tonight?"
"I'm serious! I'm worried about our daughter Seto, I'm telling you I think something has upset her and for some reason she feels she can't talk to us."
"I told you not to worry about it." Seto said beginning to feel exasperated at Joey's worries. "She's just growing up, all teenagers get like that I mean come on I was a right arrogant git at her age or have you forgotten?"
"Yes that's true." Joey said. Seto began to kiss his neck again but again Joey stopped him.
"Please Seto not tonight." He insisted and turned over so his back was to him.
Seto sighed.
"Alright pup." He said and wrapping his arms round Joey, they fell asleep.
The following morning, Ruia hardly spoke to them again and wouldn't look Joey or her uncle Yami in the eye properly. She ate her toast without a word and ran out the door as soon as she was done.
"Still think she's just getting older?" Joey said to Seto when they heard the front door shut.
Now even Seto was beginning to think that something might be up with her.
"Look I'll talk to her later." He said hoping to find out what was up with their daughter.
Seirei was sick that day and so Ruia found she was eating lunch by herself. She felt a presence behind her and looking up she recognised Morii who had been at her party.
"Hey Ruia, mind if I join you?" She said and sat down when she received a nod.
"No Seirei today?" she inquired innocently knowing full well why Ruia's best friend was off sick. She had been instructed to slip something into her drink yesterday to make sure she wouldn't be at school for a few days.
"No she's sick." Ruia said wishing her friend was there. Never mind she would stop by after school and see how she was.
She and Morii chatted as they ate. Ruia decided that she quite liked Morii. She had invited her to the party after she had noticed that she seemed quiet and shy and being a generous girl, she had thought it would be nice for her to get to know a few people.
She hadn't been at the school for long and didn't seem to have any friends as such and Ruia felt a bit sorry for her. She put her own problems to the back of her mind and decided to befriend her a bit at least then she wouldn't be alone at school.
She remembered her uncle Yugi telling her that being alone at school wasn't nice. He had told her that he had been lonely at school before he had become best friends with her father. At the thought of her father, her expression darkened.
"Are you okay?" Morii asked concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine." Ruia said the dark look vanishing to be replaced by a happier look. "Listen, I'm going to stop over at Seirei's on the way home to see how she is, do you want to come with me and then back to my house for dinner?"
Morii smiled to herself, this was going better than she had hoped.
"I'd love to." She said smiling warmly. Her uncle Ushio was going to be very pleased when he heard her news.
After school they stopped off at Seirei's house but were told that she was too sick for visitors.
"Oh well please tell her I stopped over and I hope she feels better soon."
"Yes I'll tell her." Seirei's mother said and shut the door.
Ruia and Morii spent the evening after dinner chatting and listening to music in her room.
Dinner had been a strained affair with Ruia not saying much and Seto and Joey exchanging worried glances. Morii saw the glances and smiled to herself. This was definitely causing problems for them.
Ruia decided by the end of the evening that she had a good new friend and she was pleased. She didn't have very many close friends and those she did have were dear to her heart.
When Morii left the house later, she went directly to her uncle Ushio's apartment.
"I hope you bring me good news girl." He said. He was in a bad mood due to Bakura picking at him about him leaving mess in the apartment.
"Yes uncle, I have befriended her and soon I will gain her trust. I'll invite her over here in a few days and then we can really work on her."
"Good girl." Ushio said and handed her a joint by way of a reward. She lit it and inhaled deeply.
"Thanks uncle." She said as the effects of the cannabis took hold. Ushio smiled at his niece. She was the perfect tool to use in his plan to get back at Joey and it was working perfectly.
TBC…
Well that should keep Kate happy! Hehe see you all next chapter!