NOTE: As you noticed last chapter, the first half of that chapter was focused around Ryou, specifically: his thoughts, and actions. Think of it as a POV (point of view). There will be different POV's throughout the story, such as the one coming up now…after this short disclaimer….
Revised: July 27-28, 2004I apologize if the revisions aren't all that great. I did them in a bit of a hurry. If I missed a few parts indicating Marik and Ishizu are there, please tell me. I'll re-do that part. Hope you guys like the newer stuff…but I'm not entirely sure you will…sighs If you guys don't like it…then I might have to remove it….
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Chapter 2: Surprise, Surprise!
Joey opened his eyes slightly, having just been woken up by someone shaking him.
"Joey…bro…Joey…wake up! We have to leave for Yugi's in an hour and a half!" some female voice explained. Joey sat up and rubbed his eyes. It sounded like his sister's voice….
With the sleep out of his eyes, Joey now looked at who woke him up, and yelped loudly, "Ah! Who the heck are you!"
Serenity sighed, "Joey! You are very aware that it's me!" she looked very irritated, "You may be dumb as a doornail in the morning, but you're not that stupid."
"Hey!" Joey protested. Then, he got a good look at his sister, and yelped, "W-What in God's name are you wearing!" Joey's eyes widened. Indeed, she was wearing something far from her usual, pretty conservative clothing.
Today, she was wearing a mini light pink tank top, with really short white shorts and flip-flops with little palm trees on them.
"Oh, this? Well, obviously you know what it is…. I went shopping and picked it up. I've got tons of them for this month," she explained. Joey's eyes widened in horror. What happened to his conservative, right-headed sister?
He was almost afraid to ask, "W-What happened to you?"
Serenity groaned, "Joey, just because I don't usually dress this way, doesn't mean I've changed for the worse."
"I'd like to second guess that," Joey smiled.
"Joey!" Serenity grabbed a pillow, with a smirk on her face and whacked him with it. He screamed and fell over on the bed. Then, Serenity threw aside the pillow, and began walking out the door, "Now, get ready. Breakfast will be done when you get done. And-" Joey groaned while she said this. There was more? What else could she possibly have to tell? "I'm in an extra-happy mood this morning, sooo, you're breakfast will be extra happy!" and she skipped off to the kitchen.
Joey's eye twitched in amazement as he watched is sister skip off to the kitchen. This couldn't be real…. What was this summer road-trip doing to her?
Joey slowly got up and out of bed, shaking his head. He hoped it had all been a dream. After showering himself with cold water to "wake" himself up, he slipped on his light blue T-shirt, and jean shorts. He went to the kitchen hoping Serenity had on a nice, conservative short sleeve shirt, or something, that didn't partially remind him of the stuff Mai wore. Technically, what Mai wore was much more…revealing…than the simple tank top that Serenity had on.
He was most certainly and utterly…wrong. Serenity set down a plate in his usual spot at the table. Joey sat down and looked at his plate, while Serenity skipped off to back their gear to the front door. They'd be walking the few blocks to Yugi's house.
On Joey's plate was a pancake, with eggs, that were sunny side up near the top of the pancake, and a curved piece of bacon near the bottom of it. All in all, it looked like a smiley face. Joey sweat-dropped. Was this new "face" of Serenity's ever going to leave, or any time soon, at least?
They reached the game shop half an hour later. Well…at least, Joey did. Serenity was lagging behind…due to all the stuff that she was carrying.
Yugi opened the door, "Hey, Joey! What's up?"
"Nothin' much…unless you want to count Serenity's weird new attitude. Man, Yug, she's been at it all morning! Skippin' around, hummin'…she even made a smiley face outta my breakfast!" Joey threw at Yugi. Yugi's eyebrows rose slowly.
"I see…she's just excited, that's all."
"Excited? EXCITED? Yug! Whenever she's excited, she's most certainly CALM about it! Not dancin' around or the like!"
"Why don't you calm down, Joey? Everyone's acting like that today," Yugi explained.
"Oh…okay!" Joey brightened up.
"Speaking of which…where is Serenity?" Yugi inquired, looking past the doorframe.
"HERE!" she yelled, still halfway down the block.
"Did someone say that Serenity's here?" Tristan appeared eagerly in the doorway.
"Yeah…over dere," Joey pointed down the walk.
"Hey, Serenity! I'll help you with that!" Tristan ran down the walk, to the intersection of sidewalks, then stopped when:
"No need! I'm helping her!" Duke called out, running from his newly parked car, to go help Serenity.
"Not if I get there first!" Tristan replied, and ran down the walk. Joey and Yugi watched them uncertainly; Yugi scratching his cheek gently, and Joey watching them go after his little sister.
Serenity saw the boys nearing. She took and quick intake of breath and stepped aside. Had she not, the two would have tumbled over her. Instead, Duke having tried to stop before her, and Tristan bumping into the back of him, they tumbled down, into a mess.
"That's…okay, guys…I'll carry it myself…." Serenity tried running as fast as she could, loaded down by everything. Tristan and duke were…slow to recover…then started bickering about whom had made them lose their chance at Serenity.
She eventually reached the two boys, still standing there, and dropped what she was carrying, ready to fall face flat on the pavement.
"Joey, how much did you pack?" Serenity suddenly asked. One of the bags she had been carrying, and one suitcase was hers. The rest, were Joey's. Her cases were even relatively lighter than her brother's.
"Sorry sis," Joey apologized, giving her one of his incredibly warm (and VERY good looking…might HOT emphasize it?) smiles.
Yugi led them to the back of the shop, where Tea and Mai were moving the suitcases near the center of the living room. On seeing Serenity, they smiled at one another.
"Hey, lookin' good, Serenity!" Tea stood up straight. Tea was wearing a light green mini shirt, with short jean shorts. Mai was wearing a light purple tank top, with a slightly darker skirt.
"Well, it looks like that trip to the mall did you some good," Mai stated, "Aren't we great to hang out with?"
Joey suddenly rushed up to them, "You mean, you did that to my sister?" he pointed to Serenity, whom was currently laughing at Joey's sudden, and unneeded accusation. I mean, her look wasn't that bad, or that revealing at all! It was pretty normal…. Poor Joey just wasn't used to seeing his sister so…manipulated.
Mai suddenly put an arm around his shoulders and leaned her head on his, "Relax, hun, you're going to see it all for a month! Maybe even more, so get used to it!" she laughed and let go of him. Joey blushed slightly at having been so close to her
Tristan, Serenity and Duke then entered through the doorway. Serenity threw down the luggage and collapsed on the couch.
"When'd you get here?" Tea inquired, directing the question towards Duke.
"Just now," Duke heaved a sigh, putting the luggage down, "I was helping Serenity with her and Joey's luggage."
Tristan set down his share of the luggage, and growled, "Sure…take all the credit."
"So, that just leaves Ryou," Yugi commented. As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Everybody ran to open it.
There stood Ryou, with a duffle and some bags, "Am I late?"
"Nope!" Tea suddenly said.
Eventually, everyone, and their things, except the Ishtar's and Yugi's things (they were taking their cars) were in the family room. They were just about ready to roll.
"Have we got everything?" Tea inquired, looking around. Everybody nodded.
"Great!" Joey cried out, "Now Yugi, show us this really great car you have, that you don't want anything to happen to!"
"Alright, alright, calm down, Joey, I'll show you," Yugi took out his keys, and everyone filled out through the backdoor, into the Muto's small backyard, where a single garage stood, with a small driveway, leading onto the adjacent street to which the front of the shop looked.
Yugi pressed in the code on the key box near the garage to open the door. When it opened, there sat a metallic, sparkling, silver, BMW convertible…with leather seats, too (can't forget that!)!
Joey immediately ran over, and started, lightly running his hand over the hood, "Oh my gosh! This…this car! It's beautiful!" If he hadn't cared for his friend as much as he did, drool probably would've been on the hood by now.
Yugi, though, was getting a little touchy about Joey running his hand over it, "Okay, Joey…you get to ride in it, so…umm…you can back away now…."
"Relax, Yug, I'm not gonna kill it!" Joey retorted. Mai was even impressed.
"Wow! It looks better than mine!" Duke even liked it, and he was pretty wealthy.
"And your grandpa bought this for you?" Tea inquired.
"Yep!" Yugi seemed really pleased.
"Well, let me pull it out, so we can load it up!" Yugi hopped (and I literally mean, hopped! He jumped over the door and into the driver's seat) into the driver's seat, and started the car. Everyone backed away, as the car ran smoothly, hardly making a sound, as it moved out of the small garage and out onto the small driveway.
After turning the car off, Yugi hopped out, and ran back inside, with the others to get the cargo of the people he was taking. Mai ran to bring her car over, so that they could load up easily in her convertible as well.
After twenty minutes, Yugi said goodbye to his grandpa, and the gang drove off, first down a few domestic streets, and then out into the city, eventually onto the highways.
Seto packed the last of the suitcases (his happened to be last) into his black Lamborghini. He had decided on taking his car, so that the chauffeur wouldn't have to stay with them to drive the limo, for a month. He also liked riding in…style…showing off his wealth. We can't expect anymore from him, can we? Strange…his suitcase felt lighter now than it did last night…oh well. It was none of his concern.
Soon, after getting his brothers into the car (which was no hard task) they drove off. After taking a few city streets, they eventually reached the highway. Well, a completely bare highway. Seto, as he drove along, thought it was quite strange: no one else was traveling along this highway. Their car was the only one seen, on either side of the highway.
Of course, he had noticed in the reservations that there had been a price cut, due to slow business. Now, he could believe there was slow business. No one was going there. Only they were…or so it seemed, at first.
Mokuba and Noa sat in the back of the car, with the windows rolled down, trying to cool themselves off. Even though they were in light clothing (Mokuba was in a tan, short sleeve shirt, and shorts, and Noa was in a white sleeveless shirt, with a couple purple outlines on them, and some jean shorts) they were still excruciatingly hot.
Kaiba…well…he was practically dying of heat. Let's just say he's not the greatest dresser: a short sleeve black shirt and (for once) jean pants. His brothers, for some reason, had argued with him on what he was wearing. Now, he knew why. And it didn't help that he hadn't packed any shorts for this stupid month at the beach. (However, his brothers had made sure he did…. But he didn't know that.)
As they had the windows all rolled down, they eventually heard something, besides their lonely wheels on the rode: music.
"Huh, I wonder where that music is coming from," Mokuba inquired.
Seto looked in the rear-view mirror, "Looks like we've got company." Indeed, a silver convertible was coming up behind them. (Guess who!) Seto sighed and gripped the wheel tighter, "What annoying music. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind." The Kaibas still didn't know who was driving the car, and neither did those in the convertible know who was driving in the Lamborghini.
Eventually, the silver BMW was side by side with Kaiba. Noa (who was on the side that faced the convertible) leaned his head out the window to get a look at them.
"No way!" he started.
"What?" Mokuba immediately leaned over on Noa's side to look, "Hey! No way! Hey guys!" he shouted.
"Who is it?" Kaiba said, still keeping his eyes on the road.
Joey heard a familiar voice and looked at the black Lamborghini next to them, eyes widening (not just from the type of car) but from the people waving in the back, "No way! Hey you two!"
Kaiba heard the voice. No. It couldn't be…not the mutt. He slipped a glance at the car and his face fell. Almost forgetting the wheel, it turned sharply in the direction of Yugi's lane. Yugi yelped and steered his car to where it barely hit the side of the highway. He didn't know who was in the car…yet.
"Watch the road, you moron!" Yugi shouted, keeping his eyes on the road again, but still fuming that his car (and he and his friends) had almost gotten hurt.
"Uh, Yugi," Duke started.
"What?" Yugi snapped back.
"You might wish to see who you yelled that at," Ryou, who sat next to Yugi, stated. Yugi looked and saw a glaring Kaiba.
"Oh…oops," Yugi snapped his head back in the direction of the road in front of him. "Tell me that was just a hallucination, Yami," he inquired, mentally.
"I'm sorry Yugi, but it's not. That indeed was Kaiba." Yugi changed the subject, by looking in the rear-view mirror.
"Where are the girls?" he inquired.
Tristan turned around, "Did we lose them?"
"Whatcha lookin' for?" Mokuba yelled through the window.
"The girls!" Joey shouted back. Kaiba sighed. Great…they were coming too. He thought, hopefully, it just might be those boys. They were enough trouble: yelling out the windows, causing him to not concentrate on the road as well.
But it was strange: where were they going? Hardly anybody, it seemed, used this highway.
Soon though, he could hear who he supposed the girls would be. More music began drifting down the highway, and a particular song rang through. Serenity had insisted Mai to snap in her CD, specially for the summer, and Mai had cranked up the volume almost to the max…to where poor little Tea, whom was not used to such volume, had earplugs she had brought in her ears, where she could then hear it at a normal level. The song: "Soak up the Sun."
Now, Noa and Mokuba leaned over onto Mokuba's side and looked out through the window, as the girl's car was driving on that side. Eventually, the car came next to them. Then, Tea, who was on the passenger side of the convertible, noticed who was driving in the car. (Serenity was wedged in the middle of the front, with the help of one of those fold-down middle seats.
"Well, speak of the devil!" Tea said. Laughter could be heard from the three, for indeed, they had just been talking about him. Indeed, hearing what these girls said…you'd never know it when they talked to him face to face in school, or whatnot.
Seto ignored them, and pressed his foot to the gas pedal, a little harder. He wanted desperately to get away from these geeks. And it wasn't as if there was any traffic on the highway. There also didn't happen to be any police cars around.
Suddenly, the girls sped up even more than Seto, and cut in front of Kaiba. Seto stepped on the brakes quickly, in order to avoid a collision.
"What the heck were those morons doing?" Seto spat. The girls continued to accelerate, and cut in front of Yugi. He seemed to have no problem with it.
Seto them noticed the exit for the beach coming up. But the gang's cars weren't straying off. He slowed a little, and came behind Yugi's car.
The exit was drawing nearer. This exit would only lead to the beach: nowhere else. Why weren't they turning away, Seto thought. It was just as the road branched off from the highway onto the exit, that Seto's eyes widened, and he about had a heart attack.
The "geek squad" was going to the same beach that he was. One word was used in Seto's mind to describe it all: CRAP.
The three cars turned into the small parking lot of the private beach. Seto kept the car running, for a minute. If they weren't just staying for the night, or for the day, he was leaving.
"Cool! They're staying too? I wonder how long?" Mokuba inquired.
"Don't get your hopes up, kiddo. They're probably staying only a night or so," Seto replied, hoping desperately.
Noa opened the door, and stepped out, "Hey guys! How long are you staying?"
Joey turned around in his seat, "The whole month! Great, isn't it? It's a celebration for graduatin'!"
Seto's face dropped. Him…with them…for the whole month? HECK NO.
"Noa, get back in the car. We're leaving."
"But Seto, we just got here. And you reserved it for the whole month!" Noa retorted. Mokuba pouted too.
Duke overheard, "You're staying the month too?"
Mokuba hopped out, not caring what Seto said, "Yep!" Seto fell forward, his forehead painfully hitting the steering wheel. And the horn. Nearly everyone jumped out of their skins, hearing the sudden nose. Crap almighty…he was going to die.
"Kaiba! Get your flippen head off that annoying horn!" Mai shouted through the noise. Seto lifted his head, and the noise abruptly sopped. Everyone took their hands down from their ears.
Seto turned the ignition off. There was no going away now. Noa was here, seeing a real beach for the first time. Mokuba was not about to leave his "friends." Well, at least he could stay cooped up in his room with his work the whole month. It wouldn't bother him. Yeah right.
He stepped out of the car and went back to the trunk to begin unloading. Noa had run off to the edge of the parking lot to view the beach. Awesome's, and Cool's could be heard from the boy's excited mouth.
"I know, isn't it?" Tea had walked up next to him, and was looking across the water; "I haven't been to a beach for a long time."
"I've been to virtual beaches…but never a real one…unless you count seeing them in the other Japanese islands from a cruise," Noa hadn't yet totally taken in whom he was talking to. It was only when he turned his head to acknowledge her, did he suddenly blush. He had actually talked to her without stuttering…or being evil! It was a miracle!
Tea turned to look at him, and her face contorted into a confused look, "Sunburn already? Or do you have a fever? You want me to check you're temperature?" Tea inquired, completely naïve. (In this story, she's going to be VERY naïve about boy's blushing around her. All shall be explained later. Let's just say her "loving" emotions were cut off some time ago.)
Noa's head didn't move. He was too busy staring at Tea's liquid eyes, reflecting the sun's rays. Tea took that as a yes, and put her hand to his forehead. He reddened even more (if possible in the first place) and immediately heated up.
Tea took her hand away, "Noa…are you sure you're not sick?"
Noa thought it over in his head, Lovesick? YES! Ill? No.
Mokuba was laughing at his stepbrother's reaction. He knew very well of the boy's like for the pretty girl. It was too funny watching Noa heat up at Tea's touch.
Seto, though, didn't know of his like for her, "Mokuba, do you have any idea, why on Earth, Noa is red as a beet?" This only made Mokuba laugh even harder. He doubled over, beside the car, gasping for breath. The rest of the gang stood by their two cars and watched the boy, slightly confused.
"What's so funny, Mokuba?" Serenity inquired.
"N-N-Noa's co-co-mpletely r-r-red b-b-becau-use h-he l-li--" Noa had run over and tackled him in an instant. Who knew when he had heard, or how quickly he had come. All the group, and Seto, knew was that Noa had suddenly appeared at the near explanation.
Noa finally stood up, heaving, and still slightly red.
"Noa, what have I told you about tackling Mokuba…especially in public," Seto said, slightly glaring at his brother.
"I-I…" Noa couldn't finish his explanation without revealing certain facts. Except, they weren't hidden anymore. Mai smiled and walked over.
She pinched his check, lightly, "Aww…isn't that cute. Little Noa here's got a crush on Tea!" Joey and Tristan "aw"ed to create a humorous effect.
Noa turned away, blushing madly, "I do not!"
"Sure," Mai stood back, with her hand on her hips. Seto was just staring at them in utter shock. It couldn't be true. His brother was sensible enough never to fall for some ditzy cheerleader whom also happened to believe in all that magic-crap that had been obsessing Battle City. She also was a friend of Yugi and the mutt.
"Where in the world did you get that utterly insane idea, Valentine," Seto suddenly snapped out of his reverie.
Mai rounded on him, "It's not insane, it's true! I'm an expert at detecting these sorts of things!"
Seto smirked, "Then I'm sure you would've found a boyfriend by now…but you haven't, have you?"
Mai flushed, "That's none of your business! I'll show you! Yugi, go get Tea." (Tea had watched Noa zoom away, but thought that nothing else was important at the time, and turned back to watching the beach she hadn't seen in 16 years.)
Tristan elbowed Joey and whispered, "I'm sure she could have a boyfriend." Joey kicked him, blushing slightly. Tristan yelped.
"Yugi?" Mai turned around, looking for him. He wasn't there. Then, she noticed a few pieces of luggage missing, and looked to see Yugi at the door to the beach house.
"Yugi, wait up!" Serenity suddenly piped up.
On hearing her voice, Noa turned back around and smirked evilly at Mokuba. Mokuba stared back at him, with a look of innocence on his face. Noa thought: Oh…he's a good faker.
"Finally, someone of the nerd herd has a decent idea," Seto murmured, seeing that Yugi had pretty much already gone in. He picked up some suitcases and quickly carried them to the front doors of the beach house. This was going to be a VERY long month….
Well? Did you like it? Well, I've already started the romance feelings. More will come soon enough. Remember to vote for the couples! Review please! I'll try to update soon! It's weird…I have more time in summer to write, yet I update less…go figure.