Serenity Wheeler strolled through the campus courtyard in a desperate search for her older brother. Instead of finding him she stumbled upon Maria, sitting beneath a speckled orange and red oak tree, eyes fixed on the latest Harry Potter novel. "Maria!" she exclaimed approaching the brunette. "How are you?"
Maria glanced up from her book, looking around to see who had called out her name. When she finally noticed Serenity she rose to her feet, and greeted the younger girl. "Hey Serenity, what brings you here?"
"I'm looking for Joey, have you seen him?"
"I was with him earlier. He and Yugi went back to their dorm. I'll take you there if you want."
By the time they arrived at the dorm Yugi had already left, and Joey was fast asleep. Thus, Maria received no response when she knocked at the door. "Joey, I know you're there open the door," Maria commanded pounding on his door louder.
After a few minutes of banging and yelling, Joey groggily opened the door, disheveled in a half-sleep daze. "Huh?" was his brilliant response.
"Why are you asleep at 5 in the afternoon?"
"Why not?"
"Joey!" Serenity exclaimed hugging her brother.
"Eh?" Joey blinked, utterly confused, before realizing the girl clutching his waist was his little sister. "Serenity? What are ya doin' here?"
"I live here now." She smiled. "Didn't Dad tell you?"
"No, he didn't " The tone of Joey's voice significantly dropped. "But thas great news!"
"Well I just stopped by to tell you." She kissed his cheek. "But I've got to go. There's someone I need to meet up with before I leave."
She exited the room before Joey could raise any questions. "get dressed," Maria ordered, interrupting Joey from his confused stupor. "You can't sleep all day."
"Aw, why not?"
Maria responded by simply chucking a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt at her boyfriend. "Fine, fine." Joey gave up, smirking as he began to undress with Maria in the room.
"Not in front of me!" she snapped, whacking him on the head.
"You know you want to watch."
Maria's face flushed. "Shut-up!" She quickly exited the room, waiting outside the dorm.
Not long after, Joey emerged from the dorm fully dressed. "Now where shall we go oh mistress," he sneered receiving yet another whack on the head. "I kid, I kid."
"I was thinking we could stop by Starbuck's and grab something to drink."
"By 'you think' you mean 'we are."
"You catch on quick," she smirked.
Joey sighed as Maria dragged him off to the caffeinated café of goodness. At Starbuck's they quickly ordered their drinks, a tall Green Tea Frappuccino for Maria and a venti Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino and large cookie for Joey, and sat outside on the picnic tables to enjoy their beverages (and cookie). Before the two even sat down at the table, Joey noted a couple obnoxiously and blatantly making out on the picnic table next to them. "Some people," he muttered, taking a large bite into his super special awesome cookie.
After finishing his cookie in about three bites, Joey turned around to yell at the lewd couple. However, before a word could escape his mouth he was stunned in silence. The couple was none other than his best friend Tristan and little sister. He was left agape, as he simply stared at the two. Maria shot a "wtf" look at Joey, before following his gaze to Tristan and Serenity. "Joey," she roughly whispered. "Don't embarrass her."
"He's. makin. out .wit. my. sister," he growled, seething with anger.
"She is a woman; we have needs to ya know?"
"But she's my sister!"
"Would you want my brother to stop us from making out?"
Joey's face softened at this statement, rendering him speechless for a few moments. "Exactly," Maria added. "Now finish your drink, so we can get out of here and let these two have their privacy."
"Fine," he grumbled, still not keen on his sister and Tristan's 'activities'.
All the while Maria and Joey sat their, the couple hadn't even noticed their presence, for they were too busy in their session. "If he tries anythin' more I'll kill 'im," Joey snarled, while he and Maria walked away.
"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, an obvious tinge of annoyance in her voice. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Fine." It was silence for a few minutes, before Joey broke it. "I can't believe it, though, I mean she's my lil' sis! She shouldn't be doin' dese t'ings."
"I give up," Maria exclaimed, tossing her arms in the air and stomping away. Scrounging through her Tokidoki purse she withdrew her cell phone, dialing Devin's number. The phone rang a few times before switching to voicemail. She then tried the phone in the dorm only to receive no answer yet again. "Where does this girl run off to in the middle of the day?" she sighed, placing her phone back in her purse.
As she continued making her way to the courtyard she nearly collided with a tall, barely clad woman with cascading blonde locks. "Hello Maria," the woman cooed, drawing out her hello. "Have you seen that boyfriend of yours anywhere?"
"Hello Mai." Maria's tone went sharp. "I'm sorry I haven't."
'Pity," she sighed. "Because I'm in need of his services."
"What services?" Maria growled her face hardening.
"Oh nothing like that," Mai assured, chuckling slightly. "I just need someone to help me move my belongings into my new apartment."
The expression on Maria's face softened greatly, she had always assumed Mai had a thing for her boyfriend, and tended to be on her guard around the woman. "Is that all? Well I'm sure there are other guys capable of helping you."
"I suppose." A look of disappointment quickly flashed on the blonde's face. "I guess I'll just have to ask Marik. He's one of the only men in this school not about to die from emaciation."
"True," Maria laughed. "All the guys I know are half the size of most the woman in this school."
"Especially that Yugi, granted he's about half the height of any woman I know, you included."
"Are you calling me short?!" Maria snapped, clenching her fists.
"No point in denying it, I mean the average woman is at least five inches taller than you."
"Just shut-up and follow me," Maria huffed, quickening her pace.
It only took a few minutes to reach Marik's dorm, and what they saw when they arrived shocked them. Marik was on his bed, in mid-process of snorting a line, while Devin and Ryo sat in the center of the room, Devin teaching Ryo how to correctly smoke crank. As the white smoke billowed in the air she quickly inhaled the substance, her glossy eyes becoming even more glazed over. "Oh shit," was Marik's only response, though he said such with an uncanny smile on his face.
"Corrupting the innocent are we?" Mai laughed, pointing to Ryo. "Mind if I have a toke?"
"Sure, there's plenty to go around."
"For Christ's sake," Mari exclaimed, gaping at the scene before her. "Does this town breed drug addicts?"
"Don't forget alcoholics," Devin added, smirking at Maria.
"Ya know what? Shut-up."
"Aw calm down little Maria," Mai cooed, just before inhaling a puff of smoke.
"And Ryo!" Maria glowered at the Brit. 'I expected better from you."
"They convinced me," he remarked, a far out tone in his voice. 'And I'm bloody glad they did."
"Corruption!"
"He's my work in progress," Devin gloated, wrapping her arms around Ryo's tiny waist, causing a slight tinge to his cheeks.
"That's it I'm outta here."