Joey's father died. Her mother couldn't afford to take care of both her and Serenity with Serenity's illness. Serenity's illness runs in her mother's family. Joey's mother's aunt had the illness. Joey's mother resents her sister and parents for many years because of how much attention her sister needed and got. She had to go to therapy for many years. She didn't want that for Joey. So Joey gets sent to live with her grandparents in Europe. Her grandparents, at her mother's insistence, make sure she got to therapy to understand it wasn't because her mother loved her less.
You don't actually call her that do you?" Marisela asks in horror as she recovers from her coughing fit.
Seto Kaiba glares at her. Marisela was a friend of Wheeler, who come to visit her from Europe. "If I call her Mutt, what is it to you?"
"No wonder, Joey hates you if you call her by that nickname." Marisela shakes her head.
"Why, because I am insulting her?"
"No because that is what Ryan used to call her."
"Who's Ryan?" Mokuba asks.
"He was Joey's Italian teacher, but also a surrogate father figure to her." Marisela picks up her tea and swirls it as she gathers her thoughts. "After Joey's parental grandparents take her back with them to Europe when her father died, they enrolled Joey in a very prestigious school program. Joey gets in with a scholarship using her strength of math and music. However, the majority of the other participants simply paid their way in. They looked down on Joey, because she wasn't as rich as them and because she was half-Asian. Ryan was the only teacher that wasn't afraid to stand up for her and the other scholarship students." Marisela takes a sip of her green tea. "The two of them form a strong bond the moment they meet. Ryan was homosexual and had a husband, Alec. They saw Joey as a daughter. Alec was close to Joey too, but more as an uncle. Ryan taught Joey not just the language of Italy but also its culture."
"So where does the nickname "mutt" come into play?"
"Ryan calls her that as a way for her be proud of her Eurasian heritage. Mixed-breed dogs are generally healthier and stronger. It was a way for Joey to take back her power from the rich students." Marisela sighs sadly. "Ryan died unexpectedly a few years back. When you call Joey Mutt, it must be like stabbing daggers into her heart."
"I am sorry," Kaiba said uncharacteristically. "I didn't know."
"It is not me you have to apologize to," Marisela said sternly.
Kaiba scowls at the thought of apologizing to Wheeler.
"Hey, at least you can still call Joey "puppy," Mokuba tries to cheer his brother up. Unfortunately, Marisela's wincing put an end to that. "Let me guess. That was also something Ryan called Joey."
"Actually, it was Hadrian's nickname for her. Alec was a martial arts instructor. Hadrian, or Harry as he preferred to be called, was a student. Like Ryan and Joey, Alec was a surrogate father to Harry. Joey loved martial arts. She and Harry sparred every chance they get. Harry was an orphan. His parents" Marisela spat out the word as though it was poison. "Abandoned him because they thought he had a medical condition. They didn't think to get him check out by an actual doctor. They just take the word of some old crackpot without a day of medical training!" It makes her blood boils every time she thinks about it. Honestly, the Potters should be glad they never cross her path.
Kaiba lightly coughs. "As interesting as Harry's past is, I believe that you were telling me about Wheeler."
"Ah yes. Harry was a few years older. He was always calm and collected, so Joey sees him as a reliable older brother. Harry thought Joey was a loyal and energetic woman with a heart and hair of gold, hence the nickname Puppy. Harry considers Joey his little sister, his only sister." Marisela had seen the argument Harry had with his biological family and especially his twin sister. It ended with Harry declaring Joey was the only sister he had. Joey had been touched by the declaration. The Potters, not so much.
"Okay so Seto shouldn't call Joey puppy or mutt. Anything else we should know?"
"Yes," Mokuba groans. Who know Joey was so complicated? "Don't call her Nightingale. That was Aspen's nickname for her."
"Aspen?"
"Joey's boyfriend."
"BOYFRIEND!?"
"Yes, they have been dating for about a year before…" Marisela trails off.
"Why did he call her Nightingale?" Kaiba asks, curious about the weird nickname.
"Joey's grandfather was a vocal coach. He taught her everything he know. That is why Joey can sound like a man. Joey's grandmother loved music. So, Joey ended up with very good singing skills. She prefers mysterious and soulful songs over cheerful and sappy ones. Joey feels that the songs were best sung when it was dark, so she has a habit of singing at night. That is how she and Aspen meet."
"What happened between them, messy breakup?"
"No. They were a sweet couple, until" Marisela draws in a breath. The silence was heavy, and the only reason they heard the next part was "Aspen was killed."
Marisela looks into the distance as though she was seeing into the past. "It was graduation for those in the program. There was going to be a party to celebrate. Ryan and Alec had gone shopping for suits. Harry had gone with them to get a new suit for a job interview. Aspen was having a meal at a restaurant next to the store." Marisela put her hand to her head. What happened that day still haunts her. So many lives were lost, and for what? Alcohol? A stunt? Speed? "A drunk driver crashes into the department store and causes it to collapse, injuring and killing many people. The stores next to it also suffered damages." Left unsaid that was what killed Aspen.
"Three of the most important people in her life were gone, all in one day. Joey came back to Japan because she couldn't deal with the memories in Europe."
"Why didn't Joey tell me?" Kaiba asks.
"She probably didn't want to give you more ammunition to hurt her." Joey learned to not show any weakness to her enemies when she was in school. (That wasn't something that was supposed to be taught by the school program but was something learned by all scholarship students.
I used a non-magical version of the wrong boy who lived trope.