Conflicts

Tristan felt his head pounding as he stood in the middle of nowhere. He walked towards what he thought was a town, but never got any closer. He looked down for a moment and realized there was no ground beneath his feet.

"Tristan, time to get up!" Tristan plummeted to the floor with a loud thump, entangled in his blankets as his mother yelled for him, knocking on the door.

"Oww! Geez Mom, I'm up."

"Better hurry or you'll be late for school."

"Yeah, that'd really suck," Tristan murmured under his breath, hoping she didn't hear him. He could hear his mother's footsteps going downstairs and he sighed in relief. He squirmed under the blankets as he tried to dig his way to freedom. He finally got out of them and stumbled to the bathroom. He stared at his reflection as he saw his chocolate-colored hair flying every direction. He groaned and grabbed a comb, structuring his hair forward in a very stiff and pointy spike.

"Tristan! You're not gonna have time for breakfast!" His mother yelled up the stairs. Tristan ran back into his room and threw on his uniform, grabbed his bag and made his way out his door and down the staircase to the kitchen.

"Hi, Mom; bye, Mom!" He started to run out the front door but was restrained by his mother's hand gripping his bag.

"Hey now, what about breakfast?"

"I'll be fine, Mom. Joey always brings donuts before class, I'll grab one from him."

"Alright, be careful."

"I know, I will be." Tristan ran out and waved to his mother. He made his way across the streets quickly, his bag bouncing against his back. He glanced at his watch as he approached the school.

"Glad I don't live far away." Tristan caught sight of Joey at the door and smiled. As he got closer he blinked at the sight before him. Joey was sharing his breakfast with Yugi this morning. You're overreacting, it's just food and Joey wouldn't leave you out.

"Hey Tristan!" Yugi was the first to notice Tristan's approach.

"Hey man, you're late!" Joey smiled up at him, ignoring the slight frown on Tristan's face.

"Oh, I'm sorry Tristan…Joey and I just ate the last donuts." Yugi looked up at the much taller boy with his big purple puppy-dog eyes. His apology seemed sincere enough, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Yeah, whatever," Tristan muttered as he shoved past Yugi and Joey into the building. He sighed in frustration as he disappeared into the classroom.

Joey watched Tristan leave and scratched his blond head, furrowing his eyebrows.

"What's da matter wit' him?" He turned and looked down at Yugi. "Tink he got PMS?"

"Joey, that's not nice! I dunno, maybe he's upset about the donuts."

"Yeah, I leave home early every day so I can grab breakfast and eat it here. Dat way I don't gotta worry 'bout dat old man who calls me 'son' chucking a beer bottle at me while I try ta eat."

"That's awful, Joey," Yugi said softly and looked downward as he rose to his feet. "If Tristan's used to eating with you, maybe that's why he's upset."

"Nah…he probably just skipped breakfast is all." Joey stood up and dusted his uniform off, then he and Yugi headed into the building to join Tristan in the classroom.

Tristan was thumbing through some Duel Monsters playing cards of his when Joey and Yugi entered. He saw them but paid them no attention as he slipped his deck of cards back into his pocket.

"Tristan, what's your problem man?" Joey sat down in his seat behind him. "I know you're hungry but it was just a few donuts."

"It's not about the damn donuts," Tristan whispered under his breath.

"Then what is it?"

"You wouldn't understand," Tristan murmured. I'm not even sure I do.

Joey never got to respond as the teacher walked in that moment to begin class. He scowled and decided to confront Tristan after school was over.

Tristan knew how stubborn and persistent Joey was, so as soon as the final bell rang, he slipped out the classroom door and bolted outside before the blond could catch him. He sighed and shook his head thinking he shouldn't have abandoned them like that, but he refused to turn back. As he made his way in front of his house, he rammed his fist into a tree without so much as a flinch.

"It's not that big a deal, so why am I acting this way?" He frowned and walked into the house, immediately changing his expression to a more cheerful one. "Hey Mom, I'm home."

"Hey, there you are." Tristan's mom stepped out of the living room and into the kitchen. "Joey just called from Yugi's place, he said he wants to talk to you. He's still on the line waiting for you."

"Oh f—" Tristan caught himself before finishing the word. "I mean I'll pick up the line in my room." He quickly ran up the stairs and went into his room tossing his bag carelessly aside. He pushed a few buttons on the phone, setting it on speaker mode before plopping down on the bed. "I got it, Mom. You can hang up now."

"Okay, sweetie." A clicking sound told him she wasn't on the line anymore.

"Heh, hey dere 'sweetie,'" Joey was heard to chuckle.

"Shut up." He couldn't help but smirk and roll his eyes at Joey's teasing. "What is it, Joey?" Tristan stared up at the ceiling.

"Why'd you run off like dat?"

"Felt like it." There was a short pause in their conversation.

"Well, Yugi and I are over here at his grandpa's shop. He's up in his room right now adding some cards to his Duel Monsters deck. You can come over and get some new cards too if ya want."

"Yeah, I know." Why would I care? Yes, I have a deck of cards, but dueling isn't my life, Joey. Tristan sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Not tonight, Joey. I'm just gonna go to sleep."

"Oh, okay, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, if you're not coming over. Bye."

"Yeah, bye Joey." Joey was heard to hang the phone up, but Tristan thought he heard a sigh before it hit the receiver. He turned the speaker off and shook his head and leaned back into the wall. Just your imagination, Tristan. He crawled back off the bed and sat at his desk, grabbing a pen and his notebook.

What is wrong with me? Obviously, something must be or I wouldn't be feeling this way. Damn it, I just don't understand this. Maybe I can figure it out if I think hard enough. I've known Joey since middle school. Yeah, Joey and I were as close as two guys could be to each other and we stuck by the other's side forever since then. I thought it would always be that way too. But things just keep happening and I don't know why I'm so upset. We met this Yugi kid, Joey liked nothing more than to pick on him, to make him more of a man. What does that mean, anyway? Ever since that day Yugi became a part of our group, Joey's been spending less time with me and more with him. I feel like there's been a wedge shoved between us. Ever since he came into the picture, he's been the one to help Joey. That's MY job, damn it. Not that puny little spiky-haired…never mind. I began realizing I missed him over awhile. This isn't right, why do I miss him so much? He's always right there with me and the others…standing by Yugi. Am I jealous? I don't understand why I would be, I've had him to myself for so long as it is. But that's not the bad part. I began longing for him. I wanted to hold him. I shouldn't be thinking this way, he's practically my brother after all. He's spent most of his time over here since his dad's a drunken pain in the ass. My mom even said she'd adopt him if we could, but his dad would never agree to it. He'd refuse just so he'd have Joey to throw his own problems onto. Mom can't press charges either, not without Joey admitting what his dad does to him. But am I really like this? Fawning over pretty girls all the time, the magazines my mother would kill me over if she saw…am I lying to myself? I admit I never do anything for the girls, I'm too busy thinking to do stuff. So maybe I'm not entirely straight like I thought. I wasn't like this before I met Joey. Okay, so I'll admit it. I do like Joey. But I don't know if I could ever tell him that. Yugi isn't the only problem I have, maybe it's my imagination, the connection between those two. The thing is, he probably really does like girls. I just wish I knew. He can't possibly feel this way towards me like I do towards him. I've lost him…

Tristan put his pen down and laid his arms on his desk, head rested on his arms. He sighed and held back the tears that threatened to fall, there was no way he was going to cry no matter how much he wanted to, even though there was nobody around to see if he did.
"Damn you, Joey. How dare you make me love you?" He folded his arms tightly around his eyes and shuddered, eventually falling asleep.

The next morning, Tristan had gotten up early and was in the kitchen long before his mother walked in.

"You're awake awfully early, Tristan. Something wrong?" His mother asked.

"No." Tristan thought a moment and shook his head. "Yeah, there is something wrong, Mom."

"Well, maybe I can help."

"Hypothetically, what if you love someone but aren't sure they love you in the same way?"

"The only way for you to find out is to ask, sweetie."

"Alright, well say people didn't approve of the person you liked."

"Honey, if you love someone, it doesn't matter what other people think."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm gonna go on to school, Mom." Tristan stood up to leave.

"Tristan?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell him I said hi." Tristan's mother smiled at him. He blushed and ran out the door, the letter upstairs forgotten.

Tristan was edgy as he approached the school building. What did she mean "tell 'him' I said hi"? Does she know? I can't tell Joey the truth, he'd laugh at me. He felt someone following him and immediately took a swing at whatever was there. He stared blankly for a moment as his fist hit nothing but air.

"Tristan, what are you doing?"

"Yugi?" Tristan peered down at the smaller teen.

"Joey was upset when you didn't come last night."

"Yeah, mad he couldn't beat me at Duel Monsters."

"This isn't about the card game, Tristan."

"That's exactly what it's about!" Tristan roughly lifted Yugi by the collar and shoved him against the wall.

"Tristan!" Yugi's eyes bulged as he was lifted a good three feet off the ground.

"You know, maybe you have a point. This goes far beyond those cards. Ever since you became Joey's friend, I never see him!"

"What are you talking about? You always see him." Yugi's voice was fairly level for someone pinned against a wall.

"Ever since I met him, it's just been me and him. Then you came along. He's not yours, he's mine!" As he registered what he had just said, he immediately let Yugi down. "I didn't mean that. Don't ever tell him I said that." He turned away and started up the steps into the building.

"I won't say anything, Tristan. But I think you should."

"So I'm told," Tristan muttered and looked back at Yugi. "Where is Joey anyway?"

"I don't know…he's usually here by now." Yugi blinked and followed Tristan into the school. Both boys stepped into the class, but Joey wasn't there. The morning went by slowly, neither Tristan nor Yugi heard anything the teachers were saying. Each class passed by with no sign of Joey until their study hall period. Joey burst through the door and made his way to the desks where Yugi and Tristan sat. Joey's clothes were severely wrinkled, his blond hair messier than usual, and his entire left eye was swollen shut.

"Joey! What happened to you?" Tristan rose to his feet, ready to go out and pound someone into the ground.

"My dad happened, Tris. He had a little too much to drink last night and I guess I was in his way dis morning when he got home." Joey slapped away Tristan's hand as he tried to poke at the eye.

"Joey, you shoulda stayed home if you were this hurt. What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stay dere…he woulda got me again."

"You're coming to my place then." He grabbed his bag and held Joey's arm, then looked over at Yugi. "Take notes for us in the next classes, okay?"

"Of course, Tristan." Yugi nodded.

"By the way, sorry about earlier Yugi."

"It's okay, Tristan, I understand. But remember what I said, okay?"

"Yeah, alright." Tristan took Joey up to the supervising teacher and showed him the black eye. The teacher gave permission for Tristan to escort Joey home, though he failed to mention whose home he was taking him to. Tristan walked Joey across the streets carefully.

"You really should tell someone about your dad, Joey. He shouldn't be able to get away with this."

"I can't tell anyone, you know dat. He'd just find me and beat da living out of me."

"I don't want you dead, man."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be alright."

"I still wish you'd tell someone, Mom can't do anything about it unless you cooperate." Tristan brought Joey up to the door and led him inside. "Go up to my room, I'll make you an ice pack for that eye." Joey nodded and felt his way along the wall and up the staircase, his good eye was just fine so Tristan could tell he was trying to milk the situation and make it seem more severe. Tristan just shook his head and grabbed a Ziploc bag and scooped some of the ice from the freezer into it. He then wrapped the bag in a couple of paper towels and taped it together so that it wouldn't fall apart. Once he was satisfied with the ice pack, he brought it upstairs to give to Joey. He nearly dropped it when he caught sight of Joey reading something on his desk, tears streaming down his face. Damn it, the letter!

"You really feel this way about me, man?" Joey's voice was little more than a whisper as he glanced at his dark haired friend. Tristan could only look down at the floor and nod, passing Joey the ice pack without looking at him. Great, now I really am going to lose him. I didn't even get to tell him, he had to READ it. He sighed and awaited Joey's response. The blond just took the ice pack and put it over his left eye, looking at Tristan with his good one.

"Well say something," Tristan whispered.

"I never knew, Tris. I didn't know all dat time spending with Yugi, I was ignoring you. You should have knocked some sense into me. I'm sorry, I shoulda been wit' you." Tristan blinked, his stomach churning as Joey failed to comment on the more important issue. He walked over and sat on his bed and sighed.

"I didn't mean for you to read that."

"I'm glad I did, man." Joey stood up from the desk chair and sat beside Tristan. "I have a confession to make. I like you too, Tristan. Only reason I hung around Yugi so much was 'cause I was confused, I don't like him dat way, honest."

"Really?" Tristan's face flushed as he smiled. "But what'll everyone at school say?"

"Dey don't gotta know." Joey leaned his head against Tristan's shoulder, still holding the ice pack up. "Yugi and our other friends won't care, dey'll be happy for us."

Tristan hugged Joey tightly and nodded to him.

"I'll go and tell Mom you're going to be staying here more often." Tristan stood and let go of Joey, then smiled at him and left the room to tell his mother the good news.