Fortune Cookie

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"So, Tea. What'd you think?" a proud Joey stood in front of Tea's desk, showing every pride in him.

Tea stared at the arrogant blond and at the piece of paper he just bombarded her tidy desk with. She reluctantly picked up the paper and skimmed through it, while Joey's broad grin never ceased. With every line Tea read, the frown on her forehead increased slightly, until her whole face was twisted in an enraged fury and confused frown.

"What do you think?" again Joey asked and crossed his arms, showing his dignity.

"You...call this essay?"

"Uh... ye-"

"YOU, CALL THIS AN ESSAY!" Tea blew and stood up lightening fast, causing the chair she was sitting in to topple off to its side. No, she wasn't over reacting. She taught extra English lessons to Joey and Yugi, maths and any others. But, it never once got through to him and his thick head. It was only natural for teachers to get flaming mad when their student didn't improve after about a year.

Then Tea was surprise to find Joey not reacting the way he always did; talking back or making just a simple but outrageously funny expression of protest. Instead, he sighed deeply and sat next to her and pouted, took back his essay and looked over it instead of reading over it.

Feeling sorry, Tea made for her seat and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it slightly. Joey looked at her sideways and sort of smiled bitterly and returned to staring at the paper in his hands.

"I'm sorry Joey, I didn't mean it to come out that way...I think...I missed debating and arguing with you," Tea flashed a genuine smile and shook his shoulder gently.

"It's not your fault Tea. I almost expected you to growl at me, for awhile now...sigh, I deserve that kind of lesson once in a while to set me straight," Joey grinned and looked back at Tea, placing the paper back down. "So, then where were we?"

Joey stood up and walked to the front of Tea's desk again and motioned her to stand behind it with a playful grin. "Yup, you were biting my head off and I was being a sissy...then, ahem, WHAT! THIS ESSAY IS PERFECT, TEA! P.E.R.F.E.C.T! WHAT'S WRONG WID IT!"

Being almost literally blown away by the shouting, Tea composed her posture with an adoring smile and yelled straight back, "For your INFORMATION, Joey Wheeler, this essay has got to be the worst I've EVER read since I could read! You're NOT improving, even with a year's teaching, because you're simple too-"

"stupid?"

Stunned by a statement made from other than themselves, both Tea and Joey's confused faces turned towards the voice.

"Yugi!"

Tea giggled lightly and added onto Yugi's statement, "Technically. I was going more for 'too thick-headed and thoughtless', but I guess 'stupid' sums it all up quite well."

"Yugi, are you on her side?" Joey pouted, almost cutely and while smiling Yugi walked to his side, he asked with a serious expression, "What kind of fluffy sickening tricks did she manipulate your mind- or body with this time?"

Yugi burst into a kind of embarrassed laughter and Tea was just standing there with her mouth gaping open, with the whole class looking their way now. 'Wolf whistle' filled the classroom and Tea faced her mischievous classmates, explaining it was just a joke with a furious blush.

She shot Joey a death glare before he could leave the room led by Yugi and Joey plainly made a v-sign with a cheery, "Joey, point one. Tea, nil."

"Well Yug, I guess I owe a thank you...or maybe not,"

"Awww, I rescue you from Tea the flamethrower and I get no gratitude?"

"Hmm...you stick to her side and call me stupid. Do I really owe you any gratitude?" Joey care freely grinned and leaned against the tree they were sitting under.

"Haha, guess not then," Yugi leaned back too and fingered his Millennium Puzzle. They just sat and stared at the view for a moment and Yugi broke the silence.

"Joey?"

"Hmmm?"

"Umm, this might...sound stupid, but, what's going on between Yami and...you know, you?"

Joey suddenly straightened up and looked into his best friend's face. "Whaddayamean?"

"Huh? I meant...don't take it offensively Joey. I was just...curious, that's all,"

Sighing, Joey sank back and said, "You know already. Him and about all this...this..." he made a big wave with his arms and continued, "this hole thingy problem. Or didn't you know?"

"No, no. I knew, of course." Yugi laughed rather forcefully and looked down at his puzzle.

"Don't worry Yug, he's not gonna take my best friend's place, that's where you sit," Joey put an arm around Yugi and hugged him close, rather caringly.

With saddening tears springing to his eyes, Yugi stood up and smiled sourly at his bewildered friend. "I know Joey...but maybe I don't. And...don't do that again."

Yugi walked away, wiping back the tears. Hating Joey for touching him and affecting him like that, he didn't like it, for some reason.

'I know Joey...but, what seat IS he sitting in then?'

'-and you'll discover. A way you must choose, but choosing the wrong will lead to despair and agony with no return to the other. Choose the right, one difficulty down, many a to go. In the darkness and silence you walk, led by someone who knows no silence. That someone does not hear you, you cannot speak to, you are unable to identify anything due to the darkness. Try hard, stubborn is your guide, for he only thinks for your comfort and won't ask for your point of view, he only knows what he knows. Try, be courageous. Step ahead of him, without realizing you've lead him through the blackness and he will destroy the darkness which had been enveloping you. Slow, it may be, but the result will be worth the wait."

"Hey, Joey. This is Yugi and Yami has something to discuss with you, so don't be late and come here now if possible. Bye,"

"Huh?" Joey stared at the receiver in his hands and muttered as he hung up, "I don't know what's gotten into you lately Yugi, but you only talk like that when I'm actually not here and when you're actually leaving a message behind,"

Attitude. Check. Appropriate clothing. Check. Hair? Whatever.

I look casual right? Ah stuff it, it's only Yugi and Yami. Grab that key and...I'm outta here. One quick glance at the mirror. Yup, my ego is shining and good looking, as always. Heh.

Wonder what Yugi's problem is though...I knew he was going through something but...what do I know. Hope it wasn't something someone did to him. There are just too many insensitive jerks out there.

But I know for a fact that Yugi is strong. His inner self is at least. He wouldn't crumble down, unless someone who he really cares for is gone or someone who he really loves is taken away from him...or stolen.

But hey, who in this world can be that frigging heartless?

"Yugi, are you feeling alright?" I do not know how many times I've repeated those last few words these days. He has currently put down the phone from calling Joey and is lost in a trance.

I want to help you Yugi.

I walk up to him and put a hand on his shoulder and he does this great leap as if the whole world is breaking down.

"Huh, what?"

"...what's wrong Yugi,"

"Nothing, really nothing..."

Hmm, if it was nothing, would someone's face likely to glow as red as yours?

This is not going to work, I hate doing this, but..."Yugi, do you want me to..."

"NO! Don't!"

He's terrified.

Hmmm, thought so. Although it'd be a rather fascinating idea to read his mind, not that I do.

"Then what's happening?"

"You..." okay, there's the sigh, "you wouldn't...understand,"

He can't tell me. Yugi has changed. The way he looks at his friends, especially Joey. And even more especially, me. He has changed.

Silence.

Yes, peace and quiet does wonders for me in a lot of situation, so why not for Yugi? I'll leave him to ponder for a little while more.

It's strange though, it's always has been for some time now. I wasn't in a hurry to contact Joey about my 'choice', but Yugi insisted and phoned Joey for me.

What are you trying to do, Yugi?

Ya know, you can't call me crazy. Or paranoid. For that matter, you can't call me nothin'. Hey, it's not my fault that I find my best friend passed out on some stairs and get er...'taken advantage' of his dark side and now helping him to fix his five thousand year old problems.

Nope, it's not any of my business really. But since I'm so nice and with a lot of free time on my hands, I'm helping him. Period. Sure, I'm not expert on love and have no PHD or whatever to actually teach the guy anything, but I'm doing this.

Just doing this. I don't know why, so no asking any questions.

Okay, now, situation here is that my friend is acting totally weird and freaks out at smallest things, like...tap on the shoulder, calling his name a bit louder than usual, running up to him from behind. It's as if he's off in a nice little world of his own! I know, I respect that. In fact, I really respect having a quiet quality time with yourself but Yugi's case is quite extreme you know?

Put yourself in my shoes. Let's carry onto more serious matters... I guess I'm a bit nervous going to meet A) a fidgety friend who I'm quite sure plotting something, not nice and B) I don't know the reason why, I absolutely have no idea what this is about.

Gah, it somehow feels so hopeless. It's nothing serious, nothing big but somehow, it feels so hopeless with more than just TEENAGE ANGST labeled across it.

Why...why the heck did it had to be me? Why not Tristan? Bakura? Tea? Damn Kaiba even? Why...

A destiny? Fate?

Fortune?

Pfft, no. I don't believe in superstitions.

Sigh...get your act together Wheeler. There's the door you need to confront and enter through. Be brave now.

"So. You want me to still carry on with this?"

"Yeah...just till I'm sure. Absolutely sure," Yugi glanced this way and that nervously while playing with his fingers rather uncontrollably.

Another hand appeared from the darkness and held them still. "You don't need to worry. It's all coming together perfectly. Why, you could just go up to him and ask yourself. He's just too naive to deny it to you, you're his...best friend. Aren't you? Or maybe...weren't you?"

Yugi glared at the smirking figure shrouded in darkness but remained silent. 'I shouldn't be doing this...Forgive me Joey, Yami. I REALLY shouldn't be doing...'

"By the way, did you leave those two alone in your house?" the figure straightened up and stretched slightly as he asked the shorter boy.

Yugi hung his head. "Yeah..."

"That'll be a show to watch. A dog and an old crippled ghost, sharing a conversation...or more," the unknown boy cackled as he saw a kind of resentment rise on Yugi's face.

"Just do it fast. I can't stand being the bad guy,"

"As you wish, Yugi," the figure idly turned to leave around the alley way, suddenly stopped and said something over his shoulder before disappearing, "But you know, most of the times, it's the bad guy who gets what he wants."

-EDIT FINISHED-
I'm incredibly sorry that this story was put to halt here. After many years of busy school life, I've completely lost the plot. I wish I could have finished this story…and part of me still want to give it a try to be finished, even if it's inevitable that the plot won't be anywhere near as good as the original. I'll be giving this a good thought, and hopefully decide to finish it someday.

Thank you for reading on.