Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Revenge ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: DefiantVixen 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.24.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 387 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.24.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 387 | Status: Completed
Sweet Revenge
Summary: After Joey’s girlfriend, Carla dumps him for Seto; Joey stumbles across Ryou being mugged and learns that he’s a girl! Seto can’t stand Carla, but finds Ryou interesting. How does Mai fit into all of this?
Pairings: Seto/Ryou, Hinted; Joey/Mai
Disclaimer: I don’t own the Anime Yu-Gi-Oh! or any character associated. I do own Carla Whitmore. She is an original character and all likeness to people living or dead is purely coincidental. This character is not based on anyone else’s character design, again if any likeness, it’s purely coincidental.
Warnings: Female!Ryou. The use and introduction of a female Original Character. Any fans of OCs and OC pairings should leave now. Anti-OC pairings and blatant bashing of my own character. I created her; I can do what I want with her. And I plan to. A bit of character bashing on the OC’s behalf and a few swear words, but nothing over the top. Set after Yami is sent to the afterlife, so no Yamis in the story. And Seto goes to school.
AN: Hello again, everyone. Here I have chapter three for you all. In this chapter Joey learns of Carla’s intentions and something about Ryou as well! I hope you enjoy reading.
Any comments and suggestions will be held in high regard. Don’t be afraid to review and let me know what you think of the story so far. Please and thanks in advance!
-
With a certain black-and-red-haired young woman holding onto his wrist with a vice like grip, Joey had no choice but to stumble along behind her, yelling out apologies to the people he accidentally ran into. He did not know where his girlfriend was leading him, and he didn’t know what currently her problem was, but enough was enough.
“This is far enough, Carl,” he said, digging his heel into the ground, forcing Carla to whip around and give him a cold glare that looked like it was trying to rival Kaiba’s, but it fell short. Carla’s glare lacked the substance and seemed more of that of a poor intimidation.
“Don’t call me that!” she hissed at him as she finally removed her firm grip from his wrist and planted her hands on her hips in a posture of disproval. Honestly, how many times did she have to tell Joey not to call her by that ridiculous nickname?
Joey found himself frowning at his girlfriend’s irate expression, something, he had noticed over the months, she wore a lot. It was like nothing he could do was ever good enough for her. He was really beginning to question this relationship of theirs. Maybe now was a good time for them to have a good heart to heart on the matter. Was that the reason why she dragged him away from Ryou?
Speaking of Ryou, he better make this conversation short to make sure Ryou got back to his apartment ok.
“What is your problem now?” Joey asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched his posture forward. “I have to walk Ryou home.”
Narrowing her jade coloured eyes, Carla found herself gritting her teeth in frustration. What is with Joey and always going on about one of his friends? He was starting to sound like that bitch Tea more and more, as scary at that was.
“Poor little Rei-You-” she drawled out his name in a mocking tone. “Can walk himself home.”
However, Joey didn’t really feel comfortable with letting Ryou walk home so late in the afternoons. Ryou was a bit vulnerable, for a lack of a better word. He was an easy target, much like Yugi. While Ryou was strong emotionally and mentally, he was as frail as he looked. Bullies and street scum just loved to pick on him.
“Yeah, but-”
“I am your girlfriend!” Carla scowled harshly, in no mood to listen to Joey fuss over his friends, like he always did. As if she didn’t have enough reasons to end this relationship now.
He never paid her enough attention, his friends always came first, he hung out with his friends more than he did with her and his friends constantly got in the way! Lucky she wasn’t even remotely interested in him. He served his purpose, and that was to get Seto to notice her. Joey wasn’t needed anymore.
“The girlfriend should be top priority all the time!” Carla quickly reminded him of the inner working of the social dating scene as it was obvious Joey didn’t have a clue. “I’m far more important than you little cheerleaders and shadows, aren’t I?”
Joey immediately bristled at the insults Carla so casually said about his friends constantly; one of a few things he started to realize that made her just that bit more irritating. “Hold up, my friends have been with me long before you came into the picture.”
For a moment, Carla was speechless; stunned that Joey even said those words to her. “Are you saying that you would choose your friends over me?” she asked with a tone of disbelief.
Joey seemed startled by his words as well, but they made sense to him. He always said, through their misadventures together that his friends always came first and he’s not backing out of that now. “Yah, I guess I am.”
Carla could hardly believe it and a part of her felt indignant that Joey did not choose her. It didn’t matter that she was going to dump him anyway; it was just a blow to her ego that Joey didn’t desire her as much as he should have.
“I’ve had it with you Joey Wheeler. I’m breaking up with you right here, right now,” she snapped as she removed her hands from her hips and folded them under her bust in an irate manner. “I should have known this wouldn’t work. Gwad, what was I thinking?”
For some reason, Joey wasn’t as disappointed about being dumped as he probably should have been. In fact, a part of him actually felt relieved. Now, he won’t have to second guess what he’d say in fear that she yell at him for being insensitive and rude, or something like that.
“You know what, fine!” he said as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and curled them into fists in front of him. “I don’t know why I even agree to go out with you in the first place.”
Carla blinked her jade coloured eyes in surprise for a moment, her posture frozen in a stunned like state before it was replaced by an indignant bristle. “What? Are you implying that I’m not good enough for you? Are you kidding me?”
She would have laughed herself silly if she wasn’t so angry at the moment. The thought that Joey was too good for her had to be a joke. Was he really that egotistical that he thought he was better than her? Oh, please!
“Well, whatever Joey, keep your manly ego in tack all you want,” Carla said as she rolled her eyes heavenwards. She then shook her head and a smug smirk appeared on her lips. “The truth is, I get the last laugh. I was only using you to get Seto’s attention, Brooklyn Boy.”
Joey physically reeled back in surprise, his brown eyes widening in a sense of shock and disbelief. “What?”
Carla could not help but snigger at his reaction. “Heh, and it seemed to have worked.”
“You were just using me to get to Ol’ money bags?!” Joey yelled as he outwardly seethed.
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Carla snapped with a frown before the smirk returned to her lips. “Thanks for all your help, Wheeler, Seto and I are getting quite close now. It’s only a matter of time before we start dating.”
Joey face was oddly blank from emotions. He was having a hard time trying to comprehend what was happening. She was actually dumping him for Kaiba, claiming that they are quite close? That didn’t seem possible! Seto had told him numerous times, in his harsh and blunt way, that he could not stand Carla. If he truly was interested in her in any way, he would have said so; he had no problem hurting people’s feelings like that.
“But Kaiba hates your guts!” Joey exclaimed as he blinked in confusion. “He even said so!”
“Shut up! You don’t know anything!” Carla snapped at him and appeared flustered for a moment, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. He may claim to hate her, but she knew it was just a mask he hid behind. In truth, he found her spunky attitude somewhat endearing, she could tell.
“I deserve Seto and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Joey suddenly screwed up his nose at the thought of Carla being together with Seto and he felt himself physically grimace. He doubt Kaiba would put up with Carla’s boisterous attitude for as long as he did.
He then felt a sudden bout of sympathy rise in his chest and he frowned. “But, does Kaiba deserve you?”
The corners of Carla’s mouth twitched into a half smile and she gave Joey a somewhat proud look. “Are you saying Seto isn’t good enough for me?” she asked.
“No, what I’m saying is that Seto is too good for someone like you!” Joey said, surprising her as well as himself. He wasn’t sure why he felt so strongly about this, it wasn’t out of jealousy, it was more out of wanting to spare Kaiba the trails of dating Carla here.
Sure, Seto wasn’t what he called one of his closest friends, but not even he wanted him to be used like he was.
“I may not like Kaiba very much, but I don’t hate him enough to let some…girl like you go after him,” Joey explained as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “He’s been through enough hell in his life.”
“E-excuse me?” Carla stuttered, utterly aghast at what Joey just said. She could not believe he just said that, to her of all people! “How dare you!”
“I’ve had enough of this,” Joey suddenly announced as he turned side onto to her, glaring at her with not hurt, but a sense of anger. “Do what you want; Kaiba will see right through you anyway.”
“I’ll make him change, you’ll see,” Carla vowed through gritted teeth. She then drew in a deep breath through her nose and plastered a smug look on her face once again, a scathing retort ready on her lips.
Oh, this was really going to make Joey act all emo for the next few weeks!
“Oh, and Joey?” she mockingly purred. “I never liked you anyway. You’re brainless, arrogant and rude. Oh, and that Brooklyn accent of yours is hideous. Seto and I think the same; we’re alike in so many ways.”
However, far from being hurt by her words like she had expected, Joey merely snorted loudly, a small grin on his lips. “Kaiba is nothing like you.”
“Whatever,” Carla muttered as she pressed her lips together tightly, annoyed that Joey had managed to keep his manly mask up all this time. She carelessly flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned around, nose high in the air. “One more thing, you will never find another girl like me, but even then, you never really had me, did you?”
Carla then walked off, somewhat pleased with herself for getting the last word in, and leaving Joey stinging with her witty retorts. She felt that she won this argument –as if there was any doubt- and was slightly pleased with how it went.
Although, she was understandably annoyed that Joey didn’t beg for one more chance or something. You’d think that if you dated someone as hot and sexy as she was, you’d do anything to keep it.
Humf! That just proved that Joey was an idiot.
Oh well, at least she won’t have to deal with his lame ass outside of school anymore. She can concentrate on Seto now. After he finds out that she dumped Wheeler, he’d no doubt confront her with comforting words of advice and she’d cling to him until the ‘hurt’ has passed. And they’ll bond right in front of Joey!
How delicious!
Wait, speaking of school…dammit, the moron still had her math book! She better go to his apartment and get it back now. Well, at least she can see how her words affected him.
-----------------------------------------------
With his hands balled tightly into fist by his sides, Joey literally stalked through the gradually thinning streets, his jaw clenched in anger, his eyes hard and seemingly unfocused and his mind was reeling.
He can’t believe that Carla was only using him to get to his greatest rival Seto Kaiba! And the make things worse, she said it as if it was hardly a big deal that she was playing with him.
Despite being a streetwise tough guy, Joey didn’t like to swear, but he could not help but let his mind repeat the words; that bitch over and over again!
While livid that he was used in such a way, a part of him was a bit proud of himself for the way he stood up to her. He didn’t start ranting and raving, calling her everything under the sun. No, he stood there, took what she had to say and then threw it back in her face, without resorting to her level.
Hey, maybe he was becoming more mature as days go by.
Slowing his near jog into a more leisurely pace, Joey found himself reflecting back on what happened and felt oddly pleased. It felt oddly…invigorating that he was now free from Carla; she really was quite restrictive and demanding now that he thought about it. His friends put up with a lot from her; he’d have to make it up to them somehow.
Tilting his head back, Joey noticed that it was almost dark now and he hoped that Ryou managed to get home safely. Sure, the far-too-skinny teen had walked home by himself lots of time without incident, but Joey couldn’t help by worry about his friend. He reminded him so much of his younger sister, Serenity. They were both gentle and kind people, docile and peaceful.
A heart stopping scream suddenly tore through the air and Joey immediately whipped around, dropping his book bag and lifting his hands in front of him in a fighting position. He waited for a moment, straining his ears to listen to his surroundings, and then he heard it, a soft whimper and a light plea to stop.
The voice was soft and slightly accented…just like Ryou’s!
“Shit!” Joey cursed and ran towards the noise, his blood boiling as he cursed himself for letting Ryou down like this. However, most of his anger was directed at Carla who had separated them in the first place.
Careening around a corner of a dirt encrusted alley, Joey felt his anger grow into murderous portions when he spies two older males, maybe in the early twenties, late teen sniggering over the undeniable form of a certain snowy haired teen. His clothes were ripped and torn, his hair messy and covered in dirt.
“What’s the matter, girly?” One of the unshaven thugs said with a sneer in his voice as Ryou struggled to push himself up into a sitting position, his arms folding across his chest as his school uniform was barely held together on his frail shoulders.
“Don’t you want to play with us?”
Something inside Joey snapped and without much thought to his own safety, he rushed forward, surprising the two men by kicking one harshly in the gut, winding him and then toppling another with a swift uppercut to the jaw. The two men gasped as they held their respective abused body parts and stumbled backwards, a string of curse words tumbling from their lips.
“Ry, are you ok?” Joey asked as he crouched down in front of him, his hands on his shoulders, wincing when he felt how cold he was. “Say something!”
“J-Joey?” Ryou muttered weakly as he lifted his head, grazes and light bruising marring what was once flawless skin. He then shivered and folded his arms tighter over his chest, unwittingly causing the shredded material to fall off his shoulders.
Joey looked down at his chest and his eyes immediately widen in blatant shock. Ryou did not sport a flat male chest like he should have; instead there were undoubtedly a pair of breasts, not too big, yet not small either. If not for the position of Ryou’s arms, she would have been naked from the waist up.
He fell back onto his butt as he blatantly stared at him, no wait, her. “You’re a girl!?” he exclaimed in disbelief.
A look of utter fear and humiliation appeared on Ryou’s face and instantly her chocolate brown eyes weld up with tears. “I’m sorry...” she whispered as she dropped her chin to her chest and tightened her arms around herself as she slender frame was wracked with shudders. “Please...Don’t hate me, please.”
Instantly, Joey pushed himself back into a crouching position and appeared in front of her. His eyes soften as he looked at her, his heart constricting at the sight. Ok, so Ryou was really a girl, it didn’t at this point in time. She was his friend and she was in trouble, and that was all that mattered. And if these guys think they can hurt one of his closest friends and get away with it, then they’ve got another thing coming!
Silently, he took of his school jacket and then threw it around her body, pulling it tightly around her shoulders. She stiffened at first, but after a moment pale fingers grasped at the piece of clothing and pulled it closer, thankful for its warm.
“It’s ok,” Joey said in a reassuring tone as he placed his hands on her shoulders in a form of comfort. “You’re safe now.”
Ryou peered up through her snowy bangs, a tear slipping from her eye and rolling down her cheek. “Joey?”
Joey gave her a reassuring smile before he climbed to his feet, turning his attention back to the two goons that attacked Ryou in the first place. A smirk raced across his lips as he cracked his knuckles, the need to pound the shit out of them growing fiercer than before.
“Now,” he said in a surprisingly deadly tone. “Where were we?”
Summary: After Joey’s girlfriend, Carla dumps him for Seto; Joey stumbles across Ryou being mugged and learns that he’s a girl! Seto can’t stand Carla, but finds Ryou interesting. How does Mai fit into all of this?
Pairings: Seto/Ryou, Hinted; Joey/Mai
Disclaimer: I don’t own the Anime Yu-Gi-Oh! or any character associated. I do own Carla Whitmore. She is an original character and all likeness to people living or dead is purely coincidental. This character is not based on anyone else’s character design, again if any likeness, it’s purely coincidental.
Warnings: Female!Ryou. The use and introduction of a female Original Character. Any fans of OCs and OC pairings should leave now. Anti-OC pairings and blatant bashing of my own character. I created her; I can do what I want with her. And I plan to. A bit of character bashing on the OC’s behalf and a few swear words, but nothing over the top. Set after Yami is sent to the afterlife, so no Yamis in the story. And Seto goes to school.
AN: Hello again, everyone. Here I have chapter three for you all. In this chapter Joey learns of Carla’s intentions and something about Ryou as well! I hope you enjoy reading.
Any comments and suggestions will be held in high regard. Don’t be afraid to review and let me know what you think of the story so far. Please and thanks in advance!
-
With a certain black-and-red-haired young woman holding onto his wrist with a vice like grip, Joey had no choice but to stumble along behind her, yelling out apologies to the people he accidentally ran into. He did not know where his girlfriend was leading him, and he didn’t know what currently her problem was, but enough was enough.
“This is far enough, Carl,” he said, digging his heel into the ground, forcing Carla to whip around and give him a cold glare that looked like it was trying to rival Kaiba’s, but it fell short. Carla’s glare lacked the substance and seemed more of that of a poor intimidation.
“Don’t call me that!” she hissed at him as she finally removed her firm grip from his wrist and planted her hands on her hips in a posture of disproval. Honestly, how many times did she have to tell Joey not to call her by that ridiculous nickname?
Joey found himself frowning at his girlfriend’s irate expression, something, he had noticed over the months, she wore a lot. It was like nothing he could do was ever good enough for her. He was really beginning to question this relationship of theirs. Maybe now was a good time for them to have a good heart to heart on the matter. Was that the reason why she dragged him away from Ryou?
Speaking of Ryou, he better make this conversation short to make sure Ryou got back to his apartment ok.
“What is your problem now?” Joey asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched his posture forward. “I have to walk Ryou home.”
Narrowing her jade coloured eyes, Carla found herself gritting her teeth in frustration. What is with Joey and always going on about one of his friends? He was starting to sound like that bitch Tea more and more, as scary at that was.
“Poor little Rei-You-” she drawled out his name in a mocking tone. “Can walk himself home.”
However, Joey didn’t really feel comfortable with letting Ryou walk home so late in the afternoons. Ryou was a bit vulnerable, for a lack of a better word. He was an easy target, much like Yugi. While Ryou was strong emotionally and mentally, he was as frail as he looked. Bullies and street scum just loved to pick on him.
“Yeah, but-”
“I am your girlfriend!” Carla scowled harshly, in no mood to listen to Joey fuss over his friends, like he always did. As if she didn’t have enough reasons to end this relationship now.
He never paid her enough attention, his friends always came first, he hung out with his friends more than he did with her and his friends constantly got in the way! Lucky she wasn’t even remotely interested in him. He served his purpose, and that was to get Seto to notice her. Joey wasn’t needed anymore.
“The girlfriend should be top priority all the time!” Carla quickly reminded him of the inner working of the social dating scene as it was obvious Joey didn’t have a clue. “I’m far more important than you little cheerleaders and shadows, aren’t I?”
Joey immediately bristled at the insults Carla so casually said about his friends constantly; one of a few things he started to realize that made her just that bit more irritating. “Hold up, my friends have been with me long before you came into the picture.”
For a moment, Carla was speechless; stunned that Joey even said those words to her. “Are you saying that you would choose your friends over me?” she asked with a tone of disbelief.
Joey seemed startled by his words as well, but they made sense to him. He always said, through their misadventures together that his friends always came first and he’s not backing out of that now. “Yah, I guess I am.”
Carla could hardly believe it and a part of her felt indignant that Joey did not choose her. It didn’t matter that she was going to dump him anyway; it was just a blow to her ego that Joey didn’t desire her as much as he should have.
“I’ve had it with you Joey Wheeler. I’m breaking up with you right here, right now,” she snapped as she removed her hands from her hips and folded them under her bust in an irate manner. “I should have known this wouldn’t work. Gwad, what was I thinking?”
For some reason, Joey wasn’t as disappointed about being dumped as he probably should have been. In fact, a part of him actually felt relieved. Now, he won’t have to second guess what he’d say in fear that she yell at him for being insensitive and rude, or something like that.
“You know what, fine!” he said as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and curled them into fists in front of him. “I don’t know why I even agree to go out with you in the first place.”
Carla blinked her jade coloured eyes in surprise for a moment, her posture frozen in a stunned like state before it was replaced by an indignant bristle. “What? Are you implying that I’m not good enough for you? Are you kidding me?”
She would have laughed herself silly if she wasn’t so angry at the moment. The thought that Joey was too good for her had to be a joke. Was he really that egotistical that he thought he was better than her? Oh, please!
“Well, whatever Joey, keep your manly ego in tack all you want,” Carla said as she rolled her eyes heavenwards. She then shook her head and a smug smirk appeared on her lips. “The truth is, I get the last laugh. I was only using you to get Seto’s attention, Brooklyn Boy.”
Joey physically reeled back in surprise, his brown eyes widening in a sense of shock and disbelief. “What?”
Carla could not help but snigger at his reaction. “Heh, and it seemed to have worked.”
“You were just using me to get to Ol’ money bags?!” Joey yelled as he outwardly seethed.
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Carla snapped with a frown before the smirk returned to her lips. “Thanks for all your help, Wheeler, Seto and I are getting quite close now. It’s only a matter of time before we start dating.”
Joey face was oddly blank from emotions. He was having a hard time trying to comprehend what was happening. She was actually dumping him for Kaiba, claiming that they are quite close? That didn’t seem possible! Seto had told him numerous times, in his harsh and blunt way, that he could not stand Carla. If he truly was interested in her in any way, he would have said so; he had no problem hurting people’s feelings like that.
“But Kaiba hates your guts!” Joey exclaimed as he blinked in confusion. “He even said so!”
“Shut up! You don’t know anything!” Carla snapped at him and appeared flustered for a moment, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. He may claim to hate her, but she knew it was just a mask he hid behind. In truth, he found her spunky attitude somewhat endearing, she could tell.
“I deserve Seto and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Joey suddenly screwed up his nose at the thought of Carla being together with Seto and he felt himself physically grimace. He doubt Kaiba would put up with Carla’s boisterous attitude for as long as he did.
He then felt a sudden bout of sympathy rise in his chest and he frowned. “But, does Kaiba deserve you?”
The corners of Carla’s mouth twitched into a half smile and she gave Joey a somewhat proud look. “Are you saying Seto isn’t good enough for me?” she asked.
“No, what I’m saying is that Seto is too good for someone like you!” Joey said, surprising her as well as himself. He wasn’t sure why he felt so strongly about this, it wasn’t out of jealousy, it was more out of wanting to spare Kaiba the trails of dating Carla here.
Sure, Seto wasn’t what he called one of his closest friends, but not even he wanted him to be used like he was.
“I may not like Kaiba very much, but I don’t hate him enough to let some…girl like you go after him,” Joey explained as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “He’s been through enough hell in his life.”
“E-excuse me?” Carla stuttered, utterly aghast at what Joey just said. She could not believe he just said that, to her of all people! “How dare you!”
“I’ve had enough of this,” Joey suddenly announced as he turned side onto to her, glaring at her with not hurt, but a sense of anger. “Do what you want; Kaiba will see right through you anyway.”
“I’ll make him change, you’ll see,” Carla vowed through gritted teeth. She then drew in a deep breath through her nose and plastered a smug look on her face once again, a scathing retort ready on her lips.
Oh, this was really going to make Joey act all emo for the next few weeks!
“Oh, and Joey?” she mockingly purred. “I never liked you anyway. You’re brainless, arrogant and rude. Oh, and that Brooklyn accent of yours is hideous. Seto and I think the same; we’re alike in so many ways.”
However, far from being hurt by her words like she had expected, Joey merely snorted loudly, a small grin on his lips. “Kaiba is nothing like you.”
“Whatever,” Carla muttered as she pressed her lips together tightly, annoyed that Joey had managed to keep his manly mask up all this time. She carelessly flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned around, nose high in the air. “One more thing, you will never find another girl like me, but even then, you never really had me, did you?”
Carla then walked off, somewhat pleased with herself for getting the last word in, and leaving Joey stinging with her witty retorts. She felt that she won this argument –as if there was any doubt- and was slightly pleased with how it went.
Although, she was understandably annoyed that Joey didn’t beg for one more chance or something. You’d think that if you dated someone as hot and sexy as she was, you’d do anything to keep it.
Humf! That just proved that Joey was an idiot.
Oh well, at least she won’t have to deal with his lame ass outside of school anymore. She can concentrate on Seto now. After he finds out that she dumped Wheeler, he’d no doubt confront her with comforting words of advice and she’d cling to him until the ‘hurt’ has passed. And they’ll bond right in front of Joey!
How delicious!
Wait, speaking of school…dammit, the moron still had her math book! She better go to his apartment and get it back now. Well, at least she can see how her words affected him.
-----------------------------------------------
With his hands balled tightly into fist by his sides, Joey literally stalked through the gradually thinning streets, his jaw clenched in anger, his eyes hard and seemingly unfocused and his mind was reeling.
He can’t believe that Carla was only using him to get to his greatest rival Seto Kaiba! And the make things worse, she said it as if it was hardly a big deal that she was playing with him.
Despite being a streetwise tough guy, Joey didn’t like to swear, but he could not help but let his mind repeat the words; that bitch over and over again!
While livid that he was used in such a way, a part of him was a bit proud of himself for the way he stood up to her. He didn’t start ranting and raving, calling her everything under the sun. No, he stood there, took what she had to say and then threw it back in her face, without resorting to her level.
Hey, maybe he was becoming more mature as days go by.
Slowing his near jog into a more leisurely pace, Joey found himself reflecting back on what happened and felt oddly pleased. It felt oddly…invigorating that he was now free from Carla; she really was quite restrictive and demanding now that he thought about it. His friends put up with a lot from her; he’d have to make it up to them somehow.
Tilting his head back, Joey noticed that it was almost dark now and he hoped that Ryou managed to get home safely. Sure, the far-too-skinny teen had walked home by himself lots of time without incident, but Joey couldn’t help by worry about his friend. He reminded him so much of his younger sister, Serenity. They were both gentle and kind people, docile and peaceful.
A heart stopping scream suddenly tore through the air and Joey immediately whipped around, dropping his book bag and lifting his hands in front of him in a fighting position. He waited for a moment, straining his ears to listen to his surroundings, and then he heard it, a soft whimper and a light plea to stop.
The voice was soft and slightly accented…just like Ryou’s!
“Shit!” Joey cursed and ran towards the noise, his blood boiling as he cursed himself for letting Ryou down like this. However, most of his anger was directed at Carla who had separated them in the first place.
Careening around a corner of a dirt encrusted alley, Joey felt his anger grow into murderous portions when he spies two older males, maybe in the early twenties, late teen sniggering over the undeniable form of a certain snowy haired teen. His clothes were ripped and torn, his hair messy and covered in dirt.
“What’s the matter, girly?” One of the unshaven thugs said with a sneer in his voice as Ryou struggled to push himself up into a sitting position, his arms folding across his chest as his school uniform was barely held together on his frail shoulders.
“Don’t you want to play with us?”
Something inside Joey snapped and without much thought to his own safety, he rushed forward, surprising the two men by kicking one harshly in the gut, winding him and then toppling another with a swift uppercut to the jaw. The two men gasped as they held their respective abused body parts and stumbled backwards, a string of curse words tumbling from their lips.
“Ry, are you ok?” Joey asked as he crouched down in front of him, his hands on his shoulders, wincing when he felt how cold he was. “Say something!”
“J-Joey?” Ryou muttered weakly as he lifted his head, grazes and light bruising marring what was once flawless skin. He then shivered and folded his arms tighter over his chest, unwittingly causing the shredded material to fall off his shoulders.
Joey looked down at his chest and his eyes immediately widen in blatant shock. Ryou did not sport a flat male chest like he should have; instead there were undoubtedly a pair of breasts, not too big, yet not small either. If not for the position of Ryou’s arms, she would have been naked from the waist up.
He fell back onto his butt as he blatantly stared at him, no wait, her. “You’re a girl!?” he exclaimed in disbelief.
A look of utter fear and humiliation appeared on Ryou’s face and instantly her chocolate brown eyes weld up with tears. “I’m sorry...” she whispered as she dropped her chin to her chest and tightened her arms around herself as she slender frame was wracked with shudders. “Please...Don’t hate me, please.”
Instantly, Joey pushed himself back into a crouching position and appeared in front of her. His eyes soften as he looked at her, his heart constricting at the sight. Ok, so Ryou was really a girl, it didn’t at this point in time. She was his friend and she was in trouble, and that was all that mattered. And if these guys think they can hurt one of his closest friends and get away with it, then they’ve got another thing coming!
Silently, he took of his school jacket and then threw it around her body, pulling it tightly around her shoulders. She stiffened at first, but after a moment pale fingers grasped at the piece of clothing and pulled it closer, thankful for its warm.
“It’s ok,” Joey said in a reassuring tone as he placed his hands on her shoulders in a form of comfort. “You’re safe now.”
Ryou peered up through her snowy bangs, a tear slipping from her eye and rolling down her cheek. “Joey?”
Joey gave her a reassuring smile before he climbed to his feet, turning his attention back to the two goons that attacked Ryou in the first place. A smirk raced across his lips as he cracked his knuckles, the need to pound the shit out of them growing fiercer than before.
“Now,” he said in a surprisingly deadly tone. “Where were we?”