Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Where Were You ❯ Memories ( Chapter 1 )

There will be differences in type in this story. The font will change when Joey is reading an essay on friendship. The font will be Tahoma for the essay; the rest will be in this font.

A few days ago, a song asked me to remember where I was, one sad September day. I remember exactly where I was. I'd missed school because I wasn't feeling very well, and I'm glad I missed school that day. I wouldn't have known my friend Riley Cooper had tried to call. You see he called to tell me good bye. He died in the tragedy that hit America. I took friendship seriously then, and I still do. Riley was one of the best friends I'd ever had.

I would do anything for a friend, even give my own life. I would have given it that day, to trade places with him, and be the one dying. He was like a brother to me. Friendship is a rare happening. It happens when two people meet, and form a relationship. They share their secrets, desires, and dreams. Riley had always dreamed of being an architect. He was working on an internship from college when at a firm that was housed in the World Trade Center. Sadly that building became his grave.

I looked up at the class. They were listening to my story intently. Some of the girls were teary eyed. One pair of eyes caught mine. Seto Kaiba's eyes had lost their normal look of contempt. He looked sympathetic.

I never even got to say good bye to him. The last thing I told him was more important than good bye. I told him I loved him. Those were the last words he heard before the building he was in collapsed. As I listened to the song, it brought back memories of times we shared. I remember one time we stood on top of the building, looking out over New York. He said that he wanted to work in this very building. We toured one of the offices, and they told Riley that if he wanted, they'd sponsor him in college.

I know this story is sad, but I also want to share some of the good times Riley and I shared. I remember just before my dad and I moved to Domino after my parents divorced, Riley and I had wanted to go to the Empire State Building. We went there and had our pictures taken on the top of the building. I had his photo; he had mine.

I was surprised to find out that Riley and his family moved to Domino, but he was in a different school than me. We got to spend time together, and I even introduced him to my friends I'd made here. Riley was three years older than I was, but he never treated me any different than he did the rest of his friends.

I looked down at my paper, furiously blinking to clear the tears from my eyes. I couldn't stop the tears from falling and I looked at the substitute teacher. She nodded and I bolted from the room, I leaned against the lockers, feeling a bit stupid for crying. Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, and I buried my face in to the shoulder that was offered.

I figured it was Tristian or Bakura who'd followed me out into the hall. I would have never guessed who's expensive leather trench coat I was bawling on until looked up into Seto Kaiba's clear blue eyes. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me. He led me outside to the courtyard. He allowed me to cry, until I felt drained.

"Do you want to go home? We only have one class left, and I'm sure they'll let us leave."

The thing I hate about crying it is it makes me sick at my stomach. I looked around for something other than his shoes to puke on. I felt my head get gently pushed over a trashcan, as I began to puke up my lunch.

"Well, that settles it, I'm taking you home."

He disappeared into the building after giving me a few napkins. He reappeared about ten minutes later carrying his briefcase and my backpack. I followed him to the waiting car. Just after we got in, he pulled me into a lying position, my head resting on his brother's jacket. He sat in the seat across from me. Why was he suddenly being nice to me? This just wasn't the Seto Kaiba I knew.

"Why are you being nice to me, Kaiba?"

"Because you look like you need a friend, someone who'll listen."

"I already had that. My friends were there the day it happened. The didn't leave my side."

"Joey, just because they were there for you, and you leaned on them doesn't mean you are over Riley's death."

I closed my eyes to think. Maybe Kaiba's right. I really hadn't talked to anyone about how I watched the building that Riley was in fall. I hadn't told anyone about the last thing I said to him. I felt a fresh wave of tears start and Kaiba moved over to me to pull me close. I was now seeing a side of Kaiba that few people other than Mokuba saw. I definitely felt a bit awkward. I felt a strange sense of security in his arms though. It almost felt like I was hanging out with Riley again. I began to relax in Kaiba's arms. We arrived at his mansion, and I got out and stretched. My eyes felt heavy from all the crying I'd done. He led me into his home and after walking through what seemed like a maze, into a bedroom. He went to his closet and pulled out some clothes. He tossed them to me and led me into the bathroom.

"Are you saying I stink, Kaiba?"

"No, I just thought that after all that crying, you'd like to take a hot shower."

A rude remark died on my lips. Why be rude to him when he's showing me kindness. I began to pull off my school uniform, as he stepped from the room. Just as I was undoing my pants, he turned back to me.

"When you finish, you can call your dad and tell him you won't be home for a few days."

Ok, something strange is definitely gong on here. First he comforts me when I was upset, then he sees me through being sick, then he brings me to his home, and tells me he wants me to stay. After he left the room, I pulled off the rest of my clothes. I step into the steaming shower, feeling the hot water caress my skin.

This is something I am not used to. Showers at my house are lukewarm to say the least. Dad rarely pays the bills, and I'm lucky if there is food, let alone hot water. I do sometimes stay with Yugi or Ryou, and get hot showers there.

I must have been in the shower for a long time, because the door to the stall opened while I was washing my hair. I turned to see Kaiba standing there watching me. I snatched a washcloth, using it to cover myself.

"Don't flatter yourself, Joey. I'm just checking on you." He stalked out, shutting the door to the shower, then slamming the door to the bathroom. I quickly finished the shower and got out. After drying off, I put on the clothes he lent me. I noticed how they fit me perfectly. I stepped into his room. I walked over to the bed and sat down. He stood by the window staring out.

"I'm sorry, Joey. That wasn't right of me to walk in on you like that."

"You could have knocked."

"Joey, I have something to tell you, it may shock you, but you should know."

"Don't tell me you have a thing for me." My words died as soon as I'd said them. I caught the look in his eyes when he was checking on me in the shower. My pulse quickened at the memory.

"That's not all, Joey. That's not what I really wanted to tell you just now. I knew Riley. He called me the day before to have plans delivered for a house I'm having built. I hadn't even opened the plans till this past summer. During Battle City, I found where I'd stashed them when they were delivered that day." He walked over to the large desk and opened a box that sat on top. He took out an envelope and handed it to me. I recognized Riley's handwriting immediately. I opened the still sealed envelope and pulled out the letter. I sat down on the side of the bed to read it.

"Dear Joey,

I hope this letter finds you well. By the time you read it, I hope Seto has shared his news with you. If he hasn't, he'll probably hurt me for spilling it now. He likes you, a lot. He's too shy, and too stubborn to tell you. That is why he insults you. He calls you a dog because he is afraid of his feelings. He's also afraid you'll reject him. Personally, after I heard the way he's treated you, I wouldn't blame you, and neither would he. Please hear him out though, and don't be too harsh on him.

Well take care of yourself.

Forever your friend, Riley"

The letter was dated the eighth of September. He didn't even know of my accomplishments since Duelist Kingdom, or how Kaiba's continued to treat me badly. It's been nearly two years since Riley died, and Kaiba's had this letter since.

"Kaiba, how could you keep this letter from me?"

"Easy. I knew Riley would spill it about how I feel about you. Yes, Joey, I still feel the same way as I told him I did. When I heard you speak about him, I realized you needed to know about the talks I had with him."

I sat quietly, thinking over what Kaiba had just told me. He has feelings for me. This is gonna be difficult to tell him, but I only like girls.

"Kaiba, I hate to break it to you, but I'm a girls only kind of guy."

He crossed the room and sat next to me. He pulled me into his arms and brought his face so close to mine our lips were a fraction of a centimeter apart. I stared into his eyes, frightened by the feelings that were running through me. I found myself closing the distance between us, and kissing him. Suddenly I broke it off, feeling kinda stupid. We both kinda few apart, blushing.

"I'm sorry, Joey."