Title: Love or Pretend?
Couple: Joey/Tea
Rating: PG
Summary: Tea 'pretends' to go out with Joey so the new girl in class will fall for him. But what happens when Joey starts to fall for Tea along the way? And how will Yugi feel about this?
Chapter 1: Joey's crazy idea
"Okay Yug, here comes my Red Eyes Black Dragon. Red Eyes attack Yugi's Beta da Magnet Warrior now!"
Yugi and Joey were playing another duel just outside of school one morning. Yugi was down to 600 L.P. and Joey had only 100 L.P. left.
"That was a great move, Joey," Yugi yelled over at him.
"Danks, Yugi!"
Tea, Tristan, Bakura, and Duke were in the middle, watching how the duel was going.
"Do you guys think this duel will ever end?" Tea asked the others.
"I don't know, Tea. This has been quite a duel though. Both Yugi and Joey are doing extremely well, but Joey's life points are almost gone. I wonder what Yugi will do next," Bakura answered her, his British accent kicking in as usual.
"Yeah, this duel has become intense, but if it doesn't end soon we'll be late for class," Tristan added.
"Well then, why don't we see what happens instead of talking about it?" Duke asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
Yugi drew his next card. The others could tell it was something he wanted because of his smile.
"Your Red Eyes isn't going to stay on the field much longer, Joey," he told him, grinning.
"Hit me with ya best shot, Yug!" Joey yelled to him.
"You got it, Joey!" Yugi looked down at his card and played it on the field. "I play the Dark Magician in attack mode. Now my Dark Magician take out Joey's Red Eyes and the remainder of his life points!"
Dark Magician attacked and destroyed Joey's Red Eyes.
Joey's life points went down to 0 and the holograms of the monsters disappeared.
"Dat was uh good duel, Yug," Joey said to him when it was over.
"Thanks, Joey. You almost beat me this time."
"Yeah, almost," Tristan just had to add.
"I'm just glad it's over. The bell's suppose to ring any minute now," Tea told them.
"Bah! Don't worry about it, Tea. We're fine," Joey said calmly.
"You're only saying that because maybe for once Mrs. Bell won't put you in detention for being late," Tristan told him.
Joey growled. "Dat's enough out of ya, Tristan."
RING!
The sound of the bell rang. "Finally! I thought the bell would never ring," Tea complained.
"That anxious to get to class, Tea?" Duke asked, looking at her.
"No, but I am starting to get bored out here."
"Come on you guys. We don't want to be late," Yugi said to his friends and the six of them walked to class.
"Class, my I have your attention please? We have a new student in our class today and I want all of you to make her feel welcome," Mrs. Bell, their English teacher, said to them after had class started that morning. "Melody, will you come in here, please?"
A girl with long blonde hair had slowly entered the classroom. She had on the pink and blue uniform that every girl in school wore and a matching blue ribbon in her hair.
Melody's shining sapphire eyes and creamy white skin made her somehow sparkle and glow when standing under the light.
Many whispers started to go around the room, especially from the boys.
"Whoa, check her out," Tristan was stunned.
"She's hot!" Duke was equally stunned.
Joey didn't say anything. He just stared at her. 'She's beautiful...' he whispered to himself.
Most of the girls gave her mean looks for getting all of the guys' attention. More than likely it was out of jealous that they gave Melody mean looks and cold shoulders. (A/n could you blame them?)
Tea really didn't care about it though. She just went along reading a book she wanted to catch up on while all of the guys couldn't help but drool when watching Melody standing in the classroom.
Though, Tea had a suddenly curiosity to see how Yugi was acting with all of this. She was sure that Yugi looked liked every other guy in their classroom.
'He's probably drooling at the sight of her, too.'
Her eyes traveled over to him, but for some reason when she saw him he wasn't looking at Melody...he was looking at her.
Yugi seemed to be in an endless daze while watching her read. It seemed to be such an endless daze that Yugi didn't even seem to notice that she had stopped reading to peek over at him.
'Why would Yugi want to look at me when there's a beautiful girl standing in the front of the classroom?'
He had on one of those 'you look so beautiful' faces for some reason while he was looking at her, but Tea didn't know why.
'Strange...' then Tea went back to her book. (A/n Can you imagine seeing Yugi stare at Tea right now? I can!)
"Class, this is Melody Thompson and she is going to be staying with us for the remainder of the year. Melody, why don't you go sit behind Joseph? Joseph, will you raise your hand, please?"
Joey nervously raised his right hand. Melody slowly walked over behind him.
"Hi, Joseph," she whispered to him after she sat down.
"Hi..." he barely managed to whispered back.
'Oh, please!' Tea looked over at him and rolled her eyes. 'Could it get any more obvious that Joey likes her?'
"Hey, Tea. Do you want to come over to the game shop after school?" Yugi whispered over to her.
Tea looked over at him slightly nervous, but managed to make out fake a smile so she didn't look agitated. "Sure, Yugi. I'll meet you at my locker after school."
She didn't think it was a good idea just yet to ask why he was staring at her.
"Okay."
BANG!
Joey banged his head against his locker for the tenth time that day. "What kind of uh chance do I have with uh girl like dat?"
Tristan finished taking a drink from the water fountain to answer him. "You don't."
"Oh, danks for da support, Tristan! You're uh real big help," banging his head against his locker again.
"I'm just saying, man..." Tristan looked over at Melody. She had about two dozen guys crowding around her at one of the lunch tables in the cafeteria. "You are going to have to do something big to get that girl to like you."
"I know! But what can I do! Every guy in school digs her."
Tristan thought about it for a moment. "There's only one thing I can think of that might get her to like you."
"What! What is it? I gotta know what ta do before my chance with dis girl is gone!" Joey grabbed the collar of Tristan's school shirt and started pushing him back and forth.
Tristan grabbed his hands and stopped Joey from shaking him. "Chill out, man. What ya gotta do is get the girl jealous."
"Jealous? How do I do dat?"
Tristan rolled his eyes and sighed. "You get another girl to go out with you and then pretty soon Melody will start to notice you."
"You dink dat will work?"
"Have I ever been wrong before?"
Joey rolled his eyes. "Yeah."
"Hey, Tea!" Yugi ran up to her after school.
Tea smiled as she saw her best friend coming up to her after school that same day. "Hi, Yugi!"
"Are you ready to go yet?" he said, a little out of breath.
"Um, just about. I just finish dance class and I need to put my stuff away. Just give me a minute and I'll be outside."
"Okay, I'll see you in a minute."
Then Yugi left her.
'I wonder what Joey and Tristan were up to today. They were acting really weird. They didn't even eat lunch, and that alone means something is up with those two. I just hope they don't do anything crazy. Plus, I'm still a little freaked out with Yugi. I still can't believe he would rather look at me than a new girl. sigh Maybe I'm just blowing this out of proportion. I'm sure it was nothing.'
Tea finished putting her dancing shoes and outfit away in her locker. She slammed her locker shut and went to find Yugi outside.
Meanwhile...
"Not one girl! I couldn't get one girl ta go out with me!" Joey complained to Tristan while walking over to Yugi's house.
"I'm sorry, man. Maybe you just need to try harder. How many girls did you ask out?"
"Ya don't wanna know."
"Well, why was it so hard? Usually you don't have a problem with asking girls out. What was wrong this time?"
"I guess because every time I saw Melody go by when talkin' ta them I couldn't help but stare at her."
"Real smooth, Wheeler. So what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll just have ta try harder tomorrow."
"Or maybe you should just give up now," then Tristan started cracking up.
Joey started growling at him. "Dat's enough, Tristan."
Tristan stopped laughing. "I'm just playin' with ya, man. You know I don't mean it."
Joey calmed down. "Yeah, I know."
They finally got to Yugi's house, but Tristan stopped Joey before he went inside.
"What's da hold up, man?"
"Listen, Joey. I can tell that you really like this girl and I'm glad, but I don't want you to see you go insane because of her. If it doesn't work out with Melody there will always be other girls out there. Ok?"
Joey nodded his head. "Ok." 'But I'm plannin' ta make it work between me and Melody no matter what it takes.'
Then Tristan hit him on the back. "Now, let's just get inside. I'm sure playing a duel and seeing the others will cheer you up."
Joey and Tristan walked up to the door of the game shop and stepped inside. They heard Yugi and Tea laughing when coming inside. The two were sitting on the couch looking at something on the table.
"Hey, what's so funny you two?" Tristan asked when he walked up to them.
Tea and Yugi looked up at him. "Is that any way to say hello to your friends?" Tea questioned him while getting up to give him a hug.
"Sorry, Tea. I didn't mean to do that," hugging her back.
Letting out of him, Tea smiled. "That's okay, Tristan. Hey, where's Joey? I thought he would be with you."
"He is with me."
"Well not anymore," she corrected him, pointing to his side so he could see for himself.
Turning around, Tristan said, "What? I thought he was in here. Ugh! I guess he's still feeling down about today. I can't believe the way he's acting. The guy seriously needs to learn to get a grip when it comes to--," Tristan suddenly stopped speaking.
The expressions on Tea and Yugi's faces were enough to make anyone stop talking.
"I'm just taking a shot in the dark here, but is there something going on with Joey?" Tea asked with a hint of a smile on her face from amusement.
"It's nothing. Joey will figure it out on his own. It's just something that happened at school."
"Let me guess. Joey's got a crush on the new girl at school and he doesn't know how to get her attention?" Tea asked again, while smiling at Tristan.
Tristan opened his mouth completely shocked. "How did you know that!"
"Please! I'm a girl too, ya know. I notice these kinds of things."
"Man, you girls surprise me more and more everyday."
Tea giggled. "Do you want me to go and talk to him? Maybe I can give Joey some pointers on what to do to get a girl to notice him."
"Nah, I'm sure he's fine. He'll do what he wants to on his own. That's just how he is. Hey, can you give me some pointers?"
Tea giggled again. "Oh, Tristan!"
"I think Tristan's got a point, Tea. If Joey doesn't figure this out on his own, how will he get a girl to like him in the future?" Yugi told her.
"I guess you've got a point too, Yugi."
"Hey, Wheeler! Get in here before I come and get you myself," Tristan yelled to him.
"I'm comin'..." Joey dragged himself inside.
"Joey, are you going to be okay?" Tea asked while putting a hand on his shoulder.
Joey slowly looked up at her and then he started to scream uncontrollably.
"Joey! What is the matter with you!" Tea yelled at him. "Why are you screaming at me!"
Tristan suddenly grabbed Joey's mouth so he would stop screaming and said, "I'll see what's up with him."
Then Tristan dragged Joey outside. Tristan pushed Joey away from him and said, "What the hell were you thinking back there, Joey! Screaming in front of Tea like that. It's almost like you were scared of her or something."
"Tristan, don't ya get it, man?"
"Get what?"
"I should ask Tea out!"
Tristan started to crack up until he finally stopped to answer him. "Oh, that's funny, man! Like you would really ask one of your best friends out to get another girl to like you. That's really funny."
Joey started to get angry again. "I'm bein' serious, Tristan!"
Tristan's eyes widened and he gasped. "What! Are you crazy, man? Tea would never go out with you."
"She has ta! Tea's my last hope ta get in da game with Melody. If she doesn't go out with me den I'll have no chance with Melody."
"Let me see if I get this straight. You're going to use one of your best friends as a last resort to get a girl you like to like you back?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with dat?"
"Joey, you're insane! First of all, Tea would never agree to it, and secondly, you would be using her if you did."
"Well, what if I did something for Tea in return for helpin' me out, den I wouldn't be usin' her. And besides, if I did go out with Tea I really wouldn't be datin' her. Dat actually works out better anyway."
"And how do you figure that?"
"Dink 'bout it, we would only pretend ta date 'til Melody starts ta notice me more and den I'll ask her out."
"Joey, it's never going to work."
"Come on, man! You were da one dat told me ta do dis in da beginning. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Yugi! He would totally freak! You know he still has a crush on her and if he found out that you were going out with Tea he would totally kill you."
"We would only be pretendin', Tristan! It's nothin' ta worry about."
"Whatever, Wheeler, but I am advising you NOT to tell Yugi about this. Pretend or not I still think he wouldn't like the idea."
"Fine! I won't tell Yugi for da time bein', but 'til den I've got ta convince Tea about dis."
"Good luck!" 'Cause you are going to need all the luck you can get.'
"Tea, can I talk ta ya alone at lunch today?" Joey asked her the next morning at school.
Tea eyed him while putting a book in her locker. "Uhhh... Sure, Joey... What's it about?"
"I can't tell ya right now. It's uh secret. But can I meet ya at da football field during lunch? Nobody can bother us there."
Tea looked at him suspiciously. "Joey Wheeler, what are you up to?"
"Just meet me at da football field at lunch today. I'll tell ya everything."
Then Joey ran off before Tea could answer him.
'I don't know what you're up to, Joey. But I promise I'm going to fine out what it is.'
"Hey, Tea...what are you staring at?" Yugi asked her, confused.
Tea looked down at him and she gasped. "Oh, Yugi! I didn't see you there. I was just thinking about something, that's all."
Yugi started to look worried at her. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking about something. I promise nothing's wrong."
Yugi studied her for a moment. "All right... Are you ready to get to class?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
"Okay."
Later that day...
Tea walked down to the high school's football field at lunch, still thinking about what Joey told her earlier. 'Why was Joey acting so weird earlier? It's like ever since he first saw that new girl, Melody, he hasn't been the same. I'm really starting to worry about him. I hope he's okay.'
"Hey, Tea!" the brunette heard Joey yell to her from the middle of the football field.
She looked up at him and couldn't help but smile.
Even though she knew something was up with him, Tea knew she couldn't deny the way he made her happy at times. Joey was really a guy with two sides to her. He had his sweet side that he always kept when around his friends. But the gangster side of himself was still there and sometimes it got him into trouble, especially at school. He was a lot like Yugi and Yami, expect the other side of himself wasn't another person. It was just something that made him complete.
"Hey, Joey!" she yelled back to him.
Tea finally reached the football field and walked up to her friend.
"Now what's this about, Joey?" she immediately asked him.
"Let's take uh walk around da track and I'll tell ya."
Tea eyed him again. "I'll only walk with you if you tell me what's been up with you lately?"
"I promise I will, Tea."
"All right then. Let's start walking."
Joey and Tea started walking around the track and Joey began talking to her.
"I'm glad dat ya came, Tea. I was startin' ta dink ya wouldn't come."
Tea looked over at him. "Why would you think that, Joey? Maybe because you've been acting completely weird around me for the last two days?"
"Yeah, I guess I deserved dat. I'm sorry dat I've been so secretive around ya lately. I didn't mean for dat ta happen."
"Joey, it's alright. I just want to know what you're hiding from me."
Joey suddenly stopped walking. Tea knew what Joey had to tell her was big.
"Okay, do I even want to hear this now?" Tea asked him.
"Tea, I was wonderin' if ya would go out with me."
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