HowtoLaughOutLoud

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Chapter Three

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Joey breathed shallowly, his fist raised ready to knock, but his brain just wouldn't give the command. There were so many worries going through his head, mostly about not being able to support his daughter. He sucked in a sharp breath as he remembered her smiling this morning. Oh, Serenity... He couldn't let her down and move back in with his father, nor would he constantly put his responsibility of Serenity on Mai every day until he found work.

Well. This was it, he thought.

Whatever it was...

Hesitantly, he knocked softly then brought his fist down harder twice, more confident now. He could do this. He had to do this. And Joseph Andrew Wheeler backed down from nothing. He pushed his fears to the back of his mind; no was not the time. Especially when a low male voice on the other side answered harshly:

"Enter! As for you..." There was a sound of a sob and a chair scraping the floor

Joey sucked in a breath and slowly opened the door, peering around the corner and slightly startled to see it so dark. Even the curtains were closed, and the only light in the room came from the green shade light on the desk. From entering on the right side of what appeared to be another office, Joey stumbled in and glanced to the chair of the lit desk. No one was there, but a quick open of light from his left side and a low buzz of noise that entered the room caught him off guard. The door slammed shut behind a crying woman, and Joey was beginning to feel unnerved; that had to been one of the applying women...

...she wasn't crying in tears of joy, either.

"Shut the damn door!" The man at the door that lead into the grand hall snarled and stomped over to the desk and sat in the chair. Joey stuttered and hurried to close the hidden hall door easily at once. By the way, that little bit of confidence Joey had gathered up earlier was all but slowly slipping away. He stood awkwardly by a bookcase, looking anywhere but the main office enterance or the man himself.

"Are you going to stand there like a fool? Sit down, already! Or is this job not so important to you, now?" Joey immediately rushed to the chair opposite of the shadowed-hidden man. Of course this job was important, it was the last thing he had to count on! He would not take Serenity back to his father's house!

The man leaned forward onto the desk, almost bored, but there was a deep scowl on his face, like it was pernament. The sudden light on icy blue eyes made Joey freeze with a chilled shudder and made him feel as though he was being scanned from the soul. The other male had brunette hair and pale features, his lips pulled back in a tight, pernament frown. He wore a white business suit with a light blue dress shirt underneath and a blue tie that matched his eyes. Joey swallowed; those eyes looked ready to kill, and he wasn't even saying a thing until he leaned back in his chair, hiding his face in the shadows again.

"I am Seto Kaiba," the other drawled, as though it had been rehearsed; it probably was. Obviously, by last names, he was related to the teenager in the other room. "I am the Master of the Kaiba Manor and President of Kaiba Corporation."

"Ah, I'm Joey, er, Joseph Whe-"

"I know who you are," Kaiba cut in chipedly. "I was the one who was calling your name for the past five minutes."

Joey stumbled. "Oh, erm, sorry 'bout that. I had to take my daughter-"

"I," the other cut in again, almost like a sneer this time. Joey watched the sillouette sit a little straighter. "...don't care about excuses. You could have been taking your dying mother to the vet, and gotten held up to get a rabies shot, but it the excuse still wouldn't matter because you were late, mutt." Joey stared at the offending male blankly, his brain having trouble processing that the guy in front of him called his mother and himself an animal instead of people.

Fuck.

No.

Joey flared up almost automatically, fists shaking and eyes narrowed in anger, "Look! So I was five minutes late! It's not going to kill you to wait on some-"

"I'd advise that you bite your yapping tongue if you want to continue this so-called interview any longer, mutt," Kaiba's amused voice interrupted, "but since you're obviously new to the leash and collar, I'll be the one commanding 'speak'. Got it, dog?"

Joey said nothing and kept glowering darkly at the man hidden by shadows.

The Master of the manor reached forward and shuffled around folders before laying one slightly thick manila folder on top and opening it. Apparently, it was Joey's own folder as he saw the paper clipped picture. What kind of things would it say in it, because that obviously wasn't his job application.

"This is your personal background." Kaiba said, as though reading Joey's mind. "Everything about you from date of birth to last court trial is in here."

"I already discussed my reason of trial with-"

"I did not say speak, mutt." He rolled his chair closer to the desk where he stayed in the light, and his blue eyes narrowed dangerously and uncaring at Joey. Joey stumbled and closed his mouth which had been opening and closing like a gaping fish.

"I am very aware that my brother might have been over the issue with you, but I want to ask different questions concerning earlier court apperances, Mr. Wheeler," Kaiba gave Joey a long, studying glare.

Joey squeaked, "E-earlier?" The only earlier one he had...

"How long have you been playing father to your adoptive daughter Sereinty Lee May "Candy" Wheeler?" he asked, the same look plastered over to replace the frown. Apparently, Joey must have shown a look on his face something akin to rage, because Kaiba immediately raised a hand and said slowly: "I'm not an animal person, mutt, and will not take kind to rabid animals; why don't you go off and find a new master before I throw you out." Joey swallowed back a biting retort, wondering what in the hell Serenity had to do if he got this job or not, but if his personal life was to be made as the discussion, then he rather not have the job; no matter how open he was with his friends, he wasn't prepared to give a life story. He narrowed his amber eyes at the business man as he stood.

He leaned forward and swung his hardest punch at the brunette man. It landed squarely at the jaw and knocked Kaiba back. Joey stood away and gave the stuttering man a nonchalant look.

"I've known her all her six years of life," Joey said with an even tone, not rasing it. "Her mother was a prostitute, and I was only fourteen at the time when I took care of her. Her mother died on my bed after giving birth to Serenity." He took in a shallow breath, "I understand I hid her from the government until I was legal and finished school, but I wouldn't not give up that kid even if my job depended on it. If you're thinking that I might be some perverted man that takes in little girls, I must bid you a good day, Mister Kaiba, for I do not like to be judged like that." Joey blinked.

"Nor do I take kindly to being refered to as a dog; I'll find better work else where."

And with that, Joey stalked out the room, quietly closing the door behind him as he left, feeling both highly proud and rather stupid of himself.

"I am so sorry, Serenity..." Joey whispered to himself as he started up the truck and rode to Mai's house. He felt like crying when he saw Serenity minutes later, and gave her a big hug as he walked into his generous friend's house; he couldn't look his daughter in the eye. He set the auburn haired girl on her feet again, patting her head and asked her to go draw him a pretty picture. Serenity giggled at her father and asked him what he wanted her to draw. Joey smiled brokenly.

"A picture that has you and me in it, with lots of flowers. Put Aunt Mai in there, too, while you're at it, hon."

"Yessa!" And she ran off to find the pencil and papers.

"Mai?" Joey called around, voice craking. He turned around to the hall that led deeper into the house and found her leaning against the wall, a tight, sad smile on her face, and Joey just fell to his knees and lost it. With Mai holding him to her comfortingly, he just broke down and lost it all. "W-we'r-re g-go-ing b-back...!" Joey sobbed...

Fate can be so cruel sometimes..

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