Genderbent

Chapter 12 ~ Worrying Makes it Worse

  Yugi woke with a start as his mattress was upturned and his sleeping figure crashed onto the floor. Joey's voice was recognized in a groggy daze.

  "Get up Yug' you've gotta get ready! Come on, are you awake yet!?"

  Yugi bolted upright almost immediately, "I-I'm awake!"

  Joey helped him up and threw the outfit Yugi had laid out on the dresser at him, "You're lucky I came here early. You still don't got a lot of time."

  Yugi nodded hazily and made his way to the bathroom. He dunked his head in the sink and washed his face and his hair, blow-dried it, and then changed into his outfit quickly. He stared back at himself, looking like a zombie in a skirt, and hurried back to his room to put on his makeup. Joey was putting back together his bed when he came in.

  "You were practically dead when I came in, you wouldn't wake up no matter what I tried."

  "Sorry..." Yugi mumbled, applying foundation messily to his face.

  Joey shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Just glad you weren't actually dead." He teased and sat down on the mattress.

  Joey watched Yugi intently as he applied his makeup, complete with false eyelashes that Yugi fumbled with for a minute before placing them correctly. He turned from a tired zombie boy into a cute, stylish girl in a sleeveless pink button up tucked loosely into a knee-length pleated blue skirt. The collar of the shirt ended in a lacy design and the skirt was accented with a black belt that had a shiny silver buckle. His nails were clipped and painted light blue, which he had done last night, and his lips were coated in pink lip gloss.

  Yugi could feel Joey's eyes burning into him as he slipped on long white socks and buckled black shoes. This continued as he pulled the small purse he borrowed from Anzu over his shoulder, until Joey finally spoke up.

  "You're like a totally different person when you dress up. This is what it looks like when you go all out, up close?"

  "Well actually it's dialed down a bit...since I have to exaggerate for the people in the back when I'm performing." Yugi explained a bit timidly, and yawned obnoxiously afterward.

  Joey laughed, "You definitely act different on stage."

  Yuki fluttered her eyelashes and tilted her head at him, speaking with her pitched voice, "Oh, you mean like this?" And smiled charmingly.

  Joey blinked dumbfoundedly just as the faint ring of the game shop door sounded through the building. The two raced down the steps and found Yami standing by the door and Sugoroku smiling timidly behind the counter.

  Yugi panicked at the thought of his grandfather calling him his actual name in front of Yami, who did not know, "BYE SUGOROKU SEE YOU LATER!" he squeaked out and shoved Yami out the door with him.

  "Hey hey woah-" Yami stumbled backward out the door, "Calm down, what are you doing?"

  Yugi recoiled and smiled nervously "O-oh I..." He looked up, where the Kame Game sign hung over the door and looked back at Yami. Yugi had mentioned the shop on the phone...without remembering that it was the address he had given Yami to pick them up from. Was he that scatterbrained? The web of lies was closing in sooner than expected.

  Joey came out the door soon after them, but seemed a bit tactful as he smiled nervously, "Ah Yuki, you're letting your nerves get to you. Go say a proper goodbye to gramps will ya?"

  Yugi ducked his head and slipped back inside. His heart was thumping loudly in his ears. He smiled apologetically at Sugoroku who was wiping down the counter.