Yu-Gi-Oh! Love Unconditionally (Version 1 - SEMI FINAL)

Chapter 2

Yugi, still in his pyjamas, yawned and rubbed his eyes groggily as he walked to the phone. His mother handed him the phone with a concerned look on her face.

"Hello," he grumbled. On the other end of the line, an older woman was talking frantically.

"Hello, is this Yugi Muto?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm sorry to call you so early, but this is Monica Wheeler, Joseph's mother."

He blinked silently in confusion for a moment, wondering why she would be calling him out of all people. She said urgently, "I need to know if you have any idea where he might be."

Yugi asked, "He's not at the hospital?"

"No," she said, "Serenity has locked herself in her room and completely refuses to even let me or the doctors in to do her operation until he gets here. I don't know what to do and we cannot afford to wait much longer."

"That's terrible! Hang in there, Mrs. Wheeler. Our friends and I will find him."

"Thank you, Yugi. Please hurry."

He handed the phone back to his mom, who said, placing the phone back on its dock, "Didn't you say Joey went straight to the hospital after you guys registered for the tournament? That's not like Joey at all."

Yugi said, "I know. I have to get Tristan and Téa. We'll find him!" He turned and ran upstairs, switching into his black tank top and blue pants and jacket, throwing his Millennium Puzzle over his head. As he sat at the front door, pulling on his street shoes, he could hear his mom and grandfather talking in hushed, concerned voices out in the kitchen, but he didn't have time to worry about their conversation. He grabbed his backpack and cell phone, sprinting out the door and around the corner, dialling his friends' numbers one by one.

Emiko sat up in her bed, stretching and scrunching her shoulders before she was startled by a loud ringing from her phone.

"Hey, Yuge," she said hoarsely, "What's–"

He cut her off, "Em! Joey's gone missing and we need help finding him!"

"What?!"

"He was supposed to go to the hospital last night, but his mom called me this morning and said he never made it! Please come help us find him!"

"I'm on my way," she said, stumbling hastily out of bed and to her closet. She threw on a casual mint-coloured, button-down shirt and a pair of black denim shorts, grabbing her backpack and throwing her shoes on before running outside to her bike. She hopped on and rode as quickly as she possibly could down into the busy morning traffic.

Thirty minutes later, the group had searched all of his usual hangout spots in the area, but had no luck. There was still no sign of Joey anywhere. Téa jogged to catch up to Yugi and shouted, "Nothing!" He sighed. Tristan skidded to a halt on his brand new motorcycle, taking his helmet off and jumping off.

Yugi said, "This just isn't like him. I'm really worried."

As the trio talked together, Emiko called to them, speeding towards them on her bike, "Anything yet?" Téa shook her head.

"Nope. Where on Earth could he be?"

Emiko propped herself up on her right foot and pulled out her phone.

"I don't know," she said, "I'd ask Seto, but he doesn't exactly think of Joey in a good light, so he probably wouldn't help us, no matter how much we beg."

Tristan said, "Wait. Why don't the two of us search downtown on our bikes, Em?" Emiko nodded and Tristan added, "I'll take the north side, you take the south. You two, keep looking around this side."