The expectation his parents had for him was more they could ask for in a young boy, being an only child they depended on him to make them proud. All of that pressure built anxiety in Joey before starting elementary school, he had a schedule to stick to managing his education, sports, music, practicing etiquette, and dance.

Being so young and feeling alone, Joey only found comfort in food, the feeling of being full, the different foods to eat put him at ease, its the only time he has to himself and doing what he wants, making any meal time exciting, staring at the clock anticipating the next time he can eat just to stare at the clock waiting once more, asking his parents, teachers, guardian's when its time for more food. When his parents noticed this new behavior they thought nothing about it, a boy with a busy agenda has to eat? That is until he started gaining weight awfully quick, his parents constantly having to change his wardrobe and replacing his uniforms, the frustration builds and is expressed through verbally abusing the boy, this habit needed to stop. His parents started locking up the food and closing him off from the kitchen, if he asked for seconds he was ridiculed, he was only given small portions and was to exercise vigorously after each meal. This put the situation under control and the weight was starting to come off, but Joey couldn't live with out it, all of this work and small portions was causing him to act out. Joey started hiding snacks when the pantry was unlocked, if he was to visit the shop he'd take food when no one was looking, after dinner when its time to clean up he would shovel forks full from the serving dishes. When its time for his exercises he'd throw a massive tantrum and start making a mess, this would wear down his mum and embarrass her greatly, even though his father was strict about it, his mother would let the exercises slip. 

 

Getting his way for the first time felt good, even more then how food made him, these were rare victories but it ignited a new craving. Joey started to beg his mother for things even if he didn't really want it, he just wanted to test what her limit was for giving in. His mother was more likely to give in if it was in public, not wanting the judgement of others, his father on the other hand stayed firm with him, threatening to send him to military school to straighten him out but if Joey kept pushing his father would push back, physically, Joey felt nothing but hate towards his parents but no more then his father.

Joey resisted his parents controlling behavior throughout his childhood, eating what he wants behind their back made Joe chubby and is constantly picked on for it at school, he separates himself from the other kids and sits on the computer all day.

His mother becomes depressed seeing that she failed what she wanted to accomplish in her child, his father gives up completely not wanting to spend another dime on him, they come to an agreement and send him away to be adopted in the US claiming his "piggish way's" was fit for that continent.

Joey, now scarred from his parents, disassociates with the world only paying any attention to his computer, not reacting to his foster parents or siblings, teachers, doctors, or psychiatrists. Joey keeps up with his education just fine but is excused from PE due to his insecurities, this didn't help the bullying though, he's still teased and made the butt of everyone jokes, so he remains in the computer lab, something that's familiar to him.

 

He meets Lazarus in a computer coding class, for him, it was love at first sight, she was goofy and didn't know anything about computers or the program but she was having fun. Too nervous to talk to her, he sits one computer away from her and sweats through his clothes. Being a head of the class he gets a lot of free time, his teacher advises him to tutor the others but he's too anxious to speak to anyone. Laz gets a glimpse of Joeys work and compliments skills and asks him for help on the project, the terror of talking to her for the first time or even anyone makes him soak his clothes, Laz pokes fun of the sweaty mess and Joey's only line of action is to trip over a chair trying to make a run for it. The pathetic display makes him a laughing stock the next day, while Joey mutters his plan of suicide Laz meets up with him and apologizes for embarrassing him, she asks if they could be friends and if he could help her better learn computers. Shocked and unable to string along a sentence Laz laughs at his reaction, takes his hand, and escorts him to his class. 

 

It seemed like a cheesy love story, in the following years they confess their love for each other and remained together. Laz helped Joey come out of his shell more and Joey get's Laz interested in computers, the added confidence in Joey inspires him to better himself, getting in fitness and weight lifting, Laz joins him to improve her skills in gymnastics becoming the ultimate power couple. 

Everything seemed perfect until Joey's transformation from a chubby sweaty kid to a tall, fit, heart-throb, his female classmates smother him with flirtatious attention, something he's not use too, as his ego grows his confidence quickly becomes pretentious and narcissistic. Instead of ignoring the other girls advances he encourages it to get what he wants, Laz, obviously not approving of this, gets confrontational fighting the girls, Joey just sits back and enjoys the show, if Laz was to ever turn her anger on him he would just remind her of all they've been through and that their soul mates and keep filling her head with empty promises and reassurance.

 

After they graduated they enter college to study computer tech, through out college Joey becomes more absent with Laz, claiming that he's spending time at the library or helping build computers, but a quick look a social media girls start posting pictures with Joey in them mentioning how they spent the day with him. The confrontation at this point is routine, fight, separate, reconciliation, fight again, Laz ignores all the red flags and still holds hope that they'll make a life together.