Ok you know the drill so let's get it over with. I do not claim to own
Sailor Moon or any of its characters. This story has been thought up and
written by me so everything you see here is original. This story has some
sexual content, hence the R rating, so if you are too young or don't like
that kind of stuff then I suggest you go read something else. The text
written in parenthesis suggests thought, and anything written within
asterisks suggests action. There are no songs in here so if you want you
can think of your own song. Now that that's over with, let the story begin!
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
A new day approached. The sun was rising over the mountains giving the sky an orange and crimson tint. The wind was blowing a cool breeze over the heated Tokyo. Summer was growing near and the degrees just kept on climbing. Grandfather's dojo had its sliding doors open, hoping to catch a passing breeze. The cherry blossoms flashed their beautiful pink colors and the petals danced with the wind. Petals were scattered on the steps leading to the shrine, making it appear as if royalty had just passed through. Grandfather looked on from his window at the shrine's steps. He looked down and sighed as he shook his head. He folded his arms behind his back, bowed his head, and walked towards Rei's room.
"Rei get up! . . Rei, come on, it is time to get up." No reply came. He put his ear to the sliding door and heard nothing. He knocked repeatedly and the put his ear back on the door. He heard an angry grunt emerging from within.
"Ah, she is awake." He smiled with content, folded his arms behind him, bowed his head, and once again began walking, this time away from her room.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
*Moan* Rei's eyelashes fluttered a bit; she was slowly awakening. She threw the sheets off her slender body and sat up on her bed. Her feet slowly descended towards the floor and her toes moved around in search of her slippers. Her arms went over her head and stretched. *Yawn* She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a long, white button-down shirt that reached halfway down her thighs. Her hair was tied to the side with an orange band that she now slid off her silky hair. She scratched her arm and looked about the room. She was in search of something. The room was a mess and a trace of crumbs lay on her wooden floor. (Boy, this is the last time I'm inviting Serena over here! She eats like a pig and can't even pick up after herself) Sleepily, she walked to the other side of her room and picked up a towel from the floor.
"Ah, I'll have to clean this all up later. Oh, that meatball head!" she whined with anger. She opened the sliding door to her room, stuck out her head, and looked left and right before exiting. She flung the towel over her shoulder, closed the door, and headed towards the bathroom. She filled up the white marble bathtub and dunked her hand in the water to make sure it was warm enough. The water was a little chilly. She looked out the bathroom window in search for Chad or Grandpa. Chad was outside practicing his moves. When he kicked, the air would whoosh. Rei stood there by the window staring, she stared until her vision blurred and she had to blink and shake her head.
"Rei? Hey Rei?" a voice called her.
"Oh Chad, I'm so sorry. I guess I was staring at the sunrise." She looked down at the ground outside and found Chad standing there.
"Did you need something Rei?"
"Oh, yea . what was it?" She tried to remember. "Oh that's right, could you please throw a little wood in the fire? The bathwater is ice cold."
"Sure, no problem. I'll have that water hot for you in no time." He went to work straightaway throwing wood into the fire. Slowly but surely, the water heated up. Rei leaned over to the window and thanked Chad for his help. He smiled and went back to his training spot blushing. Rei sat on the edge of the bathtub, swishing her hand through the water. She finally stood up and began to unbutton her shirt with her back facing the window. Chad could not help but look. He knew it was wrong but there was nothing he could do about it.
(No, look away, this is wrong. If she catches you watching her she's going to let you have it!) He groaned and looked away. (Well, in that case, you just can't let her catch you.) He grinned and moved closer to the bathroom window. He sat on the floor near a bush were Rei couldn't see him. She was down to the last button. *Snap* the last button was done. Her hands went up to her shoulders; she grabbed the shirt and gently threw it back. Her back was bare and the shirt was now on her waist. She pulled off one sleeve and then the other. The shirt hit the floor. Chad watched her and adored every inch of her body. Sadly he could only see up to her waist. Suddenly, she turned around. One arm was covering her breasts and the other was reaching for the latch on the window. It was out of reach. She had to lean out the window to reach the latch, pull the window in and lock it.
She looked all around her, making sure no one was outside. Her arm let go of her breasts as her body leaned out the window, both arms out trying to reach the latch. Her long, black hair covered her bosom and Chad could not see. He didn't care, he was watching her. She reached the latch and closed the window. *Sighs* Chad looked away, he was breathing heavily and his heart was racing. He could hardly get up.
"Hey Chad! How's it going?" a voice called from behind. Chad yelped in fear and got to his feet. He turned around and saw Darien's face.
"Oh, Darien hi." He replied as calmly as he could. "What are you doing here?"
"Rei told me she had some chores today and could not make it to school on time so I offered to give her a ride." "Oh, I see." He looked down in disappointment. "I'll go get her." He quickly went inside, shutting the sliding door behind him, nearly hitting Darien in the face.
"What's up with him?" Darien wondered.
Chad walked through the house until he reached the door to the bathroom. He knocked angrily on it. Rei was startled. She quickly got up and wrapped herself in her towel. She took one foot out of the tub. It dripped on the floor as the other foot soon joined. She walked to the door and opened it a bit. "Chad what is it?" She scowled at him.
"Darien is here." He replied coldly and walked away. (What's eating him?) She rushed to her room in her towel and searched for her school uniform. She rushed to put it on, combed her hair and ran back to the bathroom. She let the water out as she brushed her teeth.
"Oh no!" She ran back to her room and searched for her shoes. "Chad!" She yelled frantically. He ran over and slipped on the trail of water she had left on the floor. *Crash*
"Ouch, . . yes Rei?"
"Chad! Have you seen my shoes?"
"Yes they are outside, on the entrance mat."
"Ok thanks!" She said as she ran out towards the door. Her hand opened the sliding door and her shoes were on the mat just like he had said. She rushed to put them on and then ran over to the shrine. Her broom lay against the wall, looking almost lonely. Rei picked it off and quickly brushed off the blossom petals off the steps.
"Ok, done." Without taking a second to breathe she ran towards the street were she saw a very suave looking Darien standing in front of his car.
"Hey!"
"Glad you could make it, I was beginning to worry." He joked. She blushed and entered the car. They drove off. Chad looked on from one of the windows and bowed his head. *Sigh* (I'm never going to be good enough am I?)
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
The day progressed and everything went as usual. School was a drag and she just sat on her chair and daydreamed all day. After school Darien met her with his car. She was surprised to see him. "Hey, what are you doing here? Don't you have to pick Serena up?"
"She faked sick again. There was an English exam she did not want to fail." They both smiled. Rei entered the car and Darien drove off.
"Hey, I'm hungry, you want to catch something to eat?"
"Sure!" She said as her imagination had its way with her. (Wow, I think he's asking me on a date!) They stopped at the usual restaurant and had a bite to eat. They talked a while, mostly about Serena and then they left.
"Wow, it's getting late." Darien said as he looked up to the sky.
"Yea, I better get home before Ch.Grandpa starts worrying." Darien smiled; he had caught that.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
*Screech* the car had arrived. He turned off the engine. He turned his head towards her and smiled.
"You know, in the moonlight your hair looks like it has a hint of violet in it?" She blushed and looked straight ahead; her eyes could not meet his. "It looks really cool you know, it reminds me of how." (It's now or never!) Without warning she turned her head, leaned over and kissed him. Darien's eyes widened as he pulled away. He finished his sentence. ".Serena's eyes look when the sun is setting." She quickly sat back in her seat and faced forward. (Oh no! What have I done? That was so embarrassing! My life is over, he's going to hate me, and things are going to get weird now!)
"I'm.sorry Darien.I don't know what I was thinking." She said apologetically.
"Listen Rei." He said turning towards her. "You are a beautiful girl and I'm sure you could get any guy you wanted if you set your mind to it."
"I can't have you, can I?"
He sighed. "Look Rei, I'm sorry, but I love Serena. I always have and I always will until the day I die, maybe even after that. I'm sorry if I misled you, but you are only a friend to me. Can you settle with being my friend?"
She tried hard not to cry. "Of course Darien, your friendship means a lot to me." She sniffled a bit. "I'm. I'm sorry. Please don't tell Serena." With that she opened the car door and stepped out. She slammed the door and walked towards her home. She heard Darien calling her name. She closed her eyes and kept walking. The car started and he drove off.
The moon was shining on her and she was in a spotlight. Her hair blew in the breeze and her eyes glistened with tears. (I can't let Grandpa see me like this.) She wiped the tears off her eyes, sniffed, took off her shoes and gently placed them on the entrance mat. The door slid open and she was inside.
"I'm home!" She announced. She walked around her home looking for Chad and Grandpa. They were nowhere to be found. Out of nowhere Grandpa's head popped out of the kitchen.
"Rei! Where have you been?" He asked a bit worried.
"Grandpa I'm ok, Darien just took me out for dinner." She replied as she entered the kitchen. She saw Grandpa sitting on a cushion on the floor, eating. On the other side of the table was Chad. His head was down and he was poking his rice cakes with a chopstick. Next to him was a bowl of cold noodles with a set of chopsticks placed neatly on the surface of the bowl. Chad looked at the noodles and stood up from the floor.
"Well, I guess there is no use for you anymore." He said looking at the noodles. He carried the noodles with him and threw them out the window. Small critters quickly devoured the meal. "I'm sorry if it's a little cold guys, its been sitting there a while." With that he closed the window and put down the bowl. He stood on the entrance of the room right by Rei. He turned to face Grandpa and bowed. "Good night Sensei. I will be up bright and early tomorrow for my training." He stood up straight and looked at Grandpa who greedily stuffed his face.
"Ah yes! Tomorrow's training will be vigorous! So be ready!" He returned to eating. As Chad was exiting the kitchen he passed by Rei. He didn't even look at her as he went by and the cold air that followed him hit Rei's shoulder. "Chad! By the way, great meal! I didn't know you were such a great cook or I would have set you to work earlier eh? Rei you should have tasted those noodles!" Grandpa chuckled completely oblivious of what was happening.
"Yea, I wish I would have." Rei said in a low voice feeling guilty.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the meal Sensei." He kept walking down the long hall, past all the doors until he finally stopped at one, Rei's door. He looked at it and kept walking. He turned left and vanished from Rei's view.
"What's wrong Rei?" Grandpa asked. "You have a stomach ache?"
"Arg! No Grandpa! Everything is fine! Now go back to eating your food!" She snapped back.
(What's bugging her?) Grandpa pondered Rei left the kitchen the same way Chad had. She stormed out and her bare feet echoed footsteps as she walked throughout the dojo. She reached her door and went inside. To her surprise some one had cleaned out her room. The clothes were neatly folded and placed in their proper drawers. The bed had been made, everything was clean, and even Serena's crumbs had been picked off the floor. Serena, the crumbs made her think of Serena, and of Darien, and of the earlier incident. She felt like crying again but she knew Grandpa would walk in and see her. She stepped out of her room quietly and looked towards the kitchen. Grandpa was mumbling and grumbling. Apparently, he got stuck doing the dishes. *Sigh* she continued walking to the end of the hall. She looked to the left, were Chad had turned. She decided to talk to him. As she reached his door she heard some music inside, Chad was playing and she didn't want to disturb him. She raised her hand to knock on the door, but her courage failed her and she turned around and walked back to the hallway. She reached the meditation room and closed the door behind her. The wise fire was burning bright and she felt soothed by its warmth. She bowed to show respect and kneeled in front of the great flames. She began to meditate, looking into the future, wondering what tomorrow had in store for her. Her face grew closer to the fire as she asked it questions. Her hair almost caught fire and she moved back.
(That's enough for tonight) She thought as she headed back towards her room. Again, she looked towards Chad's room and felt she had to apologize for not announcing she would be late and thank him for fixing her room. There was not a doubt in her mind that it had been he who picked up after her. She walked to the door and raised her hand to knock. She stopped when she noticed the lights were off in the room.
"Oh great!" She was ready to walk away when something came over her, an impulse to peek inside. Cautiously, Rei opened the door and found Chad sleeping peacefully in his bed. He looked so innocent, so gentle, and even fragile. A feeling of guilt came over her and she did not why she felt that way. She didn't even know what she was doing in his room. "God this is so stupid." She said as she shut the door to his room and went back to her own.
Once inside her room she began to undress herself. She took off her socks and slowly stepped out of her skirt. *Slide* Her door had been opened. She spun around quickly and saw Chad standing at her door. "Oh Rei, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . I didn't know you were . . I'm so sorry." He looked away.
"Chad! Get out now!"
He closed the door. She stood there, growling and hissing. (Wait, what am I doing? Haven't I done enough for one day? Damn you Rei! Why do you have to be so mean?) She yelled at herself. She ran towards the door and opened it. She turned her head left and saw Chad ready to turn down the hall.
"Chad! Wait!" He turned around.
"Shh, you are going to wake Sensei." He whispered
"You mean Grandpa? Please, he sleeps like a log."
"Oh. ."
"Chad I'm so sorry, please come back, I want to talk to you."
He slowly walked back to her room. The whole dojo was dark; he could hardly see where he was going. He felt for the door and went inside. The moon shone in through the window and he could see Rei's figure.
"Ahem" He said looking away.
"What.what is it?" She asked dumbfounded. He pointed to the spot on the floor were her skirt was. "Oh my God!" They both blushed. She quickly picked up the skirt and slid it back on. "I'm so sorry Chad, I didn't know what I . ."
"That's ok, I didn't see anything, promise." He hadn't, all he saw was her outline. She walked over to her bed and turned on the nightlight. It wasn't much, but it gave the room a nice glow and they could actually see each other within the room. She looked towards the door where Chad still stood.
"Well, are you going to stay there all night?"
"No actually I was going back to bed. I'm sorry for walking in on you, I should have knocked." He began to exit the room when she yelled at him.
"What is up with you lately?"
"Huh?" He turned to face her.
"Yea, why are you acting all weird? You avoided me all day, you purposely didn't speak to me, you threw out my food, passed me without saying a single word, and you shut the door to your room. What am I invisible all of a sudden?" She was upset. "I'm just doing what you always wanted me to do, I'm leaving you alone so you can be with Darien. That's what you want isn't it?" He was beginning to raise his voice. He contained himself with the excuse that he did not want to wake Grandpa up. He looked over to Rei who now sat on the edge of her bed with her back to him. Her back was quivering. He walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her.
"Hey, are you cold? Here." He took off his shirt and laid it on her shoulders. She was still quivering. "Rei look at me, what's wrong? I'm sorry if I yelled at you but sometimes my feelings get the best of me." Her head was down and her midnight black hair was covering her face. He took his index finger and lifted her chin. Her eyes were glistening with tears. He wiped her eyes with his thumbs and then moved in to kiss her forehead but she backed away. "I'm sorry."
"Chad, it was so embarrassing." She said through her tears.
"What was Rei?"
"Darien." Chad stiffened his body and a strange look of madness was in his eyes. "He took me to dinner and then I . ."
"What did he do to you?"
"I tried to kiss him!" She busted out crying. Chad did not know how to react. He just listened as the words 'kiss him' rang in his ears and through his mind. His voce began to break.
"Well, that was what you wanted wasn't it?"
"He pulled away and told me how much he loved Serena and then . ."
"Do you love him?" He asked not realizing what had just left his lips. She looked at him confused. "Do you love him?" He repeated.
"I think so."
"In that case, you don't love him." He smiled. He pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it neatly behind her right ear. "If you love some one you are certain of it, you don't have any doubts. If you can't give me a straight answer then it means you don't love him."
He was right. She thought about it and realized she only had a silly infatuation with Darien. She only thought she loved him.
"You're right." She finally admitted. "I don't love him. I guess I just wanted to see if I could have him or not. I never thought Serena could have something that good and me have nothing."
"Rei, don't say that. You have so much. You have your Grandpa, your school, your friends, the shrine, this dojo."
"But. . do I have you?" She looked at him yearning for an answer. (What did I just say? I can't believe I just did that. Why did I just do that?) "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He smiled. He put her hand on his heart. "Do you feel that?" She nodded.
"As long as that heart is still beating I am at your service." Suddenly she felt like crying again. Did he only think of her as his master? She took her hand off his chest. "What's the matter Rei? I feel like I said something wrong."
"Chad, what do you think of me?"
"What?" He was caught off-guard by the question. "Well I think you are very smart, and talented . . and beautiful."
"But, would you ever want a girl like me?" His heart skipped a beat.
"Rei, I've always wanted a girl like you. No, I always wanted you." She looked at him with surprise although deep down she had always suspected that he liked her. "It is just that, you never wanted me. You never noticed my efforts to win you over because you were so preoccupied with Darien."
Now she felt bad. "You are wrong." She said. "I always noticed you. I noticed the way you always snuck a treat in my lunch bag, making believe Grandpa had done it, the fact that you are always near when the water is cold in the bathroom, the way you pick up my messes so I don't have to deal with it when I get home, the way you always know were all my missing stuff is, the way you iron my uniforms, and even how you always offer to carry my books for me. Trust me Chad, I do notice. It's just that, I'm very proud. I never want help, which is why I'm always scolding you. Not because you have done anything wrong. You do everything for me, and it makes me feel useless and fragile."
"No, I never meant to . ."
"I know; I'm sorry for the way I've behaved towards you. I'll be a little bit nicer from now on ok?" She lifted her head and looked over at Chad. He was just staring at her. She noticed he had no shirt; he had used it to cover her up. His hand wandered over to her and it rested upon her own hand. She felt a strange feeling surge from her chest. Her heart began to beat fast as if she had just jogged a mile. Her breathing became rapid and she felt her knees begin to shake. Chad just looked at her. She was the only thing in the room. She was the only thing in the world, his world.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
A new day approached. The sun was rising over the mountains giving the sky an orange and crimson tint. The wind was blowing a cool breeze over the heated Tokyo. Summer was growing near and the degrees just kept on climbing. Grandfather's dojo had its sliding doors open, hoping to catch a passing breeze. The cherry blossoms flashed their beautiful pink colors and the petals danced with the wind. Petals were scattered on the steps leading to the shrine, making it appear as if royalty had just passed through. Grandfather looked on from his window at the shrine's steps. He looked down and sighed as he shook his head. He folded his arms behind his back, bowed his head, and walked towards Rei's room.
"Rei get up! . . Rei, come on, it is time to get up." No reply came. He put his ear to the sliding door and heard nothing. He knocked repeatedly and the put his ear back on the door. He heard an angry grunt emerging from within.
"Ah, she is awake." He smiled with content, folded his arms behind him, bowed his head, and once again began walking, this time away from her room.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
*Moan* Rei's eyelashes fluttered a bit; she was slowly awakening. She threw the sheets off her slender body and sat up on her bed. Her feet slowly descended towards the floor and her toes moved around in search of her slippers. Her arms went over her head and stretched. *Yawn* She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a long, white button-down shirt that reached halfway down her thighs. Her hair was tied to the side with an orange band that she now slid off her silky hair. She scratched her arm and looked about the room. She was in search of something. The room was a mess and a trace of crumbs lay on her wooden floor. (Boy, this is the last time I'm inviting Serena over here! She eats like a pig and can't even pick up after herself) Sleepily, she walked to the other side of her room and picked up a towel from the floor.
"Ah, I'll have to clean this all up later. Oh, that meatball head!" she whined with anger. She opened the sliding door to her room, stuck out her head, and looked left and right before exiting. She flung the towel over her shoulder, closed the door, and headed towards the bathroom. She filled up the white marble bathtub and dunked her hand in the water to make sure it was warm enough. The water was a little chilly. She looked out the bathroom window in search for Chad or Grandpa. Chad was outside practicing his moves. When he kicked, the air would whoosh. Rei stood there by the window staring, she stared until her vision blurred and she had to blink and shake her head.
"Rei? Hey Rei?" a voice called her.
"Oh Chad, I'm so sorry. I guess I was staring at the sunrise." She looked down at the ground outside and found Chad standing there.
"Did you need something Rei?"
"Oh, yea . what was it?" She tried to remember. "Oh that's right, could you please throw a little wood in the fire? The bathwater is ice cold."
"Sure, no problem. I'll have that water hot for you in no time." He went to work straightaway throwing wood into the fire. Slowly but surely, the water heated up. Rei leaned over to the window and thanked Chad for his help. He smiled and went back to his training spot blushing. Rei sat on the edge of the bathtub, swishing her hand through the water. She finally stood up and began to unbutton her shirt with her back facing the window. Chad could not help but look. He knew it was wrong but there was nothing he could do about it.
(No, look away, this is wrong. If she catches you watching her she's going to let you have it!) He groaned and looked away. (Well, in that case, you just can't let her catch you.) He grinned and moved closer to the bathroom window. He sat on the floor near a bush were Rei couldn't see him. She was down to the last button. *Snap* the last button was done. Her hands went up to her shoulders; she grabbed the shirt and gently threw it back. Her back was bare and the shirt was now on her waist. She pulled off one sleeve and then the other. The shirt hit the floor. Chad watched her and adored every inch of her body. Sadly he could only see up to her waist. Suddenly, she turned around. One arm was covering her breasts and the other was reaching for the latch on the window. It was out of reach. She had to lean out the window to reach the latch, pull the window in and lock it.
She looked all around her, making sure no one was outside. Her arm let go of her breasts as her body leaned out the window, both arms out trying to reach the latch. Her long, black hair covered her bosom and Chad could not see. He didn't care, he was watching her. She reached the latch and closed the window. *Sighs* Chad looked away, he was breathing heavily and his heart was racing. He could hardly get up.
"Hey Chad! How's it going?" a voice called from behind. Chad yelped in fear and got to his feet. He turned around and saw Darien's face.
"Oh, Darien hi." He replied as calmly as he could. "What are you doing here?"
"Rei told me she had some chores today and could not make it to school on time so I offered to give her a ride." "Oh, I see." He looked down in disappointment. "I'll go get her." He quickly went inside, shutting the sliding door behind him, nearly hitting Darien in the face.
"What's up with him?" Darien wondered.
Chad walked through the house until he reached the door to the bathroom. He knocked angrily on it. Rei was startled. She quickly got up and wrapped herself in her towel. She took one foot out of the tub. It dripped on the floor as the other foot soon joined. She walked to the door and opened it a bit. "Chad what is it?" She scowled at him.
"Darien is here." He replied coldly and walked away. (What's eating him?) She rushed to her room in her towel and searched for her school uniform. She rushed to put it on, combed her hair and ran back to the bathroom. She let the water out as she brushed her teeth.
"Oh no!" She ran back to her room and searched for her shoes. "Chad!" She yelled frantically. He ran over and slipped on the trail of water she had left on the floor. *Crash*
"Ouch, . . yes Rei?"
"Chad! Have you seen my shoes?"
"Yes they are outside, on the entrance mat."
"Ok thanks!" She said as she ran out towards the door. Her hand opened the sliding door and her shoes were on the mat just like he had said. She rushed to put them on and then ran over to the shrine. Her broom lay against the wall, looking almost lonely. Rei picked it off and quickly brushed off the blossom petals off the steps.
"Ok, done." Without taking a second to breathe she ran towards the street were she saw a very suave looking Darien standing in front of his car.
"Hey!"
"Glad you could make it, I was beginning to worry." He joked. She blushed and entered the car. They drove off. Chad looked on from one of the windows and bowed his head. *Sigh* (I'm never going to be good enough am I?)
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
The day progressed and everything went as usual. School was a drag and she just sat on her chair and daydreamed all day. After school Darien met her with his car. She was surprised to see him. "Hey, what are you doing here? Don't you have to pick Serena up?"
"She faked sick again. There was an English exam she did not want to fail." They both smiled. Rei entered the car and Darien drove off.
"Hey, I'm hungry, you want to catch something to eat?"
"Sure!" She said as her imagination had its way with her. (Wow, I think he's asking me on a date!) They stopped at the usual restaurant and had a bite to eat. They talked a while, mostly about Serena and then they left.
"Wow, it's getting late." Darien said as he looked up to the sky.
"Yea, I better get home before Ch.Grandpa starts worrying." Darien smiled; he had caught that.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
*Screech* the car had arrived. He turned off the engine. He turned his head towards her and smiled.
"You know, in the moonlight your hair looks like it has a hint of violet in it?" She blushed and looked straight ahead; her eyes could not meet his. "It looks really cool you know, it reminds me of how." (It's now or never!) Without warning she turned her head, leaned over and kissed him. Darien's eyes widened as he pulled away. He finished his sentence. ".Serena's eyes look when the sun is setting." She quickly sat back in her seat and faced forward. (Oh no! What have I done? That was so embarrassing! My life is over, he's going to hate me, and things are going to get weird now!)
"I'm.sorry Darien.I don't know what I was thinking." She said apologetically.
"Listen Rei." He said turning towards her. "You are a beautiful girl and I'm sure you could get any guy you wanted if you set your mind to it."
"I can't have you, can I?"
He sighed. "Look Rei, I'm sorry, but I love Serena. I always have and I always will until the day I die, maybe even after that. I'm sorry if I misled you, but you are only a friend to me. Can you settle with being my friend?"
She tried hard not to cry. "Of course Darien, your friendship means a lot to me." She sniffled a bit. "I'm. I'm sorry. Please don't tell Serena." With that she opened the car door and stepped out. She slammed the door and walked towards her home. She heard Darien calling her name. She closed her eyes and kept walking. The car started and he drove off.
The moon was shining on her and she was in a spotlight. Her hair blew in the breeze and her eyes glistened with tears. (I can't let Grandpa see me like this.) She wiped the tears off her eyes, sniffed, took off her shoes and gently placed them on the entrance mat. The door slid open and she was inside.
"I'm home!" She announced. She walked around her home looking for Chad and Grandpa. They were nowhere to be found. Out of nowhere Grandpa's head popped out of the kitchen.
"Rei! Where have you been?" He asked a bit worried.
"Grandpa I'm ok, Darien just took me out for dinner." She replied as she entered the kitchen. She saw Grandpa sitting on a cushion on the floor, eating. On the other side of the table was Chad. His head was down and he was poking his rice cakes with a chopstick. Next to him was a bowl of cold noodles with a set of chopsticks placed neatly on the surface of the bowl. Chad looked at the noodles and stood up from the floor.
"Well, I guess there is no use for you anymore." He said looking at the noodles. He carried the noodles with him and threw them out the window. Small critters quickly devoured the meal. "I'm sorry if it's a little cold guys, its been sitting there a while." With that he closed the window and put down the bowl. He stood on the entrance of the room right by Rei. He turned to face Grandpa and bowed. "Good night Sensei. I will be up bright and early tomorrow for my training." He stood up straight and looked at Grandpa who greedily stuffed his face.
"Ah yes! Tomorrow's training will be vigorous! So be ready!" He returned to eating. As Chad was exiting the kitchen he passed by Rei. He didn't even look at her as he went by and the cold air that followed him hit Rei's shoulder. "Chad! By the way, great meal! I didn't know you were such a great cook or I would have set you to work earlier eh? Rei you should have tasted those noodles!" Grandpa chuckled completely oblivious of what was happening.
"Yea, I wish I would have." Rei said in a low voice feeling guilty.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the meal Sensei." He kept walking down the long hall, past all the doors until he finally stopped at one, Rei's door. He looked at it and kept walking. He turned left and vanished from Rei's view.
"What's wrong Rei?" Grandpa asked. "You have a stomach ache?"
"Arg! No Grandpa! Everything is fine! Now go back to eating your food!" She snapped back.
(What's bugging her?) Grandpa pondered Rei left the kitchen the same way Chad had. She stormed out and her bare feet echoed footsteps as she walked throughout the dojo. She reached her door and went inside. To her surprise some one had cleaned out her room. The clothes were neatly folded and placed in their proper drawers. The bed had been made, everything was clean, and even Serena's crumbs had been picked off the floor. Serena, the crumbs made her think of Serena, and of Darien, and of the earlier incident. She felt like crying again but she knew Grandpa would walk in and see her. She stepped out of her room quietly and looked towards the kitchen. Grandpa was mumbling and grumbling. Apparently, he got stuck doing the dishes. *Sigh* she continued walking to the end of the hall. She looked to the left, were Chad had turned. She decided to talk to him. As she reached his door she heard some music inside, Chad was playing and she didn't want to disturb him. She raised her hand to knock on the door, but her courage failed her and she turned around and walked back to the hallway. She reached the meditation room and closed the door behind her. The wise fire was burning bright and she felt soothed by its warmth. She bowed to show respect and kneeled in front of the great flames. She began to meditate, looking into the future, wondering what tomorrow had in store for her. Her face grew closer to the fire as she asked it questions. Her hair almost caught fire and she moved back.
(That's enough for tonight) She thought as she headed back towards her room. Again, she looked towards Chad's room and felt she had to apologize for not announcing she would be late and thank him for fixing her room. There was not a doubt in her mind that it had been he who picked up after her. She walked to the door and raised her hand to knock. She stopped when she noticed the lights were off in the room.
"Oh great!" She was ready to walk away when something came over her, an impulse to peek inside. Cautiously, Rei opened the door and found Chad sleeping peacefully in his bed. He looked so innocent, so gentle, and even fragile. A feeling of guilt came over her and she did not why she felt that way. She didn't even know what she was doing in his room. "God this is so stupid." She said as she shut the door to his room and went back to her own.
Once inside her room she began to undress herself. She took off her socks and slowly stepped out of her skirt. *Slide* Her door had been opened. She spun around quickly and saw Chad standing at her door. "Oh Rei, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . I didn't know you were . . I'm so sorry." He looked away.
"Chad! Get out now!"
He closed the door. She stood there, growling and hissing. (Wait, what am I doing? Haven't I done enough for one day? Damn you Rei! Why do you have to be so mean?) She yelled at herself. She ran towards the door and opened it. She turned her head left and saw Chad ready to turn down the hall.
"Chad! Wait!" He turned around.
"Shh, you are going to wake Sensei." He whispered
"You mean Grandpa? Please, he sleeps like a log."
"Oh. ."
"Chad I'm so sorry, please come back, I want to talk to you."
He slowly walked back to her room. The whole dojo was dark; he could hardly see where he was going. He felt for the door and went inside. The moon shone in through the window and he could see Rei's figure.
"Ahem" He said looking away.
"What.what is it?" She asked dumbfounded. He pointed to the spot on the floor were her skirt was. "Oh my God!" They both blushed. She quickly picked up the skirt and slid it back on. "I'm so sorry Chad, I didn't know what I . ."
"That's ok, I didn't see anything, promise." He hadn't, all he saw was her outline. She walked over to her bed and turned on the nightlight. It wasn't much, but it gave the room a nice glow and they could actually see each other within the room. She looked towards the door where Chad still stood.
"Well, are you going to stay there all night?"
"No actually I was going back to bed. I'm sorry for walking in on you, I should have knocked." He began to exit the room when she yelled at him.
"What is up with you lately?"
"Huh?" He turned to face her.
"Yea, why are you acting all weird? You avoided me all day, you purposely didn't speak to me, you threw out my food, passed me without saying a single word, and you shut the door to your room. What am I invisible all of a sudden?" She was upset. "I'm just doing what you always wanted me to do, I'm leaving you alone so you can be with Darien. That's what you want isn't it?" He was beginning to raise his voice. He contained himself with the excuse that he did not want to wake Grandpa up. He looked over to Rei who now sat on the edge of her bed with her back to him. Her back was quivering. He walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her.
"Hey, are you cold? Here." He took off his shirt and laid it on her shoulders. She was still quivering. "Rei look at me, what's wrong? I'm sorry if I yelled at you but sometimes my feelings get the best of me." Her head was down and her midnight black hair was covering her face. He took his index finger and lifted her chin. Her eyes were glistening with tears. He wiped her eyes with his thumbs and then moved in to kiss her forehead but she backed away. "I'm sorry."
"Chad, it was so embarrassing." She said through her tears.
"What was Rei?"
"Darien." Chad stiffened his body and a strange look of madness was in his eyes. "He took me to dinner and then I . ."
"What did he do to you?"
"I tried to kiss him!" She busted out crying. Chad did not know how to react. He just listened as the words 'kiss him' rang in his ears and through his mind. His voce began to break.
"Well, that was what you wanted wasn't it?"
"He pulled away and told me how much he loved Serena and then . ."
"Do you love him?" He asked not realizing what had just left his lips. She looked at him confused. "Do you love him?" He repeated.
"I think so."
"In that case, you don't love him." He smiled. He pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it neatly behind her right ear. "If you love some one you are certain of it, you don't have any doubts. If you can't give me a straight answer then it means you don't love him."
He was right. She thought about it and realized she only had a silly infatuation with Darien. She only thought she loved him.
"You're right." She finally admitted. "I don't love him. I guess I just wanted to see if I could have him or not. I never thought Serena could have something that good and me have nothing."
"Rei, don't say that. You have so much. You have your Grandpa, your school, your friends, the shrine, this dojo."
"But. . do I have you?" She looked at him yearning for an answer. (What did I just say? I can't believe I just did that. Why did I just do that?) "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He smiled. He put her hand on his heart. "Do you feel that?" She nodded.
"As long as that heart is still beating I am at your service." Suddenly she felt like crying again. Did he only think of her as his master? She took her hand off his chest. "What's the matter Rei? I feel like I said something wrong."
"Chad, what do you think of me?"
"What?" He was caught off-guard by the question. "Well I think you are very smart, and talented . . and beautiful."
"But, would you ever want a girl like me?" His heart skipped a beat.
"Rei, I've always wanted a girl like you. No, I always wanted you." She looked at him with surprise although deep down she had always suspected that he liked her. "It is just that, you never wanted me. You never noticed my efforts to win you over because you were so preoccupied with Darien."
Now she felt bad. "You are wrong." She said. "I always noticed you. I noticed the way you always snuck a treat in my lunch bag, making believe Grandpa had done it, the fact that you are always near when the water is cold in the bathroom, the way you pick up my messes so I don't have to deal with it when I get home, the way you always know were all my missing stuff is, the way you iron my uniforms, and even how you always offer to carry my books for me. Trust me Chad, I do notice. It's just that, I'm very proud. I never want help, which is why I'm always scolding you. Not because you have done anything wrong. You do everything for me, and it makes me feel useless and fragile."
"No, I never meant to . ."
"I know; I'm sorry for the way I've behaved towards you. I'll be a little bit nicer from now on ok?" She lifted her head and looked over at Chad. He was just staring at her. She noticed he had no shirt; he had used it to cover her up. His hand wandered over to her and it rested upon her own hand. She felt a strange feeling surge from her chest. Her heart began to beat fast as if she had just jogged a mile. Her breathing became rapid and she felt her knees begin to shake. Chad just looked at her. She was the only thing in the room. She was the only thing in the world, his world.