"Serena get out of bed or u will be late again."
"Mina is she up yet? She's making us all late again; honestly I don't know why we put up with her"
"Raye she's our friend and you know you love her"
"Ya, ya just not when she won't get her fat ass out of bed and to class. I thought things were going to change once we got to college."
"mumble Guys, how's a girl supposed to get sleep around here with you making all that noise?!"
"SERENA GET OUT OF BED!"
"Ok, ok I'm up!"
Serena slowly rose from her bed, rubbed her eyes, stretched and gave a huge yawn as Raye threw a pillow across the room smacking her in the face,
"Let's go! You know how mad professor Takashimaya gets when we show up late."
"I'm going I'm going"
Raye stormed out of the room looking for what Serena assumed was some left over chow mange from last night. She pulled on her blouse and skirt and rushed to the kitchen just as Mina and Raye were sitting down to eat.
"Mmmmmm chow mange leftover from supper my favorite" drooled Serena between spoon fulls of food.
"Ok are you done Serena we have to go"
"Ya Mina, I'm coming, I just have to..."
"NO NOW!" Raye grabbed Serena and pulled her out the door into the elevator.
"Raye don't be so mean to her it's not her fault she's not a morning person"
"Ya, Thanks Mina."
"Whatever lets just get to class"
The elevator dinged as the doors opened and the girls rushed outside. Raye whistled loudly, hailing a cab, and the girls piled in.
"Mina can you help me with my hair? Someone rushed me out the door before I could do it."
"If I hadn't rushed you out the door we would still be there waiting for you, why do you insist on wearing your hair up like that everyday?"
"Because I like it that way, ok. Now Mina can you please do my hair?"
"Sure Serena."
By the time they reached the classroom they were already ten minutes late and Professor Takashimaya was in the middle of a lecture. As the girls slipped into their seats Raye leaned over and whispered
"Way to go Serena we missed half the lecture now I'll never get caught up, I'm so not waiting for you anymore"
Serena was about to reply when she received a warning glance from the teacher so she lowered her head and began to write down important parts of the lecture. She felt a hard tug at one of her big blonde ponytails a few seconds later. Darien Chiba leaned over and whispered in Serena's ear
"Late again meatball head, what were you doing? Stuffing your face?"
"You leave me alone Darien Chiba just don't even talk to me."
"Awww I'm sorry meatball head I'd hate to distract you from work but I've got just one question, are you just lazy or do you spend too much time stuffing your face to show up on time?"
"I thought I told you to leave me alone!"
"Miss Usagi, Mr. Chiba, obviously your little talk is much more important than my lecture on the ozone layer so why don't you continue while we sit here and wait for you to finish or are you done?"
"Sorry sir we're done"
"Good now where was I? Oh yes..........."
The final bell rang signaling the end of the day; Serena packed up and headed outside to hail a cab. As she waited at the curb a car drove by splashing mud all over her she looked down in dismay.
"Oh great not again!"
"Hey meatball head that's a great look you got going there, what are you doing? Trying to distract attention from that big stupid head? Well it's not working try getting rid of those big blonde meatballs on your head."
"Darien LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Serena raised her hand to hail a cab and climbed inside as Darien slide in next to her "You don't mind do you meatball head?"
"As a matter of fact I do, I get enough of you at school and it's bad enough that you live in the same apartment building as me without you bugging me on my cab ride home!" "Good then, cab driver 43rd street please"
"DARIEN!"
"Aww meatball head I'm not that bad and you'd be not that bad if you didn't have that air of lazy stupidness around you"
"Now who's the stupid one, stupidness isn't even a word"
"Oh it is now, look we're here."
"Finally"
Darien stepped out of the car and stood on the curb as Serena stepped out she looked up at him "What are you doing?"
"I'm being a gentleman I'll pay for the cab this time you can get it next."
"Thank you but there won't be a next time"
With that Serena marched towards the front door not noticing a crack which she tripped over and fell on her but.
"Graceful meatball head, graceful" Mocked Darien as he stepped over her and headed inside.
Fuming, Serena got up and went inside. She reached her apartment and was about to open the door when it was opened but a very excited looking Mina and Raye,
"Oh my gosh! We saw the whole thing! You were sharing a cab with Darien Chiba! Well almost the whole thing you kind of disappeared below the window but that's ok we didn't want to see you two widely make out! But we did see him pay for the cab a wait for you to get out! He is such a dream boat!"
"Calm down guys he was only in the cab because he snuck in at the last second and we weren't making out I fell and he didn't even help me up he just stepped over me. I can't stand Darien all he does is make fun of me!"
Mina and Raye glanced at each other in disbelief as Raye replied "Sure you can't stand him we saw you talking in class."
Serena stormed into the apartment and to her room. "This can't be happening, I so do not like Darien what are they thinking.....ok so he is a little cute but a dream boat, hardly..... Well...ahhh what am I thinking! I can't stand him!"
Back in the living room Mina and Raye were plotting;
"Mina they have such great chemistry I know they would make a good couple"
"I know Raye but what can we do? Serena says she can't stand him and he does seem to like her but needs to stop making fun of her that's no way to a girls heart but how can we hook them up they will never agree to a date....."
"Mina! I've got it! We'll tell Serena that we set up a blind date for her to go on and we'll tell the same thing to Darien"
"But will he agree?"
"Of course he will, we were partners in lab last semester so we know each other pretty well. I'll tell him that I have a friend who would be perfect for him and I think they should date....yes that will work perfectly, now for Serena that could be a bit more complicated."
"You're right it will be harder for Serena but I know how to get her there, here's what we'll do.........."
As Serena walked towards the restaurant she started to regret what she was doing, "how did I let Mina and Raye talk me into this? If this guy is a total creep I'm so out of here....what am I talking about? Mina and Raye wouldn't set me up wit a creep...ok they said he would be wearing a light blue shirt with beige khakis and have a rose on the table....hmm I do like roses..."
Serena scanned the restaurant for a guy fitting the description and as her eyes fell on the only one that did they widened in horror she couldn't believe it Raye and Mina had set her up with Darien.
"I can't believe they would do this to me I am so out of here!"
Before she escaped Darien looked up and noticed her starring at him and he got up and walked towards her "Hey meatball head looks like you'll be my date for this evening well isn't that an unpleasant turn of events I was hoping for you know a peg legged one eyed freak and instead I'm stuck with you! 'wow she looks hot' so lets get on with this we can't disappoint Mina and Raye now can we?"
"Oh yes we can!" remarked Serena as she stormed out of the restaurant
"Hey meatball head come back here I'm sorry you look.....you look alright tonight 'alright! What am I saying she looks beautiful' come on meatball head come back!"
"Leave me along Darien I don't want to deal with you tonight!"
"I'm going to follow you all the way home if I have to meatball head just give me a chance a lot of other girls much better than you have given me a chance and they have enjoyed themselves 'what am I saying there is no one better than her'"
"Ya well Darien I'm not some cheep two dollar hooker that you can bribe to stay with you and they only said they liked you so that you would pay them! Now leave me alone!"
As Darien chased Serena down the street Andrew a worker at the local arcade who was just closing up noticed and ran after Darien to help Serena. He tackled Darien from behind and shouted "Run Miss he won't hurt you I'll take care of him for you!"
"Get off of me man!"
Serena turned around to see Andrew on top of Darien "Oh gosh, thank you sir but you don't need to do that I can take care of him"
"Not from what I was seeing"
"Really he's just a desperate, stupid, 'hot' loser, but thank you for your concern I'm Serena Usagi by the way, what is your name?"
"I am Andrew, Andrew Lee"
"Wow nice to meet you, I'm Darien by the way, now that we all know each other there is just one pressing matter we forgot to take care of....."
"What's that?"
"GET OFF ME!"
"Oh right sorry man"
Darien stood up and brushed off "There now that that's settled Serena will you please come back to the restaurant with me?"
"No Darien just go home"
"Fine your not worth my time anyway 'yes you are you gorgeous creature I'll take you out yet' see ya Andrew nice to meet you"
"Bye"
Andrew turned towards Serena "What was he doing anyway?"
"He was trying to get me to come back to the restaurant with him because my friends set me up on a blind date with him as some kind of practical joke I guess but I can't stand him he is always making fun of me I mean he has points where I start to think things are going to be different and he is going to be nice to me but then it's as if he is catching himself and he goes right back to insults"
"Oh...well hey I'm kind of hungry so if you don't have any other plans would you like to come to dinner with me?"
"Well...I did have something else to do but now I'm suddenly free"
"Alright then I know this great little Italian place downtown"..............
"Wow that was a great dinner thank you Andrew you didn't have to pay for the whole thing I could have gone halves with you"
"That's ok maybe next time we'll go halves"
"Next time? Are you asking me out again Mr. Lee?"
"Hmm maybe"
"Well just in case you are here's my number call me"
"I might just do that"
Andrew raised his hand to hail a cab for Serena and opened the door once it had stopped,
"Thank you Andrew I had a lovely time have a goodnight"
"Your welcome and I will because my dreams will be filled with pictures of you" with that Andrew shut the door and Serena watched him through the back window as the cab sped off he blew her a kiss.
Serena leaned back and sighed "What a night...I have to thank Mina and Raye without them I never would have met Andrew.
As Serena slowly walked up the path to the apartment building with a dreamy smile on her face she didn't notice that Darien was starring at her from his window "What's got her so happy? I hope she didn't go out with that creep Andrew"
The next morning Serena woke up before everyone else and started making a huge breakfast for Mina, Raye and herself. She finished the eggs just as Mina and Raye stumbled into the kitchen in their pajamas yawning and stretching.
Raye was the first to speak up "What's all this about? You're actually cooking without burning things, you're up before us and you're in a good mood."
"I know what it is; your date with Darien went well didn't it? gasp He's here isn't he?"
"AS IF!" Serena's face momentarily clouded as she remembered about Darien, "He was there last night but I left him at the restaurant so he followed me and just as he was getting on my nerves this great guy Andrew who made Darien leave then we had dinner. It was a perfect dinner then he hailed a cab and waved me home."
"So wait you didn't even give Darien a chance?"
"No way Mina, I told you guys I don't like Darien"
"But we see the way you look at him Serena..."
"Drop it ok! Look breakfast is ready so let's eat then I have to go out shopping."
Serena finished her food and left the apartment. Downstairs in the lobby she ran into Darien. "So meatball head what did you and that meathead do last night?"
"I don't think that is any of your business Darien"
"Aww don't tell me you actually went to dinner with that loser"
"He's not a loser, he is a perfect gentleman not that you would know what one is, and we had a lovely dinner and I am going to go out with him again."
"How cute a lovely dinner"
"I don't even know why I am discussing this with you" Serena turned and left.
"Oh crap....I have to find out more of this" Darien sped upstairs and banged on Mina and Raye's door. When Mina opened the door Darien didn't even bother to say hello he just demanded to know what Serena had said about her date with Andrew.
"Why do you care so much?"
"Well because I.....I just...because I.....I just do ok!"
"OH MY GOSH! I know exactly why you want to know what Serena thought of Andrew, Mina can you believe this?"
"What do you mean Raye? I just want to know ok"
"Sure, sure admit it you want to know because you have feelings for Serena!"
"What?! That's crazy! I don't have feelings for meatball head!"
"Darien...."
"Ok, ok so I mite like her a little bit 'a little ya right I dream about this girl every night, I love her with every part of' but you can't tell Serena"
"Awww that's so cute! Raye we were right all along ok we need to get Serena to admit her feelings but how...."
Raye's black eyes shone as the idea hit her "You should ask another girl to go to the movies with you and coincidentally Serena and Andrew will be there, play it up and act all lovey dovey. When Serena sees this she will get so jealous and she will have to admit her feelings for you."
"That's perfect Raye but who can I ask?"
"Raye, Darien, I have the perfect girl her name is Lita Kino she is a major flirt and will be absolutely perfect for this here let me call her up..."
That Friday night as she sat in the movie theater with Andrew Serena couldn't believe her eyes, right in front of her was Darien and this tall brunet. Who is she and why is she here with Darien and why is this bothering me so much its just Darien, she thought to herself.
Andrew squeezed Serena's arm and whispered "This is supposed to be a great movie hun"
"Ya that's what I heard too"
"Oh look it's starting"
Half way through the movie and after a showy make out session Darien got up to get a refill on pop. Serena saw this as an opportunity to confront Darien so she followed.
"Darien! What are you doing in there?"
"What do you mean? Can't a guy bring a date to the movies without a crazy blonde questioning him?"
"You know what I mean, shoving your tongue down her throat and slopping all over her 'god I wish it were me instead of her' you are distracting me and Andrew we are trying to watch the movie!"
"Well excuse me but I can't help it that you get distracted by the littlest things!"
"Little! Your flailing arms knocked over my popcorn!"
"Ya...sorry about that. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my date."
After the movies Andrew suggested a walk in the park but Serena claimed she was too tired. In truth she was too distracted by Darien and his date and just wanted to go home.
"So Serena how was the movies?" questioned Raye.
"Oh fine except for the fact that Darien was there with some chick making out and distracting me from the movie!"
"Really? Hey Mina Darien was at the movies with a girl and they distracted Serena"
"Really? Why did it bug you so much Serena weren't you busy enough with Andrew?"
"Believe it or not but I actually wanted to watch the movie it was supposed to be really good and then Darien kept acting like he was showing off for the whole theater. Grrrrrr he drives me crazy!"
Serena stormed off into her room, slammed the door and flopped down on her bed, "Why do I let him bug me so much? He's just a guy, a cute, funny, smart guy that drives my heart crazy with....WOAH! What am I saying? I'm with Andrew now not Darien I don't even like Darien; I can't like Darien I just can't"
Raye and Mina crept out of the apartment and across the hall to Darien's apartment to see if he was home yet. When he opened the door he knew the news wasn't good.
"Sorry Darien but even after your ahem interesting display at the theaters Serena still isn't jealous."
"What you've got to be kidding me! I tried everything I knew and that still didn't work! There has to be something that I can do to make her like me! There just has to be!"
"Well I'm sorry Darien but we don't have any more ideas but if we come up with anything then we'll let you know."
"Ok thanks I have to go break it off with Lita it's not fair to her. Bye"
"Bye Darien"
That night as Darien was lying in bed an idea hit him it was pretty low but he was willing to do anything to get Serena. He would wait until he saw Andrew next and casually bump into him and say hi, then become "friends" with him so he can eventually get into his head and tell him things about Serena until he breaks up with her. Darien closed his eyes and fell asleep with thoughts of Serena. The next day after school as he was walking home Darien got his chance, he was just past he arcade when he noticed Andrew struggling with some packages and offered to help him out.
"Thanks man I really appreciate it, my name is Andrew Lee, what's yours?"
"Darien Chiba, I know who you are"
"You do? How?"
"You tackled me that one night"
"OH YA! Sorry again about that man I thought you were like stalking her"
"Hey that's ok you didn't know"
As Darien helped Andrew with the packages they continued to chat and Andrew invited Darien to a small gathering at his place that Saturday. Darien agreed and then said he had to go home.
"Alright I'll see you on Saturday then"
"Ok by Andrew"