Hey everyone, here's my new story. If you're looking for Twisted Webs its on geocities . com / arsaltman / FrontPage the last two chapters are posted! Meanwhile, enjoy my new story, then Usako Usagi Chiba and I will be co writing another one soon. Enjoy! Please give meaningful reviews and constructive criticisms. Thank you and sorry for the whole drama thing on twisted webs.
Mind Games
The story of a teenage girl named Serena, happy with her world until her beloved father receives news he is dying. After he is brutally murdered by a serial killer, Serena's mother gets married to a well-respected, wealthy man. Serena soon finds out however, that he is not so respectable. No one believes that this man is anything less than a saint and so she's sent away to a strange town, working for the most prominent family in the world, the Shields family. Now, in a place she doesn't quite understand she soon meets the man himself, a Mr. Darien Shields. Darien is a man who loves to play mind games, and who knows what he wants. A story full of mystery and surprises, these are the lines of Mind Games.
1
Friends
If the electronic sounds of a digital alarm clock could be any louder Serena Tsukino wouldn't have known it; she slapped her hand violently at the pink plastic that served as her wake up call, missing the button all together. The bright pink numbers on the face of the machine flickered while ignoring her violent attempt to quiet the screaming, prompting her to grumble angrily and slap it again thus rendering it silent. "Finally." Her groggy voice sighed then she rolled onto her stomach pulling the vast mound of purple fabric with her in an attempt to prolong the inevitable and stay in her dream world.
It wasn't exactly "normal" for Serena to dream, she wasn't sure why, but she hadn't dreamt since she was a young child. Lately however, she'd been having rather romantic dreams about a man she wasn't even sure she had feelings for… her friend Andrew, a third year psychology student at Shieldston University.
Serena moaned as she heard her door open and footsteps slinked across the soft white carpet before pausing at her bed. Another groan escaped her lips when the bed depressed beside her and a large hand was placed on top of the blankets. "Time to get up honey… you're going to be late for your first day as a senior."
"I don't care… just a few more hours Daddy…" The blonde whined. Her eyes stung when Ken Tsukino pulled the blankets away from her. After adjusting she grumbled at her father and slowly sat up. If there was one thing Serena wasn't it was a morning person, her father however, was. Ken Tsukino laughed as the petite blonde flittered her sparkling blue eyes and glared at him, to him, she was the most adorable thing ever, and he was her father; her protector of sorts. "Fine… I'm up." She swung her feet over the side of the bed then connected with the carpet in a short-lived dash to the bathroom before her sister Ann could inhabit it.
"Haha! You're a looser!" Ann shouted while she slammed the door to the small tiled room and began to taunt her older sister.
"Aaaannnn!" The long and torturous cry pierced through the house much like a train's horn slices the silence in a small town. Ken walked out of his daughter's room to see Serena pounding on the bathroom door angrily. Her long, knee-length blonde hair trembled as her entire torso thrust itself into the door. "I need the bathroom too!"
"You can wait!" Though Serena couldn't see her brunette sister, she could tell the little brat was grinning from ear to ear. Ann loved to harass her sister. Serena was daddy's little girl; in his eyes, Ann knew that she would always come second. Not that she really cared, she never liked Ken Tsukino and she couldn't help but feel her mother loved someone else… perhaps a man who was her true father rather than this poor excuse of a man in the house now.
"Ann, be sure to share the bathroom with your sister. She needs to get ready for school too." Ken smiled and shook his head slightly before pushing his wire-framed glasses back into place. Serena smiled at his attempt to aid her with getting into the bathroom; he was always trying to help her with something or another and it made Serena happy to know that her father was so supportive of her. "I'm sure you'll get a turn honey. You know how your sister is." He once again pushed his glasses back into place then placed a hand on the back of his head carefully fingering his brown locks.
Serena wasn't sure whether or not Ann would give the bathroom up in time. Ann had a way of punishing Serena that way. Every time Serena would attempt to tell her mother of her sister's behavior Ilene would laugh and wave her hand in the air dismissing it. Ann was Ilene's favorite, they did everything together and usually ignored Serena and her father altogether. Many a night Ilene took Ann out to a fancy dinner leaving the two other members alone in the house; and that was how they liked it. Ken and Serena were two of a kind, and it was during these moments that they bonded; sharing their thoughts and feelings with one another so they were on the same page as one another.
That was the way it had always been and as Serena stood in front of the door with her arms crossed Ken smiled at their likeness, she was so like him in so many ways.
"Why are we all standing around in my hallway?" Ilene smiled the usual sound of her heels muted by the white carpet. Ilene was a stunning woman; she had long flowing black waves for hair and brilliant brown eyes. Her skin was milky, a genetic trait she'd passed on to both of her daughters.
"Ann's taken over the bathroom and I need it too mom." Serena smiled lightly then frowned as her mother laughed and began to walk away.
"Ilene… both girls need to use the bathroom… perhaps we should make a time…" Ken was suddenly cut off by his wife's hand being thrust into the air. With an overly plastered smile Ilene blinked a few times and stepped up to the bathroom door then rapped lightly.
"Ann, angel. Come on out of there. Let your sister use this bathroom and you can use mine." No sooner were the words spoken and Ann was thrusting the door open happily. The brunette girl showed no signs of even attempting to do anything that resembled the daily ritual to get ready; she was the same as she had been when she ran into the small tiled room.
"Thank you Mommy… I can't get ANYTHING done when Serena's out here pounding on the door like some animal." With that the two women walked down the hall parting in separate directions as Ann went to her mother's bathroom and her mother went down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"There you are honey. Do your thing. I'll see you downstairs after you make your beautiful transformation." Ken kissed his daughter's forehead, then descended the stairs where, he grabbed the daily paper and sat at the dining table where he could mull around the idea of whether or not he should tell his wife the dim prognosis he'd received the day before at his physical. Though Ken loved his wife very much he had trouble telling her unpleasant things because she was a very sensitive person. "I didn't tell you about my physical yesterday…"
"Healthy as can be, as usual I'm sure." Ilene smiled and broke an egg into the frying pan on the stove. He watched her actions through his glasses and sighed, clearly Ilene wanted to believe everything was all right in her world.
"Actually…" Ken's words died off as his wife stiffened and narrowed her eyes at him. "My doctor did find… something irregular."
"You're fine." The woman asserted then smiled at her youngest daughter who trudged into the dining room in her high heeled leather boots. "Ann… don't you look… dark." She smiled and scanned her eyes over the girl who wore her brown hair in a tight ponytail.
"I like it dark." Ann smirked and snapped the last of her attire, black leather, spiked bracelets, around her wrists. She looked much like an angry gothic biker in her dark makeup and all black clothes; needless to say this was a large contrast to Serena's style, which was much softer and spoke of natural beauty. In Ken's opinion everything about Serena was more beautiful than her younger sister. Her curves were perfect, and her golden hair accented her soulful blue eyes.
"That's fine. You can like it dark if you so choose honey." Ilene smiled then brought the pan of freshly scrambled eggs to the table. Ken smiled warmly then looked towards the stairs hoping Serena would be down soon so she wouldn't be late. Despite the fact that she was an "A" student she was often late for many things.
"Am I late yet Daddy?" Serena rushed down the stairs and sat at the light oak table the rest of her family was gathered around. Ilene simply rolled her eyes then glanced at the clock. Ilene loved her daughter but she often felt that her husband loved their daughter more than he loved her, a fact that wasn't true. Ken loved his wife very much but felt a more personal connection with his daughter he was of course, half of her.
"No honey, you're not late yet. I'll take you today if you want to." Serena smiled when those words fell from her father's mouth. "Of course if you don't want to be embarrassed by your dear old dad on the first day I can understand…"
"No daddy! I'd like for you to take me… that is of course if Ann get's to come too." Serena smiled at her sister more out of courtesy then actual want. Ken nodded in agreement despite the nasty look Ann gave the pair. After Serena finished breakfast she turned on her phone to see she had a text message from her friend Andrew.
Have a great first day Serena! Love, Andy.
A warm smile spread over her face as she thought of her dream. It was so vivid, her and Andrew together, he was so smart, so cute, so… everything she wanted. They'd known each other since elementary, and though he was three years her elder he always treated her as an equal. Dear sweet, comfortable Andrew had gone away to Shieldston University to study under the world renowned Dr. Shields. Some say Dr. Shields is the biggest genius to ever walk the earth, at twenty five he had earned doctorates in many subjects, Psychology, Medicine, Architecture, Political Science, Mathematics, Finances, and numerous other subjects. Needless to say Andrew was lucky to be near such a brilliant mind and it showed in the way he carried himself.
Andrew was adored by many women, his golden blonde hair and deep green eyes often made him the center of attention; and he in return, made Serena his center of attention. When he did that all of her friends would grow green with envy, he really only cared about her. "What is that sweetheart?" Ken smiled knowing that it was something from his daughter's unofficial boyfriend. Though they hadn't been on a date Ken knew that Andrew and Serena only had eyes for each other.
"It's just a text from Andy… he's wishing me a good first day… I'm surprised he remembered." Serena could feel a smile grace her lips, a smile that made Ann sneer angrily. She wanted a someone, someone like Andrew. She would secretly watch her sister and Andrew just sit and talk to one another, oh, the chemistry that they had… they were so comfortable together.
"Can we just go or are you going to keep swooning over your phone?" The darker sister stood then slammed the wooden chair against the dining table in an attempt to get her family moving. Serena and Ken looked at her with confusion in their eyes then reluctantly stood. "Bye Momma!" Ann waved at her mother then rushed to the front door and grabbed her new back pack. "Let's get a move on shall we?"
The three got into Ken's white sedan and waved at Ilene who was standing on the front porch with her hand in the air as if to wish the group good luck on their daily journey. Serena took the front seat and sighed as her father turned the key then began to back out of the driveway so he could escort his daughter's to their first day of school.
Fall had taken over the environment and the few deciduous trees in the area had begun their chromatic morphing from rich green leaves to the bright fall colors. The broad road was littered with freshly fallen leaves making the pavement appear as a rainbow of reds, oranges, and yellows, which, against the large evergreen trees, provided a beautiful contrast. Serena scanned the scenery with her innocent sparkling blue eyes and smiled excitedly. The first day of school always made Serena happy and vibrant. For Ann however, school was a depressant, she always felt bogged down and anti social. "I'm so thrilled to be starting school!" Serena clapped lightly and squirmed in her seat as the grey brick building she called school appeared on the horizon.
"Well girls… this is where we part ways I suppose… I'll see you both at home after work. Love you both." He smiled and pulled the car up to the front steps of the large high school. Serena leaned over the center console to kiss her father on the cheek then jumped out of the car. "By sweetie… by Ann…"
"Shove it will you?" Ann growled angrily and slammed the car door before trudging towards the front door close behind her older sister. "I hate you both, I hope you know that little miss sunshine." Serena looked at her brunette sister as she continued her angry march towards her group of friends waiting by their lockers. Ann was growing bitterer at each passing moment making Serena's life more difficult. Ken had long ago given up on his youngest but Serena was still holding onto some fiber of hope that told her perhaps, her sister loved her.
"Heya Sarenah! It's been ah long time! How's ya boyfriend?" A pale red head rushed over to Serena excitedly, her jersey accent once again thickened by her annual trip to the east coast to visit her grandparents.
"I don't have a boyfriend." Serena shook her head in disappointment then flashed one of her charismatic smiles. The red head frowned then fingered her wavy, shoulder-length locks. "What's wrong now Molly?" Serena really didn't want her friend to scold her about how she hadn't admitted to Andrew her feelings but every time she'd tried her tongue had frozen in her mouth preventing her from speaking the few words she wanted to surprise him with.
"When are ya gonna tell 'im? Don'cha think he otta know how ya feel?" Molly fixed her eyes on her best friend and waited for the typical excuses, how she didn't want to ruin a good friendship, how she was too shy… instead Serena remained quiet. It had come time, she needed to tell him and she knew it. Whenever they talked now there were awkward pauses and moments in movies where it was obvious that the characters were on the verge of revealing their feelings; but that was the scene in their movie that was missing, there was definitely tension, now there only needed to be revelation.
"I'm going to tell him when he comes home for winter break." Serena resolved and smiled at her friend reassuringly. Molly nodded in agreement then glanced around the room looking for her most recent infatuation Melvin. Melvin was a nerd of the worst sort, a know it all, the worst thing was that Molly had taken a liking to the poor boy and wanted so badly for him to ask her to a dance or something. He of course remained oblivious to the entire idea of a relationship.
"Hey Molly, Serena!" His thin nasal voice pierced through the muddy sound of the rest of the student body roaming in the hall. The two girls turned to the source of the voice and looked at the unfamiliar face standing in front of them. The brunette boy with large bottle frame glasses has morphed into a handsome young man with stylish hair, stunning brown eyes, and a sophisticated shirt and vest look. "I got laser surgery over the summer. I don't need glasses anymore!"
"Wow… Melv… you look really…" Serena searched her vocabulary for a word that meant different and stylish without implying that he wasn't before; she however, failed to produce such a word and looked to Molly. The girl stood in front of Melvin with a stunned and dazzled look on her face.
"Ya look even more dreamy than ya did before Melvin…" Molly then covered her mouth with both of her hands as Melvin's jaw dropped a little revealing his freshly un-braced white teeth. Serena had to admit that he had a certain charming air about him now, not the debonair look Andrew had, but charming nonetheless.
"Moll I… really?" He stuttered letting the old Melvin sneak back into his body. "Did you seriously just say I'm… dreamy?" It was the first time Melvin had ever been addressed in such a way and it somewhat puzzled him. He had made a point to change his look to attract Serena but now found himself in front of Molly, his best friend, feeling shocked and yet, he wasn't completely surprised. He had thought Molly had been sending him signals at the end of last year but had never thought much of it.
"I'll leave you two alone so you can talk then. I'll see you in class Moll." Serena smiled and took both of their hands in hers then put them together in a gentle embrace. "Enjoy!" She nodded as though she were a waitress serving her customers. With an understanding glance she then turned and walked slowly to her first class where yet another familiar face was waiting. This visage was not as friendly as she'd hoped to see but she'd take his chastising over loneliness anyway.
"Well, well, well. Serena Tsukino. Hello. How was your summer?" The teen leaning against the wall smirked and tossed his white hair away from his grey eyes with an elegant flick of his wrist. Serena's eyes washed over him then fixed on his crossed arms. Diamond Bauge was the most popular guy in school and had been gunning for Serena since middle school, he however, had always fallen short of Andrew.
"My summer was fine Diamond, thank you for asking. I assume you had a superb summer as usual." Serena picked her eyes up and smiled warmly despite her instinct to run in the opposite direction and avoid him for the rest of the day, a task that was impossible seeing as how they had almost every class together.
"I tried… couldn't get my mind off of you though. You still single and up for grabs?" Diamond winked then pushed away from the wall so he could be closer to her. She could feel her muscles tensing as he stepped closer to her and inhaled her scent lightly as if she wouldn't notice.
"I am single, I'm not up for grabs though. Andrew and I are going to be officially dating when he comes home for winter break." Her words made his face grow serious and thoughtful for a moment before he blinked quickly then fell against the wall again. His grey eyes searched her blue ones for some kind of weakness in her resolve but there was none.
"So, you haven't told dearest Andy how you feel about him huh? Pity, I've heard he has himself a girlfriend who's in the same psychology classes as him at Shieldston University. I wish you'd see reason and look at the options right in front of you, in the now." Diamond sighed and rubbed the corners of his eyes in an attempt to show her how tired he was of always chasing after her without gaining any ground.
"It's none of your business really Diamond. I'm not going to date you. You're just not my type, I'm sorry. I only want to be your friend." He jumped as Serena placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to sooth him. Diamond was visibly becoming upset and it pained Serena to see his eyes fill with inadequacy; he had been a good friend after all.
"How am I not your type? How is he any better than me? I'm smart like him, charming, sexy, determined… I mean I may not be as old as he is, and I may not want to play puppet master like him when I'm out of school but still. I'm just as good as Andrew is and ever will be!
"You're not my type because you're not. You're slimy, corrosive, and just overall… you're an ass!" Serena shouted a little louder than she wanted to causing many other students to look over at her. She blushed then lowered her voice to her normal level. "Look, Andy and I are just meant for one another okay?"
"No, you're not. You and Andrew have a sibling relationship, not a romantic one. I don't see anything happening between you… that is unless his pretty boy professor at Shieldston completely molds him into a Dr. Shields original." Diamond smirked as Serena's face fell into a sad frown, her eyes flaring with anger. He could always anger her to the point of violence. He enjoyed her frantic movements, and crimson red face whenever she got angry. Serena balled her fists angrily then jumped as the teacher stepped up.
"Do I need to send you both to the principal's office?" The salt and peppered haired man raised an eyebrow. The pair shook their heads in protest then waited patiently as the instructor unlocked the door. Serena could feel herself calm enough to restrain herself from hitting Diamond but she could still feel her rage pounding in her chest. A sudden realization washed over her as she thought about how much she wanted to hurt him. He made an interesting point, with Andrew being so far away it was very possible that he could completely change under the tutelage of his professor, when Andrew talked about the man it was as if no other person could measure up to Dr. Shields. What if Andrew decided to become just like him? What would that mean for them?
Serena sat through her classes, the majority of her time spent staring at the plain white faced clock with black numbers and tick marks which was mounted on one wall of every classroom. As she watched the red second hand smoothly glide around the clock, she realized that whoever decided to put such a large, boring clock, in a classroom must have been sadistic. The sole purpose of each and every clock in that building was to remind every person in the school, how slow time was. Serena felt her heart sink and her eyes widen when she realized that she wasn't really enjoying her first day as a senior. This was the day she'd been waiting for since kindergarten and yet… she couldn't enjoy it because she was worried about Andrew.
"Miss Tsukino, would you like to share your thoughts with the class?" Her English teacher mused aloud making the entire class turn towards the petite blonde. Feeling embarrassed Serena shook her head slightly then looked down at the floor feeling defeated. "Good then. I expect you to finish the assignment as though you were listening for the entire class." The entire class chuckled then rose as the final bell of the day rang releasing Serena from her invisible shackles.
