AN: Sorry for my disappearance, guys. I've been busy with Intel, college applications,
and etc. I'm also stuck on Love on the Catwalk and so, I'm starting a new fic to get my
creativity going. Don't worry; I'm working on LotC on the side—but only bit by bit as the
inspiration comes. I hope you enjoy reading this one; I've been tossing it back and
forth in my mind for a while now. Actually, I've got a lot of plots lined up and ready to
be written… but this one won. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon


Predilection
dizziified // limguine livejournal . com
Her feet hurt.

That was the only thought running through her head at the moment. Trying to hide her
discomfort, she began to absentmindedly shift her weight from one leg to another while
nodding to some comment that a girl had made a second before.

What were they talking about again?

"I had a little… collision with him in the corridor," Anne purred suggestively, hardly trying
to control her wanton grin.

Mina let out an exaggerated gasp. "You little slut!—what happened?"

Not one to be direct, Annepaused to lean in, beckoning for others to do the same.
When they did, she smirked before whispering, "Darien Shields is all man."

"You didn't," Rei scoffed, but you could still hear a hesitant 'did you?' in her wake.

Anne simply raised an amused eyebrow before shrugging and leaning back to her
normal position.

Shrieks ensued.

Naturally, Serenadidn't get it. She had never been very into the whole boys and sex
scene and any "dirty" implication flew right over her head.

She also didn't get how a couple of boys could get these girls so riled up. Serena hadn't
been able to attend the beginning of the welcoming orientation held for the transfers so
she didn't see what all the hype was about. It wasn't as if the girls were totally
isolated from boys for it was really quite the opposite—these girls beautiful and they
flaunted it; it wasn't a big surprise that boys took notice.

Was Darien and crew really that good-looking?

Well, judging by the screeching harpies around her, they were practically God's gift to
women!

But she wasn't very interested. At the moment, all she was interested in was a way to
avoid this loud nonsense, high class food, and aching feet.

Slyly eyeing the other people in the ballroom, the blonde was only too happy to find
that the headmaster was preoccupied with other teachers and that the other students
were caught up with their own cliques.

With a convincing smile and wave to an imaginary figure across the room, Serena
excused herself from the circle and made her way towards the kitchen entrance. No
one even noticed when she slipped out, the door flapping after her.

The kitchen was more hectic than she expected it to be. Apron-donned chefs were
loading trays for servers and champagne flutes clinked together as they met the lips of
glass bottles.

"Serena, what are you doing here?"

Said girl whipped around with a big smile, immediately recognizing the slightly French-
accented English. "Monsieur Théodore!"

"Uh uh," the man tutted when Serena held out her arms for a hug. "Wouldn't want to
ruin your pretty dress, now would we?"

Serena giggled and grabbed a grape from a passing server's platter. Plopping it in her
mouth, she leaned onto a counter and started to take off her heels.

"You didn't answer the question," Théodore said as he counted up all the trays.

"I'm sneaking out," Serena replied in a loud whisper. "You never saw me."

The head chef threw the girl a disapproving frown. "One of these days, you're going to
get caught and I'm not going to help you."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she replied, now an inch shorter. "See you later, Théo."

She managed to land an air-kiss without touching him and to this, the man smiled. "Be
careful, Serena."

"When am I not?" She gave him a playful wink before waltzing towards the door to the
corridor. When she got to the exit, she turned around. "Au revoir!"

Monsieur Théodorechuckled at her antics and went back to counting. That girl was
really something else.

Out in the corridor, Serena quickly padded her way through the darkness, her heels
knocking against each other with each swing. Where was she heading? She wasn't
very sure yet. All she knew was that she was craving some fattening fast food full of
grease and transfat. Yum.

Abruptly, she halted. Did she just hear what she thought she…?

"There was a bird, with a yellow bill."

"Shit!" she hissed. Oscar was doing rounds. Seeing a flashlight in front of her, she
whipped around and sped up, holding her shoes so that they wouldn't clack and sliding
across the floor on her stockings.

'Why did I wear my shiny dress?' She cursed her luck, looking at how what little light
was in the corridor gleamed off the beads of her dress.

While sliding along, Serenasuddenly bumped into something very solid. And judging
from the way it grunted, this something was also very human. For a second she
thought she had run into another guard but found herself looking at a black tuxedo.

'Who is this?' she wondered, not able to make out the figure's face in the darkness.
She didn't have much time to dwell for Oscar's singing broke her out of her reverie.

"There was a bird…."

"Come here," she hissed, hastily pulling him by his jacket to the wall. She wrenched the
jacket open and turned around, then crossing her arms so that the jacket consumed her.

By some miracle, the boy she had grabbed stayed silent throughout the whole fumble
and stood with her in silence as Oscar came to pass them.

After Oscar was long gone, the boy spoke up. "I think he's gone now." It was obvious
that he was very amused.

Serena started at the vibrations the coursed through her back from his voice and
immediately let go of the fabric in her hands.

Turning around, she gave a sheepish smile—not that he could see it. "Sorry."

He laughed, a deep rumbling filling Serena's ears. "And what are you doing running
away from a guard in the middle of the night?"

"Nothing," she replied, pushing past him to make her way down the corridor.

"I could report this, you know." His brisk footsteps followed after her.

Serena just kept right on walking. "I could do the same with you."

Suddenly, she felt him grab her arm and gently push her against the wall. Caught off
guard, Serenastood, a bit shell-shocked. No one had ever handled her that way before.

"What are you doing?" she asked, dismayed at what had happened.

"I think I deserve a prize," he murmured, brushing a tendril of hair out of her face.

Breaking out of her shock, she opened her mouth to retort. "And risk kissing an ugly
girl?"

"I love a gamble," he said, brushing her cheek with a thumb. He tilted her chin.

"Don't joke around." She waved off his hand. "I'm hideous; and I can't even begin to
imagine loosing my first kiss to a total stranger."

She pushed past him, continuing on her way.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"What's yours?" she shot back, not turning around.

"Darien," he answered. "Darien Shields."

She paused and turned around. "Darien Shields?"

"Yes," he nodded, a bit uneasily.

Then, she burst out in a fit of silent laughter that left him puzzled but strangely, longing
for more.

"Well, Darien Shields," she said, mirth still remnant in her tone. "It seems like you'll be a
mystery to me until tomorrow."

She turned back on her way before abruptly turned around, heels clacking loudly in her
grasp. "And my name is Serena, Serena Kingston."

Then, gazing at the figure sauntering away from him, the beads of her dress twinkling
like stars, he murmured, "Nice to meet you… Serena Kingston."

And that was their first encounter.


AN: Thanks for reading, guys. Don't forget to review! Do you like it? Love it? Hate it?
Aha, well, chapter one will be out soon (as in maybe tomorrow). See ya'll then but for
now, review!