Author's Note:: I don't own any characters. I only own the story and the way the various characters are related through out the plot. So yeah… enjoy

Summary:: Serena and Darien are best friends. Nothing more, but Serena wishes they were more. But one phone call, one night, one small mistake, changes everything. Losing more than she ever expected, Serena regrets her decision.

Prologue:

Summer, July 2004

Serena Marie Tsukino was running around the house as she frantically tried to get everything ready for the party. Her aunt had recently given birth and they were getting ready to leave for the baptism, so that her grandmother could be there for her baby cousin before she returned to Japan to be close to her deceased husband. As Serena was putting the last touches around the house for the reception, she ran out side to get something in her car. On her way out she ran into her uncle who was accompanied by a young man that she never met before, let alone seen before.

"Hi Uncle Rene. You guys are early," she said as she greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Hey, Serena. Yeah, well you know your Aunt Chari is a godmother to your little cousin," Rene commented. Rene was her aunts sister's second husband, and her first son, was her cousin's cousin.

Now the young man accompanying her uncle, she noticed, looked quite uncomfortable and was just staring at her.

"Sere, have you met my son yet? John Darien come over here," he said.

"No, not yet. Hi John Darien, I'm Serena Marie, but you can just call me Serena or Sere. What ever. Ok Sorry to cut this short but I really gotta finish up here and pick up the cake still. We'll hang out later ok?" she said.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll see you later Serena." John Darien said as she ran off to her car. "Oh hey, Serena!" he called out, "Just call me Darien."

An distant ok was all he heard as she drove off.

'Great, just great' she thought to herself as she drove off. 'I meet a cute boy, and I have to be dressed like this. Just great.'

Serena had been wearing a white mini skirt, with a light green halter top that had pink sequins along the neckline, with light matching green sandals. She had her hair up in a casual up-do hair style; with several lose strands in tight, Shirley temple curls.

She continued to drive and as she pulled up to the bakery to get the cake, her cell phone rang and she picked up, not looking at her caller id.

"Hello," she said as she opened the door into the baker.

"Serena Marie Tsukino! Why did you just run off like that?"

"Why, hello to you to mom. I'm at the bakery getting the cake like you told me," she stated as she gave the waiter her pre-order receipt.

"Oh, okay, well why didn't you take someone with you?"

"I don't need a chaperone mother. I'm16 years old, come on now."

"Ok, fine but hurry, up, we have to get to the church and I think John is getting bored."

"Mom, now why would I care if John was getting bored? And who the heck is John?"

"Your uncle's son, of course! John Darien."

"Oh, Ok. Well still why should I care?"

"Well, first of all he is our guest, and two he is being hounded by your sister and cousins."

"ok mom, I'll be there soon. I'll talk to you later I have the cake. Bye."

She hung up and took the cake to her car, and began driving home to finish getting ready for the party.

When she got home, she was greeted by a fearful Darien who walked up behind her as so to hide from the kids that had been bugging him to play for the last half hour. Serena told the kids to go on and play cuz 'uncle Darien' had to help her finish getting ready for the party.

From there just talked, hung out most of the night and traded numbers. Since then, they kept in touch, hung out a few times and maxed out each others text messaging.

Eventually Serena developed feelings for Darien, but never let it show. She was always a flirtatious girl, so it made no difference to him if it looked like real flirting or her just being herself. Over the year since they met they became best friends and Serena continued to hide her feelings for Darien. Never knowing if he felt the same, she was curious, but she also never wanted to ruin the friendship either. She had lost enough guy best friends due to the fact that she ended dating them and breaking up with them.

Chapter 0ne: The Odd Best Friends.

Fast forward Feb. 2006

It was about four o' clock, and waltz music could be heard from the backyard, and 4 couples could be seen practicing the waltz, it was interrupted by the ringing of a cellular phone playing "Back at One" by Brian McKnight

'One... you're like a dream come true...
Two... just wanna be with you...
Three... girl it's plain to see... that you're the only one for me...
Four... repeat steps one through three...
Five... make you fall in love with me...
If ever I believe my work is done... then I start back at one'

"Oh snap that's my phone. I bet its Mom asking me where I am," commented a young blonde girl, "Sorry guys, hold on."

"Hello."

"Hey Serena, it's me Darien."

"Yes, I know it's you Darien. So what's up? And I thought you were to busy to come to practice?"

"I am. I'm going to Aunt Trista's party. Are you going?"

"Aunt Trista is having a party? I didn't know this. I don't know, why? And since you are not there, you could have come to practice you know."

"Really? Well your sister and cousin are going, ride with my family. Aren't you going? And I didn't know what time the party was so yeah. So are you going?"

" I don't know, I'm still at practice, and we barely got started…I'm tired…I'm not even dressed. And frankly I don't wanna be surrounded by old farts and little kids…"

"Awww…Babe, .come on you can't leave me alone with them!! Come on best friend!! Please!!! For me!! You know you love me!!"

"Arrghh!!! Fine! Fine! Fine!! I'll go…but babe, you so owe me lunch!! What time are you going to my house to pick up the brats?"

"Promise!!! Thank you Babe!!! Love you!!! I'll be there around five."

"Ok, later! Love you too."

Serena came back around to the back yard to find 2 impatient faces looking at her. Mina was the first to break the silence.

"So?! Who called at caught my dear cousin's attention for nearly ten minutes. Ten minutes longer than you give any man over the phone?"

"Well… I gotta go home in 30 minutes."

"And why is that?" questioned Andrew, who was her 'husband from biology class' and her temporary dance partner since Darien wasn't there.

"I have to go to the same party that Darien is going to," said Serena as she tried her best to hide her blush.

"What?! Serena we barely started an hour ago after waiting an hour for people to not show up because they are flakes!! Come on! Why is this party so important? And Darien is not a reason," Mina said.

"Well, it's my Aunts party… and so yeah…" Serena reasoned as her voice trailed off.

"Fine! We'll end practice when you leave but that means for the next half hour we are gonna practice til we get this down! And we have practice tomorrow again, same time!" exclaimed Mina.

Serena flashed her bright smile and ran over to Andrew who caught her and spun her around. Anyone who would pass by could assume that they were the cutest couple out there. Andrew stood tall at six feet with a nice built, short and usually spiked up sandy blonde hair and mesmerizing sea green eyes; Serena on the other hand, stood tall at five foot six, with her long golden blonde hair pulled up in two pig tails that which wrapped up in two neat buns. Her sparkling crystal blue eyes stopped any man with a single glance, and she had a super model's body, but only with a few more pounds and less skeletal visibility. They rarely even called each other by the others name, it was always babe, or sweetie, or 'love'. Its no wonder they looked like the worlds cutest couple, they way they presented themselves together was enough proof, funny thing was they only saw each other as friends and as a 'spouse,' nothing more nothing less and they were ok with that. Andrew always saved Serena's butt from unwanted attention and she did the same for him. Mina was Serena's cousin, and they were preparing for their coming out party in July. Mina and Serena could pass as twins, except that Mina's hair was a beach blonde with the same blue eyes but were two shades darker, and older by a few months. They were good friends, but thought of each other as cousins not just friends.

Half an hour later

"Ok. Bye you guys see you tomorrow! Love you cousin! Love you Andrew!"

"Later cousin." "Love you too babe!"

Serena jumped in her car, and drove home, with 15 minutes to spare to get cleaned up before Darien came to pick them up.

"Mom I'm home! Darien will be here in 15 minutes," Serena yelled as she walked into the bathroom to clean up and change.

"Okay," her mom yelled back..

14 minutes later Serena came out in white jeans and a black baby-doll top with gold sequins; her blonde hair was pulled up in a high pony tail with several strands of hair falling out of place in curls. She was finishing her make up when she heard her phone ringing again

'One... you're like a dream come true...
Two... just wanna be with you...
Three... girl it's plain to see... that you're the only one for me..."

"Hello and thank you for calling the "How to Make A Best Friend Suffer" hotline, this is Serena, how can I help you?" she answered seeing who it was on her caller id.

"Hi, this is Darien and I want to know what it the best way to infuriate my best friend Serena Marie Tsukino. Apart from rushing her out of her house when I know she isn't ready?" replied Darien.

"Well as long as you don't want to die at his or her hands, you just keep honking or you can go in the house and try and pull her away from her vanity mirror. And John Darien Shields, I swear if I hear one honk, you will die. So what? You're not here yet are you?" She threatened him as she applied her chocolate dipped strawberry flavored lip gloss.

"Well fine then! I guess I'll try plan B. and yes I am," he replied as he knocked on her bedroom door and hung up.

"Come on Serena! Let's go!"

"Ten minutes! Would it kill you to give me ten minutes?! Geez Louise!"

"Come on best friend!! You should have left practice earlier! And yes it would kill me! I haven't seen you in 3 weeks!!"

"Fine I'll open the door but I'm not coming out until I find my boots or my ballet flats," Serena told him as she opened the locks on her door.

As she opened the door she was in awe at what was standing before her. Darien was wearing a black muscle shirt, which flattered his upper body to the extent that Serena stared for a bit, with white Dickies shorts and adorned on his feet were black Jordan's with white accents.

"Great…just great. Now I have to change!" exclaimed Serena in a mocking tone.

"What about me? I didn't plan this! You better go change!" Darien retorted back just as sarcastically.

"Yeah rights. I'm to lazy to change. We'll just go, just help me find my boots first."

"Ok. I'll help but you owe me," he said as he smirked at her flabbergasted expression.

"Yeah right Darien! You owe me cuz I have to go suffer with the old farts and the little kids all because you don't want to be alone! I had to leave practice early and miss the movie we were going to watch after! So me owing you is not in the question." She growled at him, "Found it! Aw shit! Darien can you reach that box! It has my boots in it!"

"Ok fine, but you can't leave me tonight like you did the last party," he commented as he reached up into her closet to reach the box. It was pretty easy for him since he was six foot two. They both remembered last time they were at a party together. It was at his step-mom's house and they were hanging out in his room, with the door open of course and she received a phone call from Andrew. She left the room to talk for a bit, and he waited patiently, or as patiently as anyone could when it seemed that all the little kids came to attack him the moment that she left. She returned an hour later to find the kids still in the room and him glaring at her from the top bunk as he threw a pillow at the little kids trying to get him to play tag with them.

Serena was giggling at the memory, as Darien shook his head to forget the memory.

"That was so funny, you looked so scared," replied Serena as she watched him shake his head. She was putting on her boots over her jeans as they talked.

"Well you try telling 'No, I don't want to play'. That was sooo messed up. What did Andrew have to tell you that took over an hour to talk about?!" retorted Darien.

"Why best friend, do I hear jealousy in your voice? And for your information, he was asking if we could switch partners because his partner was too short for him."

"Great. Not only was I attacked by killer munchkin, my partner was almost stolen from me. Great. Just great. So what are we not partners anymore?"

Serena and Darien headed out of her room, and into the living room to wait for her sister and cousin. She wrapped her arms around her best friend and gave him a big hug. "Awww, you know I wouldn't ditch you…just yet…" she said trying to make him smile. "Just yet huh? What your gonna ditch me later on?" he asked smiling a little. "Of course not, but if you keep not showing up to practice I might have to! Its my party too and I can't look like I have an idiot for partner. If I do, I have Andrew and you're still invited to the party! You'll even be my first dance after the performances," she stated.

"Ok. Ok. Ok. I'll go to practice and try not to miss any! And that's nice, having someone on deck already."

"Shows how much I love you best friend," commented as she playfully pinched his cheeks.

A few minutes later, Rini and Hotaru came out all dressed, and had the look of 'What the fcuk?' written all over their face. Rini broke the silence.

"I swear you two might as well be dating! You two match every time you meet up and are practically always flirting so why not just admit it!"

"Darien and I are just best friends. You never have a problem with the way Andrew and I act around each other? So what's so different with Darien?" commented Serena.

TBC

Read and review please!! Tell me if I should continue this story or not?