Jealous Much?

By Natasha Conley

Chapter One

It was just another typical boring day at the arcade for me. I started my morning by buffering tables, filling salt and pepper shakers, folding fifty or so cloth napkins, and making fresh coffee for any early risers that may show up that day. That's not to say that I wouldn't be serving coffee all day, but as someone who hated to walk into a restaurant at opening time and then be told that I would have to wait twenty minutes for a steaming hot cup of caffeine, I knew how important this was.

After I finished my small tasks around the dining area, I cleaned the game machine handles and buttons, making sure that the sweat that perspired from the nerdy kids' hands the day before were wiped away. I stepped back, admiring my handiwork as all the surfaces in the arcade reflected the summer light from outside. If there was one thing I could be proud of, it was the way that I ran my family's business in my father's place.

When the bells rang at the entrance, I was astonished at the sight of a younger friend of mine walking through the doors. She looked nervous to say the least. She bit her fingernails, letting the chewed off pieces of thin bone land on my once clean floors. She looked up at me and her eyes immediately let me know that the blonde had come to speak to me.

"Hey, Serena!" I welcome her in, waving her over to the booth I was standing next to. "You're sure here early, what's going on?"

And she was early, for her, that is. Serena was the kind of girl who was late for everything. I had become accustomed to her running past my arcade like she was a tornado, nearly knocking over everything in her wake as she raced to beat the school bell. She also never seemed to wake up past twelve o'clock during the summer. So, for her to be here at opening hours was extremely bizarre.

Serena sighed, dragging her feet as she made her way towards me. We sat across from one another in the plush seats of the booth. "Hi, Andrew."

I felt concerned, and looked at her, searching for any clues to hint towards her behavior. She looked downcast, playing with a silver spoon so that it spinned from it's handle. Her eyes wandered around looking at the new pictures of the latest Sailor V video game release. There were no physical clues, so obviously this problem was emotional.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to imagine what could have put her in this mood before her day even began. I place my hand over hers in an attempt to reassure her.

"Andrew, I'm in love with someone that I shouldn't be." Her voice is sad, sounding remorseful about the predicament she was in.

I sat, mouth gaping, unsure of what to say. For one, it was completely unlike Serena to not use the word crush when she liked a guy. So, I knew that there was a chance that this was real and not her imagining she felt a certain way. The more shocking part was that it was someone she shouldn't be in love with, and that seemed unlikely.

Serena looks at me expectantly, her lips curved, and her eyes wide as she waited for my response. I force my mouth closed, and after a moment I ask, "The guy isn't your gynecologist, is he?"

Serena snorts, busting up with laughter. She smacks the table with her free hand, giggling so hard that I thought she would lose oxygen from a lack of breathing. "That old fart? He's my mom's doctor, and no way!"

I crack up as well, chuckling right alongside her.

Only after new customers enter the building and look at us as if we were mad scientists trying to raise Frankenstein in front of them, did we calm down. "So, who is it?"

Her cheeks turn pink when she thinks about whoever it was she has feelings for. I began to wonder who it was that had her so embarrassed. Melvin maybe? He was always flirting with her.

"If I tell you, you've got to promise you won't tell him!" She exclaims, looking around to make sure no one was listening before she whispers, "Do you promise?"

"Yeah, I promise, Serena." I answer, feeling the anticipation build up in my head.

She squeezed her eyes so they were tightly closed together. She held up her fists into little balls on each side of her face, and then squeaks out, "It's Darien!"

"What?!"

Darien is my best friend. We met at the beginning of high school, and he was always kind of off. I later learned that the reason for his cold demeanor and his rejection of nearly every girl to come across him was because of the loss of his parents. He wasn't sure how to love or to be loved for that matter after spending nearly his entire childhood in an orphanage. Regardless of that, we became friends over our desire to become doctors and save people from death. Our dream was to save lives, and because of that, he began coming to the arcade everyday to visit and drink coffee.

So, how does Serena know him then?

It all started the day my dark haired friend walked into the arcade with a goofy grin on his face. Darien sat down for his first cup of coffee for the day and told me all about how he made this beautiful girl extremely angry. I remember rolling my eyes at him as he went on and on about this girl who stuck up to him after he made fun of her. He talked about her blue eyes that looked like they had silver wisps in them, and then about how she had golden meatballs on the top of her head. How she stood out from any girl he had ever met, and Darien wanted nothing more than to see her again.

And they did meet again. Serena had been my friend not too long after I met Darien, and she visited everyday. At first I thought she had a crush on me, but I'm guessing that the entire reason was so then she could bump into Darien. Well, after the first fight they aired in front of me that is.

"I know that it's totally crazy... I mean, he's nearly a college student!" Serena began to explain herself, keeping an eye at the door, just in case he happened to show up while she was talking about him. "And I know that he thinks of me as a stupid girl who can't figure out the difference in spelling between there, they're, and their, but I still can't stop myself from feeling this way."

"Serena…" I start, but don't know how to continue. After all, I can't just tell her that Darien teases her because there is something there for him too. What if I was wrong? Darien always talked about her, but what if it had become that annoying big brother love? Kind of like what I had for Serena, but with teasing instead. Unsure of how to continue, I decided to remain silent.

"I know, he's nearly twenty. I shouldn't have feelings for someone so much older." Serena rolled her eyes, making talking motions with her hands. "That's what my dad would say if I actually managed to snag Darien."

"I don't know what to say." I answer honestly. I watch her face darken, like I was the test to see how Darien felt for her. That my answer would explain everything she needed to know.

Then as if a light bulb popped up above her head, she perked up before declaring, "You will help me make him see what a great girlfriend I can be!"

I stare at her blankly, occasionally blinking my eyes, just completely flabbergasted. "Wha-?"

She grinned, showing all her pearly whites. Then she jumped out of the booth and pulled me by the arm out of my seat. "Listen, it will be great! I'll just show up and act like your girlfriend, and you can pretend to be my boyfriend too! Guys always want girls who are taken, right?"

I didn't even know where she got that idea, but it was painfully obvious she had no idea what she was talking about. I went to pull her hands off my arm when a jingle from the entry doors rung from the front. Serena turned quickly, taking her hands and pulling my face down, crashing her lips into mine.

When I looked up to see who had come in, I saw Darien's face. Fire raged in his eyes as he glared at me, overwhelmed with jealousy, and looking as if he wanted to punch me in the gut.

Please Read and Review! Many Hugs!-Natasha