A View of Happiness
Chapter One
By A Shot of Amber
When I started this story I had no meaning to portray this story the way I did. Then at just about the time Serena gets hurt I got hurt to by someone I thought was my friend. I started this story with different intentions but then I got hurt and this story took on a new meaning. This story is my life over these past few months moving into the past few days and all the events are true. Its like life is imitating art in some ways since everything that happens in this story has happened to me. I guess there is no way to question God's intentions.
In the meantime please don't forget to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to . Tell me what you think! Thank you!
A View of Happiness
Chapter One
I can remember my first day of school. I was a nervous newbie in her first day of college. The buildings were huge and full of strangers that I hoped to become friends with. Strange teachers that I would call by their first names and they would be fair and equal with me and strange students who would get to know and love me for who I am. I was excited about my first day of school and it must have showed as I walked across the grassy campus to the large brick building that would be my home for the next four years.
I carried a duffel bag full of my treasures from home along with a suitcase. My parents still had my other things in the car. I walked up the tiled and dirty white stairs to the forth floor where my room would be. Already kids were unpacking and moving in. They crowded the halls calling out greetings to each other and pushing past me on their way to another person's room. Me? I pushed past the crowds myself till I came to the room where I would be living. The door was closed but I could already hear music playing from inside. Suddenly I got scared wondering who my new roommate would be but I had always been friendly and cheerful in high school and I wasn't going to let that stop me now.
Serena Tuskino took a hold of the door knob and opened the door to reveal a white room with a window on the back wall and two beds also against it. One of the beds was taken and already made up with a white coverlet with green leaves on it and white sheets. The music was coming from a stereo set up on one of the desks, the one closest to the closet. Sitting in the window setting up a thing of essence was a girl dressed in a black mini skirt and a red sweater. Her long black hair hung over face but when she heard the door opening she looked and brushed the hair away.
"Hi," Serena said tentively while the girl looked at her than smiled and stood up.
"Hi, you must be Serena," the girl said walking over to Serena with her hand extended. "I'm your new roommate Rei Hino.
Serena dropped her duffel bag on the floor and shook Rei's hand. "Its nice to meet you Rei. Have you been here long?" Serena asked as she let go of Rei's hand and reached down to pick up her bag.
"I've been here since early morning," Rei replied walking back over to the window which offered a beautiful view of the school square. "I wanted to beat the rush and un-pack in peace."
"I can understand," Serena replied dropping her duffel bag on the other bed and sighing. "Its really crowded out there."
"It will get better, after the holiday break the hall starts to clear out with people moving or dropping out of school. The first year is always hard for everyone."
"Are you a first year?" Serena asked innocently.
"No this is my second year here. Still after winter break people start to drop out and it gets quieter."
"Wow! I hope I can make it," Serena replied plopping down on the bed and putting her hands in her lap.
"Oh you will. Just work hard and don't party to much and you can do it. I'm sure of it." Rei nodded her head and smiling at Serena.
"Knock knock!" Someone called knocking on the open door.
Rei and Serena both looked up too see two girls standing in the doorway with one of them still knocking on the door.
"Hi Mina, Lita," Rei said without getting up.
The two girls walked in with the blond one leading. "Hey Rei! You haven't come to see us yet," the blond girl chided while her brunette friend looked around the room.
"Rei you really need to decorate more, your room is so sparse!" The brunette girl cried out when she didn't see any posters of boys or movie stars.
"Lita you know I don't idolize false idols," Rei sighed shaking her head.
"Yea but your room is boring!" Lita replied.
"If it helps I have some posters of movie stars and guys," Serena cut in from where she sat on the bed.
Both Lita and Mina looked over at her and smiled. Mina was the first to talk. "Hi! You must be Rei's new roommate!" Mina walked over to Serena and plopped down on the bed next to her. "I'm Mina Anio and this walking stick is Lita Kino," Mina said pointing to Lita.
"I'm not a walking stick," Lita replied crossing her arms in mock anger.
"But your so thin! You look like a walking stick!" Mina cried. "If you ask me you need to eat more."
"And be fat like you?"
Mina gasped and stood up. "I'm not fat! For your opinion Lita Kino I look beautiful just the way I am!"
"If your going to fight please do it in your own room and leave us to peace," Rei sighed rubbing her forehead.
"Were not fighting," Mina replied turning towards Rei. "We are having a friendly discussion."
"Yea about Mina's big thighs," Lita added.
"I don't have big thighs!" Mina cried turning back to Lita.
"Are they always like this?" Serena asked Rei without taking her eyes off the fighting girls.
"I'm afraid so. I've known them since last semester and since this morning they've done nothing but fight." Rei replied.
"We don't fight," Lita said breaking into the conversation. "We just have polite disagreements."
"They sound very polite," Serena replied sarcastically.
Rei just smiled and laughed softy while Lita and Mina looked at each other and then broke in giggles themselves.
"Hey I have an idea!" Mina said breaking off the giggles and pointing one finger in the air. "Lets go and get some ice cream! I could use some chocolate."
"I don't know," Serena replied looking at the duffel bag on the floor. "I still have to grab my other things and un-pack."
"Oh come on Serena! If you spend your first day inside your room hiding you'll never make friends," Mina cried throwing out both her arms.
"She is right Serena, come out with us. You can un-pack later," Rei said softly looking over at Serena.
" Alright," Serena nodded her head and smiled. "It would be a good idea for me to know where the ice cream parlor is."
"Its not really an ice cream parlor as much as it's a coffee house with ice cream but still its nice," Lita replied.
"Who cares what it is! Lets go!" Mina grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her up off the bed. "The sooner we get there the sooner I can solve my craving for chocolate."
Rei got up off the window sill and followed the girls out into the hallway. Through the crowds Mina and Lita greeted different people with waves and quick hugs. Serena was silent except to say hi and to introduce herself to people who asked her name. Outside in the quad they walked over the granite sidewalk past large brick buildings which Rei pointed out and named. Soon though they came to a smaller building farther away from the larger brick buildings and off a street in a field of trees. The four girls walked into the small building which was full of students laughing and talking at white tables with metal kick proof legs. Some lounged on couches where the tables were made of wood and the atmosphere was quieter.
Mina led the girls up to the counter where a pretty blond girl stood wearing a red apron and ordered a waffle cone with chocolate ice cream.
"They have really good ice cream here," Mina said to Serena has the girl scooped up her ice cream into a cone.
"It looks good, I don't even know what to order," Serena replied biting her lip and looking up at the menu.
"One chocolate waffle cone," the server handed Mina her ice cream and turned to Serena. "What would you like?"
"Um I think I'll have a strawberry ice cream," Serena replied pointing to the tub of strawberry ice cream.
The server nodded and scooped up her ice cream before finishing off the other's orders. Together they paid and headed over to an empty table to eat their treats.
"So Serena what is your major?" Lita asked as she licked at a drop of peach ice cream.
"I'm an art major," Serena replied swallowing a cold bite down her throat.
" That's cool, I'm majoring in culinary arts myself so we might see each other in the liberal arts building."
"Which one is that?" Serena asked.
" That's the Hornung Art Building to the left and a few buildings down from the cafeteria," Rei replied.
"Oh okay I remember now. Boy is this going to be hard, I'll never remember all these buildings," Serena sighed.
" Relax, after a few days you'll get used to the campus and soon you'll be a pro at remembering where each building is," Mina replied patting her hand while looking over at another table full of people. "Hey there is Ami and Michiru! Yo guys over here! Its me Mina!"
Two girls looked up from the people they were talking to and smiled. The girl with aqua hair stood up and walked over to them. Serena was immediately awed by her graceful presence has she walked over to them dressed in a black sweater with a tan skirt that went to mid thigh over black tights.
" Michiru I haven't seen you all summer!" Mina cried reaching out one hand to grasp Michiru's hand and grinned up at her.
" That's because I was in England for a orchestra ceremony. I thought I told you last semester?"
"You did but I forgot," Mina grinned sheepishly and let go of Michiru's hand. "So how was the ceremony?"
"It was wonderful." Michiru looked over at Serena and smiled. "So who is your new friend? I don't think I've met her yet."
"I'm Serena Tuskino," Serena replied holding out one hand to shake.
"How do you do Serena. I'm Michiru Kaioh. I'm hoping you're an art major so I can get to know you better."
" Actually I am an art major," Serena replied shaking Michiru's hand and letting go.
Michiru's smile widened and she clapped her hands together. "That is wonderful! I was hoping to get to know you better and you know so is my friends," Michiru turned to the people sitting at her table and gestured to them. "Darien come on over and meet Serena."
Serena watched as a tall dark haired guy stood up and walked over to them. He was a nice looking boy wearing a red sweater and a pair of blue jeans.
" Darien Shields I want you to meet Serena Tuskino. Serena I wanted to introduce you because Darien has been staring at you since you came in here."
Serena could feel the heat fill her cheeks not for embarrassment for herself but instead for Darien who gave Michiru a dirty look then held out his hand to Serena. "I'm sorry about Michiru, she's a little abrupt," Darien replied.
"Its okay," Serena replied shaking his hand and looking into his eyes which she noticed were a deep blue. "I have friends like that at home myself."
"Yes and are they as much of a pain as Michiru is?" Darien asked letting go of Serena's hand and stepping back to shove his hands into his pockets.
"I don't know, I still have to get to know Michiru some more," Serena replied smiling up at him.
"Don't I have a say in this?" Michiru asked breaking into the conversation and crossing her arms over her chest.
"What do you have to say Michiru?" Darien asked turning to her.
"I'm not a pain and Darien wouldn't you like to tell Serena why I'm introducing you to her?"
Serena looked over at Darien who suddenly started to look nervous to Michiru who was smiling in a smug way. Darien looked at her then at Michiru but he never pulled his hands out of his pockets.
"Well seeing no answer I'll tell her. Serena, Darien wanted me to introduce you two because he thinks your pretty and would like to get to know you. Basically he wanted to ask you on a date but didn't know how."
Mina and Lita burst into giggles while Serena blushed and looked down at her ice cream cone. She didn't see Darien peer at her with a questioning look on his face. What he saw made him step back some more and look down at the ground.
"You know I better get going. I still have to buy my books," Darien muttered turning and walking off. Serena looked up from her half eaten cone to watch his retreating back disappear through the door as the bell above it tinkled while it closed. Mina and Lita stopped giggling while Rei looked at Serena with a sharp look.
Michiru was watching Darien leave to but now turned back to the girls and uncrossed her arms. "I guess I was to abrupt for him," Michiru said softly looking down at her hands.
"You know Michiru we better get going," Rei replied getting up out of the booth and holding out her hand to Serena. "Serena still needs to un pack."
Serena looked over at Rei and nodded her head before taking her hand and standing up also. Mina and Lita stood up also while looking at each other with confused looks.
"I'll see you guys later," Michiru said as the four girls headed towards the door.
"I'll call you later tonight!" Mina replied taking Lita's arm.
" Alright," Michiru replied nodding her head and watching the girls head out the same door that Darien had left just earlier.
"You know you are to abrupt."
Michiru turned to the tall blond women who had come up behind her and was now standing with one hand on her hip. "I was just telling the truth."
"Yea but did you see the look on the blonde's face? She isn't interested in Darien."
"How can she not be? Darien is gorgeous! I would think every girl in school would be interested in him and it's rare for Darien to like a girl. He's not that social."
The blond girl threw back her head and laughed. "If I didn't know right I would say that you have a crush on Darien."
"Oh Haruka you know I do not. I just want Darien to be happy, that is all," Michiru protested.
"And you think he would be happy dating someone who is not interested in him?"
"No, but she can learn to be interested in him. All she needs to see is him as her hero where he saves her and turns into a prince that she can love and adore."
"I think I see a matchmaker in progress," Haruka laughed.
"Maybe you do," Michiru replied with a sweet smile.
"Is college always that embarrassing?" Serena asked as she picked up a bundle of underwear and shoved them into a drawer.
"What do you mean?"
"Well its my first day of school and already I'm being asked out by a guy I'm not even interested in."
Rei sighed and uncrossed her legs. "That was just a fluke. Michiru is like that, she's kind of cunning and coy but she is really nice and so is Darien."
"Do you know Darien well?" Serena asked slamming the drawer closed and moving towards the box on her bed.
"Yea I do. He's a senior here earning a degree in engineering. He's really nice too, he's polite and likes to read and is really smart. He has a partial scholarship because he gets such fantastic grades."
Serena laughed and picked up a china rabbit figurine which she had just unwrapped. "I don't need all his merits, I just wanted to know what he was like." Serena set the figurine on her desk and smiled. "He seems like a nice guy and he is kind of cute but I'm looking for something better. I want a really popular guy who's like the big man on campus."
"Then you should date Derek Kizuzenshin, he's the most popular senior here."
" Really? What's he like?" Serena asked turning around with interest.
Rei tapped her chin with one hand while she thought. "Well he's tall and muscular. He always seems to have girls hanging around him and is known to be a big man around campus. He plays football on the football team and is also on the baseball team."
"Wow he sounds great," Serena sighed sitting down on her bed.
"He is cute," Rei concided, "but I don't know if he's that great. He seems kind of arrogant to me."
"All the better!" Serena replied throwing her arms up in the air.
"You like guys who are arrogant?" Rei asked looking slightly shocked.
"No, I don't necessarily like guys who are arrogant. I more like guys who are sure of themselves. I like confidence in a guy."
"Oh," Rei nodded her head then turned onto her side and went back to reading her book. Serena just smiled and got back to un packing things to put on her desk.
In the mean time please read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to . Thank you!