HIIIIII!!! Welcome to the first chapter of my second story!!!! Welcome to "Making the Days Count" by me, Silvia Specter! First of all, I would like to start out with a yay!!! For all those who are reading this and also to say that…umm..the names aren't very original, as in I didn't think of them first (I had a brain freeze while I was thinking of this story) and so if someone else invented or created them, please don't get mad!!!! Think of it as a compliment!!! You're creation was so good, other writers are using it!!! And now I'll shut up and let you get on with the show!!!
One more thing: The places I describe in the story are places I have never been to in my life up till now…So I won't be accurate on the descriptions…. And by the way, Darien has known Serena since she was 13 in this story!!!
DISCLAIMER: I WOULD DIE TO MAKE SAILOR MOON MINE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE…I'M NOT DEAD SO DON'T SUE…lol…
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She walked into the 'Cafe Java' and looked around. It was a decent place, with its bamboo wood structures and the aroma of java floating in the air. She looked around for a niche in the corner or even something that resembled a speck of the Crown Arcade, her childhood place of fond memories and ….Serena practically growled. And Darien. There was a clattering of forks and knifes and the rustling of sugar bags being emptied into high energy drinks but that wasn't the same as the swirling of milk shakes and the chatter of children and games. She ended up picking the booth in back corner, right next to the busy road of Elm St.
In her mind, she picked a rhythm and starts to tap her fingers to it. Tap tappity tap tap tap tappity tap tap tap tappity tap tap…
"Serena!!!" called out a voice. Serena raised her head, gave a cry of laughter and jumped out of her seat. Ami laughed as the blonde swirl attacked her with a bear hug. After prying Serena off her, they both slid into the seats. Serena locked her fingers together and leaned over the bamboo table. "So Ami."
Ami finished putting her handbag to the side. "What?"
"Sooo?"
"Well, Rei said she was going to be a little late and – "
"No, Ami! About Zack. Sooo?"
Ami, although being Zack's girlfriend for almost two years, blushed and shook her head. Serena sighed for her pal. "He still hasn't proposed, huh?"
Ami gave a mock sniff of dignity and said, "It's a good thing anyway. Getting engaged during education is not a good time to –"
Serena jumped up and hugged to two approaching women. "Mina! Lita! It's been forever since I've seen you guys!"
Mina gave a giggle and hugged her back. "I'm so happy to see you Serena! We missed you so much over the summer!"
Serena rolled her eyes. "Right. Like your boyfriends aren't occupying your time."
Lita took Serena's arm and dragged her back to the table. She looked around the cafe in amusement. "Nice choice, Ami."
"Well, I know it isn't the best place but I couldn't think of another place at the last minute."
Serena scooted of the seats and went to order them drinks. Mina leaned in and whispered, "When are we going to tell her?"
Lita hushed her and said, Definitely not now. We just came back and we don't want to get her all over us about it."
Ami grinned. "She will no matter when we tell her."
Ami, Lita, Rei, and Mina had all spent their summer before college with their boyfriends, who went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a very spectacular college choice to get admission into. Serena, who still was single and complained about it everyday, had to spend vacation with her parents in Hawaii, which all in all, wasn't too bad. It was a good thing that they all were accepted into New Haven University or they wouldn't even have been able to talk to each other until winter vacation. Now that they came back, they were all dying to meet Serena, partly out of guilt for leaving her out of things.
Serena came back with the java drinks in a large cup holder. Right as she was placing down the drinks, a flash of black almost tripped over her and onto flat onto the ground. The woman straightened out and then, calmly fixed her hair. "Hey guys," she said with a brilliant smile. "Have I missed anything?"
Serena jumped on Rei, and gave her another one of her hugs. Rei blew a strand of hair from her face as she hugged her friend back. "Of course. I missed the Serena hug."
The blonde stuck her tongue out and shoved Rei into one of the seats. She handed each one of them their drink, giving her own to Rei. "I'll get one for myself later. So tell me about your summer!"
Mina and Lita burst into description with Ami and Rei were contented to just listen.
"It was amazing, Serena!"
"Too bad you didn't come!"
"One day, Zack and Ami were actually coming to the night club with us, which is unbelievable."
"You should have seen her. She was gorgegous. And Zack was a handsome man himself –"
"Michael gave me the most romantic dinner I've ever had. It was all candle light and classical music –"
"Oh you don't know what romantic is until you talk about Nick. His skills with grill is amazing!"
"Oh! I just crack up remembering this. Remember, Rei, when Jason was in his bathing suit and he got into the water…*cackle* oh god, it was hilarious!"
Serena watched on with fascination as her two close friends described in detail their summer with Ami and Rei cutting in once in a while. She laughed at their jokes and wondered at their reminiscence with them but she felt hurt on not being able to share their memories. She scolded herself silently. You don't have to be there to share everything, Serena, you idiot. Let them have some room. By the end of an hour, the chatter ceased to a comfortable silence. Rei placed a hand over Serena's. She looked into her eyes with a smile. "But believe us when we say that we missed you, Serena. It would have been a blast if you would have come."
Serena smiled back but she knew she couldn't have gone even if she wanted to. They all had boyfriends. She didn't have anyone but them. When they went on their romantic dinners, what was Serena supposed to do? She shook her head slightly. Not the time to think about all that. She cheered up and asked, "Well, roomies. Where are we going to bunk together?"
Everyone stopped sipping their coffee. Rei shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Ami found sudden interest in the construction of the bamboo table. Lita and Mina glared at the two of them before sighing. "I guess it's up to us to tell you."
Serena kept the smile on her face. "Tell me what?"
"We found a large condo."
"That's wonderful! Where is it? I'm dying to move out of the hotel. It's getting so stuffy in there," Serena ended with a wince. She could picture her hotel suite right now. With clothes and underwear hidden in randome places and books scattered on the floor with precision.
Mina gave a small giggle…or she tried to. "It's right on Forbes St."
Serena nodded her head, urging her to go on. "Well…it is a beautiful condominium. It has a large kitchen and living/ dining room area. It's two and a half bathrooms. A beautiful view into the park behind us…"
Serena's smile became wider and wider…
"And it had a few restaurants here and there…close by, you know…"
"Uh huh…"
"Andithasfourteenyweenybedroomsinwhichonlyonepersoncanoccupy."
Her smile was still there. "What?"
"ithasfourteenyweenybedroomsthat-"
"I got that Mina!"
Serena frowned. "Well that's not fair to one of us. We just have to find a bigger place, you guys. I don't want anyone of us left out!"
Ami choked up and tried to busy herself with the handbag. Serena looked at her quizzically. "What's up, Ami?"
"Uhh..tissue..I need tissue..stupid cold you know…"
"I can get some for you, hun."
"No no..these are..uh…special ones.."
Serena turned back to Lita and frowned. "That isn't fair though, Lita. We can't use stick one ourselves onto the couch for the next few years. That would be horible!" Serena chuckled at the imagine of herself groaning as she woke up every morning with a hell of a back pain. Ami was now fumbling with everything inside her purse. Rei inwardly rolled her eyes at her fidgety friend. Ami was as calm as a rock when it came to emergency situations but she was just too shaky when it came to lying and …well, not being the one thrown out.
Serena looked at Ami with concern. "It's no problem to go get some for you, Ami."
" No…No…just for my allergies…where are they…heh..heh.."
"I didn't know you had allergies."
"I don't! I mean…of course I do! ….."
"You do? Since when?"
"Uhh…since…DAMN IT! Where are the TISSUES!?"
Everyone in the cafe started at the obviously agitated girl. Mina leaned away from the blue haired girl out of caution. Then it dawned on Serena. She gently asked, "Ami, are you worried about being left out?"
Ami, startled, stopped moving. "…What?"
"Ami, if you feel that way, you should stop it, right now," Serena said with her most decisive voice. "We have a motto: Never leave a friend behind –"
Mina broke in nervously, "We never really had a motto like that one, Serena."
Serena glared at the blonde girl. "As I was saying, don't worry Ami. We'll all stick together and find a better place. One that's good for all of us –"
Rei mumbled something like, "The whole area is packed and the other places are way above our heads in rent."
Serena sighed. "You guys give up too easily." She turned back to Ami who was watching her with guilty eyes. "If worse comes to worse, I can just go find another place, but hey, that'll never happen in a million years. We all stick together, right guys?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Guys? We stick together… right?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"About that finding another place to live…"
Serena's smile faltered. "What?"
Lita looked at her sheepishly. "We, as in Mina, Ami, Rei, and I decided to take up the condo."
Serena pointed to herself as if unable to open her mouth. She looked like a fish with a bloated stomach at the moment. Mina nervously played with her hair. "And you, Serena…will have to live with someone else…heh…"
Serena felt as if she was kicked in the stomach. "You don't want me to live you guys?"
Rei hurried to say, "No, no Serena! That's not it! There is no other place out here to get that is as good as what we have right now and we can't afford to spend time to find another place anyway."
Serena felt the shock leaving her. Ami winced…oh, boy…here it comes…
"Whhhhaaaaaat??? What did I ever do to yoooooooou??? How can you be so meeeeeaaaaan!!!?? WAAAAAAAAAaahhhh!!"
Now the whole cafe was staring at them once again, some muttering curse words as their pleasant morning was being ruined. Rei tried to hide her face with a napkin.
"How could you guuuuys??"
Lita frantically interrupted, "We're not being mean, Serena!"
"It's so hooooorible!!! WAAAAAAAaaaaah!!!" Serena grabbed a napkin and blew into it loudly. Mina winced. "Serena, come on! Listen to us!"
"WAAAAAAaaaaah!!!!"
"We found you a place to live!" shouted Lita, getting irritated. Serena immediately stopped and sniffled. "You…did? So you change your mind?"
Mina sweat dropped. "No, Serena."
Serena pouted. "So this is what you guys do over the summer. Plot against me! Why don't you just throw me out onto the street just for the kicks, huh?"
Ami turned pleading eyes to her. "Come on, Serena. You know that's not true."
Serena raised her chin. "So where's this place for me?"
Mina grinned. "That's the good part, Serena. Since you couldn't stay with us (stop pouting, Serena), we found a friend in the area who would be happy to take you in."
"You make it sound like I'm a damn puppy or something. 'take me in'," she scoffed. "Well, who is it?"
"Remember Andrew Leake?"