Another Chapter. Enjoy and let me know how you like it! REVIEW please?


You?

She couldn't stand it any longer. The second hand on the clock droned on and on, seemingly in slow motion. When would this day end? All she wanted to do was go to the arcade and meet whoever this guy was. In each class she'd found a different gift and now that it was her last class she was overly giddy. Tick… tick… tick… the clock droned on until that last second, that very last moment of hell which seemed to last a lot longer than any moment of time ever had. When the bell rang she jumped to her feet and rushed for the door, before she knew it she was out of the room and in the hall joining her friends. "Let's go and find out who this is!" Raye squealed and grabbed her friends' arms running frantically towards the doors of the school. This was it, the day that Serena Tsukino's dating curse was lifted. This would be the day that the petite blonde would remember because a guy would actually want her to be with him.

"I can't wait you guys!" Serena exclaimed as the group walked quickly down the sidewalk to the arcade that would serve as the meeting place for Serena and her admirer. "It's hard to believe this is happening to me!" She smiled and sniffed the fragrant rose she'd received earlier that day. "I hope he's hot." All the girls nodded in agreement. Amy and Mina glanced at one another cautiously. This was going to be an interesting meeting to say the least. By the end of the day the two had shared the identity of the admirer to the other members of the group, Serena excluded of course. Raye had almost fallen over upon hearing the news but had regained herself only to smile wickedly and state that Serena was going to freak out.

"You think this is a joke of some sort?" Lita leaned into Raye's ear. Raye shrugged and looked at the ground. It was hard to say, if it was a joke it was an extremely cruel one and no one deserved such terrible treatment.

They walked until the arcade was in sight; Serena being the first to stop and admire the appearance of the innocent place because it was important to remember this day. With a bounce in her step Serena walked to the sliding glass doors and entered the arcade looking around cautiously before her friends entered. Serena frowned when she saw no one out of the ordinary. Darien sat at the counter drinking his black coffee, Andrew was wiping down surfaces and various other objects. The kids were playing arcade games, the couple in the corner was holding hands. Nothing struck Serena as special this day though she knew something special would happen. Obviously the culprit was not there yet, her and the girls had practically ran from school to this place. So, with a heavy sigh Serena plodded her way to the same booth the girls had been sitting at for the past four years. Being creatures of habit sometimes made for a boring day, the couple in the corner always sat holding hands and sharing a milkshake, Andrew would serve customers and clean up, Darien the jerk Shields would sit at the counter drinking his coffee and chatting with Andrew.

Not today though. Serena smiled and made room for her friends to slide into the booth. Today was going to be the day Darien shut his big mouth in shock; today he would be speechless because someone was going to ask her out and he'd be there to witness it. She smiled at the thought, four year of being picked on an tortured would end today. She wondered if she'd miss the constant bickering but then again, her life would be far more peaceful with him out of her hair. "I wonder how long I'm going to have to wait for this guy." Serena mused and looked at her expectant friends.

"Don't know." Mina almost sung as Andrew approached the table holding the regular orders. "Thank you Andy." She winked making him blush a little. Despite the fact that Andrew was widely sought after by most girls in the arcade he was still shy when any approached him. Not even Mina, his girlfriend could get him to loosen up. "When are you going to pick me up tonight?"

"Well, the guys and I decided to do a group dinner so I think I'll come and get you at six." With that he turned away and rushed back to the counter and the safety of his friend. Mina watched him go and sighed deeply before falling back into the vinyl seat. The group of girls laughed and began to tease the love-struck blonde. Serena however, kept her eyes on the sliding glass doors. Each time they opened her heart paused but soon fell as a couple would walk in.

An hour passed and Serena soon felt a terrible nagging feeling build in her. Where was this person and why hadn't they shown up yet? Was this a joke? It was beginning to shape up to be a pretty nasty one. Another half hour passed until Serena gave up. It was a joke and someone had been very mean to her indeed. Amy was the first to notice the tears forming in her friend's eyes. "Serena, it's not a joke, trust me…" Amy's voice began to trail off as Darien downed the last of his third cup of coffee then turned towards the group of girls. Here we go. She thought and waited as he crossed the black and white tiled floor with his usual stride. He looked great in her opinion, his black hair falling effortlessly to his eyebrows accenting his deep blue eyes. He wore his typical blue jeans with his black turtleneck that seemed a little tighter on him today than usual. The last piece of his ensemble was his worn green jacket, which was casually thrown over his shoulder as he walked. Amy wasn't the only one to notice his approach however, Serena almost growled under her breath.

"Hello ladies, Meatball head." He nodded making her face turn red with anger. A slight smirk formed on his lips as he watched her try and hide her anger. She was adorable when she was angry, but he wasn't here to make her angry. Amy took the cue and slide out of the booth.

"Well Serena, we have to go and get ready… I'd wait with you but… I can't." Amy sighed as the other girls agreed and began to leave the booth. Darien silently thanked the smarted member and waited for them to leave before sliding into the booth opposite from the petite blonde.

"Will you go away? You've already scared my friends away." She sighed and crossed her arms on the table then rested her chin upon them. "I'm really not in the mood to get into one of our verbal wars today." She stared at the perfect red rose in front of her then closed her eyes.

He knew why she was melancholy, he was the cause and he couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself. Here she was waiting for her "secret admirer" and yet she had no idea who it was. "Why are you in a bad mood?" He held back the urge to call her the pet name he'd given her. That would only make her mood worse.

"Why do you care? Can't you just silently be happy that I'm sad and miserable? For once can you not rub it in?" She snapped and sat up straight determined to send him away from her so she could cry to herself. When she glared into his eyes however she was met with an emotion she'd never seen in him before. It was something she didn't know how to read and so instead she softened her tone. "I just want to be left alone because someone pulled a mean joke on me today."

"Who would be so cruel as to pull a joke on you today?" He asked softly trying to pull her from her defensive state of mind. She didn't respond, rather she looked at the table in defeat. "How do you know it's not a joke?" He offered with a slight smile.

"It has to be! If it wasn't then I'd be talking with the person right now, not trying to justify my feelings to a jerk who picks on me all the time… wait… did…" She looked up at him with curiosity then anger. "Did you do this?" She accused. "You're the only one who could be mean enough… cruel enough!" She pointed at him. "Why?"

Darien couldn't help but feel as though she'd just stabbed him with a dagger. At the same time however he knew he deserved it. He hadn't expected this to be easy and indeed it was difficult. "Yes I did it but no, it's not a joke Serena. As far as why… I thought I was pretty clear."

"Wait… what?" She looked at him in disbelief. Did Darien just admit he'd given her all of those notes and romantic trinkets? He did! If it was him… then… it had to be a joke… then again he just said no. She froze as he leaned forward a bit and took her delicate in his.

"It wasn't a joke Serena… I've been captivated by you since you came into my life. Why else would I come back here everyday just to argue with you? I simply love the sound of your voice." She stared at her hands, which were firmly held by his. "So, how about I take you to the dance tonight?"

With a sudden jerk of her hands she freed herself from his grasp and stared at him suspiciously. What was he trying to pull? Darien Shields didn't care about anyone but himself, everyone knew that. He really was an asshole for taking this so far. "Why should I believe you Darien? All you've ever done was be mean to me." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You don't have to believe me Serena, but at least give me a chance to try?" How could she refuse that? He seemed so sincere yet, that nagging feeling was still there. "I'm only asking you for one date, one chance to show you that I'm serious."

She thought about it. If she didn't accept she'd be the odd one out in the group tonight and most likely the only one at the dance without a date. Then again, if she did accept, she could get herself into a world of trouble. Unlike the males at her school Darien was a man, he was four years her elder and could have a less than honorable agenda. "Okay Darien. I'll give you a fair chance." She smiled to ease the tension that had unknowingly built up between them. "I've got to home now… come and get me around six." She then stood and rushed out of the arcade leaving him sitting at the booth with a shocked look on his face. Slowly he recovered and left the arcade to dress for the date of his life. This was it, the moment that would change his life forever. He loved her and wanted her love in return. True he was older and more experienced than her but she was an angel. Such an innocent angel deserved the world and he'd give it to her, all she had to do was ask.


Serena walked into her house in a trance Darien Shields, the hottest guy in town… the jerk had just asked her to the Valentine's Dance and she'd accepted! What was she thinking? She began to panic and practically melted onto the foyer tiles. She was only eighteen and out of all the women who'd been chasing after him… he'd asked her on a date! HIM! Darien Shields, the gorgeous ideal of a man asked her! The panic began to overflow as she began to breath and shake erratically. "MOMMA!" She screamed making her mother run into the foyer and rush to her daughter. "He… he asked me… ME!" Ilene held her daughter in her arms unsure of what was happening.

"What are you talking about honey?" The blonde sniffed and pulled away from her mother then looked into her deep brown eyes. She knew that look anywhere. Serena would often come home yelling and screaming about a boy at the arcade. She would always be so angry that he picked on her, Ilene on the other hand had always thought the boy had a crush on her. "What did he do this time to make you so upset?"

"He… he left me all these romantic notes and gifts at school then… he asked me to the valentine's dance tonight!" She began to sob even louder. "I said YES! Why me mom? Why?" Ilene smiled to herself. She'd been right after all. Clearly Serena liked this boy or she wouldn't be so upset.

"Because he knows what a special girl you are and he likes you. I knew he did. Boys don't pick on girls unless they like you. You know that." Ilene then stood and pulled her daughter to her feet. The floor was no place for a girl who needed to be ready for a dance. "I can't wait to meet him… what's his name again?"

"Darien… but… mom… I… I don't think I can do this! We're enemy's not a couple!" Ilene shook her head and reassured the petite blonde. Serena was clearly trying to deny her feelings for this boy. "Fine, I'll go and get ready but I'm not going to enjoy any of this!" Serena then marched up the stairs and looked at her black cat Luna who was sleeping soundly on the bed curled into a ball. "Whatever he's trying to pull he's not going to get away with it. Just wait and see." She smirked.

Serena then busied herself with getting ready for the dance. Hours flew by and before she knew it she heard the doorbell ring. Oh God! She gasp and looked at herself in the mirror. Any other day she'd be admiring herself but not this day. No, tonight she was going to a dance with the hottest guy known to man! She had to look perfect. "Serena! Darien's here!" Ilene shouted up the stairs. Serena sighed and grabbed her clutch as well as a delicate sweater that matched her flowing light pink dress. The silken dress looked stunning on her and she knew it.

As she left her bedroom it occurred to her how cliché this situation was. Darien was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her and she would descend just like a corny high school romance. Cautiously she approached the stairs only to see her family gathered around the most attractive man she'd ever seen in her life. He was standing in the foyer listening intently as her father rattled off a bunch of sentences she could only assume were rules he was to follow; he wore a tailored black tux with a black bow tie and a silk white vest over his crisp white shirt. Moreover he held a large bouquet of red roses in his hand. "Hey." Serena smiled as she stepped off of the bottom step of the stairs drawing everyone's attention.

"Darling you look stunningly beautiful!" Ilene praised her daughter and hugged her close. "Isn't she beautiful Ken?" Serena's father nodded barely removing his eyes from Darien who stood in the entry with a casual smile on his face.

"Here you are Serena, the rest of the roses I owe you." Darien stepped forward and presented the flowers to his date. The simple action done as strategically as any movement had ever been done impressed the blonde. "How early a time would you like me to return her Mr. Tsukino?" He then turned his attention to her father. Ken paused for a moment in shock. Never in his life had he ever encountered a young man who asked that question. Serena and Ilene's eyes widened at the wording. Darien was clearly skilled in this line of questioning. The notion that he asked how early to return her had given the question a whole new meaning.

"Oh… um… well, since you seem to be rather trust worthy any time is fine my boy." Ken slapped Darien on the shoulder heartily and laughed. "Thank you for listening to me and my paranoid yapping." Serena and Ilene went slack-jawed at the statement.

"I don't think you're paranoid at all. There are plenty of dishonorable people out there. Though your daughter is an excellent judge of character and I have yet to see her engage in actions that are anything less that honorable sir; and I've known her for four years now." Darien smiled then turned back to Serena. "We should get going, we still have the others to pick up, especially if we're going to make the restaurant reservations." Serena simply nodded and handed the roses to her mother before attempting to put on her sweater. "Allow me." Darien stepped behind her and held her sweater for her. Once she was properly bundled up Darien said his goodbye's and opened the door for his date.

"You are something you know that?" Serena said quietly after he shut the door and offered her his arm. "How did you manage to bewitch my father so easily?" Darien laughed as they walked then quieted and looked down at the angelic woman.

"I've had some practice." He resigned and opened the door to a large black limousine. "After you." She cautiously looked over the lavish car and then turned to him with a questioning stare. "I had a feeling you'd say yes." With that she angrily climbed in and waited as Darien followed. "Onward!" He smiled at the driver who nodded and began to drive away from her house. "What I mean to say is that I'm glad you did say yes otherwise I'd be home alone tonight staring at reruns of romance movies wishing I hadn't been so stupid as to let you hate me." Serena said nothing as she watched the outside world pass by. She wondered if she could ever really hate him.