The Ring
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Chapter Three: Friends
Yet again, things were going great. Serena and Darien spent time talking to each other every week at least once a week while he was on mail duty. They talked about anything and everything. They were what most would call 'fast friends'. Serena enjoyed they're talks because she didn't have to watch what she said around him. He already knew about her uncle, so she wouldn't have to worry about him seeing her upset and asking if anything was wrong. Like anyone with a family problem, Serena had good days and bad days and Darien understood that. During a bad day, he'd talk to her about mundane things and give her a cookie or piece of candy that they had behind the desk. Today was a bad day.
"Hey Serena, how was class?" Darien asked, his back towards her as she entered the lobby area.
"It was ok." Serena mumbled, her voice flat.
"I see. So, you got a package today." Darien said, hoping it would cheer her up some.
"Really?" Serena asked, surprise in her voice.
Darien knew surprise with Serena always led to happiness.
"Yeah, it's behind the desk. Let me get it for you. Hold on." Darien said as he left the mail box area and went behind the desk.
"I wonder who sent me something." Serena whispered as Darien retrieved her package and put it on the desk.
"There's no return address on it." Darien commented as he signed off on her picking up her package.
"Hmm..." Serena said as she used the pen she had signed off her package with to cut the tape that held closed her package.
"I could have handed you a pair of scissors." Darien laughed as he watched her original method of opening a package.
"Why when I was already holding the pen?" Serena asked as she pulled out the card that laid on the top.
Opening the card, Serena noticed that it was her friend Molly's hand writing.
"The package is from my friend Molly." Serena said as she continued to read the card, a smile on her face because it was from Molly.
Serena,
I found this and immediately thought of you, I know you like this design and that it means a lot to you. I bet you're wondering why there is no return address on the package, well, I'm not living at my house anymore.
Suddenly Serena's smile turned to a frown as she read.
My father and I got into a fight. I didn't tell you this before, but Tina got kicked out of her house and has kinda moved in with me. It was supposed to be temporary, but it seems that she and my father want it to be permanent. So, I have moved in with Melvin. Hence, the no return address. I still go home to get my mail and me changing my address would cause my father to lose his federal housing.
Don't worry about me, I already know you're frowning now and thinking you have to come home and help me, you don't. Melvin and I are going to move into our own place in about a year and I have everything under control. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME. Have fun and I'll see you in a couple of weeks for Turkey Day.
Love,
Molly.
Serena smiled and shook her head as she folded the card and put it back into it's envelope.
"Ok, that was a huge change in emotion." Darien commented as Serena looked up at him.
"My friend moved out of her house. But she specifically told me not to worry about her and told me to not come home, knowing that I was thinking at the exact moment I read her letter. She know's me really well." Serena smiled.
"What did she send ya?" Darien asked as he looked into the box.
"That wasn't in the letter, per say. She did say that it was a symbol I liked though and that meant a lot to me." Serena answered as she lifted the tissue paper that covered a newspaper wrapped object.
Serena took the object out of the box and carefully unwrapped it.
"That's beautiful." Darien commented as Serena looked at it.
It was a framed drawing of the kanji symbol Dream. The drawing was in layers and beneath the symbol was a cherry blossom branch and beneath that was a full moon. The back of the drawing was a dark deep blue.
"My god, she know's me well." Serena whispered as she looked continued looking at the drawing.
"What does that symbol mean?" Darien asked.
"It mean's 'Dream'. She knows that my dreams were the one thing that kept me from running away from my uncle. She know's my dreams are what keep me going." Serena whispered as she looked up at Darien, tears filling her eyes. "I can't believe she found something like this. I've been looking everywhere for this symbol, but it's one of the uncommon one's." Serena added.
"Everywhere? How so?" Darien asked, seeing her moon change from sad to happy.
"Well, literally everywhere. Jewelry, paintings, drawings. Anything that could hold this symbol. It means that much to me. More jewelry then paintings, mainly because I could wear it and show it to people." Serena said after a thought.
"Like pendents and earrings?" Darien asked.
"Pendents, or necklaces. I don't have pierced ears." Serena informed him.
"Ah, I see." Darien said as he looked at her earlobes.
"I had pierced ears, but the got infected and closed up." Serena said with a smile.
"I would think someone talking about an infection wouldn't be smiling." Darien commented as he picked up a pile of mail and took it to the mailboxes to be put in their proper box.
"Well, it was a long time ago and I don't remember it being painful." Serena answered with a smile.
"I see." Darien agreed with Serena's mentality.
"I'm going to go and hang this up. I'll see you later, Darien." Serena smiled as she headed for the stairs.
"See ya." Darien responded as she disappeared up the stairs.
11111111111111
After Serena's package, her mood over the next couple of weeks was great. She didn't have a bad day and she always walked around with a smile. In turn, Serena's good mood made Andrew relax and be happy as well as Darien. Serena didn't know it, but both Andrew and Darien worried about her constantly. Andrew because Serena was his cousin and Darien because, he says it's because their friends, but Andrew believes its something more.
"Just admit it, Dare, you like her." Andrew tried convincing him one day as they sat in Dariens' room playing a video game.
"I do like her, as a friend. And that's it. Also, it's in our contract to be RA's. No relationships with residents." Darien said as he attempted to kill Andrew in the game.
"Nice try, both in the game and what we're talking about. I see how you're protective of her. Hell, you're almost as bad as me. How is she today?" Andrew asked as he picked up a life vest in the game to bring his health back to normal.
"She's ok. Not sad, but not overly happy like she was a couple of weeks ago. But I think that'll change later today." Darien answered as he picked up ammo.
"See, you keep track of her. Where'd you get the flame thrower?" Andrew asked, surprised it was in this game.
"My little secret. What time is it?" Darien asked as he paused the game.
"Almost 3, why?" Andrew asked, looking at his friend.
"I have mail duty. Come on. Your cousin should be showing up soon too." Darien commented as he saved their game and turned off the game system.
"You know her schedule?" Andrew asked, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"Well, we talk every Thursday while I'm on mail duty. It's hard not to know when she'll be here." Darien answered, hoping he sounded convincing that it was nothing more then routine. That they were only friends.
"Right, come on." Andrew said as he tossed Darien his keys and opened his door.
"Stop smirking." Darien warned as they walked down the hall.
"I'm not smirking. And come on, you need to hear yourself." Andrew argued.
"And you need a life, so you'll stop interfering with mine." Darien countered.
"Ouch, that hurt." Andrew laughed.
"I bet." Darien responded with a sigh as he opened the desk and began to sort the mail.
And like clockwork, Serena walked in the doors at 3:15.
"Hey Darien, Andrew?" Serena asked as she saw her cousin at the front desk, "Do you live here now too?"
"No, just here." Andrew answered with a smile.
"Right, don't you have a test to study for or something?" Serena asked.
"Hehe, right; I'll see you later." Andrew said, his laughter and smile disappearing.
"You do have a test, don't you?" Darien asked as he took in his friends facial expression.
"Yeah, a big one. See ya." Andrew said as he quickly left the building to go back to his.
"Silly boy." Serena muttered after him as she turned back to Darien, "So, how's your day been?"
"It's been ok. Hanging out with your cousin, killing him in Goldeneye." Darien commented.
"Good, he really only plays against me in Goldeneye; and I suck at those games. It's good he's getting his butt handed back to him." Serena smiled.
"Yeah, it looks like you've got another package." Darien said as he put a medium sized box on the desk.
"Really? It seems you're always the one who logs in my packages." Serena smiled as she signed for her package and began opening it with the pen.
"And every time I do, you unconventionally open it." Darien smiled as he began to log in the other packages for the building.
"Well, college student. We think outside of the box." Serena responded as she continued to open her package. "Have you ever heard of this company?" Serena asked as she pulled out an invoice slip.
"No, I haven't." Darien answered; luckily Serena was preoccupied by her package to notice his smile.
"I wonder what it is." Serena commented as she fished through the packing paper that surrounded a small box with the company's logo on the lid.
Opening the package she found a necklace. The chain was silver and dangling from the chain was a silver pendent. The pendent was a sterling silver 'dream' character.
"Oh my. Who sent this to me?" Serena asked in amazement as she looked for a return address, "There's no return address on it." Serena said as she again looked at the packing paper. Hoping she would find a note or card.
"Must be some secret admirer." Darien guessed as he looked down to sort the mail, "Must have gotten your address off facebook or something."
"I don't have my address on facebook. Or Myspace. It has to be Molly; but she can't afford something like this. Maybe Shane?" Serena asked, more to herself then to Darien, "No, Shane doesn't have the money either, and why would he waste it on me when he could be spending it on Kaylee. But who could it be? Who ever it is know's me well; they knew where I live, they know that I'm not allergic to sterling silver, they know this is my favorite symbol." Serena murmured as Darien left the behind the desk area and walked around to the front lobby area.
"Well, list off the people who know all of those things." Darien suggested as he picked up a stack of mail off of the desk and walked to the mail boxes.
"Ok. Well, Andrew, Rita, Molly, Melvin, Shane, Kaylee, Mom and Dad, Sammy, Mina, Raye, Lita, Amy, and you. That's all that know all of those." Serena said.
"Ok, now narrow it down to who has the money or who would have sent it to you." Darien advised as he picked up another stack of mail.
"Ok. As I said Molly, Melvin, Shane, and Kaylee wouldn't. Sammy doesn't have the money for something like this. Mom and Dad don't exactly know this symbol. Mina, Raye, Amy, and Lita would have given it to me in person. So that leaves you, Andrew, and Rita." Serena said as she looked up and met his eyes, "Darien, you didn't?" She then asked.
"It looks good on you, Serena. And it wasn't that much. I won't take it back and I've informed the company that sells this to continue to send it back to you." Darien told her.
"But Darien, it's too much." Serena began to argue.
"No, it's not. I like how your eyes light up when you see this symbol. If you're wearing it all the time, you'll always be happy. Take it; because if you don't it'll just sit in the box in my room. As I said, it looks good on you." Darien reminded her.
"Thank you." Serena whispered as she hugged him.
"You're welcome. Now then, how did you know Andrew had a test he had to study for?" Darien asked, getting off the topic of the gift he had given her.
"His mom called me to make sure he studied for it." Serena smiled.
"And I thought my mom was bad." Darien muttered as turned back to the mail boxes, happy he made Serena happy with his gift.
"My mom called you?" Andrew asked from the Rec room doors, surprising both Serena and Darien.
"Yeah, you studying for your test?" Serena asked.
"Rita's going to help me study. I wish my mom wouldn't do that." Andrew mumbled as he walked into the lobby.
"So. Drew, how's Rita gonna help you?" Darien asked with an eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"NO, Drew, don't answer that. You're gross Darien. I don't need to know my cousin's personal life!" Serena yelled as she vigorously shook her head; making her new necklace catch the light.
"What's that?" Andrew asked, forgetting the innuendo his friend had brought up.
"Oh, this. I got it in the mail today." Serena said as she brought it away from her chest to fiddle with it between her fingers.
"Well, I figured that. Who sent it to you?" Andrew asked as he watched her.
Serena looked towards Darien who looked a little fearful of what her answer would be, "There was no card and no return address." Serena answered honestly since Andrew always could tell when she was lying.
"Ok." Andrew responded as he looked from Serena to Darien.
"Right, I have some reading to get done. I'll see you guys later." Serena said quickly as she left the lobby and practically ran up the stairs to her floor.
"Just friends Dare?" Andrew asked, making it known that he saw Serena look at him when he had asked about her necklace.
"Yeah, just friends. It's normal for friends to give each other gifts." Darien answered as he continued to put the mail in their appropriate box.
"Not necklaces." Andrew informed him
"Don't be so protective. It's a gift, nothing more. She like's that symbol and I was able to find it. That's all it is." Darien said sternly.
"Ok, but if it becomes something more, please tell me. I'd hate to have to kill my best friend." Andrew said as he walked though the lobby and to the hall door that led to his girlfriends room.
"Drew, would it change things between us?" Darien asked quietly.
"Probably not. But if you hurt her, I'll kill you. Nothing personal." Andrew answered with a joking smile.
"I thought as much. Say hi to Rita for me." Darien smiled back as he continued his work and Andrew went off to "study".