Chapter 4

After seeing the traumatising event with Serena and her father Darien had gone back to his apartment building, the brutal beatings was playing over in his mind. Her face was emotionless but there was fear, in her eyes. The fear of a teenage girl who was trapped in her own home with an abusive father, Darien went into the kitchen and placed the kettle on; he grabbed a fresh cup out of the cupboard. "I… had no idea she was living with, so much abuse. She must be scared, hurt, and lonely." After making the coffee he ventured into the living room to where his laptop was. Darien had college assignment to do, it wasn't due in for a week but he was always doing it early so it was out of the way, but now he had so much going on in his mind. The poor boy couldn't concentrate "Why… can't I get it out of my head." Sighing he decided to go take a shower then get to bed early.

The next morning he had his morning coffee and got dressed in some black slacks, along with a long black sleeve shirt. "Right when I see her , I have to be nice to her, no nasty meatball head remarks!" grabbing his jacket, car keys and wallet Darien headed out of his quiet clean apartment.

At Serena's place she had just finished getting read in a pair of black jeans, with her black turtle neck. "When will my life come to an end so I can get out of this hell hole of a house?" Serena's moods was getting worse with each passing day, her mind was about to crack. "Suppose it's time for school," after last night events, she still wasn't allowed any food from her father's table making her body become extremely weak from hunger.

Serena smiled to Luna, "Remember NO! Letting the scouts know about this. Well I'm off to school have a good day Luna!" the black cat meowed and nodding stretching over the moonlight blanket "You too Serena, I hope you passed that exam" Winking the girl picked up her rucksack and headed out of the door ignoring her father. She couldn't deal with his crap that morning, looking up the sky was clear blue, with a small breeze blowing through her long golden locks "It's such a beautiful day, That day was sunny too. The day mum walked out with her bags into a car where another man was waiting. Serena could remember that day all too well, she was crying trying to go with her mother but her father was holding her back. Telling the poor girl that Serena's mother didn't love them anymore "mother why did you have to go? Why couldn't I have gone with you?" As Serena walked down the path towards her school, Darien was up ahead just about to walk into the crown arcade, after seeing Serena he decided to talk with her.

"Hey, Why with the gloomy face Serena?" the blonde looked up about to argue with him but took in a shocked look "You finally used my real name! Hallelujah!" Darien blinked at the girl, 'how can this girl be so damn cheerful with the life she has to put up with?' "Yeah well, I thought we could start over and be friends?" This sudden turn around for Darien sent Serena into shock a little bit. She then remember her father's words last night 'If any man touches you then you will be severally punished and will be branded a whore for the rest of your life! Also have the proper manners when being addressed by a wealthy man!' she sighed Darien was a wealthy man, she bowed her head to him and nodded "Yes that sounds like a wonderful Idea Darien, please forgive any arguments we've had in the past and my mistake of calling you such awful names."

This couldn't help but surprise the hell out of Darien, why was she being so formal towards him. Was it because of that father she had? That thought alone was enough to make his blood boil. "Serena, stop doing that, Were friends you don't have to be so….proper with me. Why don't I treat you to your favourite chocolate milkshake and breakfast? You still have time before school right?" Serena nodded to Darien she couldn't refuse as her father said it would be impolite, "Thank you. It is kind of you; I'll pay you back once I get a job."

The crown arcade was bright, it had little red booths from the 70's but a modern theme to it, to the right there was a lot of Video games. The noise of young children was filling the whole arcade, many for breakfast on the go, some to play the games or to just simple meet up with friends before going to school. Serena took a seat in the booth, placing her bag on the floor she looked down at her lap feeling nervous, everyone! In the whole arcade expected a big argument to come but there wasn't.

A menu was placed in front of the golden haired girl, which startled her, looking up she saw Darien with a smile "Pick anything! I don't care so long as it's not desserts; it's way too early for ice cream." Serena laughed a little and looked through the menu "I haven't eaten desserts since I was a kid my mother's Lemon pies was the best, and the sweetest tasting dessert ever to be made." By talking about her past it made her sad sighing closing the menu "But, then she had to run off with some other guy and leave me all alone."

Darien was confused a little bit she speaks so loving about her mother then with hatred he couldn't understand, looking across the room was his best friend Andrew, short blonde hair and shocking emerald green eyes. "She abandoned you? What about your father? I'm sure he makes up for that with twice the love?" This caused Serena's knuckles to go white from gripping them tightly, but placing on a brave face "yeah, he does, just sometimes he spends so much time in his work I have to remind him about dinner. It was a devastating discovery about my mother abandoning us but we are a strong family." The images of last night's events were still stuck in his mind. Out of nowhere her voice became softer "He's a very changed man though, not the same father I had, I wish so hard sometimes my old dad would come back. I just don't know on how to do that, to stop him from his addiction to his work."

Time flew by and both ate, chatted, it actually felt nice to Serena that she was able to talk with the man she had hated for so long. "Well Shields that was a great breakfast you know you can be such a sweet guy. I like this side." This caused the man to blush and look away "Well, any guy would have done it, especially for a kind girl." This was his chance to ask "So, where did you get those bruises around your neck from? They look like a hand"

Stepping backwards, she shivered 'No, he noticed,' "I….i have to go, thank you for breakfast" she was about to run off but he took her wrist "Serena, if he touches you again I'll hurt him." Her head dropped pulling her arm back "It's got nothing to do with you, just leave it and forget you ever saw the mark. Or … or I won't forgive you." She headed off. By time she reached school grounds it had begun raining, First period had also ended, "oh great, now I'm defiantly going to get detention." Thoughts were spinning around her mind, main one was 'how did he find out? Did he follow me?'.

Reaching her Astronomy class the teacher looked over them "Right, everyone seems to be here, oh Serena, please speak to me after class I would like a word with you." Sighing the girl nodded.

The class flew by and soon the bell signalled lunch, thankfully Serena was still full from eating breakfast, slowly walking up to the teacher's desk clutching her books to her chest "? you wished to speak with me." Her astronomy teacher nodded "Yes, you scored the highest out of the class again on your test, There is a conference this weekend on astronomy in the planetarium there are only a few spots left, I do not have time to go and have 2 spare tickets, would you like to go in my place?" Her face lit up, it was huge dream of hers "t..thank you I'd love to go!" gave Serena the two tickets "you can bring anyone you like, just make sure you turn up before 1.30pm otherwise you'll miss the first lecture about it." Nodding the girl walked out of the classroom shoving the two tickets in her rucksack.

Finally the rain had decided to let up so Serena decided to go for a walk. Everything with Darien was a mystery, she couldn't stop thinking about the guy 'well he is handsome, cute and mysterious' shaking her head 'no! I do not like the guy! ´ 'oh but you just admitted the three main good parts about him and you know there are others!' rubbing her temples, she hated it when her conscious was right, she DID! Like Darien shields, but how the guy could love a girl like her, eternally scared on the inside and out.

School finally ended later that day, her mind was still on Darien and those tickets "Should I ask him? Would he go with me?" she kept battling with herself to ask the guy until she bumped into something hard looking up 'oh god… why him'

"Serena! Just the person I was looking for…" her mind was puzzled "you was looking for me Darien?" he nodded running a hand through his hair "Listen, I'm sorry about this morning, I had no right to say what I said. Maybe I could make it up to you coffee? Or maybe dinner sometime?" the blonde gawked looking the guy over this stunning man who once called her meatball head was asking her out "um… I have a better idea, how about the planetarium on Saturday? I have two tickets, and it's a done deal" Darien nodded and smiled "sure, Saturday it is."

When serena got home after school, her father was in the kitchen sipping a cold beer, "Evening father…." When she didn't get a reply back she was about to goes put dinner on when he suddenly grabbed her forcing the girl up to the wall. "You continue to fool around with that boy do you! I'll just show you on how much of a whore you are!" he placed his hand down her pants, Frozen the girl didn't know what to do until some undesirable courage pushed him away slapping the man "D…DON'T TOUCH ME!" She soon realised her actions when he grabbed his empty bottle of whiskey hitting her with it a few times before running out of the house "YOU CAN SLEEP ON THE STREETS TONIGHT YOU WHORE!"

30 minutes later, she was at the park sitting on a bench crying, "i..I've had enough… I can't take it no more!" looking down seeing a shattered piece of glass, picking it up and placing it to her wrist, she slowly started to cut when she heard a familiar set of girls voices "SERENA! STOP THAT PUT IT DOWN!" her mind would focus and soon began seeing black splodges in her eyes passing out, her wrist flowing with blood.

There we have it! Chapter 4! Please Enjoy!