Chapter Six

Be still my beating heart

Or I'll be taken for a fool …

[Sting]

"Strange girl," Darien muttered, staring down at his coffee as the blonde girl's voice penetrated the electronic noise of the arcade. He'd thought he was safe in his own favourite haven, but there she was again. It was beginning to feel like a conspiracy. "Sounds like someone failed another test."

Andrew grinned. "Be nice," he whispered back. Darien's eyes followed unconsciously as Andrew moved towards the girl, patting her on the head. Like a puppy, Darien thought nastily. He frowned a little as the girl looked up at Andrew adoringly, giving an impulsive little skip as he said something to her.

Darien sighed. "Lord, don't tell me she's one of Andrew's little groupies." And why should it bother him if she had a crush on Andrew? He pinched at the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut as the headache got worse.

He looked up again, just as she smiled. The sun dawned, and the air turned golden, and Darien had to remember how to breathe as the girl smiled that glorious smile. At Andrew. Who had turned, oblivious, back to the counter.

"What's with the scary face?" Andrew asked him, waving a hand in front of his face. "Haven't you been getting enough sleep lately?"

Darien shrugged, wincing as another headache twisted behind his eyes. He had a feeling that it wouldn't go down well if he told Andrew that he was exhausted and bruised and sore because he had spent the past few nights bailing out a teenage superhero in a sailor suit who didn't seem to know when she was in way over her head.

"I'm fine," he said flatly, and Andrew gave him a cynical look.

"Yeah, right."

Darien dropped his gaze to stare into the coffee cup in front of him, and Andrew leaned forward across the counter.

"You need to get out more," he suggested. "Have some fun. Find a nice girl."

Darien lifted an eyebrow, and didn't bother to look up. Andrew sighed in frustration.

"One of these days, you're going to have to get over waiting for this perfect dream girl and find someone real."

"You're obsessed," Darien told him.

"It's for your own good," Andrew said sternly. "Rita and I just want to see you happy, and wouldn't that make a change." He grinned. "Then we can double-date."

"Oh, gods." Darien groaned.

"And here's all these perfectly nice girls throwing themselves at you, and you don't even seem to notice."

"You can talk," Darien said, his temper finally fraying. "What about that kid you've got following you around there? The one I keep tripping over. Does she know about Rita?"

Andrew gave him a puzzled look. "Kid? What kid?

"Gold pigtails and that weird meatball hairstyle, complete klutz, irritating giggle," Darien reminded him ... and eyes like the summer sky ... "She always seems to be hanging around the arcade these days, making nauseating puppy eyes. Which might explain why she gets such awful marks for maths," he added caustically, remembering the paper she'd thrown at him.

Andrew frowned for a second, then he grinned in recognition.

"Serena." He frowned again. "You don't seriously think I'd be interested in her, do you?"

"Well, she's certainly got a crush on you." Darien stared down at the straw between his fingers, idly twirling it until it bent with a small snap. He looked up to find Andrew grinning at him.

"What's that look for?" he asked suspiciously.

Andrew pointed a finger at him. "It couldn't be the untouchable Darien Chiba is actually a little interested in our Serena himself?"

Darien raised an eyebrow in genuine amusement. "With meatball-head there? Andrew, you have got to be joking."

"Maybe, maybe not," Andrew said flippantly, the grin getting wider. "But you've been staring."

Andrew laughed as Darien glared at him.

"I'm just kidding. She's a nice kid, but …" Andrew started laughing again "… you should have seen your expression."

Darien closed his eyes, seeing in the darkness a misty figure, golden hair like Danae's shower, a hint of roses, and superimposed as he opened his eyes again was a ditz with long blonde pigtails … Serena … as she spun around to wave an enthusiastic goodbye to Andrew. The contrast was almost ludicrous, and Darien couldn't help the wry smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"Sorry, Andrew, but the untouchable Darien Chiba remains untouched," he said deadpan, sliding off the barstool and pushing the coffee cup across the counter to Andrew. "And right now, I've got work to do."

As the arcade doors slid shut behind him, he stared up into the bright blue sky, squinting a little.

"And a crystal in a haystack to find," he muttered under his breath, letting out a sigh of frustration. He turned his head a little to watch Serena hopping along the very edge of the footpath, singing to herself. As she gave a slightly too exuberant kick, his hand shot out without thinking and caught the flying shoe.

"Nice shot, meatball-head," he said dryly, as she turned, and was startled when she beamed at him, plucking the shoe out of his hand.

"Nuh-uh. Not even you can ruin my good mood today," she told him blithely, balancing on one foot awkwardly as she tried to put her shoe back on.

"What's gotten into you?" He lifted one eyebrow. She wobbled a little as she put her foot down, and that bright smile bubbled up again.

"Somebody likes me," she sighed happily.

Andrew. Darien pushed his hands deep into his pockets, frowning a little. What on earth had the guy been saying to get her all lit up like that? Didn't she know he had a serious girlfriend?

"Oh, really. Sounds like a real winner," he muttered sarcastically, and Serena's bright face clouded over.

"I'll bet he's way smarter than you'll ever be. And unlike some people, he knows how to treat a lady …"

"Meaning you?" Darien said sceptically.

"… and he's sweet, and funny, and so cute …"

"He can't be too bright if he's in love with you. Does he need to get his eyes checked? Or maybe you've just got an over-active imagination."

"Ohh ..." her voice quivered and her hands bunched into small fists. "That's just … just … You can say what you like about me, but don't you dare pick on him!"

"Serena ..." his hand dropped as she flounced away. Let her figure it out for herself.