When Serena and Rini arrived home, Ikuku had begun making supper.
"I was wondering when you two were coming home," Ikuku said. "Did you bring Luna home with you?"
"Of course, Mom," Serena said. "She just went upstairs."
"She's probably hungry," Ikuku said.
"Maybe," Serena said.
"Well, now that you're home, you can set the table," Ikuku said.
"Sure," Serena said. "Hey, where are Dad and Sammy?"
"I sent them to the store for some milk," Ikuku said.
"But the car's in the driveway," Serena said.
"I made them walk," Ikuku said. "They both needed some exercise." Serena and Rini laughed. Sammy and Kenji came home just in time to eat.
"It's about time you two came home," Serena said. "We were going to start without you."
"Oh, shut up," Sammy said. "The store's a half hour walk from here."
"I was only kidding Sammy," Serena said. "Now, sit down so we can eat." It was Rini's turn to help with the dishes that night, so Serena walked up to her room after supper. She had just sat on her bed when the phone rang.
"I got it!" Serena shouted and picked up her phone. "Hello?"
"Serena? It's Darien," the voice on the other end said.
"Oh, hi," Serena said. "What's up?"
"Not much," Darien said. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come over to my place for a bit."
"I'd love to," Serena said. "Let me go and ask my mom." Serena set the phone down and went to talk to her mom. She came back a couple minutes later.
"Yeah, it's okay," Serena said. "My mom said I could come."
"Do you want me to come and get you?" Darien asked.
"No, that's okay. I can walk," Serena said.
"But, it's a 35-minute walk," Darien said.
"I can handle it," Serena said.
"Are you sure?" Darien asked.
"Darien, stop being a nag," Serena said. "I'm 16 years old and I can handle a walk."
"Well, okay," Darien said. "But if you change your mind, call me from a pay phone."
"I'll be fine," Serena said. "I have to change and brush my hair so I'll be there in about 45 minutes."
"Okay," Darien said. "I'll see you then."
"Bye," Serena said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Darien said. "Bye." They both hung up the phone then. As soon as she hung up the phone, Serena walked over to her closet to choose an outfit. She also brushed her hair and put it back into her usual hairstyle. When Serena left the house, it was still light enough outside. The street lights were just beginning to come on. Once Serena reached the apartment where Darien lived, she opened the door and walked in. Darien lived on the top floor so Serena decided to take the elevator. When she reached Darien's apartment, Serena hesitated to knock for some reason. She finally knocked and Darien answered a few seconds later.
"Hi, Serena," he said. "Come in." Serena walked in and found the apartment darker than usual. There was some light, but not very much. When the two of them walked into the living room, Serena was surprised. The lights were dimmed and the stereo was playing some soft music. It was a perfect romantic setting.
"Darien, what is all this for?" Serena asked.
"For us," Darien said.
"No, I mean, what's the occasion?" Serena said.
"Do I need an occasion to show you how much I love you?" Darien said.
"No, I guess not. But you didn't have to do this just to show me that you love me," Serena said. "I knew that already."
"Well, I decided to do this anyway," Darien said. "Now, come and sit down." Serena then sat on the couch next to Darien. They just sat there, cuddling and listening to music. Once in a while, they 'snuck' a kiss.
"Serena, there's something I have to ask you," Darien said.
"Oh, what's that?" Serena asked.
"Well, I've been hearing from the girls that you're doing a lot better in school and you can even cook better," Darien said. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Serena said. "I just decided that I needed to change."
"Are you sure that's it?" Darien asked.
"Yeah," Serena said in an uncertain tone.
"Serena, you know you can tell me anything," Darien said. "If there's anything bothering you, you can tell me."
"I don't know if I can," Serena said. "I feel bad enough already."
"Please, my Princess," Darien said. "You'll feel better once you get it out in the open."
"Well, the same day we went to the dance at your college, Rini and I were baking a cake and I knocked the entire bowl of batter on the floor. Rini said that I was a big klutz and then stomped up to her room. Then, when I was helping my mom make supper, I put too much salt in the soup. Then, at the dance...well, you know that happened," Serena replied. "That night, I dreamt that the Amazon Trio returned and destroyed you and Rini because of all that." Serena then began to cry.
"Serena, it's okay," Darien said as he hugged her. "You banished them a long time ago and besides, they wouldn't come after us for something like that."
"That's what Luna said, but I just have this uneasy feeling," Serena said.
"And if you were worried about losing me, that's not going to happen," Darien said. "I love you and I'll never leave you."
"I love you, too," Serena said. The two of them then shared a long and passionate kiss.
Later that night, Darien drove Serena home.
"Serena, were you worried that you embarrassed me at the dance because I didn't say anything on the way home?" Darien asked.
"Yeah," Serena said.
"Well, the reason I didn't say anything is because I didn't want you to feel bad," Darien said.
"Thank you for telling me," Serena said as the car pulled up in front of Serena's house. Serena thanked Darien for the ride and he kissed her goodbye.
"I was wondering when you two were coming home," Ikuku said. "Did you bring Luna home with you?"
"Of course, Mom," Serena said. "She just went upstairs."
"She's probably hungry," Ikuku said.
"Maybe," Serena said.
"Well, now that you're home, you can set the table," Ikuku said.
"Sure," Serena said. "Hey, where are Dad and Sammy?"
"I sent them to the store for some milk," Ikuku said.
"But the car's in the driveway," Serena said.
"I made them walk," Ikuku said. "They both needed some exercise." Serena and Rini laughed. Sammy and Kenji came home just in time to eat.
"It's about time you two came home," Serena said. "We were going to start without you."
"Oh, shut up," Sammy said. "The store's a half hour walk from here."
"I was only kidding Sammy," Serena said. "Now, sit down so we can eat." It was Rini's turn to help with the dishes that night, so Serena walked up to her room after supper. She had just sat on her bed when the phone rang.
"I got it!" Serena shouted and picked up her phone. "Hello?"
"Serena? It's Darien," the voice on the other end said.
"Oh, hi," Serena said. "What's up?"
"Not much," Darien said. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come over to my place for a bit."
"I'd love to," Serena said. "Let me go and ask my mom." Serena set the phone down and went to talk to her mom. She came back a couple minutes later.
"Yeah, it's okay," Serena said. "My mom said I could come."
"Do you want me to come and get you?" Darien asked.
"No, that's okay. I can walk," Serena said.
"But, it's a 35-minute walk," Darien said.
"I can handle it," Serena said.
"Are you sure?" Darien asked.
"Darien, stop being a nag," Serena said. "I'm 16 years old and I can handle a walk."
"Well, okay," Darien said. "But if you change your mind, call me from a pay phone."
"I'll be fine," Serena said. "I have to change and brush my hair so I'll be there in about 45 minutes."
"Okay," Darien said. "I'll see you then."
"Bye," Serena said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Darien said. "Bye." They both hung up the phone then. As soon as she hung up the phone, Serena walked over to her closet to choose an outfit. She also brushed her hair and put it back into her usual hairstyle. When Serena left the house, it was still light enough outside. The street lights were just beginning to come on. Once Serena reached the apartment where Darien lived, she opened the door and walked in. Darien lived on the top floor so Serena decided to take the elevator. When she reached Darien's apartment, Serena hesitated to knock for some reason. She finally knocked and Darien answered a few seconds later.
"Hi, Serena," he said. "Come in." Serena walked in and found the apartment darker than usual. There was some light, but not very much. When the two of them walked into the living room, Serena was surprised. The lights were dimmed and the stereo was playing some soft music. It was a perfect romantic setting.
"Darien, what is all this for?" Serena asked.
"For us," Darien said.
"No, I mean, what's the occasion?" Serena said.
"Do I need an occasion to show you how much I love you?" Darien said.
"No, I guess not. But you didn't have to do this just to show me that you love me," Serena said. "I knew that already."
"Well, I decided to do this anyway," Darien said. "Now, come and sit down." Serena then sat on the couch next to Darien. They just sat there, cuddling and listening to music. Once in a while, they 'snuck' a kiss.
"Serena, there's something I have to ask you," Darien said.
"Oh, what's that?" Serena asked.
"Well, I've been hearing from the girls that you're doing a lot better in school and you can even cook better," Darien said. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Serena said. "I just decided that I needed to change."
"Are you sure that's it?" Darien asked.
"Yeah," Serena said in an uncertain tone.
"Serena, you know you can tell me anything," Darien said. "If there's anything bothering you, you can tell me."
"I don't know if I can," Serena said. "I feel bad enough already."
"Please, my Princess," Darien said. "You'll feel better once you get it out in the open."
"Well, the same day we went to the dance at your college, Rini and I were baking a cake and I knocked the entire bowl of batter on the floor. Rini said that I was a big klutz and then stomped up to her room. Then, when I was helping my mom make supper, I put too much salt in the soup. Then, at the dance...well, you know that happened," Serena replied. "That night, I dreamt that the Amazon Trio returned and destroyed you and Rini because of all that." Serena then began to cry.
"Serena, it's okay," Darien said as he hugged her. "You banished them a long time ago and besides, they wouldn't come after us for something like that."
"That's what Luna said, but I just have this uneasy feeling," Serena said.
"And if you were worried about losing me, that's not going to happen," Darien said. "I love you and I'll never leave you."
"I love you, too," Serena said. The two of them then shared a long and passionate kiss.
Later that night, Darien drove Serena home.
"Serena, were you worried that you embarrassed me at the dance because I didn't say anything on the way home?" Darien asked.
"Yeah," Serena said.
"Well, the reason I didn't say anything is because I didn't want you to feel bad," Darien said.
"Thank you for telling me," Serena said as the car pulled up in front of Serena's house. Serena thanked Darien for the ride and he kissed her goodbye.