My Girlfriend's A Cheerleader
Chapter Six
By: Rainhe
(PG13)

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AN: I said chapter ten? O.o

Regarding the questions, "Does Sailor Moon find out about Eric?" and "Does Darien go out with that new girl he met?", you'll just have to wait and see. :)

I'm gonna warn you now...a lot is going to take place in the next chapters. I'm gonna lean in more on the original SM plot - fighting monsters and all. Just so you know. After all, the girls have to face the enemy eventually, right?

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Her frantic footsteps slapped the pavement, their stinging echo ringing through the air. The leaves bristled softly, a gentle breeze carrying several golden-tinted leaves in their danced. The sun was bright just as it had been the day before, it's warm rays bathing the running figure of a girl in a soft orange glow.

Serena's meatballs flew behind her as she ran passed the bench where she and Eric sat not too long ago, passed several cherry blossom trees, and to the arcade. Memories sauntered in and out of her mind, each one fresh with shock. The previous day had gone by quickly. Serena recalled lying on her bed that night after staring at the familiar face of her enemy. The scouts' stalker. The cat-like eyes of Eric.

Serena's frown, gentle and barely evident at first, deepened greatly. She could still feel the cold chill of the air as she gazed into Eric's eyes. She could still feel the sting of shock, of disbelief, as she watched him run off. She was left behind with the scouts. They all wanted an explanation from her. There was no way in the heavens that she could've masked how stunned she was to see Eric watching a battle take place.

Her frown deepened further more. Serena denied that Eric had anything to do with the mysterious enemies that have been plaguing the scouts. She was aware of her refusal to assist the scouts in any of their battles, but she was not oblivious to the attacks. Whoever had been sending the monsters was unknown, and it - or he - was obviously still alive. Serena's mind insisted that Eric, though frightening and a reasonable suspect, was only caught in the battle as an unfortunate victim. She kept telling herself that he was just too shocked, or perhaps too intrigued, to leave.

But her heart told her otherwise.

Her heart told her that Eric had something to do with the attacks. Her heart insisted that there was something in those cold, golden-jade eyes. Why else would he have run away? Of course, Serena's mind pointed out that he was afraid. He didn't recognize the scouts, and he feared their fury. Besides, didn't he run like any other ordinary man?

Despite all the but's and if's Serena's mind called out, her heart did not ignore the evil that lurked about Eric. His presence was undeniably cold and suspicious. There were certainly no doubts regarding that matter. But the rest?

Serena bit her bottom lip and whimpered. She ran faster, each step fueled by her haunted memories.

Her heart pounded quickly against her chest. Her heart had been pounding all too often for the past few days, and she had ignored it completely. It pounded with guilt and regret when she faced the scouts with her cold shoulder. Her heart screamed when she sided with self pity and dumped Darien. Her heart raged furiously when she went along with Eric. It warned her about him. It told her not to fall for his act, yet she refused to listen to her heart. Her mind was persistent. Too persistent. She couldn't disobey its commands.

And, even worse, Serena was curious.

She cursed herself for that. Serena was curious to learn more about Eric. She was curious to see what would happen should she let Darien and the scouts in on what she was truly feeling. She was curious to see the results of being blunt. Well, she was a little too blunt. She was reckless. Curiosity killed the cat.

But not anymore. Serena vowed to listen to her heart this time. Her mind led her into danger. She was tired of hurting others as well as herself. She was positive that her heart would lead her into no harm. So far, it proved to be the most reasonable and the right side of her. It never made a mistake. Why not listen to it after everything? Well, that's exactly what Serena was doing. She was listening to her heart, and at that point her heart told her to go to the arcade and make up with Darien. He could've been in his apartment for all she knew, but her heart told her otherwise. She succumbed to its impatient commands.

And off to the arcade she ran. Serena stepped over dried leaves, crushing them as if they were the heavy mistakes and burdens she had laid upon everyone - including herself. She ignored the small cramp that throbbed within her stomach. She ignored the beads of sweat trailing down her neck. She ignored her lack of breath. She just had to find Darien. She missed him. She needed him. She was determined to prove that to him, however hard apologizing would be.

Serena's eyes lit up as the arcade slowly came into view. She came to an abrupt stop by the stoplight across the street. Her hand twitched uncomfortably as she anxiously waited for the pedestrian light to turn green. Several people had joined her, but none of them were as impatient as she was. They all looked calm to Serena. They had their hands shoved into their pockets, their faces obviously at ease.

Serena, on the other hand, was jogging in place. She was aiming to satisfy her adrenaline rush. She envied the men and women around her. At that point, she truly didn't know how to explain her feelings clearly to Darien. She didn't know what to say. She didn't care. She just had to talk to him.

The light finally turned green. Serena quickly ran off, ignoring the cars who were dangerously close to her. She ran passed everyone else and headed straight for the arcade, eagerly wiggling her way through the crowd of people.

Meanwhile, the arcade bustled restlessly inside. Andrew juggled several glasses of water, while his sister ran here and there in attempts to deliver each order in time. She emptied the two trays she had in her hands, doing everything she could but practically throw the fries and burgers on the tables. She slid a bowl of steaming fries down one table, muttered a quick apology, then ran back toward the counter.

Andrew grabbed the last item on one of her trays as she rushed into the kitchen - a tall glass of strawberry milkshake. Gripping the cold glass, he rushed over to a table by a nearby booth.

Natalie and Darien were chattering cheerfully, oblivious to the world around them. Andrew placed the milkshake in front of Natalie, who smiled sweetly at him in return. Darien looked up at him and smiled as well.

Andrew winked at his friend before walking off, although his gut whispered of caution. He ignored this anyway and, being the great friend that he was, left the two alone in their friendly privacy.

"So you plan to go to Karashima University?" Darien asked, leaning over his side of the table.

Natalie nodded eagerly as she took a sip of her milkshake. "Yes. Hopefully I could go into Orthodontics."

"Oh, so you're fond of braces," Darien teased.

Natalie blushed. "Oh, I hate them! Braces are every kid's worst nightmare. They were mine." She placed her milkshake back on the table, her hand still clasping the glass. "That's why I want to be an orthodontist. Help kids feel better about braces, you know?"

Darien nodded, admiring her obvious love for children.

Natalie smiled upon noticing his intent gaze. Darien's admiration grew deeper. Natalie was a sweet girl. She was intelligent. She had dreams, ambitions, and she was on her way to making them come true. It wasn't everyday he met a girl who had brains, charms, and beauty. Besides, her dimple was cute, despite Darien's ignorance to how much he adored that dimple.

Darien's gaze fell upon her fingers - her slender, perfectly defined fingers. They looked so soft, so smooth. Her nails looked fragile yet very womanly. He noticed the way her fingers snaked themselves around the glass, her delicate, pointed fingertips wet with the cool sweat of the shake.

Then he noticed her ring.

A thin, silver band was wrapped around her middle finger. He had never noticed it before. A small design in the form of two S's was carved halfway around the sphere. The tips of the S's were delicately pointed, so that they resembled curved vines. Below that were initials that read K. H.

Darien cocked a brow. "You went to Kamiya High?"

Natalie's eyes lit up. She smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. You went there?"

Darien opened his mouth to reply, but he immediately drew back. No, he couldn't tell her about the orphanage, his jobs, or his dreams. His past was a lengthy and personal story to be told. As great a friend as Natalie was, she was a new friend nonetheless. He couldn't share any secrets with her yet. Although she seemed trustworthy, they just met. Besides, what if he would never see her again?

Natalie stared at him. "Darien?"

Darien blinked. "Oh, sorry." He smiled nervously. "I … um, no. A friend of mine went there, and she gave me her high school ring so that I'd remember her."

Natalie's face darkened. The soft blush on her cheeks paled. "Oh…a girlfriend?"

Darien raised his brows. "No, no. She wasn't my girlfriend. She was just a good friend of mine. We helped each other out a lot." A small smile graced his lips, leaving her at ease. "She was like my sister, you know? The ring she gave me was just a good bye present." He paused, eyeing Natalie's ring again. "That's why I recognized it."

"Oh," Natalie blushed. "I see."

Darien's smile grew wider. It was a friendly smile, or so it seemed, so Natalie eagerly extended her hand. "Well, mine's a little different because I lost my original ring. Wanna see this one?"

Darien stared at her, slightly confused, then numbly agreed. He tentatively held her hand in his own and looked at her ring. It didn't look that different.

Natalie gazed at him through her long lashes. She could feel her skin burn as his fingertips traced the faint lines on her finger that marked where the ring rested. She blushed uncontrollably.

Darien noticed this out of the corner of his eye. He chuckled nervously, hoping to ease the tension. "It doesn't look that different," he pointed out.

Natalie nodded. "Well, I suppose not. It looks a little different to me…"

Darien nodded in return. He suddenly found himself with nothing to say or do, so he continued to stare at the ring. He was oblivious to the fact that his hand was still wrapped around Natalie's. He had pulled one hand back, but he was too nervous to comprehend what his body was doing.

Natalie shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She, on the other hand, was painfully aware of the large hands that enveloped her own.

Darien was still staring intently at her ring.

"Um," she croaked nervously, breaking the silence.

Darien looked up at her.

"So…so that was a good friend that gave you the ring?"

"Yes."

Natalie licked her lips and swallowed a lump in her throat. She took a quick sip of her shake, leaned back a little, then breathed deeply. "So…so you don't have a girlfriend then?"

Darien began to panic. He stared at her with wide eyes, feeling dumbstruck and overwhelmed by her blunt question. For a moment, his mind went blank. Did he have a girlfriend? Wasn't Serena his girlfriend? Didn't they break up? Was it an official break up or was Serena just blinded, as Andrew once implied.

Natalie bit her bottom lip. "Um…you know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for asking. It's none of my business, really - "

"I have a girlfriend," Darien blurted out. The panic began to escalate. "Well, it's just…not anymore."

Natalie blinked. "What?"

"I mean, well, we're on rough terms right now. But we broke up. But, we didn't. I mean, it was just recently…" Darien mentally kicked himself. Since when was a girl able to strike him dumb?

Natalie cocked her head in amusement. "So technically, you don't have a girlfriend…"

"Uh…"

"You're single?"

Darien's heart ceased beating. What in the world was Natalie doing to him? Was she right? Was she just trying to lure him in? Was he being lured in? Was her plan working, if that was her plan? But wasn't Natalie just a brand new friend…who happened to be a female…who happened to be attractive and smart…who happened to be interested in him as…

Darien shook his head. He stared at the table for a moment. His heart told him that his break up with Serena was a mistake. His heart scolded him for acting like an idiot around a girl like Natalie - a mere, friendly girl who just thought he was lonely. She wasn't trying to replace Serena. She wasn't trying to be his new girlfriend. Truth to be told, he didn't know what to think - what to do. How to handle the situation. He wasn't ready. When would he be ready? Never. He'd never be ready for another relationship. He had Serena…had…

Darien sighed. He opened his mouth to reply, but he was instantly cut off as a slender blonde burst into the arcade.

All gazes within the arcade fell upon the girl. She was leaning on her knees, breathing hard, looking around frantically for someone. Upon noticing that there apparently was no crisis, everyone else turned around and minded their own business.

Andrew, however, kept staring at her from behind the counter.

Darien and Natalie were staring at her as well. Well, Darien was staring in shock, in hope, in fear. Natalie was looking back and forth between the blonde and Darien. The look on his face confused her.

Serena ignored all the curious gazes that fell upon her. Her eager blue eyes scanned the crowd. They fell upon Andrew, upon random strangers, upon couples by the booths.

Then her gaze fell upon Darien.

And the girl he was with.

Serena stood up straight. She stared at him, her mouth slightly open. He was staring back at her. The impact of their eyes being locked in one of the most breath-taking looks they've ever shared was bad enough. The fact that she had just seen him after breaking up with him was already nerve-wracking. The fact that he was with another girl - who was curiously staring at her - and was holding her hand…with his ring on her finger…

Serena's eyes brimmed with tears. She spun around on her heels and ran out the door.

"Serena!" Andrew called out. He practically jumped over the counter as he ran out the door, followed by a dumbfounded Darien.

Serena didn't look back.

Natalie followed meekly. "Darien?" she whispered cautiously.

Darien ignored her. His chest was hollow as he watched Serena's distressed figure weave its way through the busy streets of Tokyo.

Andrew looked hopeless. He sighed and stared at Darien, his gaze occasionally drifting to Natalie.

Natalie held her hands together in humiliation. She looked up at Darien and clenched her fists. "So you do have a girlfriend. You're not single."

Darien looked at her. "I…I said it just happened recently. I said we were on rough times - "

"You weren't sure what to say," Natalie interrupted, stating the words clearly for him. "Yeah. I understand."

Andrew frowned at the two.

"Look, I think I'd better go." Natalie looked down at her hands nervously. "I'm sorry I messed things up and I…I just met you. I hope things work out with…with her. With your girlfriend." Her lower lip quivered. "Nice talking to you again, Darien. I'll see you when I see you." And with that, she was off on the streets of Tokyo as well.

Darien stared at her retreating figure. At that moment, he was so confused, so lost, that he was ready to give up his life with friends, girlfriends…just life in general. First Serena broke up with him. Then he missed the battle. And now…an innocent, friendly meeting with an acquaintance was washed away all because his ex girlfriend ran in and looked liked she could've thrown herself at his feet.

Andrew shook his head disapprovingly.

Darien turned away in shame.

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Serena's breath came out in rough, painful gasps. The arcade was far behind her, for she ran to the park again. She found herself half limping, half running toward the bench she and Eric had once occupied. Her chest heaved painfully. Her legs throbbed violently. Her arms were weak, and even the cool breeze that she always sought comfort in failed to erase the beads of sweat that matted her hair.

Serena collapsed against a tree. Her back slammed against it in her vain attempt to lean back slowly. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She gasped in pain as she sank down to the soft ground. Her brows creased in frustration. Anger. Humiliation.

Serena balled her fists and slammed them on either side of the tree. Tears poured out like hot, wet trails of blood. Tears of agony. Tears of disbelief, of regret. Tears of heartbreak. She never entertained the idea that Darien would find himself another girl. Falling for Eric was already a hard truth she forced herself to accept. She had changed herself that day to make up for everything she did - or to start the painful process of making up for her all her faults. All the burdens she gave people. And just when she found the will to face Darien again, she was greeted with the sight of him holding the hand of another girl.

Another girl! Serena's body trembled. She cried her heart out, whatever rotten pieces were left of it. She curled up into a ball, wrapped her arms around her knees, and cradled her head on one arm. She wept continuously, the tears stinging her jaw.

Why was she so weak? If she managed to break up with Darien then why couldn't he find another girl? But they were meant to be together. Didn't that count? Did Darien even think about that when that…that wretched girl, however beautiful she was, wrap him around the irresistible temptation women somehow manage to flaunt? Did he really have no feelings for Serena? Was she right to break up with him?

Serena's sobs came in excruciating gasps for air. She could barely breath. Her tears were choking her. Perhaps that was a good thing. It seemed as if nothing would make things better anyway. Perhaps she had gotten what she deserved. Perhaps she was a fool to assume that Darien wouldn't be heartbroken enough to find another girl who was prettier and probably smarter than her.

Serena's thoughts didn't help. Her body crumbled upon the soft earth, her fingers grasping the soil. Her tears soaked the ground so that the brown pieces of earth just slipped through her fingers, just like the way her soul was slipping through time. Through memories. Through whatever love she thought she had. Through her poor excuse of a life.

A life she once loved.

Serena's sobs died down. She still wept, but she wept in silence. Her voice had left her, just as her spirit, her strength, and her hope had drifted away. She was alone. All alone. And after seeing that display with that girl and Darien, she was beginning to wonder if everything she did happened for a reason. A good reason. A reason she couldn't bare to face.

Serena buried her nose into the ground. The strong scent of soil dominated her senses, but she didn't care. The soil, at that point, was like anesthesia. It numbed her pain for a moment, giving her enough time to ponder even more questions.

How long did Darien know that mysterious girl? He obviously trusted her enough to give her his ring - a ring that a very good friend gave to him. Serena even met that girl once. Kayla was a nice girl. She could've passed for Darien's older sister. Serena never minded the times they spent together. The girl never bothered her. Darien loved Kayla dearly. Did he trust that mysterious girl at the arcade enough to give her something so special? Did he care about her that much? Was he secretly meeting her behind Serena's back? Did that further prove that Serena and Darien truly weren't meant to be together?

If that was the case, then what about Rini? Did the future queen of the universe play dumb? Would she grow up to be so clueless?

The thoughts pierced through Serena's head. She was dizzy. She was suffocating. Confusion had worn her down. All she wanted to do was to dig a hole in the earth, crawl in there and die.

Much to Serena's ignorance, Eric was watching her silently from behind another tree. He was enjoying a walk through the park by his beloved bench in an attempt to clear his thoughts of the events that took place the night before. He, himself, was in a state of shock and fear.

Then he saw her.

He watched Serena run in his direction. Even her tired silhouette was very recognizable, despite the blinding rays of the sun. He watched her emerge from that light and collapse against a tree. When she broke down and cried, his heart broke down and wept as well.

Eric couldn't take it anymore. At first, he figured he would give her a little time to calm down. The girl looked like everyone she loved had died. Such was her depression that he made up his mind that she was never going to cease crying. Cautiously, he approached her.

Serena heard faint footsteps from her position on the ground. She stopped crying, but her breath wasn't steady and still came out in hoarse chokes. A shadow was cast upon the pavement next to the soil. She noticed black shoes out of the corner of her eye. She felt that presence - that familiar presence that usually sent chills down her spine.

But not anymore.

Serena recognized Eric immediately. Although she was embarrassed and would usually cower in fear, she frankly didn't care. Worse things have happened. Eric seeing her sprawled out next to plants like a broken doll wasn't really something that bothered her. In fact, she welcomed his presence. At that point, she didn't deny it.

And what about her heart?

Well, Serena couldn't find her heart. She couldn't feel it beating. Its steady impulses didn't bloom within the depths of her eardrums. And her mind? She couldn't think clearly, so she really had nothing to rely on but the response of her body.

And her body had risen to meet Eric. He touched her gently, probably to check of she was aware of his presence, and she savored that touch. She opened her arms and wrapped them around Eric. Her soil covered cheek rested against his shoulder. For the first time in a long time, her body was at ease.

Eric was taken back by her sudden openness, but he didn't complain. He would've smiled had Serena not been so upset. He embraced her in return, and after gently whispering soothing words in her ear, he asked her what was wrong.

Serena's mind suddenly emerged out of nowhere. Her logical thinking, however distorted, returned. Could she tell Eric? What would happen? Would he do anything?

Her body responded. Her senses were intoxicated in his strong, musky scent. She could feel his hard muscles underneath his shirt, and his embrace was tight and possessive. She loved it. Of course, it wasn't quite as good as Darien's embrace, but it certainly had a flair of its own. She would learn to appreciate it. For some reason, she had a feeling that he would be offering her more embraces in the future should she truly accept him as the friend he was trying to be.

Serena no longer rejected that friend. She ignored the threats that came along with his friendship. Rubbing her cheek and eyes, she licked her lips and parted her lips to explain. "I…Darien…I had to see him…"

Eric's eyes darkened dangerously.

So explaining would be harder than she thought. Serena did her best to come up with the best possible explanation she could offer while suppressing the stubborn sobs that still stuck to her throat. Eric, on the other hand, was silent. Anxious. Overwhelmingly protective.

Serena suddenly feared the things he could do should she make things sound bad. Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and began her brilliant explanation.

Eric watched her intently.

"I…I went to see Darien. And, well, just to talk, you know?"

Eric nodded.

Serena opened her mouth to continue, but she broke down and wept again. She tried. She couldn't take it. "And when I saw him…there was a girl. He was with another girl!" she wailed.

Eric's eyes flashed a golden hue.

Serena suddenly stopped crying. She stared at him, feeling more nervous than she had ever felt when it came to Eric.

But Eric was gentle with her. His eyes were still green, but in the very depths of his irises glinted an ominous shade of gold. The same shade of gold that she had seen during the battle.

"Serena, go home," Eric whispered. His voice was gentle, but the command in his tone was not subtle. It was practically a threat. "Go home and rest. You need it.

"Why?"

"I have…other matters…to deal with right now."

Serena's eyes widened. "But - "

"Rest, Serena," Eric ordered. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Go home now and rest."

Serena tried to protest, but she was soon faced with the faint silhouette of a man running off to murder someone.

A sort of bloodshed that seemed worse than physical death.

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"She was hitting on you," Andrew insisted for the fifth time since Natalie left. "She liked you, and you liked her."

Darien raked a hand through his thick hair in frustration. "No, I didn't! Natalie was a friend. She was just showing me her ring - "

"Right when your girlfriend came in. Or…your official ex now."

Darien glared at his friend. "You heard that?"

Andrew stared at him, casually cleaning a glass. "Yes. I heard some of it."

"You were eavesdropping!"

"Not quite," Andrew bit back. "I was delivering orders and I heard her try to make you admit that you're single."

"She wasn't trying to make me do anything!"

"Yes, she was!" Andrew sighed. "Darien, the girl likes you, okay? And you seemed to like her too…"

"I didn't even do anything!"

"You're right," Andrew stated as a-matter-of-factly. "You didn't really do anything. For that I praise you. But I still don't like the way she was hitting on you."

"She wasn't doing anything!" Darien insisted.

Before the conversation could carry on any further, a young man broke in through the sliding glass windows of the arcade which were still halfway open.

Andrew dropped his glass and stared at the man. "What are you doing?!" he yelled.

Darien froze in recognition.

The man ignored Andrew's distressed complaints and approached Darien.

Darien's heart began to race. He figured that the guy had come in Serena's aid, hoping to avenge her anger and make up for their misunderstanding.

People raced out of the arcade. Their panicked steps crushed several of the broken glass pieces. Several people stared in horror as Darien stood up, his fists clenched and his dark blue eyes glinting with cold hatred. However, upon seeing the silent challenge the two strong men shared, they immediately joined the frantic crowd and ran out of the arcade.

Andrew ceased complaining. He stared in horror at the familiar face of his friend's new mortal enemy. He suddenly weakened upon noticing the flash in either man's eyes.

Eric's eyes flashed gold. Pure, hot vengeance.

Darien's eyes were cold. Brutal. Glazed with ice. He hated the man. He hated him for claiming Serena as his own. The man had to pay.

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AN: "He had pulled one hand back, but he was too nervous to comprehend what his body was doing." *coughs* That could go either way. O.o Depends on what you prefer to think of it. (Pervert!) That's not meant to offend anyone, but I was afraid that line would make people wonder...so...I just decided to point that out.

Anyway, I can't upload another chapter until next week. Spring Break starts tomorrow for me, so people will be coming over and such. I can't upload any chapters until Tuesday at the earliest. I think. I'm sorry. I'll work on the chapters as much as I can, but uploading them will take a while for this week. Don't worry. The story's about halfway done.

This chapter was poorly written. Not much goes on in this chapter, but there are some pretty big turning points. Hope it wasn't as bad as I think it is.

I also used a bad name for the university Natalie wanted to go to. I got the name "Kamiya" from Rurouni Kenshin. x.x'' Sorry. Lack of imagination right now over here.

Anyway, please pardon any errors. Thanks.