Hey! Once again, thanks for ALL the reviews! I really like the feedback! After a long delay, I know, I present to you, insert trumpet fanfare, chapter 8!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. I do own the plot of this story and any additioal characters.
ENJOY!


Falling Head over Heels
Chapter 08

"And remember that trip to Dover beach?"

"Oh, yeah! That was brilliant."

"What did you do?" Serena asked curiously.

"We went on a trip, all six of us, to this decrepit old mansion that belongs to some batty aunt of mine." Zannia announced, "It was so much fun because it was right on a private beach, owned by my family. So basically we were the only ones there… oh, there were the butlers and all that too."

"That's so cool," Serena said slightly enviously, "The only time I've ever been alone is when I went to camp in grade six." They all laughed at that.

All seven of them were in the Williams' den, getting ready to watch a movie: The House of Wax. Darien was attempting to extract the DVD from the cover without much progress. The rest of them were chattering.

Zannia had come across a photo album and was going through it with much zeal. She and Serena were sitting in the corner, looking through them and occasionally, somebody would add in a sentence or two.

"That's when Nick dunked Amari." Zannia was explaining, pointing to a picture of the beautiful girl with a shocked, angry expression on her face as rivulets of water ran down her face. A doubled up figure was standing beside her, evidently laughing.

Nick turned around to face the two from where he was sitting on the floor. "The look on her face was priceless!" He exclaimed with a large grin plastered on his face. A little way away, Amari threw a cushion at him. It caught him in the face and a small cushion battle ensued.

"And this is Amari and this is me… on the last day there."

Serena couldn't help noticing, yet again, that both of them looked like supermodels with their sultry looks and perfect beach bodies.

"Are you sure you aren't supermodels or something?" Serena joked. Zannia simply chuckled and handed Serena another picture of Amari sitting in what looked like a wicker swing with a high back. Her hair was sort of curly this time and was pushed back by the wind. She looked like she was posing for Vogue.

"Um… can I just say: whoa!" Serena said finally.

"We had hired a photographer for the day and he insisted on taking countless pictures of Amari." Zannia explained, "Not that she minded, of course."

They both giggled and continued to flip through the pictures, leaving Serena wondering whether or not the whole group were models. Sure, the photographer had been a professional, but there was no way anyone could pose like that without experience.

"Well, we finally got the DVD out." Matt yelled triumphantly, "Who knew plastic coverings could be so damn hellish?"

"Okay, we can start now…Matt, give me the remote… no! Not that one!" Darien went to take the remote out from his friend's hands.

"Why? What does it do?"

"No! Matt! Not that one-"

His words died in his throat as they all plunged into utter darkness. Serena and Zannia squealed and moved closer together.

"Matt! Give Darien the bloody remote!" Nick yelled, trying to walk over, "Oops," he added a few seconds later, "Someone's going to be eating squashed popcorn."

"I'd give it to him if I could see him!" Matt shouted back.

"It's your own fault, you know." Nick said calmly and then added, "Amari, I don't want to loose circulation in that arm…"

Amari had followed him as he began walking, clutching his arm in fear.

"Oh, right. Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"Aha! Gotcha, Matt!" Nick exclaimed finally.

"No you haven't…" Matt replied, a note of confusion in his voice.

"You've got me you idiot!" Darien said loudly.

Then, suddenly, the lights came back on to reveal the most hilarious sight Serena had ever seen. Nick and Darien were sprawled on the floor, Nick having tackled Darien in the dark, thinking he was Matt, who was standing at the opposite end of the room, frozen mid dance, the remote dangling in his hand. Amari was gaping at the three of them, hands hanging at her sides. Zannia had dropped the photo album, scattering pictures everywhere.

Then Serena broke the silence with a loud giggle. That soon turned into a chuckle and pretty soon she was laughing so hard, it hurt to stand. Zannia grinned and began laughing as well. Soon both she and Serena were holding onto each other to keep from falling.

"You… guys… are such… idiots…" Zannia gasped between breaths. Everybody looked at a loss for words: they just gazed at Serena and Zannia helplessly.

It was Matt who stood up suddenly and said abruptly, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's watch the movie."

That just made the duo laugh harder as they considered the sentence after what had happened.

A grin was unfurling across Amari's face and her voice shook with suppressed laughter, "What are you laughing at? Oh, stop, you're making me laugh…"

Darien snatched up the correct remote and said icily to Zannia and Serena, "I'm sorry, but I fail to see the humour of the situation."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Serena said equally coldly.

The two had been considerably icy toward each other since the… incident, as Serena liked to call it. Well, it was Darien who was being weird anyway; she just saw no need in being nice to him if he wasn't nice to her. Beside her, Zannia collapsed into another set of giggles which set her off as well.

"I guess we'd better stop laughing then." Zannia commented, her mouth twitching as she spoke, "Or else fear the wrath of Darien!"

"True…" Serena agreed, "Okay, sorry. Let's just watch the movie."

They all looked on disbelievingly and Zannia said, "Really! We're not going to be laughing while watching the movie."

"Yeah, definitely not!"

They all grouped together at the couch and Serena and Zannia went about picking up the photos hurriedly. They were nearly all in, when Serena came across a picture of the whole group with their arms around each other, coming out from the sea. Some of them were looking at the camera, others were laughing together or looking the other way. It was larger than the others and in black and white. It made Serena smile to see them all laughing and having fun with each other.

Behind it was another one that made Serena's eyebrows shoot up in surprise:

Darien and Amari, together. It appeared to have been taken on the same day as the rest of the pictures. Darien was leaning against an outcropping of grey rock, his arms around Amari. Their faces were angled towards each other in a way that left no doubt in the viewer's mind as to what they had been doing.

Looking at it made Serena feel guilty, like she was intruding upon a private moment - which it clearly was. But the picture caused a lump to form in her throat so that it was difficult to swallow.

"Done?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Serena said in a strangled whisper, the image frozen in her brain. She handed the album to Zannia

"Okay, it's starting!" Matt called a few minutes later. Serena looked over at the couch to see Amari on one end, Darien beside her, and the next two seats empty. Zannia and Nick were lying on the ground. Matt was hunting for the remote.

Serena made her way to the couch and sat at the end, as far away from Darien as possible. Looking at him brought the image back before her eyes. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the disoriented feeling that had enveloped her when she noticed the picture.

"Aha! Found the blighter." Matt exclaimed as he walked back to the couch, a triumphant look on his face. He sat down and pressed the play button. Immediately, the screen went black and the opening music to the movie began playing.

Someone turned the lights off and everybody settled down as the movie began.

Forty five minutes later, Serena was feeling considerably scared. It had taken her a while to forget the picture, but then again, it wasn't so hard to do so while watching a scary movie. She shivered and when the scene came when the evil guy cut off the girl's finger, she accidentally clutched Matt's shirt in fear.

He looked at her in surprise and she felt herself blushing at her completely idiocy.

"Oh my goodness, sorry!" She whispered.

"It's all right." He replied, grinning.

Serena kept her hands to herself for the rest of the movie, but she couldn't help glancing at him from time to time. She took in his profile and thought, not for the first time, how very like Darien he was. His hair even fell in the same way: into his eyes and curling past his ears. But who cared about Darien anyway? He was a jerk; Matt... wasn't. That was one big difference.

At one such time, Matt saw her looking and she knew it was too late to look away. Her mind went blank with the shock of being caught and as a result, when he asked, "Having fun?", she was so surprised, she nearly didn't answer.

"Erm, yeah." She said finally, "It's a bit creepy though." And she smiled shyly.

"Don't worry, I've got you." He whispered, a heroic look on his face, and then grinned. Serena felt her breath catch and her heart beat faster.

Later, when she scooted a little closer out of fear, Matt didn't say anything and she felt a relieved smile on her face. A thought occurred to her that caused her to pause momentarily.

Was she falling for Matt, too?


Yes? No? Maybe?
Comments? Suggestions? Questions?

REVIEW!

Thanks for reading! Namaskar, mere dost!