Dedicated to TemporaryInsane.

Who convinced me to keep writing, when I had lost all confidence, opened my eyes to a new world and gets my humour.

Kismet.

Thank-you all for reading.

The Plot bunnies are wreaking Havoc and require new pastures of blank word documents

–"be free, be free i say."


Serena continued to stare wordlessly at the three friends crowding the doorway.
Lita moved out of the entrance to lean nonchalantly against the wall, school books resting on her hip one foot crossed over the other.
"Oh I like this bit," she remarked causally to Amy and Rei; as though they were watching television program and not a speechless Serena; soaked and sodden and doing a rather remarkable 'fish-out-of-water' impersonation.

"This is the bit where she pretends that she hasn't been missing for an entire period, and wasn't aware that her best friends have been frantically, " Lita stressed the word with a rapid hand movement and a head twitch, " 'Fran. .Ly. - tearing the school apart looking for her; Fearful that she is sobbing her little heart out, " At this point of the lecture Lita thrust and accusatory index finger in Serena's direction, "And -Annnnnnd - the whole time, She's been getting kinky in the third floor restroom. " Lita took in the flooded state of the restroom.

"Seriously Serena, what's with all the water?"

A sudden thought occurred to Lita, leaning in with a leer. "He's into the whole wet t-shirt thing, isn't he? I knew this guy once- "

Rei suddenly recovered herself, "God save us from your filthy mind Lita -Enough of your twisted social life this is serious."

"There is nothing filthy about having healthy sex life Rei. As long as it is all safe and consensual - it's repressed people like you that turn out all weird and go on psychotic rampages involving aquatic life forms!"

"I am not repressed! You have low self esteem - "

"My self esteem, like my appetite is just fine -"

Serena recognised the long standing argument for what it was, a gift from whatever deity looked kindly on girls with uniforms caught in disarray and slightly swollen lips from two terrible snog attempts. This spat was the opportunity to conjure some gloriously believable tale involving a flooded bathroom; tangled hair, potential blouse self consciousness, forty-five missing minutes to be accounted for...and, Serena's eyes quickly surveyed the damage searching, begging for inspiration, and landing on Beryl's textbooks.

Fuuccckkkkkk.

That was going to be a tricky one.

Serena had, and that was the specific use of the past tense, had intended to use the time granted by the patron saint of "Girls caught Out" , to come up with a plausible excuse. That time had evaporated when Serena found herself caught in the hypnotic bear trap was Amy's quiet knowing gaze.
No words, just a simple tilt of her head and an even smaller tilt to her lips and Serena, without a whisper of a doubt, knew that Amy 'knew'.
She hated to admit it but she part resented the sudden appearance of her friends. She could still feel the warmth of Darien's body on her skin, and the faintest smell of him lingered about her. She wanted to hold the last hour to herself, hug it tightly to herself - she didn't want to share it. Not yet. Just a little more time to really feel this giddy euphoria. To dissect it, pull it apart like a curious child and hold up each individual piece to the light and watch the prism throw a beautiful liquid, fairy shape upon the wall.
Darien liked her.
And share what exactly, what had happened, really? Serena raised her hand and gently touched her fingers to her lip. There was tangible proof all about her, from a bruised lip of a failed kiss to a pile of soaked school books on the bench.
Darien Shields.
She had just kissed Darien Shields.
She did, didn't she?
He kissed her. Twice.
Welllllll...reasoned that little voice in her head; in a tone that implied a tilted head and a that 'maybe, maybe not' wangle of a hand, in an abstract sort of way...it mused...like those artists that pretend that a toilet seat was artwork...oh look, and your even in a restroom. How fitting, a public toilet for your first kiss.

" You have blood on your blouse Serena."

Serena's drifting mind had been brought back by Amy's soft spoken observation.
Which had the same impact of an atomic weapon, Serena had never truly appreciated how loud 'silence' could be. The continuous drip, drip of water seemed to echo off the stunned faces of Lita and Rei.
Lita beat Rei to it.

"Yikes Serena, what are you into?"

"For Fucks Sake Lita -this is serious -"

"Shut up Rei, that is not the face of a woman in pain -"

"She -"

"It's okay –I'm totally fine– it's not my blood, I'm alright."

Another loud silence introduced itself, commented on the weather and proceeded to take a seat.
Once again it was Lita that recovered first, but not before throwing Rei and Amy a look.

"Oh, okay. Umm - yes, that's much better " sending her an incredulous look and a Mamma Mia hand gesture, "I can see how it's totally acceptable to have somebody else's blood on you Serena -glad we sorted that one out."

Amy cast Rei a curious glance and Serena a devious one, "It is acceptable if that someone so happens to be Darien. Well, it is to me anyway, after what he said in the hallway today."

Amy looked pointedly at Rei. Rei stared back, her face blank.
Serena stared at Amy; usually at this point the soft spoken villain would study their fingernails. What on Earth was Amy doing? Her smile at Serena was gentle and genuine. The look she levelled on Rei was Cobra like. Hypnotic...a sort of message...
Serena suddenly realised that she didn't know a very large part of what was happening, despite seemingly being the centre of it. And from the recesses of her mind, the one responsible for harbouring all the useless information, that childhood rhyme flowed its way to the forefront.

"For want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of the shoe the horse was lost, for want of the horse, the rider was lost, for want of a rider, the message was lost, for want of the message the battle was lost, for want of a battle, the war was lost -all for the want of a single nail."

Lita aside, Rei and Amy seemed to be fighting a war.

"And I am," thought Serena with a grimace of self depreciation, "that bloody nail."
Lita's eyes, which had so far flickered between Amy and Serena, suddenly zeroed in on the strange exchange of Rei and Lita. A small knowing smile was forming, damn thought Serena - when it can to Men and Rice Cookers, this broad was fast.
Lita looked at Amy, then at Serena, and then again at Amy and finally at Rei. Serena could practically here the cogs turning.

It was like watching a Velociraptor use a door handle.

Rei finally spoke. "That's Darien's blood?"
But the questioned was asked to Amy and not Serena. Serena felt a chill move through her, she couldn't explain the feeling in words, not if you had asked her, but a sense of being hushed and herded from the room while the 'grown ups' talked came forcibly to mind.

Amy gave a gentle nod in Serena's direction, "Serena's right over there, ask her."
Rei sent Serena a dismissive glance; her face had gone strangely pale before returning her attention to Amy.
The creeping chill gripped Serena with surer hands. "She just dismissed me," realized Serena, "Shush now - go play with your toys, the grownups are talking."
Amy seemed unperturbed by the situation, but beneath the cool facade and gentle humour a real fear was beginning to grow. Amy's logical mind had been piecing the parts together since Beryl had been screeching about missing textbooks and class and Darien being an asshole. Combined with reports of the hallway incident, Serena and Darien's absence from classes and Serena's glowing face - well, opposites attract and undeniable chemical attraction to the point of combustion between the two, Amy reasoned that Serena was happy.

Rei was about to do some irreparable damage to Serena's fragile confidence if she didn't trend carefully. With Lita's help perhaps the situation could be salvaged and they could buy a little time, enough for Rei to calm down and see reason. Rei considered Darien her own personal property.

Rei didn't like losing.

Rei said things without thinking.

Amy knew that sometimes words once said could never be unsaid. The strange, sad look that was beginning to steal over Serena's face as she watched Rei, like a vampire it sucked and pilfered the warm, shy glow that had been there moments ago. "We took that away from her," thought Amy, "we took the happiness away. Whatever he did, he made her happy -and us, her, and 'friends' took it away". Amy sent a desperate look to Lita, and stepped around the militant figure of Rei. Lita didn't know the reasons, but sensing the tension and taking into account Serena's sad expression she followed Amy's lead without hesitation, ignoring Rei and turning back to Serena to grab take her focus in typical Lita style.

"Right, we'll l just dispose of Darien's body, you finish washing his blood off you - and nobody needs to know, lend a hand Amy."

Serena allowed herself to be distracted and shook her head at Lita with a new smile, "There isn't a body Lita, sorry to disappoint."

"So that's how it is, "Lita swaggered over to the bench top, with a quick and thorough survey located a dry spot and heaved her Amazonian figure onto the bench, long legs all a-dangling.

"Angry Sex in naughty places, nothing like it - details please?

Serena lit up like solar flare, "Jeez Lita, we didn't have...y'know."

Lita let off a peel of laughter, "But you did do some sort of 'y'know' didn't you? Come on -give Auntie Lita all the gory details - I would like to rub them in Beryl's smug, foot deep Max Factor face. How big is he, does the packaging match the product?" Lita manoeuvred her books into the crook of one arm and drew the index fingers of each hand together, "to the closest Inch shall we say, Just say... whennnnnnnn, " and began slowly separating her the fingers - " Jusssst say whennnnnnnn ..."

"Lita, we- that! Is compl -", Serena choked out part scandalised, part enthralled. From memory the hard length of him against her leg had sent a thrill through her- but she had been a little too distracted to take notes.

"You're absolutely right, "said Lita, taking on the tone of a wise and knowing woman of the world.

"It has nothing to do with the length, and everything thing about how they use it."

And as an afterthought, "And the width..."

"Leave her alone Lita, you'll traumatise the poor thing." Amy moved towards Serena and gently turned her to the mirror, "Come on, let's get your hair sorted out before sixth period and nobody but us three will know what a Scarlet Woman you were during fifth period."

Serena allowed herself to be manhandled before the mirror, but caught Amy's eyes in the reflection, "Is there anything you don't know?"

Amy gave her the "Amy" equivalent of a smirk as she began to twist some displaced braid back into its weaved formation, "If what you mean by 'anything' is if I didn't know that Darien was the one that drove you to tears in the Library bathroom last week, that Darien deliberately fixed the Tutorial program in order to have you as his option! That you walked away from him in the Library, even when he threatened to call your Mother - "
Serena, eyes wide, broke in on that one, "How on Earth - "
"Eyes and Ears everywhere my dear."
Lita was equally impressed and appalled, "Jesus, Amy that's kind of creepy, you're like a one woman social spy unit," tilted her head to the side blatantly curious, "What do you know about me, woman?"

Amy sent Lita a telling look, "Well since you usually begin each Monday morning with, " 'And then he did this hip, swivel thing –' ". Amy didn't even bother to finish the sentence as both Serena and Lita started laughing. Lita was an open book about most things, however when it came to sex she seemed to be more along the lines of an audio book, without a pause button, set to the highest volume. On repeat.

Rei's presence, so far ignored made itself known, "You better start telling me what's going on Serena."

Jerking up Serena caught Rei's eyes in the Mirror but it was Amy that spoke. "Actually Rei, as I just finished explaining to Lita over there, Serena doesn't have to tell us anything." Her gentle voice, as gentle as the hands that continued to set Serena's hair to rights, didn't waiver but the unmistakable stress of the word "us" directly challenged Rei's use of the singular.

Lita finally clicked.
Serena liked Darien.
Rei Liked Darien.
Rei was delusional.
Amy was trying to protect Serena.
Oh Shit.
Rei was going to be livid. Serious Damage control was required.
Mentally rolling her eyes, Lita was the first to acknowledge being 'tactful', just wasn't her cup of loose leaf tea, so she fell back on the only weapon in her arsenal. Sarcasm. In hindsight, she should've just kept her mouth shut and let Amy handle the whole thing.

"Oh do catch up Rei, Even a blind ocean trench dwelling organism could have seen this one coming, hell even Amy saw this one coming, and she only looks at men because she wants to perform an autopsy see how all the insides work. "
Amy acknowledged the comparison to a squid with an unperturbed, "Thanks Lita, appreciate the comparison."

"You are very welcome, Miss Amy." Lita trilled light heartedly.

" Shut. ." ground out Rei. "Serena?"

It was not a question or a gently query, it was a command. A demand for information, delivered in a harsh, jilted tone that expected – no, realised Serena, which assumed an answer would be given. Where Serena had only seen a dauntless character; an adventurous spirit, a generous and protective friend Serena knew that Rei held a certain reputation among the school body. She wasn't an enemy you wanted to have.

The whispers of "Bully, Unkind and thoughtless, inconsiderate..." had followed them all through the halls.

If Rei had asked in the spirit of friendship, out of concern - but Serena knew and it caused something to break inside her just a little to face that reality, to acknowledge that Rei was not concerned for Serena's sake but for her own. Like a shadow; undefined and only the merest hint of an outline, flickering just by the corner of your eye, this knowledge of Rei's unkind side followed you. Rei would not be happy for her. Rei would not be happy for Serena to have a boyfriend if that Boyfriend happened to be Darien.

All anyone had to do was simply speak the word "Darien" and a look would cross Rei's face. Rei's competitive nature and streak of ruthlessness had often trampled over the needs of her friends. Keeping the peace and acknowledging that sometimes simply letting Rei have her way was just a smoother path in the long run was something they were all guilty of.

Lita and Amy waited quietly, watching the thoughts move through Serena. Both prepared to wade into battle but hoping that Rei would have a spark of intuition and not be an utter bitch about things.

Lita was also pretty keen on hearing details. Amy may be content with this all-knowing Wizard of Oz trick she pulled, but Lita was just a mere mortal. Serena, Darien, flooded restrooms, blood sports and four years of suppressed sexual angst and you have the makings for one hell of a story.

"I'm still waiting Serena." Bit out Rei.

And as Rei began to run warm on a sense of outraged injustice, something Arctic began to stir in Serena.

Well fuck it all - No hope in Hell of this running smoothly, thought Lita – we have well and truly shifted into Bossy Bitch mode. Lita expected Serena's habitual flood of incoherence when confronted. " 'Umm's, Oh's, I's, Me's and Darien's." But all three friends, including Amy were rather thrown by the clear and steady look Serena gave them all in the mirror, only less shocked by the simple and calm deliverance of, "Darien and I are dating."

Rei gave Serena a steady look in return, "I don't believe it."

Lita went to speak but Amy caught her eye, the barest shake of her head conveyed much. Lita nodded slightly and remained mute. Some things just had to be settled outright.

Serena continued to be calm, while some small part inside her cringed and shied away from Rei's condemning tone and angry, white face, something else held its ground. Something like Rei's anger, cold and pale was rising within her; it lifted its head, looked around with interest and bared its teeth.

"Don't believe what Rei?"

Rei ignored the entire question, "How did 'it' happen exactly?"

Anger flared in Serena, Rei was demanding explanations? She didn't owe anyone anything. Not Rei, not Lita and not Amy. But a small, smug voice goaded Serena into boasting. "Go on," it whispered, 'tell the brat how he followed you here and kissed you twice and held you till the bell rang, go on."

Serena gave a sigh and begun her quick and highly edited version of the past hour, Rei's stony expression watching her the entire time.

"After the fight in the hallway, Darien followed me in here and we had an argument. I accidently hit him in the nose when turned away and went to leave, "Lita sent her a rather speculative look at that last part, Amy didn't even bother tempering her expression with polite speculation she gave a gentle snort that spoke volumes. Like Hell that was an accident. "We calmed down and talked and," Serena felt that flare of resentment of sharing what was hers, it demeaned everything somehow, as if it was cheapened by being discussed like this - not a moment of girly chit chat, oh sure Amy was braiding her hair and Lita was hanging out for the gory details but, this was so sordid – like Serena was being forced to justify herself to Rei. Fuck it. She pulled her hair from Amy's hands and turned to face Rei. "And we talked; now we're dating. Believe it or not Rei – but you will have to deal with it."

All three girls were thrown by the harshness of Serena's final words. Lita was stunned. When Serena got angry, Serena got Angry. Lita looked to Amy, but found the girl looking at Serena with a sad almost resigned expression.

Something in Rei told her to stand back, take a breath and think. However that streak in her, the one that always had to win, that never backed down, Rei knew she was pushing it but she just could let it go.

Thrown by Serena's anger Rei instinctively changed tactics. "He's playing you Serena."

Whoa.

"Rei" Barked out Lita, "Don't listen to her Serena, She's just jealous -that you our beautiful little tragedy got what all her conniving, wiles and sad attempts of being sexy couldn't even get a second glance. Hell half the time he was pushing you aside Rei just to have another go at little S'Rena!"

But the damage had been done.

Amy had anticipated this, Rei was naturally competitive and Darien was not only her notion of the ideal boyfriend, ticking all the boxes - but landing that white whale would be a major achievement.

"Jesus," thought Lita, " It's like watching a national geographic documentary and the baby gazelle has walked out onto the savannah for the first time to ask a bunch of lions for Fucking directions. This is not going to end well."

This had to be cleared up, and although there was no questions in Amy's mind that she supported Serena. Her friend would have to learn how to fight for herself, and fighting for a boy was as good excuse as any to stand up for oneself. And standing up to Rei might be the hardest thing she would ever do.

"We like each other Rei."

"Has he said that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Has he actually said 'it', " Rei made a pair of obnoxious bunny ears, "Look Serena, I know I seem harsh, but let's be really honest here - this is Darien Shields and well you're just you. And you're one of my closest friends Serena, and you're friends have to tell you the ugly truth sometimes, come on - when has Darien ever showed you any indication that he wanted to be your actual boyfriend. "

"Rei," Amy gently interrupted breaking her own rules, as determined as she was to let Serena fight and fend for herself this argument had stretched into another class and Serena was already in a bad way.

"Shhush. "Without looking her way, Rei waved Amy off with an abrupt hand gesture. As one you would wave off a mosquito.
Amy's gentle expression became as gentle as stone.

Rei continued her unrelenting focus on Serena. That expression of self pity and smugness growing as Serena's expression become more and more uncertain.

"Think Serena! Darien 'I-will-be –a-heart-surgeon- Shields asked you to be his "girlfriend" in school toilet? He was probably recording the whole thing and it's already uploaded onto YouTube. "Lita called out to Rei to shut it, and Amy moved forward with a harsh, "Rei! Enough!" But Rei barked over them, following up with far flung hands to encompass all of Serena's perceived stupidity and finishing it off with an incredulous, "It's probably already got hits in the thousands! How could you have been so stupid to think a guy like Darien would ask a girl he respected out in a toilet?"

Serena felt herself rapidly trying to replay the last hour in her head, but suddenly something that had been crystal clear became distorted under intense focus. What had actually happened?

It was like searching for a word you knew, one where you racked your mind and then would suddenly pop up into your mind for no apparent reason at three in the morning. But until that point you where grasping at a phantom.
Serena had offered everything, he had offered nothing.

He had tried to leave and she had all but thrown herself across the door.

He had tried to kiss her, but then he was a teenage boy - he probably had thought he could wrangle something else before the bell had rung, even more ammunition to fling around.
She had humiliated him in the hallway and the library, what better way to bring her down, make a gullible, self deluded fool out of her in front of the whole school.

Beryl, beautiful and cruelly popular Beryl, was probably in on it the whole time.

What had seemed sweet and spontaneous now seemed incredibly sordid.

Her first kiss had been in toilet.

She tilted her head to the side and caught sight of herself in the mirror, dishevelled and sodden.
Something within Serena cracked from side to side.

Lita and Amy had gone were simply watching her quietly, 'They probably pity me.' Serena realised, they would make the whole thing seem like a silly little joke. Serena caught Rei's expression in the mirror. She seemed breathless, as though she had run a marathon. And waiting. Waiting to renew the attack. A battle Serena had already loss.

"You're probably right Rei; he played me this entire time." Rei's expression took on a look of superiority before she could check it, but something about Serena's quiet voice made her uneasy.

"He and Beryl have this whole thing worked out. It'll be all over the school tomorrow how Darien fooled stupid, gullible Serena into thinking he could possibly want her."

Lita moved forward, reaching for Serena, "Hey, hey S'rena sweetie, you're not stupid – "

Serena by passed Lita completely and moved towards the bench top. Gathering up all her books, including Beryl's', Serena refused to make eye contact with any of the girls. She moved towards the door."But you don't have to be so happy about it." Amy reached out for Serena's arm; only to have her friend jerked away distancing herself from any contact.

Amy's stomach twisted at the rejection, Lita's teeth bit into her lower lip and Rei suddenly saw for the first time the extent of the damage she had caused. Without a word or a glance Serena grasped the door handle and walked out of the restroom. Walked away from them.

Amy gave a short nod, her eyes never leaving the door, "Even if what you said turns out to be true Rei, she would have been fine. We would have picked up the pieces and dealt with it. No matter how unkind Darien would have been she would have handled it eventually. What you just did was much worse – you're meant to be a friend."

Rei stared stonily at Amy a mulish set to her jaw –a sense of regret was welling up through her unchecked.

Amy moved to leave but at the door turned to stare her down.

"If you ever "Shush" me again Rei, I will hack into the schools computer and fail every exam you have ever completed. I will ruin ever chance you have of graduating with us, cause you clearly have a lot to learn about being a human being, caring about the feelings of your friends would be a start."

Without another word Amy walked from the room.

Lita shifted her school books onto her hip and gave a sad sigh.

"Amy's right you know, she always is –but this time, she's really right."

Lita moved forward and caught Rei's elbow and gave the silent girl a gentle shake, "Darien doesn't chase anyone else around the school Rei. He wouldn't cut class or ruin his perfect school record to tutor her for a prank. Darien likes Serena Rei, not you. You have a different guy ever week, this was her first kiss and we completely ruined it for her." Rei flushed with shame. No longer able to hold Lita gaze and see that look of disappointment, she turned her head to the wall. Lita read into Rei's silence as a sense of denial and "I am right" defiance

"I'm going to try and find Serena and I think you should stay away from her Rei. Until you've got yourself figured out and have a pretty fucking spectacular apology prepared."

Lita turned to leave, but paused by the door.

"Fuck Rei – You can be seriously cranky sometimes it's like you're on permanent PMS and Serena's always the first one to defend you. Remember that, you tear her down; we all do because we know she'll forgive us. But I think this time; we have really fucked it up. Call me when you've sorted yourself out Rei."

Rei was left along in a flooded bathroom, chilled to bone and sick to the stomach. She may have just lost every single one of her friends. It was a despairing feeling.

Unknown to Rei, not so far away, Serena tripped through the halls, scattered and unstable – barely able to suppress her tears as she felt exactly the same way.