-Chapter 10-
This was it! Darien had to get it out of the way! His place was so dusty... Clean, clean, clean, clean up something Serena broke, clean, clean, clean, fix Serena something to eat, eat something himself, clean, clean, clean, take care of Serena's bathroom business, clean, clean, clean. This was what Darien did all day. Leaving no play time with Serena.
Serena didn't like this at all. Darien hadn't played with her or taken her anywhere all day long! What the heck was wrong with him?! Just who did he think he was?! Serena decided she'd make him play, even if it meant bribing him to do so.
"Ugh... Serena, I'm exausted... Can't we do this tomorrow?"
"Darien!!! Sermima!" she protested.
"Please stop pulling on me."
"Huh! I! You!"
"Not today, okay?!"
"Darien!!!"
The she decided it was time to pull out the big guns.
"Serena! Serena! Darien! Serena!" she happily announced.
"Listen, it's good that you got your name down, but I really have to rest. I've had a long day."
"Mmmmm..." she whined.
"No! I said no!"
"Nnnnn..." she protested.
Darien shoved her out of the apartment, not knowing what else to do. It's not like he was used to someone driving him up the wall! (Which would probably happen if he let Serena drive a car.)
Outside, Lita saw Serena huddled near the door. 'Darien...' she thought angrily. "Serena!" she said.
"Serena! Darien! Lita!"
"Hey! You said my name! And you even got your own name down, too! Way to go, Serena!" Lita cheered.
"Name!" she replied.
"That's right, you did say your name. Good for you!"
Lita knocked on the door. She heard a muffled, "Serena! For the last time! I'm not playing with you!" coming from inside.
"DARIEN!!! Open this door right now unless you live near a hospital! It's Lita!"
Darien reluctantly opened the door, knowing Lita most likely wasn't kidding about the hospital part of her comment. As soon as he did, though, Serena darted inside before he could stop her. "Oh, great..." he said.
"Darien! Remember! She has amnesia! She's like a little kid in a teen's body. Remember what I said about her needing you?"
"Yeah..." he yawned.
"Well, I wan't kidding! You can't just stick her out in the hall whenever you don't want to play!"
"I'm sorry. I-I just... Didn't know what else to do. She's so persistent..."
"Did you figure that out all on your own, smart one?"
"Lita, seriously! This is impacting me more than you'd think! I've been cleaning all day! I just wanted one litle break!"
"From Serena?"
"Yes."
"Then my answer to you is: YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL YEARS' BREAK!!!"
Serena tuggd on both Lita and Darien's arms. "Nnnnn-Nnnnn..." she whined.
"Once more, she doesn't want us fighting. So for her sake, let's not fight."
"Agreed." Darien just wanted to get this over with so he could go back to sleep.
"Now, I have to tell you something. Serena just said my name. Meaning one thing."
"She's regaining her memory?"
"I think so. She usually tries at a word before actually getting it right. Remember the time she said your name out of the blue?"
"That's a good point. But I assumed she'd just picked it up from wherever."
"We both thought that. But you haven't called me by my name very often. And she hasn't tried saying my name before. So I'm starting to think she's slowly regaining her memories."
"Yeah... Yeah, when you put it that way. It makes sense. I never really thought of it like that, though. And at the arcade... She didn't act as though she remembered it. She acted as though it was the first time she'd ever been there."
"But that's okay. Maybe it's little by little that her memory will come back."
Well, as long as it's coming back, I'm all fine with it."
"That makes two of us."
"Us!" Serena proudly said.
"She doesn't know what it means, but I think she's trying."
"There's no doubt! Look at that look in her eyes!"
"What look? She's just staring off into space."
"That's what she does in all of her classes at school, so... I just assume that's her learning face."
"Ah."
"Yep."
"Hm."
"Hm."
"Hm..."
"Hm."
"Now what?"
"I have no idea..."
"Why don't we rest up and take her to the mall tomorrow?" Darien suggested, remembering Andrew's advice.
"Sounds like a plan to me, but, hey... I really am beat. I dunno which way's up or down or left or right. I'm just going to head home now."
"You do that. Good night, Lita!"
"Good night, Darien. See you tomorrow, or not. I'm not sure... Just, uh, whichever. If I make I make it, if I don't I don't, you know?"
Darien laid Serena down for bed soon after Lita left. "Get some rest, okay? Or are you going to insist on sleeping with me again?"
"Darien!" she answered,
"That settles it, then. Come on."
Darien led Serena into his bedroom and didn't even bother undressing for bed. He just flopped on the bed and laid there, but one thing during that night kept him awake and allowed him no sleep whatsoever. Serena must've been having a dream or something, because she clung to him in her sleep. The whole night...