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"Love Potion #9"
Recorded by Ziska Ames
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Chapter Four
"I hated you."
Those words literally cut out Darien's heart and for the life
of him he couldn't figure out why. He stood in the elevator for
approximately half an hour just staring at the wall. Several
co-workers asked if he was sick as they rode the elevator, but he
didn't reply. He just kept trying to wrap his mind around the idea
that Serena hated him.
"Past tense," he suddenly realized. She had said 'hated' not
'hate.' For some reason, that was very important. With a smile for
all the insanity in the world, Darien stepped out of the elevator
into the lobby and headed to the arcade. He had a feeling that
Andrew could help with this little dilemma.
Serena barricaded herself in her room. She didn't come out
for dinner or school the next day. She convinced her mother she was
sick and lied in bed, dreading the end of the curse. During that time,
she tried to reconcile herself to the fact that when she saw him
again, Darien would be as cold as ever. He would stare at her with
ice filled eyes, make fun of her hair, and ruin any semblance of
self-esteem she ever had. And all she would be able to think about
was his quite whispered comment, "I never hated you."
What a lie. Of course he hated her. He'd proved that time and
again, hadn't he? It hurt to remember his protective arm around her
shoulders or his easy smile. She curled up on one side and ignored
the tears running down her face. "When did I start to like him so
much?" she asked the pink wall dejectedly. "When did he become so
important to me?"
*And why did I have to realize I loved him?*
She refused to ask that question out loud. If she didn't say
it, it wouldn't be real. And if it wasn't real, maybe the rejection
wouldn't hurt so much when Darien ignored her. Maybe.
Of course, that was a lie too.
"She said that?" Andrew asked in disbelief.
"Yep. Said she hated me," Darien grinned happily as he
lounged on the counter.
"And you are happy?"
"As happy as I've ever been in my life," he confirmed.
"Why?" Andrew asked incredulously.
"Past tense."
"What?"
"'Hated' not 'hate'."
"That explains nothing," Andrew complained in annoyance. Why
did Darien have to be so cryptic?
"She used to hate me and she doesn't any more," Darien
elaborated.
"Why do you care?"
"I'm not sure... I was hoping you could tell me." Darien
sighed for the first time since entering the arcade and the smile
dropped from his face. "I'm damned confused."
"So you come in here, tell me Serena doesn't hate you, and
you want me to figure out why you're happy?" Andrew clarified.
"Yes."
"Easy. You like her."
Darien blinked. Was it really as simple as that? "And how do
you support this claim?" he demanded, habit kicking in.
"She doesn't hate you and you're happy about this. What else
is there to explain?"
"But... I thought... maybe I'm just glad that she's not my
enemy," Darien refused to comply.
"And why are you glad she's not your enemy?"
"Because... this means... I don't have to fight her?" Darien
wasn't entirely sure of the answer, but it seemed right.
"Good. Now... why are you glad you don't have to fight her?"
Andrew continued in a very demeaning voice. Darien didn't even notice
however as his brow wrinkled in thought. Then he knew the answer. It
was the same reason that he was glad he didn't fight with Andrew.
"Because now we can be friends!" he beamed happily with
accomplishment.
"You're getting warmer," Andrew muttered as he picked up a
piece of paper and scribbled on it quickly. "What does this say?" he
handed it to Darien.
"Hmm... Serena plus Darien equals a heart," he frowned in
concentration. "I don't get it."
An audible clunk arose from the image of Andrew's head
hitting the counter.
Eventually Serena was forced from her solitary confinement.
Her mother decided enough was enough and if Serena didn't have a
fever she sure as heck shouldn't be lying about doing nothing. So
Serena was pushed bodily out of the house and told to stay out till
dinner time. She moped and pouted, but her mother had decided it was
exercise time and Serena wasn't coming back in till she got some.
With an elaborated sigh Serena headed for the arcade. After
all, she didn't have anywhere else to go. With luck, Darien was still
at work.
Of course, luck was not with Serena today. She realized that
a little too late as she stepped into the arcade and noticed the
dark-haired man sitting at the counter. She turned abruptly on her
heel and started to sneak back out.
"Hey, Serena!" She stopped and turned back, cursing Andrew
to the deepest darkest pits of hell in her mind as she plastered on
a smile and walked stiffly to the counter.
"Hi," she grumbled quietly. Darien turned to face her and
just smiled. Serena glared at him and tried to ignore the stinging in
her eyes. Was he so happy that she hated him?
"Hi, Serena," Darien said, his smile never wavering in the
full force of her disapproval.
Serena turned away and started back to the door. She had to
get out of there. Andrew frowned as she slipped out and started to
run down the street. So... Serena herself wasn't aware of the past
tense? Or did she just think Darien was happy about her hating him.
That could really hurt... Andrew blew out a deep breath and wished he
had telepathy.
Darien just stared at the door and grinned foolishly.
Suddenly, he shook his head and set up. He turned back to Andrew and
picked up the paper again. He concentrated on the heart and then
suddenly smiled. "Hey... is this supposed to mean 'love' or
something?"
Andrew considered smacking his friend, but decided Darien's
brains were addled enough for one day.
Serena ran home and up to her room where she once again burst
into tears. "Stupid curse!" she shrieked to the four walls around her.
"Stupid Darien! Stupid youma!" she sniffled and wiped her face off
on her sleeve.
"Stupid heart," she whispered as she curled up into a tight
little ball on her bed and shut her eyes tight. "Stupid, stupid heart."
"Love Potion #9"
Recorded by Ziska Ames
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Chapter Four
"I hated you."
Those words literally cut out Darien's heart and for the life
of him he couldn't figure out why. He stood in the elevator for
approximately half an hour just staring at the wall. Several
co-workers asked if he was sick as they rode the elevator, but he
didn't reply. He just kept trying to wrap his mind around the idea
that Serena hated him.
"Past tense," he suddenly realized. She had said 'hated' not
'hate.' For some reason, that was very important. With a smile for
all the insanity in the world, Darien stepped out of the elevator
into the lobby and headed to the arcade. He had a feeling that
Andrew could help with this little dilemma.
Serena barricaded herself in her room. She didn't come out
for dinner or school the next day. She convinced her mother she was
sick and lied in bed, dreading the end of the curse. During that time,
she tried to reconcile herself to the fact that when she saw him
again, Darien would be as cold as ever. He would stare at her with
ice filled eyes, make fun of her hair, and ruin any semblance of
self-esteem she ever had. And all she would be able to think about
was his quite whispered comment, "I never hated you."
What a lie. Of course he hated her. He'd proved that time and
again, hadn't he? It hurt to remember his protective arm around her
shoulders or his easy smile. She curled up on one side and ignored
the tears running down her face. "When did I start to like him so
much?" she asked the pink wall dejectedly. "When did he become so
important to me?"
*And why did I have to realize I loved him?*
She refused to ask that question out loud. If she didn't say
it, it wouldn't be real. And if it wasn't real, maybe the rejection
wouldn't hurt so much when Darien ignored her. Maybe.
Of course, that was a lie too.
"She said that?" Andrew asked in disbelief.
"Yep. Said she hated me," Darien grinned happily as he
lounged on the counter.
"And you are happy?"
"As happy as I've ever been in my life," he confirmed.
"Why?" Andrew asked incredulously.
"Past tense."
"What?"
"'Hated' not 'hate'."
"That explains nothing," Andrew complained in annoyance. Why
did Darien have to be so cryptic?
"She used to hate me and she doesn't any more," Darien
elaborated.
"Why do you care?"
"I'm not sure... I was hoping you could tell me." Darien
sighed for the first time since entering the arcade and the smile
dropped from his face. "I'm damned confused."
"So you come in here, tell me Serena doesn't hate you, and
you want me to figure out why you're happy?" Andrew clarified.
"Yes."
"Easy. You like her."
Darien blinked. Was it really as simple as that? "And how do
you support this claim?" he demanded, habit kicking in.
"She doesn't hate you and you're happy about this. What else
is there to explain?"
"But... I thought... maybe I'm just glad that she's not my
enemy," Darien refused to comply.
"And why are you glad she's not your enemy?"
"Because... this means... I don't have to fight her?" Darien
wasn't entirely sure of the answer, but it seemed right.
"Good. Now... why are you glad you don't have to fight her?"
Andrew continued in a very demeaning voice. Darien didn't even notice
however as his brow wrinkled in thought. Then he knew the answer. It
was the same reason that he was glad he didn't fight with Andrew.
"Because now we can be friends!" he beamed happily with
accomplishment.
"You're getting warmer," Andrew muttered as he picked up a
piece of paper and scribbled on it quickly. "What does this say?" he
handed it to Darien.
"Hmm... Serena plus Darien equals a heart," he frowned in
concentration. "I don't get it."
An audible clunk arose from the image of Andrew's head
hitting the counter.
Eventually Serena was forced from her solitary confinement.
Her mother decided enough was enough and if Serena didn't have a
fever she sure as heck shouldn't be lying about doing nothing. So
Serena was pushed bodily out of the house and told to stay out till
dinner time. She moped and pouted, but her mother had decided it was
exercise time and Serena wasn't coming back in till she got some.
With an elaborated sigh Serena headed for the arcade. After
all, she didn't have anywhere else to go. With luck, Darien was still
at work.
Of course, luck was not with Serena today. She realized that
a little too late as she stepped into the arcade and noticed the
dark-haired man sitting at the counter. She turned abruptly on her
heel and started to sneak back out.
"Hey, Serena!" She stopped and turned back, cursing Andrew
to the deepest darkest pits of hell in her mind as she plastered on
a smile and walked stiffly to the counter.
"Hi," she grumbled quietly. Darien turned to face her and
just smiled. Serena glared at him and tried to ignore the stinging in
her eyes. Was he so happy that she hated him?
"Hi, Serena," Darien said, his smile never wavering in the
full force of her disapproval.
Serena turned away and started back to the door. She had to
get out of there. Andrew frowned as she slipped out and started to
run down the street. So... Serena herself wasn't aware of the past
tense? Or did she just think Darien was happy about her hating him.
That could really hurt... Andrew blew out a deep breath and wished he
had telepathy.
Darien just stared at the door and grinned foolishly.
Suddenly, he shook his head and set up. He turned back to Andrew and
picked up the paper again. He concentrated on the heart and then
suddenly smiled. "Hey... is this supposed to mean 'love' or
something?"
Andrew considered smacking his friend, but decided Darien's
brains were addled enough for one day.
Serena ran home and up to her room where she once again burst
into tears. "Stupid curse!" she shrieked to the four walls around her.
"Stupid Darien! Stupid youma!" she sniffled and wiped her face off
on her sleeve.
"Stupid heart," she whispered as she curled up into a tight
little ball on her bed and shut her eyes tight. "Stupid, stupid heart."