Considering Nadine

1.1 Chapter One

"Beautiful night, isn't it Darien?"

Serena Tsukino laid her head on Darien's shoulder and closed her eyes. She had to step up straight and tall just to do so, for her boyfriend was very tall, not to mention very cute too. His black hair swayed it the midnight breeze and Serena's hair, as interesting as it was, had its ponytails flying about calmly. Darien put his arm around her and smiled as he stared up at the stars.

"It sure is, Serena."

Down below Darien's apartment, a figure was moving down the sidewalk. Someone or something was down there.

Nadine hugged her coat as she approached the entrance to the apartment building. When she got there, she walked in and made her way towards the stairs. After going up several flights, she went down a hallway and right up to door B3. She knocked on it two times, and then waited.

Darien shuffled from the balcony and ran inside, leaving Serena laying her head on thin air. Suddenly, she came falling to the ground; face first.

"Ugh." she mumbled.

"Come on Serena, that's probably your cousin!" Slowly and careful, Darien unhooked the chain and opened the wooden door. There she stood, her fiery red hair in a bun with little strands hanging out on the side. Nadine stepped inside of the apartment.

"Hello Darien," she said with a smile.

Darien bent over just a little bit and gave Nadine a kiss on the cheek. "Nice to see you."

Scanning the room with her dark red eyes, Nadine saw Serena walking toward them. Without warning, Serena gave Nadine a great big bear hug, which almost made them both fall over.

"Nadine! You're here!" Serena laughed.

"Hello Serena... you mind?"

Serena stared and released her grip. "No, I'm just happy to see you, that's all." She stepped back and grinned. "So, how have you been?"

"Fine. How about you?" she replied as Darien took her coat and went to hang it up in the closet.

"Same. Would you like to sit down?" Serena showed her into the family room where she took a seat on the couch and Serena sat down next to her.

Darien soon returned and they all began chatting away about what has been happening with them recently.

The next morning, Lita, Mina, Rei, and Ami were walking down the sidewalk of 19th street. They all seemed to have something on their mind, and none of them even said a word until Rei looked up and broke the silence.

"Serena is never this late," she said, stopping in her tracks.

The others stopped and looked up too, some of them nodding their heads in agreement.

"It's not like her," Lita said searching the streets hoping to find the blonde. Ami on the other hand was looking at a book that she had been carrying.

"Maybe she's already at school."

Rei suddenly turned around to face Ami. "No way! How can you think that?" she shouted.

"Rei, it could be possible, maybe she's turning over a new leaf or something," Lita said moving in front of Ami and matching eyes with the black haired priest.

"Whatever," Rei replied, starting down the sidewalk once more.

"Wait! There she is!"

"Where?" All the girls turned around to see a pair of shadows following them. One of them they recognized as Serena.

"Who is that with her?"

Serena ran up to the girls. "Hey everybody!"

"Hi Serena," the foursome said at the same time while still gazing at the other shadow.

"Oh," Serena said turning to face the direction of the girls' stares. "This is my cousin, Nadine."

Nadine slowly walked up to the group. Serena suddenly began introducing everyone, pointing to the people as she said their name.

"This is Mina, Lita, Ami, and Rei. Everyone, meet Nadine."

"Hello," Nadine said in a low, tired voice.

"Hi," the group responded.

"So. why'd you all decide to move here from Osaka anyway, Nadine?" Serena asked at dinner that night.

"I suppose my parents just wanted to be closer to the rest of the family," Nadine said after taking a sip of her water.

"Well that seems like a good idea," Serena's mom exclaimed. "I don't blame her."

"Yeah, I guess so." Nadine looked out the window as a frown formed on her face. Serena looked over at her.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No." Nadine began, "Nothing at all."

"You know," Serena said with a mouthful of hamburger. "I think it's really neat that you get to spend the night over here with me. Don't you? I mean, I haven't seen you for so long and everything." She swallowed. "Oh yeah - the girls and I are going to have a study session tomorrow. Do you want to come? I mean you've been here for about a week, you should have something to study for."

"Um. sounds great." Nadine smiled at her.

"While you're at it," Rini, who had been quiet the whole time, piped up, "make sure Serena actually does some studying for once."

"Hey you little brat! I do study! I swear!"

Serena's mom chimed in. "Well, if you come home will another F you're going to be swearing up in your room for the rest of your life!"

"Mom! I promise! I won't! Chill!"

Nadine just sat there, watching them, trying to hold in all her laughter.

"Finally, Saturday, the best day of the whole week!"

Just as Serena finished munching on her fifth pancake, the phone rang. Rini hurried and picked it up. No one in the room seemed to care.

"Hello? Yeah. Ok. Got it. Serena, it's for you. Be careful," she warned, handing the phone over.

The blonde looked up and took it from Rini. "I wonder what she means by that," she said, putting her ear up to it.

"You're late again! Can't you ever be on time? What are we going to do with you?"

Serena realized that angry voice right away. "Rei, I'm sorry, I forgot about the study session. Why do we have to have it so early anyway? I mean, I'm sure I would have been on time if I remembered."

"Yeah right!"

"Ok, fine. I'll be right over." Serena moaned as hung up the phone.

"I told you to be careful," Rini said walking past the table into the family room.

"Brat..." Serena muttered. "Guess I can't have that sixth pancake I wanted." She sighed. "Well, come on Nadine, let's hurry before I get yelled at again." She laid her plate in the sink and put her coat and shoes on.

"Coming," Nadine said, getting up and quickly doing the same, so that they were soon out of the door and on their way to Rei's temple.

"Look Serena, it's very simple really. You just divide the square root of 169 by 8. Then add 3/4."

Question marks seemed to be surrounding Serena's head as Ami tried to get her ready for the Math Exam that they would have on Monday.

"It's helpless Ami," Rei sighed.

Serena glared at her. "I'm trying the best I can!"

"Which isn't very hard.

"Serena, Rei, please!" Mini yelled.

"Really you guys. Can't you just get along for once?" Lita asked them

After that, the whole group started to quiet down, and as soon as everyone was done, Lita and Mini decided to go home. Ami said that she still needed to work with Serena more.

"You'll never get it though to her," Rei proclaimed, staring at Serena, who had made herself comfortable on Rei's bed reading one of her Sailor V comics.

"Rei, I'm having trouble too... don't be so hard," Nadine said.

"She's a loser!" Rei screamed.

Serena sat straight up as a reaction to this. "No, I'm not!" she yelled back.

Suddenly, a beep interrupted the two girls fight. Ami took out her little computer and nodded in Rei's direction.

"Uh. Nadine, why don't I get you something to drink? Follow me..."

The red hair reluctantly followed, her face clearly saying, 'I'm really not thirsty.'

Serena ran to Ami's side. "What's going on?"

"Lita and Mini ran into some trouble on their way to their houses. That need us, now!" Ami replied after typing something into the computer.

"Is it a heart snatcher?" Serena asked.

"Yes, I believe so."

Serena stood up. "After my own heart crystal being taken out by those morons, I'm not going to stand no one else having to go though the same thing!" She took her brooch out of her pocket and raised it above her head. "Moon Cosmic Power!" A beautiful pink ray of light covered Serena's body. When the transformation ended, there stood the Champion of Justice, Sailor Moon.

Ami quickly followed, raising a blue wand with the Mercury symbol on it to transform herself. "Mercury Star Power!" The magnificent blue light show soon faded away, leaving Ami as Sailor Mercury.

Rei rushed back into the room and saw them both transformed. "I'm all over it," she said, as she held up a wand similar to Ami's only with the Mars symbol on it. "Mars Star Power!" Red lights and ribbons filled the room, and when they died down, Sailor Mars was there to join the group.

"Where's Nadine?" Sailor Moon asked her.

"She's in the kitchen drinking some water with grandpa."

"Alright," said Sailor Mercury, "I have exactly where they are on my computer. We really have to hurry."

"Let's go!" So, with that in mind, the three Sailor Soldiers ran out the back door.