Try me - Part 7
By Henra
HjMcgi@cryingmail.com
PG rated
So? Heh…how do you feel, about to read the very last part of this
whole story? I absolutely LOVED writing this series. I enjoyed every
last drop. I didn't want this series to end, but I also didn't want to
drag the story so much that it would become pointless, either. Seven
parts are already considered long for me--and each is like, 11 pages
too. *takes a deep breath* And now…go on, finish Try Me. =^)
Email me after you finish! Please!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters.
**************
He came toward her, into the light, and his eyes were so
intense she felt as if she couldn't breathe. A half-smile was on lit
his face, and as they both came to stand about only a foot apart, he
glanced behind her, and suddenly frowned. "Where's your car?"
Her eyes widened, and then she laughed, feeling a bit foolish.
"I think I left it back at Papa Joe's."
He grinned, shaking his head. "I'll get it for you later."
She nodded, still gazing up at him. "How come you're out
here?"
"How come you're back so soon?"
"Answer mine and then I'll answer yours."
"Ladies go first."
She glared at him, then sighed. "Why don't we go inside and
talk there?" She started to lead the way.
He stopped her, grabbing her arm gently. "I'd rather stay out
here." He looked around, his eyes dancing. "It's breezy right now, and
I like it outside."
She thought about it for a moment, then walked back to face
him again. She gazed at him, and moistened her lips. "Darien…" Looking
at his face, she trailed off, changing her mind again.
"Look, I gotta tell you something," he told her, a flash of
doubt in his eyes.
Her pulse quickened, and she practically choked out, "Yeah?"
A slight laugh came out of his mouth, and he cleared his
throat. "It's just that…"
She stared at him, and suddenly had the urge to smile. He
looked so unsure of himself, so not what she was used to seeing him
like. The smile formed on her face, and a twinkle appeared in her
eyes.
He noticed it, and tilted his head. "What?"
"Nothing. Keep going," she replied immediately, absently
waving a hand in the air.
He put his hands on his head, and smoothed back his hair. He
glanced at her, and breathed out deeply. "Look. I just don't like you
with--that Daniel."
She turned her eyes away for a while, hardly able to restrain
a smile. "Why?" she asked in a soft voice. She hadn't wanted him to
start first, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed this. A wave of
joy washed over her when she thought he was going to say to her what
she had wanted to pour out.
"I just don't." He took a deep breath, and straightened up,
his cool posture back. "It's just that…seeing you--THINKING you being
with another guy, makes me crazy…you know?" He gently brushed a hand
against her cheek.
She felt a tingle through her body, and she smiled, wanting
him to go on. "And why is that?"
He opened his mouth, and then closed it, looking away. And
for a long moment, he didn't say another thing. Then, in a rush,
"Okay, this is ridiculous. I-I'm no good at this kind of things. I
just don't like you with him. That's all." He hesitated as if waiting
for a reaction, then stepped back. With a point of his thumb, he said,
"I'm--I'm going to go back. There are some things I need to pack into
my bag--for class."
She stood there, a little more beyond surprised.
Her mind was swirling a hundred miles per minute, and she wondered
what exactly went wrong. She wanted to say a million things, wanted
to ask him questions, and tell him--but all she got out was, "Really?"
And she immediately winced, thinking that she had encouraged him.
What was he doing, backing out suddenly? Was she crazy, or
hadn't he really wanted to say something more just a few minutes ago?
How could he suddenly change his mind so fast?
"Yeah. I mean, class starts tomorrow," he answered, taking a
few more steps backwards.
She wanted to stop him. But she couldn't find the energy to.
She felt as if the moment was gone--the desperate urge to confess
everything had vanished into thin air. Felt as if just those
discouraging words of his had drained all her power. She held back,
and nodded. "Okay." She felt like a fool, standing there, waiting for
his words--words that, she knew now, wouldn't ever be spoken to her.
"Aren't you coming in also?" He seemed hesitant, as if
waiting for something--waiting for her to do something.
But what? She knew now she couldn't say anything anymore,
even if she wanted to, because that would just push him away further.
She felt an overwhelming sadness, but shoved it back. "No. Um," she
managed a tight smile, "I left my car back at Papa Joe's, remember?"
"Oh." He took a step toward her, and asked, "Do you want me
to get it?"
She thought, a bit bitterly.
She raised her head, and shook it. "No. I'll do it myself." She turned
her heels, and started walking back down the path.
She didn't feel him coming after her, but she knew his eyes
were on her, watching her walk down the street in the darkness. Tears
were threatening to spill over, but she bit her lip, determined to not
let them fall. They blurred her vision, but she did not care. She wrapped both arms
around herself, feeling slightly chilly.
After she walked for a few more minutes, and the tears had
dried in her eyes, she suddenly felt a bit scared, along in the
streets in the cool night. She stopped, and her heart began to pound
nervously. This wasn't a good idea. It would be too dangerous to go
all the way back by herself.
She bit her lip, knowing that
it was an uncontrollable urge that drove her all the way from Papa
Joe's back here.
She stood, and glanced around, not knowing what to do. "Ugh.
I'll go back to the house." She wheeled around, and was about to
take a step, when a car honk took her attention. She ignored it,
and walked faster, not wanting to turn back and look.
The headlights flashed twice, and then she heard a voice
calling her name, "Serena!"
She immediately stopped, turned around and waited for the
car to stop. She recognized the voice. She just didn't know why he
was here, after what she had done. She held her breath, waiting for
a blow.
Daniel's head popped out of the car, and then he stepped
out, and flashed a smile when he saw her. "Hey--it's dangerous to
walk alone during this time, you know."
She managed a smile back, confused. "Daniel--why, why are you
here?"
"I don't know if it's you who's crazy, or me--but, isn't that
your precious BMW back at Papa Joe's?"
She laughed out loud, and shook her head. "And you came here
to get me?"
"Basically." He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Get in."
She nodded, and climbed into his car. She pulled the seatbelt
down, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry that I left in such a hurry.
And I can't believe that you would actually care to come drive me to
get my car." She looked at him in bewilderment.
He glanced at her, and smiled. "I'm an amazing guy."
She turned her eyes back to the road, and watched the red
light flash on as the car screeched to a halt. "Thanks," she said
softly.
"No problem. I mean, I couldn't just go home, seeing your car
parked there. Besides, I know you, Serena, I knew that you were gonna
come get it. And it really isn't safe during this time of the night."
She felt her heart soften. Yes, he did know her. They hadn't
dated for a year for nothing. She smiled at him lightly, a thankful
look over her eyes.
The light became green, and Daniel stepped on the accelerator.
"So, uh…what exactly happened anyway? I mean--you were rushing back
for something. Or is it someone?" He didn't look at her, keeping his
eyes on the road.
"It's Darien."
He glanced at her, seemingly surprised that she answered so
quickly. Pulling on a careless expression, he asked, "So what
happened?"
"Nothing," she answered immediately, shifting in her seat.
"Then why is your nose red?"
She didn't reply. Then, she laughed softly, and shook her
head at him. "It's frustrating when you wanna lie to someone who knows
you too well."
He laughed also, and leaned back in his seat. He let his left
hand slip down from the wheel, and drove the car professionally with
only his right. "Yes, so you can't squirm out of it now. Come on,
Serena--tell me about it."
She looked at him sideways, and sighed deeply. "Honestly, I
don't know what happened, either. I HAD thought that I would go back
to the house, and--and confess everything to him. But…I don't know,
the moment just suddenly disappeared."
"And by confessing everything, you mean…" He trailed off,
leaving her to fill in the blank.
"That I…" She stopped, unable to get out the words.
Irritated, she leaned her head back, and blew out a huge breath of
air. "But it doesn't matter now. Tomorrow's first day of class, and…
looks like nothing's gonna happen tonight."
"Aww, now I'm insulted. You're with me, all right? We can
still go somewhere and celebrate the end of summer." He flashed a
brief grin at her, in a boyish way.
She couldn't help but smile back. She looked at the digital
clock in the car. "But it's almost nine. I wanna go home and get some
sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow."
"Come on, Serena! You used to be all play and little work!
What happened? Don't tell me this summer changed you that much." He
flashed on his left blinker, and turned to drive into Papa Joe's
parking lot.
"I'm just tired. Besides, I have my car here, remember? Where
can we go if we're driving two different cars?" She got out of the car
after he turned off the engine, and fished out her car keys from her
bag.
He locked his car and followed her to her BMW. Before she
inserted her key into the door, he stopped her by placing a hand on
her arm. "Then leave it here. We'll go somewhere in my car, and we'll
come pick up your car later."
She turned fully to look at him. A slow, exasperated smile
formed on her face, and she shook her head. "You and your crazy ideas.
How can I forget them?"
He grinned, his eyes dancing into hers. "So come on, what do
you say? There are only a few more hours until summer vacation is
literally over."
She stared down at the ground, smiling as she thought about
it. What was Darien doing at this moment? She shut her eyes tightly,
remembering what happened. She forced the thought to the back of her
mind. Daniel was here. And after the way that she had ditched him at
Papa Joe's, she knew she had to make it up to him somehow. She raised
her head, and exhaled largely. "So where are we off to?"
Darien threw down his notebook in frustration, and sat down on
his bed heavily. He ran a hand through his hair, and looked at the
watch on his left wrist. Serena still wasn't back yet. He looked
through the open door out to the living room and sighed.
What the hell had he been thinking, letting her wander into
the dark like that? Why hadn't he stopped her? He grunted, and got up
to walk out of his room. He glanced up to look at Serena's door, and
it was opened, no light coming from inside. And he knew that she wasn't
in anyway, because he had been keeping an eye on the door ever since
he came in.
He had told her that he would get the car for her. But
afterwards, he had felt that she wouldn't want him to drive her car,
and so he left her to get it herself. He grew annoyed, at himself and
at her. He knew she had wanted to say something, too--but she had held
back also. Also. Meaning, he didn't exactly tell her what he had in
mind, either.
He sighed. He stood by the front door, and pushed away the
heavy drapes to look out the street. There was no sign of her. Did it
take this long to walk to Papa Joe's and DRIVE back with a car?
Suddenly, his eyes widened in alarm. But it WOULD take this
long, and even longer, if something had happened. His heart started
to race in nervousness, but then he told himself to shake out of it.
Serena was a strong girl, and nothing was going to happen to her.
But still, he resisted the urge to race out and start a
search for her. It wasn't his style, and it certainly wouldn't help
if Serena knew just how much he really cared for her.
He went still. Why would it matter? Didn't he want her to
know that he cared about her?
At this realization, he suddenly remembered the words he had
told Serena. 'When you break up with someone, you literally BREAK UP.
You don't leave any connections.' He turned away from the window, and
leaned against it, sighing in frustration. Those words were what had
stopped him. He knew, from every single girlfriend he had ever had,
that if he and Serena broke up, he was not going to leave any strings
dangling in the air.
But they were roommates. And neither he nor she should move
out of the house just because HE wanted a clean breakup after they
broke up. And he didn't want her out of his life forever. He liked her
presence, liked knowing that she was just a holler away, and he could
see her anytime he wanted.
And what was he thinking about, anyway? A clean breakup--
they weren't even together.
He smiled unconsciously, but his thoughts led to the clock
again. 11:47. She had been gone for almost three hours. He started
to pace around, his brows knotted in a deep frown.
A light abruptly shined in through the window, and he
immediately went to open the door. He saw Serena's BMW pull up to the
driveway, and he sighed in relief. So she was home. Suddenly, he had
a million questions to ask her, and one of them the most important--
where had she gone?
Then, realizing that he was still standing at the door
staring, he quickly went back inside, but left the door open. He
figured that she had already seen him anyway. He sat down on the
couch, and randomly picked out a magazine to look through from the
piles that lay underneath the glass table.
Serena came in. He watched her from the corner of his eye as
she took off her shoes, and proceeded into the kitchen. His eyes were
on the magazine, but he was fully focused on her movements.
She walked out with an apple in her hand. He remarked
casually, flipping a page with his right thumb and index finger. "I
thought you just went to get your car."
She stopped, and he felt her eyes on him--burning into him.
"I did. But I met Daniel on the way, and we went somewhere."
He felt his blood run cold just at the mention of Daniel's
name. He cleared his throat, but didn't look up. "Oh really? You
must've had a nice time."
"I did." There was a challenging tone in her voice, and he
heard the crisp sound of her teeth biting into the apple.
"You should really get some sleep. You told me that you have
an early class tomorrow."
"It's none of your business as to when I'm going to bed."
At that, he raised his brows and looked at her. Her cheeks
were flushed, and her eyes were sharp, as if expecting a fight. He
wondered what was wrong. Keeping his voice relaxed, he said, "Why the
sudden defensiveness? I was just watching out for you."
"Yeah, I'm sure. That's why you let me walk into the dark
streets all by myself," she said bitingly, deliberately emphasizing
the word "myself."
He stopped himself from flinching. "Well, nothing happened
to you, right? And besides, you had Daniel meet up with you halfway.
And if I had went with you, what would he have thought?"
"You--" She stopped suddenly, and took a deep breath. "Never
mind, okay? I am sleepy, and I am going to take a shower and then go
to sleep."
"Good girl," he couldn't help but add with a smile. He saw
her stiffen, then watched as she climbed up the flight of stairs to
the second floor. As soon as she went into her room and shut the door,
he breathed out deeply. So maybe he hadn't welcomed her with friendly
arms. But at least she was home, and he found out where she went.
With Daniel. His expression hardened, and he muttered the
name with disgust.
"God, could he have been any MORE careless?" Serena fumed,
and slammed her bag down on the desk. She narrowed her eyes, and
threw up her hands. "I have been gone for three hours, dammit, and he
acted like it was nothing!"
She had came home, hoping that he would be waiting for her,
because she thought he would be worried. And when she saw him standing
at the door when she drove her car up the driveway, she felt she could
burst. But no--of course he was just standing there because he saw
someone coming.
She had gone practically crazy with Daniel tonight. They went
to the amusement park, and she nearly threw up all she had today on
the roller coasters. She had never felt so dizzy in all her life.
Daniel was good company, there was a close bond between them, and
she felt at ease being with him. But she couldn't quite bring herself
to actually ENJOY everything, especially when her mind was all on
Darien. She hated the fact that she couldn't push him out of her
mind, and she was so annoyed by it she didn't even know that nearly
three hours had sped by.
And she got even more irritated to find him sitting
comfortably on the couch, reading a MAGAZINE when she walked in
the front door. As if he couldn't be more relaxed about the fact
that she took MUCH longer than expected to drive back her car. She
knew she shouldn't have gotten so defensive, but she didn't know
how to act when he behaved like that.
"What did I expect him to do, anyway? Sweep me off my feet
and tell me how worried he had been?" A bitter look formed on her
face, and she buried her head in her hands. Her mind went back to
a few hours before, when they had both stood in front of the house,
and she had been one second away from baring her heart to him. She
wondered what happened that made them turn back to practically how
they were before, when she had first moved in.
She shook her head. "I can't get worked up over this. Class
starts tomorrow, and I cannot start my fall semester with a head full
of unnecessary thoughts."
She sat down on her bed, and bounced up on the mattress
because she had dropped down so solidly. She kicked her feet, and
then felt like laughing at the fact that she was acting like a child.
With a groan, she fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Her head felt slightly dizzy, and she glanced over at the clock on
her nightstand. Her eyes widened, and she immediately sat up. "I
need to take a shower."
She grabbed her night jersey from the chair and walked out
of the room. "And that remark about Daniel! Did he think I planned
on meeting Daniel or something?"
Raye walked into the kitchen the next morning, yawning and
stretching at the same time.
Chad grinned when he saw her, and said, "I would kiss you,
but I'm afraid you have bad breath."
She rolled her eyes, and deliberately opened her mouth wide,
huffing out air. "I already brushed my teeth, and washed my face.
And combed my hair, AND put on decent clothes--and you're not
helping."
"I didn't know what am I supposed to help with."
"It's first day of class, stupid! Luckily my class starts
later, otherwise I have to be up and running around like Serena's
doing in her room." She went over to Chad, and they shared a short
kiss. She smiled, and took out a slice of bread from the bag that
was already sitting on the counter. Covering it with peanut butter,
she asked, "Darien's still in his room?"
"Yeah, I guess. He's not in the living room."
"Oh, okay."
Serena appeared abruptly, panting. "I am gonna be so late
for my first class! I can't believe it! I'm POSITIVE I had set my
alarm at 6:45 yesterday night, but it didn't ring until 7:05! Dammit!
Ugh!" She half-ran to where Raye was, and grabbed a piece of bread
from the loaf.
Raye met Chad's eyes across the room, and they both shook
their heads, smiling. "I guess this is the real Serena after summer
vacation," she said to no one in particular.
Serena finished her one piece of bread in such a hurry that
Raye thought she was gonna suffocate. Then, after she clearly
swallowed everything, she asked, "How do I look?"
Raye surveyed Serena's clothes--a black sleeveless V-neck
tee, a pair of baggy green Camouflage pants which hung down low,
baring her flat and smooth midriff. Her hair was separated into
two long blond braids, which draped down in the front. Raye smiled,
and replied, "Looks nice--very much like you're going to be training
in the army. Let me guess--you threw on the first outfit you put
together?"
"Yeah," Serena grinned, and grabbed a glass from the cabinet.
"I thought black fitted rather well with camouflage." She poured juice
into it, and gulped it down in one swallow. "All right, all right,
bye you people. Be thankful that you don't have classes early like
me." She placed the glass down on the counter before hurrying out of
the kitchen, "Thanks for washing the glass for me!"
Raye rolled her eyes as the front door slammed shut. "What
time's your class?" she asked, focusing her attention back on Chad.
"It doesn't start until after 12*. So I got plenty of time,"
he answered, smiling lazily.
*:: (A.N. I'm not in college, but I've heard that people's class
times could start differently, depending on what classes they take.
If I'm wrong, though, tell me but please don't blame me. ^-^)
"I wonder why Serena wants to take a class early, anyway.
From what I know so far, I'm sure that she doesn't like waking up
early." She shook her head, and then took Serena's glass from the
counter. She proceeded over to the sink, and turned on the faucet.
"I don't know her any more than you do," he stated.
She finished rinsing the glass, and she placed it back to
the cabinet, then turned around to face him. "And I also wonder
what's keeping Serena and Darien from being together already. They
had like, the entire summer, yet they still can't find that simple
string to pull them together."
He sighed, nodding. "I know what you mean. They seem to fit
each other so well, yet it's amazing how they can't find their way
there."
"It would be perfect if they would get together. We can go
on double dates and--"
"Excuse me?" Darien's voice interrupted her, and Raye froze
instantly. He came into the kitchen, looking both sleep-deprived and
irritated. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Nothing you would care about, anyway."
He glared at her, then looked away, his eyes on the food
placed on the counter. "I'm gonna go get washed up." He yawned and
then made his way out.
Chad made a face, and laughed out loud. "That was close."
Raye crossed her arms, staring blankly out to the living
room. "Actually, I want Darien to hear me. He needs to get some sense
knocked into him."
"Yeah, I agree," Chad commented, "Usually he's very quick
on getting girls--I wonder what's keeping him in this case."
She turned her head to glare at him. "That's because Serena
isn't like any other girl! I can't believe you would even think of
comparing Serena to all the others girls Darien's dated and dumped!"
She sighed, and a thoughtful look came over her eyes. "I think he's
very intrigued by her."
"I'll admit that much. But, this is for sure--" Chad stood
up, and wrapped his arms around Raye. "He's not as lucky as I am."
He grinned down at her, causing her to blush deeply.
She wrinkled her nose at him, but smiled back pleasantly.
Serena held up her left wrist and looked at her watch. Boy,
was she starving. The hectic schedule of college classes was taking a
little time to adjust to again. She stepped forth in line, and smiled
back at the person who stood behind the counter. "Hello. Can I have a
blueberry muffin, and a bag of that kind of chips over there, please."
She pointed with a finger toward the stack that was placed to the
right.
"Is that all?" the girl asked, punching in some numbers into
the machine.
"Uh…how about a Pepsi, too--medium," Serena added, feeling
the thirst in her throat.
"All right. That'll be five dollars and seventy-five cents."
She nodded, and took out her purse from the knapsack on her
shoulder. She paid the amount, and waited for her food. A sudden yawn
pried her mouth open, and she immediately covered a hand over it,
embarrassed. She didn't know why she kept on yawning. Perhaps it was
because it was the first day, and she was not used to taking classes
so early in the morning.
She found an empty table, and as soon as she sat down, she
heard someone shout her name. Surprised, she turned toward the voice,
and was speechless when she saw Daniel. She managed a friendly smile, and waved him over. "Hey!
Grabbing some quick lunch also?"
Daniel grinned, and surveyed the food on the table. "Whoo!
Not eating so healthily now, are we?"
She looked down, and felt a small pang of guilt, but
quickly brushed it away. "At least I'm not having ice cream--you
should check out all the orders that were made before me in line."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Gosh, it's hot, isn't it?"
He eyed her soda.
She rolled her eyes, and pushed it forward. "If you're
thirsty, take a drink--but don't finish it all, please," she added,
remembering the times before when he had finished her food without
permission.
He gladly took the drink, and swallowed a few gulps before
putting it down on the table, smiling broadly. "Thanks, I owe you."
"Now how about marching over there and order some food for
yourself before you begin to form ideas on mine?"
He raised an eyebrow, and placed his elbows down on the
table, his eyes glinting. "How about you go out to dinner with me
tonight?"
Again, she was flabbergasted. Looking at him with widened
eyes, she forced a laugh after a few seconds, "You're joking right?
We just spent a night together yesterday."
"And yet I still haven't had enough." He grinned, "Come on,
Serena--just a small dinner somewhere. I'll take you to my favorite
place."
She straightened up, and moistened her lips. "Daniel…what
is this? I thought we broke up two months ago, and even though we
decided to stay friends--two nights in a row? I don't think so."
The grin slipped off his face, and he cleared his throat.
"We're CLOSE friends, Serena, and close friends do go out with each
other very frequently. And I really…miss you."
She stayed silent, and stared at him, her expression
unyielding.
"Fine, then--if you don't want it tonight, then how about
tomorrow night? Or if you prefer--this weekend? I just want a small
meal with you, you know--the one I didn't claim yesterday?"
Her lips twitched. It was just like him, trying to make her
feel guilty and give in. She sighed exasperatedly. "We already went
to the amusement park together. And besides, Daniel, a dinner is
okay, but I don't like the idea of this dinner. If you're trying to
make us get back together again…it's not gonna work."
"I wasn't, but just out of curiosity--why won't it work?"
She smiled. "Because I don't like you anymore. And I don't
know why you're doing this, but I do know that it isn't because
you've fallen madly back in love with me again."
He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again, his
gaze sliding down.
"I do think that we should stay friends--good friends, but…
come on, you can't seriously tell me that it won't be a date if you
ask me out a second time."
He sighed, and then stared at her, an admiral look in his
eyes. "You always seem to get to the bottom of things. I don't know
how you do it--especially when other girls are so easy to lie to."
She felt slightly hurt, hearing him confess that he had,
indeed, lied to her. But she started to eat her muffin, and brushed
the feeling away.
"All right, then--I'm gonna get going now. Looks like I won't
be seeing you again soon." He stood up from the table, a smile on his
face.
She swallowed the food in her mouth, and smiled back,
extending her arms. "You can always call me and ask me out to
movies--with a group."
He hugged her, replying, "Of course, I wouldn't think
otherwise."
"All right, all right. Now leave me to finish my lunch--my
stomach is growling like crazy."
He laughed, and pulled away, stepping back. Then, the grin
disappeared, and he said in a sincere voice, "I hope that Darien guy
knows what he's got."
She was taken back. Before she could think of something to
respond with, he smiled at her again and went out, pushing back the
glass doors. She sat down on her chair once more, and held the
half-eaten muffin to her mouth.
"Aaah! Home sweet home!" Raye exclaimed immediately after
she closed the front door. She took off her sandals, and fell down
on the couch, stretching elatedly. "Anybody home?" She waited for an
answer. Then, when she was left with no reply, she frowned and sat up.
"Chad? Serena?" She looked at the clock, and murmured, "That's a
surprise. Darien has to work at the store, but at least Serena or
Chad should be home."
She got up, and was prepared to go upstairs when the door
suddenly swung open. She looked back, and saw a tired face of Serena's
staring back at her. "Serena!" She hurried to Serena's side, and put
an arm around her. "You look exhausted! What happened?"
Despite the fatigue clearly displayed on her face, Serena
smiled--a rare, full one, which caused her eyes to light up brightly.
"I stayed at the library after my last class, and I didn't realize
that I was so tired until I had practically cracked my head on the
table--I was dozing off."
"And the reason that you're so happy is because…?" Raye
smiled back, but arched her eyebrows suspiciously.
"I got a call from Mina!"
"Mina?"
"Yes!" Serena grinned, and happiness danced in her eyes as
she pushed back strands of hair. "My cell phone rang just as I almost
fell asleep--I forgot to turn it off. And so of course, I had to go
outside to take it. But it was worth it! She's coming to visit over
winter break! Can you believe it?"
"Yeah…that's great." Raye couldn't help but feel a twinge of
jealousy as she watched how ecstatic Serena was over the news. But
almost immediately, she scolded herself. Quickly, she grinned back, and,
to push away her guilt, she said, "Don't worry--the months will pass
by so soon you won't even have time to blink an eye before it's
winter break."
Serena looked at Raye, and then threw her arms around her.
"How did you know I was just getting to worry over that? Thanks,
Raye--for assuring me."
"Of course. What are friends for?"
A sharp slam of the front door startled them both. They
pulled away, and fastened their eyes on Darien. "What, no welcoming
parties?"
Raye was the first to speak. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No. Why?" He kicked off his shoes, tossed his backpack down,
and went into the kitchen.
Hearing the faucet running, Serena suddenly recalled
Daniel's words. 'I hope that Darien guy knows what he's got.'
Involuntarily, she blushed, and then became frustrated that those
words affected her.
Darien came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with a
paper towel.
"Well, since it's so late--and we haven't gotten anything to
eat, I thought we would go out and grab something to eat." Raye
looked back and forth between Serena and Darien, waiting for
agreement.
"What about Chad?" Serena asked, realizing that there was
one person missing out of the four that lived in the house.
"Well then…let's have a delivery."
"I second to that." Darien held up a hand.
Serena shrugged. "Fine. I'm going upstairs first--I'm gonna
take a shower." She got up and took her knapsack off the floor,
taking it with her.
"Speaking of it, you should scrub extra hard--you look
tired," Darien remarked with a smirk, looking at her closely.
"Thanks for noticing. But I don't think scrubbing is gonna
help," Serena replied dryly.
His eyes stayed with her until her form disappeared behind
the door of her bedroom. He looked back at Raye, and ignored the smile
in her eyes as she crossed her arms, her eyebrow raised. "Well. I'll
order the pizza--combo topping, if that's possible." He strode to the
phone, and picked up the receiver.
Serena came out of her bedroom, freshened up, the tiredness
wiped away from her face. She put on a smile, sniffing the delicious
smell of hot pizza in the air. She walked slowly down the stairs, and
when she was in the kitchen, she smiled and asked, "You guy didn't
finish everything, did you?"
"How can you think of us being so low? Of course not!" Chad
motioned for her to sit down.
She laughed, and said, "Hey, Chad."
"Well, why don't you tell her about your assignment, Chad?
Maybe Serena could help you," Raye looked at him, encouraging with her
eyes.
Serena cocked an eyebrow, and asked, while picking up a slice
of pizza. "What is it?"
"I'm supposed to pick a poem and research on it--the author
and all. I know it's supposed to be easy--but, really, I just don't
know where to start. There are so many poems in the library, and I
can't go through all of them, one by one, to find one that I like."
"Why can't you just borrow a couple of books of poetry, and
then read through those? There's bound to be at least ONE that you'll
like," Darien said, his hand at the pizza box for his second slice.
"Yeah--that's what I would suggest, too. But then, why you
need to ask me if he already answered your question?" Serena asked,
puzzled.
"Raye told me that you used to love reading poems--and had
copied some down on a notebook, so I was thinking, maybe you could
recommend some--and I can do a research on one," Chad answered.
"I have lots of poems that I like--but I'm not so sure that
you'll like them too."
"Well, if you really like them, then I don't think that
they're going to be totally distasting to me."
Serena nodded, and smiled. "Then, of course. I'll look up
some after we finish eating."
Chad grinned, relief flooding his face. "Thank you."
"No problem." Serena bit into her piece of pizza, and a
thought occurred to her. "What about you, Darien? You write poems,
so there's bound to be poems that you know and like, too--that you
can recommend to him." She smiled innocently at the rising pinkness
of Darien's cheeks.
"You write? I didn't know that!" Chad exclaimed, shocked
beyond belief.
"Yeah, well, so I do. What's so surprising about that?"
Without missing a beat, Serena replied, "Nothing, except
that you actually write pretty good, too. 'A kiss in a dream, does
it mean anything?' Very poetic, I assure--" Suddenly her face went
white, as she realized what she had let slip out.
The words were not lost on him, as his eyes sharpened, and
pierced into hers directly. "What did you just say?"
Her heart was pounding nervously, the sound so loud that
she knew practically everyone could hear it. "Wha-what do you mean?"
The muscles on his face were tense, and his eyes held hers
evenly as he asked, "How do you know about those two lines?" His
voice was controlled, leveled but demanding.
All the blood rushed out of her face, and she swallowed
nervously. God, what had she done now? He was going to find out now,
that she had sneaked into his bedroom and read his poems. She felt
as if she was going to faint. He would hate her! She knew he hated
anyone who pried into his privacy--he would hate her so much that,
judging by his temper, he wouldn't ever speak to her again. She bit
her lip, bit down on it so hard that she almost cried out
immediately.
"Uh…I'm going to catch that show on TV…come with me, Chad,"
Raye said quietly, realizing that the two needed to be left alone.
She got up from the stool, and pinched Chad lightly as she turned
around toward the living room.
Chad immediately took the hint, and stood up quickly, taking
his plate and pizza with him. He looked back at the other two once,
about to say something, but, realizing that they weren't even paying
attention to him or Raye, he snapped his mouth shut and silently
walked out.
By now, Darien had put down the slice of his pizza in his
hand, and made his way around the counter to stand before Serena.
"Answer me," he commanded, his tone firm.
She couldn't glance up, but she noticed that his hands were
curled into fists, shaking at his sides. She cringed, and wondered
how the day had grown into this. She had been so happy, when Mina had
called, and now, when she thought she would just share a warm
pizza-meal with her roommates, she had to immediately turn stupid and
make a slip of the tongue. She hoped that her voice sounded clear as
she spoke, "Why are you so worked up? I just--hey, I had the dream,
too, you know--it's not surprising that you used it to write a poem
on."
"You repeated the exact same words that I had written down.
That's not even called a coincidence. Tell me the truth--how do you
know about them?"
She clenched her teeth, and told herself to gain control of
her body. She slowly looked up, raising her eyes to his, determined
not to let him notice the unsteadiness that she was unable to
conceal perfectly.
He smirked, but his eyes did not move from her face. "Come
on, Serena, I'm not going anywhere. I live here, remember? So don't
think you can wiggle your way out of explaining."
"I wasn't thinking of trying to 'wiggle my way out' of it."
"Good, then. Give me the explanation."
"Well," she started, her mind working furiously, trying to
make up something that she hoped would convince him. "Raye mentioned
it to me the other day, when we were talking." She widened her eyes,
desperately hoping that she looked innocent, "She liked that poem,
and she quoted it for me."
"Really? Raye quoted the poem?"
"Yes." She almost smiled, hearing the slight belief in his
voice. "And believe me, she really thinks that you've done a good
job on it…although you haven't finished it." She tried to smile, but
found her face muscles were too tight to move.
"Okay. But tell me this," The corners of his lips lifted up
slightly, forming a half-smile on his face. "Why did Raye leave the
room? Shouldn't she defend you when I asked you how you knew?"
She forced herself to relax, knowing that she wouldn't get
anywhere if she were nervous. "I don't know." She lifted her chin,
looking at him defiantly. "Maybe she didn't want to be trapped and
investigated, like me right now."
He smiled, and shook his head, a light dancing in his eyes.
"Am I that scary?"
"Oh no, of course not." She added just the right of sarcasm
into the words.
"You know you might've convinced me with that little lie, if
not for the fact that Raye hasn't even read my poems."
She sucked in her breath, stunned. She hadn't expected this.
Grasping at last hope, she began, "Are you sure? Maybe you have shown
her, you know, and don't remember it--"
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." He said the words lightly, but
they stopped her cold. He leaned in close, so close that she could
smell his breath--of delicious cheese. She winced, but held his gaze,
determined not to look away. "I haven't shown my poems to anyone, and
I always thought that no one knew what I wrote…until now." He inched
closer, his face so near she could only focus on his blue eyes, all
the other parts a blur.
Her heart was hammering wildly, but she forced herself to sit
still, absolutely resolute to not let him catch her at even a second
of weakness. She gazed into his eyes, and her mind worked furiously,
trying to come up with some kind of explanation to give to him when
he asked what she knew he was going to ask.
"You're not very good at lying, you know," he continued, "You
are much too fidgety, and unlike yourself. Maybe you should practice
some more before you try to convince me of something."
As she looked at his cocky expression, anger rose in her.
She couldn't stand it when anyone thought he or she knew everything
there was about her. And the way that he looked did not mend the
situation, either. "Don't you dare tell me that I'm lying when it was
YOU who wouldn't tell me the truth!" she blurt out before she could
stop herself.
A surprise look came over his face, but he tilted his head,
interested. "Really? Would you care to explain that? And please, be
honest this time."
That last added sarcasm gave her the final push she needed.
Her cheeks flushed, and the words poured out, one after another, with
her unable to control them. "Yesterday night, in front of the house--
I KNOW that you were trying to tell me something, trying to confess
something--but you chickened out at the last moment. And just for the
record, I also had something to confess, but you ruined the moment--
I don't know if you did that on purpose or not, but that destroyed
everything! I so wanted to tell you, to come clean with my heart, but
you--you just ended it cold. You crushed my hopes, even though only
god knows why I even HOPED for something that I TOLD myself over and
over and OVER again--would never happen." She took a deep breath, and
said lastly, taking in his shocked expression, "You wanted truth,
and I gave it to you."
He was speechless. He had never been caught speechless
practically his whole life. And yet, here he was, his mind not even
trying to form words, for it knew that it would take at least a
minute before he overcame his surprise.
Her breaths came quick, and she held her heart in her
throat, desperately hoping that he wouldn't insult her. Wouldn't
laugh at her and tell her that she had imagined it all. She frowned
slightly, because just a few minutes before, she had been so sure of
what--at least, what would've happened last night; but now, looking
at him, at the shock conveyed on his face, she felt that her hands
were actually trembling.
It seemed like a century before he at last replied, "You're
right."
"Right?" She forced the word out, uncomprehending.
"I did want to tell you something last night--because I
nearly went crazy thinking of you and that Daniel being together. I
couldn't stand it in the house, so I went out to wait for you to
come back."
She sighed, partly from relief and partly from joy. "And?"
His gaze slipped down, and he said the words in a way as if
recalling a foggy dream, "And you came. Almost as immediately as I
sat my butt down on the pavement. I had nearly burst with happiness
when I recognized you walking. And there was that…that look in your
eyes, as if you knew exactly what I was gonna say."
She felt as if she couldn't breathe. She shakily nodded,
well aware that he was now staring right into her eyes, the same
intensity in them that she had seen last night. "I guess it was
because I was going to say the exact words."
"Really?" His voice was especially soft.
She could only nod, for she couldn't find her voice at the
moment.
He stepped closer, and touched a hand to her face, his
thumb softly caressing her left cheek. "Wanna tell me now?"
"Why should I go first?" A smile tugged at her lips as she
asked teasingly.
"Because…" he trailed off, moving to close the last distance
between their feet. He leaned in so close that she now had to raise
her head to meet his eyes. He brushed away some of her bangs with his
right hand, while his left hand circled her waist, pulling her up
against him.
She waited, wanting the moment to last forever. Was this how
it felt like to be in the arms of the person that one desired the most?
She resisted the urge to close her eyes, somehow thinking that if she
did, she would open her eyes to find that it was all a dream.
"Because you love me," he said at last.
She raised wide eyes to his, and began to protest, "No I
don't!" But she couldn't evade the slow smile that was beginning to
form on her lips. "You just think you know everything, don't you?"
"Well," he placed his lips close to her forehead, barely
touching, and whispered softly, "Not everything. But I'm sure as hell
right about this."
She laughed, and leaned into him, a faint blush covering her
cheeks. Somehow, she felt a bit uncomfortable at the fact that he knew
before she was certain. Determined to not let him have the upper hand,
she demanded, "What about you?"
"Me what?" He kissed her forehead, brushing his lips against
her skin delicately.
A thought occurred to her suddenly, and she asked instead,
with a slight frown on her face, "Why did you stop yesterday night?"
She heard him sigh, and she waited patiently, knowing he was
going to come clean sooner or later. He pulled back, and held his two
hands at her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. "Because I
was afraid."
Now she was confused. Her frown deepened, and she asked
quizzically, "Afraid of what?"
"You're going to think I'm heartless."
"Oh yeah? Try me."
"I was…I was afraid that if we breakup--I'll have to push
you out of my life forever."
Her face cleared as she understood, and she shook her head
slightly. "Darien. We're in college right now--and college is
supposed to be a time where people experience things. Do things,
RISK things…just because you don't want any 'strings dangling',
doesn't mean that I have to disappear from your eyesight."
"But it'll pain me if I see you."
"Why are talking about this anyway? It's so depressing.
Besides, we're not even together, and you're talking about what's
gonna happen after we break up. Isn't that a little ridiculous?"
He chuckled, but nodded sheepishly. He hugged her close
again, his head against hers. "You're right. But not about one
thing--we ARE together now."
She raised an eyebrow, and leaned back to look up at him,
laughter in her eyes. "And when, may I ask, did we decide on that?"
"Just now."
She laughed, and her arms circled his neck. "I can already
see what I am in for."
"Oh really?" He touched her cheek softly.
"Yeah. And you know--you haven't even admitted it yet."
"Admit what?"
"You know fully too well what I'm talking about. Admit it,
now."
"All right, all right. But you gotta kiss me first."
"Darien…!"
**************
And it's finished! During this time of one year ago I started this,
and now a year later I get to finish this. Ha!
*sighs contently and kicks back* My second complete series out of the
seven that are out. *grunts* I am so far away from halfway done, even.
Please drop me a line! Or lines! Just tell me what you think! =D
Visit my website at http://www6.brinkster.com/moonieround
Try Me is done! Aaahhh…
By Henra
HjMcgi@cryingmail.com
PG rated
So? Heh…how do you feel, about to read the very last part of this
whole story? I absolutely LOVED writing this series. I enjoyed every
last drop. I didn't want this series to end, but I also didn't want to
drag the story so much that it would become pointless, either. Seven
parts are already considered long for me--and each is like, 11 pages
too. *takes a deep breath* And now…go on, finish Try Me. =^)
Email me after you finish! Please!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters.
**************
He came toward her, into the light, and his eyes were so
intense she felt as if she couldn't breathe. A half-smile was on lit
his face, and as they both came to stand about only a foot apart, he
glanced behind her, and suddenly frowned. "Where's your car?"
Her eyes widened, and then she laughed, feeling a bit foolish.
"I think I left it back at Papa Joe's."
He grinned, shaking his head. "I'll get it for you later."
She nodded, still gazing up at him. "How come you're out
here?"
"How come you're back so soon?"
"Answer mine and then I'll answer yours."
"Ladies go first."
She glared at him, then sighed. "Why don't we go inside and
talk there?" She started to lead the way.
He stopped her, grabbing her arm gently. "I'd rather stay out
here." He looked around, his eyes dancing. "It's breezy right now, and
I like it outside."
She thought about it for a moment, then walked back to face
him again. She gazed at him, and moistened her lips. "Darien…" Looking
at his face, she trailed off, changing her mind again.
"Look, I gotta tell you something," he told her, a flash of
doubt in his eyes.
Her pulse quickened, and she practically choked out, "Yeah?"
A slight laugh came out of his mouth, and he cleared his
throat. "It's just that…"
She stared at him, and suddenly had the urge to smile. He
looked so unsure of himself, so not what she was used to seeing him
like. The smile formed on her face, and a twinkle appeared in her
eyes.
He noticed it, and tilted his head. "What?"
"Nothing. Keep going," she replied immediately, absently
waving a hand in the air.
He put his hands on his head, and smoothed back his hair. He
glanced at her, and breathed out deeply. "Look. I just don't like you
with--that Daniel."
She turned her eyes away for a while, hardly able to restrain
a smile. "Why?" she asked in a soft voice. She hadn't wanted him to
start first, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed this. A wave of
joy washed over her when she thought he was going to say to her what
she had wanted to pour out.
"I just don't." He took a deep breath, and straightened up,
his cool posture back. "It's just that…seeing you--THINKING you being
with another guy, makes me crazy…you know?" He gently brushed a hand
against her cheek.
She felt a tingle through her body, and she smiled, wanting
him to go on. "And why is that?"
He opened his mouth, and then closed it, looking away. And
for a long moment, he didn't say another thing. Then, in a rush,
"Okay, this is ridiculous. I-I'm no good at this kind of things. I
just don't like you with him. That's all." He hesitated as if waiting
for a reaction, then stepped back. With a point of his thumb, he said,
"I'm--I'm going to go back. There are some things I need to pack into
my bag--for class."
She stood there, a little more beyond surprised.
Her mind was swirling a hundred miles per minute, and she wondered
what exactly went wrong. She wanted to say a million things, wanted
to ask him questions, and tell him--but all she got out was, "Really?"
And she immediately winced, thinking that she had encouraged him.
What was he doing, backing out suddenly? Was she crazy, or
hadn't he really wanted to say something more just a few minutes ago?
How could he suddenly change his mind so fast?
"Yeah. I mean, class starts tomorrow," he answered, taking a
few more steps backwards.
She wanted to stop him. But she couldn't find the energy to.
She felt as if the moment was gone--the desperate urge to confess
everything had vanished into thin air. Felt as if just those
discouraging words of his had drained all her power. She held back,
and nodded. "Okay." She felt like a fool, standing there, waiting for
his words--words that, she knew now, wouldn't ever be spoken to her.
"Aren't you coming in also?" He seemed hesitant, as if
waiting for something--waiting for her to do something.
But what? She knew now she couldn't say anything anymore,
even if she wanted to, because that would just push him away further.
She felt an overwhelming sadness, but shoved it back. "No. Um," she
managed a tight smile, "I left my car back at Papa Joe's, remember?"
"Oh." He took a step toward her, and asked, "Do you want me
to get it?"
She thought, a bit bitterly.
She raised her head, and shook it. "No. I'll do it myself." She turned
her heels, and started walking back down the path.
She didn't feel him coming after her, but she knew his eyes
were on her, watching her walk down the street in the darkness. Tears
were threatening to spill over, but she bit her lip, determined to not
let them fall. They blurred her vision, but she did not care. She wrapped both arms
around herself, feeling slightly chilly.
After she walked for a few more minutes, and the tears had
dried in her eyes, she suddenly felt a bit scared, along in the
streets in the cool night. She stopped, and her heart began to pound
nervously. This wasn't a good idea. It would be too dangerous to go
all the way back by herself.
She bit her lip, knowing that
it was an uncontrollable urge that drove her all the way from Papa
Joe's back here.
She stood, and glanced around, not knowing what to do. "Ugh.
I'll go back to the house." She wheeled around, and was about to
take a step, when a car honk took her attention. She ignored it,
and walked faster, not wanting to turn back and look.
The headlights flashed twice, and then she heard a voice
calling her name, "Serena!"
She immediately stopped, turned around and waited for the
car to stop. She recognized the voice. She just didn't know why he
was here, after what she had done. She held her breath, waiting for
a blow.
Daniel's head popped out of the car, and then he stepped
out, and flashed a smile when he saw her. "Hey--it's dangerous to
walk alone during this time, you know."
She managed a smile back, confused. "Daniel--why, why are you
here?"
"I don't know if it's you who's crazy, or me--but, isn't that
your precious BMW back at Papa Joe's?"
She laughed out loud, and shook her head. "And you came here
to get me?"
"Basically." He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Get in."
She nodded, and climbed into his car. She pulled the seatbelt
down, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry that I left in such a hurry.
And I can't believe that you would actually care to come drive me to
get my car." She looked at him in bewilderment.
He glanced at her, and smiled. "I'm an amazing guy."
She turned her eyes back to the road, and watched the red
light flash on as the car screeched to a halt. "Thanks," she said
softly.
"No problem. I mean, I couldn't just go home, seeing your car
parked there. Besides, I know you, Serena, I knew that you were gonna
come get it. And it really isn't safe during this time of the night."
She felt her heart soften. Yes, he did know her. They hadn't
dated for a year for nothing. She smiled at him lightly, a thankful
look over her eyes.
The light became green, and Daniel stepped on the accelerator.
"So, uh…what exactly happened anyway? I mean--you were rushing back
for something. Or is it someone?" He didn't look at her, keeping his
eyes on the road.
"It's Darien."
He glanced at her, seemingly surprised that she answered so
quickly. Pulling on a careless expression, he asked, "So what
happened?"
"Nothing," she answered immediately, shifting in her seat.
"Then why is your nose red?"
She didn't reply. Then, she laughed softly, and shook her
head at him. "It's frustrating when you wanna lie to someone who knows
you too well."
He laughed also, and leaned back in his seat. He let his left
hand slip down from the wheel, and drove the car professionally with
only his right. "Yes, so you can't squirm out of it now. Come on,
Serena--tell me about it."
She looked at him sideways, and sighed deeply. "Honestly, I
don't know what happened, either. I HAD thought that I would go back
to the house, and--and confess everything to him. But…I don't know,
the moment just suddenly disappeared."
"And by confessing everything, you mean…" He trailed off,
leaving her to fill in the blank.
"That I…" She stopped, unable to get out the words.
Irritated, she leaned her head back, and blew out a huge breath of
air. "But it doesn't matter now. Tomorrow's first day of class, and…
looks like nothing's gonna happen tonight."
"Aww, now I'm insulted. You're with me, all right? We can
still go somewhere and celebrate the end of summer." He flashed a
brief grin at her, in a boyish way.
She couldn't help but smile back. She looked at the digital
clock in the car. "But it's almost nine. I wanna go home and get some
sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow."
"Come on, Serena! You used to be all play and little work!
What happened? Don't tell me this summer changed you that much." He
flashed on his left blinker, and turned to drive into Papa Joe's
parking lot.
"I'm just tired. Besides, I have my car here, remember? Where
can we go if we're driving two different cars?" She got out of the car
after he turned off the engine, and fished out her car keys from her
bag.
He locked his car and followed her to her BMW. Before she
inserted her key into the door, he stopped her by placing a hand on
her arm. "Then leave it here. We'll go somewhere in my car, and we'll
come pick up your car later."
She turned fully to look at him. A slow, exasperated smile
formed on her face, and she shook her head. "You and your crazy ideas.
How can I forget them?"
He grinned, his eyes dancing into hers. "So come on, what do
you say? There are only a few more hours until summer vacation is
literally over."
She stared down at the ground, smiling as she thought about
it. What was Darien doing at this moment? She shut her eyes tightly,
remembering what happened. She forced the thought to the back of her
mind. Daniel was here. And after the way that she had ditched him at
Papa Joe's, she knew she had to make it up to him somehow. She raised
her head, and exhaled largely. "So where are we off to?"
Darien threw down his notebook in frustration, and sat down on
his bed heavily. He ran a hand through his hair, and looked at the
watch on his left wrist. Serena still wasn't back yet. He looked
through the open door out to the living room and sighed.
What the hell had he been thinking, letting her wander into
the dark like that? Why hadn't he stopped her? He grunted, and got up
to walk out of his room. He glanced up to look at Serena's door, and
it was opened, no light coming from inside. And he knew that she wasn't
in anyway, because he had been keeping an eye on the door ever since
he came in.
He had told her that he would get the car for her. But
afterwards, he had felt that she wouldn't want him to drive her car,
and so he left her to get it herself. He grew annoyed, at himself and
at her. He knew she had wanted to say something, too--but she had held
back also. Also. Meaning, he didn't exactly tell her what he had in
mind, either.
He sighed. He stood by the front door, and pushed away the
heavy drapes to look out the street. There was no sign of her. Did it
take this long to walk to Papa Joe's and DRIVE back with a car?
Suddenly, his eyes widened in alarm. But it WOULD take this
long, and even longer, if something had happened. His heart started
to race in nervousness, but then he told himself to shake out of it.
Serena was a strong girl, and nothing was going to happen to her.
But still, he resisted the urge to race out and start a
search for her. It wasn't his style, and it certainly wouldn't help
if Serena knew just how much he really cared for her.
He went still. Why would it matter? Didn't he want her to
know that he cared about her?
At this realization, he suddenly remembered the words he had
told Serena. 'When you break up with someone, you literally BREAK UP.
You don't leave any connections.' He turned away from the window, and
leaned against it, sighing in frustration. Those words were what had
stopped him. He knew, from every single girlfriend he had ever had,
that if he and Serena broke up, he was not going to leave any strings
dangling in the air.
But they were roommates. And neither he nor she should move
out of the house just because HE wanted a clean breakup after they
broke up. And he didn't want her out of his life forever. He liked her
presence, liked knowing that she was just a holler away, and he could
see her anytime he wanted.
And what was he thinking about, anyway? A clean breakup--
they weren't even together.
He smiled unconsciously, but his thoughts led to the clock
again. 11:47. She had been gone for almost three hours. He started
to pace around, his brows knotted in a deep frown.
A light abruptly shined in through the window, and he
immediately went to open the door. He saw Serena's BMW pull up to the
driveway, and he sighed in relief. So she was home. Suddenly, he had
a million questions to ask her, and one of them the most important--
where had she gone?
Then, realizing that he was still standing at the door
staring, he quickly went back inside, but left the door open. He
figured that she had already seen him anyway. He sat down on the
couch, and randomly picked out a magazine to look through from the
piles that lay underneath the glass table.
Serena came in. He watched her from the corner of his eye as
she took off her shoes, and proceeded into the kitchen. His eyes were
on the magazine, but he was fully focused on her movements.
She walked out with an apple in her hand. He remarked
casually, flipping a page with his right thumb and index finger. "I
thought you just went to get your car."
She stopped, and he felt her eyes on him--burning into him.
"I did. But I met Daniel on the way, and we went somewhere."
He felt his blood run cold just at the mention of Daniel's
name. He cleared his throat, but didn't look up. "Oh really? You
must've had a nice time."
"I did." There was a challenging tone in her voice, and he
heard the crisp sound of her teeth biting into the apple.
"You should really get some sleep. You told me that you have
an early class tomorrow."
"It's none of your business as to when I'm going to bed."
At that, he raised his brows and looked at her. Her cheeks
were flushed, and her eyes were sharp, as if expecting a fight. He
wondered what was wrong. Keeping his voice relaxed, he said, "Why the
sudden defensiveness? I was just watching out for you."
"Yeah, I'm sure. That's why you let me walk into the dark
streets all by myself," she said bitingly, deliberately emphasizing
the word "myself."
He stopped himself from flinching. "Well, nothing happened
to you, right? And besides, you had Daniel meet up with you halfway.
And if I had went with you, what would he have thought?"
"You--" She stopped suddenly, and took a deep breath. "Never
mind, okay? I am sleepy, and I am going to take a shower and then go
to sleep."
"Good girl," he couldn't help but add with a smile. He saw
her stiffen, then watched as she climbed up the flight of stairs to
the second floor. As soon as she went into her room and shut the door,
he breathed out deeply. So maybe he hadn't welcomed her with friendly
arms. But at least she was home, and he found out where she went.
With Daniel. His expression hardened, and he muttered the
name with disgust.
"God, could he have been any MORE careless?" Serena fumed,
and slammed her bag down on the desk. She narrowed her eyes, and
threw up her hands. "I have been gone for three hours, dammit, and he
acted like it was nothing!"
She had came home, hoping that he would be waiting for her,
because she thought he would be worried. And when she saw him standing
at the door when she drove her car up the driveway, she felt she could
burst. But no--of course he was just standing there because he saw
someone coming.
She had gone practically crazy with Daniel tonight. They went
to the amusement park, and she nearly threw up all she had today on
the roller coasters. She had never felt so dizzy in all her life.
Daniel was good company, there was a close bond between them, and
she felt at ease being with him. But she couldn't quite bring herself
to actually ENJOY everything, especially when her mind was all on
Darien. She hated the fact that she couldn't push him out of her
mind, and she was so annoyed by it she didn't even know that nearly
three hours had sped by.
And she got even more irritated to find him sitting
comfortably on the couch, reading a MAGAZINE when she walked in
the front door. As if he couldn't be more relaxed about the fact
that she took MUCH longer than expected to drive back her car. She
knew she shouldn't have gotten so defensive, but she didn't know
how to act when he behaved like that.
"What did I expect him to do, anyway? Sweep me off my feet
and tell me how worried he had been?" A bitter look formed on her
face, and she buried her head in her hands. Her mind went back to
a few hours before, when they had both stood in front of the house,
and she had been one second away from baring her heart to him. She
wondered what happened that made them turn back to practically how
they were before, when she had first moved in.
She shook her head. "I can't get worked up over this. Class
starts tomorrow, and I cannot start my fall semester with a head full
of unnecessary thoughts."
She sat down on her bed, and bounced up on the mattress
because she had dropped down so solidly. She kicked her feet, and
then felt like laughing at the fact that she was acting like a child.
With a groan, she fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Her head felt slightly dizzy, and she glanced over at the clock on
her nightstand. Her eyes widened, and she immediately sat up. "I
need to take a shower."
She grabbed her night jersey from the chair and walked out
of the room. "And that remark about Daniel! Did he think I planned
on meeting Daniel or something?"
Raye walked into the kitchen the next morning, yawning and
stretching at the same time.
Chad grinned when he saw her, and said, "I would kiss you,
but I'm afraid you have bad breath."
She rolled her eyes, and deliberately opened her mouth wide,
huffing out air. "I already brushed my teeth, and washed my face.
And combed my hair, AND put on decent clothes--and you're not
helping."
"I didn't know what am I supposed to help with."
"It's first day of class, stupid! Luckily my class starts
later, otherwise I have to be up and running around like Serena's
doing in her room." She went over to Chad, and they shared a short
kiss. She smiled, and took out a slice of bread from the bag that
was already sitting on the counter. Covering it with peanut butter,
she asked, "Darien's still in his room?"
"Yeah, I guess. He's not in the living room."
"Oh, okay."
Serena appeared abruptly, panting. "I am gonna be so late
for my first class! I can't believe it! I'm POSITIVE I had set my
alarm at 6:45 yesterday night, but it didn't ring until 7:05! Dammit!
Ugh!" She half-ran to where Raye was, and grabbed a piece of bread
from the loaf.
Raye met Chad's eyes across the room, and they both shook
their heads, smiling. "I guess this is the real Serena after summer
vacation," she said to no one in particular.
Serena finished her one piece of bread in such a hurry that
Raye thought she was gonna suffocate. Then, after she clearly
swallowed everything, she asked, "How do I look?"
Raye surveyed Serena's clothes--a black sleeveless V-neck
tee, a pair of baggy green Camouflage pants which hung down low,
baring her flat and smooth midriff. Her hair was separated into
two long blond braids, which draped down in the front. Raye smiled,
and replied, "Looks nice--very much like you're going to be training
in the army. Let me guess--you threw on the first outfit you put
together?"
"Yeah," Serena grinned, and grabbed a glass from the cabinet.
"I thought black fitted rather well with camouflage." She poured juice
into it, and gulped it down in one swallow. "All right, all right,
bye you people. Be thankful that you don't have classes early like
me." She placed the glass down on the counter before hurrying out of
the kitchen, "Thanks for washing the glass for me!"
Raye rolled her eyes as the front door slammed shut. "What
time's your class?" she asked, focusing her attention back on Chad.
"It doesn't start until after 12*. So I got plenty of time,"
he answered, smiling lazily.
*:: (A.N. I'm not in college, but I've heard that people's class
times could start differently, depending on what classes they take.
If I'm wrong, though, tell me but please don't blame me. ^-^)
"I wonder why Serena wants to take a class early, anyway.
From what I know so far, I'm sure that she doesn't like waking up
early." She shook her head, and then took Serena's glass from the
counter. She proceeded over to the sink, and turned on the faucet.
"I don't know her any more than you do," he stated.
She finished rinsing the glass, and she placed it back to
the cabinet, then turned around to face him. "And I also wonder
what's keeping Serena and Darien from being together already. They
had like, the entire summer, yet they still can't find that simple
string to pull them together."
He sighed, nodding. "I know what you mean. They seem to fit
each other so well, yet it's amazing how they can't find their way
there."
"It would be perfect if they would get together. We can go
on double dates and--"
"Excuse me?" Darien's voice interrupted her, and Raye froze
instantly. He came into the kitchen, looking both sleep-deprived and
irritated. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Nothing you would care about, anyway."
He glared at her, then looked away, his eyes on the food
placed on the counter. "I'm gonna go get washed up." He yawned and
then made his way out.
Chad made a face, and laughed out loud. "That was close."
Raye crossed her arms, staring blankly out to the living
room. "Actually, I want Darien to hear me. He needs to get some sense
knocked into him."
"Yeah, I agree," Chad commented, "Usually he's very quick
on getting girls--I wonder what's keeping him in this case."
She turned her head to glare at him. "That's because Serena
isn't like any other girl! I can't believe you would even think of
comparing Serena to all the others girls Darien's dated and dumped!"
She sighed, and a thoughtful look came over her eyes. "I think he's
very intrigued by her."
"I'll admit that much. But, this is for sure--" Chad stood
up, and wrapped his arms around Raye. "He's not as lucky as I am."
He grinned down at her, causing her to blush deeply.
She wrinkled her nose at him, but smiled back pleasantly.
Serena held up her left wrist and looked at her watch. Boy,
was she starving. The hectic schedule of college classes was taking a
little time to adjust to again. She stepped forth in line, and smiled
back at the person who stood behind the counter. "Hello. Can I have a
blueberry muffin, and a bag of that kind of chips over there, please."
She pointed with a finger toward the stack that was placed to the
right.
"Is that all?" the girl asked, punching in some numbers into
the machine.
"Uh…how about a Pepsi, too--medium," Serena added, feeling
the thirst in her throat.
"All right. That'll be five dollars and seventy-five cents."
She nodded, and took out her purse from the knapsack on her
shoulder. She paid the amount, and waited for her food. A sudden yawn
pried her mouth open, and she immediately covered a hand over it,
embarrassed. She didn't know why she kept on yawning. Perhaps it was
because it was the first day, and she was not used to taking classes
so early in the morning.
She found an empty table, and as soon as she sat down, she
heard someone shout her name. Surprised, she turned toward the voice,
and was speechless when she saw Daniel. She managed a friendly smile, and waved him over. "Hey!
Grabbing some quick lunch also?"
Daniel grinned, and surveyed the food on the table. "Whoo!
Not eating so healthily now, are we?"
She looked down, and felt a small pang of guilt, but
quickly brushed it away. "At least I'm not having ice cream--you
should check out all the orders that were made before me in line."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Gosh, it's hot, isn't it?"
He eyed her soda.
She rolled her eyes, and pushed it forward. "If you're
thirsty, take a drink--but don't finish it all, please," she added,
remembering the times before when he had finished her food without
permission.
He gladly took the drink, and swallowed a few gulps before
putting it down on the table, smiling broadly. "Thanks, I owe you."
"Now how about marching over there and order some food for
yourself before you begin to form ideas on mine?"
He raised an eyebrow, and placed his elbows down on the
table, his eyes glinting. "How about you go out to dinner with me
tonight?"
Again, she was flabbergasted. Looking at him with widened
eyes, she forced a laugh after a few seconds, "You're joking right?
We just spent a night together yesterday."
"And yet I still haven't had enough." He grinned, "Come on,
Serena--just a small dinner somewhere. I'll take you to my favorite
place."
She straightened up, and moistened her lips. "Daniel…what
is this? I thought we broke up two months ago, and even though we
decided to stay friends--two nights in a row? I don't think so."
The grin slipped off his face, and he cleared his throat.
"We're CLOSE friends, Serena, and close friends do go out with each
other very frequently. And I really…miss you."
She stayed silent, and stared at him, her expression
unyielding.
"Fine, then--if you don't want it tonight, then how about
tomorrow night? Or if you prefer--this weekend? I just want a small
meal with you, you know--the one I didn't claim yesterday?"
Her lips twitched. It was just like him, trying to make her
feel guilty and give in. She sighed exasperatedly. "We already went
to the amusement park together. And besides, Daniel, a dinner is
okay, but I don't like the idea of this dinner. If you're trying to
make us get back together again…it's not gonna work."
"I wasn't, but just out of curiosity--why won't it work?"
She smiled. "Because I don't like you anymore. And I don't
know why you're doing this, but I do know that it isn't because
you've fallen madly back in love with me again."
He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again, his
gaze sliding down.
"I do think that we should stay friends--good friends, but…
come on, you can't seriously tell me that it won't be a date if you
ask me out a second time."
He sighed, and then stared at her, an admiral look in his
eyes. "You always seem to get to the bottom of things. I don't know
how you do it--especially when other girls are so easy to lie to."
She felt slightly hurt, hearing him confess that he had,
indeed, lied to her. But she started to eat her muffin, and brushed
the feeling away.
"All right, then--I'm gonna get going now. Looks like I won't
be seeing you again soon." He stood up from the table, a smile on his
face.
She swallowed the food in her mouth, and smiled back,
extending her arms. "You can always call me and ask me out to
movies--with a group."
He hugged her, replying, "Of course, I wouldn't think
otherwise."
"All right, all right. Now leave me to finish my lunch--my
stomach is growling like crazy."
He laughed, and pulled away, stepping back. Then, the grin
disappeared, and he said in a sincere voice, "I hope that Darien guy
knows what he's got."
She was taken back. Before she could think of something to
respond with, he smiled at her again and went out, pushing back the
glass doors. She sat down on her chair once more, and held the
half-eaten muffin to her mouth.
"Aaah! Home sweet home!" Raye exclaimed immediately after
she closed the front door. She took off her sandals, and fell down
on the couch, stretching elatedly. "Anybody home?" She waited for an
answer. Then, when she was left with no reply, she frowned and sat up.
"Chad? Serena?" She looked at the clock, and murmured, "That's a
surprise. Darien has to work at the store, but at least Serena or
Chad should be home."
She got up, and was prepared to go upstairs when the door
suddenly swung open. She looked back, and saw a tired face of Serena's
staring back at her. "Serena!" She hurried to Serena's side, and put
an arm around her. "You look exhausted! What happened?"
Despite the fatigue clearly displayed on her face, Serena
smiled--a rare, full one, which caused her eyes to light up brightly.
"I stayed at the library after my last class, and I didn't realize
that I was so tired until I had practically cracked my head on the
table--I was dozing off."
"And the reason that you're so happy is because…?" Raye
smiled back, but arched her eyebrows suspiciously.
"I got a call from Mina!"
"Mina?"
"Yes!" Serena grinned, and happiness danced in her eyes as
she pushed back strands of hair. "My cell phone rang just as I almost
fell asleep--I forgot to turn it off. And so of course, I had to go
outside to take it. But it was worth it! She's coming to visit over
winter break! Can you believe it?"
"Yeah…that's great." Raye couldn't help but feel a twinge of
jealousy as she watched how ecstatic Serena was over the news. But
almost immediately, she scolded herself. Quickly, she grinned back, and,
to push away her guilt, she said, "Don't worry--the months will pass
by so soon you won't even have time to blink an eye before it's
winter break."
Serena looked at Raye, and then threw her arms around her.
"How did you know I was just getting to worry over that? Thanks,
Raye--for assuring me."
"Of course. What are friends for?"
A sharp slam of the front door startled them both. They
pulled away, and fastened their eyes on Darien. "What, no welcoming
parties?"
Raye was the first to speak. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No. Why?" He kicked off his shoes, tossed his backpack down,
and went into the kitchen.
Hearing the faucet running, Serena suddenly recalled
Daniel's words. 'I hope that Darien guy knows what he's got.'
Involuntarily, she blushed, and then became frustrated that those
words affected her.
Darien came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with a
paper towel.
"Well, since it's so late--and we haven't gotten anything to
eat, I thought we would go out and grab something to eat." Raye
looked back and forth between Serena and Darien, waiting for
agreement.
"What about Chad?" Serena asked, realizing that there was
one person missing out of the four that lived in the house.
"Well then…let's have a delivery."
"I second to that." Darien held up a hand.
Serena shrugged. "Fine. I'm going upstairs first--I'm gonna
take a shower." She got up and took her knapsack off the floor,
taking it with her.
"Speaking of it, you should scrub extra hard--you look
tired," Darien remarked with a smirk, looking at her closely.
"Thanks for noticing. But I don't think scrubbing is gonna
help," Serena replied dryly.
His eyes stayed with her until her form disappeared behind
the door of her bedroom. He looked back at Raye, and ignored the smile
in her eyes as she crossed her arms, her eyebrow raised. "Well. I'll
order the pizza--combo topping, if that's possible." He strode to the
phone, and picked up the receiver.
Serena came out of her bedroom, freshened up, the tiredness
wiped away from her face. She put on a smile, sniffing the delicious
smell of hot pizza in the air. She walked slowly down the stairs, and
when she was in the kitchen, she smiled and asked, "You guy didn't
finish everything, did you?"
"How can you think of us being so low? Of course not!" Chad
motioned for her to sit down.
She laughed, and said, "Hey, Chad."
"Well, why don't you tell her about your assignment, Chad?
Maybe Serena could help you," Raye looked at him, encouraging with her
eyes.
Serena cocked an eyebrow, and asked, while picking up a slice
of pizza. "What is it?"
"I'm supposed to pick a poem and research on it--the author
and all. I know it's supposed to be easy--but, really, I just don't
know where to start. There are so many poems in the library, and I
can't go through all of them, one by one, to find one that I like."
"Why can't you just borrow a couple of books of poetry, and
then read through those? There's bound to be at least ONE that you'll
like," Darien said, his hand at the pizza box for his second slice.
"Yeah--that's what I would suggest, too. But then, why you
need to ask me if he already answered your question?" Serena asked,
puzzled.
"Raye told me that you used to love reading poems--and had
copied some down on a notebook, so I was thinking, maybe you could
recommend some--and I can do a research on one," Chad answered.
"I have lots of poems that I like--but I'm not so sure that
you'll like them too."
"Well, if you really like them, then I don't think that
they're going to be totally distasting to me."
Serena nodded, and smiled. "Then, of course. I'll look up
some after we finish eating."
Chad grinned, relief flooding his face. "Thank you."
"No problem." Serena bit into her piece of pizza, and a
thought occurred to her. "What about you, Darien? You write poems,
so there's bound to be poems that you know and like, too--that you
can recommend to him." She smiled innocently at the rising pinkness
of Darien's cheeks.
"You write? I didn't know that!" Chad exclaimed, shocked
beyond belief.
"Yeah, well, so I do. What's so surprising about that?"
Without missing a beat, Serena replied, "Nothing, except
that you actually write pretty good, too. 'A kiss in a dream, does
it mean anything?' Very poetic, I assure--" Suddenly her face went
white, as she realized what she had let slip out.
The words were not lost on him, as his eyes sharpened, and
pierced into hers directly. "What did you just say?"
Her heart was pounding nervously, the sound so loud that
she knew practically everyone could hear it. "Wha-what do you mean?"
The muscles on his face were tense, and his eyes held hers
evenly as he asked, "How do you know about those two lines?" His
voice was controlled, leveled but demanding.
All the blood rushed out of her face, and she swallowed
nervously. God, what had she done now? He was going to find out now,
that she had sneaked into his bedroom and read his poems. She felt
as if she was going to faint. He would hate her! She knew he hated
anyone who pried into his privacy--he would hate her so much that,
judging by his temper, he wouldn't ever speak to her again. She bit
her lip, bit down on it so hard that she almost cried out
immediately.
"Uh…I'm going to catch that show on TV…come with me, Chad,"
Raye said quietly, realizing that the two needed to be left alone.
She got up from the stool, and pinched Chad lightly as she turned
around toward the living room.
Chad immediately took the hint, and stood up quickly, taking
his plate and pizza with him. He looked back at the other two once,
about to say something, but, realizing that they weren't even paying
attention to him or Raye, he snapped his mouth shut and silently
walked out.
By now, Darien had put down the slice of his pizza in his
hand, and made his way around the counter to stand before Serena.
"Answer me," he commanded, his tone firm.
She couldn't glance up, but she noticed that his hands were
curled into fists, shaking at his sides. She cringed, and wondered
how the day had grown into this. She had been so happy, when Mina had
called, and now, when she thought she would just share a warm
pizza-meal with her roommates, she had to immediately turn stupid and
make a slip of the tongue. She hoped that her voice sounded clear as
she spoke, "Why are you so worked up? I just--hey, I had the dream,
too, you know--it's not surprising that you used it to write a poem
on."
"You repeated the exact same words that I had written down.
That's not even called a coincidence. Tell me the truth--how do you
know about them?"
She clenched her teeth, and told herself to gain control of
her body. She slowly looked up, raising her eyes to his, determined
not to let him notice the unsteadiness that she was unable to
conceal perfectly.
He smirked, but his eyes did not move from her face. "Come
on, Serena, I'm not going anywhere. I live here, remember? So don't
think you can wiggle your way out of explaining."
"I wasn't thinking of trying to 'wiggle my way out' of it."
"Good, then. Give me the explanation."
"Well," she started, her mind working furiously, trying to
make up something that she hoped would convince him. "Raye mentioned
it to me the other day, when we were talking." She widened her eyes,
desperately hoping that she looked innocent, "She liked that poem,
and she quoted it for me."
"Really? Raye quoted the poem?"
"Yes." She almost smiled, hearing the slight belief in his
voice. "And believe me, she really thinks that you've done a good
job on it…although you haven't finished it." She tried to smile, but
found her face muscles were too tight to move.
"Okay. But tell me this," The corners of his lips lifted up
slightly, forming a half-smile on his face. "Why did Raye leave the
room? Shouldn't she defend you when I asked you how you knew?"
She forced herself to relax, knowing that she wouldn't get
anywhere if she were nervous. "I don't know." She lifted her chin,
looking at him defiantly. "Maybe she didn't want to be trapped and
investigated, like me right now."
He smiled, and shook his head, a light dancing in his eyes.
"Am I that scary?"
"Oh no, of course not." She added just the right of sarcasm
into the words.
"You know you might've convinced me with that little lie, if
not for the fact that Raye hasn't even read my poems."
She sucked in her breath, stunned. She hadn't expected this.
Grasping at last hope, she began, "Are you sure? Maybe you have shown
her, you know, and don't remember it--"
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." He said the words lightly, but
they stopped her cold. He leaned in close, so close that she could
smell his breath--of delicious cheese. She winced, but held his gaze,
determined not to look away. "I haven't shown my poems to anyone, and
I always thought that no one knew what I wrote…until now." He inched
closer, his face so near she could only focus on his blue eyes, all
the other parts a blur.
Her heart was hammering wildly, but she forced herself to sit
still, absolutely resolute to not let him catch her at even a second
of weakness. She gazed into his eyes, and her mind worked furiously,
trying to come up with some kind of explanation to give to him when
he asked what she knew he was going to ask.
"You're not very good at lying, you know," he continued, "You
are much too fidgety, and unlike yourself. Maybe you should practice
some more before you try to convince me of something."
As she looked at his cocky expression, anger rose in her.
She couldn't stand it when anyone thought he or she knew everything
there was about her. And the way that he looked did not mend the
situation, either. "Don't you dare tell me that I'm lying when it was
YOU who wouldn't tell me the truth!" she blurt out before she could
stop herself.
A surprise look came over his face, but he tilted his head,
interested. "Really? Would you care to explain that? And please, be
honest this time."
That last added sarcasm gave her the final push she needed.
Her cheeks flushed, and the words poured out, one after another, with
her unable to control them. "Yesterday night, in front of the house--
I KNOW that you were trying to tell me something, trying to confess
something--but you chickened out at the last moment. And just for the
record, I also had something to confess, but you ruined the moment--
I don't know if you did that on purpose or not, but that destroyed
everything! I so wanted to tell you, to come clean with my heart, but
you--you just ended it cold. You crushed my hopes, even though only
god knows why I even HOPED for something that I TOLD myself over and
over and OVER again--would never happen." She took a deep breath, and
said lastly, taking in his shocked expression, "You wanted truth,
and I gave it to you."
He was speechless. He had never been caught speechless
practically his whole life. And yet, here he was, his mind not even
trying to form words, for it knew that it would take at least a
minute before he overcame his surprise.
Her breaths came quick, and she held her heart in her
throat, desperately hoping that he wouldn't insult her. Wouldn't
laugh at her and tell her that she had imagined it all. She frowned
slightly, because just a few minutes before, she had been so sure of
what--at least, what would've happened last night; but now, looking
at him, at the shock conveyed on his face, she felt that her hands
were actually trembling.
It seemed like a century before he at last replied, "You're
right."
"Right?" She forced the word out, uncomprehending.
"I did want to tell you something last night--because I
nearly went crazy thinking of you and that Daniel being together. I
couldn't stand it in the house, so I went out to wait for you to
come back."
She sighed, partly from relief and partly from joy. "And?"
His gaze slipped down, and he said the words in a way as if
recalling a foggy dream, "And you came. Almost as immediately as I
sat my butt down on the pavement. I had nearly burst with happiness
when I recognized you walking. And there was that…that look in your
eyes, as if you knew exactly what I was gonna say."
She felt as if she couldn't breathe. She shakily nodded,
well aware that he was now staring right into her eyes, the same
intensity in them that she had seen last night. "I guess it was
because I was going to say the exact words."
"Really?" His voice was especially soft.
She could only nod, for she couldn't find her voice at the
moment.
He stepped closer, and touched a hand to her face, his
thumb softly caressing her left cheek. "Wanna tell me now?"
"Why should I go first?" A smile tugged at her lips as she
asked teasingly.
"Because…" he trailed off, moving to close the last distance
between their feet. He leaned in so close that she now had to raise
her head to meet his eyes. He brushed away some of her bangs with his
right hand, while his left hand circled her waist, pulling her up
against him.
She waited, wanting the moment to last forever. Was this how
it felt like to be in the arms of the person that one desired the most?
She resisted the urge to close her eyes, somehow thinking that if she
did, she would open her eyes to find that it was all a dream.
"Because you love me," he said at last.
She raised wide eyes to his, and began to protest, "No I
don't!" But she couldn't evade the slow smile that was beginning to
form on her lips. "You just think you know everything, don't you?"
"Well," he placed his lips close to her forehead, barely
touching, and whispered softly, "Not everything. But I'm sure as hell
right about this."
She laughed, and leaned into him, a faint blush covering her
cheeks. Somehow, she felt a bit uncomfortable at the fact that he knew
before she was certain. Determined to not let him have the upper hand,
she demanded, "What about you?"
"Me what?" He kissed her forehead, brushing his lips against
her skin delicately.
A thought occurred to her suddenly, and she asked instead,
with a slight frown on her face, "Why did you stop yesterday night?"
She heard him sigh, and she waited patiently, knowing he was
going to come clean sooner or later. He pulled back, and held his two
hands at her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. "Because I
was afraid."
Now she was confused. Her frown deepened, and she asked
quizzically, "Afraid of what?"
"You're going to think I'm heartless."
"Oh yeah? Try me."
"I was…I was afraid that if we breakup--I'll have to push
you out of my life forever."
Her face cleared as she understood, and she shook her head
slightly. "Darien. We're in college right now--and college is
supposed to be a time where people experience things. Do things,
RISK things…just because you don't want any 'strings dangling',
doesn't mean that I have to disappear from your eyesight."
"But it'll pain me if I see you."
"Why are talking about this anyway? It's so depressing.
Besides, we're not even together, and you're talking about what's
gonna happen after we break up. Isn't that a little ridiculous?"
He chuckled, but nodded sheepishly. He hugged her close
again, his head against hers. "You're right. But not about one
thing--we ARE together now."
She raised an eyebrow, and leaned back to look up at him,
laughter in her eyes. "And when, may I ask, did we decide on that?"
"Just now."
She laughed, and her arms circled his neck. "I can already
see what I am in for."
"Oh really?" He touched her cheek softly.
"Yeah. And you know--you haven't even admitted it yet."
"Admit what?"
"You know fully too well what I'm talking about. Admit it,
now."
"All right, all right. But you gotta kiss me first."
"Darien…!"
**************
And it's finished! During this time of one year ago I started this,
and now a year later I get to finish this. Ha!
*sighs contently and kicks back* My second complete series out of the
seven that are out. *grunts* I am so far away from halfway done, even.
Please drop me a line! Or lines! Just tell me what you think! =D
Visit my website at http://www6.brinkster.com/moonieround
Try Me is done! Aaahhh…