Author: Azn Angel
Title: How Did I Fall in Love with You Chapter 1
Email: star_wingz13@yahoo.com
Rated: PG
Inspired by the song "How Did I Fall in Love with You" by the Backstreet Boys
He~llo, everyone! This is my first songfic, yay!
Anyway, this is an alternate reality. In my old version of HDIFILWY, I used
the dub names, no Japanese, and the main characters were college age. Well,
I'm still using the dub names (it just seems right), BUT the characters will
be high school age instead. Sorry if this disappoints you, but it's a lot
easier to write with characters that are a bit younger, and therefore *grins*
goofier. Some of them may be just a bit out of character, but they haven't
changed too much, OK? Also, it says Darien's one year older than Serena.
Andrew is the same age as Darien. But, they are all in the same grade, because
Serena was born in the summer and is the youngest of all of them (meaning the
whole gang).
And please, people who think the Backstreet Boys totally suck, don't be
prejudice against this fic because it's based upon the song. I really hate
all that anti-boy bands stuff, or only liking N'Sync and not the BSB, or
whatever band, OK? This isn't the real song, it was just INSPIRED by it.
OK, the beginning's a bit boring, but trust me, it'll be worth your time. If
it seems like a waste after you finish reading, feel free to flame. *pumps
fist* Exercise your right for freedom of speech!
Enjoy the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own the song "How Did I Fall in Love with You", which was
written by the Backstreet Boys, or Sailor Moon.
~*~*~*~
*****Toddler Years*****
A one year old Darien Young, hand held protectively in his mother's,
approached a quaint, pleasant little house, cream colored and cozy, windows
open invitingly, surrounded by well-tended rosebushes and a large, wizened
oak tree. It was the middle of summer, and a blue sky with white, fluffy
clouds made this scene a picture-perfect place.
Wendy Young rang the doorbell. The door opened a moment later, revealing a
man in his late twenties. "Wendy!" he exclaimed, embracing her as an old
friend.
"Ken!" Wendy smiled at the man. "How are you? How's the new baby?"
"Oh, fine. The baby is still healthy and playful, and hasn't been too loud,
either," Ken Windham said.
All of a sudden, a loud wail burst through the halls.
Ken smiled sheepishly, and yawned. "Well, not too loud."
Wendy laughed, although she took note of the bags under Ken's eyes, and the
slight droop of his eyelids.
"So," Ken said. "Where's Paul?"
"He's in the car, getting out... something or the other." Wendy smiled.
"No!" Ken's hearty laugh rang out, reading the expression on her face. "You
didn't have to!"
"We insist!" Wendy said. "You gave this little one here a nice surprise when
he was born. We must." She gently put Darien down. "We're sure the little
darling will just love it. We picked it out at..."
Wendy and Ken's voices began to fade away as Darien crawled away from his
mother and "Uncle Ken" from side to side down the lovely furnished hallway.
He reached a room (he couldn't quite remember what it was, but he like the
wallpaper in that certain room, he remembered), and peeked in.
He saw "Auntie Ikuko" in the living room, a bundle of pink and white blankets
in her arms, settled in a rocking chair. (AN: OK, OK, so I kept her name in.
So sue me.) He cleared his throat hesitantly, and spoke two of the few words
he knew.
"Auntie Ikookoo?"
Ikuko Windham looked down at the small boy. "Why, hello, Darien!" She smiled.
"Would you like to see who I'm holding?"
Darien stuck his thumb into his mouth, and nodded.
Crawling up on the sofa next to the chair, Darien peered over and into the
blankets. Ikuko moved a white blanket, revealing a pale face, eyes closed,
breathing in soft, even breaths.
"Be quiet." Ikuko whispered. "I just got her to sleep."
Darien nodded solemnly, looking at the baby silently.
Suddenly, the baby's eyes snapped open, staring straight at Darien. He
blinked in surprise. The color of sky was staring at him, full of joy.
The baby gurgled and cooed happily, and grabbed one of Darien's fingers.
That day, Darien Young and Serena Windham met.
~*~*~*~*
*****Childhood Years, School, Recess*****
Serena giggled happily. "More, Darry, more!" she called from a swing. (AN:
That's Darien's cute little nickname. My friend Achika and I made it up in
Reading class.)
Darien smiled, then pushed more, watching the girl going from side to side.
Her blonde curls glinted in the sunlight, and she laughed gleefully.
"Whee!" she squealed.
"Hey, Sere!" Darien called up to her. "I'm kind of thirsty. I'm going to get
a drink of water. I'll be right back, OK?"
"OK!" she called back.
Darien watched her a little more, with a look of protectiveness, then
skittered away to the line of children at the water fountain.
Serena swung happily, closing her eyes, seeing the swirls of red, orange,
and yellow blend behind her eyelids by the sun. Blocking out the sounds of
other children laughing, she imagined herself up above the clouds, soaring
high into the sky, when suddenly--
"Owie!" she cried, being thrown off of her swing. She looked back, and saw a
group of boys, one occupying the swing she was shoved off of. "Hey! I was
there first! If you wanted to ride, you could have asked!"
The boy on the swing glared at her. "It isn't your playground."
"It isn't yours either!"
"And what are you gonna do about it, huh?" a boy leaning against a pole
sneered. "Throw pebbles at us? Hit us with your jump rope?"
"No." a guy in front of all of them said. "She's going to get her Darry,
right, Sere?"
They all laughed.
Serena felt tears spring to her eyes. "What do you want? I didn't do anything
to you!"
"Well, you are the one who stopped Darien from hanging out with us." the boy
in front said meanly.
Serena's lower lip trembled a little. "I... I didn't mean to..."
"Aww," he said. "Are you going to cry, little Sere?"
"No one calls me that but Darry!" Serena choked.
They erupted in laughter again.
"A problem here, Sere?" a cool voice asked from behind.
They all turned to look at him. Darien met the boy's gaze expectantly. "Well,
Robbie?"
Robert Stevenson, also known as Robbie, gulped, then smiled shakily. "Nothin',
just getting to know your little friend better, heh heh."
"It doesn't look like that to me, Robbie," Darien said. "Don't make me do
anything."
"I wasn't doing anything! Do anything to me and I'll tell!"
"Right, Sere here is swinging, while you push her off. I think you got it
backwards. She didn't do anything, but you certainly did."
"Aww, come on, man, we go back, remember? You and I have been friends since
frist grade--"
"We were friends," Darien interjected.
"Wh-what?" Robbie cringed backwards at Darien's words. "You mean... We're not
friends?" He raised his nose, glaring. "Fine. Whatever. I can take you. I've
got four other guys (two of which have stayed back a grade) while you only
have your Sere." His lackies guffawed appreciatively. "C'mon, Darien, don't
be a tattletale and go all goody-goody on me."
"Do I have to say it again?"
Robert's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Say what? Aww, you're confusing me!"
"You know what I mean." Darien said quietly. "I could either tell everyone in
our class what's the one thing in your bedroom that no one knows about except
me--"
Robbie's eyes widened.
"--or you could back off and leave Sere alone."
Robbie glared at the pair, then muttered to his cronies, "C'mon, guys," and
left.
Darien turned to Serena, concern evident on his face. "Are you OK?"
Serena smiled up at him in awe. "I'm fine, Darry. Gosh, you're so brave and
smart, standing up to those meanies!"
Darien grinned back, then helped her up. "What would you like to do now?"
"The swing, of course!" The swing was Serena's favorite.
"Still?" he laughed. "OK." Darien helped her into the swing, and gave her a
push.
"Yay!" Serena squealed.
~*~*~*~*
*****Middle School Years, Darien's house*****
With a sigh of relief and triumph, Darien shut his math book closed with a
thud. He stretched back in his chair, and looked outside his room window
into the starry night. 'I don't know...' he thought to himself. 'Finishing
your homework on a Friday night is oddly satisfying... Now I have the whole
weekend free, and Mom and Dad are out for the night...'
DING DONG! The ringing of the doorbell sounded through the empty house. He
started, and looked to his watch. It was nine o' clock. Who would come at
this hour? Did his mother forget her key again?
He ran down the stairs, then cautiously peered through the peep hole of the
front door. Blonde haired wrapped in two pigtails met his eyes. "Serena!"
He opened the door. "Hey, Sere, what's up? I thought you had a date--"
He stopped short at the sight of her crying face. "Sere?! What's wrong?! Are you OK?"
She shook her head, one fist rubbing at her eye.
"What's wrong? Here, come inside." He closed the door behind her, leading
her into the living room.
Serena hiccupped, looking around the familiar room. Her face scrunched up
again, thinking about what just happened. A new string of sobs erupted from
her.
"Shh shh shh!" Darien comforted. "It'll be alright! It's OK!" He wrapped her
in a hug, and Serena dug her face into his shoulder appreciatively, her tears
staining his sweater.
After her sobs had subsided into sniffles, Darien moved away to look at her.
"Sere? What's wrong?"
She sniffled again, then mumbled something he couldn't quite hear.
"What was that?" Darien coaxed her gently.
Sniff. Mixed mumbles again.
"Huh?"
She wiped away a stray tear, then said softly, "Robert broke up with me."
(AN: That's right, folks, the old-time playground bully turns out to be
Serena's boyfriend!!! *audience gasps*)
Darien's eyes widened. "What?!"
Serena's gaze fell to her lap. "Yeah. He broke up with me. He said that he
was tired of me, and wanted to go out with someone else, Abby Podson."
"Abby?" Darien repeated. "Why would he go for Abby, when he has you?"
She buried her face in her hands. "'Cause she's prettier, smarter, nicer..."
"Hey, hey, hey." Darien said softly, moving her hands away to look at her in
the face. "Don't say that about yourself. No one can be prettier then you, or
smarter than you, or nicer than you. It's Robert's loss."
Her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh, Darry..." She buried her face into his
shirt again. He hugged her gently.
Time passed, and so did Serena's crying. She looked up into his face, and
said, "You were right, Darry. You warned me about him, but I didn't listen.
You said he would hurt me, that he'd only use me, make me cry. Now look where I
am. You were right."
Darien didn't reply. He simply hugged her again, and said once more, "It's
his loss, Sere."
"Thanks, Darry."
He gave no respond, but continued to comfort her through the night. (AN: NOT
like THAT! They're only in middle school!) He was there, once again. He was
there to save her, once more.
~*~*~*~
*****The Present*****
Serena Windham, a beautiful teenager now, stepped out of the same house
where she and Darien had first met. "Bye, Mom!" she called over her shoulder.
"Good-bye, dear! Have a good day!" Ikuko Windham said.
Serena walked across the grass to her mailbox. She checked her watch. 7:59.
Just like clockwork, Darien would be there to pick her up on his bicycle,
just like he always had for the past five years, and ride together to school,
in, counting down, 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Ding ding! The familiar tinkle of his bike bell sounded. She smiled at the
noise. She had given that to him when he had gotten his bike for his tenth
birthday. He had used it since. Though most boys would have preferred a loud
honking horn, Darien never made any complaints.
He skidded up to her, and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Sere."
"Good morning, Darry." she replied back. She eased on behind him, comfortably
fitting.
Darien began to pedal. "So, did you have any trouble with last night's math
homework?"
"Did I!" Serena gave a mock tired sigh. "I didn't fall in bed until around
ten o' clock! I don't know if I can keep up with the rest of you smart and
beautiful people!"
Darien laughed. This was her first time in an advanced math class, and (he
was proud to say), he had helped her get to this point. During middle school,
Serena's grades had dropped, but with the help of Darien's tutoring, her
grades greatly improved, and she was even taking advanced classes now.
"You'll get through," Darien reassured her. "It just takes a bit of getting
used to. Mrs. Hatfield is really cool, and she doesn't usually give us that
much homework."
A smile lit up Serena's face. "Yeah, and that was only 'cause Jerry was
messing with his calculator again. I almost laughed outloud when his
calculator sent sparks out, catching flame to his homework."
They both laughed in memory.
Not far away, two girls were watching our happy couple laugh and chat. "Ugh!"
one redhead gave a sound of disgust. "Just look at them! And they say they're
not going out! She's practically throwing herself all over him!"
The other one, brunette, sneered also. "This is sickening to watch."
"Hmph! What does he see in her anyway?! She's not even good-looking!"
The brunette glared at the innocent couple ahead of them. "Serena and Darien,
our school's top choice for the most perfect couple, yet they deny everything!
What's up with that?!"
The redhead shook her head. "They're so fake. I mean, their little clique,
thinking they're too good for the rest of the school, hmph! They're always
together, never letting anyone else to hang out with them, thinking they're
so smart, they're so cool, right, Ann?!" Her voice demanded her to agree.
Ann shook back her layered amber brown hair. "Totally! I mean, they may think
they're popular, but really, we're the most popular girls in school! All of
them are such geeks! Take that Amy girl, for example! What a bookworm! Such
a nerd!"
"Well, except for Darien," the redhead said as she eyed him hungrily. "He
would so fit in with us."
"I guess, but that Andrew would have to come too." Ann said. "What a hottie!"
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ann, but are you blind?! Can you not see
Darien right in front of us?!"
Ann rolled her eyes. "Sure, but you know neither of them will even come
near us, for some unfathomable reason. So you can just forget your little
daydream of becoming Darien Young's girl, 'cause it's not gonna happen."
She crossed her arms. "We'll see about that," Beryl whispered, still watching
the couple like a hawk. "We'll see."
~*~*~*~
As Darien pedaled easily towards North Star High School, five figures ahead
came closer into view. Darien skidded to a stop, and Serena jumped off. "Hi,
guys!" she greeted cheerily.
"Hey, Meatball Head!" a raven-haired girl greeted back. "Wow, you're not
late for once!"
"Ha ha ha," Serena said dryly. "Very funny, Raye."
Raye Wildresk's startling dark eyes glinted in the sun, making the look
almost violet. She elbowed Serena playfully. "Oh, you know I'm only kidding."
The truth was, when Serena's grades weren't that great during middle school,
her tardiness was worse. But thanks to Darien, once again, who provided a
ride to and from school everyday, she hadn't been late for over a year.
"Oh, guys," Mina Harper said. "You guys are just like you've always been."
She shook her head, grinning, then tossed a volleyball up in the air. "Well,
gotta go, guys. I gotta get to early morning practice." She caught the ball
when she ended her sentence. "Coach is saying we need to work on our moves a
bit if we want to beat West Valley High." She quickly wrapped her light
blonde hair into a bun and pinned it securely.
"Not fair!" Lita McGill said, holding Mina's volleyball for her as she did
her hair. "Do you get to skip first period?"
Mina nodded, holding up a pass with a wide, almost smug grin.
"No way! Miss Mr. Edwards's science class?! Too good to be true!" Andrew
Dayers groaned.
BRIIIIING!!! The school bell rang loudly, warning them they only had five
minutes to get to their classes.
"OK, guys, I gotta go!" Mina rushed off towards the gymnasium. "Catch ya
later!" she yelled over her shoulder.
Being they were all in the same homeroom, they all walked easily to their
lockers, which were clustered together. "Another day of school," Lita groaned
unhappily.
"Oh, come on, Lita! School isn't that bad!" Amy Carrings said, pushing a
strand of dark, almost blue hair out of her eyes. In the first year of middle
school, she had been given a dare to highlight her hair blue. Surprisingly,
she agreed, even though she wasn't the type to do something so extreme. Even more
surprising, the look worked for her. In her 8th grade year, she cropped her
hair short, and went with it ever since.
"You actually like school, Amy," Lita said, shutting her locker closed.
Amy stood up too, carrying her books. "I just have a positive attitude toward
learning and getting an education."
Andrew slammed his locker shut, then turn to the two girls. "You're one of a kind,
Amy. Ready?"
Serena stood up, accidently bumping into Raye's locker door. "Owww!" She
clutched her head.
"Oops!" Raye gasped. "I'm sorry, Serena!"
"Are you OK, Sere?!" Darien asked.
Serena felt through her hair. "I think so. There's no bump. Usually I'm
unconscious by this time..."
"Well, I guess after the fifteenth time, you get used to it," Raye joked.
Everyone laughed, even Serena, all knowing her every once an a while klutz
attacks. The second bell rang, indicating they should be in class now.
"Eep!"
"Uh oh!"
Everyone rushed off to Mrs. Wyeth's classroom, which was luckily right down
the hall. They slid into their seats, huffing and puffing, just as the bell
stopped ringing.
Mrs. Wyeth, considered the coolest teacher in school, looked sternly at them
for a couple of seconds through her oval glasses, then cracked a smile. "I'll
excuse you all this time."
They let out a sigh. The rest of the class giggled.
"Now, class," Mrs. Wyeth continued, standing up, drawing attention to herself
immediately. She had a talent of doing that. All her students listened to her
and didn't need to be told twice in her class. "I have something important
to say. We have some new students joining us today."
A small murmur of interest ran through the class. "Students?" Lita muttered.
"Plural?"
Mrs. Wyeth walked over to the door. "I trust you all will make them feel
welcome." She gave them all a hard look, then opened the door. "Come right
in!" She gestured them inside with a smile.
~*~*~*~
Bwaha! Who are these new students? Heh, this is totally different from my
old version, eh? Email/review!
star_wingz13@yahoo.com
~*~Azn Angel~*~
Title: How Did I Fall in Love with You Chapter 1
Email: star_wingz13@yahoo.com
Rated: PG
Inspired by the song "How Did I Fall in Love with You" by the Backstreet Boys
He~llo, everyone! This is my first songfic, yay!
Anyway, this is an alternate reality. In my old version of HDIFILWY, I used
the dub names, no Japanese, and the main characters were college age. Well,
I'm still using the dub names (it just seems right), BUT the characters will
be high school age instead. Sorry if this disappoints you, but it's a lot
easier to write with characters that are a bit younger, and therefore *grins*
goofier. Some of them may be just a bit out of character, but they haven't
changed too much, OK? Also, it says Darien's one year older than Serena.
Andrew is the same age as Darien. But, they are all in the same grade, because
Serena was born in the summer and is the youngest of all of them (meaning the
whole gang).
And please, people who think the Backstreet Boys totally suck, don't be
prejudice against this fic because it's based upon the song. I really hate
all that anti-boy bands stuff, or only liking N'Sync and not the BSB, or
whatever band, OK? This isn't the real song, it was just INSPIRED by it.
OK, the beginning's a bit boring, but trust me, it'll be worth your time. If
it seems like a waste after you finish reading, feel free to flame. *pumps
fist* Exercise your right for freedom of speech!
Enjoy the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own the song "How Did I Fall in Love with You", which was
written by the Backstreet Boys, or Sailor Moon.
~*~*~*~
*****Toddler Years*****
A one year old Darien Young, hand held protectively in his mother's,
approached a quaint, pleasant little house, cream colored and cozy, windows
open invitingly, surrounded by well-tended rosebushes and a large, wizened
oak tree. It was the middle of summer, and a blue sky with white, fluffy
clouds made this scene a picture-perfect place.
Wendy Young rang the doorbell. The door opened a moment later, revealing a
man in his late twenties. "Wendy!" he exclaimed, embracing her as an old
friend.
"Ken!" Wendy smiled at the man. "How are you? How's the new baby?"
"Oh, fine. The baby is still healthy and playful, and hasn't been too loud,
either," Ken Windham said.
All of a sudden, a loud wail burst through the halls.
Ken smiled sheepishly, and yawned. "Well, not too loud."
Wendy laughed, although she took note of the bags under Ken's eyes, and the
slight droop of his eyelids.
"So," Ken said. "Where's Paul?"
"He's in the car, getting out... something or the other." Wendy smiled.
"No!" Ken's hearty laugh rang out, reading the expression on her face. "You
didn't have to!"
"We insist!" Wendy said. "You gave this little one here a nice surprise when
he was born. We must." She gently put Darien down. "We're sure the little
darling will just love it. We picked it out at..."
Wendy and Ken's voices began to fade away as Darien crawled away from his
mother and "Uncle Ken" from side to side down the lovely furnished hallway.
He reached a room (he couldn't quite remember what it was, but he like the
wallpaper in that certain room, he remembered), and peeked in.
He saw "Auntie Ikuko" in the living room, a bundle of pink and white blankets
in her arms, settled in a rocking chair. (AN: OK, OK, so I kept her name in.
So sue me.) He cleared his throat hesitantly, and spoke two of the few words
he knew.
"Auntie Ikookoo?"
Ikuko Windham looked down at the small boy. "Why, hello, Darien!" She smiled.
"Would you like to see who I'm holding?"
Darien stuck his thumb into his mouth, and nodded.
Crawling up on the sofa next to the chair, Darien peered over and into the
blankets. Ikuko moved a white blanket, revealing a pale face, eyes closed,
breathing in soft, even breaths.
"Be quiet." Ikuko whispered. "I just got her to sleep."
Darien nodded solemnly, looking at the baby silently.
Suddenly, the baby's eyes snapped open, staring straight at Darien. He
blinked in surprise. The color of sky was staring at him, full of joy.
The baby gurgled and cooed happily, and grabbed one of Darien's fingers.
That day, Darien Young and Serena Windham met.
~*~*~*~*
*****Childhood Years, School, Recess*****
Serena giggled happily. "More, Darry, more!" she called from a swing. (AN:
That's Darien's cute little nickname. My friend Achika and I made it up in
Reading class.)
Darien smiled, then pushed more, watching the girl going from side to side.
Her blonde curls glinted in the sunlight, and she laughed gleefully.
"Whee!" she squealed.
"Hey, Sere!" Darien called up to her. "I'm kind of thirsty. I'm going to get
a drink of water. I'll be right back, OK?"
"OK!" she called back.
Darien watched her a little more, with a look of protectiveness, then
skittered away to the line of children at the water fountain.
Serena swung happily, closing her eyes, seeing the swirls of red, orange,
and yellow blend behind her eyelids by the sun. Blocking out the sounds of
other children laughing, she imagined herself up above the clouds, soaring
high into the sky, when suddenly--
"Owie!" she cried, being thrown off of her swing. She looked back, and saw a
group of boys, one occupying the swing she was shoved off of. "Hey! I was
there first! If you wanted to ride, you could have asked!"
The boy on the swing glared at her. "It isn't your playground."
"It isn't yours either!"
"And what are you gonna do about it, huh?" a boy leaning against a pole
sneered. "Throw pebbles at us? Hit us with your jump rope?"
"No." a guy in front of all of them said. "She's going to get her Darry,
right, Sere?"
They all laughed.
Serena felt tears spring to her eyes. "What do you want? I didn't do anything
to you!"
"Well, you are the one who stopped Darien from hanging out with us." the boy
in front said meanly.
Serena's lower lip trembled a little. "I... I didn't mean to..."
"Aww," he said. "Are you going to cry, little Sere?"
"No one calls me that but Darry!" Serena choked.
They erupted in laughter again.
"A problem here, Sere?" a cool voice asked from behind.
They all turned to look at him. Darien met the boy's gaze expectantly. "Well,
Robbie?"
Robert Stevenson, also known as Robbie, gulped, then smiled shakily. "Nothin',
just getting to know your little friend better, heh heh."
"It doesn't look like that to me, Robbie," Darien said. "Don't make me do
anything."
"I wasn't doing anything! Do anything to me and I'll tell!"
"Right, Sere here is swinging, while you push her off. I think you got it
backwards. She didn't do anything, but you certainly did."
"Aww, come on, man, we go back, remember? You and I have been friends since
frist grade--"
"We were friends," Darien interjected.
"Wh-what?" Robbie cringed backwards at Darien's words. "You mean... We're not
friends?" He raised his nose, glaring. "Fine. Whatever. I can take you. I've
got four other guys (two of which have stayed back a grade) while you only
have your Sere." His lackies guffawed appreciatively. "C'mon, Darien, don't
be a tattletale and go all goody-goody on me."
"Do I have to say it again?"
Robert's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Say what? Aww, you're confusing me!"
"You know what I mean." Darien said quietly. "I could either tell everyone in
our class what's the one thing in your bedroom that no one knows about except
me--"
Robbie's eyes widened.
"--or you could back off and leave Sere alone."
Robbie glared at the pair, then muttered to his cronies, "C'mon, guys," and
left.
Darien turned to Serena, concern evident on his face. "Are you OK?"
Serena smiled up at him in awe. "I'm fine, Darry. Gosh, you're so brave and
smart, standing up to those meanies!"
Darien grinned back, then helped her up. "What would you like to do now?"
"The swing, of course!" The swing was Serena's favorite.
"Still?" he laughed. "OK." Darien helped her into the swing, and gave her a
push.
"Yay!" Serena squealed.
~*~*~*~*
*****Middle School Years, Darien's house*****
With a sigh of relief and triumph, Darien shut his math book closed with a
thud. He stretched back in his chair, and looked outside his room window
into the starry night. 'I don't know...' he thought to himself. 'Finishing
your homework on a Friday night is oddly satisfying... Now I have the whole
weekend free, and Mom and Dad are out for the night...'
DING DONG! The ringing of the doorbell sounded through the empty house. He
started, and looked to his watch. It was nine o' clock. Who would come at
this hour? Did his mother forget her key again?
He ran down the stairs, then cautiously peered through the peep hole of the
front door. Blonde haired wrapped in two pigtails met his eyes. "Serena!"
He opened the door. "Hey, Sere, what's up? I thought you had a date--"
He stopped short at the sight of her crying face. "Sere?! What's wrong?! Are you OK?"
She shook her head, one fist rubbing at her eye.
"What's wrong? Here, come inside." He closed the door behind her, leading
her into the living room.
Serena hiccupped, looking around the familiar room. Her face scrunched up
again, thinking about what just happened. A new string of sobs erupted from
her.
"Shh shh shh!" Darien comforted. "It'll be alright! It's OK!" He wrapped her
in a hug, and Serena dug her face into his shoulder appreciatively, her tears
staining his sweater.
After her sobs had subsided into sniffles, Darien moved away to look at her.
"Sere? What's wrong?"
She sniffled again, then mumbled something he couldn't quite hear.
"What was that?" Darien coaxed her gently.
Sniff. Mixed mumbles again.
"Huh?"
She wiped away a stray tear, then said softly, "Robert broke up with me."
(AN: That's right, folks, the old-time playground bully turns out to be
Serena's boyfriend!!! *audience gasps*)
Darien's eyes widened. "What?!"
Serena's gaze fell to her lap. "Yeah. He broke up with me. He said that he
was tired of me, and wanted to go out with someone else, Abby Podson."
"Abby?" Darien repeated. "Why would he go for Abby, when he has you?"
She buried her face in her hands. "'Cause she's prettier, smarter, nicer..."
"Hey, hey, hey." Darien said softly, moving her hands away to look at her in
the face. "Don't say that about yourself. No one can be prettier then you, or
smarter than you, or nicer than you. It's Robert's loss."
Her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh, Darry..." She buried her face into his
shirt again. He hugged her gently.
Time passed, and so did Serena's crying. She looked up into his face, and
said, "You were right, Darry. You warned me about him, but I didn't listen.
You said he would hurt me, that he'd only use me, make me cry. Now look where I
am. You were right."
Darien didn't reply. He simply hugged her again, and said once more, "It's
his loss, Sere."
"Thanks, Darry."
He gave no respond, but continued to comfort her through the night. (AN: NOT
like THAT! They're only in middle school!) He was there, once again. He was
there to save her, once more.
~*~*~*~
*****The Present*****
Serena Windham, a beautiful teenager now, stepped out of the same house
where she and Darien had first met. "Bye, Mom!" she called over her shoulder.
"Good-bye, dear! Have a good day!" Ikuko Windham said.
Serena walked across the grass to her mailbox. She checked her watch. 7:59.
Just like clockwork, Darien would be there to pick her up on his bicycle,
just like he always had for the past five years, and ride together to school,
in, counting down, 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Ding ding! The familiar tinkle of his bike bell sounded. She smiled at the
noise. She had given that to him when he had gotten his bike for his tenth
birthday. He had used it since. Though most boys would have preferred a loud
honking horn, Darien never made any complaints.
He skidded up to her, and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Sere."
"Good morning, Darry." she replied back. She eased on behind him, comfortably
fitting.
Darien began to pedal. "So, did you have any trouble with last night's math
homework?"
"Did I!" Serena gave a mock tired sigh. "I didn't fall in bed until around
ten o' clock! I don't know if I can keep up with the rest of you smart and
beautiful people!"
Darien laughed. This was her first time in an advanced math class, and (he
was proud to say), he had helped her get to this point. During middle school,
Serena's grades had dropped, but with the help of Darien's tutoring, her
grades greatly improved, and she was even taking advanced classes now.
"You'll get through," Darien reassured her. "It just takes a bit of getting
used to. Mrs. Hatfield is really cool, and she doesn't usually give us that
much homework."
A smile lit up Serena's face. "Yeah, and that was only 'cause Jerry was
messing with his calculator again. I almost laughed outloud when his
calculator sent sparks out, catching flame to his homework."
They both laughed in memory.
Not far away, two girls were watching our happy couple laugh and chat. "Ugh!"
one redhead gave a sound of disgust. "Just look at them! And they say they're
not going out! She's practically throwing herself all over him!"
The other one, brunette, sneered also. "This is sickening to watch."
"Hmph! What does he see in her anyway?! She's not even good-looking!"
The brunette glared at the innocent couple ahead of them. "Serena and Darien,
our school's top choice for the most perfect couple, yet they deny everything!
What's up with that?!"
The redhead shook her head. "They're so fake. I mean, their little clique,
thinking they're too good for the rest of the school, hmph! They're always
together, never letting anyone else to hang out with them, thinking they're
so smart, they're so cool, right, Ann?!" Her voice demanded her to agree.
Ann shook back her layered amber brown hair. "Totally! I mean, they may think
they're popular, but really, we're the most popular girls in school! All of
them are such geeks! Take that Amy girl, for example! What a bookworm! Such
a nerd!"
"Well, except for Darien," the redhead said as she eyed him hungrily. "He
would so fit in with us."
"I guess, but that Andrew would have to come too." Ann said. "What a hottie!"
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ann, but are you blind?! Can you not see
Darien right in front of us?!"
Ann rolled her eyes. "Sure, but you know neither of them will even come
near us, for some unfathomable reason. So you can just forget your little
daydream of becoming Darien Young's girl, 'cause it's not gonna happen."
She crossed her arms. "We'll see about that," Beryl whispered, still watching
the couple like a hawk. "We'll see."
~*~*~*~
As Darien pedaled easily towards North Star High School, five figures ahead
came closer into view. Darien skidded to a stop, and Serena jumped off. "Hi,
guys!" she greeted cheerily.
"Hey, Meatball Head!" a raven-haired girl greeted back. "Wow, you're not
late for once!"
"Ha ha ha," Serena said dryly. "Very funny, Raye."
Raye Wildresk's startling dark eyes glinted in the sun, making the look
almost violet. She elbowed Serena playfully. "Oh, you know I'm only kidding."
The truth was, when Serena's grades weren't that great during middle school,
her tardiness was worse. But thanks to Darien, once again, who provided a
ride to and from school everyday, she hadn't been late for over a year.
"Oh, guys," Mina Harper said. "You guys are just like you've always been."
She shook her head, grinning, then tossed a volleyball up in the air. "Well,
gotta go, guys. I gotta get to early morning practice." She caught the ball
when she ended her sentence. "Coach is saying we need to work on our moves a
bit if we want to beat West Valley High." She quickly wrapped her light
blonde hair into a bun and pinned it securely.
"Not fair!" Lita McGill said, holding Mina's volleyball for her as she did
her hair. "Do you get to skip first period?"
Mina nodded, holding up a pass with a wide, almost smug grin.
"No way! Miss Mr. Edwards's science class?! Too good to be true!" Andrew
Dayers groaned.
BRIIIIING!!! The school bell rang loudly, warning them they only had five
minutes to get to their classes.
"OK, guys, I gotta go!" Mina rushed off towards the gymnasium. "Catch ya
later!" she yelled over her shoulder.
Being they were all in the same homeroom, they all walked easily to their
lockers, which were clustered together. "Another day of school," Lita groaned
unhappily.
"Oh, come on, Lita! School isn't that bad!" Amy Carrings said, pushing a
strand of dark, almost blue hair out of her eyes. In the first year of middle
school, she had been given a dare to highlight her hair blue. Surprisingly,
she agreed, even though she wasn't the type to do something so extreme. Even more
surprising, the look worked for her. In her 8th grade year, she cropped her
hair short, and went with it ever since.
"You actually like school, Amy," Lita said, shutting her locker closed.
Amy stood up too, carrying her books. "I just have a positive attitude toward
learning and getting an education."
Andrew slammed his locker shut, then turn to the two girls. "You're one of a kind,
Amy. Ready?"
Serena stood up, accidently bumping into Raye's locker door. "Owww!" She
clutched her head.
"Oops!" Raye gasped. "I'm sorry, Serena!"
"Are you OK, Sere?!" Darien asked.
Serena felt through her hair. "I think so. There's no bump. Usually I'm
unconscious by this time..."
"Well, I guess after the fifteenth time, you get used to it," Raye joked.
Everyone laughed, even Serena, all knowing her every once an a while klutz
attacks. The second bell rang, indicating they should be in class now.
"Eep!"
"Uh oh!"
Everyone rushed off to Mrs. Wyeth's classroom, which was luckily right down
the hall. They slid into their seats, huffing and puffing, just as the bell
stopped ringing.
Mrs. Wyeth, considered the coolest teacher in school, looked sternly at them
for a couple of seconds through her oval glasses, then cracked a smile. "I'll
excuse you all this time."
They let out a sigh. The rest of the class giggled.
"Now, class," Mrs. Wyeth continued, standing up, drawing attention to herself
immediately. She had a talent of doing that. All her students listened to her
and didn't need to be told twice in her class. "I have something important
to say. We have some new students joining us today."
A small murmur of interest ran through the class. "Students?" Lita muttered.
"Plural?"
Mrs. Wyeth walked over to the door. "I trust you all will make them feel
welcome." She gave them all a hard look, then opened the door. "Come right
in!" She gestured them inside with a smile.
~*~*~*~
Bwaha! Who are these new students? Heh, this is totally different from my
old version, eh? Email/review!
star_wingz13@yahoo.com
~*~Azn Angel~*~