I'm ba-ack! *creepy Poltergeist music plays* Yeah, I'm back! *Already!* I just posted
Chapter Twelve this morning! *does a cute little dance* Yay! Thanks to Bunny_Moon
for unintentionally giving me the idea for this chapter and therefore inspiring me! Thnx!
Runaway
Chapter Thirteen
You Said You'd Never Leave Me
(You Said You'd Always Love Me)
Jessica hurried down the hospital hall after her cousin, Andrew.
"Why do I have to be here?" she whined. "I don't even *know* Serena!"
Andrew turned around and fixed her with a steely gaze.
"But you know me," he amended, "And you know Darien. Can't you be there for him?"
*Darien.* Jessica's heart softened immediately at the sound of his name. Dreamy Darien.
She'd always liked him, but just as a friend. She was perfectly happy with her own
boyfriend, Devon (AN: *LoL, Princess!!!*), who had practically blown a fuse when she'd
helped Darien pull one over on his girlfriend, Serena. The only reason she was here was
to support him, and because she just felt so damn bad about what she'd done last year.
Jessica never would have done it if she'd known the girl would react like that--the loud,
heart-wrenching wails had kept her up for more than a few nights last year.
"You're right, Drew," Jessica said brightly as she resumed her bouncing pace. "I'll do it
for Darien, and to try to make up for last year to Serena."
"Good," Andrew said, briefly flashing her a smile.
*God, he's cute. Why did we have to be cousins?*
Finally, they reached the room that the nurse had told them Darien's girlfriend occupied.
Andrew gently knocked on the open door, but Jessica bounded right through and gave
Darien a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, babe!" she giggled, trying to make the pained expression on his face go away. It
worked--Darien's face brightened at the sight of Jessica's cheerful face. She'd become
one of his best friends since she'd pretended to be his girlfriend.
Andrew was the only one who noticed Serena's face pale dramatically.
(AN: Before, it was sort of Andrew and Jessica's POV, now it's more Sere's.)
Serena's hand started to shake with suppressed anger. Her previously warm moonlight
blue eyes turned to pale, blue-green ice.
"Darien," she said shakily. He turned to look at her and his face filled with concern.
"Bunny? Are you okay?"
Outside, Serena was the picture of cool. Her face was composed and her gaze was
unwavering. The only clue to her insecurity was her shaking hand, which was concealed
under the thin blankets. Inside, she was a complete and utter mess.
*How could he let her come here? I thought he really cared about me again. I'm so dumb,
he just felt sorry for me.*
"Get out." Serena said flatly.
His sapphire eyes widened in confusion.
"Bunny--" he began, but was cut off by a shout from Serena.
"Don't *ever* call me that! I never want to see you again, Darien. Leave me alone for
once." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared defiantly at the blankets,
apparently waiting for them to get out.
Andrew and Jessica exchanged nervous glances.
"Uh...We're gonna go get a drink," Andrew said, clearing his throat. "We'll be back later.
Come on, Jess. Feel better, Sere." The two exited hurriedly.
Darien grabbed Serena's hand and pulled it from her own grasp. Unvoluntarily, she
looked up, then quickly tried to avert her eyes. Too late. He already had a grasp on her
chin and was making her look up.
"What was that, Bunny?" he snapped angrily. "We were getting along great--and then
Drew and Jessie came, and you--oh, God. Jessica."
Serena nodded sharply, her eyes filling with unwanted tears.
"How could you bring her here?" she asked. Her voice cracked and she sounded
heart-breakingly vulnerable.
Darien pulled her into the secure circle of his arms. She pushed at his chest, but found
herself drained of energy.
"Bunny...She's not my girlfriend." he sighed into her short blonde hair. "She never was."
Serena pulled away from him. For a moment, she looked like she believed him, but then
a dark shadow came over her face.
"Don't lie to me, Darien." her face was dark and scary. Darien withdrew his arms, looking
at her with a fair amount of surprise. Serena never used to be like this.
"I'm not--" he began, but suddenly she broke into fresh sobs and fell against his chest.
"You said you'd never leave me!" she sobbed brokenly. "You...you promised..."
Here, Serena's voice trailed off the coherent trail. However, Darien could still make
out a few words.
"Never keep their promises... Everyone...The cancer...They promised...*you* promised..
Jessica...lies..."
Darien sighed and leaned back against the wall, holding her tightly in his arms.
"I was stupid, Buns." he said softly into her head. "I promise I'll never leave you again."
"Promises aren't forever." Her voice was muffled, but he heard it clearly and he felt like
he'd been punched in the stomach. "No one ever keeps them. They're made to be broken."
Chapter Twelve this morning! *does a cute little dance* Yay! Thanks to Bunny_Moon
for unintentionally giving me the idea for this chapter and therefore inspiring me! Thnx!
Runaway
Chapter Thirteen
You Said You'd Never Leave Me
(You Said You'd Always Love Me)
Jessica hurried down the hospital hall after her cousin, Andrew.
"Why do I have to be here?" she whined. "I don't even *know* Serena!"
Andrew turned around and fixed her with a steely gaze.
"But you know me," he amended, "And you know Darien. Can't you be there for him?"
*Darien.* Jessica's heart softened immediately at the sound of his name. Dreamy Darien.
She'd always liked him, but just as a friend. She was perfectly happy with her own
boyfriend, Devon (AN: *LoL, Princess!!!*), who had practically blown a fuse when she'd
helped Darien pull one over on his girlfriend, Serena. The only reason she was here was
to support him, and because she just felt so damn bad about what she'd done last year.
Jessica never would have done it if she'd known the girl would react like that--the loud,
heart-wrenching wails had kept her up for more than a few nights last year.
"You're right, Drew," Jessica said brightly as she resumed her bouncing pace. "I'll do it
for Darien, and to try to make up for last year to Serena."
"Good," Andrew said, briefly flashing her a smile.
*God, he's cute. Why did we have to be cousins?*
Finally, they reached the room that the nurse had told them Darien's girlfriend occupied.
Andrew gently knocked on the open door, but Jessica bounded right through and gave
Darien a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, babe!" she giggled, trying to make the pained expression on his face go away. It
worked--Darien's face brightened at the sight of Jessica's cheerful face. She'd become
one of his best friends since she'd pretended to be his girlfriend.
Andrew was the only one who noticed Serena's face pale dramatically.
(AN: Before, it was sort of Andrew and Jessica's POV, now it's more Sere's.)
Serena's hand started to shake with suppressed anger. Her previously warm moonlight
blue eyes turned to pale, blue-green ice.
"Darien," she said shakily. He turned to look at her and his face filled with concern.
"Bunny? Are you okay?"
Outside, Serena was the picture of cool. Her face was composed and her gaze was
unwavering. The only clue to her insecurity was her shaking hand, which was concealed
under the thin blankets. Inside, she was a complete and utter mess.
*How could he let her come here? I thought he really cared about me again. I'm so dumb,
he just felt sorry for me.*
"Get out." Serena said flatly.
His sapphire eyes widened in confusion.
"Bunny--" he began, but was cut off by a shout from Serena.
"Don't *ever* call me that! I never want to see you again, Darien. Leave me alone for
once." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared defiantly at the blankets,
apparently waiting for them to get out.
Andrew and Jessica exchanged nervous glances.
"Uh...We're gonna go get a drink," Andrew said, clearing his throat. "We'll be back later.
Come on, Jess. Feel better, Sere." The two exited hurriedly.
Darien grabbed Serena's hand and pulled it from her own grasp. Unvoluntarily, she
looked up, then quickly tried to avert her eyes. Too late. He already had a grasp on her
chin and was making her look up.
"What was that, Bunny?" he snapped angrily. "We were getting along great--and then
Drew and Jessie came, and you--oh, God. Jessica."
Serena nodded sharply, her eyes filling with unwanted tears.
"How could you bring her here?" she asked. Her voice cracked and she sounded
heart-breakingly vulnerable.
Darien pulled her into the secure circle of his arms. She pushed at his chest, but found
herself drained of energy.
"Bunny...She's not my girlfriend." he sighed into her short blonde hair. "She never was."
Serena pulled away from him. For a moment, she looked like she believed him, but then
a dark shadow came over her face.
"Don't lie to me, Darien." her face was dark and scary. Darien withdrew his arms, looking
at her with a fair amount of surprise. Serena never used to be like this.
"I'm not--" he began, but suddenly she broke into fresh sobs and fell against his chest.
"You said you'd never leave me!" she sobbed brokenly. "You...you promised..."
Here, Serena's voice trailed off the coherent trail. However, Darien could still make
out a few words.
"Never keep their promises... Everyone...The cancer...They promised...*you* promised..
Jessica...lies..."
Darien sighed and leaned back against the wall, holding her tightly in his arms.
"I was stupid, Buns." he said softly into her head. "I promise I'll never leave you again."
"Promises aren't forever." Her voice was muffled, but he heard it clearly and he felt like
he'd been punched in the stomach. "No one ever keeps them. They're made to be broken."