Oct 2000
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing them. The story,
however, is mine.
It Matters To Me.
Chapter 2
Everything was fuzzy, out of focus and she ached everywhere. Her hand
was bandaged and she could barely feel her fingers, her side ached abominably
and her head felt like a little man with a sledge hammer was trying to get
out. She raised her un-bandaged hand to her head, or tried to, but a solid
weight was holding it down. Her eyes focused momentarily on the weight and a
blonde head topped with a brilliant red bow became clear. "Mina?"
The bow slid out of view to be replaced with concerned eyes, "Serena?
You alright?"
"I think so. What happened?"
"You were hurt pretty bad. Amy's mom was on duty at the hospital and
she fixed you up. We're at my house. Mom and dad are on some kind of trip.
How are you feeling?"
"I'll be fine by tomorrow. Actually bad as I feel right now it won't
keep me down for long. How are Amy and Raye and Lita?"
"Alive, thanks to you. Amy is back on her feet today, a little banged
and bruised but she'll be alright. Lita's still favoring her arm but she
should be ok when school starts again Monday. Raye's no worse for wear,
she's already mostly healed but her hair," Mina grinned, "is going to take a
while to re-grow. She lost a good foot to that monster's attacks. And, I
hate to say this, but we had to cut just over two feet off of yours. We
almost lost you Sere."
Serena closed her eyes, "I wish you had Mina," she told her friend
quietly. Her voice was stricken, tight with feeling and she felt a gentle
pressure on her fingers.
"It will all work out, Serena, you'll see."
"I wish I knew for sure, Mina, but it hurts, it hurts so much," her
voice cracked and she licked her lips, her eyes still closed. Behind her
eyelids she saw a picture of his face, the beloved face of the man who'd
broken her heart without giving her a reason. "He looks at me one way, his
body language tells me something else and then his words convey yet another
message. I don't know how much more of this I can take. He didn't even come
when I needed him last night."
Mina leaned up over the bed and hugged her, brushing her bangs gently
out of her face, "You'll be back up to doing stuff come Monday, Serena, but
you need to rest, don't think about him, alright?"
Her eyes opened and Mina looked straight into the torn and bleeding
heart of her friend, seeing the pain and anguish she tried to hide for the
sake of her friends and family. Mina gasped at the depth of the pain she saw
and instinctively reached out and wrapped a hand around Serena's, lending her
strength. "I can't help it." Serena whispered, turning her face away, tears
shining in them, "He's with me everywhere I go, in anything I do and every
time I think of him I feel like I'm going to have my heart torn from my
chest. I see him on the street and it hurts deep down knowing I can't run
over and hug him, or hold him. I can't even sleep at night without dreaming
about him Mina and every time I remember the good times I want to laugh and
sing and then the last words he said-" she bit off the words, unable to
continue past the lump in her throat.
Mina sighed, settling down on the edge of the bed and tightened her grip
on Serena's uninjured hand.
"I just want to be alone, Mina," she said finally, her voice thick with
tears.
Mina nodded, releasing her hand and then stood. Without a word, she
left the room, closing the door behind her.
On the bed, Serena turned her head towards the window and, closing her
eyes, saw his face. Hot, silent tears leaked out from under her eyelids and
slid slowly down her cheeks.
********
The receiver slammed down on the phone base and he thrust one hand into
his hair, dragging the midnight strands out of his eyes. One hand was
wrapped in gauze, the splinters and remnants of the glove still in place in
the abused flesh. He hadn't bothered to pull them out, feeling it was
fitting to leave them in to match what he felt inside. She wasn't home; she
was out with the girls and had been all night. How typical. After a near
brush with death, as with every monster she seemed to fight, they tended to
go out and relax, and spend money, usually his, though not of late, to remind
themselves of what it was to feel alive. He sighed, feeling sick for no
reason, his side aching for an unknown reason and his good hand feeling as if
it was tender to the touch.
He strode away from the phone and grabbed his coat off the back of the
couch, glancing outside. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the
sky. In mid July he doubted he would really need it. Thinking better of it,
he threw it back on the couch and grabbed his house keys, sliding into his
shoes as he stopped briefly at the door and then exited his house. He had to
see her today, something compelling him to seek her out. Knowing the girls,
they'd probably be hanging around the arcade. With purposeful steps he
headed towards the elevator.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing them. The story,
however, is mine.
It Matters To Me.
Chapter 2
Everything was fuzzy, out of focus and she ached everywhere. Her hand
was bandaged and she could barely feel her fingers, her side ached abominably
and her head felt like a little man with a sledge hammer was trying to get
out. She raised her un-bandaged hand to her head, or tried to, but a solid
weight was holding it down. Her eyes focused momentarily on the weight and a
blonde head topped with a brilliant red bow became clear. "Mina?"
The bow slid out of view to be replaced with concerned eyes, "Serena?
You alright?"
"I think so. What happened?"
"You were hurt pretty bad. Amy's mom was on duty at the hospital and
she fixed you up. We're at my house. Mom and dad are on some kind of trip.
How are you feeling?"
"I'll be fine by tomorrow. Actually bad as I feel right now it won't
keep me down for long. How are Amy and Raye and Lita?"
"Alive, thanks to you. Amy is back on her feet today, a little banged
and bruised but she'll be alright. Lita's still favoring her arm but she
should be ok when school starts again Monday. Raye's no worse for wear,
she's already mostly healed but her hair," Mina grinned, "is going to take a
while to re-grow. She lost a good foot to that monster's attacks. And, I
hate to say this, but we had to cut just over two feet off of yours. We
almost lost you Sere."
Serena closed her eyes, "I wish you had Mina," she told her friend
quietly. Her voice was stricken, tight with feeling and she felt a gentle
pressure on her fingers.
"It will all work out, Serena, you'll see."
"I wish I knew for sure, Mina, but it hurts, it hurts so much," her
voice cracked and she licked her lips, her eyes still closed. Behind her
eyelids she saw a picture of his face, the beloved face of the man who'd
broken her heart without giving her a reason. "He looks at me one way, his
body language tells me something else and then his words convey yet another
message. I don't know how much more of this I can take. He didn't even come
when I needed him last night."
Mina leaned up over the bed and hugged her, brushing her bangs gently
out of her face, "You'll be back up to doing stuff come Monday, Serena, but
you need to rest, don't think about him, alright?"
Her eyes opened and Mina looked straight into the torn and bleeding
heart of her friend, seeing the pain and anguish she tried to hide for the
sake of her friends and family. Mina gasped at the depth of the pain she saw
and instinctively reached out and wrapped a hand around Serena's, lending her
strength. "I can't help it." Serena whispered, turning her face away, tears
shining in them, "He's with me everywhere I go, in anything I do and every
time I think of him I feel like I'm going to have my heart torn from my
chest. I see him on the street and it hurts deep down knowing I can't run
over and hug him, or hold him. I can't even sleep at night without dreaming
about him Mina and every time I remember the good times I want to laugh and
sing and then the last words he said-" she bit off the words, unable to
continue past the lump in her throat.
Mina sighed, settling down on the edge of the bed and tightened her grip
on Serena's uninjured hand.
"I just want to be alone, Mina," she said finally, her voice thick with
tears.
Mina nodded, releasing her hand and then stood. Without a word, she
left the room, closing the door behind her.
On the bed, Serena turned her head towards the window and, closing her
eyes, saw his face. Hot, silent tears leaked out from under her eyelids and
slid slowly down her cheeks.
********
The receiver slammed down on the phone base and he thrust one hand into
his hair, dragging the midnight strands out of his eyes. One hand was
wrapped in gauze, the splinters and remnants of the glove still in place in
the abused flesh. He hadn't bothered to pull them out, feeling it was
fitting to leave them in to match what he felt inside. She wasn't home; she
was out with the girls and had been all night. How typical. After a near
brush with death, as with every monster she seemed to fight, they tended to
go out and relax, and spend money, usually his, though not of late, to remind
themselves of what it was to feel alive. He sighed, feeling sick for no
reason, his side aching for an unknown reason and his good hand feeling as if
it was tender to the touch.
He strode away from the phone and grabbed his coat off the back of the
couch, glancing outside. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the
sky. In mid July he doubted he would really need it. Thinking better of it,
he threw it back on the couch and grabbed his house keys, sliding into his
shoes as he stopped briefly at the door and then exited his house. He had to
see her today, something compelling him to seek her out. Knowing the girls,
they'd probably be hanging around the arcade. With purposeful steps he
headed towards the elevator.