Christmas morning found me staying at home watching cheesy tv specials. There was still a nagging tug at my heart about the seren….. the ex-best friend situation, but every time doubts arose I quickly shoved them down and glared at the screen. Around noon I got a call from Beryl, her scathing voice asking if I wanted to come over. She mentioned where she'd leave the key because she wasn't coming til later. I decided to go over to her apartment, not because I wanted to spend time with her, just because I was getting tired of "It's a wonderful life" after the third time I had seen it.
Her apartment disgusted me. For one who seemed to flaunt tons of money she lived in shabbiness.. or else she just had absolutely no taste. The apartment had a horrible smell that although I couldn't place reminded me of darkness. If darkness had a smell it would definitely be that from Beryl's apartment. The place.. LOOKED clean but.. something just seemed wrong.. Maybe it was because in reality I hated this girl and had only gone out with her to hurt Serenity. I figured that by doing so she'd be most hurt, considering she 'loved' me. If this was revenge how come I felt so terrible? Why was there this sudden fear of something happening in the near future? What the hell was wrong with me?! I shook my head and went to Beryl's kitchen. Thank god the woman at least had semi decent coffee in this disgusting place. Now on the quest for a mug!
I started to randomly open a few drawers and cupboards. Glasses, silver ware, plates.. peanut butter plastic bowls.. ? wait.. peanut butter? Who puts peanut butter in a cabinet?! Anyways it was through this search that I had saw a dark rectangular shape shoved in the back of a cabinet. Although I knew that it couldn't possibly be the coffee mugs I was searching for, something about it was telling me to find out what it is. Curiosity sucks. I closed the cabinet and went to the other side of the room finding absolutely no cups. I growled in frustration. I looked at that cupboard with the odd object in it and walked over slowly. Well curiosity never killed anyone right? Maybe it was a box holding coffee mugs! I pulled out the curious object to find it was an album. A photo album. Serenity's photo album. Serenity's photo album that had all the pictures of me in it. I slowly opened it to find large gaps between the pages where once lay the most embarrassing pictures of me there were.
GOD DAMN IT! This couldn't be happening to me! Not on Christmas! Not ever! This is one of the reasons that I hadn't accepted apologies or anything from Serenity! Beryl's fault? How did she get the albums? Did Nephrite mention Serenity's house being broken into? Maybe it was Jadeite.. Did that mean Beryl said Serenity was my fiancée as well? No.. no that couldn't be it.. Beryl was a jealous female idiot, she'd never voluntarily say that I was engaged to someone else. So then Serenity did actually do that didn't she? … who else could have said something insane like that?
My heart was hurting. What had I done? I should have accepted... I just needed to think.. and I couldn't think in this lousy apartment! I needed to get out! I jumped up, grabbing the album and running out of there as fast as I could. I didn't know where I should go. I couldn't go home, and I couldn't go to Serenity's house. The two places where I could usually find solace and solve my dilemmas. I was running through a park before I ran into someone.
"Sorry.." I mumbled not looking at who it was.
"Mr. Shields!" the voice cried. I took another look and saw it was my ditzy secretary who I really didn't want to deal with right now.
"Daisy.." I said cordially.
"Shouldn't you be with your fiancée on this wonderful Christmas?" she asked innocently. I glared at her angrily.
"I DO NOT HAVE A FIANCEE!" I bellowed. Daisy jumped as she was standing up, her face paled and she looked very nervous.
"bu-but.. I.. I th-thought.." she stuttered. I rolled my eyes.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to believe everything you hear? The papers lied." I growled angrily glaring at her.
"Well obviously they lied considering your public coordinator.. had called me in the middle of the night on the night of the premier and asked who Serenity Carroway was.. And after all that talk of marriage well what else could I think but.. and you two seemed oh so in love.." she finished with a dreamy look on her face. I froze, my feet stuck to the ground. My muscles tense. Everything I blamed my best friend, the torture she must have gone through. Everything I blamed on her she didn't do. Was I so much of an idiot that I didn't even realize that she would never do that? I lost my best friend over a stupid misjudgment on my part.
There could still be a chance where I could at least apologize right? The party was bound to start in maybe an hour at her house and I could get there in maybe an hour and a half. This could work out! Couldn't it? I spun around and managed to sprint to the car that I had parked near the horrid Beryl apartment. As I drove towards Beverly Hills, through the Santa Monica mountains I started to think about my relationship with Serenity. All that about how some guy would be lucky to have her. The feelings of almost jealousy when I found out she could be in love with someone else...What a gem she really was.. How I always came to her first what ever the cause, coming back from a trip, when I was distressed about something. How much fun her company was... Good lord.. I was in love with her! I'm in love with Serenity Carroway! My foot managed to push the accelerator to the floor. I had to see her! To kiss her! To tell her forever and ever how much I loved her.
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I barged into her house late that evening only to find eight worried sad faces sitting around the Christmas tree. None of the presents had been opened, no one was eating, drinking or even talking. The boy bunch were holding their respective girls tightly. No Serenity. What had happened? Where was she? Kunzite looked up to see me first and his face darkened considerably.
"What do you want?" He hissed, his eyes narrowed and dark. I started blinking stupidly. What had happened? This was Kunzite! Usually mild and laid back Kunzite!
"Where is she" I whispered, begging all of them to tell me where she was. Seven faces glared at me angrily. Nephrite looked torn between telling me or keeping to himself. This tense silence lasted for so long. It could have been a few seconds but it felt like forever. A knife could have cut through that tense silence. Until finally...
"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Amy screeched. Quiet, timid Amy jumped up, her eye were wild and she was obviously in hysterics.
"Amy.." Zoicite whispered quietly, trying to calm his insane wife.
"ITS YOUR FAULT SHE STOPPED EATING! ITS YOUR FAULT SHE'S IN THE HOSPITAL! YOU NEARLY KILLED HER!" Amy shouted, her face was haggard as Zoicite pulled her back down into his lap, whispering comforting words in her ear. My jaw dropped, I stood staring blankly at the cheerful Christmas tree. I couldn't imagine her not smiling. But Serenity in the hospital, hooked up to all those tubes.. She.. she nearly killed herself on account of me. This was all my fault. I was breaking. My heart was being ripped into tiny pieces and shredded, and the worse part was it wasn't even half of what I deserved. As fast as I barged into that house I barged out again. I didn't ask what hospital too much of a hurry to find her. Serenity.. I had to see her. I just had to!
Hospitals are evil. I hate them. One should not have to be at a hospital on Christmas. I hate them. Is it just me or do I hate a lot of things?... anyways.. I didn't need to lie to get past the front desk. The nurse took one look at me, and either it was by my worried "if I don't see this person I shall rip this entire building to pieces searching for her" look.. or my "dreamy eyes" as Serenity would put it.
When I saw her there, unconscious, looking pale, overly thin and near death. My heart broke all over again. I did this to the woman I loved. Me.. Why would she want to see the one who did this to her? The one that hurt her so badly? Why would she even want to be reminded of me? What was I thinking earlier today? That she'd forgive me? HA! There was no way she would forgive this. My eyes clouded over in pain. So this was how it ended? I just disappeared from her life? She'd get married and have kids and live a content life.. and me? I'd just live in loneliness. I walked over and leaned down so that my lips were barely hovering over hers. I could feel a faint puff of breath against my face and it made me burn. My head lowered the last millimeter, my lips met her unresponsive ones in a gentle kiss. In only a few moments I pulled away and glanced at her sadly.
"Goodbye Sere.." I whispered before walking out of Serenity's life. For what I thought would be forever.
(I thought of ending it here!! hehe.. isn't that evil?)
Five days from my visit to the hospital found me walking into the room before my office. All the cutesy little things that Daisy had decorated it with were gone. My manager had begged me to stay, but when I was adamant about disappearing. She made me promise that if I ever wanted to go back into the business I'd call her. As if that'd happen any time soon. There really was no word on the Serenity situation. And just on time to interupt all my angsty thoughts my cell rang. I didn't notice the number but only answered.
"Hello Endymion Darling...." Beryl's sultry voice sounded.
"Look you," I growled into the phone, "its over! I told you this allready. I never want to see you again and I hope you rot in hell."
"Tsk! Tsk!" she exclaimed in a sickeningly falsetto voice, " I won't be forgiving when you come crawling back to me.. for the third time..." My temper rose a couple of notches.
"LOOK You PATHETIC excuse for a human being, " I bit out, " you hurt the one person I truely love. You insulted her and thus you insulted me. for the last time leave me alone you insensitive whore!"
"That Serenity girl.." Beryl growled, nearly chocking on the word "serenity"
" Yes. Serenity Carroway. I love her more than anything!" I proclaimed before hanging up and my face fell, "too bad I lost her for good.." I murmered to myself. I slowly opened the door to my office, staring at the ground. I turned, closed the door and began to bang my head slowly against it in agony.
"You do realize that you are destroying 10 braincells with every time you bang your head?" a voice asked in an amused tone. I knew that voice.. I slowly turned around and lifted my eyes to see..
"But on the other hand, you also loose 150 calories per hour doing that." Serenity finished. She was sitting calmly in my chair wearing loose blue jeans and a white teeshirt. Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid. Her cheeks were now a delightful little pink and she looked ten times more healthy. My lips wordlessly formed her name and I stood frozen to the spot. She raised an eyebrow at me and blushed.
"I um.. well I heard everything that just happened out in that office.. someone left the intercom on.." she offered after a while. Was ... was she forgiving me? When I still didn't move or relax Serenity sighed and rolled her eyes. Her feet landed on my desk and she gazed at me in a no nonsense expression.
"You do realize now that you really have to marry me?" Marry... her? My face lit up like it was christmas all over again. Without another thought to anything I leapt over my desk, landed on my chair (which of course collapsed under our weight) before kissing her with as much passion as I could muster. I wanted her to be with me always. I wanted to protect her from everything. Shower her with gifts, grow old together. Have children together. Hell I even wanted her to shove cake into my mouth at the wedding reception! All this and more I tried to pour into my kiss and Serenity understood perfectly. Judging by her immediate response. I pulled away after a few moments and blinked dazedly. That kiss was.. it was..
"Wow.." She gasped softly. That was just what I was looking for! She always did know how to read my mind.
"You need a ring.." I muttered, gently caressing her cheek.
"You mean the cracker jack box one isn't good enough?" She asked innocently.
"Lets get out of here.." I demanded, pulling her off the floor and practically dragging her towards the door.
"Where are we going?" she asked confused.
"We're going to a church!" I exclaimed, leaving absolutely no room for an argument, "I'm marrying you right now." and that was the truth damn it! She was mine! I had to prove that to the world! She had to be mine legally as well!
"Wait wait!" she cried struggling to remove her hand from my vice grip. I turned and suddenly pinned her gently to a wall. I gazed fondly into her eyes and she blushed.
"You mean.. you don' want to marry me?" I asked nonchaulauntly. She blushed heavily.
"No.. no thats n-not what I-" she stuttered. I laughed in triumph.
"haha! For once you have lost and managed to be put into an uncomfortable position!" I cried out in triumph. Serenity looked at me and laughed.
"You have quite a few more to make up for all the ones you have lost.." she said quietly. I nodded eagarly.
"And I'll have our entire life together to try and catch up.." I whispered kissing her cheek softly. Serenity looked at me her eyes shinning with happiness and unshed tears. I leaned down and kissed her again, softly, gently. I knew that we'd probably have troubles but we could face them together. I knew we'd love each other for ever. I smiled to myself. Who knew that it could happen like this? Yes indeed.. who knew?
The end...?