I'm back! So sorry about the wait,
my schedule has suddenly gotten very
busy with my classes and such, so
please, bear with me here! Okay,
here's the latest addition of
Serena's charmed life, I hope
you like it!
Thanks to: My editor, Aurora Dream,
who manages to make time for my
story. ^_^
Thanks to: My readers! All of you!
You guys keep me going (along with
plenty of caffeine).
Disclaimer: Last time I checked,
I did not own Sailor Moon. I'll
check again...nope, definitely not.
But I do claim rights to this story,
so hands off!
More notes await at the end of the
story!
Chronicle Five
"You did not say that to him!" exclaimed Rei, her striking
violet eyes rounder than saucers, her painted mouth covered by a
trembling hand.
"You're damn right I did!" I smacked the table as I exploded
into a fit of coarse laughter. Propping myself on my right elbow, I
silenced momentarily to recollect the absolute shock slapped across
his once smug face. Unfortunately, my victory had been short lived,
because instantly, I found myself being chased around my trusty
vehicle. Finally abandoning the thought of strangling me, he placed
the pink box on the hood of my car, stalked to his Lexus SUV, revved
the engine, and sped out of the parking lot. His expression had
closed off any further display of emotions, leaving me disappointed,
and damn it, a bit guilty.
And to think that the original reason for this fiasco all
began because of a woman's bodily wounds!
But that expression, it was priceless, a Kodak moment that
should be encapsulated for eternity!
Laughter erupted out of me again, this time causing me to
miscalculate the table and plunge directly out of my seat. The navy
blue carpet definitely wasn't installed for hysterically laughing
blondes, I noted, as I soundly smacked against the floor. Crushed
between my body and carpet, my upturned nose suddenly felt flatter
than a smashed pancake. After a good ten minutes, I crawled back
into my seat, my teeth firmly attached to my lip to quell future
urges. Once my vision cleared from the steaming tears, I was kindly
greeted by four, menacing scowls. Mina gripped her fork threateningly
while Rei reached for an old charm hidden in her purse. I almost
darted out of the Arcade when I spotted Lita crack her knuckles
and Ami search through a massive chemistry textbook for the right
poison. Suddenly, in the face of an agonizing death, Darien's
expression wasn't so downright hilarious.
"Oh, come on, it was funny!" That was their unspoken cue
to laugh.
"It was not, Serena! The poor guy was putting himself out
on the line!" rebuked Mina, her grip dangerously tightening around
her fork. Eyeing her movements nervously, I smiled soothingly while
slowly inching my seat away from the table. My friends would never
follow through their death threats, but they would settle to maim
me, something that did not appeal to me either.
"He was not!"
"Yes, he was! I don't think you realize the extent of
his question," my priestess comrade fumed, her charm fluttering
a bit too close to my forehead for comfort.
"This is ridiculous! He was just baiting me, like he
usually does."
"But the fact that he didn't respond with his usual,
sarcastic remarks signifies something," quietly interjected Ami,
still calmly leafing through her volume on how to dispel stupidity
from blondes.
"You might have hurt his feelings," Lita slowly proposed.
"Clearly, the jerk had never had a female take his sarcastic
comments and throw it right back in his face."
"Or…you hurt his feelings."
"I did not hurt Darien's feelings! For heaven's sake, I think
a thirty three year old man can handle a few negative comments!"
"You did too, Meatball Head!"
"Take that back, Rei! I haven't had a meatball bun in ages!"
"Not until you apologize to Darien!"
"I believe that since you four are supposed to be MY friends,
you should be encouraging Darien to apologize to me!"
"Darien is our friend, too. News check, I did date the man at
one time!" Rei wildly waved her hands.
Burying my head into my folded arms to avoid being clobbered
by her tightened fist and paper talisman, I peeked out of a narrowed,
sapphire eye and cried, "You still have feelings for him, don't you?"
"And if I did?"
"Well…well," my brain fumbled, suffering a heavy attack from
that ferocious, fire breathing green dragon called Jealously, "then
you're a stupid face!"
"Oh, very mature, Meatball Head."
"You're still a stupid face, Pyromaniac! And at least I didn't
burn down the temple because of some obsession with fire!"
"Excuse me, but I did not burn down the temple!"
"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to exaggerate. Had the fire truck
not arrived in time, the temple would have burned down!"
When we were teenagers, Rei had decided that in order to
become one with the spirits, the flames used for the fire reading
must, the exact phrase she used was, 'roar like a lion.' Unfortunately,
with Rei's frustrated cursing and my panicked attempts to smother the
fire with her grandfather's favorite broom, it immediately spread.
A visitor, hoping for a charm and few inspirational words, managed
to contact the fire department just in time. I, being the excellent
friend that I am, never allowed Rei to forget her greatest moment of
brilliance.
"Girls, you're drawing attention," nervously observed Ami,
turning a slight shade of pink when more than a few heads turned to
stare at the sharp tongued ex-priestess and fair old maid in the far
left corner.
"I'm not the one who's repressing my urges!"
"You should be proud of me, if I wasn't repressing my urges,
Darien would be suffering multiple black eyes and broken ribs!"
"Wow, she's that rough in bed?" murmured Lita, playfully
jabbing a giggling Mina with a devious gleam in her emerald eyes.
"I heard that!"
"Look, Meatball Head—," my raven locked friend impatiently
began.
"I would appreciate it if you refrained from using that
nickname," I interjected through gritted teeth.
"—I have no significant feelings for Darien, we definitely
weren't meant to be together. In the end, I felt like I was dating
my brother, which struck me gross in an incestuous way. Still, he's
very important to me."
Guilt dominating my emotions, I determinedly kept my gaze
onto my second, bacon double cheeseburger. Inject sigh. Last night,
while I was happily shoveling my mother's leftover cherry pie into
my mouth, I began bemoaning over the excess blubber lining my body.
Thus, I stood up in the middle of my kitchen and verbally expressed
my decision to embark on a journey. A diet journey. Unfortunately,
it lasted for a whopping exactly thirteen hours, seven minutes, and
twenty-six seconds. But, back to the dratted present…
Good Serena: Maybe you overstepped the boundaries a wee bit.
Bad Serena: Boundaries? Hell, boundaries are meant to be crossed!
Growling agitatedly, I glared at both my shoulders, conjuring
images of a devilish host donning tacky red leather and an angel
wildly waving a golden harp. Unconsciously, I swiped both shoulders,
the physical gesture mentally booting the bickering mentors to their
respective quarters. Watching my unexplained actions, Rei lifted a
delicate brow and nudged a staring Ami, who jabbed a puzzled Mina,
who, in turn, incessantly poked a gaping Lita.
"Warding off killer dandruff, Meatball Head?" my dark maned
friend questioned, repressing any hint of laughter in her flashing,
violet eyes.
"Actually, I was trying to get rid of those damn voices in my
head."
That irritated slip earned me an embarrassing silence of blank
staring and uneasy coughing. Pinkness coloring my cheeks, I loudly
pounded on our customary table with a tightened fist, trying to
capture their fazed attentions.
"Remember, Serena, you must never listen to those voices in
your head, no matter how appealing they appear to be," sincerely
cautioned Ami, laying a comforting hand on my arm.
"Oh, for Pete's sake, I'm not crazy!"
"Would it make you feel better if we used the term 'mentally
disturbed?'"
"Ami, I do not need your politically correct, PhD condolences.
Can we please stop digressing?"
"Yes, we should stop digressing. You are going to apologize
to Darien as soon as possible!" the dependably overbearing bore named
Rei ordered.
"I'm a twenty nine year old spinster; you can't make me do
anything I want, Pyromaniac!"
"The girls and I refuse to talk to you until the deed is
finished."
"What? This is ludicrous, childish!" After surviving several,
painful seconds of deadly glares, I balked. "And you guys are absolutely
serious!"
"Would you ladies like anything else?" the ever perky waitress
suddenly skipped over to our table. Growling something how her generous
chest did not seem to be affected by age and gravity, I took a refreshing
sip of my water.
"Miss, would you kindly tell my…acquaintance, Serena, that if
she cherishes her friendship, she will do as I say," coolly requested
Rei, refusing to even glance in my direction. At her backward favor,
I, overcome by utter shock, coughed and squirted every droplet of
liquid in my mouth across the table. I sputtered stupidly when serene
Ami calmly wiped a bead of already gargled water from her cheek and
wrung out her damp, shoulder length locks. At that moment, with her
indigo eyes beginning to burn two, immense holes into my face, it
became painfully apparent how terrifying my seemingly tranquil
friend was. When her slender fingers reached into her satchel, I
was afraid she'd knock me unconscious an awe-inspiring textbook as
thick as my waist. Instead, she produced another tissue, used to
blot out the clear drops sprayed across her face.
"Ditto," her quiet voice, underlined with steel, added.
"Miss, the lady said that if you cherish your friendship––,"
Perky by Nature solemnly began.
"She's sitting right across from me, I heard her just fine,
thank you!" I seethed, annoyed at Rei's ridiculous behavior.
"Okay, whew, I really didn't want to get involved anyway! Can
I get you a refill?"
After my amazing water works show, thanks to Ami, I was
hesitant to even take the tiniest sip of water. "No, thanks."
Conversation dwindled when I continued to carry on, acting
like I was oblivious to the four pointed looks aimed sharply at me.
Eventually, I was overcome with fierce agitation, one because it was
fairly difficult for me to go for five minutes without uttering a
word, and two, I hated fighting with my friends, even though their
mule-like stubbornness frustrated me to no end.
"Damn it, you four are acting unfair!" I pounded my fist on
the table, the half masticated, cheeseburger attractively rolling
around in my mouth. When they didn't respond to my cry, I passionately
continued, "I can't give up my pride like that! Darien acted like a
Class One Jerk a week ago, and if his ego was slightly wounded by my
comments, he deserved it! How can you so easily excuse what he did
to me, but carp at me for one, sarcastic remark?"
y angelic host floated down from her heavenly quarters and
patted me on the shoulder.
Good Serena: You're on a roll, girlfriend!
Damn right, I was.
"Go ahead, Rei, she's waiting for an answer," Lita urged.
"Why don't you answer her?" she fixed a stern/pleading stare
on the withdrawing Lita.
"I believe you could word it much more eloquently than I."
"Fine! Wimp. Look, maybe I'm just a little bit overprotective
of Darien, after all, I do consider him a brother."
"And what am I, chopped liver?" I cried, though I hated comparing
myself to that poor disguise of cat food. I remember one time when dearest
Aunt Verna forced me to clear a small portion of that brownish muck.
Each gulp was accompanied by tears and excessive gagging.
"Hell no!" Rei leaned forward with a small smile, "You're closer
than a sister to me, Serena."
"So…there's not the tiniest part of you that still considers
Darien boyfriend material?"
"Oh, I definitely do consider Darien boyfriend material."
"I see," my voice faltered.
Flashing me a cheeky grin, she said, "Boyfriend material for
somebody else, that is."
"Oh!" I smiled, feeling quite stupid that such a comment could
lift my spirits.
"But I still consider him a very close friend, and I just didn't
appreciate that comment."
"So, I don't have to apologize to Darien?"
"Wrong, you both will apologize to each other."
"But, I'm not sorry for what I said!"
"You're not?" queried Ami, her damnably inquisitive eyes lifted.
"Well…."
"You are."
"Maybe a little bit. That's not the point! Darien didn't regret
what he did to me. I bet all the good boys at the country club know
about his fiasco!" wailed I, horrified at the thought of at least a
dozen, good looking men dressed in expensive golf attire booming with
laughter while the scoundrel related his story of seduction.
Picturing this, I was about to retract my confession to guilt
when I heard the girls' vivacious laughter.
"Look, you trust me, right?" I bobbed my head. Rei continued,
"Thought so. Darien isn't the monster you paint him to be."
"Yeah, right. Then explain his undying need to make my life a
living hell," I snorted before taking another gulp of water.
"He likes you."
I do believe my eyes leapt from their sockets. Ami, sensing my
urge to spit my water out, hid herself behind her linen napkin. Luckily,
I managed to painfully force the large swig down my throat. "What?!"
"Oh, he doesn't just like you. He wants to do the do the bedroom
flamenco with you. Badly, senorita," giggled Mina, snapping her fingers
and tossing her golden locks while crying out 'arriba!' in a poorly
accented voice. In spite of her corniness, I succumbed to the rising
giggles at Mina's seated attempts to dance. She was an odd one; her
quirkiness and randomness definitely threw the ever serious Malachite
into a loop. But, in spite of their differences, they made such an
adorable couple, and I couldn't help but to covet after their
relationship.
"Sure, sure, whatever. Look, let's not ruin the moment by getting
a bit too whimsical."
"You think I exaggerate, Serena? I've seen the way Darien looks
at you, hell, we all have."
"Let me explain my relationship with Darien. It's elementary,
my dear. Darien enjoys getting me riled, and he knows, with my lack of
experience, that sexual jokes get me flustered."
"There is a major flaw in this elementary explanation," Lita
observed.
"No there isn't."
"Oh yes, there is. If you had no interest in Darien, then you
would be repulsed by his sexual jokes."
"Who says I'm not?"
"Don't even try to lie, we have been friends for far too long
for you to even try to such an underhanded trick."
"Fine! He is a decent looking guy, and who wouldn't be a bit
flustered if a decent looking guy cracked a few tainted jokes."
"Decent looking?" persisted Ami in disbelief.
I threw my hands into the air in surrender. "Damn it! Fine! He
is absolutely gorgeous!"
"Who is absolutely gorgeous?"
Instantly, five heads swiftly whipped around towards the newest
intruder, someone who I pleasantly referred to as Class One Jerk.
My brain was suddenly unable to send intelligence waves to my
mouth, therefore, I was forced to stammer a dumbfounded, "You!"
"Me? I'm flattered that you find me so attractive."
"Get over yourself, pretty boy," I snorted. "I didn't mean you
like, 'I find *you* attractive. I meant you like, 'You! Get off my
planet!'"
"Oh? So, exactly who were you talking about?" he silkily
questioned, disregarding my rudeness.
"I could let you know…but then again, that's none of your
business."
"I still believe you were lusting over me."
For a moment, I couldn't respond with that knowing gleam in
his midnightblue eyes. Deliberately, his gaze hotly dropped to my
mouth, lazily inspecting every glossy curve. My fist clenched, due
to both frustration and barely contained longing. I sat rigidly,
assaulted by steamy memories of his toned body pressed indecently
close to mine, and that mouth, (oh that mouth) kissing my neck.
It was decided; there was too much sexual prowess injected into
that man, thus transforming him into a walking heartbreak. And, at
my withering age of twenty nine going on fifty, I did not need
another heartbreaker in my life. I needed, quite desperately,
Mr. Right.
So tell that to my hormones, raging rampantly over this
gorgeous male specimen.
"Joining us during your lunch break?" inquired Rei after a
moment of tense silence.
"Just for a few moments. I'm meeting somebody here."
"Business colleague of yours?" Ami curiously probed.
"I suppose," he wolfishly grinned.
"A date?!" I shouted, surprise etched across my face.
"I know the thought surprises you, but sometimes I grow tired
with my inflatable dolls and sheep," solemnly replied Darien, gazing
squarely into my eyes. Egads, I assumed that he forgot that eventful
morning, then again, my blinding, smiley face boxers are impossible
to overlook. My loving friends were of no help, barely suppressing
snickers and quiet giggles. I eyed them warningly.
"Speaking of which, Serena has something to tell you," Rei
quickly recovered.
"Oh?"
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do," she accentuated each syllable with a sound
kick under the table.
"He has to go first!"
"Might I ask what you ladies are talking about?"
"I decided that there should be a double apology for Serena's
comment about your obsession with inflatable items and your
obnoxiousness, Darien."
"Are you serious? You're never going to get that stubborn
donkey to apologize!"
"Who you calling an ass, ass?" I flung back, proud of my
splendid play on words.
"See?"
"Look, Serena will apologize."
"I don't want her to apologize if she doesn't feel that she
should."
"Huh?" stunned, Rei and I chorused in together.
"We were both unruly to each other, as usual. No need for
apologies, don't you agree, Miss Hughes?"
"I completely, and utterly, agree!"
News Flash: This just coming in! Serena Hughes and her worst enemy
actually agreeing on something! Such a possibility has left scholars
and mathematicians dumbfounded!
"But…but…I wanted you two to make up!"
"And make out," whispered Mina to a grinning Ami, a bit too
loud for my preference.
"I wouldn't object to the making out bit," he chuckled,
winking at me while I switched glowers between my nearly extinct
friends and Darien.
"What about it, then? One kiss to be sure that everything is
smoothed over."
"I don't think a kiss is really needed," I nervously reasoned.
"Oh, come on, Serena, one kiss is nothing!"
Meanwhile, my beloved enemy, with his arms sexily crossed over
his broad chest, tilted his head, challenging me with a slight lift of
his eyebrows.
"Good grief, you guys are worse than phone solicitors. Fine,
one kiss, on the cheek."
"Yay!"
Straightening, I slowly approached my awaiting adversary,
reminding myself that it was simply an innocent kiss on the cheek.
It'd be no more difficult than kissing my nephew, or my grandmother.
Yet, somehow, I couldn't picture Darien donning Grandma Hughes
flowered cap.
"Are you going to stand there all day, admiring me?"
I snapped out my reverie quicker than an offensive lineman
snapped the ball to the quarterback. Narrowing my eyes, I rose on my
tip-toes, thanking myself for wearing my three inch, black heels, and
simply hovered agonizingly close to his lips. Those wicked, wonderful
lips, that easily reduced me to jello in the alleyway, in the grocery
parking lot, were begging to be kissed. As if in a daze, I watched
as they tightened and moved to demand, "Damn it, Hughes. Just get
it over with."
Surprised, I abruptly lifted my gaze, no doubt reflecting my
carnal lust, and, actually, drowned in his darkening, blue orbs.
Impatience glittered, but directly beneath that, all encompassing
heat.
At that moment, I actually realized that my hand lay on his
forearm, for support, of course, and that my heaving chest was
brushing against his. Scolding myself for prolonging this preposterous
request, I quickly pecked his cheek. As I turned away, he huskily
muttered, "Tease." I decided not to respond, it would probably
escalate into something that required the manager tossing me out
of the Arcade.
Clearing my throat, I took a cooling sip of water, pointedly
ignoring Rei's excited kicks beneath the table, Mina's sly winks,
Ami's twitching mouth, and Lita's wiggling eyebrows.
"See, now wasn't that easy?" Lita finally shattered the
silence.
"As cake," I mustered with a false façade of courage.
Hastily glancing in his direction, I caught sight of his composed
expression, although it was slightly shadowed by some unknown
emotion.
"Darien!"
Serena's Spider Senses: Brain does not register that voice.
Neither did my senses, as a luscious, artificially enhanced
redheaded rampaged towards our table. She was his business colleague,
this ridiculously uxom twit?
Bad Serena: Holy cow, are those things real, or did she stuff watermelons into
her brassiere?
Jealously, I tried to figure that out myself. Her rack nearly
smacked against her face as she bound towards Darien, dramatically
threw her arms around his neck, and pressed her fire engine red lips
against his, the exact spot where I had fervently wished to. The scene
was directly out of a corny, romance movie, I cynically noted as I
reached for my barf bag.
I glanced down at my own decently sized chest, certain that I
just shrank a cup size.
"Hello," she spared a cool greeting. The girls politely
replied, while I stared obviously at the red leech firmly attached
to his arm.
"Beryl, this is Lita, Mina, Rei, Ami, and Serena." Was there
a slight twinge of sarcasm when he introduced me, or was that ugly
green dragon causing me to hallucinate? "We'll be leaving now, we
have reservations downtown."
"Okay, nice meeting you," waved Mina.
"We wouldn't want to intrude," Beryl airily commented, one,
thin eyebrow lifting in disdain as I proceeded to shove my extremely
fatty, but oh-so mouth watering cuisine, into my mouth to stop myself
from muttering anything impolite.
Ringmaster: Hurry, hurry! Come see Serena's best show of manners as
she shoves an entire bacon double cheeseburger into her mouth!
"You sure? The food here is great," Lita smiled persuasively.
"No, thank you, fast food is far too…fattening and greasy. Does
horrible things to a woman's waist."
"This isn't fast food," my ever direct priestess comrade clipped.
"Perhaps to you."
"Well, you should leave then, because we wouldn't want you to
intrude either," I gulped down my mouthful and smiled ever so sweetly,
dangerously gripping my fork. In about three seconds, it was about to
connect with her air filled chest and deflate them faster than a Tokyo
minute.
"Mind your manners, Hughes," sternly reminded Darien, his
eyebrows furrowed together at my remark.
"I thought I was," with wide eyes, I responded.
"I would like to leave, darling. Now."
"Talk to you ladies later. Enjoy your lunch break."
"Oh, we will. Especially since it's not fast food," I muttered
that last part beneath my breath, but from his narrow eyed reaction
and her stony glare, I had a sneaking suspicion that they overheard.
The exact moment they left, I slammed my fist down on the
table and glared at my glass.
"I liked her," Mina suddenly stated, making me avert my
glower from the exit to her. Innocently, she stirred her iced tea.
"She was incredibly sweet, sociable, and…bitchy beyond belief!"
"My thoughts exactly. Except that sweet and sociable mumbo-
jumbo," Ami laughed.
"Ditto."
"Why the hell would Darien lunch with such a fake sleazebag?
Rei, since you've known him the longest, can you please explain?"
"Easy, take a look at her chest."
"Darien's not that shallow, is he?"
"What's wrong, Serena, jealous?"
"N…no!"
"She's greener than the jolly green giant!" screeched Lita,
and even though I threw my napkin at her, she burst out into pleased
laughter.
"Please! Me, jealous?"
"Yes, you, jealous!"
"I am not jealous! Jealously entails that I feel some sort
of ownership over Darien, which is hardly the case. He can perform the
horizontal mambo with anyone he chooses." Excluding exceptionally
rude redheads, I added mentally.
Honestly, I never understood the concept of gorgeous, overall
sweet men philandering with bitchy, although undoubtedly beautiful,
women! Why must the nice, (well, the majority of the time) average
looking woman be left out in the cold, to fall victim to the weirdoes,
the jerks? Perhaps I should retire from the marketing field and delve
into sociology. There was plenty about the strange species, known as
men, to study about.
"I think you do think that you have some sort of ownership
over Darien," mused Lita.
"What is this, Let's-psychoanalyze-Serena-Day?"
"I'd prefer to call it, Let's-get-our-extremely-stubborn-
best-friend-to-admit-her-feelings-Day," Ami solemnly nodded.
"Far too long and far too ridiculous."
"And perhaps, far too close to the truth."
"And what about that kiss? I do declare," Mina fanned
herself and adopted an accent reminiscent of Scarlet O'Hara, "that
kiss was one of the hottest kisses I've ever seen."
"I only kissed him on the cheek!"
"I realize that, and that even shocks me more!"
I had to secretly agree, although it seriously lacked lip-
to-lip contact, that kiss nearly dissolved me into blonde goop.
"See, that proves that you two are attracted to each other.
The air was practically sizzling!" triumphantly clapped Rei.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You never were a good liar, sweetie."
"So what if Darien is gorgeous? So what if his smile turns
me knees to strands of spaghetti?" I accusingly flung out, rising
to my feet as I continued my heartfelt tirade. "It doesn't mean I
have feelings for the insensitive jerk! And now that my break is
over, I'm leaving. You hear, leaving!" With my four best friends'
shocked gazes trained on me, including everyone else in the suddenly
quiet restaurant, I flounced away. And stopped. Fighting back a flush,
I stomped straight back to the table, smacked several crumbled bills
on the table to cover my bill and tip, and dramatically exited.
News at six o'clock: An U.B.O., (Unidentified Blonde Object) is
spotted in downtown Tokyo spray-painting over every single image
of red headed models, leaving strange messages like 'blondes rule.'
Sorry if you guys found that boring, it
was the 'girl talk' chapter that answered
a lot of people's questions. Oh yes, and
I want to address the question over
Serena's virginity. Granted, the poor
girl doesn't seem to have much luck
in love, she is *not* a virgin. That
comment over her being a virgin tease
was simply an exaggeration in her mind.
I just wanted to address that, even though
it's a little late ^_^; (It was 3 chapters
ago, but nevermind that).
Okay, feedback, anyone? I love to hear
from you guys, honestly, I do! Good, bad,
ugly...all of em. So email, review,
critique, whatever.
Dreamwriter_1234@yahoo.com.
Until next time, dear readers.
my schedule has suddenly gotten very
busy with my classes and such, so
please, bear with me here! Okay,
here's the latest addition of
Serena's charmed life, I hope
you like it!
Thanks to: My editor, Aurora Dream,
who manages to make time for my
story. ^_^
Thanks to: My readers! All of you!
You guys keep me going (along with
plenty of caffeine).
Disclaimer: Last time I checked,
I did not own Sailor Moon. I'll
check again...nope, definitely not.
But I do claim rights to this story,
so hands off!
More notes await at the end of the
story!
Chronicle Five
"You did not say that to him!" exclaimed Rei, her striking
violet eyes rounder than saucers, her painted mouth covered by a
trembling hand.
"You're damn right I did!" I smacked the table as I exploded
into a fit of coarse laughter. Propping myself on my right elbow, I
silenced momentarily to recollect the absolute shock slapped across
his once smug face. Unfortunately, my victory had been short lived,
because instantly, I found myself being chased around my trusty
vehicle. Finally abandoning the thought of strangling me, he placed
the pink box on the hood of my car, stalked to his Lexus SUV, revved
the engine, and sped out of the parking lot. His expression had
closed off any further display of emotions, leaving me disappointed,
and damn it, a bit guilty.
And to think that the original reason for this fiasco all
began because of a woman's bodily wounds!
But that expression, it was priceless, a Kodak moment that
should be encapsulated for eternity!
Laughter erupted out of me again, this time causing me to
miscalculate the table and plunge directly out of my seat. The navy
blue carpet definitely wasn't installed for hysterically laughing
blondes, I noted, as I soundly smacked against the floor. Crushed
between my body and carpet, my upturned nose suddenly felt flatter
than a smashed pancake. After a good ten minutes, I crawled back
into my seat, my teeth firmly attached to my lip to quell future
urges. Once my vision cleared from the steaming tears, I was kindly
greeted by four, menacing scowls. Mina gripped her fork threateningly
while Rei reached for an old charm hidden in her purse. I almost
darted out of the Arcade when I spotted Lita crack her knuckles
and Ami search through a massive chemistry textbook for the right
poison. Suddenly, in the face of an agonizing death, Darien's
expression wasn't so downright hilarious.
"Oh, come on, it was funny!" That was their unspoken cue
to laugh.
"It was not, Serena! The poor guy was putting himself out
on the line!" rebuked Mina, her grip dangerously tightening around
her fork. Eyeing her movements nervously, I smiled soothingly while
slowly inching my seat away from the table. My friends would never
follow through their death threats, but they would settle to maim
me, something that did not appeal to me either.
"He was not!"
"Yes, he was! I don't think you realize the extent of
his question," my priestess comrade fumed, her charm fluttering
a bit too close to my forehead for comfort.
"This is ridiculous! He was just baiting me, like he
usually does."
"But the fact that he didn't respond with his usual,
sarcastic remarks signifies something," quietly interjected Ami,
still calmly leafing through her volume on how to dispel stupidity
from blondes.
"You might have hurt his feelings," Lita slowly proposed.
"Clearly, the jerk had never had a female take his sarcastic
comments and throw it right back in his face."
"Or…you hurt his feelings."
"I did not hurt Darien's feelings! For heaven's sake, I think
a thirty three year old man can handle a few negative comments!"
"You did too, Meatball Head!"
"Take that back, Rei! I haven't had a meatball bun in ages!"
"Not until you apologize to Darien!"
"I believe that since you four are supposed to be MY friends,
you should be encouraging Darien to apologize to me!"
"Darien is our friend, too. News check, I did date the man at
one time!" Rei wildly waved her hands.
Burying my head into my folded arms to avoid being clobbered
by her tightened fist and paper talisman, I peeked out of a narrowed,
sapphire eye and cried, "You still have feelings for him, don't you?"
"And if I did?"
"Well…well," my brain fumbled, suffering a heavy attack from
that ferocious, fire breathing green dragon called Jealously, "then
you're a stupid face!"
"Oh, very mature, Meatball Head."
"You're still a stupid face, Pyromaniac! And at least I didn't
burn down the temple because of some obsession with fire!"
"Excuse me, but I did not burn down the temple!"
"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to exaggerate. Had the fire truck
not arrived in time, the temple would have burned down!"
When we were teenagers, Rei had decided that in order to
become one with the spirits, the flames used for the fire reading
must, the exact phrase she used was, 'roar like a lion.' Unfortunately,
with Rei's frustrated cursing and my panicked attempts to smother the
fire with her grandfather's favorite broom, it immediately spread.
A visitor, hoping for a charm and few inspirational words, managed
to contact the fire department just in time. I, being the excellent
friend that I am, never allowed Rei to forget her greatest moment of
brilliance.
"Girls, you're drawing attention," nervously observed Ami,
turning a slight shade of pink when more than a few heads turned to
stare at the sharp tongued ex-priestess and fair old maid in the far
left corner.
"I'm not the one who's repressing my urges!"
"You should be proud of me, if I wasn't repressing my urges,
Darien would be suffering multiple black eyes and broken ribs!"
"Wow, she's that rough in bed?" murmured Lita, playfully
jabbing a giggling Mina with a devious gleam in her emerald eyes.
"I heard that!"
"Look, Meatball Head—," my raven locked friend impatiently
began.
"I would appreciate it if you refrained from using that
nickname," I interjected through gritted teeth.
"—I have no significant feelings for Darien, we definitely
weren't meant to be together. In the end, I felt like I was dating
my brother, which struck me gross in an incestuous way. Still, he's
very important to me."
Guilt dominating my emotions, I determinedly kept my gaze
onto my second, bacon double cheeseburger. Inject sigh. Last night,
while I was happily shoveling my mother's leftover cherry pie into
my mouth, I began bemoaning over the excess blubber lining my body.
Thus, I stood up in the middle of my kitchen and verbally expressed
my decision to embark on a journey. A diet journey. Unfortunately,
it lasted for a whopping exactly thirteen hours, seven minutes, and
twenty-six seconds. But, back to the dratted present…
Good Serena: Maybe you overstepped the boundaries a wee bit.
Bad Serena: Boundaries? Hell, boundaries are meant to be crossed!
Growling agitatedly, I glared at both my shoulders, conjuring
images of a devilish host donning tacky red leather and an angel
wildly waving a golden harp. Unconsciously, I swiped both shoulders,
the physical gesture mentally booting the bickering mentors to their
respective quarters. Watching my unexplained actions, Rei lifted a
delicate brow and nudged a staring Ami, who jabbed a puzzled Mina,
who, in turn, incessantly poked a gaping Lita.
"Warding off killer dandruff, Meatball Head?" my dark maned
friend questioned, repressing any hint of laughter in her flashing,
violet eyes.
"Actually, I was trying to get rid of those damn voices in my
head."
That irritated slip earned me an embarrassing silence of blank
staring and uneasy coughing. Pinkness coloring my cheeks, I loudly
pounded on our customary table with a tightened fist, trying to
capture their fazed attentions.
"Remember, Serena, you must never listen to those voices in
your head, no matter how appealing they appear to be," sincerely
cautioned Ami, laying a comforting hand on my arm.
"Oh, for Pete's sake, I'm not crazy!"
"Would it make you feel better if we used the term 'mentally
disturbed?'"
"Ami, I do not need your politically correct, PhD condolences.
Can we please stop digressing?"
"Yes, we should stop digressing. You are going to apologize
to Darien as soon as possible!" the dependably overbearing bore named
Rei ordered.
"I'm a twenty nine year old spinster; you can't make me do
anything I want, Pyromaniac!"
"The girls and I refuse to talk to you until the deed is
finished."
"What? This is ludicrous, childish!" After surviving several,
painful seconds of deadly glares, I balked. "And you guys are absolutely
serious!"
"Would you ladies like anything else?" the ever perky waitress
suddenly skipped over to our table. Growling something how her generous
chest did not seem to be affected by age and gravity, I took a refreshing
sip of my water.
"Miss, would you kindly tell my…acquaintance, Serena, that if
she cherishes her friendship, she will do as I say," coolly requested
Rei, refusing to even glance in my direction. At her backward favor,
I, overcome by utter shock, coughed and squirted every droplet of
liquid in my mouth across the table. I sputtered stupidly when serene
Ami calmly wiped a bead of already gargled water from her cheek and
wrung out her damp, shoulder length locks. At that moment, with her
indigo eyes beginning to burn two, immense holes into my face, it
became painfully apparent how terrifying my seemingly tranquil
friend was. When her slender fingers reached into her satchel, I
was afraid she'd knock me unconscious an awe-inspiring textbook as
thick as my waist. Instead, she produced another tissue, used to
blot out the clear drops sprayed across her face.
"Ditto," her quiet voice, underlined with steel, added.
"Miss, the lady said that if you cherish your friendship––,"
Perky by Nature solemnly began.
"She's sitting right across from me, I heard her just fine,
thank you!" I seethed, annoyed at Rei's ridiculous behavior.
"Okay, whew, I really didn't want to get involved anyway! Can
I get you a refill?"
After my amazing water works show, thanks to Ami, I was
hesitant to even take the tiniest sip of water. "No, thanks."
Conversation dwindled when I continued to carry on, acting
like I was oblivious to the four pointed looks aimed sharply at me.
Eventually, I was overcome with fierce agitation, one because it was
fairly difficult for me to go for five minutes without uttering a
word, and two, I hated fighting with my friends, even though their
mule-like stubbornness frustrated me to no end.
"Damn it, you four are acting unfair!" I pounded my fist on
the table, the half masticated, cheeseburger attractively rolling
around in my mouth. When they didn't respond to my cry, I passionately
continued, "I can't give up my pride like that! Darien acted like a
Class One Jerk a week ago, and if his ego was slightly wounded by my
comments, he deserved it! How can you so easily excuse what he did
to me, but carp at me for one, sarcastic remark?"
y angelic host floated down from her heavenly quarters and
patted me on the shoulder.
Good Serena: You're on a roll, girlfriend!
Damn right, I was.
"Go ahead, Rei, she's waiting for an answer," Lita urged.
"Why don't you answer her?" she fixed a stern/pleading stare
on the withdrawing Lita.
"I believe you could word it much more eloquently than I."
"Fine! Wimp. Look, maybe I'm just a little bit overprotective
of Darien, after all, I do consider him a brother."
"And what am I, chopped liver?" I cried, though I hated comparing
myself to that poor disguise of cat food. I remember one time when dearest
Aunt Verna forced me to clear a small portion of that brownish muck.
Each gulp was accompanied by tears and excessive gagging.
"Hell no!" Rei leaned forward with a small smile, "You're closer
than a sister to me, Serena."
"So…there's not the tiniest part of you that still considers
Darien boyfriend material?"
"Oh, I definitely do consider Darien boyfriend material."
"I see," my voice faltered.
Flashing me a cheeky grin, she said, "Boyfriend material for
somebody else, that is."
"Oh!" I smiled, feeling quite stupid that such a comment could
lift my spirits.
"But I still consider him a very close friend, and I just didn't
appreciate that comment."
"So, I don't have to apologize to Darien?"
"Wrong, you both will apologize to each other."
"But, I'm not sorry for what I said!"
"You're not?" queried Ami, her damnably inquisitive eyes lifted.
"Well…."
"You are."
"Maybe a little bit. That's not the point! Darien didn't regret
what he did to me. I bet all the good boys at the country club know
about his fiasco!" wailed I, horrified at the thought of at least a
dozen, good looking men dressed in expensive golf attire booming with
laughter while the scoundrel related his story of seduction.
Picturing this, I was about to retract my confession to guilt
when I heard the girls' vivacious laughter.
"Look, you trust me, right?" I bobbed my head. Rei continued,
"Thought so. Darien isn't the monster you paint him to be."
"Yeah, right. Then explain his undying need to make my life a
living hell," I snorted before taking another gulp of water.
"He likes you."
I do believe my eyes leapt from their sockets. Ami, sensing my
urge to spit my water out, hid herself behind her linen napkin. Luckily,
I managed to painfully force the large swig down my throat. "What?!"
"Oh, he doesn't just like you. He wants to do the do the bedroom
flamenco with you. Badly, senorita," giggled Mina, snapping her fingers
and tossing her golden locks while crying out 'arriba!' in a poorly
accented voice. In spite of her corniness, I succumbed to the rising
giggles at Mina's seated attempts to dance. She was an odd one; her
quirkiness and randomness definitely threw the ever serious Malachite
into a loop. But, in spite of their differences, they made such an
adorable couple, and I couldn't help but to covet after their
relationship.
"Sure, sure, whatever. Look, let's not ruin the moment by getting
a bit too whimsical."
"You think I exaggerate, Serena? I've seen the way Darien looks
at you, hell, we all have."
"Let me explain my relationship with Darien. It's elementary,
my dear. Darien enjoys getting me riled, and he knows, with my lack of
experience, that sexual jokes get me flustered."
"There is a major flaw in this elementary explanation," Lita
observed.
"No there isn't."
"Oh yes, there is. If you had no interest in Darien, then you
would be repulsed by his sexual jokes."
"Who says I'm not?"
"Don't even try to lie, we have been friends for far too long
for you to even try to such an underhanded trick."
"Fine! He is a decent looking guy, and who wouldn't be a bit
flustered if a decent looking guy cracked a few tainted jokes."
"Decent looking?" persisted Ami in disbelief.
I threw my hands into the air in surrender. "Damn it! Fine! He
is absolutely gorgeous!"
"Who is absolutely gorgeous?"
Instantly, five heads swiftly whipped around towards the newest
intruder, someone who I pleasantly referred to as Class One Jerk.
My brain was suddenly unable to send intelligence waves to my
mouth, therefore, I was forced to stammer a dumbfounded, "You!"
"Me? I'm flattered that you find me so attractive."
"Get over yourself, pretty boy," I snorted. "I didn't mean you
like, 'I find *you* attractive. I meant you like, 'You! Get off my
planet!'"
"Oh? So, exactly who were you talking about?" he silkily
questioned, disregarding my rudeness.
"I could let you know…but then again, that's none of your
business."
"I still believe you were lusting over me."
For a moment, I couldn't respond with that knowing gleam in
his midnightblue eyes. Deliberately, his gaze hotly dropped to my
mouth, lazily inspecting every glossy curve. My fist clenched, due
to both frustration and barely contained longing. I sat rigidly,
assaulted by steamy memories of his toned body pressed indecently
close to mine, and that mouth, (oh that mouth) kissing my neck.
It was decided; there was too much sexual prowess injected into
that man, thus transforming him into a walking heartbreak. And, at
my withering age of twenty nine going on fifty, I did not need
another heartbreaker in my life. I needed, quite desperately,
Mr. Right.
So tell that to my hormones, raging rampantly over this
gorgeous male specimen.
"Joining us during your lunch break?" inquired Rei after a
moment of tense silence.
"Just for a few moments. I'm meeting somebody here."
"Business colleague of yours?" Ami curiously probed.
"I suppose," he wolfishly grinned.
"A date?!" I shouted, surprise etched across my face.
"I know the thought surprises you, but sometimes I grow tired
with my inflatable dolls and sheep," solemnly replied Darien, gazing
squarely into my eyes. Egads, I assumed that he forgot that eventful
morning, then again, my blinding, smiley face boxers are impossible
to overlook. My loving friends were of no help, barely suppressing
snickers and quiet giggles. I eyed them warningly.
"Speaking of which, Serena has something to tell you," Rei
quickly recovered.
"Oh?"
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do," she accentuated each syllable with a sound
kick under the table.
"He has to go first!"
"Might I ask what you ladies are talking about?"
"I decided that there should be a double apology for Serena's
comment about your obsession with inflatable items and your
obnoxiousness, Darien."
"Are you serious? You're never going to get that stubborn
donkey to apologize!"
"Who you calling an ass, ass?" I flung back, proud of my
splendid play on words.
"See?"
"Look, Serena will apologize."
"I don't want her to apologize if she doesn't feel that she
should."
"Huh?" stunned, Rei and I chorused in together.
"We were both unruly to each other, as usual. No need for
apologies, don't you agree, Miss Hughes?"
"I completely, and utterly, agree!"
News Flash: This just coming in! Serena Hughes and her worst enemy
actually agreeing on something! Such a possibility has left scholars
and mathematicians dumbfounded!
"But…but…I wanted you two to make up!"
"And make out," whispered Mina to a grinning Ami, a bit too
loud for my preference.
"I wouldn't object to the making out bit," he chuckled,
winking at me while I switched glowers between my nearly extinct
friends and Darien.
"What about it, then? One kiss to be sure that everything is
smoothed over."
"I don't think a kiss is really needed," I nervously reasoned.
"Oh, come on, Serena, one kiss is nothing!"
Meanwhile, my beloved enemy, with his arms sexily crossed over
his broad chest, tilted his head, challenging me with a slight lift of
his eyebrows.
"Good grief, you guys are worse than phone solicitors. Fine,
one kiss, on the cheek."
"Yay!"
Straightening, I slowly approached my awaiting adversary,
reminding myself that it was simply an innocent kiss on the cheek.
It'd be no more difficult than kissing my nephew, or my grandmother.
Yet, somehow, I couldn't picture Darien donning Grandma Hughes
flowered cap.
"Are you going to stand there all day, admiring me?"
I snapped out my reverie quicker than an offensive lineman
snapped the ball to the quarterback. Narrowing my eyes, I rose on my
tip-toes, thanking myself for wearing my three inch, black heels, and
simply hovered agonizingly close to his lips. Those wicked, wonderful
lips, that easily reduced me to jello in the alleyway, in the grocery
parking lot, were begging to be kissed. As if in a daze, I watched
as they tightened and moved to demand, "Damn it, Hughes. Just get
it over with."
Surprised, I abruptly lifted my gaze, no doubt reflecting my
carnal lust, and, actually, drowned in his darkening, blue orbs.
Impatience glittered, but directly beneath that, all encompassing
heat.
At that moment, I actually realized that my hand lay on his
forearm, for support, of course, and that my heaving chest was
brushing against his. Scolding myself for prolonging this preposterous
request, I quickly pecked his cheek. As I turned away, he huskily
muttered, "Tease." I decided not to respond, it would probably
escalate into something that required the manager tossing me out
of the Arcade.
Clearing my throat, I took a cooling sip of water, pointedly
ignoring Rei's excited kicks beneath the table, Mina's sly winks,
Ami's twitching mouth, and Lita's wiggling eyebrows.
"See, now wasn't that easy?" Lita finally shattered the
silence.
"As cake," I mustered with a false façade of courage.
Hastily glancing in his direction, I caught sight of his composed
expression, although it was slightly shadowed by some unknown
emotion.
"Darien!"
Serena's Spider Senses: Brain does not register that voice.
Neither did my senses, as a luscious, artificially enhanced
redheaded rampaged towards our table. She was his business colleague,
this ridiculously uxom twit?
Bad Serena: Holy cow, are those things real, or did she stuff watermelons into
her brassiere?
Jealously, I tried to figure that out myself. Her rack nearly
smacked against her face as she bound towards Darien, dramatically
threw her arms around his neck, and pressed her fire engine red lips
against his, the exact spot where I had fervently wished to. The scene
was directly out of a corny, romance movie, I cynically noted as I
reached for my barf bag.
I glanced down at my own decently sized chest, certain that I
just shrank a cup size.
"Hello," she spared a cool greeting. The girls politely
replied, while I stared obviously at the red leech firmly attached
to his arm.
"Beryl, this is Lita, Mina, Rei, Ami, and Serena." Was there
a slight twinge of sarcasm when he introduced me, or was that ugly
green dragon causing me to hallucinate? "We'll be leaving now, we
have reservations downtown."
"Okay, nice meeting you," waved Mina.
"We wouldn't want to intrude," Beryl airily commented, one,
thin eyebrow lifting in disdain as I proceeded to shove my extremely
fatty, but oh-so mouth watering cuisine, into my mouth to stop myself
from muttering anything impolite.
Ringmaster: Hurry, hurry! Come see Serena's best show of manners as
she shoves an entire bacon double cheeseburger into her mouth!
"You sure? The food here is great," Lita smiled persuasively.
"No, thank you, fast food is far too…fattening and greasy. Does
horrible things to a woman's waist."
"This isn't fast food," my ever direct priestess comrade clipped.
"Perhaps to you."
"Well, you should leave then, because we wouldn't want you to
intrude either," I gulped down my mouthful and smiled ever so sweetly,
dangerously gripping my fork. In about three seconds, it was about to
connect with her air filled chest and deflate them faster than a Tokyo
minute.
"Mind your manners, Hughes," sternly reminded Darien, his
eyebrows furrowed together at my remark.
"I thought I was," with wide eyes, I responded.
"I would like to leave, darling. Now."
"Talk to you ladies later. Enjoy your lunch break."
"Oh, we will. Especially since it's not fast food," I muttered
that last part beneath my breath, but from his narrow eyed reaction
and her stony glare, I had a sneaking suspicion that they overheard.
The exact moment they left, I slammed my fist down on the
table and glared at my glass.
"I liked her," Mina suddenly stated, making me avert my
glower from the exit to her. Innocently, she stirred her iced tea.
"She was incredibly sweet, sociable, and…bitchy beyond belief!"
"My thoughts exactly. Except that sweet and sociable mumbo-
jumbo," Ami laughed.
"Ditto."
"Why the hell would Darien lunch with such a fake sleazebag?
Rei, since you've known him the longest, can you please explain?"
"Easy, take a look at her chest."
"Darien's not that shallow, is he?"
"What's wrong, Serena, jealous?"
"N…no!"
"She's greener than the jolly green giant!" screeched Lita,
and even though I threw my napkin at her, she burst out into pleased
laughter.
"Please! Me, jealous?"
"Yes, you, jealous!"
"I am not jealous! Jealously entails that I feel some sort
of ownership over Darien, which is hardly the case. He can perform the
horizontal mambo with anyone he chooses." Excluding exceptionally
rude redheads, I added mentally.
Honestly, I never understood the concept of gorgeous, overall
sweet men philandering with bitchy, although undoubtedly beautiful,
women! Why must the nice, (well, the majority of the time) average
looking woman be left out in the cold, to fall victim to the weirdoes,
the jerks? Perhaps I should retire from the marketing field and delve
into sociology. There was plenty about the strange species, known as
men, to study about.
"I think you do think that you have some sort of ownership
over Darien," mused Lita.
"What is this, Let's-psychoanalyze-Serena-Day?"
"I'd prefer to call it, Let's-get-our-extremely-stubborn-
best-friend-to-admit-her-feelings-Day," Ami solemnly nodded.
"Far too long and far too ridiculous."
"And perhaps, far too close to the truth."
"And what about that kiss? I do declare," Mina fanned
herself and adopted an accent reminiscent of Scarlet O'Hara, "that
kiss was one of the hottest kisses I've ever seen."
"I only kissed him on the cheek!"
"I realize that, and that even shocks me more!"
I had to secretly agree, although it seriously lacked lip-
to-lip contact, that kiss nearly dissolved me into blonde goop.
"See, that proves that you two are attracted to each other.
The air was practically sizzling!" triumphantly clapped Rei.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You never were a good liar, sweetie."
"So what if Darien is gorgeous? So what if his smile turns
me knees to strands of spaghetti?" I accusingly flung out, rising
to my feet as I continued my heartfelt tirade. "It doesn't mean I
have feelings for the insensitive jerk! And now that my break is
over, I'm leaving. You hear, leaving!" With my four best friends'
shocked gazes trained on me, including everyone else in the suddenly
quiet restaurant, I flounced away. And stopped. Fighting back a flush,
I stomped straight back to the table, smacked several crumbled bills
on the table to cover my bill and tip, and dramatically exited.
News at six o'clock: An U.B.O., (Unidentified Blonde Object) is
spotted in downtown Tokyo spray-painting over every single image
of red headed models, leaving strange messages like 'blondes rule.'
Sorry if you guys found that boring, it
was the 'girl talk' chapter that answered
a lot of people's questions. Oh yes, and
I want to address the question over
Serena's virginity. Granted, the poor
girl doesn't seem to have much luck
in love, she is *not* a virgin. That
comment over her being a virgin tease
was simply an exaggeration in her mind.
I just wanted to address that, even though
it's a little late ^_^; (It was 3 chapters
ago, but nevermind that).
Okay, feedback, anyone? I love to hear
from you guys, honestly, I do! Good, bad,
ugly...all of em. So email, review,
critique, whatever.
Dreamwriter_1234@yahoo.com.
Until next time, dear readers.