Sweet Surrender
Part 4/?
By Elisabeth James
liz221@ameritech.net
Okay here's chapter four, I've gotten such great feedback
on the other chapters I hope that everyone will continue to mail
me after this one :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon
This is an AU (Alternate Reality) fic, I use dub names in
this but it is NOT a dub fic by any means.
~* Chapter 4- A Night of Magic *~
"Mehg, what am I going to do! The art show is
tomorrow night and I have absolutely nothing to wear!"
Serena flopped back onto the bed in Mehgan's gigantic
room.
"Oh quit whining, we'll find you something.
Let's look in my closet, maybe I have something that
might work." she pulled open the doors to the large walk
in closet that took up one wall of the room. "How fancy
is this?"
"The college likes to make a big deal out of it, it's
pretty formal." Mehg nodded and disappeared into the
depths of her closet. Serena sat up and watched as
articles of clothing starting flying toward her.
"Homecoming formal or prom formal?" Mehg
snapped back. Serena paused, "Probably somewhere in
between."
"I have five really fancy dress, three semi-fancy
ones, six more casual ones. Take your pick." Serena
waded carefully through the pile of dress scattered
amongst the floor. There was a sea of pinks and purples,
reds and oranges, blacks and blues at her feet.
She reached down and picked up a pale pink
gown. It was strapless and fitted, until it flared out at the
waist, tumbling to the ground in a waterfall of silk and
tulle. "It's beautiful."
Mehg took a quick look at the dress in Serena's
hands, "It's perfect, try it on." She shooed Serena out
into the hall and into the bathroom. "You better let me
see how it looks." Serena nodded and shut the door.
"What are you doing just standing around in the
hallway Mehg?" Darien asked five minutes later, as he
walked out of his bedroom.
"I'm waiting for Serena to finish trying on a dress
so she can show me how wonderful she looks in it!" she
raised her voice so Serena would get the hint to hurry up.
Loud grumbling was her only reply. "Will you hold on
Mehg, patience is a virtue."
Darien leaned against the wall next to Mehg,
waiting for Serena to come out as well. She looked great
in jeans and a T-shirt, he couldn't begin to picture her in
a dress.
"Darien, go away." his sister told him flatly,
pushing him away. "If this is the gown she chooses, it
must be a surprise." Darien rolled his eyes at such an old
fashioned idea. He was about to tell Mehgan no but the
look on her face changed his mind in an instant.
"All right, all right, I'm going. But I'm not happy
about it." he turned away and started down the stairs.
Not five seconds after, the bathroom door opened
revealing a blushing Serena.
She tugged at the dress, trying to keep it from
falling down, "It's a little big." she told Mehgan, who
was grinning madly at the sight Serena made.
"We'll have it taken it, the maid can do it tonight
before she goes home." Mehgan told her quickly,
"Although aren't artist supposed to wear black?" Serena
shook her head, "I never wear black, it's so dark and
depressing. It's not me at all."
"Well Serena I think this is you. Get changed and
I'll take the dress down to Hilda and she'll have it all
fixed up by tomorrow." Mehg started to walk away,
"And then we can go shoe shopping."
Serena nodded and shut the door again. Mehg
smiled to herself, knowing that tomorrow night was going
to be pure magic.
Darien was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the
paper when the two girls came bounding down the stairs
at a breakneck pace. "Where's the fire?" he glanced up
at them as Mehg paused quickly at the fridge to get a
soda.
"We're going shoe shopping for tomorrow night."
she told Darien from inside the refrigerator. "Serena do
you need a purse?"
"Yeah, I don't have anything to match the dress,
but Mehg I don't have a lot of money to spend on silly
stuff like this." She traced the tiles of the kitchen floor
with her shoe. There had been times when she had felt
uncomfortable because of her financial status when she
hung out with Mehg but this had to be the worst.
A silence hung over the kitchen as Mehg
considered what to do. Her mother had always been a
firm believer that money was no good unless you did
something good with it. Through her own twisted logic,
this made sense to Mehgan, "It's cool, I'll take care of
everything for you. The purse, the shoes, a nice wrap.
You'll be the belle of the art show."
Serena looked up at her friend, trying to figure out
exactly what was going on. "Mehg, that's a very nice
offer but it's totally not necessary. It's just one evening."
She could feel Darien's cool gaze on her back but she
refused to turn around. "I just don't like accepting
handouts, I like to work for the things I receive."
Mehg's mouth fell open a little as she tried to
keep her emotions hidden, "Well... I have a wrap you can
borrow and some shoes. They should fit you. But I'm
afraid I don't have a purse to match."
Serena grinned, "I can swing enough money for a
new purse, do you still want to go shopping with me?"
Mehg nodded and the two girl raced outside to Mehg's
BMW convertible. Darien watched them back out of the
driveway, a smile on his face. It was amazing how
unaffected Serena was by his world, anyone else would
have accepted Mehgan's offer in a second. But Serena
didn't want to take advantage of her friend. Suddenly he
couldn't wait for tomorrow night.
"Mom, I'm leaving now!" Serena called into the
kitchen as she was dashing out the front door. Mrs.
Bancroft glanced at the clock above the stove and peaked
her head around the corner, "I thought the art show didn't
start until 8:00?"
Serena smiled and tried to be patient, "Mehg is
helping me get ready, she says I need to look spectacular
for tonight." Her mother stepped out of the kitchen and
walked over to her.
"Serena..." she paused to collect her rambling
thoughts, "I'm worried about you spending so much time
over at the Harrisons. I know Mehg is your friend and
I'm happy that you finally have started to open up to
people. But I overheard you talking to her over the phone
last night, and I know you like Darien, honey."
Serena paled, she hadn't told anyone what she felt
for Darien. Mehg knew out of instinct and had given up
really bugging her about after the sleepover. "Mom, he's
just a friend."
"Serena, just hear me out. It's okay that you like
him, I know how sometimes feelings can just come out of
the blue but don't get too attached. Men like him are
made to break a girl's heart, so guard yours closely
okay?"
Serena planted a quick kiss on her mother's pale
cheek, "I will, I'll be very careful. I'm going to go okay,
I'll see you at the art show at 8:00 all right?" Mrs.
Bancroft nodded and her daughter flew out the front door
and down the driveway to her car.
"Too bad he's already stolen it..." she whispered
to herself. The older woman padded back to her
bedroom, she too needed to get ready.
"OUCH!" Mehg quickly stuck her thumb into her
mouth, "Stupid curling iron." she mumbled under her
breath as she wrapped another long strand of hair around
the hot metal.
Serena rolled her eyes at her friend, Mehg seemed
to be more nervous than her about tonight. Serena
appeared calm and collected on the outside, almost cold
in demeanor. But on the inside her stomach was
cramping up and she felt like she was going to be sick.
"Aren't you at all excited Serena? This is the big
night, it's just you and Darien." Mehg playfully teased
her friend, she saw right through that disguise of
nonchalance.
"I'm going to be sick Mehg, what am I doing? I
can't show up there with your brother as my date!" she
buried her face in her hands, pulling Mehg and the
curling iron along with her.
Mehg gently pulled on Serena's hair causing her
to look up, "Don't do that again! You'll mess up your
makeup!" she softened her tone as she curled another
piece of Serena's hair, "Why can't you show up with my
brother?"
Serena drew in a deep breath trying to calm down,
"I'm a nobody Mehg, and well, Darien's a somebody. No
one is going to understand why he's there with me, I
don't understand why he's going to be there with me."
"Haven't we gone over this already, he's going
with you because he likes you Serena. And no one else
needs to understand anything. It's none of their business
why he's there with you. Sure they'll be speculation
because people like to gossip. You can't stop people
from talking but Darien won't let anything bad be said
about you. So just enjoy tonight, forget everyone else but
him and you. He wouldn't be going with you unless he
wanted to, I know my brother, he doesn't do stuff like
this for everyone." she picked up a bottle of hairspray
and doused Serena's hair with it. "There all done."
Serena stood up slowly and walked over to
Mehgan's full length mirror, the sight that greeted her
almost took her breath away. She looked like a princess,
the pink gown now fit her to perfection swirling to the
ground at her feet almost covering up the silver
sandal-style shoes that adorned her feet. A small silver
handbag and wrap completed the ensemble and
twinkling diamond earrings winked at her from her ears.
"You are going to knock them dead Sere, no one
is going to be looking at those paintings tonight." Mehg
stood behind Serena, admiring her handiwork.
"Thank you so much, I never could have pulled
this off without you." Tears welled up in her eyes as she
finally realized that she for once in her life had a true
friend.
"Oh don't cry! Your mascara will run." she
hugged her shaking friend quickly before darting toward
the door, "I'm going to see if Darien is ready." with that
she ran downstairs.
Serena nodded and turned back to her reflection,
"I can do this, I can do this..." she chanted the mantra
over and over again under her breath. She closed her
eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, feeling the
butterflies in her stomach start to calm down. The
feeling of anticipation washed over her, taking the place
of the nervousness.
"Serena, get your cute butt down here. Everyone
is waiting!" Mehg's teasing voice floated up the stairwell
and Serena cast one last look at herself in the mirror. It
was now or never. She walked out of the room and
paused at the top of the staircase, she could see Darien
standing below her in his black tuxedo. He looked
stunning as the soft black fabric hugged his body, his
shaggy black hair falling softly in his face, into his
beautiful blue eyes. Mehg saw her hesitation and
motioned silently for her to get a move on.
She started down the stairs, her heels clicking
softly on the hard wood beneath her feet. Darien turned
to look at her and felt his breath catch in his throat. She
was a vision, an angel and for the evening, she was his.
Her smile started to waver as her eyes caught his and he
felt a bolt of electricity shoot through his body. "You
look... incredible." he finally managed to finish. A soft
blush graced her cheeks as he took her hand in his and
kissed it gently.
"Well you two don't be out too late, have fun and
drive safe!" Mehg chirped, pushing the couple toward the
door. Darien grinned at his little sister, he was in too
good of a mood to mind her meddling tonight.
"Bye Mehg." Serena gave her best friend one last
hug before being swept outside by Darien's strong arm.
"Call me, no matter what time you get home, I
want details Serena! I mean it!" Mehg could hear her
friend giggling at her as she and Darien walked out to his
black Porche Boxer. "Don't break her heart Darien, or I
swear to God I'll rip out yours..." she whispered before
she closed the kitchen door and went back upstairs.
Darien offered her a hand to help her out of the
car. Serena accepted it gratefully, hoping that he
wouldn't notice how badly she was shaking. She
carefully brushed off her dress, praying that she still
looked as good as she had back at the house.
"Try and calm down Serena. You're going to
win." Darien told her with a reassuring smile, taking her
arm in his. She instantly sought comfort in his warmth,
enjoying the feeling of having him close to her.
"That's not what I'm worried about..." she said
under her breath. He didn't seem to hear her as he lead
her into the exhibition hall.
Serena wasn't oblivious to the stares and gasps
that surrounded her and Darien where ever they went.
Everyone knew who Darien was. They wandered around
the hall, looking at the other works of art. Each one
Darien compared to Serena's, and each one failed to
measure up. He didn't notice that the grip Serena had
around his arm was getting tighter and tighter each room
they entered.
Finally they reached her own tiny room and
Serena pulled away from him in awe, she had never truly
seen her work displayed for a real show before. It was
one thing to see it just hanging up, but tonight the
atmosphere was different, and seeing her work hanging
up on display sent shivers up her spine. Darien watched
her as she walked to each of her paintings, as if seeing
them through new eyes.
"They're all wonderful Serena, you have so much
talent." he told her quietly, she turned around and smiled
warmly at him.
"I've never seen my work displayed like this, it's
never been entered in a real show. I guess I'm just
shocked that I'm finally a real artist."
"What time do they announce the awards at?" he
asked her, placing his arm around her waist. He liked
touching her, feeling her body next to his. She was his
for tonight and he intended to make the most of it.
"Around 9:30 or so, after everyone has gotten the
chance to look around and see everyone's work." she
slowly moved closer to him, loving everything about
being his date; from the way he held her, to how he
smelled.
"Why Serena, I didn't expect to see you here! I
didn't even know you were entering any of your work!" a
shrill voice cut through their quiet moment and Serena
spun around to see who had entered the room.
Roz Piekarz stood in the doorway, smiling coolly
at Serena. "Hello Roz, I didn't expect to find you here
either." Serena pushed down the feelings of dislike that
rose in her the second she saw the curly haired blond girl.
She sat next to Roz in her summer art class and while she
had been outright mean to Serena, there was a mocking
undertone in her voice when she spoke that made Serena feel
terrible.
"Well the night's just full of surprises, isn't it?
Who's your date?" finally taking notice of the dark haired
gentleman standing next to Serena.
"This is Darien, Roz. Darien, this is Roz, she sits
next to me in art class." Serena told him through a tight
lipped smile.
Darien could sense Serena discomfort at the
situation, he couldn't help but notice the way Roz was
staring at him too. The arm around her waist tightened,
"It's a pleasure to meet you." he said cordially before
sweeping Serena out of the room without another word
being uttered.
The blond haired girl relaxed immediately at his
side, leaning against him. "Thank you." she told him
softly, gratitude sparkling in her eyes.
"No problem, as your date I'm expected to rescue
you from annoying people you can't stand." she giggled
at his remark, wondering how she could have ever felt so
nervous before.
Time flew by after that, the two to them
wandering around, commenting on other paintings and
enjoying one another's company.
"Attention everyone, it's time for the winners of
the 6th annual NIU art show to be announced." the main
room suddenly quieted down, anticipation crackling
through the air. Serena grabbed Darien's hand in her
own, grasping it tightly as she silently prayed that some
honor might be bestowed upon her.
The list of awards was long and took about half
an hour to reach the fantasy category. Serena's heart
sped up as the man up front spoke, "This was a very
tough category to decide on a winner for. We had two
extremely talented artists both enter paintings, but
unfortunately only one of them could be the recipient of
the award for best fantasy piece. That honor goes to...
Roz Piekarz!" applause thundered inside the room as Roz
stepped forward to accept the ribbon and certificate. Her
smile was a mile wide as she pushed back Serena to get
to the room that displayed her work. "Better be careful
dear, or I might steal something else right out from under
you." Roz cast a quick glance at Darien's stormy face
before making an exit, surrounded by her friends.
Serena could feel the tears well up in her eyes,
threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. It wasn't the
fact that she lost, that didn't bother her, it was the fact
that Roz was such a mean hateful person. And that she
was right, Serena didn't deserve Darien, she could never
click with him the way someone like Roz did. She was
rich, beautiful and popular, Serena was none of those
things in her eyes.
"Can we please go Darien?" she asked him
weakly, he nodded silently and they made their way
through the crowd to the doors.
The cool night air felt good on Serena's
over-heated skin, the tears in her eyes retreated. "Are
you okay Serena?" Darien broke the tense silence as he
unlocked the car door on the passenger side.
"I'll live."
"That's not what I asked, I asked if you were
okay." Serena shook her head, "No I'm not. I'm angry
and upset." Darien's warm arms wrapped around almost
immediately, pulling her tight to his body. "She did it on
purpose, she knew I had entered the category first, she
did it to spite me. And she won!"
"She didn't deserve it Serena, her work wasn't
half as good as yours." he rested his chin gently on the
top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.
"But I don't have a father that's the head of the
awards committee, so I lost." she told him, her words
muffled against his hard chest.
"It's wrong to win that way, in her heart she
knows that what she did wasn't honest. The sad thing is
she just doesn't care." Serena loosened her grip around
him and slowly started to pull away but Darien held tight,
"You know what else she was wrong about as well?"
"What?" she was almost scared by his sudden
intensity, the way his eyes seemed to see into her soul
frightened her but calmed her at the same time.
"She could never steal me from you." shock
flashed across her face as he relinquished his grip and
opened the car door for her.
"Your not mine to begin with." she said softly as
she climbed into the Boxer. He knelt down to her level,
"I could be, if you want me."
She could have cried right there, she had known,
but there was nothing like absolute confirmation and
hearing it from him. "I'm not sure what I want right now
Darien." she uttered shakily.
He sighed and stood up. He walked around the
other side of the car and got in, "Well then I'll wait until
you find out." he leaned over, running his fingers through
her long curls, mesmerized by her face. She closed her
eyes, wishing that he would kiss her right now,
wondering how his lips would feel if they brushed against
hers ever so gently. "Do you know now?" he asked softly.
She giggled at his persistence, she was swept away by his
charm and the way he looked at her: like she was the last
girl on earth.
"I'll let you know." he pulled away then, not in
anger but out of respect. The engine churned to life and
he put it in gear. She stared out at the window at the
trees flying by, knowing in her soul that she had already
given Darien full control of her heart. She should have
said yes, but something was holding her back. She didn't
fully trust him yet, she couldn't stand to be hurt again.
~To Be Continued...~
A special thanks to: Mehg for her encouragement,
she's the one who's making me write this thing and for
bestowing me with the honor of being the SMRFF Fic
Goddess. Luv ya girlie! Mere-chan my very pregnant
editor for all of her hard work, she really helps make my
fics better! And Clare for her support and for getting me
back into FFVII, I forgot how much I love that game!
Sephiroth is YUMMY!
E-mail me! E-mail me! E-mail me!
liz221@ameritech.net
Liz-chan
Part 4/?
By Elisabeth James
liz221@ameritech.net
Okay here's chapter four, I've gotten such great feedback
on the other chapters I hope that everyone will continue to mail
me after this one :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon
This is an AU (Alternate Reality) fic, I use dub names in
this but it is NOT a dub fic by any means.
~* Chapter 4- A Night of Magic *~
"Mehg, what am I going to do! The art show is
tomorrow night and I have absolutely nothing to wear!"
Serena flopped back onto the bed in Mehgan's gigantic
room.
"Oh quit whining, we'll find you something.
Let's look in my closet, maybe I have something that
might work." she pulled open the doors to the large walk
in closet that took up one wall of the room. "How fancy
is this?"
"The college likes to make a big deal out of it, it's
pretty formal." Mehg nodded and disappeared into the
depths of her closet. Serena sat up and watched as
articles of clothing starting flying toward her.
"Homecoming formal or prom formal?" Mehg
snapped back. Serena paused, "Probably somewhere in
between."
"I have five really fancy dress, three semi-fancy
ones, six more casual ones. Take your pick." Serena
waded carefully through the pile of dress scattered
amongst the floor. There was a sea of pinks and purples,
reds and oranges, blacks and blues at her feet.
She reached down and picked up a pale pink
gown. It was strapless and fitted, until it flared out at the
waist, tumbling to the ground in a waterfall of silk and
tulle. "It's beautiful."
Mehg took a quick look at the dress in Serena's
hands, "It's perfect, try it on." She shooed Serena out
into the hall and into the bathroom. "You better let me
see how it looks." Serena nodded and shut the door.
"What are you doing just standing around in the
hallway Mehg?" Darien asked five minutes later, as he
walked out of his bedroom.
"I'm waiting for Serena to finish trying on a dress
so she can show me how wonderful she looks in it!" she
raised her voice so Serena would get the hint to hurry up.
Loud grumbling was her only reply. "Will you hold on
Mehg, patience is a virtue."
Darien leaned against the wall next to Mehg,
waiting for Serena to come out as well. She looked great
in jeans and a T-shirt, he couldn't begin to picture her in
a dress.
"Darien, go away." his sister told him flatly,
pushing him away. "If this is the gown she chooses, it
must be a surprise." Darien rolled his eyes at such an old
fashioned idea. He was about to tell Mehgan no but the
look on her face changed his mind in an instant.
"All right, all right, I'm going. But I'm not happy
about it." he turned away and started down the stairs.
Not five seconds after, the bathroom door opened
revealing a blushing Serena.
She tugged at the dress, trying to keep it from
falling down, "It's a little big." she told Mehgan, who
was grinning madly at the sight Serena made.
"We'll have it taken it, the maid can do it tonight
before she goes home." Mehgan told her quickly,
"Although aren't artist supposed to wear black?" Serena
shook her head, "I never wear black, it's so dark and
depressing. It's not me at all."
"Well Serena I think this is you. Get changed and
I'll take the dress down to Hilda and she'll have it all
fixed up by tomorrow." Mehg started to walk away,
"And then we can go shoe shopping."
Serena nodded and shut the door again. Mehg
smiled to herself, knowing that tomorrow night was going
to be pure magic.
Darien was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the
paper when the two girls came bounding down the stairs
at a breakneck pace. "Where's the fire?" he glanced up
at them as Mehg paused quickly at the fridge to get a
soda.
"We're going shoe shopping for tomorrow night."
she told Darien from inside the refrigerator. "Serena do
you need a purse?"
"Yeah, I don't have anything to match the dress,
but Mehg I don't have a lot of money to spend on silly
stuff like this." She traced the tiles of the kitchen floor
with her shoe. There had been times when she had felt
uncomfortable because of her financial status when she
hung out with Mehg but this had to be the worst.
A silence hung over the kitchen as Mehg
considered what to do. Her mother had always been a
firm believer that money was no good unless you did
something good with it. Through her own twisted logic,
this made sense to Mehgan, "It's cool, I'll take care of
everything for you. The purse, the shoes, a nice wrap.
You'll be the belle of the art show."
Serena looked up at her friend, trying to figure out
exactly what was going on. "Mehg, that's a very nice
offer but it's totally not necessary. It's just one evening."
She could feel Darien's cool gaze on her back but she
refused to turn around. "I just don't like accepting
handouts, I like to work for the things I receive."
Mehg's mouth fell open a little as she tried to
keep her emotions hidden, "Well... I have a wrap you can
borrow and some shoes. They should fit you. But I'm
afraid I don't have a purse to match."
Serena grinned, "I can swing enough money for a
new purse, do you still want to go shopping with me?"
Mehg nodded and the two girl raced outside to Mehg's
BMW convertible. Darien watched them back out of the
driveway, a smile on his face. It was amazing how
unaffected Serena was by his world, anyone else would
have accepted Mehgan's offer in a second. But Serena
didn't want to take advantage of her friend. Suddenly he
couldn't wait for tomorrow night.
"Mom, I'm leaving now!" Serena called into the
kitchen as she was dashing out the front door. Mrs.
Bancroft glanced at the clock above the stove and peaked
her head around the corner, "I thought the art show didn't
start until 8:00?"
Serena smiled and tried to be patient, "Mehg is
helping me get ready, she says I need to look spectacular
for tonight." Her mother stepped out of the kitchen and
walked over to her.
"Serena..." she paused to collect her rambling
thoughts, "I'm worried about you spending so much time
over at the Harrisons. I know Mehg is your friend and
I'm happy that you finally have started to open up to
people. But I overheard you talking to her over the phone
last night, and I know you like Darien, honey."
Serena paled, she hadn't told anyone what she felt
for Darien. Mehg knew out of instinct and had given up
really bugging her about after the sleepover. "Mom, he's
just a friend."
"Serena, just hear me out. It's okay that you like
him, I know how sometimes feelings can just come out of
the blue but don't get too attached. Men like him are
made to break a girl's heart, so guard yours closely
okay?"
Serena planted a quick kiss on her mother's pale
cheek, "I will, I'll be very careful. I'm going to go okay,
I'll see you at the art show at 8:00 all right?" Mrs.
Bancroft nodded and her daughter flew out the front door
and down the driveway to her car.
"Too bad he's already stolen it..." she whispered
to herself. The older woman padded back to her
bedroom, she too needed to get ready.
"OUCH!" Mehg quickly stuck her thumb into her
mouth, "Stupid curling iron." she mumbled under her
breath as she wrapped another long strand of hair around
the hot metal.
Serena rolled her eyes at her friend, Mehg seemed
to be more nervous than her about tonight. Serena
appeared calm and collected on the outside, almost cold
in demeanor. But on the inside her stomach was
cramping up and she felt like she was going to be sick.
"Aren't you at all excited Serena? This is the big
night, it's just you and Darien." Mehg playfully teased
her friend, she saw right through that disguise of
nonchalance.
"I'm going to be sick Mehg, what am I doing? I
can't show up there with your brother as my date!" she
buried her face in her hands, pulling Mehg and the
curling iron along with her.
Mehg gently pulled on Serena's hair causing her
to look up, "Don't do that again! You'll mess up your
makeup!" she softened her tone as she curled another
piece of Serena's hair, "Why can't you show up with my
brother?"
Serena drew in a deep breath trying to calm down,
"I'm a nobody Mehg, and well, Darien's a somebody. No
one is going to understand why he's there with me, I
don't understand why he's going to be there with me."
"Haven't we gone over this already, he's going
with you because he likes you Serena. And no one else
needs to understand anything. It's none of their business
why he's there with you. Sure they'll be speculation
because people like to gossip. You can't stop people
from talking but Darien won't let anything bad be said
about you. So just enjoy tonight, forget everyone else but
him and you. He wouldn't be going with you unless he
wanted to, I know my brother, he doesn't do stuff like
this for everyone." she picked up a bottle of hairspray
and doused Serena's hair with it. "There all done."
Serena stood up slowly and walked over to
Mehgan's full length mirror, the sight that greeted her
almost took her breath away. She looked like a princess,
the pink gown now fit her to perfection swirling to the
ground at her feet almost covering up the silver
sandal-style shoes that adorned her feet. A small silver
handbag and wrap completed the ensemble and
twinkling diamond earrings winked at her from her ears.
"You are going to knock them dead Sere, no one
is going to be looking at those paintings tonight." Mehg
stood behind Serena, admiring her handiwork.
"Thank you so much, I never could have pulled
this off without you." Tears welled up in her eyes as she
finally realized that she for once in her life had a true
friend.
"Oh don't cry! Your mascara will run." she
hugged her shaking friend quickly before darting toward
the door, "I'm going to see if Darien is ready." with that
she ran downstairs.
Serena nodded and turned back to her reflection,
"I can do this, I can do this..." she chanted the mantra
over and over again under her breath. She closed her
eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, feeling the
butterflies in her stomach start to calm down. The
feeling of anticipation washed over her, taking the place
of the nervousness.
"Serena, get your cute butt down here. Everyone
is waiting!" Mehg's teasing voice floated up the stairwell
and Serena cast one last look at herself in the mirror. It
was now or never. She walked out of the room and
paused at the top of the staircase, she could see Darien
standing below her in his black tuxedo. He looked
stunning as the soft black fabric hugged his body, his
shaggy black hair falling softly in his face, into his
beautiful blue eyes. Mehg saw her hesitation and
motioned silently for her to get a move on.
She started down the stairs, her heels clicking
softly on the hard wood beneath her feet. Darien turned
to look at her and felt his breath catch in his throat. She
was a vision, an angel and for the evening, she was his.
Her smile started to waver as her eyes caught his and he
felt a bolt of electricity shoot through his body. "You
look... incredible." he finally managed to finish. A soft
blush graced her cheeks as he took her hand in his and
kissed it gently.
"Well you two don't be out too late, have fun and
drive safe!" Mehg chirped, pushing the couple toward the
door. Darien grinned at his little sister, he was in too
good of a mood to mind her meddling tonight.
"Bye Mehg." Serena gave her best friend one last
hug before being swept outside by Darien's strong arm.
"Call me, no matter what time you get home, I
want details Serena! I mean it!" Mehg could hear her
friend giggling at her as she and Darien walked out to his
black Porche Boxer. "Don't break her heart Darien, or I
swear to God I'll rip out yours..." she whispered before
she closed the kitchen door and went back upstairs.
Darien offered her a hand to help her out of the
car. Serena accepted it gratefully, hoping that he
wouldn't notice how badly she was shaking. She
carefully brushed off her dress, praying that she still
looked as good as she had back at the house.
"Try and calm down Serena. You're going to
win." Darien told her with a reassuring smile, taking her
arm in his. She instantly sought comfort in his warmth,
enjoying the feeling of having him close to her.
"That's not what I'm worried about..." she said
under her breath. He didn't seem to hear her as he lead
her into the exhibition hall.
Serena wasn't oblivious to the stares and gasps
that surrounded her and Darien where ever they went.
Everyone knew who Darien was. They wandered around
the hall, looking at the other works of art. Each one
Darien compared to Serena's, and each one failed to
measure up. He didn't notice that the grip Serena had
around his arm was getting tighter and tighter each room
they entered.
Finally they reached her own tiny room and
Serena pulled away from him in awe, she had never truly
seen her work displayed for a real show before. It was
one thing to see it just hanging up, but tonight the
atmosphere was different, and seeing her work hanging
up on display sent shivers up her spine. Darien watched
her as she walked to each of her paintings, as if seeing
them through new eyes.
"They're all wonderful Serena, you have so much
talent." he told her quietly, she turned around and smiled
warmly at him.
"I've never seen my work displayed like this, it's
never been entered in a real show. I guess I'm just
shocked that I'm finally a real artist."
"What time do they announce the awards at?" he
asked her, placing his arm around her waist. He liked
touching her, feeling her body next to his. She was his
for tonight and he intended to make the most of it.
"Around 9:30 or so, after everyone has gotten the
chance to look around and see everyone's work." she
slowly moved closer to him, loving everything about
being his date; from the way he held her, to how he
smelled.
"Why Serena, I didn't expect to see you here! I
didn't even know you were entering any of your work!" a
shrill voice cut through their quiet moment and Serena
spun around to see who had entered the room.
Roz Piekarz stood in the doorway, smiling coolly
at Serena. "Hello Roz, I didn't expect to find you here
either." Serena pushed down the feelings of dislike that
rose in her the second she saw the curly haired blond girl.
She sat next to Roz in her summer art class and while she
had been outright mean to Serena, there was a mocking
undertone in her voice when she spoke that made Serena feel
terrible.
"Well the night's just full of surprises, isn't it?
Who's your date?" finally taking notice of the dark haired
gentleman standing next to Serena.
"This is Darien, Roz. Darien, this is Roz, she sits
next to me in art class." Serena told him through a tight
lipped smile.
Darien could sense Serena discomfort at the
situation, he couldn't help but notice the way Roz was
staring at him too. The arm around her waist tightened,
"It's a pleasure to meet you." he said cordially before
sweeping Serena out of the room without another word
being uttered.
The blond haired girl relaxed immediately at his
side, leaning against him. "Thank you." she told him
softly, gratitude sparkling in her eyes.
"No problem, as your date I'm expected to rescue
you from annoying people you can't stand." she giggled
at his remark, wondering how she could have ever felt so
nervous before.
Time flew by after that, the two to them
wandering around, commenting on other paintings and
enjoying one another's company.
"Attention everyone, it's time for the winners of
the 6th annual NIU art show to be announced." the main
room suddenly quieted down, anticipation crackling
through the air. Serena grabbed Darien's hand in her
own, grasping it tightly as she silently prayed that some
honor might be bestowed upon her.
The list of awards was long and took about half
an hour to reach the fantasy category. Serena's heart
sped up as the man up front spoke, "This was a very
tough category to decide on a winner for. We had two
extremely talented artists both enter paintings, but
unfortunately only one of them could be the recipient of
the award for best fantasy piece. That honor goes to...
Roz Piekarz!" applause thundered inside the room as Roz
stepped forward to accept the ribbon and certificate. Her
smile was a mile wide as she pushed back Serena to get
to the room that displayed her work. "Better be careful
dear, or I might steal something else right out from under
you." Roz cast a quick glance at Darien's stormy face
before making an exit, surrounded by her friends.
Serena could feel the tears well up in her eyes,
threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. It wasn't the
fact that she lost, that didn't bother her, it was the fact
that Roz was such a mean hateful person. And that she
was right, Serena didn't deserve Darien, she could never
click with him the way someone like Roz did. She was
rich, beautiful and popular, Serena was none of those
things in her eyes.
"Can we please go Darien?" she asked him
weakly, he nodded silently and they made their way
through the crowd to the doors.
The cool night air felt good on Serena's
over-heated skin, the tears in her eyes retreated. "Are
you okay Serena?" Darien broke the tense silence as he
unlocked the car door on the passenger side.
"I'll live."
"That's not what I asked, I asked if you were
okay." Serena shook her head, "No I'm not. I'm angry
and upset." Darien's warm arms wrapped around almost
immediately, pulling her tight to his body. "She did it on
purpose, she knew I had entered the category first, she
did it to spite me. And she won!"
"She didn't deserve it Serena, her work wasn't
half as good as yours." he rested his chin gently on the
top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.
"But I don't have a father that's the head of the
awards committee, so I lost." she told him, her words
muffled against his hard chest.
"It's wrong to win that way, in her heart she
knows that what she did wasn't honest. The sad thing is
she just doesn't care." Serena loosened her grip around
him and slowly started to pull away but Darien held tight,
"You know what else she was wrong about as well?"
"What?" she was almost scared by his sudden
intensity, the way his eyes seemed to see into her soul
frightened her but calmed her at the same time.
"She could never steal me from you." shock
flashed across her face as he relinquished his grip and
opened the car door for her.
"Your not mine to begin with." she said softly as
she climbed into the Boxer. He knelt down to her level,
"I could be, if you want me."
She could have cried right there, she had known,
but there was nothing like absolute confirmation and
hearing it from him. "I'm not sure what I want right now
Darien." she uttered shakily.
He sighed and stood up. He walked around the
other side of the car and got in, "Well then I'll wait until
you find out." he leaned over, running his fingers through
her long curls, mesmerized by her face. She closed her
eyes, wishing that he would kiss her right now,
wondering how his lips would feel if they brushed against
hers ever so gently. "Do you know now?" he asked softly.
She giggled at his persistence, she was swept away by his
charm and the way he looked at her: like she was the last
girl on earth.
"I'll let you know." he pulled away then, not in
anger but out of respect. The engine churned to life and
he put it in gear. She stared out at the window at the
trees flying by, knowing in her soul that she had already
given Darien full control of her heart. She should have
said yes, but something was holding her back. She didn't
fully trust him yet, she couldn't stand to be hurt again.
~To Be Continued...~
A special thanks to: Mehg for her encouragement,
she's the one who's making me write this thing and for
bestowing me with the honor of being the SMRFF Fic
Goddess. Luv ya girlie! Mere-chan my very pregnant
editor for all of her hard work, she really helps make my
fics better! And Clare for her support and for getting me
back into FFVII, I forgot how much I love that game!
Sephiroth is YUMMY!
E-mail me! E-mail me! E-mail me!
liz221@ameritech.net
Liz-chan