"As glad as I am to see that you're up and awake again, Serena, I do wish
it was on a school day instead of a Saturday."
Serena stuffed another waffle down her throat. "Mum, if yew want me to get betta, you haf to accept that I am nawt pewfect and will still avoid schoowl by awl means pawssible."
"Serena, shut up, if you cant say something that makes sense, then don't risk choking on your words." Sammy said, cutting his sausage into equal pieces and dipping each in maple syrup.
Serena stuck her tongue out at him, silently agreeing that her statement made no sense what-so-ever, and she had even confused herself.
"Serena, don't choke on your words- I mean, food, dear," Mrs. Tsukino said absentmindedly as she poured her son some cranberry juice. "So what do you have planned for today, dear?" she said, looking at her son.
Sammy, being the perfect child he was, finished chewing and took a sip of juice before speaking. "Well, me and Mika are going to go to her house and maybe watch some movies or something before working on our solar system project."
Serena smiled a wicked grin. "Miiiikkkaaaa, eh?" Serena giggled. "Is she your giiiiirrrllllfriend now?"
Sammy glared at her. "No! We are just good friends. But I wouldn't tease me about having a boyfriend when you have Darien hanging around all the time," he said.
Mrs. Tsukino sat down and began to cut her own waffle. "Yes, Serena, Darien has been stopping by a lot lately." She said carefully. "He's been awfully good to you while you've been.. Sick. Are you two an item?"
Serena coughed and sputtered as the orange juice she was drinking went down the wrong pipe, her eyes bulging out and her face beet red. Sammy laughed delightfully and Mrs. Tsukino waited for an answer expectantly.
"Oh god! No, no no no!" Serena said, regaining composure. "We are just really good friends, you know. buddies, that type thing." She finished, looking out of the corner of her eye while taking another sip of orange juice.
Sammy grinned like the Cheshire cat. "A friend is a friend, a pal is a pal, a buddy is someone you sleep with!" He said slyly.
It was Mrs. Tsukino's turn to choke on her drink. She grabbed her oven mitt from her lap and smacked Sammy on the back of the head with it. "Sammy!" she yelled. "Where did you hear such a thing!?!"
Serena rolled her eyes. "I think Sammy should be sent to his room for being so rude, Mom."
"Me?! Rude?!" Sammy said. "You're the one who's been hiding in your room all the time when Aunt Marcie came with Sandy and Michael! That was rude!"
Serena blinked. "Auntie Marcie and Sandy and Michael came?" She said, looking at her mother. "When?"
Mrs. Tsukino flushed slightly. "Oh, on Wednesday," she said casually. "You were so sick that I didn't bother to tell you."
Serena frowned. Aunt Marcie was always her favorite aunt, and little Michael was only 4 years old and blast to play with. She always enjoyed their visits. "Oh," she said. "I didn't know." She stood and brought her plate to the sink. "I'm done, I'm going to the arcade for a little while."
Mrs. Tsukino nodded, and gave Sammy a 'look'.
Sammy shrugged. "What?!" He said.
Serena walked down the street, one long tail of hair draped over her shoulder as she wrung her newly painted fingers through the long golden strands. She didn't know why she was nervous, she knew that her friends would be so excited to see her, but she couldn't overcome this sense of doom coming over her and settling in her stomach uncomfortably.
She had dressed in the typical clothing she would wear on the weekends, a short plaited skirt with pink, yellow, and white plaid fabric, a white tank top, pink cardigan, and pink slippers with white knee socks to show off her long toned legs. She felt strange in the clothes, so used to the flannel and jersey material she had worn for the past week, and she had spent an unusual amount of time that morning finding an outfit that seemed right. She had thrown her mind off its keel and was having a hard time bringing it back, but she knew it must be done.
She was coming closer to the crown arcade when she took a deep breath and paused for a minute, unaware she was pulling on her ponytail until she felt the sharp pain and yelped. She mentally scolded herself for being an idiot and walked towards the glass double doors and pushed them open.
"Helllooooooo everyone!" she said dramatically, flipping her hair off her shoulder. "Miss me?"
"SERENA!!" She was barely inside before she was knocked off balance and wrapped in arms, Mina's hugging her waist and Lita's hung over her shoulders.
Amy giggled and walked over to her and gave her a small hug. Rei turned and smiled. "So you finally decided to show, eh?"
Serena looked at her friends and felt tears come to her eyes. Oh, she had missed them so much! She thought as she burst into tears.
Mina let her go and looked into her eyes and started bawling too. "Oh Serena!" She said, hugging her again.
"Wow, she's not dead, you guys," Rei said, leaning against the counter. "You came just in time to meet someone," she said casually.
Serena looked up and locked eyes with cool black orbs wrapped in thick black lashes and froze.
"This is Vaughn," Rei said, placing her hand on the blonde's chest. "He's Andrew's older brother! He has been in the states for two years studying to be a lawyer, that's why we never met him."
Vaughn smiled coolly. "Hello Serena," he said. He flashed a perfect smile and looked her up and down. Serena's skin broke out in goose-bumps.
He was older. He looked older. He was. what? 21 now? He was broader, and more polished. His sandy blonde hair gelled back off his face, except for a few stray locks that fell into his eyes, those deep brown, almost black eyes that had haunted her dreams. But his body language, his voice, his manners, they were still the same. She shuddered.
She found her courage and nodded slightly, looking over to Mina, trying to regain her composure by looking at a friendly face. Mina beamed back at her, super-happy to have her friend back.
"Jeez, Serena," Mina said, taking her friends arm. "You are covered in goose-bumps, you cold?"
Serena looked at her. "Uh, yeah, I guess." She pulled her cardigan tighter, suddenly aware of her body, wishing she was dressed like an afghan lady, draped in black from head to toe so that he couldn't study her like he was.
"You've grown up, Serena," Vaughn said, still studying her with those black, emotionless eyes. like a shark, she thought.
Mina looked between the two. "You two know each other?" She asked.
Vaughn smiled. "We met once or twice at some parties a few years back," he said smoothly.
"Oh!" Mina said cheerfully. "Well then, how about you join us to the movies? We are going to see something at noon, wanna come?"
Serena nearly jumped from her skin. "No!" She shrieked.
The girls looked at her.
She swallowed nervously. "I um, I have to get home, I told my mom I'd only be out for a few minutes, you know, cause I'm still, like, you know, recovering." She said. She smiled weakly at her friends. "I'll just be going now, you guys have a good time, c-ya!"
She darted out of the arcade and ran down the street, darting between pedestrians making their way through the city. She ran, adrenaline pumping through her veins, her brain telling her to get as far away as possible. Her mind was blank, but reeling at the same time. She couldn't figure out which mess of thoughts to focus on.
She was running past the Juuban district park when a strong hand grabbed her upper arm. She screamed and turned, blinded by tears, and pounded her fist against the chest that held the arm that held her tightly.
"Serena!" The clear voice said. "Serena, its me, its me! Relax! It's okay, your fine!"
Serena looked up into the sweaty, dirt streaked face of Darien, looking down at her with a curious expression.
She gasped and flung herself into his arms, wishing she could crawl inside of him.
Darien looked down at her, stunned. "Jeez, Serena, where's the fire?" He joked.
"The arcade," she said softly, her eyes tightly shut.
"What does that mean-" Darien's face changed from warm to hard. "He's there?" He said.
Serena nodded and looked up at him. "He- he acted like nothing happened, he was just standing there, and he said 'you've grown up, Serena', and he was looking at me like that and I just wanted to die-"
Darien hushed her and looked around. His co-workers were looking at the two with curious expressions on their faces. He looked back at Serena. "Did he touch you?" He said softly.
Serena shook her head.
Darien nodded. "Alright, take my key to my apartment," he said, taking out his ring of keys and taking one off. "Go inside, eat something, take a nap, relax, okay?" She nodded, holding the key to her chest. "I don't want you to take the chance of running into him again. I'm getting off in a few hours, so wait for me there, alright?" Serena nodded again, sniffling.
Darien sighed and kissed her forehead. "Go on, I'll be there in a couple of hours, I promise." He said.
Serena nodded and turned around, walking in the opposite direction of her house, trying to gather herself. She vaguely remembered, not very well, but vaguely remembered where his apartment was. He had gone there once, while they were on their way to a restaurant. He had to stop in for some reason. She knew where it was, but had never been inside. It was a flat above some small shop. some really kitschy shop with kitsch items in its windows.
She found the small shop and went down the ally to the side and opened a door that led to an iron spiral staircase and a door at the top, only a single bulb lighting the area.
She put in the key shakily and opened the door, and looked around the apartment.
It was so. bare. It was nicer then she had imagined it would be, very neat and orderly. The door opened to a small living room with one circle window overlooking the street below, beneath the window was a couch with big pillows that looked very used, and a matching recliner facing a good sized TV. There was a rather large cherry bookcase filled with novels and medical books, and a coffee table with a small bowl of glass marbles in it.
The kitchen was very small, a oven next to a sink, with one island of counter space that seemed to serve as a table as well, a microwave built into the wall, and a refrigerator tucked next to it, with overhead cabinets.
She noticed a small nook where there were two parallel doors. She walked over to them and opened the one on the right, revealing a small sand- colored bathroom. She walked over to the sink and looked at his things.
There was something so personal about being in his bathroom. She picked up a bottle of cologne and smelled it, breathing in the smell of him. She smiled at herself. She ran her fingers along the sink and opened and shut the medicine cabinet.
She exited the bathroom and hesitated in front of the other door, her hand lingering over the doorknob. This would obviously be his bedroom. unless he slept on the couch, which she found highly unlikely. She wondered if she had any business being in his most intimate place. where he dressed, where he slept, where he made love.
She pushed that thought aside and finally turned the knob, peering inside the room. She put her hand on the wall next to the door and fumbled for a light switch.
She lost her breath at the sight. It was a strangely beautiful room, all deep, rich blues and greens. The low bed was the center of the small room, with two small nightstands next to it. There was a large plant next to a single window that brought little light in the room, as it was blocked by the next building. There were paintings of landscapes adorning the wall, and a beautiful, cherry chest at the end of the bed etched in spirals of gold.
Suddenly feeling guilty, she closed the door and left the room.
So this is it, she thought. "Not much to work with," she said out loud. She walked into the living room again and looked at the spot underneath the TV, where a few videos were kept. She knelt down and looked through them. She stopped and nearly choked on her tongue when she came across G String Diva's and Ginger Diamond's Trip to Amsterdam.
She giggled and could feel herself flushing. She turned on the TV and sat on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable. She fell back into a big pillow and sighed.
He knew. He knew about her secret, and yet he hadn't pushed her away. She pondered this thought. He had, if possible, embraced it. She wondered if he would have given her the key to his apartment if she hadn't told him. She snorted. Of course not, she thought. He gave it to you so you could escape from the wandering eyes of Vaughn.
Vaughn.
It was such a shock seeing him. You stupid idiot! She screamed at herself. Of COURSE he would be at the arcade, he's Andrew's brother! His family owns it!
The sight of him was so shocking to her senses. She had felt, in one painful jolt, the way his touch had felt, the way he smelled, tasted, sounded.
Amazing how the one person she couldn't get enough of was suddenly the person she couldn't get rid of. She smiled wryly. She had once ran to him, now she ran from him.
She painfully remembered stepping into his college dorm, seeing the bra and pair of men's pants on the floor, and shrugging it off, assuming one of his roommates had been up to no good. It was two days after the abortion, and she was still scared. And sore. Very sore. She was only 14, and wasn't able to see a real doctor without parental consent, so Vaughn had taken her to a friend of his that knew a doctor who had performed the procedure. He was a real doctor, but had just graduated, and was new. She was still worried that something could have gone wrong and was seeking her boyfriends arms for comfort when she had opened his door and found him and Ellie in his bed, completely naked, the bed pounding against the wall and Ellie on top, running her fingers through her hair, his hands on her waist as they both dripped with sweat.
And in that one moment she felt her world collapse on her. She had slammed the door and ran from the room, ran from everything, and was still running when a car pulled alongside her with Vaughn in it, Ellie in the passenger seat. She was blinded by tears and refused to look at him, as he seemed mad at HER, of all people. You didn't knock, he had said. You never want me anymore, he had said. Ellie was more then open to trying new things and doing it whenever he wanted, and he kept feeding her bullshit as she walked down an ally, curling into a ball and crying.
She had never felt so hurt. And his black eyes had suddenly turned even darker to her. Everything about him made her skin crawl. He had played her all along, and he didn't feel a thing.
She wondered how Andrew had turned out so good.
She sighed and reached for the remote on the coffee table and flicked on the TV, browsing before finally settling on one a local news station.
---
Serena woke up looking into the big brown eyes of Madison, who was staring her down as Serena rolled over from her sleep. Serena let out a gasp.
Darien walked over from the bathroom, freshly clean from a shower, towel drying his hair. He chuckled. "She's been staring you down since we got in," he laughed. "Your on her couch."
Serena sat up and the black dog immediately jumped into the spot where Serena's head had been, wagging her tail softly. Serena looked up at Darien and ran her fingers through her bangs. "How long have I been asleep?"
Darien shrugged, taking a seat next to her. "I cant tell ya, I don't know what time you went down, but we've been here for about 20 minutes, I didn't want to wake you up."
Serena flushed. "You should have." She looked up at him. "Was I snoring?"
Darien looked down into her eyes, a bemused expression on his face. "A little."
Serena groaned and leaned her body against his. He wrapped a strong arm around her and rested his head on hers. "I thought you were going to go back to him," Darien said softly into her hair.
Serena sighed, wishing he hadn't brought that up. "I didn't know if I was or wasn't. But seeing him today. I just knew, ya know? Like, I just. got creeped out." She buried her head in his shoulder and he looked down at her. "I don't think I even really loved him. I think I was just so wrapped up in the idea of him liking me or something." she let out a wry laugh. "He pulled all those tricks on me. 'I don't want to say I love you unless I really mean it,' and all that. Acting like he really cared."
Darien kissed her head and put his hand under her chin and pulled her face towards his. "You don't have to worry about that now," he said, placing a soft kiss on her nose. "You just have to worry about what movie you want to see, because I'm taking you out."
Serena smiled wickedly. "Well, I thought we could watch one here," she said.
Darien blinked. "Why?"
"Well, I've always wanted to see Ginger Diamond's Trip to Amsterdam."
Her answer was thwarted with a pillow.
---
AN: I am SO SORRY it took me this long to get this done. I got wrapped up in other things, and then I kinda put it aside for a while. I promise I wont be one of those people who starts a story and never finishes it!! Thanks for reading, the next chapter will be a lot better, more drama, because, we all know we love it as long as its not affecting us.
-Tianna
Serena stuffed another waffle down her throat. "Mum, if yew want me to get betta, you haf to accept that I am nawt pewfect and will still avoid schoowl by awl means pawssible."
"Serena, shut up, if you cant say something that makes sense, then don't risk choking on your words." Sammy said, cutting his sausage into equal pieces and dipping each in maple syrup.
Serena stuck her tongue out at him, silently agreeing that her statement made no sense what-so-ever, and she had even confused herself.
"Serena, don't choke on your words- I mean, food, dear," Mrs. Tsukino said absentmindedly as she poured her son some cranberry juice. "So what do you have planned for today, dear?" she said, looking at her son.
Sammy, being the perfect child he was, finished chewing and took a sip of juice before speaking. "Well, me and Mika are going to go to her house and maybe watch some movies or something before working on our solar system project."
Serena smiled a wicked grin. "Miiiikkkaaaa, eh?" Serena giggled. "Is she your giiiiirrrllllfriend now?"
Sammy glared at her. "No! We are just good friends. But I wouldn't tease me about having a boyfriend when you have Darien hanging around all the time," he said.
Mrs. Tsukino sat down and began to cut her own waffle. "Yes, Serena, Darien has been stopping by a lot lately." She said carefully. "He's been awfully good to you while you've been.. Sick. Are you two an item?"
Serena coughed and sputtered as the orange juice she was drinking went down the wrong pipe, her eyes bulging out and her face beet red. Sammy laughed delightfully and Mrs. Tsukino waited for an answer expectantly.
"Oh god! No, no no no!" Serena said, regaining composure. "We are just really good friends, you know. buddies, that type thing." She finished, looking out of the corner of her eye while taking another sip of orange juice.
Sammy grinned like the Cheshire cat. "A friend is a friend, a pal is a pal, a buddy is someone you sleep with!" He said slyly.
It was Mrs. Tsukino's turn to choke on her drink. She grabbed her oven mitt from her lap and smacked Sammy on the back of the head with it. "Sammy!" she yelled. "Where did you hear such a thing!?!"
Serena rolled her eyes. "I think Sammy should be sent to his room for being so rude, Mom."
"Me?! Rude?!" Sammy said. "You're the one who's been hiding in your room all the time when Aunt Marcie came with Sandy and Michael! That was rude!"
Serena blinked. "Auntie Marcie and Sandy and Michael came?" She said, looking at her mother. "When?"
Mrs. Tsukino flushed slightly. "Oh, on Wednesday," she said casually. "You were so sick that I didn't bother to tell you."
Serena frowned. Aunt Marcie was always her favorite aunt, and little Michael was only 4 years old and blast to play with. She always enjoyed their visits. "Oh," she said. "I didn't know." She stood and brought her plate to the sink. "I'm done, I'm going to the arcade for a little while."
Mrs. Tsukino nodded, and gave Sammy a 'look'.
Sammy shrugged. "What?!" He said.
Serena walked down the street, one long tail of hair draped over her shoulder as she wrung her newly painted fingers through the long golden strands. She didn't know why she was nervous, she knew that her friends would be so excited to see her, but she couldn't overcome this sense of doom coming over her and settling in her stomach uncomfortably.
She had dressed in the typical clothing she would wear on the weekends, a short plaited skirt with pink, yellow, and white plaid fabric, a white tank top, pink cardigan, and pink slippers with white knee socks to show off her long toned legs. She felt strange in the clothes, so used to the flannel and jersey material she had worn for the past week, and she had spent an unusual amount of time that morning finding an outfit that seemed right. She had thrown her mind off its keel and was having a hard time bringing it back, but she knew it must be done.
She was coming closer to the crown arcade when she took a deep breath and paused for a minute, unaware she was pulling on her ponytail until she felt the sharp pain and yelped. She mentally scolded herself for being an idiot and walked towards the glass double doors and pushed them open.
"Helllooooooo everyone!" she said dramatically, flipping her hair off her shoulder. "Miss me?"
"SERENA!!" She was barely inside before she was knocked off balance and wrapped in arms, Mina's hugging her waist and Lita's hung over her shoulders.
Amy giggled and walked over to her and gave her a small hug. Rei turned and smiled. "So you finally decided to show, eh?"
Serena looked at her friends and felt tears come to her eyes. Oh, she had missed them so much! She thought as she burst into tears.
Mina let her go and looked into her eyes and started bawling too. "Oh Serena!" She said, hugging her again.
"Wow, she's not dead, you guys," Rei said, leaning against the counter. "You came just in time to meet someone," she said casually.
Serena looked up and locked eyes with cool black orbs wrapped in thick black lashes and froze.
"This is Vaughn," Rei said, placing her hand on the blonde's chest. "He's Andrew's older brother! He has been in the states for two years studying to be a lawyer, that's why we never met him."
Vaughn smiled coolly. "Hello Serena," he said. He flashed a perfect smile and looked her up and down. Serena's skin broke out in goose-bumps.
He was older. He looked older. He was. what? 21 now? He was broader, and more polished. His sandy blonde hair gelled back off his face, except for a few stray locks that fell into his eyes, those deep brown, almost black eyes that had haunted her dreams. But his body language, his voice, his manners, they were still the same. She shuddered.
She found her courage and nodded slightly, looking over to Mina, trying to regain her composure by looking at a friendly face. Mina beamed back at her, super-happy to have her friend back.
"Jeez, Serena," Mina said, taking her friends arm. "You are covered in goose-bumps, you cold?"
Serena looked at her. "Uh, yeah, I guess." She pulled her cardigan tighter, suddenly aware of her body, wishing she was dressed like an afghan lady, draped in black from head to toe so that he couldn't study her like he was.
"You've grown up, Serena," Vaughn said, still studying her with those black, emotionless eyes. like a shark, she thought.
Mina looked between the two. "You two know each other?" She asked.
Vaughn smiled. "We met once or twice at some parties a few years back," he said smoothly.
"Oh!" Mina said cheerfully. "Well then, how about you join us to the movies? We are going to see something at noon, wanna come?"
Serena nearly jumped from her skin. "No!" She shrieked.
The girls looked at her.
She swallowed nervously. "I um, I have to get home, I told my mom I'd only be out for a few minutes, you know, cause I'm still, like, you know, recovering." She said. She smiled weakly at her friends. "I'll just be going now, you guys have a good time, c-ya!"
She darted out of the arcade and ran down the street, darting between pedestrians making their way through the city. She ran, adrenaline pumping through her veins, her brain telling her to get as far away as possible. Her mind was blank, but reeling at the same time. She couldn't figure out which mess of thoughts to focus on.
She was running past the Juuban district park when a strong hand grabbed her upper arm. She screamed and turned, blinded by tears, and pounded her fist against the chest that held the arm that held her tightly.
"Serena!" The clear voice said. "Serena, its me, its me! Relax! It's okay, your fine!"
Serena looked up into the sweaty, dirt streaked face of Darien, looking down at her with a curious expression.
She gasped and flung herself into his arms, wishing she could crawl inside of him.
Darien looked down at her, stunned. "Jeez, Serena, where's the fire?" He joked.
"The arcade," she said softly, her eyes tightly shut.
"What does that mean-" Darien's face changed from warm to hard. "He's there?" He said.
Serena nodded and looked up at him. "He- he acted like nothing happened, he was just standing there, and he said 'you've grown up, Serena', and he was looking at me like that and I just wanted to die-"
Darien hushed her and looked around. His co-workers were looking at the two with curious expressions on their faces. He looked back at Serena. "Did he touch you?" He said softly.
Serena shook her head.
Darien nodded. "Alright, take my key to my apartment," he said, taking out his ring of keys and taking one off. "Go inside, eat something, take a nap, relax, okay?" She nodded, holding the key to her chest. "I don't want you to take the chance of running into him again. I'm getting off in a few hours, so wait for me there, alright?" Serena nodded again, sniffling.
Darien sighed and kissed her forehead. "Go on, I'll be there in a couple of hours, I promise." He said.
Serena nodded and turned around, walking in the opposite direction of her house, trying to gather herself. She vaguely remembered, not very well, but vaguely remembered where his apartment was. He had gone there once, while they were on their way to a restaurant. He had to stop in for some reason. She knew where it was, but had never been inside. It was a flat above some small shop. some really kitschy shop with kitsch items in its windows.
She found the small shop and went down the ally to the side and opened a door that led to an iron spiral staircase and a door at the top, only a single bulb lighting the area.
She put in the key shakily and opened the door, and looked around the apartment.
It was so. bare. It was nicer then she had imagined it would be, very neat and orderly. The door opened to a small living room with one circle window overlooking the street below, beneath the window was a couch with big pillows that looked very used, and a matching recliner facing a good sized TV. There was a rather large cherry bookcase filled with novels and medical books, and a coffee table with a small bowl of glass marbles in it.
The kitchen was very small, a oven next to a sink, with one island of counter space that seemed to serve as a table as well, a microwave built into the wall, and a refrigerator tucked next to it, with overhead cabinets.
She noticed a small nook where there were two parallel doors. She walked over to them and opened the one on the right, revealing a small sand- colored bathroom. She walked over to the sink and looked at his things.
There was something so personal about being in his bathroom. She picked up a bottle of cologne and smelled it, breathing in the smell of him. She smiled at herself. She ran her fingers along the sink and opened and shut the medicine cabinet.
She exited the bathroom and hesitated in front of the other door, her hand lingering over the doorknob. This would obviously be his bedroom. unless he slept on the couch, which she found highly unlikely. She wondered if she had any business being in his most intimate place. where he dressed, where he slept, where he made love.
She pushed that thought aside and finally turned the knob, peering inside the room. She put her hand on the wall next to the door and fumbled for a light switch.
She lost her breath at the sight. It was a strangely beautiful room, all deep, rich blues and greens. The low bed was the center of the small room, with two small nightstands next to it. There was a large plant next to a single window that brought little light in the room, as it was blocked by the next building. There were paintings of landscapes adorning the wall, and a beautiful, cherry chest at the end of the bed etched in spirals of gold.
Suddenly feeling guilty, she closed the door and left the room.
So this is it, she thought. "Not much to work with," she said out loud. She walked into the living room again and looked at the spot underneath the TV, where a few videos were kept. She knelt down and looked through them. She stopped and nearly choked on her tongue when she came across G String Diva's and Ginger Diamond's Trip to Amsterdam.
She giggled and could feel herself flushing. She turned on the TV and sat on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable. She fell back into a big pillow and sighed.
He knew. He knew about her secret, and yet he hadn't pushed her away. She pondered this thought. He had, if possible, embraced it. She wondered if he would have given her the key to his apartment if she hadn't told him. She snorted. Of course not, she thought. He gave it to you so you could escape from the wandering eyes of Vaughn.
Vaughn.
It was such a shock seeing him. You stupid idiot! She screamed at herself. Of COURSE he would be at the arcade, he's Andrew's brother! His family owns it!
The sight of him was so shocking to her senses. She had felt, in one painful jolt, the way his touch had felt, the way he smelled, tasted, sounded.
Amazing how the one person she couldn't get enough of was suddenly the person she couldn't get rid of. She smiled wryly. She had once ran to him, now she ran from him.
She painfully remembered stepping into his college dorm, seeing the bra and pair of men's pants on the floor, and shrugging it off, assuming one of his roommates had been up to no good. It was two days after the abortion, and she was still scared. And sore. Very sore. She was only 14, and wasn't able to see a real doctor without parental consent, so Vaughn had taken her to a friend of his that knew a doctor who had performed the procedure. He was a real doctor, but had just graduated, and was new. She was still worried that something could have gone wrong and was seeking her boyfriends arms for comfort when she had opened his door and found him and Ellie in his bed, completely naked, the bed pounding against the wall and Ellie on top, running her fingers through her hair, his hands on her waist as they both dripped with sweat.
And in that one moment she felt her world collapse on her. She had slammed the door and ran from the room, ran from everything, and was still running when a car pulled alongside her with Vaughn in it, Ellie in the passenger seat. She was blinded by tears and refused to look at him, as he seemed mad at HER, of all people. You didn't knock, he had said. You never want me anymore, he had said. Ellie was more then open to trying new things and doing it whenever he wanted, and he kept feeding her bullshit as she walked down an ally, curling into a ball and crying.
She had never felt so hurt. And his black eyes had suddenly turned even darker to her. Everything about him made her skin crawl. He had played her all along, and he didn't feel a thing.
She wondered how Andrew had turned out so good.
She sighed and reached for the remote on the coffee table and flicked on the TV, browsing before finally settling on one a local news station.
---
Serena woke up looking into the big brown eyes of Madison, who was staring her down as Serena rolled over from her sleep. Serena let out a gasp.
Darien walked over from the bathroom, freshly clean from a shower, towel drying his hair. He chuckled. "She's been staring you down since we got in," he laughed. "Your on her couch."
Serena sat up and the black dog immediately jumped into the spot where Serena's head had been, wagging her tail softly. Serena looked up at Darien and ran her fingers through her bangs. "How long have I been asleep?"
Darien shrugged, taking a seat next to her. "I cant tell ya, I don't know what time you went down, but we've been here for about 20 minutes, I didn't want to wake you up."
Serena flushed. "You should have." She looked up at him. "Was I snoring?"
Darien looked down into her eyes, a bemused expression on his face. "A little."
Serena groaned and leaned her body against his. He wrapped a strong arm around her and rested his head on hers. "I thought you were going to go back to him," Darien said softly into her hair.
Serena sighed, wishing he hadn't brought that up. "I didn't know if I was or wasn't. But seeing him today. I just knew, ya know? Like, I just. got creeped out." She buried her head in his shoulder and he looked down at her. "I don't think I even really loved him. I think I was just so wrapped up in the idea of him liking me or something." she let out a wry laugh. "He pulled all those tricks on me. 'I don't want to say I love you unless I really mean it,' and all that. Acting like he really cared."
Darien kissed her head and put his hand under her chin and pulled her face towards his. "You don't have to worry about that now," he said, placing a soft kiss on her nose. "You just have to worry about what movie you want to see, because I'm taking you out."
Serena smiled wickedly. "Well, I thought we could watch one here," she said.
Darien blinked. "Why?"
"Well, I've always wanted to see Ginger Diamond's Trip to Amsterdam."
Her answer was thwarted with a pillow.
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AN: I am SO SORRY it took me this long to get this done. I got wrapped up in other things, and then I kinda put it aside for a while. I promise I wont be one of those people who starts a story and never finishes it!! Thanks for reading, the next chapter will be a lot better, more drama, because, we all know we love it as long as its not affecting us.
-Tianna