I revised this chapter slightly after getting many letters and reviews about how after reading this chapter, it became too predictable. Just to let you know, there are many romantic twists and turns in this story.

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NEW GIRL IN TOWN
CHAPTER 5/ Hidden Secrets

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Serena stomped into the school as soon as the bell rang. It had taken her a while to cool down and narrow the possibilities of who could have done this. But in her mind, she knew only one person could know the real meaning of the flowers, and that person would pay. Wildly looking around the hall, she noticed Darien leaning against his locker, feeling slightly put out as many girls surrounded him. She felt a slight pang in her heart when looked at him. His gorgeously silky black, the stunning depths of his midnight blue eyes, how she could feel his muscles whenever she was close to him.

Serena sighed unconsciously. She still couldn't believe she ran last night. God dammit, why did she always run? Was it like this thing she had? She would run whenever things got too unbearable. Serena could name at least two other major times where she had run when she had been scared or unsure. 'You should be a sprinter,' she thought to herself dryly as she spun the combination of her locker. A dandelion fell out as she opened it. Horrified, she slammed the locker shut, stepped on the flower, and ran to her chemistry class. Luckily, since she was ahead of everyone, she had time to think of the previous events.

Why had she run? Why the hell did she run? Was it because Darien gave a hint that possibly liked her? What was wrong with that? Wasn't it something that she secretly wanted? And why did she get upset? So what if he scarcely insulted her, she did the same to him. What ever it was, she knew that only a tiny portion of it had to do with the hair. She felt like such a fool. And extremely embarrassed for running and making a fool *of* herself. It was only her second freakin' day at this school and already was there drama. She sure did move fast, Serena commented sourly to herself. She had a bunch of new friends who she had gone to the movies with on her first day of school, made out with a guy who later declared that he liked her, ran from that guy, lied to her mother, and received a hideously looking dandelion.

The dandelion, what did it mean? She wondered. Sure she was freaked out about it, mainly because she knew it was from no admirer. What type of secret lover would give a dandelion? Serena barely noticed when others began filling in and Andrew took a seat next to her as Mina sat in front. She didn't even notice when the teacher walked into the room and called attention. She scarcely realized that she was staring at Andrew, until the teacher commented.

"Miss. Serena! I'd *appreciate* it if you turned your attention to *me* instead of *Andrew*!" Snapped the physics teacher. Serena blushed as she slyly replied, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it with Andrew's oh o cute face!" She flashed Andrew a quick smile as he grinned in return, the teacher shaking his head in the background as he continued to teach.   

Serena hastily walked past her locker on the way to her second class.  Two classes left before the end of the day, which reminded her, Seiya wanted to talk about something. Briefly, Serena wondered what as she head to the front of the class to talk to the teachers.

She paid absolutely no attention in history. Her thoughts were not at all on the dead people, but on one important alive person… again. The person who made her feel like she was in love in one day. Serena gave a quiet groan of frustration. Dammit, can you say unreal? This type of thing only happened in corny movies with happy endings, not to people like her, whose first five years as a child she couldn't remember and her mother wouldn't tell. (When she asked, her mother had daunted her with I'll-never-tell in a singy song voice. Needless to say, she got a little upset and broke her mom's favorite vase. Her mom never used that line again.)

Instead of going to the table where the group usually hung out at lunch, Serena went to the library to look up some random books. One of the things she enjoyed doing, which calmed her down, was reading. She especially loved going through the books, which were very rarely opened. Discovering new books pleasured her mentally.

As she walked through all the rows of bookcases, she passed the travel section. Hm, this should be interesting. She had always wanted to travel when she was younger, but her mother had never wanted to. Well, the next best thing was reading about it. And who knew, maybe she could impress some people with her extensive knowledge of several countries. Serena grinned as she started glancing through the titles at one end of the shelf. Putting her index finger on the binding, she gently ran her hand across the titles of the books.

Tilting her head sideways, Serena read the titles. Uncovering Rome- not interesting. Kings of Russia- shouldn't it be Tsars of Russia? Uneducated authors. Ugh! Lithuanian Legends- where the hell is Lithuania located in? Some unknown desert? Serena rolled her eyes and was about to move on before she remembered what she had dreamt as a child. To be able to travel to unknown places. Shrugging, she grabbed the book as well as another book on Ouagadougou (which is the capital in Burkina Faso, located in Africa) and some other random books.  

The bell rang just as she finished checking out the books and after nodding a polite goodbye to the librarian; she headed off to her next class of the day.  

Sounds of lockers slamming filled the halls as students gathered their books and dropped things off in their lockers, the week almost over. Serena only remembered that she had to talk to Seiya when she reached her locker, thoughts of the dandelion came to her. It was weird, but the thought of the dandelion didn't scare her as much. Maybe because it was just a flower. Hell, she didn't even know the meaning of it. So how could it really scare her? Her mom probably just put it by her bed and she had a sneaking suspicion that Seiya put the one in her locker there. She narrowed her eyes as she headed down the hall to the agreed meeting place.   

Serena pulled back the side door and walked into the auditorium. If he was late, she would hurt him. He was the one who scheduled it so he had absolutely no excuse for being-

"I'm not late Princess," Seiya's voice interrupted her thoughts and she flushed, angry that he knew what she was thinking.

"Look Seiya, I have places to be. Hurry up and tell me what you wanted to tell me." She told him angrily as she inched closer towards him. 

Seiya laughed. "You have no have no where to be. Nice try. Now if you sit down please," he swept his arm across the first row of chairs. Serena glared at him before hesitantly taking a seat in the red auditorium chair. "Thank you, we have much to talk about, but I'll try to be brief." All of a sudden, Seiya changed from a fun teen, to a serious man, the twinkle of his playful smile no longer present. Serena wrinkled her brows at the change.

"Now, as you know, Lithuania is looking for a princess." Serena nodded before realizing something.

"Hey! I never told you that! Have you been spying on me?" she demanded incredulously but Seiya merely shook his head.

"Of course not. Why do you think you picked both books and flipped to pages that had to do with Lithuania? Because I made sure you did."

"Yea right, I still think you were spying."

Seiya shrugged before continuing. "Think what you like. Anyway, Currently, Lithuania has no princess and they desperately need one to help run the country, especially with the United States and France taking special interest in them."

"If this is a history lecture I'm leaving," Serena told him in a bored tone. Seiya gave her a stern look and she smiled meekly and scooted deeper into her chair.  

"As I was saying, they desperately need a princess, and for some reason which I cannot say, they picked me to find it. So after years of tailing you and your mother, I believe that I have found her. Serena Tsukino, you are the next princess in line." He stopped and waited expectantly for Serena to say something. She didn't say a word. Instead she first snorted, which then turned into a laugh.

"Ha! Yea right! Why should I believe you? It could be some sort of prank." But no, this wasn't so, Serena reflected. Seiya wasn't the type to play a prank and this all fit it. Was it really, truly, possible that she, Serena Tsukino, daughter of the famous painter Ilene Tsukino, was a princess?

As if reading her mind, Seiya smiled and said, "listen, since tomorrow is Friday, I've taken the liberty of booking a flight to Lithuania on Saturday. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock in the morning." He held up two tickets and Serena took one and examined them closer. They were real all right, set for the right date and place. Suddenly, a rush of excitement filled her veins. Was she really a princess? This would be great! Pay back to all those who mocked her. Guilt flowed through Serena's veins hastily and she felt bad. That was not very princess-like talk. Princesses were always proper and forgiving. How could she ever be a princess? Serena moaned and she slid back into her seat. Wait, she'd never have to worry about it if Seiya couldn't prove that she was the rightful heiress. Serena stood up boldly.

"Prove it." She stated, looking Seiya in the eye. He gave another smile towards her and pulled out some papers from his backpack. Quickly sorting through, he found what he was looking for.

"Alright, firstly, you have no collections of your family history. Your grandmother Selenity I was Queen, and a great queen at that, ruled for many years, including during the Depression. Unfortunately, the Germans were after the royal family and fearing for her daughter's safety, your mother's, Selenity I sent your mother at age 15, to France, knowing she'd be somewhat safe. Not wanting a big commotion about it, and since the French at that time really actually had no clue about Lithuania, your mother stayed with a common family in Paris. She took up art and painting to express herself. That's why, so many of her pictures are of palaces (Lithuania's specifically), and princesses (with some self-portraits of her), and other things Lithuania related.

"Now the name thing, your mother's full name is Selenity the Second. She admitted that much to me. It's a custom for queens to name their daughters after themselves. You are an exception because your mother wasn't a queen when she named you. She met your father at age 23, they married at age 25, had you at 26. Your mother traveled a lot because her paintings were big hits and she needed a different inspiration. Only recently did she find out that I have been tailing you two. If you ask her, she will admit that the whole thing is true. Come Serena," he said as he took her hand and pulled her towards him. "You know I'd never joke around about this. It's too important for me. And deep down you do believe me."

Serena sighed. It was true. She did. But she had a crap load of questions swimming around in her head that she wanted gone.

"Why does my mother say that she was born in Japan?"

"That's where her adoptive parents were from, and she honored them by taking up the last name."

"Why doesn't my mom want to be queen?"

"She said she likes living her peacefully life and doesn't want to go back living like royalty."

"Ok, why did my dad die?"

"Because of a car crash, you already knew that." Seiya gave her a calculating look.

"No, what was the *reason* of his accident?"

Seiya sighed, "Because he found out that your mother was in truth a queen. And an organization that had very strong feelings for the royal family thought that he married her for the title, not out of love."

"Did he?"

"No, it was love. He was planning on marrying your mother before he knew anyway."

"How do you know all this?"

"Research and intense sucking up and being cramped in small places listening."

"Why do you have to help find me and my mother?"

"Classified information."

"Tell me now!"

"Can't."

"Seiya…" Serena growled, ready to make a threat, but Seiya looked over her shoulder and instead, called out to something behind her.

"Darien, why don't you come in fully instead of keeping the door open, it's getting drafty and cold."

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