Serena woke several hours later. Slowly, she pushed her covers away and
sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Ohhh, I'm tired. Why do I have to wake up?" Groggily, she walked into her kitchen area to get a glass of orange juice in the fridge. While pouring the juice, she glanced at her wall clock. It read quarter to six. Serena almost dropped her glass.
"I'M GONNA BE LATE!" the girl cried, quickly getting dressed, not bothering to take a shower. She was ready in minutes. She quickly downed her OJ and ran out her door, only to bump into something, no someone, forcing her to fall on her behind.
"Ouch," Serena whined, rubbing her behind in pain. She looked up to see what she bumped into, to see Ken standing above her. There was a large smirk on his face. Embarrassed, Serena quickly stood back up, blushing.
"Aww, c'mon Serena," said Ken. "Don't get embarrassed so easily." He laughed, making Serena blush more. "Well anyway, I came here because I expected that you would be coming to work today. I think you forgot that you're on VACATION." Serena gasped in realization, only making Ken laugh harder. Seeing Serena's embarrassment, he quickly stopped himself.
"Anyway," Ken continued, "I also came here because you forgot this." He handed her a locket. It was shaped like a gold star. Though it looked simplistic, it always filled her heart with warmth. It was indeed a treasure to her.
"Th-thank you," Serena said, taking the locket from him.
"I guess it fell out your box or something. Anyway, I just wanna say goodbye again." Serena nodded, smiling. Ken turned around to walk away. "Oh yeah," he said, turning around again. "Do you have any plans yet?"
"Yes, actually," replied Serena, to Ken's surprise. "I'm visiting my parents on the Island." Ken smiled and nodded.
"That should be fun. Well, enjoy your vacation. Bye, Tsukino." With that, he was gone. Serena smiled and closed the door. She then sat down on her bed, eyeing the locket in her hand. Her Grandmother gave it to her when she was a child. Supposedly, it was a symbol of love and binding. Serena smiled, opening it. It played a beautiful melody, as a crescent moon rotated around the center.
"I don't know why I still keep this so close to me," Serena said, placing it on her bedside table. She sighed and lied back in her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"I guess I should be going soon," she said, dreading having to drive all the way to Long Island. It was a good hour and a half ride, at least. Using the last of her strength, she stood up from her bed and walked into the shower.
Once she was all cleaned up and dressed, she left her apartment and went into her car. The streets in the city were busy with people rushing to their jobs. Serena knew that it was going to be no fun trying to get out of the city.
About an hour and a half later, Serena was at her destination. Like she predicted, the traffic was hideous, but once she was on the island, it was pretty smooth. Serena parked in front of her old house and looked up at it through her car window. The house was huge. It was two stories high, and went back very far, and was much longer than any of the other houses. It was a pure white, except for the polished oak door, and brown roof.
The front lawn was neatly cut, and a rock path went all the way up to the front door, lined with flowers. Flowers of all sorts were along side of the house, making it seem livelier. Serena smiled. The house hadn't changed much since December, except for the flowers, of course. The skylights on top of the house reflected the sunlight brilliantly, making Serena squint as she looked at the house, memories running through her head. That house held many memories.
Long Island had a much different, calmer atmosphere around it than the city. The grass, trees, and flowers alone added a lot to that fact. That wasn't it though. Just the smell of the air, and even people's attitudes are different. Whenever Serena was home, she felt eased. She began to wonder why she didn't visit home more often. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Serena got out of her car and walked slowly up towards her front door.
Serena's mom would be shocked to tears when she saw her daughter. Serena's father saw her more often though, since they worked for the same company. Then there was her sister. She knew that her sister would be angry with her. Serena had promised Jill over and over that she would be at her graduation. Serena was not very well at keeping her promises though. Serena took a deep breath. There was no turning back now.
Slowly reaching up her hand, Serena rang the doorbell. Almost instantly, the door opened, revealing Serena's mother on the other side. She looked as she always did, with long, wavy blue hair. She was wearing an apron over her sundress. Instantly, her eyes filled with tears.
"Serena?" she asked, almost not believing that her daughter stood in front of her. Serena smiled and nodded. "God, I missed you," Serena's mother said, bringing Serena in for a hug. They hugged for several minutes, silent tears coming from Serena's mother's eyes. Finally, they broke the hug and looked into each other's eyes.
"Welcome home," Serena's mother said, smiling. Serena smiled in return, feeling tears begin to burn her own blue eyes. She definitely missed her home. "Well come inside. We don't have all day you know." Serena's mom winked at her. Serena smiled. Her mother hadn't changed one bit.
Slowly, Serena followed her mom into the house, closing the door behind her. She looked around at her surroundings. The room she was in now had black couches lining the left and right walls. The walls were painted white. The floor was polished oak, and reflected its surroundings brilliantly. There were two lights lining the left and right walls.
There was an archway straight ahead of her that led into the kitchen. Suddenly, Serena's stomach growled. Her mother laughed, turning to face her.
"I see you're hungry," she said, making Serena blush. Her mother sighed. "You are still so shy, Serena. I'm your mother. You shouldn't be getting embarrassed around me." Serena only blushed more, making her mother laugh. "C'mon," she said, "I'll fix you something to eat." Serena smiled and nodded. If there is one things she never lost, it was her appetite.
Serena followed her mother through the archway into the kitchen. Like the first room, the kitchen had a polished wood floor. It also had marble counter-tops, and a black fridge/freezer. The kitchen led to the dining room. The dining room had a large wood table in the center, surrounded by about a dozen chairs. It could easily fit about six more though. Above the table was a beautiful chandelier.
Serena sat down at the table and read a magazine while her mother prepared her food. Serena always loved it when her mother made anything for her. Oddly, it always tasted far better than when she, or anybody else makes it. Serena wasn't much of a cook herself, so she usually ate fast food. It was good to have a home-cooked meal every once in a while though.
"So where is everybody else?" Serena asked, skimming through her magazine.
"Oh, your sister slept over a friend's house last night, and your father is out at the store. You know him, he won't be back for a while." Serena nodded. Her father had a thing for literally staying a store for hours. She wondered if her sister even knew she was there.
"Mom?" asked Serena. "Umm.is Jill angry with me? I mean, for missing her graduation and stuff?" Her mother shook her head, not turning away from what she was doing. Serena could smell eggs, sausage, and bacon. She smiled, not smelling food like that for a long, long time.
"No, not angry. She was very upset for about a week afterwards, but she got over it. She really wants to see you. She misses you." Serena nodded, relieved that her sister isn't angry with her. She was upset at the fact that she made her sister upset though. She decided then that she would make it up to her, somehow.
"Done," Serena's mother said, placing the food down in front of Serena. It was three eggs and sausage on a roll with a side of bacon and toast. On another plate was a stack of pancakes. Serena's mouth watered as she looked at all the delicious food. She instantly began hogging it all down. Her mother smiled. Serena hadn't changed one bit.
"So," said Serena as her mother sat down beside her, "there's a party going on tonight?" Her mother nodded.
"Well, really just a big dinner, but you can call it a party if you want. At last, your father is retiring. Time sure does fly." Serena nodded. Indeed time did fly. Suddenly, she came to an epiphany.
"Wait a second," she said, "Does this mean, that.that my BOSS will be here?" Her mother nodded, taking a sip of water. Serena sunk down in her seat. "How will I face him?" Her mother giggled.
"And I heard he's bringing his son, too," her mother said, winking. This made Serena's eyes narrow. "I heard that he's a pretty handsome guy too. If I'm right, he's twenty six, and he's SINGLE."
"Yippee," said Serena, with no enthusiasm whatsoever in her voice. "There's probably a real good reason why he's single, too. This guy's probably a real moron, just like his father." She took a bite out of her sandwich, suddenly losing her appetite.
"Aww, Jack isn't such a bad guy. He's your BOSS! He's supposed to be a moron. I'm sure tonight you'll see a side of him you never knew he had." Serena simply rolled her eyes, taking another bite from her sandwich. Her mother always tries setting her up.
"What's prince Charmin's name anyway?" asked Serena, trying not to sound interested. Her mother grinned.
"It's Darien. Darien Shields." Serena nodded, taking a sip of orange juice. "Darien and Serena. Isn't it just perfect?" Serena rolled her eyes again.
"Yeah, just as good as 'Serena Shields'. What a glorious name. See? Already there's solid proof it wouldn't work out, so just give up." Her mother sighed. Her daughter was always so difficult.
"So what?" her mother asked. "You can't not like somebody because of his last name." Serena sighed.
"If my first name and his last name don't sound right together, it means we're not compatible." It was now her mother's turn to roll her own eyes.
"I think it sounds just fine." Serena smirked.
"Yeah, considering." Her mother looked confused.
"Considering what?" Serena grinned.
"Considering that it's YOUR mind that thinks that." Her mother laughed. Since Serena was a teenager, they always teased like that. It showed the close bond they had, though at first glance it seemed they didn't get along.
"Anyway, you look tired, Serena. Why don't you go up into your room and rest a bit? I hadn't touched it since last time you were here." Serena smiled and nodded, gathering together her dishes. "No, no, I'll do that," her mother said. "YOU get some rest." Serena smiled again, and ran upstairs.
Once in the upstairs hallway, she went to the room on the far left. The door was closed, and had a winking bunny head hanged on it, with "Serena" written under it in pink letters. Serena smiled, and turned the doorknob, opening the door. Once the door was opened, she gasped. Her mother was right. The room hadn't changed one bit.
Her bed was small, and was neatly made with a blanket on top, with crescent moons printed on it. It lied in front of a opened window, making the white curtains sway gently in the breeze. She looked into her mirror, smiling at herself. She was wearing a white, button-down shirt and a pair of black pants.
"I look so conservative," she said, looking at herself at different angles. Suddenly, she grinned, an idea coming into her head. She walked over to her closet and opened it, quickly taking out a few articles of clothing, and putting them on. She was wearing a pink shirt with a heart on the front and blue overalls, with a bunny head on the front. She giggled, looking at herself in the mirror.
Grinning, she decided to go downstairs and surprise her mother. Carelessly leaving her old clothes on the floor, she walked downstairs to see her mom washing dishes in the kitchen.
"Hey, mom," Serena said, making her mother turn around. The second she saw her daughter, she gasped.
"Serena," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "You look so cute." Serena simply smiled. She knew her mother would love seeing her as the little girl she always was. Deep down, Serena hadn't changed much at all. Right then, there was a knock at the door.
"Why don't you get it, Serena," said her mother. "It might be your sister." Serena nodded and ran to the door. She was extremely excited to see her little sister again, though she was afraid that Jill might still be angry with her. Reaching for the doorknob, Serena slowly opened it. Instantly, the girl on the other side of the door gasped.
The girl was around the same height as Serena, and had wavy brown hair that reached just below her shoulders. She had gentle green eyes, but lacked as much of the innocence that Serena showed in her eyes. Tears formed in the girl's eyes as she stared at Serena.
"Se-re-na?" the girl choked. Serena nodded, tears in her own eyes. The girl jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly. Serena hugged her back equally as tightly, tears pouring down her face.
"I missed you, Jill," Serena said. Jill sniffled and nodded, her face buried in Serena's shoulder. They stood like this for several minutes as their mother watched in the background, tears in her own eyes. Serena and Jill were always close, despite their usual bickering. To see them come back together after so long was a very touching scene.
Finally, they broke the hug, both of them wiping the tears from their eyes. Jill smiled at her sister, and Serena smiled back. All of Serena's fears vanished right at that moment.
"Wow," Jill said, her voice cracking slightly. "You don't look all grown up today. Usually whenever I see you, you're wearing that suit of yours. It makes you look too OLD." Serena laughed. She hated the suit too.
"Yeah, I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "I feel old, too. Wow, it's so great to be back home. I can't wait until dad comes back." Serena's mother smiled.
"How about you two catch up on old times while I finish up the dishes." Serena and Jill nodded, giggling. It wasn't too often that their mother let them get away without doing the dishes. It was their lucky day. They both went upstairs and into Serena's room, sitting down on her bed.
"I forgot how good my bed feels," Serena said, lying back, her head falling onto Jill's lap. Jill smiled. When Serena was her age, she was always in Serena's position. She would lie down, her head on Serena's lap, and they would talk for hours. A tear formed in her eye as she remembered.
"So, you still going out with Greg?" Serena asked. Jill smiled and nodded.
"It's one year tomorrow!" Serena sat up and smiled at her sister.
"Wow, that's so great, Jill." Jill smiled proudly. For Jill to keep a boyfriend for longer than a week was a miracle. For her to have a boyfriend for a whole year? There was definitely something special.
"So how about YOU, Serena? You have a boyfriend by now, right?" Serena blushed.
"Well.uhh.not really." Jill gasped.
"WHAT!?" shouted Jill, making Serena cringe. "Why not, Serena? I mean, you're beautiful, smart, and have a great personality. Every guy in school desired you, and you are STILL single?" Serena swallowed and nodded.
"Well, I.I don't talk very well with guys. I don't know how to speak to them, so.umm.no." Jill sighed. It was obvious that Serena wanted a boyfriend. It wasn't too often she heard of the girl being the shy one.
"Well, I heard a rumor," said Jill, grinning slyly. Serena gulped. Her sister could be deadly around gossip.
"Wh-what?" asked Serena. Deep down, she didn't want to know. Her sister definitely had something planned.
"Well, your boss is bringing his son tonight," Jill said. Serena grimaced. Jill was acting exactly like her mother. "I heard he's HOT, and single, too. I'm gonna make tonight your lucky night, Sere." Serena quickly shook her head, holding up her hands in defense. The last thing she needed was to be hooked up by her mother and sister. She knew it would end in embarrassment.
"No, no, no," Serena begged. "I'll talk to him, I promise. Just don't butt in. Promise me you won't." Jill looked like she was thinking it over. "Pleeeeeaaaase?" Serena asked. Jill loved making her sister beg like this. She had done this several times in the past. Jill grinned.
"Yeah, sure," Jill said, making Serena sigh in relief. "But you better try to get a few moves on him.or else.!" Serena shivered as she thought about what Jill could possibly mean by that. Jill smirked. "Well, I need to run to the store and a few other places," Jill said, standing up. "Why don't you come with me?" Serena was just about to get ready, until Jill continued, "We can buy you something to wear." Jill winked, making Serena wonder what type of outfits her naughty little sister was going to pick up.
"I think I'll pass," Serena said quickly. Jill grinned at her wickedly, making Serena gulp. She definitely had SOMETHING planned. "Let me get ready." Jill smiled and nodded before skipping out of the room. Once she was gone, Serena sighed in defeat. "I'm doomed," she cried before flopping down on the bed. Tonight was definitely going to be one to remember.
"Ohhh, I'm tired. Why do I have to wake up?" Groggily, she walked into her kitchen area to get a glass of orange juice in the fridge. While pouring the juice, she glanced at her wall clock. It read quarter to six. Serena almost dropped her glass.
"I'M GONNA BE LATE!" the girl cried, quickly getting dressed, not bothering to take a shower. She was ready in minutes. She quickly downed her OJ and ran out her door, only to bump into something, no someone, forcing her to fall on her behind.
"Ouch," Serena whined, rubbing her behind in pain. She looked up to see what she bumped into, to see Ken standing above her. There was a large smirk on his face. Embarrassed, Serena quickly stood back up, blushing.
"Aww, c'mon Serena," said Ken. "Don't get embarrassed so easily." He laughed, making Serena blush more. "Well anyway, I came here because I expected that you would be coming to work today. I think you forgot that you're on VACATION." Serena gasped in realization, only making Ken laugh harder. Seeing Serena's embarrassment, he quickly stopped himself.
"Anyway," Ken continued, "I also came here because you forgot this." He handed her a locket. It was shaped like a gold star. Though it looked simplistic, it always filled her heart with warmth. It was indeed a treasure to her.
"Th-thank you," Serena said, taking the locket from him.
"I guess it fell out your box or something. Anyway, I just wanna say goodbye again." Serena nodded, smiling. Ken turned around to walk away. "Oh yeah," he said, turning around again. "Do you have any plans yet?"
"Yes, actually," replied Serena, to Ken's surprise. "I'm visiting my parents on the Island." Ken smiled and nodded.
"That should be fun. Well, enjoy your vacation. Bye, Tsukino." With that, he was gone. Serena smiled and closed the door. She then sat down on her bed, eyeing the locket in her hand. Her Grandmother gave it to her when she was a child. Supposedly, it was a symbol of love and binding. Serena smiled, opening it. It played a beautiful melody, as a crescent moon rotated around the center.
"I don't know why I still keep this so close to me," Serena said, placing it on her bedside table. She sighed and lied back in her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"I guess I should be going soon," she said, dreading having to drive all the way to Long Island. It was a good hour and a half ride, at least. Using the last of her strength, she stood up from her bed and walked into the shower.
Once she was all cleaned up and dressed, she left her apartment and went into her car. The streets in the city were busy with people rushing to their jobs. Serena knew that it was going to be no fun trying to get out of the city.
About an hour and a half later, Serena was at her destination. Like she predicted, the traffic was hideous, but once she was on the island, it was pretty smooth. Serena parked in front of her old house and looked up at it through her car window. The house was huge. It was two stories high, and went back very far, and was much longer than any of the other houses. It was a pure white, except for the polished oak door, and brown roof.
The front lawn was neatly cut, and a rock path went all the way up to the front door, lined with flowers. Flowers of all sorts were along side of the house, making it seem livelier. Serena smiled. The house hadn't changed much since December, except for the flowers, of course. The skylights on top of the house reflected the sunlight brilliantly, making Serena squint as she looked at the house, memories running through her head. That house held many memories.
Long Island had a much different, calmer atmosphere around it than the city. The grass, trees, and flowers alone added a lot to that fact. That wasn't it though. Just the smell of the air, and even people's attitudes are different. Whenever Serena was home, she felt eased. She began to wonder why she didn't visit home more often. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Serena got out of her car and walked slowly up towards her front door.
Serena's mom would be shocked to tears when she saw her daughter. Serena's father saw her more often though, since they worked for the same company. Then there was her sister. She knew that her sister would be angry with her. Serena had promised Jill over and over that she would be at her graduation. Serena was not very well at keeping her promises though. Serena took a deep breath. There was no turning back now.
Slowly reaching up her hand, Serena rang the doorbell. Almost instantly, the door opened, revealing Serena's mother on the other side. She looked as she always did, with long, wavy blue hair. She was wearing an apron over her sundress. Instantly, her eyes filled with tears.
"Serena?" she asked, almost not believing that her daughter stood in front of her. Serena smiled and nodded. "God, I missed you," Serena's mother said, bringing Serena in for a hug. They hugged for several minutes, silent tears coming from Serena's mother's eyes. Finally, they broke the hug and looked into each other's eyes.
"Welcome home," Serena's mother said, smiling. Serena smiled in return, feeling tears begin to burn her own blue eyes. She definitely missed her home. "Well come inside. We don't have all day you know." Serena's mom winked at her. Serena smiled. Her mother hadn't changed one bit.
Slowly, Serena followed her mom into the house, closing the door behind her. She looked around at her surroundings. The room she was in now had black couches lining the left and right walls. The walls were painted white. The floor was polished oak, and reflected its surroundings brilliantly. There were two lights lining the left and right walls.
There was an archway straight ahead of her that led into the kitchen. Suddenly, Serena's stomach growled. Her mother laughed, turning to face her.
"I see you're hungry," she said, making Serena blush. Her mother sighed. "You are still so shy, Serena. I'm your mother. You shouldn't be getting embarrassed around me." Serena only blushed more, making her mother laugh. "C'mon," she said, "I'll fix you something to eat." Serena smiled and nodded. If there is one things she never lost, it was her appetite.
Serena followed her mother through the archway into the kitchen. Like the first room, the kitchen had a polished wood floor. It also had marble counter-tops, and a black fridge/freezer. The kitchen led to the dining room. The dining room had a large wood table in the center, surrounded by about a dozen chairs. It could easily fit about six more though. Above the table was a beautiful chandelier.
Serena sat down at the table and read a magazine while her mother prepared her food. Serena always loved it when her mother made anything for her. Oddly, it always tasted far better than when she, or anybody else makes it. Serena wasn't much of a cook herself, so she usually ate fast food. It was good to have a home-cooked meal every once in a while though.
"So where is everybody else?" Serena asked, skimming through her magazine.
"Oh, your sister slept over a friend's house last night, and your father is out at the store. You know him, he won't be back for a while." Serena nodded. Her father had a thing for literally staying a store for hours. She wondered if her sister even knew she was there.
"Mom?" asked Serena. "Umm.is Jill angry with me? I mean, for missing her graduation and stuff?" Her mother shook her head, not turning away from what she was doing. Serena could smell eggs, sausage, and bacon. She smiled, not smelling food like that for a long, long time.
"No, not angry. She was very upset for about a week afterwards, but she got over it. She really wants to see you. She misses you." Serena nodded, relieved that her sister isn't angry with her. She was upset at the fact that she made her sister upset though. She decided then that she would make it up to her, somehow.
"Done," Serena's mother said, placing the food down in front of Serena. It was three eggs and sausage on a roll with a side of bacon and toast. On another plate was a stack of pancakes. Serena's mouth watered as she looked at all the delicious food. She instantly began hogging it all down. Her mother smiled. Serena hadn't changed one bit.
"So," said Serena as her mother sat down beside her, "there's a party going on tonight?" Her mother nodded.
"Well, really just a big dinner, but you can call it a party if you want. At last, your father is retiring. Time sure does fly." Serena nodded. Indeed time did fly. Suddenly, she came to an epiphany.
"Wait a second," she said, "Does this mean, that.that my BOSS will be here?" Her mother nodded, taking a sip of water. Serena sunk down in her seat. "How will I face him?" Her mother giggled.
"And I heard he's bringing his son, too," her mother said, winking. This made Serena's eyes narrow. "I heard that he's a pretty handsome guy too. If I'm right, he's twenty six, and he's SINGLE."
"Yippee," said Serena, with no enthusiasm whatsoever in her voice. "There's probably a real good reason why he's single, too. This guy's probably a real moron, just like his father." She took a bite out of her sandwich, suddenly losing her appetite.
"Aww, Jack isn't such a bad guy. He's your BOSS! He's supposed to be a moron. I'm sure tonight you'll see a side of him you never knew he had." Serena simply rolled her eyes, taking another bite from her sandwich. Her mother always tries setting her up.
"What's prince Charmin's name anyway?" asked Serena, trying not to sound interested. Her mother grinned.
"It's Darien. Darien Shields." Serena nodded, taking a sip of orange juice. "Darien and Serena. Isn't it just perfect?" Serena rolled her eyes again.
"Yeah, just as good as 'Serena Shields'. What a glorious name. See? Already there's solid proof it wouldn't work out, so just give up." Her mother sighed. Her daughter was always so difficult.
"So what?" her mother asked. "You can't not like somebody because of his last name." Serena sighed.
"If my first name and his last name don't sound right together, it means we're not compatible." It was now her mother's turn to roll her own eyes.
"I think it sounds just fine." Serena smirked.
"Yeah, considering." Her mother looked confused.
"Considering what?" Serena grinned.
"Considering that it's YOUR mind that thinks that." Her mother laughed. Since Serena was a teenager, they always teased like that. It showed the close bond they had, though at first glance it seemed they didn't get along.
"Anyway, you look tired, Serena. Why don't you go up into your room and rest a bit? I hadn't touched it since last time you were here." Serena smiled and nodded, gathering together her dishes. "No, no, I'll do that," her mother said. "YOU get some rest." Serena smiled again, and ran upstairs.
Once in the upstairs hallway, she went to the room on the far left. The door was closed, and had a winking bunny head hanged on it, with "Serena" written under it in pink letters. Serena smiled, and turned the doorknob, opening the door. Once the door was opened, she gasped. Her mother was right. The room hadn't changed one bit.
Her bed was small, and was neatly made with a blanket on top, with crescent moons printed on it. It lied in front of a opened window, making the white curtains sway gently in the breeze. She looked into her mirror, smiling at herself. She was wearing a white, button-down shirt and a pair of black pants.
"I look so conservative," she said, looking at herself at different angles. Suddenly, she grinned, an idea coming into her head. She walked over to her closet and opened it, quickly taking out a few articles of clothing, and putting them on. She was wearing a pink shirt with a heart on the front and blue overalls, with a bunny head on the front. She giggled, looking at herself in the mirror.
Grinning, she decided to go downstairs and surprise her mother. Carelessly leaving her old clothes on the floor, she walked downstairs to see her mom washing dishes in the kitchen.
"Hey, mom," Serena said, making her mother turn around. The second she saw her daughter, she gasped.
"Serena," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "You look so cute." Serena simply smiled. She knew her mother would love seeing her as the little girl she always was. Deep down, Serena hadn't changed much at all. Right then, there was a knock at the door.
"Why don't you get it, Serena," said her mother. "It might be your sister." Serena nodded and ran to the door. She was extremely excited to see her little sister again, though she was afraid that Jill might still be angry with her. Reaching for the doorknob, Serena slowly opened it. Instantly, the girl on the other side of the door gasped.
The girl was around the same height as Serena, and had wavy brown hair that reached just below her shoulders. She had gentle green eyes, but lacked as much of the innocence that Serena showed in her eyes. Tears formed in the girl's eyes as she stared at Serena.
"Se-re-na?" the girl choked. Serena nodded, tears in her own eyes. The girl jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly. Serena hugged her back equally as tightly, tears pouring down her face.
"I missed you, Jill," Serena said. Jill sniffled and nodded, her face buried in Serena's shoulder. They stood like this for several minutes as their mother watched in the background, tears in her own eyes. Serena and Jill were always close, despite their usual bickering. To see them come back together after so long was a very touching scene.
Finally, they broke the hug, both of them wiping the tears from their eyes. Jill smiled at her sister, and Serena smiled back. All of Serena's fears vanished right at that moment.
"Wow," Jill said, her voice cracking slightly. "You don't look all grown up today. Usually whenever I see you, you're wearing that suit of yours. It makes you look too OLD." Serena laughed. She hated the suit too.
"Yeah, I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "I feel old, too. Wow, it's so great to be back home. I can't wait until dad comes back." Serena's mother smiled.
"How about you two catch up on old times while I finish up the dishes." Serena and Jill nodded, giggling. It wasn't too often that their mother let them get away without doing the dishes. It was their lucky day. They both went upstairs and into Serena's room, sitting down on her bed.
"I forgot how good my bed feels," Serena said, lying back, her head falling onto Jill's lap. Jill smiled. When Serena was her age, she was always in Serena's position. She would lie down, her head on Serena's lap, and they would talk for hours. A tear formed in her eye as she remembered.
"So, you still going out with Greg?" Serena asked. Jill smiled and nodded.
"It's one year tomorrow!" Serena sat up and smiled at her sister.
"Wow, that's so great, Jill." Jill smiled proudly. For Jill to keep a boyfriend for longer than a week was a miracle. For her to have a boyfriend for a whole year? There was definitely something special.
"So how about YOU, Serena? You have a boyfriend by now, right?" Serena blushed.
"Well.uhh.not really." Jill gasped.
"WHAT!?" shouted Jill, making Serena cringe. "Why not, Serena? I mean, you're beautiful, smart, and have a great personality. Every guy in school desired you, and you are STILL single?" Serena swallowed and nodded.
"Well, I.I don't talk very well with guys. I don't know how to speak to them, so.umm.no." Jill sighed. It was obvious that Serena wanted a boyfriend. It wasn't too often she heard of the girl being the shy one.
"Well, I heard a rumor," said Jill, grinning slyly. Serena gulped. Her sister could be deadly around gossip.
"Wh-what?" asked Serena. Deep down, she didn't want to know. Her sister definitely had something planned.
"Well, your boss is bringing his son tonight," Jill said. Serena grimaced. Jill was acting exactly like her mother. "I heard he's HOT, and single, too. I'm gonna make tonight your lucky night, Sere." Serena quickly shook her head, holding up her hands in defense. The last thing she needed was to be hooked up by her mother and sister. She knew it would end in embarrassment.
"No, no, no," Serena begged. "I'll talk to him, I promise. Just don't butt in. Promise me you won't." Jill looked like she was thinking it over. "Pleeeeeaaaase?" Serena asked. Jill loved making her sister beg like this. She had done this several times in the past. Jill grinned.
"Yeah, sure," Jill said, making Serena sigh in relief. "But you better try to get a few moves on him.or else.!" Serena shivered as she thought about what Jill could possibly mean by that. Jill smirked. "Well, I need to run to the store and a few other places," Jill said, standing up. "Why don't you come with me?" Serena was just about to get ready, until Jill continued, "We can buy you something to wear." Jill winked, making Serena wonder what type of outfits her naughty little sister was going to pick up.
"I think I'll pass," Serena said quickly. Jill grinned at her wickedly, making Serena gulp. She definitely had SOMETHING planned. "Let me get ready." Jill smiled and nodded before skipping out of the room. Once she was gone, Serena sighed in defeat. "I'm doomed," she cried before flopping down on the bed. Tonight was definitely going to be one to remember.