The Apartment
By Emilie Trig
Chapter 2
Morning had come too early and the next thing I knew I was making breakfast. It
was a Monday and I have to go back to work. Life sucks sometimes. I was back to
dealing with my pain in the ass boss and his pain in the neck wife. God, the two made a
great couple. He was always trying to flirt with me and I was always trying to out-run
him, with his wife forever on my throat about seducing her husband. As if I would
actually want to seduce the old geezer. The thought of it even makes me want to puke. I
cringed at the thought of those two.
This morning, I had decided to make a simple breakfast-bacon, eggs and toast.
Hey, if Darien was hoping for a gourmet breakfast, he can forget about it. Morning just
wasn't my thing. And as far as I can see it, he can definitely kiss that gourmet breakfast
farewell and Godspeed.
After I finished frying the eggs and bacons, I went to take a shower. I probably
was fuming with unpleasant odor.
When I was done with my shower and had gotten clothed in my rather plain white
uniform, I saw Darien dressed in a business suit and next to him was a suitcase. He was
sitting down, helping himself to the bacons and eggs. His hair was sleek and put up in a
rich business man style. His rather handsome tan skin was closely shaved. Man, the guy
really knew how to dress up. He looked amazingly...handsome. Hey, I might have a
boyfriend, but I'm still allowed to look. Besides, so what if I thought he looked
handsome? It didn't mean anything. What is it to you anyways? You're only a reader,
who cares what you think—I'm only kidding. But seriously, I can look at guys and say
that they are very handsome and it wouldn't mean a thing. You must also remember that I
already have charming Ken.
I stood before him and whistled in amazement. "Where are you going today?
You're wearing a killer suit." I stood before him checking out his whole outfit.
"Work. This is what I always wear for work." He replied with an air of ease and
stopped eating until I sat down. He was still a gentleman at heart and that made me smile
on the inside. Darien was probably the only male species I'd known to be this polite.
"What do you work as in an enterprise anyways?" I asked him, wondering what
he did.
Darien gulped his food down. "I, ah…, I work with computers. I try to persuade
customers to buy the company's computers."
"Cool," I said to him, smiling. I started to eat some eggs.
"You know, Serena." he said, staring thoughtfully at my hair, "Your hair reminds
me a lot of spaghetti and meatballs. It looks like you have two meatballs on your head."
I looked up from my plate, "You did not say I have two meatballs on my head."
Darien laughed. "You know, the more I think of it. The more your hair looks like
a meatball. I should call you Meatball head." He chuckled, while I scrunched my nose in
distaste.
"Meatball head," He repeated that hideous name again. I acted like I really
despise the name, but in all truth-ness, I didn't really. I was just happy that he laughed-
even if he called me names. He was a pretty tough guy to cackle at a joke, you know.
I was very glad that he had eased himself around me. He was barely talking to me
yesterday and look at today, he's finally smiling and had even started to laugh. It was a
big improvement. But he was still not very sociable, as in talkative. There was nothing I
can do about that. The fact that he eased up was great and was definitely good enough for
me.
And the rest of the morning breakfast, he became quiet again. Not the quiet way
that made me uncomfortable. I was already used to his solemn attribute. He answered and
I asked the questions, but once in a while he would ask the questions just to be polite. I
suppose it wasn't all that bad.
He left the apartment an hour before I did. My shift started at 9 a.m. I leave
around 8:30 while he left around 7 a.m. He'd gone in his shiny red sport car. But before
he departed, I'd told him to come home for dinner because I was going to make spaghetti
and meatballs just in honor of him. I had also told him that he better not miss out on my
cooking, in the most mean looking way--just kidding. I wasn't that bossy. Darien quickly
nodded and had even said goodbye to me.
**************************************
"You're late, Serena!" My boss, Pete, berated me as I came through the door, with
his wife looking scornfully at me by his side.
Here we go again--another day of this. Why don't I just quit? I asked, but then
mentally scolded myself. I had to pay rent. Money makes the world go round you know, I
told myself. Plus I didn't have a high school degree and that made it extra hard for me to
find another job. Queenie's Hotel was probably the very few places in Albany that didn't
require a high school degree. As much as I wanted a better job than at Queenie's Hotel, I
couldn't do anything about. Unless I go and get my high school's degree, but I'd never
consider myself to take this optional route. I wasn't ready to take classes in high
school.
"Sorry Pete," I said to him grimly, "You know how old my car is. It's even
amazing why it didn't collapse in a pile of dirt by now."
"Then get yourself a new car!" His wife bellowed loudly. She nearly broke my ear-drum. "And stop calling
my husband Pete! It's too intimate. Call him 'boss' or something else."
I really hated the lady. She was old, grouchy, and loud. Obnoxious to the core and
a pain to my side.
"Whatever," I said ignoring her. After years of working at Queenie's Hotel, I'd
already learn how to deal with Pete's irritating wife. I had to use the one tactic that had
always worked for me, that was to ignore her. I came up to the counter to sign the time
I'd entered in for work. 9:05. I was 5 minutes late. It figures that they would count 5
minutes as being seriously late.
"Cleaning in room 31," Pete's wife screech again. I nodded a yes and was off.
Homefree and away from them for the time being. Another minute of her talking would
make me want to slap her. Who did she think she was anyway? Sure, she was the boss's
wife, but she didn't need to treat me and everyone who worked at Queenie's Hotel so
horrible and disrespectful. People had feelings. They do get hurt at what other people
says.
Why the first month I had worked here was the worst thing that had ever
happened to me. Pete's wife had been cruel from the start. And seeing that her husband
was interested in me, she had treated me even worst. I'd never thought that I would stay
working at Queenie's Hotel for this long. But because I needed money, I gritted my teeth
and kept on working. I ignored her blabbering and told myself that she wasn't worth it.
To this day, I'd never been able to forget her cruelty toward me, the harsh way she spoke
to me. It had really hurt. I had feelings like she did too. Why couldn't she understand
that? I never even wanted her perverted husband to be interested in me.
During the afternoon of that day, I thought about Lita. She'd been very solemn
these past few weeks. As if she was hiding something from me. Maybe it was something
about Ken, but what? I had an inky feeling it was Ken because her eyes lost its glimmer
every time I had mentioned him. Was she suspecting that he was cheating on me? Ken
had also been acting oddly strange these now a day. He sometimes spaced out when I'd
talked to him and that almost never happens between us.
When I stumbled across the word cheating again, I quickly dismissed it. I trusted
Ken with all my heart and that was all that was needed in a relationship. I told myself the
cheating business was rubbish I was thinking. How can anyone even consider sweet Ken
as a guy that cheats on girls? He wasn't that kind of guy at all, I told myself. No, Ken
definitely wasn't like that, I kept telling myself.
Later in the afternoon I met Mina, while working. She also worked at Queenie's
Hotel. That was how I met her in the first place and had introduced her to Andrew. Mina
was a blond and looked almost like me. Even her personality was almost like mine. She
was cheery and was very fun to be around with because she was so energetic, so lively.
We were both cleaning in the same room because the people that had been here
the day before made a huge mess of the room.
"Haven't seen you since Andrew moved out of my apartment." I said to Mina,
while picking up empty chip bags and empty beer cans from the floor.
Mina finished folding the blankets and looked at me. "I know, I haven't seen you
in a while either. I'm sorry, Serena. If you think I spend too much of my time with
Andrew instead of you. Its just that I love him so much, you know? I miss him every
second I'm not with him. I'll make it up to you, somehow."
I smiled warmly at Mina. It was good to know that Mina truly loved Andrew as
much as he did her. "It's okay. I don't blame you."
"How about this." Mina said with a bright idea in mind, smiling the whole time
she said it. "Me and Andrew are going clubbing at Deja Vu on Thursday. How about you
bringing Ken and join us. It'll be real fun."
"Ken's not back from Chicago. He won't be home till next week." I said forlornly
to her, but quickly thought of Darien Corrigan. I think I might just drag that guy along
with me. I nodded to myself with an agreement to bring Darien along.
"But I'll go anyways." I told Mina, "I have someone in mind that I want to take."
"Well, okay. Bring anyone you want. We go on Thursday--8 o'clock sharp. Me
and Andrew will pick you and whoever you're taking to the club." Mina smiled at me and
we continued to clean the room--talking and giggling like school girls.
************************************
I left work a quarter of 6:00 and took my weary self home. I drove to the grocery
store to get what I needed and then straight for home. And by the time I'd gotten home, it
was 7:00p.m. It's amazing how times fly so fast sometimes. Darien will probably come
home soon so I started to cook the spaghetti and meatballs, I had promised.
Afterward, I sat by the couch, watching a little television and when I'd gotten
bored I turned it off. I sat in the living room by myself, staring at the ceiling. I was bored
once again. And as the time flew by I started thinking. I missed Ken, I'd thought sadly.
Was Ken missing me as much as I did him? He wasn't going to be back until next
weekend. I wonder what he was doing right now. He probably was in court. I soon threw
aside the thought of Ken and looked at the clock. 9:00 p.m. Where was Darien anyway?
And that was then when I heard the keys rattle. I quickly hopped onto my feet. I
expected that it was Darien since he was the only one I had given a key to this apartment.
Slowly and lightly, I stepped to the door and with a quick flick of the wrist, I'd sprung the
door open.
And as expected, it was Darien. His hair was disarrayed and he looked somewhat
tire. His tie had come off loose and the first button of his shirt had come unbutton.
With my widest smile, I said, "Welcome home!"
Darien raised one dark brow, giving me the weird look. I could tell he was a
little surprise but then he made his face turned into amusing.
"Good to see you too." he said, a little smile had formed on his lip.
My smile widened an inch. I pulled him inside, took his suitcase by the hand and
threw it carelessly to the side. "You're home, finally! I'd thought I'd scared you away.
But now that your home, lets eat that spaghetti I'd promised."
He stood oddly at the door way for a few second; as if he wasn't sure he lived
here. I left him to stand and ran over to the pot of spaghetti; I hope it hadn't turned cold
yet. I'd turned back to him and saw that he was still standing there. His deep blue eyes
stared at me mysteriously.
"Why are you standing there? Go change so we can start eating already." I
ordered him.
He left to his room, while I set the food on the table. Darien came out a moments
later dressed in a pair of comfortable blue shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. He walked
over to the kitchen and looked at the spaghetti. Darien stood right across the table from
me.
"Here," I said to him, handing him a plate with decorated grapes etched in, "take
as much as you want."
I took some to my own plate and then walked to the living room. I never eat
dinner at home without having the television on. Darien put some spaghetti on his plate
and followed me to where I'd sat with my plate on the table and the couch behind my
back. He placed his plate down and sat beside me. I had my feet under the table and he
folded his.
I clicked the power button and left it at whatever channel it was on.
"What would you like to watch? Any shows you want to watch in particular?"
"No, not really." Darien said. "I don't usually watch T.V."
I smiled widely, "Too bad, from now on you will."
I took strings of spaghetti to my forks and put it in my mouth. I chew it and told
him to put some spaghetti in his mouth. Darien did and had complimented me on good
spaghetti. He'd probably complimented me only because he was a courteous guy—trying
not to hurt my feelings.
"Oh I'd forgotten the drinks." I said when I finished swallowing, "We have Pepsi
in the fridge, you want some?"
Of course, Darien nodded a yes and was pulling himself together to stand up so he
can get both of us drinks. Wasn't he a gentleman? I told you he was too polite for his
own good. But...I pushed him back down and gotten two cups of Pepsi Cola with ice
myself. Just because he was a male and I was a female, he didn't have to get up and get
the drinks for me. I can surely get it myself.
Seated again, I took the remote control to my hand. "Let's see," I said out loudly,
"What's on T.V. today."
I flickered through the channels, while he ate. And after flickering the channels
three times around, I had found that no channels was worthy of being watch. I decided to
turn it off.
"No good channels," I told him, explaining why I had turn the T.V. off. I took a
big chunk of meatball into my mouth.
"So...what do you usually do for fun?" I asked him. We needed something to start
conversation or else we stay quiet the whole evening.
He stopped eating and looked at me. "I don't do anything really. I stick to my
books."
"You mean you read for fun?" I asked him. I can't believe it. I couldn't even stay
awake reading page 1 of a book and he did it for fun.
"I suppose so." Darien replied awkwardly. I think he felt embarrass.
"My foster parents," he started explaining, "they expect a lot from me. They
wanted me to be successful at everything I do and did. Even in High School, I had to stay
at the top ten ranks in school. So they bought tons and tons of books for me to read. I
guess they wanted a brainy kid in the family and since I was their only one, I had no
choice. I sort of ended up liking to read."
I looked at my almost empty plate. I felt kind of sad for him. Even thought he had
people to adopt him, it didn't make his life any happier. I think he had a lot of pressure
during his younger years. His foster parents probably expected a little too much of him. It
was funny how much I wanted to be adopted when I was young. I actually yearned to
have people adopt me--none ever did though. It used to make me sad, but now that I think
about Darien's situation, I didn't have any feelings of sorry or regret for not ever getting
adopted.
Darien saw my morose face and said in what almost was consider a whisper,
"Don't feel bad for me, Serena."
I looked at him; saw it in his eyes that he didn't want anyone to pity him. His
beautiful eyes told me not to pity him and I understood. I would never want anyone
to pity me either. I quickly recollected myself, and with a blink of an eye, all my sad
expression was gone. I gave him a beautiful smile—a merry, bright smile.
"Hey," I said to him with smiling eyes, suddenly remembering Mina's invitation,
"My friend invited me to Club Deja Vu and since I don't have a date. Wanna come with
me? We're only going for fun."
Darien took a moment to think. I could tell he was leaning to the 'no' decision. It
obvious that that he didn't like to go to clubs. All he ever did for fun was read his books.
"Don't say no," I said, then warned him, "I'll whack you in the head if you don't come with me."
He didn't say anything, still considering whether he should go or not. Darien was
hesitant a bit before he smiled and said, "Okay."
"Yay!?!" I hooted with happiness. My arms flung around his neck in a hug. I
pulled back and gave him a kiss on his left cheek. "You're the greatest," I said to him,
smiling happily.
He stared at me for a brief second. Something was in his mysterious cobalt eyes,
but I couldn't place what emotion.
To be continuing...........
AN: And there goes the ending of chapter 2. Thank you for those who emailed me. My
greatest gratitude to you all. Anyways, I hoped everyone who read chapter 2 adored it.
And as always, email me at Email me or you'll probably NEVER see chapter 3…!?! Probably
NEVER, EVER……!?!?!?! Oh…one last line, mail me any suggestions on any scenes
for this story that you might like to see in future chapters. I don't really have a lot of
ideas on romantic scenes so I like to hear from others. If you do send me a scene, it
will base on whether I like or not or if it even fits with the story at all. Thanks 4 reading.
By Emilie Trig
Chapter 2
Morning had come too early and the next thing I knew I was making breakfast. It
was a Monday and I have to go back to work. Life sucks sometimes. I was back to
dealing with my pain in the ass boss and his pain in the neck wife. God, the two made a
great couple. He was always trying to flirt with me and I was always trying to out-run
him, with his wife forever on my throat about seducing her husband. As if I would
actually want to seduce the old geezer. The thought of it even makes me want to puke. I
cringed at the thought of those two.
This morning, I had decided to make a simple breakfast-bacon, eggs and toast.
Hey, if Darien was hoping for a gourmet breakfast, he can forget about it. Morning just
wasn't my thing. And as far as I can see it, he can definitely kiss that gourmet breakfast
farewell and Godspeed.
After I finished frying the eggs and bacons, I went to take a shower. I probably
was fuming with unpleasant odor.
When I was done with my shower and had gotten clothed in my rather plain white
uniform, I saw Darien dressed in a business suit and next to him was a suitcase. He was
sitting down, helping himself to the bacons and eggs. His hair was sleek and put up in a
rich business man style. His rather handsome tan skin was closely shaved. Man, the guy
really knew how to dress up. He looked amazingly...handsome. Hey, I might have a
boyfriend, but I'm still allowed to look. Besides, so what if I thought he looked
handsome? It didn't mean anything. What is it to you anyways? You're only a reader,
who cares what you think—I'm only kidding. But seriously, I can look at guys and say
that they are very handsome and it wouldn't mean a thing. You must also remember that I
already have charming Ken.
I stood before him and whistled in amazement. "Where are you going today?
You're wearing a killer suit." I stood before him checking out his whole outfit.
"Work. This is what I always wear for work." He replied with an air of ease and
stopped eating until I sat down. He was still a gentleman at heart and that made me smile
on the inside. Darien was probably the only male species I'd known to be this polite.
"What do you work as in an enterprise anyways?" I asked him, wondering what
he did.
Darien gulped his food down. "I, ah…, I work with computers. I try to persuade
customers to buy the company's computers."
"Cool," I said to him, smiling. I started to eat some eggs.
"You know, Serena." he said, staring thoughtfully at my hair, "Your hair reminds
me a lot of spaghetti and meatballs. It looks like you have two meatballs on your head."
I looked up from my plate, "You did not say I have two meatballs on my head."
Darien laughed. "You know, the more I think of it. The more your hair looks like
a meatball. I should call you Meatball head." He chuckled, while I scrunched my nose in
distaste.
"Meatball head," He repeated that hideous name again. I acted like I really
despise the name, but in all truth-ness, I didn't really. I was just happy that he laughed-
even if he called me names. He was a pretty tough guy to cackle at a joke, you know.
I was very glad that he had eased himself around me. He was barely talking to me
yesterday and look at today, he's finally smiling and had even started to laugh. It was a
big improvement. But he was still not very sociable, as in talkative. There was nothing I
can do about that. The fact that he eased up was great and was definitely good enough for
me.
And the rest of the morning breakfast, he became quiet again. Not the quiet way
that made me uncomfortable. I was already used to his solemn attribute. He answered and
I asked the questions, but once in a while he would ask the questions just to be polite. I
suppose it wasn't all that bad.
He left the apartment an hour before I did. My shift started at 9 a.m. I leave
around 8:30 while he left around 7 a.m. He'd gone in his shiny red sport car. But before
he departed, I'd told him to come home for dinner because I was going to make spaghetti
and meatballs just in honor of him. I had also told him that he better not miss out on my
cooking, in the most mean looking way--just kidding. I wasn't that bossy. Darien quickly
nodded and had even said goodbye to me.
**************************************
"You're late, Serena!" My boss, Pete, berated me as I came through the door, with
his wife looking scornfully at me by his side.
Here we go again--another day of this. Why don't I just quit? I asked, but then
mentally scolded myself. I had to pay rent. Money makes the world go round you know, I
told myself. Plus I didn't have a high school degree and that made it extra hard for me to
find another job. Queenie's Hotel was probably the very few places in Albany that didn't
require a high school degree. As much as I wanted a better job than at Queenie's Hotel, I
couldn't do anything about. Unless I go and get my high school's degree, but I'd never
consider myself to take this optional route. I wasn't ready to take classes in high
school.
"Sorry Pete," I said to him grimly, "You know how old my car is. It's even
amazing why it didn't collapse in a pile of dirt by now."
"Then get yourself a new car!" His wife bellowed loudly. She nearly broke my ear-drum. "And stop calling
my husband Pete! It's too intimate. Call him 'boss' or something else."
I really hated the lady. She was old, grouchy, and loud. Obnoxious to the core and
a pain to my side.
"Whatever," I said ignoring her. After years of working at Queenie's Hotel, I'd
already learn how to deal with Pete's irritating wife. I had to use the one tactic that had
always worked for me, that was to ignore her. I came up to the counter to sign the time
I'd entered in for work. 9:05. I was 5 minutes late. It figures that they would count 5
minutes as being seriously late.
"Cleaning in room 31," Pete's wife screech again. I nodded a yes and was off.
Homefree and away from them for the time being. Another minute of her talking would
make me want to slap her. Who did she think she was anyway? Sure, she was the boss's
wife, but she didn't need to treat me and everyone who worked at Queenie's Hotel so
horrible and disrespectful. People had feelings. They do get hurt at what other people
says.
Why the first month I had worked here was the worst thing that had ever
happened to me. Pete's wife had been cruel from the start. And seeing that her husband
was interested in me, she had treated me even worst. I'd never thought that I would stay
working at Queenie's Hotel for this long. But because I needed money, I gritted my teeth
and kept on working. I ignored her blabbering and told myself that she wasn't worth it.
To this day, I'd never been able to forget her cruelty toward me, the harsh way she spoke
to me. It had really hurt. I had feelings like she did too. Why couldn't she understand
that? I never even wanted her perverted husband to be interested in me.
During the afternoon of that day, I thought about Lita. She'd been very solemn
these past few weeks. As if she was hiding something from me. Maybe it was something
about Ken, but what? I had an inky feeling it was Ken because her eyes lost its glimmer
every time I had mentioned him. Was she suspecting that he was cheating on me? Ken
had also been acting oddly strange these now a day. He sometimes spaced out when I'd
talked to him and that almost never happens between us.
When I stumbled across the word cheating again, I quickly dismissed it. I trusted
Ken with all my heart and that was all that was needed in a relationship. I told myself the
cheating business was rubbish I was thinking. How can anyone even consider sweet Ken
as a guy that cheats on girls? He wasn't that kind of guy at all, I told myself. No, Ken
definitely wasn't like that, I kept telling myself.
Later in the afternoon I met Mina, while working. She also worked at Queenie's
Hotel. That was how I met her in the first place and had introduced her to Andrew. Mina
was a blond and looked almost like me. Even her personality was almost like mine. She
was cheery and was very fun to be around with because she was so energetic, so lively.
We were both cleaning in the same room because the people that had been here
the day before made a huge mess of the room.
"Haven't seen you since Andrew moved out of my apartment." I said to Mina,
while picking up empty chip bags and empty beer cans from the floor.
Mina finished folding the blankets and looked at me. "I know, I haven't seen you
in a while either. I'm sorry, Serena. If you think I spend too much of my time with
Andrew instead of you. Its just that I love him so much, you know? I miss him every
second I'm not with him. I'll make it up to you, somehow."
I smiled warmly at Mina. It was good to know that Mina truly loved Andrew as
much as he did her. "It's okay. I don't blame you."
"How about this." Mina said with a bright idea in mind, smiling the whole time
she said it. "Me and Andrew are going clubbing at Deja Vu on Thursday. How about you
bringing Ken and join us. It'll be real fun."
"Ken's not back from Chicago. He won't be home till next week." I said forlornly
to her, but quickly thought of Darien Corrigan. I think I might just drag that guy along
with me. I nodded to myself with an agreement to bring Darien along.
"But I'll go anyways." I told Mina, "I have someone in mind that I want to take."
"Well, okay. Bring anyone you want. We go on Thursday--8 o'clock sharp. Me
and Andrew will pick you and whoever you're taking to the club." Mina smiled at me and
we continued to clean the room--talking and giggling like school girls.
************************************
I left work a quarter of 6:00 and took my weary self home. I drove to the grocery
store to get what I needed and then straight for home. And by the time I'd gotten home, it
was 7:00p.m. It's amazing how times fly so fast sometimes. Darien will probably come
home soon so I started to cook the spaghetti and meatballs, I had promised.
Afterward, I sat by the couch, watching a little television and when I'd gotten
bored I turned it off. I sat in the living room by myself, staring at the ceiling. I was bored
once again. And as the time flew by I started thinking. I missed Ken, I'd thought sadly.
Was Ken missing me as much as I did him? He wasn't going to be back until next
weekend. I wonder what he was doing right now. He probably was in court. I soon threw
aside the thought of Ken and looked at the clock. 9:00 p.m. Where was Darien anyway?
And that was then when I heard the keys rattle. I quickly hopped onto my feet. I
expected that it was Darien since he was the only one I had given a key to this apartment.
Slowly and lightly, I stepped to the door and with a quick flick of the wrist, I'd sprung the
door open.
And as expected, it was Darien. His hair was disarrayed and he looked somewhat
tire. His tie had come off loose and the first button of his shirt had come unbutton.
With my widest smile, I said, "Welcome home!"
Darien raised one dark brow, giving me the weird look. I could tell he was a
little surprise but then he made his face turned into amusing.
"Good to see you too." he said, a little smile had formed on his lip.
My smile widened an inch. I pulled him inside, took his suitcase by the hand and
threw it carelessly to the side. "You're home, finally! I'd thought I'd scared you away.
But now that your home, lets eat that spaghetti I'd promised."
He stood oddly at the door way for a few second; as if he wasn't sure he lived
here. I left him to stand and ran over to the pot of spaghetti; I hope it hadn't turned cold
yet. I'd turned back to him and saw that he was still standing there. His deep blue eyes
stared at me mysteriously.
"Why are you standing there? Go change so we can start eating already." I
ordered him.
He left to his room, while I set the food on the table. Darien came out a moments
later dressed in a pair of comfortable blue shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. He walked
over to the kitchen and looked at the spaghetti. Darien stood right across the table from
me.
"Here," I said to him, handing him a plate with decorated grapes etched in, "take
as much as you want."
I took some to my own plate and then walked to the living room. I never eat
dinner at home without having the television on. Darien put some spaghetti on his plate
and followed me to where I'd sat with my plate on the table and the couch behind my
back. He placed his plate down and sat beside me. I had my feet under the table and he
folded his.
I clicked the power button and left it at whatever channel it was on.
"What would you like to watch? Any shows you want to watch in particular?"
"No, not really." Darien said. "I don't usually watch T.V."
I smiled widely, "Too bad, from now on you will."
I took strings of spaghetti to my forks and put it in my mouth. I chew it and told
him to put some spaghetti in his mouth. Darien did and had complimented me on good
spaghetti. He'd probably complimented me only because he was a courteous guy—trying
not to hurt my feelings.
"Oh I'd forgotten the drinks." I said when I finished swallowing, "We have Pepsi
in the fridge, you want some?"
Of course, Darien nodded a yes and was pulling himself together to stand up so he
can get both of us drinks. Wasn't he a gentleman? I told you he was too polite for his
own good. But...I pushed him back down and gotten two cups of Pepsi Cola with ice
myself. Just because he was a male and I was a female, he didn't have to get up and get
the drinks for me. I can surely get it myself.
Seated again, I took the remote control to my hand. "Let's see," I said out loudly,
"What's on T.V. today."
I flickered through the channels, while he ate. And after flickering the channels
three times around, I had found that no channels was worthy of being watch. I decided to
turn it off.
"No good channels," I told him, explaining why I had turn the T.V. off. I took a
big chunk of meatball into my mouth.
"So...what do you usually do for fun?" I asked him. We needed something to start
conversation or else we stay quiet the whole evening.
He stopped eating and looked at me. "I don't do anything really. I stick to my
books."
"You mean you read for fun?" I asked him. I can't believe it. I couldn't even stay
awake reading page 1 of a book and he did it for fun.
"I suppose so." Darien replied awkwardly. I think he felt embarrass.
"My foster parents," he started explaining, "they expect a lot from me. They
wanted me to be successful at everything I do and did. Even in High School, I had to stay
at the top ten ranks in school. So they bought tons and tons of books for me to read. I
guess they wanted a brainy kid in the family and since I was their only one, I had no
choice. I sort of ended up liking to read."
I looked at my almost empty plate. I felt kind of sad for him. Even thought he had
people to adopt him, it didn't make his life any happier. I think he had a lot of pressure
during his younger years. His foster parents probably expected a little too much of him. It
was funny how much I wanted to be adopted when I was young. I actually yearned to
have people adopt me--none ever did though. It used to make me sad, but now that I think
about Darien's situation, I didn't have any feelings of sorry or regret for not ever getting
adopted.
Darien saw my morose face and said in what almost was consider a whisper,
"Don't feel bad for me, Serena."
I looked at him; saw it in his eyes that he didn't want anyone to pity him. His
beautiful eyes told me not to pity him and I understood. I would never want anyone
to pity me either. I quickly recollected myself, and with a blink of an eye, all my sad
expression was gone. I gave him a beautiful smile—a merry, bright smile.
"Hey," I said to him with smiling eyes, suddenly remembering Mina's invitation,
"My friend invited me to Club Deja Vu and since I don't have a date. Wanna come with
me? We're only going for fun."
Darien took a moment to think. I could tell he was leaning to the 'no' decision. It
obvious that that he didn't like to go to clubs. All he ever did for fun was read his books.
"Don't say no," I said, then warned him, "I'll whack you in the head if you don't come with me."
He didn't say anything, still considering whether he should go or not. Darien was
hesitant a bit before he smiled and said, "Okay."
"Yay!?!" I hooted with happiness. My arms flung around his neck in a hug. I
pulled back and gave him a kiss on his left cheek. "You're the greatest," I said to him,
smiling happily.
He stared at me for a brief second. Something was in his mysterious cobalt eyes,
but I couldn't place what emotion.
To be continuing...........
AN: And there goes the ending of chapter 2. Thank you for those who emailed me. My
greatest gratitude to you all. Anyways, I hoped everyone who read chapter 2 adored it.
And as always, email me at Email me or you'll probably NEVER see chapter 3…!?! Probably
NEVER, EVER……!?!?!?! Oh…one last line, mail me any suggestions on any scenes
for this story that you might like to see in future chapters. I don't really have a lot of
ideas on romantic scenes so I like to hear from others. If you do send me a scene, it
will base on whether I like or not or if it even fits with the story at all. Thanks 4 reading.