Authors Ramble: Thanks to everyone for the reviews… sorry once again about the chapter mix up. I got this chapter out quick as I could, not too bad for me actually though I am sorry about the wait, I am writing this as I go along, so you guys have all I've written, and the muse has just not been visiting this story…
AN: this story is First Season, AR. I don't know if the senshi will make an appearance… probably not in this one, I'm aiming for a shorter story line… oh, and the girls are not 14, that's a little young maybe 16 or 17? I don't mind.
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{{ Chapter Two }}
Letting Her Stew…
{Narrator's Point of View}
Serena hurried to the booth the girls were in, her brow furrowed and head filled with thoughts of the man behind her. Reaching the booth, she sighed gratefully as she slid into the seat the girls had left for her. Happy to have reached her sanctuary, she smiled a hello to the girls. "Hi, guys."
"What on earth was that all about?" Asked Raye, raising an eyebrow at Serena.
"Nothing," mumbled Serena quietly, her smile falling. Chancing a quick glance behind her, she caught Darien's gaze. "Ahhhh," she gasped, spinning back to face the girls. Seeing her four best friends gazing intently at her, she groaned aloud as she dropped her head onto the cold tabletop they were sitting around.
Grinning at the other girls, Lita, who was sitting next to Serena, softly nudged the blond. "Yes Serena, what exactly were you and Darien discussing?"
Ignoring the question, Serena, lifted her head off the table, before dropping it back.
Looking at Serena, Mina smiled. Lifting her eyes slightly, she looked over her friend's shoulder at the two men sitting at the counter. Catching Darien's grin, her own widened. Leaning forward she tapped Serena lightly on her head. "Hey… you might hurt yourself if you keep hitting your head."
"She can't possibly loose anymore brain cells…," muttered Raye. "Can she?" She asked quickly, glancing at Amy.
Trying to hold back her laugh, Amy answered, "No, not from hitting her head on the table. I don't think so, anyway."
Nodding in relief, Raye turned back to Serena. "Do my eyes deceive me, or are you blushing?" She asked in amazement as she leant even closer to her friend in surprise.
"Oh my gosh…" gasped Lita. "She is… wow, Darien never makes her blush."
"Flush in anger, yes. But blush, no." Agreed Amy with a grin as she closed her book to focus her full attention on Serena.
"So, Sere, why are you blushing?" Asked Mina quietly, lowering her voice to a more confidential level.
"I'm not…
"Come on Serena… you can tell us," said Lita, a smile on her face.
Nodding her head, Mina leaned closer, "it'll make you feel better if you talk about it."
Finally lifting her head off the table, Serena looked around at her best friends. Focusing on Mina, she asked "Will it really?"
Glancing at Amy with a rueful grin, Mina shrugged. Catching the look Lita and Raye started giggling. Realising that Mina was just trying to wheedle the information out of her, Serena dropped her head back to the table.
"Honestly Serena, I think Mina's right." Catching everyone's stunned looks and Mina's triumphant grin, Amy continued. "If you bottle up your emotions, it'll just eat away at you. Talk to us, and get it off your chest."
Sighing, Serena lifted her head again, settling back into her seat she glanced around. "Nothing… it's… well…"
"Well what? Come on Serena… talk to us," urged Lita.
"Yeah, tell us, or we'll have to start making wild assumptions," stated Raye with a smirk, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Okay… fine," sighed Serena, relenting. "Darien was nice."
Blinking, the girls stared at her dumbly, uncomprehending her answer. "Huh?" Asked Mina.
"That's it?" Asked Raye incredulously, the other girls all giving Serena confused and disbelieving looks.
"It scared me, okay. And I was not blushing!" Stated Serena, a stubborn set to her shoulders.
Glancing at the others, and receiving shrugs in return, Amy began to prod into Serena's answer. "Why was he nice?"
"How the heck should I know?" Replied Serena shortly.
Scratching her head, perplexed, Lita asked, "What do you mean by nice?"
Shrugging in confusion, Serena risked a quick glance behind her. Catching Darien's gaze, she spun back to the girls, her blush deepening. "I dunno… nice. As in not mean," she said, answering Lita's question. "And he called me Serena!"
"Well that definitely is something," said Amy with a small smile.
"Yeah," agreed Mina.
Shaking her head, Raye furrowed her brow, "But… he's always nice…"
"Not to me!" Argued Serena vehemently.
Shrugging, Raye agreed with her comment, "No, true, true…"
"I think maybe he's sick… or he has… you know…con… concussion…," suggested Serena seriously.
"Maybe…," agreed Lita, hiding a grin.
Nodding her head, Amy smiled slightly, "It is a possibility."
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"It looks like the girls are giving Sere the third degree." Mentioned Andy as he looked over to their table.
Nodding his head softly, Darien agreed, "No doubt."
Glancing down at his friend, Andrew took a moment to consider him. Sitting in his normal chair at the counter, Darien seemed totally unaffected by the whole scene and even more so by the fact that the girls were hassling Serena. Normally Darien would get angry when anyone, bar himself of course, hassled Serena. "It doesn't bother you?" He finally asked aloud, in slight confusion.
"Nope… they're her friends." Answered Darien, lifting his raven head to look at his best friend. "They won't do anything toooooo bad."
"Probably not…," agreed Andy, nodding slightly. "So… you just gonna sit here?"
"I'm keeping an eye on her, trying to decide if I should push it anymore today…" Conceded Darien, the slight furrowing of his brow the only indication of his thoughts.
"You haven't turned around once," said Andrew in disbelief. "Well, not after the first minute or so," he amended with a shrug.
Shrugging himself, Darien turned away from Andrew, staring forward and taking a drink of his coffee. "That doesn't mean I can't see her."
"You have your back to her, completely," argued Andy. "You do realise this don't you."
Glancing at Andrew, Dare grinned openly. "Yeah, I realise. I also know I have a mirror in front of me."
Peeking behind him at the mirror on the wall, Andy grinned broadly. "You… you sneaky…" Shaking his head in exasperation he continued to smile. "How often do you use that to spy on her?"
"Ohhh… you know," answered Darien vaguely with a shrug of his broad shoulders.
Andrew glared at Dare, not happy with his answer. "I'm not going to accept that. I demand a proper answer."
Shrugging at his failed attempt to side step the question, Darien turned away from the mirror to look at his friend. "All the time," he conceded with a grin, unashamed. "That's it…" he murmured, his attention once more focussed on the mirror.
"What? Oh, she's looking at you."
"I know, she's been glancing over here, covertly for a while, but she's just decided to look straight here… now's the time to catch her." With a grin he suddenly swivelled in his chair facing directly at the girls table across the room. Catching Serena's eyes, he smiled.
In response, Serena's eyes widened in fear at getting caught. As her expression became one of a dear in the headlights of oncoming traffic, Darien's grin simply widened.
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AN: I promise I have already started working on the next chapter, and as I have almost finished the uni semester, it may come soon…
TamashiiHime
