The Dinner

Darien locked his car door and walked out onto the pavement which led

to Serena's house. He walked through the gardens and saw himself face-

to-face with a big brass doorknob.

He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer, he heard the

door open and found himself looking at a blonde girl with blue eyes.

"I am here to pick up Hotaru." He told her gently.

Mina glanced at him up and down for a while before calling out. "Hotaru!"

As Darien waited he could heard Hotaru's yell. "Coming!"

Darien smiled at his sister as she made her way toward the door.

"Darien!!" She said as she ran to give him a hug.

Darien hugged her back, then pulled away. "Are you ready to go?" He

asked her, a smile still on is face. However, Hotaru pouted.

"Do I have to? " She asked Darien, with a sad smile on her face. Hotaru

stood in front of Darien and looked into his blue eyes.

"Pretty please?" She begged him, her eyes begging his.

Darien stood there, not sure what he should do, should he leave her at

a stranger's house or take her home with him - they were planning to

have dinner outside.

Through these words that the brother and sister had exchanged, Mina

was standing in the corner of the doorway watching them. A flash of

sadness shone in her eyes.

'They seem so happy, I just wish I can be like that too...' Mina thought.

Brushed off her tears quickly, she stood up and walked closer towards

the brother and sister. Plastering a pleading look at the brother, she said,

"Can't Hotaru stay?"

Darien pretended to have a second thought "Guess...can't. Sorry kids.I have

to meet my friends afer the dinner. I have promised Hotaru long time ago, that

I will bring her to her favourite restaurant and had made the reservation few

hours ago. Maybe next time?"

Darien could only laughed, at the little girls' pouting. What a cute scence, he

thought, wishing he had a camera with him now.

"May I know who this beautiful young child is?" Darien asked Mina

who blushed at him

"Mina, but everyone call her Min." Darien could see through the mask of

Hotaru's face.

Looking at her brother, Hotaru begged darien one more time.

Darien, didn't want to upset his litle sister, but he couldn't just

cancelled both meeting and the reservation because he knew Hotaru too

well.

He looked at her, a memory of the past, rearing it's head.

He remembered that once she stayed up with someone, she could spent

countless of hours there. His first experince was two years ago, when

he thought it was time to pick her from Raye's temple, however, it

turned up that she spent an overnight there.

This time he wouldn't, no couldn't do that. not that he didn't trust

his sister's new friend, but lately the teacher from her school complaint

that she, his sister, seldom did her homework or even passed her test

"All right," Darien decided. "We go and have our dinner first, then

come back here so that you can play with your friends... but on one

condition. you've got to do your homework, is that clear?"

"Crystal clear!" Hotaru's face brighten, after hearing this

Darien smiled at his sister and regarded serena with a smile "Wanna go

now?"

Hotaru looked at Mina and smiled.

"Yep," she said as her gaze turned towards her brother. Darien gestured

towards the door.

"Let's go" he said as he walked outside, the door to wait for Hotaru

Hotaru smiled at Mina "Tell them I'll be back" and went off together with

her brother, but not before she got her reply.

@~~ @~~ @~~ @~~ @~~

Hotaru smiled at her brother and held his hand tighter, Darien looked

at his sister and smiled, he had really enjoyed the dinner too

the dinner had been great - it had started with Darien taking Hotaru

to the new indian restraunt they had walked inside and sat down at a

table, the restraunt was nicely decorated with pictures of elephants

with people riding on top as well as pictures of indian gods and

goddesses

They had then ordered their dinner, Darien chose butter chicken with

rice and Hotaru chose masala dosa. When their food arrived they were

relatively shocked the food's appearance

The butter chicken was a red-orangey colour sauce with bits of chicken

smothered in it and the rice was an unusual yellow colour

'That's unusual' darien thought as he picked up his spoon and began

eating his dish

Hotatu's dish was the next to arrive, it itself also looked very funny,

as the waiter placed the dish on the table Hotaru eagerly picked at it.

Indeed it did look funny it was some potato and bean filling wrapped in

a crispy roll-like piece of pastry

hotaru tasted a bite "yum" she said she started bitting into the dosa

darien looked at hotaru, "you like this dinner?" He asked her in-

between bites of his curry

Hotaru broke of the end piece of the crispy pastry "Yep" she replied

making a face, as if she was in heaven by eating it

Darien chuckled and the resumed eating his nearly-finished dish

@~~ @~~ @~~ @~~ @~~

They walked to the car, clutching their stomaches

Hotaru groaned "Feels like i have eaten a elephant" she told Darien

unhappily.

Darien smiled, but agreed with her "They did give us large servings"