It was the start of the holiday season and all was well. There had not been
any attacks in over a year, and the scout's were happy. On the 1st, Rini
arrived from Crystal Tokyo to visit Serena and Darien. For the past week
they spoiled her with cookies, present, ice cream, and eggnog. All seemed
great for the time being. Even Mina was happy! Since that day in the
arcade, two months ago, she had gone through a series of "boyfriends" and
was quite entertained with her current beau, Avery.
It was a snowy Friday night, and the girls (and their guys) were all huddled in a large booth.
"Serena, why didn't you bring Rini along?" Ami asked sipping on her hot cocoa.
"Well, it's my mom's night to have her." Serena replied.
Mina smiled, "That's good. You two need a night off."
Serena nodded and grinned. It was good to see Mina smile again. Serena looked at Avery. She had to hand it to Mina; she had great taste in men. Avery had the same height and build as Darien, but not as muscular. He wasn't too old about 16 or 17...his hair was also longer, shaggier, and it's color reminded Serena of a new penny (an: yeah, I know they're not in the US but hey...) copper, yet dark. His eyes were pale green and on his left ear were two piercing in the lobe.
Avery smiled at Serena.
She blushed and quickly turned her attention back to Darien who was chatting with Andrew. Avery chuckled to himself.
"Let's get out of here." He whispered to Mina.
"What do you want to do?" She whispered back.
He grinned. "Let's get our drinks to go and hang out in the park."
Mina nodded. "Hey um Andrew. Could Avery and I get our drinks to go? We've got to split."
"Sure thing... Mina." The pain was still there. For both of them. Andrew hated to see Mina with Avery.
"Aww you're leaving?" Serena asked. "But we're having such a great time."
"I'm sorry Ree, I'll make it up to you. See ya guys."
"See you later Mina. Nice meeting you Avery." Darien said.
"Bye Mina, bye Avery." The rest of the girls and guys chimed.
The world outside was completely white. The occasion wreath and "Merry Xmas" sign hung about on the streetlights. Mina looked at her watch. Six fifteen. 'Excellent.' She thought. Avery and Mina walked in silence the whole way. When they came to the park, they each took a seat on a near by snow covered bench. There was an endless silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, it was Mina who broke the silence.
"So why the park?"
Silence. "Its quiet here. Very peaceful."
"I see."
Avery looked at Mina. "I brought you here to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"Mina. I'm going back to America tonight. "
Mina said nothing and nodded.
"Its not your fault you know, my father is sick and I have to be there for him when he passes."
"Will you come back?"
"No."
She understood. That's what always happened when she go too attached. People left. It was as if they didn't want to be around her. She must smell bad or something.
"Yeah, it wasn't serious anyways right?"
Avery smiled. "We had fun."
"Yeah."
Mina looked at her watch. Eight thirty. "What time does your flight leave?"
"Nine."
"It's eighty thirty."
"I know."
"Shouldn't you be leaving?"
"I will. But not before I kiss you good bye." Avery leaned over a slowly pressed his lips to Mina's. She was cold. After a moment, he ever so gently pulled away.
"Good bye Mina."
"Good bye Avery."
He left her. Just like Alan. Just like Andrew. Just like that. She didn't cry, mainly because her face was frozen, but she was still heart broken.
Mina sunk into the snowy bench and looked up at the stars. Silence.
It was now nine and Avery would be on his way away from her back to the States. Still she didn't cry. Somewhere around nine fourteen, Mina inched herself from the icy bench. She began to walk home. As she crossed to the sidewalk, it hit her. Something cold. Something froze. Something wet.
~ ` ~ *
* *
~ ` ~ ~` ~`
Mina awoke in extreme pain. Her head was hot and pounding, when she reached to touch it, her hand was sticky and covered in her blood. She let out a moan and began to cry.
"Shh... It's ok, you're going to be alright." A voice soothed her. Mina was lifted up. She felt like she was floating.
"What's going on, what happened?"
"Don't worry, you'll be alright." There was that voice again. It sounded so sweet.
"Are you my guardian angel?" Mina asked, still crying.
The voice did not answer and Mina passed out again.
**************************************************************************** ******
Mina slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea where she was. She touched her head and began to cry.
"You're awake!" Exclaimed the voice from last night.
Mina looked in the direction of the voice. There, stood a man about six feet tall. His hair was the color of silver and his smile melted Mina.
"Who are you? Where am I? What happened? What's going on?!" Mina asked instantly.
"Whoa, Whoa. Slow down there Tiger, you're going to hurt yourself. Let me start with what happened. Two nights ago-"
"TWO NIGHTS AGO?!"
"You were out for quite sometime. See you must have slipped on some ice, because I found you out cold, your head cut and bleeding. Naturally seeing a pretty girl in your state, I picked you up and brought you back here."
"Here?"
"Yeah, this is my small, but sufficient apartment. If you want to call it that."
Mina felt her forehead.
"You busted your head up pretty well, but it's all stitched up and taken care of. You'll probably have a hang over and a slight fever for a few days. Can I get you anything Mina?"
"Water, no could I have some tea? Wait... how do you know my name?"
The silver haired guy pulled out a bus pass. He handed it to her.
"Sorry, I took it out of your coat."
Mina blushed, "That's ok."
"Let me go get your tea."
He left her alone in the room. Mina glanced about. She was lying on a somewhat big bed. It was really comfortable. The sheets and comforter were forest green. The walls were white and bare and on opposite ends of the bed, there were two wooden bookcases.
"I hope you like Peppermint, it's the only kind I have."
"Peppermints fine." She smiled.
He smiled back. He had nice teeth. White and straight.
"You still haven't told me who you are." Mina said confused.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm Cameron."
It was a snowy Friday night, and the girls (and their guys) were all huddled in a large booth.
"Serena, why didn't you bring Rini along?" Ami asked sipping on her hot cocoa.
"Well, it's my mom's night to have her." Serena replied.
Mina smiled, "That's good. You two need a night off."
Serena nodded and grinned. It was good to see Mina smile again. Serena looked at Avery. She had to hand it to Mina; she had great taste in men. Avery had the same height and build as Darien, but not as muscular. He wasn't too old about 16 or 17...his hair was also longer, shaggier, and it's color reminded Serena of a new penny (an: yeah, I know they're not in the US but hey...) copper, yet dark. His eyes were pale green and on his left ear were two piercing in the lobe.
Avery smiled at Serena.
She blushed and quickly turned her attention back to Darien who was chatting with Andrew. Avery chuckled to himself.
"Let's get out of here." He whispered to Mina.
"What do you want to do?" She whispered back.
He grinned. "Let's get our drinks to go and hang out in the park."
Mina nodded. "Hey um Andrew. Could Avery and I get our drinks to go? We've got to split."
"Sure thing... Mina." The pain was still there. For both of them. Andrew hated to see Mina with Avery.
"Aww you're leaving?" Serena asked. "But we're having such a great time."
"I'm sorry Ree, I'll make it up to you. See ya guys."
"See you later Mina. Nice meeting you Avery." Darien said.
"Bye Mina, bye Avery." The rest of the girls and guys chimed.
The world outside was completely white. The occasion wreath and "Merry Xmas" sign hung about on the streetlights. Mina looked at her watch. Six fifteen. 'Excellent.' She thought. Avery and Mina walked in silence the whole way. When they came to the park, they each took a seat on a near by snow covered bench. There was an endless silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, it was Mina who broke the silence.
"So why the park?"
Silence. "Its quiet here. Very peaceful."
"I see."
Avery looked at Mina. "I brought you here to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"Mina. I'm going back to America tonight. "
Mina said nothing and nodded.
"Its not your fault you know, my father is sick and I have to be there for him when he passes."
"Will you come back?"
"No."
She understood. That's what always happened when she go too attached. People left. It was as if they didn't want to be around her. She must smell bad or something.
"Yeah, it wasn't serious anyways right?"
Avery smiled. "We had fun."
"Yeah."
Mina looked at her watch. Eight thirty. "What time does your flight leave?"
"Nine."
"It's eighty thirty."
"I know."
"Shouldn't you be leaving?"
"I will. But not before I kiss you good bye." Avery leaned over a slowly pressed his lips to Mina's. She was cold. After a moment, he ever so gently pulled away.
"Good bye Mina."
"Good bye Avery."
He left her. Just like Alan. Just like Andrew. Just like that. She didn't cry, mainly because her face was frozen, but she was still heart broken.
Mina sunk into the snowy bench and looked up at the stars. Silence.
It was now nine and Avery would be on his way away from her back to the States. Still she didn't cry. Somewhere around nine fourteen, Mina inched herself from the icy bench. She began to walk home. As she crossed to the sidewalk, it hit her. Something cold. Something froze. Something wet.
~ ` ~ *
* *
~ ` ~ ~` ~`
Mina awoke in extreme pain. Her head was hot and pounding, when she reached to touch it, her hand was sticky and covered in her blood. She let out a moan and began to cry.
"Shh... It's ok, you're going to be alright." A voice soothed her. Mina was lifted up. She felt like she was floating.
"What's going on, what happened?"
"Don't worry, you'll be alright." There was that voice again. It sounded so sweet.
"Are you my guardian angel?" Mina asked, still crying.
The voice did not answer and Mina passed out again.
**************************************************************************** ******
Mina slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea where she was. She touched her head and began to cry.
"You're awake!" Exclaimed the voice from last night.
Mina looked in the direction of the voice. There, stood a man about six feet tall. His hair was the color of silver and his smile melted Mina.
"Who are you? Where am I? What happened? What's going on?!" Mina asked instantly.
"Whoa, Whoa. Slow down there Tiger, you're going to hurt yourself. Let me start with what happened. Two nights ago-"
"TWO NIGHTS AGO?!"
"You were out for quite sometime. See you must have slipped on some ice, because I found you out cold, your head cut and bleeding. Naturally seeing a pretty girl in your state, I picked you up and brought you back here."
"Here?"
"Yeah, this is my small, but sufficient apartment. If you want to call it that."
Mina felt her forehead.
"You busted your head up pretty well, but it's all stitched up and taken care of. You'll probably have a hang over and a slight fever for a few days. Can I get you anything Mina?"
"Water, no could I have some tea? Wait... how do you know my name?"
The silver haired guy pulled out a bus pass. He handed it to her.
"Sorry, I took it out of your coat."
Mina blushed, "That's ok."
"Let me go get your tea."
He left her alone in the room. Mina glanced about. She was lying on a somewhat big bed. It was really comfortable. The sheets and comforter were forest green. The walls were white and bare and on opposite ends of the bed, there were two wooden bookcases.
"I hope you like Peppermint, it's the only kind I have."
"Peppermints fine." She smiled.
He smiled back. He had nice teeth. White and straight.
"You still haven't told me who you are." Mina said confused.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm Cameron."