Chapter 5
Serena lay there and sipped her soda as Darien disappeared down stairs. She signed and closed her eyes.
//All that I want is for everyone to be happy. But I can never do that. This will be a new beginning for me. No more getting yelled at by Raye or by Ms. H. //
The sound of a car pulling up to the house brought Serena back to reality. She climbed off the bed and looked outside. There was a silver convertible sitting in the driveway beside Darien's. Four people climbed out of the car: three young ladies and a small child.
"Who is that?" whispered Serena.
The little child stopped and looked at Serena. Her amethyst eyes gleamed with happiness. The child was Hotaru. But why were Hotaru and the outer scouts there? She hurried out of the room and down the stairs, as carefully as possible. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, Darien had invited them in and they were standing around in the entrance hall. Serena stopped on the last step and smiled at everyone as she caught her breath.
"Serena," said Darien harshly. "You should not have ran all the way down here like that."
"I'm sorry, Darien, but I had to come and see everyone," said Serena looking at the ground.
"Just don't do it again," he said. "I ran into everyone before we left the city. Amara knew something was up and made me tell her."
"You were trying to avoid my eyes and disappear," Amara said. She was as tall as ever. Towering over everyone except for Darien. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a black tank top, and a pair of black high heals.
Michelle was wearing a pale sea green blouse with a brown suede skirt that just brushed the top of her knees with a pair of black knee high boots. Trista was wearing a pair of patchwork jeans, a t-shirt with the symbols of all the planets on it under a black sweater, and a pair of tennis shoes. Hotaru was wearing a small purple dress that barely brushed her knees and a pair of black boots that stopped right below her knees.
"You've grown so much, Hotaru," said Serena as she descended the last step. "How is everyone?"
"We're all fine, Serena," said Michelle. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Serena said with a sly smile.
"How's Darien been treating you?" asked Amara.
"Oh he's been very strict with me," teased Serena. "Making me stay in bed and eat only healthy food."
"Hey," said Darien. "We're eating pizza tonight so you can't say that you're not eating what you want."
The girls and Darien all laughed except Hotaru, who stood back from the group and watched. Michelle was the first to notice that Hotaru wasn't joining in on the fun. She looked at the young child with a questioning look.
Hotaru closed her eyes and gave a small smile. "How much longer?" she asked Serena.
"Um.three more weeks," said Serena. "I think."
Hotaru walked up to Serena and placed her hand on her stomach. A small smile crept across the small child's face. She looked up at Serena and said, "Everything will be fine. This is how everything is suppose to be."
Serena quickly pushed back her confusion and put on a smile. She trusted Hotaru and the other outer scouts. They all were far wiser than she could ever be. Even if she was to be the future queen.
Suddenly, a wave of hunger swept over Serena. "I need food," she said with a laugh. "Is the pizza ready yet?"
"No, but the oven is by now," said Darien heading towards the kitchen. "Why don't you ladies go with Serena up stairs and I'll be up there in a while with the pizza."
"Of course," said Michelle. "Lead the way, Serena."
Serena smiled and said, "I'll give you guys a tour of the house. Even though there's nothing that amazing about it."
"Just lead the way meatball head," said Amara.
"Okay," said Serena as they made their way up the stairs. "Well this is the second floor. It's a beautiful light blue color while the first floor was a light green. There are four bedrooms, each has their own bathroom."
They climbed the spiral staircase and entered the third floor. "This is Darien and my room," she said. "It's got a wonderful view of the country side."
"I like this gray color," said Hotaru as she sat on the bed. "It's really calming."
"Thanks," said Serena as she sat down on the couch. "I like this room the best."
Michelle sat beside Serena and looked about the room. "So you guys just moved in here today," she said with a warm smile. "Do the girls know?"
Serena looked out the window and sighed. "Yes," she said quietly. "But they don't know Darien's here so if you run into them don't say anything about him being here."
"We won't say anything unless you want us too," said Trista leaning against the wall beside Serena. "But why would you keep Darien a secret from the girls?"
"She has to," said Amara keeping her back to them as she looked out over the driveway. "They wouldn't understand if they knew about her condition and about her staying out here with only Darien."
No one uttered a word. Serena jumped when the phone began to ring. Hotaru quickly picked it up and handed it to Serena. It was her mother.
"Hello," said Serena.
"Hi, darling it's mom," said Mrs. Campbell. "I just wanted to let you know that your friends are on their way. They just left here."
"Thanks mom," said Serena. "Did you tell them anything else?"
"No," her mother said. "But they seemed very worried about you."
"Well I better get off the phone, dinner's almost ready," Serena said.
"What are you having?"
"Pizza and salad."
"Are you eating alone?"
"No, some of my other friends dropped by and are joining me."
"Well that's good to hear. I better go. Sammy's whining about me being on the phone. I'll talk to you later. Love you, Serena."
"Love you too, mom."
Serena hung up the phone and turned to Hotaru. "Will you run down stairs and tell Darien that the girls are on their way over here, Hotaru?" she asked. Before Hotaru could say anything, Amara said, "I'll go. I want to talk to him anyway."
"Tell him to hide his car in the garage," said Michelle. "The girls might get suspicious about his car being here."
Amara nodded and left the room quickly and quietly. Hotaru returned the phone to its cradle and sat on the floor in front of the three older girls. She seemed so in tuned with each person and the world. She was no longer the child that ran around like a little monster, but now was a mature young lady.
"Did Rini go home?" asked Hotaru, directing it towards no particular person.
"Yeah, a couple days ago," said Serena. "She wanted to be with her family for a little while."
"I'm going down stairs for a second," said Hotaru as she stood up. "I have something I want to ask Amara."
"Have fun," said Trista.
Serena waited a few moments after Hotaru left before asking, "Trista, will this change the future?"
Trista closed her eyes and thought a moment before answering. She knew everything, for she was the scout of time. "I do not know, all is cloudy right now," she said. "But I will find out, my queen."
"Thank you, Trista," said Serena. "I hope the girls aren't mad when they get here."
"I wonder who's bringing them," wondered Michelle.
"I don't know," said Serena as she removed the braids from her hair.
Serena lay there and sipped her soda as Darien disappeared down stairs. She signed and closed her eyes.
//All that I want is for everyone to be happy. But I can never do that. This will be a new beginning for me. No more getting yelled at by Raye or by Ms. H. //
The sound of a car pulling up to the house brought Serena back to reality. She climbed off the bed and looked outside. There was a silver convertible sitting in the driveway beside Darien's. Four people climbed out of the car: three young ladies and a small child.
"Who is that?" whispered Serena.
The little child stopped and looked at Serena. Her amethyst eyes gleamed with happiness. The child was Hotaru. But why were Hotaru and the outer scouts there? She hurried out of the room and down the stairs, as carefully as possible. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, Darien had invited them in and they were standing around in the entrance hall. Serena stopped on the last step and smiled at everyone as she caught her breath.
"Serena," said Darien harshly. "You should not have ran all the way down here like that."
"I'm sorry, Darien, but I had to come and see everyone," said Serena looking at the ground.
"Just don't do it again," he said. "I ran into everyone before we left the city. Amara knew something was up and made me tell her."
"You were trying to avoid my eyes and disappear," Amara said. She was as tall as ever. Towering over everyone except for Darien. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a black tank top, and a pair of black high heals.
Michelle was wearing a pale sea green blouse with a brown suede skirt that just brushed the top of her knees with a pair of black knee high boots. Trista was wearing a pair of patchwork jeans, a t-shirt with the symbols of all the planets on it under a black sweater, and a pair of tennis shoes. Hotaru was wearing a small purple dress that barely brushed her knees and a pair of black boots that stopped right below her knees.
"You've grown so much, Hotaru," said Serena as she descended the last step. "How is everyone?"
"We're all fine, Serena," said Michelle. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Serena said with a sly smile.
"How's Darien been treating you?" asked Amara.
"Oh he's been very strict with me," teased Serena. "Making me stay in bed and eat only healthy food."
"Hey," said Darien. "We're eating pizza tonight so you can't say that you're not eating what you want."
The girls and Darien all laughed except Hotaru, who stood back from the group and watched. Michelle was the first to notice that Hotaru wasn't joining in on the fun. She looked at the young child with a questioning look.
Hotaru closed her eyes and gave a small smile. "How much longer?" she asked Serena.
"Um.three more weeks," said Serena. "I think."
Hotaru walked up to Serena and placed her hand on her stomach. A small smile crept across the small child's face. She looked up at Serena and said, "Everything will be fine. This is how everything is suppose to be."
Serena quickly pushed back her confusion and put on a smile. She trusted Hotaru and the other outer scouts. They all were far wiser than she could ever be. Even if she was to be the future queen.
Suddenly, a wave of hunger swept over Serena. "I need food," she said with a laugh. "Is the pizza ready yet?"
"No, but the oven is by now," said Darien heading towards the kitchen. "Why don't you ladies go with Serena up stairs and I'll be up there in a while with the pizza."
"Of course," said Michelle. "Lead the way, Serena."
Serena smiled and said, "I'll give you guys a tour of the house. Even though there's nothing that amazing about it."
"Just lead the way meatball head," said Amara.
"Okay," said Serena as they made their way up the stairs. "Well this is the second floor. It's a beautiful light blue color while the first floor was a light green. There are four bedrooms, each has their own bathroom."
They climbed the spiral staircase and entered the third floor. "This is Darien and my room," she said. "It's got a wonderful view of the country side."
"I like this gray color," said Hotaru as she sat on the bed. "It's really calming."
"Thanks," said Serena as she sat down on the couch. "I like this room the best."
Michelle sat beside Serena and looked about the room. "So you guys just moved in here today," she said with a warm smile. "Do the girls know?"
Serena looked out the window and sighed. "Yes," she said quietly. "But they don't know Darien's here so if you run into them don't say anything about him being here."
"We won't say anything unless you want us too," said Trista leaning against the wall beside Serena. "But why would you keep Darien a secret from the girls?"
"She has to," said Amara keeping her back to them as she looked out over the driveway. "They wouldn't understand if they knew about her condition and about her staying out here with only Darien."
No one uttered a word. Serena jumped when the phone began to ring. Hotaru quickly picked it up and handed it to Serena. It was her mother.
"Hello," said Serena.
"Hi, darling it's mom," said Mrs. Campbell. "I just wanted to let you know that your friends are on their way. They just left here."
"Thanks mom," said Serena. "Did you tell them anything else?"
"No," her mother said. "But they seemed very worried about you."
"Well I better get off the phone, dinner's almost ready," Serena said.
"What are you having?"
"Pizza and salad."
"Are you eating alone?"
"No, some of my other friends dropped by and are joining me."
"Well that's good to hear. I better go. Sammy's whining about me being on the phone. I'll talk to you later. Love you, Serena."
"Love you too, mom."
Serena hung up the phone and turned to Hotaru. "Will you run down stairs and tell Darien that the girls are on their way over here, Hotaru?" she asked. Before Hotaru could say anything, Amara said, "I'll go. I want to talk to him anyway."
"Tell him to hide his car in the garage," said Michelle. "The girls might get suspicious about his car being here."
Amara nodded and left the room quickly and quietly. Hotaru returned the phone to its cradle and sat on the floor in front of the three older girls. She seemed so in tuned with each person and the world. She was no longer the child that ran around like a little monster, but now was a mature young lady.
"Did Rini go home?" asked Hotaru, directing it towards no particular person.
"Yeah, a couple days ago," said Serena. "She wanted to be with her family for a little while."
"I'm going down stairs for a second," said Hotaru as she stood up. "I have something I want to ask Amara."
"Have fun," said Trista.
Serena waited a few moments after Hotaru left before asking, "Trista, will this change the future?"
Trista closed her eyes and thought a moment before answering. She knew everything, for she was the scout of time. "I do not know, all is cloudy right now," she said. "But I will find out, my queen."
"Thank you, Trista," said Serena. "I hope the girls aren't mad when they get here."
"I wonder who's bringing them," wondered Michelle.
"I don't know," said Serena as she removed the braids from her hair.
