"Meatball Head?" Darien repeated. "What are you doing here?"
Groan. "I'm lost okay? I got on the wrong bus and now I'm lost. Happy?" she yelled at him.
"Woah! Bad mood."
"Well I'm having a bad day!" She snapped at him. "What are you doing here anyways?"
"I had a study session with someone from a class who lives around here. I was about to head home. Want to walk with me?"
"Walk?" Serena said in despair. "You didn't drive? And why not take a bus back?"
"I went home with the guy from class, so I didn't have to drive. And I like walking. It's only about five miles from my place anyways."
"Five miles!" Serena shrieked, but calmed down a few seconds later with a sigh. "All right."
"When we get to my apartment I'll give you a ride home, okay?" he offered.
"Okay, thank you," she accepted with a smile.
They began the long walk back in silence, no sure of what to say.
"Uh, were you okay this morning after our run in?" Darien asked. "You hit me pretty hard."
"Yeah, I was after awhile. I was just dizzy for a bit."
"Looks like you got a bruise from it."
"No, actually, I got this after a volleyball slammed into me," she confessed with a blush.
"You really did have a bad day, huh?"
"Told you." She was secretly pleased that he did not tease her as she was sure he was going to.
They continued along in silence until Serena spotted something interesting.
"Look, a temple."
Darien looked at where she was pointing. Sure enough, a temple stood at the top of a hill.
"Want to check it out?"
"Really?!"
"Yeah, lets go." He barely hid the pleasure he felt at how she had brightened up.
They reached the temple grounds in good time. Everything was quiet and serene.
"Very different," Serena mumbled.
"Huh?"
"Oh, I was just thinking how different this temple is from Rei's. There's always activity there. Mostly Rei yelling at Chad," she said with a grin.
"I bet. That girl has a fiery temper."
"You have no idea," she said drolly.
They looked around for a few moments, but no one appeared.
"I guess we should just go," Serena said.
"Yeah."
Clank. Kick. "Shit!"
Darien spun around wide eyed. He had never heard anything like that before from her mouth. Well, at least nothing that coarse. "What happened?"
"My brooch fell off and I accidentally kicked it somewhere!" Panic was evident in her voice.
Darien looked at her feet and tried to figure out where she had probably kicked it to. The trajectory line pointed right to a shed that had a convenient space at the bottom.
"Don't worry, I think I know where it went." Without thinking he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Serena numbly followed. When they got to the shed Darien let go of her hand to open the door. They both secretly missed the warmth that came from the contact.
They stepped into the shed and found that it held naught but an old well. Darien found the brooch two seconds later and handed it to her with a grin. She grabbed it from his hand and secured it back onto her top. Then, without thinking she threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely, intending to thank him. He was so shocked that he took a step backwards, right into the wall of the well. Serena overbalanced him and before they knew it they were both falling.