Untitled As of Yet
By Usabelle
AN: What do you know, Chapter four is finally here! Sorry for the wait! Unfortunately, there was a death in my family so I haven't had much time to write and don't see much time for it in the next few weeks. Luckily I had a burst of inspiration to write last night, so here you go. This is my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa present to you. This chapter's purpose is to explain what happened ten years prior to when the story begins. Hopefully this will answer some, well, a lot of questions, and I have a feeling that it will bring up a few more. So I hope you guys enjoy this one. Read me, review me, don't flame me. BTW- Thank you so much to my reviewers! You keep me going!
Chapter Four
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Four A.M. It was four o'clock in the morning and Serena had still not fallen asleep. Serena buried her head beneath her pillow as the thunder rolled on overhead. She could have sworn that the storm was against her, seemingly laughing at the fact that she had to be at work in three hours.
Deciding that it was useless to attempt to get any sleep, knowing that she'd fall asleep ten minutes before she had to wake up, she grudgingly turned on the lamp on her night table.
Stretching her tired muscles, she slowly got up and looked in her vanity mirror. She looked like hell. Her hair looked as though she'd stuck her finger in a light socket and her eyes were so bloodshot that they resembled ones from a horror movie. She ran a hand through her rats' nest of hair, instantly regretting all of the tossing and turning she'd done the night before in an attempt for a few precious moments of sleep.
"Stupid storm," she muttered as she put on her pink bunny slippers and slowly made her way into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. As she sat at her kitchen table, she pondered for a moment. It really wasn't the storm's fault that she couldn't sleep. It was that idiotic Darien. Why, after all these years, would he have been so warm, friendly, and inviting? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, it wasn't Darien's fault, she decided, it was Mina's. If it weren't for her, she'd never have been in this situation to begin with.
Suddenly, a devious smile spread across her face. She quickly reached for her phone and dialed Mina's number on speed dial.
Almost instantly, disco music was blasting through the phone as a hyper voice said, "Hello?"
"Hello Mina," she deadpanned as she lifted the phone slightly away from her ear so as not to go deaf from the blasting strains of 'Dancing Queen.'
"Serena! Hi! Why are you up so early?"
Serena made a face; how could she be so peppy at that ungodly hour? "I don't know... maybe it's because you set me up with the bane of my existence?"
"Oh no... Don't blame me... you did that all on your own," Serena could almost see Mina shaking her head at her on the other side of the city.
"What?"
"You did everything yourself. I just gave you a teensy push in the right direction. Just call me Cupid," she giggled.
Serena rolled her eyes, "You know, I don't think you even realize how much damage you've done."
Mina gave a heavy sigh, "Serena, you should be grateful. He's a great catch. What is your problem? I'd date him!"
"You'd date anything male."
"True..." Mina replied brightly and then sobered, "But Serena, something tells me that there is something bothering you. Call it intuition, I dunno..."
Serena quieted, "Yeah..."
"What is it?" Mina coaxed, "You never told me why you hated him."
Serena took a deep breath, "It's a long story."
Mina grinned, "And where have I got to be?"
Serena glanced at the clock, "Work in three hours."
Mina gave a noncommittal shrug, "Someone will cover for me."
"How lucky for you."
Mina groaned in frustration, "Quit beating around the bush!"
She sighed in acquiescence, "Alright... I met Darien ten years ago, when I was a freshman in high school and he was a senior..."
FLASHBACK
Fifteen-year-old Serena practically ran out of her classroom as the final bell rang. Today was the day. Today was the day that she was going to tell him how she felt. She sighed wistfully as she stopped by her locker to check her appearance in the mirror, only to find her best friend Molly waiting there.
"Serena, are you alright? You look so nervous and your face is all flushed..." Molly trailed off, grabbing Serena's books while she opened her locker.
"Do I?" she asked nervously, applying a quick coat of lip gloss.
Molly smiled and patted her on the back, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Are you sure that you want to do it today?"
Serena took a deep breath and smiled, "Absolutely. I just know that if I don't do it today, I'll never do it. Besides, he's going off to college soon and I can't waste any time..." she suddenly looked ill, "Wait... why are you asking? Do you think it's a bad idea? Do you think that he doesn't like me?"
Molly shook her head slightly, "Stop worrying. You know that I think he likes you. It's so obvious. And you've been crushing on him all year...you might as well do it now."
Serena looked at her nervously, "If you're sure..."
Molly smacked her on the arm, "If you wait any longer, you just might miss him."
She giggled and hurried out of the building.
Ten minutes later, the girls arrived at the arcade. Serena automatically scanned the room for a certain someone and was disappointed to find him nowhere in sight. Molly immediately ditched her for her boyfriend, Melvin, and Serena was left alone. She looked over to find her friend Andrew wiping down the countertop.
"Andrew!" she called as she walked excitedly over to the counter. She had known Andrew since the eighth grade. She'd been so surprised when the then-high school senior talked to her, the dumb, ugly, eighth grader. In the beginning, she'd had a crush on him, but soon enough, someone had taken his place.
"Serena, what's up? Hey, are you okay? You don't look well..." he asked, concerned.
She sighed nervously, "Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine... just fine..."
He gazed at her disbelievingly, "If you're sure..."
She smiled at him weakly and felt beads of sweat beginning to form on her forehead. What if he wasn't going to come? What if he was avoiding her? What if... Suddenly, the door chime interrupted her thoughts. She looked up only to find the one man she'd been searching for all day: Darien Shields. He strode in confidently and stopped when he noticed her sitting at the stool. Her heart nearly stopped as he made eye contact with her and smiled. She gave a weak smile back.
He walked over to the counter and sat at the stool next to her. "How's my favorite Meatball Head? You look sick."
She blushed, "I'm not sick."
"Your face is all red. Probably because you ran all the way here from school. Get in shape, Meatball Head."
Her heart fluttered, "You're obnoxious, you know that?"
He smirked at her, "Be honest- you wouldn't have me any other way."
She smiled back nervously, "True."
Suddenly, he put his hand to his chest dramatically, "Good Lord! Meatball Head and I actually agree on something!"
"Yeah..." she trailed off anxiously.
As he leaned in close, she blushed an even brighter shade of red, "Something is definitely wrong with you. You're amicable. Oh wait, I'm sorry, that's a big-people word. It means friendly."
She rolled her eyes and attempted to calm her racing heart, "I know what it means, idiot."
He patted her on the head, "Sure you do. You must be sick. You're all flushed and sweaty. And I doubt it's from my dashing good looks."
She giggled nervously. 'You don't know how right you are.'
Just then Andrew arrived with her milkshake. As she went to pick it up, Darien grabbed a hold of it and held it above her head, "No milkshakes for Meatball Head. She's sick."
She glared at him and grabbed the shake, "For the last time, moron, I'm not sick. I don't know how you're going to get into med school, let alone college."
He glared back, "For your information, I'm going to law school, not med school. And I've been accepted into colleges all over the country. Prestigious ones that you couldn't even dream of getting into."
"How far away?" she masked her fear well.
"So far away that you will cry in mourning everyday that I am gone," he smirked.
She smiled to cover her tears, "Who will I fight with? No one will keep me on my toes. My acerbic wit will wither and die!" she said dramatically.
He smirked in amazement, "Big words for Meatball Head! Don't tell me that you'll actually miss me!"
She took a deep breath and decided that it was now or never, "I will."
His eyes widened, "Really?"
"Surprisingly, I've grown quite fond of you," she blushed even brighter and giggled nervously, "Don't know how that happened..."
He scrunched his eyebrows slightly and spoke quietly, "Are you saying that you like me?"
She nearly stopped breathing, "Um... yes. Yes. I like you."
Nervously, she watched as his eyes grew impossibly large as he sat in stunned amazement, "Oh."
The seconds of silence seemed to stretch on forever, "And...now that you know... um... do you want to...maybe... do something sometime?"
He stared at her for a moment and she thought she would die. After a while, he seemed to snap out of it, "Ok."
She sat there for a moment before his words sunk in. Her eyes widened at his acceptance and she felt like she was going to pass out.
He tilted his head and looked at her for a moment, "Everything okay in there, Meatball Head?"
She smiled at his barbed comment, "Just fine, thank you."
They sat in silence for a moment, "So...what now?" he asked, smiling slightly in a way that made her heart beat even faster.
She looked at the ground for a moment, "Um... Are you busy Friday night?"
He shook his head, "I've got a baseball game Friday. You can come if you'd like."
She bit her lip, "Um... okay... great. I'll be there." She stood up to leave, "So I'll see you then."
Darien stood up and stared at his feet, "Yeah."
They stood in silence for a few moments as she studied his face. Nervously, he stepped forward quickly pressed his lips to her cheek in an awkward motion.
She smiled and savored the closeness before he pulled away, blushing furiously. She giggled in response, "See you later," and walked out of the arcade.
Faintly, she heard the tiniest "Bye" from him as she glanced back to see Andrew coming over to him for an interrogation. She shook her head, still beaming. This was the best day of her life.
END FLASHBACK
"Aw... that was so sweet! What a great story!" Mina cooed over the phone.
"Mina, that's only half of the story! It doesn't have a happy ending!"
"I know that," Mina sighed, "But I just love stories about first loves. Wait! Hang on, I've got a call on the other line."
Serena sighed in frustration as she waited for a few minutes. Suddenly, she heard a new voice on the phone, "Hi Serena!"
"Lita? What are you doing up so early?"
"Well Mina called me last night around two a.m. to tell me all about your dating experience. I couldn't fall back asleep thanks to someone, so I decided to wake her up in return, but my plan has apparently backfired, so here I am."
"I think you left off at the 'best day of your life' part, Serena," Mina interrupted.
"Mina!" Lita scolded, "Serena doesn't have to tell me about it!"
"Oh please," Serena rolled her eyes, "Like Mina hasn't told you about it already."
"Well, yeah, but you didn't have to tell me the rest of the story... although I'd really love to find out what happened..."
Serena shook her head at her friends' antics, "Take a seat. You're going to be here a while. Where was I?"
"It was the best day of your life!" Mina said excitedly.
"Ah yes... That week I was on a high that I'd never been on before. I was in love. Friday came before I knew it..."
FLASHBACK
"Try on this one, Serena! The color will match perfectly with your eyes!" an auburn-haired girl exclaimed as she raided her friend's closet.
"Ann, I don't see why we're going through this. I've already decided to wear my Springfield High sweatshirt to support the team!"
Ann shook her head reproachfully, "We don't care about the team! We care about Darien! Will Darien want to kiss Miss Frumpy after a game-winning home run? No." She pulled something out of her closet and threw it at Serena, "Try this."
Serena looked at what was carelessly tossed at her; it was a pale blue beaded tank top with a jean jacket and jean skirt. She rolled her eyes, "Isn't this a bit too formal for a baseball game?"
Ann walked out of her closet with a pair of silver high-heeled shoes, "Absolutely not! You'd be surprised how dressed up people get for these events. Besides, your boyfriend is the team captain! You have to look nice!"
Serena sighed happily and fell back onto her bed, "I have a boyfriend that's sweet and handsome and wonderful. How lucky am I?"
"Very. Now get dressed before you're late."
Ten minutes later, a silver Jaguar pulled into Serena's driveway and beeped. Ann jumped at the sound, "That's Allan! Let's go!"
The girls ran out to the car to see Ann's older brother, Allan, stick his head out the window, "Get in, we're late."
Serena smiled at him once in the car, "Thanks for taking us, Allan. I really appreciate it."
He turned around and smiled at her, "No problem. Do you need a ride home?"
She beamed, "No, Darien's taking me home."
"Darien?" he asked as he sped down the street.
She nodded her head, "My boyfriend, Darien Shields. Do you know him?"
"Yeah. He was mostly a loner until some girls noticed him freshman or sophomore year. No offense, but he wouldn't be popular if Beryl's group didn't like him."
She scrunched her brow, "Oh...okay. You would know. You went to school with him for two years."
"I didn't mean it like that. Before he was popular, he was a pretty good kid. But what do I know? It's been a few years since high school. He's probably changed."
Serena sat in silence. She had never really thought about the fact that he was popular. What would he want with her, a freshman? But then again, Allan was a sophomore in college; he knew Darien years ago, before she even knew him. She rationalized that he probably changed a lot in that time.
When they finally arrived at the stadium, Serena's stomach was in knots. As she waved goodbye to Allan, her stomach churned in nervousness. She felt Ann nudge her forward and was brought out of her stupor, "Nervous?"
She smiled weakly, "How can you tell?"
Ann shook her head, "You're three shades of green at the moment. Relax. You'll be fine."
"I have so many things to worry about."
"Like what?"
Serena sighed, "Like who we're going to sit with? We're just freshmen."
"We'll sit with that girl from Law class if she's here. She was pretty friendly... and isn't she older? What was her name?"
"Amy. We barely know her."
"Who cares? Let's just go," Ann urged as she hauled Serena to the stands.
Serena became even more nervous at the huge crowd. How would she find a place where Darien would see her? Ann seemed to sense her thoughts and began to push her way through the crowd to the front row where they sat down.
"Oh my god. You are not sitting here," an obnoxious voice said.
Serena turned to the voice, petrified, only to find Beryl Vandergrift, the most popular and catty of all seniors. She was known for "getting to know" every boy in the senior class. "I'm s-sorry," she stammered.
Beryl's green eyes narrowed, "Well you should be. Why don't you get off your sad, freshman ass and go up there," she pointed to the nosebleed section, "where the losers belong."
Her eyes filled with tears of humiliation as Beryl's groupies laughed hysterically at her. She neglected to notice that her friend was getting rather pissed, "Go to hell," she spat.
Beryl's eyes flashed indignantly, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"What do you think gives you the right to come down here and pollute the air that we breathe with your... your... loserness?"
Ann glared right back, "It just so happens that her boyfriend is the captain of the team."
Beryl glared at Serena for a moment before bursting out laughing, "You? You date Darien Shields? What would he want with a freak like you?"
"I...um...I don't..." Serena stammered, mortified.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. She is dating him. What, did you think that you had dibs on him or something?" Ann asked, unaffected by the group's glares.
Beryl stopped laughing and tossed her hair haughtily, "Why would he want you when he could have someone like me?"
Serena finally got angry, "Because I haven't been with every guy in the school!"
Beryl sputtered angrily before calming, "Then if that's the case, we're all having a little... get together at the arcade tomorrow night. If you're dating him, then you can come."
Serena looked at her suspiciously, "I'll see if I can." She turned her attention back to the game, trying to forget the past few minutes.
An hour later, Springfield High was down by three points in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. The bases were loaded and Darien was at bat. Serena cheered as he stepped up to the plate. He turned to the crowd for a moment and looked at Serena. She waved enthusiastically and he smiled. The crowd quieted as he waited for the ball. He swung and missed. The crowd became silent as he missed the second pitch. Everyone watched, riveted as the pitcher threw the third pitch. Serena crossed her fingers and said a little prayer as the pitch seemed to move in slow motion. Crack! The crowd roared as the ball flew out of the park and Darien took off running. Serena beamed with pride; her boyfriend had hit a grand slam and sent the team to the Championships.
After the game ended, Serena waited outside of the locker room where Darien had told her to meet him after the game. Finally, after ten minutes of waiting, Darien came out with a group of guys.
She smiled at him and spoke quietly, "Hey Darien."
He looked at her, surprised, "Oh hi Serena." He turned to the group behind him, "I'll catch up with you guys."
She watched nervously as the group walked away, snickering. "Um... you played really well tonight."
He smiled slightly, "Thanks. It was... nice that you could come."
She grinned back, "It was nice to be here."
He began to walk and she followed, "You know... I like it that we're not fighting."
She giggled, "I know. The arguments were getting tedious."
He stopped, "You're not as dumb as you appear to be."
She put her hands on her hips, "And you're not as obnoxious as you appear to be," she replied playfully.
"I'm glad that you told me how you felt... because... I would never have gotten the chance to tell you that... um... I..." he trailed off and slowly leaned forward.
She was rooted to her spot on the ground as she leaned forward as well, inhaling the intoxicating scent of cinnamon and something else that she couldn't place, but committed it to memory. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt him draw closer. "Darien!" someone shouted in the distance. Both of them quickly opened their eyes and stepped back, only to find an audience further down the street.
He looked at her briefly, "What?" he yelled back in a frustrated tone.
"Are you done yet? We have an exam tomorrow and we need your brain!"
At that moment, Serena wanted to murder the abhorrent little worm that ruined what would have been her first kiss. She sighed in defeat, "Go... you need to study anyway."
He turned to her and smirked, "This coming from the expert on sleeping in class."
She crossed her arms in mock-anger, "You should be thankful, you ingrate. I'm being lenient."
He grinned, "And I am thankful, O great and compassionate girlfriend."
She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Um... Beryl invited us to a party at the arcade tomorrow night..."
Darien paled slightly, "You talked to Beryl?"
"Not by choice," she said sarcastically, "But do you want to go?"
"Um... yeah..." he replied uncomfortably, "We can go."
"What time?"
"DARIEN!" the group yelled.
"I'm coming!" he bellowed in return. "Uh... seven... I think."
"Great," she said, slightly wary of his tone. "See you later."
"Yeah, bye," he responded as he ran to catch up with the group.
She sighed and watched them leave. After they were out of sight, she looked around the almost empty parking lot. How was she going to get home?
END FLASHBACK
"He made you walk home?" Lita asked in outrage.
Serena shook her head, "No, I called my parents."
She heard Mina sigh, "Serena, I haven't really heard anything that bad about Darien. I really don't see how he ruined your life. So he ditched you to go study. Big deal."
Serena groaned in frustration, "Perhaps that's because I haven't finished my story! You guys keep interrupting me!"
"Fine, we'll stop," Mina said in an offended tone.
"Please continue," Lita pleaded.
Serena took a deep breath, "Okay. No more interruptions. My parents dropped me off at the party the next night. I was so excited to go to an upperclassmen party. I felt so grown up..."
FLASHBACK
Serena nervously stood outside of the arcade. She clutched her purse and checked her appearance for the millionth time that night. The off-shoulder black dress looked exactly the same as it did the 999,999 time she checked. She took a deep breath and stepped into the arcade, the bell chiming as she did so. In a fit of apprehension, she scanned the room for Darien, not finding him anywhere in sight.
She quietly walked around the arcade before being stopped by a tall man, "Are you lost, little girl?" The surrounding upperclassmen laughed.
She stared at the ground, "I'm looking for Darien Shields. Have you seen him anywhere?"
He laughed in a way that made her uneasy, "Oh I've seen him all right."
"Where?" she asked with wide eyes.
He pointed to a booth in a dark corner of the room, "The last time I was him he was over there," he snickered, "But who knows where he could be by now?"
She thanked him quietly and tensely walked to the other end of the room. She walked closer and began to get a bad feeling. Walker closer still, she began to make out two figures in the darkness. She stepped into the light, only to find Beryl on Darien's lap kissing him like there was no tomorrow.
"Darien?" she asked in quiet horror.
He abruptly broke away to find Serena standing frozen in front of the table. "Serena?" he asked fearfully.
Her eyes began to tear but she willed the tears away, "What... what's going on?"
Beryl smiled evilly as she slid off Darien's lap and walked over to Serena, "Poor little dear. Did you actually think he wanted you?"
She glanced around her briefly to find that a crowd was forming around them. "I... um... Darien?"
He looked down, "I... uh..."
Beryl smirked, "Actions speak louder than words my dear. And if you'll notice, he isn't saying anything."
She looked at him in dismay, "But I thought we were..."
"You thought that he was your boyfriend. How sweet," Beryl interjected.
Suddenly, the boy Serena had met before entered the conversation, "You were dating a freshman? This freshman?"
Darien looked trapped, "Um..."
The boy shook his head, "Man, I thought you were better than that. Dating a loser like this."
Darien's eyes darted back and forth as more people began to join in rebuking him. He suddenly shouted, "Wait!" Everyone turned to him as he gave an uneasy smile, "Of course I wouldn't date such a freak... It was a joke."
Serena wanted to be sick. Tears pricked her eyes and she attempted to push them back. "What?" she asked, almost inaudibly.
"A joke..." he repeated, "A little game, if you will." He stood up and began to circle around her, "You... you'd been getting on my nerves for the longest time and I'd had enough. But much to my surprise, you had a crush on me!" he laughed cruelly, "You thought you actually had a chance with me. You're so stupid; I can't believe that you actually thought that I'd like you back. Could you imagine, me, dating you, the idiotic, fat, hideous freshman?" The crowd laughed in response. "I mean... look at you! You can't even pass a simple math test! You could break a mirror with your face and you eat like a pig! Hell, I'm surprised you were able to squeeze yourself into that dress!"
She could no longer hold back her tears and began to cry as the crowd cheered him on, "Please stop," she said quietly in an attempt to exit.
"Awww..." he drawled, "Poor Serena's gonna go running home to mommy? Fitting for a crybaby like you."
The crowd roared as she ran through the mass of people and tripped over someone's outstretched foot. Bleeding and humiliated, she looked up to find Darien standing with Beryl, laughing at her. She slowly stood up and made her way to the door with the little amount of dignity that she had left. She turned around and looked at Darien with a tearstained face and broken eyes, only to see him gazing back at her uncaringly as Beryl pulled his head down for a kiss. Pushing past a rather befuddled Andrew who had just entered the building, she threw open the door. She ran as fast and far as she could until she found an empty bench on a street corner where she fell and broke down into tears once again.
END FLASHBACK
Silence. Serena almost thought that they had hung up on her, "Guys? Are you still there?"
Suddenly she heard Mina and Lita begin to sob, "Serena, why didn't you ever tell us?" Mina asked.
"You never asked," Serena replied quietly.
"How could we not have known?" Lita wept.
"Well I didn't really know you that well at the time. Mina, you and I were acquaintances and Lita, I hadn't even met you yet. I was humiliated enough as it was and I didn't want more people to know."
Mina sighed, "I guess that makes sense. What happened after that?"
"I changed schools because everyone in the school knew about the incident within a matter of days. He was the reason that I didn't go to prom or even date until college."
"No wonder you have no self confidence! Serena, I am so sorry that I set you up with him! You can call him up right now and tell him to go to hell!" Mina said angrily.
"Wait a minute..." Lita interrupted in a contemplative voice, "Don't dump him. Not yet..."
Serena didn't like the tone of her voice, "Why?"
"Because you are going to do the same thing to him that the rat bastard did to you!" Lita said in excitement.
Serena raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."
"You are going to make him fall in love with you and then you will dump his ass like yesterday's trash!" Lita exclaimed.
"I'm liking this plan," Mina said in an amused voice.
Serena sighed, "So am I, but how am I supposed to make him fall madly in love with me, given my past attempt?"
"Oh Serena, I don't think that you'll have to do anything," Mina answered slyly, "He's already attracted to you; that's obvious. Plus, you are not the same person you were in high school."
"Sometimes I still feel like the same person."
"Serena, you still have all of your good traits from adolescence, but you've grown up," Lita reasoned, "All you have to do is keep up... whatever you've been doing."
Serena smiled, "Sounds like a plan."
Both girls squealed on the other line. Serena glanced over at the clock and jumped out of her chair, "Do you realize how long we've been talking? I have to be at work in an hour."
"Fine, we'll let you go," Lita said.
"We'll call you later!" Mina squealed as they hung up.
Serena hung up the phone and walked to her bathroom. When she was about to get in the shower, the phone rang in the other room. She groaned and threw on a robe as she hurried into the hallway to get the phone. Reaching the phone on the last ring, she answered breathlessly, "Hello?"
"Serena?"
It was Darien.
END CHAPTER FOUR
AN: It's longer, isn't it? I was thinking about putting some of these flashbacks in Darien's point of view in later chapters. What do you think? Please let me know. Thanks!
~Usabelle
By Usabelle
AN: What do you know, Chapter four is finally here! Sorry for the wait! Unfortunately, there was a death in my family so I haven't had much time to write and don't see much time for it in the next few weeks. Luckily I had a burst of inspiration to write last night, so here you go. This is my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa present to you. This chapter's purpose is to explain what happened ten years prior to when the story begins. Hopefully this will answer some, well, a lot of questions, and I have a feeling that it will bring up a few more. So I hope you guys enjoy this one. Read me, review me, don't flame me. BTW- Thank you so much to my reviewers! You keep me going!
Chapter Four
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Four A.M. It was four o'clock in the morning and Serena had still not fallen asleep. Serena buried her head beneath her pillow as the thunder rolled on overhead. She could have sworn that the storm was against her, seemingly laughing at the fact that she had to be at work in three hours.
Deciding that it was useless to attempt to get any sleep, knowing that she'd fall asleep ten minutes before she had to wake up, she grudgingly turned on the lamp on her night table.
Stretching her tired muscles, she slowly got up and looked in her vanity mirror. She looked like hell. Her hair looked as though she'd stuck her finger in a light socket and her eyes were so bloodshot that they resembled ones from a horror movie. She ran a hand through her rats' nest of hair, instantly regretting all of the tossing and turning she'd done the night before in an attempt for a few precious moments of sleep.
"Stupid storm," she muttered as she put on her pink bunny slippers and slowly made her way into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. As she sat at her kitchen table, she pondered for a moment. It really wasn't the storm's fault that she couldn't sleep. It was that idiotic Darien. Why, after all these years, would he have been so warm, friendly, and inviting? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, it wasn't Darien's fault, she decided, it was Mina's. If it weren't for her, she'd never have been in this situation to begin with.
Suddenly, a devious smile spread across her face. She quickly reached for her phone and dialed Mina's number on speed dial.
Almost instantly, disco music was blasting through the phone as a hyper voice said, "Hello?"
"Hello Mina," she deadpanned as she lifted the phone slightly away from her ear so as not to go deaf from the blasting strains of 'Dancing Queen.'
"Serena! Hi! Why are you up so early?"
Serena made a face; how could she be so peppy at that ungodly hour? "I don't know... maybe it's because you set me up with the bane of my existence?"
"Oh no... Don't blame me... you did that all on your own," Serena could almost see Mina shaking her head at her on the other side of the city.
"What?"
"You did everything yourself. I just gave you a teensy push in the right direction. Just call me Cupid," she giggled.
Serena rolled her eyes, "You know, I don't think you even realize how much damage you've done."
Mina gave a heavy sigh, "Serena, you should be grateful. He's a great catch. What is your problem? I'd date him!"
"You'd date anything male."
"True..." Mina replied brightly and then sobered, "But Serena, something tells me that there is something bothering you. Call it intuition, I dunno..."
Serena quieted, "Yeah..."
"What is it?" Mina coaxed, "You never told me why you hated him."
Serena took a deep breath, "It's a long story."
Mina grinned, "And where have I got to be?"
Serena glanced at the clock, "Work in three hours."
Mina gave a noncommittal shrug, "Someone will cover for me."
"How lucky for you."
Mina groaned in frustration, "Quit beating around the bush!"
She sighed in acquiescence, "Alright... I met Darien ten years ago, when I was a freshman in high school and he was a senior..."
FLASHBACK
Fifteen-year-old Serena practically ran out of her classroom as the final bell rang. Today was the day. Today was the day that she was going to tell him how she felt. She sighed wistfully as she stopped by her locker to check her appearance in the mirror, only to find her best friend Molly waiting there.
"Serena, are you alright? You look so nervous and your face is all flushed..." Molly trailed off, grabbing Serena's books while she opened her locker.
"Do I?" she asked nervously, applying a quick coat of lip gloss.
Molly smiled and patted her on the back, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Are you sure that you want to do it today?"
Serena took a deep breath and smiled, "Absolutely. I just know that if I don't do it today, I'll never do it. Besides, he's going off to college soon and I can't waste any time..." she suddenly looked ill, "Wait... why are you asking? Do you think it's a bad idea? Do you think that he doesn't like me?"
Molly shook her head slightly, "Stop worrying. You know that I think he likes you. It's so obvious. And you've been crushing on him all year...you might as well do it now."
Serena looked at her nervously, "If you're sure..."
Molly smacked her on the arm, "If you wait any longer, you just might miss him."
She giggled and hurried out of the building.
Ten minutes later, the girls arrived at the arcade. Serena automatically scanned the room for a certain someone and was disappointed to find him nowhere in sight. Molly immediately ditched her for her boyfriend, Melvin, and Serena was left alone. She looked over to find her friend Andrew wiping down the countertop.
"Andrew!" she called as she walked excitedly over to the counter. She had known Andrew since the eighth grade. She'd been so surprised when the then-high school senior talked to her, the dumb, ugly, eighth grader. In the beginning, she'd had a crush on him, but soon enough, someone had taken his place.
"Serena, what's up? Hey, are you okay? You don't look well..." he asked, concerned.
She sighed nervously, "Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine... just fine..."
He gazed at her disbelievingly, "If you're sure..."
She smiled at him weakly and felt beads of sweat beginning to form on her forehead. What if he wasn't going to come? What if he was avoiding her? What if... Suddenly, the door chime interrupted her thoughts. She looked up only to find the one man she'd been searching for all day: Darien Shields. He strode in confidently and stopped when he noticed her sitting at the stool. Her heart nearly stopped as he made eye contact with her and smiled. She gave a weak smile back.
He walked over to the counter and sat at the stool next to her. "How's my favorite Meatball Head? You look sick."
She blushed, "I'm not sick."
"Your face is all red. Probably because you ran all the way here from school. Get in shape, Meatball Head."
Her heart fluttered, "You're obnoxious, you know that?"
He smirked at her, "Be honest- you wouldn't have me any other way."
She smiled back nervously, "True."
Suddenly, he put his hand to his chest dramatically, "Good Lord! Meatball Head and I actually agree on something!"
"Yeah..." she trailed off anxiously.
As he leaned in close, she blushed an even brighter shade of red, "Something is definitely wrong with you. You're amicable. Oh wait, I'm sorry, that's a big-people word. It means friendly."
She rolled her eyes and attempted to calm her racing heart, "I know what it means, idiot."
He patted her on the head, "Sure you do. You must be sick. You're all flushed and sweaty. And I doubt it's from my dashing good looks."
She giggled nervously. 'You don't know how right you are.'
Just then Andrew arrived with her milkshake. As she went to pick it up, Darien grabbed a hold of it and held it above her head, "No milkshakes for Meatball Head. She's sick."
She glared at him and grabbed the shake, "For the last time, moron, I'm not sick. I don't know how you're going to get into med school, let alone college."
He glared back, "For your information, I'm going to law school, not med school. And I've been accepted into colleges all over the country. Prestigious ones that you couldn't even dream of getting into."
"How far away?" she masked her fear well.
"So far away that you will cry in mourning everyday that I am gone," he smirked.
She smiled to cover her tears, "Who will I fight with? No one will keep me on my toes. My acerbic wit will wither and die!" she said dramatically.
He smirked in amazement, "Big words for Meatball Head! Don't tell me that you'll actually miss me!"
She took a deep breath and decided that it was now or never, "I will."
His eyes widened, "Really?"
"Surprisingly, I've grown quite fond of you," she blushed even brighter and giggled nervously, "Don't know how that happened..."
He scrunched his eyebrows slightly and spoke quietly, "Are you saying that you like me?"
She nearly stopped breathing, "Um... yes. Yes. I like you."
Nervously, she watched as his eyes grew impossibly large as he sat in stunned amazement, "Oh."
The seconds of silence seemed to stretch on forever, "And...now that you know... um... do you want to...maybe... do something sometime?"
He stared at her for a moment and she thought she would die. After a while, he seemed to snap out of it, "Ok."
She sat there for a moment before his words sunk in. Her eyes widened at his acceptance and she felt like she was going to pass out.
He tilted his head and looked at her for a moment, "Everything okay in there, Meatball Head?"
She smiled at his barbed comment, "Just fine, thank you."
They sat in silence for a moment, "So...what now?" he asked, smiling slightly in a way that made her heart beat even faster.
She looked at the ground for a moment, "Um... Are you busy Friday night?"
He shook his head, "I've got a baseball game Friday. You can come if you'd like."
She bit her lip, "Um... okay... great. I'll be there." She stood up to leave, "So I'll see you then."
Darien stood up and stared at his feet, "Yeah."
They stood in silence for a few moments as she studied his face. Nervously, he stepped forward quickly pressed his lips to her cheek in an awkward motion.
She smiled and savored the closeness before he pulled away, blushing furiously. She giggled in response, "See you later," and walked out of the arcade.
Faintly, she heard the tiniest "Bye" from him as she glanced back to see Andrew coming over to him for an interrogation. She shook her head, still beaming. This was the best day of her life.
END FLASHBACK
"Aw... that was so sweet! What a great story!" Mina cooed over the phone.
"Mina, that's only half of the story! It doesn't have a happy ending!"
"I know that," Mina sighed, "But I just love stories about first loves. Wait! Hang on, I've got a call on the other line."
Serena sighed in frustration as she waited for a few minutes. Suddenly, she heard a new voice on the phone, "Hi Serena!"
"Lita? What are you doing up so early?"
"Well Mina called me last night around two a.m. to tell me all about your dating experience. I couldn't fall back asleep thanks to someone, so I decided to wake her up in return, but my plan has apparently backfired, so here I am."
"I think you left off at the 'best day of your life' part, Serena," Mina interrupted.
"Mina!" Lita scolded, "Serena doesn't have to tell me about it!"
"Oh please," Serena rolled her eyes, "Like Mina hasn't told you about it already."
"Well, yeah, but you didn't have to tell me the rest of the story... although I'd really love to find out what happened..."
Serena shook her head at her friends' antics, "Take a seat. You're going to be here a while. Where was I?"
"It was the best day of your life!" Mina said excitedly.
"Ah yes... That week I was on a high that I'd never been on before. I was in love. Friday came before I knew it..."
FLASHBACK
"Try on this one, Serena! The color will match perfectly with your eyes!" an auburn-haired girl exclaimed as she raided her friend's closet.
"Ann, I don't see why we're going through this. I've already decided to wear my Springfield High sweatshirt to support the team!"
Ann shook her head reproachfully, "We don't care about the team! We care about Darien! Will Darien want to kiss Miss Frumpy after a game-winning home run? No." She pulled something out of her closet and threw it at Serena, "Try this."
Serena looked at what was carelessly tossed at her; it was a pale blue beaded tank top with a jean jacket and jean skirt. She rolled her eyes, "Isn't this a bit too formal for a baseball game?"
Ann walked out of her closet with a pair of silver high-heeled shoes, "Absolutely not! You'd be surprised how dressed up people get for these events. Besides, your boyfriend is the team captain! You have to look nice!"
Serena sighed happily and fell back onto her bed, "I have a boyfriend that's sweet and handsome and wonderful. How lucky am I?"
"Very. Now get dressed before you're late."
Ten minutes later, a silver Jaguar pulled into Serena's driveway and beeped. Ann jumped at the sound, "That's Allan! Let's go!"
The girls ran out to the car to see Ann's older brother, Allan, stick his head out the window, "Get in, we're late."
Serena smiled at him once in the car, "Thanks for taking us, Allan. I really appreciate it."
He turned around and smiled at her, "No problem. Do you need a ride home?"
She beamed, "No, Darien's taking me home."
"Darien?" he asked as he sped down the street.
She nodded her head, "My boyfriend, Darien Shields. Do you know him?"
"Yeah. He was mostly a loner until some girls noticed him freshman or sophomore year. No offense, but he wouldn't be popular if Beryl's group didn't like him."
She scrunched her brow, "Oh...okay. You would know. You went to school with him for two years."
"I didn't mean it like that. Before he was popular, he was a pretty good kid. But what do I know? It's been a few years since high school. He's probably changed."
Serena sat in silence. She had never really thought about the fact that he was popular. What would he want with her, a freshman? But then again, Allan was a sophomore in college; he knew Darien years ago, before she even knew him. She rationalized that he probably changed a lot in that time.
When they finally arrived at the stadium, Serena's stomach was in knots. As she waved goodbye to Allan, her stomach churned in nervousness. She felt Ann nudge her forward and was brought out of her stupor, "Nervous?"
She smiled weakly, "How can you tell?"
Ann shook her head, "You're three shades of green at the moment. Relax. You'll be fine."
"I have so many things to worry about."
"Like what?"
Serena sighed, "Like who we're going to sit with? We're just freshmen."
"We'll sit with that girl from Law class if she's here. She was pretty friendly... and isn't she older? What was her name?"
"Amy. We barely know her."
"Who cares? Let's just go," Ann urged as she hauled Serena to the stands.
Serena became even more nervous at the huge crowd. How would she find a place where Darien would see her? Ann seemed to sense her thoughts and began to push her way through the crowd to the front row where they sat down.
"Oh my god. You are not sitting here," an obnoxious voice said.
Serena turned to the voice, petrified, only to find Beryl Vandergrift, the most popular and catty of all seniors. She was known for "getting to know" every boy in the senior class. "I'm s-sorry," she stammered.
Beryl's green eyes narrowed, "Well you should be. Why don't you get off your sad, freshman ass and go up there," she pointed to the nosebleed section, "where the losers belong."
Her eyes filled with tears of humiliation as Beryl's groupies laughed hysterically at her. She neglected to notice that her friend was getting rather pissed, "Go to hell," she spat.
Beryl's eyes flashed indignantly, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"What do you think gives you the right to come down here and pollute the air that we breathe with your... your... loserness?"
Ann glared right back, "It just so happens that her boyfriend is the captain of the team."
Beryl glared at Serena for a moment before bursting out laughing, "You? You date Darien Shields? What would he want with a freak like you?"
"I...um...I don't..." Serena stammered, mortified.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. She is dating him. What, did you think that you had dibs on him or something?" Ann asked, unaffected by the group's glares.
Beryl stopped laughing and tossed her hair haughtily, "Why would he want you when he could have someone like me?"
Serena finally got angry, "Because I haven't been with every guy in the school!"
Beryl sputtered angrily before calming, "Then if that's the case, we're all having a little... get together at the arcade tomorrow night. If you're dating him, then you can come."
Serena looked at her suspiciously, "I'll see if I can." She turned her attention back to the game, trying to forget the past few minutes.
An hour later, Springfield High was down by three points in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. The bases were loaded and Darien was at bat. Serena cheered as he stepped up to the plate. He turned to the crowd for a moment and looked at Serena. She waved enthusiastically and he smiled. The crowd quieted as he waited for the ball. He swung and missed. The crowd became silent as he missed the second pitch. Everyone watched, riveted as the pitcher threw the third pitch. Serena crossed her fingers and said a little prayer as the pitch seemed to move in slow motion. Crack! The crowd roared as the ball flew out of the park and Darien took off running. Serena beamed with pride; her boyfriend had hit a grand slam and sent the team to the Championships.
After the game ended, Serena waited outside of the locker room where Darien had told her to meet him after the game. Finally, after ten minutes of waiting, Darien came out with a group of guys.
She smiled at him and spoke quietly, "Hey Darien."
He looked at her, surprised, "Oh hi Serena." He turned to the group behind him, "I'll catch up with you guys."
She watched nervously as the group walked away, snickering. "Um... you played really well tonight."
He smiled slightly, "Thanks. It was... nice that you could come."
She grinned back, "It was nice to be here."
He began to walk and she followed, "You know... I like it that we're not fighting."
She giggled, "I know. The arguments were getting tedious."
He stopped, "You're not as dumb as you appear to be."
She put her hands on her hips, "And you're not as obnoxious as you appear to be," she replied playfully.
"I'm glad that you told me how you felt... because... I would never have gotten the chance to tell you that... um... I..." he trailed off and slowly leaned forward.
She was rooted to her spot on the ground as she leaned forward as well, inhaling the intoxicating scent of cinnamon and something else that she couldn't place, but committed it to memory. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt him draw closer. "Darien!" someone shouted in the distance. Both of them quickly opened their eyes and stepped back, only to find an audience further down the street.
He looked at her briefly, "What?" he yelled back in a frustrated tone.
"Are you done yet? We have an exam tomorrow and we need your brain!"
At that moment, Serena wanted to murder the abhorrent little worm that ruined what would have been her first kiss. She sighed in defeat, "Go... you need to study anyway."
He turned to her and smirked, "This coming from the expert on sleeping in class."
She crossed her arms in mock-anger, "You should be thankful, you ingrate. I'm being lenient."
He grinned, "And I am thankful, O great and compassionate girlfriend."
She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Um... Beryl invited us to a party at the arcade tomorrow night..."
Darien paled slightly, "You talked to Beryl?"
"Not by choice," she said sarcastically, "But do you want to go?"
"Um... yeah..." he replied uncomfortably, "We can go."
"What time?"
"DARIEN!" the group yelled.
"I'm coming!" he bellowed in return. "Uh... seven... I think."
"Great," she said, slightly wary of his tone. "See you later."
"Yeah, bye," he responded as he ran to catch up with the group.
She sighed and watched them leave. After they were out of sight, she looked around the almost empty parking lot. How was she going to get home?
END FLASHBACK
"He made you walk home?" Lita asked in outrage.
Serena shook her head, "No, I called my parents."
She heard Mina sigh, "Serena, I haven't really heard anything that bad about Darien. I really don't see how he ruined your life. So he ditched you to go study. Big deal."
Serena groaned in frustration, "Perhaps that's because I haven't finished my story! You guys keep interrupting me!"
"Fine, we'll stop," Mina said in an offended tone.
"Please continue," Lita pleaded.
Serena took a deep breath, "Okay. No more interruptions. My parents dropped me off at the party the next night. I was so excited to go to an upperclassmen party. I felt so grown up..."
FLASHBACK
Serena nervously stood outside of the arcade. She clutched her purse and checked her appearance for the millionth time that night. The off-shoulder black dress looked exactly the same as it did the 999,999 time she checked. She took a deep breath and stepped into the arcade, the bell chiming as she did so. In a fit of apprehension, she scanned the room for Darien, not finding him anywhere in sight.
She quietly walked around the arcade before being stopped by a tall man, "Are you lost, little girl?" The surrounding upperclassmen laughed.
She stared at the ground, "I'm looking for Darien Shields. Have you seen him anywhere?"
He laughed in a way that made her uneasy, "Oh I've seen him all right."
"Where?" she asked with wide eyes.
He pointed to a booth in a dark corner of the room, "The last time I was him he was over there," he snickered, "But who knows where he could be by now?"
She thanked him quietly and tensely walked to the other end of the room. She walked closer and began to get a bad feeling. Walker closer still, she began to make out two figures in the darkness. She stepped into the light, only to find Beryl on Darien's lap kissing him like there was no tomorrow.
"Darien?" she asked in quiet horror.
He abruptly broke away to find Serena standing frozen in front of the table. "Serena?" he asked fearfully.
Her eyes began to tear but she willed the tears away, "What... what's going on?"
Beryl smiled evilly as she slid off Darien's lap and walked over to Serena, "Poor little dear. Did you actually think he wanted you?"
She glanced around her briefly to find that a crowd was forming around them. "I... um... Darien?"
He looked down, "I... uh..."
Beryl smirked, "Actions speak louder than words my dear. And if you'll notice, he isn't saying anything."
She looked at him in dismay, "But I thought we were..."
"You thought that he was your boyfriend. How sweet," Beryl interjected.
Suddenly, the boy Serena had met before entered the conversation, "You were dating a freshman? This freshman?"
Darien looked trapped, "Um..."
The boy shook his head, "Man, I thought you were better than that. Dating a loser like this."
Darien's eyes darted back and forth as more people began to join in rebuking him. He suddenly shouted, "Wait!" Everyone turned to him as he gave an uneasy smile, "Of course I wouldn't date such a freak... It was a joke."
Serena wanted to be sick. Tears pricked her eyes and she attempted to push them back. "What?" she asked, almost inaudibly.
"A joke..." he repeated, "A little game, if you will." He stood up and began to circle around her, "You... you'd been getting on my nerves for the longest time and I'd had enough. But much to my surprise, you had a crush on me!" he laughed cruelly, "You thought you actually had a chance with me. You're so stupid; I can't believe that you actually thought that I'd like you back. Could you imagine, me, dating you, the idiotic, fat, hideous freshman?" The crowd laughed in response. "I mean... look at you! You can't even pass a simple math test! You could break a mirror with your face and you eat like a pig! Hell, I'm surprised you were able to squeeze yourself into that dress!"
She could no longer hold back her tears and began to cry as the crowd cheered him on, "Please stop," she said quietly in an attempt to exit.
"Awww..." he drawled, "Poor Serena's gonna go running home to mommy? Fitting for a crybaby like you."
The crowd roared as she ran through the mass of people and tripped over someone's outstretched foot. Bleeding and humiliated, she looked up to find Darien standing with Beryl, laughing at her. She slowly stood up and made her way to the door with the little amount of dignity that she had left. She turned around and looked at Darien with a tearstained face and broken eyes, only to see him gazing back at her uncaringly as Beryl pulled his head down for a kiss. Pushing past a rather befuddled Andrew who had just entered the building, she threw open the door. She ran as fast and far as she could until she found an empty bench on a street corner where she fell and broke down into tears once again.
END FLASHBACK
Silence. Serena almost thought that they had hung up on her, "Guys? Are you still there?"
Suddenly she heard Mina and Lita begin to sob, "Serena, why didn't you ever tell us?" Mina asked.
"You never asked," Serena replied quietly.
"How could we not have known?" Lita wept.
"Well I didn't really know you that well at the time. Mina, you and I were acquaintances and Lita, I hadn't even met you yet. I was humiliated enough as it was and I didn't want more people to know."
Mina sighed, "I guess that makes sense. What happened after that?"
"I changed schools because everyone in the school knew about the incident within a matter of days. He was the reason that I didn't go to prom or even date until college."
"No wonder you have no self confidence! Serena, I am so sorry that I set you up with him! You can call him up right now and tell him to go to hell!" Mina said angrily.
"Wait a minute..." Lita interrupted in a contemplative voice, "Don't dump him. Not yet..."
Serena didn't like the tone of her voice, "Why?"
"Because you are going to do the same thing to him that the rat bastard did to you!" Lita said in excitement.
Serena raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."
"You are going to make him fall in love with you and then you will dump his ass like yesterday's trash!" Lita exclaimed.
"I'm liking this plan," Mina said in an amused voice.
Serena sighed, "So am I, but how am I supposed to make him fall madly in love with me, given my past attempt?"
"Oh Serena, I don't think that you'll have to do anything," Mina answered slyly, "He's already attracted to you; that's obvious. Plus, you are not the same person you were in high school."
"Sometimes I still feel like the same person."
"Serena, you still have all of your good traits from adolescence, but you've grown up," Lita reasoned, "All you have to do is keep up... whatever you've been doing."
Serena smiled, "Sounds like a plan."
Both girls squealed on the other line. Serena glanced over at the clock and jumped out of her chair, "Do you realize how long we've been talking? I have to be at work in an hour."
"Fine, we'll let you go," Lita said.
"We'll call you later!" Mina squealed as they hung up.
Serena hung up the phone and walked to her bathroom. When she was about to get in the shower, the phone rang in the other room. She groaned and threw on a robe as she hurried into the hallway to get the phone. Reaching the phone on the last ring, she answered breathlessly, "Hello?"
"Serena?"
It was Darien.
END CHAPTER FOUR
AN: It's longer, isn't it? I was thinking about putting some of these flashbacks in Darien's point of view in later chapters. What do you think? Please let me know. Thanks!
~Usabelle