Moon )
Letting Go: Chapter Two
Rated: Pg
Revised: August 2004
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine. Plain and simple.
Omg, I'm updating?! Yes, it's true. I know, I know, it's been soooooo long since I updated this story but here's another chapter. Well, it's not really another chapter but a revised edition of chapter two. Hopefully this will be enough to thirst your quench for a while until the next (long) update.
The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotations.
---Isaac Disraeli
Chapter 2
I was sitting at my desk getting everything ready for my first day when the bell rang and little people came scampering in and going over to the coat rack to put away their coats and backpacks. All their cute little faces looked red from the cold windy October air. Today was like December, cold and bitter. All twenty first-graders went to their seats right away and stared at me, quietly. I took the hint that they were waiting for me to start.
"Hello class. My name is Ms.Ayres and I'm going to be your new teacher. I take it that everyone here knows everyone else." They all nodded their heads.
"Well, since I don't know anyone here I thought we all go sit on the magic carpet and introduce ourselves."
It was around five when I got home and found red roses on the front porch. Inside it a little white card was sticking out saying:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Hope you find this note sweet
As much sweet as I find you
---- From your secret admirer
Ever since you've been gone
Time has a way of draggin' on and on
The next morning...
"Why are you extremely cheery this morning," asked my nosy co-worker Ms. Urey, who taught fifth grade upstairs.
"Can't a person be happy," I retorted back.
"Well a person can but you can't. Now spill what's up?"
"Well I have a secret admirer."
She burst out laughing.
"Hey it's not that funny."
"Sorry, so who is it?"
"What do you mean who is it? It's a secret admirer which means he's secret and since he's secret I don't know who it is."
"That's not what I meant. What I meant was who do you think it is?"
"I don't know who it is. I don't know anyone here except you, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Johnson, and Darien."
"It's Darien!"
"Excuse me?"
"Darien's your secret admirer!"
"Please! No way!"
"Why not? He's the only guy you know."
"Not true, I know Mr. Johnson."
"Now you're just being ridiculous and in denial."
"In denial of what?"
"In denial that you like him."
"I so do not!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah I'm sure!"
"Look Serena, it's okay if you like him. He might like you too."
"I don't want to like him!"
"Why not?"
"Just because I don't want to." Just then the bell rang interrupting the conversation, which Serena was glad to get out of.
Monday Morning...
Today started out as one of the worst days of my life. It was raining and the roof leaked, then my car decided to just give up and stop working so I had to take a cab and ended up being late. And then the heater stopped working. I almost froze to death this morning. On top of my already disastrous morning those little rug rats were a little bit too much rambunctious than usual. By the time I got home it stopped raining and the sun was beating down on me. The air smelling fresh and new. It was a perfect day compared to my horrible morning. I went inside, fixed myself a sandwich and plopped myself on the big sofa.
Hours later...
I felt someone shaking me lightly and a male voice calling me. A very faint, inaudible voice. My eyes snapped open like a bullet fired. I realized I had inadvertently fallen asleep.
"Hey sleepyhead," said Darien.
"Hi," I replied utterly confused about why he was here, in my house.
"I hope you don't mind I came over. I knocked but there was no answer so I just invited myself in. Hey listen, I was wondering if you would do me a favor. Now if you don't want to do it I'll understand.
"Darien, you're blabbering what's the favor?"
"I was wondering if you would like to go to a wedding with me? You see, my ex-girlfriend Vivian is getting married this weekend and she invited me but, well, I don't want to show up alone so I was wondering if, only for the weekend, you could pretend to be my girlfriend. So, what do you say?"
What do I say? Good question. I like this guy, really, really much and pretending to be his girlfriend would be like seventh heaven. I guess it's decided then.
"Yes, I would love to help you." I stated plainly.
Darien just smiled breathtakingly.
"Great. I'll pick you up at three on Friday then. Oh and the wedding's on Long Island. Hope that's not a problem."
"Nope. I'll be here ready to go and waiting."
Friends drop by to comfort me
But I'm not much company for long
Friday afternoon...
"Ready to go?" Darien asked taking my luggage and hauling it in the trunk.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied back. Was I really going through with this? I mean I have never in my life lied once. I was pretty responsible as a kid and teenager. My most irresponsible thing was getting a home perm. Now I was going to lie to an entire group of people. A whole bunch of strangers! I didn't feel right about it but what could it hurt? Right? We go in and get out. Nothing to it. I hope so.
"Okay, the wedding's going to be on a beach at a inn on Long Island this Sunday. If we leave now we'll be there by Saturday afternoon."
"Great," I said smiling nervously. What did I get myself into? I was pretty sure I was going into my worrywart mode right about now. Why I was I worrying so much?
I followed Darien into his red-hot black convertible (hey he was a lawyer) and buckled up. This was certainly going to be a long ride.
Saturday Afternoon...
When we finally got to Long Island we checked into this little inn perched on top of a hill overlooking the sea behind. The interior had a cozy country theme to it. It looked more like a huge villa than an inn.
"Hello, Darien," said a middle-aged woman with fair skin and long, black, curly hair coming down from the long marble stairwell.
"Hello, Vivian, how are you," Darien asked his ex-girlfriend.
"Fine, fine and you?"
"Oh, just fantastic."
"Wonderful, so who is your lovely friend you're with here?"
"Oh, this is Serena Ayres. Serena, this is Vivian Potterman."
"Nice to meet you," I shook her outstretched hand, thinking they looked like old time friends instead of ex-girlfriend and boyfriend.'
"Please to meet you, Serena."
"Thank you for inviting us to the wedding."
Vivian smiled, "oh no, problem. I'm so glad you two could come on such short notice. These last few weeks have been quite chaotic with the planning and everything."
"So how long have you been engaged to..."
"Ben."
"Right."
"Oh, he proposed just a few months ago."
We all stood in an awkward silence. Vivian was smiling, Darien was looking somewhere far away and I was wringing my hands.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Serena but I really have to go. I'll see you two tonight at dinner?"
Darien and I nodded our heads. Vivian went outside the inn to the yard.
"What was she talking about?" I asked, looking a little baffled.
"There's a big dinner tonight. All the guests coming to the wedding have to attend."
"Oh."
I looked at myself for the billionth time in the full-length mirror in my room. I looked fine. But whenever I would turn away from myself in the mirror I felt like something was out of place, like something wasn't quite right. Of course I'm just being crazy. This is just a dinner. A dinner with total strangers. I have nothing to be nervous about. After this week, I'm never going to see them again. So, it doesn't really matter. And with that final thought, I grabbed my purse and headed out to the lobby to meet Darien.
That's it. I thought this was a good stopping place. R&R please!