Hey again! I'm sorry if this chapter is a little uneventful. I promise that next chapter will definitely pick up. Anyway, I'd like to thank all those who gave positive replies to my last chapter. You guys are great, and are without a doubt the force that will keep me going. Anyway, please R&R and enjoy.
A Christmas Memory
Chapter 2
"Darien," said a male voice with a mixture of annoyance and concern. "Darien, snap out of it," the voice said again, now with more concern that annoyance. After a couple of moments, a loud "smack" could be heard. Darien quickly grabbed his cheek and looked angrily up to Andrew.
"What the hell?" Darien asked his friend. Andrew simply sighed in relief and leaned against the wall. "What did you hit me for?" Darien said, rephrasing his previous question. That was twice now he had been hit by Andrew that day.
"Don't get mad at me," Andrew said, holding up his hands in front of his chest. "You were just sitting there, totally dazed out for the past ten minutes." Darien looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about. Andrew rolled his eyes, "I'm saying you were just there daydreaming. I 'tried' to snap you out of it, but it was no use." He pointed his finger at Darien's face, "You made me have to take drastic measures." Darien simply sat there, absorbing all Andrew had just told him. "So what were you thinking of anyway?" Andrew asked, now stricken by curiosity.
'I can't believe I dazed off again,' Darien cursed himself. Ever since he was a child, he always had a vivid imagination. It wasn't too rare for him to suddenly daze off, especially during school. However, it became far worse after "it" happened. Dazing off was his only release from reality. It was as if it was the only thing that kept him sane. 'Still,' Darien thought to himself, 'why just now for no reason?'
"Hey, you there?" Andrew asked, forcing Darien to once again snap out of his daydreaming. "There you go again," Andrew said with a laugh. Soon however, his smile went away. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked. Darien looked up at him, then back down before standing up.
"I'm sorry," Darien said, "but I'm really not feeling all that great right now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out some money, which he then placed on the counter. "I'll see you later, okay?" Before Andrew had a chance to reply, Darien was already outside. Andrew looked after him, worry obvious in his face.
For as long as he's known Darien, he's always been a quiet person. He often kept his feelings to himself, especially when in involved his past. While Andrew was used to that side of Darien, he had noticed it being worse than usual lately.
'Actually,' Andrew thought, 'it always gets the worse around Christmas.' He thought about it for a couple of minutes before realizing it was no use trying to figure it out. He was Darien's best, and in his opinion, only friend. However, he feels that he knows almost nothing about him. Andrew sighed and leaned back against the wall. He only hoped that Darien was okay.
Darien stepped out of the café, and was instantly met with the brisk winter air. He shivered, hugging his chest for a moment before overcoming the cold and continuing down the sidewalk, towards his apartment. For it being so cold outside, he wasn't dressed very well. He was wearing a plain black, long-sleeve shirt and jeans. It was definitely not the best outfit for the freezing-cold weather.
"Why did I think of that?" Darien asked himself aloud. It wasn't like him to think about the past, ever; especially when the memory involved "her." "I hate the snow," Darien mumbled as he dragged his feet through the white powder. Quickly, he was losing feeling in his feet. "I'm going to get frost bite if I keep going like this," Darien continued. "Damn snow!"
Darien quickened his pace, intent on getting home before he froze to the ground. He was in such a rush to get to his apartment that he didn't notice the patch of ice under his feet until it was too late. In a sudden motion, Darien fell backwards, straight into the snow. White powder thrust into the air, and slowly fell back to the ground, most of it conveniently landing on Darien's face.
He didn't know whether he wanted to scream, or cry, or both. All he knew is that his hatred for snow increased tenfold at that moment, if it were even possible. Slowly, he began to stand up. Once he was on his feet, he felt himself losing his footing once again, and fell again, this time face-down into the snow.
"I hate snow," Darien cried into the snow. Once again, he pushed himself up to his feet, this time taking extra care to keep his footing. His face was beet-red due to the cold snow. After regaining his composure and brushing the remaining snow off his front, he turned around and continued, carefully, towards his apartment.
As Darien continued walking, he heard screaming and laughing coming from the left of him. He turned his head to see the source of the sounds. There were children playing in the snow. It was a boy and a girl, around the ages of six. Darien couldn't help but smile as he watched the boy make a snowball and throw it at the girl, who screamed and countered with a snowball of her own.
"Big brother," Darien heard a small girl say in his head. He remembered how Serena had called him that. After their first meeting, Darien's mother was not very happy with him. She was almost positive that Darien would have somebody to play with once the new neighbors moved to the house next door. Unfortunately for Darien, that neighbor was a girl.
"Give her a chance," Paula begged her son, who sat on the couch, his face resting in his hands. It was obvious he wasn't paying too much attention. "Well whether you like it or not, you're going to be playing with her tonight." That got Darien's attention. He quickly lifted his head from his palms and looked up at her in shock. "You heard me," Paula said. "Your babysitter said she couldn't come today, and the Tsukinos were nice enough to agree to baby sit you tonight."
"Lemme come with you," Darien said, standing up from the couch. "Please," he begged. "I promise I'll be good. Really, I do!" All his attempts however, were in vain. Paula knew that there was no way she was bringing Darien to the ball that night. Also, she wanted Darien to have friends. Even though Darien always said he had many friends, she knew otherwise. Darien needed a "real" friend, and she was hoping Serena could be that friend.
"Listen," Paula said, "you do 'not' want to go there tonight." Darien's eyes however, were still begging. "Trust me," Paula continued. "I'm going to the annual ball for my job. I'm sure you remember the last time I brought you there." Almost instantly, she saw the glow leave Darien's eyes. She knew she finally had him. "That's what I thought," Paula said. "Now go brush your teeth, then go next door." Darien nodded slowly and dragged his feet all the way to the bathroom.
After about ten minutes, Darien was ready. After putting away his toothbrush and toothpaste, he dragged hit feel to his mother's room. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. After a few moments, he knocked again. After waiting a little longer, the door finally opened. Standing at the door was Paula. She was wearing a simple form-fitting black, one-piece dress. The skirt fell down to her ankles, and a slit ran up along the right side, up to her thigh. The front was cut in a "V" shape, showing off just a bit of cleavage.
Instead of using straps, the dress tied behind her neck. The back of the dress was open, showing most of her back. While the dress was simple, she looked gorgeous in it. It was obvious by the look on her face that she was in a rush. It was always like her to wait until the last minute, and then rush in the end.
"Darien," Paula said quickly, "I need you to put this on." She handed him a simple, gold necklace. Hanging on the necklace was a heart-shaped pendant. While it was a simple piece of jewelry, she always wore it. It was the first give she had ever received from her husband, way back when they were still dating in college, and it was her most precious possession.
Paula knelt down, turning her back to Darien. She lifted her hair, giving Darien access to her slim neck. After some fumbling, and a few retries, he had the necklace on. She turned around and kissed Darien on the cheek, making him cringe and quickly wipe his face. Paula simply smiled and stood up, looking at herself in the mirror. After she was finished, she knelt back down in front of Darien.
"Now, remember," Paula said, "be kind to the Tsukinos. Do what they ask and do 'not' be rude, got that?" Darien nodded. "Also, please try to get along with Serena, okay?" Darien rolled his eyes. There was no way he was going to play with that girl. Paula smiled, "Who knows. You guys may get married one day." Suddenly, Darien's face became one of disgust.
"Eww, moooom," Darien groaned, trying to get the thoughts out of his head. He always wondered why boys would ever marry girls. Paula giggled and gave Darien a nudge on the nose, making him laugh.
"Give me a hug," Paula said, not giving him a chance to reply before bringing him into her arms. "I love you," she said. Having enough, Darien finally managed to push her away. She simply smiled and kissed him on the cheek, resulting in him wiping his face once again. "You remember my pager number, right?" Paula asked. Darien simply nodded, having been asked that question literally dozens of times. "Now beep me if 'anything' goes wrong." Darien nodded once again.
"I love you," Paula said once again. "Now get over there. I'll be by to pick you up later." After one last hug, Darien was on his way. He walked slowly out the door and across his yard to the next. He didn't know how he was going to possibly survive the evening. After what seemed like a second, he was at the front door. Darien gulped and walked slowly to the door, and extended his hand, ringing the doorbell.
After waiting for about a minute, a sound of a door unlocking could be heard, and several moments later, the front door was open. Standing at the door was Elaine, still wearing the same outfit from earlier. She looked out through the glass door and didn't see anybody. Finally, she looked down and smiled when she saw Darien.
"Oh Darien," she said with a warm smile. "We've been expecting you. Come on in." She opened up the glass door and held it for him as he walked inside. Though they had only moved in just hours before, the house looked as if they had lived there for a decade. The main room was fairly large. Spot lights hanged from the ceiling, and illuminated the room brilliantly.
The walls were painted a plain white. However, paintings of meadows and fields lined the walls. Two black couches lined two of the walls, connecting end-to-end, forming a right-angle. On the opposite wall stood a lone black chair, a beautiful painting of a field of flowers hanging above it.
On the adjacent wall stood a simple glass table. Placed on the table were several recent portraits of Serena. The wall above the table was lined with several rows of photos, most of them of Serena throughout several stages of her life. In the center of all the photos is what appeared to Darien to be the Tsukino's wedding portrait.
"Dinner should be done soon," Elaine said, knocking Darien out from his thoughts. He looked up at her smiling face. "Come with me," she said. "I'll show you where Serena's room is." Darien swallowed. He knew that eventually he had to come face-to-face with "her." Elaine began walking down a small hallway, beckoning for him to follow. He followed slowly, fearing the impending moment.
Elaine stopped at the end of the hallway, in front of a closed door. A sign hung on the door, a picture of a rabbit on the left and right sides of it. The sign read, "Serena" in pink letters. Elaine knocked a few times before opening the door.
"Look who came to play with you," Elaine said as she opened the door. Sitting on the floor was Serena, wearing the same outfit from earlier that day. She had a doll in each hand, moving them around the floor, mimicking them walking. The first thing Darien noticed was now girlish the room looked.
The bed was neatly-made, a dark-pink comforter covering the bed, a pattern of various bunny faced printed on it. At one end of it was a pile of stuffed animals, all neatly-stacked. On the other end was a large, pink and white pillow, in the shape of a bunny head. The walls were painted a milk-white, a light-blue border along the top of the wall, matching with the light-blue carpet. Darien felt sick to his stomach.
Serena, hearing her mother's voice, looked up. However, as she was looking up, her eyes locked on to Darien. She gasped, leaning back a bit, as if frightened. Darien swallowed, not knowing what to do. He tried to look away, but his eyes kept diverting back to Serena, his lavender eyes locking with her sky-blue eyes. He was mesmerized, unable to move, nor think correctly.
Serena was the same way. She did not understand why, but when she looked into his eyes, warmth spread throughout her entire body, from her head, down to her hands, and to the tips of her toes. She felt her hands trembling, and her breath shortening.
"Well, you two have fun," Elaine said, knocking both the children from their trance. "I'm going to finish dinner, so I'll call you when it's done." With that, she closed the door, leaving the children together in the room, alone. Darien stood in silence in front of the door, not knowing what to say. Never in his life had he felt the way he did at that moment.
"Umm, hi," Darien blurted out. Serena simply looked at him, then down to the floor. Darien's expression softened and he took a single step forward. Once again, Serena shuffled back, trembling. Darien stopped and stepped back. Was she scared of him? Darien knelt down and looked into her face.
"I'm Darien," Darien said with his usual smile. Serena just looked at him, and then back down to the floor. "You're Serena, right?" Darien continued. Still, he received no answer. He looked down at the floor, thinking of what to say to make her talk. He looked back up at her, and caught her staring at him again. Quickly, she looked back down, fumbling with her hands.
"So, whattaya playing?" Darien asked. Serena simply looked towards the dolls lying on the floor. Darien followed her gaze down to the dolls. He grimaced before looking back up to her. Once again, he caught her stare just before she quickly looked down again.
"Are you okay?" Darien asked, wondering if anything was bothering her. She continued staring at the floor, apparently not paying attention. Darien looked back down to the dolls, and after much effort, picked up a stuffed rabbit that was with the bunch. He examined it for a moment. It was a pure white, with sky-blue eyes, just like Serena's. He smiled and looked back up to her. Her hair was put up into two pigtails that fell on either side of her face. Darien laughed at the similarity.
Serena, hearing him laughing, looked up just enough to see him out of the corner of her eyes. Darien soon finished laughing and held out the rabbit to her face. She leaned back a little more and looked up to him. He grinned and pulled the rabbit away.
"You look like a rabbit," Darien said with a laugh. Serena swallowed and looked down. Though Darien wasn't positive, he swore he saw hurt in her eyes for the split second before she looked away. Darien looked worried for a moment. Did he say something to upset her that much? "Hey, you okay?" Darien asked, not expecting an answer.
"They always tease me like that," Serena said, in a quiet, sweet voice. Darien was confused, not understanding what she meant. She looked up to him, her eyes filled with tears. "Everybody calls me that," she said, her voice choking. "All the mean kids call me that." Darien was in shock. He never meant to make fun of her.
"I'm sorry," Darien said. Serena simply looked down. Darien's eyes lit up. "But now you're in a new school, right? The kids here are nice." She still didn't answer him. Darien sat in thought. He didn't understand why, but he didn't want to see her upset. "I'll be your big brother," Darien said. Serena gasped and looked up at him. "That way, nobody'll make fun of you," Darien said proudly.
"Really?" Serena asked, hope in her eyes. Darien smiled and nodded. "Really really?" Serena asked again, as if to make sure she heard him correctly. Darien nodded again, still smiling. "Pinky promise?" she asked, holding out her pinky. Darien looked down at her extended hand, then back up to her face, her eyes gleaming with hope and remnants of old tears. Without hesitation, Darien reached out his pinky, and their fingers interlocked, forming a promise that can never be broken. "Thanks," Serena said, smiling, "…Big Brother."
Right then, Darien felt something cold and hard hit his face, knocking him from his dream state. He cursed and turned his head to the source. He saw the two kids from earlier staring at him, fear covering their young features. Darien's eyes narrowed and both kids muttered apologies before running away. Darien sighed before continuing to his apartment.
"Why am I such a grinch?" Darien asked himself aloud as he walked. The part that scared him the most is he didn't even mean to be half the time. It just so happened to be that way. After a few minutes of walking through the snow, he was in front of his apartment complex. He stepped inside and took the elevator to the top floor, ignoring the security guard on the way in. After what felt like forever, he was on his floor. Slowly, he walked to his room and fumbled with the lock for a second before opening it. He stepped in and closed the door behind him.
His apartment was plain. All there was in the main room was a chair, a small TV, and a bookshelf, filled with several textbooks and a few novels that he had received from people over the years, but never read. He walked through the room and to his bedroom, which was even simpler. All that filled that room was a bed. Stretching, he lied down on the bed, staring at the plain-white ceiling.
It was still early in the day, but he didn't care. If there was one thing he liked about the Christmas season, it was the vacation from school. However, he never had much of anything to do besides sit alone in his apartment. Occasionally he would visit Andrew at his job, but they never did anything together.
"My life's boring," Darien mumbled before closing his eyes. Soon, he felt sleep taking him. If there was one thing he enjoyed from life, it was sleep, for it was the only escape he had from the world he hated so much. Soon enough, he was asleep, lost in the world of silence, darkness, and dreams.
Well that's it for chapter 2. Yeah, I know, it's kind of boring. Anyway, chapter 3 will definitely pick up as we move into their Junior-high years and maybe get a glimpse at an early romance. Also, tragedy strikes Darien in the next chapter, so keep reading. See you soon!