Torn to Pieces by Dreams
By RedRose18
Hello all! This is my first story of this type. It took a complete change of direction midway and may seem disconjointed but I think it worked out pretty well! Give comments please! )
Thanks (oh yeah I don't own any of the characters etc. etc. Don't sue I need money for textbooks next fall.)
Torn to Pieces by Dreams
Serena gasped and stopped abruptly when her mother reminded her of their plans for that evening as she ran out the door for school. How could she have been so stupid? She had completely forgotten about tonight. She slowly walked back into the house with a sad look in her normally cheerful eyes.
"Mom…" she started, and then trailed off.
Her mother had her back turned and couldn't see that pained expression in her eyes, "I am so happy you've found someone like Darien. He is so nice and not to mention handsome, I couldn't wish for anyone more perfect for you."
"But mom," Serena continued "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it darling?" her mother asked as she turned around with a huge smile beaming on her face.
"Never mind," Serena muttered turning around quickly and shouted back as she ran "I'm going to be late for school."
-------
Serena actually did reach school on time physically, but she never showed up mentally. She stared into to space all morning, even more so than usual, all her friends were concerned. At lunch Amy and Lita pulled her aside and asked what was wrong. Serena looked up with large sparkling tears forming in her blue eyes.
"Did you know I never told my mom and dad that Darien and I broke up?" she managed to spit out before bursting into tears.
"That's not so bad." said Amy with a look of concern slowly forming on her face as Serena cried on.
"Yeah," seconded Lita "don't even worry, they'll understand."
"You don't get it, I forgot we were supposed to go out to dinner with my parents tonight and after that see that new holiday show. My mom's been looking forward to this for months she absolutely loves Darien, and thinks he is the best thing to ever happen to me. She is always saying how perfect he is for me and how I have grown up since I started dating him, and now…"
"But what I don't understand," started Amy timidly, "is why you haven't told your mom or dad you two have broken up. I mean you haven't been together for well over three weeks now."
Serena looked up with pain clearly showing in her dull and lifeless eyes. She sniffled and said, "At first I think it was denial, I didn't want to admit our relationship was over, and then Rini was always blaming me for making Darien not like me I couldn't stand to have someone else think that.
"I know people always think of me a dumb, and now look at me, I couldn't even hold on the love of my life, my supposed soul mate." Serena sighed and yelped in surprise as her two friends launched themselves upon her hugging her fiercely.
"You know no one thinks of you like that, Serena." Lita chastised her gently.
"Yes they do Lita, I'm just that stupid little girl who is clumsy and can't keep her emotions in control. I don't know why Darien wanted to go out with me in the first place."
"Don't even think like that," continued Lita, "He's the one who's missing out-" She was cut off by the lunch bell ringing. With the shrill ring Serena wiped her face and forced on a fake smile.
"Let's get back to class!" she said with the mock happiness that she had been wearing around others since Darien had broken her heart.
-------
When the final bell rang for the day Serena had already gathered her things and was out the door before her friends could even think about trying to talk to her. She wandered aimlessly around Tokyo trying to muster up the courage to say that it would just be three at dinner and the show tonight instead of four and shuttered at the idea of sitting next to the empty seat for three hours that night reminding her of what she no longer had.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she bumped into another passerby. She mumbled an apology, but froze as she looked up to stare into Darien's fathomless blue eyes. She looked down to her feet as her own eyes shifted from despondent and worried to absolutely heartbroken and a gentle blush graced her pale cheeks.
Darien instinctively reached out to comfort her, but pulled back remembering their current relationship status. To counteract the gentle gesture had almost showed he spat out vehemently, "Will you please watch where you're going Serena."
At first Serena was startled by his sudden change from a caring demeanor to a malicious one but quickly recovered replying with an equally cold tone, "It's your fault in the first place."
Her simple statement shocked him not because of the accusations but because of the tone of her voice, it was so uncharacteristic of her and is chilled his heart to hear it.
He quickly recovered not wanting to show any emotion asked, "How can you think that this was possibly my fault, you weren't paying attention and bumped into me."
Serena was now fuming and lost control over her words.
"If you had never broken up with me," she screamed drawing attention from the others walking the busy street, "I would have never been in this situation! I wouldn't have to face the stares and questions of why I couldn't keep a boyfriend and the snickers of other girls who knew that 'the hot older guy' was just using me because no one could ever love me!
"I have to explain to Rini why I can't take her over to Darien's any more and now I have to explain to my mom and dad why there will only be three of us at dinner and the show tonight!"
She finally stopped her tirade to breathe and was shocked to see the many people staring at them on the busy street. She gave a hateful look to Darien and turned around and ran.
-------
Darien threw his keys on the counter as he entered his apartment, he yelled, frustrated as he tried to recover from his most recent encounter with Serena. Although he was worried about how upset she was he was even more disturbed by the hateful edge in her voice, even before they were dating and they were fighting on a practically daily basis her voice had never held that much hatred.
His mind drifted back over what she had said "...the snickers of other girls who knew that 'the hot older guy' was just using me." How could those girls even dare to think for a minute that he would use Serena and just discard her? Didn't they know what a great and amazing person she was?
His thoughts also drifted to what else she had said, "…now I have to explain to my mom and dad why there would only be three of us at dinner and the show tonight."
'What was she talking about?' he thought. He looked at the calendar hanging on the wall and as soon as he saw the date it clicked. The show was tonight. How could he forget they were supposed to be going to dinner and then the theatre with her parents?
'Hasn't she told them we broke up' he thought. He then remembered how her mother had absolutely adored him and how her father actually seemed to not hate him like he did most boys who came within a 20 mile radius of his daughter.
'She would have told them wouldn't she?'
He thought of the distraught look in her eyes and her words; it all came together. She hadn't and was dreading in doing so.
He looked over at the clock it was 4:30 and he could probably be dressed and make it in time. He felt like he owed her this one last favor before their relationship was completely and officially over. He ran into his room put on a white button up shirt, a gray blazer, and khaki pants, ran a comb through of his hair and grabbed his keys before running down the stairs to his car.
-------
Serena jerked up in a cold sweat. She had had the dream again. There was a beautiful city made of crystal that lay in waste, she could see herself in her princess dress with a single tear dripping slowly down her face as the world around her shattered along with her.
She'd been having these dreams ever since Darien had broken up with her and attributed it to the emotional turmoil she was in. She slowly got up and padded to the bathroom to wash her face and fix her hair. Slowly and solemnly she walked back to her room to get ready.
Serena looked at the clock as she absentmindedly applied powder with a large soft brush, it was 4:45 they would be leaving soon and her parents would wonder why Darien hadn't shown up. When she arrived home after the confrontation with Darien she found no one was home. She was glad, her face was still blotchy, even though she had stopped crying and she didn't want her family to see her like that. After she had applied her make-up she chose a light pink boatneck sweater and a grey and pink knee high herringbone skirt. She also picked out some matching silver jewelry.
"Serena! It's almost time to go!" cried her mother. Serena took one last glance in the mirror and took a shaky breathe and picked up her white trench coat as she prepared to go down stairs and tell the truth.
"Are you sure that you have the tickets?" asked Serena's father
"Yes for the third time!" her mother replied exasperated. "Oh Serena there you are! You look beautiful! Do you know when Darien is going to get here?"
"Uhm, well about that..." Serena started pain evident in her usually gleaming eyes, "Mom, dad I have something to tell you..."
Serena never got to finish what she was going to say because the door bell rang and when she opened the door Darien was on the other side. Her jaw dropped. Her mother and father saw him and quickly invited him in not realizing their daughter had a look of absolute shock on her face. After a few quick greetings they were on their way. While they heading to the car Serena acted like she forgot something and held Darien back.
"What are you doing here?" she asked both anger and confusion flashing through her expressive eyes.
"I figured I owed you," he stated as calmly as ever. He took her hand stiffly so they could keep up the pretense of dating and led her to the car.
-------
Serena stayed withdrawn and silent through out dinner mostly because of the state of bewilderment that was still upon her. Darien, on the other hand, sat there as cool and collected as ever talking to her parents about work, the weather, and other events around Tokyo.
'Why is he doing this?' Serena thought. 'He owed me? What does that mean?'
"Serena?" the gentle voice of her mother slowly brought her back to reality.
"Huh?" was all she could manage in response.
"You look tired Serena. Are you still having those dreams?"
Serena swore she saw Darien's head quickly jerk up with the mention of dreams but she quickly put it in the back of her mind and replied "Yeah, I still have them every night and if I nap during the day too. But hopefully it will pass with time."
'And healing' she thought quietly to herself.
-------
They arrived at the show right before it started. When Serena thought that the empty seat would be a painful reminder of her failed relationship she was wrong, Darien sitting by her all evening was even more painful.
As she sat and watched the couples dance on stage in love she felt a small tear trickle down her cheek before she quickly brushed it away so nobody would see but it was too late Darien saw the crystalline drop begin to slide down her cheek and began to reach to brush it away, but was shocked out of his trance when Serena swiftly rubbed it away.
-------
Darien lay awake all night. This time he wasn't dreading the nightmare that he knew would come with his sleep, tonight he lay and thought of how it felt to be with Serena again. Sure the night was awkward with her thinking he was a cold, heartless jerk who discarded her without a second thought but he go to spend a few more hours with her, a few more hours to feel the warmth that radiated from her and to hear her beautiful melodious voice the few times she actually spoke.
'Snap out of it he thought,' shaking his head to break himself out of his dazed state. It was over, done with, the one final end to their relationship. When they got back to her house after the show she walked with him to his car.
"Don't worry," she said with a hint of sadness, "I'll tell them tomorrow, you won't be obligated to me anymore."
With that and nothing more she turned around and walked away. Even though it hurt him to see her like this, he knew she would be safe.
-------
The next day Darien walked down a busy Tokyo street, he tried not to think of last night but it seemed to always reach the front of his thoughts. He didn't even realize where he was going until he reached the front of the arcade. It used to be his favorite spot to go get his caffeine fix and talk to Andrew, his best friend, but he recently took to avoiding it like his life depended on it. But it wasn't his life that depended on it, it was hers. He looked at his watch and realized that it would be over an hour until her school got out so he figured he would have plenty of time to get some coffee, catch up with Andrew, and leave before Serena even left her school. He walked into the familiar setting and sat down on a worn stool.
"Hey Darien! Long time no see!" teased Andrew cheerfully, "I thought I you dropped off the face of the Earth."
Darien gave a small smile to his friend. He had missed seeing Andrew over the past few weeks, he had been avoiding the Arcade but with both of their work and school schedules that was the only time they could really see each other and talk, and now even that was ruined by his dreams. What wouldn't they wreck?
Since school was in session the arcade was practically deserted so the two friends began talking catching up on each other's lives and the newest happenings in them. They soon started talking about their relationships when Darien asked how Rita, Andrew's long time girlfriend was. Andrew began telling Darien about Rita's work when he suddenly stopped and asked a simple blunt question.
"Why did you do it?"
Darien decided that it would be easier to pretend like he misunderstood the question and feign innocence even though he knew it wouldn't work with his closest friend.
"What do you mean? Why did I do what?"
"You know damn well what I am talking about Darien," Andrew replied a little too harshly, "Serena! What did she ever do to deserve what you are putting her through right now? You just dropped her like she didn't mean anything! And don't try to tell me she didn't mean anything because I have known you since high school and I have never seen you care for anyone the way you care for Serena! Why did you do it?"
Darien, intent on keeping up on his façade, yelled back, "Where do you get the right to come into my life without knowing everything and demand answers, Andrew!"
They were now standing in the middle of the arcade Darien was standing facing the door with Andrew was standing opposite of him. A few spectators were watching them with open mouths, as the two men continued to argue.
"What do you mean where do I get the right, Darien? You're like my brother, I care about what you do with your life! And if you want to talk about rights, where did you get the right to come into her life and ruin it like you did? Have you seen her lately? Have you seen how sad she looks, how broken?
"Just answer my question Darien, did she ever mean anything to you?"
Darien had full intention of never answering Andrew's question because he knew he couldn't lie to his best friend and get away with it but he looked over Andrew's shoulder and saw Serena and her friends staring at the scene with open mouths. Pain flashed in his eyes but it was quickly cover by icy coldness, he knew what he had to do to save her.
He looked to the ground and said a cold and final "No"
With that single word he walked out of the arcade and tried to resist looking in to Serena's eyes but he couldn't, as he passed by her he surreptitiously stole a glance and his heart froze as he saw the pain and hurt of that one word magnified a thousand times over in her clear blue eyes as they slowly filled up with tears. He quickened his pace knowing that if he stayed even a second longer he could not resist comforting her.
He walked out of the arcade and vowed to walk out of her life.
-------
"Darien, you are sure you want to do this?" asked Mr. Hernson, Darien's adviser at Medical School.
"I'm sure," said Darien who looked back at him with a determined look in his eye. The truth was he really was considering studying abroad for a while but he was dating Serena and he never really cared if he studied overseas or not, anyways, there were as many prestigious Medical Schools in the Tokyo area as there was in the United States but now with his presence causing Serena heartbreak he thought it would be better if he just wasn't around. Luckily there was still a spot open at the school he was looking into at Boston but the one catch would be that he had to leave in a half a week, but as far as he was concerned the sooner the better.
"To me it just seems like you are doing this for the wrong reason," continued Mr. Hernson, "a few months ago you were adamant about staying in Tokyo and now you seem like you cannot wait to leave."
"I know but things have changed for me since then. I think I need a change of scenery."
"Do you want to talk about it?" probed Mr. Hernson.
"No," answered Darien with a tone of finality that could not be mistaken.
"Okay Mr. Chiba, I will put in all the paper work and get everything in order for you just come and see me in a day or two and everything should be together by then."
"Thank you, Mr. Hernson, I'll see you in a few days," said Darien as he shook the graying man's hand and left.
-------
Darien walked in the door and looked around his apartment which was bare and empty save for the furniture which he would leave and a few boxes. He went to the kitchen and set his plane ticket and his keys to his new apartment in Boston on the counter. He looked at the phone and let out a sigh before he picked up the phone and called Andrew.
"Hello?"
"Hi Andrew. It's Darien."
"…"
"Listen I'm sorry about how things went a few days ago but I really need to talk to you right now. Will you come over, please, I really need to talk to you."
"…Sure…I'll be over in fifteen minutes."
CLICK
-------
Andrew's jaw dropped when he stepped into Darien's apartment.
"Wha…What's going on?" he asked dumbfound. "This is a joke right?"
Darien shook his head, "Sorry Andrew this is no joke. I'm leaving tonight, in a few hours actually. I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Leaving? Where? What about Serena? You can't just leave her."
"I decided to study medicine in Bost-," but he couldn't finish because Andrew cut him off, "Darien, what about Serena?" he asked again his voice firm and unwaivering.
"I have my new address, you and Rita should come in visit in a few weeks, once I get settled."
"What about Serena?"
With this Darien snapped, "What about her!"
"I know you Darien, I know you still love her I can see it in you eyes when you look at her, I see you staring at her when you think no one is watching like you did before you two started dating. What ever is holding you back is just not worth it!"
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!" he shouted back. His body shaking with every emotion he had bottled up for the past few months. "HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM FEELING? YOU HAVE ABSOLUTLEY NO IDEA WHAT DOING THIS DOES TO ME! HOW EVERYTIME I HURT SERENA I WANT TO DIE!"
"But if you feel this way why do you keep hurting her and pushing her away?"
Darien leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground and whispered, "I have dreams, prophesies, Serena is standing in a beautiful city made of crystal with a tear flowing down her face as everything around her falls apart and she dies, these dreams are so real and they warn me to stay away from her, telling me that if I stay around her this will be her future."
Andrew was shocked as he looked at Darien's pained and pale face. He had never seen his friend look this scared his whole entire life, even when he told Andrew that he had no idea who he was he had never looked this frightened.
"Go talk to Serena. It is stupid to leave just because of some dumb dreams."
Darien looked at Andrew and appeared stunned that he had just admitted the real reason for his breakup with Serena. "I'm sorry Andrew," he said hastily, "just forget everything I said and don't tell Serena. Listen, here is my new address and phone number," he said handing Andrew a slip of paper, "I'll call you once I get settled. I really have to go or I'll miss my flight. Bye." With that Darien picked up his keys and ticket and left the empty apartment with a dumbstruck Andrew inside.
-------
Darien sat outside Serena's house for twenty minutes before he got the nerve to go up to the door. This was his final errand before he left for Boston. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Serena's father opened the door and gave Darien a look that said, "I will kill you for hurting my little girl."
"Hi Mr. Tsukino. I wanted to talk to Serena."
"No, one in this house has any interest in speaking to you," Serena's father stated coldly. Darien tried to think of what to say next but his thoughts were interrupted by a melancholy voice.
"Daddy, who's at the door?" Serena stopped cold when she saw Darien standing on her front porch.
"Don't worry Serena, I was just telling him that we are not interested in anything he has to sa-,"
"Dad, can you leave us alone for a minute?" Serena asked.
Mr. Tsukino looked at Serena questioning her with his eyes but eventually relented and quietly said, "If you want me to get rid of him I'll be in the living room," before exiting.
"So I guess you told them," Darien joked trying to break the awkward silence that had engulfed them after her father had left.
"What do you want Darien?" Serena asked with a surprising amount of courage.
"I just wanted to tell you that I won't be bothering you anymore, I'm going to Boston to study medicine."
"Oh," Serena said sounding shocked but she quickly regained her composure, "Why should I care?"
"I just didn't want to leave without saying good bye. So, good bye Serena." With that Darien left her standing in the door way.
Serena shut the front door and collapsed in tears.
-------
Two weeks had passed and life was beginning to become somewhat normal for Andrew, expect for the big hole left by the departure of his best and oldest friend.
He was inattentively wiping down the counter when Serena walked in the door. If Serena had been a mess when she and Darien broke up she had become a complete and total wreck since he had moved to Boston. She only ate when her friends and family forced her to, she barely slept and most of the time just stared off into space. She came in sullenly and sat at the counter and with out her asking Andrew brought a large milkshake which she promptly pushed aside. She laid her head down on the counter and drifted off in to space.
Andrew stood and watched her for a while but soon had to go and help customers but he would occasionally steal a glace at her and soon discovered she had drifted off to sleep. 'Good,' he though to himself, 'she certainly needs it.'
-------
Serena dreamt again. Her family and friends thought Darien's departure has cause her lack of sleep but it had started long before his move, a little over three months actually. The day they broke up. She had kept it hidden for a while but soon everything took its toll on her. She could never get a full night sleep, even if she drifted of to sleep during the day she still dreamt. She had never understood how she had covered her nightmares so well. She was always able to control her shout if she drifted off to sleep in class or around her family and friends, but today in the arcade that was not the case.
She had come to the arcade because she did not want to go home and she knew her friends weren't going to be there because they had planned a day at the mall. Lately she preferred to be on her own because that was how she had felt. She walked up to the counter and sat down on the stool, sweet Andrew always thinking of others brought her a milkshake but she pushed it away and laid her head down on the counter to just stare into space and try to think of nothing. At some point while thinking of nothing Serena drifted off to sleep.
Again she dreamed the same dream she had been dreaming for almost four months now. She was hoping that it would go away with time while the memory of Darien faded but the memories never left her and neither did the dream. She woke up screaming this time not able to stifle it like she usually would. Everyone in the arcade was staring at her and Andrew was at her side at once.
"Serena, are you okay? You look like you had a nightmare. Do you want to tell me about it?"
Instinct first told Serena to refuse and leave to go and sit in her room alone, but she then realized that maybe talking about it would help.
"Yes, that would be nice," she said quietly. Andrew signaled to the other man working that he was taking a break before leading Serena to the backroom of the Arcade so they could talk.
"You see," Serena started, "these dreams began a little less than four months ago, right around the time Darien and I broke up. I keep thinking that maybe if I get over Darien they will go away, that if I forget about him my dreams will disappear but I can't forget about him. I love him too much."
Andrew nodded sympathetically. "What are your dreams about?" he asked gently.
"I'm standing in a large crystal city and crying…"
"While everything around you shatters and you die," he finished much to her surprise.
"Wha…How did you know?" Serena asked shocked beyond all belief.
"I would love to tell you but I can't," he answered.
"Why not?"
Andrew didn't answer instead he gazed over to the other side of the room. Serena followed his gaze to the corner of the room and a duffle bag.
"Serena," he asked, "do you have a passport?"
"Yes, it's at home. Why?"
"Just trust me."
-------
Serena still didn't really know what she was doing on the plane to Boston. Darien didn't want to see her, she knew that, he moved half way across the globe to be away from her so why was she going? That answer was easy, because she trusted Andrew. She hoped it would work out because if it didn't it wouldn't be worth the heartache it would cause, not to mention lecture she would get from her parents when she got back.
She got off the plane in the Boston airport and went to baggage claim to get her small suitcase. She then hailed a cab and gave the driver Darien's address.
-------
She stood at Darien's front door wanting to knock but frozen in place. How was she so sure this would work out? All Andrew had told her was to go to him and tell him about her dream and he was sure everything would work out. She raised her hand and quickly rapped on his door.
-------
Andrew helped a kid on a video game but his mind was else where. It had been almost a week since Serena had been to Boston and he had heard from neither Serena nor Darien. Hopefully it was a good sign.
If it worked out they really owed him, not only did he give Serena his plane ticket, he, after she was safely in the air, went to tell her parents where she went. Boy did he feel sorry for anyone who wanted to date Serena because her father was dangerous. When he told them that he had put their baby girl on a flight to Boston, so she could hopefully reconcile with the man who broke her heart, he lunged at Andrew's jugular screaming profanities. Serena's mother on the other hand hoped all worked out.
The sensors buzzed alerting Andrew to new customers entering the arcade. He heard the musical laughter a split second before he look up and saw Serena and Darien walk in, smiling, hand in hand.
The End
What ya think? Good? Bad? Opinions please! ;-)
I did a few minor edits and broke up the paragraphs a little so it was easier to read.
and now my PSA
EVERY THREE SECONDS A CHILD IN AFRICA DIES AS A RESULT OF EXTREME POVERTY PLEASE HELP BY JUST ADDING YOUR NAME TO A LIST, ITS AS EASY AS THAT GO TO http/ OR TEXT YOUR NAME TO UNITE