Disclaimer: I don't own SM or associated characters. I do own Machelle.
Serena glared at her reflection in the mirror. "Go away! I don't want you here anymore!" she shouted. The face twisted, seemed to change somehow. "You need me," it sneered. "You're weak. Pathetic. You're friends all accepted it, why can't you?" "I'm not weak," Serena sobbed. The face let out a harsh cackle. "You're weak. Pathetic. You can't do anything on your own. You pathetic crybaby." The words echoed ones she had heard time and time again. She sank to the floor crying. "You know it's true. I only want to help you become strong. You know what to do." When she looked up the face was gone, replaced by her own. "Serena? Are you okay?" her father called through the door. "Yes," she replied, wiping her tears. "We're late for our appointment."
****
Ilene grabbed her purse and her jacket and opened the door. The girls were standing there with their hands raised to knock. She stepped out quickly and closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here? You are not welcome here." Raye's mouth opened in shock. Usually Serena's mother was kind and soft spoken, but now, her eyes were hard and her lips were pressed in a hard line.
"What did we do?" Mina asked. Ilene's gaze snapped to hers like a bullet. "You know exactly what you did. Now, get off my property before I call the authorities." She stomped to the car and slammed the door behind her, glaring at the girls as they walked off. Serena and the others emerged a few minutes later. "Been waiting long?" Ken joked. One look at his wife's face erased the teasing note from his voice. He started to ask what was wrong but stopped when her eyes swung to Serena and back. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
Their lawyer met them at the entrance to her office. "You must be the Tsukino's. I'm Machelle Farrell. Please, come with me." They walked into the office and their jaws dropped at the décor. "Like it. I just had it redone. Please, sit down." She indicated the plush chair in front of her desk. "Sammy, right?" When he nodded, she smiled. "Do you like comics?" He nodded again and she handed him a couple of Sailor V comics. She sat down and got out a notepad and pen. "Now, Serena, tell me everything." She looked hesitantly at her parents and back at her. Machelle caught the glance, but her parents didn't.
"Would you excuse us?" she asked Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino. They nodded and left the room, dragging Sammy out behind them. "Are you more comfortable?" She nodded. "Okay, start at the beginning." "I started dating Darien when I was fourteen and he was nineteen." Machelle held up her hand. "Did you ever have—" "NO!" "Okay, go on."
"Well, we dated each other exclusively for three years, he told me he loved me multiple times, and then suddenly yesterday he told me to get lost, that he didn't want to see me anymore." She wrote for a moment, her brow wrinkled and looked up. "And your friends?" she asked.
Serena took a deep breath. "Well, right after I left Darien I went to tell them and the door was locked, dead bolted. That had never happened before. So I asked the kid who works there and he said that Raye, on of the girls, had told him to lock it to keep unwanted people out. Then they pulled up in a cab and told me that I was out. That they didn't want me around anymore." Machelle reviewed her notes and looked up at her. "Is there anything else? The smallest detail could help."
"They used to hit me. Not Darien, but the girls. They would hit me, give me bloody noses, trip me and accuse me of being a klutz." Machelle's eyes widened. "Did you take pictures?" Serena nodded. "Okay. Let's go meet your parents." They met up with the Tsukino's in the lobby. "I'll take your case. We have a very strong case here. I'll have the people on this list served with their papers and we'll get this show on the road." She turned to leave, but stopped and turned back. "Serena, I'll need those pictures." Serena smiled and nodded. "I'll get them to you tomorrow."
AN: Okay, Serena and Darien will be getting together in future chapters. I will explain everything, don't flame me and please review.
Serena glared at her reflection in the mirror. "Go away! I don't want you here anymore!" she shouted. The face twisted, seemed to change somehow. "You need me," it sneered. "You're weak. Pathetic. You're friends all accepted it, why can't you?" "I'm not weak," Serena sobbed. The face let out a harsh cackle. "You're weak. Pathetic. You can't do anything on your own. You pathetic crybaby." The words echoed ones she had heard time and time again. She sank to the floor crying. "You know it's true. I only want to help you become strong. You know what to do." When she looked up the face was gone, replaced by her own. "Serena? Are you okay?" her father called through the door. "Yes," she replied, wiping her tears. "We're late for our appointment."
****
Ilene grabbed her purse and her jacket and opened the door. The girls were standing there with their hands raised to knock. She stepped out quickly and closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here? You are not welcome here." Raye's mouth opened in shock. Usually Serena's mother was kind and soft spoken, but now, her eyes were hard and her lips were pressed in a hard line.
"What did we do?" Mina asked. Ilene's gaze snapped to hers like a bullet. "You know exactly what you did. Now, get off my property before I call the authorities." She stomped to the car and slammed the door behind her, glaring at the girls as they walked off. Serena and the others emerged a few minutes later. "Been waiting long?" Ken joked. One look at his wife's face erased the teasing note from his voice. He started to ask what was wrong but stopped when her eyes swung to Serena and back. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
Their lawyer met them at the entrance to her office. "You must be the Tsukino's. I'm Machelle Farrell. Please, come with me." They walked into the office and their jaws dropped at the décor. "Like it. I just had it redone. Please, sit down." She indicated the plush chair in front of her desk. "Sammy, right?" When he nodded, she smiled. "Do you like comics?" He nodded again and she handed him a couple of Sailor V comics. She sat down and got out a notepad and pen. "Now, Serena, tell me everything." She looked hesitantly at her parents and back at her. Machelle caught the glance, but her parents didn't.
"Would you excuse us?" she asked Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino. They nodded and left the room, dragging Sammy out behind them. "Are you more comfortable?" She nodded. "Okay, start at the beginning." "I started dating Darien when I was fourteen and he was nineteen." Machelle held up her hand. "Did you ever have—" "NO!" "Okay, go on."
"Well, we dated each other exclusively for three years, he told me he loved me multiple times, and then suddenly yesterday he told me to get lost, that he didn't want to see me anymore." She wrote for a moment, her brow wrinkled and looked up. "And your friends?" she asked.
Serena took a deep breath. "Well, right after I left Darien I went to tell them and the door was locked, dead bolted. That had never happened before. So I asked the kid who works there and he said that Raye, on of the girls, had told him to lock it to keep unwanted people out. Then they pulled up in a cab and told me that I was out. That they didn't want me around anymore." Machelle reviewed her notes and looked up at her. "Is there anything else? The smallest detail could help."
"They used to hit me. Not Darien, but the girls. They would hit me, give me bloody noses, trip me and accuse me of being a klutz." Machelle's eyes widened. "Did you take pictures?" Serena nodded. "Okay. Let's go meet your parents." They met up with the Tsukino's in the lobby. "I'll take your case. We have a very strong case here. I'll have the people on this list served with their papers and we'll get this show on the road." She turned to leave, but stopped and turned back. "Serena, I'll need those pictures." Serena smiled and nodded. "I'll get them to you tomorrow."
AN: Okay, Serena and Darien will be getting together in future chapters. I will explain everything, don't flame me and please review.