Serena arrived to school an hour and a half before it started, a personal best. The only problem was, her uniform looked wrinkled, her eye make up would've been better off nonexistent, and she had gotten less than an hour of sleep the night before. And when she finally did sleep, Jadeite and a melodramatic prince flooded her dreams. She groaned as she dragged her feet down the walkways at the school. Her eyes brightened when she spotted the school's latest attempt to build morale, a coffee kiosk. That was the name, actually, Coffee Kiosk. She leaned on the counter and ordered. "Large, two sugars, two creamers."
The redhead behind the counter grinned at her. Damn morning person. "Serena, 7:30? Aren't you like, three hours early?" he asked, while grabbing a cup from under the counter.
"Jason, Just because we dated for, like, a day, doesn't mean I won't jump over this counter and beat your sorry ass with the coffee machine," Serena growled listlessly. Jason's eyes widened, and Serena's narrowed dangerously. He got the hint.
A minute later, Serena was walking the halls with a free cup of coffee; Jason had insisted it was on the house. Serena sipped her drink. Mmm. Sometimes a history as a speed dater and being a bitch really pays off. Then she realized she hadn't had a real boyfriend in a year or so. Not since…NO Serena! She mentally scolded herself for almost thinking about him. Darien. She groaned again, this time out of anger than lack of sleep. The boy was just too hot and infuriating for her own good. In the closet, she enjoyed his attentions, but outside of their little room of lust, they repulsed each other. ARGH! She hated her life sometimes.
Halfway through her Columbian comfort, her eyes caught sight of a mirror. Joy, the outside reflects the madness within. She immediately went to the bathroom to reapply. She walked out looking considerably better and a slight smile on her face. But that was before the one who was the cause for the majority of her stress, or at least half of it, came waltzing out of the principal's office with a satisfied smirk on his face.
Darien rolled out of bed at about six. He picked up a duffel bag and a banana. HE walked out of his lush apartment without a spare glance for the furniture. He ate the banana in the elevator going down from the penthouse, which was quite a long ride, even on his own private elevator. He threw the bag in the trunk of his sports car and sped off toward Juban High.
Darien took weightlifting three days a week before school to keep up his average. IT was a perfect 5.0, but why risk anything? The class also gave him a chance to workout for credit, which was a plus. He didn't think anyone realized how much work goes into being one of the hottest guys in Juban High School and one of the smartest AND Tuxedo Mask.
So he endured the stupid coach harassing him to join the football, track, soccer, baseball, ping-pong, whatever-the-hell tem he wanted him too before he went to the showers. Darien found that with his social calendar and his nightly romps with Sailor Moon, there was not much time for anything else. But luckily, even though he did all of these things to keep his mind busy, his frantic phantom princess still exercised her visiting rights in his dreams.
And now there was also Jadeite, who had called the Sailor Scouts out to a…battle to the death or something like that. His ego was slightly bruised at the fact that he had not been directly challenged, but wherever Sailor Moon went, so did he. Not that it annoyed him, mind you. He was more than happy to help the almost hapless heroine when she was in danger, except when it interrupted his meetings with Serena.
Ah, Serena he thought while in the shower. (Not in that particular way, hentai…not yet anyway.) She was by far the most confusing thing in his life. Even the psycho princess in his dreams was kind enough to say what she wanted. Serena he had no clue about. Yesterday she had asked him 'why.' He had absolutely no answer to that question. Of course, he loved spending time with her in the closet because she was attractive. But, then again, there were many other girls in the school who would love to do the things he did with Serena with him. And they probably wouldn't call him a jerk five minutes later.
God, I'm completely screwed up. He got out of the shower and into his school uniform. He placed his workout/sleeping clothes in the duffel bag and carted it back to his car, where he traded it for his school bag. He retrieved a folded up piece of college-ruled paper and grinned at it.
He still wore his grin when he walked into the principal's office.
"Serena! What's going on?" Darien said jovially to the young girl in front of him. She pursed her lips and glared at him.
"What were you doing in Miss Meioh's office?" Serena demanded.
Darien smiled. "Well, since you had a meeting with her about Homecoming, I figured I should too."
Serena continued to glare openmouthed at him. "What? You know I was lying about that, jerk!"
"Yeah, I do. And now Miss Meioh does too. She said she would try to think of a punishment and call you in later," he said simply. Her mouth gaped open as she glared more daggers at Darien. "She liked my ideas, just so you know."
"What ideas?" Serena demanded again. Darien revealed the piece of paper. Serena reached for it, but he lifted it above her head. When she went back to her feet, he lowered it. When she reached for it again, he lifted it up higher. The 'game' continued for ten more minutes, until Serena's eyes watered up and her mouth quivered. A vision flashed in Darien's mind of Serena reaching up and yelling 'jerk' into his ear, causing permanent damage. He put the paper in his open palm, and she smiled and snatched it away.
Serena's bright blue eyes scrolled the page. Her face contorted different ways as her reaction changed to different items on the page. "This is crap! You so need help! Preferably mine!"
Darien gave a derisive snort. "Me, need your help? I think not!"
"You have 'Playboy Bunny Day' on here, moron!" Serena pointed out, shaking the paper in his face.
Darien scratched his temple. "Yeah, Meioh didn't really like that one…"
"See? Ha! You need me!" Serena smirked and then stuck out her tongue. Darien grinned and took her tongue into his mouth. Serena squealed in surprise and then finally melted against Darien. Serena's tongue was no longer unresponsive and Darien's was joining it when they heard a cough behind them. They slowly separated and turned around. Their scarlet faces were met with the stern countenance of Principal Setsuna Meioh.
"Mr. Shields, care to explain what you and Miss Tsukino were doing just now…outside my office?" she asked in a fake sweet voice.
Darien looked helplessly to Serena and she looked pointedly from him to Miss Meioh. "Uh, um, Serena asked me if her teeth were discolored from the coffee se was drinking," he said, waving his hand at the cup in Serena's left hand.
Seeming to accept the answer, Miss Meioh said, "Miss Tsukino, I see you've been looking over Mr. Shields Homecoming Week ideas. What do you think of them?"
"Well, they're good, but a few of them could use some work," Serena stammered.
"I wholeheartedly agree. Which is why I can't wait to get the revised version on my desk tomorrow morning, along with you two," the principal said with a smile. Then she tapped her finger to her chin, "Odd how you kids have discovered away to tell teeth discoloration with your tongues." She walked away without another word.
Serena and Darien were sitting alone in the lunchroom. No normal person was at school this early still. Serena had a sheet or paper in front of her with ideas jotted down on it. Every once in a while she would look up just to glare furiously at Darien.
"Oh, come on, Serena! She was the only one that saw!" he said, annoyed. Then his voice softened. "Forgive me?" he asked, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.
She stared him down severely and thought for a minute. "Okay…" Darien immediately grinned. "…on one condition. I want to ask you something."
"Shoot," Darien said, rocking back on his chair legs to think.
"All right. Say…you're a preschooler. Age-wise, not mentality, you've already got that covered." Darien scowled. Serena smirked. "Okay, so, you're in preschool and there's this bully. And, you're like, his rival. Now, the bully wants everybody's…graham crackers. And, you start to think; maybe if you willingly give him your ener—graham crackers, then maybe he will just be happy with yours. But, if he takes yours, then you won't be able to help everybody else!" Serena said all of this very quickly and then let out a large breath. "So, what would you do?"
Darien thought for a moment with a confused look on his face. "Well, I think I would try to first convince the bully to do with his own crackers. Then, if not I would offer him my cookies, and then kick his ass."
Serena started laughing loudly. Her head fell forward onto the table and began to try desperately to keep breathing.
"Ami! Ami!" The bluenette turned around at the sound of Serena's voice.
"Hey Serena!" Serena smiled at her friend. "So, did you make a decision?"
Serena's smile never faltered and she replied, "Yeah, I want you and Rei to meet me at the temple at about…nine o'clock."
"Um, ok. Isn't that a little late, though?"
"No, it'll be fine. I've gotta get to class. I'll see you then!" Serena hugged Ami and ran off.
Well, there it is. Next time:Showdown with Jadeite.