"So let me get this straight. First, he saves you like a knight in shining armor and gets a black eye in the process, then he kisses you in the math room after saving you, then you guys go at it in the school library!"

"Shut up someone will hear you!" Serena giggled, bringing a hand to her eye to wipe away the tear, and smacking the air hockey puck back at Mina with the other. "And oh, you forgot the part where he asked me out," she added, enjoying the look on her friend's face.

"I knew you were going to hook up with him," Mina winked happily, shoving another quarter into the table. Serena threw her an inquiring look.

"Oh come on, Rena, it was obvious. I can always tell when that stuff is going to happen to you. It's weird, too bad you can't do the same for me," she trailed off, arching an eyebrow. Serena stuck out her tongue.

"Do you think it's weird? What happened?" Serena asked, seriously.

"Weird? How so?"

"Oh come on, you don't think practically making out in the school library with my tutor is weird? Not to mention the fact that I met him, oh, 24 hours ago? God, that was a cheap shot, by the way."

"Was not, and I guess it maybe is a little weird, but if you're with the right guy, nothing could be wrong, you know?"

"That's what I thought…but afterwards, I don't know, I was wondering if he would think I was a slut or something. I just can't get over the fact that I met the guy all of 1 day ago."

"Serena, the guy came on to you, twice, at school. If he can't wait until you're on a date to make his move, he's obviously a bit into you."

"Well, I'm in to him, that's for sure," Serena admitted, cursing as Mina managed to slide the puck in at an opportune moment.

"Everyone is into Darien Shields. This girl came up to me today and asked me if I could arrange for you to talk to her, because Darien was around you so much. Not to mention, Rei's got huge eyes for one of his friends. The guy is just magnetic."

"But I don't want everyone to be into him," Serena whined.

"Well there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Besides, it can't be all bad. Chances are people will kiss your ass now that you two are going on an actual date," Mina laughed.

"Knock it off, it's not like I told them to talk about us! There wasn't even an "us" until this afternoon, er…..morning….I think….see my point?" Serena asked, frustrated with the whole of the high school.

"I know, I just think it's funny how you are so mad about it, and yet you make out with the guy after school on a bean bag. And you can't tell me that having Darien Shields wouldn't be worth enduring a little gossip."

"We didn't make out!" Serena hissed.

"Right, I know. "It was a few gentle kisses strung together"," she laughed, and dropped her smacker, having captured the final goal from an obviously preoccupied Serena. "Listen, it will be fine. Darien doesn't think you're a slut, and you're the best person I know at ignoring gossip. Now, let's go grab some chocolate shakes and go over to your place to pick out what you're going to wear!" Serena sighed, and happily obliged.

Though there were only two days left in the week before Friday, Serena was certain they were the longest days in her life. It was quite horrifying knowing that she had an actual date, with one of the most sought after guys in the senior class. Serena was just about positive that she couldn't have made it through without Mina. In those two days, she suddenly became aware of just exactly how much people talked about Darien. Serena hated social standards, and hated people who were at the top of them and acted like jerks even more, but she did find it pretty damned amusing to be dating a guy that many of them would have killed to have, for a plethora of reasons. The following two of which, were her favorites.

Serena, unlike some of her fellow peers, was not a slave to fashion, did not go out and buy designer clothes, or even listen to pop or hip hop (which, apparently, according to a lot of the student population, is music). In fact, Serena didn't like blending in with the crowd. She didn't go out of the way to be different, but she expressed herself, and that's the way she liked it. While many girls fussed with mini skirts and high heels, Serena was perfectly comfortable in her tan pin striped pants, and flat soled high tops.

Amy had recently told Serena that Darien's uncle was the CEO of Shield Co.. Now, this was just an assumption, but Serena was pretty sure Darien had money. Not that she cared…in fact, if he was homeless and looking for a place to stay, she was pretty sure she'd offer him her bedroom. However, she could definitely see that many of the girls were more interested in his car and wallet than she.

All in all, her attitude generally relaxed, as she realized that she had nothing to fear. This feeling was a good one too, for her thoughts were often what picked her apart. Most of which, were about past relationships. Her past escapades had been fine while they lasted, but both times ended up with the unsystematic dump, that left her scarred. Serena and her first boyfriend had broken up and gotten together so many times, that her friends hadn't even bothered asking if they were together. They simply noted if they were sitting by each other in the cafeteria every day. What made the situation even sadder, was that Serena had kept going back to him. And if it couldn't be any worse, this was the same guy who's friendship she was now fretting about. Now it seemed like he was only around when he was in a desperate situation, and she was sick of it. No wonder she kept thinking about the past, it was still around to haunt her in the present.

It felt, at times, as though she had a dependency problem when it came to these types of things. Either that or she had just been involved with some really inconsiderate guys, who simply enjoyed hearing her talk about how she cared for them because they couldn't get their first pick. Yet at the same time, Serena felt she was different than other people, in the sense that she was deep and sincere, which made her fall harder. So what, either she had a psychological dependency issue, or she made it a habit to date assholes? Neither explanation sounded really appealing.

As she sat on her bed, thinking about all of this, Serena recalled what Darien had said about fulfilling a dream, finding something you love, and doing something fun. The sun was setting through her open window, and those thoughts were definitely enough to give her some hope. Those same inspiring thoughts, along with a few others, brought sweet dreams to her that night.

Her Friday started with the jolt of her alarm clock. Serena's eyes, and nearly every other muscle in her body, begged for another 30 minutes of sleep, but already excitement broiled in her chest like hot oil in a cooking pan. Prolonging her awakened state slowly brought the rest of her self to the harsh realization that she was going to have to get up.

The carpeted flooring was soft, and she quickly passed over it to her closet. The weather was nice, thought it was early and a bit cool. As a result, she pulled on a wide leg trouser, and a thin long sleeved shirt, making a mental note to grab her lightweight button up sweater for the walk to school. Serena didn't spend a lot of time on appearance anymore, but she still didn't mind looking nice. After grabbing some socks, she started on her makeup, and fixed her hair.

She swung her canvas backpack over her shoulder upon finishing, and headed down the creaky wooden steps quickly. Serena immediately popped open the fridge in search of a pick me up, curing her drowsiness with a coffee drink. She tried to ignore her mother, who was offering to make her breakfast, and was reassuring her that even though she was still in her bathrobe and was yawning feverishly, her cooking would be speedy.

"No worries Mom, not much of an appetite in these morning hours," she chirped, rather high-pitched. The voice took both her and her mother by surprise, and she snapped open the back screen door before she could ask her why she sounded rather like an excited chipmunk. Hopefully that would be gone before she got to school.

Laughing at the image of herself talking to her teachers in such a fashion, she pulled her headphones out of the flap on her pack, wrapping them around her head. Bright leaves of all shades of gold and red fell around her. The crunch of them snapping under her suede sneakers wasn't audible over the energetic rock harmonics thrumming through her ears. A soft wind blew her long loose curls behind her as she continued to hike down the street, humming and singing to get rid of her chipmunk friend. The tan sweater hung limply on her shoulders, and she crammed her audio player into one of the pouched pockets. Serena utilized this time to ponder about where she would be going tonight. There were 100 places they could go, but Darien didn't seem like the "dinner and movie" type of guy. Perhaps he didn't even have a plan. Serena frowned slightly at that possibility. She hoped he did have a plan, because she sure didn't.

As she neared the school, the sidewalk crowd thickened, and she followed as they trickled into the building. After stepping inside, she noted that the school wasn't scorching, as it had been earlier week. Apparently the administration was either running out of funding for that too, or they had decided that it wasn't necessary to heat a building to 80 degrees in late September.

Serena ambled down the hall towards her locker. Many students were occupying the hallways, choosing not to sit in their homeroom for any longer than was necessary. A dark, tall guy was leaning casually against the wall, his back to Serena, whilst talking with 2 other guys. One of the others looked quite familiar. Serena's eyes wandered back to the tall guy's back. He was wearing a thin, loose, muted green sweater, and brown shoes. As she approached, Serena suddenly felt like an incredibly big moron. The tall guy was Darien, and he looked finer than silk. He kept running his hand through his hair, and looked like he was in deep conversation. The dilemma then arose. Should she stop and say hi, or keep walking, playing it cool? Maybe she should try to catch his eye and smile. Whatever she did, she'd have to do it fast. Turning down her music, she decided not to interrupt their conversation. Too bad the bloody hallway wasn't wider…

Relieved that she didn't feel his eyes on her when she passed, the feeling didn't last long.

"Darien, isn't that her?"

"What? Shit! Did she hear me?"

"I don't know man, but go talk to her."

"I'm going to." Serena smiled to herself. A series of scuffling noises followed, and a warm hand touched her arm softly.

"Serena, hey!" she spun around rapidly, glad to be with him. Perhaps a bit too rapidly, for she hadn't braced herself for the impact he would have on her. The weight of her backpack was enough to pull her backwards. He looked unbelievably good. His hair was muffled, the front flipped over, in a defiant fashion, and it barely manage to reach his gorgeous blue eyes. The thin wired glasses were still present, and their frames made his eyes even more distinct. Even with the purple shadow encircling his eye, he still managed a look of perfection.

"Hi," she breathed, relieved that she had sung on the way here. He smiled, and cocked his head. Serena noticed a small diamond in his ear. Darien turned, looking back at his companions in question, obviously wondering if they minded if he left to hang out with Serena.

One of them, a sandy brown haired guy with a boyishly handsome face, was leaning on the shoulder of the other, looking rather amused by the situation. Why did Serena get the impression she knew him? He raised his hand in question, gesturing to Serena, seemingly keen on an introduction. Darien threw him a look, and received an equally challenging one in return. He turned to Serena, his facial expression hard to read.

"Care to meet a couple of losers?"

"Why not?" She stepped forward slowly, feeling rather like she was being scrutinized.

"This is-"

"Serena! Darling! Good to see you!" The one that had looked familiar and wanted to meet her removed himself from the other's

shoulder and grabbed her hand, shaking it violently. It slowly occurred to her who he was. "I'm-"

"Jamie." He gave a staged look of surprise at her knowledge.

"Why, yes! How did you know?" Serena smiled to herself, wondering if Rei would kill her or worship her for this.

"My friend talks about you a lot. Rei Hino."

"No kidding?" Jamie asked, smiling. "She's in my gym class. But listen, Darien lied, we're really not losers, we're the loves of his life truthfully," he turned to Darien, who was laughing with his hand over his eyes. The blonde next to Jamie spoke next.

"Course he'll never admit that. We just thought we'd let you know up front, fair play you know." Serena was surprised to hear a British twang on his speech. "I'm Chris."

"Hey," a moment passed. No one moved.

"Did we scare you?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Sorry, no…that was a nice touch though," she pointed to Jamie's hands, which were still clasped like a damsel in distress. He laughed, it was rich, and Serena instantly liked him.

"Damnit…" Chris muttered. He smiled, and leaned against a row of lockers. "What're you listening at?" he pointed to the headphones still around Serena's neck.

"Oh, Weezer. You like them?"

"LIVIN IN BEVERLY HILLS!" Jamie squawked.

"Christ Jame, you didn't tell me you sang with Weezer," Darien grinned.

"Yeah, it's a living," he shrugged nonchalantly, and Serena made a mental note of the many stares he was attracting from the girls in the area. All 3 of them were in fact, good looking (Darien of course being Serena's favorite, by far). Jamie and Chris were quickly thrown into a debate about which Weezer CD was the best.

"Oh come on, the entirety of 'Make Believe' is naturally brilliant," Chris laughed. Jamie merely guffawed at the statement.

"Seriously, Island in the Sun is better than all of Make Believe by itself."

"That's because it's the single! Besides, I'd much rather listen to those, than that!"

"Look at that! Holy crud!"

"Whazzat?'

"At your face! Sucker!"

"That was lame."

"I know." Serena could see why Darien found these 2 entertaining.

"Do they do this the entire time you're with them?" she askedloudly. Darien caught on.

"Only when they have an audience, especially a female audience." Jamie waved his hands in front of Darien like a mime before flicking him off.

"Watch it, chap, there's a lady present!" Chris interjected.

"Oh shut up you, you…."

"Yes, what am I?" And with that, Jamie slapped Chris playfully across the face and was gone in a flash. Chris grinned.

"Later man, and nice to meet you love," he winked, and bolted down the hall after Jamie. Heads turned at the pair, several students even following them outside.

"Well, that was Chris Lexon and Jamie Fitch, you either love 'em, or really, really don't," Darien sighed, despite the small smile on his face.

"I admire them," Serena answered dreamily. Darien cocked an eyebrow.

"Why's that?"

"Are you kidding? They are incredibly gifted. With all that they pull, never getting harped on by teachers? If I had that luck I'd be at home sleeping right now!" It was the truth. Darien smiled at her comment. Serena decided it would be a good idea to add that she didn't finish her math homework for that day. "Hey I was meaning to tell you, about my math, I-"

"Remember what I said the other day?"

"Of course."

"Then do it. You can't concentrate on school unless the whole of yourself is ready and willing, which is very hard to achieve. This weekend, I want you to have the most fun in a long while. Don't you dare even bring up school unless I tell you too," Darien demanded. Her insides warmed at the understanding.

"You're a good tutor Darien."

"Thanks."

"Hopefully you can help me in more ways that one," she shot, a quirky smile swinging on her lips. Whoa Serena, where did that come from? It had been a long while since she had flirted with a guy with any serious intentions. Part of her wanted to crawl into a hole, but the bold, exterior that was her shell refused to back down, and instead looked up at Darien through her bright eyes. The corner of his mouth arched upwards, eyes ablaze, for but a moment. Darien opened his mouth to say something back, but bit back his tongue just as quickly. He had the distinct impression that if he tried to speak he might say something a little less than civil. He swallowed instead.

"Your bag looks heavy, do you want to go to your locker? I want to see where it is anyway," he offered. Serena shrugged, and nodded. In truth, her bag was a little heavy. Darien followed her down the hallway and around the corner. Her locker was on the end of a clump outside one of the art rooms. She was grateful, for the 194th time that year that it wasn't stuck in the cornucopia of gray rectangles, so she didn't have to search for the thing.

She stopped in front of it, opening the door with a creak after spinning the padlock unnaturally fast, Darien leaning on the neighboring locker, watching. Textbooks and 4 ring binders lined the bottom, and paper folders were stuffed randomly on top of them, so as to create a makeshift shelf. Sheet music was scattered about randomly, and the door was covered with pictures of family, friends, band logos, things that interested, and dates of importance.

"I like this spot," Darien announced.

"Me too, except for…"

"What?"

"Guess who's locker that is," she pointed to one a few lockers away.

"I wish it was mine," Serena felt her heart twinge painfully.

"Jake Bohan's." Darien scoffed, heatedly, cursing aloud, and Serena quickly mentioned that at least he was gone until Wednesday, causing him to calm down. Darien glanced into her locker again, eyeing the sheet music.

"You play?"

"Violin, yeah."

"Really? God…"

"You like that?" She inquired, hopeful.

"Music is amazing, I admire musicians on all levels." Serena was bewildered.

"It's not often I hear a guy say that…granted I don't know if I deserve your respect, I'm not a Mozart Jr. quite yet," she added. Darien looked at her seriously before handing her the sheet music. His hand lingered on hers, and he unexpectedly took it into his own. She could feel her head spin again. This really would get to be a problem….one of these times she was going to pass out. His eyes peered into her own.

"You already have it, more so than any other," he bowed his head, his eyes genuine, his voice sweet. She couldn't help it. She blushed. If the bell hadn't rung at that moment, Serena would have fainted. Around them students hurried to class, but she didn't care if she was late. Right now there was only Darien. He leaned forward, to her ear.

"See you tonight," he murmured. He backed away, reluctantly releasing her delicate hand, which fell limp at her side. She managed a nod. She saw Jamie and Chris fly through a pair of doors at the opposite end of the hallway, entering from outside. They called out to Darien before taking off down the hallway around the corner. He looked over his shoulder, then took one last look at Serena before bolting after them. Serena backed slowly towards her door, and came into contact with something.

"You're tardy, McGinnis!"

"Yeah, yeah I am…" she answered hazily, before waltzing past her towards her seat. The bewildered teacher shut the door with a snap.

Serena smiled to herself, as Mina harassed her for the millionth time that afternoon about the upcoming evening. Groping inside her locker blindly, she came across an unfamiliar piece of paper. She pulled it out, discovering a carefully folded piece of notebook paper. "What's that?" Mina questioned protectively. All afternoon the girls had been asking her fairly annoying and bothersome questions, though when Mina had asked if she was still a virgin, it had been enough to crack all 4 of them up.

Serena folded back the page, and found a message sprawled neatly across the back in thin printing.

Serena

I haven't told you where we're going tonight, but I thought I'd better

tell you this; prepare for anything.

Can't wait,

Darien

"Not sure," she replied, a little late for Mina's taste, and handed her the note as they began to exit the building.

"Do you think…well…what do you think?"

"I have no idea what he's talking about…"

"Well have a good time, let me know how it goes!" Mina jeered.

"Thanks, I'll call you later this weekend." The two parted ways, Serena heading home. She glanced at her watch, knowing it was only 3:30. She had a few hours to burn. She took a leisurely route home. As she walked down the sidewalks, she decided that she had better eat something, in case Darien planned on getting food later. After purchasing a small sandwich wrap at a nearby café, she munched happily the rest of the way home.

She was just finishing as she walked up the driveway and around the patio to the back door. After wrestling with it for a moment or two, she decided that it was indeed, locked, and grumbled further, for she never could get the blasted thing to open without severe turmoil. Finally the door clicked open, the spring causing it to recoil sharply. Apparently no one was home. Serena didn't mind the time to her self, and after pacing around the house for a few minutes, decided on watching a movie. And thus, she spent the next several hours in the living room, lazily sipping a soda.

AN: This was shorter, and a LOT less interesting than other chaps…I apologize, and hope you liked it nonetheless.

(ThisBurningHeart)