A Normal Teenager
By: Lillian
Chapter Six
Serena stretched her arm outside the window, idly playing with the air pressure as the car sped at nearly sixty mph. In front of them was the empty road. She leaned against the leather seat and lazily smiled. She was finally leaving that school, with the bonus of Darien Shields acting as her chivalrous prince. The radio was blasted on high, a smooth sounding song playing. Darien seemed focus on driving, not bothering with small talk. Serena just wanted to enjoy the moment of freedom. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. She glanced down at her plastic strapped watch. It was close to lunchtime.
They had been on the ride for a good thirty minutes now. She was so used to everything being nearby. City living spoiled her. And if traffic was an issue, she'd merely take a helicopter. She gasped when Darien took a sudden turn. "I didn't think places like these existed in Cali," she said. "It reminds me of down the shore in Jersey when I last visited there." She stuck her head out the window as they passed a sign that said they were at Main Street. All the buildings were so quaint. She just loved it. Flower pots decorated the sidewalks, and even more flowers outside the window sills. The long strip of road appeared to have all the public attractions. Restaurants and antique stores were littered by the dozens. Serena stuck her head out and watched the people walking along the sidewalks. She took a deep breath, distinctly smelling the aromas of a nearby bakery and… the tangible scent of salty sea.
"What are you, a dog?" Darien asked, glancing in her direction for the first time since the road trip.
She immediately sat back fully into her seat and folded her arms. "Just when you were being nice, you just had to open that mouth of yours."
Darien slowed down his black Lexus and parked to the side of the road. "You got any coins on ya?" he asked, his hands searching his pockets.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Let me check." She grabbed her wallet from within her canvas tote and pulled out a quarter. "Why hello there, Mr. Washington!" She unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out of the car. She strode over to the meter and inserted the quarter.
He smiled. "Thanks. All I had were pennies." He wrinkled his face in disgust, but his smile reemerged. "So Serena Claire, what do you want to do first?" He walked over to her and she was shocked when his warm hand gently grabbed a hold of hers. She didn't bother to let go.
"Umm, I am a bit hungry," she admitted.
"Alright. I know just the perfect place."
It only took a few minutes until they stopped in front of an old style diner. Once inside, their waitress led them to one of the red leather booths. With the menus in front of them, Serena immediately lost view of Darien's inquiring face. She skimmed through the lines but her eyes didn't comprehend what the words said. Her heart kept pounding and her stomach felt queasy. Was it because she was hungry, or the fact that she was on a date with one hot guy?
A long finger tilted her menu back, and she was met with his dazzling, midnight blue eyes. She held her breath and gave him a weak smile in return. He was leaning forward on his seat, elbows propped onto the small table. He had removed his tie somewhere inside the car, leaving the first two buttons on his white, short sleeved shirt unbuttoned, and revealing evenly tanned skin. His lips were parted slightly in his trademark grin, showing off his straight, white teeth. Hard to believe that this guy wasn't a famous actor or model but just an ordinary student.
"So what are you getting?" he said, interrupting her thoughts.
She bit her lower lip. Although it was close to noon, she never ate breakfast and was craving pancakes. She soon found something that made her smile.
A thin blonde waitress made her way over to them, her unpractical black heels clanking with each step against the linoleum floor. She whipped out a notepad from her dingy looking apron and plastered on a fake smile with those dark red lips of hers. Her smoke stained teeth made Serena look back at her menu in revulsion.
"Anything to drink, dearies?" she said in her squeaky soprano voice. Pen ready, her dark beady eyes focused on Darien.
"A glass of water for me, thanks."
The waitress nodded and wrote this down. She then turned to her. "And for you, miss?"
"Um, a glass of orange juice is fine."
The waitress was about to leave before Serena called out, "Oh, I'm ready to order."
The waitress stopped in her tracks and slowly, painstakingly turned around. "Sure," she drawled out, fake smile quickly replacing the look of annoyance on the woman's face. "Watcha want, hun?"
Serena set her menu down. "I'll have three pancakes topped with strawberry sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream."
The waitress raised her eyebrow at the amount of food but jotted it down all the same.
Darien smirked before setting his menu down. "I think I'll have the same."
The waitress picked up their menus and sashayed back towards the counter, leaving Darien and Serena to themselves. Serena began to fiddle with her knife, rocking it back and forth with her index finger as it clanged to each side against the white napkin. She sneaked a glance at Darien, who had his head propped up by his arm, staring at her in what appeared to be amusement.
"So how do you like school so far, Serena?" he asked her politely. He folded his arms in front of him and leaned forward against the small, wooden table. Their heads nearly bumped into each other, but she was quick to draw back.
"It's alright, I guess," she said hesitantly. "I've met a lot of friendly people."
"Well of course. You met me," he said haughtily.
"Well, you were the first unpleasant person I met. You're slowly redeeming yourself in my eyes though," she said.
"Tell me more about yourself," he said, reaching out to hold her hand that rested on her lap. She blushed and non-too-delicately shoved his hand away from under the table.
"There's not much to tell," she said. "I like the colors pink and white. I love to go shopping—,"
"You don't seem like the type," he interrupted, staring down at her messy attire."
"I like shopping for books," she quickly added. She nudged up her glasses for an extra effect.
He grinned and shook his head. "You know, I don't get you."
"I… don't know what you mean."
"There's something about you, like you're hiding something from everybody." She didn't like the way he was looking at her, observing her from waist up. "Tell me, Serena. Don't you ever get tired of the social dimensions our school has? I'm sure it's the same in your public school as well." He began to stare out the window, giving her a chance to stare incredulously at his side profile. He had nice cheekbones….
She shook her head. What exactly did he expect her to say? She never attended school until just now. Why did he suddenly want to have a semi-intelligent and thought provoking conversation now? She scrunched up her nose, trying to figure out the correct answer to the question. He seemed to notice her hesitance as he began to laugh.
"You just don't want to admit it, do you? After all, we're both at the opposite ends of the spectrum."
She gave an unsure nod. Her stomach grumbled again as she smelled strawberries wafting from the kitchens. Oh, how she wished her food would just show up.
As if a fairy godmother was looking out for her, the waitress pushed the swinging door open with her hip and emerged from the kitchen holding a tray with their food and drinks. With steady hands, she placed the two plates on the table, as well as the drinks. "Enjoy, guys," she said, handing over two straws for their drinks from her apron.
They thanked her and began digging into their food. Lunch continued with small talk as the two of them focused on their meal. They discussed classes and homework. Darien was quick to remind her of their upcoming study session. As if she would forget that. With their plates nearly empty, Darien asked for the check. He placed his Visa credit card and handed it back to the waitress before she could protest.
"What kind of guy would I be if I didn't pay for your meal?" he said to her in a teasing tone.
Back outside, Serena squinted against the sunlight. She wished she brought her sunglasses with her as she saw Darien don a pair of Chanel sunglasses.
"Alright Serena, what do you want to do next?" he asked, once again holding her hand. They walked along the small shops, peering into musty windows and seeing odd displays.
"Seeing as I've never been here before… everything!"
He laughed. "We could go to the beach, if you want? They have some rides at the boardwalk, and vendors with cotton candy." He winked at her.
"I'd like that," she said honestly. She breathed in the air. "I can smell the ocean from here."
He nodded. "It's not that far off, but it's easier if we just drive there."
The drive to the boardwalk only took five minutes. They easily found a parking and got out of the car. Serena grinned happily as she watched the water wash onto the shore, and then recede. "Let's look for shells!" she said excitedly.
He laughed, shaking his head as he followed her. She turned around and grinned. "I love the beach," she said.
"I know the perfect spot," he said. He began walking faster. "Come on, I'll show you."
Serena kicked off her black school shoes and held them in her hand. "Wait up," she said. She removed her white socks and placed them inside her shoes before she ran after Darien. He stood at the waters edge, standing along some large rocks. He stared at her bare feet.
"Keep the socks off, but put your shoes on. We're going to have to do a bit of a trek," he said, showing her his own shoes.
She put her shoes back on, hoping they wouldn't get too ruined as she began climbing up on the slimy rock. Darien held out his hand and helped pull her up. She stared down at the dark blue water, which reminded her of Darien's eyes. "It's so pretty," she said, spying the sea creatures below.
"Yeah, it is, but wait till you see what I've got to show you." They climbed over some more rocks, leaving behind the laughing children and sun tanning women. "The rocks act like a natural barrier," Darien started to explain. "It keeps all the annoying little kids out, so it's more peaceful, not to mention clean compared to that part of the beach."
She was about to respond but immediately slipped. Her world came crashing down as her face zoomed in close against the barnacle covered rock. She cringed and closed her eyes before meeting her doom, yet strong arms wrapped around her waist and held her close. "You alright?" he whispered near her ear, his breath tickling her delicate skin. Her face felt hot, knowing that her cheek was resting against his firm chest.
"Yes, thanks for that," she said. She straightened her posture and let go of his warm frame. She looked down at the ground, embarrassed that she nearly fell. She pleased to know, though, that Darien had held her before anything horrible happened.
He held onto her hand again. "Just a little bit further," he said, his voice comforting her.
He helped her step down from the ledge of the rock and was met with smooth, white sand. She looked around and laughed in delight. She dropped her canvas tote from her shoulder and kicked off her shoes, running towards the sea foam green water. Darien soon joined her, watching as their feet slowly sank deeper into the wet sand.
"How'd you find this place? It's like a little paradise."
He shrugged. "I had a lot of free time during summer vacations."
"It's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing this place with me."
She closed her eyes and relaxed for the first time in a long time. She pushed away her anxieties and just listened to the calming roars of the waves as it gently reached her legs. She felt Darien beside her, just a few inches away. She glanced up at him and smiled. He gave her a warm smile back.
"I wish I brought my bathing suit."
"I wish you did too," he said, an impish grin on his face.
She slapped his arm playfully. "You would, wouldn't you? Well, I'm not a tease. It's not like I'm gonna swim in my underwear."
"What a brilliant idea." He left her side and began to walk further into the beach area. She couldn't stop watching him as his hands began unbuttoning his white shirt until it revealed chiseled chest. He put his hand behind his head and stretched for a bit, showing off his six-pack. She wanted to go over there and just touch the toned skin of his. He began unzipping his pants and sliding them down his legs. Serena immediately looked away, covering her eyes as she did so.
"I can't believe you're doing this," she said. "You done yet?" She felt him run past her, and then heard a splash. Droplets of water sprayed onto her school uniform, and all she could do was blink in surprise. "You jerk," she said. He started laugh, and she joined in.
"The water's great," he said, splashing some more water in her direction. She removed her eyeglasses and began to clean off the lenses with her cotton shirt.
"I don't have a bathing suit," she reminded him. "I'll just play in the sand, build a sand castle. Anything besides getting wet." Her feet made slopping sounds as she walked through the wet sand.
"Aw come on, Serena. It's only me around. You're not wearing a thong or anything, are you?" he said. "I honestly wouldn't mind," he added, half jokingly.
Who did he think he was? Serena gave Darien the dirtiest look before she angrily took off her top, revealing her light pink, Victoria's Secret bra. She unzipped the plaid skirt and let it fall to her ankles. She inwardly smirked as she saw Darien gulp. Was that fear in his eyes? Oh, she was going to enjoy this. She wasn't known as one of the best A-list actors for nothing. She stepped away from the heap of clothes and calmly walked towards the ocean, swaying her hips ever so slightly.
"It's not polite to stare, Shields," she grinned. She waddled toward Darien until the water was above her waist. Taking a deep breathe, she jumped at the balls of her feet, then plummeted down under the water. She sprang back up again and gasped for air, tying up her wet hair in a messy bun as she did so.
He shook his head, a look of wonder on his face. "I really don't get you, Serena."
"Aw, do I confuse that little brain of yours?"
His response was sending a big wave of water at her. She retaliated as she pushed the slightly cold water in his direction.
They pair got out of the water after an hour of frolicking and dunking the other further into the water's depths. Serena's fingers felt wrinkled and once she fully emerged out of the sea, she began to shiver. She was just glad that it wasn't a windy day. The sun was still bright overhead.
She put on her skirt, despite the fact that she was still soaking wet. Darien sat roughly onto the sand next to her. He leaned back and supported his bronze body with his arms. He drew his head back and shook the wet bangs that partially covered his dark, ocean blue eyes. He appeared to be staring at the sky. She didn't know why though. It was a cloudless day today.
She started to build a sandcastle, although her first attempt looked more like a mound of wet sand than anything else. As she placed the finishing touches of her second, more regal looking castle, a thought suddenly came to her. She immediately stood up, wrecking her hard work in the process. Darien looked up at her in alarm.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he too got up and brushed off his black cotton boxers.
"I totally forgot about classes," she said. She bit her lip. She was already failing math and now she skipped it!
"It's a Thursday, Serena. Everyone skips Thursdays and Fridays, especially if the weather is so nice like today." He didn't seem to understand why she was so worked up.
"Well I'm not everybody! I can't be like you, skipping all the classes and not getting in trouble for it."
He shrugged. "We only had math and English today, and I'm in both those classes with you. I'll just tell the professors that you were with me. Simple enough."
Her tense shoulders began to relax. Darien's hand reached out and brushed against her skin as he pulled up the thin, pink bra strap. She turned her head and watched as his hand gently rested against her shoulder, then back at him.
"Thank you," she said. "For that… and getting me out of trouble."
"It's no problem, Serena. I don't want you worrying over something silly like school when we're out on a date."
She blushed. To have him reaffirm that this was in fact a date made her happy inside. "Yeah," she said.
He peered up at the sky again, squinting his eyes as he did so. "It's getting late," he said. Wanna just walk around the boardwalk, maybe get something to eat?" he asked. She nodded. "Then we could catch a movie," he continued. "We should be back at school around nine or ten. That okay with you?"
"Yeah, that's fine," she said, glad that she didn't have to make any plans. Her skirt was damp still, as was her bra. She felt uncomfortable wearing wet clothes. Hopefully it'll dry while they walk along the boardwalk. Her white shirt stuck to her skin. She sighed in dismay, noticing that the fabric was see-through when wet. She rubbed her feet against the other, getting rid of the sand easily enough. She put on her shoes sans socks and picked up her tote. Darien had already put on his pants and kept his shirt open in the front. He sat on the sand, putting on his shoes and tying up the laces. Once he got up and turned to walk towards the rocks, Serena couldn't help but giggle.
"What is it?" he asked, turning around. She pointed at his backside. Sand stuck to his dark pants where he'd sat. He chuckled slightly before wiping off his butt. "Better?'
She shook her head, still laughing. "Yeah," she said. "Now help me get up on that rock."
Darien half climbed up on the rock and stared back down at her. Serena held out her hand, waiting to be pulled up. Darien did so, and the two began the short, yet rocky walk back to the main beach.
Once they reached boardwalk, Serena was quick to notice the large amount of people out and about. Darien seemed to notice her confused look and smiled. "It's late in the afternoon, Serena. A lot of people get out of work and bring their family's here."
The rest of the afternoon was spent eating corndogs from a nearby vendor, and then braving out the rides that littered the boardwalk. They had even played a water gun game against each other. Serena was proud to say she easily won. She even got a large, pink teddy bear out of it.
"It wouldn't have been gentlemanly of me if I didn't let you win," he said in defense. She just stuck her tongue out at him and showed off her large bear for all to see.
Now they settled back inside Darien's nice car, dry from the day's earlier events. She put the giant bear in the backseat and fastened her seatbelt.
"Still up for that movie?" he asked, turning his head and placing his hand on her seat as he began to slowly back up the car.
"Yeah, of course." She held back a yawn. "I don't want this day to end."
"Glad to hear it."
"I'm surprise you actually make decent company."
He rolled his eyes. "I can't say the same for you. Always being mean to me." He shook his head dramatically. She punched him lightly in the arm. "Oh, the abuse I put up with," he added before grinning widely.
They went back up to Main St. and parked in front of an old style theatre. Serena looked up at the glowing letters and froze. "What the hell…?"
Darien put the car in park and stared out her window. "Huh. Serenity Blair marathon. Should be good. I love all those movies."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "Say Goodbye to Yesterday, Frozen Kiss, Apocalypse… you actually watched those chick flicks?"
"Apocalypse isn't a chick flick," he pointed out. "And I have a mother who always drags me to those kinds of films. They aren't that bad."
She laughed. "Wow, aren't you one-of-a-kind, huh?" She was honestly slightly nervous to watch any of her films. It embarrassed her whenever she'd watch herself in a movie or see herself on the TV.
"I've been told I make good boyfriend material," he joked.
She coughed into her fist. "Sure." She got out of the car and closed the door behind her. She walked over to the box office, Darien right behind her.
"Two adults for Frozen Kiss, please," Darien said to the young man behind the counter.
Serena rolled her eyes. "Frozen Kiss is THE number one chick flick out of all of them. Honestly, you don't have to prove anything. We could just watch something else, like X-Men III or something."
He grinned. "Nah, that's okay. I like chick flicks." He winked at her. "Just don't tell anyone. I don't want my masculinity to be questioned."
She eyed him up and down. "As if that would ever happen. You're the epitome of maleness," she said blandly.
"Why thanks, Serena," he said mock-cheerfully as he paid for the tickets and handed hers to her. "Well come on. It's gonna start in a few minutes and I don't want to miss a second of it." She smiled. He had readily paid for her ticket. Who was she to insist upon paying?
She was surprised to see the theatre packed with couples occupying the theatre's seats. "This movie's over a year old. I don't understand why there are so many people here," she said as they found two empty seats at the far side of the darkened room.
Darien shrugged; a box of popcorn in his hand. "It's a good movie," he said. "You want some?" he offered, holding up the box towards her face. The smell of the buttery junk food made her feel sick.
"No thanks."
In the middle of the movie, Darien leaned closer towards her. She held her breath, thinking that he was going to kiss her. Her eyes focused on the screen. She saw herself in a white outfit, her blonde hair blowing amidst the pure snow that fell around her. It was the part when she was waiting for her lover to come home. She remembered filming that scene very well. They used real snow. That white silk dress and that wet snow did not mix at all. After several takes, the dress was ruined.
"You know," Darien whispered into the shell of her ear. "You sort of look like her."
She began to panic.
"You even act like her. You twirling in the water back at the beach, her in the snow."
"Are you saying I should be the next Snow Princess?"
He chuckled softly.
"Besides," she replied. "I look nothing like the Snow Princess. She beautiful," she admitted. At least, that's what everyone would tell her when dressed as her old self. Staring into the mirror, she just couldn't agree. The faults just screamed out to her. Now, with her transformation of being a school nerd, the imperfections were more noticeable. A pimple here and there, a small scar just above her right eyebrow that she got when she was three. Perhaps not ugly, but she wasn't beautiful.
"But you are beautiful, Serena Claire," he said, his voice serious.
Her heart began to beat louder. Was he going to kiss her? She almost wished he would. She felt him pull back, but his warm hand was soon placed above hers. She turned her palm upward and entwined her fingers with hers. She couldn't agree more; Frozen Kiss was becoming one of her favorite movies, all because she has a dark haired guy to share the moment with.
"I had fun today," she said. They had driven back to the school directly after the movie. She was just so tired; she couldn't help but yawn on the way back.
Darien had walked her back to her dorm. He smiled back at her. "I'm glad." He leaned in closer to her. The scent of roses and the sea breeze filled her nose. She held her breath in anticipation as his lips found hers. Her palms were sweaty and she couldn't help but feel nervous as well. It was soft as his lips lingered over hers. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his free hand roam her back as the other cradled her head in support. Gently, he pulled back, his eyes still shut. Serena parted her lips and touched them lightly with her fingers. The tingling sensations she got whenever Darien touched her were hard to ignore. Did she even want to?
Darien held her small hand in his and gave her butterfly kisses against her pale skin. "Goodnight, Serena," he said with warmth in his voice. He gave her a wide grin before turning back and walking towards the boys' dorm.
She stood there at the entrance of her hall, dumbstruck. She leaned against the stone pillar, staring as his tall figure calmly walked to his hall. She didn't expect today to be so wonderful. A tap at the window brought Serena back to reality. It was the matron-in-charge, giving her a dirty look. It was already dark out, with the lanterns strung about the campus giving off a yellow glow. All she could see of Darien now was a mere shadow in the distance. The woman rapped at the windowpane again. With a sigh, Serena pushed open the heavy oak doors and walked towards the elevators.
"You're cutting it close, Missy," the matron said; her dirty brown and mixed gray hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. If she remembered correctly, her name was Professor Lass. She was the same woman that caught Mina from going to some Dresden Dolls show. Serena nodded as she passed by the woman and pressed the up button to the elevator. "Goodnight, Professor Lass," she called out.
Ching! The elevator doors opened and Serena stepped in. "Goodnight," she said respectfully. The doors closed and she watched as the lights lit up once she passed the first three floors. The doors let her out once she reached the fourth floor. The watch stated that it was ten at night. She made her way to the bathrooms first. Mina was probably asleep already. School was tomorrow, and both of them had early morning classes. Too bad for her, she still had to do her homework.
"Serena?" Mina's sleepy voice said out in the darkness. "What are you still doing up? Its…" she paused, looking at her alarm clock, "two a.m.! We have class tomorrow."
Serena put her pencil down on her desk and sighed. "I'm sorry, Mina," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you." She rubbed at her eyes. The numbers in front of her were blurring into something unrecognizable. "I never got a chance to finish my math homework." She yawned.
Mina groaned and faced away from the light that was on her desk. "Just go to sleep and copy Amy's. Where'd you go anyway?" She had stuffed her head under her pillow by now. Serena dimmed her desk light and tilted it further away from her roommate's corner.
"Went to town with Darien," she replied. She paused. She was just dying to get it off her chest and tell one of her friends. "He kissed me."
Mina shot out of bed incredulously, tangles and frizz all over her once French braided hair. Her yellow blanket barely covered her pajama clad knees. "He kissed you?"
Serena put her glasses down on her desk and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. He totally surprised me when he… kissed me." She felt so conflicted. She liked Darien, but at the same time, she was afraid of him getting too close to her. After all, she was playing a role and she wanted him to like her for who she really was. Yet that just seemed silly, since was playing a nerd and that meant appearances didn't mean much to him. Still, she felt like she was lying to Darien all the same. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't help but look glum.
Mina appeared wide awake now as she swung her legs over to the edge of the bed in a sitting position. "Did he hurt you? He didn't take advantage of you, right? I know Darien could get a bit touchy, but he isn't the type to pull anything like that…."
She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. He just gave me one simple kiss… and it was perfect." She sighed again and leaned back onto the plastic chair. "But I'm scared, Mina. What if he sees me later and plays it off like nothing ever happened? He doesn't even know me and I don't want to get hurt. I don't know what to do. I don't even know if I can consider us a couple, or if there's even an us."
Mina got out of bed and walked over to her. With her long arms, she reached out and gave Serena a comforting hug. "Oh Serena, have faith in yourself, and in him. Darien may be a playboy, but he isn't the type to go out with a girl and then another girl the very next day. Darien's actually quite particular on having quality relationships that last. If he took you out today, that means he does like you on some level. Who knows? Maybe one day, you could say that you love him, and he loves you."
Serena couldn't help but feel the tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Mina for getting worked up like this," she sniffled. She swatted at the wet droplets. "After all, it was only a kiss. It's just… I never felt like this before. I was never in this given situation and I—"
Mina drew back from her and stared her directly in the eyes. "You mean you've never kissed a guy before?"
Serena blushed. Of course she had! All of them were in front of cameras with fellow actors. None of the kisses, however, were shared on a more personal level.
"Oh wow. You're first kiss, and it was to Darien Shields." Mina sat back onto her yellow and orange hearts themed bed. "Go you, girl!"
"Mina," she whined. "Promise me you won't tell anyone. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. If Darien's going to play it cool, then I'll pretend nothing happened between the two of us as well."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'd yell at him and show him just what he's missing out on," Mina advised. She snuggled her pillow and yawned. "We'll talk about this later when my brain's actually functioning. Goodnight, Serena."
Serena picked up her pencil and sighed morosely. "Goodnight Mina." Just five more problems to go, but her brain couldn't concentrate on the numbers. All she could think about was Darien Shields.
Author's Note: Fifteen pages of Serena/Darien goodness! All for you lovies:D Please review! I'm sad seeing all those hits not matching up with the reviews. But that's life, huh? Thanks for the continuing support everyone!