AN : Oh, relatively okay-ly timed update! Thanks for all the reviews everyone—this chapter is more Darien/Serena and such for you guys! Haha, next chapter will be juicier, I promise. Thanks for reading and reviews are much appreciated!
Iced-over-angel : Lol , much fluff in this chapter as well – well, maybe not too much, but yeah.
pepperspray : Yay! Another reader has fallen into my clutches !
serenity287 : This chapter is pretty long too … lol . Hope it doesn't get boring.
rave85 : Yes, it is Serena/Darien :D . My favorite couple ever.
anonymous : Lol , they broke up already :XX Maybe I should have made it more clear
iluvboys : Haha, thanks . Next chapter will be loads of D/S .
Kiminoke : Lol , yes finally ! I'll let you in on a secret : I'm going to try to get them together by next chapter .
DaOnleeSam : Don't worry you don't sound drunk at all xP ! And oh no , no more words :X Enjoy !
azncutee : I'm glad you liked it and aww , Andrew/Serena are okay … sometimes . But yeah , Darien and Serena all the way !
gracious : LOL ! Yes , Andrew sucks for what he did . I'm not sure if I should make him follow her around yet .
anonymous : Oh the profanity ! LMAO . Thanks :D
Marit : Oh thanks ! I tried to get it to flow but I dunno about this chapter because I was tired for most of the time I wrote it :X
Silver Moon Goddess1 : Aw , thanks . Hope you like this one too .
Becx : Thank you . I tried to get her to be believable and not all teeny bopper-ish .
LadyLillia : Why , thank you :D Hope I write up to expectations
Kiweee : Haha , yeah – Andrew sucks butt . Enjoy :D
TsukinoGoddess : Lol , yeah . We'll see how things turn out when she meets them again .
Disclaimer : I do not own Sailor Moon
Love on the Catwalk : Chapter 11
dizziified
Reason to Change #11 : Hello—celebrity boat party anyone?
"Serena, open the door before I bust through again."
"It's open," I replied. "You just messed it up yesterday when you rammed into it."
It was two o' clock in the afternoon, a day after Andrew's birthday and our anniversary. When I had woken up, I'd found myself tucked in bed with a glass of water and Tylenol on my side table. I downed it all quickly before moving on to falling asleep again.
And then waking up to cry.
And cry.
And cry and cry.
Then I went online and my God does news spread fast. Apparently there was paparazzo or something at the club because there were huge pictures of the making out Andrew and Mina, the angry, teary me, and me fleeing the scene. What I found out though was that Darien had punched Andrew and they had gotten into a fight before he came after me.
And then I'd climbed in bed and cried some more.
Seiya struggled with the door a bit before getting through and taking a seat on my mattress.
"Did you take the medicine?" he asked, running a hand through my hair. I nodded silently through closed lids.
"I bought an ice pack for you," he said, placing it on top of my eyes. "Wouldn't want your eyes to get overly puffy now."
"Egh," I grunted as it stung my skin. But after a while it felt a lot better; relaxing even.
"He's not worth crying over," Seiya cooed, continuing to play with my hair. "The next time I see him I'll sock him right in the eye."
"Leave him alone," I blurted. "It's not his fault."
"It's not your fault, Usagi." His tone left no room for argument.
"Yes it is," I stubbornly insisted. "If I'd slept with him he would have loved me more."
"Serena!"
"Well, it's true."
He sighed haggardly. "He was just a dick, that's all there is to it. He couldn't keep to one girl and that was his problem. You did nothing wrong and don't make anyone make you feel that way."
"I still think I should have slept with him," I grumbled.
Seiya gripped my arms and the ice pack slid off my eyes. He looked angry–livid even.
"Stop talking like that, Serena. I know that you aren't going to throw your virginity away like nothing and you are not going to speak of it so lightly ever again, understand?"
"But, if–," I blubbered.
"Do you really think it would have made a difference if you had slept with him?" he asked, tone softened.
"Yes," I replied curtly. But after a few moments I answered honestly.
"No."
And then I began tearing again.
"Shh," Seiya calmed, hugging me and rubbing my back. "Don't cry over that jerk. You'll find someone who loves you and only you, Usagi. Because you deserve it more than anyone I know."
I let everything out that afternoon; all my grief, pain, and sorrow. After everything was over, I made a vow to never cry over Andrew Bradshaw again and to completely erase him from my heart.
scene
"No, she will not take the interview–please refrain from inquiring about it again," Seiya snapped in his cellphone before aggregately shutting it.
"Who was it?" I asked, flopping over on the working table.
"People Magazine," Seiya answered with a roll of his eyes. "They wanted an interview."
"Hm..."
It was already Monday, the three days past the half-way mark between the breakup fiasco and my birthday. Seiya's phone had been ringing on end with interview requests and "my side of the story"; apparently it was hot news. Well, of course it was hot–a total Mina Aino scandal.
"Apparently they got a few words from Mina already," he said, sliding the phone away and resuming to his work.
"I wonder what she said," I pondered out loud, lazily kicking my legs back and forth.
I had been going to work with Seiya everyday now–just hanging around and giving my opinions and helping him carry fabric and such. It took my mind off things and I felt a lot better when I was around him and not staying around at home with only Luna for company.
Most of the girls from the project had either called or e-mailed about the whole Andrew-Mina issue and supported me all the way. It made me feel better and I was glad to know I had friends like them. I had lunch with Lita once and she helped me a lot too.
"I think I should do one interview," I decided.
Seiya put down his pencil. "Why?"
"I mean ... I don't want people to think that I'm this poor girl who got bested by Mina Aino and am now too hurt to even take on an interview about it. I want everyone to know that I'm fine now and that I've moved on and that I won't let it ruin my life by moping around."
"Are you sure?"
I nodded. "I'm ready to talk about it."
"If you say so," Seiya shrugged, starting to color in his sketch. "What magazine do you want to get interviewed by?"
"I don't know." I started thinking of all the different magazines. "The next one that calls?"
"O—kay," he replied, dragging his cellphone back over.
Just then, it started vibrating and ringing so I crawled over to peer at the screen.
"Who is it?" We both looked together and my face fell upon looking.
It was Mode.
"...Maybe the next next one," I suggested.
"Yeah," he agreed, denying the call and sliding it away.
scene
I started to fiddle with the hem of my skirt as I waited for the People interviewer to arrive. They had called again an hour after Modedid and they lucked out and secured an interview with me. I was to chat with the interviewer over coffee and cake and go in for a shoot tomorrow.
"Serenity Tsukino?" I looked up and saw a friendly-looking brunette in a navy dress-suit.
Taking off my sunglasses, I stood up to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Jones. Call me Serena."
We sat down, ordered coffee and cake, and settled in before turning to each other and smiling.
"Let's get started now," Ms. Jones said, taking out her recorder and saying the date, time, and title.
"First things first, how are you doing today?" she asked.
I smiled. "Pretty good, actually. The weather's really nice and that always puts me in a good mood."
"I'm sure you've read all the articles on your big break-up–are you and Andrew really through?"
"Yes," I replied without hesitation.
"How did you feel when you saw them together?"
"Of course I was devastated. I had found out that he cheated on me with Mina just three days before and I'd locked myself in my room until the afternoon of the party. But I wanted to make-up with him so Seiya helped me pull myself together and took me to the party. And then I arrive to see them together–it was like a stab in the gut. I never thought it could feel so hurt before."
"And what did you do after you ran off?"
"I did what any other depressed half-crazy girl would do–I went to a bar and got myself knackered; not that it took much to get me there since I'm such a light drinker. Luckily, Darien found me and got me home safely and Seiya took care of me from there."
"What was that whole Darien-punching-Andrew fiasco about? Is there something going on between you two that we don't know about?"
I laughed. "Oh, no. We're just friends. I would never start having feelings for someone while I was already in a relationship."
"What about now?" she pressed. "You're a free, single woman."
I shook my head. "Although I've moved on and left the whole Andrew-Mina issue behind, I'm not ready to plunge into a relationship just yet. And plus, Darien Shields does not like me so it's not even a possibility."
"And what got you to be so okay with the whole incident? I would be terminally depressed if Andrew Bradshaw were to cheat on me."
"Um...," I trailed off, finishing a bite of cake. "Seiya helped me a lot–he was constantly by my side and feeding me encouraging words. He helped me realize that it was not my fault and that I couldn't have done anything different to keep him from going to Mina. Many people called and emailed me and let me know that they were there for me. But I do believe that Andrew truly did love me–at least part of him did–but a part of him also still loved Mina and I guess that part won in the end."
"There have been rumors going around that you and Seiya...," Ms. Jones implied.
I burst out laughing. "Oh God, no. I love Seiya to bits and although it's true that we have gone out in the past, he's like a brother to me. I've known him my whole life and we're much much better off as friends."
"Does one of the things that you thought you could have done to keep Andrew involve sex?"
I faltered and gave her the eyebrows.
"There are rumors going around saying that you are a virgin and ..."
"Yes, I am a virgin." I confirmed. "And yes, sex was one of the things I thought I could have given him to make him stay–but you know what? I don't want to have to give up something so important to me for a man and if he really really loved me, he would wait."
"I have interviewed Mina and Andrew already and I must say that they're back together. Do you have anything that you want to say to them?"
"The me from a week ago would have wanted to scream and maybe even physically harm them–but the me now only wishes them good luck on their renewed relationship and hopes that they are happy with one another."
"Well, now that that whole issue is taken care of let's move on to..."
scene
After that, Ms. Jones had asked me questions about my career and where I felt it was going. It ended about thirty minutes later and we parted with a hug and air-kisses. The next day I zipped into the studio for the shoot and zoomed out before going home for a nice long nap.
When I came to it was already eight o'clock and my cellphone was ringing on end. Groggily I picked it up and muttered a haggard hello.
"Well, good morning to you, sunshine."
"Shut up, Seiya."
"Yeah, well," he started. "I'm not coming home today so I was wondering if you could come to the studio with my overnight bag."
"Hmm...," I nodded, scratching my head.
"Alright, see you in a few."
I groaned and snapped my phone shut before flopping back down into bed. Looking down, I saw that I was wearing a black slip... not very appropriate for going out in.
'Okay–I'm going to change into a shirt-dress, grab a handbag, toss in my wallet and cell, put on some flip-flops, take my keys off the rung, call for a cab whilst walking, lock the door, open Seiya's, get his bag, lock his door, get out of the building, take the cab to his studio, eat dinner, then come back home to feed Luna.'
"Let's go," I sighed and heaved myself out of bed and went into action.
scene
"Seiya Kou, you owe me big," I said as I dumped his bag onto one of his cutting tables.
"Thanks, Usa," he replied before kissing me on the cheek and zipping around the room, tidying things up.
"Where are you going tonight?" I asked him, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Partying," he answered curtly.
"And you need your bag because ...?"
He stopped and gave me the eyebrows. "Usagi, don't make me have to answer that question."
"What?" I retorted. "If you're just going partying why would you bring your overnight bag with you? ... Unless you're planning to sleep over at ... oh."
He nodded. "Sometimes you are just too slow."
I sniffed indignantly. "I'm sorry for being naive of the ways of a partying player."
"Apology accepted." Seiya grabbed his bag and pushed me by the small of my back to the door, switching the lights off as we passed the far wall. "Now scoot before I'm late."
"Sheesh," I replied. "To think that I came all the way here to get treated like this."
"I'm eternally grateful," Seiya replied mockingly with a fancy bow. "Now get out."
I stuck my tongue out before slowly making my way out the door and prancing to the elevator.
"Hold it," he commanded as he locked up the door.
"Sorry," I replied, closing the doors. "But I'm afraid I'm too incredibly cranky and tired to comprehend what you're saying."
"Usagi—."
"And the doors close," I said as they blocked Seiya from sight. "Hope he's later than he already is."
I know, I know—I was being pretty mean. But I was cranky and getting pretty hungry; totally not in the mood.
I felt my bag vibrating as I stepped out of the elevator and I paused to take it out before walking again.
It was Darien.
"Hi," I greeted as I accepted the call.
"Hey, Serena," he replied.
"Um… what's up?" I was a bit confused as to why he was calling me. "Did something happen?"
"I was wondering if something happened to you."
"… Huh?"
He laughed—he had a nice, deep laugh. "Didn't you get my note?"
"What note?" From when?
"I left a note that night I dropped you off at home," he explained. "About going out for chocolate smoothies and for you to call me when you were ready."
"And since I never called…," I started.
"Yeah," he finished. "But I heard you went out for an interview with People and figured—."
"That I didn't get the note, or something," I finished.
"Something like that."
"Um … so?" I trailed off.
"Breakfast tomorrow, then?" he asked.
"Sure," I smiled. "Where should we meet?"
"I'll pick you up," he replied. "How does eight sound?"
"Perfect. See you then."
"Bye."
I closed my phone and put deposited it back into my bag before looking around for a place to eat. There was a vegetarian place on the corner and an Indian food joint right next to it.
Mmm, I could smell the samosas already.
scene
"Shit," I hissed. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit."
I had overslept and it was already 7:30 by the time I woke up. I had jumped into a cold shower (didn't have time to let it warm up), torn a contact lens, misplaced my cell, and am currently sorting through my closet for a nice going-out-to-breakfast outfit.
Seiya's labels were still attached to most of my outfits and in the end, I opted for a red racerback tunic and cuffed denim capris. I swiped my hair up in a messy bun, put on my black and dark purple Gucci shield sunglasses, tossed on a long gold-chained turquoise pendant necklace, and poked on a pair of pearl earrings.
My doorbell rang as I was shoving my essentials into a white and gold leather clutch and I scurried out of the room to answer it. "I'll be down in a second."
"Meow." Luna looked up at me expectantly from her position on the floor.
"Shit," I repeated. I hadn't fed Luna.
I ran to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water and a can of cat food. I quickly pulled off the can top and dumped the contents into her bowl and emptied the small bottle into her water bowl.
"Gotta go, Luna," I said, giving her a small pet before running my hands through water and slipping on my white peep toe wedges, not bothering to secure the strap behind my heel.
I bolted for the elevator and repeatedly clicked the down button before using the wall for support as I properly donned my shoes. The moment the doors cracked open, I rushed in, closed the doors, and pressed the lobby button. It was a bit of a trip down so I quickly curled my lashes and dashed on some mascara.
'I hope he's not angry,' I thought as I fast-walked my way out the main entrance.
Darien was waiting outside, leaning against his car and smoking a cigarette. He snubbed it out upon seeing I was finally here and tossed the butt out somewhere in his car.
I wrinkled my nose. "Still smoking?"
"Just a bit stressed out," he replied. "Good morning."
I smiled. "Sorry for being late; I overslept."
"It's fine," he waved off, holding the passenger door open for me and closing it when I slid in.
"Where are we going?" I asked, buckling in.
"My friend owns a restaurant about twenty minutes away," he answered. "Just opened last month."
"Oh—sounds great."
He hummed in agreement and turned on the radio.
I don't know if it was because it was early or if it was because the classical music was so soothing, but in a matter of moments, I found myself fast asleep.
scene
"This is really good," I gushed when I finally paused from gobbling down a mountain of breakfast delight.
"Looks like my friend won over another customer," Darien commented with amused eyes.
Darien had woken me up and pulled the still half-asleep me over to a joint called Brown Sugar and the aroma alone made me bolt awake. The place smelled wonderful.
We were soon seated by a spiffy redhead and I mulled over the menu as she made suggestions and such. Everything sounded great and my mouth watered just reading about it. In the end, I went for chocolate-chip buttermilk flapjacks with raspberries on the side and let me tell you; it was heavenly.
"It's very…." I dragged the word as I searched for a way to describe it. "Where-have-you-been-all-my-life?"
Darien laughed. "Don't eat the place out of business now."
"I won't!"I exclaimed before succumbing and giggling alongside him.
"Well," I started, picking up a raspberry. "How's life?"
He shrugged. "Hectic."
Oh really? "How so?"
"I assume you've read about what happened after you left the club."
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Hm … me and Andrew haven't exactly been on the best of terms since then."
I frowned. "I feel really bad."
"Don't," he replied, giving me a meaningful look. "It was my fault if anything. I was the one who started it and you have no reason to feel bad."
"But—."
"So," he cut in. "How have you been holding up since then?"
I sighed; talk about change of topic. "Okay, I guess. I'm not all weepy anymore, if that's what you're asking. But still, it's like … you know?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"But I'm totally over it," I quipped. "I don't want to selfishly hold on to him when he's obviously in love with someone else. And I hope they're happy together."
He raised an eyebrow.
"What?" I huffed. "I am over it and I do want them to be happy—and they'd better be after all the drama they caused—just … maybe not so much around me. I mean, I can't see myself being friends with them but yeah …."
"Oh, they're happy," Darien assured. "You don't need to worry about that."
"How do you know?" I leaned in. "Do they go out a lot?"
"Not exactly …."
"Oh." Well, this was a no-brainer. "So they have sex all the time."
There was tension in the air as a strange silence came over us.
"Would you break up with your girlfriend if she never had sex with you?" I suddenly asked.
"Ah …," he trailed off, clearly taken aback by the question.
"I mean," I continued. "Is it that important to a relationship? Why can't you just be satisfied with spending time together?"
"There's nothing wrong with sex, Serena." Darien put aside his fork and sat up straight. "It's comes naturally in a relationship and I'm sure that you've been tempted to do it before. It's really … difficult to resist it when the relationship starts getting serious."
I frowned dubiously.
"When you really love someone, you start to want to give it to them." Darien's voice had softened and his gaze pierced into mine. I felt awfully insecure. "And when you meet the right person, you'll know what I'm talking about."
I sighed, rolling his words around in my head. "Why does this always happen to me, Darien?"
He reached over and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay, Serena. The right guy will come and, although Andrew's my best friend, he's a jerk for what he did and—hey, look at me."
I felt my eyes go wide when he lifted my chin with the hand that was on mine.
"He wasn't right for you," he finished.
"But—."
He shushed me by placing his thumb over my lips and taking in a warning breath. I shut up immediately—for a second there, he seemed … almost … frightening in a way.
He immediately turned the mood over with a grin. "Now, let's finish eating and I'll take you somewhere nice, okay?"
"Mm," I nodded before picking up my fork and stabbing a raspberry.
scene
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep up with Darien as he walked through the crowded sidewalk, dodging rushing businessmen and slow-moving grannies.
"You'll see," he answered without turning around.
After paying for breakfast, Darien led me back to the car and drove us over to an unknown destination. By the time I got out, I had no idea where we were—other than the fact that we were somewhere downtown.
"Here we are," he announced, holding open the door to a small store at the edge of the block.
'Pink Farrago,' I mentally read as I quickly glanced at the banner before stepping in. The tinkling of chimes filled my ears and I felt relieving waves of air-conditioning waft over my body.
"Good morning," a pretty Asian girl greeted.
"Morning," I replied. Darien simply nodded his head and nudged me forward; I got the message and started to walk to the nearest table display.
"Is there anything specific that you're looking for?" she asked, stepping a little closer from her position against the counter.
"Just looking for now, thanks," Darien replied.
She nodded. "Just holler if you need anything." She then flashed a small smile before walking off to help another customer.
"She's so cute," I gushed the moment she walked away. "I love that bleached patch in her bangs."
Darien laughed. "Hm, I guess."
"And this place is so … cozy," I commented, taking another look around.
The walls were painted white with different shades of pink trailing along in dotted lines, occasionally twirling and forming shapes. The clothes were arranged along clothing racks on the walls according to color and white glass-inset tables with different color dotted line designs painted on them formed a square towards the center of the store. Jewelry rests inside the glass coverings of the tables and in the middle of the room was a table of handbags, purses, and clutches. To the far right was a wall of shoes and accessories such as hats, scarves, and belts hung on random hooks along the walls. By the counter wall were framed articles and pictures of celebrities who had shopped here. Mirrors and paintings adorned bare spaces, making the look complete.
"Wow." I walked towards the closest goods—jewelry. "It's all so pretty."
"Well, you pick out whatever you want," Darien said. "I'm buying."
"What?" I turned around. "You already paid for breakfast."
He shrugged. "Think of it as your pre-birthday present."
I pressed my lips together for a few moments before giving in. "… Thanks."
"No problem," he waved off.
"This is all really under priced," I noted, picking up a vintage glass bead necklace going for only $40 when it could have easily gone for $100. "Who made this?"
"She did," Darien answered, cocking his head to the pretty girl from before. "She made almost everything in here."
"What?" No way.
"Yeah," he nodded. "She's known for affordable, quality goods. But the big-time fashion community overlooks her a lot because of it."
"Why do you know so much about her?" I asked curiously, looking up from the jewelry.
"Read an article on her," he shrugged.
I raised an eyebrow. "I figured you more of a black coffee and newspaper man."
"Ha ha," he laughed sarcastically. "Lucky guess on the coffee and newspaper. I only read it because I had nothing to do and it was lying there. And I dated her sister in high school so I kind of recognized her."
"Does she know you?" I asked, going back to the jewelry.
"Never really saw her before," he replied, prodding a ring. "Just heard about her from her sister."
"I see," I nodded. "I think I'm going to look at the dresses first."
"Nothing stopping you."
And so, I moved on to the dress rack—touching all the hem work and material. There were so many to choose from but in the end, I managed to fall in love.
It was a sleeveless that ended just above the knees. The bust area consisted of generally triangle shapes cups and of smooth black fabric with intricate dark gold embroidery. Just under was a semi-thick black velveteen belt portion to tie back. After that came the silky, flowing dark pink/maroon bottom.
One word: hot.
"I want this," I said, pulling it out.
"Do you want to try it on?" I looked up and saw the owner leaning against one of the jewelry tables.
"That'd be great," I answered.
"Right this way." She directed me to the far right back corner and opened the door to one of the changing rooms.
When I just finished changing, she knocked on the door. "Are you all good in there?"
"Yeah," I replied.
Suddenly, she opened the door and sat me down, whipping out a pair of black stilettos with a black blossom on the front and putting them on my bare feet.
"These look great with it," she explained. "You don't have to buy 'em—they're Betsey Johnson."
"They're cute," I said, tapping my feet together when they were finally strapped on.
"And these," she said, pulling out a pair of black clay rose studs and a gold band with an intricate design engraved on it. "Are some accessories I would wear with it. Your hair would look best, hm … down in waves with side swept bangs. Just some basic, light makeup will do—maybe some pearly pink or apricot eyeshadow."
"Oh, wow, you know a lot," I said—feeling a bit of déjà vu. It was like when Seiya had made me over!
She laughed. "Nah. Well, um, now, you can put on the ring right now but the earrings you'll just have to imagine."
I laughed. "Okay. Should I let my hair down?"
"Sure," she smiled before helping me neaten it out. "You look great. Now you can go show that guy you came with."
"I'm done," I said as I stepped out. "Does it look alright?"
"Wow," Darien said as he got off the bench he was sitting on. "That looks great on you."
I smiled and twirled around, walking around a bit and giving a short runway strut.
"You like it?" Darien asked.
"Love it," I replied, playing with the dress.
Darien looked to the owner. "I'll take all of it."
"Shoes and jewelry too?" she asked. Darien nodded and before I knew it, I was back in my own clothes and shoes and Darien was taking out his card at the counter.
"You are Darien Shields!" she exclaimed upon accepting the card.
"That's me," he replied, a bit startled at her sudden shout.
"You went out with my sister."
He nodded. "How is she?"
"Married some handsome rich guy; go figure." She rolled her eyes and handed back his card.
Darien laughed.
"And you!" She turned to me and gave me a start.
"Yes?" Man, that scared me.
"Don't you remember me?" she asked. "I was waiting for you to figure it out this whole time."
"Um…?" I turned to Darien for help but he simply shrugged. "Sorry, I don't think we've met."
"It's Jenn," she explained. "High school."
My eyes widened and I gasped. "Oh my God! Jennifer! You look so … so …!"
"Yeah, yeah," she laughed. "I dropped a billion pounds and my features matured."
"Oh my God," I repeated. "How are you? Well, obviously doing good with your own business and all."
She laughed again. "I'm doing okay—not world famous like the mighty Seiya Kou, but good in my own way."
"Your stuff is really good," I gushed. "Why are you selling it all for so cheap! It's worth so much more."
She shrugged. "I don't know. I like selling clothes that are actually affordable to the average woman."
Darien cleared his throat and I laughed sheepishly. "Well, yeah, we should be leaving soon."
"Hm," she nodded. "That's $155 for the stilettos, $160 for the dress, $25 for the ring, and I'll throw in the earrings for free."
"I'm serious," I insisted. "This stuff is really cheap."
"Yeah," Darien agreed. "I'll pay more—."
She laughed it off. "How about you guys pay me back with a picture?"
"Of course," Darien replied.
And thus, Jennifer took two polaroids—one of me and Darien holding our purchases and another of all three of us "for the family". I swiped a business card off Jennifer with her cell number on the back and wrote mine on her hand.
After shopping, Darien drove me back home and we circled around my block for a while, just talking. It was 2 when I finally got home and I immediately threw out Luna's old food and water before refilling it all and changing into a leopard print slip.
"Let's watch some good old T.V., Luna," I said when she landed on the couch next to me. "Cheese doodles?"
She gave it one look and pranced away.
I huffed. "Fine. No cheese doodles for you, Princess."
Thus began my eight hour T.V. run with breaks in between to refill, eat, and go to the bathroom. Needless to say, I had to peel my eyes off the screen and drag myself into bed.
It was midnight.
scene
"Meow."
I felt hard sandpaper against my face and I knew right away that Luna had managed to get into my room. I shrugged her off and turned over, trying to fall back to sleep.
"Meow, meow."
"Ugh, Luna," I groaned as I pushed her away.
"Meow."
I mentally sighed. 'Looks like it's time to get up.'
"Okay, okay," I said in defeat, pushing away my covers. "I'm up, I'm up."
As soon as I sat up, Luna jumped off my bed and padded her way out the door, following a mysterious path of tulip petals–my favorite flower.
"What is–," I started, but stopped when I saw a new pair of slippers and a black silk robe by my bed. A yellow post-it reading "Put it on" sat on the robe and obediently, I complied–pulling the robe over my leopard print chemise and donning the slippers before following the flowery path.
The path stopped at my living room table, where a warm mug of coffee and a plate of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon rested under a food protector screen with a post-it reading "eat" attached to it. Looking down at my sofa, I saw a post-it saying "sit".
"Seiya?" I called out, looking around to see if he was hiding somewhere. Nope, no trace of the man.
"Might as well," I said, plopping myself down and starting to eat my meal. I was half-way through when I heard beeping from the robe pocket.
It was my cell phone. A text message came in saying "look under the table". And so, I did.
There I found my remote control with a post-it reading "turn on the tv and press play". Putting down my fork, I followed the instructions and immediately, a close-up of Seiya's face came up.
"Okay, is this on?" he said before backing away and sitting down on his armchair. I took up my coffee mug and sat back to enjoy the tape.
"Good morning, Usa," he smiled. "By now you should have figured out that I was the mastermind behind this whole morning. First things first, happy birthday! You're finally 24! This going to be my interactive birthday card to you so just sit back and enjoy, okay?"
"Now, I've prepared an album for the occasion to take us through the years of friendship and all that good stuff." He got up and grabbed the camcorder, moving it to a table with a thick album on top of it.
"If you look under the sofa cushion to your right, you'll find this so you can just look along as I rave." I fished around for it and sure enough, there it was. It was a huge ivory album with a big "US" (Usagi and Seiya) imprinted on the cover.
"Now, onto the first page," he started. I flipped the cover and found a polaroid of a baby Seiya next to an infant me.
"This was taken the day that I first met you," Seiya said. "Don't we look adorable? All chubby and big-eyed like that. I can't believe that we were ever that small. Next page."
I flipped and saw four pictures of us about a year later.
"These were taken on your first birthday. We're both still chubby and innocent-looking. Don't worry–that's about to change soon."
I flipped with Seiya and saw four different pictures. One was us all dirty and muddy, another of us standing in a shopping cart together, another of us snoozing on a couch together, and the last one of us with playing with a cat.
"Oh man, the Terrible Twos," Seiya laughed. "We used to get in so much trouble for running around the house all muddy and playing with worms and stuff. I remember grabbing random cereal boxes and shoving them into the cart and getting in trouble for knocking things down. And look at us, all cute and cuddly on the couch. And do you remember Momo? My God; she died when we were like six."
And the pictures went on and on; from the appearance of my glasses and braces and Seiya's growth spurts and etc. There was us playing soccer, at gatherings, going to prom, in college, at a concert, on the runway, and so on and so forth. In the end, I had teared twice and laughed too many times to count.
"So," Seiya finished up. "Happy birthday, Usagi Tsukino, and stay strong and be happy. Go take a bath and follow the instructions from there."
I sat on the couch for a while, flipping through the album again before making my way to the bathroom. The bath water smelled nice—of lavender and a hint of something else.
"Ah," I sighed as I settled in, the warm water immediately soothing my aching muscles.
I think I fell asleep in the midst of shampooing and floating around. I felt great.
The lipstick-on-mirror instructions simply informed me that a limo would pick me up at eight and I was to be ready by then. Fruit salad was in the refrigerator and new DVDs in my T.V. cabinet and Seiya would see me there—wherever there was.
I had four hours to kill.
scene
It was seven on the dot and the limo pulled up right on time. The chauffer helped me in before running around to his side and pressing the gas.
I was wearing the Pink Farrago goods I had bought the day before along with a black clutch. I did exactly what Jennifer suggested—loose wavy hair, lip gloss, light blush, mascara, and pearly pink eye shadow. I am a total fashion robot.
"Where to?" I asked after a good 20 minutes of silence.
"Sorry, ma'am," the driver replied. "I was instructed not to tell you."
'Oh, so that's how it is?'
I began to imagine all the possible destinations—an upscale restaurant, Central Park, some sappy and meaningless location ….
And then I saw it.
"Oh my God," I gasped.
There were lights everywhere; on flashing cameras, swirling around in the night sky, and on the boat. Yes, the boat. It was a huge cruise ship type boat … but not so big. More like a gargantuan yacht.
The limo came to a halt at the beginning of the red carpet and I swear, all eyes turned to me and I actually got startled and pulled back a bit. The door opened and I trailed my eyes up the offered arm and smiled.
"Seiya Kou," I grinned. "What is up with all this?"
"You're 24!" he replied as I took his arm and the chauffeur closed the door behind us. "And you're fabulously famous now so I can throw a huge party for once."
I laughed. "It's all so … much."
"What are you talking about?" he asked incredulously. "This is pretty small. I only invited friends, family, and some people I want you to meet."
"And that little group is apparently enough to take up a whole party ship?" I retorted, obviously baffled. "And are those reporters?"
"HA HA!" he thundered. "Your party awaits."
We were assaulted by bright lights and questions as we approached. I truly felt like a celebrity—everyone was calling my name and trying to get me to look their way.
"Serena!" a woman called. "Seiya Kou told us only moments before that this was a surprise party…."
I laughed. "It sure is! When I came out I thought it would be a one on one thing and after pulling up I was totally shocked. I mean, I'm going to celebrate my 24th on a boat!"
"Serena!" another woman called. "It seems like you are in high sprits even after your breakup with Andrew Bradshaw."
"Yes, I have moved on," I answered. "Although it was a big blow to me—I mean, talk about bad luck with anniversaries. But I truly just wish them the best and I've learned that I need to do something to get men to actually stay."
"Serena, how do you feel about this party? We've seen designers, celebrities, and many models go buy during the past hour."
"Oh, wow," I replied. "Never would I imagine that I would be in the presence of so many great and established people. I mean, I'm still not used to people recognizing me while I'm grocery shopping and stuff! I just hope that everyone will have a good time and I've got this hunk of a man over here to thank for all this."
Seiya laughed and gripping me closer. "Now, I apologize ladies and gentleman but we don't want to keep everyone waiting now."
"One last question!" a frenzied man shouted. I was taken aback and turned to him in surprise. "Any words about Project LIFE?"
"Watch it," I replied and others laughed along with me. "But on a serious level, it was great to work with such wonderful people and I think it'll be worth your time to watch. It was fun and all but it also brings up many insecurities and issues that are a big part of society today."
With that, I waved goodbye as Seiya walked me to the ship steps. We paused a few times for pictures but that was it. My heart thundered with each step and I felt the adrenaline in my blood.
"This is so nerve-racking," I told Seiya when we were almost at the top.
"It's nothing," he replied. "Think of all the presents."
"Only you would say that," I laughed.
"Just relax." He smoothed my bangs over. "You look great and this party will be banging. Where'd you get the dress? How much—$500?"
"You won't believe it." I started to fish through my wallet and handed him the Pink Farrago business card.
"Pink Farrago?" he questioned, clearly amused by the name.
"Jennifer from high school," I replied and handed him the Polaroid we took.
"Jennifer…?" he questioned. "She's cute."
"Jennifer, one of my only friends in high school Jennifer," I elaborated. "Medium-length black hair, sometimes she wore glasses, kind of cute."
"Whoa, fat booby Jennifer?" Seiya replied, looking closer at the picture.
"She was not fat," I retorted. "Just slightly chubby—at most 140 lbs."
Seiya gave me the eyebrows. "That's fat."
"And booby?" I questioned.
"She had big boobs for an Asian," he retorted.
Hm … now that I think about it ….
I sighed exasperatedly. "Whatever. But get this—the dress was $160 handmade."
Seiya whistled. "You got a good deal."
"I know, right?"
Suddenly, the lights flickered on and popping sounds came out of nowhere.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
I outright shrieked. "Oh my God!" I had been so busy chatting that I hadn't realized that we had entered the dark top room.
"And now a word from our lady of honor," Seiya announced, handing me a mic.
I took it and looked out at all the faces. "Um … wow. I'm surprised to say the least, haha. Well, I just want to thank you all for coming and I'm already excited about all the catching up and chatting I'll be doing tonight. I want to thank Seiya Kou for hosting and funding this extravaganza because I'm pretty sure I'll faint after looking at the check for it all."
I paused until the laughter died down before speaking up again. "And I don't want to hear any 'are you okay?'s tonight because I'm fine and I'm ready to have fun! Well, thanks again and I hope you all have a great time!"
Everyone cheered and the ship tooted as it departed from the dock. Seiya took the mic and started his hosting duties.
"Well, the buffet table has been set up along the walls so feel free to eat all you want because there's plenty of food. There are tables outside so feel free to venture but please stay on the upper level if possible. There is a bar to the right and champagne will be going around but hands off to you kids out there! The ship will circle Manhattan and re-dock at 12 but don't worry—there are gift bags for everyone and that alone will make it all worth it!"
There was more laughter and thus began the party of my life—the photos, the people, the surprises, and of course, the mountain of presents on the gift table.
scene
"I was wondering when I would see you."
I had spent the night thus far feasting on sushi and catching up with family and friends. Seiya introduced me to a wide range of designers and I engaged conversation with many celebrities—mostly A-listers (of course).
"Serena, happy birthday." Darien greeted. "I see you're wearing what I bought you."
I nodded. "I love it."
"That's good."
A silence settled over us as we looked out at the Manhattan skyline, cocktails in hand.
Darien broke it first. "Your party is pretty scandalous."
"Scandalous?" I laughed, turning to him. He was in his signature black attire with a white tie.
"Mhm," He took a sip of alcohol. "Lots of people were kicked out because they weren't on the invitee list. Including Mina Aino."
I almost choked on my drink. "She tried to come to my party?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"After what she did?" I asked further.
He nodded silently and took another sip.
"Is she stupid or something?" I blasted. "How the hell did she think she was going to get in—no matter how famous she is."
Darien shrugged. "That's what she's like—very clueless and attention-grabbing. But it's all an act to get more publicity. She isn't that dumb."
"Hm…," I nodded, trying to understand what he had just told me. "Pulling the Jessica Simpson, eh?"
"It works."
"But—."
"Forget about it," Darien waved off and pulled something out of his inner blazer pocket. "Here."
"What is it?" I asked, trying to get a closer look at it.
"Happy Birthday," he replied, handing it to me.
"Oh, wow." It was a large black vintage glass blossom on a black chord.
"Here," he took them out of my hands. His fingers were large, much thicker than Seiya's, and warm despite the cool breeze from the moving boat.
I stood silently as he shifted my hair over one shoulder and fiddled with the necklace clasp to put it on. I could feel his fingers on the back of my neck and his warm breath made my hair stand and a chill tingled my spine.
"There," he said, pulling my hair out from under the chord and putting it back into place.
I turned around and gave him a small smile. "Thanks."
"It's nothing."
I took a sip of my cocktail and returned to looking at the skyline. "It's beautiful."
"Yeah." I was startled to hear him so close to me.
I turned around and my nose flicked his chin. I giggled nervously as I felt his chuckle ramble off his chest.
After a few moments, I looked up and silence overcame us when Darien turned his gaze down to mine. Never had I noticed how dark his eyes were. Our faces were so close—just a little and—.
"Usagi? Where are you?"
The moment was broken and I quickly broke the gaze with a blush and awkwardly maneuvered myself around the man before me.
"Seiya, I'm back here!" I cried before turning to Darien. "Nice seeing you … and thanks for the necklace."
Darien lifted his drink my way and nodded before turning to look at the view once again.
"Usa, there you are." I turned around and felt Seiya grab my arm. "Look who I found."
"Jenn?" I asked confusedly, looking at the woman next to him. "How'd you—?"
"Darien called me up and invited me after," she explained. "And man, this party is bangin'! Happy Birthday."
"Thanks," I smiled. "You look great."
"Nah," she blushed. "Nothing like you."
"You do look good," Seiya insisted.
And she did. I seriously still can't believe how skinny she got—a serious Hilary Duff transformation, except more. She looked great in her deep red dress and chic short hair.
"Darien," I started but stopped when I turned to see that he was gone. Where did he go?
"Anyway," Jenn started. "I was just talking to Seiya about my stuff…."
scene
The party was a blast and it was 2 when I finally got home—to Seiya's apartment I mean. A few men were hired to bring all the gifts upstairs and in a while it was just the two of us. After changing and washing up, Seiya insisted that we open a few presents right away. He kept track of who got me what while we oohed and ahed over presents and put others on the 'what-were-they-thinking' pile.
Not even half-way through, I insisted that we go to sleep. I was exhausted and we decided to squish into Seiya's bed instead to sleeping on the hard floor sleep-over style.
"Good night, Seiya," I said. "Thanks for today."
"Hmm…," he trailed off. "You owe me a kiss."
I smiled tiredly and kicked him gently. "Shut up."
end Love on the Catwalk : Chapter 11
AN : Hey guys—hope that chapter was okay. I fit a persona of me in there if you haven't noticed. And no, I am not an obese girl with no friends. I just basically used just my name and little things about me. Pink Farrago is mine ! LOL . Hope you liked and REVIEW please !