Invalid Response - Chapter 2
by Una Moonstar
ANs: Well, here we are again, with another installment. Thanks to everyone who's been reading, and even bigger thanks to those of you who've left reviews! Feedback makes Una a happy author... Enjoy!
(fade out...)
(begin chapter...)
Serena skipped into the arcade that Friday after school humming a happy little tune under her breath. She noticed Andrew behind the counter cleaning up a small spill and keeping a subtle eye on a group of boys hanging around the crane game. The girl headed for the apron-bedecked man. "Hey, Andrew!" she chirped.
His head snapped toward her at the sound of her voice. A brief flash of panic crossed his eyes, unnoticed by the girl now standing in front of him. "Hey there, Serena. You seem to be in a good mood. What's up?" He smiled slightly.
She grinned. "The girls and I are getting together for a weekend-long slumber party at the temple where Raye lives. This is going to be a blast! Lita's going to make us tons of goodies, and Mina's bringing over her killer music collection, and Raye of course has a heart-stopping array of mangas at her disposal - or better yet, my disposal!" She giggled. "The only real downer is that Amy only agreed to stay for the whole thing if we agreed to spend some time studying. I guess it's not too big a deal, and it's worth it to have Amy lighten up for a whole weekend, but I hate studying!" A sigh escaped the petite girl's lips as her shoulders drooped slightly. "Oh, well," she said, quickly regaining her enthusiasm, "it's going to be a wicked cool time anyway! I'm meeting Lita, Amy, and Mina here, and then we're going to make our way over to the shrine. I can't wait!" Serena's eyes lit up like a night sky in her excitement.
Andrew smiled indulgently. Serena's zest for life always brightened his day. "I hope you guys have a really good time, Serena. I'm pretty sure you will."
"Thank you! I'm going to play some Sailor V while I wait. Talk to you later!" She waved and bounced off toward the games.
Andrew breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She hadn't asked that time. He wasn't looking forward to telling her the information he could about Darien. Although thinking about it, he supposed it was better than the complete truth. The blond arcade worker could imagine Serena's reaction to the news, this girl who always seemed to take other people's pains as her own, and he didn't want to be the one who put out that light in her eyes, however briefly. Well, Darien had spared him that. If only he could avoid telling her anything.
The doors flew open as he finished his ponderings, and in walked three girls he was beginning to know quite well. The tall brunette led the way, talking animatedly with a shorter blonde that somewhat resembled Serena. Just behind the two chatterboxes came a smaller blue-haired girl with her head stuck in a large textbook, nimbly avoiding obstacles while seemingly completely absorbed by the material in front of her large blue eyes.
"Hey there, Andrew!" the brunette called cheerfully, her sparkling green eyes matching his own in color. "Is Serena here yet?"
"Hi, Lita. Over by Sailor V," he responded with a small smirk.
"We should have known," the blonde girl said nudging Lita in the ribs with a huge smile.
"Oh, I don't know, Mina," the blue-haired girl cut in. "I'd say there was an equal possibility that she would be eating a hot fudge sundae either at the counter or in her favorite booth."
Mina sighed. "Could you save the technical talk for when we study, Amy? School's out, and it's time to cut loose and have some fun!" She pulled the book out of the startled scholar's hands. "You don't get this back until study time." The blonde then handed it to Lita who put it in her school bag.
Amy sighed, and placed her now free hand with the other on the handle of her satchel, and gazed around resignedly. She noted the empty stools at the counter, making a note to mention it to the others later. They had all been a bit worried about Darien's somewhat uncommon disappearance, but it was not the time to bring it up. "Why don't we grab Serena and get going. Raye's expecting us."
Just then, the bubbly blonde with the unique hairstyle they had come there to meet skipped over. "Hi, guys! Just finished a quick game! Let's get going!"
"Alright!" Lita exclaimed. "This is going to be great!"
As they were about to leave, Serena stopped. "Oh, wait a sec. I've got to make a quick stop at the hospital." Andrew cringed. "I promised one of the new kids, Crystal's her name and she's such an angel, that I'd bring her a treat today for being a good girl for her new doctor yesterday. I guess she's been really tired lately and they're trying to figure out what's wrong." Her voice dropped. "I hope it's nothing serious." She sighed.
Amy silently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "No problem, Serena. I can pay a quick visit to my mom while I'm there if she's not too busy." Andrew flinched again. "What about you guys?" she asked, turning to the two taller girls.
Mina shrugged. "I'll tag along. I've always loved visiting the kids. That was my favorite part of the charity work I did as Sailor V."
Lita smiled. "I'll head to the temple then and tell Raye what's going on. Otherwise we'd be in for an earful."
The others laughed their agreement, and they all headed on their way, separating at the corner. Andrew watched them go, offering a silent prayer for Darien that none of them would stumble upon his suffering friend until he was ready, if he ever would be.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Two hours later found the five girls stuffing themselves while listening to loud dance music that blared from strategically placed speakers around the family room in the housing area of the temple.
"You wouldn't believe the fuss Chad put up when I decided I wanted surround sound in here. He insisted on choosing all the separate components, and placing them himself. He spent three hours straight making sure the sound was perfect and every single connection was secure. And he's still been tweaking it for the last two days. 'Trust me, I'm a musician. I understand the value of quality sound.' I wonder about that boy," Raye declared as she shook her head. The others discretely smirked and shared knowing looks until the raven-haired priestess raised her face from the table.
"Oh, come on, Raye. You have to admit, the sound is good!" Mina said. She had checked out the temple assistant's choices and work when she had first arrived and found them to be good.
Raye neglected to respond and chose instead to focus on the plate of beef tips and gravy on a bed of egg noodles in front of her.
"This is great, Lita! Another masterpiece!"
"Thank you. It's not much, but I figured it would do for our first meal. Wait until you see what I have planned for the rest of the weekend!"
"So that's what we killed ourselves bringing in here for you," Serena said, laughing. "At least I know I earned a hernia for a good cause!"
The other girls laughed. When they calmed down, Amy cleared her throat to get their attention. "I noticed something at the arcade earlier that might be of interest. Darien still hadn't made an appearance as far as I could tell. He traditionally would have been present at that time. Did anyone think to ask Andrew about it?"
Serena flinched. "I knew I forgot something. I was so excited about this weekend I didn't think to ask. Sorry, guys. You'd think Andrew would have heard something by now. The arcade is a prime location for gossip at the very least."
"Serena's right on that one. It's where I tend to go when I want to... ah, never mind," Mina said, trailing off as she realized the others were looking at her oddly.
"I tried calling him before you guys got back from the hospital. I got his answering machine." Raye frowned briefly as she remembered getting tricked once again by the pause in his message that was supposed to lead people to believe he had actually answered the phone.
"I braved the weird and talked to Melvin today. Nothing there," Lita said with a trace of distaste.
"Did you guys read the paper earlier this week? I guess there was a car accident where this car full of kids that were nowhere near driving age nailed some poor guy crossing with the lights in the middle of the crosswalk." Mina paused. "You don't think that was him, do you?"
Serena's eyes grew wide and she swallowed the sudden lump that rose in her throat. "Gods, I hope not."
The others silently agreed. "My mom hasn't said anything," Amy added. "Not that she automatically would. Patient confidentiality and all."
"The paper did mention the administration was refusing to release the name of the victim," Mina said quietly.
"We're going to just have to hope and pray that that wasn't him. Otherwise we may find ourselves getting worked up for nothing." Lita took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"I agree. We don't have any real evidence that Darien could be that victim. If I remember correctly, he's withdrawn from social contact for a period of time at least once before. It was soon after I met you, Serena." Amy smiled at the memory of that meeting.
Serena thought for a moment. "Actually, I think you're right, Ames." She smiled a bit bitterly. "He probably wanted to get away from me for a while."
"Oh, knock it off, Meatball Head. I'm sure there are more important things going on in Darien's life right now than you running or not running into him on the street." Raye rolled her dark violet eyes.
Guilt washed over the small blonde's features. "Of course," she said quietly. "I'm so selfish." She got up and walked outside.
"Could you have said it any harsher, Raye?" Lita said in irritation while Mina silently rose and followed their leader outside.
"What? What did I do?" Raye asked bewildered. Amy merely shook her head.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
Outside, Serena sat on the top step of the porch staring out at the fading sunset. "I can't believe I did that," she muttered to herself under her breath.
"I think you were just worried that you might have hurt his feelings."
Serena gasped and turned around to find Mina standing directly behind her. "You scared me."
"Sorry." She motioned to the space next to the seated girl. Serena nodded, and she sat. "Raye didn't phrase that right. We all know you wouldn't be that selfish."
The meatball-headed girl dropped her gaze to the wood below her feet. "I shouldn't have thought about me at all."
"Serena, I don't really think you were. Like I said before, I think you were worried about whether or not you were the cause of such discomfort that Darien would feel the need to hide himself away for a while - which is probably what he did. You don't like to cause people pain, so you were concerned. I don't see it as selfish at all. I just see it as another sign of your big heart. Even though the man bugs the living daylights out of you, you still don't want to really hurt him. That's more than I can say I'd be able to do." She put her arm around the smaller girl's shoulders. "Come on. Let's go back in. We haven't had dessert yet!"
Serena smiled. "You're right. We need to get in there before Raye can eat it all!" She jumped up and dragged Mina back inside with her.
Raye was waiting near the door when the two blondes came back inside. "Serena, I want to apologize. I know you aren't selfish; I wasn't thinking." She shot a quick glance back at Lita, who stood with her arms crossed and a fading look of potential violence on her face.
Serena looked surprised. "It's... it's okay. I know you didn't mean it. No worries." A soft smile graced her features and she drew the raven-haired girl into a short but fierce embrace.
Lita grinned. "Now that that's over, it's time for dessert! I found a cool new recipe for something called fruit pizza. You guys should love it!" She then rushed to the kitchen and brought back a plastic wrap covered pizza pan.
Serena raised an eyebrow at the new sight. "What's in it?"
"Well, other than the fruit, which I'm sure you can recognize, the crust is made from sugar cookie dough and the 'sauce' is cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla."
Four pairs of eyes brightened, although Amy tried to hide it.
"And it's so pretty, too!" Mina declared, laughing.
"Why'd you go through all the trouble of putting the fruit in that pattern when you know we'll just tear into it as soon as you put it down?" Raye asked.
Lita lifted her nose into the air indignantly as she placed the dish onto the cleared table they had eaten dinner at. "I'm going to be a famous chef one day. Half the meal is in the presentation."
The other girls laughed, and the conversation then turned to how they would spend the rest of the evening.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
It was around eleven o'clock when the girls started to wind down from a night of laughs, gossip, and board games, although none of them were near ready for bed. That was when Amy suggested they study for a while, and then get a good night's rest.
Serena laughed at that. "Great idea, Ames! Studying always puts me to sleep!"
Raye snorted. "That's your problem then, Meatball Head. Maybe you should see a doctor about it."
Amy sighed. "Please, Raye. Not now. Why don't we just get our stuff out, and I can help anyone who needs it?"
Lita shrugged while Mina grabbed her school bag. "Works for me."
"Uh, oh."
"What is it, Serena?" Amy asked, looking up from her newly organized workspace.
The blonde looked guilty. "I think I left my school stuff at the hospital when we stopped there earlier. I put it in the locker room so I wouldn't have to carry it around and must have forgotten all about it when we left."
Raye rolled her eyes. "Figures. You'd forget your head if it weren't attached."
"Raye! Stop being so mean!"
"Make me!"
"I will if you two don't knock it off!" The two antagonists backed away from the ticked-off looking Lita. "Now then, how about I go with Serena to hospital to get her bag? You guys can study while we're gone."
"You sure you don't just want to wait until tomorrow?" Mina asked.
Lita shot a look at Serena who shrugged. "It's not like we have much else to do, and we're not really tired. Why not?"
Serena nodded her agreement. "Besides, it's a gorgeous night for a walk. Might be the last we get before winter storms come in."
"Okay. Just be careful." Amy said seriously.
"We will. Later, guys. We shouldn't be too long." Serena grabbed her jacket and followed the tall brunette out into the night.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
They reached the hospital quickly and without incident. Serena turned to Lita upon entering the lobby. "Why don't you wait here for me? I should be pretty quick, and the staff might not like us being here so late. Since I'm a volunteer I should be okay."
Lita shrugged and plopped onto a black leather couch. "No problem." She picked up a magazine. "I have entertainment; I'll be fine. Go on."
Serena smiled and went to the elevator. Once the doors closed she pressed the "3" button, thinking she would be best served switching over to the rear elevator to get to the fourth floor so she could avoid passing by the children's ward. She knew, thanks to some tear-filled confessions, that a few of the kids had a hard time sleeping, and she didn't want to be seen and dragged into a situation she was sure wouldn't be approved of by the hospital administration. It was after visiting hours after all.
The doors opened onto the third floor and the meatball-topped blonde exited the elevator. She smiled at the nurse at the duty station whom she recognized. "Forgot something?" the woman said, smiling knowingly.
Serena blushed and nodded. The lady waved her on and went back to her paperwork. The small girl took a few steps then stopped as motion from down the hall opposite where she was headed caught her eye. Whoever it was wasn't a doctor or nurse from what she could tell. In fact, the person kind of reminded her of Andrew from the way he walked and moved... blond hair... Hey, wait a minute! That was Andrew! What was he doing here? And at this time of night? She squinted and peered at the room number next to the door he had entered. 317. She caught the curious look the nurse was giving her and rushed off to the rear elevator. She'd just have to check it out on her way out.
She managed to avoid notice on the fourth floor as she hurried to and from the volunteers' locker room where she had indeed left her school bag. 'I'm beginning to think Raye may be right. I probably would forget my head if it weren't attached,' she thought as she traveled back to the third floor. She warily approached the front elevator, hoping to not be seen by either Andrew or the nurse.
Luck was on her side. As she got close, she saw Andrew look into the empty duty station, shrug, and enter the elevator without a glance her way. Serena smiled and hurried to where the blond man had come from. "Okay, room 317 I believe it was," she muttered to herself under her breath. "Hmm, no name," she noticed as she reached the correct door. "I hope it's not Liz." She silently crept inside, curiosity overcoming any twinges of guilt for invading her friend's privacy.
The dividing curtain was drawn, creating a white wall cutting the room in half. As there was no one in the bed closest to her, Serena had to guess that the person Andrew had come to see was hidden behind the curtain. She listened intently for signs that whoever it could be was sleeping. Only the sound of steady breathing reached her ears.
She cautiously stepped forward and poked her head around the edge of the room divider closest to her and found a completely unexpected sight. There in the bed before her lay Darien asleep. Her eyes widened and she unconsciously moved inside the plastic wall and closer to the bed. She noticed a small pile of textbooks and papers on the table on the other side of the bed. Andrew must have brought those, she thought, stunned.
Moonlight came in through the half-covered window and fell onto the pale face of the hospital bed's occupant. She noted that most of his head was covered in bandages, but his dark bangs still fell into his eyes. Before her brain could come completely back online Darien's face contorted into a painful grimace and his head tossed back and forth on the pillow. She also noted his hands gripping his sheets tightly before gasping in shock. He started to mutter incoherently, and Serena found herself reaching out and stroking his forehead gently, brushing his hair out of his face and making soothing sounds to calm him. "Shhh, Darien, it's okay," she whispered. "It's just a dream. I'm here." She didn't know why that would be comforting, but her brain wasn't exactly in control of her mouth at the moment.
The combination of her touch and voice appeared to do the trick. Soon after she began her ministrations Darien stopped thrashing and his hands unclenched. He fell back into a calm, restful slumber, never opening his eyes. She continued to brush his forehead gently and he smiled in his sleep, shifting his face into her hand slightly. "Oh, Darien. What happened to you? And why do I get the feeling you don't want people to know?" She sighed quietly. "You know, no matter how much you tease me and make me angry, you don't deserve this. So get better soon, okay? I miss our little run-ins on the way to school in the mornings and our verbal sparring matches at the arcade." She grinned and began to back away from the bed. His smile faded a bit at the sudden lack of warmth. "And don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone." His expression softened, and the smile grew again. "Sweet dreams, Darien." And she left.
Lita had her eyes on the elevator when Serena finally came out. "What took so long?"
Serena avoided direct eye contact. "Oh, just thought it would be better to completely avoid being seen. Sorry."
The tall girl shrugged and stood. "No problem. I was just wondering. Let's get going before the others freak out on us."
"Right," the blonde said with a slight giggle.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Darien stared out his window the next morning, not really seeing the sunlight playing amongst the leaves of the trees that grew behind the hospital. He just laid there, his mind blank, eyes dead, withdrawn from the world around him. This is how Andrew found him when the blond man slipped quietly inside the curtain.
"Hey, Dare. You okay?"
The bandage-covered head snapped toward the sound. "I'm fine."
"I forgot this at the arcade last night. It's the exercise book for that advanced science class of yours. I took a peek and cannot understand how you can ace these courses. I was lost after the introduction on the syllabus." Darien smiled slightly. "Since I don't have to work until later this afternoon, I figured I'd bring it by and actually talk to you. You were asleep when I got here last night."
"That explains the pile over there." Blue eyes searched green. "Andrew, did I start having a nightmare while you were here?"
Andrew's brow furrowed. "No, I don't think so. I mean, you didn't thrash around or anything. Why do you ask?"
Darien's eyes dropped to his lap. "I'm not completely sure actually. I seem to remember this bad feeling coming over me last night. I know I was sleeping at the time. Then this light voice spoke to me, and a gentle hand brushed the hair out of my face, and that feeling went away. I can't explain it. No one's ever done that for me before, so I don't think it's a memory. But I just can't explain it."
"Do you remember what the voice said?"
"I think she said..."
"Whoa," Andrew said, interrupting. "She?"
Darien blinked. "Now that I think about it, the voice was female. Anyway, she said it was okay. It was only a dream. She was here. And that made me feel better for some reason." Like Serena does, he thought suddenly. He quickly squashed that line of thinking.
"It might've been a nurse," Andrew offered.
Darien shook his head. "No. Somehow I just know it wasn't a doctor or nurse. She was just visiting."
Andrew shrugged in resignation. "Sorry, man. I can't help you with this one."
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "Excuse me, Mr. Shields, but there's something here for you." The nurse on duty poked her head inside the door. "Can I bring it in?"
Darien looked suspiciously at Andrew. "I didn't get you anything, Dare, I promise."
"Go ahead."
A short woman with strawberry blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and wearing a nurse's uniform entered the small sanctuary holding a vase with four red roses. "This was sent up from the gift shop along with this." The nurse handed a sealed white envelope to the man in the bed then placed the flowers on the book-covered table. "Let me know if you need anything else." She left quickly.
Darien sat there staring at the package in his hand. "Well, aren't you going to open it? Or at least check for a card?" Curiosity laced Andrew's voice.
The question seemed to shake Darien out of his reverie, and he turned to the vase on the table. He reached out and plucked out a small pink envelope from the greens and baby's breath that surrounded the vivid blooms. His name had been printed quickly and sloppily; the handwriting caught his eye as familiar somehow. A spark of curiosity made its way through the deadness that had pervaded his being and he tore open the little envelope.
Inside he found a rose-bordered card with a short message: Hope it wasn't me that put you in here. Get better soon! Meatball Head. Darien's eyes widened briefly, then narrowed as he turned to face his friend. "You swear you didn't say anything to anyone?"
Andrew swallowed as he saw a touch of anger in the midnight blues glaring at him. "I swear! I didn't say a word! Why?" Darien silently handed him the card. The blond's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "How in the world...? I honestly have no idea how she found out. Although I don't think she knows why you're here."
Darien thought it over. "Maybe." Even through the shock and humiliation he was feeling, a warm sensation crept over his heart at the attempt to cheer him up. She even signed it with her hated nickname! Was there any limit to that girl's heart? He doubted she knew the whole story from the tone of the short message. Would things change if she knew it all? Probably.
The coldness returned. He'd been through it before, when a car accident had taken his parents and memories eleven years previous. As soon as the whole story was known, all the people around him pitied him and saw him as a burden. A six-year-old boy, injured and alone. There were no living relatives to take him in, leaving the entire chore of finding him a place to stay in the hands of the hospital administration and staff. He had overheard a group of them discussing the situation just outside his room, saying how overworked they were and how much of a bother it was. He cried for the last time over that.
Even before that incident, he had noticed the nurses not staying with him for any significant length of time. When they answered his questions, it was in as few words as possible with little to no emotion. The doctors patronized and pitied him when they deigned to speak to him at all. They tended to talk amongst themselves like he wasn't even there. It was the attitudes he encountered in the hospital before he was shipped off to the orphanage that taught him to hold back, keep it all in, that the world will kick you when you're down. The orphanage only served to reinforce the lessons learned.
And now he was beginning to see the same attitudes surfacing. Nurses didn't want to stay long, didn't try to talk with him. The ones who did looked at him with pity, seeing only his injuries and not attempting to look beyond them. So, after the first day he had been awake, he closed himself off. This time, not only did he not have a family to take care of him, he was practically incapable of taking care of himself. Life certainly did kick you when you were down.
"Dare? You okay?" Andrew's voice cut through the memories. At least there was someone around this time. But Darien knew the blond before him couldn't really understand.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about a few things."
"I've got to get going. I need to grab a quick lunch before my shift starts at the arcade. Why don't you see what's in that letter?" he said pointing at the white envelope on Darien's lap. "Maybe there's an explanation. I'll try to pop in for a bit after I'm done."
"Sure. I'll try to be awake."
"Good. You aren't much of a conversationalist when you're snoring. Catch you later." Andrew left with a quick wave.
Darien put aside the card and contemplated the white envelope. His name had been printed a bit more neatly in the same hand as the card with a little winking bunny drawn to the right of it. He couldn't help but to smile briefly at that. With a sigh he tore open the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper that had obviously been torn out of a spiral notebook. He unfolded it and read the message contained therein.
"Darien,
"I'm sorry if my gift freaks you out or anything, but I had to send you my best wishes somehow. Something told me that roses would be the best way. I don't know what happened to you - Andrew never said a word - but I know you're in the hospital and hurt.
"I stopped by last night to get my school bag from the volunteers' locker room where I had forgotten it earlier when I noticed Andrew going into a room. Lita was waiting for me in the lobby so I couldn't take too long, and the nurse at the duty station was giving me a funny look, so I memorized the room number and went to do what I came for.
"On my way back I saw Andrew leave, so I went to see who he had been visiting. There was no name under the room number, so I snuck in as quiet as I could. When I got to the curtain I only heard steady breathing. Imagine my surprise when I slipped in and found you lying there! The moonlight lit your face and I could only see your bangs from underneath the bandages. (By the way, I hope they didn't have to shave your head. You have nice hair.)
"(Gods, I can't believe I just wrote that! Sorry!)
"Anyway, you started to have a bad dream, so I tried to calm you down, and it worked. So if you actually remember someone doing something, it was me. I'm really sorry I barged in like I did. I had no right to do it. And something tells me you don't want anyone to know. So don't worry, I won't say anything to a soul. I was wrong and this is the least I can do to make up for it.
"Well, I think I'm done rambling now. If you want I can come visit you (not that you actually want that from me, especially now) - just let Dr. Mizuno (Amy's mom) or Nurse Jameson (my supervisor for my volunteer work) and they can tell me. Otherwise, just know that no matter what's been said between us in the past, I really do want you to get better, and I'm really sorry I invaded your privacy.
"Hoping to run into you again soon,
"Serena"
Darien read the letter through twice more before finally putting it back in its envelope and on the table with her gift. He didn't know what to think. She didn't know, thank goodness, and was willing to honor his wishes and not tell anyone. She admitted she was wrong to pry, although, for some reason, he didn't feel upset about it. Gods, how big is her heart anyway? he thought. Even after everything they had done to one another, or more precisely, he had done to her, she still wished him well, and was even willing to visit! And as much as his mind wanted to believe otherwise, he knew in his heart that there wasn't an ounce of pity in the girl.
But she doesn't know the whole story, a dark voice whispered. She thinks you'll be running into her again in no time. She doesn't know that won't be happening any time soon. What will she think then?
Darien grasped the sides of his head and growled under his breath. He was so confused! He was already on his way to the nuthouse thanks to the unexplainable feelings the little blonde had stirred up before the accident. And now... now he was even more confused. He had been alone so long, had swallowed his emotions for so long. Now he didn't know what do with it all. He was overwhelmed. So he did what he always did when he didn't know what else to do - he retreated. After getting his feelings back under wraps, and taking a brief look at the list of assignments Andrew had left, he went to sleep, hoping to find an answer to, or at the very least an escape from, his problems in the land of dreams.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Saturday afternoon was bright and clear. The sun shone, and the air was fresh. Not that a certain group of girls knew that. The mall was their environment of choice. Store after store experienced the whirlwind of teenagers known as Serena Tsukino, Mina Aino, Lita Kino, Amy Mizuno, and Raye Hino. None were the same afterward.
When evening finally rolled around, it found the girls sitting on a blanket in Fairview Park, surrounded by bags and packages. Two large grocery bags stood alone behind the giggling group, half empty from the raid made on them for dinner. Lita sighed as she watched the others finish off the sandwiches they had made. "I guess I'll have to save my favorite recipe for our midnight snack!"
Serena smiled. "I should be hungry again by then."
Raye rolled her eyes. "There's a big surprise. Are you sure you aren't hungry again now?" she asked sarcastically.
The blonde's eyes flashed. "You are so mean!"
"And you are a pig!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Knock it off!" three irritated voices interrupted loudly.
A brief silence filled the area.
"So what are we going to do next?" Mina asked, like nothing had happened. The others just stared. "What?"
Lita shook her head. "Never mind. Well, she has a point. What's up now?"
"We could always have another study session."
"Amy!" the others protested.
"Forget I said anything."
"Movies?" Serena offered.
"Theater or video?" Raye countered.
"I vote theater," Mina said.
"Theater," Lita agreed.
Amy thought for a moment. "I believe I would prefer the theater experience as well."
Serena giggled. "I like the big screen better too."
Raye smiled. "Then it's unanimous. Fairview Movie Complex, here we come!"
"After we drop off our purchases first of course."
"Amy, you really know how to take the punch out of spontaneity, don't you?" Lita sighed.
Amy looked startled. "I'm sorry. I just thought..."
"Don't worry about it, Ames," Serena interrupted. "She didn't mean it like that. Now let's get this stuff back to the temple so we can have some fun!" The rest cheered their agreement, and the girls hurried out of the park.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
The girls finally left the theater complex just before eleven and started back toward the temple. There had been a special going for a double feature, and they had jumped at the opportunity to see two movies for the price of one. However, they were beginning to question their judgment on the walk back.
"Well, that was..." Amy began.
"Terrible," the others finished.
"The first one was okay," Mina suggested meekly after a slight pause.
Lita thought for a moment. "Yeah, I can see that."
Serena sighed. "Christopher Lambert made a much better Raiden."
The others sighed and nodded their agreement.
"Actually, the first one was pretty good," Lita said.
Raye scoffed. "At least it had a decent plot! Oh, wait, let me rephrase that. At least it had a plot period!"
"The sequel had a plot; it was just a very poorly developed one," Amy corrected.
"There were two reasons I didn't walk out on that waste of celluloid. One: it was free. Two: I didn't want to sit outside the theater alone for an hour and a half. End of report." Raye crossed her arms across her chest indignantly.
"Well, at least it was free. That means we didn't waste our money," Serena said cheerfully.
"Hey, isn't that Andrew up ahead?" Mina said, pointing toward a blond figure walking away from the arcade.
Lita squinted as she peered at the person Mina had drawn her attention to. "Yeah, I think you're right. But doesn't he live in the other direction?"
Unnoticed by the others, Serena flinched and shrank away.
"That's right. Hey, Andrew!" Mina called out, causing the blond man to turn sharply. The girls ran forward, with Serena lagging behind slightly.
"Oh, hi, girls," he said with a touch of nervousness, his eyes wary. "What are you doing out so late?" He shot a look at the meatball-headed blonde, who refused to make eye contact.
"We just finished wasting our time watching a piece of crap sequel. So much for more is better." Raye's eyes flashed in irritation.
"You guys caught the two-for-one movie special at the Fairview Complex, huh? I could have warned you about that." Andrew chuckled.
"Just finished closing up the arcade, eh?" Lita asked shyly.
"Yeah, and it was a busy night, too. I'm beat."
"So why are you headed away from your house?"
"Mina!" Amy exclaimed, horrified.
Andrew gulped. "Well, I, uh, promised to check up on a sick friend quick before I hit the sack. Can't break that promise, no matter how tired I may be." He laughed weakly.
"That's so sweet," Lita sighed, hearts in her eyes.
"Why don't we let Andrew go so he can see that friend of his, okay, guys? I'm sure both he and his friend are really tired," Serena said quickly, pulling on Lita's arm.
Andrew shot her a look of thanks. "Yeah, I don't want to keep him up too long."
"Serena's right, guys. We should get going," Amy agreed, taking hold of Mina's arm.
Both Mina and Lita sighed. "Okay, well, good-bye then, Andrew. Hope your friend feels better soon!" the tall brunette called as she let herself start to be led away.
"See you at the arcade!" Mina chirped, following Amy's tug.
"Later, girls. Have fun!" Andrew turned to continue on his interrupted trek.
Once Serena was sure her friends were well on their way, she quietly dashed back to the retreating blond male. "Andrew," she whispered as she grabbed his arm to stop him, "just tell him I say 'hi,' okay? And that I really am sorry." Tears threatened to spill from her sapphire blues.
Andrew looked down at the teary-eyed girl next to him. "Sorry for what? And how do you know about him, anyway?"
"He'll know what I'm talking about. I don't really want to talk about it, especially now. I better get back before I'm noticed. I'll see you later, Andrew." She dashed back to the group of girls laughing in the night on their way back to the temple.
Andrew shook his head as he headed on his way. "I'm not sure I'll ever understand any of this."
