"Uh...hey...hey ladies." Darien said awkwardly looking around scratching his the back of head. His eyes sunken, with dark circles. His hair was a mess, not in its usual combed manner.
4 sets of eyes looked up at him.
"Wow...you look like a hot mess." Lita said scrunching up her face in disgust. "When was the last time you showered?"
"Lita, that is not nice. He has probably been really busy. He is going to through med school you." Ami quickly defended. "How can we help you Darien?"
"Yeah... Serena won't be here for another 20-30 minutes?"
"That's...uhhh...what I kinda wanted to talk to you about." Darien whispered.
"Sure..." Mina answered with hesitation. "Ladies scoot." She used her hand to signal the girls to move over so he had room.
Darien scooted into the booth as all just focused on him.
"I am just going to ask...does Serena..."He ran his hands over his face multiple times. Pressure building up in the back of his throat. "Is Serena..." He sighed.
"Would you spit it out already!?" Rei finally asked impatient. "Watching you is making me feel uncomfortable."
"Has Serena maybe confided into you guys about me?" Darien finally asked resting his arms on the edge of the table, one folded over the other.
They all looked at him with a "duh" look on their face.
"Not like that... I mean has she expressed maybe wanting to split with me?" He dragged out. It was harder for him to ask than he thought. "Is there maybe...?"
"Someone else?" Mina suggested.
Darien just nodded, hung his head down.
"Why would you ever think that?" Mina asked putting a comforting hand his shoulder.
"She has been really distant lately." He sniffed. "Like she is avoiding me or something." He looked up to the girls. "Has she been that way towards you guys?" His voice sounded hopeful that maybe it was not just him.
The girls all looked at each other, confused. They all shrugged. Then turned their attention to Darien who's heart was in his stomach.
"No." They unanimously answered.
"She is same Serena to us." Rei answered. "Happy, bubbly, ditzy, clumsy, gorging self." Rei added to hopefully lighten the moment. When Darien did not smile or have any change of emotion, her face sank.
"And we haven't hear anything negative about you...or that she is interested in someone else." Mina tried to reassure.
Darien just looked out the window of the arcade and nodded.
"You worried about something aren't you?" Lita asked observing his body language.
"It is just weird." Darien exhaled. "Normally I get multiple messages from her through out the day, but lately it is nothing. I reach out to her. I get nothing. I know you all are going to catch a movie, because Chad mentioned it to me. I never heard anything."
"Hmmm...we weren't aware she did not ask you. When she said you weren't coming, we figured you said you were busy." Rei scratched her forehead. "When did this start?
"Yeah, when was the last time you remember really speaking with her?" Mina elaborated.
Darien looked up at the ceiling, "Uhh maybe 3 weeks ago?" Darien put up a hand to express how unsure he really was.
" .. wait, almost a month and you're coming to us now?" Lita's posture straightened up, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I..."He couldn't think of the right things to say. The girls watching him, had a mesmerizing effect, like suddenly he could articulate words. "Yes, okay...?"
"That's not important right now." Mina interrupted. "What happened around that time?"
"Pshhhh... last I remember...the autumn carnival thing. You know the one over there. " He pointed out the window in the direction the carnival once was.
"The one you didn't want to go too." Lita pointed out.
"The one where she left early?" Rei tried to confirm with the girls.
"Yeah...right after the ferris wheel ride." Mina sat there trying to add it all together. Her face showed she just trying to process it all. "Said her stomach hurt or something."
"And we thought it was the food she ate." Ami pointed out.
"I didn't know she left early..." Darien sounded clueless. "I don't even recall her sending me a message that she left."
The four girls sat there and let it all sink in.
"It wasn't the food." Mina finally spoke. "It was the ride." She randomly started clicking her tongue. Nodded and sighed. "Every cart was a couple." She clarified to the girls who were just looking at her.
And on queue they all sighed and looked at Darien.
"What? Carnivals aren't my thing." Darien voice raising defensively.
"Didn't you say that about the beach too?!" Rei started to raise her voice.
"Sorry beach isn't my thing either? Sorry if I would rather study and focus." Darien tried to justify his actions.
"But they're Serena's..." Ami whispered under her breath, massaging the area between her eyebrows.
"I am sorry what did you say Ami?" Darien said leaning in a little closer.
Ami just sighed. "Darien...Serena loves the carnival, it's her thing." Ami just shook her head at him. Disappointed. "And she loves the beach. You should have seen how happy she was." Ami nodded her head, sighed. "Just like how you love to study and that is your thing."
"And I don't expect her to study with me all the time."Darien justified."
"But...she does." Mina voice dropped. "Just to spend time with you." Mina felt a pinch in her heart, and her eyes started to gloss. "Darien." She cleared her throat. "As Serena's friends." She pointed her hand out displaying the four. "We all saw the change in her to be better for you."
"She bettered her manners." Rei supported.
"She focused more on her grades." Amy added.
"She tried to cook and clean." Lita thought out loud.
"Failed but tried." Rei corrected.
"Okay...?" Darien said confused.
"What have you done for her?" Mina asked in a defeated tone.
"I..." He started and paused. "I..." He didn't realize this was hard. "I am making the time sacrifices now for us later!" Darien raising his voice frustrated. "I am trying to make sure I can provide her the best life possible!"
Ami cough to clear her throat. "It is not just that Darien. She knows you are working hard for the further." She sighed. "Serena loves love. Everything about it. Have you seen how happy she gets when the guy gets the girl at the end of the movie? Have you seen how she smiles as she watches couples walk by? Have you ever seen how her heart just melts when she sees a couple kiss or embrace each other. Like it is all over her face." Ami expressed, her eyes getting glossy too. "She loves love Darien, and some how she fell in love for a guy who doesn't show her any." She rubbed her nose. "And she is not going to say anything to us, because this is the guy you were when she first started dating you...she is not going to ask you to change to avoid confrontation." She took a big heavy breath. "She is just going to let it process and just..."
Neither girl made eye contact with Darien, as their eyes started to tear, and they sniffled to suck them back in.
Before anyone else could say a word, the bell at the door rang, and rapid footsteps could be heard stomping in their direction. A breathless Serena appeared before them.
"S...s...sorry guys." She went down into a tripod position to catch her breath. "Got here...as...fast... as... I could."She pursed her lips to help with her breathing. She stood straight up, and observed her friends faces. Their eyes glassy and red. "What's up?" She forced out. She looked around the table and finally noticed Darien sitting in the corner, inches from her. Her breathing slowing coming down.
"Sere..." Mina coughed. "We are going to go close out our check, and we will head out."
Serena just nodded, confused, as one by one the girls left the booth. "Okay..." She whispered.
Thinking she was going to walk away, Darien did something that he had never done. He gabbed her hand, causing her to freeze in her spot. He stood up, and made her turn towards him.
"What's going on? Why are they crying?" She asked.
"Why didn't you tell me about today? Where have you been?" Darien asked with a crack in his voice.
"I figured you didn't want to come, and I didn't want to bother you." Serena explained not making eye contact with Darien and observing the girls to see if they were done paying. She took a step forward, only to feel Darien's arm as a barricade.
"That has never stopped you from asking before. Why suddenly?" Darien asked frustration in his voice.
"Darien, I don't want to talk about this right now, I have to go." Serena whispered looking around. She sensed the people around were staring at them.
"I want to know Serena." Darien demanded. "Is this about the stupid carnival?"
The people next to them scooted away.
"Sere..."Mina called peaking over Darien's shoulder. She pointed to the door.
Serena nodded. Looked at Darien, put her hands together in front of her. "Look, Darien, I am starting accept this is who you are. You are never going to be the public display of affection, randomly do sweet things, give me your jacket, take me on a date, be spontaneous, do childish things I want to do type of guy. I am excepting it. I am not angry. I am accepting it, because you were this way when we first started dating and I still love you. I can't change that. So, I will get over this and I am sure everything will go back to normal. But, I need to go with the girls." She scooted past him, no hug goodbye, and headed out the door.
Darien stood there, scanning the room to see if anyone was looking at him. He ducked his head down and headed to the bar top. He plopped in his stool that everyone knew was his, and just waited. He waited until he felt a familiar presence hovering over him.
"I did nothing wrong." Darien blurted out.
"You didn't do anything right either." His best friend Andrew, simply said.
"That makes no sense." Darien said running his hands through his hair.
"You got the girl. And doing nothing to keep her." Andrew said with a shrug. "Let me ask you, when you're with Serena, do guys hit on her?"
Darien thought for a second. Then simply nodded.
"How do you feel about that?" Andrew asked.
"I mean..." Darien tried to process all his feelings. "It is weird because it is ob-"
"Actually it is not." Andrew stopped him. "To those who know you two, we know you are together. Outside looking in, she could be study partner, or casual friend. There is no chemistry."
"What am I supposed to do?" Darien started to bang his head on his hands that laid flat on the on the counter. "Go around sucking her face every second?"
"And this is probably why she did not talk to you. She knew you would most likely take her concern and just make it seem ridiculous. She knows you, and she still loves you."
"You know, the day you were studying with Saori and Serena?"
Darien just locked his eyes on Andrew.
"How close you were to Saori, killed Serena inside. We all know Saori would never try anything with you, she has great guy, but the attention you gave her."
"Serena left early that day." Darien acknowledged.
"Surprise you noticed." Andrew patted the counter and went to go speak to another customer.
The room started to come in on Darien, flash backs of situations where Serena tried to show him affection and him rejecting her recurred in his mind. He started bang his forehead with his fist. He saw all those unanswered text messages she left him. All the call he rejected for no real reason. He closed his eyes to stop the tears. The times he walked in his own world, not realizing how far behind he was from her. He exhaled, threw some cash on the counter and headed out the door to his car.
He doesn't recall driving the car to the theatre, with all the flash backs that he had. He does not recall parking it. He does not remember feeling or hearing his phone go off, as Andrew called to check on him.
It was like he fell out of a trance and he was leaning against his car waiting for her to come out. He checked his watch over and over again. He started to wonder if he maybe went to the wrong theatre, this wait was taking forever. He started to get fidgety, until he saw her, through the window of the theatre door. Linked arms with her friends. Their significant others right behind. She was laughing about something, as were the girls, but her smile trumped all of theirs in his eyes.
She was happy until she locked eyes on him through the window and her smile faded. It was like suddenly the building was going to collapse on her. He could tell her breathing was becoming labored. She tightened her sweater, and within seconds the girls were all staring him down.
They approached the door, and Lita and Mina held it open for the rest to come out.
"What are you doing here..." Mina flat out said folding her arms across her chest.
Rei inches behind her, same facial tone, same body language. People always talked about how similar yet polar opposite they were. One with dark straight black hair, the other straight blonde hair. Mina the sugar to Rei's spice. But their attitudes and gestures would sometimes mirror the other, especially in defense of their friend.
"I...Ladies I am sorry...I really just need to speak to her."
"Darien I said all I needed to say. I am not mad. I will get over this."
"You really shouldn't have too." Lita whispered biting her nails.
Serena just turned and gave a side glare to Lita.
"No...no... don't be mad at her. She is right." Darien defended. "You should not have to let this go, it is not fair to you. Be mad at me! Yell at me! Anything!"
Serena just stood hanging.
"Ladies, why don't we just give them 15 minutes." Amy pleaded with the girls.
"He doesn't deserve it." Rei answered.
"But that is not for us to decide." She pulled Lita and Mina towards their left. "We will grab a boba, and when our drinks are ready, that is it."
"Why are you defending him?" Mina asked annoyed.
"Because our friend loves him, and nothing we say will change that. Let them figure it out." She continued to pull the girls. "Now Rei."
She was the soft spoken friend, so when her voice raised, everyone jumped and obeyed without hesitation.
Not missing the opportunity to give Darien a death stare, the girls each walked away slowly, not taking their eyes off him until they entered the shop. But he did not care.
"Darien... really not the time or place." Serena finally said.
"Well there is never going to be a time or place for this conversation. So I am going to make this the time and place."
"Interrupting my night with my friends? Come on. You know how important they are to me." Serena just sighed. "I have only beg you to come so many times..."
"Then yell at me! God knows I deserve it!"
She turned 180. Took a deep breath, while rubbing her temple.
"Serena, talk to me. Hell, just scream at me! I don't care. I have been miserable without you talking to me, wondering where you were. Who you were with."
She turned around. Completely defeated. "What good would yelling do? Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere. Darien, I told you I am not going anywhere...I know I thought about it." Her eyes sunk. "But the idea of being with anyone but you does not work for me." She took one step forward. "It sounds beyond dumb, but I can't explain why, I would rather be here knowing you won't be that person, but with a tiny bit of hope, than with a person, who isn't you, who will. Saying out loud makes me sound even more naive and stupid." She again turned away from him. "This why I did not want to talk about this Darien."
She started to take a step towards the boba shop, but a quick lunge and yank, she was pulled into him, against his car.
She couldn't remember the last time she was this close to him. His hard physique against her. His smell was off, explaining his disheveled hair, but it did not turn her away.
"As I said earlier, I know how affection makes you feel uncomfortable, and I know you struggle with love, because you were an orphan and all you had was Andrew. I knew that coming in, and..."She shrugged.
Darien could see the girls from the corner of his eye. He knew his time was up. He grabbed her two hands in his. Raised it to his mouth, and kissed them both. He then rested his head on theirs for a second. "I really don't deserve you." He whispered. "You give up your happiness for me." He turned and kissed her hands again. "I am going to be the man you want me to be. I swear on it." Still holding on to her hands, he leaned in a placed a tiny peck on her lips.
Her face, along with squad of four, in nothing short of disbelief. They all stood there watching, as he got back into his car, and drove off.
"That was different." Mina said standing next to Serena, who's entire body was frozen. All she could force herself to do was nod.