~Chapter 2~

I trudged down the hallway of school, feeling like a zombie. I was sure I looked like one too. I did everything to show how tired I was. It was getting near that time of month when Mother Nature gave us girls our very much unwanted gifts. By now it was safe to say I was PMSing. Several girls at our school were, in fact, and I was rejoining the group of irritable females. Hoo, boy, if Darien came by today, which he likely wasn't, he would be in for quite a time. My PMS symptoms hardly included bloating; most of it was all emotional. I was usually angry or hurt and anything at any moment could set me off like a sensitive bomb. Then I'd get all giddy as the aftermath and start laughing at pretty much everything. Say the word "pudding" and I'd crack up like it was the funniest thing in the world. So yeah, even people from the moon had PMS.

Amy saw me as I was walking to one of my free period classes and rushed to meet me before I got there.

Hey, Amy," I greeted once she caught up.

Amy smiled; she must have overheard Rei last night and scolded her about it. Since the girls hadn't heard from me since, she was probably worried that Rei had really upset me. After all, she knew Darien meant alot to me. Because of that, he'd become an extremely touchy subject, my sore spot.

"You seem pretty happy today. Pass another exam?" I teased.

She chuckled lightly. "Well, we didn't have any tests. Not yet, at least. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry Rei was so mean to you."

I knew she wasn't that sorry. Maybe a little, but definitely not as much as she made it out to be. She was just sucking it up because I'd been PMSing bad for the past two days and she didn't want to get me mad. Not now, anyway. She was just as smart logically as she was academically. Girl had brains, I'll give her that much.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just Rei being Rei. You know how she is; she's always so straightforward with things. That girl says what's on her mind."

Amy sighed in agreement. "I wish she would sugar-coat some of the things she says. I hope you know you aren't the only one. She does it to all of us."

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I get the worst of it, but at least Mina shares it with me."

My blue-haired friend laughed. "Yes, Mina is a klutz, isn't she?"

"Too bad she doesn't go to our school," a new voice chimed in. "Then Serena wouldn't be the only klutz here."

Both of us turned around to see Lita right behind us, pace-walking to line up with my side.

Amy waved her greetings to Lita. I did the same.

"Why so quiet all of a sudden? Did I say something?" she asked.

"No. It's just one of those weird moments when two people are talking about someone and then a third person enters," I explained.

Lita mouthed the word, "Oh."

I turned toward a brown door stranded in the middle of the hallway we were walking down. It was my free period, or study hall, whichever, classroom. It was also the band room, and sometimes the band members would be practicing in it. Ever heard an amateur flute player? Let me tell you, it's not fun. They don't play very well at all. They only suck after they get the hang of getting enough air in their instrument to make it produce a sound. And then they don't know how to control the sound! I know, because I was once a member of the band. I played the alto saxophone. That said, I was in Wind. But I quickly regretted it and wished I'd chosen an instrument from Percussion. The only thing separating me and those flutes was one row of clarinets and oboes. Behind me were tubas. Out of four rows, I was in the third one. Flutes were first. Clarinets and oboes were second. Saxophones, obviously this included me, were third. Tubas were fourth. We made up the entire Wind class. Once my reed split while I was playing and it pinched my tongue. The teacher got onto me for being off-key, but apologized when she saw my predicament. That saxophone was so much trouble...

I opened the door and thankfully there were only two band members practicing. I was eternally grateful that neither of them were flute-players. There were other band members, but they had their instrument cases beside their chairs and their instruments were inside them.

As I sat down I listened to the smooth, soothing sound of a fellow alto saxophone-player. Obviously this guy's reed wasn't anywhere near breaking or splitting. You could usually tell because the sound would get weird, in which case you would just replace the reed. Lucky dog... The other band member was playing the piano. With the two sounds merging like that, it made a very tranquil harmony. It wasn't exactly a jazzy sound, but I couldn't really explain it.

But just my luck... Right when I thought this was going to be a good study hall, it went horrible awry when yet another band member, one that had her case beside her, opened the instrument case and fished out her flute. HER FLUTE... I knew for a fact that she wasn't an experienced flute player because she wasn't in Band last year.

Oh, crap...

At lunch the sound of the flute still rang in my ears. She had literally just learned how to make her instrument produce a sound. Oh, I thought I'd gotten rid of all those flutes when I decided against Band this year! Why me...?

I found myself unable to study anything with all those sounds floating around the room, so I'd settled for waiting it out. It took forever because, again with the sounds, I couldn't enter a daydream. Heck, I couldn't even hear myself think! And it wasn't just me; several other people had that period free and had moved to the back of the room. Others had frequently gone out of the room, claiming they wanted a drink of water from the water fountains.

I ate my pizza and tater tots beside Amy and Lita. Mina and Rei didn't go to our school, so we couldn't eat with them. Amy had also gotten pizza, but she got a fruit cup instead of tater tots. Lita brought her own lunch, as usual. She was such a good cook; not like me at all. I couldn't cook to save my life. The only thing she ever bought at the cafeteria was an occasional ice cream bar, or pudding when they had it. Sometimes even jello, if the cafeteria staff were feeling generous. Oftentimes Lita brought her own dessert though. Brownies, cookies, her own homemade pudding or jello, sometimes even a piece of pie. Today she had made chicken pot pie, and just to be silly, she had brought a piece of chocolate pie, homemade, not store-bought, for dessert. Everything was pie today.

She'd brought an extra piece for me. Amy wasn't fond of chocolate pie. She liked apple and pear pies. I always thought something had to be wrong with her. Chocolate pie was the best! How was it possible to not like chocolate pie?

Today was an enormous let-down for me. Lita rarely brought chocolate pie because pf the way she made it; it was better than store-bought pie, but it was harder and took longer to make. So when she offered me the extra piece...

"Sorry, Lita, I can't."

"Why not? You love my homemade chocolate pie," she said.

"Yeah, I really love it; it's the best pie in the world. I just can't have chocolate this week," I replied, somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh. That time again?"

I nodded and groaned.

"That sucks," she mumbled.

Why was she telling me that? I already knew it sucked! First it's PMS, then you wake up one morning to pee and the toilet looks like a bowl of Hawaiian Punch, and then you realize you can't have chocolate until you're a hundred percent sure it's over. Let's not forget the cramping, fatigue, bloating, and irritability. I knew all about it, just like every other teenage girl.

Now, it was true that I wasn't on my period right now, but I could start any day now, including today. So if chocolate was in my system when it started... I shivered at the horrible pain it would bring. What a curse to not be able to eat chocolate...what a curse...

The rest of the day passed by quickly. Before I knew it I was home. I sighed heavily, thankful there were no tests today. There was one quiz, and luckily I got every question right. I had guessed on two of them, but they were multiple choice, so I had greater chances of getting it right.

As I walked in the house I hummed the tune of "Little Baby Bumblebee". I knew it was a children's song. I didn't care. It was catchy and kept getting stuck in my head. Stupid little song...

I yawned as I flopped onto my bed. I knew my mother would soon be up here to see if I was doing my homework. I loved her, and I knew she loved me, but I just wanted...well...I don't know, something. Something in my life was missing, something I wanted to be there. Maybe it was Darien... Ever since I'd lost him to Rini...I...I just... Well, I haven't been very happy; let's just say that.

It was hard to believe that I'd let a boy come between me and my happiness. Yes, I'd had crushes before, but I never really intended to have a real relationship. Maybe dating, but that was it. Then I met Darien. I'd hated him at first, but we grew very close and before either of us knew it, we were head over heels in love with each other. I felt complete when I was with him. I was happy, comfortable. I loved him so much... And then the unthinkable happened; he dumped me for like a seven-year-old pinkette.

The whole and complete feeling I had when around him turned quickly into hurt and despair. I don't think he knows how much my heart bleeds for him. I thought I wasn't good enough before...but now...even Darien thought I was worthless... I don't want to overreact or be melodramatic, but life seemed so much more dull without him. It's still so hard to believe I lost him.

"Serena! Are you doing your homework?" my mom yelled up the stairs.

I got out of bed, answering, "Yeah, Mom, I'm doing my homework!"

"What are you working on right now?"

"Math!"

"Study hard!" she finished.

She didn't come upstairs like I thought she would. That was a bit different...

I pulled out my Algebra II textbook and dropped it onto my desk, listening to great thud it made. It was a big, heavy book.

I got a pencil from the pencil cup I always kept on my desk, and I began solving problem after problem. I didn't see any real value in Algebra. It was hard not to think about when I was ever going to use it. It's not like I planned on becoming an engineer one day. Maybe more of a job with medicine, or maybe just a stay-at-home wife. Well, the wife thing was actually a no-go. I wanted to be married to Darien, just like it should be. I wished the attack on the Moon Kingdom had never happened. Maybe then Darien and I would still be together. Maybe we would've gotten married and had a kid or two. Luna and Artemis could come live at our big castle. It would be fun. It would be really, really fun.

Hm...? Wait a minute...a kid? A kid... A kid was made by conception, and conception only occurred when... I felt my eyes widen as realization hit me. Was that why Darien broke up with me? Was it my fault? Was it that he wanted to have sex with me? Was that...what he wanted? I mean, I'm not entirely opposed to it. But I didn't want to... I mean, unless it would save our relationship, but... I don't know. If that was what Darien wanted, right? But like, I wasn't too sure I wanted to go that far. It was a big step in a relationship! I never imagined he would want to get that intimate with me.

It was weird. I was excited because now there was a way to get Darien back. However, I was nervous because I'd never done this before. Actually I'd rather have done it when I got married, and only with my husband. The way things were headed now, though...marriage might not ever happen. Oh...why did he have to put me on the spot like this? I didn't know what to do anymore! I didn't know what I wanted!

If you don't know what you want, then just do what he wants. that helpful little voice in my head told me. When I say "voice in my head" I mean my thoughts, my conscience. Don't think for a second that I'm a schizophrenic.

Well, I guess I really didn't have a choice. Darien had to choose to come back; I couldn't force him. How exactly could I tell him I was ready to have sex with him? Somehow I doubted that would put him in the mood. Well, maybe I didn't actually have to go through with it. Maybe I just had to let him know I was ready, and nothing more. If he knew that much, he might just take me back. I really wanted him to take me back...

Oh...but what if he wanted to do it right when I told him? Then what? Should I just go ahead and do it? I really wasn't ready for it, but... I needed Darien back. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me. I wanted him to kiss me and hug me and hold me lovingly. Maybe he broke up because he thought I wasn't putting any effort into the relationship... And if this would help... I'm sure I could pull through if this would help... Besides, now I could provide something for Darien that Rini couldn't.

I finished my math homework and got started on the next subject, resolving to talk to Darien about it tomorrow, when it would be the weekend and when I didn't have homework or chores cramming up my schedule.

A/N

Yeah, I know it was a short chapter. I apologize for that. Thank you all for reviewing! I'll try to make the next chapter longer.