Chapter 11: The Rotten Side of the Apple

"Funny, I never thought as an apple as a symbol of love." Lita said walking with Serena away from the shop.

"I'm surprised…you know the charm is an apple and -." Rei added.

"Oh Rei stop it. It's a charm. It's for a love. Nothing based in Love could ever be evil." Mina scolded. "Plus, as the Scout of Love, I am coming with you to support this plan." Mina smiled widely at Serena.

"Fine. I still don't like it." Rei complained.

"Or is it because you clashed hard with that hot shop owner?" Lita smiled.

"I just got a weird feeling about him. I can't believe he questioned me? I mean I know my psychic thing is pretty fool proof, and I got the fire to show it. Plus charms don't really work that way. Nothing about these charms gives off pro-lovey vibes."

"I hope it turns out well Serena." Ami nodded to Serena.

"Me too." Serena looked at it. Maybe she was trying too hard…but she didn't want to get in the way of Darien's academics…or jobs…but was it that selfish that she wanted a bit more time in there too?

"Hey, Serena isn't that Darien there?" Lita asked. They spotted him waiting outside a tall brick building.

"We'll let you give him the charm, and wait over here." Rei sat down on a bench underneath the afternoon summer sky.

"I'm hanging close by. I want to see if these Magical little charms work, otherwise you wont be the only one emptying your piggy bank." Mina smiled and trailed enough behind so she could watch. "Scout of Love's gotta keep cupid's arrow on track."

Serena walked over, not sure what he was doing outside in front of a row of business buildings. "Darien?"

"Oh Serena, I wanted to try to talk to you again but you were already out. I got a little dishevelled this morning. Sorry ." Darien said apologizing for his lack of …well apology for this morning. "Actually I couldn't get ahold of you because when you came in this morning, you dropped your cell in my apartment."

Serena took it back. She hadn't even noticed. "Thanks! What are you doing here?"

"I'm just waiting on someone. Shopping again?"

"Yes. Actually…here." Serena handed him the small box with the charm-pin in it.

"What's this?"

"It's for this morning. Or for…kind of what you did with the ring..." She didn't know how to say it. She wasn't shy or anything, but giving Darien a gift like this…it was supposed to be special.

"Oh. Well you know you didn't have to-"

"Well I used most of my allowance up so I hope you like it." Serena said guiltily.

Darien looked at it. A half an apple, more like the shape of a heart. It reminded him of a tiepin. It had a little oval gem in the middle too. "It's nice Serena, but why? The ring was a promise that'd I'd be with you even when I couldn't be around."

"Well I really didn't want you to think that I barged in, I mean sure I really do want to go to the festival tonight with you but I still got in the way of the phone call-and I too want you, to you know, know that I'm around and -" Serena sighed and looked up to him with hopeful eyes.

Darien put the pin on his jacket. Upon doing this he felt a strange rush in his body. In a wave that he couldn't control of a feeling of annoyance pulsed through him; an inclination that took over his body.

"You just shouldn't barge in all the time. It's still my apartment." Darien said irritably.

"Well I-" Serena started.

Mina walked over noticing that Serena looked way off put.

"Hey! I hope you weren't waiting too long!" Suddenly a forth person entered the group. Serena saw a girl with reddish brown hair in a short bob, wearing a pale blue button up shirt and a black skirt. She had large green eyes on a petite face and frame.

"Woah, she looks professional." Mina said.

"You must be Serena, Darien's girlfriend?" The woman said to Serena with a smile. "Although I could be wrong. You both almost fit the description. My name is Hana Hachickio."

"Darien told me you were going to the course with him tomorrow?" Serena asked curiously why Darien was already with her.

"Well it just so happened that I wasn't busy today and recommended to him we should grab some coffee. I hope you don't mind! My fathers a lawyer so I figured we could go over some of his case files as warm up for tomorrow and catch up. I really think social work problems often turn to legal cases when they go down hill. It works well from both sides; a humane and a political standing." Hana smiled warmly. "But if you want to steal him back that's fine too. We could always catch up tomorrow before the course."

"No, no it's fine..." Serena said. She knew that was the polite thing to say, but Hana was pretty. Refined. Older. "Also I'm sorry for this morning…"

"Oh that was you that caused Darien to drop the phone?" Hana laughed. "It did make the conversation more exciting."

"She's really a klutz sometimes. We should go, the case files will probably take a while." Darien said rather nonchalantly, as if the dig wasn't present.

"Well I don't think case files would interest you two, but you guys could come along? I'd love talking to the girl Mister Picky is settling down with." Hana said warmly, trying to pick up from Darien's staleness.

"Mr. Picky?" Mina asked hesitantly, looking to Serena.

"Oh yea, Darien, in high school, back in the day…Even when he modeled, he barely dated any of the girls that chased after him."

"I just didn't care for them. Girlfriends get in the way of things mostly anyway." Darien said bluntly. "And Serena doesn't need to come. It's academic talk anyway; she'll probably just knock the coffee over on the files. Let's go Hana." Darien turned away.

"Oh, well, it was nice meeting you Serena." Hana said kind of off-put as she walked away hesitantly behind him.

"What was that? Did he even say thank you? And I haven't heard him talk like that since way back when you guys weren't together…and even then it wasn't that harsh." Mina said.

"Maybe…maybe he was just in a rush." Serena bit her lip.

"Hey how'd it go?" Rei asked as the girls walked over.

"And who was that girl with him?" Leta asked.

"Just his friend Hana Hachicko. And it went-"

"Don't even sugar coat it Serena. I've never seen Darien act rude before but that was-"

"Darien was rude?" Rei lifted a brow. "Well, that's a flash back. He hasn't been bitter to you way back since when-".

"Ahem- Hachicko is also a name of a well known Lawyer in Tokyo. She must be his daughter." Ami added, stopping Rei from mentioning the other times Darien ignored Serena. "If she's Darien's friend it's likely she'll be helpful in his academic endeavors…"

"He didn't like the pin?" Leta asked.

"I- I think. I don't know. You know maybe I am coming on too strong. I just guess maybe I missed him too much. I think I'm going to go have a nap...or something…it has kind of been a long day." Serena looked to her fingers. Something wasn't right…had she really been that annoying this morning? She didn't even have any money left for the festival…or even an ice cream to cheer her up.

"Don't forget about the Festival later tonight! We'll just go together as a group…. Serena?" Mina tried to lighten her spirits but the odangoed girl had already walked away.

"So what exactly did he say?" Leta crossed her arms.

"Honestly, just made her sound dumb and klutzy right in front of Hana." Mina looked worried. "He also didn't sound like he was interested in spending any time with her. It was way weird."

"That doesn't sound like Darien." Rei shook her head.

"It does kind of sound like you though." Leta smirked.

"Hey, I only do it because she needs it….but not from him. Darien's supposed to be Serena's prince. " Rei raised her nose in the air before lowering it modestly.

"This was way harsh. No thank you for the gift. No intimacy. It was like he was ready to put Serena off too for that Hana girl. Not the normal." Mina was concerned.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the gift?" Ami asked.

"Why?" Mina looked to Ami.

Ami pointed at a couple. They were arguing along the way, and quarreling back and forward. Both of their comments seemed very harsh and snide from what the girls could make out.

"So its another couple fighting?" Leta asked, cringing though as the comments were a little blunt.

"They both actually have those charms on. Look." Ami noticed a glistening heart-half-golden apple on the man's shirt and a charm on the girl's bracelet, catching light of the slowly receding Sun.

"Could be a coincidence?" Mina asked.

"I don't know. They've got some kinda bad vibe coming off of them. But it could just be the fact that they're arguing." Rei added.

"Maybe we should keep an eye. If we see this more than once it might be a good idea to investigate." Leta nodded.

"I'd hate to think Serena got in the middle of another attack…it doesn't seem likely. How could they control everyone if only couples are targeted..." Ami started.

"Either way, I had those bad vibes first from that store, so lets make our way back over before it closes. If we see enough proof I have no problem with setting those charms on fire." Rei said leading the way off back down the main street.