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-Chapter Three-
I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.
~Marilyn Monroe

Monday morning and a long weekend of sleep did nothing to relieve a pounding hangover and the burning heat of embarrassment. Her tongue was fat and heavy and dry as she tried to dampen her cracked lips, her hair refused to fall into the right places, and as a result, it looked like she woke up with a severe case of death.

Everything was slow-motion. The people around her nudged someone who hadn't been at the party, bent over and half-shielded their mouths with curved palms to relay the dirtiest gossip they could conjure up.

She felt as graceful as a marooned whale that had sunburn in all the wrong places after spending an afternoon stranded on land.

And when Lita saw her, her remark did nothing but help.

"Whoa, you look like shit."

Serena groaned and leaned against her locker as she tried to dial in her combination. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Alright," she crossed her arms over her chest. "My grandparents decided to give you the job at the bakery. You start next Saturday."

Serena touched her forehead to the cool metal of the locker and let the news sink in. "I don't know how to waitress."

"Think of it like this, then." She patted her shoulder soothingly. "You won't have any free time to go and screw up your life at random parties on weekends anymore."

She frowned and shrugged until Lita dropped her arm. "You heard about that."

"I'm pretty sure everyone heard about that." Then, when Serena shot her a withering glare, she smiled sheepishly. "Nathan called after it all went down and caught me up."

Serena made a whimpering sound.

Lita pursed her lips. "It really isn't that big a deal, if you analyze the situation. I mean, you guys were all drinking, right?" She paused and gave Serena a second to answer, but when she didn't, she clambered on. "Darien was probably totally wasted, like you were, and just acted on emotion. Get what I'm saying?"

"Thank you, Dr. Kane. Now why don't you tell me some good news."

"Okay," she switched her books to her other arm. "Here comes Darien right now."

Serena pulled open her locker door and stared into her mirror. There he was, a wavering image over her shoulder. He definitely didn't look like he had been drinking. "Lita, what am I supposed to do? I can't-"

Lita was busy hurrying herself in the opposite direction.

"Oh thanks, Lita! Really, I appreciate it!"

He cleared his throat behind her, and she gritted her teeth.

"We need to talk."

She closed her locker sharply and began walking away, books hugged tightly to her chest.

"Serena," Darien's voice sagged, and she could imagine his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm not playing around."

"Neither am I." She rounded a corner, but he grabbed her elbow, turned her sharply around and she closed her eyes to block out his image. He crowded her though, forced her to look up at him. "Fine," she whispered, and his eyebrows furrowed as he examined her face. "Talk quick. People are starting to stare."

His eyes didn't waver, didn't glance around to clarify the fact. "You're really starting to piss me off."

Her cheeks reddened with indignation. "Shut up, Darien. I didn't even do anything."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" His eyes narrowed. "Do you not think I don't know what you were trying to do Saturday?"

"I wasn't trying to do anything." She tried to step around him, but he grabbed her arm, tugged her into a deserted classroom and closed the door behind them. She jerked away from him. "What is your problem?"

He was staring at her hard; his face was drawn tight, as if he was trying to rein in some foreign emotion. "My problem is that you show up to that party and try to get with Sean. Sean, Serena. Sean, the goalie. That isn't even funny, because all this time I've been trying to get you to realize that... that I'm standing here waiting... And I thought we had this thing between us..." He passed a palm over his eyes. "This isn't making any sense."

She stared at him, focusing on his expression. "Do you like me?"

He peeled open an eye to look at her. "What?"

Serena set her jaw, nostrils flared. "Do you. Like. Me." She pressed her hand to his chest to push him away, headed toward the door, grasped the knob and stared at it as she spoke. "Because if you really did, then you would have realized that I've been the one standing and waiting. And if you would have looked past that slut Adrianna as she was hanging off you like some kind of Christmas ornament-"

"What does Adrianna have to do with any of this?" He threw his arms into the air and felt a shred of patience wither. "She doesn't mean anything to me! God," he ran a hand roughly through his hair. "One thing happened between us freshmen year. Freshman year, Serena, and you think I actually enjoy her clinging to me like a leech?"

Serena stared at him in silence, mouth set into a thin line. "Maybe," she said carefully, "all of this isn't even worth it."

Darien's eyes narrowed.

"If you would have just told her to go screw herself over some other guy instead up just accepting the fact that she is a blood sucking leech, then you would have realized a long time ago..." She shook her head. "Don't blame anything on me. And don't try to blame it on Adrianna. You're stupid and ignorant and... and...I'm done wasting my time waiting around hoping that you'll come and sweep me off my feet."

She shouldered open the door, nearly ran into some wandering freshman as she stumbled into the hallway. Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment and hurt.

She looked back once to find him staring after her.


"Can't we all just get along?" Mrs. Crawford smacked her Shakespearean novel against her podium and waved her other hand around wildly in the air. "Is that what William was trying to get across, or something else? A subliminal message, maybe?"

Serena's cheek nearly slipped out of her palm and onto her desk. She shook her head to try to clear the muddled, bored cloud in her head, but the attempt failed.

"Which leads me into your homework for this evening." She turned to the whiteboard and picked up a marker. "I want you all to read Act I of Romeo and Juliet, take consistent and in-depth notes. Read between the lines, now. Tomorrow's discussion will be on what Shakespeare may have been thinking when he wrote about these twostar-cross'd lovers."

Serena felt her eyes droop.

"There will also be a group project. After class, see me to find out what two other people are in your group of three, and together, you will come up with a fun way to explain your assigned act to the rest of the class. This project will count as thirty percent of your final grade, and is graded off group effort, not on individual evaluation."

She took her textbook and propped it up on her desk, silently sliding down into her chair as Mrs. Crawford continued.

"You can use other literary examples to support your explanation, whether other works by Shakespeare or by completely different authors."

She crossed her arms and tucked her chin against her chest, inhaled deeply and relished the sweet moment of sleep.

"So I take it that you will be seeing me after school today, am I right, Miss. Tayse?"

The words registered, a little nuisance piercing into her mind, but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Miss. Tayse!"

Someone kicked the back of her chair, and she jerked upwards. "What? What's the matter?"

There was a rumble of laughter through the room, and she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands.

"After school today, Miss Tayse." She lifted an eyebrow; a silent challenge.

She stared up at her, didn't take the bait. "Okay."

"Okay," Mrs. Crawford touched the corner of her desk before moving back to the front of the classroom. "Let's discuss theatrical fame in the Elizabethan Era."

Serena scowled and sank back down into her chair.


Kennedy stared at Darien from where he sat on the opposite side of the table. The study hall was loud and obnoxious, but there the two of them sat, Kennedy with his arms over his chest and Darien with his head in his hands.

"Occasionally, Darien, I wonder how you're able to even keep yourself in the top five percent our class. That's how stupid you are sometimes."

He glanced at him from between the gaps of his fingers. "She made it seem like everything was my fault."

Kennedy scratched at the tip of his nose. "Well, from what I hear, it does sound like you were pretty dumb."

He sat up straight. "I'm pretty sure I came here for help, not for you to tell me I have absolutely no idea how to handle her."

He shrugged. "She's my cousin."

"Okay, okay," Darien pressed his hands flat against the desktop. "I'm quoting Zane here, but I'm pretty sure it goes like this." He cleared his throat. "Bros before hoes?"

Kennedy coughed to cover up his laugh. "So now Serena is a hoe?"

Darien's face visibly paled. "Well, no, I was just saying figuratively... I mean, I respect her and I would never..."

Kennedy waved his hand, pushing the stuttered words away. "I've got your back, you know that." He leaned forward, balanced his chin against his fingertips. "And Mina and I had a little discussion last night."

He stared at him for a long, silent minute. "What?"

"Mina came over last night for a study session. And while reviewing western civilization notes, she kind of went off on a little tangent."

Darien felt his eyebrows lift up. "A tangent."

He nodded carefully, and Darien could see that Kennedy was contemplating his next words. "I'm going to ask you something."

"Okay."

Kennedy tapped his bottom lip and stared hard at the desk. Then, after he dropped his hand into his lap, he looked back up at him "Why do you like her?"

Darien sat back, clapped his hands on top of his knees. Kennedy stared expectantly at him, one pale brow arched.

He racked his mind, picturing memories and moments with Serena. When he tutored her in algebra II sophomore year, when she tripped in the lunchroom and her tray full of spaghetti ended up in his lap, when she first got her license and she called him at two in the morning to shout into his ear about how excited she was and she knew Mina was asleep but something told her he would be up and she just had to talk to someone about all of her excitement because she was practically dying to drive around without her parents shouting at her from the passenger seat and she was just ready to explode.

He hadn't been up, but he still talked to her until he was positive she fell asleep with her phone against her ear.

Darien felt his mouth curve into a grin. "What's not to like?"

The corners of Kennedy's lips twitched. "Then tell me," the bell rang, and they both began gathering up their books, "why you're just letting yourself sit back and hope this ridiculously large hole between the two of you is going to mend itself?"

They stood, things cradled against their hips.

"What do you think I should do?"

Kennedy glanced at him from the corner of his eye as they pressed into the flowing crowd of students. "Bro," they began the ascension of a staircase. "That's entirely up to you."


"Just a little higher." Serena stood beneath Jake, hands grasped tight around the legs of the ladder as she directed him. He stretched, muscles straining, until he was standing on his toes. "Right there. Yeah. That's perfect."

Behind her, Mina buttered her lunch roll. "Why can't you just do this after school?"

Jake fastened the banner against the wall and began to descend down the rungs of the ladder. It read Spectacular: A Homecoming Designed for the Fabulous. "Because we're busy people, Mina."

She chomped down on the roll and glared at him. "I wasn't talking to you, Jake."

He made a face at her before turning to Serena. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, I can handle everything from here." She bent over to pick up a pile of flyers at her feet. "Thanks for your help. You're a doll."

"Oh, I know," he folded up the ladder and hefted it up. "Enjoy your detention after school, by the way. I've got ten dollars saying she's going to make you write 'I will not fall asleep in class' a hundred times."

She shot him a glare. "Go away."

He winked. "I'm going to win this bet."

As he walked away, Serena turned her back on him to hand Mina a flyer. "Homecoming, October eighth. Be there or be square."

Mina read the flyer over. "There's going to be a rock wall?"

She nodded. "Not my idea, but everyone else liked it, so why not?"

Her forehead crinkled. "That's going to be amazing."

"That's the goal," she licked her index finger to peel up a corner of the paper. "Can you hand me a piece of tape? We've got two hundred fliers and only twenty minutes to put them up."

Mina shoved the rest of the roll in her mouth and grabbed up the tape dispenser. "Let's go."


Miss. Berkley was remarkably good at making Serena look like an idiot.

"Tayse, I know you're faster than that! I've seen you sprint down the hallways last year when you were late to class!"

She huffed and pinched a cramp in her side with her fingers. "That's different," she breathed out as she jogged passed her. "I had to do that. More than three tardies and then I wouldn't be allowed to run for student council..." she trailed off as she made her way back around the track. She was beginning to see exploding white spots everywhere she turned. "This, though..." another aching gasp. "This is torture."

Raye and Jake trotted past her, stride for stride and hip to hip.

"Raye and Jake don't seem to mind running laps!" Miss. Berkley put balled fists onto her hips. "They seem to be enjoying it!"

Raye turned around and smirked. Serena stuck her tongue out at her. "That's because they're freaks! They go running together every weekend!"

"Excuses, excuses, Tayse." She popped her whistle into her mouth and blew. Serena groaned and collapsed to the ground. "Saddle up and hit the showers!"

Serena laid there for a minute, limbs stretched out wide as she listened to the blood pounding against her temples. The sun beat against her face, a mocking reminder that she still had one more class before the end of the day, and then a shadow passed over her.

She kept her eyes closed for a moment longer before she finally peeled open one lid.

Darien stood over her, smirking and shining with perspiration.

Serena glowered and rolled over to push herself to her feet. "Get out of here."

"Oh come on," he caught up to her as she began to walk away. "At least let me apologize."

"About what? The fact that you're an idiot?" She swept sweaty bangs away from her forehead and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Because if that's it, I really don't want to hear it."

He rubbed his palm on the underside of his chin, contemplating her words. "Okay, so, at lunch, I kind of thought over what you said. You know, how I was stupid and ignorant and such." He waved his hand in the air to emphasize his point. "And, while I feel that we both were mutually idiotic, I realize that you're right."

Serena stopped at the entrance to the gymnasium and crossed her arms, cocked her hip and waited for him to continue.

He scratched his neck awkwardly as students passed between them. "Look, we're playing Galloway Prep today at four. Come to the game after your detention and-"

"How do you know about that?"

"Jake told me," he shrugged. "Anyway, just come and let me prove to you that I'm sorry."

She pursed her lips.

He tried so hard to keep a serious face, but as they continued to stare at one another, his lips began to tweak upwards. "Please?" he tried, and spread his fingers out toward her.

She scuffed the ground with the toe of her sneaker. "Well," she stared at his calves before she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Alright. I'll go."

His face split into a smile.

"But you're not forgiven until I say so."

"That sounds good to me," and he continued to smile at her, long after she disappeared into the girls' locker room.


She dropped the marker and rubbed her wrist furiously. Mrs. Crawford, from where she sat at her desk in the far corner, looked up over her reading glasses.

"Is your hand tired, Miss. Tayse?"

Serena stared at the whiteboard, dropped her wrist and picked up the marker again. "Not at all, Mrs. Crawford. It's just that my family has a long line of nerve issues in the wrist. No big deal."

She made a sound of disapproval beneath her breath. "And I'm sure lying through your teeth will look great on your school record, just alongside sleeping in class." She flipped a page in her book. "Now stop wasting my time and yours. I've got a dinner to make at home."

Serena grumbled, "I will not fall asleep in class." She sketched out the words sloppily, beneath the other ten sentences she had already written. "I will not fall asleep in class."

There was a soft knock on the door. "Excuse me, Mrs. Crawford?" Mr. Devine poked his head through the threshold. "Would you mind if I spoke to Serena for a quick moment?"

She puckered her lips, narrowed her eyes as she assessed him. "She's in detention, and I personally don't think it's appropriate to speak with her during her punishment."

He looked over at Serena, then at the marker in her hand, and then at the sentence written on the board. His mouth tightened as he tried to control an arising smile. "I promise it'll only take a minute."

Serena looked back and forth between them as a staring match ensued.

Finally, Mrs. Crawford turned back to her book. "Make it quick."

Mr. Devine smirked. "Thank you."

Serena capped the marker and hurried over to him.

He motioned her into the hallway before closing the door behind her. "I need to ask you a favor."

She cocked her head. "Okay..."

Mr. Devine placed his palm against the wall beside her head and leaned close. "Next week, there's a science convention in the city. But the guidelines state that I have to bring a student who doesn't participate in any strenuous extracurricular activities, to give other students a chance or some kind of weird discrimination."

"Oh," she tried to take a glimpse at his arm, because it was disturbingly close to her ear. "Well, I'm in spirit club. That's extracurricular."

"Yes, but not strenuous." He curled his fingers against the wall. "And besides, my top students all participate in some form of sports. So, you're the next best thing."

Her brows furrowed. "I suck at chemistry."

Mr. Devine's laugh dissolved into an exasperated sigh as he dropped his head. "Serena, your grades are average. You're maintaining a high B. So what if you're no Shields or... or, forgive me for the comparison, but Zane?" He withdrew his arm and took a healthy step backward. "Think about it, alright? Let me know by the beginning of next week."

"But Zane doesn't do any strenuous activities."

Mr. Devine's mouth tightened. "Zane told me he's the manager of the girl's swim team. And also that he sings the national anthem at all swim meets, including boy swim meets. And that he has been in the play as the lead role since his sophomore year."

Serena frowned.

He kept a serious expression. "Think about it for me?"

She thought about it for a minute, and then nodded carefully. "Alright. I'll let you know."

"Great," his grin was lopsided. "Now get back in there before Mrs. Crawford gives me a detention."

Serena couldn't hold back her smile. "Ay, ay Captain."


Mina dipped her brush into the blue paint bottle. "Look up." Lita did so, and Mina dabbed the paint across her lower eyelid. "Okay, down."

Serena stared into the bathroom mirror. "I look absolutely ridiculous."

"Girl, you look fabulous." Mina leaned away to examine Lita's face. "Okay, you're done. Do you want anyone's number on your cheek?"

She shook her head and stood. "Nathan said he'd give me a kiss and a promise if I wore his number on my boobs for Friday's football game. So might as well save it for then."

Serena crinkled her nose and turned to look at the number on her own cheek. "I don't even know who number fifteen is. Who is that?"

Mina peered into the mirror to draw a white heart on her forehead. "Darien."

Her cheeks reddened; she was suddenly thankful for the blue mask to hide it. "You're one of the biggest idiots I've ever met, you know that?"

She shrugged and blew a kiss. "You love me."

"And I have absolutely no idea why."

Lita pulled open the bathroom door. "Come on, losers. We've got a team to cheer on."

By the time they made it to the soccer field from the school, the bleachers were packed and filled with rumbling, rolling students draped in navy shirts and fans waving noisemakers wildly in the air.

Raye called to them from the first row, waving her arms madly in the air over her head.

Serena plopped down next to her. "Where're the boys?"

She pointed down toward the fence, where Jake, Zane, and Nathan stood, shirtless and stomachs painted with big blue letters: AHA.

"Kennedy?"

"Alright folks," Serena looked over to the announcer balcony, and there he sat, a sheet of paper held in front of his face. "Welcome to the AHA versus Galloway Prep soccer game. Please remember that all fans must remain off the field, and must show respect for your team and the opponent. Any spectator that chooses to violate these rules will be escorted off the premises and asked not to return." There was a pause, followed by an impatient grumble from everyone down below. "Now, please stand, remove your caps, and turn to face the flag. Join AHA's own Mina Anderson as she sings our country's national anthem."

The marching band rallied out onto the field, drums pounding and shoulders squared, and as Mina accepted a microphone from the coach, she smiled at the crowd. Soaking up the limelight.

Serena linked her hands in front of stomach, let her eyes skim across the field. Darien looked up at her, smiled, and she had to force herself to look away, because she remembered that she was still angry with him.

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, and Serena realized that the song was finished. She clapped dumbly along with everyone else, watching as the referees met in the middle of the field to call captains.

Darien ran quickly over to them, leaned in to whisper a question, and after a brief, hesitant exchanging of looks between them, they all nodded.

Serena felt her brow furrow as he jogged back to the sideline to retrieve the microphone.

0

Darien cleared his throat as he stopped midfield, palms sweaty and heart quick as he searched the crowd. Serena was staring at him, mouth hanging open.

"Uhm." He pulled the microphone away as the speakers hissed angrily. The crowd screeched in response. "Hi everyone. Hope your having a good time." He turned to wave at the Galloway Prep crowd, and they were all staring at him like he was crazy.

He cleared his throat again, felt a beginning sensation of awkwardness settle on his shoulders. "There's a reason I'm out here. And I knew I'd have plenty of witnesses to hear me out, just in case things go horribly wrong." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "You see, there's this girl I know. And she's mad at me because she thinks I'm an idiot." There was a round of laughter from the Galloway fans behind him. His cheeks started to redden, but he pushed away the embarrassment and soldiered on.

"The problem is, I promised her I'd apologize because I may have screwed things up between us just a tiny, little bit." He shrugged. "That's why I'm here. She told me she'd let me know when I was forgiven, and I'm kind of hoping that by the time I'm done here, she'll understand what I'm all about."

He spread his free arm out wide. "She's the only girl who makes my palms sweat every time I see her walking down the hallway." He realized that this may not have been the manliest thing to say, but as Serena continued to stare at him with wide, blue eyes, he found that he really didn't care. "Who I'd forgive after she purposely knocked over my coffee because she knew I couldn't get through the day without it. Who I'd spend three hours with after school helping study just so she could pass her algebra midterm."

Serena was gaping at him openly now, and he really couldn't resist what he said next. "Serena Tayse, you are the clumsiest, silliest, craziest girl I know." Her eyes widened, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "That moment we collided in the hallway freshmen year, I knew. I knew you were the girl for me."

He was starting to breathe unsteadily as his stomach twisted into knots. The feeling, foreign and strange, sparked his nerves with the electric shock of people staring at him. He felt all eyes, every single pair, settle on him, pressuring him to continue. He had to pull this off.

"Serena Tayse, I honestly think..." he had to stop and smile at her, because her expression made a bubble of laughter press against his chest. Her jaw snapped closed, but a hand lifted to press right against her heart. "I honestly, truly, wholly believe you are..." He switched the microphone to his other hand, and there was a collective inhalation of breath from the people around him. "Serena Tayse, you are the love of my life."

There was a stillness that stuttered across the crowd. But he continued, never let his eyes stray from hers. "And whether we win or lose tonight, I'm going to find you in those bleachers, and I'm going to kiss you and tell you for the second time tonight."

He could sense her confusion, could see the way her nose scrunched up and her eyebrows furrowed, even when he was fifty yards away. "Serena Tayse, I love you."

Utter silence drifted across the stadium. It was so silent, so noiseless, he could have sworn he heard the crickets chirping.

It was someone from Galloway Prep, the goalie maybe, who cupped his mouth and shouted, "Well? Is he forgiven?"

0

Serena was trembling. Shaking and staring at him in absolute shock.

Mina shoved her forward, and everyone was staring expectantly at her as she reached out to grip the cold medal of the safety railing.

"Tell him you forgive him!"

"Tell him you love him!"

"Say something, will you?"

Someone handed her the microphone, and she found that she was beginning to laugh. It all seemed so absurd, so completely unreal. Just like a fairytale.

She blinked, wrapped her fingers tight around the microphone so it wouldn't slip from her numb grasp. And when she opened her eyes again, Darien was staring directly at her, that silly, crooked, teasing smirk curving his mouth.

"Darien Shields," she laughed again, because that was all she could do, because her voice was trembling like her hands were, like her heart was. "Darien Shields, I honestly, totally, fully believe that you have just completely swept me off my feet."

His smirk widened into a smile that she mirrored, and as she handed down the microphone, she withdrew back to her seat, shook her head, and was glad when Kennedy spoke over the speakers again, because everyone was watching her as she was watching Darien, and her stupid smile wouldn't disappear.

"After that lovely interruption," he flapped his paper back in front of his face, "let's introduce our starters..."


She had absolutely no idea what was going on.

Zane jumped around like a madman and yelled something inappropriate every time someone touched the ball. Jake threw his hands up and complained every time a referee blew a whistle and blamed something on an AHA player.

Nathan was busy flexing his muscles for Lita, who was busy watching him.

But Darien seemed to know what he was doing. He was fast- a lot faster than he looked during gym class- and he never seemed to lose the ball, unless some Galloway kid slipped and fell on his face, and he tripped over his body and tumbled across the grass.

That usually earned someone a yellow ticket. Or card. She couldn't remember what it was called.

She glanced at the scoreboard. The score was still one to one.

Raye jumped up and started screaming. "What the hell was that, ref? Open your eyes! He was riding him like a freaking horse!"

Down on the field, Darien pushed himself up from the ground, arm and half of his uniform stained green from his slide across the grass, but he ignored the incident and began running in the opposite direction.

Mina grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "You better start screaming or something, because if we lose this game, the cafeteria's tater tots are going to end up being string beans, and I hate them."

Serena stared at her, then refocused on the field. "Come on, guys!" She looked back at Mina, who smiled and flashed her two thumbs up. "Kick their butts!"

From the goalies net, Sean glanced over at her. Her eyes widened, because he looked genuinely displeased as the referee blew the whistle and signaled a stop.

"It's going into overtime." Mina grabbed her by her shirt and shook her. "Overtime! I swear, if we lose, I'm going to freak out! I hate string beans!"

As the team huddled up around the sideline, Sean grabbed Darien and pulled him close. He pointed over in her general direction, and Darien shoved him away.

She squinted and tried to read lips, but the coach shouted something at them, and they shot a final glare at each other before stepping back into the huddle.

Raye started laughing. "They're totally fighting over you."

"Be quiet, Raye."

She shrugged her shoulders as everyone retook their positions on the field. "Whatever you say, princess."

She ignored her, and instead, she watched Darien move, watched as he put a fist on his waist and used his other hand to wipe sweat from his forehead.

And when the game started up again, she blanked out and stared at some distant spot on the field. She really wasn't fond of sports. They bored her nearly to tears. But she was aware of the rumble of shouts from the fans around her, of the quick blurs of color as players sprinted back and forth. Of Mina as she randomly grabbed at her and began to wrench her around wildly.

It was a collective gasp from the crowd, though, that jerked her back to reality.

Darien was on his stomach, frozen, fists pressed against the ground as the coach rushed toward him. She could see blood running down the side of his face.

"What happened?" Serena grabbed Raye by the arm and tugged hard. "What just happened?"

Raye looked shocked, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. "Some asshole just checked him in the face. He was going in to score, and some fucking idiot elbowed him in the face and then..." She trailed off and tried to reign in her tempered anger. "He just threw him to the ground. What the hell is that?"

Serena released her and turned her attention back to the field. The teams were ushered back to their sidelines as the bloody towels began to pile up.

The coach helped Darien into a sitting position and asked him to follow his finger.

"He's okay," Serena said dumbly. "He's fine."

Another towel was pressed against his eye to stop the blood from reaching his uniform.

Darien twisted around to ask the referee something.

After he received an answer, he motioned the coaches aside and pushed himself to his feet.

The blood was still flowing, running down his cheek like great crimson rivulets. The referee placed the ball down and popped his whistle into his mouth. Players retook positions, recognized with clenched fists and determined faces that the clock was quickly ticking down.

Darien used the back of his hand to wipe away some blood as it trickled into the corner of his lips. He lined up a few feet behind the ball and analyzed the net, the goalie, the situation.

"He's nuts," Mina had her cheeks cupped. "He's taking the shot. He's taking it. Absolutely nuts. Is this even legal? I'm pretty sure this is absolutely illegal."

He lifted his hand into the air, a signal to the referee to blow his whistle. As the ringing pierced the silent air, Darien stepped back, muscles gliding beneath glistening skin, and he started left, a quick step that had everyone leaning.

When his foot met the ball, the crowd stood on the tips of their toes, leaned forward with wide eyes and open mouths, watching as the ball curved.

The goalie dove, arms and fingers stretched out. But he missed; the ball glided sharply into the back of the net.

Serena began jumping up and down as cheers erupted and the whistle blew and Darien fell back to the ground, laughing as teammates barreled out toward him. The bleachers quickly emptied, a stampede of crazy, screaming fans as a wild sensation of chaos passed over everyone.

Mina jerked to a halt and turned back toward her; everyone billowed out around her. "Aren't you coming?"

Serena nodded and clanked across the bleachers. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a small smile on her face.

0

Darien winced as the needle pierced through his skin again. The taste of blood was still fresh on his tongue, and he tried to concentrate on that particular flavor, because he was not a big fan of needles. "I'm fine," he assured the trainer again. "Really, it's just a little scratch. It'll be healed up in the morning."

"Shields," the trainer tied off the final suture. "I just gave you fourteen stitches. This baby would have never healed up on its own."

Serena stood silently in the middle of the crowd, watched as the trainer showed Darien some official paperwork. "No physical activity for two weeks."

"But-"

"No physical activity." He pulled out a cell phone. "I'm going to go call your parents, and after you're done celebrating and such, come find me."

Darien stood, and it was Zane who jumped into his arms. "Darien Shields, you've just swept me off my feet! Now give me a big smooch!"

He made a face and shoved him away.

Serena felt a blush return as people around her started whispering.

"Excuse me, excuse me," Darien pushed through the crowd, and they dutifully parted around her to allow him entrance. One side of his face was still dyed red from the blood. That, mixed with the sweat that drenched his hair and made his jersey stick around his waist and that same smile that sent her heart racing every single day, threw her into utter speechlessness. Her mind was totally blank.

Everyone was listening, and Serena took a step toward him.

Her face paint was smeared and faded in some spots, her hair was falling out of her braid, and she looked up at him through the fan of her lashes.

The smile she gave him had him stumbling for something to say.

She beat him to it. "I'm the clumsiest, silliest, craziest girl you know?"

He chuckled, pure and honest and so unbelievably perfect that she grabbed the number fifteen on his jersey and tugged him a step closer.

His cheek was warm against her own as he bent down to touch his lips to her temple. His voice was a whisper, words meant only for her ears. "Serena Tayse..." And suddenly the world drifted away; the people, the whispers, the stadium lights and excitement dissolved as his words vibrated against the shell of her ear.

His hands touched the sharp point of her hip bones, sending a jolt through her nerves. He pulled back, lifted his palms to cup her cheeks. The first touch of lips was soft, fleeting and so gentle that she wasn't sure if it really happened.

"Serena Tayse," his voice was louder now, letting everyone know, hear, witness what was happening. "I am absolutely, totally, undeniably in love with you."

She met him halfway as he caught her mouth in a kiss that was longer, deeper, so much sweeter than the first. With her arms tight around his neck, he lifted her up and swung her around, until they were both so dizzy that neither of them could determine the difference between left and right. Until they could only see what was straight ahead.

And even then, as she laughed uncontrollably and he clung to her to keep his balance, the lingering breath between them was too much, and they let their lips meet again to seal an unspoken promise that flowed through their veins. That hummed against their skin as her heart skipped a beat, and his caught the fumble.


Thanks to everyone who has read and will continue to read on! May you all enjoy the upcoming holiday break, and everyone be safe! Don't hesitate to review and let me know that you thought! All comments are greatly welcomed!

-Chapter Four-
Preview

"You will never believe this," she skidded to a halt and caught her breath on laughter that was uncontrollable. She slapped a rolled up newspaper against her knee and gripped Raye's shoulder for support as she tried to gather herself. "I can't, I just can't."

Lita snatched the paper from her grip and uncurled. "Campaigns Force Politicians to Step Up?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "What's so funny about that?"

Mina grabbed it back. "Not that." She flapped it open to the sports section and cleared her throat noisily. "The Pack Preys on Galloway."

Raye glanced over at Lita, who shrugged and pulled open her locker.

"The Academy of Holy Angels Wolverines sniff out and hunt down the Galloway Prep Falcons in a wild soccer thriller that had everyone on their feet since the opening whistle. Fans adorned face paint and cheers while players hustled and...blah, blah, don't really care..." She puckered her lips and skimmed through the paragraph. "Okay, okay, here it is!" She cleared her throat again. "But the biggest surprise of the night was just before opening kickoff, Academy's starting winger, senior Darien Shields, took hostage of a microphone and made a most peculiar announcement."

Mina looked up to find Lita and Raye staring back at her with dropped jaws. "Unbelievable," Raye rubbed at her forehead. "Does Serena-"

"Let me finish!" Mina glared at the two of them from over the top of the paper. "After stepping to center field and gaining everyone's attention, he turned toward the home bleachers to give a speech to a girl who hid behind a mask of blue paint. Serena Tayse, also a senior at the Academy, listened with an ajar mouth as Shields announced to her his love."

Lita bit off a sharp laugh. When Mina glanced at her, she motioned for her to continue.