The next morning I woke up to find myself as naked as the day I was born in my mother's bed. Opening my eyes I found Darien watching TV, just as naked as me. I immediately remembered everything from last night.

"Hey beautiful! Sleep well?" he asked, noticing that I was now awake

"You're still here," I whispered, still sleep hazy.

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, I kidda just figured that now that you'd gotten what you wanted, that you would be gone."

"Serena, I told you I'm not looking for a fuck buddy. Shit, I could get one of those any time. I'm interested in you and ONLY YOU. I'm not going anywhere and by the way I had you moaning my name last night, I don't think you want me too either," he whispered into my ear and nipped at my neck. Just as I was about to reply, the door to my mother's room bust open and Taru came running in.

"Rena, I'm hungry. Why is Darien in bed with you?"

"Well-," I began.

"Serena had a nightmare and she asked me to stay with her until she went to sleep. I guess I just ended up falling asleep too," Darien cut in.

"Okay. I'm hungry. Rena can you make your famous chocolate chip pancakes?" Hotaru asked with the undeniable look of hope in her eyes.

"Sure, I'll be down in a minute. So, why don't you go downstairs and watch cartoons while you wait." Hotaru's face all but lit up with the mention of cartoons. She managed a slight nod before she dashed out the room.

"Well...that was almost awkward. Nice save," I turned to face him.

"No problem. I aim to please, princess," he muttered right before his lips captured mine.

"As much as I would love to finish this. I have a hungry child downstairs waiting for food and I'm well aware that if we start this, we won't be finished any time soon," I pointed out as I jumped out of bed and began looking for my pajamas and underwear. I came to realize soon after I was on my feet exactly how soar I was.

Darien noticing my distress, started laughing, "You have a 'hungry' boy in bed too and I can relieve 'that' aching by rubbing the right places," he continued to smile, this time for a different reason.

"A boy, my ass. You're a grown ass man. Now get your ass out of the bed and stop whining or you'll be 'hungry' for a lot longer. "You'd be surprised how fast a grown man could move with the right motivation. Once we were downstairs Darien disappeared into the room with Hotaru and started to watch cartoons. 20 minutes later when I was cooking the last of the pancake batter, strong arms wrapped around my waist and scared the shit out me.

"Calm down, baby it's just me. This smells really good and Hotaru and I wanted to know if it was done yet?"

"Yeah, give me about 2 more minutes. Why don't you and Taru set the table."

"Will do," he left the kitchen and came back a minute later with Taru in his arms. Darien went in the cabinets and got plates and cups and started to set them on the table while Taru went around placing the silverware down. By the time the table was done, so was I and it didn't take us long to dig in. After we finished eating, we retired into the living room, where we spent the day playing Twister, Connect-the-Dots, Checkers, Sorry, and watching TV. At about 8 Darien decided to leave so that he could get ready for work the next day.

Just as Hotaru and I finished eating dinner the phone started to ring.

Ring, Ring, Ring

"Hello"

"Hey Rena, it's Michelle. I need you to do me another favor. Keep Hotaru tonight and drop her off at the daycare in the morning.

"Sure I'll keep her. She's right here and she wants to talk to you," I handed the phone to Taru. I started to put the dishes in the dishwasher, quietly listening to Hotaru go on and on about Darien. A little under 10 minutes later Hotaru gave me the phone back.

"Who the hell is Darien?" Chelle questioned.

"Just some guy that I started dating?" I know Chelle, she wasn't gonna take this very good. She was extremely overprotective. She's like my very own German shepherd.

"He doesn't sound like just some guy by the way Taru explains it. He's been over there for the last 3 days and this morning you two were in bed together."

"We got a little carried away," I began only to be cut off.

"Tell me you didn't have sex with him," Chelle demanded, harshly.

"DAMNIT Chelle, leave it alone. This is my life and I'll do what I want to with it. I knew what I was doing. I wanted it just as much as he did."

"You want me to leave it alone. Why, so you can be some whore that sleeps around?"

"Sleeping with a man does not make me a whore, Chelle," I pointed out.

"It does when you fuck him on the first date." As soon as I heard the words come through the phone, I hung up. She called right back of course, a call I chose to ignore. I was beyond pissed, it took me more than a couple of minutes to calm down and to not wanna cause Chelle bodily harm.

"You okay, Rena?" Taru questioned, concern present in her young little voice.

"Yeah, baby. Let's not worry about me, how about we get you washed and ready for bed," I picked Taru up and took her upstairs. After getting everything done and putting Taru to bed, I called Raye and told her I didn't need a ride to school in the morning.

The next day, I walked into English class and dropped Chelle's car keys on her desk. I knew it was gonna be a bad class, Chelle sat behind her desk with a fierce look in her eyes. The class started out good, but Chelle managed to start a class discussion on sex, whores, hoes and what makes them and I knew immediately that the class had gone down the drain. These kinds of discussions weren't new to this class, Chelle was known for her outspokenness about any and everything and it was rumored throughout the school that she was a lesbian, which only I knew the truth.

"What do you think, Serena? Does sleeping with a guy on the first date make a girl a hoe?" Chelle questioned, a silent egg on that only I recognized.

"What do I think, huh? I think that a dyke should learn to mind her own fucking business," the class became instantly quiet.

"Excuse me!" Chelle hissed, a silent warning in her tone.

"I speak clearly, I don't stutter and I know that you can hear. So I know that you heard what I said, but if you would like me to repeat it, I don't mind. I said, A DYKE SHOULD LEARN TO A MIND HER OWN FUCKING BUSINESS."

"GET OUT OF MY CLASS! OUTSIDE, NOW," Chelle demanded.

"Gladly," I grabbed my books and walked out of my class. Walking through the hallways, I realized that I was way too pissed to stay at school, so I left campus grounds. I don't know how long I walked, but the next thing, I knew, I was in front of Darien's apartment building. Just as I was about to walk away Darien came walking out of the building.

"SERENA?"

"I thought you had to work. What are you doing home and where were you going?" I asked as noticed the keys in his hand as I walked up towards him.

"I was too tired to go in today. I'm trying to recover from my weekend with you and Taru. Oh, I wasn't going anywhere, I was gonna get something out of my truck. But the better question is why are you here and not in school?" he asked. We walked towards his truck, where he retrieved his laptop and some papers.

"My teacher kicked me out of class, so I said fuck it and left," I took hold of the papers to help him out.

"Why would he kick you out?" he questioned as we walked back to his apartment.

"SHE, my teacher also happens to be Hotaru's mother, Michelle. She called last night and talked to Taru, who went on and on about you. She told her how you'd been over my house the last couple of days and that, that morning she found us in bed together. Michelle called me a whore because I slept with you on the first date. I'm not a whore, am I?" tears were blurring my vision.

"You may be some things but a whore is not one of them. And technically that was more like three dates in one," he smiled.

I laughed too, "you're stupid."

"No but seriously, I'm guessing that you and Taru's mother are close. She's probably like a mother to you, right?"

"Sort of, she's more like an older sister."

"Exactly, how do you think you would feel if you had a little sister and you found out she was having sex with some new guy that you knew nothing about? Trust me, you'd be worried especially if you knew her track record with men and exactly how deeply they hurt her. She just doesn't wanna see you hurt again," he claimed, as we entered his apartment.

"So you're saying that she called me a whore and a hoe because she was worried about me?" I asked in disbelief as tears continued to blur my vision.

He shook his head, "As hard as that may be to believe, yeah. When I first found out Raye was having sex, I was cruel and extremely rude. Though all that was directed towards the guy she was doing it with, but in Taru's mother's case she can't confront me. Give her some time and I know she'll come around, so stop crying, you're too pretty for that," Darien wiped away my tears.

"Thanks," I smiled

"Don't mention it, but now that you're here, what do you think we should do?" a grin plastered on his face.

"Nope, not that. I just want to go to sleep. Taru, had a nightmare last night that something was gonna happen to her mother and she couldn't get back to sleep for the longest," I groaned just thinking about it.

"Okay, sleep we can do," Darien picked me up and carried me upstairs into his room. He put me on the bed and started to take off my clothes.

"Darien I told you I just wanted to go to sleep," I whined.

"And you're going to. Just lay down and relax, baby," he whispered into my ear as he laid me down on my stomach in just my bra and panties. He started to massage my body and I felt my tension draining away as I started to drift off.

A little while later I woke up to find myself alone in Darien's room. Looking around the room, I couldn't find my clothes so I put on one of Darien's T-shirts. Wearing Darien's shirt, I realized how much bigger he was than me. The shirt looked ridiculous on me, it went a little past my knees and hung off me loosely. Sitting back on the bed, I heard an argument going on outside the room. I opened the door and walked to the stairs, sat down and listened.

"Come on Darien. You and I were good together, why would you just throw that away?" some woman questioned.

"You're right Jessica, we WERE good together, but not anymore. I have somebody new," Darien began only to be cut off.

"So, you have somebody new, that never stopped you before," the Jessica woman pointed out.

"This one's different. I'm not about to hurt or lose her over you. She actually means something to me."

"Come on Darien, people like us don't believe in commitment. Drop your pretty little princess and come back to me. I mean how long do you think she can hold your interest? A day, a week, let's be real, it won't last and you know it," she mused. 'Ok this chick was really starting to piss me off. He told her he didn't want her and that he had somebody, and she didn't seem to get it.' I got up slowly, walked down the stairs, right into the middle of the argument.

"Is this the one who took you from me? She's nothing more than a child. What are you 13, 14? God Darien, she isn't even legal. Baby, if you come back to me we can forget about this and the police would never have to know," she sneered, giving me a look of utter disdain.

"Look lady, he's not interested, take the HINT before you look any more stupid and desperate begging for a guy that obviously doesn't want you. As for my age, it's none of your business but I'm legal enough where Darien wouldn't catch a charge. Now, I know it must hurt your ego that Darien has chosen a girl at least 15 years your junior but you REALLY NEED TO LET IT GO. Now that, that has been said, you know where the door is, USE IT," I turned to look at Darien and found him staring at me, admiration quite obvious in his eyes. Knowing that she was still watching me, I walked over to Darien and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. I could hear her cry out something then mutter that this wasn't over before I totally gave into the kiss and forgot about our audience.

"You're mine," I stated a couple of minutes after we had finally broke apart.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he grinned and kissed me again.

"Prove it," I whispered. He quickly picked me up and carried me back up to his room and proved it, over and over again. It was later into the night when the phone started to ring, with the two of us still lounging in his bed.

RING

"Answer the phone?" Darien ordered.

RING

"Why do I have to answer it, it's your apartment," I replied.

RING

"You're closer," Darien whinnied.

RING

"Alright you be big baby, I'll answer it," I gave in and reached over and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Serena is that you?" someone asked.

"Yeah, who is this?"

"It's me Raye, you dummy. Mina and I have been looking for you all day and you're at my brother's place. Hold up, why exactly are you at my brother's?"

"Think about it Raye."

"EWWW... that's just gross, Serena. I thought something was going on with you and him but actually knowing is just wrong. I'll talk to you later, I need time to recover," Raye groaned as she hung the phone.

"Your sister is stupid," I chuckled.

"Yeah I know. I'm hungry, let's go get something to eat."

"I don't wanna move. Why don't you go get it and bring it back," I suggested.

"Nope that's not gonna work. Come on lazy ass, get up," Darien decided, getting out of bed. When I didn't move, he pulled the covers back, picked me up and carried me to the shower. He turned on the water and waited a few minutes for it to warm up before he threw me in and jumped in behind me.

A half an hour later, Darien and I pulled into an all-night diner. Getting out the car, we walked hand and hand inside. We sat in a booth near the front door and ordered. As we waited for our food, a shadow came over us. Looking up I found myself face to face with Chelle with Amara standing behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Turning to Darien she gave him a look of disgust, "I'm guessing that you're Darien. Do you usually rob cradles or did you make an exception for Serena?" I was so shocked I was at a complete loss of what to do, even Amara was surprised.

"Chelle, why don't you just leave us alone?"

"I will as soon as I have a word with Darien, ALONE." I was about to protest when Darien agreed. He got up and they walked outside, leaving me alone with Amara.

"She's really upset by this, baby girl. Sorry she's being such a bitch," Amara exclaimed.

"So am I. She called me a whore and a hoe. When the people at school call me names, I could care less but coming from her it HURTS."

"I have to admit Chelle is wrong but I don't like the idea of you with this guy anymore than she does, but I'm well aware that this is your life, so who you date is your choice. Just be careful," Amara warned, just as Chelle and Darien came back.

"Rena, can I talk to you for a second?" Chelle questioned. With Darien and Amara telling me to give her another chance with just their eyes and Chelle's pleading, I couldn't help but cave in.

"Sure, why not," I stood up and followed her. She took me to the same exact spot she and Darien were, I could still smell his cologne.

"I'm sorry that I called you a whore and insinuated that you were a hoe. I can't even explain why I said those things."

"It's okay. I'm not gonna lie though, those words hurt a lot coming from you, but I can forgive you as long as it works both ways. What I said in class was uncalled for and I apologize."

"Please Rena, after what I said, I deserved that and more. And as for Darien, he's a good guy. I wouldn't mind you being with him," Chelle admitted.

"Okay, what the hell did you two say to one another? I can expect an apology but for you to say that you're okay with me being with him, something major had to be said. What was is it?"

"That's between Darien and I. Now, I'm going to let you get back to your dinner or better yet your breakfast. Just send Amara out, I'll be waiting by the car," Chelle gave me a hug and walked off. When I walked back inside Darien and Amara seemed to have just ended a heated discussion. The tension at the table was at a ridiculous height, it looked like they could jump up and hit one another any second. As soon as they saw me, they tried to act normal, as if nothing had happened but the tension was still there.

"Amara, Chelle's waiting for you by the car," I exclaimed as I got to the table.

"Thanks, I'll see ya later baby girl," Amara got up from the table and left. Sitting at the table I could tell that Darien was agitated.

"What's wrong baby?" I questioned.

"Have you ever had an interest in girls, I mean on a sexual level?"

"What? Haha" I chuckled but by the look on his face I could tell that he was serious. "No, I have no interest in females whatsoever, they just don't appeal to me. The most I would ever do with a female is be her friend. Why?"

"By the way Amara talks about you, it seems like she was interested in you. Like if she wasn't dating Michelle, you and her would be."

"When she and Michelle were in the first couple of weeks of their relationship, Amara cornered me and asked if she and I had a chance. She said that if we did she would end things with Chelle, but I told her I wasn't into females like that. What can I say I'm a strictly dickly type of girl. It's kinda funny though, I couldn't get a guy to really have a genuine interest in me, but I could a girl. Anyways, she loves Chelle now, so it doesn't matter. She and I just avoid the subject all together."

"Does Michelle know about this?"

"No, so let's keep it between us." Our late night dinner came soon and we ate it with small talk. After we were done, Darien dropped me off at home and I went to bed. The next couple of weeks went by without any hitches. It was the day before Halloween and Mina, Raye, and I were sitting in my living room watching TV and eating junk food when my mom burst in the front door.

"SERENA ALICIA CONNER, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW," my mom yelled.

"Hey mom, what's going on? What are you doing home?" I got up and met her in the hall, leaving Raye and Mina to ease drop in the room.

"Ms. Miller, you remember Ms. Miller right, your court appointed therapist? Well Ms. Miller contacted me today at work and told me you haven't met with her in over a month. You're violating the court order, they can take you away from me."

'Damn, I knew that I was suppose to be doing something.' "Mom I don't need a therapist anymore. I'm fine. They're not going to take me away from you just for that," I argued.

"Yes they are, Ms. Miller contacted the courts right before she called me. Either you resume your sessions or they'll take custody. Is that what you want Serena for them to say I'm an unfit mother and take you to a detention center or foster care?"

"No, of course not, mom."

"Excuse me for interrupting. I just wanted to let you know that Serena has still been going to a therapist. I set her up with mine, a Mr. Robinson. I thought that he could help her more than a city appointed one could. I can get the proper documents from him sent to the courts or to this Ms. Miller that you spoke of if that will help to prove it," Raye cut in.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know we had company," my mom exclaimed slightly embarrassed.

"Mom, this is Raye Carter and the blonde hiding behind the wall is Mina Dumont," I introduced. As soon as my mom heard the last name, she gasped.

"You okay mom?"

"Yes, Rena, I'm fine. It's nice to meet you both. Um, what were you saying about Serena going to therapy?" my mom changed the subject somewhat and avoided looking at Mina altogether.

"I said that she's been going to my therapist. I could get him to send the proper documents to courts, if you would like," Raye answered.

"Yes, I would like that, thank you," my mom smiled.

"Mom did you come home just for that?"

"Well yeah, you're my daughter and I don't wanna lose you, but I do need to get back though."

"It's okay mom, you're not gonna lose me. I promise. You don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm a big girl," I hugged her. We had a couple of more words before she had to get back to work and left. Walking back into the living room, I found Raye and Mina waiting for me.

"Why were you going to a therapist?" Mina asked.

"It's not important," I answered.

"Wrong answer, it does matter. WHY?" Raye questioned.