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The Essence of Friendship: Chapter 3

Of Friends and Ex-Lovers

"Hmmm..." Serena sighed contentedly.

"Ok. Now I'm going to leave you for a little while," the soothing voice of her massage therapist said. "Just relax."

Serena did just that. She and Mina had already had their hair treatments and mud bath, which were all very nice. But the massage was her favorite part. She had opted for a combo hot stones/aromatherapy massage. She sighed again, feeling the warmth of the hot stones on her back and legs. She breathed in the soothing scent of vanilla, took a deep, cleansing breath, and closed her eyes.

She awoke some 30 minutes later at the sound of Mina's voice.

"Wow," Mina said. "She relaxed you into a coma. She's good."

"Hmm, you have no idea how true that statement is," Serena said as she changed back into her clothes.

"Come on, let's go." Mina linked her arm with Serena's. "I already paid."

"Aw, Minnie, you didn't have to do that."

"Eh, you can pay me back with dinner," Mina said.

"Sure, where?"

"How about...Le Poisson Rouge?" Mina grinned.

"Oooh, fancy. Glad it's not my money I'm spending." The two laughed.

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Le Poisson Rouge was one of the fanciest, and most expensive, restaurants in Tokyo. Therefore, the girls just had to make a quick detour to the mall.

"Hey, what do you think of this one?" Mina called over the top of the fitting room. She came out wearing a satin, copper colored dress with V'd shoulder straps that fell just above the knee, and a square of decorative beading at the point of the straps. Mina twirled around and struck a pose.

Serena clapped. "Merveilleux!" (trans.--marvelous)

Mina laughed. "I'm definitely getting this one. How 'bout you? Any luck yet?"

"No, not yet. But I've still got a couple to try on."

"Ok. I'm gonna go find shoes. Call me if you find a dress."

"'Kay."

Mina ambled through the shoe department, browsing. She backtracked. No. Effing. Way. She jumped behind a pillar, frantically searching for her cell and dialed a number.

"You will never guess what I just saw," Mina whispered.

There was a dramatic gasp on the other end. "You saw a woman giving birth to a pterodactyl?!"

"What? No!"

"Well, anything after that is gonna be kind of a let down."

"Audrey! This is not the time for jokes!" Mina whisper-shouted.

"OK! Ok. What's this uber-important thing that's going on?"

"I just saw Darien--"

"The cape-wearing jackass?" Audrey interrupted.

"Yes."

"Go on."

"And Raye--"

"The fire-obsessed bitch?"

"Yes. Can I finish my story now?"

"Proceed."

"They're here at the mall together." Mina finished.

Audrey was silent. "Huh. And I should care because..."

"They're together together." Mina stated. "And they're," Mina shuddered. "cuddling."

"Gross!" Audrey said. "PDA!"

"Eeeew. They're kissing." Mina shook her head to erase the picture. It didn't work. "Oh, gross!"

"What?!" Audrey said very loudly.

"I think I just saw him put his tongue in her mouth," Mina whispered.

"Sick!" Audrey gagged. "VPDA!"

"VPDA?" Mina asked.

"Very Public Display of Affection," Audrey said with disgust.

"Oh, I gotcha."

"Wait a minute..." Audrey gasped. "Oh my God, Emily! They just broke up."

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Ya-huh!"

"Whoa...who's gonna tell her?"

"Whoa hold up. We have to tell her?" Mina gasped.

"Well, yeah," Audrey said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?!"

"Because she's our friend and it's the right thing to do."

"Exactly. It's the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do would be to keep our big mouths shut."

"Mina! We have to tell her."

"Do you know what she's gonna do when we tell her?" Mina was whisper-shouting again. "She's gonna scream, a-and throw things. Probably hard and breakable things. And probably at us!"

"And if she finds out about them, and she'll find out, and if she finds out that we knew and we didn't tell her, what's she gonna do then?" Audrey said rationally. "Mt. Emily will erupt forty times worse. She'll kill us!" She paused. "Well, mostly she'll kill you because I wanted to tell her in the first place. So either way you're in the red zone."

Mina groaned. "Fine. But I'm not doing it alone."

"Deal. Hey, I gotta go. Major paper I've got to finish," Audrey said.

"When's it due?"

"Three weeks."

"Freakin' over-achiever," Mina mumbled.

"What was that, Minnie?" Audrey said suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Mina said too quickly.

"Yeah, right. Anyway, bye." Audrey hung up.

Mina let out a breath and slumped against the pillar.

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A very loud-and very irksome- sound shattered the silence of slumber. Serena was lying face down in her pillow, covers up to her waist, dead asleep. Her head jolted up at the sound of the ringing phone. She quickly grabbed it from its cradle and rolled over onto her back.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice thick with sleep.

"Serena?" said an overly perky voice. "Oh good. I thought you wouldn't pick up."

"Ms. H, why are you calling me?" Serena grabbed her clock. "It's 2 in the morning."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but I had a really great date tonight and I was just about to go to sleep, but then..."

Serena let out a deep sigh. She mumbled, "Ms. H, you're rambling."

"Oh, you're right, I am," Ms. H giggled. Giggled. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you aren't supposed to come to school the rest of this week and next week. We have to figure out your schedule and everything."

"Um, okay?" Serena said. "Is that it, Ms. H?"

"Oh, yes. Well, bye." Serena hung up. She smiled slightly at the thought of what Audrey's reaction would've been had she been in Serena's position. She sighed and looked round her bedroom. Then, she cringed. Number one on the to-do list: Fix Freaky-Pink-Bunny Room.

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The second time she was jolted awake by something loud and obnoxious, it was by her alarm clock. Serena groaned and started beating it, trying to shut it up. Finally, it woke her up enough to where she was able to locate the thing and throw it against the wall. Where it continued to ring. Serena dragged her self out of bed and turned it off the proper way.

"Damn, demon-possessed thing," Serena mumbled as she staggered down the stairs and into the kitchen. "I'm taking it to be exorcised."

She felt a buzzing on her leg and pulled her cell phone out of her pajama pants pocket.

"Hey." She began to rummage through the cupboards looking for something to eat.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey," said a chipper voice in England.

"Liar. There's no eggs or bacon. There's nothing. I'll have to make something."

"Oh, God forbid," Luna said. Luna was one of her favorite cousins. Luna's dad was Daniel Binx, Serena's father's brother. Luna had long, wavy, dirty-blonde hair and big, blue-grey eyes. She was 5' 6", slender, and the same age and year as Serena and Jessy.

"What are you doing up so late anyway?" Serena used her hip to close a drawer and her butt to close the fridge. She poured some panake mix and water into a bowl and started mixing.

"Eh, it's only 11. Besides I've got to finish this article for the paper."

"Oooh, journalism. How funderful." Serena poured some mix on a frying pan and sat on the counter sipping cran-raspberry juice.

"Oh, how very clever of you, Miss Galinda," Luna said with sarcasm. Serena heard typing and something being printed. "But seriously, you're awake, right?"

"Yup, yup," Serena said, flipping some pancakes onto her plate and turning off the stove. "I'm making pancakes."

"Ooh, yummy. I gotta go get some Zs so Audrey doesn't kick my ass for forgetting my article here."

"Later, mate."

"Later, babe."

Serena finished her pancakes and sat back. What to do... The god-'rents were out of town and the runt was at Amy's. An imaginary lightbulb clicked on above her head. Her face broke into an evil grin. She raced upstairs and into her bedroom.

Forty minutes later Serena was standing in front of her mirror. She really liked her new haircut. The stylist had cut about and inch off the end and given her long layers throughout with side-swept fringe. She'd also gotten an enzyme treatment which had gotten all of the gunk out of her hair and made it blonder. She focused her attention on her outfit.

She was wearing knee-high grey suede boots over drainpipe jeans and a green long-sleeved mini-dress. Once satisfied with her appearance, she slung on her grey woolen coat and shoved a white crocheted hat on her head. Serena grabbed her metallic gold tote and locked the door.

It was freezing outside and Serena had to shove her hands in her pockets to keep them warm. Thankfully, the Arcade wasn't too far away. She stepped inside and was instantly warmed. She slid into a stool at the counter and took out her book.

"What's today's book?" the man next to her asked.

"Don Quixote," Serena replied without looking up. "What do you want?"

"What can't a person make polite conversation," Darien asked.

"A person can, yes," Serena said, finally looking at him. "It's you that can't."

Andrew came over to take Serena's order, smiling. "Hey, Miss Brit. What can I get ya?"

"Hot blueberry tea, please."

"Coming right up."

"Is that your name? Britain?" Darien asked curiously.

"Nope." Serena returned to her book.

"Then why does he call you that?"

"Because I'm from the U.K., dipstick," Serena said as she tasted her tea. Hmmm...délicieux. (trans.--delicious). "Surely even you could've figured that one out."

"Why are you so rude to me?"

"Because I don't like you."

Darien gaped at her. He said exasperatedly, "Why not?!"

"I dislike strange men who talk to me without my consent," Serena replied simply.

Darien opened and close his mouth repeatedly. He looked not unlike a fish. Serena raised an eyebrow at him. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Darien asked defensively.

"No. But honestly, what is it with you and questions, huh?" Serena asked.

"I-I...Well, I...I dunno," Darien stuttered.

Serena studied him. "Hm. Well anyway, I'm out. Lots to do with little time." And she was out the door.

Darien stared after her. Who was that? She seemed so familiar...

Review! Sorry this took so long, guys. Work's been nuts 'cause we're right smack in the middle of our anniversary sale. Anyway, 10 points in Heaven if you can find the alliteration, the hidden pop culture reference or can guess where I work (hint: the sale. check the sale). And something special if you can get all three.