Bliss

Chapter Two: Unexpected Disasters

Disclaimer: this is an adaptation and is based loosely on Goong; I do not own the plot or the manhwa. I also do not own the sailor moon characters or any real locations, quotes, real fashion brands, real food or buildings that might appear in this story.

This fan fiction is set in an A.U. and will not hold many similarities with the standard sailor moon anime/ manga. Personalities will remain similar but I reserve the right to be creative with my story, there are no monsters and no sailor senshi (soldiers). Also, Serena's height will be different. Please be open while you read and enjoy the story. Also keep in mind that even though the year and time may be current, the happenings in the story are different from our reality.

Decorations for the festival were finished. Moving on to the next task, the students of Braythorne High busied themselves with packaging and preserving snacks, entrées, dishes, lunches, soups, deserts, as well as whatever else counted as food for the festival. And because Mara hadn't wanted to be behind on any of the proceedings, preparations had begun early and all the food for the festival three hours later would need preserving if it was to be fresh. The urgent and driven way the students worked was as though they were chipmunks on the last day of autumn, but the frenzy surrounding the grounds said that were they indeed chipmunks, they had only just begun to store away for winter. Students and volunteers alike hurriedly grabbed bowls and foil paper, plates and dishes and anything else to aide them in their endeavor. Carefully surveying the proceedings all the while and helping where needed, Mara knew without a doubt they would be finished in time. She knew the festival would be beautiful. It gave her such pride to think she had been in charge of it all, and that things were moving according to plan. They were on schedule, even ahead by precisely eight minutes and eighteen seconds if she was correct. But still, as her gaze drifted from the balloons and streamers to the carefully placed tables and set games…something was missing.

Serena. She realized at last, recalling that her friend had yet to return.

By the time the first thirty minutes had come and gone and Serena had still to arrive back with the poster, Mara had begun to worry about her friend and where she might have disappeared to. It was possible that she had gotten distracted with someone she met along the way and a conversation might have been started; so Mara decided not to over-think the matter. She couldn't be long, she had believed. But then the next twenty minutes passed by and Mara didn't know what to think. Soon after Serena had left in search of the poster, Mara had found a bigger one that another council member had made and had yet to tell Serena. She hoped fretfully that she wasn't still looking; but it made little sense that her friend hadn't returned by now. Mara had been positive the lock on her locker was left open, so surely that couldn't possibly be the problem… and yet, what could be keeping her friend?

She would have to find out.

Without a moment wasted she handed over the bowl of fruits she held to a younger girl, and adjusting her glasses, turned towards the lockers. Careful to skirt the group of students involved in last-minute origami, she walked composedly until the very edge of the field, at which Mara moved easily and quickly into a brisk jog. As she did so she felt her resolve cement as it set into place: she would find Serena herself.

It's more of a collage of fail. Concluded Serena, still dismayed and in disbelief of all that had happened to leave the poster in the state it was at now.

Serena knew Mara would be waiting for her, and she knew she was keeping the others waiting, too - but she just couldn't move. Her legs felt numb and her hands were still shaking. How long had it been? She wondered absentmindedly. It felt like a second hadn't passed to the encounter with the man - she knew different, maybe an hour or two had gone by? She wasn't sure. Struggling at first to piece back together the scraps of the poster, she had eventually given up and simply stared down at the pieces of salmon colored paper littered across the floor. Running through options in her mind she saw that using glue wasn't one she had, there had to be at least thirty or forty pieces of paper in front of her and if she tried to glue the pieces back together she would only succeed in making a bigger mess.

So in all actuality, there was but one option. And that was turning around towards the grounds, taking with her what little of the poster she could salvage back to her friend and explaining to her simply and quite matter of factly that the fault had not been hers but that stupid jerk's.

She fully blamed the stupid baka. If she had but known this would be the consequence of accidentally spilling her juice all over his 'expensive' shirt, she would've gotten more juice and maybe even a bigger glass.

"What kind of man does this sort of thing?" She wondered aloud, not bothering to stifle the furious half-thought before it escaped. There had certainly been something behind his anger - there had to have been. Everything else aside that man had been one clearly involved in business. Serena had seen the spark of opportunity in his endless dark blue eyes the second he'd begun to ask for a trade—a new shirt for the poster—he was a man quick in calculation. Under any other circumstances, a man like himself wouldn't have bothered himself with exacting revenge; he would have yelled for a minute or two but soon would storm away to a meeting as he ordered in a clean set of clothing through his expensive phone.

She had seen it happen numerous times in her Saturday and Sunday cartoons where the cold brute of an entrepreneur ran tight to schedule and wasted little time with distractions as she must have been. Not to mention the easily derivable fact that rich business men spared little time to poor school girls (and especially not those who had done them the insolence of ruining a shirt). Something was up and Serena knew it, but that had given him no right to take matters into his own hands, he had been devious in his handling of the situation. Because of him everything was now ruined; it was just a poster, but its demise felt as though the entire success of the festival had fallen to the ground as well. Everyone was so pumped; she didn't want to be the one to break the news to them, at least not yet.

They could continue to prepare - she decided - and when she'd settled herself enough to walk, she would return and break the news.

But until then she would remain rooted to the same spot, moving only to pull back a piece of salmon paper now and then when a wind would blow at the pile and some would begin to wander. It was only when the sound of feet running towards her registered that Serena snapped back. She waited for the sound to pass but they only grew softer as the running transitioned into tentative steps.

"Serena?" asked a voice so very familiar but too unlikely to belong to the person she assumed as it made her turn. She had been right the first time; it was the person she needed to see the most but hesitated to reach out to even now. It was Mara.

"Mara…" she forced out finally, feeling queasier now than ever that she was face to face with her friend. "You came here?"

"You didn't come back and I worried." Mara replied simply, walking closer. "What's up with you?" she asked. "You're on the ground, why?"

"I didn't want to come back," Serena said blankly, feeling tears well in her eyes, "the poster is ruined." She elaborated.

"Oh my…" Mara knelt beside her, stroking her back gently while she surveyed the mess on the floor. "This is a fine example of ruination. Everything is in perfect position…what happened?"

Serena sighed, missing the sarcasm as she looked at her friend. She breathed in deeply to steady herself. "I met this guy," Serena started, a memory of him coming to mind, "I had gotten thirsty so I got myself a drink on the way, but in my hurry to get back with it, I ran myself into the loser and to get back at me he tore up the poster." She could picture his wavy, short hair and tall frame perfectly as if he were sitting next to her and not Mara. In her mind she saw his lips part into that oh-so egotistical smirk and she shivered. "He was an awful person." She looked up, "I hate him."

"Hey, it's okay." Mara soothed, patting her back. "I guess it worked out fine because I wasn't going to use this poster anyway."

"Legit?"

"The statement is one hundred percent legitimate." Mara clarified, "Let me help you up." She offered, straightening. "I know for a fact that sitting on this floor is not where you want to be."

Serena - who was still partly in shock - just nodded, taking the offered support. A part of her still couldn't get over their luck; they would have a banner after all! But, another part kept fuming - even as she stood uneasily. What if they hadn't found another one? It questioned. Then everything would have been at a detriment, just because of the baka. "He's lucky we had another one." Serena said evenly, imagining his face in her head again and this time glaring. "Because had this interfered with all you and everyone's planning, he would have a truck load of orange juice and me to contend with."

"Well he's lucky it did then," Mara stated, laughing, "I don't think he nor I would have wanted that. But enough wiling of time away here, there are things left to be done." Mara raised an eyebrow, "let's head back?"

"Sure." Serena retailed, following as she was led towards the site of the preparations. She kept pace with her friend and pushed all thought of that despicable person far away. Why should she bother herself in dwelling on him?

Truly the man was a baka, and certainly not worth her time.

-Elsewhere-

Darien slicked back his hair agitatedly and shifted uncomfortably within his Porsche. He felt out of place and a stalker waiting out here in the school parking lot, but surely he couldn't go in. Not only could that crazy girl who'd spilt the glass of liquid still be in there, but the people of this school were expecting him and he knew once he entered there would be no coming out, or at least not until they'd expressed as much gratitude as they'd conveyed through their heavily decorated invitation and numerous appreciation cards.

The funny thing was that he hadn't done it for this low-class, trivial speck of a school. And little did they know, that money hadn't been meant for them but for someone else. More accurately it had been given with the intention of winning back his girlfriend, Raye Helm in mind. She attended this dump of a high school as a senior year student and participated in dance competitions through the school's only club targeted for the activity. Gingerly he remembered her complaining about the lack of equipment and uniform available for the rest of the squad on a number of dates; he hadn't taken her words to mean much other than teenage angst, but today all the half-listening would pay off.

Simply said because it had to.

They were together because he cared about her, more than any other woman he'd seen she was alluring and dangerously captivating. They were good together, and it wasn't a mystery why her name and face had been instant in popping into his mind. She was the best, and the best absolutely always had to be his. He wouldn't marry some bucket-bottom girl his senile grandfather had chosen; he would marry her and no one else. The only possible hinge in his plan could of course be the fact that since a call to her two weeks ago, he and his fiancée-to-be hadn't spoke. He had phoned to tell her he would be visiting her soon for reasons he could not explain over the phone, and she who had first sounded disinterested, proceeded to then drop the line on the excuse that her sister was home and needed help in the kitchen.

The thing though, was that Raye hardly ever was home. When she wasn't practicing, she was out usually with the dance team or her few friends at the mall, shopping. Darien knew her well enough to tell when something was up. Not only was he confident in the knowledge, but the noisy chatter in the background proved further that Raye hadn't been reading alone in her room.

So why would she lie? He had wondered. To find the answer to that question he had donated far more money than he'd been intending and specifically another donation to her club, reasoning that had he done something offensive, the donation would pay away his forgiveness.

He hadn't called to inform her when he'd arrived because he himself hadn't been sure. He didn't know this town and had dwindling desire to; needless to say he didn't know his way around here. His stomach turned as he recalled back the only plane scheduled to fly into the town; with poor choice of entertainment and even poorer yet food servings, it had been almost falling off its own hinges. In foresight, not giving a scheduled arrival time was wiser because in the event, Darien had arrived two hours later than expected. To fly down here, he had cancelled four meetings, cancelling the four remaining for that day hadn't even registered as a possibility but now he saw he might as well have done so from the beginning. Coupling that short-notice inconvenience, along with the distasteful incident from earlier resulting in the ruination of his new shirt would result in the summation of Darien Column's worst day to date.

Only one thing could make it right, he decided, and that was Raye's agreement to marry him.

Before Darien met with any of the celebrations, he would first seek out Raye and explain the ridiculous situation to her as well as the whole business regarding the will. She couldn't refuse, not when he'd given her everything she'd asked of him. Marriage - like everything else - was like business; plans changed on short-notice and adapting to those changes was ever essential. Their marriage he had pictured taking place further down in future would simply happen closer to present. She would become a Column bride, a title endowing the respect of many and wealth beyond the likes she had ever known; and he would released from that binding obligation, he would not be bound to it, and surely not when he had a girlfriend like Raye who could not refuse him.

Speak of the devil… Darien mused as he caught Raye's deeply raven hair and slender form turn the corner and head down the hallway towards him. Pressing lightly on the button, he honked to gain her attention. Perking her head up, she scanned the parking lot before her eyes rested on the Porsche. He waved through the window and she smiled weakly, her brow contorting in familiar worry.

Slipping out of the car he headed towards her, jogging in his business jeans, and soiled shirt. He hadn't had time to change and had found not a one reputable dry cleaning establishment able to cater to his needs; so as a result, he had gone without, placing a suit jacket over it instead. When he stopped and had closed the distance between them, he reached out and pulled her into a hug. He breathed in her trademark scent of violets and lemon, realizing he had missed her as the gust of wind blew locks of her long hair to brush his face.

Their embrace lasted for a brief count of seconds before she pulled away, looking up at him with shock. "Darien…" she started, her voice truffle smooth but agitated, "you arrived."

"I couldn't miss it." he answered, not able to place the unease so evidently surrounding her. He reached for her again but she pulled away, crossing her arms to her chest.

"You could have called," she insisted.

Darien's brows furrowed. "I didn't know when I would land, but mostly it was to surprise you." He said, watching her shift uncomfortably. "Can we talk?"

Raye looked up at him, her brilliant purple eyes searching his face. "Sure." She answered finally. "But I have drama in a few and I have to be back in time for it."

"Great." He smiled, relieved. He followed closely as she quickly started in the direction away from the school and towards a crowded area of trees. They stopped finally when there was nothing but towering oaks surrounding them.

"Talk." She stated simply, biting at her lip and waiting.

He took steps from her, trying to piece together this situation he himself hardly understood. "Did you receive the donation?" he asked finally, turning.

Raye nodded briefly, "I did," she answered, making eye contact for a second before pulling away. "We get new shoes and leotards as well as new treadmills...thank you."

The words of appreciation didn't hold properly on her tongue, they sounded forced to a certain extent, and he hated hearing them. "Don't thank me, I did it with a purpose." He was eager to move on to more urgent matters.

"I couldn't have guessed either wise." Retorted Raye sceptically. "I mean, three hundred thousand Darien; plus the forty hundred thousand to the club? I knew something was up, so go ahead and let me in on the catch."

"It isn't a catch." Darien said, feeling himself tense as he grew bothered. "It's a proposal, for marriage." He watched the look of disbelief cross over her face and smiled slightly before he carried on. "I need you to marry me."

"But why?" she stammered, stepping farther away. "Marriage isn't a joke Darien; you can't decide to want it suddenly one day."

"I know, and I don't want it, not completely." He watched her lips tremble and saw tears would not be far away. "Let's sit over here," he offered trying to avert the situation.

She nodded, giving her consent and followed him to a sturdy looking concrete bench. When they sat together side by side and she had stilled, he began to speak. "My grandfather had a Will made out before he died," he explained, "and in it there's this clause dictating that if I do not marry the granddaughter of his friend, I will forfeit my inheritance and position at Column industries." Darien stopped to look at her carefully, "Unless I find someone else.

The choice for me is unquestionable, so tell me Raye, will you marry me?"

He posed the question as mere formality, her mind by now should have well been made and observably, it was.

"No." She replied at last. She stood fast then walked ahead so her back was to him before continuing in a more assured tone of voice. "I will not marry you Darien."

He said nothing, grappling momentarily with the loss before he too stood abruptly up. "Is there something lacking in me?" he demanded, not ready to acknowledge the rejection. "I have shown by the donation how aptly I can tend to your needs and how easy living life would be with me, why would you refuse?"

"Because I don't love you!" the words were yelled and they rang in his ears. He should have looked sooner to see that Raye wasn't crying; she was fuming. "You're arrogant because you're rich Darien. Because you're rich, you were so very confident that I would say yes because of money. How could you believe you could buy me?"

"I didn't." He defended, pulling himself together. "It was a gesture Raye; don't see it in that way."

"What other way is there to look at it?" she questioned, taking steps closer until she was just beneath his chin. "I don't come from affluence, I live here Darien, and all my life I and my sister have just gotten by." Raye stopped to let a bitterness tinge her smile. "Our meeting that day at Gia's wouldn't have happened if I wasn't on the school trip." She asserted, bringing to mind the incident which had first brought them together. "You went there all the time but that day was my first and only visit since! I played down my background because I wanted to be with you, but I can't lie to myself anymore."

"It isn't an issue." Where she came from had never been a stumbling block, at least never to him. They had met at one of the most exquisite restaurants in the city but his attraction to her wouldn't have changed had it been elsewhere; at least he liked to think so. "I can give you everything desirable, you could be like a queen with me Raye and everything to do with your background can disappear. Being my wife can give you that."

"I don't want it!" Raye flared. "I don't want the obligations and I certainly do not want the judgemental treatment from your family and others, which I am sure to get if I marry you." Chest heaving, Raye stopped only to catch her breath. When she had, she went on. "We dated, but marriage together isn't right for either of us." she reasoned. "Nothing can change my mind on that."

"Raye..." he said her name because he didn't know what else to say. Rejection was a feeling foreign to Darien Column; and she had dealt it out harshly.

"Drama starts in two." She told him, stepping back. He thought she would walk away but she stopped, seeming to feel guilty. "I didn't want to hurt you Darien, but maybe marrying this other girl is for the best...for the both of us." Her face settled into the one he had come to care for, the one he had never imagined would ever say as much or as near to what she had just uttered. "The donation means a lot to me and the team, thank you for it, it was really great. Don't hate me for my decision, Darien, understand if you can."

"I won't," he replied steely, "Don't expect me to."

She looked stunned by his reply, but smiled in effort to hide it. "I'll see you at the festival, then." She said lastly. The words were the quietest he'd heard from her since their embrace, and with them spoken she was gone. He blinked twice before she had disappeared completely, running in the opposite direction and away from him.

Damn this day, he decided, angrily running hands through his hair. Now what other choice was there?

As if on cue, he heard a page come in through his pager. His Samsung Galaxy he had turned off because of want of little interruption. The pager however, was always on, it was for emergencies.

Nothing close to composed, he shovelled it out, pressing a button and reading the message. The message from his secretary read:

From: Amy Conroy:

To: Darien Column

Subject: Urgent

Sir, the festival will begin shortly. Please ensure that you are present.

She had a penchant for bad timing and now under any circumstances was no different. But he stopped himself from punching a reprimand. There was something in his mind forming, a plan to be exact, and he calmed himself to think it through. Were there consequences to its execution? He wondered. Deciding yes, but soon after, realizing he cared not for consequence. Raye hadn't wanted a thing to do with him, hadn't she said as much? She had dared to screw him over, dooming him to carrying out the directions stated in the Will. He would pay her back for her insult like a Column; in full measure. Flipping open his keyboard he began to type.

From: Darien Column

To: Amy Conroy

Subject: Question

Ms. Conroy, would you be familiar with the name of my designated fiancé, the one mentioned in the Will?

He pressed send and waited for a minute before a reply came in. Finally, one arrived.

Yes, it read a Serenity Jack would have been the fiancé, she attends the same school at which the appreciation celebration for later today is being held... but I was given instruction to ignore the Will as you had someone else in mind.

Darien smiled wickedly, reading the message once again. Trust his secretary to be nosy; she never was quite as good at minding her own business as she was at doing so for others.

No particular reason, I will see you at festival.

He hit send without hesitation. It was of no concern to her what he intended to do with the name of his intended, but more so every one of this 'Serenity Jack'. So she attended this very school? Luck indeed was on his side then, because he would not have to look far in order to find means of revenge. An open opportunity had been placed before him and unbeknownst to Serenity; she was to become a Column bride.

Tell me Life is Bliss…

Analynn here, guys with the second chapter of Bliss but before I even get to that, I want to give a huge shout-out to my beta AND sister, SoujaGurl who took the time to carefully go through this text. I realize that there may still be errors and mistakes but she's done such a great job of making this better! I look at writing on this site as a learning process and if I haven't apologized to you via PM, I will now. I'm sorry for the delays in updating! My life is crazy right now with schedules and due dates… but look to the end of this note and see what I've decided to do about it!

On higher notes, you can check out her stories by looking her up and I know that she'd love it! She's talented and up and coming in writing so be sure to let her know what you think (she's a sucker for compliments lol ;)) But back to the chapter.

Believe me when I say this one was just perfect to write! Maybe it's the fact that this is one of my more matured pieces and as I grow I can apply what I've learnt to my work and (that brings me back to what I mentioned earlier, look to the bottom to see my decision on the other stories.) the characters come alive for me. I've taken attributes and done something with them so that they're unique but still familiar, they've become more than the anime in some ways. But that's my opinion and you bet I'm itching to know yours! Give me stuff to improve on or just compliment me… you know I'll take both ;)

Notice:

As for my other titles such as: Edward vs. Serena, Edward vs. Serena beta, and Bite Me, expect ending summaries for these stories either this month or the next because I cannot continue to write them. The reason being that my style back then and my style now are so very different; I can't write the chapters knowing that the beginning is not as good as the current ones being produced. So to my very loyal reviewers and PM-ers, THANK YOU! I would never have gone on without you, and I extend many apologies for possibly letting you down. However, I will seek to rectify the edge of my decision through a full and detailed summary for every story of how each of them would have gone respectively. So expect that soon and know that I am deeply sorry.

Xoxo, Analynn