CHAPTER FIVE

Serena stood up in shock to face Darien. Why, why, why did this have to happen to her now? Of all the horrible luck she was prone to, this would have to take the cake. Wasn't it enough that she was humiliated publicly? Did she really need to face it every single day?

She stood hoping the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Serena must have had a very surprised look on her face because uncle Kevin spoke and said,

"You're probably wondering how Darien could be my son? He takes after his mother in looks obviously. His brains he got from me," he chuckled good-naturedly.

"N-n-no. Not at all. I was just surprised to see him here," Serena stammered and sat back down.

Darien shook hands with her father, gave her a smiling sneer that no one but her saw and sat down next to her mother and started eating. Serena glared at him over the rim of her teacup while he listened to the parentals continue their walk down memory lane. It was still there. That thing she still felt for him despite the fact that she knew he was such a jerk. How is it that she felt this intense attraction to someone like him?

"Mom? Is Darien home?" came a voice followed by running footsteps coming down the stairs.

Then this little boy came into the lounge room holding what looked like a textbook.

"This is my youngest, Nate. Nate say hello to Uncle Kenny and Serena. Serena goes to the same school as your brother," said aunt Jenny.

Nate's eyes lit up and immediately floated towards Serena. When he sat next to her, Serena noted that he looked exactly like Darien, except for the eyes. Where Darien's eyes were the sapphire blue like his mother's, Nate inherited the olive green of his father's. Either way Serena could tell that he would grow up to be just as handsome and tall as his older brother. This one is going to be a heartbreaker, Serena thought with a smile.

"Can you help, Serena?" asked Nate with a smile. Serena melted.

She looked at the textbook and saw that it was math's textbook. Serena looked at the problem in question and was surprised at the complexity of it. This was a Year 3 math's problem? Luckily she was saved by aunt Jenny.

"Nate, I think you should let Serena rest for today. Ask your brother later."

"Okay," Nate said and bounded back upstairs to his room.

An hour later Serena was unloading her bags and boxes out of the car. Her father has already grabbed the big boxes.

"Do you need a hand?"

Serena was startled for a minute and realized that it was Darien.

"Yes, thank you."

Darien picked the box labeled with Serena's name and led the way to the house. It was a very awkward walk up the stairs. Serena just followed behind not knowing where to go.

"Nate had to move into my room," Darien said as they walked into the room.

Serena gasped. The whole room was the prettiest one she had ever seen. It was big with a double bed, a small white couch in the corner and a study table. That was all normal but it was the decorations that really made the room so pretty. There was a pink cover on the bed and it was draped with lace. There were teddy bears everywhere and all the girly things you could imagine.

"Wow!" Serena said.

"Thanks to you, I have to share my room with my brother," Darien said while he put the box down in the middle of the room.

Serena turned to him. She just could not believe that this was the same guy that she fell in love with.

"My parents let you in here, so don't think for a minute that you and I will become friends," he continued.

"I'm not," she said meekly.

"Don't mess with my life," he said coldly. With that Darien left her standing in the middle of the room gaping after him.

He was cold. Such a cold man. It was the first time she had experienced such hostility from anyone. People usually like her because of her happy nature. But this was different. And it hurt.

That night Serena silently cried to sleep. For the first time since arriving at this wonderful home, she just felt like running away.