A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed chapter 2. I'm very well aware that I am extremely slow in my updates and I apologize. Reality gets in the way a lot and I just recently remembered this again. Also, excuse the order of the events. I changed it to my liking for the story. It's a fanfic….Woot!
Chapter 3 Consequences
Of all the weeks to get a 38% on her exam, it had to be this one. Maybe if she kept her paper hidden for the next two days she could get away with going to the ball and then receiving punishment. She groaned, knowing it wasn't possible. Ms. Haruna wanted the test back signed by her parents by tomorrow. If she didn't turn it in by then it was a week detention and a call to her parents, but if she did it would probably mean staying home from the ball.
This wasn't going to go well, especially with Luna. If the guardian cat found out it would mean sitting through another half hour lecture. She should make sure Luna would be with the Scouts before breaking the news to her parents. So much for her fairy tale evening.
Lost in her reminiscence of her morning daydreams (quite possibly the reason for her low test score), Serena didn't notice the path she was taking home led her past a strip of various shops. From the corner of her eye she noticed an array of colors. Stopping before a store window she looked up to find the most beautiful off-white dress adorned with tiny crystal stones that clung to the dresses edged lacing, reflecting the rainbow of colors from the sunset behind her. It was perfect. Images of her dancing across a large ballroom, in the arms of a mysterious stranger, while in that gown, drifted within her head. Such a dress must come with a staggering price, but if she were certain that she would still be able to attend the masquerade, she would definitely be inside trying it on right now.
Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the girl standing beside her, staring up at the dress with a look of approval. "Beautiful, isn't it?" the girl asked.
Snapping out of her reverie, she turned to the pretty blond with blue eyes. Were it not for their hairstyles Serena could have sworn they were twins. Comprehending the question ask of her, Serena nodded. "Yeah, it's gorgeous all right. I doubt I could afford it though. I would have loved to wear it to the Aino ball." she was back to gazing longfully at the dress.
The blond girl watched as Serena's eyes went from lovingly brilliant to sorrowfully dim. Smiling, she herself went on to gaze at the dress. "You are invited to the Aino ball? You must be so excited. I hear it's going to be the event of the year and the invitation list is supposed to be endless. I hope you don't get lost in there." she joked in an effort to lighten the odango headed female beside her.
Frowning even harder, Serena replied. "My family was invited, but I don't think I'll be going."
"Because you don't have a dress?" the girl sounded seriously astonished.
"No. That wouldn't stop me. I haven't been doing very good in school lately. My parents won't like the news I have for them today." she would normally not share such embarrassing information with anyone, but sometimes a stranger was easier to speak to then a friend.
"Now why doesn't that surprise me, Meatball Head?" came a voice from behind them. A shiver suddenly made it's way down her spine, dreading the idea of turning around to confirm the owner of it. She didn't have to, really; she knew. How long had he been standing there?
Darien came to stand beside her, eyes focused on the dress rather than her. "You'd never do that dress justice, Meatball Head. That would require you to have some kind of femininty." he grinned to himself at his teasing.
Seeing the red hot flush rise up on the girl between them the blond stepped in, spitting fire through her eyes at this guy. "Do you know this old man?" she asked, ready to pound this guy if necessary.
"Unfortunately, but not by choice." Serena replied.
"Just so happens that "meatball for brains" here is head over heels for my best friend." he smirked.
That broke her. With a stomp of her foot, she turned on him. "Shields, you are pure evil!" making her way to leave, she stopped and faced her blond double. "I'm sorry. It was very nice talking with you." and sending one last glare to the man, she walked away.
"Why did you have to go and hurt her feelings for?" the blond asked.
Darien shrugged. "Habit, I guess." with a last glance at the dress he turned to the girl and bowed his head. "Miss Aino." He said in recognition before making his way down the sidewalk.
"Oh honey, not again." Ikuko sighed.
"Your mother and I have tried everything, but if this is what it takes to get through to you then I'm afraid we have no choice. Until we see some improvements on these grades of yours you're not allowed to go out after school. No shopping, phone calls, or parties. I'm sorry, but that includes the Aino ball." Kenji stated firmly.
"Dad, I promise I'll-"
"That's my final decision, young lady. Come straight home from school and study. Your mother will be home to make sure you do and I'll be looking into a tutor for you in the mean time." he finished.
"But..." she saw their faces and knew it was a losing battle. "I'll be in my room."
The moment her body hit her bed the tears began to spill, muffling the sounds of her crying into her pillow and clutching her sheets tightly in her fists. Some time later, she hoisted herself out of bed and looked at her nightstand where a clock read only seven in the evening. She wasn't supposed to go out, but in her state she desperately needed someone to talk to. Only one person could handle her whining and more; Andrew.
A quick, and less than graceful, leap from her balcony and a work-in-progress dash down the block was all it took for a semi clean getaway. In a matter of minutes she was making her way through the automatic doors and to the counter where the familiar sandy blond head of the owner's son stood.
When she reached the counter, he smiled. "Hey, Serena. Didn't think I'd be seeing you today."
"You shouldn't be." she dropped her head into her crossed arms on the counter, hiding half her face in the process. "I'm grounded." she murmured.
Andrew frowned. "School, huh?" he asked. She simply replied with a sigh and shut her eyes. "Well, I can't un-ground you, but I can whip up a free vanilla shake. How about it?" with a nod from her head, he went to work and a minute later he present the drink topped with an extra serving of whipped cream and a large cherry to top.
"Thanks." she grabbed up a spoon and took little nibbles from the glass instead of her usual larger-then-the-spoon sized bites. This actually scared Andrew. Not even school could do something like this to Serena.
"Are you sure this is just about school?" he looked worried.
Now she felt bad. She stood up straight in her seat and flashed him a smile. "Just the consequences that come with it." she took a straw from a straw dispenser and went on to take large gulps from the shake. Her heart wasn't into it but it brought a chuckle out of Andrew. When she was half done, she hopped off the chair and thanked Andrew one last time before making her way out of the arcade.
A moment later the doors slid open again and a tall, dark figure walked in and over to the counter.
"Hey, Darien. You just missed Serena." he said, noticing the half full glass in front of him.
"And that information would benefit me how, Andrew?" he asked, sitting himself down on a stool.
"Come on. You should really try being nicer to her. She has it rough a lot of the time. It really doesn't help her to run into you."
"So, are you saying I should try to avoid the klutz?" Darien raised a brow at this.
"Of course not. Just try to ease up on the teasing, that's all." he turned to place the glass into a sink.
"Easier said then done..." Darien mumbled.
"What was that?" Andrew turned and leaned his elbows down on the counter, watching Darien with genuine curiosity.
Darien sighed. "It's not something I can help. I know I could be easier on her, but something else takes over when I see her..." his voice got quieter with each word until Andrew found himself halfway across the counter in an attempt to hear him. When he glanced up at Andrew again, he found the blond not 3 inches away from his face, smiling at him. Darien suddenly had the feeling Andrew knew something he desperately wished he knew too.
It had been an hour since Serena had snuck out of the house, having gone to the Arcade and taken a solemn walk through the park. It was obvious that no one had noticed; especially after she had gone down to get a snack from the kitchen. She now sat on her bed, legs crossed, with a giant stuffed rabbit held tightly against her chest. With a heavy sigh, she threw herself back amongst the pillows and moaned in anguish.
"Serena, what are you doing?" Luna asked, coming in from the bedrooms open window.
"Moping. Go away." her reply was muffled from the giant, stuffed rabbit over her face.
"This is no time for moping. The Scouts have gathered at Rei's. She thinks she's felt a negative energy near by. A youma might be preparing to attack." Luna said, finishing off by jumping on the bed and on to Serena's stomach. "Serena, are you listening?"
"It's late, Luna. Can't we do this tomorrow." she whined.
"No, we can't. Get your lazy butt up and out of this bed. Lock your door or I'm leaving without you and you can explain yourself to the girls later." Luna hissed.
Half moaning and rising from her bed, she dragged herself over to her closet, where her school uniform hung, her brooch still attached to the uniforms bow and the Scouts communicator in her skirt pocket. Just as she reached for the communicator, it went off. Pulling the gadget out and flipping it open, she found Ami's face staring at her from the other end.
"Serena, a youma has appeared in the shopping district near 's Ice Cream Parlor. We're running over there now. Meet us ASAP." she panted out before the screen went black.
"Not 's!" she cried.
"Serena, hurry up!" Luna sprinted to the window, pushing it further open as Serena went to place the lock on her door.
For the second time this night, Serena was jumping off her balcony window and running across town, set on a destination and more determined than usual.
The Sailor Scouts were already in mid battle when Serena and Luna arrived on the scene. Not giving a moment after her transformation, Sailor Moon made for her crescent moon wand and unleashed her moon twilight flash attack only, to her surprise, have the youma dodge it. It leapt out of the moon beam's way and made a turn for her. Sailor Moon gasps and stumbled a few steps back. Just as the youma closed in for an out-stretched arm attack, Sailor Moon made an instinctive leap into the air in an attempt to defend herself from the attack.
In mid-leap, the youma, with striking speed, made a sharp turn at her again. Before she even had time to gasp, Sailor Moon felt a heavy object slam into her side and sent her crashing hard on to the ground in a sea of darkness. Blinking a few times to clear the black from her vision, she realized it wasn't her eyes causing it, but a thick fabric that covered the body of the man lying above her like a shield.
"Tuxedo Mask!" she gasped.
"I'll weaken him. Get ready to finish it, Sailor Moon." With that he jumped to his feet and charged at the youma, extending his cane in the process, and landing a painful blow to the youma's abdomen .
"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mercury and Jupiter ran up beside her, Jupiter pulling her to her feet. "Are you all right?" Mercury asked.
"My whole right side is gonna hurt in the morning, but I'm fine."
"Then let's stop chattin' and let's get crackin'!" Jupiter turned to face the youma then. "Jupiter-Thunder!..."
Sailor Mercury turned to the youma as well. "Mercury-Bubbles!..."
"Crash!"
"Blast!"
"Sailor Moon, now!" Luna shouted.
With a nod, she reached out her hand and her moon wand appeared again. "Moon-Healing-Escalation!"
Once the light from the wand dispersed, a boy wearing glasses, an orange sweater, and a blue hat, was lying unconscious on the ground. Tuxedo Mask made his way over to the boy and scowled before making his way back towards the Scouts.
"Zoicite must have got to him first. The crystal is gone." He said.
"We can still collect the others." Sailor Moon told him.
"But it's still a crystal we have to get back from them." he snapped and with a flip of his cape, walked away.
"What a jerk!" Sailor Mars shouted, loud enough for the retreating hero to hear.
"We don't have anything to track down who the carriers are except for Amy's computer and even that takes a lot more time then Zoicite's crystal." Sailor Jupiter said, arms crossed and brows forward.
"Why he needs those crystals so badly is something we must know." Luna started. "Sailor Moon, I know you feel something for that man, but of all of us I want you to stay the farthest away from him. Mars, try and see if you can talk information out of him. Mercury, begin scanning for the next carrier. Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, continue your search for the fifth scout. We'll start in the morning." she finished.
"I'll see the boy home." Mercury added, already at work with her mini computer.
"But Luna, I know I can get Tuxedo Mask to open up to me if you'll just let me speak to him!"
"What are you saying; that he won't talk to me?" Mars asked.
"No. I'm just saying I would have a lot of trouble talking to a brick wall like you." Moon sniffed.
Jupiter took a hold of Mars before further fighting could ensue, reminding the two to save their energy for the Negaverse. With a few quick goodnights the Scouts went their separate ways. A few blocks from her house, Serena looked down at Luna.
"Luna, you know I can get him to speak to me. Why did you send Rei?" she asked.
"He's trouble, Serena. I don't wish any harm to come to the leader of the Sailor Scouts. I don't mean I want anything to happen to Rei, but I know she can handle herself better in a dangerous situation and she won't be so easily distracted." She gave Serena a glance up with that and the two stayed quiet for the remainder of the walk home.
The next morning Serena descended the stairs and into the kitchen where she found her mother already putting breakfast on the table, her brother grabbing for it, and her father with his nose deep in a newspaper. "I'll just take toast." She reached for a slice and paused as a newspaper came down to rest on her hand.
"Serena, good of you to join us. I have some exciting news for you, kiddo." Kenji looked to thrilled for it to be good news for her too. But maybe, after a long night of guilt ridden sleep, he had changed his mind about not allowing her to participate in tomorrow night's ball. Her eyes widened and sparkled. "Yeah?" she smiled.
"I just got off the phone with a good friend of mine who happens to be a professor at Tokyo University. He tells me he has the perfect pupil to help tutor you. Top of the class, he says." Kenji looked proud of himself.
"Oh, honey, you found someone that quickly?" Ikuko beamed at him, causing Kenji's chest to puff up further.
"I don't see the big deal. The poor kid will probably go insane from Serena's drooling daydreams and random naps." Sammy said.
"You little punk-" Kenji interrupted before Serena could cause any harm to the house in pursuit of her younger brother. "Either way…Serena, you will come straight home after school and be ready to invite your tutor in for your first session. If I hear of your cooperation and understanding of the material given to you by the time I get home, I'll consider letting you attend the ball again. Understood?"
A tutor? She mentally groaned. Attending the ball? She mentally cheered. But was weeks of tutoring really worth one party?.......Yes! "Understood!" she shouted.
"Serena, dear, shouldn't you be going?" Ikuko asked.
"Hm?" glancing at the kitchen clock was all it took to get back into her daily "late" routine. Off she flew from the house, toast in mouth, lunch bag under one arm, and book bag in the other.
"Serena!"
Serena stood huffing and puffing at the classroom door. "Hey, Molly." Just as she sat at her chair, Ms. Haruna entered the room. Making her way first over to Serena's desk, she out stretched her hand, palm up and waved with her fingers. "I believe you have something for me this morning."
Serena turned beet red and dug into her bag for a moment, withdrawing her signed test paper and placing it into 's waiting hand. "Good. Now let's begin."
"How'd it go last night with your parents?" Molly leaned over and whispered.
"Not so good. They won't let me go unless I do well with a tutor." She replied.
"But the balls tomorrow night!" Molly said in shock.
"My father already found someone to start after school. If I get through the night, they'll let me go." Serena sighed.
"That's great. Why don't you sound happy?" Molly asked.
"Would you be if you had my studying habits?" Serena questioned back.
"Oh." Was all Molly could say before turning back to sit straight in her chair and letting the subject die a slow and hopeless death.
After school Serena wished Molly a goodnight and simply nodded when Molly wished her good luck. The walk home felt long, mostly due to the negative perspective she had for this afternoon. Reaching the gates to her house, she noticed a red corvette parked on the street in front of the house. She pondered over who the college student could be to own such a vehicle and just as she walked through the door her mother's head poked out from the kitchen.
"Serena, welcome home. You're just in time. Your tutor arrived just a few moments ago. Such a sweet young man. He's waiting for you upstairs along with a few snacks I put together." Serena moaned. Great. Of course it's a 'he' because she couldn't be any more embarrassed than she already was by the fact that this boy was in her 'girly' room doing who knows what kind of perverted things to her belongings. "Thanks, mom." She grumbled on her way to the stairs. "Please work hard, dear." Was the last thing she heard as she reached the top.
Upon opening her bedroom door, Serena felt a terrible tremble work its way through her body at the sight that presented itself. A loud shriek reverberated within the house and for the second time that day Serena found herself panting for breath, but this time it wasn't from her morning running exercise, it was from her attempt at calming herself.
"I'm not exactly thrilled either. " Darien said from his seat on the floor, organizing various books over her work table.
"No. You? Why you?!" Serena panicked.
"Because your father just so happened to know my professor and I just happened to be his best student. Now whether or not I'll be able to get something through that constant slumbering head of yours, I don't know." Opening a text book and flipping it around and towards her direction, he said "Let's find out."