Author's Notes:

I'd like to thank everyone who commented! sailormoon0630 and shana elmsford you guys are my first EVER commenters- I'd award you some sort of prize if I could ! And thanks everyone who put the story on their alert- it was a pleasant surprise to find so many people interested in my story! There isn't much else to say this time except I hope you enjoy this next chapter and tell me what you think!

P.S. The next chapter will have a lot of Darien/Serena conversations in the present

You Again?

Chapter 2

I was frozen for a long while- or rather it seemed like a long while to me (in realty it was probably only about a few seconds- hopefully). I couldn't believe that this particular man was here right now.

Here in the same city I was.

Here in the same building.

Here in the same office.

Here…

This was Darien Shields- my tormentor extraordinare and everyone else's heartthrob.

My High School memories were flooded with him. He was everywhere then. He was there playing varsity Tennis and winning all the competitions. He was there acing all his tests and getting 5s on all the AP exams. He was there as Student Council president leading our school into an environmental revolution- recycling became mandatory because of him and our school started a group devoted to researching alternate fuels (Yea! I know! A high school trying to find alternate fuels! It's high school! How smart do they expect us to be?! Might as well tell us to cure cancer… so yea maybe I'm still a bit bitter that I didn't get into the group based on the fact that the test he made us take- yes a test! For joining a group!- was impossible). He was there giving the Valedictorian speech at our graduation. But most importantly he was there constantly torturing me.

I don't know what he had against me exactly. I don't know when or why he decided to make me his target. I just remember the actual teasing which had begun only shortly after we met my sophomore year. He had been in my advanced English class- one of the few subjects I excel in (one of the few subjects I love). The thing is- we'd only exchanged greetings once when playing one of the ice breaker games that first day and then the next thing I knew, merely the next day, he showed his true colors.

"Meatballs…" He had said looking at my oddly styled hair. They were not meatballs! They were pigtails! Rather long pigtails but still pigtails! Then he nudged one and smiled a smile I eventually recognized as a truly sinister one (cute but sinister none the less- the one he had on right now actually). "Meatballhead!" He'd exclaimed as though he'd solved the world's greatest puzzle. As though I should clap for him. Reward him for his brilliance. Give him a gold star or something. Call me crazy but I didn't think Meatballhead was a term of endearment or anything even akin to a nice nickname.

At the time, however, my only response was to turn a deep shade of red and sputter something along the lines of "Jerk!" It came out weak but he heard it- which only egged him on further. He found my reaction hilarious. And I mean absolutely rolling on the floor laughing (maybe not that extreme but still) hilarious. I might as well have been doing a comedy stand up for all the laughing he was doing. And so for my remaining high school career he was my hunter, I his target.

It didn't help that every one of my friends was in love with him… only Amy was immune to his charms- she always has been the smart one. The horrible part was that after just that first day I had gushed to my friends about how adorable he was. I know! I must have been absolutely crazy.

That night me and my 5 best friends, Amy, Ray, Mina, and Lita, had met up at our favorite hang out (the smoothie store where at the time another heartthrob, Andrew, worked) and I had went on and on about the really cute boy in my English class and how the whole time Ms. Herald was talking I wasn't paying attention since my attention was fixated on him. The only positive thing about that conversation was that I hadn't remembered his name so I never mentioned the name. I described deep blue eyes but thankfully I hadn't mentioned the biggest giveaways- the silky black hair, the gorgeous smile, etc. So after the second day of class aka the first day of torture I never mentioned cute boy again and my friends assumed it was just some random guy that I'd quickly gotten over.

And oh had I gotten over him.

I loathed the guy. Honestly, vehemently, and completely- I loathed him. He was the biggest jerk on the face of the planet.

I didn't care that he was a phenomenal athlete that could one day win Wimbledon; I didn't care that he was single handedly trying to save the world from human nature's destructive behavior; I didn't care that he was a genius who had the potential to cure cancer; and I certainly didn't care that everyone else loved him. He was, quite frankly, an ass. I didn't and still don't swear often either so this shows something. I was willing to call him names. He just got the worst out of me. I could never control my temper around him. He was just so… infuriating.

But now as I looked at the same irritatingly handsome face and the same attractive yet sinister smile as the ones of my distant memories I reigned in my control. I wasn't that immature girl anymore. I wouldn't stutter and be flustered. I wouldn't be Brad- nervous and twitchy. I would no longer be his prey. No sire.

This was not our high school. It was not a place full of his admirers. This was my turf. Mine.

This time Darien was on my turf. Mine