So, I feel like I'm on a role.
Though I will admit that my eyes are burning-as sleep refused to be my friend last night.
Anyways, I'm heading off to bed and figured that since I finished editing this chapter, that I would post it.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to update tomorrow-but I will try.
Serena awoke to the smell of cinnamon and sweets baking. She sat up, sniffing, testing the air.
Yep. It was confirmed. Cinnamon rolls. Lita must be in a joyous mood this morning.
She tossed the blankets aside and got up. She was in the middle of stretching when someone knocked on her door.
"Come in." Serena brought her arms over her head as Lita poked her head in, "Morin' sunshine! I have some tasty stuff baking. Hope you're hungry!"
Serena smiled, "Lita, if there's anything you've learned about me this past week that I've been here, it's that I'm always hungry."
Lita thought for a moment then nodded, "True. Hey can you wake up Miss beauty queen for me?" and with that, Lita was gone.
Serena stretched one last time and headed to her and Mina's shared bathroom to wash her face.
Serena smiled at how sweet all the girls had been to her. After their first dinner together they showed her around the house. The front room housed the family room, dining room and an open kitchen. Also, a door leading to the garage.
Following from the family room was a hallway-leading to originally four bedrooms, though they converted the office into a fifth bedroom. Lita took on the master bedroom with its own on-suite as Serena learned that this house once belonged to her parents. They sadly died when Lita was only 10 years old.
Rei took the back bedroom which had a bathroom separating it from the office, the room that was converted into Ami's bedroom. Finally, the first two rooms belonged to Mina and Serena, which had an adjourning bathroom.
Serena smiled as she finished washing her face. The girls had even purchased some things for her room. Learning from Rei that her favorite color was pink, they made sure to find her multiple different gifts in varying shades of her signature color.
She walked towards Mina's room and opened the door.
"TIME TO WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!" Serena's voice boomed loudly and she laughed at the response of Mina sitting up quickly. An orange sleep mask was placed over her eyes as she turned her head from left and right, trying to find the source of the voice.
"Take off the mask blondie." Serena chuckled when Mina finally slipped the mask over her head.
"Serena, you know never to wake someone up in such a cruel way! It disturbs the vibes for the rest of the day!"
Serena rolled her eyes, "Well, hopefully those 'vibes' are put back in place with Lita's cinnamon rolls."
"Ohh! Yes, I'll be there." Mina shoved her down comforter aside and stretched herself.
Serena walked out the bedroom door. Stopping quickly, Serena smiled as Ami stood in the hallway checking her book bag.
"Morning, Ami."
"Good morning Serena. I'm running late today, I'll see you and the girls later tonight!"
Serena shook her head and smiled, "See ya Ami." A wave and a muffled, "Bye" was heard as she rushed out the front door.
"Don't mind her, she always gets nervous for her biology session, the Professor and all." Lita stood in the hallway, an apron wrapped around her toned waist. "Come, I want you to try one of these. Its something new."
Serena happily obligated.
"So what exactly do we wear to a self-defense class?" Mina asked from her overstuffed closet.
Serena was laying on Mina's bed, flipping through one of Mina's many magazines.
"Not sure, I figured my outfit was fine."
Mina turned again, looking Serena's outfit over. She seemed to grimace.
"Do you really need the hoodie?"
Serena shrugged, "Makes you sweat more."
Mina hummed to herself as she pulled out a pair of yoga pants with its matching tank top. "Do you think I should go with the push up bra or the sports bra?"
Serena rolled her eyes, "Probably the sports bra Mins."
"Got it, the push-up. Thank you Sere! You're the best." With every said item in her hands, Mina waltzed into the bathroom.
"Hey, "Rei poked her head in, "Are you two ready? The class starts in 20 minutes."
"Just waiting on Mins."
Rei glared as she looked at her watch again. "Mina! Hurry up! Or no hot guys for you!"
A muffled, "I'M COMING!" was shouted before the door opened to reveal Mina in all her glory. She had given herself two braided pigtails. Both Rei and Serena rolled their eyes.
"Come on, we're going to be late." Rei marched out. Serena got off the bed and followed.
Mina pouted as she grab her gym bag, "Well, you can't rush perfection!"
Lita's green Kia Soul pulled in front of another brown building, with the title of "Martial Arts" blaring in bright red.
"Here we are!" All three girls almost watched Lita dance from her seat as she got out, excitement clearly written on her face.
"Are you sure about this Rei?" Rei unclipped her seat belt as she glanced back at Serena. Mina had already excited and they could hear her ask Lita if her butt looked big in the black pants.
"I think it's a great idea Serena. It could prevent something like.." she paused, thinking, "It will help you. I'll be here. Don't worry, okay?"
Serena nodded and stepped out of the car.
Walking into the Martial Art's studio was something new for Serena, as she took in the blue mats placed all over the floor. She saw Lita waltz to the counter where a rather tall man stood. Two other men, almost in equal height, were standing beside him, laughing at something that was said.
The first man turned when Lita approached Serena realized it must be the "Nathan" that Lita continued to gush about all week.
Finding herself glancing wearily at the three men, she realized that while her attack took place over a month ago, she still felt uneasy in the company of men. She knew it was unfair to classify all men in the category of Lucas, but she couldn't help it. That night still haunted her.
Rei pushed her forward when they saw Lita ushering for them to step up.
"Nathan, these are my roommates. Rei, Mina and Serena. They'll be joining the self-defense class today."
He turned his head towards them and smiled genuinely, "Ladies, it's a pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce two of my instructors, Jed Bridge and Darien Shields. Two of Phoenix's finest. "
Both men turned and greeted the girls, though Serena refused to make eye-contact.
"Rei Hino? My, I haven't seen you in years."
Both Mina and Serena turned towards the one named Jed, as Rei seemed to only glare.
"Ladies, the group is meeting right over there," the one named Darien spoke up, seeming to notice the tension brewing. Pointing to a rather large group of women sitting down on blue mats, he continued, "Please sign in and go ahead and take a seat. We'll begin in just a few minutes."
Lita simply smiled and nodded, signing each of the girls in and scooting them along.
"Mins, sorry, but Nathan said the fireman, his name is Andrew by the way, wouldn't be in tonight."
Mina shrugged as she giggled, "Did you see those other two guys? My goodness! I think I'm in love!"
"Yeah, well, it seems you'll have to get in line." Serena pointed towards the other women in the group and realized that they were all dressed to impress. Serena glanced at a few and cringed.
One in particular made eye contact with her, and Serena couldn't help but feel a cold chill run down her spine. The woman's red hair, obviously a non-natural redhead, stood out amongst the crowd. Her golden brown eyes reminded Serena of a feline that was ready to pounce on her next prey.
Turning away, she noticed Rei almost seething beside her.
"You alright Rei?"
Her dark haired friend only nodded as the two men stepped forward, "First, we want to thank you ladies for coming to this class. Self-defense is something more women should take seriously. We will introduce ourselves and get started. My name is Jed Bridge, I am a Sergeant in Phoenix's SWAT. Prior to that, I served 5 years in the US Army as a Military Police Officer. I have been practicing martial arts, particularly Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, for 15 years now." Serena took in his appearance.
Tall, easily past 6 feet, with golden blonde hair cut short and baby blue eyes. He seemed relaxed in black sweatpants and a white t-shirt.
He moved his hand, gesturing to the other guy beside him. Serena realized she should probably pay attention; zoning out wasn't a quality she wished to continue having.
"Hello ladies, my name's Darien Shields, please, call me Darien. I serve alongside Jed as a SWAT officer. I also served 4 years in the U.S Army as a Military Cop. I am a brown belt in Krav Maga and taught it on the side while I was in the military."
Darien seemed to be the opposite of Jed. His pitch black hair and cobalt blue eyes stood out with his tan skin and all black attire. He also stood past 6 feet as well, towering over herself by easily 9 to 10 inches. Serena had to look away when he turned those blue eyes towards her.
The class had been progressing quickly, each girl pairing up and practicing the two to three techniques they were taught.
Rei and Lita paired off, and Mina begged Serena not to leave her. Serena had chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"You know," Mina huffed, "This is actual a lot of," she huffed again, "fun."
Serena laughed and agreed, as she moved her hands to allow Mina to hit the pads she was holding at a different angle.
"Alright ladies! You're all doing well. We would like to try one more, before we call it a night."
Majority of the women almost fell to the floor, sweat dripping from their foreheads; their perfect hairstyles long forgotten.
Serena was too busy looking around again that she didn't notice a hand that was stretched out before her, "Do you mind volunteering?" Serena glanced around, eyes from the other women glaring at her and then glanced up. Darien's blue eyes shinned, as a sexy grin was placed on his lips. She looked at Mina and heard a small, "Get'em tiger." She could have sworn she heard Mina make a growl sound afterwards, but she refused to acknowledge it.
Instead of taking the hand that was offered, Serena got up on her own.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Do you mind if I use you as an example? I will have to put my hands on you, hence why I'm asking. I will simply be putting my right arm across your stomach and gently grabbing your other arm. Then, I'll bring my left arm by your left shoulder and put it gently across your collar bone. Is that okay?"
Serena felt her eyes widen. She glanced quickly at her friends, looking for affirmation it seemed.
When they all nodded, especially Rei, Serena turned back to the man beside her. She noticed that he seemed to be watching her, not in a creepy way, but more studying. As if he knew something was off. As if he noticed her apprehension. Her fear.
As class ended, Darien saw Jed trying to talk quietly with one of the girls who had accompanied Serena. Rei was her name, if he remembered correctly. His cobalt blue eyes searched the room for the frightened little bunny until they landed on his coveted prize. She stood off to the side, leaning against the counter, waiting patiently as she drank from her water bottle.
He honestly couldn't keep his eyes from roaming over her. She was small, the top of her head barley reached his shoulders, and from volunteering her for his last exercise, he knew she was soft, feminine. She had long, silvery blonde hair, pulled back into a loose pony-tail. A few strands had broken free during the class and he ached to put it back in place actually, he admitted to himself, he just ached to have her back in his arms. His eyes continued to roam, starting from her feet, up her legs, covered by tight black yoga pants, to her flat stomach-a small portion exposed as she lifted her water bottle back to her lips to take a sip. He kept his eyes going up; stopping a few extra seconds longer than what was considered proper before getting caught, on her breast, still covered by a sweatshirt. Traveling up towards her swan like neck and finally to her face. He stopped dead when her sapphire eyes stared back at him.
He couldn't help but smile instead of being ashamed. When her only response was to grab her bag and walk towards the door, he frowned. She stopped before she got to the door and stared out at the night, talking to another blonde that had joined them.
He grabbed his helmet, leather jacket and back-pack and walked towards the door. The red-head, who insisted on his help throughout class, swooped in front of him like a vulture. Stopping quickly, Darien looked from the red head to the bunny waiting by the door.
"Darien, I wanted to say thank you so much for the lesson today. I feel that I will be able to protect myself a little better now." Her voice purred past ruby red lips.
"You're welcome, I'm glad I could be of help. I need to speak with someone, but I look forward to seeing you again next class." He stepped around her but was stopped again when her hand reached out, grabbing his upper arm. "If you're interested, "She pulled a business card from the inside of her bra, "I'd be happy to have dinner sometime this week. Please, "she stuffed her card in his hand while leaning up against him, her voice purring once again, "Give me a call." She stepped back and turned, her hips swaying as she exited.
Darien rolled his eyes to the heavens and counted to three before he looked back to see if Serena was still there. She was still talking to the other blonde. Thankfully, her back had been toward him the whole time.
When he reached her he tapped her on her shoulder and watched her body tense up again. She turned quickly in his direction, "Sorry about volunteering you. I hope it didn't bother you to much."
She seemed to give him a small smile, "No, it was fine." He smiled back and then an idea formed, "Hey, how about to say sorry for picking on you throughout class, I'll buy you dinner this week. When are you free?" Before Serena could answer, Mina came up behind her, "She's available Tuesday nights and every weekend. School starts in another week so we're preparing our classrooms on the other days." Serena turned to glare, though Mina just returned her glare with a smile of victory. Darien decided that he liked Serena's friends.
"How about tomorrow? I can pick you up at Seven?" She seemed to take a deep breath, glared one last time at Mina, then turned to him, "You really don't need to say you're sorry. It's a class. I'm happy to be picked to volunteer." Before Darien or Serena could say more, Mina stepped in again, "Tomorrow sounds like a good day for her! Right, Sere?" Darien smiled while Serena looked like she was ready to scream.
Sighing, she looked back his way, "Seven sounds good. Where would you like to go?"
Darien thought for a moment, "Well, I'm a pretty good cook. I could cook for you. Or, if you'd prefer to go out, I know some nice restaurants that have live entertainment." Before Mina could intervene again, Serena spoke up, "Out! I'd like to go out. I like Italian."
Mina snorted and elbowed Serena in the sides. Serena elbowed her back, though a little bit more force was used.
When Darien smiled and nodded in the affirmative, Serena glanced at his helmet, "Would you like me to drive? I notice you have a bike, and well…"
Darien's smile broadened. "Not a fan of bikes?"
She eyed him suspiciously before answering, "Never been on one before honestly. I could drive though, I don't mind."
He chuckled softly, glancing at his bike through the front window sitting in the parking lot then back at Serena. "I have a car as well. I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow. Let me walk you ladies to your car. Can't be too careful these days."
"No. You're an idiot." All three turned towards the sound of Rei's voice as she walked towards them, a sly smiling Jed following. "Just a dinner Rei. Come on, we haven't seen each other in years."
She turned her deep brown eyes on him, "You won't take no for an answer, will you?"
Jed shrugged and smiled big, "No ma'am."
"Ohhh this is wonderful! Rei doesn't have any plans for tomorrow either!" Mina's overly cheerful voice brought the death glare from Rei and Mina found herself stepping a little behind Serena.
"I like your friends Rei. Great. I'll pick you up tomorrow at five."
"You asked me earlier for dinner Jed, shouldn't you pick me up say, seven or eight?"
Jed shook his head, "Nope, I want to spend a little more time with you." His smile widened.
Rei huffed as she turned around and marched through one of the front doors.
Lita came up a moment later. "Everyone ready to go?" She was beaming from ear to ear.
"Yes, lets." Darien held the door open for the other three women and fell in step with Serena once they were outside.
Serena felt out of sorts walking besides Darien. She honestly wasn't sure what she should say, then started to dread tomorrow. Darien seemed content with a quiet walk so, in an uncharacteristic display, Serena decided not to change that.
When they reached the car, she noticed when Jed went to the side of the car Rei was standing on, her foot tapping could be heard easily. She heard Darian chuckle -a deep smooth chuckle; earthly would be a good word to describe its rumble.
"May I have your number? I'll call tomorrow for directions to your home, if thats alright." Still partially absorbed in her thoughts, Serena started saying her number without thinking. She heard the clicking on his phone as he mimicked what she said. A little relieved to have that done, she heard Lita click the button for the car doors to be unlocked. Breathing slightly out of relief to be leaving she turned towards Darien once again, "So, seven. Tomorrow? Will it be casual or should I dress up some?"
Mina swooped in like a hawk, "I'll make sure she wears something nice. A dress. I haven't seen her in a dress. Do you know what this means Sere?! We get to go shopping tomorrow morning!" Darien started laughing as Mina did a little dance of joy beside the back driver door.
The start of the car had Jed saying one final thing to Rei and then Rei slamming her door closed. Serena and Mina both shook their heads, offered smiles of apologies his way and slid into the car.
Serena felt she was finally able to breathe when Lita put the car in reverse.
Ohhhhhhhhhh two dates for the next chapter!
Will Serena be able to handle being close to Darien?
Will Rei cause physical harm to Jed?
Review and find out!
-LAla