Two cups of coffee, three chapters into his book, Darien was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a bag hitting the counter he was sitting. He did a quick side glance and saw the normally bubbly blonde, with crystal blue eyes, who has been known to torment him. He simply rolled his eyes, and went back to his book. He scolded himself internally for even get distracted like that. He knew it would be her.
Any second he would hear his best friend, and owner, walk up requesting her order, and her high pitched voice will once again take his thoughts from his studies. He hoped to get a few more lines in by then.
He heard the sound of Andrew's foot steps, then the sound of a phone vibrating. He could hear her digging through her purse, but still his eyes locked on his textbook. Highlighting the next thought.
It could not have been that long, but the fact that he had not heard his friend say a word to her, made him feel uneasy.
Then a whisper could heard. "Are you sure you're okay?"
His eyes darted up the mirror overhead, to see her just simply nod her head. She was lying. Her eyes were red, and puffy. The tip a darker shade of pink than her cheeks. She had been crying.
"I'll grab your usual." Andrew said in a comforting tone. "The girls on their way?"
Again she just nodded with her big eyes, and quivering lips.
Afraid she was going to catch him looking, he quickly shot his eyes back down to his book, and pretended to read, while he watched her from the corner of his eye.
She checked her phone again, threw it in her purse, and buried her face in her hands. Her sniffles could be heard.
In the many years he had known her, he had seen her cry many times, but this one caused an unexplainable feeling in his chest.
She then simply wiped her face, sucked back the tears, shook her head, and collected herself as much as she could.
For one who normally stayed out of everyone's business, it too threw him off that he asked, "Are you okay?" It was almost like the voice really came from behind him, but there was nobody there.
"I am sorry Darien, I know I am probably distracting you. I will grab my drink as soon as Andrew gets." She turned away from to wipe her nose.
He should have just let it go there, but again, "That doesn't answer the question, are you okay?" Was what came out. It was like he had no control of what he was saying.
"Really Darien."
He found himself closing his text, and turning to face her.
"Serena..."
Him calling her by her name caused her to look at him in shock and disbelief.
"Obviously something is not right? Are you okay? Is it your brother? Your parents? I know we don't get along..."
She scoffed, "Understatement."
Part of him said let it go, just turn around and go back to his studies. But the other part, told him stay where he was. And he did. He observed her. How the years have changed her.
She could not handle him staring at her, knowing he was judging her. It caused her anxiety to rise, her palms became sweaty, and she could feel knot in the back of her throat, and the tickle in her nose. She closed her eyes to keep from more tears from falling.
"Serena." He put one hand on the back of her chair. "If you need help with something."
"I am fine Darien."
"I think I have known you long enough to know that is a lie." He replied.
"Really?" She snapped. "What do you know about me? We haven't said more than two words to each other in almost a year. And when we did..."
"We would fight." He finished. "Not my proudest moments." He acknowledged.
He scooted back towards his side of the counter. A look of defeat appeared on over his face. And suddenly guilt washed over Serena.
"Look... Darien... I am sorry. I know you are trying to help...and regardless of how bad my day is that was rude. I am sorry." She avoided eye contact with him, starring at the ceiling, and the counter top pattern.
"Serena, you don't have to apologize." He started. "You were right, I never took the time to really get to know you, and like you said we haven't talked in over a year. Since..." And then it clicked. "Since you start dating that guy...what is his name?"
Before Serena could answer, he interrupted. "Actually it doesn't matter. Especially if he is the reason you crying here, alone in an arcade."
She looked down into her lap.
"He is the reason isn't he?" Darien asked for confirmation, but he knew the answer.
She just nodded.
"Wanna talk about it?" He offered.
"So you can tell me how stupid I am too?" Serena asked,
"Or to get your side of the story, and give you the most unbiased answer." He responded trying find the right words to say.
She shrugged her shoulder.
"Come on tell me what happened." With one gentle push he turned her hair to face him.
"Where the hell is Andrew?" she looked around.
" He just finished with a table, so tell me, while you wait." Darien answered.
"I am sure you have some studying you need to do, you don't have to worry about my lo-"
"No I am already ahead in my reading. I have time." He quickly interrupted her again before she could finish the word he knew was coming next.
"You mean that?" Serena asked.
"Yeah, I do, so what happened?" He pushed his books to the side, to give his arm a little more room to rest as he leaned to get comfortable.
He turned to see if Andrew was coming anytime soon. She bit the side of her lip. She needed too vent, and all of her friends were tired of the same old story. She knew there was a good chance they were not rushing over here. It was the same tune, but she still needed to get the anger out. However, a part of her was scared that venting to Darien would just give him more stuff to hold over her head and tease her about. In her heart of heart, nobody was the evil, she tried to convince herself, but she was not 100% sure. She saw how people can flip so easily.
"Soooo... are you going to tell me..?
The sound of his voice and her phone vibrating interrupted the dispute in her head.
"Who is texting you? Is it him? Darien pried.
She rolled. "Yes."
"So why don't you answer...?"
She sighed. Grabbed her phone and tossed it at him. "Read it." Her voice sounded defeated."0630."
"Your birthday is your password? You aren't supposed to use your birthday for you password!" Darien started to scold.
She gave a sarcastic chuckle. "At least you remembered my birthday."
He unlocked the message, and was instantly taken back by what he read. He had to reread a few lines multiple times because he could not believe an adult would really speak to another adult that way. Especially someone they were dating.
"Either you are thinking he is absolutely right... orrrr.."
Darien gently put her phone down faced down. He took another second to compose himself. He could feel his blood boiling. His face turning warm. He exhaled.
"I hope to God, you are done with this guy." He blatantly said, pushing her phone back to her.
"You and everyone else." Serena replied grabbing her phone and throwing it into a purse.
"You know Serena, I am going to hope that is the worst of it."
"Oh it's not." Andrew's voice came from Serena's other side. Placing her shake in front of her.
"Andrew please don't start." Serena groaned as she started to rub her temples.
"Why do you think he is no longer allowed in here." Andrew crossed his arms and turned his attention to Darien. "You two had screaming matches that were jokes, and it was always both of you. With them it was all him, and if you ask me it was borderline abuse."
"Did he hit you?!" Darien shouted. He didn't mean to be that loud and cause people to stare. The word abuse just triggered him and it just expelled out his anger. The Serena he knew that would never intentionally hurt anyone, being hurt by someone else.
She looked around embarrassed.
"Answer the question." Andrew demanded.
"You know that answer Andrew, he never did." Serena defended.
"Do I really though, I seen him grab you pretty aggressively." Andrew argued.
Darien instantly wished he was there in that moment. He could not really say what he would do, but he is sure Andrew would have had his back too.
"I am not going to take this, I cannot be double teamed like this all time." She dug through her purse looking for her wallet. "If it is not the girls. It is you and Rita. And if it is not you two. It is you and Sammy. Now it is you and Darien."
"We are only looking out for you Serena! This isn't love. This is joke! That guy is piece-"
She continued to ingore him, counting a few dollars out og her wallet.
"Serena, what are you going to do? Go talk to him?"
"I don't know Darien, okay? And what if I did? What if this is the moment he changes?"
"Pffft... He is never going to change Serena! What is this hold he has on you?" Andrew asked, begging for some sort of explanation. "He abandoned you at the mall, and I had to come pick you up. He ditched you at the dance. And that girl, that girl that sat on his lap in front of you!"
Darien could not figure out how he was just hearing all of this now. He and Andrew were best friends, and Andrew loved to gossip, especially to him because he knew he would not say anything.
"Enough! Andrew ... I didn't come here for this!" The tears started to build up in her eyes. "I need to go!"
"You just got your drink!" Darien tried to keep her there. He couldn't understand why he was doing this, if she left he could go back to his studies, and his day could go back to normal.
"I don't care! I don't want it anymore." She grabbed her bag, threw it over her shoulder and hopped off the stool.
Andrew instantly gave up, as Darien got up to try and stop her.
"Serena..." his voice pleaded.
"I can't do think, I can't keep being judged!" And off she ran out the doors. Took a right and ran past the window.
Andrew signed in frustration. Grabbed the shake and took a big gulp, slammed the cup down. "That guy played her into his hand, and she doesn't even see how much more she deserves!" He watched as Darien grabbed his book. "Thank you for trying to help her while I was busy!" Darien did not respond. Just collected his things. "You're not going to stay for another coffee?"
"No, I am going to go find Serena, and talk to her, like I was trying to do." He calmly answered. "And please don't ask me why I am doing this, I have no idea, why. But I just need to find her." He threw some money on the counter.
"Where are you going to look?" Andrew asked confused.
"I don't know. I figured I would just start with the park."
"That is actually a really good first place to look, that was one of her favorite places to be, by the pond." Andrew responded shocked that Darien would come up with that place so quickly on his own.
"For some reason I had this feeling it would be, and again, please don't ask me why. I don't know why!" Darien threw his book bag over his shoulder, gave his friend a quick salute and headed out the door."
