Title: Royal Flush - Day 6 Author: Alicia Blade E-mail: Kammi22@sprintmail.com Hey there Minna-chan!! Guess what! Two more weeks of school and I'm FREE!!! Woohoo, think of all the writing I'll be able to get done! ^_~ Well, there will be two more parts to this fic after this one, so if you have any ideas or suggestion, better get them in quick! This chapter is dedicated to Twilight, who I have found to be one of the most inspirational people I know, and Mina/Desiree, because I finally put in a ton of parts form Serena's POV, just because you asked! Okay, this story switches from first to third person a lot. If you see someone's name in these ~ then you are entering THEIR thoughts. ~~~ means that it is going back to third person, or the author's POV if that confuses you. Go visit Rebe-chan's site at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bridge/8224/ She is now accepting fanfics!!! Thanx always to Lady Starra, welcome home! Edeet-chan, mi profesora de espanol favorita (hope I said that right...), Athena, even though I've neglected your e-mail the past week. Gomen! I'll write soon, just busy! Still love ya! Patricia Dawson, who is finally starting another story and always has great ideas. R-chan who has to be the sweetest person I know, even though she is sooo UNCUTE! And Sailor Elysia for her support and comments. Can't wait to read more of your fic! Get to writin' girl! Enjoy! "The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm." Isaiah 26.3 ~ Serena ~ I stared out the window quietly, Ms. Haruna's voice drifting past my mind, in one ear and out the other. I'd finally reached the last period of this school day. Thank goodness for Fridays. The sun is out today, I notice happily. I couldn't wait until after school... I'd imagined all morning how I would beg Darien to go to the park with me and we would walk through the rose gardens and feed the ducks like on Monday. Then we would have a picnic and I would happily feed him all the grapes he could possibly want. Then... then we would kiss beneath a canopy and he would declare his everlasting love for me... Shaking my head, I look down at my desk. Funny how much a heart and mind can change in twenty-four hours. I was awake all last night trying to figure out why I never noticed these feelings before. I finally reached the conclusion that I HAD noticed them, just, at the time, I didn't know exactly what they were. But I know now, I'm finished denying that Darien is... is... how do you describe someone as perfect as that? I realize now that even all the teasing wasn't even that bad. The nickname Meatball Head was almost, kind of... sweet. In a sad, moonstruck lover kind of way. Then there was the way he smiled. What a great friend he was to Andrew and Ken and Greg and the others... His deep blue eyes... The way his smiles reached them only when he was completely happy. You could tell when he was faking it or not... his always-serious eyes definitely held a distinct laughter within. Or the way he handled the little kids the other day. Yes, I admit, that was what pushed me over the edge. How sweet and compassionate and... fatherly he was. Closing my eyes, I could still see the exact expression on little Patricia's face when he kissed her. I smile slightly... He must have made her day. Nibbling on the inside of my cheek, my mind wanders carelessly over the days we'd spent together. The park, his apartment, the dinner... dancing floor... the beach, then the hospital... And today? Come what will. I honestly don't care anymore, as long as I'm with him. I think about what Andrew told me in the arcade the day I visited him at work. "When he wants something, he goes for it... and maybe, his mixed signals are just his way of showing you he does care about you. I mean, he never liked getting close to people, so that could explain his teasing you, because he wants to keep you at arm's distance, ya know? But then... these signs of affection he's giving you, could be to tell you he's actually more... interested in you than it may seem." My, that brings a smile to my face. Just the thought... Oh, could he really?! Almost gives me the drive to corner Darien and get some answers right now, if just to give these blasted dreams a bit more to fly by. Ever noticed how every dream in your mind comes out with a perfect ending? And if you dream it long enough... it almost makes you feel as if it WILL end like that, without a doubt. Sigh... I wish... But that's what dreams are. Wishes. Blow out the candles, see the shooting star, cross your fingers and jump in... My wishes are briefly interrupted by a knock on the classroom door. Ms. Haruna looks at it disapprovingly before calling to the knocker to come in. The lady is carrying a bouquet of roses and I instantly lose interest. Another bunch for Marsha from her rich boyfriend. He sends her things like that, flowers, candy, and teddy bears, twice a week or so. Don't they realize how disturbing that is to those of us without boyfriends? I turn my head to look out the window again. "Serena Tsukino?" "Hm?" Not two seconds into my dreams and I'm interrupted. Rude! "These were delivered for you," says the lady as Ms. Haruna points me out to her. My eyes go wide. "Wha...? For me?" "That's right. Here you go." She sets the crimson red roses down and leaves the room as silently and quickly as she came. I look over at Lita who sits diagonally from me. She is gawking at the flowers, obviously as surprised as I am. Gulping, I reach for a small white envelope tied on one stem. The class watches me carefully until Ms. Haruna calls them to attention once again and picks up the lesson where she'd left off. My hands shakily lift up the fold of the letter, tugging the inside card into my palm. I open the pastel colored card and read silently, chewing gently on the tip of my tongue. My dearest Slave, I hate to disappoint you, I know how you were so looking forward to another day of serving me (ha ha) but I'm afraid I'll have to let you off today. Seems I'm not as immune to colds as I once thought. The hospital must have done a number on me, for I feel awful with the worst cold I think I've ever had. I really don't want you to catch this, so you don't have to show up today. I'll call you sometime tomorrow to see if I'm feeling better. Hopefully we can do something then. My sincere apologies. Take care, I hope you have a nice day off. Love, Darien I stared at the card desperately. At first, the opening and ending statements nearly made my heart stopped. I'm his dearest slave... he loves me? But then I read the rest... and my heart did stop. ~~~ Andrew looked up from washing the counter to see a small group of girls walk slowly into the arcade. Among them, Serena, Lita, and Ami. Lita and Ami walked up to him immediately, while Serena headed straight for the Sailor V game. She set her book bag, and a large bouquet of roses, down by her stool to begin dropping silver coins in. "Hello, ladies, what can I get for you?" "Andrew, we have a favor to ask," said Lita seriously. He raised an eyebrow. This didn't sound good... "Anything." "Could you PLEASE cheer Serena up?" He took a step back, a little surprised. "Huh? What's wrong with her?" "See for yourself." He looked past them to the gaming area. There she was, staring dejectedly at the screen of her favorite game. No determined outlook, no carefree smile... "What happened to her?" "We wish we knew," spoke up Ami. "She's been like this since we got out of school..." "Sixth period, actually," intercepted Lita. "Strangest thing. One minute she's looking out the window all happy, the next, she gets a bouquet of roses, reads the note, and becomes totally depressed. I mean, if Ken, or ANYONE sent me a bunch of roses like that, I'd be beaming, no matter what was in the letter!" "Bunch of roses, huh? Do you have any clue who sent them or what was on the note?" "Not a clue." He looked at her sadly. "Hm... well, I guess I can try to make her feel a little better. I make no promises though." "That's fine. We just hate seeing her like this!" Taking a deep breath, Andrew walked around the counter slowly, nearing the dazed girl. She only looked up at him once he sat down on the stool next to her. "Hey Serena!" "Hi Andrew," she replied, attempting to force a smile. He frowned. "Why so down today?" She looked up at him a tad surprised, before shrugging. "Nothing. Just one of those days, I guess." "One of those days, huh? Well, was it one of those days before you received these?" He held up the roses that had been left on the floor by his feet. She looked at the roses, an unreadable expression on her face. Reaching out a hand, she took the note that was still attached to one stem. "No, it wasn't one of those days until I received THIS." "Ah... so what is it?" "A card, what does it look like?" He laughed. "No kidding. But what does it say?" "Nothing important," she said quickly, setting it on the other side of the game machine. "Oh, I see." There was a silence as Serena stared at the Game Over sign in front of her. Andrew broke it by changing the subject... in a way. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be with Darien today?" The response was a loud groan. "What? Aren't you? I though tomorrow was your last day." "It is..." "So... why aren't you there? Did you guys get into a fight?" She sighed. "No. He doesn't want me there." "What?!" 'Yeah right, Darien not want YOU there?! I don't think so!' "I said, he doesn't want me there!" Biting her lip, Serena picked up the letter and handed it to him. He took it suspiciously, refusing to believe that what she'd said could possibly be true. Slowly, he opened it and read through quietly. A few times. Then, it all seemed to click. "Oh, I see. So... he's sick. Doesn't want YOU to be sick. And you're sad because you don't get to see him now and you think that he doesn't want you around, right?" Her eyes snapped open. Turning, she looked at him, her jaw slightly agape. "Wha... huh? I... I mean... um..." Slowly, a blush creeped into her cheeks. 'Great!' she scolded herself. 'Now he'll know for sure that you like him!' To her surprise, when she looked up, he was laughing. Once he calmed down, he smiled at her friendly. "Relax Serena, I won't tell anyone that you actually LIKE being with Darien. Your secret is safe with me." She looked down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs nervously. Finally, she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "You promise?" He smiled honestly. "Of course." Breathing a sigh of relief, she flashed him a huge grin. "Oh thanks, Andrew! Oh, I can finally tell someone about this! It's been driving me crazy! Oh, Andrew, he is the most wonderful man in this entire world! I can't believe I never noticed before!" He laughed. "Yeah, Darien is a great guy, I'd have to agree with you there." She smiled, sighing again, before her smile fell silent. "But... he doesn't want me. At least not like that. If he did... he would have wanted me to be with him and take care of him." Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Andrew looked deep into her eyes. "Serena, that's not true. He probably has a good reason to ask you not to come." "Like what?!" "Like, he doesn't want you to see him as weak or vulnerable, or he simply doesn't want you to catch this cold, like he said." Serena bit her lip, looking down at the floor. "Well... I guess that makes sense, but... but I still want to be with him. And take care of him and... and..." She sighed. "Andrew, I only have two more days of being with him. Two more! And then I'll never have any excuse to see him... What will I do then?" "I'm not sure, but I'm sure you'll find something. I guarantee it." She only looked away unsatisfied. He shook his head sadly, once again tying the card onto the roses. Standing, he set them down on the stool. "I don't know what to tell you Serena, except..." She looked up at him now, her full attention occupied. "...last I checked, his favorite soup was chicken noodle." With a wink, he left back to the counter to tell Lita and Ami of his success, never letting them in on the secret. ~ Darien ~ I stared through watery eyes at the red digits in front of me. Groaning, I rolled over. There was no way I was going to get any sleep, no matter how exhausted I was. I'd forgotten how much energy being sick really took out of a person. In fact, I hadn't had a cold since... what had it been? Nine, ten years? That sounds about right... Sighing, I reached for a tissue out of the box on the night table, just as a sneeze brought more water to my eyes. Tiredly, I fell back into the pillows, wrapping the blankets tighter around me. I was shivering, despite my heater on full blast and being buried beneath every blanket in my apartment. My head was burning up too, strangely. I do not like this at all. Then above everything else, I'm going through withdrawal from my addiction to that gorgeous Meatball Head. After seeing her 6 days straight, today was awful... and I was only half way through it. If only I could catch some sleep, then at least I could dream of her. But my soar throat and runny nose kept that from happening. All in all, I felt completely, totally, utterly horrible. ~~~ The door opened quietly, as Serena hoped it would. Sighing, she let herself in, listening for any sounds coming from within the apartment. She heard nothing. At first she thought about calling to him, but decided against it, worried that she would wake him if he was sleeping. Slipping her shoes off and leaving them at the door, she prodded into the living room. Heading across to the familiar kitchen, she set a brown paper bag down on the counter, switching on a light. Looking around, she was caught surprised at how extremely nice this place was. 'I guess he's okay at KEEPING a place clean...' Chewing on her lip, she walked steadily down the hallway to his bedroom door. It was jarred a couple of inches, a pale blue light and soft mumbling sounds coming from inside. Gulping, she placed her hand on the door and nudged it open. The first thing she saw was the TV displaying the news, quieted nearly to mute. The second was a large lump in the bed, topped with a pad of pitch-black hair. The small smile on her face melted when she saw that he was shivering. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Darien?" His eyes swung open. Sitting up, he turned in his bed to look out toward the doorway. And there she was. They stared at each other for a moment, him thinking how incredibly beautiful she looked at that moment, as if she didn't every other moment, and her wondering how he could look so desirable, even with messed up hair and red eyes. Without speaking a word, she walked toward him, gently nudging him back into a lying position before pulling the covers up to his chin. "Wh...what are you doing here?" he asked shakily. She smiled gently. "Taking care of you, silly. I don't want you to be sick without anyone here to make you juice and fluff up your pillows! That's what friends are for, right?" After a moment, he smiled back, "Friends?" Gulping, she looked down at her hands, hanging lightly in front of her blue pleated skirt. "Well, yeah. Or... slaves too..." With a broader grin, he reached his hand from beneath the protective blankets to hold onto hers. Shyly, she met his gaze. "I prefer friends, I think." Her worry fading, she plopped herself down on the bed, sitting at his side. "Me too! So then... how do you feel?" He groaned and rolled his eyes. "How many words for awful can you come up with?" She giggled, with pity hiding it from her eyes. "Oh, you poor dear. Is it your throat? Head? Runny nose? Cough?" He laughed, the chuckles fading into coughs, before looking up at her again. "All that and more. Though... I do feel a little better now that you're here." A light flitted across her features. "Really? Then... you're not going to make me leave are you? I was afraid after the letter you wouldn't want me here at all..." Now both hands reached out to take hold of hers. "I just didn't want you to come for fear that you would catch this. But since you're here..." She giggled. "Well, ya know, you probably got this from someone at the hospital yesterday. When I first volunteered, they gave me a set of shots to keep me from getting a lot of the sicknesses. So, whatever you have, I very well may be immune to it." He raised an eyebrow. "Now you tell me." With a small blush, she shrugged and looked away. 'Goodness, what is happening to me? I can barely even look at him without wanting to throw myself into his arms. He looks so helpless, so vulnerable... I rather like it, I think. But I'll take good care of him, and he'll be up and about in no time flat! Besides, they say love can cure any cold... and if that's the case, I know beyond a doubt that I have enough love for this man...' Serena snapped from her thoughts at the feel of him lightly caressing her one hand between his fingers. Looking up at him, she saw that he was staring at their joined hands. He stopped when he saw her staring at him from the corner of his eye. "Sorry... but, your hands are so warm..." he said uncomfortably, letting his palms slide from their hold. Having been too caught up in the flowing emotions, she had failed to notice how cold his hands were until he pointed it out to her. Gasping slightly, she reached for his withdrawing hands, holding them between her palms. He looked up at her surprised. She smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. Your hands are like ice..." She began rubbing her hands across them, creating friction. She had to look away as another blush stained her cheeks. Darien stared on in shock. 'Something's changed in her. But what? Since when does she care about my health... why is she here... and when did she all the sudden decide to be so touchy-feely? Not that I'm complaining...' Gulping, she stopped moving her hands, pulling away slightly. He reached for her warmth in an instant. "Thank you," he whispered once their eyes met. With her heart thudding incessantly against her ribcage, Serena could only manage a nod. Clearing her throat, she pulled the blankets up again, covering his arms completely. "Have you taken any medicine?" He shook his head. "I don't have any. I really don't get sick too often." She nodded. "And... are you hungry? What have you eaten today?" Shrugging, he replied, "Nothing in my cupboards sounds good to me. I guess I am kind of hungry... just can't think of what I want to eat." "I know just what you need! You leave it to me! I brought over some stuff which will help you get better in a jiffy!" Hopping up from the bed, she strolled quickly over to the door, turning, she winked at him. "Don't you go anywhere!" Giggling, she left down the hall. "Now I want you to eat all of this, and there's some more on the stove if you want. Then here's some medicine for when you're done. it'll help with most all of your symptoms. Okay?" Serena handed Darien the bowl after he had sat up in the bed, mounds of pillows propped up behind him. He thanked her, setting the two caplets down on the table next to the tissues and glass of grape juice Serena had made earlier. "So how did you manage to cook something without burning the building down, Meatball Head?" he asked teasingly. She rolled her eyes, huffing her shoulders as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Biting her lip, she raised her eyes to him again, watching carefully as he tasted the soup for the first time. She only let out a sigh of relief once pleasure had crossed his handsome features. Darien looked up at her startled. Not only was the soup warm and delicious, it was chicken noodle! His favorite kind! He smiled in awe at her, and she smiled back a little shyly. "This is delicious! Did you really make it?" She shrugged, looking down at the blanket and twirling her fingers in the material of her skirt. "Well... yeah. Andrew told me that chicken noodle was your favorite, so..." looking up at him, her eyes stared nervously. "Do... do you like it? For real?" He smiled back happily, taking another spoonful. "It's incredible... just like you." She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice caught with the last comment. Slamming her eyes shut, she turned her head away. "I... er... I'm glad you like it..." "Thank you." A silence draped over the room has Darien fed on the soup, sipping at the broth quietly. Finally, he looked up at the girl. She hadn't moved from her place at the foot of the bed and now watched him intently from the corner of her eye. She turned away the second his focus fell on her. "So..." he began awkwardly. "What did you do today?" Looking up at him, she smiled. Anything to get out of the eerie, though slightly comfortable silence. 'Besides, I didn't fail any tests today!' And so the apartment was soon filled with her happy chatter and gossip that Darien couldn't have cared less about had it come from anyone else. ~ Serena ~ I tilted my head to the side, staring at his kind face. My head rested on my arms, supported by my bent knees, folded beneath my skirt. I hadn't moved from the edge of the bed, though my chatter had long since stopped. Somewhere along the line he'd fallen asleep. Usually I would have been angry had someone dozed off due to MY talking, but there were a few reasons I wasn't. One, he had been exhausted before, and I was thrilled that he could finally catch some Z's. Second, it made me feel wonderful that he was so comfortable with me. Enough that he could trust me to stay and watch him, that he didn't need to treat me like a guest or something. And then there was the fact that he looked so adorably cute when he slept. Just like a baby. His hands were folded across his stomach. He looked pale, so strange compared to his naturally tan skin. His soft lips were parted just slightly. Eyes were closed, with long, black eyelashes brushing below them. I wonder if men realize how incredibly sexy long eyelashes can make them look... Thick black bangs fell so tenderly over his forehead, making my hand itch. Slowly climbing off of the mattress, I walked steadily to his side, kneeling next to the bed. My fingers reached out and with shaky tips brushed some of the locks aside. He didn't stir. Gulping, I smoothed the hair back away from his forehead, my eyes lingering on each movement. Soon, my hand dropped back to its innocent place in my lap. Once again, my eyes began to drift over his handsome features. Strong jaw, broad shoulders, smooth lips... They always seemed to recapture my attention. Gee, I wonder why. I had half a mind to kiss him then. Softly as not to wake him. I longed so much to taste him, feel how soft his kisses could be, not to mention how passionate. Shaking my head, I turn away. Not now. Hopefully his kisses will come later, but not now. Once again I trace my fingers along his skin. His forehead was damp and clammy from the fever. Oh, my poor, beautiful Darien... I almost laughed then. Beautiful?! You surely can't say that about many men... but somehow, I think he could definitely pass for beautiful... in a masculine, sexy kind of way... Standing, I walk into the bathroom to return with a cool, damp cloth. Once again kneeling beside him, I fold the cloth carefully and begin to dab it onto his forehead. He moves slightly beneath my touch, the corners of his lips turning into an almost unnoticeable smile. As if he was dreaming... I wonder if he is. I run the cloth down the side of his cheek and onto his neck, moving back up to cool the other side of his face. This continued for some time. Finally, I refolded the washcloth and left it neatly on his forehead. I took up an empty glass and bed tray before leaving into the kitchen to let my patient sleep. The dishes only take me a few minutes to clean and place in the dishwasher, leaving me to wander aimlessly around the small apartment. I hadn't noticed the other day how incredibly drab the place was. One wall of bookshelves, a green living room set with a couch, loveseat, and recliner, then two or three green houseplants. One wall held yet another Lonny Lanai painting, similar to that in his office. It was of a girl with long golden hair standing at the top of a castle balcony. Below her, a man in armor and a cape kneeled, holding up a red rose to her. They were both crying. Despite the sorrow depicted in the artwork, it was alive with emotion, and possibly the only thing with any decent portrayals of color in the room. I curled up on the large chair, staring at it for a moment. Strange how, if I looked rather closely, the man seemed to look quite like Darien, and the girl reminded me of myself, when I have my hair down. I wonder if Darien has ever noticed. He did tell me that the princess in the other painting reminded him of me... Could that be why he enjoys Lonny's work so much? I shake my head. I'm absolutely impossible with these types of things. My dreams always want to get in the way of rationality... Leaning back, I run my fingers along the bookcase behind me, staring at it upside down. As I feel the blood rushing to my head, I decide to simply grab the first one in reach and pray that it isn't some science mumbo-jumbo. My fingers land on a black book, about an inch thick, with no title on the spine. Pulling it from its shelf, I look at the cover. Again, it is blank, with no words, but only the gold imprint of a flowering rose against the ebony leather. Slowly, I open it. The inside cover has a small ivory pattern of tiny rose petals. Turning the page, I begin to read the neat handwriting. It looks familiar... July 20, 1998 Well, I finally found the time to get a new journal. The old one ran out weeks ago. I rather miss not having the chance to write everything down, trusting that my words can never reach the ears of another. Secrecy has always been a virtue to me... and some things I can't even tell dear Andrew. I never realized how much it helps letting the sadness and anger out on paper. I don't understand how, but I think it almost understands me. And even if you don't, I know you could never laugh at my thoughts... Gasping, I look up. His journal? I... I can't read this... at least I shouldn't... Biting my lip, my eyes wander to the page. Well... what he doesn't know, can't hurt him... I began to read again. At first I felt a bit guilty, but as I turned farther into the pages, learning more about him, the feeling melted away. Soon, I found myself falling in love with him all over again. August 11, 1998 School starts up in a week. My job might suffer a bit, but I know I can pull through with both. I heard my boss talking to the VP yesterday. My name jumped into the conversation, and it sounds like they're ready to move me up a bit in status. Might even get a secretary this time! I can still remember when I started out as a delivery boy when I was 15, there. I doubt R.O.S.E. knew what they were getting into when they hired me. November 3, 1998 Not much to say, but I wrote a poem. I can't remember where it came from exactly, just appeared when I was sitting at my desk, in my NEW office. Still can't get over the place they transferred me to! Perfect Am I the only one Who can see, quite clearly, How perfect for each other We would be? Our dreams are all the same And I can make you smile. Never held you in my arms, Though I imagine, That we'd fit perfectly as well. But no one else notices The dreams we could create Or wishes we could make true. Not even you. I found throughout the book that he liked to write poems a lot. They were all so beautiful and real... I wonder if anyone else knows about this soft spot of his, or if I'm the first. If so, I think I'd like to keep it that way. I'd also noticed that he never mentioned girls, at least, not as anything other than just friends. Didn't he even have a love life? Or was he saving himself for someone? I wonder if he ever mentions me in this book... January 14, 1999 At first when I looked at my calendar this morning, I could have sworn it said February 14. But I still have a month until that dreaded holiday. Thank goodness V-Day only comes once a year. I plan on locking myself in my apt. all day, studying or watching horror films or something. I do believe I've seen enough goofy grins and google eyes to last me a lifetime. I guess it can't be all that bad, to the people enjoying it. I wonder what it's like to be in love. I can only imagine what it feels like. The sweet Lord knows I've never felt it before. Could it really be so incredible as that the world comes crashing to your feet, the sun hangs in the sky only for that one special person? I wonder if I'll ever find true love. There are always two things standing in my way. Me, for one. I could never display emotions before, could I now even if I found the girl of my dreams? I'm too afraid to be heartbroken. And then there's the little dilemma of getting a girl to actually LOVE me. Sure, I guess girls could like me, they all seem to do a good job at trying to flirt. But none of them have ever loved me. They never even try to get to know me, the real me, inside. No, for a girl to truly love me, she would have to know my ugly points as well, not just the first image. I do have quite a few of them. I suppose that the ONE, the love of my life, will be the one in a million girl who could read this journal, and actually understand where I'm coming from... and still want to be with me. Who am I kidding? Who could ever truly love me? I felt like crying. My goodness, does he really feel that way? Like no one could ever love him? Who could NOT love him? I begin to flip pages, searching for any mention of me. I find none. When did we meet? Around... 3 months ago, right? Couldn't have been too long after Valentine's Day then... Suddenly, a certain entry caught my eye. March 7, 1999 I ran into her again. Or, she ran into me, whichever way you'd like to look at it. My, she is beautiful. I've never met anyone like her before. I can't believe Andrew knew her for all that time and never bothered introducing us. Or maybe it's all for the better. It's not like I have a chance with her or anything. She's gorgeous and popular and... fun! She must have a boyfriend, obviously. A girl like that could never stay single for long, though my heart freezes at the thought of sharing her with anyone else. I wonder what it feels like to hold her, so close to me. I fell asleep thinking of that last night, and when I woke up, I could almost imagine the scent of her hair, as if she'd been in my arms all night. Obviously, she wasn't, but... Her smile gets to me too. So innocent and carefree. Her kisses must be so sweet, like sugar or chocolate... And the feel of her skin must be so utterly soft and silky... Oy, if anyone ever reads this, they'll surely think I'm insane. But I can't help it! That girl gets to me like no other. Her laughter, her body, her eyes. I love how she is constantly happy, so full of life and joy! The thick caring in her voice when she talks to anyone around her. I swear she is an angel placed on this Earth by some means of accident. A saint, a golden treasure from heaven... In the great words of William Shakespeare, "Did my heart love 'til now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty 'til this night." Goodnight, Journal, I'm going to go to bed and send a million kisses to my sweet, that she knew she were, and fall into dreams with her imagined spirit in my arms. The leather covers of the book slammed together. I stared at it for a while, tears threatening to soak through its blackness. My gaze turned away. How can this be? He's in love? No... no, no, no, this can' be! I love him, can't he see that? I love him! Who is this girl he's talking about? Gorgeous, popular, an angel, a saint... Any small hope I might have had that is was me flew from mind and memory. I could never live up to those standards. This girl he was describing, she sounded so perfect, like a heroine in a book or movie. She sounded perfect, and I am anything but that. Standing, I place the journal carefully back on the shelf, before stumbling into the kitchen. How can this be? How... How could he be in love with someone else? After all the things he said to me, the compliments, the gentle touches, secret smiles... all that time, was he thinking of this other girl? Could they have meant nothing? Though I could feel my heart breaking beneath my chest, I dared not leave. Though he may not love me, I do love him, more than words can say. And he needs me right now. Whoever this other chick was, at least she's not here with him right now. At least she doesn't get to watch him sleep or make him juice and soup. That's all that matters. I do have something she doesn't... He fell asleep nearly two hours ago. I wonder if he will wake up soon. I need to talk to someone, someone who will understand... I can't call mom or any of my friends. Raye would laugh at me, I haven't even seen Mina since the card game, I'm afraid she might be mad at me for snapping at her like I did, and Ami and Lita are probably still at the arcade... the arcade! Andrew! Of course, why didn't I think of that? He'll understand perfectly! It was a good twenty minutes before I got a hold of him. First I found the phone book, called the arcade, and they said he'd already left for home. Then he wasn't listed in the white pages. But after finding Darien's 'Little Black Book', which was actually green, surprise, surprise, I found his number and dialed. He picked up after 3 rings. "Hello?" "Hi, Andrew?" "Yes, who is this?" I breathed a sigh of relief. "This is Serena." "Oh, Serena! Wow, your voice sounds older on the phone! How are things going? Is everything okay? How's Darien? Are you at home, I thought you'd still be with him..." "Andrew, I need to talk to you." There was a short silence. "Sure, anything, Serena." Taking a deep breath, I began, "Well, I'm still at Darien's, but he's asleep right now. I got really bored and was walking around and I found this book. Well, when I started to read it... ...and now I don't know what to do! He's obviously in love with this girl and I feel like I've lost without ever beginning. I'm so scared that he'll never love me, at least not like I love him! Oh Andrew, what if... what if she loves him too? This can't be happening, not right after I find out I'm in love with him! It's too soon, too much for me to take! What am I going to do?" Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I was leaning against the wooden cupboard, sitting on the floor with my knees buried beneath my skirt and my hair falling limp on the tiles. There was a silence on the other end after I finished telling Andrew everything about the book and how in love with this girl Darien was, not bothering to leave out the fact that it couldn't have been me. I heard Andrew take a slow pause before sighing quietly. "Okay, Serena, listen to me. I... I know Darien. I know what he does and how he acts when he likes a girl, even though it isn't very often that he does. And, I didn't want to tell you this earlier because I thought it might be almost betraying his friendship, but, Serena, I have NEVER seen him look at any girl the way that he looks at you. I've never seen him go through so much trouble to run into someone, to see someone every day. Serena... I KNOW that Darien is crazy about you. Why do you think he kept you out of the rest of the girls? Why do you think he kissed your cheek or your hand? Why do you think he suddenly decides to start being NICE to you? I highly doubt he had a sudden change of morals here!" "But Andrew, this other girl..." "Serena, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this mysterious angel of his... turned out to be you." I stared at the floor, my eyes glazed over, one hand clutching the fabric of my skirt while the other hung onto the phone. "D... do you really think so?" I whispered uncertainly. "Without a doubt." Gulping, I breathed a sigh. I don't know what the significance of the sigh was, but boy, did it feel good to get out of my system! "Th... thank you, Andrew." "Hey, I'm just being honest. Now... I bet Darien will wake up pretty soon, maybe you should have some soup ready?" I giggled, relieved of the tension. Doubt still rang in my ears, but somehow, hope conquered over it. "Alright, I'll talk to you later." "Good bye, Serena." I hung up the phone, slowly rising to my feet to place it back on the receiver. Chewing on my lower lip, my eyes drifted up to the painting of the balcony goddess and her knight in shining armor. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the island between the living room and kitchen, staring at it silently. It really was beautiful. ~~~ "Spacing out again, Meatball Head?" She knew the voice the second the words had left his mouth. Turning, Serena saw him standing in the doorway with tousled hair, sleepy eyes, and only black sweats. Her breath caught, as it always did these days. She smiled sweetly, walking toward him and placing her arm around his waist to turn him around and lead him back to the bedroom. "And just WHAT do you think you're doing out of bed, mister? We can't have my handsome boss get any more sick than he already is, now can we? I want you to go crawl right back into bed and I'm gonna make you another bowl of soup, okay? You're hungry, right?" Darien chuckled, sitting on the bed as she asked, before pulling her down beside him. "What's gotten into you? Sure do seem happy, now. Of course, you're always happy..." She gasped in remembrance 'I love how she is constantly happy, so full of life and joy!' Smiling, she shrugged. "I don't know... do you feel any better?" she successfully changed the conversation. He sighed, falling back onto the bed. Serena giggled, looking down on him happily. "I feel much better... still a bit stuffed up though. But you've really helped a lot, Meatball Head..." sitting up on one elbow, he looked at her mysteriously from the corner of his eye. "I'm not sure I want you to leave." She laughed. "Not sure?! You mean, part of you DOES want me to leave?" Turning, she began to sniffle, imagining she was hurt. He hid a chuckle, sitting up again and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Well, since you put it that way, I've made up my mind. YOU, young lady, are not going ANYWHERE! Nope, you're going to stay right here by my side forever and ever..." A giggle escaped her lips. Turning in his arms, she pushed him over on the bed, landing on top of him as he pulled her down. Neither minded. "Oh, so now I'm your slave AND your prisoner, huh?" "Yup, exactly!" Rolling her eyes, she ruffled his hair a little. "Well, if I don't have a choice in the matter, I guess I'll just have to make due with what I have..." He grinned up at her. Only when their eyes met did they finally realize how close they were. Her nose brushed against his, as her eyelids grew slowly heavier. Darien's arms unconsciously tightened around her, his gaze burrowing into her serious, but confused stare. Soon, their breaths danced across the others lips, their lips tip-toeing towards each other. Something snapped. Serena gasped as Darien pushed her gently to the side, turning his head the other way as a fit of coughs overtook his soar throat. She rolled completely off of him, her mind dazed in anticipation and loss of the moment. Looking up, she could see him sitting at the edge of the bed, clearing his throat just before a few sneezes racked his body. Sighing agitatedly, she stood up and reached for the tissues on the table beside her, handing them to him shyly. He took one and smiled at her before blowing his nose carefully. She smiled back, though his eyes had already removed their focus on her. "Maybe you're allergic to me!" she said in light of the moment. A smile crossed his lips as he brushed water back from his eyes. Returning his gaze to focus on her, he replied, "I certainly hope not." "What would I give to see you smiling at me? Where would we walk? Where would we run if we could stay all day in the sun? Wandering free, wish I could be part of your world..." Serena's lips moved along silently to the words Arial sang on the screen. The Little Mermaid* was one of her favorite movies and she knew all the words to all the songs by heart. In fact she could probably recite the entire movie off the top of her head. Her eyes smiled at the screen as she unconsciously moved closer to Darien. His eyes moved from the TV screen to look at the gold mass lying on his shoulder. They were lying side by side in his dark bedroom watching one of the movies Serena had brought over to keep him entertained. Funny how he was much more satisfied watching the girl beside him. Somewhere along the line he had ventured to wrap an arm around her waist. Soon after she responded by settling her head on his shoulder. It was perfect. His eyes began to feel drowsy again as they moved from the screen to the angel and he could feel himself drifting off to sleep... ~ Serena ~ "Ooh, I love this part..." I whispered. Darien did not respond. Craning my head, I looked up to his face. His eyes were closed, mouth open slightly like before, but this time he was obviously smiling... fast asleep. When had he dozed off? Slowly, I sat up to look at him closer. He shifted comfortably into the area I had just occupied, one arm reaching over to wrap around my waist with the other. I smiled and lay down on my side, brushing some hair from his eyes again. I don't know how long I had been frozen in place like that, simply watching him breathing. After awhile though, I realized how much I didn't want to leave him that night. It must have been close to nine already, I was sure, Mom must be deathly worried about me. Pulling myself from his limp grasp, I stood from the bed and walked into the kitchen down the hall. Taking in a deep breath and crossing my fingers, I picked up the receiver and dialed my home number. The phone was answered after only one ring. "Serena?! Is that you?" I could hear Mom say. I gulped. "Yeah, Mommy, it's me." "Oh, good golly, dear where are you?! Your father and I have been worried sick! Do you know what time it is young lady?" "No... not really mom..." "It is going on ten o'clock!" "Ten?! You're kidding!" "Does it sound like I'm kidding? Now where are you? I'm going to have your father come pick you up." I gulped again. "Well, you see Mom, I sorta... can't come home right now..." "WHAT?! Oh, you'd better come home right now, I want to see my pretty girl home nice and safe in her warm bed..." "Mom, this is important, please listen!" There was a pause. "Fine." "Mom, I'm at a friend's house and they're very sick. I'm trying to take care of them, that's why I haven't had the chance to call yet. I know you must have been worried, I really am sorry! But Mom, I need to stay here for them so I can take care of them tomorrow too. Please let me stay, Mom..." Silence consumed the other end of the line again. I heard Mom sigh then, her giving-in-sigh, I was sure. A smile made its way across my lips. "Oh... okay... who is it? Ami? Lita?" "Um... you... don't know them Mom... I... I'll have to introduce you sometime..." "Okay, well there is an adult there though, right?" "Yes, of course." Well, Darien IS an adult, by the law's standards. "Good... but I want you to call as soon as you're up tomorrow, okay?" "Sure Mom!" "Alright... I hope your friend gets better." "Thank you! I love you! Bye!" I hung up the phone quickly, breathing a sigh of relief. That wasn't so hard... I slowly walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Shutting off the TV, I turned to see Darien in the same position I had left him previously. The smile never did leave his face. After taking out my earrings and 'meatballs', I lay down beside him, watching his face closely to make sure I hadn't yet woken him. Surprisingly, his arms wrapped around me, almost as if on instinct. Kind of like they waited to hold me each night... 'I wonder what it feels like to hold her, so close to me. I fell asleep thinking of that last night, and when I woke up, I could almost imagine the scent of her hair, as if she'd been in my arms all night... I'm going to go to bed and send a million kisses to my sweet, that she knew she were, and fall into dreams with her imagined spirit in my arms.' I smiled in memory of his words, each moment seemed to make them more real, and more possible that I was his angel... My head fell peacefully on the pillow as I pulled the blankets up around both of us. I don't believe I've ever slept better in my life. Tell me whatcha think! Mail!!!! Luv and God bless! <3 Alicia Blade *The Little Mermaid is owned by Disney. Duh!