Title: A Million Kisses - Chapter 3 Author: Alicia Blade E-mail: Kammi22@sprintmail.com Eh… hm… uh… duh… I have nothing to say this time around! Enjoy!! "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." -Ephesians 4:26-27 Chapter 3: The Wonders of Jealousy Serena took a deep breath, stepping through the sliding glass doors. Immediately, her blue eyes began searching the familiar arcade for a head of black hair. There were many, but not the one she wanted to see. Sighing, she walked dejectedly over to the Sailor V video game. Digging through her pockets, she pulled out a quarter before sitting down on the blue stool. With one more glance at the counter to make sure she hadn't missed him, she shook her head and let the coin drop through the slot. Quickly, the beeps and buzzers from the game took over her thoughts, her blue eyes squinted at the screen, almost to a point where it blurred before her. Unconsciously chewing her lips, she let her fingers go through the familiar routines of buttons and joystick. Mechanical villain after villain disappeared off the screen in red and blue puffs of smoke as the yellow laser gun shot through them easily. End of the level baddies attacked the shorter crusader stupidly, ending up as just another pile of ash. The blond on the screen jumped for joy, winking in Serena's direction, before she was sucked into the next, more difficult level. And the next. And the next. And the next. Each new world held more puzzles to figure out, more evil creatures to destroy, more chances for the heroin to strut her stuff. Serena grinned at the screen, ignoring the rising number in the corner. 10,000 points, 35,000, 60,000… Serena could feel her entire hand tingling more with each jab at the button, each twist of the controller. How long had she been playing? She didn't remember ever battling this youma. Or the next. The background looked different and unfamiliar to her now. New territory. She was on the highest level she had ever been on, that she had ever seen anyone else on, for that matter. "Ay!" she screamed unintentionally as a beam of red energy shot into Sailor V's back. From behind her, she heard a very loud gasp. Furrowing her eyebrow, the game momentarily forgotten, she twisted her head to the side to see a huge crowd gathered around her, watching intently. "AAAAAHHH! Where did all you people come from?!" They simply ignored her, eyes locked on the screen, and then gasped in pity again. "Huh?" Turning around again, Serena saw the horrible words, 'Game Over' scrawled across the screen, a crying scout on her knees in the corner. "Oh, phooey!" she exclaimed, kicking the base of the machine. "Hey, if I were you, I'd be ecstatic!" said a high pitched, friendly voice. Serena turned to see Mina Aino standing next to the machine. Somehow she had managed to push to the front of the crowd once she saw what a big public display it had become. "Mina!" "Hey, girl! How did you learn to play like that? You even beat MY personal score, which is just kind of ironic, don't ya think?" Blushing, Serena once again looked down at the screen. Sure enough, there was a bouncing SD figure of Sailor V, urging her to enter her initials. With a spreading smile, she did just that, her grin broadening as the screen showed the top ten, with SMT in number one. And what's more, she had surpassed number two, MVA by over 11,000 points! "Wow…" she whispered. "No kidding, I didn't think that was possible!" laughed Mina. "Come on, I'll buy you a shake in honor of your victory." Giggling, Serena stood from the stool, pushing through the continuously gawking crowd. Walking up to the counter, Mina kept to her promise, ordering chocolate shakes for each of them. "So, I ask again, HOW did you learn to play like that? You're stealing my thunder you know." Giggling, Serena shrugged modestly. "I dunno. Just practice a lot, I guess. That was the best I've ever done…" "Is that your favorite game?" "Oh, of course! It's the best!" Mina laughed agreeably. "Yup, I'd have to say it's my fav too!" After a moment of quiet silence, Serena asked nervously, "Hey, Mina, I was thinking… well, I'm planning a sleepover for Friday with some close friends, and I was wondering if you wanted to come and meet them?" "Hm… what time?" "I dunno, probably around six or so, then you can leave whatever time you need to on Saturday. Would that work for you?" "Well… I have a photo shooting tomorrow afternoon, but it should be over by six, seven at the latest. Sure, I'd love to come!" "Great! I can't wait 'til you meet my friends, you'll love them, I'm sure of it!" "Way cool, I can't wait either! Sounds like a blast!" "Here, let me give you my address…" Serena mumbled, reaching for a napkin and pen. She scribbled down the information, handing it over to Mina who gratefully put it in her pocket. "Great, thanks. I really have to get going, so I'll see ya day after tomorrow then?" "Yup, see ya!" Smiling, the superstar walked out of the arcade, allowing Serena to inhale deeply. "Now I just have to tell the others…" "Hey Serena!" called another familiar voice. Smiling, she turned to Andrew as he took Mina's empty glass away. "How are you?" "Pretty good. Actually, very good!" "Great! Who was your friend?" "Oh, that was Mina." "Oh… was it just me, or did she look kinda like Sailor V…" he mused. Serena giggled for a moment, not bothering to reply, before perking up slightly. "Oh, Andrew, have you seen Darien?" "Not since this morning, why… oh, never mind, I forgot for a minute there…" Blushing, Serena glanced down at the counter. "Where did you see him this morning?" "At the hospital. I was helping him pack up some stuff. He was released today, you know." "Yeah, I know. I went there to visit him after school and he wasn't there." She sighed sadly. "Now that he's out, I'm afraid I won't be able to see him hardly at all anymore." "Oh, don't say that. You guys will get close again. Well, not that you ever really were in the FIRST place, but hey, things can't get any worse!" Rolling her eyes, Serena groaned slightly. "I miss him. I miss colliding with him on the street and I miss trying to stare at him without making it obvious and… I even miss 'meatball head'." With a small smile at the corners of his lips, Andrew leaned across the table, lifting her chin up with his finger. "Hey, you'll get him back. Don't worry about it, kay? Meatball Head." He winked, causing a light blush to rise on her cheeks. After a moment, she smiled back at him gratefully. Darien stared, almost fearfully, at the display. He couldn't hear what they were saying up there at the counter. All he knew was that Andrew was less than 8 inches from her face, he winked at her, and she blushed, before a sweet smile curved her lips upward. Gulping, he tried to move his eyes away, but couldn't. Pain clutched at his heart, jealousy pounding inside his mind. How dare he?! How dare Andrew look at her like that, make her smile like that?! Wasn't that HIS job?! Besides, Serena had SAID there was nothing going on between them… that they were only friends… but now he knew that that couldn't possibly be true… His friend was in love with his angel. And was she in love with him, too? ~ FLASH ~ I glared across the table, watching the sickening display in complete agitation. My fists clenched beneath the counter, my eyes narrowing unconsciously in the direction of the couple in front of me. The blond meatball head giggled lightly, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she slowly inched closer to my best friend, Andrew, unknown to him. She sighed longingly, staring up at him with glowing azure eyes, completely ignoring me. My teeth gritted together as I tried desperately to keep back the urge to yell and scream at them both. Couldn't she see that he wasn't interested? Or… was he? Meatball Head… you like him so very much, and never once even gave me a second glance. If only I could have you look at me like that, the same love-struck, ecstatic gaze. Can't you see how I feel for you? If you would pay attention, give me a chance, I could make you so happy… But instead, you sit and flirt with my best friend. My heart contracts in my chest and I lower my eyes. That's enough pain for one afternoon. ~ FLASH ~ Closing my eyes tightly, I lower my head. I can't watch this anymore. Turning on my heels, I begin to skulk out of the arcade, fighting the emotions within me. "Hey, Dar, over here!" Freezing in my tracks, I groan loudly. Darn, he saw me. Inhaling a deep breath, I turn again. Andrew is grinning and waving at me. Building my courage, I try to take calm strides in their direction. My gaze falls on Serena. She's staring at me with a hopeful smile, but the second our eyes meet, she blushes and turns away. I ignore my thumping heart and force a smile, slowly claiming a stool next to her, keeping my stare toward Andrew and the counter. I can't possibly look at her now, not knowing what I do. "Hey Andrew! Serena." "Hey dude, why were you ready to leave so fast?" "Uh… well, I just remembered that I had left my car lights on is all." "Oh, maybe you should go turn them off then…" "Naw, I… don't plan on staying too long." Serena bit her lip, allowing her view to travel upward. She gazed at him secretively from the corner of her eye, intently watching his every feature. Yearning for him… His voice sent shivers down her spine, and her lips began to smile. Although, she felt as though something was wrong. Why wasn't he looking at her? It was as if he was going out of his way to avoid eye contact. Furrowing her brow, she turned away, continuously sipping at her shake. "Funny, Serena and I were just talking about you!" Her heart skipped a beat and she looked up at the blond behind the counter angrily. He only returned an innocent smile. "Yeah?" Darien mumbled disbelieving, trying to sound uninterested. "Yep, Serena was telling me she'd missed you at the hospital today." Attempting to hide her blushing face, Serena mentally reminded herself to slap Andrew later. She missed Darien's surprised, and almost hopeful gaze on her, before he turned away dejectedly. "Ha! Yeah, well I sure am glad to be out of that place!" he laughed nonchalantly. Serena sighed. "I'm glad you're feeling better Darien," she whispered. The first thing she had said since he had entered the arcade. "Er… it was nice talking to you, but I should really get going. Um… thanks for listening, Andrew. I'll see you later… Darien…" "Leaving so soon?" questioned Andrew hurriedly as she stood from the stool. "But Darien just got here!" She looked back at him to see Andrew urging her to stay with his eyes. She forced a smile. Inside, she was very grateful for his friendship and desire to see her with Darien. "Thanks, I'm glad to know you'll miss me," she said with a slight giggle. "Okay, well, see ya…" "Bye!" "Darien aren't you gonna say good bye?" he whispered, just loud enough that Serena could barely make out what he said. Turning, she waited just long enough to see him wave tiredly, not even bothering to turn around and face her. Gulping, she could feel a crack open in her heart. Piercing her lips together, she waved goodbye with shaky fingertips, mouthing 'Bye, my prince,' before turning and walking quickly from the arcade, rejected tears piercing her already damp eyes. The moment she was gone, Darien received a very sharp pain on the side of his head. "OW!" he exclaimed, glaring up at an equally mad Andrew. "What was that all about, Dar?!" he yelled at him. Furrowing his brow, Darien leaned back. "What ARE you talking about?" "First you come in and say hi to her like she's the most annoying person on earth, second you won't even look at her, much less talk to her, and then you refuse to even say goodbye! What is wrong with you?!" "Look, what does it matter anyway? She shouldn't care what I think." "You're right, she shouldn't. But she DOES and there's no changing that." "Oh, I'm so sure! I'm just another guy in the world, what does my opinion matter when she's got y… ugh, never mind." "What? No, what were you going to say?" "Forget it Andrew." "Tough luck. What is going on with you?" "Why would she care about me when she's got a perfect boyfriend like YOU?!" he screamed, then immediately regretted it. Sighing, he slid off the stool. "Look, I've gotta get…" "Darien, I don't know what you think you know, but you're wrong," said Andrew just above a whisper. Groaning, Darien turned back to look him straight in the eye, forbidden tears beginning to grow, but were roughly blinked back. "Well then let me tell you what I saw. First, in the hospital, I saw you out in the hall holding her like she was your one and only, and then when I came in here today you two looked like you were about ready to kiss, and you're telling me that I have this WRONG?!" He turned his attention down to the floor, running his hand through his hair, trying so desperately not to give away his emotions. "Okay, Andrew, if you really like her, then… I'll back off. Alright? She's yours. Just… just treat her well and make her happy and… I'll be satisfied." Suddenly, a great roll of laughter emitted from Andrew's otherwise silent mouth. Slamming his fist on the counter a few times, he forced himself to calm down, trying to look at Darien steadily. After bringing himself down to a mellow chuckle, he stared at his shocked friend with watery eyes, finally managing to choke out, "Darien, you have lost your mind." "Wha?" "Look, there is nothing, I repeat NOTHING go on between me and Serena! We're friends, that's all." Sighing, he rummaged his thoughts for the precise wording. "In the hospital, I was comforting Serena because she was so worried about YOU. When she saw what condition you were in, it shook her up pretty bad. And here just a minute ago, she was sad because she'd gone to the hospital today after you'd been released and she missed you. Darien, I am sprung over that Rita girl in my biology class, you know that. And SERENA, well… she's sprung over you." Darien stared at his friend uncertainly for a moment, chewing on his lower lip. Slowly, he slid back onto the red leather stool. "So… you're saying… you're NOT going out with Serena…" "No, I'm not." "And you don't have… 'dibs' on her?" "Of course not, if you want her, she's yours." Slowly, Darien released a great sigh of relief, closing his eyes briefly, before they suddenly shot wide open again. "Wait a minute… if I want her?! What do you mean by that?!" After a moment of slight confusion, Andrew shrugged. "I mean that if you want to ask her out, go ahead. Have fun, bring her roses, take a walk in the park…" "No, no, no, you don't understand, I… I do NOT feel that way about her, I mean… um… I…" "Oh, give it up Darien! It's completely obvious that you're head over heels for the girl! Look, first you go on and on about this angel, which turns out to be Serena. And second, you turn into a complete jealous maniac the minute you think she has someone else. And you have the nerve to tell me you don't feel anything… romantic for her? I think not. You can't fool me THAT easy, I know you a lot better than that!" Darien gulped, listening to his point of view nervously. Was it that easy to read him now? He admitted it had been a little harder to hide his feelings since the accident, especially when Serena was around. But, was it so extremely obvious? "Now Darien, you can continue to try and convince me Serena is JUST another girl in your life, or you can admit the truth, and let me help you!" "Help me what?" Rolling his eyes, Andrew sighed loudly. "Help you get the girl, you dolt! That IS what you want, isn't it?" "Well… er…" "Just say the word, Darien. You like Serena." Leaning forward, he buried his head in his hands. "Fine, you win," came the muffled response. "I like her. A lot. A lot more than I've ever liked anyone else in my life…" Grinning, Andrew nodded his head. "Yeah, I know." Looking up, Darien only gave him an evil gaze. "Fine, Mr. know- it-all, what now?" "Easy. Now you ask her out!" "What?!" "Oh, relax, Dar, it's a lot easier than it may seem." "No, I can't. Andrew, you don't understand, it's way too fast! We've only known each other for… less than a week! I can't just call her up and ask her, she'd think I was insane!" The blond only mischievously reached out for the phone and slid it in Darien's direction. "She will not think you're insane. Trust me, she'll be thrilled about it! I wasn't kidding when I said she was sprung over you too, ya know." With a panicked whine, Darien eyed the phone nervously. "I can't." "Why not?" "What if she says no? I'll be heart broken…" "She won't say no." "How do you know?" Rolling his eyes agitatedly, Andrew practically yelled, "Because I just know! Look, I give you my word she will say YES if you ask her out on a date, and you know how good my word is." "Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, Andrew." "Well intend to keep this one. Now call her!" "Uh… Andrew, she just left the arcade, she's probably not even home yet! IF she was even going home." "She doesn't live but 5 minutes away from here. She's probably walking in the door as we speak." "But… but… what do I say?!" "Gee, I don't know, 'Hi Serena, how are you? Are you busy tomorrow? No? Great, then how'd you like to go to dinner and a movie with me? Maybe a stroll through the park afterwards, I'll drive you home, get a goodnight kiss if I'm lucky…'" he teased, receiving more hateful glares from his friend. "This isn't funny, Andrew. You're acting like we're in high school." "Well… SHE is…" With a painful groan, Darien shot him one last glance before shakily reaching for the phone. Then he paused, screeching thankfully, "Wait, I can't do this!" "Ugh, why not?" "Because I don't have her number! Ha!" "555-5809." His delighted grin fell instantly. Andrew only shrugged, pushing the phone a bit further in his direction. He whimpered slightly, reaching for it with shaky fingers. Finally, his hand clamped down over the receiver, his teeth biting at the inside of his cheek. "If she says no, it will kill me," he mumbled. Andrew heard him, but ignored it. Slowly, he lifted the phone to his ear, dialing sluggishly, '555- 580…' His finger hovered over the last digit, quivering in the air. Rolling his eyes, Andrew reached forward, pressing his finger down on the button. Darien screeched slightly in surprise, shooting imaginary knives at his meddling friend. Gasping, he stood up straighter as the phone began to ring. Ring… Ring… "Hello?" asked a deep, feminine voice. "Uh… er… hi. Is… S… Serena there?" "Yes, she just walked in. One minute please." He heard the telephone being set down before the woman screamed through the house, "Serena! Telephone!" There was a brief moment of quiet shuffling, before the phone was picked up again. He inhaled sharply, trying to block out everything around him and focus intently. "Hi, this is Serena." He gulped. 'Here we go…' "Hi, Serena, this is Darien." There was a pause, before she squeaked out, sounding almost as nervous as he was now, "D… Darien?" "Yeah, hi." "Um… uh… hi! How are you?" "Pretty good… You?" "Wonderful!" "Oh… that's good…" "Yeah…" "Er… So…" "Uh… was… was there a reason you called?" Forcing himself to breathe normally, he managed, "Yeah, actually, there was…" She giggled slightly, making him relax a bit. Her laugh sounded so beautiful… "Well?" "Well… you see… I was wondering if… you were… busy tomorrow…" "Tomorrow? No, I don't think so… why?" "Because… well… how would you like to… er… go… out?" There was a silence, a rather long silence, and when she began speaking again, it almost sounded as if she was hyperventilating. Her voice came back rich with hope and delight, as well as the remaining hints of worry. "Um… like, as a… a… date?" He gulped. "Yeah… like a date…" "I'D LOVE TO!" she screamed loudly, even Andrew could hear her as Darien yanked the phone away from his ear. Andrew chuckled, lowering his head slightly. Finally pulling the phone back to him with only one last flinch, he mumbled, "Geez, lower the decibels, Meatball Head." And for some reason, that sounded very familiar to him… Where had he come up with Meatball Head, anyway? Oh well… he liked it, and secretly hoped she wouldn't mind that little nickname… On the other end, Serena perked up quickly. Did he just call her… The grin widening ecstatically, she choked out, "Sorry… I guess I got carried away there…" Darien chuckled lightly. "Hey, fine with me. You said yes…" He whispered it almost in awe, as if he had been expecting her to say no. And maybe he had been. She laughed a bit in response. "Well, great then! Um… how about I pick you up at… say, six?" "Yup, sure, works for me!" she said happily. "Do you need my address?" "Yeah, that'd be great." "4683 Cherry Hill Ave. It's a yellow house with white trim." Reaching for a napkin, Darien scribbled the information down quickly. "Okay, I'll see you then. Oh, and dress kind of fancy, okay?" "Oh, um… yeah, sure." "Alright. Good bye, angel." She laughed, and for some reason, he simply knew she was blushing. "Good bye, Darien." There was a click of the phone, and he slowly hung up his end also. "So?" said Andrew, raising a knowledgeable eyebrow. Sending him a giddy smile, Darien rocked back and forth on the stool. "She said yes." Then, hopping off the stool, he practically danced out of the arcade, singing, "She said yes! I have a date with my angel, my meatball head, Serena!" Andrew chuckled, sliding the phone back over to its correct placement on the counter. "You're welcome." Ami walked into the hospital room, setting a vase of dandelions and ferns on the table. She was quickly followed by a bouncing Serena. Lying in the bed, Lita watched them both carefully. After a minute, she spoke up, "Alright, I give. WHAT is she so happy about?" Ami shrugged, claiming a seat next to the bed. "I haven't a clue. She's been acting like this all day at school, Ms. Haruna, our English teacher, must have yelled at her 15 times for spacing out so much. It's a miracle she escaped without detention." Lita nodded in understanding. Looking up, she saw Serena eyeing herself in her dressing mirror, pinching her cheeks gently, licking her lips, finger combing her hair. The brunette raised an eyebrow, before a smug grin lit up her face. "Alright, Serena, so whose the guy?" Ami furrowed her brow, looking between her two new friends. Serena only giggled, blushing slightly, turning to face them. Rolling her eyes shyly, she strolled casually to Lita's bed, sitting down with her back straight and head high, a silly smile plastered on her features. "What guy?" she asked innocently. Lita laughed, poking her gently in her side, causing a squeal to erupt from Serena's ever-happy lips. "You know! The guy whose got you daydreaming and giggling and primping! 'What guy'? Ha! Do you think I'm blind or something?" Blushing even deeper, Serena let her walls crack, finally letting the smile shine to its full potential. "Alright, I'll tell you!" Ami laughed loudly. "You'd think I'd been able to figure it out! Lita, how could you tell?" She only shrugged nonchalantly. "It was a bit obvious, didn't you think, Ames?" "Okay, okay, be quiet so I can tell you!" screeched Serena. She'd been holding in the good news since she received the phone call and was absolutely bursting to tell SOMEONE. At that moment, she would have squealed to the school janitor! "Alright, so spill." "'Kay," perked the girl, her eyes focusing on the ceiling. "There's this guy, Darien, Ami, you heard me talking about him once. Anyway, I have been totally in love with him for the longest time, and at one point I was SURE he felt the same way. But THEN he was in the same youma attack I was in the other day… remember, Lita, when I was telling you I'd lost all my friends, and the love of my life? Well, I was referring to him. And so I was really depressed, and it got even worse when I came to see him in the hospital and he didn't REMEMBER me, which was really weird, since he didn't have amnesia. But anyway, I started spending a lot of time with him and stuff and we were getting really close and then yesterday…" she paused, exchanging eye contact with her friend, each absorbed in her story. With a sigh, then, she sat back, finishing teasingly, "Oh, forget about it, I'm sure you guys have other things to talk about." They both groaned simultaneously. With slight disgust, Lita reached forward, slamming her palm onto Serena's shoulder. "No FAIR!" "OW!" Serena screeched, covering her arm. "Gee, Leets, sometimes you just don't know your own strength." "Well you deserved it. Now finish up, what happened yesterday?!" Giggling, slightly, her fingers still rubbing over her sleeve, Serena grinned widely, a mix of mischief and rapture contained. "I went home… and he called me… and… he… ASKED ME OUT ON A DATE!!" She was practically bouncing now, watching her friends' reactions. After a moment of shock, Lita smiled delightedly. "That's great!" "Really, Serena, it's absolutely wonderful!" Ami squealed happily. "When are you going?" "Tonight," Serena finished, hugging her arms and rocking from side to side, an air of innocence wrapped around her. "Oh, darn!" Lita said, gently slamming her fist down on the bed. "I get released TOMORROW!" Serena and Ami both stared at her in silence for a moment, before Serena shrieked, "WHAT?! You're getting released? That's wonderful!" "Yes, Lita, why didn't you tell us earlier?" "Well, I wanted to hear Sere's news first." "And why is that a BAD thing?" asked the blond in confusion. "Well if they let me go today, then I could help you get ready for your big date!" Serena giggled excitedly, a blush once again staining her cheeks. "Yeah, but look at it this way. At least now you'll be able to come to the sleepover I'm planning tomorrow." "Really?" asked Ami. "I hadn't heard about this." "Yeah, I wanted to wait until I was with both of you, well, hoping that Lita would be able to come too. See, I'm inviting you two, Raye, and Mina. You haven't met Mina yet, but she's a sweetheart, I'm sure you'll love her. Can you come?" Lita and Ami exchanged glances, before looking back at Serena. "Sure," said Lita happily. "Don't have anywhere better to go." "I suppose I'll be able to make it, as long as my mother has the phone number and address." "No problem, I'm thrilled you guys will be there!" "You've got me excited now!" laughed Lita. "Hey, I can bring some snacks for us, okay?" "Sounds good!" they both cheered. From that point on, the conversation centered around food, truth or dare, boys, and later Serena and Ami helped Lita get used to her new crutches that she would be using a lot more when she got out of the hospital. "Okay, I'm thinking pink eye shadow to go with the dress… how about you, Ames?" "Huh?" she asked, looking up briefly from the magazine on her lap. "Oh, yes Raye, that would look wonderful on her. And Serena, what about this hairdo?" Serena finally opened her eyes as Raye finished smearing on the 'rose dust' as the bottle said and turned to see Amy holding up a beauty magazine. "Ooh, it's beautiful, but it looks complicated." "They have instructions, and I think I can figure them out pretty well," countered Ami, going over the article to the side. "I'd go with that one, definitely," stated Raye, turning Serena towards her again. "Now, you already have a tint of rosiness in your cheeks, so I don't think I'm gonna need to apply any blush. As for lipstick, since all your makeup if fairly pale, I think I'm gonna give just a bit darker shade of pink gloss. What do you think?" "Sounds good, Raye." "Great! I'll do that then." After a few more moments of sitting giddily still, Raye announced she was finished and Serena jumped up to glance in the mirror. "Wow… it looks wonderful Raye. Thank you!" "Trust me, girl, you are gonna knock that Darien guy off his feet!" Giggling shyly, Serena took her dress from a hanger, running down the hallway into the bathroom, calling "I sure hope so!" Sighing, the raven-haired priestess turned to her friend, still sitting on the bed, flipping through pages. "Have you decided what hair style we should use?" "I'm pretty sure I will attempt the one I showed you back here." "That'll look great on her," Raye agreed. Inhaling deeply, she collapsed on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I can't wait to see this Darien guy. He must really be something by Sere's description. What do you think he'll look like?" "I don't have any idea, other than he's 'dashingly handsome'." "Exact words?" "Yes." Nodding, Raye smiled to herself. "I hope he's all that she makes him out to be. Smart and funny and charming… I really… think she deserves someone like that." Placing the magazine aside, Ami turned to look down on her friend, violet eyes staring into space. "If anyone deserves happiness, I'm sure it would be her." "Hm… Ami, is it just me, or does it seem like we've known her before?" Ami inhaled sharply, sitting back a bit. "You feel it too?" Turning her head to stare at the blue haired girl, Raye's eyes widened. "How strange… maybe I should ask the fire about this…" Ami shrugged, just as a princess stepped into the room. Their eyes immediately turned to focus on a brightly smiling Serena. She posed silently for a moment before twirling around slowly. "So… what do you think?" "Wow… you look incredible, Serena," said Raye, gawking slightly. A proud smile pulled at her lips. "I told you I work wonders." Ami nodded her head agreeably. "Yes, you look like an angel." Serena sighed happily, looking down on her dress. "But it's not done yet! Ami, come do my hair!" she kindly commanded, claiming her seat in the princess chair next to her desk again, starting to take out her worn meatballs. He stood outside the door, shaking gently. How was he supposed to do this? For one, he barely knew Serena, ignoring the looming feeling that he'd known her for years. Didn't know her favorite color, flowers, food… 'Pink… roses… anything edible that isn't green…' his mind seemed to whisper back to him. He furrowed his brow, before shaking his head. And yet he was taking her on a date. He sighed, chewing on his lip for a moment. He didn't understand the feelings that rushed through him every time she was around. He'd known her for less than a week… and her voice refused to leave his thoughts. The thought of holding her close, kissing every inch of her face, wrapping her up in a warm blanket and cuddling all night. Thoughts he'd never had before for any other girl, were now the only dreams he had. Fantasies of telling her he loved her, and hearing the same phrase in return. For some reason, in the back of his head, he knew it was all irrational. Love was supposed to be a chemical reaction between two peoples' hormones, triggering responses often mistaken for attraction and later on love. But… Serena was the kind of person he'd never thought of as his type. And yet here he was, standing on her porch, ready to take her out on a romantic date. He was prepared to pull all the stops, his goal to make her fall in love with him. And the only reason he knew of why he was doing this was because when he closed his eyes and asked himself what would make him truly happy, he saw her. Raising his finger, he rung the doorbell. "Eek, he's here!" Serena squealed, straightening her back just as Ami finished curling the last golden tendril of hair. Raye quickly misted it with hairspray, before tossing her evening bag at her. "Okay, you're done, you look beautiful, go!" Nodding, Serena inhaled deeply, picking up her skirt, she quickly jogged down the stairs, pausing to catch her breath at the doorway. Turning back for a moment, she saw Ami and Raye watching from the railing. Raye gave her thumbs up, before ducking behind a large houseplant, pulling Ami down beside her. Gulping, Serena reached her hand to the doorknob, swinging it towards her. Her heart raced continuously, and skipped a beat as she looked up into cool blue eyes. Darien's eyes, however, were not focused on hers. His gaze quickly swept over her, his lips parting slightly. The pale pink dress was long and sleek, accentuating soft curves down to the strapped sandals. The neckline was loose and low cut, soft folds of material showing milky skin and a graceful neck, complete with a simple satin choker. Her arms were bare save a small tennis bracelet. Most stunningly, though was that her soft golden hair glistened beneath gentle light, no longer in meatballs. It was piled somewhat messily on top of her head, curled tresses framing her face and dangling down her neck. A small squeak left Darien's mouth, before he slammed his jaw shut, attempting to catch his run away composure. Licking his lips, he smiled at her, his eyes taking in every detail from her golden hair to her satin shoes. "You… look beautiful…" he whispered nervously. She let a blush arise on her cheeks. "Thank you…" she whispered. Furrowing his brow, Darien looked up curiously as he thought someone giggled and sighed upstairs, and it obviously wasn't the houseplant. "Um… are you ready to go?" Serena asked, her eyes taking the short opportunity to look over his simple, yet romantically handsome black slacks and white dress shirt. "Huh? Oh, yeah… oh, uh, this is for you," he said, trying to calm his nerves as he brought out a single red rose. He grinned as he saw her blue eyes widen happily. "Thank you," she whispered, stealing it slowly from his fingers. "It's lovely." "And you're gorgeous." He found it impossible to keep the sentence behind his lips, and soon enough, she was staring at him, a bit stunned. Finally, a smooth smile lightened her features, along with another, softer blush. "I'm going to put this in some water," she said, hurrying into the kitchen. He sighed, rolling his eyes backward, trying desperately to get control over his emotions. In a matter of moments she returned, and whatever he had achieved was wasted. "Ready?" "Yup, sure am!" "Alright, then, let's go." He offered her his arm, which she took happily, before strolling out beneath an orange twilight sky. The door closing behind the couple, Ami and Raye emerged from their hiding spot. "Yup, I'd say he deserves her." "He is exactly what she described him as, isn't he?" Ami spoke in agreement. Sighing wistfully, she walked back into Serena's bedroom to clean up some of the makeover supplies.