I just felt like starting a new story today, since I wasn't getting 
anywhere really with my other things.  Being in the middle of winter 
break, I guess it does that to you.
	But I want to say hi to everyone, and I want to mention again my 
web page to those who don't know about it.  It's 
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/8024/index.html
and it's got all my recent works and previews for everything.  If you're 
reading it at the site right now, well, glad you visited!!!!!!
	Anyways, life's nice here, but kind of boring.  My brother and my 
mother went to her family's home because her father's not feeling good, 
and they're half a world away right now, and I'm here with my dad, and 
he's at work during the day.  I get desperately lonely, and when I think it's 
perfect writing time, I can't think of anything.
	Ever notice how when you have the time you can't come up with 
anything, even with those paper for school, and how when it's either too 
late or you're busy, it comes to you, and you get so afraid you'll forget the 
idea?  Sadly, in the past, it's happened to me, but today, when I was 
washing dishes, all by myself in the house...which was very cold, because 
we didn't have the heater on...an idea hit me...OUCH!  (Sorry, I think I'm 
writing on a sugar hi here.)
	I saw "My Best Friend's Wedding" on Saturday.  It was a cute 
thing, and it inspired me for this one, but we'll note that this one ends 
differently form the movie.  In fact, it IS pretty different from the movie in 
general...I guess the only things that remain the same are a co-ed best 
friendship.
	I've had my wonderful traveling days, (I went to a lab for a bio 
thing) and I started this story before I left, but now, it is ready.  I think.  
Anyhow, I thought about it enough on the three hour car ride there!
	This is another alternate thing, but this time, I've made it so that 
Dare and Sere are actually friends already!  OH NO!  Has the world come 
to an end?
	Really, who knows?

Love, Luck, and Luna,
Crystal Heart, the storyspinner

I don't own these people, they're owned by someone else, so don't sue, 
please?

"Love wandered inside
Stronger than you,
Stronger than I,
And now that it has begun,
We cannot turn back,
We can only turn into one."
-Mariah Carey

(New York)
	He smiled across the dinner table to the business colleague and 
taking her come-ons the easiest way he could...by not replying to them.
	It wasn't that she wasn't beautiful, it was just that she was so 
BORING, and talked on forever.  It was a dull evening, he mused.  
Everything was rather boring tonight.  He hid a glance to his watch, and 
smiled at his associate.
	He was tall, with broad shoulders, and a strong frame.  He was also 
very handsome.  VERY handsome.  Black hair that fell from his crown, 
that just luxuriously brushed his forehead.  Dark blue eyes that always 
reflected some slight dreamy look, as if there was never a moment when 
he would actually focus on anything, or anyone.
	"Did you get a call from Paul yet about the project?" the woman 
asked him.
	"No, but I can check my voice mail right now," he said, hurriedly 
getting the cell phone from the pocket from his coat.
	*Thank you!*
	But as he checked his messages, his smile fell when a tearful voice 
fell across the line.
	"D-D-Darien?  Please, Darien?  Pick up..."

Darien's Fall
By Crystal Heart

	He rushed through the airport with a briefcase and a small bag.
	He hated airplanes, they made him dizzy.  This was crazy.  But it 
wasn't as crazy as the fact that he did this every time SHE called.
	But he had to.
	He presented the stewardess at the gate with his ticket, and she let 
him on.  He walked in, and sat uncomfortably, looking at the small 
cramped space around him.  Next to him, a man spoke Indian into a cell 
phone.
	As the plane took off, he gripped the seat.

(Denver)
	She heard the knock faintly and dragged herself from her corner of 
her bedroom, which was cluttered up with tissues and all the romance 
novels she'd ever liked.  She walked slowly to the door, and wished the 
visitor away.  "Leave me alone!"  She walked to the door, and opened it.
	Her hair was mangled, and unwashed.  Her face was streaked with 
mascara, and ruined makeup from tears.  She was in a bathrobe, and she 
wore pink bunny slippers.  On her face, there was a look of impending 
doom, and her eyes were haunted.
	But when she opened the door, he smiled.  "Evening, Gorgeous."
	She smiled though tears and he held her.

	He sat with her on the couch, holding her and licking a tissue and 
dabbing the mascara marks from her face.  She couldn't stop crying, but 
she clung to him tightly.
	He held her lightly.
	"Darien" >SNIFF!< "I'm glad you came."
	"Yeah, I missed you too, Serena."
	"You flew all the way to see me?" >SNIFF!<
	"Of course!  Don't I always?"
	"But" >SNIFF!< "You hate flying!"  They seemed to go through 
this every time he came.  But that was only once every two years, or so, so 
he didn't mind, because this was usually their excuse to see each other 
again.
	"You're my best friend.  Besides, I'm getting used to it," he 
smiled.
	Serena smiled into his chest, and hugged him tightly.  "Thank you, 
Darien."
	"But I must say, my best friend, that I'm pretty hungry.  Why don't 
you step into the shower, and I'll fix us something to eat."
	"Okay..."
	As she got up, she smiled to Darien weakly.  "You're the best 
friend anybody could have Darien.  I love you, you know that, right?"
	"Loving you right back, Gorgeous."
	Serena smiled and went into her room.

	"So do you want to talk about it?" he asked her as they walked the 
city sidewalk in the evening.
	"Talk about what?" she asked.  Her hair blew softly in the winter 
winds, and snow was crowning her blond hair, which was now just 
brushing past her shoulders.  Her blue eyes reflected a soft sadness and 
soft happiness at the same time, the contrast in the moods seemed to make 
her eyes glow more tempestuously in the moonlight.  Darien thought his 
friend was starting to look more like the usual beautiful young woman he 
always knew.
	"Talk about what?" she asked again, as she looking into his eyes.
	"Why I flew across the country to see you?"
	"Didn't you listen to my message?"
	"I listened to you say "Darien, please pick up" and I knew I had to 
come.  I hung up, called the airlines, left my dinner date and rushed over."
	"I'm sorry about the dinner date."
	"Don't worry; she's only the vice president of the company."
	"Darien..."
	"Don't worry that beautiful face over anything.  Now you're going 
to tell me why I flew this far for you."
	"He told me that he didn't love me anymore."
	"Oh, Serena," he murmured, touching her cheek gently.
	"It's been a year with him...he broke up on our...our..."
	"Your anniversary?" Darien said, as Serena started to cry again.  
He held her close to his heart and kept murmuring apologies.  "He's not 
worth it then.  He's a pebble."
	They had both agreed when she was ten that pebbles were the most 
pointless things in the world.  All the did was sit and they were to small to 
be kicked and to large to be sand.  Now, she was twenty-five.  He was 
twenty-seven.  And it still hadn't changed a bit.  She giggled softly.
	"It's been a while, hasn't it, Sere-Tear?" he asked teasingly, calling 
her his childhood nickname for her, because she was always crying 
because she was so sensitive.
	"Well, Dare-Bear, the last time I saw you was at your friend 
Mike's wedding."
	"Don't remind me..."
	"Why not?  I thought you looked like a nice best man."
	"Apparently Muriel thought so too."
	"And she stopped the wedding!"  Serena laughed.
	"It's not THAT funny.  Mike wouldn't talk to me for six months 
afterwards!  The best man does NOT sweep the bride away."
	"Oh, I'm sorry Darien."
	"No you're not."
	"Okay, I'm not.  I thought it was cute.  You're going to steal a lot 
of hearts before you find one you're going to want to keep, Darien!" 
Serena smiled.  "You were always a heart breaker.  Handsome Darien 
Riltrope, the charming young ladies' man."
	"And you staked the claim on me."
	"You let me; I didn't want a relationship with you!  And didn't we 
have the greatest times just as friends, when they thought we were going 
out?  And you and I were always so close.  You come visit me so 
often...whenever something terrible happens, whenever I fall, and 
whenever I call."
	"You need me," he teased.
	"But Darien, you've...never...fallen before."
	"What do you mean?"
	"You've never fallen in love, and felt depressed or anything...I 
haven't yet had to fly over to New York to comfort you..."
	"Well, there's no one really that special in my life, and I guess I'm 
just not interested.  Besides, you've suffered enough for the both of us," he 
teased.
	Serena blushed, and grabbed his hand.  "Glad you came, Darien."
	"Glad I did too, Gorgeous."

	As they walked to the gate, Serena looked sadly at her best friend.  
"Are you sure you have to go?"
	"I'm sorry, but I've got a big meeting tomorrow morning, and it's 
already eleven tonight there right now."
	"Well, all right.  Thank you, for coming this weekend.  I needed 
you to come.  I'm glad you knew."
	"That's what I do.  I'm a best friend," he said, bending forward and 
kissing her forehead.  "Now take care, and I'll call when I get in."
	"Don't you dare!  It'll be the middle of the night here, and I am 
NOT answering the phone!"
	"I'll call you anyway!"
	Serena smiled as she hugged Darien.  "Bye, Dare-Bear!"
	"See ya next cry, Sere-Tear!"
	Serena frowned.  "Yeah right!  The minute I meet someone 
fascinating, I'll call you and tell you all about it."
	"I'll call you when Miss Perfect comes knocking on my door," he 
joked softly.
	"As if there's anyone as perfect as me!"
	He laughed and turned, walking into the gate, feeling content.

(Two months later)
(New York)
	He stood by a beautiful blond who was talking into a cell phone, 
but he wasn't really interested.  *No* he joked to himself.  *Serena's my 
one and only!*  he laughed.
	At that moment, the cell phone rang.
	"Darien here."
	"Darien?" a tearful voice.
	"I'll be right over."
	"But I'm not IN Denver.  I'm at the Marriot at the World Trade 
Center."

	She opened the hotel room door and fell into his arms.
	"What's up?"  he asked, softly.
	"He's getting married."
	"Who's getting married?"
	"Ken is, and I'm Lita's maid of honor, and Patrick is Ken's best 
man and he's engaged and I can't face him!"
	Darien frowned at that, and said softly into her hair.  "I'm sorry.  
So what are you gong to do?"
	"I don't know...but I know SOMETHING.  Darien, I'm not doing 
this alone, and you are coming with me."
	"What?"
	"Please, Darien?  Be there with me?"
	Darien frowned.  "You know I hate weddings."
	"You also hate flying," Serena smiled, shyly, playing with his neck 
tie.
	"I don't know..." Darien teased.  "I think you'll have to pay me for 
this one."
	"How about two cokes and a milkshake?"
	He laughed, and kissed her forehead.  "Well in THAT case, I'm in!  
You better take me out to fancy restaurants this weekend!"
	Serena laughed.  "Only if you pay!"

	Darien felt Serena's hand grip his when they caught sight of a 
young woman and a man at the chapel.
	"That's Lita and Ken.  Lita!"  Serena let go, and ran to the happy 
woman who was running towards her.
	They embraced.
	"It's so nice to see you again!"
	"I saw you only three times since we've graduated from college!  I 
miss you much!"
	Serena smiled.  Lita was one of her closest friends from college, 
and since Darien wasn't at Brown but Princeton, they couldn't get together 
as often.  "How goes the accounting?"
	"I'm ready to resign.  I always am after the tax deadline."
	"I can't believe you, Serena, would end up as an accountant!  
When we began college, you didn't even LIKE math!"
	"Well, I guess, I changed."
	"And who is this?  Is this, no it can't be!  It's Darien?"
	"Yeah, you remember him.  He took a bus to Brown sometimes-"
	"When you broke up with people and felt down.  Yeah, of course, I 
remember him."
	"I know he wasn't invited, but..."
	"No, it's all right."
	At that moment, Patrick came wandering in with his fiancee, a 
woman clinging fast to his arm.
	"Serena!  Looking nice!"  he smiled, noticing Serena's white knit 
top and khaki pants.  Her beautiful figure was shown off, and a clamp held 
her hair back from her eyes, and left gold curls fall gracefully in curls 
around her shoulders.
	Darien put an arm possessively around her waist, and Serena 
tensed.
	"This is Sherry," he said, presenting the tall beautiful brunette next 
to him.
	Serena wanted to run.  Darien held her waist firmly and held out 
his hand.  "Darien Rilthrop."
	"Wait, I've heard all about you!  You are Serena's best friend, 
right?" Patrick smiled rather strangely.  "You're her ideal boyfriend, only 
you're her best friend."
	"Right," Darien smiled.  "I've known Serena for a while now, and 
when I heard that she was in town this week, well, we just had to see each 
other; we don't get to see each other very often."
	"I'm sure," Patrick said, suggestively, looking at Serena.
	"Well, what are we waiting for?  Why don't we all get through this 
rehearsal, and then go out for dinner."


    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/pagoda/8024

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