The sound of water and ice cubes bumping against each other filled the
still air as a cool feeling washed over her burning forehead. Opening her
eyes slightly, Serena focused her vision on the serious face before her, too
busy to notice that she had awakened.
The cool wash cloth refreshed her senses as well as her body and helped
her fully regain her consciousness back. Peaking through long lashes, her
blue eyes scanned the features of the man before her who seemed to busy with
his work to even notice her opened eyes.
Her breathing didn't seem so ragged anymore though she could still feel
the pain of the nausea within her mind. Moving her fingers slightly, she
caught his attention as his green eyes instantly shot up to meet her own. A
small smile formed upon his lips as he reached a hand out to gently puch a
strand of hair away from her face.
Fear raced through her body at the touch of his skin. She didn't know why,
but even if his presence somehow comforted her slightly, it still filled her
with fear. She wanted to turn her head away to avoid contact with his
skin....or her fear. But her weakness took over and she found herself
holding her breath as his touch sent shivers down her cheek. This didn't go
unoticed by Brad as his eyes instantly narrowed and drew his hand back.
Serena gave him a questioning glance, as if trying to act innocent for
some reason but her act didn't fool him. It was his act that fooled her.
Acting sweetly would cover up his real emotions.
Smiling, he stood up and took the bowl of water beside him to his kitchen
counter. Turning around, he grabbed a mug and filled it with hot water and
cocoa, taking it to Serena. Setting it on a bed table beside her, he sat
back down and gazed into her eyes passionatly....though passion wasn't the
effect he had on her. Serena seemed to notice that he was rather tense
around her and just one look from his eyes told her almost everything she
needed to know. And at that moment, she knew enough to know that perhaps her
affections wasn't just what he was after.
Looking at the mug of cocoa beside her, she arched her brow slightly,
debating with her mind whether or not to drink it. For all she knew, it
could be something terrible.....like some kind of drug or poison or.........
Serena's self control got a hold of her mind and forced her into thinking
that it was not possible. Besides, if she did end up getting hurt then
there's no way that she would get hurt without having her parents kill him
with their own hands.....if not physically then it was his mind that they
would be after. He wasn't going to hear the end of it or see another free
day if he dared hurt her. Besides, he wasn't stupid enough to do that. Why
would he do that? The idea was simply idiotic.
Extending a shaky hand toward the drink, she touched the warm handle and
brought it to her lips. Stoping mid-way, she looked at the drink and
hesistated. But upong seeing that Brad had noticed this small gesture and
seemed rather upset with it, she shut her eyes and brought the warm liquid
to her mouth.
She was expecting a wave of nausea or something terrible to happen.....but
what she got wasn't what she expected. Instead of a sick feeling at the pit
of stomach, she got a warm feeling, soothing her body. Sweet liquid soothed
her tense shoulders as her mind cleared from all the doubts she would have.
She was right. The idea of poison was idiotic and she was stupid enough to
actually consider it. Besides, if she was right about Brad's longing for her
affections, then she saw no reason why he should even think about harming
her. He didn't seem like the type of guy.
Sipping it again, Serena didn't stop for air until she had the entire
drink down her throat. Setting it back down on the table, her eyes truned
back toward Brad who seemed rather amused with her sudden craving for hot
chocolate. Blushing slightly, Serena earned a little chuckle from Brad who
seemed rather pleased. Smiling, she looked at him and opened her lips to ask
him something but was cut off as his finger flew to her lips. Looking into
his eyes, she knew everything she had to know. His eyes told her everything.
From the look in his eyes, she knew he had saved her from fainting. Even
if she did faint earlier, then she was lucky enough to have him save her
from what terrible things could have happened.
She knew that he must have taken her to his home and took care of her
instead of just leaving her on the sidewalk to rot, like what other people
would've done. And at that moment, every doubt she had for him disappeared.
It was erased from her mind as quickly as it had come. How silly of her to
think that the one man who comforted her and just saved her life could be
evil. She knew that he did want her to take revenge, but he was just
probably upset because she was feeling terrible. He was probably mad and a
little protective since he didn't want anyone to hurt her. Perhaps he cared
about her, just like she thought.....but she could be wrong.
Her eyes traveled around her surroundings as her mind flew away from all
the doubts that seemed to come back again. She noticed that there was hardly
anything there, except for a couch, some chairs, a television set, kitchen
materials, a radio and his bed. A few coffee tables were lined beside his
balcony and bed side while dark green curtains flew in the wind. Only one
mirror hung above a coffee table and other than that, there was nothing
else. No pictures....no pets......no keys.....not even any coats on his coat
hanger. She figured he must've lived on his own. He was probably similar to
a loner.....it reminded her of Darien.....
'Wait a second! And just why exactly are you thinking of HIM?! He's out of
your life, girl. You've got a man who cares about you in your life so just
drop the subject on Darien. He's out of your life....' Serena's mind cut
in, preventing any further thoughts from entering....but was he really out
of her life? Wasn't that a good thing? If it was.....then why did she
suddenly feel lonely?
Shaking her head slightly, Serena cleared her mind and lifted the white
covers that lay on top of her stomach, pushing it away. Laying one foot on
the cool carpet, she tried to get her shaking knees to support her trembling
body, only to end up falling down and being caught in Brad's arms.
As if on instinct, Brad caught the falling girl and looked into her eyes,
trying to ask her if she was alright. Nothing had to be said as Serena
uncomfortably wriggled free from his warm, yet chilling embrace and nodded
slowly, indicating that she was alright. Brad didn't seem satysfied with
this but before he could say anything, Serena walked away and headed for the
door, getting herself ready to leave.
Laying one hand on the cold doorknob, she turned around to face Brad who
didn't seem too pleased with her departure. Giving him a weak smile, she bid
him fairwell. " Thanks for saving me, Brad. I really appreciate it....but I
have to go. I just remembered that.......mom needs me at this time back at
home and I don't want to get her worried. Sorry to be rude though. "
Brad didn't seem to buy any of this but didn't say anything to argue. Now
wasn't the time. Instead, he simply smiled back at her and replied, " You're
welcome. Will I see you again, sometime? " Serena seemed a little
dumbfounded at the question at first but a smile soon rose to her lips. Why
not? She supposed she could see him again...after all, he was no longer a
stranger to her. He was now a man who saves her when she needs him. He was
no longer a stranger to her.
" Sure! By the way, thanks for the hot chocolate. It tasted wonderful. "
Brad chuckled and nodded. Serena smiled at him and turned to leave. "
Goodbye, Brad. See you again sometime. "
~
The chily wind blew blonde bangs across her face but this time, her body
didn't seem so chilly anymore. It was her insides that felt chilly. This
time, she wasn't cold from fear. She was cold from loneliness. She didn't
know why, but part of her missed Darien and longed for him to be by her
side. She wanted to apologize for what she said though she knew that when
she would come face to face with him, no words would come out. She felt
guilty....empty.....as if there was a hollow within her that could only be
filled up by Darien's presence. But he wasn't there to cure her loneliness.
Too bad she wouldn't be able to apologize. Even if she knew he would really
hate her when he saw her again, she knew that she could at least see him
again....even for one more time.
Turning around a corner, she made her way to the Crown Center Arcade where
she always hangs out with her friends and with Darien....even if their
meetings were unpleasant. Walking in, her blue eyes scanned the people,
hoping to find at least a dot of raven hair. And the good news was, she
found lots of them. The bad news was, they were all girls. Either that or
guys that looked younger than her. Those that seemed older didn't look the
least bit familiar. But one guy did. Though he wasn't exactly Darien.
Andrew, Serena's ex-crush and good friend who seemed more like a big
brother was busily taking orders from customers and preparing them. She
waited until he was done before she walked over to the counter table and
plopped herself on one of the stools. Andrew's tired face lightened up at
the sight of his favorite customer, though his smile instantly dropped as
soon as he caught sight of the straight line on her lips. She looked as if
someone had just died and could cry any second.
Arching one brow, he sat down beside her, hoping that her usually happy
eyes would sparkle with their joy again, but that didn't work. Not even the
sound of ice cream cheered her up. Niether did his attemt to give her a free
ticket to one of the arcade's video games. At that point, he knew that
meatball head was absolutly down and probably nothing could cheer up....at
least not right now.
Snapping his fingers in front of her, he waited for a twitch or something
but she only blinked and sighed as if the world were coming to an end. Her
usually bright eyes were a dull color and even her spaghetti strands hung
limply. Her cheeks looked pale and a flash of guilt seemed to cross her
features every five seconds. If he was going to get anything out of her,
just sitting there was deffinatly not the way.
" Serena, are you alright? You don't look so good. " He asked, fully
expecting her not to reply. But she did. " No, Andrew. I'm not alright.
Isn't it obvious? " There was a hint of coldness in her words even though
her voice was flat. He wasn't used to this. He wanted the old meatball head
back. Not this one. He's seen Serena depressed before but nothing could
compare to her current state.
Placing one arm on her back, he patted her like an older brother but made
no comment. He knew that trying to talk to her would be no use, so he just
waited, expecting her to burst into tears any moment. And she did.
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she burried her head into his
chest, not bothering to check if she was wetting his shirt. Andrew comforted
her, knowing that this was no good. But he would feel terrible if he didn't
at least try to do something.
" Oh, Andrew, it's just horrible! Absolutly horrible! "
" What is, Serena? "
.....Sniffle..... " I- *cough* I took *wheez*.....I took reve-"
She choked on the word, not able to bear the pain of saying it. But she
tried to continue...she had to tell someone who would probably comfort her
instead of argue, like Rei. And Andrew was the only person who would
actually listen to her without arguing at the end. Trying to gain her breath
back, she sniffled a few times and shivered as she prepared herself to state
the truth.
" I-I took revenge......on someone. "
Andrew looked at her blankly, not believing what he just heard. " Excuse
me? Could you please repeat that? I don't think I heard you right....."
" Oh, I knew it! I knew it you wouldn't belive me. No one does. No one
understands! "
" Understand what, Serena? What did I say? "
" You can't believe that I took revenge because everyone's used to the old
Serena! But I'm different now and you, or everyone else, won't accept that!
None of you understand my need for a change. You all expect me to remain the
same! None of you understand me! You never will! "
A bright green light glowed from her pocket as she turning around, ready
to make a run for it when a hand caught her slim wrist. Turning around, she
looked at Andrew who looked guilty and confused. She had to admit that
perhaps she shouldn't have just jumped into conclusions and yelled at the
poor guy. He was just trying to comfort her and her emotions were too strong
and wanted to run free. She should at least give him a chance. For all she
knew, the man was just confused and if she explained, he might understand.
Reluctantly, she glanced at the stool where she was sitting at and slowly
sat down. She wasn't planning to tell him about Darien but she could at
least tell him about the revenge part. She knew he wouldn't force her to
state Darien's name. It was worth a shot.
In a low voice, she told Andrew the details of her story, being careful
and sure enough to skip any details that might get him suspicious. She knew
that he would want to know who the guy was and would really get suspicious
if she didn't tell him. So she might as well deduct his suspicions and make
the story less complicated. If he was going to be suspicious then she was
determined to give him only one reason to feel that way.
Andrew listened without interupting, his expressions turning more
questioning with her every word. When she was finally done, Andrew was
silent. He didn't seem to know what to answer to her story, especially since
he did not know Serena as a girl who could take revenge. That very idea
struck another one.
His thoughts drifted back to when Serena told him about no one being able
to understand her. Perhaps this is what she meant. He never knew Serena to
take revenge, and everyone else thought the same. Perhaps Serena meant that
everyone never gets used to her change. And he had a feeling he was the
first person to understand her.
" Serena........I think I can see why you think no one understands. "
" Think?! Haha......I KNOW. "
" Know....think....no difference. But I think I understand why....."
" That's a first. "
" Will you please let me finish? "
" Sorry......"
Andrew shifted in his seat, trying to determine where to begin with.
Rubbing his chin with one hand, he analyzed what he could tell her that
could hopefully make her feel better. If it didn't work....then she'd feel
worse. But in her current state, he couldn't imagine that possible.
" Okay, Serena. Here's what I think. " Serena was about to cut in but
quickly choked back her words as Andrew flashed her an annoyed look that
told her to let him go on. " Alright. Now, let me get this straight.....you
took revenge on someone, right? " Serena nodded slowly. " And you said that
no one understands you, right? " Serena nodded again, her brows knitting
together.
" And I take it that the reason no one understands you is because no thinks
of you as someone capable of taking revenge....or anything that is related
to cruelty, for that matter......right? "
Serena looked a little dumbfounded at first, not really realizing what he
just said. When it finally hit her, her eyes widened as she slowly nodded
her head. Andrew grinned, proud of being a genius. However, it took Serena a
few minutes before she found her voice again. Clearing her throat a little,
she wiped off the shocked look on her face and sighed. Sadness instantly
took over.
" Yes! You're so right.....no one thinks that I can do something naughty for
a change. "
" Well.......I can't blame them for thinking that. I can't blame you for
wanting to change, either. "
" You're the first person to understand. "
" Yup and I'm proud of it. But why did you want to change anyway? "
" Well...I...people change! It comes naturally. I can't help it if I change.
It's part of being human. "
The green light in her pocket began to glow again, but this went unoticed by
Andrew.
" True....but you changed so....suddenly. As if all your sweetness is gone.
What happened to you? "
......Growl......
" Okay, okay. I know you changed. But changes can't just happen in a snap.
It's not that fast. "
" So? That's what Rei said. You think alike. But I'm different. My changes
are different. "
Andrew sighed, seeing there was no way to cut through her stuborness.
Lifting his head, he looked at her with worried eyes. " You're right,
Serena. You ARE different. And I miss the old Serena. " Serena didn't seem
to know what to reply to this. Her eyes widened as she watched him get up
from his seat. " Whe-where are you going? " Turning toward her, his eyes
drifted to a piece of cloth in his hand and looked at some customers. " I
have to go. Customers are coming in.
Bye, Serena. And I hope you like your changes. Cause I know I don't. "
Serena was about to protest but his back was already turned on her and it
would be no use screaming her protests toward him, letting the whole world
hear it. Besides, what was the point of arguing?
Turning around, she looked at her shivering hands and sighed. Maybe Andrew
was right....maybe her changes were different. Maybe she was going to fast.
Maybe..... Her thoughts were cut off as a hint of black hair caught her eye.
Her blue eyes focused on the arcade door which opened to let a young man
enter, hands in pocket, midnight blue eyes scanning the crowd.
Standing up, Serena was about to walk over to him but instantly froze as she
met his cold face.
A silent squeek escaped her lips which ended up forming a word. "
Darien......"
Darien froze as he met her gaze. The two stared at each other in mute
silence, neither one moving nor saying anything. Darien seemed a little
shocked to see her. He even looked a little hurt. But all that changed as
his eyes hardened and turned his back. It took a moment of two before Serena
realized what he was about to do. When it did hit her, she acted on impulse
and ran after him, catching his wrist right before he headed out the door.
Turning around, he met her gaze and glared at her, causing shivers to run
down her spine. But she managed to see a flash of hurt in his eyes. If he
was hurt....he was doing a good job of not showing it.
All words that entered her mind didn't come out. She struggled to speak
but nothing more than a few nervous breathes escaped her lips. Seeing that
there was nothing she had to say, Darien turned around but was held back in
place as Serena tightened her grasp. Turning around again, his cold gaze met
hers, questioning her as to what she was going to say. Her bottom lip
shivered as her fingers began to grow numb with every passing second. The
tension mounted up between the two and so did her loss of words. But his
cold eyes forced her to speak.
" Darien.....About that little incident we had.....I didn't mean to say
what I said. I...Darien wait!"
Turning around, he headed out for the busy streets of Tokyo, not bothering
to look back. If he did, he knew that she would notice the pain in his eyes.
Little did he know that she already did.
Grabbing his arm, Serena forced him to face her, not caring about the looks
some people were giving them. Darien narrowed his eyes but said nothing. "
Darien....I didn't mean to hurt you. Really, I didn't. I was just too upset
and I'm sorry I had to take it out on you. I'm sorry...."
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