What if, instead of heading for the arcade the day she and Darien meet, Serena had been coming from the arcade?.......... A short, blond haired girl sits in a booth at the arcade, moping over her test. Her blue eyes well with tears of shame and she unconsciously adjusts one of her two blond buns. Another F? What will mom say? What will the girls say? What's wrong with me? Why am I so stupid? Why can't I be good at anything? I studied for this one and everything! Finally she gets herself pitifully away to go home and face her parents. A tall, dark haired young man walks slowly down the street. From a distance he seems the picture of cool. Dark sunglasses, casual clothes, the picture of calm, collected and terribly handsome. But a closer look and one might find his posture a bit stiff, his attitude more aloof than together and his serious expression more a result of loneliness than a statement of personal style. He is headed to the arcade to see his best friend Andrew. It's been a stressful week and he's looking forward to Andrew's cheery company. One thing he appreciates, are people who are upbeat and easy-going, because he is not. School had been difficult, work had been a pain and it seemed like every person on the face of the planet was annoying him. CRASH! A girl emerging from the arcade smashes right into him and they both fall over backwards-she must have been running. The paper she was clutching flies out of her hand and lands at his feet. He picks it up. It's a test paper with a big red 30% across the top. Annoyed that she bumped into him he takes revenge, "A 30%....admirable. Are you lazy or just incredibly stupid?" Her temper gets the better of her as she jumps up, the apology for hitting him dying on her lips, "Ohhh! How dare you? Give me that!" she snatches it from his hand, He gets a good look at her now. Fairly short, blue eyes, maybe 14 or 15 years old and blond hair in two buns? What are those things? "Hey, calm down....meatball head!" "MEATBALL HEAD?? HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT!" she screams as she heads off towards the street, "Jerk" she mutters. He smiles. Fiery little thing-pretty eyes though. She steps blindly off the curb to cross the street in her fury, still looking at her test paper. She doesn't see the car. Oh no, he thinks and makes a run for her. "Hey! Watch out!" he yells and jumps, tackling her and pushing her to the other side. But the car catches his ankle and he yells out in pain involuntarily. She screams. "OH! OH NO! Oh are you all right? I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! You saved my life! Where are you hurt?" it all comes out in one terrified breath. "I'm fine," he gasps in pain, "It's just my ankle---" he goes terribly white and for the first time in his life, passes out. He wakes up at the hospital and everything is blurry and out of focus. For one terrible moment he has a flashback to another time, when he was very young.....and couldn't remember who he was..... A streak of blond hair past him startles him fully awake and he focuses properly on the room. There's Andrew standing over him and....that blond girl? She breaths a sigh of relief, "Oh you're awake! Thank goodness! How do you feel?" "huh? Okay I guess." He looks at Andrew. Andrew smiles, "Darien, this is Serena. Serena, Darien." Serena's eyes are wide with unspoken apologies and gratitude, "Oh, I am SO sorry! And thank you so much for saving me!" "It's okay, don't mention it." he says, shrugging it off. Andrew smiles, he knows how Serena will react to this. Poor Darien won't know what hit him. "Your ankle has a pretty bad break. They've put it in a cast and given you crutches. They said as soon as you woke up you could go home." "How long have I been out?' "Oh, only about an hour and a half." Darien pulls himself to a sit. Ever independent. "Alright then. I'll be fine. You two can go. I'm sure you've got things to do." He's already pulled himself up and onto his crutches-testing them out. Andrew rises, "Are you sure?" "Yeah. I know you've got to get back to the arcade. Go on." Andrew says his good-byes and leaves. Darien faces Serena, she looks so sorry and guilty, he feels himself soften just a little. "Listen, I don't want you to feel badly over it, okay?" She just looks at him a moment, "Well, I'll help you home at least! I-" "I can get myself home." he says abruptly, throwing her off for a moment. Those eyes are far too blue, and her emotions far to easy to read in them. It's unnerving him. "I don't need your charity, just because you feel bad." She looks down, "Well, okay, if that's the way you feel." She rises to leave and then stops as if considering. Impulsively she hops over and throws her arms gently around his neck, she feels she owes him something, "Thank you for saving my life Darien." And then she is gone. He stares a long time after her. Darien has had few hugs in his life. A rosy flush stains his face. Later that evening Serena comes into the arcade. Andrew spies her, "Hey, what are you doing out here? I thought you'd be grounded after that test." He plants a chocolate shake in front of here and she gratefully drinks. "I am." she sighs. "But I told them what happened with Darien and that I wanted to go see him and thank him again, so they let me. But...it seems like he doesn't want me around at all." She briefly tells him everything Darien said and how they had met. Andrew sighed, "That sounds like him. Serena, Darien has been my friend for a long time." "Has he always been this way?" "He's always been alone. Darien's never had anyone to look after him. He's been an orphan since he was six. He's very aloof and almost unfriendly, but I think it's just because he doesn't know how to be any other way." Serena's eyes widen. She felt her heart go out to this young man who had never experienced the love and security of family. All the thoughts she'd harbored of how mean he was, and that awful nickname dissolved. She lifted her chin. "I'm going over there and look after him a bit whether he likes it or NOT!" she declares, Andrew smiles, hoping he has done the right thing. He knows Serena and he knows Darien, and he had hoped this would happen. Serena is willful and just plain cheerful enough to break through Darien's defenses, and he could use some taking care of for once. Serena marches away with determination. Darien sits on his couch, ignoring the TV, his school books and even the sky as he stares out the window. He is pensive, but his shallow breaths reveal his mind is on the pain in his ankle. A knock at the door makes him jump. He frowns and turns off the television. It takes him a few minutes to make it to the front door. "Serena? What are you--?" "Hey Darien! I just thought I'd stop in and take care of you for a while. It's the least I can do! I brought you flowers annnnnnd take out! Hope you like chicken!" She burst in just like that, before he could even react. "You don't have to-" he started, "Oh I don't mind! Besides, I'm grounded after that test anyway. My parents only let me out to come thank you. It was the only way I could leave my house!" This seemed to make him feel better. She put the flowers in a vase. Puttered around the kitchen and got dishes for the takeout. "Where do you want to eat?" she asked spotting his books in the living room, "Were you studying? Did you want to eat while you read?" "No, but I am more comfortable on the couch." he admits, still watching her curiously, She brings out the food and sets it out on the table, then heads back into the kitchen for water. As she comes out with two glasses he looks up, "Serena I-" he is cut short by her tripping over the....floor? And toppling head over heels, water flying everywhere. She lets out a shriek before landing. "Are you alright?" he asks starting to get up. She jumps up, "Oh I'm fine!" she says with embarrassment, "I'm a terrible klutz. Just ask my friends! I'm sorry about the water. I-I"ll get some more." He can't help but laugh, "So what you're saying is, I saved you from one near death experience, but there will probably be others." "Oh definitely." she says and then laughs. She brings out the water and sits down opposite him. They munch in silence for a moment. "Thanks, " he says, "Meatball head." She frowns at him and then spies something on the table. "Oh wow. An A+" she smiles and says half kidding, "I don't think I've ever seen one before." He smiles. "You must be very smart." she says "Naw, I just study hard." he eyes her a moment, "Hey-uh maybe I could tutor you or something." She stares disbelieving at him, "I couldn't ask you to do that-after all this, it's me that owes you a favor. Besides, my friends have tried. It's no use. I'm a lost cause." He swallows hard. He's unsure about all this, but no one has ever been able to just push there way into his life like this. He realizes now, he's always needed it. He wants to be this girls friend. To put a smile in her eyes that are so easy to read. And he realizes something else... "Look, it's my fault." "What?" "If I hadn't been so rude to you, you never would've stormed out into traffic. I'm sorry." His voice dies after sorry. He's never apologized to anyone before. He blushes in spite of himself. Serena looks into his eyes a moment and then smiles, "I guess we're even then?" she laughs He laughs too. It breaks the tension and he is grateful. Then he smiles confidently, "I'm sure I could help you. Let me tutor you." His face is so eager and his eyes so dark blue.....Serena feels herself blushing, "Alright....if you think you can teach me." Long after she has left, Darien still sits, staring at the flowers; tugging absently at the petals. Has anyone every bought me flowers before? And why did I offer to tutor her? Because you owe her that much, he thinks, not only because you were so mean, but because she was just so nice. Darien pulls himself up and makes his way to the kitchen. As he nears the doorway he steps in something wet-the water Serena spilt. He thinks of the unholy shriek she let out as she fell and does something he has never done all alone in his apartment. He smiles. Darien works very hard with Serena. She is chapters behind in most of her studies, which is why her test scores are low. You can't study new stuff if you don't the old stuff, he tells her. He begins to look forward to her visits, her companionship. He can't believe he was ever unfriendly to her. They study in the arcade or the library, or at his apartment. He learns how she loves to eat, and trips all the time, and cries easily, and laughs easily. And notices how she always props up his ankle for him and makes him tea and touches his arm gently when she wants his attention. It stirs something in his heart that he cannot name-he's afraid he already knows what it is. Serena works very hard and Darien's confidence inspires some of her own. The next test, she resolves, will be good so she can proudly display it to him. He's actually a lot of fun when he isn't busy being serious and aloof. She learns about what he's studying, and what makes him laugh, and most of all, what makes him smile. She spends hours trying to get that smile out of him. It's so sincere and genuine and endearing. It's a sunny afternoon, two weeks later. Darien and his crutches amble slowly through the park when a streak of blue and blond shrieking in pure delight suddenly rounds the corner and catches him around the waist in a big, bear hug. It's Serena. "LOOK! LOOK! AN A! I GOT AN A! ISN'T THAT AMAZING! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Darien smiles down at her and manages to get the test away from her. Sure enough, it's an A. "I knew you could do it." he says sincerely. "Well, I didn't!" she gasps and then laughs at herself-he loves that about her. She lets go of him carefully, suddenly aware that she hasn't yet. He hands the test paper back to her. She's grinning like a cat that ate a canary. "I wish I could stay," she says sincerely, "But I really have to go! I'm late already at the Temple. I can't wait to show the girls! They won't believe it! They'll think you worked some kind of magic on me.!" she laughs but that is how she feels and he knows it-that he has cast some magic over her. "I'll see you later then." he smiles, "I'm very proud! My first student and an A! Maybe I should become a teacher!" He feels silly making a joke but her enthusiasm has that effect on him. She laughs and then her face turns serious. Dear Darien, he'd become such a friend. She was so grateful to him for showing her she had the potential to be great-just like anyone else. Just like her friends. Just like the princess she once was. She stands on tip toe and impulsively kisses him on the cheek. He flushes and for a moment she catches something in his eyes. Something dreamy, and almost....love struck? Couldn't be. She dismisses this thought and heads off. Darien watches helplessly after her. Uh oh. I've fallen for her. Serena continues to study with Darien's help long after his ankle is healed. They've become great friends. Darien thinks a lot about his feelings for her. Weighing out that fact that she is younger than he is....but he knows what he feels. Serena is oblivious. Not because she doesn't care for him, but because it would never occur to her that Darien would be interested in anything more than friendship with her. She is young, and immature, and a crybaby, and a klutz. I mean, she knew Darien valued their friendship, but he was older. There must be girls at school just throwing themselves at his feet-and in truth there were...but Darien didn't care. Ofcourse she had surprised that look on his face when she kissed him after the test...but it was nothing. Not that she hadn't spun a few daydreams....he was terribly handsome....but..... CRASH! A flash of lightning streaks down and the thunder cracks almost immediately after it. Rain begins to pour down. Serena is walking through the park on her way home. She doesn't even have a coat with her. "AHHHHH" she shrieks, jumping in terror. She breaks into a run, but is soon soaked and nearly dead of a heart attack as the lightning and thunder get closer and closer together. She comes around the corner at break neck speed smashing full force into.... "Darien?" "Serena! You're soaked." He is standing over her with a big black umbrella. "Oh Darien I-" a flash of lightning is followed by a deafening crash. Serena shrieks and jumps into Darien's arms. "I'm sorry," she says, starting to pull away, "I'm terrified of thunder. I know it's stupid. I'm such a baby but I-AHHHHHH!" another crash and she wraps herself tightly around him once again.. Finally, she looks up. He's smiling down at her. He takes off his sweater and wraps her up in it a bit awkwardly. "Here ya go, you'll catch your death." Another crash and this time she wraps her arms around his neck and nearly squeezes the life out of him. But when she opens her eyes she catches that look on his face again. The blush, the slightly glazed eyes. It couldn't be.... He looks at her, Oh no she can tell. She can see it on my face! I'm so stupid! I- "Darien?" her voice asks, "Yeah?" he manages. After a long pause he looks at her again and realizes she isn't asking a question, she's asking the question. "I didn't want to ruin our wonderful friendship," he says rather senselessly, but then adds, "by admitting I've....kind of....fallen for you...." He wants to die. Why can't I just evaporate right now? It's her turn to blush, "You have? But Darien, I never thought you would....I mean....why me? Don't you want someone older and smarter and more mature?" He shakes his head, "I-" How can I even tell her what she means to me? She's the first person to care about me and be close to me and I love her for that. I feel like I can talk to her about anything. She always makes me smile-even when she's not there! "Serena I-I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't let people get close to me. I guess maybe I don't know how...." he can feel himself flushing bright red, "...but you really....get to me...." She smiles. For once in her life, she is the one in control of the situation. This tall, handsome, wonderful guy was stammering out his emotions for her. Then that blush was for me, Oh Darien. "Well, are you going to ask me out?" she says, trying to sound confident, but stammering a little. He raises an eyebrow at her, joy doing a funny dance in his stomach. "Would you go out with me, Serena?" he asks, with a world of meaning in his eyes. There's a flash of lightning, but Serena doesn't even notice, she is trying not to seem awkward and half terrified as she leans closer to him, till he can feel her sweet breath on his face, "I would love to." she says softly and he leans down to kiss her, catching them both offguard. He pulls away and strokes her face gently, then laughs reaching up and tugging on one of her buns, "Meatball head!" he jokes softly. "Careful," she jokes, "You may learn to love these meatballs someday!" and laughs. He laughs too. You're wrong Meatball head. I already do.