Chapter Five: You Don’t Date!

 

            *She had just walked in the door, and already she could hear screaming and the heavy footsteps of running.

            “Serena! Serena!” The screams were crying. She prepared herself, knowing full well there was no real way to prepare for what was about to happen. Three small bodies launched themselves at her full force, screaming all the while. She laughed and returned their hugs and kisses.

            “How are my angels?” She asked laughing and gasping for breath.

            “Serena! We’re fine!” The oldest of the three, Kara, said.

            “Good. And how were your sitters? You didn’t kill them, did you?” he smiled wirily asking that question. Chances were they most likely had.

            “They aren’t dead yet. We were just about to finish the job!” The middle child, Brian teased.

            “Who’s dead?” Asked the youngest, Lizbeth. Serena laughed.

            “No one’s dead, Lizbeth. I was joking.” She looked at her brother and sister. She truly felt like they were a family. A family that would pull through this hard time without a mother or father to help guide them. In fact, she almost felt like their mother more than their older sister. The oldest, Kara, was ten. She was followed closely by Brian, who was nine, and then Lizbeth, who was only just about to turn seven. She felt old compared to them. She was just about to turn seventeen. Why her parents had decided to wait after her, she didn’t know. But she was glad they had. Otherwise she would only be eleven, not nearly old enough to help take care of them all.

            “Oh. I get it! A joke! A joke!” Lizbeth began dancing around chanting her mantra. Yup, this was a normal day, just like any other.

            “So tell me, where are your sitters?” She asked.

            “We tied them up!” Brian smiled widely.

            “You what?” Serena laughed.

“We were playing cowboys and Indians, and we were the cowboys, so we tied up the Injuns!” He explained happily.

            “Well then, where did you tie them up, I have to let them out and pay them for all the trouble you’ve been.” Serena didn’t smile, but laughter was apparent in her eyes.

            “They’re in here! Come on!” Kara yelled, pulling Serena into their family room. It was relatively neat compared to other time she had left them with a sitter. She looked around the room, but saw no one.

            “Where are they Brian?” She asked, slightly worried.

            “I don’t know. They were here five seconds ago. I swear it! They were- ahh!” He was cut off mid scream when something from behind him tackled him.

            “Me Indian. You cowboy. You bad cowboy. Must pay for tying up Indian!” A deep voice rumbled.

            “No! No! No! Serena, help me!” Serena just laughed.

            “I don’t know Brian. You did tie them up…”

            “Please? I’ll say I’m sorry!” He cried again.

            “Well…”

            “Help!” Kara cried from behind her. Another ‘Indian’ had snuck up on her and grabbed her from behind. Yet another scream and soon Lizbeth too was being carried off by an Indian. Serena followed the troops as they sat the cowboys down in the same chairs they had been tied in before and tied them up instead. Serena laughed as she watched her brother and sisters struggling with the ropes and knots they were confined with.

            “Well, that’s done.”

            “Mission accomplished.”

            “Justice has been served.”

            “Guys, maybe we should untie them… maybe we were too harsh with them?” Serena laughed.

            “I wouldn’t worry about them too much Quatre. They’ll be just fine.”

            “They should have known we’d get them eventually. We warned them!” Duo laughed happily. Serena laughed too, and looked at the four men who had babysat for her. Such sweet men. She had met them almost a year ago when they came searching for their friend from the war. Since then, they had made their home in the city, and were always around when she was in a tight spot. Each of them had their own redeeming qualities, and she couldn’t believe they had ever been in the Eve Wars.

            Duo Maxwell was the loudmouth of their group. Funny, intelligent, and outgoing. His violet eyes and long braided hair had won Lizbeth’s heart. The minute Lizbeth had seen Duo, she had run up to him and asked if she could play with his hair. He had laughed and obliged the little girl’s whim, and soon the two were fast friends.

            Quatre Winner was just as intelligent as Duo, and even more so it seemed. He was more laid back and relaxed than the other two, yet she could see he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders. He had been able to talk Kara and Brian out of any argument they were having, and was fair and kind about his deliberation. His blonde hair and sky blue eyes were only part of his natural charm.

            Trowa Barton was the quietest of the four boys. His reddish brown hair and bottle green eyes had a way of forcing the truth out of anyone. Though he was silent for the most part, he was lose enough to play board games with her sisters. He could even stand to sit through five games straight of Pretty Pretty Princess. Anyone who could do that was nothing short of a miracle worker in her book.

            The last in their group was Wufei Chang. Wufei was a hardened boy, she could easily see that. He was stubborn, arrogant, and sexist. But that was all superficial. Serena knew he could be kind and caring, especially when it came to her little sisters. Wufei had let the girls dress him up as a lady and then played ‘tea time’ with them more than once. He was a softy under his hard shell.

            It was hard for Serena to believe any of them, even Trowa and Wufei, had been in the wars three years ago. All they had told her was that they had only been sixteen, had been trained well, and had come out alive. She knew that wasn’t all, that there had to be more, but she wasn’t going to pressure them into telling her. She also knew they were searching for a comrade from the war. Why? Because they were worried about him. Apparently he had cut himself off from any contact from them and anyone else who had ever known him. He had just ‘disappeared’, but they didn’t believe it. The only clue they had was from an old job application he had taken in this city three years ago, right after the war had ended and there was a rush on the job market. That was why they had originally come to the city, and why they were still here. They believed their friend was still here, just in hiding. Funny thing was, they had never told her his name. Too bad. Otherwise she could be helping them look for him. Oh well, c’est la vie.

            “Now then guys. How much do I owe you?”

            “That’s three dollars an hour per hour. You were gone for two hours, so that means you owe us six bucks even.” Duo cried happily.

            “Come on guys! That’s only a dollar for each of you for wasting two hours of your time! How much do I really owe you?” Serena cried in exasperation. They always did this.

            “Serena. You don’t owe us anything. We like coming over here. We’d do it for free if you weren’t so proud that you wouldn’t accept it.” Trowa told her smirking.

            “I know, I know. Here’re your six dollars. Now don’t waste it on something unimportant, save it.” She reprimanded them.

            “We won’t mother.” Duo mocked her.

            “And Duo, if you call me mother one more time, I’ll sick Wufei on you.” Duo yelped and Wufei smiled evilly.

            “Anything to get even with that braided fool.” He laughed.

            “Hey guys, I have another favor to ask of you.” Serena said, suddenly dropping down shyly.

            “Anything for you Sere. Name it.” Quatre smiled.

            “Well, I was wondering if you would be able to baby-sit tomorrow night as well.”

            “Depends.” Trowa said. “What times and why?” The four guys watched Serena blush. She actually blushed. She never blushed. Ever.

            “From seven thirty to, say, ten thirty?”

            “Why? Sere…” Duo glared. She was hiding something.

            “Well, just because. Do I have to tell you everything?” She snapped, her blush becoming darker.

            “Yes.” Wufei told her blankly.

            “Well, can you or can’t you?” She asked them, holding her head up proudly.

            “ Depends on why.”

            “Not you too Trowa!” She blushed even darker.

            “God Sere, I didn’t know people’s faces could turn that red! You look like one of those cartoon characters that just swallowed hot sauce or something!” Duo laughed. The other guys smirked. Serena simply turned around and hid her face in her hands.

            “Never mind about tomorrow night. I just won’t go.”

            “Go where?” Quatre asked.

            “Out! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What, am I forbidden to date!” She turned around to yell at them. Then she realized what she had just said.

            “You? On a date? You don’t date!” Duo cried out accusingly.

            “I don’t huh? Well then, I suppose I won’t go out tomorrow night.” She countered.

            “Sere, we’re serious. You’ve never been on a date before. Who is this guy? Where does he live? He could be dangerous.” Quatre told her concerned.

            “Look guys. I understand what you’re saying, and he very well could be dangerous. But I’m tired of sitting back and waiting. All I do is work. I quit school to get a job when I was thirteen. I work all day every day except for Sunday. And when I get home, I work to clean this place up, I work to take care of my brother and sister, God, Duo’s right. I am a mother! But I’m tried of just being a mother. I just want to get out and have some fun before my face is so wrinkled no one wants to look at it! I need a break! And even this date is a bad idea, which I am certain it is, I still want to go on it.”

            “Sere.” Trowa began. “I will be here tomorrow night at seven thirty.” Serena’s smile elated him and he felt like he had done the right thing.

            “So will I.” Duo replied with a sigh. But Serena’s smile had made him realize she was right. She needed to get out once in a while. Talk about having no life? At least a soldier got to experience things. Serena was just stuck inside all day. It was the right thing to let her get a breath of fresh air.

            “I’ll come too.” Quatre added. He silently agreed with Duo that Serena was too young to have the responsibility that had been placed on her shoulders. She needed to get out and experience life.

            “I’m going to follow you and you’re ‘date’.” Wufei said. No point in letting her get hurt while she had fun.

            “What?” Serena’s smile fell as she stared at Wufei with glaring eyes. “You’re not serious.”

            “I am. No point in letting you get hurt if this guy turns out to be a creep.”

            “No. No. You can’t follow me! That’s invasion of privacy. Plus it would make me uneasy the whole time, just knowing you were following me. I absolutely refuse to let you follow me!”

            “The you don’t go.”

            “You can’t keep me from going!”

            “We won’t show to watch the kids. Then you can’t go.”

            “Uh, Wufei. You might not show to watch the kids, but we will. We’ve given our word to Sere, and we’re going to stick by it.” Duo said bravely.

            “Wufei, just let her go. Sere can handle things. We taught her how to get out of situations, remember? It’s not like she won’t be able to defend herself if need be.” Trowa added. Wufei grumbled.

            “Thank you Wufei! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She squealed, then hugged him tightly. Wufei had no choice but to return the hug. He still wasn’t convinced. But what could he do? The others were going to personally see to it that he didn’t follow her, that much was certain from the warning looks they had been shooting his way.

            Serena pulled away and hugged each of the other separately, thanking them immensely. She was going on her date! Wait. Did that mean she had decided to take Cin up on his offer to take her out? Well, she supposed it did. Why was she going out with that guy again? She knew he was bad news. Bad for her morals, bad for her lifestyle, bad for her in general. But she still wanted to go. Was it because she was drawn to the dangerousness of the situation? Was she doing it simply for the high of seeing if she could? Or was there more reason than she could honestly understand? Was she desperate? Well, no, of course she was desperate. But was she, oh nevermind. What was done was done. Now she had to go out with him, regardless. Maybe it would be good for her to get out anyway.

            “Hey Sere! Just tell us two things. What’s this guy’s name, and where are you going?”

            “Well, I’m not going to tell you his name, because you’ll have his background checked and tell me things I don’t really want to hear. And as to where we’re going, well, I don’t know. I’m meeting him at a bar and we’re going from there.” It was strange, she thought, that she didn’t tell them his name. She supposed it was just that she was embarrassed to have her friends think she was going out with a prostitute, but she felt bad that it should matter to her what his position in life was. Still, it did embarrass her, so she was going to keep it a secret from now on.

            “Sere…” She got a light warning from Trowa.

            “I wouldn’t worry too much. He helped me out tonight and even walked me home when he saw I didn’t have a jacket to keep me warm. He’s not bad. Maybe dangerous, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

            “He walked you home? Why didn’t you invite him in?”

            “Because if I did, you would have gone ballistic!” She laughed. The others laughed too.

            “Well, it’ getting late. We’ll be here tomorrow night at seven thirty. Bye Sere!” Quatre called as they left. She was still laughing when she heard:

            “Serena! Come untie us! Please?” From Brian. She laughed harder, then went to untie her brother and sisters. Just then a thought crossed her mind. What did one wear to go on a date with a prostitute?*