Chapter Three: What? You ARE Joking, Right?

 

            *She was dead on her feet. So she was finished with her dancing for that night. It seemed like it had taken her so long to finish. Longer than usual at any rate. After those eyes… that face… that, that, man… who did he think he was? Honestly! He had some nerve… never mind. All he had done was look at her and she had nearly lost her stage presence. And since when did one gaze through her completely off her stability? Oh! This was too much to think about tonight!

Tomorrow she had to be up at six to make lunch for Ben, and if she didn’t get home to sleep now, she would never be able to make it. Not to mention she would be late to work. She distinctly remembered her last heart to heart with her boss: “the next time you’re late Tsukino, you’re fired!” How could she forget that? She sighed heavily, then dumped her stuff in her giant canvas bag and began the short walk home.

By the time she reached her apartment, she was ready for a crash. Throwing off her shoes, she collapsed on the couch.

“ Ms. Tsukino?” a squeaky voice came from the shadows.

“Oh. Yes. Hi Kelly. “Thank you for watching Ben tonight.” She kept her eyes closed. “I think I left your money by the phone. You can leave whenever you’re ready.”

“No problem. You’re my best customer, and Ben is just so cute! Very wild and energetic, but cute.” Said the teenage girl as she picked up her backpack and opened the apartment door.

“Yes, I know what you mean.” ‘Selene’ smiled slightly. She knew very well how rambunctious her son could be.

“ Well, I have to be going, goodnight!” With that, the door slammed shut, not leaving any room for a reply.

“Well. Let’s go see our boy, shall we Serena?”  She said to her self. Walking into the next room over, Serena left the light off, but opened the door wide enough to let a single stream of yellow light flicker across her son’s sleeping face. She brushed his black bangs out of his face. He was almost a miniature of Darien. Still, he had his mother’s azure eyes and perfect nose. His smile was a mutt mixture of his parents’, as was the rest of his build. Still, he did resemble Darien more than herself. Smiling and stroking his cheek, she let a lone tear fall before she brushed it away and stood to leave her son to his dreams.

Crawling into her bed in the room next door, Serena neglected to wash her face or change, she just snuggled under her covers and began to slowly cry herself to sleep.

~~~>*<~~~

            ‘Here it comes’ She thought to herself. Already six fifteen, Serena was up and standing in the kitchen. She was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When she glanced at the clock, she saw that it was nearly six seventeen. Everyday, just like clockwork, Ben came racing in, half dressed at that exact minute.

            “ Mommy Mommy Mommy! You’re back!” In flew a dark haired blur. It quickly latched onto Serena’s open and waiting arms and squeezed with all its might.

            “ Of course baby. Did you think I would forget my favorite and only son?” She beamed a smile to him. He smiled back, revealing a missing tooth on his bottom left corner.

            “ No! You always come back! How was work?”  He asked her. For a three year old, he sure was advanced.

            “Work was fine. Sit down here and eat your cheerios. Then you can tell me what you and Kelly did last night.”

            “Yeah! Kelly let me play with her tape player! She recorded me talking!”

            “Did she?”

            “Huh! Yes sir, yes she did!” He nodded emphasizingly. Serena couldn’t help but grin at her son’s antics. He really was just too innocent.

            “ Well, if don’t finish you cereal, you’ll be late for school.”

            “Oh no!” For all that she had hated school, her son seemed to love every second of it. If he kept this up, he would be a regular scholar by the time he was twenty. She watched him rush through his bowl of cereal, drown the milk down, and then race back into his room to finish getting dressed.

            As they drove to school, Ben told her all about the tape recorder and how the babysitter, Kelly, had recorded him talking all last night. She laughed and asked him questions about what he said, if he made any animal noises for her, or if he sang. He just kept chattering, always with something new to say. When Serena dropped him off at the k- 12 school she had managed to enroll him in, he was still chattering about the night before. She kissed him goodbye and promised to pick him up at one sharp, just like always. Then she waved goodbye to him and drove off to work.

~~~>*<~~~

            “ So, Hiiro man! You sure were out of it last night! What happened? A girl actually attract you for a change? I guess you’re not so immune to the charm of a woman after all!” Duo teased when Hiiro was finally able to drag himself out of his room the next morning.

            “Braided idiot. Shut up.” He growled.

            “Oh! Look! It spoke!” Duo laughed. Soon he even had the other three laughing with him. Hiiro tried to ignore them, but found it worse the harder he tried to. Finally, he gave up and just gave them his trademark death glare. Not even dignifying Duo with more of a response, he grabbed his car keys. He might as well go for a breath of fresh air and let the fools work the kinks out of their systems while he was gone.

            “ Beep! Beep! Beep!”  One loud beep and two quieter beeps blipped from Hiiro’s laptop in his room. Dropping his keys, he slipped into a monotone attitude and went to answer the beeping.  Apparently, he had mail.

            “ SWAT team Gundam:” it read. “ A bomb threat has been made by a student at the Juna School in south San Francisco. You are to head there immediately to assist the police in their negotiations. Warning: hostages are involved, most of them students and teachers.” Hiiro shut his laptop and noticed the others had gathered around to read the newest assignment as well.

            “ This is a huge injustice! Those are innocent civilians!” Raged Wufei.

            “No shit Sherlock!” Duo said to him, with a definite grim hint in his voice.

            “Well then! Let’s stop sulking here and go take action!”  Trowa said, quietly  and smoothly.  Quatre just nodded enthusiastically. They heard the jingle of keys.

            “Are you or are you not coming?” Hiiro asked them darkly, dangling the keys in front of their faces.

            “Let’s go!” Duo yelled out, stealing the keys and racing towards the car. They all piled in, and Wufei distributed their bullet- proof vests, walkie -talkies, and guns. Hiiro refused  the vest, but did take the walkie- talkie and gun offered to him. Now fully equipped and ready for action, the car accelerator was stepped on and pushed to the max as the five boys speed towards the school.

~~~>*<~~~

            “ Serena, may I please see you in my office?” Her boss asked her, nicely, for the first time ever. ‘Maybe he’s finally warming up to me.’ She half smirked at her thoughts. ‘Nah. Never happen.’ She entered the office and closed the heavy door behind her.

            “ Sir? May I help you?” She asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

            “ No. Serena, I just received a phone call from the Juna k-12 school. I believe that is where your son attends class?”

            “Yes, but he’s only in kindergarten. Did he do something? What’s wrong?”

            “I’m very sorry to have to break the news to you Miss Serena, however,… the school was taken hostage by a bomb threat and some angry senior students about an hour ago.”

            “Oh my…” She began laughing. “Wait, this is a joke right? Who put you up to it? Nancy? Roger?” She kept laughing.

            “Miss Serena. I’m afraid it’s no joke.” She stared into his hard gaze and stopped laughing.

            “You… You mean… oh my Lord! Ben!”  She nearly had a heart attack.

            “You have the rest of the day off Miss Serena.” He told her, with great sorrow filling his usually hard and unforgiving eyes.

            “Thank, thank you sir! Excuse me!” With that, Serena tore out of his office, grabbed her purse, and ran towards the parking lot, trying to find her keys as she ran.*