*^_^* comments? send to ALEB@xtra.co.nz *^_^*

  author notes at the bottom.                 


                  WILL I DREAM OF YOU TONIGHT

-------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 KATHRYN



    CHAPTER 3:

     +DREAMS+


    "Late at night,
When all the world is sleepin'
I stay up and think of you.
And I wish on a star
That somewhere you are
Thinking of me to.
I'm Dreamin' of you.

Yes, I'm dreamin' of you tonight
And Tomorrow,
You'll be holding me tight.
And there's no where in the world
I would rather be
Than here in my room
Dreamin' about you and me.

   ~Selina~

"Dreaming of you Tonight"



  "Hey Serena," Ami waved at her blond haired friend from across the
courtyard. "How are things going? I saw you and Toby talking earlier
and you looked pretty friendly. Are things ok now with you two?"

  Serena beamed. "Couldn't be better, Ames! When you get down to it,
Life is a pretty great thing now and then. Not only are Toby and I
back still on, but Darien the jerk is actually starting to look
more like the princely heroic type than the ugly toad type!"

  "What'd he do Serena? Save your life?" Ami laughed.
  "Almost, yeah. h e  gave me a ride to school yesterday so Toby didn't
think I was flaking out again!!! Plus he talked to me in the
park after I saw Toby and he saw I was feeling sorta down and came
over and said a few nice things to me. Down to it, Darien can be a
nice guy when he wants to be. If only he thought more before he
gave his lips exorcise.." she suddenly saw the huge rice balls
with curry in Ami's lunch box.

   "AMI! Can I have one PLEEEEZZZZ!" she clutched her friend's arm.
Ami shook her head. "No Serena, last time I let you even put  a hand near
my lunch box then you ate the whole thing faster than I could blink!
Lita's made some extra food. Go and take some of her's."

   Serena's eyes grew huge. "LITA! YEAH, she makes the BEST!!!!!"
She spun around to go off and find Lita, when she ran into Toby.

   "Yikes! Toby..."
  "Serena, where on earth were you going so fast any way?" he asked.
"Um...to see Lita." she blushed.
"You can run at normal speed for that you know. She goes to this school."
"Yeah...um...sorry Toby. Hey, do you want to go and do anything later?"
He looked a bit skeptical. " I thought that you had that play rehearsal
again later. Are you going to stand me up again?"

  She reddened and shook her head. "No Toby. That wasn't my fault. I
told you, the set fell down and we had to start all over again."
he nodded and crossed his arms. "Yeah, ok, then can you set a time?"

  "Um....five o clock?" she asked hopefully. He thought a moment.
"Ok, and remember BE ON TIME!" he smiled and Serena felt herself melting.
"You're something special. It's dissapointing when you're late. I like
seeing your face."

  he turned away and walked slowly towards a crow d  of his friends.
Serena practically feel on Ami, pushing her face into her rice.
 "Oh Ami..isn't he just the most......."

  "I know, I know, the most perfect guy in the world with the most
unbelievable smile and eyes that make you wanna fly to the moon!"
Serena blushed. " I haven't said that THAt often have I?"
"Not in the last 10 minutes Serena any way." Ami smiled. 
Serena gave a pouty look and before she could start her water works,
Ami pointed quickly behind her. "Look! There's Lita and I think
she's eating curry rolls with mushrooms!!!!!"

  "Where? Where? Lita, get over here!~ I need you!!! Get me some!
Lita?" Serena ran off, looking for where *Lita* had suddenly
disappeared to. Ami shook her head and sank back down again on the steps.
"Where does she GET all that energy!" Ami thought, eating her rice 
balls quickly.  "At this rate, her first daughter is going to be
Super girl!" (author note: Anyone see that movie?:)

  When Serena found Lita, talking to some kids, then she practically
jumped don her like she was a cat trying to slug a mouse!
"SERENA!" cried Lita in shock.
"Gotcha! Boy, you run faster than a rat running from the parlor maid."
Lita made a face. "What'd you say THAT to me for!"
"I have been chasing you all over the school grounds!" Serena pouted.
"I have been RIGHT HERE all break time!" Lita rolled her eyes. "Like
I usually am."

  "Whatever. Hey...you're food is all gonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...."
Serena started the water works again! Lita covered her ears and
shook Serena's shoulders. "Serena, stop! Please, I've got something for
you to eat! Just stop it!"

"What? What? I forgot my lunch and I am STARVING!"

"Here, green fried rice." Lita picked a few strands of grass from
behind her back and handed to Serena. Serena eagerly put them in
her mouth and after chewing a few minutes, spit some of it out and
swallowed the rest.

"Yuck! That tastes like Grass Lita!"

>It IS grass, stupid!< Lita shook her head. She wasn't goign to make Serena
start weeping  like a willow again.
"I don't eat it much either. Come on, let's go down to the coffee
shop and get something. My treat." Lita grinned. "I have been thinking
of spying on Andrew for a while anyway." she winked. Serena rolled her
eyes.

  "Some Linzer torte or apple strudel?"
  "What the heck is that? foreign food?"
 Lita rolled her eyes. "You must have slept really well through
German class if you slept through the part where Miss Reiter was talking
about German dishes that are popular in culture. Apple strudel is....
like an apple tart..sorta. And Linzer Torte is sort of similar...
never mind."

 "AS lONG as it's FOOD!" Serena sighed happily and got up to follow
Lita to the coffee shop.
"When did the coffee shop start selling that stuff, any way?"
"They have started some sort of country month-week thing. This week is what
they called "Deutsch Week" for German foods. next week is Norsk week. 
Everything will probably be sea food, if you know what I mean."

 "Not really." Serena said, preoccupied with thoughts of what she
was going to have for lunch. 

"There's a lot of Fishing in Norway. Don't you know ANYTHING about anything
in other countries? I thought you would at least know about different
food groups."

 "Reading about History makes me tired, reading about politics
makes me crabby and reading about food make s  me hungry!" she shook
her head. "How long is this Country week thing going on?"

 "About 2 months I think. 2 months of foreign foods!" Lita grinned at
her friend who made a face.
"What country does ice cream come from?"
Lita stared at her in disbelief >Oh brother!<
"Lots of them. Never mind. What do you want today?"

"Which ones does it come from?" Serena insisted "France?"

"Serena, is ice cream a french name?"

"French people never name food after french names." Serena argued.
"Yes they do, like escargos (Sp?)"

"Escra..what?" Serena looked at her.
Lita thought a moment >I wonder what Serena would say if she found that
meant cooked snails?< Lita decided against it.

"Never mind, what do you want? Schnekan?"

"What the heck is shecken? Don't you mean chicken?

"SCHNEKAN! It's a German cinnamon bun!" Lita said in exasperation,
as they entered the shop. They looked at some of the 
different German foods on display. 

 "Do they eat Ice cream in Germany?"
 "Serena, of coarse, but these are specific foods from the country.
That s' why the shop is DOING this! It's for publicity!"

 "What the heck is Apfelkuchen?"
 "What do you think?" she asked din exasperation. Serena stared at 
what was identical to an apple pie.
"It looks like an pie to me!"
"EXACTLKY!" Lita sighed.
"Apfel must be German for apple huh? Hey, I must be getting smarter!
Apfelkuchen is just apple pie!"

  "Serena what are you going to eat for lunch! You are
giving me a migraine!"
Serena made a face at her burnett friend. "Well....excuuuuuuse me!"
Then her attention was drawn to some small soft chocolate
covered marsh mellows.
"OOOH! What are those!"
"Der Negerkuss." Lita read the label "Deutsch for Chocolate
marsh mellows!"

  "OOOOO...I want one!!!!" Serena cried gleefully.
Lita gave up. >Serena can get her lunch without giving me
a headache. I'm going to get something and go sit down and eat it.<
She decided  one of the slices of the Apfelkuchen (apple pie :)
looked very nice and tasty. She paid for a slice and went and
sat down while Serena was still looking over the different foods.

 "Hey LIta," said someone from behind her seat.
Lita jumped and looked over her shoulder. 
"Darien? What are you doing here?" she grinned at him.
"Waiting for Andrew. he's a bit late for lunch."
"Tasted any of this food yet?" Lita asked him.
he nodded. "Some Sauerkraut and wiener schnitzel. It's
pretty good if you ask me."

 They turned their heads when they heard Serena cry
"YUCK! Sauerkirschen is sour cherries!!!!"

Lita sighed. "Serena is going to take a while to get sued to this
sort of thing. What the next country this shop is trying for?"
"I think it's Poland." he shrugged. "Something about seafood, Libby
told me."
"I forgot Andrew's sister worked here!" Lite grinned.

"Ooooo!!!!!!! What's Suessigkeiten? They look like candy!"

Darien looked at Serena. "Good grief!!!" he shook his head, but
smiled a little. "So, how's Serena?" he asked, grinning.
"She certainly looks as energized as ever."

"LIke an energizer battery." Lita agreed. "She forgot her lunch
and so she practically attacked me for mine at noon time!!!!"
he laughed a little. "The stories you guys could probably tell me on
her behavior, I would probably bring popcorn." then he glanced at
her again. "She was out of spirits the other day because of that
Toby guy. Is she still seeing him?"

  Darien felt silly asking, but he felt better about acting cool
and asking her friend than her herself!
"Yeah, they have a date for after rehearsals for the play again this
afternoon. I'm not sure what they are doing, exactly.Toby seemed
a bit reluctant to agree to it, but then he just said the usual
"You're something special!" No wonder Serena's so taken with t he guy!
If he just looked at me that way, I swear he'd look like my old
boyfriend!" she sighed and bit into her piece of pie dreamily.
Darien's face remained without much. he still thought Serena was too
hyper for someone like him.

  Serena came running over to Lita, with a plate filled with what
looked like buns and pastries and pieces of pie and a glass of
Juice.

  "Hey Lita, hey you know I think I could really like this ethnic food
2 month thing, you know? What country are they doing next?"

"Something with seafood." Darien said. Serena was surprised to see
him there, as she had not seen him there before. "Darien! What are
you doing here?"

  "I was waiting for Andrew, but It looks like he's running a bit late.
Serena, you should try the Sauerkraut." he said.
She shook her head, trying to stuff down a piece of apple pie.

 "No thanks, I am not a vegetable fan!!!"

 "Try the wiener schnitzel then. It's good."

"Did you try it?"

"Yes."

"Was it good then?"

"Yeah, great."

She thought a moment. "Ok, let me get through all this first!"
"Serena don t' eat so much at one time! You might choke!" Lita said,
looking at Serena's glass of yellow liquid. "Drink some....what is
that anyway? Looks like juice."

 "No, Apfelsaft." Serena answered. Lita and Darien glanced at
each other and rolled their eyes. >Thought it was juice< Lita thought.
"Meatball head, that's Deutsch for Apple juice!" Darien chided playfully.
She made one of her awful faces at him. "Well, pardon me, Mr. Mocho
I-know-everything-and-you-don't, but I don't know German!"

  "I thought they taught you some of it in German class." Darien asked
puzzled. Serena instantly blushed and then glare d  at him, narrowing
her eyes to slits. "YOU just WAIT, Darien! No one can be as big a pain
as you and not get some back later!"

  Lita shook her head. "Serena, eat your buns and pastries and drink
your...whatever juice and let's just get back to school before we're
late, Ok?" Lita asked pleadingly.

"Lita, why are you so grumpy today any way?" Serena asked her.

Lita sighed heavily. "I don't know about you two, but I am OUTTA here!"
she jumped up and ran out of the shop. Serena made a face.
"She didn't finish her pie!" she reached across and stuffed the residual
into her mouth. Darien watched her in wonder. How did someone who
ate so much stay so thin?
>I forgot about all the running back and forth from school she does< he 
reminded himself and chuckled a little under his breath.
After 14 pieces of strudel, 9 slices of l;inzer torte, 3 slices of
Apfelkuchen, 2 plates of schnekan,  & about a dozen German chocolate
covered marshmallows, Serena admitted she was too full to eat another bite.
Darien pretended to be amazed. (Though he was more amazed at the fact
she had consumed enough food to feed Khan's army)

  "What? Already? The chocolate Trojan horse isn't here yet Serena."
She glared at him through slits of her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny. I
may look like I can eat a lot sometimes, Darien, but I am still human!
It's not like I can eat that much and not feel anything or get sick or
whatever!"

"Thanks for telling me, I'll try to remember that next time."
She turned red, but tried to remember the ride he had given her to school
the other day >Ok, I won't kill him for once, and then we'll be equal<
she thought violently.

 "Serena, how are things with Toby?" he asked her. >Why am I asking
this< he thought for a moment.
  "Hey, glad you asked!" she instantly sat up with exuberance again.
"Well, he has been a bit grumpy again today, but that's just Toby, and
any way, he wants to have another date today at 5:00 after my play
rehearsal."

   "How'd you get into that play anyway?" he asked, taking one of her
leftover buns and bit into it.

  "Well, actually, the teacher choose us for the parts. Melvin got
casted as the house maid man." she laughed, he smiled a little.
"Any way, there are only 4 or 5 characters any way and it is really
silly. It's called the Bear for some reason or other, though a bear
ha s  nothing to do with the play, any way.....this lady Popova is
mourning her husband who just died. he was very unfaithful but she
is standing there vowing she will show him how much better she was than
him by never going out again with men or anything...like having a drag
life, if you get my picture."

  he nodded. "Yeah, I think I do."
"Good, any way, then this guy called Grigory Smirnov, her husband owed him
money, and he comes storming over there and forces her to see him and
says that he needs money and she says "Ok, I'll get you the money
but not till the day after tomorrow." and he says "I like this! I have
been all over the country trying to get people to get me the money they owe 
me and I have to pay the mortgage tomorrow and this is what I get!"
and then she is like yelling at him and he is like yelling back at
her and the thing goes on for about an hour, and then they.." she
started to laugh and hit the table with her fist. "They want to SHOOT
each other, literally! They get these guns to shoot each other, to kill
the other one! It's so mad!!!!!! And then what do you think?"

Darien  s shrugged, laughing a little. "What? I can't guess."
"he says that he has fallen in love with her because she is not like
those stupid silly women you found at that time 100 years ago. Snobs, you
know that faint easy. And she still want s  to kill him and he wants her to
get him the money and so....then they are screaming at each other again.
Then he's saying "I'll go" and she is saying "yes, go." and then he says
"ok, I am going now." she says "No..don;t' go. yes, get out of her..NO wait!
Ugh! You have me so confused!" Serena started laughing in the middle of her
sentence  "And THen they start kissing each other and all the servants
come in with these weapons to kill the guy because he was acting so crazy,
swearing and cursing and yelling all over the place!"

  "Who WROTE the play, Serena?" Darien asked leaning forward. he
broke a bun and handed her the other half. She forgot the fact she
said she was full (Must have an inhuman stomach after all, huh:) they
chewed on them, while talking further.

  "Some Russian guy who died 100 years ago. As usual."
"People dont' so much as go to plays nay more, that's why you don't see any
recent authors Serena." he said, raising an eyebrow.

  "Anton Checkers or something like that." she shrugged.
  "Anton Checkov you mean?" he asked her. She nodded, wiping the
cinnamon from the Schnekan of her face. "Yup, that's it all right! You
read stuff by him?"

   "Yes, some of his plays are really popular. My old high school put on 
one of his plays once, Ivanov. It's like a Russian and non medevil version
of Hamlet. Only no revenge on Ivanov's part. And also, I saw the Cherry
Orchard once. Very sad." he nodded. "A Friend teacher took me there once."

  "Really? Miss Ants mentioned that was his best one, but a bunch of
boys started making cracks about it then."

  "It's sad. A lady love s  her home and everything with a beautiful
cherry orchard and then she goes broke and looses all her money and they
have to sell it and this lawyer who she thought was a friend, broguth it
and cut down all the trees."

  She made a face "The cherry trees! THAT'S IN HUMAN!" she cried. "Every
time cherry trees bloom here, it always makes my heart leap." she said,
sounding Sincere. Darien smiled at her expression. "I know, it IS sad.
But not as sad as some of his others. Like "The Sea gull" and "Ivanov"
are really sad because they end miserably in suicide. Problems with love and
life, you know? That sort of thing. She nodded. "You don't have to
tell me about that one, I have them every day!"

   
 "Don't you?"

   "Sure, but I avoid most of them." he added, as they finished up
the buns and strudel on her plate. She looked at her watch.
"Ouch! I had better get back. School starts in about 8 minutes, and luckily
this shop is not too far from where school is. Bye Darien!"
he waved at her and got up to go to the window and watch her walk down the
street. For once she was just skipping, not running like a tropical
midnight storm. She walked really gracefully, with her pony tails trailing
behind her,he thought. he smiled without even knowing it.
_________________________________________________________________________
    

   "Tuxedo mask, please...you must find the crystal!!!!!" the same
dream as always. "PLEASE......you must find it!!!!"

  "I want to help you! But show me your face! Find what Crystal?"
  "Tuxedo mask.......Endymion........."

   "SHOW ME YOUR FACE! I WAN'T TO HELP YOU PRINCESS!" he called to her 
but she turned away and faced the other side of the wall. Her hair flowed
around her in long thin golden tendrils, from very strange pony tails
and 2 buns of her head.

  "Princess...."

   "Endymion....YOU HAVE TO FIND THE CRYSTAL!" she urged and then
faded from sight. then everything, the garden, the wall, faded
from around him and he suddenly opened his eyes. But everything was still
black. Then he realized he was in his bedroom and he had had *another* weird 
dream about that princess who wanted him to find the.....what was her
crystal any way? he was helping the scouts get the rainbow crystals
but she was talking about ONE! Maybe one of them was the crystal she was
talking about!

  She had lately started calling him Endymion rather than Tuxedo mask.
>Where did Endymion come from< he wondered. There was no way it could be
HIS real name, in this life anyway, because how did you get Darien from
something like Endymion? he sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes.
he was up for a while, walking around in his bathrobe and drinking a
little cocoa wen the phone rang. 

 "Hello, Endymio---I mean Darien Chiba speaking." her reddened as
he realized that the dreams were really starting to get to him.
"Hello, it's Toby NIkolas speaking. Is Serena there?"

Darien blinked. "Excuse me, what did you say? I just got out
of bed. I am not sure I heard you right. Who is this again?"

There was a sigh of impatience at the other end. "Look, it's Serena's
boyfriend Toby speaking. Is Serena there?"
Darien blinked again and glanced at his watch.
>Thats' what I thoguth he said<
"Toby, it's 2:24 am in the morning! Serena's home in bed,
and how did you get my number!" he demanded.
"Never mind, I need to talk to her. is she there?"

 "What do you mean 'Is she there?' I don't live at her house."
"What's the supposed to mean?" snapped the young boy.

"It means, how about trying her OWN number to talk to her!"

"I did, she isn't there!"

Darien stood  in surprise for a moment >OK, what do I say to that<
"Try her friend's places then. What made you think she would be
HERE at this time of day!"

  "It's night, collage boy," Toby retorted, making Darien frown.
"Whatever, she isn't here and why did you try me of all people anyway?"

  "You're her friend aren't you?"

  "Well I...." Darien suddenly felt a loss for words at the moment.
"We just see each other on the street sometimes." he explained. "She
doesn't even know MY number!" he said, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
"We're not really friends."

 "That's not how she puts it." Toby sounded really bitter " I felt sure
she would go crying to you after this!"

 "After what! Toby, what is this all about? Tell me straight or let me
go back to bed!"

  "She was early instead of late and just because I was talking to a
friend of mine, she freaks and then I told her that if I want to walk
to a friend I used to date then I can, and it's not like we're
bound by a string of destiny or anything. she HAS to go off crying. 
Sometimes she has a real mental age of 6! I thought I could make her
mature a little but it doesn't seem to be working. She said that you
were more decent to her than I was, and I would like to know *Exactly*
what that means?"

  Darien growled under his breath >The filthy city rat<
"Toby, if you must know, our *relationship* consists of constant teasing
and constant nagging. What she meant *exactly* by what she told you means
that you treat her less than how you should!~ If she's your girlfriend then
just treat her right! Goodnight!"

  Darien slammed down the receiver and realized he was boiling mad.
With Toby? Likely. Why? For being rude? Definitely! For suggesting
he and Serena had something to do with each other....YEAH, right on!
Then he realized that Toby had probably hurt Serena at the 
expense of her humiliation again!!!! he felt angrier than ever.

  "That rat.....WHAT DOES she see in that rodent of scum residue!!" he
put on another cup of hot cocoa.
_____________________________________________________________________


   "Serena, are you coming out or not?" called Ilene Tsukino.
Serena's muffled voice came from her room. "No mom, I caught Cancer yesterday
in the park. I don't feel too well."
ILene shook her head and banged on the door louder.
"Serena, it's Friday! RISE AND SHINE! Get out of bed!"

 "Mom, I feel like I am going to DIE!" her sad voice called. "How can
you be so insensitive!"

  "Every time you have a test, you do this, now OPEN THIS DOOR! Don't
make me come in there!" her nails grinded into the wood with frustration.
Serena's muffled voice came again. "I don't have a test today mom.
That's next Friday. Pleas to away, I'm in the depths of despair."
she tried sounding sick and sad, remembering Megan Follow's common
excuse for staying in her room in the movie "Anne of Green Gables."

 Ilene was surprise. "No test? Then what on earth is wrong! IT's after 9:30!
The only way you would get there on time is if I drove you there!"

  "Go away mom, please.....the depths of despair!"
  "Oh brother!" Ilene rolled her eyes "ok, Serena I have all day but you
haven't. Now GET OUT OF THAT BED AND OPEN THIS DOOR BEFORE I........"

  "Mom.....I don't feel so well. Could you phone daddy and tell him I love
him for me. I don't think I have the strength to talk any more."

 Ilene let out a puff of air and leaned on the door. >Why me? The Cosbys
never had this problem< 

  "Serena, I am going to remain calm! GET OUT HERE AND GET READY
FOR SCHOOL BEFORE I CALL YOUR FATHER TO DRAG YOU OUT OF THERE!"

  "NO! I can't face Toby at school mom! Send me anywhere else! Send me
to Prisoner island where I can scoop brains in a melon scooper and
fee d it to rats for the rest of my life........I'd rather dance 
with Dracula than face Toby Nikolas today!!"

  >One moment she loves the guy and the next moment, she just...UGH!<
"Serena, one moment you love his face and the next you can't bare to face 
him. Did he have some kind of an accident or something?"

  Serena, who was safe under her covers and pillows rolled her eyes at
her mother's silly suggestion. >Even if he did something to his
face I would still go out with him<

  "No, but....I can't talk about it! Don't make me go to school!"

   "Serena, I am giving you till the count of 56 to get out of there and
get dressed because no rockets are flying to the moon today!"

  No sound. "Serena, are you going to do this peacefully?"

"I'd rather kiss an eyeball!"

"OK, THAT"S IT!!! cried Ilene, breaking her calm. She banged on the
door loudly. "SERENA, YOU FORCED ME TO USE FORCE!" she started grinding
her long finger nails on the wood of her door, making a shrill scraping
sound. Serena started shrieking. Ilene shook her head.

Inside, Serena covered her ears and fell backward s  out of bed. Trying at
the same time to cover her ears, she crawled pitifully to the door and
opened it.

  >I had to die sometime any way< she thought.

  Her mom stood in the doorway glaring down at her."Now, that's settled,
you are going to get dressed and go to school!"
>She looks larger than life from down here< Serena thought.

 "But Mom.........."

 "No Buts, get ready period!"

  "But...how will I run fast enough to get there in 10 minutes form
the house?" she whined.

 "Hope that some comets are on the free way heading towards Juuban!"
Her mother turned around and left the room. Serena sighed and pulled
the pillow case over her head.
>I could try killing myself......they would all be sad and Toby would
probably love me more then.....But what am I thinking!" she pulled
the pillow case of her head and gasped for breath. "UGH!" she let
herself fall backward sand hit the floor.

"I can't face Toby today! Not after what happened last night!"

She sighed and put her school uniform on and then ran down stairs.
"There dear, now doesn't' it feel better to be wearing some fresh clothes
and ready for a long day." Her mother smiled.
>Sure mom, they alwasy use fresh clothes to make someone feel ncie at a funeral!< 
"Sure mom." Serena said.

 "Good, now  don t' forget your lunch again. Shrimp salad."
Serena sighed. "That's my favorite salad." 

 "Right, now off you go with a smile to face the day!" Her mother grinned
and Serena walked grudgingly out the door. >Reminds me of the Wizard
of Oz< she thought wryly >Like when the witch said
"What a world what a world!" Now I know just what those words mean!<

  When she came to her school gate she stare d at it and heard the bell
]ring earlier but she just COULDN'T go in there right now. being the 
Serena she was, she turned around and fled. She ran all the way down the
street, dropping her lunch by accident by the gate of the park.
She sat on the bench and started to bawl her eyes out.

  "Life is never fair!"

She sat there a while and then later looked up and gasped. A young
m,an about 19 or so, with brown hair stood there grinning at her slyly.
She hated the way he was looking at her.
"Hello sweet thing, you got lost?"
She whimpered a little and stood up. "No, I'm just resting. I'll  be
going now...hey!" he had reached out and grabbed her arm. She glanced
around an d saw no one else was there.

  "You're not going any where. Yet." 
_____________________________________________________________________


 Darien was walking along. Fridays he got the day off so he never had to 
worry about going to work. He was thinking of going to the park
because it was so lovely and there was hardly any one in the park on
Fridays this time of day. Either at work or at school. That reminded
him of Serena, and that phone call last night from her *boyfriend*
he felt annoyed again. The guy had no manners even to strangers!

   He was walking around when he heard someone talking to someone else
in a harsh voice, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts he wasn't
listening to it much. Then he heard a scream, startling him.
He moved quickly to some bushes where he had heard it. Horrified at
the view.
"Serena!"

 There was a man pushing and pulling her with him.
"Let go, let go!" she yelled at him.
He slapped her in the face. "Shut up!" he grabbed
her head and crushed her against a tree and tried to kiss her.
"Get OFF ME!" she yelled at the man. >This really is a worse day
than I planned!<

 "SHUT UP!" he was going to slap her again. But then he was pulled away
from the tree roughly. 
"DARIEN!" she cried in shock. He had the guy on the ground, yelling
at him and hitting him in the face. Serena stopped her shaking knees.
That man was sick!!!! One of those people who want only one thing.
The man was around 40, so he was knocked out easily. Darien got off him
and immediately looked Serena over.

 "Serena!"
She ran to give him an embrace, for support. She felt herself trembling all
over.
"Darien...thank the gods you were here!: she cried into his shirt.
"SERENA! Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"
She felt her mouth. "My face is kind of sore." She confessed. There was a 
small trickle of blood at the left corner of her mouth. Darien rubbed it
a little with his finger and frowned.  "Brute!" he hissed, glancing at
the unconscious man.

 "Serena, come back with me to my apartment. I'll put a cloth on your face.
It's starting to look a little swollen. Does it hurt?"
She nodded. "It feels like my face is on fire." she whimpered.

 at his apartment, he sat her on the sofa and put a warm cloth on her
cheek.

 "OW!" she whimpered. "How can you men....when you really want to hit someone
then you really how know to make it hurt! It feel s like your whole face is 
on fire! OW!" she winced again. he cringed. "Not all men hit Serena."
"I know." She nodded ruefully. "But I could have hit him back and
it wouldn't have even bothered him, probably." she winced again as he put
a new cloth on.

"I don't hit Serena." he said softly. "I would never hit you." he glared.
"Did that man....do anything to you?"

"Other than what you saw? No, he tried but he didn't get too far. But that
was sonly because you were there." She smiled at him. "Thanks. I thought my
day was going to be worse than death but not THAT Bad!"
>How can she makes jokes! She was almost...< he wondered and shook off the
thought. Serena didn't deserve something like that.

  "Why aren't you in school?"

 She looked at her feet. "Um...I couldn't go. Don't look at me that way
Darien, I couldn't! Toby and I had a fight...yesterday and ...I can't face 
him after the things that were said." she looked suddenly miserable.
He held the cloth on her face for a few minutes more.

  "You mean you almost got attacked because of HIM!" he made a face.
"Your boyfriend is some person. He called me last night at 2 am to ask
if you were IN MY APARTMENT!"
Serena gaped at him. "He did WHAT? I was staying at Lita's."

"That's what I figured, you were at one of your friend's." she shook
her head and put it in her hands.

 "He could have waited till  e earlier to call me." Darien said wryly.
"We had one fight in the park and another one the phone at 12 1m. I
called him to apologize and we fought again."
"So the first one was your fault."

  "Well....he says it is." She didn't noticed Darien's glare.
"I saw him talking to Nita Cornloy, his old girlfriend. They were laughing
and I felt jealous and he started telling me I was acting like a 
child again and......" she shook her head. "When I called, he said he
was sick of me calling and apologizing. Said I was late even in apologizing
to him. He didn't care any more what I thought of who he talked to. 
I told him he had been really mean and he just told me to grow up again.
Then he made me cry and slammed down the receiver. I'm not that
bad am I?" she looked at him earnestly. Her cheek was a bit bruised and 
the look in her eyes clashed with it. It made him feel sorry for
her and angry at Toby, violently almost...as if he was the man in the park.

 "Serena...listen to me..there are people in the world that don't
care who you are,..,they just want to change you all the time...don't
try being something someone like that wants you to be because he'll
never be satisfied with it. I know I tease you , but I like you the way
you are. You're young and soon you'll mature a little. But everyone's
different."

 She hid her head in her hands.

"And now I go home with a bruised face! This is all I need!"
"Serena, come on. How about I buy you some lunch and then take you
back to school after recess? I'll say you were attacked earlier and
that way your teacher won't send a note to your parents. she looked a 
bit nervous.

   "Don t' worry, it wasn't your fault you have an attractive face."
She flushed patunia pink that time. He sat up and gave her an ice cloth.
"Put this on your cheek for a while to take the swelling down again."
she smiled after him as he went in the next room.
Darien could be a real pain, but times like these, he was almost perfect.





  OK everyone, this is all for this chapter!!!!!!
I want to thank Sidnei, Jennifer Wand, Razz, Lianne, Jade, Austin,
Moon star, Michelle Grazer, @my, and soem others I can't remember now
for the support they have given me on this. Hey everyone,
Jade and Austin are changing their story title to "The Golden General"
be sure to read it. It might seem a bit slow in the beginning but
it gets really funny!!!! I swear you'll s ee Serena ordering Malachite and 
Zoesite around!!!!!!!!! *^_^*

 Sidnei, hopefully is going to have another chapter out in her story
"Now and Forever" it's a really god story. WE are all waiting for
Lianne and Razz to finish their stories and I hope they do soon!

 So thanks to Artemis and Luna for putting my stories on
the site. I am probably getting to be a common customer!!!!!!
I hope not an annoying one *^_^*