Title: I Cannot Believe You
Author: Fifi
E-mail:fidelia_ho@hotmail.com
Website: www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Springs/9276/
Rating: G

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Chapter 3
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Darien rubbed his hands as he stood before the only painting that covered his apartment wall. 

"Ok," he thought. "Serena wants to play hard to get, I'm game." He walked around his couch, 
through his kitchen, and then returned to the painting. "Hmmm..." He scratched his head, deep in 
thought. "Serena loves me, of that I'm sure. She's just too stubborn to admit it." He chuckled. 
"It's like we're meeting for the first time again. Although, now that she has a boyfriend," he 
thought sourly, "It may be a bit more difficult."

After pacing his apartment once more, he finally sat down on his couch. Resting his head on his 
left hand, he stared intently at the painting. 

"How to go about the matter is a different story, though." His tongue peeked through his mouth 
and touched his lips. "Seiya is her boyfriend. Obviously her taste in men took a turn for the 
worst... but maybe she likes ugly, obnoxious men," he concluded. Sighing, he tilted his head to 
the right. "Perhaps, she's with him because he's filthy rich and famous..." He reached for a 
glass of water, but found none. Pulling his hand back, he sighed again. "Or maybe she likes his 
horrid long hair and snobby attitude." 

Sighing for about the hundredth time that evening, he laid himself down on the couch. Holding his 
hands over his stomach, he stared at the ceiling, searching for an answer in the white plaster. 
"I just don't get it!" he screamed. "How can she dump a classy guy like me for 
that...that...singer!" he said with disgust. He crossed his arms, his contemplation driving him 
slowly insane. Suddenly, he sat straight up, an idea popping into his head. 

"Fine, she likes that kind of man, then she'll get that kind of man." Patting himself on the 
shoulder, he chuckled. "Darien, my man, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for." 

Slowly, he made his way to his bedroom, getting ready for the big day ahead of him. As the door 
closed behind him, the portrait for the pretty couple smiled upon the plain, and tidy apartment. 
Peggy Jones, you are a genius! 
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The next morning, Serena woke up all refreshed and ready to work on her manga idea. Slowly 
getting out of her bed, she began her daily routine: Brush teeth, shower, eat, and then hit the 
drawing board. Slipping into a comfortable set of clothing, she pulled up her sleeves, and sat 
down at her desk. Beside her, her coffee steamed, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Outside 
her window, the birds chirped happily as they did each morning when she was younger. 
Surprisingly, at her age she still continued to live with her parents, yet nothing was better 
than home, was her reasoning. 

Picking up her pencil, she began doodling on a clean sheet of paper. Something unique, something 
attractive, something defining, that's what she wanted for her character. Yet why was it so hard 
to find something unusual and keep the feeling of awe rather than disgust? Hmmm...plain, straight 
hair was as it implied: boring...perhaps a ponytail? Rainbow coloured hair? No! She crossed out 
her awkward yet beautiful new design. She wanted something to catch the readers' eyes. Something 
special. Something...something... Why was it so hard to create the main character when she had 
everyone else? 

Unconsciously, she allowed her hand to draw without her mind guiding it. Slowly, a picture began 
to form. Slowly, she realized she was drawing meatballs on her characters head. Dear Serenity! 
Why hadn't she thought of this before? Meatballs, dumplings, odangos, whatever people called them 
nowadays, it was perfect!

She stood up, twirling around, when she caught someone staring at her through her window. 
Suspiciously, she walked over, and opened the window.

"What do you want, Darien?"

Two eyes covered by a domino mask peered through the leaves of her front yard tree. 

"Nothing. I was content on watching you work." He held out his hand. "Please, go on. Forget I'm 
here."

"Are you crazy?" she whispered, but it came out all squeaky as she tried to yell. "You're on 
private property, need I remind you? No one goes tree hopping early in the morning. Not even 
Tuxedo Mask!"

Looking about him innocently, he shrugged. "I seem to be doing fine. Don't worry."

"Get out of there, right now!" she said, her voice rising. She started to walk away.

"As you please," he said sarcastically. Jumping from his perch on the branch, he landed inside 
her room.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" she asked again.

"Hey, you told me to get out of there. Now I'm here. You got a problem with that?"

She glared at him. "You egotistical moron. Leave my room, rather, my house, this minute!"

"Now, now, dear." He smirked. "Don't be hasty. I just want to talk with you."

"You have more faces than I can count, Chiba. From classy, to timid, and now you're arrogant all 
over again! I'm getting dizzy." Holding her head, she used her other hand to stable herself.

"I love you, you love me. That's all there is to it. So let's stop this little game of yours, and 
then we'll live happily ever after!"

"Darien, your ego is so big, I can't see past your nose."

"Flattered."

"You say I love you. How come I didn't even know that?" Her arms akimbo, she sighed. "I'm always 
the last to know everything."

"There's no need to be sarcastic, honey. Just relax. After we're married, we'll talk about this 
little conflict. For now, let's make happy and ring those wedding bells!"

"I can't believe you, Darien. You come marching back into my life after a period of 8 years. You 
want me to dump my boyfriend, whom I like very much by the way, so that we can get together. You 
come barging into my room without invitation and expect me to throw my arms around you? Are you 
stupid, or something?"

"You're really something, you know that? Any girl would 'throw her arms around me' as you say. 
Why don't you?"

"Oh, excuse me, almighty highness. Pardon my mistake in not following the way of the normal 
girls. I can't help it if I was born this way. You deserve someone who will give you the love you 
deserve and crave. It's obvious that I'm not that girl."

"Look, I know you think you're not good enough for me, but love fixes all that! Come now. Now 
that that's settled, we can make our vows, and live in a big mansion with lots and lots of 
babies." He put his arm around her, but she shoved his away immediately.

"Let me say this one more time. Get it into your head! Did someone hit you in the head when you 
were gone or something, because this really can't be you. Leave now! I've got much work to finish 
and things to do. If you want to play prince and princess, I suggest you seek out Raye or 
something. Bye bye," she said, while she waved at his unmoving body. "Well?"

"Fine, fine. I'll let this go for now. But you know where to find me when you suddenly realize 
that you love me." He winked as he made his departure.

"Bastard," she swore under her breath.
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~end of chapter 3~