Just Plain Acting - chapter 2 (revised)
By Henra
HenraM@tuxedomask.com
PG rated
	   
  Need I say anything more? This is the revised version of chapter 
two. 

  Chapter three wasn’t out originally, and so, it’ll take some time 
(or not, depending) before it’s done. But email me, please, after 
you’ve finished, and tell me what you think of the story so far. =) 

The “| --- --- ---“ means a flashback, okay? And so “--- --- --- |” 
of course has to mean the end of one. ^__^

Chapter two (revised)

**************

	   “Thanks, and have a nice time with Alicia tonight.” Serena 
smiled, even though she knew Mark couldn’t see her. She clicked off 
her cell phone, and took out the keys to her house. 
	   As soon as she kicked off her shoes, the phone rang. She 
grunted, and half ran across her huge living room to get the cordless. 
“Hello?” She greeted into the phone.
	   “You sound breathless.” Mina’s distinctive voice traveled to 
her ears.
	   Serena smiled, and plopped herself down on the couch. She 
sighed heavily, and leaned back into the comfortable cushions. “I just 
came in through the door.”
	   “Ooh. Glad I called at the right time. So how was your day?”
	   “Terrible.”
	   “Terrible?” A sense of alarm came into Mina’s tone of voice.
	   “Oh, it’s not terrible-horrible kind of way, it was just…
tiring. All I want right now is to find something to eat and then fall 
into bed,” Serena said, closing her eyes briefly.
	   “Then I’ll let you go.”
	   “No, wait!” Her eyes opened, and she sat up straighter. “But 
you’ll never guess who’s my main co-star in the new movie.”
	   “I’d rather not guess. Just tell me.”
	   “Darien. Darien Gormen.” Just saying his name made her feel 
uneasy.
	   “Are you serious? You have to be kidding me. Oh my god, that 
is so unbelievable!” Mina sounded absolutely in shock. 
	   “Yeah, just what I was thinking.” A deep sigh escaped her 
lips, and Serena got up from the couch. She walked into the kitchen, 
and stood in front of the fridge.
	   “Damn. So I guess it’s too late to back out now, huh?” Mina 
was only half-joking, Serena knew. 
	   She pulled open the fridge door with her free hand, and 
surveyed the contents. “I told him that we have to put the past behind 
us in order to do our best in this movie.” She took out a yogurt, and 
closed the door with the side of her left foot. 
	   “But come on, it’s gonna interfere somehow.”
	   “I’ll make sure it doesn’t.” Serena grabbed a spoon, and went 
back into the living room again. 
	   “Serena, come on, don’t you think this is fate? Grab the 
chance, and--”
	   “And do what?” She cut in, not wanting to hear more. “It’s 
not like we’re going to get back together just after starring in the 
same movie. Besides, he and Raye Barrett are going out--didn’t you 
read the latest CELEB Magazine?”
	   “That’s just a rumor. Some reporter claimed to have seen 
them at a restaurant together--but that could mean anything. Just 
because they’re having dinner at the same table doesn’t necessarily 
mean they’re going out.” 
	   “Mina, what are you trying to do? Pull us back together? 
It’s not going to work.” Serena placed the cordless between the right 
side of her shoulder and face. She used her free hands to pull open 
the paper top from the yogurt, and dug her spoon into the container.
	   “Look, all I’m saying is, hypothetically, he asks you to 
dinner or anything like that, don’t refuse without even thinking 
about it first.”
	   Serena rolled her eyes. “Oh right, he’ll ask me to dinner. 
That doesn’t seem very possible, Mina, and you know why? Because he 
and I BROKE UP completely and totally years ago!”
	   “Three years--but that’s not even long.” Mina sighed at the 
other end, giving in. “All right, all right, just go take your nap. 
I’ll see you sometime later, okay?”
	   “Of course. Bye.” Serena pushed the big round button, and 
tossed the phone to the other side of the couch. She scooped out a 
spoonful of strawberry yogurt, and put it inside her mouth. She 
licked off the creamy content off, and savored it in her mouth. 
	   She closed her eyes, and a flash of Darien and her three 
years ago suddenly appeared before her. 

| --- --- --- 

	   “So this it?” Darien’s hair had fallen in front of his eyes, 
and his voice sounded hurt. He stood in front of Serena, his hands 
hanging at his sides. He was only twenty then.
	   Serena took a deep breath. At seventeen years old, she really 
didn’t want to chase away the only man in her life that she loved as 
deeply as this. She wanted to depend on him forever, to have him by 
her side, but she knew that if they stayed this way, neither of them
would be as successful as they wanted to be. “Yeah. It’s the best 
thing for both of us, isn’t it?” 
	   He looked at her, pain flashing in his eyes, but he nodded 
stiffly. “We both want fame.” 
	   “So I guess this is goodbye then,” she said in a soft voice, 
tears welling in her eyes. She cast her gaze away, knowing that if she 
looked at him any longer, she would break down crying.
	   “Yeah, I guess. I have an interview with a reporter about my 
upcoming movie this afternoon.” 
	   “Then go, be on your way. We’re…done here anyways.” She 
stared down, tears finally spilling over. She held back a sniff, not 
wanting him to know.
	   He didn’t move. 
	   Silence hung between them, choking them both. 
	   “Serena.” 
	   She didn’t glance up at him, didn’t want him to see her 
tears, didn’t want to look into his eyes…
	   “Serena, look at me. Please.” His voice cracked, sounding so 
heartbroken.
	   She raised her teary eyes to his, and held back a sob, 
looking at his face. It was so handsome…there was agony in his eyes, 
but there was also love. Undying love. For her. It was too much, and 
she would’ve looked away again had he not started talking right then. 
	   “No matter what happens--I’ll never love anyone as much as I 
love you.” 
	   She fought the words, refusing them, stopping them from 
entering her mind. But they were so beautiful, and her heart welcomed 
them, embracing them. A sob escaped her lips, and she flew into his 
arms, pressing the side of her face against his chest. She couldn’t 
help it; she loved him too much. 
	   He pulled her close, holding her tight.
	   After a few minutes of staying like this, Serena suddenly 
started to shake her head. She immediately loosened her grip on him, 
and tried to pull away. “NO. No, this is not right. Darien--we talked 
about it, and we made it clear.” Her eyes were pleading, although they 
were still shining with tears.
	   He shook his head, determined as he tried to pull her back 
into his arms again. “I don’t want to do this--I’d give up all the 
fame and money in the world for you.”
	   His words shocked her. She was still for a moment, knowing 
that she would do the same thing for him. But she couldn’t go through 
with it--she knew that becoming famous in show business was what both 
he and her desperately wanted. 
	   “Darien. We’re so young right now. We don’t even know what 
life is going to be like,” she said in a soft voice, as she touched 
his face tenderly. “We don’t know if we are going to last a lifetime 
together--because right now, we want to make it to the big screen, to 
have our names known by everyone in the country.” She ran her fingers 
slowly through his hair, then down his eyes, tracing his jaw. Her 
hand lingered on his lips, treasuring this last touch.
	   She was memorizing every inch of his face, wanting that face 
to be carved inside her memory forever. “That’s what we really want, 
and that’s what we should go for. There are sacrifices to be made…
and--this is one of them.” With that, she tore out of his arms, 
breaking all contact. 
	   “Please go.”

--- --- --- |
	
	   A tear trickled down her face, and she wiped it away gently, 
with the back of her hand. The yogurt suddenly didn’t seem appetizing 
anymore. She swallowed, and got up, wanting to take that nap. 
	   Serena sat down on her bed, and pressed her hands palm down 
on the bed, close to her thighs. She sniffed, and took a deep breath, 
trying to take control of herself. 
	   It was going to be painful. She knew--working in the same 
environment as him, be close to him--even KISS him, like the script 
required, was going to kill her. She didn’t know if she could get 
through it. It would bring too many memories back, both wonderful and 
agonizing, and she wouldn’t be able to focus on totally bringing out 
the character she would be playing during filming.
	   She fell down on her bed with a sigh. She lied on her back, 
her eyes staring at the ceiling, feeling slightly dizzy looking at 
the patterns. 
	   *Darien, please…I beg you, don’t make me fall for you all 
over again…* She shut her eyes, sleepiness washing over her. 
	   


	   Darien finished the third can of beer with one last gulp, and 
placed it down on the glass table.
	   A bitter smile formed on his face as he stared at the empty 
cans in front of him. He stood up from where he sat on the leather 
divan, and felt a head rush. He had to place a hand on the corner 
of the table to support himself. After he could see everything 
without feeling as if they were spinning, he grabbed a can, and held 
it in his hand. He then crushed it inside his palm, remembering how 
pale Serena had become when she saw him at the studio earlier today. 
	   He knew she was shocked beyond words. He had hoped that 
Duane, or someone--anyone, had told Serena about him co-starring with 
her, and she would be prepared when she saw him. But of course, no 
one did. She didn’t know a thing until she arrived there. 
	   He took another can, and then bent down to place it on the 
wooden floor. He raised his right foot, and then with all his energy, 
stepped down hard on it. He blew out a breath of air, and removed 
his foot. He looked down on the flat can, and a sudden overwhelming 
sadness choked him, causing his chest to tighten as it became hard 
to breathe. 
	   Feeling exhausted all of a sudden, he sat down on his 
divan again. He moved his position so he could lie down on it, and 
placed a hand on his forehead. 
	   ‘So I guess this is goodbye then.’ She had said. On that 
gray, gloomy day. 
	   He hadn’t wanted it to be, but what could he have done? He 
wanted the best for her, and he knew that she wanted to become the 
greatest actress there ever was. Loving her as much as he had, he 
couldn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams just because he had 
needed her. And he had wanted to make it big too; he couldn’t deny 
that--although he had been willing to give it up just for her.
	   A match made in heaven, that was what they were. They 
fitted each other in every way. 
	   
| --- --- --- 

	   “Where are we going?” laughed Serena, her eyes blindfolded 
by a black material that Darien had carefully wrapped around her head.
	   He glanced at her, smiling at how curious she sounded. “It’s
a surprise.”
	   “No hints?” 
	   “No.”
	   “Why?”
	   “Because,” he told her, his smile widening, “if I give you 
any kind of hint, you would figure it out in a snap.” 
	   “How do you know that? I may just be clueless.”
	   “If you think so, then why do you even wanna know? It’s not 
gonna help you.”
	   A small sigh escaped her lips, and she groaned. “Come on! 
You can’t do this! This is--this is abducting, you know that? Me, a 
helpless victim being taken somewhere that I don’t know and don’t 
wanna go.”
	   He rolled his eyes. “How do you know you don’t wanna go?”
	   “Because I don’t know where I’m heading.”
	   “Just--hold yourself back for a few more minutes, all right? 
We’re almost there.” He looked at her again, and his gaze landed on 
her pouting lips. His pulse started to race, and he had to remind 
himself to look where he was driving. 
	   She actually did stay silent the rest of the way.
	   When they arrived, Darien immediately killed the engine, 
pulled out the keys, and went out the car door. He walked around the 
gray convertible, and opened the door for Serena. “We’re here.” 
	   “Can I take off my blindfold now?” she asked as she stepped 
out of the car, her hands waving around in the dark.
	   “No. But you will. Soon,” he promised. He put an arm around 
her waist, guiding her to the destination point. “Watch out for the 
rocks. Here we go, come on.” He pulled her up, knowing that her 
curiosity was building with every movement. 
	   She grabbed his wrist, a little frightened, as she felt a 
sudden rush of air blow against her neck. “Where are we at?”
	   “Shh. Almost there. Come on, up, use your hands to support 
you on the rock,” he told her, hoping that she wouldn’t slip and fall. 
*Maybe I should take off the blindfold. I don’t want her to not see
the surprise and get injured first.*
	   She giggled, surprising him. “Where are we, Darien?”
	   He slid an arm around her waist, directing her to walk a 
few more steps. “More, more, more, STOP!” His heart almost stopped 
when he realized how dangerous it would’ve been if one more step 
had been taken. He stood behind her, and both of his arms circled 
her waist, as he whispered into her ear, “Okay, you can take off the 
blindfold now.” 
	   “Finally! My eyes were itching so hard and--WHOA!” Her breath 
got caught in her throat, and she automatically leaned back, into 
Darien’s arms.
	   “Like your surprise?” 
	   It took a moment for Serena to actually realize where she 
was. She was standing on top of a giant boulder, which was half 
planted on the mountain they were on, and half sticking out in mid-air. 
She stared at the view before her, and was again amazed. The whole 
city was insight. The red and white lights clearly indicated the 
freeway, of cars that were rushing back and forth. 
	   The tall buildings were what caught her direct attention. 
The dark background made the lights in the windows of buildings stand 
out, and she wondered how many people were still working during this 
hour of the day. 
	   “Like it?” Darien asked once again.
	   “Like it? I love it!” She breathed, and closed her eyes, 
feeling a soft breeze brush her face gently. She extended her arms 
out to her sides, and imagined that she was standing on top of the 
world. She opened her eyes again, and her gaze shifted down, until 
she realized that she was standing dangerously close to the edge of 
the rock. “OH man.” She almost stumbled, but Darien’s strong arms 
supported her. 
	   “Sorry. But you have to stand close in order to get the 
whole effect,” he explained, his arms tightening as he felt her 
getting more nervous.
	   “Yeah, well--I get the effect, all right.” 
	   He smiled, and turned her around gently so that they were 
facing each other. “I loved coming up here when I was younger. I 
used to sit, too, at the edge of the boulder--one wrong move, and I 
was a dead boy.” 
	   Her eyes widened, just like he thought they would. “Weren’t 
you at least a bit scared?”
	   “No.” He let go, and came to stand beside her, taking in 
the view. “When I stand here, and see how big and beautiful our city 
really is, I immediately forget all my troubles. It makes me feel 
guilty just thinking about how much I obsess over my troubles, when 
there are so many other people in this world, with problems much 
bigger than mine.”
	   Serena listened carefully, her eyes never moving from his
face.
	   “And as I stay here longer, more and more troubles of mine 
will then slip away, until I feel absolutely free. No more tension 
in my body, no more annoying thoughts bothering me…I feel at ease 
with myself, knowing that I’m just a tiny little part of this huge 
world. There’s no reason dwelling over things that can blow over 
just as quickly as they happen.” 
	   She studied his profile, and breathed out deeply. 
	   After a few more seconds of looking out at the city, he 
turned to her. A smile spread across his face, as he whispered to 
her, “I wanted to take you here because I want to share this with you. 
I want you to be able to know how it really feels to be here. To be 
free of everything, and just enjoy being on top of the world.” 
	   She felt like she was in a trance as she listened to him, 
her heart racing uncontrollably. 
	   “Serena…” His hand gently cupped her face.
	   “I love you,” she whispered to him, before he could continue. 
	   He seemed taken back. Then a beautiful smile again formed 
on his face, and he told her softly, “I love you too. I was just about 
to say that, you know--when you stole the words right from my mouth.”
	   She giggled, and looked up at him shyly. “I love you! Aah, 
it felt so free to say that!” 
	   He laughed, and he pulled her closer. “I love you more than 
anything in the world. And I swear, I will love you forever, my whole 
entire life.”
	   She felt a faint blush creep up to her cheeks, and she 
touched a hand to his face, feeling so timid all of a sudden. 
“Promise?”
	   He kissed her fingertips. “Promise.” 

--- --- --- |

	   Darien stared sadly at the empty space underneath the glass 
table, and shook his head clear of the mental image of him and Serena 
that night, so close together, so perfect together…
	   He sighed. He rubbed his eyes, and wondered what Serena was 
doing at that moment. Was she thinking of him, like how he was of 
her? Recalling those sweet memories, tasting the bitterness in their 
mouths? 
	   He sat up, and put his head in his hands. *It’s all in the 
past now. Why are you still thinking of it? Why can’t you let go?* 
	   Suddenly, an idea popped into his brain, and his heart 
started to pound, as he made his way to his bedroom. Somewhere deep 
inside his closet, was a box…a box full of pictures. Pictures of he 
and Serena. Pictures they had cut together from magazines, newspapers, 
and pictures that they took by themselves.
	   He wondered, as he stepped into his bedroom, was the box 
still there. But it had to be. He hadn’t moved it ever since he had 
put it there, when he first moved into this small house. He kneeled 
in front of the closet, hoping beyond hope that he would find it. 
	   He pushed aside the other small bags of clothing, gifts to 
him from other people, and finally, his hands rested on the box. He 
knew exactly how it felt, and he pulled it out, his pulse quickening. 
	   Putting it down on the floor, he stared at it, suddenly 
having doubts. If he opened it, he would be surrounded by old memories 
of Serena and him, and he wouldn’t be able to put it away until he 
had looked at every last picture. It definitely would make him sadder, 
looking at what he lost, but it would also make him happier, knowing 
what he once had. 
	   His shaky hands opened the lid. 



	   Serena smiled when she spotted Duane across the room. She 
mouthed a “Hi”, seeing that he was talking to some crewmen. She 
walked over to the refreshments, feeling her stomach growling. She 
hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.
	   She picked up a muffin, and was peeling off the paper wrap 
when she felt someone step up beside her. The hairs on the back of 
her neck stood up.
	   “Hey.” 
	   She continued to eat her muffin, and casually replied before 
biting it, “Hey yourself.” 
	   “Hungry?” Darien asked, looking at her while she ate.
	   “Yeah.” She swallowed, and flashed him a small smile, “I 
didn’t eat breakfast. I woke up too late.” 
	   “Couldn’t sleep?” His voice was direct.
	   She shifted her gaze to him, temporarily forgetting the 
muffin in her hand. “Yeah. How do you know?” She moistened her lip, 
somehow knowing what his answer was.
	   “Same here.” He smiled at her, a warm glow in his eyes. 
	   She looked away, starting to eat her muffin again. The 
soft cake-like food felt dry in her mouth, and she swallowed it, 
feeling it form a lump in her throat. She swallowed again, and again, 
until it traveled down to her stomach. She breathed a sigh of relief. 
“I need to get some water,” she said as she walked past him to the 
beverages. 
	   When she got there, she pulled a cup out of the plastic bag, 
and filled it with water. She gulped it down, eyes watching Duane, 
who was walking away from the men he had been talking to.
	   Duane stood in the center of the studio, and clapped his 
hands loudly, capturing everyone’s attention. “Actors and actresses, 
come with me, crewmen, please grab your equipments and load it onto
the car. We’re going to our movie set.” 
	   Serena crushed the cup in her hand, and tossed it in the 
trashcan nearby. She glanced back at Darien, and, seeing that he
 wasn’t looking at her, turned back and walked over to Duane.



	   “Place all the equipments in the right places, please,” Duane 
instructed once everyone arrived at the set. “Actors and actresses, 
come with me.” He waved a hand distractedly in the air, and waited for 
them to gather around him.
	   Serena made her way there, followed by Darien, with Felicia 
and Steven right behind. 
	   “We still need to find some extras for the movie, plus--I got 
the news today that Jennifer Lette isn’t able to play her role in the 
movie--Joanna. So basically, we need a last-minute replacement. Anyone 
got ideas?” 
	   No one spoke. An idea was lighting its way in Serena’s head, 
but she didn’t know if it was a good one or not.
	   “I mean, there’s no looks requirements--she can be any type--
brunette, blonde, red-haired. It’s a supporting role. The script 
doesn’t want her to necessarily look--” 
	   “I think I know someone,” Serena cut in, before she changed 
her mind. 
	   Duane looked at her, a light in his eyes. “You sure?” 
	   She nodded, feeling slightly nervous. She wasn’t even sure 
if it was okay. “Yeah. I’ll call her as soon as I get home. It’s Mina 
Wilkins--that actress from ‘Time passes.’ I think she’ll do fine.” 
	   “All right, now--but if any of you have other people in mind, 
please also call them. Just in case that it doesn’t work out,” Duane 
glanced at Serena, adding.
	   The others nodded. 
	   “The film day is starting either next Wednesday or Thursday, 
depending. Are far ahead are you guys at memorizing the lines? You 
know we’re doing Act 2, Scene 3 first, since there won’t be a need for 
any extras for that shoot.” 
	   “I’ve pretty much gotten most of it memorized,” Serena 
answered truthfully, with a smile on her face. She felt Darien’s eyes 
on her, but she didn’t turn to him.
	   “Me too,” Felicia said, looking at Serena and grinning. “I 
have short lines, anyway.” 
	   “Good, good,” Duane said, nodding his head approvingly. 
“We’re shooting next week, just keep that in mind. Everyone should be 
at the set at exactly six o’clock, to get ready, understood?” 
	   Serena grinned. “Of course. And thanks.” 
	   Duane frowned, confused by her words. “For what?” 
	   “For not making us be here at five in the morning,” Darien 
replied, his eyes dancing. 
	   Serena glanced at him, and felt her cheeks warm up. *Funny he 
should read my mind.* 
	   Duane laughed, patting Darien on the shoulder. “That depends. 
If we can get everything done, that is.” 



	   “Mina?” Serena bit her lip nervously, twisting the bottom 
half with her front teeth. “I have a favor to ask you. And PLEASE don’t 
say no before I even--”	   
	   “No.” The stern voice cut in.
	   Serena rolled her eyes. “Come on! I didn’t even tell you what 
the favor is!”
	   “All I know is, when you sound like that, it usually isn’t 
something good,” Mina told her, a slight teasing quality in her voice. 
	   Serena couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. “How can you 
assume such thing?” She forced a brighter tone, knowing that it would 
get nowhere with her friend sounding irritated. “Anyway, it is 
something that I think you’ll want to do.”
	   Mina laughed. “And when was the last time that I’ve WANTED
to do a favor asked by you?” 
	   Serena stuck out her lips, silent. After a few seconds, she 
heard a sigh from the other end and then Mina’s voice broke the 
stillness, “All right, what is it?” 
	   A huge grin broke out on Serena’s face, and she immediately 
blurt out, for she couldn’t really hold it back anymore for another 
second, “Duane Kustle wants you to have a part in ‘Anything for you’!” 
	   “What? Are you serious?” 
	   “Yes, of course I am! How can I be joking about this? Mina, 
you HAVE to be in this movie. You can’t say no.” Then, suddenly 
feeling guilty, she added, “Especially when I’ve sort of told him 
already that you will do it.”
	   “Serena…there won’t be any chance that you talked to him 
about me, is there?” 
	   “Mina! I can’t believe that you would accuse me when this is 
such a great chance for you! You can’t deny that you’re at least 
SLIGHTLY interested.” 
	   “No, I can’t. But…I’m not made for movies.” 
	   “Now that’s crap. If you can star in a television show, you 
can DEFINITELY act in a movie. Sure, it’s different, but you’ll get 
use to it in no time,” Serena said convincingly. 
	   “Okay, you know what, I’ll give it a try.” 
	   Serena bounced on her bed, and squealed, the idea of her best 
friend being on the set with her making her delirious. “Oh Mina, it’s 
gonna be so much fun, I swear!” 
	   Mina laughed. “I hope so. So what time I need to show up?” 
	   “I don’t know. The first filming is of Act 2 Scene 3, and I 
don’t think you have any lines in there. But of course Duane or 
somebody will contact you telling you the exact date you need to show 
up.”
	   “All right.” A note of happiness crept into Mina’s voice, 
“I can’t believe that I’m actually gonna star in a movie! Ha! 
Hopefully it will be the start of my big screen career!” 
	   “Now I gotta phone Duane and tell him that you’ll do it.”
	   “Use the other line.” 



	   “Now, look this way, darling--yes, you’re beautiful. Smile!” 
The photographer bent forward, and snapped another shot. 
	   Serena smiled naturally, without even thinking about it. 
	   She was at a photo shoot for next month’s issue of TEENS 
magazine, and she was getting tired. Her mind was dazed from seeing 
so many flashes--this photographer clicked nonstop. She let her body 
guide her into poses, and she smiled into the camera easily, having 
done this countless times. 
	   *Is the air conditioner even on?* She thought as another 
flash went off. She felt beads of sweat on her back, even though fans 
were turned toward her, lifting up her hair, giving an effect for the 
shoot.
	   “Just a few more, come on--yes, beautiful.”
	  The red leather pants was clinging to her legs, and her feet 
were just killing her. The backless plastic heels were getting more 
and more uncomfortable by the second, and she just wanted to kick 
them off and wiggle her toes. She blew her bangs away from her eyes, 
careful not to smudge her lipstick. 
	   She never liked photo shoots. The camera flashes hurt her 
eyes, and it was so tiring standing for so long. She liked shoots 
where she could sit or lie down, especially with a soft-carpeted 
surface. She could just ditch photo shoots for all she cared, but her 
publicist had told her that it was good for publicity. 
	   Yes, publicity. It was what started her to dislike for her 
career in the first place. She hated when reporters asked her 
ridiculous questions, and she had no idea what the hell those 
questions were based upon. Reporters were so nosy, and so damn pushy, 
always shoving notepads and microphones into her face. So maybe 
sometimes, when there were articles written that made her sound 
like a total goddess, she loved the attention. Who wouldn’t? But 
after a while, that got old, and it seemed to her, more criticisms 
were published, and she felt like a damned fool sometimes after 
reading rumors from the tabloids. 
	   “Pay attention, please, darling. We’re almost done.” 
	   *Yes, you said that ten minutes ago.* Serena sighed, but 
managed another smile on her face. Being an actress had its 
advantages; she could fool people with no problem. But then, she 
always knew how to do that, ever since she was a little girl. 
   	   She tightened her eyes, going for a sultry look, and placed 
her hands on her hips, and pouted her lips seductively. She couldn’t 
smile any longer, this shoot was taking longer than she had expected. 
She wondered when the photographer would be satisfied.
	   “Okay. One last shot--don’t smile this time…and we’re done.” 
The photographer lowered his camera, and grinned at her. “Thank you 
for your time.” 
	   She smiled back, and said, “Thank you for having me.” 
	   Oh yes. She was glad to know that she would be getting rid 
of it all soon.
	   


	   Serena opened her eyes with a start, and realized that there 
was someone knocking on her trailer. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and 
walked over to the door. She pulled it open, and looked down. “What?”
She immediately regretted her harsh tone when she saw Darien standing 
there.
	   He flashed her a brief smile. “Sorry to disturb your nap.” 
	   “Oh, don’t worry about it. I was only half asleep anyway.” 
She looked at him, and then immediately stepped back, gesturing for 
him to come in. “Don’t just stand there.” 
	   “Nice, uh, trailer you got here.” Darien glanced around, his 
thumbs in his pants’ front pockets. 
	   “Thanks. It can do for a temporary home, don’t you think?” 
	   “Yeah, definitely. It is very much you.” 
	   “You want anything to drink?”
	   “No, thanks.”
	   She nodded, forcing the smile to stay on her face. “So…
what’s up?” 
	   “Nothing, really. I just…” He looked away, swallowing hard.
	   “What is it? Come on, you know you can tell me anything,” 
she blurt out, and then regretted it, hoping that she didn’t make 
things uncomfortable. 
	   “Yeah, yeah, I know. I--um, I just don’t know if this is the 
right time to, you know, give you something like this.” His eyes 
traveled back to hers again, and locked gaze. There was an intense 
look in them, and she took a deep breath.
	   “Really.” She smiled genuinely, curious. “You gotta tell me 
now.” 
	   He hesitated for a few more seconds, and then half-smiled, 
and reached a hand into the back pocket of his jeans. He pulled out 
something, and wrapped his hand around it so she couldn’t tell what 
it was. “I was going through some old stuff the other day, and came 
across this. I thought, you know, that you might want it.”
	   She stared at the object in his hand, a queasy feeling 
tugging at her. “What is it?”
	   He flipped it over, and she now could tell that it was a 
picture. “Here.” He held it to her.
	   She took it from him, and glanced down at the picture, but 
not before giving him another wondering gaze. She almost gasped when 
she saw what the photo was of. “Oh my god…” she said softly, without 
realizing it. 
	   It was a picture of her, standing on top of a large boulder 
in midair, her arms extended out, a huge smile on her face. The 
background was dark, and she knew that it was at night. She felt 
slightly dizzy as she realized when the picture was taken.
	   It was on that night…that fateful night, when Darien had 
took her to his favorite spot on the mountain, that they whispered 
words of love to each other. She glanced up at him, and wondered what 
his intentions were, giving this picture to her now. 
	   As if reading her mind, he immediately explained, “I 
remember that you called me about it, because I had the camera, to 
give you a copy of all the pictures that we took that night. I…didn’t 
give you this a copy one, because I wanted to keep it for myself.”
	   “Why?” she merely whispered, her hands almost shaking.
	   “Because you looked so happy, and so carefree. I don’t 
know why, but to me--this one is special.” He smiled at her, and 
continued, “But now…I guess I need to give you this…you are the 
rightful owner of this photo.” 
	   She looked down at the picture again, and felt an 
overwhelming urge to hug him. She bit her bottom lip, and exhaled 
deeply, a soft smile forming. “Thank you.” 
	   “You’re welcome.” 
	   There was a silence after that, but it wasn’t an awkward one. 
	   “I just came to give you that. I guess I’ll be going now.” 
He glanced at her uncertainly one last time, and then turned to go, 
shifting his weight.
	   “Darien,” she called out, just when he was about to open 
the metal door.
	   He looked back at her, a hand on the bar, twisting his 
body slightly. “What is it?” 
	   “Thank you. Not only for the picture, but…also for that 
night.” 
	   He smiled. And then, without another word, he pushed out 
the door and left. 

____________________________________________________________

There were only two chapters out originally, and now I have rewritten 
both of them. So chapter three will be fresh and hopefully, won’t 
take too long. I don’t want history to repeat itself. *grins* 

And what did you think? Is the storyline going okay? Email me, 
please! I really need to hear your comments. =) It’s my fuel, to 
keep writing. 

http://www6.brinkster.com/moonieround

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