The final bell rang and Serena walked briskly toward her locker. 
She was in an almost dazed state. Darien wanted to talk to HER. It was 
unbelievable and Serena almost didn't believe it herself. She took out 
her needed books and replaced the un-needed ones in her locker almost 
unconsciously. 
	She started to walk away when she bumped into someone. She 
tripped back a couple of steps from the impact of the meeting and 
looked up to apologize. It was Darien.
	"I-I'm so sorry D-Darien. I d-didn't mean to bump into you," 
Serena stuttered. 'What's wrong with me?' She thought, 'I never 
stutter.'
	Darien smiled and took Serena's hand in his. 
	"I thought we had a date Serena. Come on, let's go." 
	They walked through the hall and out the doors hand in hand, 
gaining confused and bewildered stares from the onlookers. Serena 
didn't like all the attention she was getting and quickened up the 
pace. 
	"What's wrong Serena?" Darien asked when he felt Serena speed up.
	"Oh, nothing. I'm just not used to having so much attention," 
Serena reassured Darien. She couldn't tell anyone her real reason why 
she didn't want any attention.
	"That's okay Serena. I understand. Lets head to my car. Its just 
over there,"
	
	When they reached the car Serena gasped. It was a shiny red 
convertible. A SHINY NEW red convertible. It was-
	Serena had to stop her train of thought again. What was with all 
the elaboration over a car?
	Darien heard Serena's gasp and knew why. HE smiled to himself. 
Andrews plan was working great. Soon, he would be 500 dollars richer 
and have his best friend as a personal maid. The thought transformed 
Darien's mood. He was happier now. He looked back at Serena and his 
spirits downed a little. He didn't want to touch her and yet he had to 
walk down the hall holding her hand. It was preposterous. He would put 
Andrew on harsh maid duty when this was all over.
	Serena's face was unguarded for a moment when she was looking at 
the car and Darien intercepted the look. Serena's face was alight with 
pure enchantment at the site of his car. He was suddenly drawn to her 
eyes. Why had he never noticed them before? Her eyes were beautiful. 
They were blue with little specks of turquoise scattered around. They 
were very large and shining with delight. Why did she hide her eyes 
behind her ugly glasses? She could have at least found a pair of better 
frames.
	Darien frowned at himself, momentarily shocked and angry at his 
thoughts. He was actually complimenting Serena! And yet, he didn't feel 
remorse at the fact that he complimented her... He only felt pity but 
he didn't know why he felt it.
	With a quick shake of his head, Darien got Serena's attention and 
motioned for her to get into the car. 
Serena stopped.  She gasped slightly as she realized why this car 
had affected her so. It was the same model of the car that had torn her 
soul to pieces.  It was Sammy's car. The same as the one that was in 
some junkyard for it had been totaled and no longer repairable. Serena 
hesitated before she touched the door's handle. She hoped Darien hadn't 
noticed.
	Darien, however, did notice Serena's hesitation.  His lifting of 
an inquiring eyebrow went unnoticed by the oblivious Serena. Was there 
something wrong with his car? Or was she afraid to touch it for some 
twisted reason?
	Serena looked at Darien who was unnervingly staring at her. His 
eyes pierced hers and Serena felt a strange sensation in her stomach. 
At the sound of Darien clearing his throat, Serena forgot about the 
weird feeling she had when she saw looked into his eyes. Smiling 
sheepishly, a blush forming on her cheeks, Serena got into the car.
The interior of the car was leather. It was totally black and 
sleek. It smelled new. 
Serena was still staring into oblivion when Darien drove off.  
Darien looked toward her intending to break the unsettling silence but 
stopped short. Serena's face was once again unguarded and she looked 
terribly sad. Her thick glasses surrounded her sorrowful eyes and she 
looked vulnerable. 
Serena had no clue where they were going. She didn't care. She 
just looked forward, not really looking but noticing.
	The sky was a mixture of purple and blue and the sun was just low 
over the horizon. Stars began to poke out of the sky and the night 
looked wonderful. It made her remember the wonderful times she had 
before her brother died. But it was no good to think of that. Afraid 
that she would spread her somber mood to Darien, Serena turned away 
from the scenes.
	The car was so quiet. The radio was low and no one made a sound. 
Noticing the silence, Serena looked toward Darien to see him staring at 
her once again. He seemed not be looking at her but through her. Serena 
became wary and perceptively closed herself up again.	
"Serena, what's wrong?"
	Serena was still in her somber mood and although she had closed 
herself up, she still looked sad. 
She gave Darien a piercing stare that seeped through his eyes, to 
his soul. Only her eyes were unguarded at the moment. 
	"You should keep your eyes on the road," she said in a monotonous 
voice. 
	Darien, still feeling strange from the impact of her stare, was 
obviously baffled. Then, as if suddenly realizing he was still driving 
the car, he looked back to the road as if nothing had happened 10 
seconds ago. 
 	Serena turned to the passenger side window and began to look out 
again. Darien eyed Serena peripherally. Serena eyes were glazed and she 
looked on the verge of crying. Instantly concerned, Darien opened his 
mouth to ask her if she was all right again but stopped himself. He 
didn't really care about her. It didn't matter that she was sad. He 
shouldn't have felt anything when she looked at him with those sad and 
regretful eyes! But he had. There was no denying that. But, he assured 
himself, it was only the kind of concern one felt for anyone who looked 
really sad, even if they were the bitchiest person in the world. 
	Feeling better about his thoughts, Darien smirked.
	"Serena, you didn't answer my question," he put as much 
convincing as he could to make it sound sincere. Unconsciously, he was 
denying the fact that the 'fake enthusiasm' was in reality truly 
sincere.
	Serena didn't look from the window when she replied in the same 
monotonous voice, "Bad things happen to people who don't keep their 
eyes on the road," and that was all she had to say to HIM. 
	Serena was mentally scolding herself. She shouldn't have told him 
anything that somehow pertained to herself, even if it was indirectly. 
She was giving precious pieces of herself away to some stranger that 
she thought was somewhat cute. 
	Scowling out the window, Serena looked toward Darien. He looked 
like he was deep in thought, stray hair elegantly falling forward 
covering parts of his face. His eyes were a cerulean blue and had 
little flecks of a darker velvety color lining them. 
	So intent in staring into his eyes, Serena gasped when his eyes 
looked toward her. She was momentarily speechless. She quickly turned 
away and heard Darien groan in response. 
	Not daring to look toward him, she tried to focus on anything she 
could see out of the window. 
	Darien stared at Serena. There was something seriously wrong with 
her. How could she just look away as if she were afraid of him? Why 
couldn't she answer a damn question without all the melodramatics? And 
why did her eyes have to look through him instead of at him? Why?
	So many questions unanswered. Darien frowned. Why was he so mad 
that Serena couldn't look at him straight in the face? It was not as if 
he really cared. He shouldn't care that Serena wouldn't look at him and 
withheld secrets from him. But there was a nagging sense in the back of 
brain that wouldn't stop pestering him.
	"Serena, was I so cruel before that you feel you have to be on 
the defensive?" 
	He said it so gently and sincerely, Serena nearly blurted out her 
whole family story. At the moment, he seemed like a shoulder she could 
lean on and wouldn't be turned away or pushed off. 
	Serena smiled and slowly moved her gaze from the window to 
Darien. 
	"I really can't answer that Darien. But I thank you for your 
concern," 
	As they drove further, Serena's defenses moved down notch by 
notch until they were soon chatting amiably, laughing, and having, what 
Serena's thought, one of the best times of her life since the accident.
	Darien didn't understand Serena's need to hide why she was sad 
from him. But why was he so concerned? It's not like he really liked 
Serena. It was all a prank that would soon be finished and he would be 
able to return to his normal life. Darien's stomach churned at the 
thought. Why would he like Serena enough to feel pangs of guilt?
	Serena was so deep into conversation that she didn't realize that 
they reached their destination until he parked the car. Suddenly, the 
serene face changed to a face of stark terror and panic. 
	Instantly alarmed Darien looked toward Serena in silent inquiry.
	Serena couldn't seem to catch her breath. 1-2-3 breathe, she 
thought. It didn't work. She closed her eyes and silently counted to 
ten. When she opened her eyes, the look of terror was barely visible 
but the lines of panic remained in full impact. Serena looked toward 
Darien and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "D-Darien? Are we at 
the Crown Arcade?" the last came out in a rush and he had to lean in 
closer to hear her. 
	Darien's worry quickly faded to amusement and in a mocking voice 
he replied, "Yeah, Serena, why?" as if to state the obvious.
	If the situation weren't so strange, Darien would have laughed.  
	Serena smiled up at him with something that was supposed to be 
reassuring.
 "OH, umm? just nothing. Just wanted to make s-sure." Serena 
could feel her fake smile crumbling and she had to fight to keep it up. 
Soon, her mouth was trembling from the strain.
Darien eyes Serena, his look suspicious, then seemed to shrug it 
off and got out of the car. He walked to Serena's side and opened the 
door. Serena seemed to be staring off into oblivion.
Darien cleared his throat. When this didn't work, he cleared his 
throat a second time. And a third. Something strange was going on with 
Serena was Darien's first thought as he started to put a hand on her 
shoulder to get her to get out of the car.
When Serena felt something warm on her shoulder her first thought 
was to swat if off. Then she realized that it was someone's hand. She 
turned to see Darien staring at her strangely. 'Well' Serena said under 
her breath, 'someone's impatient'.
Serena tried to get out of the car but was held back. She tried 
again but still she couldn't get out of the car.
At the sound of Darien's laugh, she narrowed her eyes and glared 
at him.
"And what, may I ask, is so funny?" she said in an imperious 
tone.
Holding back another bout of laugher, Darien held his breath and 
tried somewhat unsuccessfully to say, "your seatbelt is still on,"
Serena flushed and looked down to see her seatbelt strapped on. 
Quickly, she took it off and jumped from the car, walking briskly from 
Darien.
Darien shut the door and ran to catch up with Serena. 
Serena turned at the sound of heavy breathing and turned to see 
Darien grinning at her. 'And shot by the secret weapon', Serena thought 
observing his smile. 
"Look, Serena, don't be offended that I laughed at you," he 
brought his smile up a notch higher, "It was just so funny,"
Serena tried to look injured but ended up laughing along with 
him. As they neared the door of Crown, Darien felt tension flow through 
the air. Serena stopped at the door of crown, looking in but not quite 
ready to enter.
And as she looked, the memories came pouring through.
~*F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K*~
The echo of thunder resounded throughout the arcade. Where is 
that dumb jerk? Serena thought to herself as she sat on one the stools 
drinking a milkshake. The TV in the corner of the arcade was blaring 
loudly and Serena turned her head as she heard an emergency news report 
come on. 
The reporters were standing in the area that Serena recognized to 
be Ringo Street; she passed it every time she went to the arcade. There 
was a car in the background and it looked very familiar.
The reporter started talking.
"Three teenagers on their way toward Crown Arcade were killed 
just a few moments ago. Lightning appears to have struck the car. Up 
impact, the car swerved and crashed into the tree. There were no 
survivors.  The names of the teens are not yet being released until the 
families of the victims are contacted.  We'll be back with more 
information in a few moments. Now back to you Ken?"
Serena's heart sank to her toes and her stomach was in a 
whirlwind of horrible sensations. She could hear nothing as she walked 
numbly out of the arcade. She heard people calling her to come back but 
she didn't it didn't register in her brain. She didn't realize that she 
was running until she felt the strong wind pushing her backward. She 
fought through the storm and wouldn't let anything stand in her way. 
Serena couldn't seem to breathe as she neared the disaster area. 
Her brother couldn't be dead!! Not the same one she threw toast at this 
morning. Not The same one who smiled and gave her a mussed her hair 
while dragging to the car to drop her off at school.
The tears blinded her. There were ambulances and reporters 
surrounding the area. Serena fought through the crowd, ignoring all 
protests. She had to see her brother.
She looked around and spotted his body about to be lifted into 
the ambulance?
"Wait!!" she called, running furiously toward the ambulance, "I 
want to see my brother,"
One of the workers, immediately sympathetic put a hand on her 
shoulder.
"He's dead honey. There was nothing we could do,"
Serena looked up at the nice man.
"He was my brother. He was coming to pick me up from the Arcade," 
Serena's voice broke, "he was coming to pick me up,"
And she sobbed into the strangers' arms.
*E*N*D* O*F F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K*
Serena didn't realize that tears were falling down her face until 
she felt a hand, Darien's hand wipe them away. He was in front of her 
now and was staring into her eyes looking at her tenderly.
"What ever is wrong with you Serena, It will be just fine," he 
said gently.
It took just that to get to Serena's heart. She realized that she 
somewhere between plummeting and love. And with no other than Darien 
who had just had a turnaround.
Darien saw the flicker of different emotions in Serena's eyes. He 
felt remorse now because he knew that he would really hurt her with 
Andrew's prank and he was starting to somewhat care for her. When he 
saw her stare at the door and cry, it unnerved him and touched him 
deeply and he could only respond the way anyone who confronted with the 
same emotions would react.
Serena put her hand in Darien's and leaned on his shoulder. And 
that's how they entered the arcade.