As of Yet Untitled
By Karishma
Part Two
Rated: PG
    And then there was the time when I was nine and once again we 
decided 
togo to the house for vacation. Well, I suppose I shouldn't say 'we', 
it was 
all my parents' idea. Luckily, my experiences with the Terrible Two 
were 
dying down. Their lives were filled with homework, sports, 
extracurricular,
and for Andrew: girls. Summer was practically the only time I had to 
put up 
with them. But two years still hadn't changed me, or them, for that 
matter, 
I was still a wide-eyed, timid thing.
     "Hey, Serena!" Andrew called me over one morning. I had been in 
the
kitchen helping the cook carry over breakfast. As I leaned over to 
place a 
bowl of fruit at the center of the table outside near the pool, Andrew 
grabbed my wrist. "Kiss Darien, okay?"
     I looked at him with fear instead of disgust. Ever since Andrew 
had
started to develop a taste for girls, he had expected Darien to as 
well. But 
Darien, being two years younger, still thought of them as yucky. And I 
thought of boys as yucky, as well, so it was fine with me.
     Darien still hadn't come down, and when he entered, he was 
bare-chested 
and had two shirts draped over each of his arms. "Which one?" He held 
up a 
black shirt and then a light blue one. I pointed to the black one and 
he 
promptly pulled the blue over his head.
     "We were just talking about Serena kissing you, Dar," Andrew 
teased, 
taking a huge bit out of his pancake.
     Darien's nose wrinkled as he plopped down in his chair.
     "My sentiments exactly," I muttered, and then scolded myself for 
being 
so bold when the two brothers looked over at me, matching smirks on 
their 
faces.
     Darien leaned over and my eyebrows shot up to my hairline in 
surprise. 
As he drew closer to me, I jumped up and ran from the table, he chased 
me in 
hot pursuit all around the pool and finally up the marble patio where 
he 
slipped and fell on his back. Andrew had ran after us to see the 
excitement 
and promptly fell into a similar position as his brother. The two lay 
there 
while I turned to look at them, my mouth in a small 'o', wondering what 
their reaction would be. They began to laugh uncontrollably and they 
high-fived each other.
     I tentatively came over and stood in the space between their 
bodies. I 
held out a hand to each of them. They stared at each other and then 
accepted 
my hands. The next thing I knew, I fell unceremoniously on my bum right 
in 
the middle of them. My shocked face sent them into another round of 
hysterics and after a moment I too joined in the laughter. Another 
mistake.
     They abruptly stopped and looked at me.
     "What are you laughing at? Are you laughing at me?" Darien pointed 
to 
himself, now sitting up.
     Andrew leaned back on his propped elbows. "Are you laughing at 
me?"
Tears began to form in my eyes. "Say sorry," he commanded.
     What else could I do? "S-Sorry, sir," I whimpered and ran my 
finger
underneath my nose.

     My tale then continues to when I was thirteen and once again we 
went on 
what seemed to be tradition, our summer vacation at the house. At this 
point 
we were all growing up, Andrew would even be going off to college soon. 
And 
although we had each matured in our own way, the Terrible Two's 
attitude 
toward me certainly hadn't. Well, I can't blame it all on them, my 
opinion 
of them hadn't grown any higher either. But I had begun to notice, 
after all 
my friends had pointed it out to me, that Darien and Andrew had both 
grown 
to be quite attractive. They had both grown tall, Andrew still a head 
taller 
than his younger brother. Their faces had grown more chiseled and had 
taken 
a fine shape that would mark how they would look as they descended into 
adulthood.
     The brothers each had their own type of attractiveness. Andrew was 
the 
All-American boy; blonde hair, nice tan, and twinkling hazel eyes. 
Darien's 
thick head of black hair contrasted wonderfully with his piercing eyes 
that 
usually set my friends in a swoon. I, however, acknowledged his looks 
with 
disdain. Yes, they were undeniably wonderful. But, no, a creep like him 
didn't deserve them.
     Anyway, we had spent about a week at the house with no incident 
and
needless to say, I was very suspicious.
     One afternoon, we were playing a game of softball, yes, softball 
in the 
yard. It was Darien's turn to bat and Andrew threw him the ball. Darien 
hit 
it and I ran to catch it, I was backing up and before I knew it I had 
left 
the grass and was on the deck of the pool. I leaned over backwards to 
catch 
the ball and thenI was floating.
     No, I wasn't floating. I was fallingstraight down into the pool!
     Now I should probably take some time apart to explain something. 
When I 
was thirteen, I didn't know how to swim. I never really had the time 
nor 
desire to learn. We didn't have a pool at our house because my mother 
has 
always been terrified of the water.  But you can be sure that after 
this 
incident, I took lessons immediately.
     My mother shrieked so loud my ears hurt underwater. I had fallen 
in the 
deepest end and was bobbing up, then sinking, bobbing up, and then 
sinking. 
A vicious cycle. She along with Mr. and Mrs. Sandborn ran over to the 
pool's 
end.
     I remember seeing Darien and Andrew laughing their heads off back 
at 
the yard until their father yelled at them to come over and save me.
     "Why doesn't she just swim?" Andrew complained, seventeen and 
still 
caring and sympathetic as usual.
     "She doesn't know how! She doesn't know how!" My mother was in
hysterics. I was just fighting for air and trying to stay up.
     "Then what the heck is she doing in the pool?" Darien asked as if 
it 
was the most obvious thing.
     "She fell in! Just go in and get her out!" Mr. Sandborn yelled, 
which 
was extremely unusual for the mild-mannered man.
      "You go," Andrew gestured to his brother with his chin.
     "No, you!"
     "You go."
     "You!"
     While they had their dispute, I was contemplating giving up 
fighting 
and just sinking. At least that way I wouldn't have to hear this.
     "John-can-point, okay?" Darien suggested and they did so. Darien 
got a 
rock with Andrew covered with paper. Darien groaned loudly and then 
suddenly 
his face brightened. "Two out of three!" They proceeded to do so again 
and 
Andrew won again.
     Darien sighed heavily as if he was doing me the biggest favor in 
the 
world. He slowly took off his watch while I splashed around wildly, 
screaming through swallows of water.
     "What are you doing!?" Mr. Sandborn yelled. "Go in and save her!"
     "Hey! If you want her so bad, you go!" Darien shot back, hands on 
his 
jean-clad hips.
     "You know his heart problem," Mrs. Sandborn argued and her husband
nodded his agreement. My mother couldn't very well jump in either and 
my
father was upstairs napping.
     "Fine!" Darien said and he proceeded to take of the silver, chain 
link 
bracelet he always wore. He placed this all in his brother's hands, 
doing so 
patiently as if I had all the time in the world.
     "Would you just go in!" Mrs. Sandborn wailed.
     "Mother, please." He shushed her.
     "But look at her!" She gestured to me shrieking and splashing 
about.
     He glared at me for a second while I was making a ruckus and then 
he 
took on an expression as if he was developing a headache. Finally, he
snapped. "Oh, would you just shut up! I'm coming already!" He took off 
his 
shirt and I'm sure he would have undone his shoes had not Mr. Sandborn 
shoved him in.
     After his splashy entrance to where my home had been for the past 
few 
moments, he easily swam over to me and grudgingly gestured for me to 
come 
into his arms. I willingly did so and wrapped my arms around his bare 
neck. 
After a moment, I realized how close he was and much I liked. I berated 
myself for doing so and for thinking how his chest was growing harder.
      I turned my head and was nose to nose with him. I lost my breath 
and 
stared him in his cerulean eyes, my mouth slightly parted. I jumped 
away, 
slightly miffed, and promptly sunk. He growled in irritation and took 
me in 
his arms again.
     That was the first and last time I had allowed myself to get close 
to 
Darien. I avoided him at all costs, especially being alone with him. I 
knew 
I was being stupid; he probably hadn't at all felt the same way I had 
in the 
pool. What exactly had I felt? Certainly not attraction. That couldn't 
possibly be it.
     Could it?

      These doubts about my feelings for Mr. Darien Sandborn were 
dismissed 
as soon as I returned back to my normal schedule at home and school. 
Only 
later, when I was sixteen to be precise, did they rise up again.
     Guess where we went for our summer vacation? Go on, guess.
     Right! My happy place. Filled with sunshine and every thing good. 
Yeah,right.
     One morning, my mother sent me out to find the brothers who by now 
had 
grown into quite good-looking adults. They had gotten up early, as 
usual, to 
work out in the built-in gym the house had. I entered the room to find 
them 
sitting next to each other on chairs, pulling up weights with their 
arms,their elbows resting on their thighs.
     I nervously headed toward the pair, wringing my hands and fighting 
the 
urge to play with my glasses.
     "Um, break--"
     Darien snapped his head to me and stared in my direction. "Aren't 
you 
ashamed of yourself?" My head flicked up in surprise. "Here we are
practically half-naked and you come waltzing in!"
     Of course, I had no idea he was kidding. And I didn't think 
wearing
tank tops and work out pants was the definition of being half-naked, 
but I 
didn't dare say so.
     Andrew laughed and dropped the heavy weight. A man of twenty, he 
had 
grown up to be quite a ladies man, and Darien, of course, was following 
in 
his footsteps.
     Darien's face changed immediately and his eyes laid on barbell 
with
medium sized weights on either side. It was laying right at my feet. He
donned a commanding expression and said, "Bring that barbell over her,
Serena."
     I leaned over meekly in my ankle skirt and blouse and tried to do 
what 
I was told. I realized just how stupid I must of looked when Andrew 
started 
laughing, and Darien's rich voice joined in.
     Standing up immediately and trying unsuccessfully not to blush, I 
set 
out to fulfill the purpose I was sent here for. "Breakfast is ready." I 
rushed out and turned around to sprint out of there.
     "Wait, Serena!" Andrew's voice called be back. I slowly turned 
around 
to face them and was startled when I realized that they were right in 
front 
of me. "Which one of us looks better?"
     My eyes widened and I missed the amused twinkle in Andrew's eyes. 
I
took a step back and so did they. At that time, they looked positively
menacing, but I would berate myself, years later, that they were only
teasingas always.
      But at the situation, what could I do? There was plain answer 
without 
offending one of themand that I certainly didn't want to do. I was 
already 
afraid of them. And now, with their built bodies honing in on me, I 
became 
desperate.
     "I think you both look the same!" I blurted out and ran out of 
there as 
if Satan was chasing me.
     I barely heard Darien say, "That's not an answer."

     It was a few days later when the tables were turned and Darien had 
to 
come find me so I would come down to breakfast. I, however, was not in 
the 
gym. No, I was happily dreaming in my warm bed when an intruder, albeit 
a 
handsome intruder, but an intruder nonetheless barged in my room and 
stalked 
over to my bed.
     "Hey, sleeping beauty," he nudged my slightly and I moaned in 
protest. 
I was half under and half over my fluffy white covers due to the summer 
weather and was perfectly comfortable. I don't think part of me even 
acknowledged that Darien Sandborn was in my room and watching me sleep.
     "Okay, Princess," he said sarcastically. "It's time to wake up and
grace us downstairs with Your Majesty's presence."
     "Let me sleep, it's summer!" I mumbled and nestled myself further 
into 
my warm pillow.
     Darien shrugged and lifted one side of the comforter. "Fine, let's
sleep." He then slipped into the bed, fully clothed in his usual 
wardrobe of 
black boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved, ribbed shirt. I don't think I 
knew 
he was there before he got himself comfortable and I felt him brush 
against 
my back. Then I shrieked and galvanized into action.
     He came out from under the covers and stared at me innocently, his
unusually blue-silver eyes wide. "I thought we were going to sleep."
     At that moment I felt naked. No, not because I sleep that way. I 
had on 
flannel jammies. But because I didn't have my glasses on, I can see 
just 
fine without them, but in their absence, Darien was looking at my full 
face, 
not just the thick lenses I wore. I raked a hand through my hair trying 
to 
restore order to it.
     I ran to my bathroom and slammed the door shut. I found my 
reflection 
in the mirror and realized I didn't look that bad. My hair was slightly 
tousled, bu other than that, I looked decent.
     But why did that matter to me?!