~*Author's note: Hi again. Thanks for reading part 1. Now... on with the show!*~

Hidden Depth

Part 2: Ex-friends

Serena stood up. "I should be getting home," Serena thought. She brushed all the sand out of her hair and clothes. "I'll visit Brooke tomorrow at the hospital to see how she's doing."

(Meanwhile......)
	"Brooke is still in the hospital and it's all Serena's fault," complained Raye.
	"She's so kluzty. I can't believe she tripped over a stupid twig," Mina mumbled.
	"Don't you think we're being a little hard on her? After all, we've been avoiding her ever since. Imagine how lonely she's feeling. We're having slumber party without her for goodness sake! That never happen before!" stated Amy
	"I'll tell you something else that never happen before, my tray of cookies aren't gone yet!" Raye exclaimed. All of the girls including Amy started laughing. All the girls laughed for a good five minutes until Amy spoke again.
	"No seriously. Don't you think we're being a little too harsh?" asked Amy
	"No way! Amy, think of it like this: We've been telling her for quite a while now that she needs to shape up. The negaverse is getting stronger and stronger and she's becoming a bigger baby by the day. She doesn't realize peoples' lives are at stake and she so she's not serious while in battle. Brooke is a good example. Because Serena fell like an idiot, Brooke probably is going to die. Serena needs to realize she needs to grow up; we've tried helping as friends but that hasn't work. I think she needs to learn by herself the hard way. Shwe has to become a different person in order to beat the scum of this world," said Raye.
	"I agree," said Luna, "Like I said before, I thought I finally got through to her but I guessed wrong. Serena needs to learn by herself now. I've been thinking... maybe Serena's not suppose to our leader."
	"Serena? Not our leader anymore?? Maybe your right," said Lita, "Do you guys really think we should have a new leader?"
	"Yes. I do. Like Raye was saying the Negaverse is getting stronger. We have to move forward, not backward in order to beat them," said Luna.
	"I agree," said Lita
	"Me too," said Raye
	"Me three,' said Mina
	The three girls turned to Amy. Amy looked up at then. "I guess it's for the best," she said.
	"Great! I think I should become the new leader," said Raye.
	"Wait! I think we should tell Serena after we find out with happens to Brooke. Serena is our friend and she doesn't need to know she's not going to be the leader anymore," said Amy
	"Your right," said Mina.
	"Until then, we're just going to have to put up with her," said Lita


(Back to Serena...)
    Serena briskly walked down the street. She loved walking by herself at night She has done a lot of walking ever since the scouts have been avoiding her. She finally realized how they felt about her. "All of this time I thought I had some real friends; boy was I wrong. How I could I be wrong at the only thing I thought was so right? Oh well... Serena is once again wrong, no surprise there," she thought to herself. Thinking about her ex-friends cause tears to trickle down her face. Just when she was about to cross the street, someone ran into her. Serena spun to the ground. Before she fell, two strong arms caught her.
	"I'm sorry about that Miss," said the voice.
	Serena looked up and found two blue eyes looking at her. "Darien?" she said dumbfounded.
	"Oh Meatball head...I didn't know it was you. It's the first time I bumped into you instead of the other way around." Darien chuckled.
	"Whatever," she said. Serena stood up. She picked up her journal from the ground.
	"Well, anyway I'm sorry I bumped into you," Darien said.
	"Oh...well... that's quite all right," Serena said. She walked away. Darien watched Serena walk down the street.
	"That's strange," thought Darien to himself, "She didn't say anything when I called her a Meatball head. She didn't even yell at me for bumping into her!" Darien followed Serena down the street. He finally caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder. "Wait Meatball head," Darien said.
	Serena spun around and snapped at him. "You know Darien...I'm SICK and Tried of YOU! I don't like that fact you keep putting me down SO much...grow UP!!! I'm not in the mood for your teasing. I don't want to put up with it any more!" Serena's shrill voice continued on, "GOD I have so much going on right now...more then you could imagine....and I don't need any smart alec remarks on how my hair looks or how many times I fall EverySingleDay!" tears rushed down her red cheeks, "Now IF you DON'T mind!" Serena pushed Darien out of her way and continued walking. Darien stood at the sidewalk surprised. 
	"Wow Darien... what did you do to Serena this time? I've never heard her yell at you like that before." Darien turned around and saw Andrew.
	"What are you doing here Andrew?" asked Darien
	"I worked a little late today and I was walking home. I saw you bump into Serena and all I heard was her yelling at her."
	"I need to go find her," said Darien impatiently. He started walking away but Andrew stopped him.
	"Wait, bro. Whatever you did, you got her preeettttyyyy mad. I don't think you should make it worse," Andrew replied.
	"But that's the point Andrew, I didn't do anything. Something is wrong with Serena and I need to find out why. She was crying Andrew, I've never seen her cry like THAT before." Darien tried to walk away again but Andrew stopped him.
	"Wait...since when did you care about Serena? I thought she was a meatball head," said Andrew.
	"ANDREW GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Darien looked down the street but Serena was too far away. "LOOK WHAT YOU DID! NOW I CAN'T EVEN SEE HER IN THE DISTANCE ANYMORE. I SHOULD GET MY CAR AND FIND HER," Darien rudely said.
"I get it know....you, you have feelings for her don't you?" asked Andrew, "The way you always teased her....you were just showing affection. Admit it."
"Ok I admit it. I've like Serena for a long time. Please Andrew, can you tell me where I can find her?" Darien sincerely said
"Nope sorry..." said Andrew
"Ok thanks anyway. I'll just find her myself," said Darien. Darien ran to his parked car across the street. After about ten minutes of driving, he found Serena walking on the side of the road. He felt sorry for her because it was cold outside and she didn't have a sweater on. He stopped on the side of the road and rolled down his window. "Serena," he said tenderly
"Darien don't even bother!" she said. Serena continued walking
down the road. Darien drove beside her. "Stop following me!" she snapped.	"Come on Serena. I don't know what I did but I'm really sorry... at
least let me drive you home, it's freezing out." Darien looked straight into her eyes and had an honest look of repentance on his face. Serena gave him a skeptical look. She hesitated and then got into the car. Darien rolled back up the window. He looked at Serena and she was still shivering. He felt her arm. "Dang...you as cold as ice," he said. Darien turned on the heater. "There you go."
	"Thanks," she mumbled.
	"For what?" he asked
	"Picking me up. After the way I yelled at you I figure you would never talk to me ever again." She looked up at him. "It's just that life is being really cruel right now."
	"I knew something was bothering you. You just didn't seem like yourself when you yelled at me. Actually for the last couple of weeks you've seem so depressed. Like a part of you died or something."
	"Wow, you know me better then I thought," Serena said. She stared into his beautiful blue eyes. "You not as swallow are you seem," she thought. 
	"Yeah, actually I've had a lot on my mind too," Darien replied.
	"Darien... do you know how it feels to lose someone you know" Serena asked, "and you have no one to talk to? No one really cares or understands what your going through?"
	"Wel-"
	"Go you idiot! Stop hogging the road!" Darien turned around and saw an angry driver yelling at him.
   	"Opps...I totally forgot I was on a busy street." Darien started driving. "So do you want me to take you home?"
	"To tell you the truth....I don't want to go home.." Serena said. Her conversation she had with Darien actually was nice. His concern for her made her feel good and it was different from the concern the scouts felt for her. Deep inside, she wanted to spend more time with Darien.
	"Really?" Darien asked with a tone of shock. "This could be your big chance Darien...don't blow it," he thought to himself. 
	"Well I can always take you to get some coffee," he offered. "We can continue our conversation.... somewhere were an angry driver won't yell at me." Darien and Serena laughed. This was the first time in a long time she laughed.
	"That sounds nice," she said. Serena  similed, at least Serena has one friend now that cares about her.