Title: Love at Second Sight: Part 7 Author: Rena Shields Rated: G E-mail: Kylara21@hotmail.com AN: Hi, everyone! Don't worry, you're almost there! I am writing thisas fast as I can, you know. I will have the last chapter to this writtentoday or tomorrow, so . . . I am almost done! Sob sob, my first fanfic. Ahwell, all strange things come to an end. This IS a first season fic; I juststuck the festival in early. So, don't get confused! It is first season! Ok? Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon! ********************************************************* Raye stopped, looking at Serena with big, innocent violet eyes. "You will come, right? It means so much to me." Serena gasped. "Raye, Ididn't know you were so dumb! Of course I'll come to the autumn festival! I'd love to watch you fall offstage!" She smiled, waiting for the outburst. Raye grinned. "Of course not, Serena, that's your department!" Laughing at the fuming Serena, she turned to the other girls. "You'll come too, right?" The other girls said, "Of course, Raye! Serena's right, we doneed to be there to catch you if you fall off from stage fright!" All the girls laughed together, including Raye. Suddenly, Rayestarted coughing violently. Concerned, Amy asked, "Raye, that sounds reallybad! How long have you had that cough?" Raye responded weakly, "Threeweeks." The girls all gasped. "Three weeks and we never noticed! My goodness,I feel like a complete idiot." Raye grinned tiredly. "Well, it didn'thappen very often. Only right after I came home from rehearsal. I think I overworked myself on this too much." Mina jumped in brightly. "Well, you know Raye, you always haveNurse Venus to help you get all better! Besides, if I can't do it, youalways have CHAD to make you alllll better!" The girls all started laughing, whileRaye turned the brilliant, famous color of Mars. Red. Everyone had already left the temple when Raye went ballistic andthrew them out. Only Mina was left, and she insisted Raye get some rest andlet Nurse Venus take over. Half an hour later, the people waiting in line for the bus werenearly run over by the blond and green blur (Mina was wearing a green dress)coming from the direction of Cherry Hill Temple. She nearly blew out theireardrums yelling, "Raye, I'll get you a new stereo! I promise!" ***At the arcade*** Andrew was surprised to see Serena at the arcade after school. Wait; he was surprised to see her looking like the world was ending. She cameto the counter and before Andrew's eyes, melted into the counter. "Hey Serena, what's wrong? You seem a little down in the dumpstoday." The golden blob shifted slightly. She was just about to respondwhen- "Hey Meatball Head! You look a little depressed! What's up?" A voice came from the blob. It said, "My friend Raye's sick and Ijust know that if she can't sing tomorrow night, then she'll do somethingdrastic." Darien rolled his eyes. "What could be so drastic, Meatballbrains?" Not responding to the bait, the blob responded, "You have NO IDEAwhat I'm thinking." The blob rose, and somehow, it changed into a girl. Sighing, shesaid, "You should both come to the autumn festival. It was totally organizedby Raye, and it'll be fabulous. She's performing at 8, and I'll be thereto watch her, hopefully . . ." Sighing, she walked off. Andrew looked slightly confused. "Was that one of those secret,ulterior motives done by girls to make innocent, unknowing guys come tofestivals?" Darien shrugged. However, he did remember one thing: Serena willbe at the autumn festival at 8, watching Raye sing. ***The Tsukino Residence, early the next morning*** RING! RING! RING! Serena tried to ignore the phone, but it kept goingon and on. RING! RING! RING! Finally, she gave up. Flinging the pillowaway (and at Luna), she picked up the phone. "Yawn. Hello?" " Cough, cough. Serena, it's me! Raye!" Serena satup in shock. "Raye! You sound terrible!" Raye coughed. "I know. Whateveryou do, if you're ever sick, don't let Mina in the house. Anyway, I amsick (cough) and I can't sing tonight. I'll be able to announce all theevents like planned, but there's no way I can sing. Serena, that's why Icalled." Serena suddenly felt a very urgent need to hang up the phone. She had suspected this was coming . . . "You know, my song IS your favorite song, you know. You know all thewords, and you know you have a pretty voice. You're more in touch with thissong then I am. Oh! By the way, did I mention that this song is ending the festival? Isn't that funny! Did I also mention that I need areplacement? Oh, last of all, did I mention this: CAN YOU DO IT?" Serena felt a sudden urge to run far, far away. With a desperate tonein her voice, she said, "Raye, you KNOW I don't like singing on stage alone. I don't mind when I'm up there with my friends, but singing alone? Solo? That's always been your thing, Raye . . ." A pleading tone came into Raye's voice. "Please, Serena? (Cough,cough.) I need you to do it; you'd be great! Besides, if you don't . . ." And anew, strategy kind of note came into Raye's voice. "You'll what?" " I am a reporter for Azabu High's gossip column. I'lljust slip a note in there about the couple that won the best impromptuaward, and that'll be all . . ." All of a sudden, Serena imagined herself tied up to a wooden pole infront of a firing squad. 3, 2, 1 . . . "Ok, I'll do it." Fire. "Great! You know, Chad is so stupid! He accidentally picked up two costumes, and one of them is in your size! Isn't that lucky! Comeover right now and I'll go over the song with you and make sure you like the outfit, so hurry up! See ya bye!" Sighing, Serena got up and got dressed, and extracting what was left ofthe pillow from Luna's claws, she walked to Raye's.***The festival*** Darien waited impatiently. Where was Serena? She was absolutelynowhere to be seen. She had said she'd be here. He needed to see if he couldmanage to get her to start liking him a little more, and not as a friend. More in the romance direction. Darien watched as Raye went up to the podium, wearing a long reddress and a red jacket, looking uncomfortable wrapped up in so many layers. She also had an allergy mask on over her mouth. "Hello, everyone! Please excuse my appearance tonight, I have acold. Due to this, our performance list will be slightly changed. I will notbe singing tonight. However, I have found a fabulous replacement. Firstup, though, is the fashion show, performed by Molly Osap and Melvin Umino! (AN: Hey, Ann and Alan aren't here yet, so, I just came up with asubstitute!) Darien sat back in his seat as he watched the events go bye. Ashort, a fashion show, a magic performance . . . it all went by, and he waspreparing to leave when he realized it was eight o'clock anyway. He decided,'Might as well stick around for the last performance. Wonder where Serena is,since she never showed.' Raye walked up to the podium and said, "Hello, to wrap up ourperformance is the last song, a solo. It was meant to be sung by me, but I'm tooill to sing. However, please welcome Serena Tsukino, singing Oh, StarryNight!" And with that, Raye walked offstage and the curtains opened. ***Excellent, mediocre, stupid, or what? Tell me! Kylara21@hotmail.com ***