Okay, the poem used in this story is, once again, mine.  It has no
title,
but I will personally track down and kill whoever deigns to use my work
and not give me the credit for it (I'm talking about the POEM!  Not the
Sailor Moon characters!  We both know I don't own them!).  ;-)  If you 
ASK, however, to use the poem, I might be a little more compassionate 
toward you...not that you'd actually WANT it or anything...

"Love Waits for You"
   by Stormlight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eleven
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	The weekend passed with little mishap.  Serena tried to 
seek Ryan out several times, feeling that it was urgent to talk 
to him and let him know right away where things were leading-namely 
nowhere-but he was nowhere to be found, which frustrated her to no 
end.  She and Molly spent the whole weekend together, and she 
confessed her changed feelings about Ryan, whereas Molly squealed 
and nearly knocked Serena over with her enthusiastic response.  
Apparently relief didn't even begin to cover it.

	On Monday, Serena stood before her class and read the poem 
she'd written the night she'd realized her true feelings for Darien, 
trying her best to keep her knees from knocking together as she 
poured out her heart to the class.  When it was over, she received 
a standing ovation with Molly acting as head cheerleader, and Miss 
Haruna looked like she was about to go into cardiac arrest from 
the shock.  

	Serena got an "A" on the poem.

*	*	*	*	*
	Molly cornered her in the arcade after school, and the 
decidedly determined gleam in her green eyes was warning enough 
for Serena that she was about to be interrogated.  "Hey, Moll!  
Want a burger?  My treat!" she suggested nervously, trying to 
distract her friend, who was now circling her like a vulture.  
She forgot, of course, that using food as a distraction was 
something that generally only worked for herself.  

	"Okay, Sere.  Who is he?" Molly asked, completely ignoring 
her question.

	"Who's who?" Serena asked innocently.

	"Don't play innocent with ME!  You know who I mean!" Molly 
pouted.  "The guy in your poem!  Who IS he?  Do I know him?"

	Serena giggled, a sweatdrop appearing on her forehead.  
"Get real, Moll!  It was a stupid poem!"

	"Nu-uh!  The assignment was to write about something YOU 
CARE ABOUT...and you wrote about a boy!  So who is he?  And DON'T 
tell me it's Ryan, or I'll knock you into next week!"

	Serena gulped.  "Well...uh...you see..." she stammered, 
not sure how to get out of the trap she'd walked into.

	"Let me see it," Molly commanded, holding out her hand and 
wagging her fingers.  Serena pouted and slumped down into her seat.  
"Come on.  Let me see the poem," she demanded again.

	"No," Serena replied sulkily.

	"Serena!  Show me that poem!"

	Serena huffed, then reached into her bag and yanked out a 
slightly crumpled paper with a large A scrawled in red ink on the 
top.  "Fine," she grumbled, shoving the paper at Molly, who scanned 
it with keen eyes.

	"Ah-HA!" the redhead crowed, pointing to a certain line.  
"You mention black hair and...and BLUE eyes!  It's DARIEN, isn't it?  
Isn't it?!"

	"Shut up, Moll!  D'ya want the whole world to find out?!  
Geez!" Serena hissed, snatching back the paper and shoving it back 
into the bag, glancing around nervously.  There was no sign of black 
hair and blue eyes in the arcade, but one never knew... "Come on, 
let's go to my place and watch a video, okay?"

	"Only if you'll tell me all about Darien!" Molly sang, her 
eyes sparkling wickedly.  

	Serena clapped her hands over her friend's mouth and 
practically dragged her to the door.  "Okay, okay!  Just hush up 
already!" she nearly snarled, smacking her across the back of the 
head.  Molly squealed and laughed as she ran out of the arcade, 
taunting Serena all the way. 

	Things were definitely back to normal between those two...

	Neither of them noticed a slip of paper, shoved halfway 
into Serena's bag, fall from its resting place and flutter quietly 
to the floor behind them.  

	But somebody else did, and when he picked it up and began 
to read it, stormy blue eyes slowly widened with wonder. 

	"I thought I had found someone
	to care for me,
	but I was wrong.
	Our love was an illusion,
	like the image in a mirror,
	and when I looked into that mirror
	it cracked...
	
	My world was dark,
	Aloneness my only companion,
	until you came;
	my dark, beautiful prince.
	Hair like polished ebony,
	eyes like the mysterious sea,
	so dark and turbulent and passionate...
	How can I keep from drowning in them?
		
	How can I keep from
	hoping,
	dreaming,
	that someday those eyes
	might look to me with love?
	Because only your love
	will drive away my dark companion
	and let Wholeness take its place...
	
	It is your love I crave,
	no matter how cold and aloof you seem.
	Aloneness is your companion, too.
	Will there be a time
	when you'll allow my love
	to warm your heart?
	Will your mirror crack
	if you see my image within it?
	Can you accept
	that I love you...?"

	Raising his eyes heavenward, a soft smile tugged at Darien's 
lips as he clutched the poem to his heart...


*	*	*	*	*
	"Where IS it?!  I can't find it ANYWHERE!" Serena cried 
as she proceeded to turn her empty book bag upside down yet again 
and shake it over her bed.  Its contents were already spread out 
all over the place, but among the books and pens and pencils, there 
was no sign of a certain piece of paper anywhere.  She'd already 
turned the rest of the house into a hurricane disaster area 
searching for it there, as well, but it had not turned up.  "If 
Darien gets a glimpse of that poem I'll just DIIIEEE!" she wailed, 
causing Luna and Molly to cover their ears at the sound.

	"I'm sure it'll turn up," the cat began comfortingly.  Now 
that Molly knew the secret, it was okay to talk in front of her, 
although Molly had just about died of shock after the first time 
Luna said hello to her.  Even now she still looked a little 
uncertain about a talking cat.  "You probably dropped it in 
arcade.  Somebody will find it and turn it in..."

	For some reason, this only made Serena wail louder.

	Finally, Luna had had about all she could take.  "All 
right!  Quit wailing!  Let's retrace your steps to the arcade and 
see if it's still there!  Maybe nobody found it yet!"

	Serena sniffed.  "Really, Luna?" she asked.  "Thank you!"  
She picked up the cat and gave her a tight hug.  "Let's go right 
now, okay?"  She put Luna on her shoulder and grabbed Molly's hand, 
racing out the door and calling goodbye to her mother.  It had only 
been a half hour since she'd come home and discovered the poem 
missing.  Maybe nobody had found it yet...

	"Serena, slow down!  If it got dropped out here, you might 
miss it with all these people around!" Molly panted.

	Serena slowed her pace.  "What if somebody threw it away?" 
she cried.  "That's the only copy I had of it!"

	"Well...least you know Darien won't be reading it then," 
Molly replied helpfully.  

	Serena brightened.  "That's right!  If I had a choice, I'd 
rather it get trashed than have Darien read it and laugh his lungs 
out over it.  Hey, there's the arcade!  Let's go in, quick!"

	She raced across the street, leaving Molly to follow her, 
and burst into the arcade, looking for Andrew.  He was at the 
counter, polishing a glass as he talked in a low voice to...Darien.  
That brought her to a screeching halt, and she cast a panicked 
glance to Molly.  Now what was she supposed to do?  Molly merely 
shrugged, offering no help.  Luna wasn't much help, either.  She 
had been left outside, since pets-even talking ones-weren't 
generally allowed in the arcade.  Serena took a deep breath, walking 
slowly up to the counter.  Somehow, she had to get that poem back...

	Andrew gave her a surprised glance.  "Back again so soon?"
he asked with a grin.  "Want a milkshake?"

	Serena shook her head, casting a nervous glance toward 
Darien.  He was watching her, his face expressionless...but had 
that been a flicker of...amusement in his eyes?  **Oh no!** she 
thought.  **Does he know something?!  Did Andrew find the poem and 
let him read it?  He wouldn't be that cruel to me, would he?  
But...Darien's his best friend...**  Aware that they were both 
waiting for her to speak, Serena blinked to clear her thoughts, 
then took a deep breath.

	"Um...Andrew, I was wondering if...ah...if anyone had 
turned in...a piece of paper," she said slowly, cursing her fair 
skin that allowed the whole world to see her blush.  Even her 
toenails were turning red!

	Andrew's voice was neutral as he asked, "What kind of 
paper, Serena?"

	**He knows something,** Serena thought darkly.  **He's 
playing with me, the rat!**  That might have been a little unfair 
on her part, but she was too panicked to care.  "It's...um...a 
homework assignment.  I got an A on it, and I wanted to show my 
mom, but I can't find it.  I thought...I thought maybe it got left 
here..."
	
	Andrew smiled at her gently.  "Nobody turned in anything 
like that to me," he replied, and she nearly sagged with 
relief...until her eyes fell upon a slip of notebook paper tucked 
neatly under Darien's coffee cup, with her name and the beginning 
of a red 'A' showing clearly on the top line...

	Her face went from red to deathly white in a single moment, 
and for a moment she feared she was going to pass out.  Darien was 
looking at her with concern, reaching out to her to keep her from 
collapsing, but she stepped away from him.  "Th-that's mine," she 
whispered, pointing to the paper.

	"I know," he replied quietly, taking the paper and gazing 
down at it.  "It's a beautiful poem, Serena.  You deserve that A."

	**Is he mocking me?** she thought dully.  It would be just 
like him.  She held out a trembling hand.  "I-I'd like it back 
please," she whispered.  Maybe...maybe he didn't know that he was 
the subject of her poem...

	Of course he was smarter than that.  "Didn't you write 
this poem for me?" he asked, meeting and holding her gaze steadily.  
There was no sign of mockery on his face, but he was an expert at 
hiding emotions, after all.  "I think...maybe we need to talk," he 
continued gently, taking her hand and tracing her palm softly with 
his thumb.

	**And let you walk all over my heart?  Not in THIS 
lifetime, you won't!** she thought angrily, tugging her hand away.  
"I...have to go now.  Mom's expecting me.  Bye!"  In a sudden move, 
she snatched the paper from his hand and turned and bolted for the 
door, ignoring his plea for her to stop.


*	*	*	*	*
	"What just happened here?" Andrew asked as Darien watched 
Serena run off, tempted to follow her, but knowing it would do no 
good.  

	"She got scared and ran," he replied softly, turning back 
to the counter.

	"Well...aren't you gonna go after her?" Andrew demanded.  
"Sweep her off her feet!  Tell her you love her!  Kiss the sweet 
breath out of her, for pity's sake!  Don't just let her go!"

	Darien smiled wryly.  "It isn't that simple, Andrew," he
replied.  "If it was anyone else, I'd do that, but this is Serena.  
If I go to her now, she'll just think I'm making fun of her, like 
I always do.  She wouldn't believe me."

	"Well...haven't you tried to change?" Andrew asked, 
scratching his head.  "Why not admit you're her secret admirer?  
She'll have to believe you, then!"

	Darien sighed.  "Oh, I'm gonna admit it, all right.  But 
it has to be special.  She deserves something special," he replied.  
"Right now, I think it's best that I let her alone, until she calms 
down.  Besides...I have a feeling she still has some things she 
needs to work out yet."

	"Like what?" Andrew challenged.

	Darien shrugged and replied simply, "Ryan."


*	*	*	*	*
	"Blew it, blew it, BLEW it!" Serena growled, bonking her 
head against the wall until she saw stars.  "He'll NEVER talk to 
me again!  I've ruined everything!  Why did I ever write that 
stupid poem?!"

	"Calm down, Serena," Molly said soothingly.  "I'm sure 
things aren't as bad as you're making them out to be..."

	"You don't understand!" Serena wailed.  "He'll stop wanting 
to be my friend!  Do you think he'd want to risk going to jail for 
having an underage kid love him?!"

	Luna snorted.  "Serena, it would take a lot more than you 
just loving him to send Darien to jail," she replied.  "There's no 
crime in loving someone older.  Just in acting on it."

	"I KNOW!" Serena wailed.  "Which is why Darien won't return 
my feelings, 'cause it's against the law!"

	Molly giggled as a sweatdrop appeared on Luna's forehead.  
"Silly!" she tittered.  "That's not what Luna meant!"

	"Then what DID Luna mean?" Serena asked sulkily.

	Molly rolled her eyes, then leaned over to whisper in her 
ear.  Serena's eyes went wide, and her face turned bright red.  
"Eeeewwww!" she squealed.  "Wash your mouth out with soap, Molly!  
That's just GROSS!"

	"Dummy," Molly giggled, smacking her friend lightly across 
the head.  "Don't let Darien hear you say that!  He'd be mortally 
insulted!"

	"I didn't mean it like THAT!" Serena muttered, pouting.  
"Oh, everything's a mess!  I just want to curl into a little ball 
and disappear!"

	"Well, there's no sense in worrying about it," Molly said 
practically.  "Nothing we can do now."

	"You are so not helping," Serena grumbled.  Then she sighed.  
"Well, let's go see if dinner's ready.  I'll figure out what to do 
about Darien later.  I can't think on an empty stomach!"

	"Or do anything else, for that matter," Molly teased.

	"Hey!  What's THAT supposed to mean!" Serena protested, 
snatching at her friend, who ducked and ran, laughing, down the 
stairs.


Continued...